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yourlocalfictionalenthusiast · 3 years

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IN LIFE, IN DEATH..

Part Two

Part One

Warnings: swearing

‘Carefully, you reached towards the piano and tried to touch a vase of flowers but they passed right through your fingers. Your entire hand went numb then a tingly feeling spread throughout your body.

Well, two things were for sure.

You were definitely back, but you were definitely dead.’

“(Y/n)?”

Alex appeared by your side, pulling your hand away from the vase that you couldn’t seem to stop sticking your hand through.

You had been so distracted, you didn’t realize that the girl had come back until you heard her scream. Alex covered his ears and shouted over the noise.

“Please stop screaming!” He shouted.

She did, but she kept eyeing the four of you suspiciously.

She was holding a cross out as she slowly stepped into the room. Her eyes were still wide with fear but she stood her ground. “Who are you and what are you doing in my mom’s studio?”

Luke gave her a look of confusion as he stepped forward. “Your mom’s studio? No, this is our studio.”

He yelped as she came at him with the cross. He jumped up on the piano and slid across the surface. “The grand piano is new, and-”

Luke cut himself off suddenly and in a fit of excited giggles, he ran towards the other side of the room. “My couch!”

You watched as he ran his hands over the worn leather, a dreamy look on his face. Despite the situation, you couldn’t help but laugh a little. After your time in the dark room, it was comforting to see some things never change.

Luke’s eyes flickered up to the ceiling, his eyebrows knitting together as he inspected the lights and chairs hanging down and you were reminded that more things had changed than stayed the same.

You decided you couldn’t take it anymore. You had to get to the bottom of this. And to do that, you needed the boys to focus for more than a few seconds.

“Boys, can I see you over here for a minute?” You said, gently leading Alex and Reggie away and gesturing for Luke to follow before turning back to the frightened girl.

“Excuse us for a second.”

You gave her an apologetic smile and shuffled over to the other side of the garage with the boys in tow. Once you got far enough away, Luke frantically whispered. “What is going on? How did she get her stuff in here so fast?”

“Maybe she’s a witch. I mean, chairs are floating on the ceiling.” Reggie exclaimed. You could feel Alex glaring at him as you placed a comforting hand on his shoulder.

“There’s no such thing as witches, Reg.” You said.

“You sure? Cause I used to think that there was no such thing as ghosts.”

Alex nodded reluctantly. “That’s fair.”

“Okay,” Luke butted in, “So, we’re going with witch?”

“No!” Alex scoffed. “We’re not going with witch. Look, she’s just scared. Let someone with a softer touch handle this.”

He turned towards the girl and approached her slowly before practically yelling in her face. “Why are you in our studio?!”

“Real soft, Al.” You whispered to him before extending your hand out to her, wincing at the awkwardness once you realized that like the vase, you probably couldn’t touch her either.

“I’m really sorry we scared you. I’m-”

Before you could finish, she jabbed her arms forward until the cross went clean through your chest. The tingling sensation came back in full force and you resisted the urge to shiver.

“Oh my gosh! How did you do that?” Her eyes were wide and unblinking as she stared at you.

“Clearly she doesn’t get it.” Alex said, turning back to the boys and then back to her, obviously exasperated. “We’re ghosts, okay? We’re just four ghosts who are really happy to be home.”

“We’re actually in a band called Sunset Curve.” Luke explained, his tone full of pride like it always was when he talked about the band.

“Tell your friends!” Reggie piped up with his signature line and you snorted. It was nice to know that even in death, Reggie was still the best hype-man.

“Last night was supposed to be a big night for us.” Luke said. “It was supposed to change our lives.”

“I’m pretty sure it did.” Alex interjected.

“This is freaking me out!” The girl shouted, keeping one hand held out towards you with the cross and the other pulling something out of her back pocket which she began frantically tapping on.

“What is that?” Luke asked, and the girl rolled her eyes.

“It’s my phone.” She cursed herself and shook her head. “No! Stop talking to them. They aren’t real. There is no such thing as cute ghosts.”

Reggie flashed her a dopey smile. “You think we’re cute?”

You rolled your eyes and Alex leaned forward. “Who are you calling?”

“I’m googling Sunset Swerve.”

You couldn’t help the surprised giggle that escaped your mouth as the boys groaned in unison. “Sunset Curve!”

Over Alex’s shoulder, you could see the bright screen of her phone as she pulled up an article. At the top was your professional band picture you had taken a year before the Orpheum. Luke was goofing around and playing Alex’s leg like a guitar while you stood by his side, sticking a finger in Bobby’s ear.

“Whoa.” She muttered. “There is a Sunset Curve and you did die. But not last night.”

You tried to keep your composure as she turned to look at the four of you, the fear in her eyes replaced with a small trace of sympathy. “25 years ago?”

“What? No, that’s impossible. After we floated out of the ambulance all we did was go to that dark room where these two cried.” Reggie gestured between you and Alex.

“Well, I think we were all pretty upset.” Alex said in his high pitched voice that usually made you laugh, but the mention of the dark room made you remember your moment with Luke. You turned around to look at him only to find him several feet behind you, eyes focused on a spot on the wall just past you.

The fact that he was still avoiding you didn’t escape you, but you forced yourself to swallow the sad feeling and focus on the issue at hand.

“But that was just for like an hour.” Luke said. Despite the tension between you, the sound of his worried tone made your heart ache. “We just showed up here.”

The girl sighed. “I’m just telling you what my phone says. You died in 1995 when you were 17. It’s now 2020.”

“So, this is the future?” Reggie asked.

Your head was spinning. There was no way it had been that long, right?

“It’s really been 25 years? I’ve been crying for 25 years, how is that possible!?” Alex shouted. You rubbed his back softly.

“You’re an emotional person.” Reggie shrugged.

“I am not!” He said, his high-pitched voice coming back as he pouted.

Just then, an unfamiliar voice chimed in. “I thought you were too afraid to come out here.”

You turned around to see a kid standing in the doorway, smiling as he came into the room. “You talking to your ghost friend? Is he hideous?”

“He can see you.” Alex snorted, bumping Reggie with his shoulder.

“No, he can’t.” The girl blurted, receiving a weird look from the younger kid.

She asked him what he wanted and he rolled his eyes. “A normal sister for starters, now stop being weird and come eat.”

The girl blinked at the garage doors her brother had just exited from before looking back at Alex. “He couldn’t see you.”

“Well, yeah. That’s kinda how ghosts work.” Alex said.

The girl huffed and marched towards the doors, spinning on her heels to face you again. “Look, I’m sorry for what happened to you guys, but this isn’t your studio anymore. You have to leave.”

“Wait.” Luke took a step towards her. “We didn’t get your name.”

“It’s Julie.”

“Cool.” Luke smiled. “I’m Luke, by the way, and this is…”

“Reggie! Hey.”

“I’m Alex, how’s it going?”

“I’m (Y/n).” You waved to her awkwardly as Luke stretched out his arms and made a little ‘tad-da’ sound.

“Okay...” Julie said before disappearing out the doors.

“Julie seems nice.” Reggie said brightly, making Alex sigh.

“Did you miss the part where she kicked us out?”

As you patted Reggie’s shoulder, your eyes drifted up to the loft where you could see the outline of more instruments. “Alex, aren’t those your drums?”

Alex followed your gaze and poofed up to the loft. “All of our instruments are up here!”

Luke immediately shot up from the couch where he had been sulking and faced you and Reggie with a mischievous grin on his face.

Half an hour later, you had your instruments set up in the middle of the room. Once it all came together, you could almost convince yourself you were back in the old studio having a normal band practice. The boys must have felt the same way because before you know it, you were singing as loud as you could as Luke played the opening of ‘Long Weekend’

You got lost in the music, smiling and dancing around. Even though it felt like it had only been a few hours since you sang at the soundcheck, it had been 25 years. It was as if everything you didn’t get to feel in all that time started pouring out.

You felt like you were floating - and not in the ghost kind of way.

It wasn’t until you heard Julie’s annoyed rambles that you came back to reality. You stopped singing and the boys followed, though Luke couldn’t resist doing an extra few riffs on his guitar.

“The whole neighborhood can hear you!” Julie yelled. “I thought I told you to leave.”

“Wait, people can hear us play?” Luke asked. Your stomach fluttered with hope as Julie sighed.

“Yes! And so did my dad and my brother.”

Alex stood up from his drums. “So, only you can see us, but everyone can hear us? What kind of ghosts are we?”

Luke gave him a fistbump. “Who cares, man? People can hear us play!”

Suddenly, the door swung open and a man stepped in.

Julie smiled nervously. “Dad!”

“Hey, I was just making sure you’re okay.” He smiled.

“I’m fine. I just had to turn off the CD player.”

Julie’s dad nodded before turning around and looking at your instruments. “Is this the junk that was in the loft?”

“Junk?” You and Luke scoffed. His eyes flickered to yours but you looked away as the man started tapping on Alex’s drums with his fingers.

“Hey, man! Tell him to stop touching my drums!” Alex complained. Julie just shrugged as the man pointed to the CD player.

“I liked that song you had on.”

“Sweet! We’re Sunset Curve.” Luke cheered.

“Tell your friends!” Reggie said as if he could hear him.

“It’s just an old CD I found.” Julie explained.

Her dad smiled. “Well, it’s still nice to hear you listening to music again. Out here you can play whatever you want, whenever you want.”

Something in his voice was a little sad even with the smile on his face, and you noticed something seemed a little heavier about Julie too. You got the sense that the conversation wasn’t just about music.

He stretched his arms and they went straight through Reggie and Luke’s chests. They both shivered but smiled brightly.

“That’s nice.” Reggie said, which made Julie sigh in frustration.

“Stay out of this.” She snapped and her dad gave her a confused look and started to apologize. Julie shook her head frantically.

“No, no. Not you. You know what? Just give me a minute.” She grabbed her dad’s arm and started leading him out of the garage.

Before he stepped out, he gave her a squeeze on the shoulder. “We’ll figure out this music program thing.”

“Thanks, Dad.”

He gave her one more reassuring smile before he disappeared out the doors.

Julie paused for a moment, seemingly lost in thought. You were just about to ask if she was okay when she whirled around and glared at all of you. If you weren’t already dead, you’re pretty sure that her stare would’ve killed you.

“He liked our song!” Luke yelled.

“He doesn’t count. He’s a dad.” Alex said.

Julie stomped her foot. “Why can’t you just be normal ghosts? Go haunt an old mansion or something! I heard Pasadena is nice!”

She stormed out and Alex whistled. “I think she’s warming up to us.”

“I’ve always wanted to go to Pasadena.” Reggie said.

“I feel bad.” You admitted. “I mean, if I was her, I’d probably be pissed too.”

“I don’t think-” Alex started, but before he could finish, Luke poofed out of the garage.

“Rude.”

It was quiet for a few seconds before you heard Luke’s voice just outside the studio. You pointed towards the doors and Alex and Reggie nodded.

You closed your eyes and focused on where you wanted to go. Within seconds, you were standing on the pavement of the driveway, facing Julie as she and Luke talked.

“Look, I’m sorry we came into your life.” Luke said. “But what I just felt in there actually made me feel alive again.”

He looked back to the three of you and you nodded.

“We all felt alive again.” Luke sighed. “So, you can kick us out if you want. But we’re not going to stop playing music. I mean, we can play again! That’s a gift that no musician would give up. You gotta know that. I mean, clearly your mom is into music.”

Julie’s look shifted from understanding to sadness. She took a deep breath. “Was. She passed away.”

Luke exhaled. You could tell he was beating himself up a bit as he chewed on his lip. “I am so sorry.”

“Yeah, we didn’t know.” Alex said. Reggie nodded solemnly behind him.

“It’s okay.” Julie shoved her hands in her pockets and looked at Alex. “You haven’t seen her anywhere, have you? Like from wherever you’re from.”

“Uh, no. I mean you’re kinda the first person we’ve seen.” Alex said.

“Yeah, but she’s not dead so that doesn’t answer her question.” Reggie piped up, making Alex roll his eyes.

“I think she knows what we mean.” Alex turned to Julie. “I’m sorry for your loss.”

Julie’s gaze fixed on her shoes and she shrugged. “Thanks. Sorry I got mad. You guys are kinda good.”

“Kinda?” Luke scoffed. “That’s just 25 years of rust getting dusted off.”

“Yeah.” Reggie agreed. “Do you play piano too?”

Julie shook her head, a sad smile on her face as she stared through the studio’s window. “No, that’s just my mom’s stuff in there.”

“No way! She’s an amazing songwriter.” Luke said.

“She was.” Julie tore her eyes away from the garage. “Wait, how do you know that?”

Luke shrugged. “There’s a song on the piano, if that’s hers…Your mom was really talented.”

You nodded and Julie scanned all of you one last time. “I guess, if you need a place to stay…you can stay in there.”

You all cheered and Julie rubbed her temples. “This is just too weird.”

“Thanks, Julie.” You said. The other girl gave you a weak smile before she disappeared behind the gate leading back to the house.

An hour later, as you paced around the garage, you got an idea. Your hand flew to the front pocket of your jeans and you turned to Alex. “Hey, Al. I’ll be right back.”

Before he had a chance to ask why, you had poofed away.

It didn’t take long before your feet landed on the doorstep of the house. You wandered inside and it took a full minute of searching before you arrived at Julie’s bedroom door.

You tried to knock, but your hand went straight through the wood. You cleared your throat. “Hey, Julie?”

“Come in.” Julie said.

Carefully, you stepped through the door and into her bedroom. It was decorated a lot like the garage, with bright lights and pretty paintings. Julie sat in the middle of the room on her bed, and even though you probably couldn’t sleep anymore, you wanted nothing more than to lay down and take a nap.

“Hi. I’m sorry to bother you.” You fiddled with the zipper of your jacket. “I just wanted to say I’m sorry about your mom.”

The friendly smile she had wavered before she nodded sadly. “Thanks. I’m sorry again for freaking out back there. I guess I just still kinda think of it as her place.”

“Don’t be sorry!” You told her. “Believe me, I wouldn't have handled it as well as you did.

I know we’re a lot to handle sometimes. And by ‘we’ I mean the boys.”

You both laughed and Julie shrugged. “They’re not so bad. As far as ghosts go I would’ve expected them to be a lot scarier.”

“It’s really nice of you to let us stay. But I’m sure we can find somewhere else to go. I wouldn't want to intrude on your mom’s space.”

“No!” She said, sitting up slightly against her pillows, “I think it’s what she would’ve wanted.”

“She sounds like an incredible person.” You said.

“She was.” She nodded. She took a deep breath in, “It’s just kind of hard to talk about her sometimes.”

You nodded. “I understand. My dad died before I was born. All I really have of him are a few pieces of clothes and this picture.”

You reached into the pocket of your jeans, pulled out a polaroid picture and handed it to Julie. It was of your mom and dad on the day they got engaged: your mom showing off her ring and your dad unable to stop smiling as he kissed the crown of her head.

It had been on you since the day your mom gave it to you with a box of his old things. The sight of your mom made your heart wince, but you weren’t ready to think about that yet.

Julie smiled as she stared at the picture then pointed to your jacket. “Is that his?”

It was a dark blue hoodie with sleeves that were a little too long for your arms so you had to bunch them up to fit your hands through.

“Oh, uh. No, this is Luke’s.” You explained, trying to fight the blush spreading across your cheeks. “Or at least it was before he waged a war on sleeves.”

Julie laughed again, and you couldn’t help but feel a little lighter.

“Anyway, I know it’s not the same,” You took the photo back and shoved it in your pocket. “But I do know what it’s like to miss someone, and if you ever want to talk about how much it sucks, I’ve been told I’m a pretty good listener.”

She nodded, a grateful smile on her face. “Thanks, (Y/n).”

You nodded and waved goodbye before poofing back into the garage.

Between working at Cece’s, going to school, and making music, you never had much time to make friends when you were alive. Especially girl friends.

But you were starting to think that maybe you could have one now.

July 1994

“Slow down!”

You yelled over the noise of the crowds, your tone sounding a lot less intimidating than you wanted due to your laughter as Luke dragged you up the boardwalk.

He responded with a smirk over his shoulder while he waved through dozens of excited carnival-goers. The smell of fried food, funnel cake, and fresh ocean air flooded your senses as you tried to stay on your feet. The pace was almost dizzying, and your body was buzzing from the excitement.

You hadn’t realized where he was taking you until you saw an array of flashing neon lights spinning above you. The Ferris wheel.

“Seriously, Luke?”

“It’s tradition.” He beamed, fidgeting excitedly as he got in the line. It was not lost on you that he was still holding your wrist in his left hand. “I mean, can you even remember the last time we did this?”

You didn’t. But you weren’t going to prove Luke’s point for him.

“Next, please.” The ride operator gestured for the line to move up and before you knew it, Luke was shoving you into the cart. It was a faded red one with a ‘7’ painted on the side.

“You know, it’s okay to admit that you only dragged me over here to avoid everyone seeing me kick your ass at Skee ball.” You joked.

The ride started and your cart was lifted into the air while more people got on.

“Excuse you, I dragged you over here because I wanted to spend time with my best friend.” He said sincerely, but you could see the mischief behind his eyes. “Or maybe I wanted to do this!”

Luke suddenly jerked forward, then pulled himself back, making the cart wobble.

“Luke!” You gripped the support bar and glared at him. Once your heartbeat righted itself, you shoved him with your shoulder. “You’re hilarious.”

“About time you admitted it.”

The ride spun around a few times before slowing to a stop just as you reached the top. The sun was gone now, but there were still soft streaks of pink in the sky left behind. The noise of the carnival faded out beneath you and the playful mood shifted into something different as the sky began to darken.

“Are you cold?” He asked, looking back at you for the first time in a few moments. Something in his eyes seemed softer, but you tore your eyes away before you could figure out what it was.

You shook your head and tried to hide the fact that you had goosebumps from the cool night air. Despite Alex’s reminders, you had forgotten your jacket in the car. But you were too stubborn to admit that you needed it, especially knowing how much Luke would tease you for it.

“Dude, you’re shivering.” Luke laughed and rolled his eyes before shrugging his jacket off his shoulders and wrapping it around you.

The material was warm and soft against your skin. It smelled faintly like cinnamon and laundry detergent and suddenly your head felt dizzy all over again. "Thanks, Lu."

You weren't sure what gave you the confidence for your next move, but you ignored the screaming voice in your head as you slid over and tilted your head until it rested on his shoulder. It was something you’d done before out of comfort, but you felt out of your element in this moment.

Some hair on the top of your head ruffled as he took a deep breath and you could hear the soft smile in his voice when he spoke.

“Anytime.”

There was a moment of anticipation, like just before a big drop on a rollercoaster. Neither of you dared break the silence for fear of shattering the moment and the feeling that came with it. Just as it seemed like maybe it would last forever, the Ferris wheel suddenly moved forward and the moment evaporated.

"So." You said, trying to distract yourself from the fluttering in your stomach. "How much do you wanna bet that I actually can kick your ass at Skee Ball?"

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babysizedfics · 3 years

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Pink Crayons and Pinky Promises - Part 2

Summary: Being a super cool big brother is hard work sometimes. Especially when you don’t feel as big as usual, Vee doesn’t feel as little as usual, you parents are asleep, your baby sister’s pullup needs changing, you both need breakfast, you don’t know where crayons come from, and you miss your Mommy. But Mommy always calls Roman a clever little boy, so he’s gonna try to deal with all that stuff anyway! That can’t be too hard, right?

Word count: 7.2k

Take me back to part 1!

Also on AO3!

oOo

As much as Roman tried to enjoy colouring again, it was suddenly really hard. His head felt stuffy and his chest felt full—and not in the nice bubbly way. In the yucky balloon way. The yucky balloon always meant he was bored, and Roman hated being bored!

He threw the crayon to the carpet and pouted around his toothbrush. Not even chewing the crunchy bristles could stop the yucky balloon that was swelling in his chest. He rubbed his feet on the carpet again, but that didn’t help either. And now his fingers were feeling tingly! It was the worst feeling in the whole entire world forever and ever!

He groaned and flopped back to lie on the floor with his arms spread out. Bobbles of the carpet caught under his fingernails as he scratched it over and over again. Everything sucked!

Vee squeaked.

“What’s wrong, baby?” Roman asked, feeling a little bit… not little anymore. It wasn’t that he wanted to be big—he really, really didn’t—but it was always tricky staying so little without a grownup there to encourage it.

There was no response from Vee except some little babyish hums. Then some silence. Then an even louder sound: a chirp!

Roman raised his head from the floor just enough to see Vee’s back. Fae was wiggling around on faer butt with faer hand still held to faer mouth. Sucking sounds told Roman that fae was still eating the melon. And every couple of seconds, fae would make more squeaks and hums and chirps!

The yucky balloon in Roman’s chest deflated. “Is it yummy, Titch?” he giggled, sitting back up.

Vee always made funny sounds when she ate. Daddy called them yummy sounds, and Mommy said that was stimming too. It didn’t look much like stimming to Roman, but Mommy was super duper smart so Roman believed him. He liked this version of Vee’s stimming a lot because the noises were fun to listen to!

More chirping met Roman’s ears. Then he saw Vee’s legs kick out gently against the floor. Kick, kick, kick, quick but soft. That meant Vee really liked what she was eating.

Vee being happy made Roman feel a whole lot happier, so he picked his crayon back up to keep colouring!

The only sounds in the room were the crayon scribbles, the toothbrush bristles, Vee’s yummy sounds, and Roman’s little giggles when Vee made a particularly funny noise. He was smiling so hard and for so long that his cheeks even ached!

Then one of Vee’s squeaks got cut short by a whine. Roman looked over at his sister just in time to see faer pick a big black seed from faer mouth and drop it onto the carpet.

“You don’t like the seeds?” he asked, taking his toothbrush out of his mouth. There were a few seeds all over the carpet where Vee had apparently dropped them already.

Vee shaked faer head. “Wucky!” fae squeaked, and even stuck faer tongue out to show just how yucky fae thought they were. “Not s’posed to eat them ‘cause then Daddy can’t gwow them!”

That gave Roman a really creative and clever and funny idea! He tried to look casual, inspecting his toothbrush as if it was far more interesting than what he was about to say.

“Well they can still grow,” Roman started with a sly smile. “They would just grow in your tummy instead of the ground.”

He waited a moment—just long enough to seem cool but not dismissive—then checked Vee’s reaction.

She was frowning suspiciously, the tip of her tongue stuck out in thought. (Though she might have just been licking some melon juice from her lips. There was definitely enough dripping all over her cheeks.)

“They don’t do that…” Vee’s fingernail went back up to her sticky lips and she went quiet again. Then she whispered: “Do they?”

“Sure they do!” Roman nodded. He acted surprised and asked, “You’ve really never had a little fruit tree grow in your tummy before?”

It was pretty funny watching Vee’s eyes get slowly wider. Fae shook faer head. “No, I—Well I don’t think so.”

Roman’s lips betrayed him by pulling into a smirk, but he quickly shoved his toothbrush back in his mouth to hide it. “I fink you woulda noticed if you did. You woulda felt it for sure.”

It was less funny watching Vee’s eyes get quickly shinier. “B-because it hurts?!” Faer breathing got faster and faer eyes darted down to the seeds on the floor. Then fae pulled faer legs up into another tight hug. “I don’t wan’ a fwuit twee hurtin’ m-my tummy!” fae whimpered.

Uh oh.

“No, no, no, Vee! I didn’t—It’s okay, it doesn’t hurt!” Roman scooched on his butt to be right next to Vee and wrapped his arm around her.

“How d’you know?” Vee’s voice was really quiet. She was still scared.

Roman had to think something up real fast. And fast ideas weren’t always the bestest ones.

“I had a melon tree in my tummy once.”

It could’ve gone a whole lot worse than it did, but luckily Vee didn’t look upset by Roman’s answer. She just looked really freaked out.

“In your tummy?!” Vee squealed.

Her voice was so loud and squeaky that Roman even dropped his toothbrush on his empty plate to cover his ear! “Hey, we don’t wanna wake Mommy or Daddy!”

“In your tummy?” Vee repeated in a whisper.

A giggle bubbled up Roman’s chest and out of his mouth. His feet went brush, brush, brush. “Yeah, Titch! That’s how I know it doesn’t hurt.”

All of Vee’s attention was now on Roman. Her mouth was dropped open and she was staring at him and leaning forward. “Was it when we had the melon when it was waining?”

Roman shook his head and sat up straight with a proud smile. “Nu uh, that was only a month ago. This was way before that. Like before you lived with us.”

“Wow…” Vee gasped. “Did Daddy help you get it out?”

Roman’s eyes went wide and he hurriedly added, “No, Daddy didn’t know about it! A-and neither did Mommy, so don’t ask them ‘cause they won’t remember.” That was a close one! He didn’t wanna be in trouble for thinking of cool answers that were maybe not that true.

Vee nodded in understanding, then looked down at her fluffy socks, frowning. It looked like she was thinking hard.

After a few moments, fae hummed and nodded to faerself. “Okay, but even if they’re weally small and it doesn’t hurt, I still don’t want any twees in my tummy.” As if to prove faer point, Vee picked a seed out from one of her melon cubes and dropped it on the side of faer plate.

“Suit yourself,” Roman shrugged. Then—just to prove to his baby sister that he was a brave big boy—he picked the seed up and popped it in his mouth.

“Wo-Wo!” Vee screeched and launched herself on top of him. Her feet kicked out behind her and flung the melon and crayons all over the floor. “Don’t, it’ll gwow in your tummy again!”

Roman laughed even as Vee was crawling into his lap and getting really close up in his face. Then he stuck his tongue out to show her the seed. “I mot swawowed it yep!”

A big gasp came from Vee and her hand quickly lifted, ready to reach into his mouth! But Roman was super fast and grabbed her wrist before she could. Vee kept pushing her hand forward though, and Roman jolted back to get away from it.

With Vee’s weight in Roman’s lap, they both tumbled back onto the carpet, Vee still trying to put her sticky fingers in Roman’s mouth and Roman pushing her hands away as fast as he could.

“Eww, what are you doing?!”

“I’m gonna take it out!”

“No, don’t touch me!”

“Gimme da seed!”

“Your fingers are all sticky and—”

“We not s’posed to hab twees in our—”

“Get your icky baby hands out of my mouf!”

Suddenly, a low chuckle came from the hallway that made both of the littles freeze. They looked over at the living room door just in time to see it push open…

To reveal Nana Janus!

“You two certainly have a lot of energy this morning,” Nana said, smiling as he stepped into the room.

“Nana!” both littles squealed in unison.

“W-we didn’t know you were here!” Roman scrambled to sit up and pushed Vee off his lap. She didn’t cry or anything, she just wriggled onto her butt and held her arms up to Nana, whining. What a baby!

“Good morning to you too, little ones.” Nana looked around the floor and his smile went a bit different—like the smaller, tighter, wobblier one he had whenever Vee was throwing her toys everywhere or Roman was running around in his underwear. The tired kinda one.

“I see you’ve been busy…” he said slowly, kneeling down to where Vee was making grabby hands at him. “Looks like Nana has his cleaning work cut out for him, don’t you agree?”

Roman twisted his head round to look over the floor. There was lots of icky melon and seeds and cereal and crayons all over the carpet. He bit his lip and looked back at Nana with a giggle. “Oopsy daisy!”

That made Nana’s bigger smile come back. “Oopsy daisy indeed.” He pulled Vee into his lap and it made her stop whining. “But don’t get yourself in a fret, little prince, we can tidy up a bit later.”

What silly words! Roman giggled and brushed his feet all over again.

“M-m-m-m—”

The baby was trying to talk! Roman and Nana both looked at faer and Vee blushed under their attention. Fae wiggled and pulled at faer pyjama shirt again. “M-m-me and Wo-Wo are habin’ fun!” Faer voice went real squeaky and happy.

“You’re having fun? Without me?!” Nana gasped dramatically and held Vee’s shoulders, jiggling them a little.

Big giggles spilled from Vee, and then Roman joined in. They looked at each other with excited smiles. Nana was funny!

When they had gotten over their giggle fit, Nana spoke again. “I was listening to your conversation for a while. Roman, I never knew you were so knowledgeable on crayons and melon seeds.”

Electric excitement coursed through Roman’s veins and he bounced on his butt and brushed, brushed, brushed his feet and scribbled his fingers on the carpet! “Yeah, I-I-I teached Vee lots!”

“Yes, I know,” Nana said with a different smile. The sneaky kind of smile. He pointed at his eyepatch. “I could tell.”

Heat flooded Roman’s cheeks. Nana only ever wore his eyepatch when he was seeing lots and lots of yellow. And Nana only ever saw lots and lots of yellow when someone was doing lots and lots of lying.

“Um, Nana?” Vee whispered, tugging Nana’s waistcoat and making him look down at her instead.

Phew! Saved by the baby.

“Yes, little hatchling? Did you want to play with my watch chain?”

Vee shook her head and looked at Roman. Then she tugged Nana’s waistcoat again and leaned near his ear. Like she was tryna keep Roman from hearing it! But her whisper was too loud for Roman not to hear:

“Did you come down the chimney?”

It took a lot of effort for Roman to not roll his eyes. Ever since Christmas, Vee kept asking Daddy if anyone was gonna break into their chimney. And now it was summer! Roman thought it was a very silly thing to be worried about. Of course no one could come down their chimney; only Santa Claus could do that ‘cause he was magic!

And while Nana did know lots of magic tricks, it was a different sort of magic, Roman was sure. Although, Nana always bringed them lots of presents. And Roman saw him eating gingerbread cookies with milk one night when he was babysitting them… Maybe Roman would have to investigate if Nana had any links with the North Pole!

“No, darling,” Nana assured, tucking Vee’s bangs behind her ear. They were getting real long. “I didn’t come down the chimney.”

Vee sighed in relief.

“Did you, um, crawl through the dog door?” Roman laughed, knowing he was being silly. It was fun to be silly with Nana because he made cool jokes!

“Well yes, but that was last week,” Nana said, then winked at Roman.

That was his special way of telling Roman he was joking, because Roman was clever and he knew what sarcasm was! It made him feel super big and cool to be in on the grownup joke while Vee looked at Nana in shock, so he wiggled happily.

“I just didn’t go home last night,” Nana explained.

“Did you sleep in da apple twee?” Vee asked.

Nana laughed loudly and cuddled Vee closer to him. Roman hugged himself. He wished Mommy was here…

“That was the original plan, but then your Daddy said I could sleep in his bed. So I thought I might as well accept the offer.”

Roman gasped and got ready to speak—but Nana gave him the warning look and beat him to it.

“No, Roman,” Nana said sternly and raised his eyebrow—the one with the shiny piercing that Roman wasn’t allowed to poke anymore. “Before you accuse me of anything, your Daddy was not in there with me.”

Roman squinted at Nana suspiciously. You could hardly blame him for wanting to make sure his Mommy and Daddy weren’t cuddling anyone else!

Then Nana pulled a pack of baby wipes from his sleeve making both of the littles gasp—that’s the kinda magic tricks he did! “Now, why don’t you tell me what you’ve been up to this morning while I clean Vee up a bit, hmm?”

The warning voice was back to a soothing voice, and Roman felt all wiggly again!

“Um, um, um!” Roman started, taking a big, stuttering breath. His chest was tight with just how much energy he had to get out, and his mind was racing with all the stuff he wanted to tell Nana!

Like about how he stopped Vee from crying and how he offered to play without his cars so his little sister could join in. Or maybe about how he was so clever in thinking of how to get downstairs and make breakfast all without breaking any rules! Ooh, or about how brave he was for not crying when his hands got yucky and how he helped his baby sister read the crayon label! Oh but he wanted to show Nana his drawing too!

“Um, um, um, uh, um, um—” Roman babbled, his tongue struggling to keep up with his brain.

“Let’s start with what you did once you were downstairs, little prince,” Nana interrupted softly. “Can you do that for Nana?”

It was weird how Nana didn’t need to raise his voice over Roman to get the thoughts to stop zooming so fast in Roman’s brain, but it worked! Roman took a deep breath to calm down. It was really hard to talk right when he was so excited.

“Um, we-we-we—I made breakfast!” he said louder than he really meant to. He was just super happy because he knew Nana would praise him!

“Oh goodness, all on your own?” Nana’s jaw dropped in surprise as he passed Roman a fresh baby wipe.

Roman giggled with a nod and took the baby wipe to clean his hands. Then he accidentally made a weird happy, throaty sound. Kinda like Vee’s yummy sounds. He bit his lip to hold any more back and wiggled his knees as he wiped his fingers clean.

Then Nana gushed, “What a smart little boy you are, Roman!”

“Eep!” Roman couldn’t hold that sound back. “Y-yeah, yeah, yeah, I am!” He felt almost dizzy with excitement! He quickly finished cleaning his hands then screwed up the wipe and dropped it into Nana’s lap. “I was so clever and-and-and big!”

“Very big indeed,” Nana agreed while he ran his own baby wipe over Vee’s hands. He swirled his finger on Vee’s palm and she squealed and kicked her feet and twisted her head to rest it on Nana’s shoulder.

Then Nana tutted and picked off a piece of cereal that had been stuck to her cheek with melon juice.

“Eww!” Roman giggled. “Vee, you got food everywhere!”

Vee just giggled back and buried her head in Nana’s neck. It looked like she was getting even more little now that they had a grownup with them. Roman was too! He just wasn’t a baby.

“Come on, sweetie, up, up.” Nana stroked Vee’s hair as fae lifted faer head back up and looked at him with a pout. “Say ahh, baby. Ahh, ahh,” Nana demonstrated, holding his mouth open and his chin up.

“A-a-ah!” Vee opened her mouth in a little circle, and Nana quickly wiped all over her sticky cheeks.

“There we are,” Nana whispered, screwing up the wipe and dropping it into Roman’s lap. (Roman squawked and flicked it off straight away!) “Well, I certainly hope at least some of the food ended up in your little tummies.” Nana’s finger swirled on Vee’s tummy this time and fae squeaked and quickly hugged faer tummy.

“Yeah, look!” Roman blurted, remembering yet another thing he needed praise for. He hurriedly grabbed his Spongebob divider plate and held it up proudly. “Look, Nana, look!”

“Yes, darling, I’m looking. And do you know what I can see?”

Roman nodded quickly, eyes tight shut with a smug smile. He was such a good boy and he knew it! “Mhm, my empty plate! Be-because I was a good boy and eated all my breakfast!”

“Oh, it’s not quite empty.”

There was no way that was true! Roman remembered, he eated all of his food! He opened his eyes, knowing there was nothing left on his plate except his—Uh oh.

His chewed up toothbrush…

“Roman, look at Nana.”

The warning voice was back and Roman bit his lip and lowered the plate back to the floor. Keeping his mouth firmly shut, he looked up at Nana with the most innocent smile he could muster.

Suddenly, Nana’s hand darted forward, his fingertips landing on the sole of Roman’s foot and scribbling over his sock.

“Aah, Nana!” Roman squealed, immediately falling into a stream of laughter.

He hurriedly pulled his feet under his butt so Nana couldn’t tickle them anymore. (It was really fun when Nana or Daddy tickled his feet, but not as fun as when Mommy did it. Mommy was Roman’s favourite tickle monster!)

But then Nana’s fingers held Roman’s chin up and gently pulled his lip down. Oh no! Nana had tricked him!

“Nanaaa,” Roman whined, scrunching his face up and squinting his eyes shut. His gums kinda hurt from his mouth being open…

Thankfully, Nana dropped his chin quickly. But it was too late. Roman opened his eyes and saw Nana giving him the you’ve-been-naughty look.

“Your gums are positively raw, Roman!” Nana tutted. Then he sighed and shaked his head. “Would you care to tell me why you’ve been chewing your toothbrush when your Mommy and Daddy and Nana have all said that that’s not allowed?”

“Uh ohhh…” Vee whispered, and Roman glared at faer. Fae hid faer face on Nana’s shoulder again.

“I not been chewing it!” Roman defended with a pout. “I was just, um, lookin’ at it!”

That was never gonna work. All Nana had to do was tap his eyepatch for Roman to scramble over an excuse.

“Um, w-well I might of chewed it a little, but only ‘cause… Um, be-because—”

Vee’s head quickly poked up from Nana’s shoulder and she squeaked, “He was chewin’ on it all mornin’, Nana.”

“Little prince!” Nana scolded. “You know you’re not allowed to do that. I’m going to have to tell your parents.”

“Vee-Vee, we had a deal!” Roman whined and kicked his feet on the carpet. What a little tattletale!

Vee didn’t look sorry at all! She even had an evil little baby smile and fidgeted with her pyjamas while she giggled. “You said don’t tell Mummy or Daddy! And Nana is allowed to tell them!”

“What a cheeky little monkey,” Nana chuckled and tickled under Vee’s ear, making her squeal. “That was very clever, baby.”

Hot, heavy stuff filled Roman’s ears and head and he clenched his jaw so tight his gums hurt all over again. Two could play at that game! He crossed his arms and argued, “Well then I’m telling Nana you didn’t change your bedtime pullup!”

That stopped Vee’s giggling. Roman even felt kinda proud at how much her face dropped and how loud she gasped.

“Oh, sweetheart…”

Nana’s voice was so soft it kinda surprised Roman. His own mischievous smile dropped off his face and he looked up at Nana.

Nana was looking down at Vee’s face with a worried kinda look, and he stroked her bangs again even though they were already tucked back. “Is that true, darling?” he whispered.

Fae tugged at her pyjama top again and nodded silently. She looked like she’d done something naughty and felt really bad about it

“Can you tell Nana if it was wet when you woke up?” Nana asked gently.

It made Roman’s heart and tummy drop when he saw Vee’s eyes go wet again.

Now he probably looked like he’d done something naughty and felt really bad about it…

“Nana?” Roman mumbled, hunching his shoulders a little when Nana looked at him again. “Um… her pullup was wet but she said she didn’t wanna change it.”

Vee whined loudly. Faer body went really stiff on Nana’s lap and fae looked up at him really scared—like fae was getting ready to be told off.

“Shh, it’s alright, Vee.” Nana’s hand cupped Vee’s cheek. “You’re not in trouble.”

Even Roman sighed in relief. He never wanted to get his baby sister in trouble.

Nana continued, “But your pullups aren’t like your nappies, sweetie; we really need to change them once they’re wet. We don’t want any leaks, do we?”

All of a sudden, Vee’s wet eyes got even wetter. Fae sniffled and tugged faer pyjama shirt down. Kinda like if fae was trying to hide faer—

Oh… Roman’s tummy sinked even more.

It looked like Nana thought of the same thing, because he had a sad kinda smile now. “Can Nana please check, little one?” he asked really quiet.

Nana nudged Vee’s hands off her pyjama top and out of her lap. Then they could see a small wet patch on her pants.

Vee started whimpering and wriggling straight away.

“Oh, sweetie,” Nana cood and cuddled Vee back on his chest again, swaying her gently side to side.

She made a sad squeaky sound and choked, “Didn’t kn-know.”

“I know, Vee. Shh, it’s not your fault, darling.”

Roman’s eyes went wide. Did that mean Nana thought it was his fault?

“It’s not my fault either!” Roman quickly yelled. “She wouldn’t let me help! A-a-and she pinky promised that she wouldn’t have a accident!”

“Didn’t m-m-mean to!” Vee cried back, but it was all muffled because her face was on Nana’s shoulder again.

“Hey, hey, both of you stop for a moment.”

Both littles went quiet. Even Vee’s sniffling stopped.

Nana nodded at Roman and squeezed his arms tighter around Vee. “Very good. Now we’re all going to take a deep breath, all together. On three, ready?”

Roman’s lips twitched up at the corner and he scrunched his fingernails in the carpet again. He liked taking a deep breath with Nana, it always helped. So he nodded.

“Alright,” Nana said very quiet and soft. “One… Two… Three.” He squeezed Vee’s shoulder to let her know it was time to breathe, then they all took a big breath in.

Roman’s chest filled up, up, up with air, like a big balloon. He watched Nana and when Nana nodded with his chest puffed out really far, they all breathed out again slowly.

Once it was done, Roman’s tummy felt a lot better.

“Now—” Nana’s voice was still soft “—it wasn’t anyone’s fault that Vee had a little accident. Vee, sweetie, do you remember what we say about accidents?”

Vee’s pink cheeks puffed up like they did when she was thinking real hard sometimes. Then she looked up at Nana with her fingertip between her lips. “Um… jus’ habben.”

“They just happen,” Nana repeated with a smile. “They’re not bad or yucky or naughty. They just happen, and that’s okay.”

Once Vee nodded (and smiled when Nana kissed her cheek), Nana looked over at Roman.

“And it’s not your fault either, little prince. I know you were just trying to help your sister feel comfortable. And the most important thing is you didn’t make her do something she didn’t want to do.”

Roman’s heart felt a bit lighter hearing that. But not completely… “Fae still got wet pants, though,” Roman whispered. “I wanted to help faer stay dry!”

Nana shook his head and patted Roman’s knee. It made Roman wiggle his toes. “That’s not your job, sweetheart. And wet pants are very easy to fix, aren’t they, little one?”

For a moment Roman’s tummy flipped in excitement. Nana didn’t call him little one very much, but Roman always loved it when he did!

But then he realised Nana was looking at Vee, not him. Vee was the little one, not Roman… It made his chest feel spiky and whooshy.

“Now let’s get you in a fresh pullup and dry clothes, little love,” Nana told Vee while he reached over to pick up her pacifier from where she dropped it on her colouring. “Those ones can’t be very comfy, can they?”

“Gaga pwup?” Vee babbled with her whole thumb stuck in her mouth. She was obviously more of a baby now. Which meant she couldn’t play with Roman anymore!

“Yes, little hatchling, Nana will help you change your pullup.” He held up the pacifier and Vee gasped. “Do you want your dummy, baby?”

Vee did the grunt that meant yes please, and Nana pulled her thumb out from her mouth and put in the paci instead.

“There we are!” Nana smiled. Then he moved onto his knees like he was about to lift Vee and get up.

But Roman hurriedly grabbed Nana’s wrist to stop him from standing. “We weren’t finished colouring yet!”

Both Vee and Nana were looking at Roman surprised. He let go of Nana’s wrist and pouted grumpily to hopefully distract them from his blush.

“Little prince, I know you and your sister were having a lot of fun on your own.”

Roman nodded enthusiastically.

“But it’s time to fix a couple of things now,” Nana said slow and gentle, like he was being careful not to make Roman cry. But Roman wasn’t a baby, Nana didn’t need to be careful! “I need to help Vee change and then we’re going to tidy up.”

“No, I don’t want to! I want Vee to stay and colour and I want you to go away!”

The last bit wasn’t completely true… But if Nana was going to make Vee not play with him and make him do boring chores then Roman didn’t want Nana there!

“Listen to Nana, little prince,” Nana sighed and sat back down on the carpet, pulling Vee closer on his lap again. “I know you like to be a big boy, but today I think you’re too little to be on your own. That much is clear from the mess you’ve both made. Neither of you are in trouble,” Nana quickly added when Roman’s shoulders went tense. “I know you couldn’t help yourselves, and that’s okay. But now I think we need to give you some grownup supervision before anything else goes awry.”

“W-we’re gonna wake up Mommy?!” Roman squealed, bouncing a little on his butt. “I’m gonna show him my colouring and my plate and the cereal pieces and—”

“Not so fast, darling,” Nana chuckled. “Your mummy still needs his rest, so Nana is going to be your caregiver this morning, alright?”

It made the inside of Roman’s chest swishy and crackly and hot. Like lava! Like angry, sputtering lava!

“Now while I help your baby sister, why don’t you start by collecting all of the crayons and—”

“No!” Roman yelled.

Nana went silent while Vee whimpered. Roman knew it was bad of him to yell around the baby, and it was kinda scary to be a bad boy because he really didn’t want to be bad… But he didn’t want to clean up either! He wanted to play!

“Okay then,” Nana started, slow and gentle again. (Roman wasn’t a baby!) “Perhaps you can start by picking up the pieces of food from—”

“No!” There was no way Roman was gonna touch icky floor food! He crossed his arms tightly.

“Roman.” Nana used his strong voice. “We are not doing this today.”

The strong voice meant he wasn’t happy with Roman, and sometimes it even meant Nana would tell on him to Mommy and Daddy later. The idea of Mommy being disappointed in him made the backs of Roman’s eyes burn and his lips pull down, but he quickly scrunched his face up angrily so no-one noticed.

Nana’s voice was a bit softer when he said, “I’m sure you don’t want to clean up the mess, but I’m afraid it has to be done. If we do it together—”

“No!” Roman yelled again, his voice cracking a little.

It made Vee whine and look up at Nana, who took a deep breath.

Roman knew he was being really naughty now, and it made him feel scared and embarrassed and sad. But he was nearly gonna cry and he really didn’t want to in front of Nana, and Nana wanted to take Vee away from him, and Nana wasn’t letting Roman see Mommy! Nana was mean and Roman didn’t want to do what he said! He grabbed his toothbrush to hold it tight. It made him feel better to hold his favourite things.

“Would you like Nana to help you clean the—”

“No!” This time he even raised his foot from the carpet and stamped it back down! (It was hard because he was still on his butt, but Roman had a lot of practice stamping his feet in all kinds of situations.)

Nana ignored the foot stamp. “Well then would you like to be left alone?”

Roman’s eyes widened and he clenched his toothbrush so tight it hurt. Being left alone sounded really scary and made Roman’s throat clog, but he couldn’t let Nana know that! So he gritted his teeth and put all his strength into making his voice steady: “No, no, no!”

The look on Nana’s face wasn’t happy at all. It was tired and annoyed. “Then you’re clearly too little to make a decision for yourself. Nana is going to help you whether you like it or not.”

“No!” Roman shouted. “I don’t want Nana, I want—”

Roman gasped and closed his mouth really tight. Hot tears made his eyes wet.

Even though it was blurry from his tears, Roman could still see Nana’s face soften. Then Nana asked in a low voice, “What do you want, sweetheart?”

And that was exactly how Mommy always sounded when he was cuddling Roman and helping him to stop crying.

Without any warning, Roman suddenly felt his face crumple and his mouth made a squeaky sad sound. He quickly buried his face in his arm to try to squeeze the tears away like before, but it was too late. His sleeve was already getting wet from him crying.

“I-I—” Roman squeaked, trying to think of another clever idea. But it was too hard. He couldn’t think about anything except…

“I want my mommy!” he wailed into his arm. His tummy sinked all the way down now, and he hugged it with his free arm to try to make it feel better.

“Oh, sweetheart,” Nana cood softly.

It made Roman’s tummy swoosh so he hugged it even tighter. Then he heard some quick shuffling and suddenly a warm arm wrapped around him. Nana’s hand laid flat on his back and rubbed up and down, nice and slow. It helped Roman take a deep breath, but it was shaky and got caught in his chest. A sob broke free and he bit his lip.

“Shh, shh. It’s okay, little prince.”

“I w-want Mommy,” Roman whimpered, spluttering on his tears.

“I know you do, Roman,” Nana whispered and Roman slowly leaned against him. It was warm to lean against Nana and it felt safer. “Oh, you poor thing.”

Another little squeak met Roman’s ear, and for a moment he thought it came from him. But then he felt small fingers wrap around his hand and knew it was Vee. Roman whimpered and squeezed his sister's hand gently. He hoped fae knew it meant thank you.

Fae squeezed his hand back.

Nana’s hand went circle, circle, circle on Roman’s back. Nice and slow. “You miss your mummy, don’t you, little one?”

Roman waited a moment to find out if Nana meant him or Vee. But then Nana squeezed his shoulder softly and repeated the question. Roman was the little one.

With a wet sniffle, he dropped his arm from his face. There was no point hiding anymore, Nana and Vee definitely both knew he was crying. He still didn’t wanna look up from his lap though.

“I just—” Roman cut himself off because his voice was all croaky and thick and wobbly. He whimpered and squinted his eyes shut and squeezed his toothbrush as hard as he could. This is why he hated crying, it made him sound like a baby!

“Deep breath, little prince.”

Just like Nana said. Breathe in, deep… Breathe out, slow…

That was better. Plus, Nana’s hand was still rubbing Roman’s back and Vee’s fingers were still squeezing Roman’s hand. It all felt very safe.

Roman quickly wiped his sleeve over his eyes then looked up at Nana.

It was easier to whisper when he cried, so Roman tried that instead. “I just want Mommy to see h-how clever I been.”

Nana had a sad smile. “And he will, darling. Just as soon as he wakes up.”

Roman didn’t like that. It made his tummy sink all over again just thinking of waiting even longer to cuddle Mommy.

Then Nana’s fingers gently wrapped around Roman’s other hand and lowered it. Roman had started raising his toothbrush to his mouth without even realising! He pouted as Nana tugged his toothbrush down. Chewing his toothbrush would help him feel better right now, but he wasn’t allowed.

“Don’t you think it’ll be so much more fun to tell Mummy all about—” Nana’s eyes swept over the messy room quickly before landing back on Roman “—your endeavours after we’ve tidied up a bit? Then you can brag—uh, tell him all about how you helped to clean up, too.”

“But I want Mommy now!” Roman whined, stamping his foot again. It wasn't as hard this time though, only a soft kick. “I waited all morning a-an-and I always wake up Mommy and he’s never ever mad about it!” His lip wobbled even though he was sure he was done crying now.

The hand rubbed circles on his back again, nice and slow. It reminded him to breath in, deep, then breathe out, slow.

“I don’t doubt it for a single second, Roman,” Nana said in a bouncy voice. It was the babysitting voice and it made Roman’s tummy feel lots calmer. Even Vee perked up at the sound and wiggled happily on Nana’s lap. “But your mummy wasn’t feeling very well last night. Do you remember?”

Roman’s lips twisted in thought. Last night Mommy felt sicky and he was sad and his bedtime was really early, even earlier than Vee’s. After a moment of thought, Roman nodded his head. “Mommy was feeling yucky.”

“Wucky!” Vee squeaked and bounced in Nana’s lap with a squeal.

Roman giggled at faer excitement. Fae was just a baby, so fae didn’t really know what they were talking about… Fae probably just liked that word! It was kind of funny when the baby was excited when something not very exciting was happening!

“That’s right,” Nana said, wiggling his finger on Vee’s side. She smiled and wiggled just like the finger. “And when we’re feeling yucky, we need lots and lots of sleep to feel better.”

“But… b-but if Mommy was awake and he saw what a good boy I been then he would be happy,” Roman whined. Then he added, “And maybe I can make Mommy feel better.”

Nana’s lips pulled up in a smile and he gave Roman a squeeze. “That’s very sweet, Roman, but it’s not little ones jobs to look after their parents. That’s a big grownup job…” The hand on Roman’s back lifted away, but before Roman could pout, Nana poked his nose! “And I think we might have a very little prince this morning, hm?”

It made Roman blush and fidget. “Mhm…” he agreed quietly, then felt his toothbrush stroke across his lip before Nana tugged his hand down again.

“No, darling,” Nana scolded gently, tapping Roman’s wrist. “No chewing. Unless you want me to tell your Daddy.”

Nana was beginning to sound like Vee. Apparently being a tattletale ran in the family… With a massive sigh that he hoped would make Nana feel really guilty, Roman dropped his toothbrush back to his plate. Then he stuck his tongue out, just in case Nana didn’t realise Roman wasn’t happy about it. It made Nana laugh!

Maybe Roman wasn’t that annoyed. It actually felt really nice and soft and warm and bubbly and safe that Nana was trying to help him stop chewing the toothbrush, even if Roman really wanted to. His gums were super sore now anyway. And no matter how clever Roman was, he was still only a little boy! He knew that grownups usually knew more than he did. That was okay though! It meant Roman could just play and have fun and leave the big responsible stuff to the grownups.

“Gaga?” Vee whispered.

When Roman looked down at Vee, it was obvious she was pouting behind her paci. And she was tugging at her wet pants.

Nana’s cold fingers unwrapped from Roman’s wrist so Nana could cradle Vee’s head. “Sorry, sweetie. Let’s get right on that.” His thumb stroked over Vee’s cheek and she hummed and closed her eyes. She looked kinda sleepy.

Then Nana paused and looked back at Roman softly. “I know you’re worried about your mummy, little one, but I was with him for an hour or so last night. I promise you that he’s okay.”

Normally Roman believed Nana (unless Nana winked at him, which meant it was a big kid joke!) but this was very important. So Roman needed Nana to make a very important promise.

“Pinky promise?” Roman asked, holding his little finger up.

Nana’s pinky wrapped around his without hesitation. “Absolutely. Pinky promise,” he said very clearly, and Roman believed him. Then Nana’s hand dropped and his smile was back—the happy, soft one! “And I bet once he’s all rested up, your mummy would love to play with you later.”

Obviously! Mommy always loved playing with Roman because he was such a clever and creative little boy! Roman’s legs vibrated just thinking of all the fun he would have with his mommy. “Maybe-maybe-maybe playing lots!”

“Lots and lots!” Nana gasped, then he shuffled Vee around in his lap to start getting her ready to stand up. (She whined, but she always whined when she had to use her legs.)

Roman giggled, “A-and maybe he will play cars with me!”

“Oh, I’m certain he will.”

“And Nana you’re allowed to watch us play cars!”

A big chuckle came from Nana as he stood from the floor and helped Vee stop from tumbling over. “Thank you for your generosity, little prince. I would adore being a spectator for the hundredth time.” Once Vee was standing upright, Nana unwrapped his arm from her shoulders to hold her hand

“W-well, now you get to be a vip spectre!” Roman assured Nana, bouncing up onto his own feet. He jumped up so fast his head went all spinny and he had to hold Nana’s arm to help stay balanced.

“A V.I.P. spectator, sweetheart,” Nana corrected. (But Roman didn’t like saying each letter on its own. It took too long.) “As I said, I would love to do that later. But for now—” Nana held his empty hand out to Roman “—will you please come with me and your sister upstairs?”

Roman pouted at Nana’s hand. It was nice to hold hands, but it felt like Nana thought he was a baby who couldn’t walk on his own. Like Vee.

“Um…” he muttered, wringing his hands to avoid holding Nana’s. “But I’m a big boy. I can stay here on my own and clean the mess.”

Roman didn’t want to be on his own or clean the mess, but he did want to sound like a good big boy.

“That’s very true,” Nana nodded slowly, lowering his hand. “But you see the thing is, I seem to have forgotten all of the rules to your special car game. So I need you to explain it to me all over again, otherwise I’ll be completely lost when I watch you play with your mummy.”

“Awober again,” Vee whispered.

“Nana,” Roman giggled. How silly of Nana! “You always forget the car game rules!”

“I know, it’s funny how that happens. Now could you be a good big brother and hold Vee’s other hand for Nana?”

Yay! Now Roman got to hold someone’s hand and still feel like a big boy! Roman quickly bounced to Vee’s free side and took her empty hand, very happy that it wasn’t sticky anymore.

“Wo-Wo!” Vee cheered, smiling up at him past her paci and hugging his hand to her chest.

“I’m gonna help you walk, Vee-Vee!”

“Good boy,” Nana praised from Vee’s other side. “Now, are we all ready to head upstairs?”

Roman and Vee both nodded at Nana. It was fun when they were on their own, but it felt better to have a grownup to help them with grownup stuff. At least Roman thought so.

“Alright, here we go, little ones,” Nana announced, and they all started walking toward the hallway hand in hand. As they stepped carefully to make sure Vee didn’t trip up, Nana asked, “So will you be so kind as to tell me about your cars again, sweetheart?”

Roman’s cheeks bunched in a big smile. It was good Nana kept forgetting the car game, because it was Roman’s favourite thing to talk about!

“Okay! For the billionth time!” Roman laughed, his chest bursting with excitement for the day ahead.

“For the billionth time. I think I remember a little though. It’s the blue car who always wins the race, right?”

“Nana, it’s the red one!”

“Oh, of course. How silly of me.”

“Siwy!”

“Yeah, Vee, Nana is silly!”

“I suppose I am. What else can you tell me about the red car, little prince?”

oOo

I really hope you enjoyed the latest fic for this ongoing series! If you did, please consider reblogging, leaving a comment, or sending me an ask or message! They really keep me motivated to write more!

Thank you for reading! ヾ(ᴖ๑ᴖ)ﾉﾞ

Take me back to part 1!

Also on AO3!

#pink crayons and pinky promises #little/big series fics #little/big series #agere roman #agedre roman #little roman #agere virgil #little virgil #nana janus #cg janus #ts agere #ts agere fic #sanders sides agere

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clandonnachaidh · 4 years

Text

Remember Remember the Fifth of November

“D’ye think she’ll be warm enough?”

I looked down at our daughter and swallowed the urge to comment on the fact that he’d asked that very question at least ten times in almost as many minutes. His strong jaw was clenched in concentration as he wrestled a cosy knit hat onto her head, trying to be as delicate as he could so as to not wake her but having to go to war with her already abundant curls as they fought back against constriction. Brianna was in my favourite place, cocooned in a wrap that held her close to my chest with her head resting heavily on my shoulder as she slept. I even welcomed the drool that would no doubt be spilling from her parted lips as she dreamed.

Amongst all the other blessings that having a child of our own brought to us, the fact that she was such a good sleeper was not one to go unmentioned.

I smiled softly at the sight of my husband, huge and imposing in every way but somehow unbelievably gentle when it came to his daughter. Jamie was looking at her with the sheer adoration that appeared only when he was looking at Brianna.

“She’ll be fine. Besides, it’ll be warm beside the bonfire.”

“Aye but nae too close,” Jamie warned me, pointlessly.

“Don’t worry, lad, I don’t have any inclination to launch our daughter into the flames.”

He quietly muttered ‘dinna even joke’ under his breath as he put an arm around me and pressed a kiss to my temple, showing me that I was forgiven for my attempt at comedy.

Brianna shuffled slightly so I checked that she was comfortable, made sure that her little booties were firmly on her feet and saw that her hands were cradled in tight fists under her chin. Jamie retrieved his favourite Barbour jacket from the wardrobe and slipped into it, pulling his own beanie down around his ears before he caught sight of the three of us in the mirror.

Of course I was biased but the picture reflected in the glass was glorious. We looked like the perfect little family. Jamie towering over his two girls, ever the protector. I hadn’t been aware that I was beaming with pride but when I saw myself, my face was split into an open grin. Our little unit, all bundled up against what would be a cold autumn night, complete with matching wool jumpers that had been a gift to Jamie and myself from Jenny the previous Christmas with the promise of a smaller version being underway for Brianna to receive this year.

We could hear Ian and Murtagh having a loud discussion about where best to stick the Guy even through the thick walls of Lallybroch. With a chuckle, Jamie decided that it was time for him to wade into the discussion lest his godfather and brother-in-law decided to try and drown the other in the basin full of water that had been set up so the children could bob for apples. Just as we made it into the kitchen, Wee Jamie was caught red handed trying to stick a single finger into the treacle that was cooling around the toffee apples that were supposed to have been a surprise for later. A fact that wasn’t lost on my husband.

“Yer ma will tan yer hide and ye ken fine well.” Jamie grabbed his namesake around the waist with his free arm and lifted his giggling nephew out into the cold air, his other arm never dropping from the shield that he had created around Brianna and myself.

Lallybroch had come to be our home. It was beautiful in the spring with the first buds beginning to bloom and the small walk down to the burn was worth it for a dip in the midst of boiling hot summers. Of course, it was picturesque enough to be on a postcard when it was covered in soft, fluffy snow but my favourite had to be autumn. The trees that surrounded the land had all turned, greens deepening until they turned bright orange and red. It hadn’t been too windy so even though the ground was covered in a deep layer of leaves, the huge trees were anything but bare.

“Go and sort them out before I stuff one of them into the Guy’s outfit masel’,” Jenny’s voice came from behind us and Jamie snorted a laugh as he moved towards the two men who were still having words with each other over the correct placement of the effigy that had lovingly been made from potato sacks and straw with a somewhat terrifying hand-drawn face thanks to the efforts of Wee Jamie and his little sister Maggie.

“Mary, Michael and Bride, they’re worse than the weans sometimes,” Jenny sighed heavily, a sentiment I was not going to disagree with. We watched the three men bicker over this and that before finally coming to the conclusion that they would play rock, paper, scissors to determine the outcome of a very simple issue.

“Oh, for God’s sake,” I laughed as Murtagh clipped Ian around the head, clearly not happy with the result. Victorious, Ian pulled the physical representation of Guy Fawkes from the ground and placed him proudly on the bonfire, balancing him right in the middle of a particularly dense patch of branches to serve as a sort of throne.

I hadn’t noticed Jenny had gone until she reappeared with two mugs in her hands, spirals of steam rising and disappearing into the air.

“I slipped something special intae yer hot chocolate, mo phiuthar,” Jenny gave me a wink as she pressed the warm mug into my hand. I inquisitively stuck my nose close to the rim and felt a wry smile creep onto my face as I confirmed my suspicions with a look at my sister-in-law.

“That creme brûlée liqueur I got you?”

She nodded before taking a solid glug from her own cocktail, “The very same.”

From his place at his dad’s side, Wee Jamie bolted towards us and pulled at his mother’s arm, dragging her towards her husband as he begged the two of them for the bonfire to be lit.

With a look down at my own sleeping offspring, I took a sip of my hot chocolate and closed my eyes appreciatively, letting the warmth flow down my throat and into my chest.

“Christ alive, Claire.”

Jamie’s husky voice appeared from behind me and I smirked at him, knowing that only my husband could be one of the only men to see his wife enjoying a hot drink and make it a sexual thing.

“There’s booze in it. Here, try.”

I offered my mug to him but instead he closed the gap between us, careful to cradle Brianna’s head in one of his hands, and kissed the taste from my lips.

“Delicious.”

“Uncle Jamie, hurry! Da’s doin’ it!”

We all convened around the modest structure that had been built from old fence posts, planks from barn doors and old bits of timber from wooden pallets. I spied the leg of a kitchen chair that had met an explosive end the previous Hogmanay after a drunken Jamie and Murtagh had fallen into it during what had started as an eightsome reel and quickly descended into the two men trying to spin each other as hard as possible until they both lost their footing.

As if she knew that it was time for the festivities to start, Brianna started to make the little noises that meant she was beginning to wake.

“Ah, the wee snuffle pig is comin’ around, is she?” Jamie whispered soft words over her as his hands began to untangle his daughter from the folds of the wrap. I giggled at the nickname that he’d given her and stretched the tired muscles of the small of my back now that I didn’t have an extra 10kg of weight hanging off of me. Even though she was only a year old, Brianna was affectionately referred to within the family as ‘the long baby’ due to the Viking genes that had been passed down through her father.

As her sleepy eyes began to blink open, the first thing in her line of sight was her father which produced a rather spectacular smile.

“Daaaaaa,” she groaned with joy.

It was the only thing that she said, not yet having mastered any sort of name for me. She had, however, had given me the gift of a very specific, very shrill screech to know when it was mummy that was looking for. As much as I joked about him pipping me to the post, it was my favourite thing to see Jamie’s utterly radiant smile each and every time she said it.

“Did ye have a nice wee sleep, m’annsachd?” he asked as he kissed her head and then each cheek for good measure.

“Look, darling!” I put on my best excited face and pointed towards the bonfire where Murtagh held a torch and Ian held Maggie on his hip, Wee Jamie at dutifully at his side.

“Remember, remember, the 5th of November! Gunpowder, treason and plot! We see no reason why gunpowder treason should ever be forgot!”

With a round of applause for the two Murray children, Murtagh put the torch to the woodpile.

It went up with a whoosh causing Murtagh to stagger back slightly. He caught himself before subtly giving the finger to Ian who was doubled over laughing.

“Ye’ve got a bit less beard the noo!”

Shaking my head at the childish antics of the two eldest men in the family, I set my sights on the reflection of the flames dancing around in Brianna’s beautiful blue eyes. A lighter higher up, I saw the same vision replicated in the eyes of her father.

“D’ye like it, Bree? Can ye see the manny on the top there?”

“One year old might be a touch young to start explaining about why we burn a man on a bonfire, Fraser,” I said sardonically.

He made a face at me before bringing his mouth down to meet mine, Brianna’s pudgy hand caught somewhere between our bottom lips.

“She’ll be raised on stories of rebels, Sassenach. Guy Fawkes and Robert the Bruce and the like.”

I raised an eyebrow at him, “Any women in that list?”

“Aye, ‘course. Joan of Arc, Sophie Scholl. All the good ones.”

I nodded once with a smile to tell him that I was happy with his additions and we turned back to the bonfire, watching as the effigy burned in front of us. Jamie secured Brianna on his hip, burying his face into the riotous curls that had escaped from her hat and delighting in the resulting giggles. His other arm was wrapped around my side, sheltering me under his arm. Despite the cold, he was warm enough for all three of us.

We watched as the flames licked and crawled over the wood, bursts of air popping as the heat became too much. It was a beautiful clear night, even with the smoke from the bonfire billowing upwards and all at once, a huge explosion of white light lit up the night sky.

Brianna’s face at the sight of her first firework was something I knew that both Jamie and I would cherish forever. Her mouth hung open, eyes glittering with excitement as the colours burst in the sky. White and blue and green and red illuminated the pale skin on her face and it was one of the most beautiful things I’d ever seen.

She began to make breathy noises of awe, her little hand gently resting on Jamie’s cheek just to make sure that he was watching it all unfold with her. He quickly snuck a glance at me and smiled knowingly when he saw the tears in my eyes. A laugh snuck out of me, ready to dash my eyes and make a self-deprecating comment about being a silly, emotional mum but Jamie pulled me tighter against him and laid a kiss on the crown of my head.

“I am the luckiest man alive,” he announced. “Happy Bonfire Night, my beautiful lasses.”

#outlander #outlander fan fiction #Claire Beauchamp #Jamie Fraser #Brianna #ao3

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swimyghost · 3 years

Text

Snazz's Birthday Bash

TODAY IS @holyfandomsnazz 's birthday today! EVERYONE WISH THEM A HAPPY B-DAY!

@self-insert-nonsense @wickedhellagoodtime ARE HERE TOO!

The heat was getting to everyone. Even though the region was known for its cooler summers compared to the rest of the country, the wave of moist warmth was ruining the entire Roomies' day.

"Swimy," Snazz said, their blonde hair frazzled and covering their weary eyes, "did you pay the goddamn rent for the electric bill?"

"Unfortunately, until I get my ID, I'm still a minor in the eyes of the law," the recently made adult replied, pulling their blue hair away from their sweat covered brow, "so, no, I didn't pay the fucking electrical bill,"

"Well, couldn't you have gotten your ID earlier!?" Snazz shouted.

"I wasn't eighteen until three days ago, genius!" Swimy fired back.

Formerly lounging on the couch, the pair were now locked in a fierce glaring match with both of them looking like they were ready to fight each other.

"You're the adult here, why didn't you pay!?" Swimy yelled.

"Because I haven't been paid yet!"

"Neither have I!"

"Enough!"

A pink-haired figure stepped out into the living room with a tired, yet annoyed, look on their face. In her hand was a paper bag with the name 'SIN' scrawled on the forehead which was dotted with sweat stains. Their floral patterned shirt was just as ruffled as Swimy's hoodie and Snazz's gray shirt. Putting both hands on their hips, the eldest member of the roommates frowned at the duo.

"Do you want us to get another noise complaint?"

"No," Snazz grumbled, leaning back into the couch.

"But Dawn-" Swimy started.

"No buts!" Dawn interrupted, "it's already hard enough to find a four-bedroom apartment in our price range, I don't need you guys making it harder,"

Snazz raised their hand, "Technically my room is a former closet,"

Dawn turned their gaze away, clearly embarrassed, "It still counts,"

"Why can't we just ask your boy toy to help us out?" Swimy questioned.

"Karamatsu is just as much in a financial struggle as us and you know that," Dawn said with an even deeper frown.

"What's the point of a man if you can't even get him to pay your rent?" Snazz muttered.

All three went silent for a few moments before Dawn sighed, "I get my Patreon money at midnight. When is the latest we can pay?"

"The sixteenth," Swimy replied.

"And what day is it today?"

"The fourteenth,"

"Okay, so tomorrow I need to-"

"Oh shit really?" Snazz said, their eyes wide.

Both Swimy and Dawn blinked in confusion. "Is that a problem?" Dawn asked.

"No, no, it's not that," the blonde waved their hand nonchalantly, "I just... Well... It's my birthday tomorrow,"

"What?!" Swimy exclaimed, "I didn't know your birthday was in the same month as mine!"

"I- We're siblings how did you forget!?" Snazz said with their nose scrunched up.

"You know I'm bad with dates!"

"Why didn't you tell us sooner?" Dawn asked, ignoring Swimy's outburst.

"Hey, I forgot it myself," Snazz raised their hands defensively, "besides... It's not like we celebrated it much anyway,"

The oldest and youngest of the Roomie siblings glanced awkwardly at each other as an uncomfortable silence fell over the group. Several moments passed before Snazz stood up with a grunt. "I got commissions to finish. I'll pay the rent with that next time. Later,"

Dawn reached out to grab hold of their sibling, but they managed to dodge their grasp and entered their room swiftly, closing it with a soft thud. While the apartment was dead still, Dawn and Swimy rushed over to one another and began talking in hushed tones.

"How could you forgot Snazz's birthday!?" the pink-haired singer whispered angrily.

"You forgot it too, don't you try and deny it!" Swimy countered back in an equally low voice.

"Well... Did you get them a present?" Dawn asked anxiously.

"I forgot that Snazz's birthday was even this month, did you really think I'd get them a gift?!"

"Well, I don't have anything either!"

The two sighed, but their emotions were still running high. They had under twenty-four hours to purchase a gift for their sibling with the little amount of money all of them had, all while a desert-like heat filled the region in its unbearable cloud of misery.

"Alright, get your shoes on and try to get Sam out of their room," Dawn ordered, referencing their other sibling.

"What for?" Swimy asked, already reaching for their shoes near the old front door.

"Because we need to go out and get Snazz a gift before it's too late! They already probably think we're a bad sibling so we need to hurry and get something they like!" Dawn explained.

"Alright, alright, keep your voice down!" Swimy hissed, glancing over at Snazz's room.

Dawn nodded and began putting on her shoes while Swimy rushed over to the third oldest Roomie sibling. They grimaced at the yellowing paint on the walls as they swiftly knocked on the door.

"Sam. Sam! I know you're in there and we need you!" the blue-haired teen begged.

"...Go away," a muffled voice stated tiredly.

"Sam, we forgot about Snazz's birthday! All of us need to go find a gift for them!"

"...I'll search online for something. I'll Venmo you some money,"

"Ugh! Why won't you just come out!?"

"...Too hot. Too bright,"

"...That's fair,"

"What did they say?" Dawn asked, all ready to go. Swimy walked over to them with a huff.

"They said they'll look online for something," Swimy complained.

"Let me guess, it's too hot for them?" Dawn guessed.

"Bingo,"

"Well," the eldest sister sighed, "we don't have time to argue. We have a birthday to save!"

"Alright! Let's do it!"

---

"We're not going to be able to do it!"

Dawn looked down at the completely worn-out Swimy, watching as sweat rained down off their body onto the asphalt road as they were uncomfortably hunched over. Their blue hoodie was completely ruined hours earlier and had been tied around their waist in a desperate amount to stay cool, revealing a Mothman T-shirt underneath the read "Eat. Sleep. Lurk.".

"C'mon, one more store," Dawn said with exhaustion seeping into her voice. Her floral pattern blouse and her skirt were completely soaked in sweat and her skin was beet red. Still, determination held strong in her green eyes as she tried to pull her sibling up.

"No! No more stores! We've been into too many stores!" Swimy whined, resisting their sister's efforts.

"We need to find a birthday present!" Dawn argued.

"And I need to find a new therapist but you don't see me spending nearly four hours walking in unbearable heat to find one!" Swimy growled, motioning towards the setting sun, "besides, I think Snazz is starting to think our "double date" excuse is a little suspicious,"

Dawn sighed, "I know... But we need to prove we care about them. Just one gift will be enough,"

Swimy's eyes darted to the side, "I care too... But don't you think that maybe I caused Snazz's forgetfulness? That I'm the one to blame?"

"Pardon?"

"I mean," Swimy looked uncomfortable, "I was the youngest and born literally four days before their birthday. Snazz's birthday has always been overshadowed by me, the "baby" of the family,"

"Swimy-"

"What if... What if I'm the reason Snazz forgot? That I've been a terrible sibling this whole time and I've been blissfully unaware? That I've been able to happily celebrate my birth while they've been forgotten,"

Dawn, nothing tears welling up in their eyes, pulled Swimy close, "Don't talk like that. I doubt Snazz blames you for your birthday or the fact we never celebrated theirs as much as kids. If anything, they should blame Mom and Dad for that. You have nothing to do with this,"

"But... We if they do blame me?"

"Then we have to show Snazz the perfect gift!" Dawn gave her young sibling a tight squeeze, "What do you say? One more store?"

"...Yeah, one more," Swimy looked up concerned, "but how are we going to find one that-"

Suddenly, Swimy's phone went off with a loud buzz. Startled, the pair broke apart while Swimy awkwardly fumbled around with it. There was a single text sent by Sam:

I'm making a pie. I also found something Snazz will most definitely like.

Attached was an address to a nearby store. Sin blinked in surprise after she looked it up.

"It's a weird occult and true crime store. What does this have to do with a birthday present?"

"Who cares!?" Swimy proclaimed with a big grin, "we have a lead! And you said we needed to look in one more store!"

Dawn, still looking unconvinced, simply nodded, "If you say so,"

With that, the pair took off, ignoring the shouts and glares of passerby's. Dawn and Swimy managed to weave their way through tight alleys and crowds with ease with their newfound energy. It wasn't long before the two were situated outside a dark-colored store with black tinted windows. Crystals and occult symbols were carefully hung visibly through the glass. While Swimy appeared eager, Dawn seemed less than sure.

"You okay?" Swimy asked.

"Yeah just... It's creepy," Dawn shivered.

"...I'm married to Death's ferrywoman, Dawn," Swimy lifted their hand, showing off their black and silver wedding ring.

"That's different!"

"It really isn't,"

"Fuck off!" the pink-haired girl shoved Swimy into the store.

Inside was surprisingly bright which went against the darkness of the clothes, books, and crystals. The wood made a hollow thud with every step. Shelves were spaced in rows that carried various occult items. Walls were lined by clothes and posters containing demons or hard-core metal bands to-

"Is that Al Capone?" Dawn pointed at a poster.

"Yeah... And that's Haurkichi Yamaguchi," Swimy motioned to another poster, referencing the creator and former head of the Yamaguchi-gumi yakuza organization.

"Ahem,"

The Roomies siblings turned and, across the store, was a teenaged Japanese cashier. She had a combination of boredom and exasperation as she parted her black hair from her eyes. "Welcome to Crimes and the Concealed, a true crime and occult experience where there is something for everyone," she waved her hands less than amused for a supposed to be dramatic effect.

"Uh... Thanks," Dawn replied, nudging Swimy forward.

"If you buy one poster, the other is 15% off,"

"Thank you! But we're looking for something else!" Dawn hastily shoved Swimy into the back of the store, away from the prying eyes of the cashier, who seemed equally glad not to deal with them.

"That was rude," Swimy glared

"Sorry! This whole shop gives me the creeps," Dawn whined.

"I'm never taking you on a double date to the Underworld," Swimy muttered, blissfully unaware of the sound of the store door opening.

The siblings went looking for something buy, pouring over the many candles and strange objects as the setting sun remained a looming reminder of their limited time. After looking at the fifteenth crystal necklace, Dawn was about to give up when Swimy let out a gasp. Dawn instantly turned and was stunned to see what was hanging in the corner of the store.

Body pillows. Over a dozen body pillows of famous gangsters and criminals from Billy the Kid to Calogero Vizzini to Pablo Escobar, the rather morbid idea of placing known men that went outside the law for their evil deeds in alluring poses made the two shiver. But the one that caught their eye was the lone female in the mix. Long lavender hair matched her dazzling amber eyes. She donned a pirate outfit with a black corset that complimented her figure. Black boots with gold accents that reached to her knees, similar to how her all-knowing smirk reached across her face.

Dawn reached out and touched the pillow, "That's... Snazz's girlfr-"

"MY WAIFU!"

Suddenly, two large men shoved past the Roomie siblings. One had thick-rimmed and lens glasses with a greasy ponytail and sweat and grease-stained shirt that showed a bunch of underage anime girls in tight clothing and the other looked similar but had shorter black hair with glasses that blocked out his eyes and was slightly skinnier than his friend but still wore questionable attire.

"Oh my dear waifu, how I've looked for you for so long!" the ponytail man wailed, almost crying on the pillow.

"Hey! We had our hand on it first!" Swimy said, shoving past their older sister and glaring at the men.

"Eh!? What would two normies want with this?!" the smaller of the two gasped, his green jacket fluttering with the sudden movement showing that he had two anime girls sitting on their knees with one only wearing an open suit and fedora and the other an Italian suit with a cigar in her mouth.

"Did you use normies unironically?" Swimy muttered with disgust.

"You two don't get it clearly!" the larger man snorted, "If you were real fans of Chibi Wakai Gyangu No On'nanoko, you'd understand how rare this pillow this is!"

"Chibi Young Gangster Girls?" Dawn repeated the title, confused.

Both men turned their attention to Dawn. The ponytail man spoke first, "It's an anime where all the famous gangsters are turned into cute little girls! But the modern-day pirate mob boss can't be added because she keeps targeting the animation studio anytime they try!"

"I wonder why?" Swimy rolled their eyes.

"Quiet pipsqueak!" The jacketed man yelled.

"Easy, Kurai," the larger man leaned into Swimy's personal space, "those this one look like Al Capone-chan?"

Kurai blinked then let out a small smile, "She does, Terro! All she has to do is change her hair and-"

"It's 'they' and you stay away from my sibling!" Dawn shouted, pulling Swimy behind them.

"Shut up, pinkie! You have no right to judge since you're cosplaying that Sin idol!" Terro shouted.

"Their boobs are clearly fake! They're such a fake cosplayer she can't even get her most noticeable features!" Kurai pointed out.

Dawn gasped and wrapped her arms around her chest. Swimy leaped forward and practically hissed at the two, "We're taking that pillow and you're going to leave us alone, or else!"

Terro sneered, "Or else what?"

With the snap of their fingers, a bright blue beam of blue particles swirled around Terro's head. He tried to swat them away, but the blue solidified and turned into a dense water bubble around his head that spun like a cyclone. He tried to scream but inhaled a bunch of water instead. Kurai immediately went on the defense and tried the grab hold of Swimy. Dawn, realizing that talking wouldn't be successful here, stepped aside as Swimy leaped backward and willed her hand into a fiery blaze. With a primal scream, she slapped him full force, sending both him and his glasses flying in opposite directions. A bright red handprint was left on his face. A sudden gasp alerted the siblings that the water bubble had burst. Before they could react, Terro was on top of Swimy and trying to hold them down.

"You crazy bitch!" He screamed, trying to land a hit on the smaller person.

Swimy used their free leg to deliver a swift kick to the stomach before headbutting him off them. He groaned in pain and rolled onto his side. Dawn took this opportunity to light her foot ablaze and slam it down right onto his crotch. He howled in pain as his pants and his manhood were burned by the attack.

"Get the Hell out of here before we do worse!" Dawn ordered, readying their fists with Swimy following close behind.

Whimpering, the two took off running, leaving behind Kurai's set of glasses and several clothes that had fallen during the scuffle. Tired, Swimy grabbed hold of the body pillow and trudged towards the register. The cashier trembled as they set it down.

"W-Will that be all?" she stuttered.

"Yeah," Swimy replied bluntly.

The cashier nodded and quickly rung up the pillow. She practically shoved the item into Swimy's arms and nearly dove under the counter. Dawn rested a weary hand on Swimy and sighed.

"C'mon, let's get out of here before the cops arrive. We have a birthday to save,"

---

All Snazz wanted to do was sleep. Not only had they remembered that their birthday was a thing but they had spent the whole night trying to finish commissions in an attempt to forget it again. Even though their body was worn out, their mind was rushing with memories of all the birthdays that were forgotten of the years.

It's like they never cared Snazz thought.

They rolled onto their side for the hundredth time that night, trying to force sleep to come. What they didn't expect was their door to suddenly slam open and a large weight crashing onto their side.

"Oof! What the fuck-!"

"Wake up, sleepyhead! Time to have the best day you've ever had!"

"...Swimy?" Snazz looked up, seeing the smiling face of their youngest sibling looking down on them. They had thick eyebags that hung from under their eyes that balanced out their high amounts of enthusiasm radiating off them.

"Do you know another blue-haired bitch that's related to you? Now come on before I drag you out!" Swimy exclaimed, pulling on Snazz's shirt sleeve.

"I'm still I'm my pajamas and I haven't even showered!" Snazz argued, trying to resist their pulling.

"You also haven't cleaned your room in two weeks but you aren't worried about that!"

"Fuck you!"

"Fuck yourself!"

With the help of both their powers and natural strength, Swimy managed to help drag Snazz out of their bed and made them cover their eyes.

"This is stupid," Snazz grumbled.

"You're stupid but I love you anyway. To the kitchen!" Swimy shoved Snazz forward.

After several near attempts of Snazz crashing into a wall and one toe snubbing, they made it to the kitchen with Snazz less than amused.

"This better be good,"

"It is! Now... Open!"

Snazz did so and gasped. Not only was their favorite pie, chocolate coconut perfectly sat on their rickety table, but a large wrapped present was sitting beside it. Snazz and Sam, wearing their infamous multi-colored gradient mask, stood there with birthday poppers and wide grins.

"SURPRISE! HAPPY BIRTHDAY, SNAZZ!" all three siblings shouted, pulling the poppers and sending cheap confetti everywhere. Instead of being excited, Snazz stood there motionless with a blank expression. After a brief pause, Sam leaned over and whispered into Swimy's ear.

"What did you do?"

"I didn't do anything!" Swimy whispered back.

"Swimy," Sin said sternly.

"I didn't! Honest!"

Sam crossed their arms, "Well why are they-"

Wails exploded from Snazz as fat tears ran down their face. Immediately, all of their siblings rushed over and began to comfort them.

"Is it the pie? Is the pie not good enough?" Swimy asked nervously.

"I made that fucker by hand! It's perfect!" Sam yelled.

"Well if I have to be blamed for something so do you!" Swimy yelled back.

"Was it the poppers? God, I knew they were a bad idea!" Dawn nearly pulled their hair due to stress.

"You wanna go?" Sam snarled.

"Yeah, let's go!" their blue-haired sibling smirked, readying their fists.

Snazz grabbed all three of them and pulled them into a tight hug pile on the floor. Still crying, they managed to choke out a few words.

"I-I'm so happy! Y-You did a-all of this fo-for me!"

"Of course we did! We love you Snazz!" Dawn said, flinching as Snazz began to cry harder.

"C'mon, open the gift!" Swimy said, pulling the present down to the group.

Snazz didn't hesitant into tearing it open. They gasped in shock when they saw what it was.

"Is this my girlfriend? On a... Body pillow?"

"Don't ask how we got her," Dawn butted in.

"I-"

"Don't. Ask."

"I- Alright. Thank you. It's a lovely gift," Snazz said, setting it aside.

"Let's eat the damn pie already. I spent all night working on it so let's put it to good use," Sam said, standing up.

"I'll get the plates!" Sin called over her shoulder.

"Lemme get the forks and knives!" Swimy started to rush over to the drawers.

While the three started to gather everything for their meal, Snazz watched them fondly. They grabbed ahold of their new gift and squeezed it tightly.

Whatever being rules this hell of a universe... Thank you for my siblings... And thank you for this birthday.

#happy birthday snazz!#tw assualt #hope you like it

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loureadsandreviews · 4 years

Photo

This is for the lovely Hayley for her 30th Birthday. I hope you enjoy!

Summary: FinanXFemReader You are new to Coccham, and you seemed to have caught Finan’s eye.

Warnings: Fluff, Sex, Smut, parental death

Word count: 4230

“Ya new here now, ain’t you.”

You look up from where you knelt on the bank, your knees resting on the cold wet earth as you’re bent over washing a dress in the river. You had been lucky to be taken in by Lord Uhtred’s household after your hamlet was burned by Danes. Only you and your Sister survived, but she had decided she wanted to fight the Danes, and had asked to join the Dane Slayer himself. She was an inspiration, but you had seen enough killing now to last a lifetime.

“Yes, Lord, I am.” You offer him a small smile, admiring the width of his shoulders and the way his armour always fit him so very well. Your Sister knew you liked his dark eyes and irish accent, and she liked to tease you about it. She kept telling you to make yourself known to him, but how were you to do that? He was Lord Uhtred’s second in command, his right hand man and seemed to be his closest friend. He was not the kind of man you just wandered up to and tried to flirt with. Or maybe he was, but that did not mean that she was the type to wander up and just flirt openly with someone. There were names for girls like that after all.

“You’re Naira’s Sister, right? She has a wicked temper.” He chuckled and rubbed a large hand over his beard. You had not moved, your hands still rubbing the material of the dress together. You still had a pile of washing to go, but you were trying not to just sit and stare up at him. Was he not already snapped up by someone? He was so handsome.

“Yes Lord, she can be a little on the fiery side. It’s our Da’s temper, or um was our Da’s temper.” You look down at your hands, already pruned in the water, and at the blue dress there. Your Da had been all you and your Sister had, after your Ma had passed away trying to give birth to your Brother, though he had then passed on two days later after. Your Da had raised you right though, and he tried to protect you and Naira when the Danes had come, but they had killed him as he stood with his log axe in hand in the doorway. You and Naira had managed to hide up in the rafters, he had given you the time to do that safely. And he had died for it.

“Ah, yeah, I am sorry to hear about that.” His accent had seemed to get a little thicker as he looked serious, and you could not help but actually pull your hands up out of the water and rub your cheeks, at least then if he noticed your face was wet, he would think river water and not tears. After all no man wanted a girl who would cry all the time.

“Thank you Lord.” Your voice was soft, hardly above a whisper as you managed to look away from him.

“Hey now Y/N, don’t be calling me Lord. I work for my silver.” She looked up and couldn't help but giggle to the smile (and the quip) he had aimed at you. He did not wear arm rings like the Danes who worked for Lord Uhtred, but you did notice his gold rings, as he tucked his fingers into the leather chest piece of his armour, at his neck.

“Sorry, um… what should I call you then?” You are looking up into his dark eyes, one damp hand brushing back your hair, the wispy bits that always escaped from the simple tie back. As you were unmarried you were not expected to braid it down your back like most of the women here. She had noticed that even most of the Saxon women were doing it now, though you had no idea if you would. Not that you had to worry about it anytime soon.

“Finan, just Finan.”

“Then I shall, Just Finan.” You can not help giving him a cheeky smile, the kind of smile that her Sister claimed either meant she had done something wrong, or was thinking about it.

You were rewarded with a bright smile and another one of those deep rumbling chuckles. The sound of it sent a pearl of pleasure down your back and into your core. It makes you shiver, and the way he laughed a little more makes you wonder if he noticed it. He was leaning a little to the side, before he ran his free hand over his beard once again.

“I’ll let you get back to your fun task.” He tells you, with another smile and a wink this time. This has to be the Finan charm you had heard about. Of course there were rumours that he had been with half the women in Coccham, but then he was a man, and that was what they did. And if he had, none of the women here spoke ill of him, so that had to mean something right?

“I’ll let you get back and hold Lord Uhtred’s hand.” You tell him, your voice a little high, a flirty tone, before you look back down at the dress that luckily was still there in the water. You would have caught hell if Stiorra’s dress had drifted off down stream.

You did not look up again until the sound of his footsteps had drifted off, along with the chuckle. When you did look in his direction again he was heading through the gate, both thumbs tucked into his leather armour at the sleeve holes. He looked back at you, caught you looking at him, and then paused to give you grin (or what you thought of as a grin, it is hard to tell from his distance) before he vanished inside the palisade gates, leaving you to wonder if you would catch him later some time, or if this had been your one and only chance and you had blown it.

========================

A week later, and you had bumped into Finan more often than you had thought you would. He would just seem to appear whenever you were doing some of the more mundane tasks around the estate, you would share in some witty banter, and then one of you would head off and usually with a backward glance. Naira had been teasing you about him, saying that he kept mentioning your name at the most strange times and asking her what sort of things you liked. And apparently even Sihtric and Osferth had even started to tease Finan, bringing up your name in the middle of practise to trip him up or beat him in sword moves. And that seemed to drive him crazy, and made you smile as it meant that he may well really like you.

But you had no idea how to take that next step and show him you liked him too. After all, you did not want to be hurt. You had lost the strongest and only male figure in your life not long before, and while you were not looking for Finan to fill that particular role for you, you did not want to be just another hump in the hay, cause if you were then he could continue to look around for someone else. Your Da always said that you and your Sister were worth more than that.

There was to be a celebration that night, as one of the girls in the village was marrying one of Lord Uhtred’s men. He was throwing the feast, to show how happy he was for the couple, and everyone was invited. You had been working on your dress all week in your spare time, which there wasn't much of as it was harvest time, and that meant all hands on deck, as it were. Your dress was a deep blue, you had dyed it yourself, again and again until you had gotten the colour just right. You had also dyed Niara a tunic to match, as you knew she would not wear a dress now. You then had embroidered small yellow and white daisies around the neckline and cuffs, and in amongst the flowers you had placed some celtic love knots. They were not obvious, the thread was a dark grey colour, but if someone were to look closely, then he would see. You wore a light blue under dress, and then your newly embroidered dress over the top. Niars claimed you looked beautiful with your hair all brushed out until it gleamed, and coming from your beautiful sister, that meant the world.

You attended the feast with your Sister, though it soon became clear that she wanted to go and be with her warrior friends. You tell her to go, that you have your own friends to go sit with but it's a lie. You haven't made any friends here yet, but you knew that if Niara knew that then she would not leave your side. And you want her to have a night of fun.

One of you had to, right.

You did notice that Finan kept looking your way during the feast, but he is seated on the main table with Lord Uhtred, and the happy couple. And the two newly weds do look so happy that you feel overcome with emotions and a sudden sting of loneliness. You excuse yourself from the table, not that anyone around you is paying attention to you, and you take your cup of wine out of the main hall and into the cool evening air.

As the sun is setting, it has painted the sky in purples, pinks, oranges and reds, colours that had no business being together all blended in like that. It was striking, and you find yourself absorbed by the sight, it being one of the most beautiful sunsets you had ever seen.

"Breathtaking," a voice behind you makes you jump, a hand going to your chest as if that would calm your racing heart as you turn to see Finan with a semi serious look on his face. "Sorry, did I make ya jump?”

“No, well yes actually Just Finan, you scared me. But it is fine, your apology is accepted." You look back over your shoulder at the sunset and smile wistfully. "Yes, it is breathtaking."

"Yeah, the sunsets alright though when you've seen one then you've seen them all." He gave you a smile that seemed to be mischievous in nature but also shy at the same time. "I was talking about the view I had." He was still smiling, but there was something in his dark eyes that seemed to be serious too.

He walked towards you, and joined you where you leaned against the handrail that led into the main hall. You were blushing after his compliment, and you did not miss the fact that he was standing close enough to you that you could feel the heat from his body against your arm. His large arms were folded over his chest, and for once he was not in his armour, but just a green tunic with a striped pattern on it. It suited him, browns and greens did seem to suit him, and she could hardly imagine him in blue. That would just look weird.

“What are you doing out here anyway, you are missing the festivities.” You ask him, trying to make small talk, but you know you are terrible at such things.

“Oh, I know, but I saw this vision of loveliness slip out the hall, and I thought I would come out and see if they were well. Have you seen her, the vision of loveliness I followed out? I'm sure she is around here somewhere."

His tease made you laugh out as you knocked your elbow into his ribs, which then made him let out a small yelp, a sound that was so unlike him that you stopped and just stared at him in that moment. He was chuckling to himself, shaking his head at you.

"What on earth was that? Did someone sit on a mouse? Or maybe spill ale down Osferths back again? Surely the great Finan, Dane-Slayer, did not just yelp like a small child?" You tried to sound serious as you spoke, but your words were interspersed by the giggles that were bubbling up from your chest. You also realised at some point that he had taken a step towards you, and you had taken a step back. And again and again.

"Come now, Y/N, I think you know it wasn't nae like that." He was still grinning, taking his slow large steps towards you, as he ran a hand back through his hair. Your eyes watched his hand, and you found you wanted to know if his hair was as soft as it looked.

"Oh, I think you'll find it was." You tell him, still grinning and only them feeling the wooden wall behind your back. And yet he still kept coming. "Maybe I should send word to the Danes, that the way to bring you down is by tickling your ribs, or maybe the King can use you as a distraction, make you squeal and while the Danes are laughing he can slaughter them all."

"Oh lass, I'm going to make you squeal." He was still an arms length away, though when he moved to you, you never saw him coming. You had never seen someone move as fast as him, Finan the Agile indeed. His hands went to your own ribs, teasing out where you were ticklish. Which was everywhere. You try to stop him, but alas he was too quick, and far too strong to be put off. You laugh, and beg, and threaten, and then went back to begging, as tears of laughter rolled down your cheeks.

And by the time you were breathless, leaning up against the wall, with Finan standing almost against you, his hands on your waist, his head angled down towards yours, it was then that you knew you were going to kiss him. You could see it coming, as clear as day follows night, and while you were trembling to feel his lips on yours, you wanted to prolong the moment, the build up, something to remember him by when he moved on to someone else.

"I wonder where else you are tickl--"

That was as far as he got before you grabbed the font of his tunic and pulled his mouth down to yours. If he was taken by surprise he didn't show it with how his hands moved from your hips around your back though neither moved lower than your lower back you realised, as his lips moved against your own. His beard tickled your cheek and upper lip, making you smile into the kiss. You had no idea how long it lasted but when he drew back from your mouth you were almost panting for breath. A reaction that he both shared and seemed to like.

"Ya just full o'surprises, ain't ya."

"Why don't you see if you're good enough to find out?" You just can't help the banter with him, and before you can wonder what else he is going to say, his mouth was on yours again, though this time you opened your lips to him, and he deepened the kiss enough to make your toes curl. His tongue began to dominate your mouth, tasting, exploring, licking, you find it hard to keep up, though he was very alert for when you moaned in pleasure at a certain touch, especially when his hands finally slid down your hips to cup your buttocks in his strong hands.

When his mouth finally tore itself from your own and began kissing down your cheek to your jaw, you moaned against him, a hand moving up into his hair. It was as soft as you thought it would be, and you run your nails over his scalp and smile as he moans, though then you feel his teeth at your throat, and in the midst of the stinging pleasure you know he has left a mark there for all to see.

"So tempted to take you back to me rooms, just to see if you taste this good all over." His voice had dropped lower, and you can't help but shiver in pleasure.

"Take me there."

Finan paused and looked up at you from where he had been trailing kisses and bites down your neck. "Y/N, ya Ben drinkin, and I don't need ya Sister coming for me balls cause I took advantage of her drunk sister."

"Firstly, she is not my keeper, I do what I want. Secondly, I had one ale, too bored to drink more. And lastly, I'm not a maid, so you wont be doing nothing to me that wasn't done before."

There had been a boy in your town, Alresford, and the two of you had decided in the spring that if the Danes attacked you would rather not die virgins. It had been quick, awkward and fumbly, but you know from other women it got better with practise. Your sister didn't know, she would have killed Alresford if she did, though the Danes had already done that deed when they had taken your village.

You could see the surprise and no little amount of delight on Finans face at the news. "As long as ya protect my balls from your Sister, Y/N, then it seems I am in for a night of exploring and tasting…" His words died off as his lips found yours again, and with his hands still on your bottom, he picked you up as if you weighed nothing at all. It made you cry out in surprise, which just made Finan laugh as he kissed your breasts through your dress, before moving to carrying you in his arms as he moved quickly around the hall and towards his house.

You remember little of the journey there, other than you made use of the time to kiss and nip at his throat and side of his neck. The little hitches of breath and the following moans told you he seemed to like what you were doing, and it also added to the pleasure that was making its way straight down to your core. You were feeling a need to have him buried deeply inside of you, and you hoped it would happen sooner rather than later.

Arriving at his house, you felt him kick the door open, then closed, and a hand moved from your side to flick a latch, before it was back on you, and he moved through to his bedchamber. The waiting bed was large, covered in fine cotton sheets, and rolled up furs you would assume would be for winter. He placed you on your feet, and then began to kiss you once more. You were kissing him back, your hands going the hem of his tunic as his hands went for your dress ties. And your hands just seemed to get in the way of one another. You both laughed, before he drew back and pulled his shirt off, while toeing his boots off before sitting on the edge of his bed.

“Undress for me.” It was a request and an order, and you smiled as you turned your back to him, and began to unlace your dress, so it fell to the ground, and your underdress soon after joining it. You took off your shoes, then looked over your shoulder, naked, and looked at him. The look of pure arousal you were greeted with was almost your undoing, turning to him you wondered if he could smell your own arousal building. “Sweet Mary, Jesus and Joseph, but you are a sight.” His hands moved to your hips, and pulled you to stand between his legs as his mouth went to one of your breasts, kissing, caressing with his mouth, and nibbling the sensitive underside. His hands kneaded your buttocks, before he spun you around to leave a teasing bite on one of them.

“Sit down and hook your legs over mine.” Again, not quite a request and not quite an order. But you do, and he moved his legs wider, opening you up. “Now I want to hear you moan.” He told you, as one arm hooked around you, his hand moving down to start teasing your damp folds with his fingers as they searched out your most sensitive of places. His other hand seemed content to tease your hard nipples, cupping your breasts as his mouth started at your ear and began to kiss and nipple its way down to where your neck and shoulder joined. His fingers began to play you like a harp, each twitch and movement bringing you closer to your pleasure, that heated pressure that was building inside of you. His thumb began to rub the sensitive nub hidden in your folds, as his first two fingers teased at your entrance, sliding in to you, but only slightly.

That was enough to send you over the first time, and you cried out to god, to the gods, to Finan, and really anyone else who was listening about how good that felt. He chuckled in your ear, though did not stop until he had his fingers all the way inside of you, and then wiggled them just slightly until they found the place they seemed to have been searching for, and that touch alone sent another shocking wave of pleasure through your body, as you trembled in his lap, head laid back on his shoulder, sweat slicking your body as you tried to fight for breath.

“Now that was a chorus for God.” He whispered in your ear as he withdrew his fingers, leaving you feeling horribly empty. You watched as he raised those fingers passed your head and heard him suck them clean with a hum and a groan that made your inner muscles clench all over again. “Sweet Jesus you taste like heaven. Or maybe the nectre of the gods.” He teased, before his hands were scooping you up and laying you on the bed. She smiled up to him, and watched as he pressed off his breeches, exposing his length, more impressive than you would have dreamed, and giggled as he began to crawl up your body, his hands tickling your sides as he did.

“Are you sure, Y/N? This is what ya wont?”

“Yes, this is what I have wanted since I first came here.” You told him in a whisper, and could not help but smile as he was fully above you now, and your legs were open for him.

“Then why, by all the holy saints, did you not say so before now?” There was humour in his voice, and as he leaned down to press his mouth to yours once again, you felt his tip at your entrance. And with his tongue sliding into your mouth, his length pressed into your depths.

Your hands gripped his biceps hard, your nails biting skin, as Finan began to move inside of you, still kissing one another as he did. Your moans mixed with his, the small noises that escaped your mouths as the kisses became something harder, all teeth and tongue, as his hips began to pick up a steady rhythm, one you both could work to. It had been nothing like this with Alresford, but then neither of you had known what to do then. All you knew was that with each hard thrust into you, you felt more full, more pleasure and it was becoming too much.

“Oh Y/N, you feel wondrous,” he whispered against you as you felt your climax building once again, almost painfully fast as his hips moved in a different way, faster, making you whimper out. “Come undone for me again, Y/N, please.” He whispered, and you could almost hear the strain in his voice now. It only took a couple more thrusts and you arched under him, your breath lost as you cried out once more as that red hot heat filled out, seemingly exploding from your core outwards through your body.

You were almost too far out of it to feel Finan pull out of you, but you caught him spending his seed into his hand as he lay on his side next to you. You met his eye once he was done, and once you could both breath normally again. “I did no ask ya if I could spend myself into ya.” He explained, and you knew it was a lordly thing to do, not to assume, and you watched as he wiped his hand with a rag from the side of the bed.

“You are a good man.”

Then he was pulling you into his arm, so your head was on his chest, his hand ran through your hair. You could hear his heartbeat, and you closed your eyes to listen to it’s strong beating under your head.

“I can see ya becoming an addiction.” He told you, before kissing the top of your head, his eyes closed and a contented look resting on his face. When he spoke next, he sounded half tired, and you were not even sure if he knew what he was saying.

“You said I am a good man,“ he said. "But I am not that good a man. And I am–I think I am falling catastrophically in love with you.”

I hope you enjoyed, and happy birthday!

@waiting4inspiration @tephi101 @fandomfic-galore @whenimaunicorn @laketaj24 @simsadventures @maggiescarborough @saldelys @youbloodymadgenius @inforapound @oddsnendsfanfics @ucancallmechlo @lauwrite1225 @pokeasleepingsmaug @cocchamscrew @hecohansen31

@flowers-in-your-hayr @gearhead66 @naaladareia @geekandbooknerd

#Hayley'sBirthday #prompt challenge #birthday challange #30 prompts for turning 30 #finan #finanfic #finan x reader #tlk finan #the last kingdom fic #the last kingdom finan fic #finan smut fic

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palettepainter · 3 years

Note

Do any of your hazbin NG's have pets? I know Velvet has a guard dog thingy forgot the name sorry but do any others have pets?

It's been a hot minute since I've done something for Hazbin, so lets go! Will also include Helluva NG's

Brinda (CharlieHusk)-

-So I didn't want to give Brinda a pair of goats like Charlie, I didn't really have the motivation to design two identical goat guards and I didn't wanna rip off the designs in Hazbin. So I debated the idea for a while on if she has a pet and the answer is: Yes and No

-Sorta like in the Owl House Brinda has a Talisman, it was crafted from the bark of a poison fruit hell tree (there are trees and other plants in hell which are non poisonous or non lethal to demons, but more or less the majority I imagine are poisonous) and was crafted into the shape of Hell Bat.

-Hell Bat's are big, mean fighting machines. Will eat anything and attack anything, a ferocious species that has been none to even eat other demons species. Despite this they are still social creatures and often roost together. Brinda is the only one seemingly able to control her giant hell bat - it can grow larger in size and is extremely agile. It "lives" on Brinda's coat rack, but in an attempt to make it more domesticated and less of a ferocious beast with an insensible appetite for blood Brinda has brought it it's own bed and given it it's own name

-Her bat is called Trixy. Trixy is a moody, prone to hissing, biting and chasing other demons. The only one she is remotely docile around is Brinda. Brinda is not above being growled or hissed at, but perhaps Trixie enjoys a little snuggle under Brinda's chin, her fur is especially soft for cuddling

Junior (CharlieHusk)-

-Like his sister Junior also has a bat talisman. His is much smaller then his sisters to accommodate the fact Junior himself is very small and can't really handle taking care of a bigger bat, but like Brinda's his can get bigger if it needs to.

-Junior's bat lives too on his coat rack and Junior himself isn't very affectionate with it...jk he loves it. When he's out he tries to present himself as uncaring to his bat body guard, but behind closed doors he's very fascinated by him.

-Junior likes to train his bat and so his bat does know some simple verbal commands such as: maul, attack, fetch, kill - all the innocent things a young prince would need to teach it's loyal pet

-Junior has named his bat Bugsy

Tristan (VaggieNG)-

-Tristan does not have a pet, but he enjoys studying insects and reptiles

-For some unknown reason Tristan seems to be a magnet for bugs, especially butterflies which are for some reason very fond of him. Tristan is not sure why these tiny creatures take such an interest in him, but he doesn't really care, he likes butterflies a lot

Iridescence (VaggieNG)-

-Like dear old papa before her she has a pet pig...only it's a hog, a hell hog, a big massive hairy hell hog

-Iridescence was given him as a "gift" from dear old Uncle Arackniss. Arackniss got double crossed in a bet and instead of walking out with a big ham joint he got the runt of litter. He assured his Angel who was teasing him for going soft that the wretched thing wouldn't grow any bigger then a handbag dog...oh he was so very wrong. Iridescence's hell bore is fucking HUGE. She's a big, slobbery, hairy, squealing beast to which Iridescence fondly dubbed Daphne

-Iridescence when she's not causing chaos spends her time riding around her hell hog like it's a horse around the hotel, making her hell bore pretty flower crowns or plots her next pranking scheme while Daphne eats her bed blankets. Vaggie and Angel have..thought about getting rid of the thing, they're pretty sure it has rabies at this point, but alas Iridescence is glued to it sooo Daphne stays

Velvet (AlastorMimzy)-

-I've actually already drawn Velvet's pet here! https://www.deviantart.com/palettepainter/art/Velvet-s-guard-dog-844244280

-Abaddon was given to her by her parents when she was very very little, though beast like and more animal demonic species are rare within hell's nine circles it is not uncommon for them to captured from the wastelands and sold on the black market. Abaddons, though not pack creatures, and very protective of their cubs, and so Abaddon grew up viewing as itty bitty Velvet as a "cub".

-Abaddon is still very much a lethal animal when she's not receiving pets and hunting crows in the back garden of the hotel. Her interets are stalking the halls without making a sound, perching on top of shelve and furniture, hunting crows and rats, chasing after little dots of light bouncing of reflective surfaces and sleeping in typical cat fashion

Francis (AlastorMimzy)-

-To Alastor's absoloute dismay he has fondly adopted one of Mimzy's shadow wolf puppies

-Mitzy currently owns 11 shadow wolves, one of which was especially smaller then it's brothers and sisters - a runt, like Francis. Francis, being the only teen in the hotel feels a little left out, so took the tiny puppy instantly under his wing the moment he saw it. The puppy is still a baby and so isn't much of a wolf, the only danger he possesses is the danger to your beloved slippers, which he will happily chew and teeth on.

-Still has itty bitty baby puppy teeth so chews a LOT, especially on deer old Alastor. Alastor...puts up with it for his wife's sake, knowing how much his wife loves her wolves..doesn't help that the puppies blasted parents, the female and male alpha, will be death staring Alastor down from the other side of the room while Francis and their pup play

-Francis has named his dog Pongo after the odd dark patches of fur he has on his back legs

Aldo (NiftyBaxter)-

-Has a pet priranha named Da Vinci whom he loves. Aldo is a big fan of marine life, one might call him a marine biologist. Unlike his father who is deathly scared of water Aldo can't seem to learn enough about it. He has many books on sea life in his room, a part of him dreams maybe he'll be able to see marine life on the surface. The only thing in hell is...sharks, which Aldo is terrified off

-Aldo was given Da Vinci by his teacer, Mister Aquarius, the project was for the students to disect the fish, but Princess Charlie thought that was "cruel", so instead Aquarius had to change it around. The task was for students to gain an understanding of responsibility, as expected most students didn't do the assignment, lost their fish or killed their fish, Aldo was the only one to pass. He has kept his lil piranha ever since, who is not so little anymore

Nidra (SirPentiousNG)-

-Nidra doesn't have pets, but she does enjoy the company of zombies

-Nidra's number one assistant in the study of the dark arts is none other then Hornet: her very first successful experiment in bringing back the deceased. Hornet is a harmless little rabbit, he just wants to chew on his toys, nom on a carrot and get some fond chin scratches from his mistress. Hornet is the one of the few people Nidra will actually talk to - she insists in the beginning she will never talk to her assistant as though it can understand her, but she does, and finds herself doing it a lot

-Her second pet is Tempest, a sassy cat that just started showing up one day and never left. Nidra more or less lives at the hotel, Sir Pentious is constantly on the move in his air ship and Nidra is not fond of travelling. Tempest lived in the alleys near the hotel, feeding on the mice and rats that infested the building. One day Hornet catches her wondering the halls and eagerly offers her his chew toy wanting to play. Tempest is of course not interested, but Hornet is presistant and in the end instead of Hornet searching for Tempest, Tempest would meow until she found Hornet

Thomas (TomVilla)-

-No pets

Riley (CherriSirPentious)-

-A chicken, given to her by dear old bar friend Husk Riley named her Henrietta and loves her dearly. Being part snake Riley likes birds that dart and can be chased, and Henrietta is also especially good to snuggle, but fat feathery lovable bird

-Riley comes and goes from the hotel, Cherri and her do have their own place, but Riley is a bit of wanderer and so tends to hop about from place to place, but she's never gone long. Henrietta more or less stays with her sister Nidra. Nirda was at first bothered to take care of her sisters stupid poultry, but Hornet seems to like her so she can't be that bad

Kiki (KatieVox)-

-IDK what inthe world these things are called but she has one of these weird creature thingies (skip to 15.38 and look to the right where Millie is ) - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kpnwRg268FQ

-His name is Sprinkles, she fondly gives him glittery little bow ties to wear, takes selfies of him and carries him around in her little back pack. Matthew is endlessly discussed by the thing, but Kiki just can't seem to see the truth, to her Sprinkles is a precious little angel

Nero (ValVox)-

-Has no pets cuz Val doesn't allow them in the house (lowkey thinks Iridescence's hell hog is pretty cool though)

Mathew (HelsaNG)-

-Has two snooty up tight hoity toity ferrets named Snip and Snap

Mako (CryminiHusk)-

-Also has no pets, but Coal gave him a houseplant to practise with

Crash and Dash (MillieTravis)-

-Also no pets

Lucy (MooxieMillie)-

-Also no pets

#HH #HHNG #Hazbin Hotel #Helluva Bos #Helluva #HHOC #My OC's

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my-oh-my · 4 years

Text

silver bullets and red roses: chapter one

hi! this is my first post, i started writing this series literally months ago and i forgot about it. i read it over again and got the cringe sweats but i edited it so its not overly horrific. dunkirk! harry was my late sexual awakening. so be kind!

Alex! Harry x Female OC

Warnings: PTSD (in a sense), war scenes - please, please, please don't read if anything makes you uncomfortable! its not worth it!

Summary: Rose Harrington joins her father in an attempt to save the men trapped at Dunkirk

Word Count: 1.73k

next chapter

masterlist

It was not difficult to spot Rose Harrington in a crowd of people. Her luminous smile was easy to find in room of others, her smile lit up the entire room – it was near impossible for her expression of happiness to catch onto your own. Though it seemed more challenging to find her than it originally seemed in the eyes of the Nazis situated in Dunkirk.

Rose Harrington was an exceptional young lady. Fluent in four different languages; Italian, French, German and English, the top of her school in academics, nurse and a British spy under the orders of the S.O.E to pose as a German Nazi nurse on the wretched battlefield in Dunkirk.

Though here she sat, on a dreary June day, listening cautiously to the radio cracking out words to keep the Nation up to date on the war situation. She watched as they steady rain tapped against the windowpane, the droplets racing each other to the bottom of the window. It had been a month since she returned from her deathly mission in Dunkirk, scenes which she had seen, endured, flashing through her mind every now and again causing her to inhale sharply or pinch her arm. She had seen death beyond belief, she had escaped death too many times to count on her polished fingers, but she would do it all again to know that she had helped a multitude of people by her actions.

A sudden noise awoke her from her unconscious daydreaming, the entrance door opening, causing her to jolt in her spot on the armchair. Rose gently rose to her feet, chasing the sound of the door and rattling. Her father’s figure came into view, making Rose ease her mind. She furrowed her brows as she noticed him search through doors of the cabinet, throwing keys onto the dark wooden surface on top.

“What’s happening?” Rose questioned, walking closer towards her father, who looked up at her in light shock, “They’ve called for little boats to rescue the men at Dunkirk, I’m going” He muttered, inspecting a key before placing it in his pocket and turning around in a hurry to the cupboard on the other side of the entrance. Rose studied him, determination beginning to course through her veins, “Ok, I am coming too” she pronounced softly, slipping on her black oxfords, “No. No you are not. You have done more than enough with this war. Plenty” He ordered, pointing his finger towards Rose sternly to which she returned with a shake of her head, “No. I want to do more. I can do more. It is for my country. You need help anyhow.” She insisted, clearly not straying from her decision by shrugging on her coat.

Joseph Harrington was a Captain in World War I. He suffered, he had to make several hard decisions which would haunt him in his later years. He loved his family dearly, but the weight of war on his shoulders sometimes became too heavy for him. On some occasions, when fireworks would boom through the neighbourhood on New Year’s Eve or he would read a newspaper recalling the events in the war, he would burst into fits of rage. Chairs, glassware and the delicate skin of the ones he loved would break when he came into these fits, leaving tears stained on everyone’s cheeks as they began to clean the mess made, Joseph sitting in his arm chair; a glass of bourbon resting in his trembling hands. The Harringtons knew that it was just shell shock, that he did not mean to do such things and they still loved him, but that did not stop them from pits of fear overwhelming their stomachs. Joseph was positive that letting Rose come with him was one of those decisions which would leave him overcome with distraught in the future, but he also knew his daughter. She was determined, she never gave up.

“You’re just like your Mother” he sighed, grabbing a bundle of ropes out of the cupboard and opening the front door, Rose smiled graciously before walking swiftly out the door.

“Diese britischen Bastarde werden keine Woche länger durchhalten (These British bastards won’t last a week)” a man spat, blood pouring out of his arm, a sizable gun shot wound evident in his bicep, “Wir töten sie wie nichts (We’re killing them like its nothing)” he continued. Rose sat him down on a stretcher, tying a bandage around the wound tightly whilst trying to not listen to the Nazi’s gross bragging. “Was passiert da draußen? (What’s happening out there?)” Rose asked innocently, looking up at the man’s wicked blue eyes curiously.

“Sie schicken sie nur unvorbereitet ab (They’re just sending them off unprepared)” he replied glancing at the other men in the open area, “Wir greifen sie heute Abend an, ein offenes Gebiet entlang der Küste des Strandes, wo sie sitzen (We're attacking them tonight, an open area along the coast of the beach where they're sitting)” he smirked proudly as Rose returned it with one of her own (of course it was fake, unbeknownst to him). “Ich weiß, dass du einen guten Job machst, das machst du immer, was mir den Job als Krankenschwester erleichtert (I know that you do a good job, you always do that, which makes my job as a nurse easier)” She smiled, beginning to clear the blood made by the man, who chuckled lightly at her joke.

“Heil Hitler (Hail Hitler)” he proclaimed, to which Rose strained a smile of pride. The man rushed away, laughing along with a bunch of men in their Nazi uniforms a few metres away from her. She made a mental note to ensure she did not leave any details out in her telegraph back home, these details meaning life or death for many men.

Rose could not see home. Nor could she see the blood-stained beaches of Dunkirk. She could only see the unforgiving deep blue waters of the ocean which stretched for kilometres, and boats. There were boats of all different sizes and colours littered along the water, all come together to save their men. She inhaled deeply, smelling the saltiness on the sea breeze and the petrol fumes expelling from her boat’s engine.

“It’s quite amazing, isn’t it?” Rose spoke out against the apprehensive silence which clouded the boat, “What is” her father muttered, eyes on the water in front of him as he steered the boat, “The number of people, number of boats” she replied looking around them at them all, a sense of patriotism filling her insides. The flag of the union jack whipped around behind them, cracking with the pride of the British.

The boat was a moderate size, with a timber finish and a deck below. It had become slightly rusty from the lack of use, blue paint beginning to crack and chip off on the sides. Nevertheless, she was still the Harrington’s beauty, Pegasus was her name. Before the war, before Rose had grown up, it was a family boat. On warm summer Saturdays, the Harringtons would take Pegasus for a dip into the Iris Canal, with packed ham sandwiches and a treat of a biscuit, courtesy of Doreen Harrington. Doreen and Joseph would sit back in the boat, Doreen perhaps reading a book whilst Joseph nostalgically smoked cigarettes. They seemed so calm in comparison to Charles and Rose, who were playfully splashing the cool water of the river at each other, laughter floating down the canal.

If you had met Charles and Rose, you would be surprised to hear that they were not Siamese twins separated. They were each other’s best friend, they never fought, they simply enjoyed one another’s company. Charles was a year older than his sister, a shy young man with outstanding engineering talents. As the war began to unfold, the unspeakable idea arose in the Harrington household brought up by Charles. “I must go, it would be cowardly if I didn’t” he spoke calmly to Rose who stared down into her lap, tears rolling unconsciously down her rosy cheeks.

“Its not cowardly at all Charles. It is ok to not go, to say no to being killed.” She choked out, looking up at Charles who was standing in the doorway of her bedroom. “I’m not going to be killed, Rose. I will survive.” He breathed, walking towards Rose and kneeling in front of where she sat on her bed. Rose looked back down into her lap, fiddling with her perfectly polished hands. “Rose” he whispered, wrapping his hands around Rose’s little ones to stop her anxious fiddling. Rose stared deeply into her brother’s, the calming blue matching her own. “I promise, I will survive” he continued, a small sympathetic smile growing on his face. Rose breathed deeply, the thought of losing her brother becoming a little less overwhelming at his promise. “Even if you do survive, you’ll turn out like Dad” she muttered, a single tear falling. Charles sighed shakily, wiping the tear away with the back of his hand. “Not if I can help it” he smiled sympathetically, “I don’t think I’ll ever be as bald as him” he joked, grinning largely. Rose chuckled, sniffling up her last bits of sadness and pulling her broken parts back together.

The faint outline of the grey shores of Dunkirk beach began to appear as Rose and her father drew closer to the men. Rose inhaled, looking out towards the shore. She began to feel a slight pull at her stomach, and she hated herself for it. These men had been sitting ducks for months, a multitude dying in the meantime, she had merely spent a month in Dunkirk. Now was not the time to be fussed about her own apprehension, but rather saving heartbreak from families.

The dreadful smell of smoke and burning oil filled her nostrils, making her become suddenly alert. She studied along the surface of water, noticing a large ship beginning to capsize – smoke puffing from the wreck. “Dad” she walked over to the port side of Pegasus, trying to catch a closer glance. Joseph looked over to his daughter, staring past her shoulder at the mess of ships and smoke on the water. He remained focused on the sight, turning the boat around and accelerating her to the fastest she could go with a great roar from the engine.

#harry styles #harry styles fanfiction #harry styles fanfic #harry styles series #dunkirk alex #alex! harry #harry styles imagines #please give feedback!#harry styles imagine #harry styles fluff

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thethreemages · 3 years

Photo

Yeaaah, didn’t mean to make such a late holiday-related TTM pic this year... buut yknow, stuff happens to where I just wasn’t feeling too inspired, I’m afraid :/. Hope this simple & cute lil fluffy pic will be enough to suffice for the meantime though... featuring a much younger Raider Crane as he meets with his beloved baby sister Noira for the first time~ 💙 DA Link

~Fic Below the Cut~

Wintervale had come much like it did any other year in Graystone's main capitol... with many either inside or out bustling in the streets as the cool winter flurries fell up from above. Whether one would be feeling the holiday mood to celebrate with loved ones or not, it was a time many looked forward to in more ways than one. Especially for one particular citizen in the form of Raider Crane, whom was eagerly awaiting the Wintervale morning right by the window sill. Not even for the regular tradition of tearing into his presents... but for expecting the arrival of his parents coming home with a brand new member of the family. His very own baby sister. "Erm... Raider, sweetheart? Don't you think you'd be more comfortable here by the fire?" came the concerned, yet calming voice of his dear Aunt Freya, whom was staying at the family residence to help out with Raider while his parents were busy. Her nephew in the meantime was diligently stuck near the window eyeing the falling snow outside... which was very unlike the past Wintervale's where he'd normally be zipping all over the place in excitement. No, this time was far too special for him to goof off on... so he simply declined his aunt's kindly offer with a quick shake of his head. "Nuh uh, sissy's almost here! I gotta look for her!" Raider insisted, pointing out towards the snow, "If I don't, she won't like me!" Gently laughing with a small smile, Freya simply got up to sit by the couch Raider was kneeling over, patting him on the head, "Oh, I'm sure she won't mind, Raider. She's still just a wee lass after all... the moment she sees you through that door, she's sure to love you~" The thought of that filled Raider with a little more hope... but true to his nature, he quickly went back to leaning to the window to wait anyway. This naturally earned a small sigh from his aunt... yet considering what the family's been going through these past few weeks, she couldn't bring herself to blame the boy. As it was... the arrival of the newest Crane daughter came with some "complications" that prevented her from being born on her expected due date... instead, the build of stress and anxieties from her mother's experiences in the last few months of pregnancy kickstarted an earlier labor. While the baby ended up being relatively fine, all things considered... doctors were still adamant to keep her by the hospital for at least a longer observation period. It was by sheer luck and persistence that her folks were finally allowed to bring her home on this special holiday in particular... much to everyone's relief. Thus... once Raider finally spotted the parking lights of his parents' car up by the front, his face lit up like the sun as he hurriedly hopped off the couch to greet his family, "-SHE'S HERE! AUNTIE AUNTIE, SHE'S HERE~!" "Ooh, thank the Saints!" Freya relaxed in a relieved smile, patiently letting Raider tug her by the sleeve to wait by the door. Little guy was already bounding up and down by his heels by the time the door unlocked and opened... revealing not just his clearly tired and frustrated parents, but the bundled up baby girl in question quietly resting away in her mother's arms. "Mommy! Daddy! How's sissy??" Raider loudly and excitedly asked both his parents, earning a half-annoyed grunt from his father Lachlan as he was trying to hang up his coat. "Quiet down, boy. You're goin' to wake the girl." Lachlan gruffly reminded his son, gesturing to his wife Vinia who looked like she was trying to hold off a migraine whilst keeping the baby asleep. Realizing this, Raider quickly hushed down a bit to a whisper as he then nudged to his mother in curiosity, "Psst, Mommy? Is sissy okay?" Unlike her husband, Vinia was at least a bit more patient to respond to Raider in a gentler tone, taking some deep breaths from her migraine to half-smile back, "Your sister's doing much better, Raider. Just give us a moment and we'll let you see her..." "Ohhh, okay!" her little boy nodded back obediently, without another word rushing over to the couch to give his parents some space to settle into the home. His aunt soon headed over to assess how things were going from the hospital stay, even being allowed to hold the baby whilst Lachlan brought down the overnight bags. "Aww... what a darlin' little angel~" Freya warmly smiled at the bundle in her arms, looking over at the couple in curiosity, "Have either of you decided on a name, yet? I know things were hectic back at the hospital and all, so..." "Pff, well of course we did..." Lachlan responded with a huff after putting away one of the bags, "We'll be callin' her 'Noira'... for one of the Crane's many great past figures, Noira the Victress." Intrigued by this particular name choice, it made Freya think a bit more before she gave a look of confusion, "...Wasn't Victress Noira the leader of a band of blood pirates...?" Perhaps to not too much of a surprise, Lachlan didn't seem to get what the issue was as he raised a brow back at her, "...and your point is...?" "Well... pardon me to be judgin' on baby names, but isn't that a bit too grizzly of an origin to name your own daughter after?" Freya further questioned... growing even more unamused by her brother simply giving a haughty laugh, "Well duh... that's what makes the name as fittin' as it be! Y'know us Cranes have to be held up to the strongest of warrior titles, that's been the oath of our family since the beginning ages of Terra..." Lachlan confidently explained as he glanced back over to the bundle in his wife's arms, yawning strongly before snuggling up in her blanket again. "-Besides, lil Noira over there be carryin' a vast Water magic aura... tis only natural she carry a similarly strong title much like her brother is with our grandfather's. What more can ya want?" and thus, without even giving his sister time respond back to that statement, Lachlan simply turned away from view as he went over to grab a quick smoke outside, leaving the rest of his kin alone in the living area. There were... many things on Freya's mind in regards to her brother, from his long-standing gruff attitude to his never-ending stubbornness on keeping up these countless "traditions" from their family name... but in this moment of seeing Raider so eager to scooch over to Vinia and the baby, she decided to just leave the issue be for now and let this treasured memory continue on in peace... "Mommy... she's so pretty..." Raider gently uttered, staring in awe at such a tiny and delicate lil thing. From her pudgy lil cheeks, to her tiny hands, to the soft lil tufts of hair curled on her head... one would be a fool to find Noira to be anything other than adorable. Watching her son be so intrigued by his sister was a sight that even Vinia couldn't resist finding charm in... tiredly smiling down at the siblings meeting for the first time. "...Would you like to hold her, Raider?" Vinia softly spoke to her son, immediately bringing a small gasp of joy to Raider face, "-Really??" "-As long as you promise to be careful, that is... then yes." she calmly nodded back, her tone recognizably staying firm but not enough to deter her little boy. It took a quick second for Raider to calm himself on quietly nodding yes in a promise... which luckily gave enough trust in Vinia to carefully maneuver Noira to relax down into Raider's lap, with the help of some pillows nearby. Needlessly to say, Aunt Freya wasted no time hurrying to grab the recorder up on the shelf to capture this moment... smiling warmly at the sight of Raider being so overjoyed around his new sibling. Seeming to be the most happiness she'd seen from the boy than any of his past Wintervale gifts, Raider couldn't help but declare an 'oath' of his own to the baby girl below him. "Psst, hi Noira... I'm your brother, Raider! I know the big world may be a bit scary now... since you're so little and all. But no need to worry, 'cause as your big brother... I promise to always save you! No one's gonna hurt my baby sissy while I'm around, never ever!" With that... it seemed to finally stir up Noira from her sleep enough for her to carefully blink her lil eyes open... a brilliant blue color matching much like her brother's gazing back at her. Carefully but lovingly, Raider gave her a hug and kiss to show how much he cherished her stepping into his life. To his young, innocent heart, it was the best present he could've asked for for the holiday of Wintervale...

#the three mages #my art #my ocs #raider crane #noira crane #the crane family #fluff #my fics #ttm art #ttm fics

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nitewrighter · 4 years

Text

Gency Week Day 7: “Forest”

GOOOODDD Remember how I said this fic was passing like a kidney stone? I just needed to get this fic out of my system but I couldn’t write anything other than shitposts and chatfics for DAYS. So sorry for any sloppiness. The Russian Taiga, Lone Wolf Hanzo, Pregnancy-detecting wolves, and abusive childhoods making unreliable narrators of us all.

----

The four of them had been driving for several hours. The sky was gray and the trees whipped by the van’s windows in a seemingly endless whirl of dark-blue green and gray. It was a cool summer in the Taiga, the air dense with oxygen and the moisture of the pines, drenching the interior of the lungs with a clean cold freshness with every breath.

“So these guys aren’t part of the Hanzo spy network?” said McCree, rolling his fingers on the steering wheel.

“Must you call it a spy network?” said Hanzo.

“It is sort of a spy network,” Mercy piped up from the backseat.

“Not everyone I came into contact with in my travels is some... master of espionage,” said Hanzo, “I just... promised I would return here someday and well, so long as we’re still in this area of Russia--”

“For the other spies in the spy network,” McCree cut in.

“...as long as we’re still in Russia, I should make good on that promise,” said Hanzo.

“And?” said Genji, expectantly. Mercy and McCree exchanged glances. Genji at this point had made it a frequent habit to pull Hanzo off to the side and converse-slash-bicker with him in Japanese, but it seemed to be getting Hanzo to open up more to them.

“And... I thought... it might be enjoyable,” said Hanzo.

“And it’s going to be great--” Genji half-overlapped with Hanzo as he spoke.

Hanzo lifted his chin sightly at the sight of one sign in Russian, “The next turn,” he said, and McCree nodded. The next turn was onto an unpaved road, and the whole van rumbled with what was clearly an overly weathered mag-lev cable underneath the dirt. The road twisted deep into the pines, and Genji’s visor brightened.

“You know what this reminds me of?” said Genji as the van rumbled.

“Mm?” Hanzo looked over his shoulder at him.

“The back roads Father took into Shirakami Sanchi back when he was training us--do you remember?” said Genji.

Hanzo snorted a little, “Don’t worry, this won’t be that bad,” said Hanzo.

“...‘That bad?’” Genji tilted his head but Hanzo perked up as they pulled up to a large sign arching over the road.

“We’re here,” the slight smile in Hanzo’s voice was unmistakeable as McCree parked the van. The four of them stepped out and stretched, Mercy pulling on a jacket in the chilly forest air. She gave a glance up to the sign.

“Tsarapatsosna Gray Wolf Reserve,” Mercy read the arching sign, she looked back at Hanzo, “Wolf reserve?” but Hanzo was already walking under the sign towards a log-cabin styled office with several fenced areas branching off of it. Mercy looked to McCree and McCree just shrugged.

A bell rang on the door of the office as Hanzo stepped into it. There was a late 20-something woman with short-cropped periwinkle dyed hair and oversized noise-cancelling headphones scrolling through a tablet at the desk. McCree examined the office--it was about what you would expect from a remote conservation outpost--outdated technology, disheveled filing, a musky smell of taxidermy emanating from a stuffed mink looking down at them from atop a filing cabinet. The girl with the massive headphones didn’t even look up until Hanzo rang the bell on the desk. She pushed her headphones up off of one ear but then her eyes brightened at the sight of a familiar face.

“Hanzo?” one corner of her mouth quirked up in a grin, “Is that you?”

Hanzo gave a smiling nod and a high pitched, “Ha!” escaped her as she pushed up from her desk and brought her headphones down around her neck like a torc. “It’s been too long! Ilya’s going to go crazy!”

“I like the new color, Kira,” said Hanzo, motioning to his hair.

“And I love this!” said Kira, stepping around the desk and pointing at Hanzo’s undercut, “So ‘cool guy,’ yeah?” Her Russian accent was just thick enough for her to hit her consonants in an appealingly hard way.

Hanzo chuckled. “I learned from the best,” said Hanzo.

Kira scoff-laughed and gave him a playful punch in the arm. Her glance trailed over to McCree, Genji, and Mercy. “Your friends?”

“This is my brother, Genji, and my friends, Angela, and Jesse,” said Hanzo, gesturing at them.

“Howdy,” McCree gave an awkward wave.

“Brother?” Kira repeated and looked over at Genji, “You had a brother this whole time!?”

“He is hard to keep in contact with!” quipped Genji.

Kira snorted. “Da, at least my idiot brother sticks around, but Ilya’s been mooning over Hanzo ever since he left, I think he’s the one starting half the howls around here.”

“Leaving a trail of broken hearts everywhere you go, huh Hanzo?” said McCree

“We never---” Hanzo started but the door opened and a man looking a bit older than Kira with a nose bridge piercing and his hair piled in a chestnut bun briskly stepped in.

“Kira, чей фургон снаружи? У нас не было--” the man caught himself off as he made eye contact with Hanzo. “HANZO!” he lunged forward and caught Hanzo in a big bear hug which Hanzo was, shockingly, receptive to.

“It’s good to see you too, Ilya,” said Hanzo, patting him on the back.

“You barely write anymore! You spend 2 months here and then disappear! We worry so much and all I have is postcards!” said Ilya, bracing his hands on Hanzo’s shoulders.

“Postcards?” McCree mumbled under his breath.

Ilya gasped, “Your hair!”

“That’s what I said!” said Kira.

“Is a good look!” said Ilya.

“I hope my friends and I aren’t causing too much of a disturbance dropping in unannounced like this--” Hanzo started.

“Eh, no, it’s slow today,” said Ilya. He looked over at McCree, Genji and Mercy, “Your friends?”

“Jesse, Genji, and Angela,” said Kira, gesturing at each of them to fill him in, “Genji’s his brother.”

“You have a brother!” Ilya clapped his hands together but his sights trailed over to Genji’s scarred face. Hanzo’s stomach tightened for a minute, but Ilya quickly switched gears back to his jovial self rather than ask about the origins of the scars. He cleared his throat. “Ilya Novikov. You’ve already met my charming sister, Kira.”

Kira gave a wave from where she was leaning against the desk.

“You and your friends want to see the boys? They missed you.” said Ilya.

“We would love to,” said Hanzo.

“Waivers,” said Kira, holding up several papers completely in Russian.

“Ah, yes, waivers,” said Ilya catching himself.

After about three minutes of winging some Russian-to-English translations and Ilya feverishly promising that the wolves would not, in fact, “eat their faces,” the four of them had their waivers signed.

Ilya clapped his hands together, “Good! Good! Come! They will be so excited!”

He rushed out the door and Hanzo gave a glance back to McCree, Genji, and Mercy. “Sorry, I should have let you answer as well.”

“No, this is great!” said Genji, “I’d love to meet the wolves you worked with!”

“I’d like to,” said Mercy, “But I’m still... processing all this.”

“Yeah--Okay, okay, okay--back up,” said McCree, taking his hat off as they walked out the door after Hanzo, “You... you spent 2 months in a Russian wolf reserve!?”

“Much of their permanent residents are actually wolfdogs,” said Hanzo, walking briskly to keep up with Ilya.

“A Russian wolf reserve,” McCree repeated, walking after him.

“...remote location, heated cabins, just enough plumbing to get by, work to keep me occupied,” Hanzo looked over at McCree and Mercy, who were looking at him completely dumbfounded, “You didn’t think I was spending the whole time sleeping under bridges and quietly disposing of the bodies of my would-be assassins?!”

“Well, this is a side of you I’m glad to see,” said Mercy, folding her arms with a smile.

“Who doesn’t like a dog person?” said McCree with a grin as they caught up with Ilya, who was standing outside a chain-link fence that spanned a large area dotted with pines, but where the duff of pine needles had clearly been packed down more with both human and wolf footsteps.

“Lots of wolfdogs with the Crisis,” Ilya explained as they walked along the fence of the enclosure, “Omnics displace people, pets run away, nature reclaims abandoned towns, dogs fuck with the wolves, make wolfdogs. This enclosure is all the older ones. More used to people. Good for kids. Good for bringing funding.”

“Ah, we’re getting the fluffy tourist treatment,” said McCree.

“Is still big animals!” said Ilya. He suddenly perked up and pivoted back at them, walking backwards. He seemed to give a quick glance over at everyone’s outfit. “Good clothing. Yes. No danglies--not too tight--Jesse, your name was?”

“Yes?” said McCree.

“No hats,” said Ilya, and McCree took off his hat and set it on a supply locker near the enclosure, “The wolves. They like to steal things. And then tear them apart. Then bury them,” Ilya suddenly perked up. “Ah! Miss Angela! Important question: You are pregnant?” said Ilya, looking at Mercy.

“Excuse me?!” said Mercy reddening.

“My apologies, my English is ehhh....” Ilya made a ‘so-so’ motion with his hand, “What I’m saying is--The wolves, they know when you are pregnant. They act weird. They bring you food. They always know.”

Mercy’s mouth drew to a thin, crooked line with her bemusement, “No, I’m not pregnant,” she said with a slight chuckle.

“No hats and pregnancy detection. Got it,” said McCree, putting his hands on his hips.

A large brown wolfdog with three legs hop-walked in from the trees. It spotted Hanzo and suddenly bound towards the chain-link fence, rising up on its back legs and rattling the fence as it put one paw on it.

“Shoko!” said Hanzo, putting his hand to the chain-link and letting the wolf-dog sniff it, “She’s still here?”

“Of course!” said Ilya, “This is her home!”

The wolfdog whined and rattled the chain-link, drawing the attention of her pack, who all slowly padded in from the various tree and shrub covered areas they were sniffing about.

“Hanzo, you should go in first, get them warmed up to people, yeah?” said Ilya.

“Of course,” said Hanzo, stepping in. The gate was constructed in sally-port fashion, with another gate inside a fenced off area so that Hanzo could have the gate shut behind him before entering the enclosure. As soon as he stepped through that second gate he was beset on all sides by massive barking, sniffing bodies, roiling around him and yipping and some even prancing and rearing on their hind legs playfully at him. Mercy and Genji and McCree watched as Hanzo’s expression melted into pure warmth and even sputtered bouts of laughter as the wolves and wolfdogs sniffed and whined and butted into him. Hanzo, apparently well practiced in maneuvering with the pack’s attention on him, managed to shift the mass of furry bodies away from the sally port and he chatted to them, slipping between English and Japanese and even some Russian he had presumably picked up in working in this place. McCree honestly could have just watched him all day but Ilya elbowed him and gestured into the enclosure with a thumb. Mercy looked over at Genji, a slight smile on his scar-notched lips.

“We never got to have dogs, growing up,” said Genji, very quietly.

“Come on! Come on!” said Ilya, gesturing them in one at a time.

McCree entered and instantly a section of the pack swarming Hanzo broke off to sniff him. McCree nearly lost his balance as a wolf with splotchy-patterned fur knocked into him from the side.

“Oh they like you!” Ilya shouted from outside the fence.

Because he smells like Hanzo, thought Genji, stepping in to the enclosure after McCree. The wolves ears pricked up with the screech of the metal gate swinging, and a dozen brown, black, and yellow eyes regarded Genji with some curiosity. Genji moved to hold out his prosthetic hand, caught himself, then extended his organic hand. One silver wolf gave his hand a wary sniff before pushing his muzzle against Genji’s palm. Once the four of them were thoroughly sniffed, the pack broke apart slightly, several wandering off to resume sniffing or scratching at pines indifferent to their human visitors, but a good portion of them hung around, eager for pets and roughhousing.

“They are a lot bigger than they seem in the documentaries, aren’t they?” said Mercy as a cream-colored wolf stuck its full muzzle into the monopocket of her hoodie while a black wolfdog sniffed at her heels. The wolves seemed to be warming up to Genji as well, in spite of his prosthetics, sniffing at his jawline where his skin ended and cybernetic neck began. They were like dogs and yet not like dogs, sometimes remembering an aloof pride midway-through being pet and briskly walking away, but then coming back when they realized that that very distance they created was being respected. I can see why Hanzo would like you, thought Genji, scratching a wolf that wanted to be scratched, but didn’t want Genji to make eye contact while he was doing it. He glanced up at Hanzo, half-wrestling with Shoko, and the words Hanzo had said earlier hung in Genji’s mind like a loose thread off a sweater.

This won’t be that bad.

Genji glanced over to Mercy and McCree, still well-occupied with the wolfdogs swarming them, and walked over to Hanzo.

“Hanzo?” said Genji, dropping to a squat next to Hanzo as he rubbed Shoko’s belly.

“Yes?” said Hanzo, scratching the three-legged wolfdog under her chin.

“Sorry, I’m just... trying to clear something up--What you said back in the van... you didn’t like Shirakami-Sanchi?” said Genji.

“You’re not supposed to like it. Survival isn’t a game,” said Hanzo, glancing up at Genji. Shoko rolled herself back onto her stomach and pushed up under Hanzo’s arm to try and get his attention.

“I thought we did pretty well,” said Genji.

“Well you got to go play at being the agile hunter charging after squirrels and I had to actually find fresh water and build a fire for us,” said Hanzo, digging his hands into the ruff of fur at Shoko’s neck.

“...I thought you were okay with that,” said Genji.

“Well in a sense, yes, it kept you out of my hair, but I was also worried you’d do something stupid and hurt yourself and Father wouldn’t be there to rush to your rescue, so it would just be me, and---” Hanzo caught himself and his hand paused, still half-sunken into wolf fur. He looked up at Genji. “I’m sorry,” said Hanzo.

“No, I--I get it,” said Genji, glancing off.

He sighed and pulled his hand away, prompting Shoko to make a protesting growl-whine, “It’s wasn’t your fault. You were too young for it anyway. Father was mostly testing me.”

“...I thought it was the first time Father thought I could do something,” said Genji. I thought, I thought, I thought, the more Genji said the words the stupider he felt.

“He probably thought it would build character,” Hanzo conceded, “Of course it was just a fun adventure in the woods for his favorite.”

“But you didn’t like it,” said Genji.

Hanzo looked at Genji for a few seconds. “You, Genji. You were his favorite.”

A sputter of laughs escaped Genji but quickly faded as he read Hanzo’s face. “Oh you... you actually think that,” said Genji.

“Think that?! It was obvious!” said Hanzo, “Father always liked you better because you took after Mother more--that’s why he went easier on you.”

“Went easy on-- He just thought he couldn’t trust me with anything! He thought I was a failure! You were the perfect first-born!” said Genji.

“I wasn’t his son, I was his heir! He was only ever... molding me to be like him! He actually smiled with you! He called you ‘Sparrow!’”

“Sparrow was an insult,” said Genji, plainly.

Hanzo’s brow crinkled and his eyes pinched with confusion. “What? No it wasn’t.”

“‘Genji, you never apply yourself to anything. You’re always flitting between meaningless distractions. This way and that. Like a sparrow,’” Genji imitated Sojiro’s tone almost perfectly.

Hanzo glanced down, “No, no, that can’t be right,” he muttered, “Sparrows are lucky!”

“Sparrows are pests,” said Genji.

“You were always laughing!”

“Well, yes,” said Genji, he rubbed the back of his neck, “I... got very good at laughing things off. I’m--I’m still good at it.”

Hanzo felt a shudder linger between his shoulder blades when he thought about how easily Genji had laughed at him saying he was the favorite. Both now realized that the rest of the wolves were giving them a wide berth. Three still crowding Mercy and one getting a vigorous belly rub from McCree.

“I’m sorry,” said Hanzo, “I...had not known.”

“I didn’t know either,” said Genji, “I always assumed you and father got along because you did everything right. You even won every sparring match.”

“Because I was bigger,” said Hanzo, “Those weren’t fair to you, either.”

Shoko pushed her muzzle against the back of Hanzo’s shoulder for attention.

“Perhaps we should...” Hanzo trailed off.

“Talk about this when we’re not surrounded by wolves?” said Genji.

“Yes,” said Hanzo, glancing off.

Genji pushed himself up from his squat and walked off, giving Hanzo his space. Upon seeing whatever tension between them was dissipating, several wolves immediately swarmed Genji for attention. Just running his hands through their fur was a relief. He watched as McCree chatted with Hanzo quietly. McCree apparently comforting Hanzo over the newest revelation.

I thought you knew, thought Genji, I thought I was a joke to you, too...

I thought.

“Genji?” Mercy stepped next to him as Genji was absentmindedly scratching the side of an older, sleepy wolfdog’s face, “Were you and Hanzo just arguing?”

“It’s fine,” said Genji, “We’re fine.”

“Are you sure?” said Mercy. One corner of Genji’s mouth tugged up in a not-smile. She really was so protective of him when it came to Hanzo.

“It was... just about this trip we took when we were younger,” said Genji.

“The Shirakami trip you mentioned back in the van?” said Mercy.

“It wasn’t really a trip, it was part of our training,” said Genji, “Wilderness survival. Standard stuff. 5 days of just me and Hanzo roughing it in the woods, making our own lean-tos, that sort of thing...” Genji trailed off.

“How old were you?” said Mercy.

“Hanzo was twelve,” said Genji.

“...so you were nine,” said Mercy, her brow was crinkling.

“Are you okay?” said Genji.

“Just you and Hanzo?” Mercy, “Not your father?”

“Of course,” said Genji with a shrug, and he noticed the color drain from Mercy’s face, “What?”

“Genji, you were a 12 year old and a 9 year old left alone in the woods for five days, that’s horrific,” said Mercy.

“Every generation of the Shimada did it in some capacity,” said Genji, “And I already had plenty of training before---” he caught himself as he looked up into Mercy’s eyes, “...Oh. That’s... that’s not something families do with their kids, is it?”

“No,” said Mercy, “No it isn’t.”

“Right...” Genji looked down.

“So the argument was about the trip?” said Mercy.

“It... it turned into being more about father,” said Genji, “I guess...we both assumed he was amazing to the other when the truth was, he was terrible to both of us in different ways.”

Mercy touched his shoulder, “You were both children...”

Genji huffed a little. “I think we both wanted to believe he was good, deep down. He was strong, certainly. He made the world feel like it had a certain... order to it. That the clan’s way was the truth of the world.”

“It takes time,” said Mercy, “Even when you get enough space and perspective, it still takes a while to figure out who you are outside of a situation like that.”

Genji brought his hand over hers. “It still scares me, sometimes, like, what do I accept as normal that’s nightmarish for other people?” He glanced off, “And... and I want to remember good things about our childhood--I want to believe there are some... some strings of family love that were always there. Maybe father did love us... but he only knew how to show it in the way it was shown to him...he may not have even known--I may not even know--Am I--?” he cut himself off as he looked into her eyes.

Mercy stooped over him put her free hand against the side of his face, and gently kissed his forehead. “Genji,” she said, “You are one of the kindest, strongest, and most patient people I’ve ever met. And you know yourself. And you’re constantly working to be a better version of yourself. That’s one of the reasons why you tried so hard to bring Hanzo back into your life--would it be easier if Hanzo wasn’t in your life? Yes, but... I think for you, it’s not about wanting what’s easy.”

“Maybe I’m just dwelling on this because I’m scared, no matter how hard I worked to get here, to get better, I’m so scared of repeating that cycle,” said Genji.

“You won’t,” said Mercy, sitting down next to him,“This is happening because you want to break a cycle, and... learning things like this is a part of it. This is new ground for everyone. Of course it’s scary.”

Genji looked over at Hanzo, kneading his knuckles into the the thick fur of a wolf-dog’s neck with his face scrunched at the wolf licking his face. McCree walked up and helped haul him to his feet before both of them nearly tripped over another wolf butting into them from behind.

“He has gotten a lot better,” said Genji.

“And it’s going to keep getting better, sure there will be hiccups, but you both want this,” said Mercy, “That’s what’s important.”

Genji just quietly smiled at that. “We’re going to talk about it more when we get back,” said Genji.

“I think that’s a good idea,” said Mercy, “And if it’s any consolation, the wolves confirmed I’m not pregnant.”

Genji looked at her oddly, with one thick eyebrow arched with amusement.

“So we don’t have to worry about that yet, at least,” said Mercy, folding her arms.

“Yet?” said Genji.

Mercy just gave him a smile and a shrug, and Genji snorted and leaned his head on his shoulder. He kept his fingers dug into the wolf’s fur, breathing in the pine-cooled air.

#gency #some background mchanzo #gencyweek

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mangomochi-yn · 4 years

Text

unexpected lovers [simple, really]

shiratorizawa. ushijima wakatoshi x reader

g. the softest fluff, im weak

tw. just mad ushi lovin wc. 1.7k (holy das a lot..)

everything you do, i don’t know how, strikes a chord within me

on Wakatoshi

this one

this one is well known for having basically one (1) constant thoughts only really

and that is— volleyball

(maybe some farming and the necessary school work every now and then)

but everyone knew not to expect more than that from him

except Ushijima really is still human, isn’t he?

on the rare moments he thinks of the future and is not ridden with being a pro volleyball player, he does think about one thing that go hand in hand with a nice farm

a family

and this happens once in a blue moon for him

literally twice a year at most

((once was when he sees a lovely sister and baby brother walk up to their parents during a small hanabi festival Tendou took him to, the scene of them all in yukatas gleaming at each other hit a chord in him for just a split second))

no it wasn't the confessions he would receive by the girls in his school, none of those fazed him

instead—for the second time that year—it was when he went to their school’s annual art exhibition with the rest of the vbc

((cause you KNOW that school is fancy enough to have a grand one))

he mainly went because they had to give up the gym early for art clubs to set up their works there too

but once he sees the all kinds of works lining the halls of the gym and 1st & 2nd floors of their school he would be lying if he said wasn’t astonished

it was his first time to attend one of his school’s annual art exhibition (despite being a third year)

((Tendou told him that this year’s was held shorter so he might be able to use the gym after they clean up))

(Semi scolds the red head for lying to him later)

but as they see how Ushijima’s gaze gleams just a little bit brighter that afternoon—they deemed the lie worth it

at least their captain might have one beautiful memory of highschool that wasn’t the sport he was so dedicated to

the various paintings, sculptures, photography, and many more works kept catching his eyes in amazement— just like a shy kid brought to a candy store

but it was deemed even more worth it once they pass by this table— a little bit smaller than the others— stationed in the second floor

in front of the classroom at the very end of the hall, furthest from the stairway

there was a table filled with the randomest objects painted with different kinds of oil and water based paints

a pillow, glass cups, a broom and even a stop sign were colored vibrantly in display

while tendou and reon laugh at the painted broom, shirabu and semi stare at the stop sign, discussing about how it should have been illegal to take the government’s property off the streets

they were all loudly throwing comments and compliments at the bizarre trinkets but ushijima was the one silent— unwavering gaze at one object he was all too familiar with

“May I hold that one?”

the rest of the boys’ eyes finally snapped to the ace’s direction and all simultaneously their eyes widen comically, amazed by the object

“Holy crap how did they think of painting that?” Yamagata exclaims while Tendou was freaking out

“Wow... that is so cool.” Goshiki’s eyes sparkled as Semi and Shirabu nod in agreement

their captain was the quietest—and although that was common—even they could see how his eyes had a stunned look to it as he held the object in hand

a single painted volleyball

painted with all four seasons of the year angled in a way the colors lined with the ball’s stitching

in each patch were small silhouettes of people too— one was a lone man, then a couple playing walking hand in hand, a family of four by a swing set, then a couple again but with hunched backs and older looking statures this time

and at the last patch—a small pair of gravestones, with the wind blowing leaves on them

Ushijima hadn’t even noticed he was holding his breath as he gazed at each vibrant season

he only blinked again as Tendou rips the ball out of his grasp, fawning over it with the rest of the team

this was the second blue moon for him

the second time thoughts of love and family run across his head—and this time it wasn’t for a split second

his unexpected lover was a piece of art

—a piece of art that made something he held everyday seem so unfamiliar yet familiarly beautiful

as he scans the rest of the works laid on the table he finally notices the similar themes for each one of them too

the glass cups had wedding rings and white flowers painted delicately

the stop sign had two hands clasping on a car’s armrest, driving in a road at the side of a mountain

the pillow was painted like an ultrasound albeit having starking colors unlike the typical black and white—a vague silhouette of a baby was airily painted on it

and the broom

it was the simplest of them all

the broom had different sized hands plastered on it— one gruff and large, two pairs of dainty slim ones with one pair smaller, and the smallest one chubby and stout like a toddler’s

it reminded him of the family he saw on the hanabi festival he went to

and it was so fascinating

—how those few artworks had his heart beating a different pace and made his ears seem to hear clearer, more openly

he fell in love with them

and he couldn’t help but think of the person behind them as well— wanting to thank them for giving him this foreign but warm feeling

“Oh? You’re Ushijima-san from the volleyball club, right?”

a jolly voice snaps him out of his thoughts

matching the voice was you— with some paint stains on your face and a dirty apron tied to your front

you glanced around with a wide smile and see the rest of the vbc, making your smile even brighter

“Oh you guys are all here!”

the boys shift their attention to you as you drop your messy palette and brush on the chair behind you, bowing slightly as you tuck a hair behind your ear

“Ahh.. I see you guys saw what I stole from you.”

you point towards the volleyball

Ushijima’s eyes stuck to it again

“I’m really sorry for stealing it! One of my assignments was to paint on a round object and the basketball was too rough while the baseball was too small!”

you clasp your hands for forgiveness and in the back of his head Ushijima was fascinated by how your personality seemed to match the vibrant paintings so perfectly

it was as if you were one of the paintings as well— he thought

“I just borrowed it really! You can definitely take it back and I’ll wash it if you’d like.”

the thought of washing away the masterpiece on the ball made Ushijima’s brows furrow

(although he never liked when the volleyballs they used were dirty, it irked him to even think of washing the one Semi was holding)

“What?! Definitely not, it’d be such a waste!” Tendou conveys the club’s mutual thoughts, all of them nodding along

“And we have a whole cart of volleyballs to practice with yknow? You keeping this one wouldn’t hurt.”

“Here.” Semi shoves the ball back to your chest

((and secretly it displeases Ushijima how roughly the ball was handled))

“Eh? But really I didn’t even ask you guys first if I could have one before taking it...” —Tendou only shakes his head defiantly with his hands on his hips, not willing to take back the volleyball in your hands

“Really, you should keep it.. umm Painter-san. We could never take your artwork away from you.”—Goshiki says barely above a whisper

and although you’re in awe at the club’s thoughtfulness, the guilt was still gnawing in the back of your head— wanting to give the volleyball to its rightful owner

so you glance and notice how their tall captain was silent— eyes staring straight into the volleyball in your arms and an idea pops in your head

“Ushijima-san, would you like to keep it? Think of it as a makeshift trophy of sorts, by your guys’ new biggest fan, Y/N.”

and his eyes snap up to yours, scanning to see if there was any trace of hesitation in them

the answer was clear as day to the rest of his teammates really

ever since you held the volleyball, their captain’s gaze hasn’t torn away from it

again like a shy child, this time staring a the last piece of candy— waiting for the okay to have it

“Yes, I would love to keep it.”

immediately his large hands carefully reach out for it

—a soft smile mirroring your large and bright one as you hand it to him

“I’ll be sure to keep it in my trophy case...” he lingers for a little bit before continuing his sentence

“And if you could please teach me how to properly care for and clean it? I would appreciate it very much.”

your eyes bug out as Tendou snickers uncontrollably at the side

“ushijima you sly dog” he says under his breath

all you could think of was how blunt the captain was, a deep blush stark on your cheeks

“Umm, yeah definitely! I can show you um.. when?”

“Tomorrow after practice would be the best if you are available.”

“For sure, Ushijima-san! I can wait by the gym after class.”

in your head you were thinking— the volleyball was varnished just a wipedown with a wet rag would be enough to keep it really

but as you stare the larger man in front of gaze gingerly at the volleyball, as if it was made of glass—

maybe he didn’t need to know that fact right away…, you decided

“Okay.” the same warm feeling floods through as he caresses each patch, longingly lingering at each silhouette

—after that it wasn’t just in a blue moon would Ushijima have those thoughts he never gave attention to before

as often as he saw you and your paintings he would think of thoughts like love and family

and sometimes—he noticed— he saw you in them with it

bonus— but thoughts are just thoughts really, would Ushijima ever actually act on them?

a/n. when i say ushijima is the loml i mean USHIJIMA👏 IS THE LOVE 💖❤️💕 OF MY LIFE 🗣

#haikyuu #haikyuu x reader #haikyuu imagines #haikyuu scenarios #haikyuu fluff #haikyuu ushijima wakatoshi #ushijima wakatoshi x reader #ushijima wakatoshi imagines #haikyuu!!#haikyuu headcanons

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desperationandgin · 5 years

Text

Strawberry Wine (Part 1, Chapter 5)

Rating: Mature (a rating change I’m not sure of but you tell me.)

Author: desperationandgin

Previous Chapter

Also Read On: AO3

Summary: Claire meets Jamie at the river.

Chapter 5: First Taste of Love

I didn’t have a bathing suit.

As I made my way back to the river, walking with night sounds as my accompaniment, I regretted not finding Jenny directly after supper. I could have asked her to borrow something, perhaps, but then, what could I have possibly said? It’s for something later, I don’t know exactly when I’ll be at a beach, but please, may we discuss it right now for no reason in particular? I was on my own and let out a breath into the still incredibly warm night air, pushing that last heavy bit of foliage aside before it gave way to the river.

Jamie was already there, floating on his back in the water; the moon was full and bright, and it seemed to make his skin glow against the gently flowing current.

“I could hear ye comin’ from yards away, did ye no’ ever sneak anywhere before, Sassenach?”

Smirking, I made my way closer and appreciated the way his bathing suit fell just below his navel. “I didn’t want any sort of animal attacking me in the night,” I protested. “You left me to walk out here all on my own, after all.”

“Aye, I did. I thought it would be more romantic this way,” he admitted with a shrug. “Meetin’ all clandestine and such.”

I smiled crookedly at him, shaking my head. “You’re ridiculous.” Though, to hear him say he wanted to be romantic made my cheeks heat a bit.

“And I canna help but notice you’re verra over-dressed. Ye dinna want to swim?” he asked, looking more than a little crestfallen.

“I forgot to pack a bathing suit. And I wasn’t sure how to ask your sister for something to wear to a secret meeting,” I pointed out. “Don’t be disappointed, I’ll go into town tomorrow and buy one.”

Jamie lost the downturn to his lips and swam closer to where I was sitting on the riverbank. “You could wear my shirt, I wouldna mind. And my bottoms, if ye’d like. I’ll stay under the water, and ye’ll be covered.”

I glanced at his shirt, draped over a branch, then looked back at him. “You’d swim naked, is what you’re saying?” I prompted with an arch of my eyebrow.

“Weel--” He cleared his throat and I was almost positive that if it hadn’t been quite so dark, I’d have seen him blush, too. “I dinna want to make ye uncomfortable, Sassenach. I’ll leave it to you.”

He rose to his full height in order to kiss me, water freely flowing down his body. It took one press of my hand to his bare side to know exactly how comfortable I was.

“You could remove your trunks, that’s true,” I began as one finger dragged down the center of his chest; a touch for touching’s sake. “But I don’t think I’ll wear them.”

His own fingers were trailing up and down my arm, watching as rivulets of water from his fingertips ran across my wrist. “As long as ye feel comfortable in just the shirt then.” Raising his gaze, Jamie looked at me with a bit more seriousness in his eyes. “You’re safe wi’ me, Claire.”

Leaning over a little, I cupped his face in my hands. “I know. That’s why you should remove your bathing shorts and I’ll remove clothing.”

I watched his eyes change as what I said processed and he focused intently on me.

“Ye would swim...wi’ out all yer clothing?” He swallowed, and I stared as his Adam’s apple bobbed with the movement.

“I would. If you will,” I countered, finally moving out of his reach and pulling off my shoes. Tugging away my stockings, I stood, bare toes digging into the soft mud. I was nervous, feeling my stomach tightening with anxiety as I watched his face. He was weighing the options in his mind, I knew, but after a solid minute of thinking, he ducked back down into the water. His next movement had him tossing soggy shorts up onto the grass, and I couldn’t help grinning at him.

That was decided, then, and I took a deep breath before tugging my shirt up and off, dropping it behind me. I was afraid if I met his eyes — if I looked at how intently he was staring at me — I might lose my nerve, so I quickly unclasped my bra before removing the rest of my clothing and lowering myself into the water. We floated around one another for a moment, until I broke the spell and dunked myself under. The water wasn’t freezing, but it felt blessedly cool against overheated skin. When I came back up, my hands pushed hair out of my eyes in order to find him, smiling lazily.

“Who taught you to swim?” I asked curiously, my body covered, for now, by water as I sank down to my shoulders.

“My da, brought all three of us out one afternoon, me, my sister, and Willie. Taught us all at the same time, said we were all old enough,” he explained with so much fondness. I enjoyed that it was a good memory for him, that I hadn’t inadvertently brought up something that would make him sad or cause grief.

“I can’t remember anyone actually teaching me,” I offered in reply. “I remember being in Rosetta and swimming in the Nile, once. Maybe I was eight or nine? I don’t remember swimming before that, but I must have. Someone had to have taught me.”

“Perhaps there’s a period of time ye were no’ rememberin’ things correctly.” Now, he paused, and I watched his face as he looked for the right words.

“After my mam died, I canna remember all the things that happened directly after. I dinna even really remember the moments surrounding Willie’s death. Maybe...maybe for you, it had to go that way for a while after the death of your parents,” he supplied softly. He also swam closer, to offer comfort if I needed it.

“That’s possible,” I allowed, letting him reach out and push hair back behind my ears. “For whatever reason, I suppose that age is around the time I can truly remember even small, minute details. The rest before that is fragmented, almost. Broken into bits and pieces I remember randomly.” As I spoke, our bodies had somehow gravitated together and my arms had wound around his neck.

“I didna mean to make ye sad, if I did,” he spoke quietly, pressing his forehead to mine.

“Funny. I was worried about the same thing. But I like talking to you. I feel as though I can tell you anything, Jamie. I could tell you everything, and it would be safe.”

I felt him move and a firm kiss pressed to my forehead. “Because it would be, Sassenach. Just as I ken my own musings stay between us.”

“I trust you,” I clarified, pulling back just enough to look at him.

For a moment, the night around us seemed still, waiting on the pair of us to either kiss or keep confessing things quietly. I felt his hands move to my bare back, one hand above the other against my spine.

“Do ye trust that I would protect ye, Claire?” he asked before dropping soft kisses against the side of my neck. They weren’t insistent upon anything, they were merely soft, tender pecks.

One of my hands rested in his curls, cradling the back of his head. “Yes,” I murmured, tilting my head, inviting more. And it was true, I did. I wasn’t sure what he would ever need to shield me from, but I believed he would without question. As his lips began writing a poem across my shoulder, I let my hands wander down the smooth expanse of his back. Idly, my fingers drew loopy figure eights around freckles I knew were there due to my copious amount of time lazing around, watching him work shirtless in the heat.

“Your skin is so soft, Sassenach. Wi’ no’ a blemish on it to speak of.” His lips stopped at my throat, causing my head to tip back and my hair to unfurl in the water behind me.

“Ye look like a vision,” he all but sighed, trailing his kisses down the center of my chest slowly. He was careful, and rather than turn to kiss where my flesh yielded and curved into soft roundness, he raised his head and nuzzled his nose along the side of my own before I couldn’t stand it any longer. I tipped my head, finding and capturing his mouth in a hard, desperate kiss that I whimpered into.

Jamie kissed me as though both of our lives depended on it, his tongue lazily seeking permission to kiss me deeper. Granting what he wanted, it was his turn to groan, pulling me out of whatever lust-filled haze I was in. I could feel him, pressing bare and warm against my leg, though he called no attention to himself. We were simply kissing as his hands moved down, over the curve of my backside, and lifted.

Taken by surprise, my arms and legs wound around him, supported fully by Jamie in the water.

“Claire, I dinna—” he swallowed so hard I could hear it, and I fused my lips to his again in part to reavow my promise that he could tell me anything, and partly because it felt as though too many moments had passed since my lips were pressing against his. He kissed me back with just as much want and need until he seemed to forcibly pull his mouth from mine.

“What is it?” I was panting and hardly recognized my own voice.

It took a moment for him to form words after breathing heavily for a few seconds. When he did, he spoke quietly, forehead pressing to mine.

“‘Tis only that I want ye verra badly, and before I get carried away, I thought I should give ye time to have an opinion on it, yourself.”

I felt slow to process his meaning, but when it finally sank in, I realized I’d been shamelessly pressing myself to his thigh without even realizing. Pulling back, my cheeks flushed and I cleared my throat, floating free of him.

“I’m sorry. I didn’t—that was—” I struggled to find the word. Was it rude?

He hushed me before I could say anything else, reaching out for my hand to slowly pull me back. “I’m no’ looking for an apology. It’s why I stopped, why I’ll ask. Do you wish to go any further, Sassenach?”

The ball was in my court, and when I looked up at him, I knew that more than anything, I didn’t want to disappoint him. “I’m—this is, good, Jamie.” I held his gaze this time, waiting for his own to fall away at my words. “I like this, but more? Not here, I think. Not right now.” Not for our first time together, I meant.

If I thought he’d look any sort of disappointed, I was wrong. Instead, he smiled just a little and tangled our fingers together. “This is all it needs to be for now,” he promised, and I felt myself move closer again in relief, head resting against his shoulder. I was quiet as we floated, both of us tracing idle patterns on the other’s back until I finally had an idea.

“What if I wanted you to touch me?”

For a moment he stilled, then carefully pulled back his head just enough to look directly at me.

“Touch ye?”

His voice sounded a little strained and I tugged him down to kiss his lips. “Touch me, Jamie.”

My request was swiftly put into action as his hands pulled me closer again, and I had no choice but to press against him from chest to hips. He was still there (he felt impressive, Christ) and I let my next words fall against his clavicle where my lips brushed his skin.

“What about you?”

As one of his hands ghosted across my inner thigh, I held my breath in anticipation, but he waited, hesitating. “Ye dinna need to do that, Sassenach.”

Trying to meet his eyes, I ducked my head and then tilted his chin up with the tips of my fingers. “I know I dinna need, to. But I want to. I want to know you. All of you.” Experimentally, my fingers brushed across the tip of him and I felt him jerk, then sag into my arms, melting at just that singular touch.

“Aye. Christ, I want to feel ye and ken what it is to be touched by you, too.” As soon as he was finished speaking, his mouth landed on mine and I felt his thumb drag heavily against me.

It made my hips jerk to feel him, and I broke our kiss simply to rest my head on his shoulder once more. He’d guided us steadily toward shallower ground, until his back was against a high edge of the riverbank and one of my legs was hooked high around his hip. Like this, I could easily wrap my hand around him and begin a slow stroke up and down the length of him. He was heavy as stone, felt like satin pulled taut, and I felt his knees buckle, just for a second, before he shored himself again.

“Believe me when I tell ye, there’s no’ a touch that’s ever felt this good,” he managed to mumble, his words lost to my curls as his fingers began to move against me.

It wasn’t just his touch that was beginning to unravel me; it was being held safe in strong arms. To not only be vulnerable but for him to be as well. As my hips rocked into his touch, I let my fingers travel up and down a path I wanted to continue, always. A part of me wondered if this was a simple summer fling, something I was used to because I always left. Those, I’d never given everything to. I’d had fun, never regretted any of my choices, but they never knew about my parents, my life, what I wanted. I’d never trusted anyone with those things before, and now Jamie was collecting them all — bits of my heart, piece by piece.

When one finger dipped into me, I sighed into his neck, pressing my lips to his skin on a whimper. I moved my own hand faster, breathing hard, sucking in air that smelled of damp earth and dead leaves, but most overwhelmingly, Jamie. He smelled like hay and wood, like smoke and hot sun. I wanted to taste the dip of his shoulder, so I did. My tongue slowly circled his skin and his groan was loud; his touch faltered for a moment.

“Mo chridhe,” he uttered, and I thought back to the day he’d told me it meant my heart. I’d been in his arms then as well, only up in a hayloft, watching the sunset. His fingers retaliated, curving a second inside of me and gesturing forward. It was a move that made me gasp and jerk, crying out his name into the woods. Now, it was my hand that lost its rhythm but his touch was strong and sure, and each time he pressed into me, his palm did a slow grind against that aching pinprick of need. I squeezed my hand around him but couldn’t move as he didn’t stop, not letting up as my body tightened around his fingers and pleasure surged in my belly.

That was the moment my hand remembered what to do, and I began moving again, this time with intent as I licked his neck again to taste salt. Both of our hips rocked, his free hand keeping me secure. Jamie nosed at my breast, the nipple just under the water. I arched my back a little and his mouth immediately descended, pulling a loud cry once more from me. This time when my body tensed it didn’t let go, and I gripped his hair in my free hand, surrendering myself to the pleasure.

Dimly, in the back of my mind somewhere, I heard him breathe out my name before spilling against my hip, his head dipping low to tuck against mine. We stood like that, completely wrapped around one another for so long, I couldn’t tell how much time had passed. I could hear frogs and crickets, night birds just waking in the forest. It was Jamie who broke the stillness first, raising his hand from the water and brushing my curls aside to kiss my temple.

“That was—” I swallowed, only because I lost my breath as residual pleasure coursed through me at a stretch of my calves. “That was perfect, Jamie.” I leaned in for a kiss, our tongues lazily gliding over one another.

He pulled back to speak softly. “You were, Sassenach. In every single way a person can be.”

As he stroked my cheek, I turned my head toward him again, tipping our lips together in a softer, more chaste kiss. “We should go inside. Before we look like prunes,” I murmured, hating to say it but knowing we couldn’t stay outdoors forever. “Aye, I suppose,” Jamie sighed in reply. “I’ll even walk ye back, proper.”

I nuzzled my nose against his, and after making our way out of the water, we wandered a bit to air dry. Meandering the bank hand in hand, I saw something catch the light of the moon and I squinted.

“What is it, Sassenach?”

“I see something, just over there,” I explained, pointing even as I marched further up the bank. Kneeling down, I saw what caught the moon’s reflection: strawberries, wet with wayward river water. With a grin, I looked out at how many there were and marveled at the sight. “Did you know these were here?” I asked in wonder.

“No, I’ve never been down this far,” he admitted, kneeling to pick a berry and bite into it. “They’re good, too. Here,” he offered, dropping a small handful of berries into my palm.

He rose with a handful of his own and there the two of us stood, naked in the woods, eating strawberries under a full moon.

NEXT CHAPTER

#outlander #jamie x claire #jamie fraser #claire fraser #outlander fic #strawberry wine #my fic

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bazwillendinflames · 4 years

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Read on AO3

A Diaz brothers Hogwarts AU for @head-full-of-things for the LIS2 Secret Santa.

Sean’s baby brother is born at the height of He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named’s terror. The first time Sean saw Daniel he was struck by just how tiny he looked.

The world outside was so scary and Sean had already been taught what to do if there was trouble. (Find Mum or Dad unless he can’t. Then hide and be very, very quiet.) Sean can’t help but look down at the tiny baby curled in his cot and worry that baby Daniel wouldn’t be very good at hiding. He cried when he woke up and he only settled if someone told him a story; part of hiding was being quiet, what if-

Sean made a promise to himself to look after Daniel no matter what, whether scary wizards or thunderstorms.

Daniel grows a little and starts to walk and make noises that might be words. Outside, things get worse.

His parents tried to keep the reality hidden. But Sean overheard worried conversations between them, read snippets of the news about deaths, heard them cry late, over lost friends, when he should be sleeping.

And then it just stops. He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named stops. Sean spent that fateful Halloween night huddled at home with his Dad. Having a set of Muggle-born parents made any late night walks impossible, even for treats.

The next morning, they tell him it’s safe. Or safer. He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named is dead now, stopped by a boy his brother's age. (That horrified Sean. That he would try to kill a baby. That someone might even want to kill Daniel.)

The magical world is alive once more, full of joy and celebration. Just not for the Diazs. Karen walked away from magic; walked away from them . She gives Sean her wand and Esteban an address to write to. She leaves baby Daniel with nothing.

Sean spent that night with his Mother’s wand under his pillow, pledging to use it to protect his baby brother if needed. His childhood had taught him that you had to be careful and if Daniel was too young to look out for himself, it must be Sean’s job to fill that role.

He just hoped wherever Harry Potter ended up, he had someone to protect him too.

“Davis, Tracey.”

Sean glanced over at the group of first years, quiet for the first time since they had entered the hall and still waiting in line, trying to pick out his brother’s dark hair. In the crowd, it was impossible to find him.

“On ‘D’ now,” Lyla whispered, “Dan will soon, right?”

“Yeah.” Sean gave up on trying to find him. “Is it weird I’m more worried about his sorting than my own?”

“Slytherin!” The hat roared, followed by applause from the table. Tracey ran over, leaving the stool at the front of the great hall empty again.

Lyla laughed. “It’s sweet. You complain about Daniel, but it’s all talk.”

“Diaz, Daniel.”

Sean ignored Lyla, looking over as the tiny figure of Daniel moved towards the front of the hall. Daniel’s eyes drifted over to their table and he smiled at his younger brother, although he didn’t seem to notice. (Daniel was staring at Lyla all doe-eyed instead, typical .)

There was a long moment as Daniel pulled a face at whatever the sorting hat was whispering to him. Stubborn as ever.

Then, Daniel looked directly over at their spot, giving Sean an excited thumbs up. He knew which house Daniel was in before the sorting hat declared him a “Hufflepuff!”

Lyla poked him, “move up.”

They shifted along, making a big enough space for Daniel to squeeze in.

“Sean, Sean, we’re together!”

“I knew we would be.”

The sorting continued, with a few more additions to the Hufflepuff table. To Daniel’s delight, Chris joined them too. He lived in the same village as their Grandparents and the two had spent last summer together. They were also joined by Jacob’s sister, who seemed much less shy than her older brother.

A hush fell over the hall when “Potter, Harry” was called. He looked even smaller than Daniel, with an explosion of messy black hair covering his scar. It was hard to believe someone so young had put an end to the terror of his childhood.

“So cool,” Daniel whispered.

The sorting hat declared him a Gryffindor and Sean was a little relieved. It wasn’t his fault but Sean had always thought Harry Potter would be a magnet for trouble. The last thing he wanted was Daniel getting dragged into it.

His brother didn’t seem to share that concern. “Ah, no fair. He’s like so cool.”

“Nah, you’re already enough of a handful enano .”

“Hey!” Daniel stuck out his tongue and he smiled at his younger brother.

Sean was glad that Daniel was in Hufflepuff with him. He could keep an eye on him and keep him on the right track. Truthfully, Sean couldn’t imagine Daniel anywhere else. His natural curiosity may have suited Ravenclaw (seriously, the kid never stopped talking) but Daniel had the biggest heart.

Besides, it seemed just right the Diaz brothers were together.

After the welcome feast, Daniel insisted on showing Sean his new dormitory. Whilst most of the other students seemed tired after a long day of travel and heavy meal to follow, Daniel was bouncy as ever, practically leaping up the stairs, dragging Sean behind him.

“I’m coming, enano, slow down.”

It was sweet, actually, to see such excitement on his face when he first saw the castle. Daniel had been pestering him for years about what Hogwarts was like, both in his letters and during his otherwise peaceful summers. He had been counting down the days till he got his school letter for as long as Sean could remember.

“Ta-da!”

Daniel was already bouncing on the bed in the furthest corner, messing up the homely, yellow patchwork blanket on top. The room was nice and clean, still yet to be turned into the unorganised tip Sean’s own was after five years of living there.

“Come jump with me.”

“Really Daniel-“

“Please.”

Sean glanced between the open door and his brother’s pleading face, before jumping onto the bed with him. Daniel laughed giddily, half-crushing Sean when the brothers eventually lay down.

“Do you think Dad will miss us now we’re away?”

“No way, he’ll love the peace.”

“No fair. I don’t talk that much.”

Sean wrapped his arms around him. “Okay, okay enano, he’ll probably miss us every day.”

“Can I write to him soon? Just to let him know I’m okay.”

Sean glanced at the slightly worried expression on his face. “Sure. I’ll show you where the owls are kept later.”

“The hat wanted to put me in Gryffindor.”

“You are pretty brave sometimes. And reckless.”

Daniel nudged him. “You mean cool.”

“Yeah. Guess you’re stuck with me instead.”

“That’s not too bad. I guess.”

“Dad was in Gryffindor.”

“Cool!” Daniel sighed. “What about…”

He swallowed a lump in his throat. “Karen was a Ravenclaw. She was artsy and shit.”

“I wish I could write to her too.”

He frowned. “You know Karen made her choice.”

Daniel pulled a pillow over his chest. “Okay. It’s so big here. And the stairs move! So magical.”

“We’ll help you so you don’t get lost. Jake and Lyla are prefects so they’ll watch over you.”

“But you’ll help too?”

Sean nodded. “Yeah.”

“Will show me where the dragons are?”

“There’s no dragons at Hogwarts. And don’t go looking. The forest is dangerous.”

Daniel half-yawned. “Okay. But... it’s safe here, right?”

“I promise.”

Daniel seemed relieved. “Will you help me unpack?”

“No chance,” Sean said, pulling himself off the bed. “Leave it for tomorrow. You’re had a long day.”

“I’m not even tired,” Daniel said, trying to cover another yawn with his hand.

“Whatever you say.” Sean ruffled his hair, watching as Daniel rolled over in bed, blinking sleepily. “Goodnight Enano.”

Sean pulled a blanket over him, watching his brother breathe peacefully.

He’d look out for Daniel, no matter what.

The first week back from school was always hectic. After weeks of sleeping in, Sean felt zombified each morning. Lyla was her usual bubbly self no matter what time of day, so he relied on her to drag him to the right class.

Having Daniel around was a little weird at first. His brother usually wrote to Sean every few days, sending pages of rambles and questions and drawings. Having him there in person instead meant most of the questions came directly from him, and his morning were much louder, but it also meant that Sean could actually hug his brother and the usual homesickness wasn’t so intense. Another figure appeared at their table in the library and all his Hufflepuff scarves seemed to go missing.

Despite all the little changes having Daniel there meant, Sean was glad to share it with him. His Dad would be surprised at how well they got along at school. Even in his weekly letter, he seemed impressed that Sean was helping him. (Esteban wrote more to Daniel than him. Daily, even. So he wasn’t the only homesick one.)

“You’re a big softie,” Lyla said. She was lying across his lap, eyes closed. Their closeness used to get a lot of strange looks and questions (how many times had he had to pretend to be sick when people asked if he was dating Lyla before they got the message?) but in the sixth year of platonic cuddles, no one looked twice.

“Shut up,” he replied, already knowing what she meant.

(Okay, maybe that’s why people called them a married couple.)

It hadn’t even been a full month when Harry Potter caused his first drama. Daniel, despite not being there, was more than happy to explain exactly how a first year had gotten on the Gryffindor Quidditch team. Sean couldn’t help but roll his eyes: flying perfectly the first time and immediately getting on the team was a typically Gryffindor thing to do. (He was a good player, from the little Sean actually got from Quidditch. He only went to the games to help Lyla heckle the teams. Plus, the announcer with the purple hair was cute.)

“Do you think I can join the team?”

“No way Enano.”

“No fair.” He pouted. “Well, I’ll practise all Summer with Dad and then I’ll be the best ever.”

Sean couldn't help but snigger, Daniel had been on a broom exactly once and fallen off and into their neighbour’s garden. His training broom had been in the shed ever since.

“Can’t wait.” Lyla fist bumped him. She was the captain of the Quidditch team. Sean mostly went to the games to support her, he was better at sports played on the ground. (“There’s no magic in being a fast runner.”)

“Harry is so cool,” Daniel continued, “do you think he’s the Chosen One?”

“There is no ‘Chosen One’. He’s just a kid.”

“He’s my age.”

“Exactly.” Sean ruffled his head. “Just stick with Chris and Noah, okay?” He glanced over to where Jacob was chatting with his sister. “And maybe talk to Sarah-Lee. She seems nice.”

Daniel was frowning but he nodded.

Lyla flicked the back of his head. “Chill dude. I’m pretty sure he already has a Dad.”

“I’m just looking out for him.”

“He’s a sensible kid. Dan will stay out of trouble.”

“Shut up,” Sean replied, which Lyla knew meant she was right.

“Plus,” she added, “Hogwarts is a safe place.”

“Troll, troll in the dudgeon!”

Panic rippled across the hall as teachers rushed to hurry them somewhere safe. Lyla disappeared to lead the younger years inside, Sean following her quickly.

“Sean?” Jacob’s voice was heavy with worry. “Have you seen my sister?”

“No. Isn’t she with the other first years? Lyla’s meant to be leading them.”

“No. She left dinner early. She was upset, our parents-”

“I’m sure she’s on her way to the common room.”

“I know she’s not.” Jacob glanced in the halls. “Do you ever have feelings of like, older brother instinct?”

With growing dread, Sean nodded, all too aware he hadn’t seen Daniel since breakfast. “I’ll help you look for her.”

Jacob smiled gratefully, his reason for agreeing so quickly going unsaid between them. With all the chaos and the looming threat of a troll, they slipped off easily. Sean hoped that Daniel was with Lyla; chances were that he was looking for Sean, not the other way round. (He almost-believed it.)

“Where do we start?”

“Sarah’s still new so she doesn’t know a lot of places. When she gets upset at home, she locks herself in the toilet.”

“It’s a start.”

The hallways were so empty it was almost eerie. Sean and Jacob stuck close together, both holding out their wands as a precaution. The first of the girls toilets they checked was empty, the second belonging to a miserable ghost.

“Maybe she did go back-”

Jacob’s hand suddenly grabbed his wrist. Sean jumped a little.

“What-”

“Did you hear that?”

Sean listened and a moment later he was met by a scream and a heavy thump.

“That has to be the troll?”

“Shit.” Sean followed Jacob’s sprint, already running through all the healing spells he knew. (The voice sounded so young.)

The bathroom was a mess, with smashed bits of sink and wall everywhere. The troll stood in the middle, growling at four small figures by its feet.

“Sarah!” Jacob called, spotting his sister, who was clinging onto the hand of the Gryffindor girl next to her. There was a Gryffindor boy too, with the signature Weasley red hair. But all of Sean’s attention was on his own brother, who had positioned himself protectively in front of the two shaking girls.

The troll roared, oblivious to their arrival. It swung the hefty club down. Sean cast a protective charm, hoping his simple ‘Protego’ would be enough to help, just as another small figure jumped up on the troll’s back, sticking something up its nose.

Sean held his protective charm, trying to work out if he could cast on the other kid, when one of them shouted ‘Wingardium Leviosa’, causing the club to hit the top of its head. It slumped down and the kid rolled off, close enough that Sean could make out his signature scar.

What the hell was Daniel doing fighting a troll with Harry Potter?

“Jacob,” Sarah sobbed, running over and flinging herself at him.

“What the hell is going on here?” Sean mostly directed his question at Daniel, but all the first years (they were first years…) seemed a little terrified of him.

“I was going to ask the same thing Mr Diaz.” Professor McGonagall stepped into the bathroom, followed by Professors Snape and Quirrell. “You’re lucky you weren’t killed.”

Daniel shuffled back a little, unsure if Sean or McGonagall would give him a sterner talking to.

“Well-”

“Mr Diaz, Mr Hackerman, as sixth years, perhaps you could explain why you are here too?”

“Some of our first years,” Sean began, fixing Daniel with a stern look, “were missing. As a Prefect, it’s Jacob’s job to look for them.” (It was mostly true.)

“I asked Sean to come too,” Jacob added.

“I suppose the fact it was your siblings were the ones missing has nothing to do with it?”

Under her strict gaze, Sean felt like a first year himself.

“Although, I am much more concerned that a bunch of first years felt like they were capable of taking on a troll by themselves-”

“Excuse me, Professor McGonagall…” the Gryffindor girl began timidly, “it’s my fault. I thought I could handle it alone because I’ve read about trolls. Harry and Ron came to rescue me.” She glanced at Daniel and Sarah-Lee. “They were just in the wrong place at the wrong time. I thought I could be all heroic but…”

Sarah-Lee had another little sob and McGonagall turned to her. In a much kinder voice she suggested Jacob take his clearly distressed sister to the medical ward.

“Daniel,” Sean said, “are you hurt?”

“No.”

McGonagall continued to lecture the poor girl about responsibility, taking away ten points for Gryffindor. “As for you two,” she said, addressing Sean and Daniel, “it is clear that the older Mr Diaz was only trying to help protect some overambitious younger students. Ten points to Hufflepuff. Same for Mr Hackerman. As for the younger Mr Diaz, perhaps you would like to explain what you’re doing here?”

“I was just trying to help Sarah. She got all upset and ran off so I brought her some food. I didn’t know about the troll.”

“I see no reason to punish being in the wrong place or time. Sean, please escort your brother back to your common room.”

Sean and Daniel headed out. Daniel was being unusually quiet, his eyes downcast.

“Sean, I-”

“Come here.” Sean pulled Daniel close to him in a tight hug. “You scared the crap out of me Daniel.”

“Oh. I’m sorry.” He murmured. “I just wanted to help Sarah-Lee and…”

“He was,” a voice said, “Daniel was really nice.”

It was the Gryffindor girl from earlier. Her face was a little red and she sniffled a little.

“Are you okay Hermoine?”

“Yeah.” Hermoine smiled at Sean. “Thank you for helping us. That protective shield was good thinking.”

“Thank God you didn’t need it.” He sighed. “You… okay kid?”

“I was only in the toilet because I was crying,” she said, her voice wavering a little, “and then Sarah and Daniel came in. He brought her some sweets because she missed dinner. I was upset because…” she sniffled, “I don’t really have any friends. So, Daniel gave me some too.”

Daniel blushed a little. “You said to be nice to Sarah-Lee, so…”

“When the troll showed up, everything got very out of hand. Harry and Ron were trying to stop it.”

“Not you?”

She looked a little embarrassed. “Well, I-”

“Look kid, just be careful. When you first start and you have magic it’s easy to feel invincible. But sometimes, you have to know when to walk away. Or run, in the case of trolls.”

Hermoine nodded but Sean wasn’t convinced. It was impossible to keep a Gryffindor out of trouble.

“If you don’t have any friends yet,” Daniel said, “you can sit with us in lessons. Plus, you’re so smart!”

Sean couldn’t help but feel a swell of pride for his brother’s offers. Daniel was definitely an extrovert, able to make friends with anyone.

“I’d like that.” Hermoine smiled, a little shy. “I should go back to my common room now. But, I’ll talk to you tomorrow Daniel. Thanks again…”

“Sean.”

“Thank you Sean.” Hermoine left, looking much more positive than before.

That left Sean and Daniel alone again.

“Do you think Professor McGonagal will tell Dad?”

Sean had been in trouble enough times to know. “Yeah.”

“Ah man.”

“Dad will understand.” Sean ruffled his hair. “Hey, I got in trouble for the first time way before Halloween my first year.”

“What happened?”

“Well, it was all Lyla’s fault really…”

“You must have been so freaked out.”

“I know. What the hell am I supposed to tell my Dad?”

Lyla was half-lying on Sean but he made no effort to move her. It was the only thing stopping him from getting up to check if he was safe in bed. (Sean had done the same when Daniel was a baby. He used to creep in at night to look in on his brother. If Daniel got restless or woke up, Sean would whisper stories through his cot bars until one of them fell asleep.)

“It was an accident.”

“That’s even worse. It’s like he’s in danger by just being here.”

Lyla patted his hand. “I don’t think trolls are a constant problem. And you can’t expect him to just go home.”

“I know.” Sean resisted the urge to turn to the direction of his dorm. “So, what do I do?”

“Maybe…”

“Oh, I could walk him to class and…”

Lyla sighed. “Sean.”

“I’m going all Dad-mode. I know.”

“Wish I had an answer dude. Just look out for him.”

“It’s not just Daniel. That Gryffindor kid used ‘Wingardium Leviosa’ and it worked but also it was the only spell they remembered.”

Lyla rubbed her forehead. “Cause they’re kids. Shit.”

“Yeah, shit.”

They sat in silence for a while, thinking. (Worrying mostly, on Sean’s behalf.)

“Let’s help them then.”

“Help them what?”

“Protect themselves.” Lyla sat up. “Who better to help them then the best freaking fighters?”

Sean pulled her into a hug. “This is why you’re my best friend.”

(They spent free afternoons teaching Daniel defensive spells, sometimes joined by Chris, Sarah-Lee or even the three Gryffindors Daniel had managed to befriend - fighting a troll together helped, he guessed. Hogwarts might not be safe but it was home. And Sean always wanted his brother to feel safe at home.

And if that meant the best freaking fighters gained a few more fighters… that was okay.)

#Life is Strange 2 #lis2 #daniel diaz #Sean diaz #hogwarts au #diaz brothers

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bearpillowmonster · 4 years

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Top 15 Anime!

I’ll be talking about them in order of appearance, that way, if you see a picture you like, you know what anime it is. The order shown does not represent how much I like one over the other. This also does not represent my ratings on MyAnimeList because since my viewing, my opinions have changed on some and I don’t want to reevaluate my score. Three more rules, NO anime movies, and some I may not have finished, only because they have 100+ episodes and nothing I’ve dropped so no One Piece.

This is going to be controversial...heck, anime is controversial.

Gekkan Shoujo Nozaki Kun: My tagline is “It’s an anime about art...an art about anime.” It follows the life of a manga illustrator and the friends he’s made along the way and a bit of slice of life in there too.

Plastic Memories: Red alert! We have a tear jerker. I was recommended this anime and was told it was sad, no big deal...I then got through it and cried during the ending. I talked to the person who recommended it to me and I said “About that ending...” and they said “I didn’t see it.” “What?!” “Yeah, I thought, this is too sad, I can’t watch the last episode.” Needless to say I made them watch it. I woke up in the middle of the night crying then it affected the other person the same way, this is some powerful stuff. Think of “Ex Machina”, wait no I haven’t saw that. Well maybe “Her”...yeah no haven’t saw that either...Anyway it’s just an android anime.

Sword Art Online: Address the elephant in the room, this one is a divided one. Ok, so just to clarify, I’m specifically talking about the first arc of the first season. We all know the plot at this point, people get trapped inside a full dive video game with real stakes. This resembles my resurgence with anime, I was never serious about it until I saw this. You either like it or you don’t, and even if I do like it, I’ll be the first to say it has a fair share worth of crap but I’m in so deep that it is what it is, when it shines, I really enjoy it, tell me seeing action like this isn’t cool.

Toradora: This is THE romance anime in my opinion, it’s so well crafted. It just makes sense, even if you can’t relate it to yourself, you know somebody you can. I found it here on tumblr through a gif and that gif was the ending, I didn’t know that until later but even knowing what the ending was going to be, I didn’t care, it’s the journey, I even looked into the manga.

Attack on Titan: Sie sind das Essen und Wir sind die Jaeger! That means “They are the prey, we are the hunters.” My friend introduced me to this by showing me the titan fight at the end of season 1, in return I showed him the Legend of Korra, so I guess we’re even. That was before Season 2 which took forever to come out so I knew the struggle just as much as everyone else. This whole series kind of took everyone by storm, I mean if you don’t care too much about the hype then it’s good, it’s something to get into, something to wait for, even if it’s dark and gory, it’s nice to know there is a big percentage experiencing the same thing.

Gamers!: I’m scared. The manga has been going on but season 2 just won’t come out “Maybe next year” I keep thinking but we’ll see, I’ve purposely been avoiding the manga because of it. I don’t like to see the word ‘Gamer’ so much because it makes me think of how cliche people try to be in order to fit into the crowd, too many fakers but this, this gets it right, it deserves its title. I started with the dub but I didn’t like the voice of a specific character, it just didn’t fit them and the sub was always at least one episode ahead of the dub so I watched the sub and then whenever the dub came out, I watched that too. I was that pleased with this anime.

Chihayafuru: The characters, the music, the visuals...all over a card game. If you can make that interesting and make me sit on the edge of my seat, not only watching it, but also awaiting the next season then you’ve done something right. This is technically a sports anime? But not, I don’t really consider it as such and is the only one you’ll see on this list because it’s not a genre I’m into so you know they succeeded in that field too.

Rurouni Kenshin: Sometimes it isn’t easy to explain something right out, it’s the feeling it gives off that explains it all. This is my calm anime, it’s just so peaceful yet has action, definitely not your average ‘sword fighter’.

Hunter X Hunter (2011): I didn’t watch the 1999 one (yet) and you know what? I probably tried the first episode 3 times all together because the first two, I just wasn’t feeling it, it was like “They’re just going to be different fighters.” NO! I kept coming back because I wanted to give it another chance and I succeeded and I loved it, I realized just how in depth it was and a lot more than “Tournaments” PUH-LEASE! I knew I’d love it as soon as Gon made it through the boat during the first few episodes.

Yu Yu Hakusho Spirit Detective: Made by the same creator as HxH, who is also married to the lady who made Sailor Moon! This family man...But yeah, I didn’t like Yusuke’s hair and I thought it was going to be a bunch of tournaments which meant a lot of filler. Yeah there is ONE tournament (that I know of) this is one of the ones I didn’t finish yet, but it’s not a whole lot of filler. In fact a lot of the stuff surrounding it has to do with the Spirit Detective part, hence why I put that part in the title. What made me change my mind and get into it you might ask? Ladies and gentlemen I present to you the opening song:

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Dimension W: If you saw my other lists, you know I like to have a few wild cards in there, this is one of them, once again, where is season 2?! It has to do with electric coils, basically what builds their economy, a new type of power source. We know about the X, Y, and Z axis but what about W? It’s not as complicated as it sounds. My favorite character is named Loser...yep, what more do I need to say, just try it out!

Erased: Same person who recommended Plastic Memories, recommended this so gear up. This is actually a time travel anime, it seems odd at first but you’ll understand pretty quick. It’s a mystery, something I’m a sucker for, you can tell a lot went into it with some pretty talented people. It’s twelve episodes long and I watched the second half in one day, I binged this baby probably more than any other.

Rascal Does Not Dream: The poster I used is actually for the movie which finishes the title with “of a Dreaming Girl”, but I didn’t want you to take it at face value because at face value it’s called “of Bunny Girl Senpai.” and features a girl who dresses as a playboy bunny which sounds like a hentai, but it’s not! Let me explain, this is actually a conspiracy series, a series of strange events if you will. The girl only dresses like that for a little bit because she’s invisible to everyone but this dude (no, literally) and she’s trying to get attention. The dude goes around fixing problems such as that and something his sister deals with. She got bullied so bad that it hurt her (again, literally) and it caused her memory loss. Then there’s the girl who splits into two different personalities (do I need to say literally again? You got it now? Ok.)

Quintessential Quintuplets: Face Value! Looks like another harem...and it is. But listen, Miku Nakano.

Apparently a lot of other people agree with me. It’s kind of embarrassing to explain but basically it doesn’t beat around the bush. This dude ends up with one of the quints, it even has a scene where he marries them but you don’t know which one it is because...they’re quints. I said how I liked mystery and slice of life...well, this is basically a guessing game, it keeps you interested even if you think you know who it’s going to be. The other sisters are just as good of characters with their definitive personalities.

Mob Psycho 100 II: I wanted to end this off with a bang and I while I watched both seasons, I wanted S2 to represent this one because it does better in every way. Let me put it this way, I thought the first season was alright, I gave it a 7, kind of average. This season I gave a 9, it surprised me and it did really well from its action to its art within the action to its characters, this might be the best second season I’ve watched of an anime. The story expands on these characters and explores morals and stuff that only hit the surface in S1. It shows how you don’t ‘need’ seasons worth of material to make a good final episode, there were time where I thought ‘How is it going to top this’ in the middle of the season and then blew me away by the end of it.

Well time to stay indoors, here are my recommendations for your quarantines.

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punkscowardschampions · 4 years

Text

Bea & Fraze

Bea: What are you going to wear to Ro's birthday? Fraze: Pick whatever you like for this fantasy where I'm going Bea: You have to Bea: you have no excuse not to Fraze: I don't need an excuse now that I'm too big for my ma, or da come to that, to drag me anywhere Fraze: I don't wanna, I don't have to, end of Bea: It's still family regardless of anyone's ability to literally make you Bea: anyway, she needs the numbers Fraze: I don't hear her begging Bea: She's not about to, is she Bea: you know what she's like Fraze: And you know where to find me when you've had enough of what she's like Bea: Well if you must know I don't think I'll bother to come back either then Bea: why should I make any effort Fraze: 'Cause you had a solid enough argument there with the family obligation bullshit, even if you lost it with the part about keeping numbers up Bea: Joe isn't coming, you aren't Bea: so fuck it, clearly Fraze: She ain't our sister, she's yours Bea: Seriously Fraze: Come on Fraze: I know you didn't expect a different answer Bea: You know literally nothing Bea: How can I lecture her about being part of this family if that's how you feel Bea: and how can I expect her to feel like a part of it if she isn't, apparently, for fuck's sake Fraze: She is with the rest of them, don't start Fraze: How can I act like it's all that black and white when the only thing that is, is how I feel about you? Fraze: we've been over it Bea: You can't pick and choose Bea: that's not how this is meant to work Fraze: Well it's too fucking late Fraze: I already did Bea: Great, so she gets to be right Bea: fantastic, thanks Fraze: What do you want me to do? I can't unlove you Fraze: I have tried, like Bea: Have you? Fraze: What was most of our childhood if not that? Bea: This isn't relevant Bea: I need someone there Fraze: You asked, I gave you an answer Fraze: she's got Ali and Tommy, that other one he used to dance with Bea: Because I can ask any of them what she was like and get an honest answer Bea: there's a divide, you said it Fraze: You'll get a brutally honest answer off ma if that's what you want Bea: I want you to do this one thing for me Fraze: is that as nice as you're gonna ask? Bea: I'm not playing games Bea: I'm not in the mood Fraze: Christ's sake Fraze: alright then Bea: Thanks Fraze: whatever, I'll do it for the pleasure of you owing me Bea: you can check my calendar to cash that in Fraze: give me a chance to check my own first, Red Bea: I assume you have a handle on your own schedule Fraze: I ain't never been able to stop your assumptions Bea: You should be grateful I'm giving you that props Fraze: Oh cheers Bea: You're welcome Fraze: yeah, open arms at this party Bea: I doubt she's got a candle for you Bea: you'll avoid that Fraze: Jesus Bea: Yep Fraze: I ain't going to church, fuck that Bea: I think only Ali is doing that anyway Fraze: gutted she still ain't getting sainted for her patience Bea: Pretty sure you have to be dead for years before they get 'round to it Fraze: Trust you to know that, babe Bea: It's common knowledge Bea: Teresa was an exception Fraze: common knowledge to cunts thinking that far ahead Fraze: let me get to grips with my fucking uni schedule Bea: You gave yourself away Fraze: you wish Bea: I'll take my props away now Bea: You've been back nearly a month Fraze: And I've had fuck all to do, it ain't Cambs Bea: All the more time to work out your schedule Fraze: Worry about your own Bea: I am Fraze: You gave yourself away there Bea: Ha Fraze: you're not in the mood, I heard you the first time Bea: Good Bea: I'll leave you to it then Fraze: Alright Bea: [Skippity skip?] Fraze: [makes sense] Bea: [okay, turn up with ya BFF as a hot ass mess to this stale ass party] Fraze: [he'd be shook and fuming in equal measure, imagine his face please] Bea: [aren't we all tbh like join Ro at that table lol] Fraze: You could've said something Bea: I posted on my stories Fraze: Like I said Bea: It wasn't planned Fraze: And it ain't the longest plane ride but you had enough time to tell me you were coming Fraze: it becomes a plan once you've bought a ticket, like Bea: Hardly, it's not like it sells out, or there isn't one an hour later if it does Bea: we turned up, end of Fraze: You know what I mean Fraze: I turned up here for you, the least you could've done was said I didn't have to Bea: I'm late, so I did need you here Fraze: what's his excuse? Bea: ? Fraze: Why do you need him here? Bea: He suggested I come Bea: I still wasn't sure Fraze: hand holding then Fraze: how sweet Bea: Fuck off Bea: She's my sister, I should be here, regardless of how unwelcome I am or want to be Fraze: gladly Fraze: and yeah, no shit, I told you that Bea: It's not an original concept Bea: is this all the people that showed or have people left? Fraze: I'll be the first out the door Bea: Tragic Fraze: What else did you expect? Bea: She was making such a fuss I thought perhaps she'd put a bit more effort in this time Fraze: only setting yourself up with that kind of thinking, babe Bea: More her problem than mine Fraze: Yours if you care Bea: Whatever you're trying to imply with that is stupid either way Fraze: I'm not implying anything, I said it in a dead straightforward manner Bea: Either that I do or don't care Fraze: I know you care, you wouldn't be here if you didn't Bea: If I cared I would have just showed up Fraze: you have Bea: Not before telling her I wouldn't and having an argument so Fraze: Exactly, you didn't have to and you still did Fraze: she ain't gonna appreciate it and it weren't easy for you in any sense Fraze: so you care and you're fucked by it, end of Bea: Nah Fraze: Yeah Bea: I literally just wanted to piss her off but alright Fraze: that's an added bonus Bea: If you like, Fraze Fraze: it ain't about me Fraze: but you can have pissing me off too if you like Bea: Why would you be pissed off at me Fraze: Think it through like you reckon you ain't fuck all else Bea: You were meant to be here regardless Bea: and now you can go Bea: nothing lost Fraze: it's nothing to do with any of that Bea: I'm not in the mood for guessing games either Bea: tell me or don't Fraze: Forget it Bea: Alright Bea: enjoy the rest of your evening then Fraze: I'll take my odds of that over yours Bea: I'll survive Fraze: I know Fraze: my offer still stands though Bea: I'm just here to see Ro Fraze: You're leaving tomorrow then? Bea: tonight by the looks of this Fraze: Yeah Fraze: I doubt it'll be a late one Bea: Surprised she's still here honestly Fraze: I'm surprised any of this went ahead in the first place Bea: Sure she's been planning it since her last Fraze: don't mean she wouldn't cry off it on the night Bea: You can go tell her you're proud of her if you want Fraze: fuck off Bea: 😏 Fraze: [IRL 😏 at her] Bea: [LOOK back] Fraze: [always gotta return a LOOK] Bea: [but go get a drink with Bronson, obviously] Fraze: [go get your own because you're fuming at that and also I need a reason for you not to leave thank you] Bea: [you can force Tommy to dance with you and dance with Bronson] Fraze: [just like 👀😒 downing this drink haha] Fraze: [we both know he's eventually cutting in though there's only so much looking on either of them can take] Bea: [saying something about not dancing with Fearghal and Rocky yet like wait ya turn but 😏 again] Fraze: [we're having this moment ™ because this party is too dry to deal with] Bea: [you wanna see some romance hen] Fraze: [giving Laoise's brother ideas and the confidence to 💋 with their energy LOL] Bea: [I snorted, oh lord] Fraze: [like we said before, going from that long summer to nothing when they're back at uni would be a killer so the vibe is strong] Bea: [excuse us everyone that'll be awkward to see for you] Fraze: [I hope y'all are busy having your own fun and in Ro's case getting smooched so] Bea: [y'all be trying anyway, God bless] Fraze: [mcvickers having their own dance because they don't wanna be here either, awww] Bea: [das cute] Fraze: [we should've given Laoise a little sister for Rocky to have a childhood romance with, that would've been so cute cos the fams hate each other] Fraze: [maybe there can be a girl at the caravan park cos always there with his bff Carly] Bea: [I like that idea, v cute] Fraze: [look at me getting derailed as per] Bea: [my bubba] Fraze: [go get another drink and calm down a shade please boy] Bea: [you could get away with this extraness if it wasn't such a dry party alas hensss, I should probaby think about what present you're throwing at Ro] Fraze: Do you want me to tell you I'm proud of you then or what? Bea: For what? Fraze: Doing the dance rounds, how well you wrapped that gift, take your pick Bea: I don't think that'll make me feel any better, but you go ahead if it will you Fraze: Nah, not really Bea: Don't bother then Fraze: consider it not done Bea: Then we're all happy Fraze: No need to take the bullshit that far Bea: That's what her happy face looks like Fraze: Christ Bea: Told you it was tragic Fraze: I didn't dispute it Bea: Do you know the neighbour kids name? Fraze: Is that a trick question? Bea: Um, no Bea: I want to look him up Fraze: 'Course I fucking don't Bea: 🙄 you're so helpful Bea: bet you know the sister's name Fraze: don't be placing bets about me and girls my sister's age Bea: Lighten up it's not like she's a kid Fraze: She was Ali's friend when she was a kid, hardly a turn on seeing her trying to catch frogs or cast spells Fraze: but cheers for your permission Bea: Unlike our sisters, respectively, I'm sure she's grown up some since then Fraze: Like I said, don't bet on it Bea: Whatever, I don't wanna fuck her Fraze: Me either Bea: Cool Fraze: [go and do your theft of the church wine boy because this party is still not it] Bea: [go find him but under the guise/that's not a total lie doe of needing a fucking break] Fraze: [have another moment in that confined space] Bea: [drink that nasty wine, not even asking just taking it] Fraze: [letting it happen cos she needs it more than you tbh] Bea: [swigging way too much of the blood of christ before passing it back with a shrug like whoops, so soz] Fraze: [giving her a look like steady on like this wasn't your idea] Bea: ['you act like you come up with every plan' ref-ing to doing this as kids, obvs] Fraze: ['I do' that's a barefaced lie sir] Bea: [scoffs like oh please] Fraze: [scoffs himself to show what he thinks of her ideas in reference to this messy uni era that he's acting like she's solely responsible for] Bea: [takes the bottle back like if you're gonna be like that] Fraze: [takes it off her so he can actually get some] Bea: ['you did not have all the good ideas'] Fraze: ['Alright, you can credit him one for bringing you'] Bea: ['I thought you reckoned that was your idea too'] Fraze: ['Point is, it weren't yours'] Bea: [🙄 'I'm fine with being here not being my idea, tah'] Fraze: ['Unlike me being here' like there you go another bad idea] Bea: ['doesn't bother me' like unlucky] Fraze: ['You came to find me, not the other way round, babe'] Bea: ['I came to get away from everyone else, there's a difference'] Fraze: [looks around like there's loads of places to do that which is true cos there's literally no-one at this party] Bea: ['if you want me to go, say it'] Fraze: ['If I did, I would'] Bea: [a look like shut up then] Fraze: [shakes his head in an affectionate way like fuck knows why I want you around] Bea: [just like likewise with her everything] Fraze: [offers her a 🚬 like they're not indoors in the tiny priest cupboard] Bea: ['a way to get more guests' like when the firemen show Fraze: [a fearghal style big lol 'see, I'm full of good ideas'] Bea: [can't help but smile even if we're like mhmm] Fraze: [smiling because we made her smile, it's a lil moment] Bea: ['why haven't you left?' but soft not like accusatory or like get out] Fraze: [looking at her like you know why and we're stealing her words ''if you want me to go, say it' in a tone which obvs makes it clear that's not what we want] Bea: [says nothing to say it all] Fraze: [turn that look into a LOOK boy] Bea: ['why are you mad at me?' whilst casually getting on his lap to make sure he can't be] Fraze: ['why did you have to bring him here?' but everyone knows he's not that mad anymore because she's literally in here with you sir, priorities] Bea: ['see what you'd do' like we're joking but not not true either, just tracing all his features with your finger right now like it's been FOREVER since you saw each other] Fraze: [There's a time and a place' like I'm not gonna beat the shit out of him at this fam function even though I want to but also please don't bring him to fam functions ever again thank you] Bea: ['Maybe I didn't feel like being alone'] Fraze: ['You're not' pulling her even closer to him for emphasis] Bea: [a NOISE like 'scuse me 'not now'] Fraze: ['you're not alone ever' could sound creepy but we mean it in a loving and supportive way] Bea: [a look like we both know that's not true] Fraze: [a look like we both know it's always gonna be me and you, no matter what] Bea: [shakes head like that's not what I mean/the point] Fraze: [softly cups her face so they have all the eye contact like I mean it but you can still tell me what you mean] Bea: ['if we weren't ever alone, none of this would be happening'] Fraze: ['I don't regret that this is' like we're joking about being in this priest cupboard having a throwback moment but we're also saying that we're glad she's here and glad of any time we have rn so] Bea: [shaking our head and breaking eye contact as we get off him] Fraze: ['Shit's always gonna happen, we can't stop it' you can't save anyone vibes 'I only know one way that comes close, like'] Bea: ['what's that then?' but we're already not listening properly and getting up to go] Fraze: [a KISS to stop her in her tracks because it's that, like they are stopping time for a sec] Bea: [have your moment lads enjoy it been a long time coming] Fraze: [literally would feel like it's been forever anyway and even moreso because they are both having a shit time rn] Bea: [you can't get carried away, I vote the fun people at this party start playing hide and seek so you gotta break it up hens] Fraze: [I love that because I would suggest murder in the dark cos spooky girl energy but Ro's scared of the dark so we can't until she has left] Bea: [lol it's so against your everything to be scared of the dark that amuses me] Fraze: [she would play hide and seek though if only to get away from her bf] Bea: [so lowkey everyone will be playing therefore you must play lol] Fraze: [literally because Rocky, Ali and Carly have probably made mcvickers play by ganging up on them haha] Bea: [the entire guestlist hen, everyone else would be down, soz baze looooooooooooooooooollllllllllll] Fraze: [he's so just staying in this priest cupboard and we all know it] Bea: [such an obvious place boy you'll be seeking so soon, you better go find Bronson hun] Fraze: [likewise will just go for a 🚬 when he's supposed to be finding people because we're playing under duress] Bea: [we know you don't need to keep this close a watch on him like he'll be down but you know, moment gone here] Fraze: [good luck acting like you're not fuming that she went straight to him even though staying with you wasn't really an option] Bea: [this should be made into/they should play a different team game and be on opposite teams 'cos so competitive] Fraze: [always a mood so I 100% agree] Bea: [like idk what but take it way too seriously when no one else is lol] Fraze: [literally does not matter because like you said nobody else cares and you two are just on your bullshit, who should we say wins?] Bea: [i think firstly it's who gets Ro] Fraze: [he should because we don't need a beeline brawl] Bea: [you can have Rocky then Bea as they are equally as big a handicap so that's fair] Fraze: [lbr nobody is as big a handicap as Ro but he can have Ali who's great at everything to balance that out] Bea: [then she should have Tommy and Carly and he should have Bronson and Kayne] Bea: [Meena go where you like lol] Fraze: [he will be THRILLED to have Bronson on his team lol] Bea: [ha I know, like did that so you have some decent peeps but also for the awks] Fraze: [please don't brawl lads we can't be having that] Bea: [focus on winning, Fraze probably should] Fraze: [yeah otherwise he'll sulk haha] Bea: [and he already is so that would be rude] Fraze: [true enough] Bea: congrats Fraze: Say it like you mean it Bea: I don't so you know Bea: forced sportsmanship is all you're getting Fraze: come on, babe Bea: shut up Fraze: Don't be a sore loser Bea: you're so annoying Fraze: Nah, that was the team I had Bea: like mine was any better Fraze: Like you wouldn't rather have your sister, who you reckon you're just here to see, and your boyfriend Bea: I've seen her Bea: if you're hoping for a reunion beyond that, I'd stop Fraze: If you reckon that's even crossed my mind, you're losing your touch at more than kid's party games Bea: I'm saying I reckon that was a poor attempt at a dig, is all Fraze: you started it, like Bea: did I fuck Fraze: what else do you call that piss poor attempt at a congrats? Bea: sportsmanship Bea: I told you Fraze: Bullshit Bea: 🙄 fine, don't accept it Fraze: I don't Bea: so don't Fraze: Alright Bea: [drinking moodily like 😒] Fraze: [go for a smoke and calm down boy] Bea: [thank the lord this shit show is winding down, reminds me] Bea: Did Ro and Ali just walk past you? Fraze: Yeah, she said she's taking her home Bea: Wow Bea: I thought they were getting air, or some other stupid thing for another stupid ritual Bea: is she for real Fraze: Are you really that surprised? Bea: Pissed off and surprised aren't the same thing Bea: she actually got me to fly out Bea: for this Fraze: Do you want me to go after 'em? They only just went past Bea: No Bea: it's her party to ditch Fraze: at least you can too now though Bea: yeah, I really fancy the airport right now Bea: never mind getting back to Cambs just in time for rush hour Bea: fuck this Fraze: Then don't go to the airport Bea: This has been a massive waste of time Fraze: Cheers Bea: Come on Bea: you didn't want to come either Fraze: when I thought you weren't Bea: no, and before Fraze: Come on Bea: find you when I was done, if I recall Fraze: whatever, that's not the same as you shitting over all my attempts to make this bearable for you Bea: because you tried really hard to do that Fraze: obviously not hard enough, yeah? Bea: You said it, not me Fraze: Fuck's sake Fraze: forget it Bea: Done Fraze: Grand Bea: ['cos what you really need is to go out and get messier, lol, so rude not even gonna help everyone else clean up this shitshow] Fraze: [we all know he ain't staying to help either soz lads] Bea: [lol @ everyone else doing that work] Fraze: [do you wanna skip to later when they are both messier or go straight to the aftermath of this if she's going to the hotel?] Bea: [I vote still go home 'cos wasted enough money coming here it isn't like student funds goes that far Ro, gotta save for xmas too] Fraze: [honestly legit Ro you rude hoe] Bea: [we don't even need to be getting a travelodge honey, the sofa can stay so yes, we can skip] Fraze: [oh the joys, you messy bitches, so tempted to have him bring someone back for the drama] Bea: [that would kick off big time 'cos he's not allowed people at theirs 'cos it's their bed and she'd have to burn it lol, but he could not come back for drama but less than that if you wanna] Fraze: [good idea we don't wanna cause Bea to have a breakdown] Bea: [like I assumed you didn't wanna go that far lmao] Fraze: [I'm not that evil] Bea: you got your keys Fraze: I don't need 'em Bea: you aren't here, I had to go in and get some PJs Fraze: you don't need my permission to go in your own room Bea: I know, but I know you aren't back yet, is my point Fraze: By the time I am ma or da will be up, was my point Bea: alright Bea: I'm locking the backdoor too, as we're in the lounge Fraze: Don't be stupid Fraze: there's an empty bed, there's no point you sleeping on the sofa Bea: I've not slept in worse places Bea: it'd be rude to leave him on his own Fraze: and you wouldn't wanna be rude to him Bea: obviously not Fraze: obviously not Bea: How gone are you? Jesus Bea: well I've told you, so don't come through waking everybody up later Fraze: I've told you I won't Bea: you don't need my permission Fraze: I'm not asking for it Bea: then go do whatever you're doing Fraze: We can't even talk now Fraze: this plan of yours is fucking epic, like Bea: If you wanted to talk right now, you wouldn't be wherever the fuck you are Fraze: Nah, if you wanted to talk I wouldn't be Bea: 'cos that makes any sense Fraze: you couldn't leave fast enough, how else do you want me to take that? Bea: that wasn't about you Fraze: I never said it was, I said you don't want to talk to me Bea: would I have specifically taken a flight to come talk to you, when I'll be back for Christmas in a month? no, probably not Bea: that hardly means I don't want to talk to you Fraze: Do it then Bea: that's how conversation works now Bea: you demand it, I jump at the chance? Fraze: at least I'm making demands Bea: really Bea: how's that working out for you? Fraze: as well as the opposite is for you Bea: I don't want to talk to you, apparently Bea: nothing to not demand Fraze: you reckon you apparently do, there's loads to demand Bea: yeah, 'cos talking in circles with you right now is really thrilling Fraze: Thank Christ you've got him to talk to Bea: he's asleep Fraze: that makes sense if fuck all else does Fraze: 'course you'd leave it til then to say anything to me Bea: because I was going to go to bed and wanted to lock the door Bea: it's not anything more or less than that Fraze: so go to bed Bea: yeah, you aren't telling me what to do Fraze: I'm telling you to do yourself a favour Bea: you say what you like Bea: I don't care Fraze: I don't need your permission for that either Bea: then say something worth hearing or piss off and leave me alone Fraze: I meant what I fucking said, I don't wanna leave you alone Bea: Well good job because I am Bea: and no one has said fuck all to me today about it Bea: not even my sister Fraze: I'm sorry Bea: Yeah Bea: you've got loads to say? bullshit Fraze: There's fuck all I can say about this, we both know that Bea: No, there's fuck all you want to say about it Bea: 'cos no one wants to talk about it, so I don't get to regardless of if I might Fraze: Don't Fraze: you know me better than that Bea: Well why ain't you then? Bea: you're the one banging on about it, as if you've actually tried Fraze: I don't wanna be the cunt backing you into a corner and I know you better than to reckon that'd work Bea: This is working amazing then, alright Fraze: Well I reckoned you'd eventually come to me, more fool me Fraze: shit's changed Bea: Right, 'cos you made it so obvious you were up for talking Bea: saying you weren't coming Bea: it's encouraging, my mistake there Fraze: It should be obvious that you can talk to me about anything Bea: When Bea: you aren't here now either Fraze: whenever Fraze: you know nothing's more important than you Bea: okay Fraze: Say it like you believe me Bea: I can't Fraze: Bea Bea: I'm sorry Fraze: Don't Bea: you said things have changed Fraze: 'Cause they clearly fucking have Bea: They were bound to, I suppose Fraze: you could've warned me if you knew that Bea: What do you think taking a break was Bea: for you to figure out what you wanted Fraze: Don't blame me, I know what I fucking want Bea: Do you? Fraze: nothing's changed for me Bea: you can say that Bea: but this all points to the opposite, doesn't it Fraze: Bullshit Bea: You aren't here, we can't even talk Bea: nothing's the same now Fraze: What did you expect me to do? You pissed off with him, there weren't no invite going spare Bea: because you're an arsehole to him, I drag him here for the shittest party ever and then make you two have an even worse night out? what would be the point of that? Fraze: I'm not gonna cosy up to him, you do enough of that for the both of us Bea: I get it, you don't like him, that's why you weren't invited Fraze: You brought him, knowing I don't fucking like him, don't make me the cunt Bea: I'm allowed friends, no matter if you like them or not Fraze: we're both allowed to do whatever the hell we like, I ain't forgotten the rules Bea: as I'm not fucking him, the rules have nothing to do with it Bea: I never told you to not hang out with your mates Fraze: I'm not telling you what to do either, I'm telling you why I ain't there Bea: that's ridiculous Fraze: Fuck you Bea: it is, for Christ's sake Bea: he's asleep on the sofa not fucking me on our bed Fraze: you don't believe me, why should I believe you? Fraze: it's ridiculous that you brought him here in the first place Bea: I'd have time to be messaging you Bea: you're just being stupid now Bea: how is it ridiculous? Fraze: You've already made me look stupid Fraze: did it make you feel any better? Bea: To who, your brother, my sister? Bea: I couldn't be on my own today Bea: I tried and I couldn't, that's all it is Fraze: You don't need him, you've got me Bea: I'm not meant to come to you for everything, I'm meant to give you space Bea: give each other Bea: that's what this whole thing is about Fraze: this whole thing is bullshit Fraze: and even if I reckoned it was a good idea I'm not just gonna pretend your parents didn't die today to go fuck a Trinity student Fraze: there's a time and a place, like I said Bea: Fine Bea: well he's here now, what do you want me to do about it? Bea: I can't send him home Fraze: There's fuck all you can do, other than don't lock me out Bea: I knew you didn't have your keys Fraze: you do still know me then, yeah? Bea: If you hadn't forgot, you'd have lost them Bea: should probably change the locks, honestly Fraze: if you don't keep me out, I'll keep any robbing cunts out Bea: I'm not going to lock you out Bea: you don't need to promise heroics Fraze: I know you can't sleep, I'd be a new level of callous bastard if I gave you anything else to worry about Bea: it'd be a distraction Bea: doubt your parents would appreciate it though Fraze: Well I can easily give you one of them Bea: not that you rate yourself or anything Fraze: it starts with me, yeah, no fucker else is volunteering to sing my praises right now Bea: Poor boy Fraze: Don't rub it in how skint I am as well Bea: well you and me both Bea: be eating plain rice when I get back Bea: at least your ma makes sure you have decent food still Fraze: I'll send you something to put on it Fraze: or something to drown your sorrows with Bea: where do you think all my money goes, like Fraze: you and me both, babe Fraze: these Trinity girls aren't cheap dates, like Bea: My sympathy can only extend so far Fraze: the night off from it is appreciated enough Bea: uhuh Fraze: you don't believe me, I heard you the first time Bea: it was never part of the deal that we had to talk about it Fraze: I know Bea: so I don't want to Fraze: I'm shutting up and coming in Bea: Good Fraze: come and have a drink Bea: [does, of course] Fraze: [giving her the bottle for the mems of Jesus blood and always] Bea: [take a big swig like you need to remotely lol 'thank you' with sincerity at last] Fraze: [shamelessly checking her out in whatever pjs she's wearing obvs, though I vote she's wearing at least one item that belongs to him so he's like 😏 and gently pulls on whatever it is like that's mine without saying so out loud] Bea: [deffo, and has done it without even noticing so it's like oh, raising a brow like you want it back?] Fraze: [yassssss because they are that coupley goodbye but he shakes his head because looks better on her anyway and takes the bottle instead] Bea: [even though it would've been ages since you did that it's just habit, shrugs like 😏 your loss] Fraze: [such a LOOK of course] Bea: ['where'd you go?' like where did you go drink, not WHERE WERE YOU vibes] Fraze: [telling her the name of somewhere studenty with his own shrug, I like to imagine he's like casually getting ready for bed here also as a habit because it doesn't feel awkward to just get topless or whatever] Bea: [casual face of disdain but 'makes sense'] Fraze: ['nothing happened' because even though she said she didn't wanna talk about it and neither do you, you want her to know that and you're drunk enough to just say it] Bea: ['doesn't matter if it did' blatant lie but okay] Fraze: [a look because we know it's a blatant lie but we're coming to put our arms around her cos it's been such a shit day] Bea: [big sighs] Fraze: [just having a snuggle and it will forever fuck me up cos he's so tol and she's so smol] Bea: [OG tol and smol, we mumbling into his chest like scuse you what you saying] Fraze: [she's like me and Clove, failing to thrive honey, so if you think he's not cradling her like a little Clovey you'd be incorrect] Bea: [just have this moment of softness, gotta allow it] Fraze: [very deserved and needed] Bea: ['this is such bullshit' like true but specifics where] Fraze: ['I know' because you don't need specifics cos everything is for you too like you literally thought she was slipping away from you same as Joe did and you've realised you hate uni it wasn't just 1st year being crap] Bea: [that must happen so much 'cos allegedly everyone hates 1st year but then it just carries on like oh] Fraze: [it really does happen a lot hence he's like well shit it's not that and I don't actually wanna be doing this] Bea: ['there's fuck all to do, is there?'] Fraze: [repositioning however necessary for eye contact because there's always something they can do, that's like their entire mantra and we don't need to express that with words] Bea: [gestures like ugh I know that but seriously, right now, this has been hard since this time last year] Fraze: ['if you wanna throw all these bullshit rules out, tell me' like ldr exists babe we don't have to get randoms involved] Bea: [shakes his head 'it's about what's right and needs to be done'] Fraze: [kisses her like you can't tell me this isn't right gal] Bea: her* scuse me Bea: [going in on that kiss, not just so we don't have to sort this out but you know lollollol] Fraze: [likewise allowing it and not only from the standpoint that we need them to be messy and struggling for a while yet but also because he would] Bea: [deal with some of this tension hens] Fraze: [it's the first real chance you've had so I'm not gonna stop you] Bea: [it'd be silly to say it wouldn't happen so we cannot sorry] Fraze: [exactly] Bea: [okay, so obviously we're falling asleep together and equally as obviously you still have to be back asap for school etc so you're probably leaving early AM, not just for the drama of it lol] Fraze: [makes sense but I vote he brings you breakfast in bed before Bronson wakes up because 1. cute 2. you don't have to deal with Ro who's always up ridiculously early lurking and he remembered what you said about eating rice when you get back] Bea: [you've probably not had breakfast in a thousand years so that's a novelty] Fraze: [like it probably wouldn't be good cos he'd accidentally burn the toast or whatever thanks to how messy they were last night but the romantic gesture has been attempted] Bea: [tis the thought that counts henny] Fraze: [my thoughts exactly, just trying to look after her but keep it casual so she's not 😒] Bea: [we can't get too mad over some toast, even if we'd probably try not to eat it at first like g2g] Fraze: [gal you know he can keep you in that bed, don't test him] Bea: [or do, depending how much time you've left yourselves lol] Fraze: [mhmmm] Bea: [either way, you're leaving and you're gonna be folorn] Fraze: [literally would take all his willpower to not just come with you cos uni sucks but as you've not talking about it yet and can't really have the convo now that ain't happening hun] Bea: [soz babe, not at that realisation for a while yet but you did a good job sowing seeds] Fraze: [didn't wanna go too heavy handed with it because not gonna trump dead parents but like it is happening so] Bea: [you wanna end this here or do a bit of aftermath] Fraze: [I think we've covered a lot so tbh unless there's anything we want to specifically address in the aftermath it's probably good]

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