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acmetraitor · 3 years

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the art of evasion

“You two did a lot together,” Hawkins says outside the coliseum in Rome, and that draws Jules out of her reminiscing, draws her away from the memory of Carmen’s victorious smirk when they finally slapped the cuffs on the boss of that smuggling operation. “What happened? I mean, why did she leave ACME?”

“...Maybe I’ll tell you sometime,” Jules manages to reply around the rising lump in her throat. “For now, let’s concentrate on tracking her down.”

It’s easier to dodge the question than to admit she has no idea.

Carmen was always a loose cannon, even back when she worked for ACME.

Once, on a stakeout in the dead of night, she and Jules trailed a suspect to a warehouse where the heads of a trafficking ring were temporarily hiding out. Carmen peeked inside to survey the situation while Jules called the Chief to send backup, but any teams were at least two hours away and the culprits were already in the process of clearing out.

“There’s no time,” Carmen concluded. “We have to catch these guys ourselves, now.”

“We can’t!” Jules hissed in protest. “There’s got to be at least ten of them in there!”

“Fourteen,” Carmen said. “But we have these.” She pulled out two pairs of night-vision goggles from her bag and shoved one into Jules’s hands. Then she dashed for the circuit breaker before Jules could stop her.

Once the lights went out, it was too late to turn back, so Jules went along with her partner’s crazy plan as her heart hammered in her throat the whole way. In the end, with the cover of darkness as their aid, they successfully neutralized all the suspects, but Carmen got a bullet graze wound to her shoulder because one trigger-happy goon got lucky.

After everything was over, Jules punched her in that shoulder. Carmen laughed through the pain.

That’s just who Carmen was. She knew she could do anything, she was an unstoppable force, and nobody could ever hope to rein her in. Not even Jules. So whatever reasons Carmen had for leaving ACME, she made that choice on her own, and everyone who blamed Jules for her partner’s betrayal honestly gave her too much credit.

Nothing Jules did could have made Carmen leave.

(Nothing Jules did could have made Carmen stay.)

Hawkins thinks he can do anything. He almost reminds Jules of Carmen in that sense, except Carmen didn’t think she could do anything, she knew it. And Jules knew it, too. Hawkins, though, is still an impulsive and overconfident rookie, and he doesn’t truly understand what he’s up against.

Jules cautions him in Cape Town, keeps him from breaking down the door because recklessness will only get them in trouble. But then Carmen leaves the scene in her chopper, and Hawkins is livid.

“What were you thinking, Jules?!” he cries. “Did you want her to get away?!”

He doesn’t really mean that, Jules knows, he’s just lashing out because he’s frustrated. But those words still hit her, somewhere deep inside.

So Jules dodges the question. She’s found herself doing that a lot with Hawkins.

What Carmen and Jules had wasn’t a romance.

They agreed on that from their very first kiss—Carmen was just doing what she wanted, and Jules wanted that, too. So they kissed, they fooled around, they made each other feel good, but the relationship was never serious. Sure, Jules was a little in love with Carmen, but loving Carmen also meant accepting that she was the type of person who could never be tied down to anyone.

So Carmen never opened up about herself, and Jules never asked her to. Jules never asked for anything more than what she got. Being Carmen’s partner was enough, and Jules was happy with their life together at ACME.

It never really occurred to her that maybe Carmen wasn’t.

Carmen had been MIA from ACME for a week when she announced the success of her very first heist via a video broadcast to the world. “I have stolen the Crown Jewels,” she proclaimed, and that was definitely Carmen on screen holding Cullinan I in her hand, her smug smile and twinkling eyes framed by a bright red fedora Jules had never seen her wear before. “And this is just the beginning. For I, Carmen Sandiego, am going to become the world’s greatest thief!”

The next morning, the Chief called Jules to her office, asked very seriously if Jules had ever noticed any signs that Carmen had been planning to defect. Jules told the truth: she hadn’t had a clue. Protocol demanded that Jules be taken off all her cases and thoroughly vetted anyway, but for what it was worth, Chief seemed to believe her.

Nobody else did, though.

“Maybe she and Sandiego had a fight,” her coworkers whispered amongst themselves, when they either didn’t know Jules could hear or didn’t care that she could. “There must be something Argent isn’t telling us. I mean, how couldn’t she know? She was her partner.”

Jules vowed to be the one to capture Carmen Sandiego, if only to prove to her peers that it wasn’t her fault. That just because she’d been Carmen’s partner didn’t mean she’d been anything more. She’d certainly never been Carmen’s confidant. Perhaps she’d never even been Carmen’s friend—

Except, Jules remembered: Carmen once took her to the top of the Eiffel Tower on one of their nights off, and kissed her breathless as they watched the Paris lights. Carmen once agreed to try all of Jules’s favorite restaurants in Chengdu, persevering even as her face flushed red because Jules liked her food much spicier than Carmen did. Carmen once went undercover as a musician for a case, and for a moment as she performed on stage, strumming her guitar and singing a love song in her native Brazilian Portuguese, she stared right at Jules’s spot in the audience and for those beautiful three seconds, it felt like the song was just for her.

...Okay, so maybe Jules was more than a little in love with Carmen.

(And maybe the idea of locking Carmen behind bars was just as painful as her coworkers’ censure, if not more.)

“You’re practically burning holes in your journal,” Hawkins tells Jules, during the plane ride to Germany right after retrieving the Mayan calendar. “What are you thinking about?”

Jules looks up from the entries she was reading: the ones from the mission where they retrieved the Mok’o fish gong. “I’m remembering the wolf statue in Quebec, and that Sorbonne poster in Paris.” The proof that Carmen Sandiego donated a lot of money to causes she cared about. “There is some good in Carmen,” Jules murmurs, an echo of what she said back in Mexico.

“There was some good in Carmen Sandiego,” Hawkins says. “I’ll believe that much. But Jules, she’s not your partner anymore. The past is the past. You need to focus on now, on this case.”

“I am focused on this case,” Jules insists. “If...if I can just figure out Carmen’s reasons for doing all this, I can figure out what she’ll do next.”

“Figure out...” Hawkins repeats, and something seems to click into place in his mind. “You don’t actually know why she left ACME, do you?”

Jules might as well admit it to him now. “I really don’t. When it happened, it surprised me as much as anybody.”

She’s half-expecting Hawkins to express disbelief like everyone else: How couldn’t you know? You were Carmen’s partner. But instead, he just cocks his head to the side and asks, “In that case, what makes you so sure she even had a reason?”

“...It’s Carmen,” Jules says, unable to produce a better answer. “There must have been a reason.”

Hawkins doesn’t really seem convinced at all, but he doesn’t push the subject any further.

Jules appreciates that.

Jules knew Carmen better than anyone else did. That didn’t necessarily mean she knew Carmen well, but at the very least, she was positive that Carmen wanted to make the world a better place. Whenever Carmen had talked about conserving the environment, about preserving world cultures, about learning from the past so that we may improve the future, there was real, undeniable passion there.

(If nothing else, Jules certainly knew Carmen’s passion.)

But the Carmen who Jules knew, the Carmen who had wanted nothing more than to do good—how in the world had she become the Carmen who stole, who laughed at the law, who left taunting and sometimes cruel messages behind?

Hello Julia. Still trying to prove yourself?

Maybe you’ve lost your edge, Jules.

You’ll learn, Agent Hawkins, that Julia can get quite frustrated at times. Not to mention opinionated.

The remarks hurt, honestly, but they also just didn’t make sense. Carmen hadn’t cared enough about Jules to stay, obviously, but...she had cared. Jules knew Carmen leaving ACME had never been about her, yet now, Carmen was acting as if she had something personal against Jules all of a sudden.

It’s almost as if, a voice whispered in the back of Jules’s mind, Carmen is trying to make you hate her.

And when Jules thought about it like that, she realized: if the Carmen she knew had, for whatever reason, believed she could somehow better the world by making herself into the villain...

She would have.

One hundred percent, she would have.

“Maybe she masterminded these thefts so the whole world could benefit,” Jules ponders aloud, after Carmen escapes her and Hawkins in the lost city. Even as she says it, she knows there’s no proof. There’s nothing there but her own intuition, and maybe too much hope, and a love for Carmen that will never truly be able to leave her heart.

Hawkins doesn’t believe it. The Chief probably doesn’t either. And even if Jules ever caught up to Carmen, even if Jules ever managed to pin her down long enough to ask if her theory was correct, Carmen would never answer her honestly.

That’s just who Carmen is. And Jules will just have to live with that.

“I still think Carmen Sandiego is a bad apple. Rotten to the core,” Hawkins says, because he and Jules don’t agree on a lot of things and will likely never agree on Carmen. But even so, his can-do attitude as the Chief reports Carmen’s next heist is contagious, invigorating. It honestly makes Jules feel better.

Carmen would never answer Jules honestly. But there is still the possibility that Jules could find out the truth for herself.

So, with the chase back on and her confidence renewed, Jules turns to Shadow and smiles.

#treasures of knowledge #jules argent #shadow hawkins #carmen sandiego #julethief #2001 julethief to be precise cuz buddy i been riding this ''enemies who used to be partners'' ship since i was 8 #but also jules & hawkins being bros because i love their relationship too it's so fun #my writing

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phantom-curve · 3 years

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someday this will have a real title pt. 3

wow this one got away from me a lil bit. did I use it as an excuse to listen to Wake Up on repeat for an hour? yes. did I cry while writing it? yes. do with that information what you will.

I really like how this is turning out. honestly, thinking of writing a companion piece from Luke’s POV once I finish Julie’s. also, I realized while writing this that Luke basically ‘poofs’ into Julie’s space every time he interacts with her even though he’s not a ghost and I love that consistency.

still have no idea how long this will be, so thanks for just going on this adventure with me!

tag list: @blue-hat-girl, @lwhoscribbles (thank you! honestly, they’ve got such strong voices writing these characters is a delight. also, titles are hard), @bluefyoto94 (thank you!), @5sosmukefan, @moonlightxnder, @leahthewonder lemme know if you want to be added!

The second the entrance of Los Feliz High School was in her sight, Julie was unbuckling her seatbelt, bolting out of the car in a mad dash to escape into the academic institution. Luke didn’t even have time to fully park the car before she had slipped out of it, her curly head disappearing into the mass of students surging through the front doors as the first bell began to ring. Social etiquette dictated that she wait around long enough to at least thank Luke for the ride, but honestly, social etiquette could suck a fat one. She had been dealing with fake social graces for the last year and frankly, she was sick of all of the bullshit. She didn’t feel particularly inclined to extend said graces to overconfident band boys intent on disrupting her carefully constructed routine.

For the last year Luke had been content to ignore her presence in the few classes they shared, perfectly happy basking in the glory of being an upperclassman with unprecedented musical talent. Luke knew exactly where he was going and how he was going to get there. He didn’t stop to wait for the school to hook him up with gigs, he went out and made the shows happen for his band himself. Julie had always admired his confidence, wished she could be more like him.

She hadn’t always loved the cockier side to his attitude though. He had a tendency to act like god’s gift to music and it drove her insane considering there were kids at this school that worked just as hard as him but wouldn’t ever make it quite as far. Not everyone could be born with that kind of talent, but that didn’t mean he had to rub other people’s faces in it! She should know, hadn’t she always been complimented on her musical ability before anything else? And now that she didn’t have that same gift to offer up to the masses, wasn’t she just another forgotten face in the crowd?

Head low, shoulders hunched against the onslaught of emotion, Julie pushed her way through the morning crowd of students. She didn’t look up until she knew her locker would be in front of her, and even then she only lifted her head long enough to bury it inside of the metal box, pretending she was searching for the schoolbooks already in her backpack.

“Hey, under achiever.”

The familiar voice was warm, the nickname affectionate instead of insulting. It pulled a reluctant smile from Julie as she turned to meet her best friend’s gentle gaze.

“Hey, disappointment.”

Flynn gave her a little hip bump and a sad smile. Oh. So, word had already spread around the school.

“I don’t wanna talk about it.”

Julie hefted her backpack higher on her shoulder, one hand reaching to pull her hat low. Too late she recognized how her own actions almost mirrored Luke’s earlier. Flynn, best friend that she was, linked her arm through Julie’s and began to lead them down the hallway towards homeroom.

“Okay.”

Julie breathed a sigh of relief. Her best friend could be like a dog with a bone sometimes, unable to let any perceived injustice go without a fight. She was thankful she had avoided whatever rant Flynn had at the ready for the time being.

“But we’re gonna have to talk about it eventually, Jules. You can’t just let them kick you out! You’re Julie Molina! Voice of an angel! Queen of-!”

Or maybe not. Flynn’s declarations cut off immediately at the cold look Julie sent her way.

“Right, don’t wanna talk about it.”

Julie nodded fiercely, unmoved by Flynn’s disappointed sigh as she pulled out of her grasp and slipped into her desk. Flynn hadn’t lost her mom and her ability to play music all at once. Flynn didn’t have the entire school breathing down her neck. Flynn’s life wasn’t falling apart in front of her eyes. Flynn didn’t get to judge. Head down, Julie fought back the feelings of shame and guilt, focusing on her anger instead.

She made it through most of the day like that, relying solely on the fuel her fury provided to get her through her classes. Until her last two classes of the day. Composition and Solo Vocal Studies. Except, she wasn’t in those classes anymore. She had been dropped from them like the useless failure that she was. Her dad still didn’t know, so there hadn’t been a meeting with the school to change her schedule. But she couldn’t just go to a class she had been asked to leave. The final bell rang, and Julie was left by herself in the empty hallways. She glanced at the closed classroom doors around her, feeling small and lost. Suddenly, the red-hot rage that had sustained her all day was doused by an overwhelming wave of sadness. She was alone.

Unable to stomach the thought of losing it in the middle of the school, Julie sprinted for the nearest exit. Her surroundings were a blur until she practically slammed into the metal doors, crashing her way outside. She took a few steps before doubling over on her knees, gasping for breath. She squeezed her eyes shut, focused on nothing more than the air going in and out of her lungs. It was breezy, the warm wind blowing her hair around, the wayward curls tickling her face. The sensation helped to ground her, and she finally opened her eyes, the panic receding as she stood. The door creaked open behind her. Julie stiffened at the noise. The hair on the back of her neck felt electrified, and she didn’t have to hear him speak to know who it was. A throat cleared.

“You, um...you dropped this.”

She heard fabric rustling, the soft swoosh of what must be his arm lifting. Her cheeks burned with embarrassment, the frustration she’d been thriving on all day creeping in at the edges. She clung to it like a lifeline as she turned to meet his puppy dog eyes.

“What, are you stalking me or something?!”

Her voice was hoarse, not as strong or snappy as she had intended. She balled her hands into tight fists at her sides, ready to verbally attack as she leaned forward waiting for him to respond. He didn’t say anything, eyes soft as he looked down to where his hand was outstretched holding...her hat. Her hands flew to her head, landing on hair instead of the trusty ballcap she had kept perched there for the last year. So that’s how her curls had gotten loose earlier. Heat rose again, burning its way up from her chest to her cheeks to the tips of her ears. She snatched it out of his hands, shoving it back on her head with more force than necessary.

“Thanks.”

“Sure thing. You, uh, bolted outta there pretty quick. Everything okay?”

She watched him bob slightly, like he couldn’t stop moving for even a second. His voice was melodic, somehow everything he said sounding like he was on the verge of bursting into song. In another life, she probably would have been charmed by him. Not in this life though.

“Fine. Looks like I’m done with school for the day I guess.”

She practically sneered at him. Something about his gentle prodding scratched at her. Everyone knew she was a disaster. Everyone knew she was out of the music program, a washed up has been before she had been able to even make it in the first place. He didn’t need to use the kid gloves with her.

“Oh yeah, I forgot you usually have...”

He trailed off, eyes downcast, hand reaching up to scratch the back of his neck. She glared, not even noticing that he somehow knew her schedule.

“Yeah. Usually. Not anymore. So.”

He rocked back on his heels, hands shoved in his jean pockets, arms flexing in an unfairly aggressive display of hotness. His eyes were still looking at her with that same gentle expression. Like he cared. Her fingertips itched and she realized with a start that she desperately wanted to grab her keyboard and pound out an angry ballad about this...this too nice fuckboy with a pretty face and she could see the notes forming now and she could practically feel the smooth chill of the keys under her fingers and...she staggered backwards.

What the hell was that?! Her heart raced, adrenaline spiking. Oh no. No no no. She couldn’t want to play for this dumb boy. She hadn’t been able to play for her dad or her brother. She hadn’t been able to play for Flynn, hadn’t been able to play for her mother. She couldn’t even play for herself! What kind of special magic did Luke freakingPatterson possess that made her want to play again? It wasn’t fair.

“I gotta go.”

She swerved around him, reaching for the school doors. They held fast, locked from the inside. Her shoulders slumped. Just her luck.

“Hey, Julie?”

She didn’t answer, but it didn’t stop him.

“I’m really sorry about your mom. She was an incredible songwriter. You are too.”

The last part was said quietly but Julie heard it anyway. She couldn’t help but scoff as she turned to face him again. He stood perfectly still this time.

“How would you know that?”

His eyes, still so soft, crinkled a bit at the edges. Not a full smile, but she could tell he wanted to. Without breaking their stare down, he reached into his back pocket and pulled out a worn, folded square of paper. Her gaze dipped, eyes widening. Her breath caught in her throat. It couldn’t be. He held it out to her.

“I found it last year. In the practice room. I know I should have given it to you earlier, but there was never a right time. I’m sorry.”

Julie’s vision swam. Tears spilled down her cheeks as she reached out to take the paper he offered.

“I thought...I tried to...”

“I know.”

His voice was the sweetest croon as his fingers closed around hers, tucking the sheet music safely into her palm.

“I went back the next day, but...it was gone.”

“I’m so sorry. God, I should have had Alex give it to Flynn or something.”

“No.” She locked her eyes on his once more. “It wasn’t the right time.”

He gave her a small smile, bouncing just a bit on the balls of his feet again. And then, as if understanding that she needed this moment to herself, he gave her a small nod and disappeared around the side of the building. Julie closed her eyes for a moment, clutching the papers to her chest.

Last year, in a fit of heartbroken rage and unable to express herself through music like she had for her entire life, Julie had locked herself in the practice room after school and thrown an all-out tantrum. She had screamed herself sick, cried until she couldn’t breathe, and in a final fit of uncontrollable emotion, trashed the last song that she had written with her mother, finished just days before she took her last breath. It had been satisfying in the moment. A vow to give up the part of herself that was made up of her mother, cut the pain off at the source so to speak. She had regretted it the instant she woke up the next morning, but it was too late. By the time she got to school, the first student on campus even, the practice room had already been cleaned. The hollowed out, empty feeling of loss that had followed had been gut wrenching. The realization that she had thrown the last connection to her mother in the trash left a gaping hole in her heart. It had been a fitting punishment that Julie had never even gotten to play the final product. A fitting punishment that she would never play anything again.

Luke had just changed all of that. He had given her that piece of her heart back. Fingers trembling, she unfolded the pages. She traced the looping letters of her mother’s familiar handwriting, following the notes up and down the bars, the melody playing in her head as she read. At the very end, a final message she had missed before:

Julie, you can do it.

Love, Mom

It felt like coming home. Pages clutched to her heart once more, Julie leaned against the building, lifted her face to the sky, and wept.

#you guys this was supposed to be a fun lil writing exercise and now it's a full on fanfic #that's honestly v on brand for me #also this was supposed to be fluffy! blame julie for the angst!!#julie and the phantoms #jatp #juke #jukebox #julie x luke #luke x julie #julie molina #luke patterson #palina #Mads speaks #Mads writes #jatp ficlet #jatp fanfic #jule ficlet #juke fanfic #find the strength find the melody

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thecityandthestarspeaker · 4 years

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Safe Space

So this was written in two sporadic bursts between the hours of twelve and three in the morning (apparently those are the only times productivity was available), and then I spruced it up and edited when I was awake enough to actually know what I was doing. Either way I hope you guys enjoy. ~Lou xx

Summery: Comfort doesn’t come easy when you live with your enemy, even if that enemy is your own father

Trigger warning for panic attacks. If you feel this may upset you please, please read with discretion, or skip this fic entirely.

Sometimes, when Julie’s father came home, he’d tell her that he loved her. Those were horrible days.

Horrible because he meant it. He did love her.

And horrible because he only ever said it when he’d almost killed her friends. When metal twisted and cars went skidding across a battlefield. The days when she came back bruised.

Julie would hide her wince as he hugged too tight, swallow her fear, and say “I love you, too”, and wonder if the words were a truth or a lie. She’d pretend she felt safe in those arms.

She didn’t.

They were the same arms that had bruised her.

Those were the horrible days that turned into even more terrible nights. The nights when she woke in bed, sobbing without a sound, choking on her own breath. Nightmares that seemed to come to life as she opened her eyes, when she realized her reality tilted on the edge of her greatest fear.

That her images would shatter.

Intern.

Burner.

Daughter.

Who was she?

The weight of the question seemed to flatten her lungs out.

Her father was in the next room. She used to run to him when she had a bad dream, now she just ran away.

Out the door. Down the road. To that forgotten side tunnel with her invisible safe haven. And then she was gone from the city, disappeared like the Cheshire cat.

Julie drove with a reckless abandon that was usually saved for battle, the thrumming of her engine matching the wild beating of her heart. She needed somewhere safe.

She wrestled enough sense out of her panic to have the mind to slow down before she reached the garage. It was the middle of the night, and as much as she wanted to see them right now, a good night’s sleep was a rare thing for the Burners.

Julie hit the breaks, some of the fear untangling in her chest at the sight of the others’ cars lined up next to hers.

See? She told herself. I’m safe. If the guys are here, I’m safe.

But then she caught sight of Mutt’s mangled drivers’ side door, and the memory of Chuck’s scream filled her ears, her own present fear springing forth like an animal, roaring in her chest, in her mind, in her throat. Julie’s hands gripped her steering column, head on the dash and nails digging painfully into her own skin.

Breathe, Julie.

Breathe like Jacob taught her. Like she’d seen Chuck do a million times. Like she’d done on her own, in the dark of her bedroom, when she was too exhausted to run but not enough not to panic.

And she did. She imagined the panic untangling from her ribs each time her lungs expanded. Imagined the fear being expelled with each breath, lesser and lesser until it was gone.

It left her heaving and trembling, the way it always did, with tears on her cheeks she couldn’t remember crying, sweat on her brow she was just now feeling. But she’d made it through. See that? I’m fine. She was fine.

Tap, tap, tap.

Julie’s head snapped up, panic surging then retreating in a quick enough wave to leave her fatigued all over again. It was only Mike, tapping on her window.

Scrambling slightly, Julie rubbed a hand across her face, scrubbing the tears away. She must look like a wreck, but maybe it was too dark for him to see her properly. Julie rolled down the window.

“Mike,” Her voice shuddered. She pretended it didn’t, she was good at pretending. “Sorry. I didn’t mean to wake you up.”

Mike waved away the apology. “Don’t worry about it, I’m a light sleeper.” He placed his forearms on her windowsill, leaning in slightly to try and see her better.

“What’re you doing here, Jules?” The question was soft, concerned.

Julie gave a rueful smile and a shrug. “Just couldn’t sleep. Thought a drive might help, you know?”

Mike nodded, but Julie had a feeling she wasn’t fooling anybody. “Well, since you’re here, might as well stay, right?”

Julie almost gave a sigh of relief. “Sure, good idea.”

Julie opened the car door, realizing with a flush of embarrassment how obvious it was she’d left the house in a panic. She was wearing her Kano Co issued pajamas, colors that could make her a target down here in Motorcity, and she hadn’t even remembered to put anything on her feet.

With sharp stones and broken glass and rusted metal, shoes were nonnegotiable down here. Even Mike, still in his own pajamas, had pulled his boots on for the quick trip down from the house to the parking lot.

Mike took note of her hesitation, his worried frown deepening as he noticed her bare feet, but he didn’t mention it. Instead, he turned his back to her, pointing a thumb over his shoulder. “Come on, I’ll carry you piggy-back.”

“What?” Julie shook her head. “Mike-”

He seemed to be anticipating her pushback, derailing her with a grin over his shoulder. “Your only option, Jules. Unless you wanna spend the night in your car?”

She’d done that before, several times, actually. There was a reason her drivers seat was a pile of pink fur, but that was hardly the answer Mike was looking for.

Julie blew at her bangs, but she really wasn’t in the mood for an argument. “Don’t you dare drop me, cowboy.”

He grinned at her again, and she was glad he stopped looking at her with that worried frown. She hated to be the reason for it.

Today really had been a horrible day.

Julie climbed onto Mike’s back, and, exhausted, dropped her head to his shoulder as he began to walk. Her eyes looked out at the garage, the restaurant above it, the building behind it where the guys slept. The place where they ate and laughed and argued.

Julie liked it here, far better than her own home.

“See, this isn’t so bad, is it?” Mike’s voice still had that grin in it. It made her feel like crying again.

No. No, it wasn’t. Mike was safe.

Entirely, incredibly, and undeniably safe.

In the way her own father no longer was, maybe never had been in the first place. If Dad, if Kane had found Julie in that car tonight, tired and trembling, he’d force the truth from her and then crush her for it.

Mike, well, he’d carry her on his back.

“Thanks, Mike.”

He tilted his head, tapping his temple against the back of her head. “Anytime, Jules.”

`*`

#motorcity #julie kane #mike chilton #got so many ideas while writing this #bunch o' headcannons coming soon XD

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cristinablackthornkingson · 5 years

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The birth of Mina Carstairs Part 2, Mina meets her family.

It is a gorgeous spring evening in France and Emma and Julian have just arrived back at The Institute after sight seeing for most of the day. They have been in Paris for about two months now, Emma simply adores the place and doesn’t want to leave, despite the fact that Leon Verlac keeps hitting on both her and Julian.

“I’m going to go to the internet cafe down the road and Skype with Tavvy, want to come with me?” Julian asks Emma as they walk up the stairs towards their room.

“Sure, I just want to change my shoes first okay?” Emma says, smiling up at her boyfriend. Julian smiles back at her and nods.

“Okay, I’ll wait for you by the front doors.” Just as Julian heads back down the stairs, Emma feels her phone buzz in her pocket. She stops in her tracks and pulls her phone out and sees she has a message from Jem. She opens the message and her screen is filled with a picture of a tiny baby with beautifully tanned skin, a mop of thick dark hair and big wide brown eyes. Just above the picture Jem has written “Mina can’t wait to meet her cousin that she’s heard so much about!” Emma’s heart melts at the picture of her beautiful little cousin, who she has been so excited to meet over the last nine months.

“Julian! Julian she’s here!” Emma exclaims in a delighted tone, turning and running down the stairs after her boyfriend.

“Who’s here?” Julian asks in a confused tone, furrowing his brow.

“Mina!” Emma exclaims.

“Who?” Julian asks still very confused as to what or who Emma is talking about.

“Mina, you dummy! My cousin, Jem and Tessa’s baby!” Emma exclaims, lightly shoving Julian’s arm. Realization dawns on Julian’s face and he smiles broadly at Emma.

“Oh! Oh Em that’s wonderful! Do you have a picture?” He asks. Though Julian is nowhere near as close to Jem and Tessa as Emma is, he is close with them and cares about them very much, they are the only family Emma has left so he has made an effort to be close with them and over the last few months he has shared Emma’s excitement at Mina’s imminent arrival.

“Yeah, she looks just like Jem.” Emma says in a soft tone, showing Julian the picture of Mina that Jem had sent her.

“Oh I remember when Dru was that small, she looked a bit like Mina does, she had lots of dark hair too.” Julian says in a fond tone, his heart warming as he thinks of his baby sister, who he misses so much.

“We have to go to Devon to meet her.” Emma eagerly says, bouncing on the balls of her feet, excited beyond words about meeting baby Mina.

“Of course, we can pack tonight and ask Magnus to open us a portal tomorrow morning.” Julian says, grinning at Emma’s delight and giddiness.

“No! We have to go as soon as possible, you pack and I’m going to see if I can talk to The High Warlock, see if she can open a portal for us as soon as possible!” Emma says. Before Julian can speak, Emma dashes past him and out the doors of The Institute, leaving him with no option but to get started on the packing.

Meanwhile in Devon, it has just turned to evening and Jem is sitting on the sofa in the living room with Mina lying in his lap, taking her bottle and taking in everything around her with her big brown eyes. Kit is sitting next to Jem, letting Mina hold onto his fore-finger on his right hand while scrolling through his phone with his left. Mina is watching Kit, her eyes tracking his every move. She absolutely adores her big brother and sometimes will scream and scream until Kit picks her up, and then she will instantly stop and snuggle into him. At first Kit acted like it was no big deal to him, but after a while he couldn’t hide how much it means to him that Mina loves him so much and wants to be with him a lot.

Just as Mina finishes her bottle and Jem wipes around her mouth with her bib, causing her to fuss, squirm and kick Jem in the stomach, there is knock on the front door.

“Kit can you take your sister while I answer the door please?” Jem asks, lifting Mina up from his lap, ready to pass her to Kit.

“Of course, come’re Min-Min lets show Jem how good I’ve gotten at burping you!” Kit says in a happy tone, taking Mina into his arms and kissing her chubby little cheek. Jem smiles softly and ruffles Kit’s hair affectionately, on his way to the door.

When Jem opens the front door he is surprised to see a grinning Emma with Julian at her side, weighed down with bags and suitcases.

“Emma, Jules, what a lovely surprise!” Jem says, pulling Emma in for a hug. She and Julian had visited with he, Kit and Tessa shortly after Emma and Julian set out on their travel year, when Tessa was only 3 months pregnant with Mina, Jem loved having Emma and Julian to stay, he and Emma would often go for walks in the evening and Julian had insisted on making breakfast every morning, which Tessa was extremely grateful for as at that early stage in her pregnancy she had been suffering with bad morning sickness and the smell of Jem’s cooking always made her nauseous, but Julian’s didn’t affect her at all and she was able to eat and keep the food down.

“I hope you don’t mind us arriving here un-announced but when you sent me that picture of Mina, I just couldn’t wait to see her.” Emma says as she pulls back from Jem’s embrace and he and Julian shake hands.

“Oh of course we don’t mind, Tessa is resting upstairs but she’ll be delighted to see you when she wakes up, come in, Julian you can leave the bags by the door if you like or if you want to take them up to your room I’ll help you.” Jem says, opening the door wider to allow Emma and Jules in.

“Thanks but it’s okay I can manage, half of these bags are for Mina anyway, Emma went on a shopping spree for her in Paris, between Magnus and Emma’s gifts, she’s going to be the most stylish baby around.” Julian says in an amused tone, setting the bags with Mina’s gifts in them by the door, leaving him with just a backpack, a dufflebag and two suitcases.

“Oh Emma you didn’t have to get her anything.” Jem says, lifting out an outfit that consists of a white t-shirt with pink ruffles around the edges, a pink collar and black writing on the shirt that says ‘Daddy’s sunshine’, along with a pair of black shorts with red trimming and a pattern of red and pink flowers. It is possibly the cutest thing Jem has ever seen. “Oh my goodness, Mina look what Emma got for you.” Jem coos to his daughter, walking over to the sofa and taking her when Kit passes her to him.

“Oh she’s even cuter in person!” Emma explains, joining Jem by the sofa and letting Mina grab onto her finger.

“Do you want to hold her?” Jem asks. Emma’s eyes light up with delight and she nods.

“Oh can I?” She asks, unsure if she can trust herself to hold tiny little Mina, who looks so delicate and fragile. It’s been almost 8 years since she held a baby this small, she’s very out of practice.

“Of course. Mina, Emma interrupted her holiday in France to come meet you, you are one popular little girl.” Jem softly says, carefully passing the baby to Emma.

“Oh hi Mina, you look just like your daddy, I’m so glad you’re finally here I’ve been so excited to meet you, you’re one of my only blood relatives, how special does that make you?” Emma says in a soft tone, smiling down at her little cousin who is watching her with big brown eyes filled with curiosity. Suddenly Mina starts to fuss and squirm in Emma arms before she starts crying. Emma’s eyes grow wide and she frantically attempts to calm the baby by rocking her gently, but Mina continues to cry.

“Give her to me.” Kit says, standing up from the sofa and holding his arms out for the baby. Emma gives him a hesitant look, thinking that if she can’t calm the baby down there’s no way Kit can, but she hands Mina over all the same and takes a step back. Kit holds his sister close and kisses her cheek. “It’s okay Min-Min, I’ve got you.” He calmly says, running his hand over her dark hair. Mina looks up at Kit and when she sees her brother’s face she immediately stops crying and snuggles closely into him, gripping his shirt with her little hand.

“Oh my god.” Emma says in a shocked tone, unable to believe that Kit has just calmed Mina down and is holding her and cuddling her with ease.

“Mina adores Kit, we’ve come to realize by now that if she starts crying and she’s not hungry, dirty or tired, she wants Kit to hold her.” Jem says in a proud tone, his heart swelling with pride and joy at the sight of his son and daughter.

“Wow, I haven’t seen somebody calm a baby so quickly since Ty was little, he was like that with Julian, sometimes he’d just cry and cry until Julian would hold him and then he’d immediately stop.” Emma says in a nostalgic tone, remembering back to when both her and Julian’s parents were alive and life was so much simpler than it is now.

“H-how is Ty?” Kit stammers, trying not to seem overly invested or interested in his crush’s well being.

“Good, he’s really loving the Scholomonce, he’s settled in well now and made a good routine for himself and he loves the classes.” Julian informs Kit, eager to brag about his amazing little brother.

“That’s good.” Kit quietly says, holding himself back from asking more about Ty or asking Julian to tell him he said hi.

“How are your brothers and sisters Julian? Are Helen and Aline settling back in well?” Jem asks, changing the subject when he notices the look on Kit’s face at the mention of Ty’s name.

“Everyone’s good thanks, Dru is thinking about attending the new Academy, Mark is happier than I’ve ever seen him and will not stop gushing about Cristina and Kieran, and Helen and Aline just told us they’ve started the process to adopt a baby.” Julian says in an excited tone, thrilled at the idea of getting to be the fun uncle who lets his niece or nephew have ice-cream for breakfast and buy them all the toys they want, instead of having to be the responsible one who has to say no to sugar for breakfast and no to a new toy.

“That’s wonderful, and how about little Tavvy? Still best friends with Max and Rafe I hear.” Jem asks, hoping that the little Blackthorn boy will be able to live a peaceful happy life from now on, after such a hectic start to life, with his mother dying shortly after he was born, two wars happening when was only 2 and then loosing his father and sister in the space of just 5 years.

“Yeah he is and he’s very excited to meet little Mina too.” Julian says, smiling softly at Mina in Kit’s arms as she stares at him in fascination.

“You hear that Mina? Someone else who wants to come meet you, you’re a very popular young lady Mina mine, your Aunty Cat and Uncle Ragnor are always asking when they can come see you and now Tavvy too, you are one loved baby.” Jem coos to his daughter, stroking her little cheek. Mina smiles up at Jem and reaches out to grab his hand.

“Another round of pass the baby is it Min-Min?” Kit says in an amused tone, shifting her in his arms so he can keep a better grip on her. Sometimes Mina likes to be passed around between her mum, dad and brother, she’ll scream for Kit to hold her and then only be content with him for a few minutes before she starts crying for Jem or Tessa and on it goes for hours sometimes.

Mina turns her attention back to her brother and smiles up at him around her pacifier, reaching up to pat his face and grab at his hair.

“Who needs a hair cut with you around Mina?” Kit laughs, gently untangling the baby’s hand from his hair.

“Wilhelmina are you torturing your big brother again? Your sister Lucie use to be a little devil for pulling hair.” They hear Tessa say in mock stern tone. Jem turns to see his wife standing at the bottom of the stairs smiling softly at her family.

“Tess! How are you feeling?” Emma asks, walking over to hug Tessa tightly.

“Not too bad thank you, what are you doing here? I thought you were in France.” Tessa lightly says.

“I was but Jem sent me a picture of Mina and I had to come see her, you don’t mind do you?” Emma repeats her concerns to Tessa, who smiles softly at her and squeezes her hand.

“No of course not, you’re always welcome here, you know that.” “Where’s Jules?” Tessa adds, looking around for the young boy.

“Upstairs putting our bags away, he was down here for a bit and then he went up to put our bags away and I think he might be Skyping Dru and Tavvy too.” Emma says, glancing at the time on her phone.

“So my little Wilhelmina are you taking after your big sister with your hair pulling? Are my little girls the most mischievous little things hm?” Tessa says in a gleeful tone, walking over and kissing Mina’s cheek and ruffling Kit’s hair. Mina giggles and leans over toward her mother, indicating she wants to be with her mama now. Tessa takes her daughter and walks over to the wall where there are pictures of all of Jem and Tessa’s family from London hung up.

“You look like your big brother with your lovely dark hair, and you and your Aunty Charlotte both have big brown eyes, you could be Consul like your Aunty Charlotte one day my love, would you like to take over from your Uncle Alec hm?” Jem’s heart swells with love and joy as he watches his wife bouncing their daughter and showing her pictures of all the family she has but she’ll never get to meet.

The next day Jem and Emma are the first to wake and Emma joins Jem on his walk with Mina to the local bakery to pick up some pastries for breakfast.

“Mina is very popular at this bakery.” Jem tells Emma as they approach the building where the ladies who always dote over Mina work. Jem is never one to brag but he can’t help it when it comes to his Mina, she’s only a few months old and people are fawning and gushing over her left, right and center, she could melt the coldest of hearts.

“Oh really?” Emma asks, raising an eyebrow. “Most people are usually taken with you Brother Snacariah.” Jem flushes and covers Mina’s ears, even though he knows she has no idea what Emma has just said.

“Who told you about the nicknames?” He asks in a tone of embarrassment, though secretly he doesn’t really mind, he very much enjoys Lily’s company and is glad to have friends, even if they do relentlessly tease him.

“Kit of course.” Emma laughs, remembering her conversation at 2.00 A.M. this morning with Kit, when neither of them could sleep and met in the kitchen, where Kit proceeded to tell her all about the nicknames Lily has given Jem, and how popular he is at the Shadow Market, and not just for his kindness.

“Little snitch, never trust a Herondale Mina, they’ll tell your most embarrassing stories.” Jem says in a tone of amusement, brushing his hand over Mina’s hair as she flaps her arms and kicks her legs in delight.

They walk into the bakery and the eyes of the two ladies working there light up at the sight of Mina.

“Well if it isn’t our most adorable customer!” The woman who’s sister likes Kit says. Mina coos in delight, loving the attention she’s receiving.

“She’s getting so big!” the lady (whose name tag says her name is Catherine) says, smiling at Mina.

“She certainly is, too fast for my liking.” Jem softly says, loving every minute of watching his daughter grow and develop, but also missing those very early days with her.

“Is this your wife’s niece? She looks very like your wife’s nephew, Kit is his name right?” Catherine asks, looking at Emma, who is quietly standing by Jem, pulling faces at Mina to make her smile.

Jem smiles softly at Emma and says

“No this is my sister, Emma.” He has always thought of Emma as a younger sister, and loved her like a sister so it feels right to introduce her as his sibling, he had always been slightly envious of Will having Cecily, and when he saw the bond between James and Lucie it had made him wish he had a sister even more, and now he finally does, in Emma.

“Oh, big age gap then?” The other lady asks in tone of surprise. Emma smiles and nods.

“Jem was ten when I was born.”

“Ah I see, were you born somewhere else? You don’t sound like you’re from here?” The lady asks, as Catherine takes Jem’s order.

“I was born in LA, Jem was born here in England, he’s lived most his life here and I’ve lived most of mine in LA, when our parents died I chose to stay with my boyfriend’s family.” Emma explains, fabricating the story with ease.

“Just here to visit your niece then?” The lady asks, glancing at Mina in the carrier, tugging at the watch on Jem’s wrist.

“Yeah, she’s a cutie isn’t she?” Emma fondly asks, smiling over at Mina and wrinkling her nose up at her which usually gets her to smile or laugh.

“Absolutely, and your brother isn’t bad looking either.” The lady quietly says. “Your sister-in-law is a lucky lady.” Emma bites her lip to stop herself bursting out laughing, making a mental note to tell Kit about this when they get back to the house.

“Ready to go?” Jem asks, walking up to Emma before she can reply to the lady.

“Yeah lets go.” Emma says in an amused tone, heading for the door and leaving a very confused Jem behind.

“What’s so funny?” Jem asks in a confused tone, once they are out of the bakery.

“The lady I was talking to in there thinks you’re hot.” Emma says in an amused tone. “Your daddy is almost as popular as you Min-Min, that lady is about the thousandth lady to flirt with him, and I’m going to tell your big brother and mummy all about it.” Emma coos to Mina, who watches her with her wide brown eyes full of curiously, seemingly fascinated with her father’s popularity with the ladies.

Jem groans, knowing he is in for another teasing from Kit and Tessa, who find all the attention he gets from women (and men) hilarious, especially since half the time Jem doesn’t realize he’s being flirted with.

“Mina you’ve got your brother wrapped around your finger, can you make him stop teasing daddy?” Jem jokingly says, taking Mina’s little hand in his and giving it a kiss. Mina coos and gurgles in response, growing excited at the sound of her daddy’s voice, as she always does.

“By the angel it’s no wonder Tessa was so sore when she was pregnant, Mina can pack a serious kick and punch.” Emma says in a tone of awe, watching her cousin kick her legs hard and flail her arms around, narrowly avoiding hitting herself and Jem in the face.

“That she can, come on Mina mine, lets get home so you can kick your toys and not daddy.” Jem says, starting to feel the aches where Mina’s little heels have been kicking at him all day.

After breakfast, Julian, Emma and Kit head to the local park to do some training, leaving Jem and Tessa to try and settle Mina for a nap so they can have some time to themselves for the first time in months.

Right now Tessa is changing Mina from the outfit she was wearing that morning that got covered in milk, slobber and spit-up, and Jem is simply watching his wife and daughter, happy as can be.

Just as Tessa snaps the last few buttons on Mina’s onsie, the doorbell sounds and Mina’s eyes light up with curiosity.

“Who’s that Mina my love? Who’s come to see us?” Tessa coos, lifting Mina up and holding her against her shoulder. Mina flails her legs around in delight and grabs onto Tessa’s blouse.

Tessa and Jem make their way downstairs, Mina griping onto Tessa’s blouse with one hand and chewing on her other hand.

When Tessa opens the door she is surprised but delighted to see Catarina and Ragnor standing on the front step, Catarina holding a bundle of white cloth.

“No one ever visited us this much before Mina was born.” Jem jokingly says, tickling Mina’s cheek lightly, causing her to gurgle in delight and grab for his hand.

“We’re not the first to come meet the newest addition then?” Catarina lightly asks.

“No, Emma and Julian arrived yesterday and I’m sure it won’t be long before Jace and Clary and others show up, but we don’t mind at all, come in.” Tessa gleefully says, shifting Mina in her arms and holding the door open for her friends.

“I’ve heard a lot about this little one from Max and Rafe, and Magnus, they absolutely adore her.” Ragnor says, remembering the day he looked after Max and Rafe after Mina was born, and they spent the entire time going on and on about their new cousin, and Ragnor could not bring himself to be bothered by it, he has always cared about Tessa and loved her like a sister, he is thrilled that she is so happy now, though of course he will never show it.

“She’s a popular young lady alright, though she is mostly obsessed with her daddy and her big brother, you love your Kitty don’t you Mina?” Tessa says in a light-hearted tone. Obviously Mina cannot talk yet so they have no idea how she will refer to her brother, however Max has taken to calling Kit ‘Kitty’ and Tessa likes to think Mina will adopt the nickname too, since she and the Lightwood- Bane boys will be very close as they grow up.

“Christopher’s settling in well then?” Ragnor asks, trying to keep the concern out of his voice. Since helping Kit and Ty gather the ingredients to resurrect Livvy, Ragnor has grown to care about both boys, though mostly because Tessa cares about them and so does Magnus.

“Oh absolutely, he adores Mina.” Tessa says, delighted that Kit is settling in well here and making a home for himself.

“Speaking of little Mina, through your pregnancy I worked on making a blanket for her, I finished it the other day.” Catarina passes the blanket she is holding to Tessa. “A gift for my lovely little goddaughter.”

“Oh Cat it’s beautiful, thank you so much.” Tessa says, unfolding the blanket to look at it. “Look what Aunty Cat made for you Mina, do you love it?” Mina reaches up to try and grab the blanket but can’t quiet manage to.

“She’s so precious, I remember when Ephraim was her age, it feels like only a few weeks ago, not over a century ago.” Catarina says in a tight tone, trying to hold back the tears as she thinks about her son, who she misses everyday.

“Oh Cat, I know what you’re going through and if being around Mina makes it easier just know that you are more than welcome to come see her as often as you like.” Tessa kindly says, reaching out to grasp her friend’s hand, her own heart aching for Jamie and Lucie, even as she holds Mina in her arms, nothing feels complete without her eldest son and daughter.

Catarina smiles softly, letting her usual tough no-nonsense demeanor down, as she sometimes does around those she trusts most.

“Thank you Tess, I appreciate that.” An hour later as Catarina and Ragnor walk toward the town away from Cirenworth arm in arm, Catarina lays her head on Ragnor’s shoulder and quietly says

“I want a baby.” Ragnor’s eyes widen in shock, he knows Catarina loves children and had loved being a mother, but he never thought she would want to have another child someday. But despite his surprise and despite the fact he and Catarina have only been together less than a year, Ragnor cannot deny that over these last few months since he has been back with his friends and gotten to know and spend time with Max, Rafe and Mina, the idea of having a child of his own, someone who will rely on him and love him like he has never been loved before, has grown on him.

“Me too.” Ragnor softly says, slipping an arm around Catarina’s waist. “But we’re not letting Magnus corrupt our kid.” Catarina laughs softly and squeezes Ragnor’s hand.

“Deal.”

Later that evening in Devon, when Jules, Emma and Kit arrive back home, Magnus, Alec and their boys arrive laden down with gifts for Mina, who already has a larger wardrobe than her parents and brother, at only a few months old. Max and Rafe adore Mina but they also adore Kit, Rafe looks at him as though he hangs the moon and Max thinks he’s even cooler than his Uncle Jace and his Uncle Simon, who Max use to think were the two coolest people ever to walk the earth. Kit loves that Magnus and Alec’s kids look up to him and admire him, he loves feeling important and admired, something he hasn’t felt since he left LA and parted with Ty and Dru.

“Kitty where your daddies?” Max suddenly asks Kit as Rafe lies beside Mina on a blanket on the floor, doing everything he can to make her laugh. Kit is caught off guard by this question and is speechless for a second.

“I... well I... I had a mom and a dad not two dads but they died, so Tessa and Jem took me in.” Kit quietly says, wondering weather or not he should have told Max that Rosemary and Jack died, the little guy probably knows so little about death and is is likely still very upset and confused about his grandfather’s death.

“So you adopted?” Max asks in an excited tone.

“Yeah I guess so.” Kit answers, hoping Max will drop this topic soon.

“Me too! And Rafe! Papa says my birth mama and daddy died and so did Rafe’s so we need second family, I don’t amember my mama, do you amember your mama?” Max asks curiously, not realizing how much this question will hurt his cousin.

“No, no I don’t.” Kit quietly says, looking at his hands as he tries to hold back tears.

“Don’t cry Kitty it okay! You got knew mama now, aunty Tess your mama now right?” Max exclaims, wrapping his arms around Kit and hugging him tightly. Rafe runs over and joins the hug too, hating to see his idol upset.

“Don’t be sad Kitty, you got a really good mama and papa now, my papa is this best papa and daddy is the best daddy but Uncle Jem is a good daddy too!” Rafe exclaims, laying his head on Kit’s shoulder. Kit laughs softly and wipes at his tears.

“Yeah you’re right I do have the best mom and dad, thanks guys, I feel better now.” Kit softly tells the little boys, the ache in his heart easing as he thinks of his new family.

Later that night just as it’s approaching 7:00 p.m., Tessa heads into the living room to get Mina from Kit to put her to bed for the night.

“I hope her teething pains don’t keep her awake tonight.” Tessa says to Jem in a tone tinged with worry, as they make their way into the living room.

“Me too, I’ll try and remember to pick up an amber teething necklace for her tomorrow, that always worked a treat with Jamie and Lucie didn’t it?” Jem asks his wife, making a mental list of all the things he’ll need to pick up in town tomorrow.

“Yes it did, and Jamie was a lot fussier than Mina.” Tessa says, opening the living room door and stepping in. What she sees in front of her when she steps in melts her heart and she feels like she could cry with joy. On the sofa, Kit is stretched out, fast asleep with Mina curled up on his chest, also fast asleep.

“Oh my god, that is so beautiful and adorable.” Jem softly says, his heart leaping with joy at the sight of both of his children together, sleeping peacefully, no trouble or hurt on their faces.

“Oh my babies.” Tessa quietly says, crossing the room to kiss them both on the forehead. “I love you my babies, so much.” She whispers, brushing Kit’s hair back from his face. Kit stirs and shifts a bit on the sofa, before mumbling

“Love you too mom.” Jem comes up and puts his arm around his wife, gently guiding her way from Kit and Mina so she doesn’t wake them up and disturb the perfect scene.

A few hours later when Kit wakes up, he notices that Mina is gone and he is in his own bed, with the covers drawn up around him, the door closed and the blinds drawn. On the nightstand he notices a framed picture of him sitting on the sofa with Mina in his arms, both of their faces lit up in delight. Next to the picture is a short note. Kit switches on his lamp, grabs the note and starts to read

“A few months ago we moved all the valuable items in the house into your room to show you you are the most precious thing in this house, now you share that title with your sister but you are no less precious to us, you are our son, you are part of our family and we love you,

love mom and dad.”

Tears of joy trickle down Kit’s face and he makes a note in his phone to ask Tessa and Jem first thing in the morning, if he can add Carstairs to his name, so that he can share a name with his sister and parents and truly feel part of a family at last.

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hookedontaronfics · 5 years

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First Contact series - Part 9

Title: First Contact - Part 9 Read the previous installments here: Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5 | Part 6 | Part 7 | Part 8 Rating: M Pairing: Taron x OC Warnings: Cursing, smut, and some mentions of violence [trigger warning] A/N: I don’t want to give away too much so you’ll just have to read it for yourself. Some sweet bits, some sexy bits and possibly a cliffhanger! So good luck, and enjoy! x

“Morning, love.”

Those two simple words held so much promise in them as I cracked my eyes open to see Taron’s sweet face smiling back at me. I yawned slightly and stretched out, checking in with my own body and realizing I wasn’t really all that sore from last night’s escapade. But oh, I still felt deliriously happy and deliciously satiated.

“S’good morning,” I mumbled back sleepily, getting an amused chuckle from Taron. I had proven very quickly during this vacation that I wasn’t a morning person. To be fair, neither was Taron.

“We should maybe get up and go enjoy our last day here, love,” he said cutely, nuzzling his face against my neck and kissing my skin there, his hand tracing a slow line over the strip of skin exposed at my waist, as my sleep shirt had ridden up a bit. Good God, this man was going to be the death of me, I thought, his touch igniting something deep inside.

“I think I’d be okay if you just wanted to stay in bed all day,” I laughed, a bit breathlessly.

“Much as I agree with that,” he said, finally rolling over and getting off the bed, “I really think we should try and see something else,” he smirked. I pouted slightly at him and he just laughed as he wandered off to the bathroom, and I couldn’t help but admire his bare torso. I eventually crawled out of bed and pulled on some clothes, grabbing my phone and flipping through my notifications, smiling over all the sweet comments that had been pouring in over the few pictures Taron and I had chosen to share on our social media profiles. It hadn’t been a secret exactly, but I think we were finally “out” as a couple to the world now. This trip had made it stunningly clear that Taron wanted me in his life.

“What’re you smiling on about?” he grinned as he returned, catching me probably looking a bit dreamy over that fact.

“Us,” I grinned. “Everyone’s been so kind about me.”

“Why would they not? You make me incredibly happy, and you’re stunningly gorgeous,” he said, leaning over and stealing a kiss before going to grab clothes himself.

“Well, Mr. Egerton, I did happen to take you off the market,” I smirked over at him, and he just snorted at that.

“What am I, a beef steak?” he laughed, shaking his head.

“A very handsome beef steak, yep!” I said brightly, unable to keep a straight face as we both lost our shit over that. I actually had to wipe tears out of my eyes at that one; maybe it wasn’t so funny to anyone else, but we were losing it.

“So anyway, what’s the game plan for today? Other than once again sweeping me off my feet?” I grinned.

“We should get breakfast, first of all,” he said.

“Right, always a foodie,” I giggled lightly.

“Then I think we should spend some of our day on Lokrum,” he grinned. “I’ve heard lovely things about the Botanical Garden there. We can just take our time together. I don’t want this day to go too fast.”

“Me either,” I agreed softly at that.

We grabbed a bite from the hotel’s breakfast and while we ate I decided to catch back up with Jules and Mary. We’d texted a few times briefly of course, but I had wanted to spend most of my time actually enjoying my trip and Taron. Still, I figured they probably deserved an update now.

<So loves, my last full day in Dubrovnik. I’m kinda sad to be seeing it end, it’s been the best trip of my life!> I sent in a group text.

<Julesy: Oh my god, about time you let us know you were still alive! We were beginning to worry!>

<Mareee!: Don’t mind her, we knew you were having fun as you should be!>

<It’s been amazing. The food, and the beaches here, and just, everything is so lush and historic and even the pace is slower so you can relax and it’s quite nice. But you’ve seen my pictures on IG! Come on now!>

<Mareee!: It looks SO nice, and you and Taron are very cute together. I’m glad you decided to post some pics of you together!>

<Yeah, we had to discuss it a bit, but … We decided it was time.>

<Julesy: Now the one thing Mary and I should know, though, is this: Are you returning as an Egerton virgin or no?>

<Oh. My. Freaking. God. ….. NOPE!> I couldn’t help giggling like an idiot over what I had sent and Taron raised an eyebrow at me, but I just shook my head. “Texting the girls, you know,” I smirked, and he only went ahhhh as if he understood. My friends’ responses chimed in quick succession.

<Julesy: That’s my girl!>

<Mareee!: What was it like, you have to tell us!!>

<Mareee!: Ohhhh, well we’re very very happy for you!>

<Julesy: Yep, now we don’t have to worry about you so much.>

<Thanks, I think? I luv ya, I luv ya both. But must dash. Talk more later, we’re going to the island!>

I stashed my phone away and quickly finished my food before we were off to catch the ferry over to Lokrum. I was excited to just have a quiet easy day with Taron. The Botanical Gardens were every bit as gorgeous as they had been made to seem; we walked hand-in-hand under the cypress and olive and palm trees and took far too many pictures of the peacocks that roamed freely. It was surprisingly not busy, which was nice. There were honestly times we could have felt it was our own private island.

We happened upon a super pretty spot and chose to take a selfie together with the stunning background behind us. We managed (after some retakes. Taron needs some selfie lessons…) to take a really nice one where we both actually looked pretty (thank goodness) but then Taron decided to kiss me on the cheek and I had my eyes scrunched closed and that’s the photo he chose to post on Instagram with “This woman has my heart” as the caption.

“Oh gosh, T, this is a bit full on, isn’t?” I asked, turning to him after checking the post myself since he’d tagged me.

“Just the truth,” he said nonchalantly, like he didn’t realize how difficult this all was to process that he really felt that way about me.

“It’s not too soon and sudden to claim that? We’ve only known each other what, three months or something? A handful of encounters and a couple dates and then spending a month apart?” I asked, a bit skeptical.

“To claim what? That I love you? Because I do. That’s not a difficult thing to do, Jess,” he said sweetly, reaching over to caress my face gently. “Feelings don’t have to exist on a timeline. And maybe I’m quick to arrive at mine but I know what I have in front of me.”

I’m pretty sure my brain flatlined at that moment. The L-word, he’d actually said it, and I had no idea what I was supposed to say back. He was watching me expectantly, I think, but when I didn’t - couldn’t - figure out how to respond he sighed slightly. “It’s okay, I know what you’ve been through. You don’t have to say anything back. I just needed you to know how I felt,” he said, tugging on my hand to keep us walking.

I tried to ignore the mixture of disappointment and understanding on his face, but it dug at me as we walked in silence. Why was it so hard to just blurt it out myself? I thought. I wasn’t afraid of Taron, no. But moving into something closer, and more intimate, more vulnerable, I didn’t feel remotely ready for. There was a deeper responsibility for and reliance on emotion that I wasn’t sure I could handle giving to Taron just yet.

We ate at the little cafe on the island and found one of the beaches to sit at under some shade from the trees. I had nestled between Taron’s legs, leaning back against him and it was rather comfortable as he had his arms wrapped around me sweetly. We were just watching the waves break over the shoreline, whiling away the time and trying to ignore the fact that this trip would soon be over.

“This has just been … the best day I’ve ever had,” I sighed softly. “It’s felt rather magical to be away from everything else and to just be us here.”

“I would agree. I’ve loved every minute of this, but I think I’m quite ready to get back to the hotel and relax out of this hot sun for a bit.”

“Sounds like a plan,” I said, as we both scrambled to our feet, wiping sand off as much as possible. We took the ferry back across and another taxi to our hotel, and I realized this was truly my last evening here. It made me a little sad, the feeling that the reality of going back to work and London and normal life was going to change how things felt between us. I knew it was an irrational fear, but it was bothering me.

I’m not sure what Taron was up to at the moment but I decided to make sure some of my clothes that had gotten scattered about the room were packed back in my suitcase. I smoothed my fingers over the lacy lingerie and couldn’t help but smile as I remembered last night.

“Hey, T!” I called out.

“Mmm, yeah?” his voice asked from the bathroom. The door was open so I wandered in, leaning against the door frame. He was leaning over the jacuzzi tub we hadn’t even used and I couldn’t tell what he was doing.

“Are you hungry yet?” I asked him, folding my arms.

“Yeah, but not for food,” he smirked lightly, gesturing to the tub and raising his eyebrow at me with a question in his eyes.

I pointed at myself, and then Taron, and then the tub, and he just smirked at me and nodded.

“Come here, babe,” he said gruffly, holding his hand out to me. I smiled almost shyly at that and stepped over to him, letting him pull me into him. He kissed me slow and sensually at first, probably aware that I needed a little time to get worked up, but just being near him and the thought that he wanted more of me was doing a pretty good job of it. His fingers found their way under my shirt, grazing over my skin and making me moan softly against his lips. He broke our kiss only to continue trailing kisses along my jawline and then down to my neck, nipping the spot that made me moan the most with his teeth, before then stepping away from me completely to turn the water on, adjusting the temperature until he was satisfied with it and leaving me just panting for more.

Knowing he was up for trying different things was an exciting prospect. I pulled my own shirt off and dropped it to the ground, and when he turned back around I knew right where his gaze landed. “All for me?” he asked, not needing an answer as I took his hands and placed them over my breasts. And damn did he make quick work of me that way after peeling off my bra and tossing it god knows where. The way his touch could send shivers down my spine would never cease to amaze me.

As the water ran we quickly rid ourselves of the rest of our clothes and we took a moment just to take each other in; standing around naked in front of people wasn’t exactly something I was comfortable doing, but under Taron’s gaze it didn’t seem to matter. There was no shame with him because he worshipped my body, scars and rolls and lumps and all. I hadn’t had a chance to really truly see him yet, either, and I tried to memorize every inch of his body and the way it took my breath away.

“You’re fucking beautiful, you know that?” he said softly, making me bite my lip shyly, my hair falling slightly across my face. “I wish you saw yourself through my eyes.”

“I could say the same to you,” I replied gently as he stepped closer to me and brushed my hair out of my face so carefully, so intimately, it made me want to cry. But then he kissed me, and I forgot about wanting to cry, and slowly Taron walked me backward to the tub. He slipped under the water easily enough, sighing contentedly as the warm water eased his muscles, but I perched on the edge for a moment, unsure.

“Coming in, love?” he asked, giving me half a smirk, nothing but hunger in his eyes.

“We can’t really use a condom in the water, not safely at least,” I said, squeezing my eyes shut for a second.

“You’re on the pill, no?” he asked, sitting up and placing a hand on my knee.

“Of course, but that’s not like, 100 percent, you know,” I stammered slightly.

“Hey, Jess, look at me,” he said seriously, so I cracked my eyes open. “Whatever the outcome, we’ll handle it together, okay? I’m sure we’ll be completely fine, it’s not like I’ve got tons of children running about, at least that I know of. But if you can’t trust the pill, I want you to at least trust me. Can you do that?” he asked, pleading with me. I took a shaky breath and nodded before letting myself slip into the water as well. He was right, the jets and the warmth of the water felt good after having walked around a lot of the day.

“I still want you,” I whispered. “I’m just stupidly anxious about it. Make me forget that,” I said, crawling over his lap and facing him.

“I can do that,” he growled slightly, running his fingers along my waist under the water. He pulled my face to his again, kissing me hungrily now, his need for me apparent. I let myself get lost to what he was doing to me; I didn’t understand how he seemed to already know so much about my body and what it was capable of feeling, but I couldn’t hold onto those thoughts. They scattered in the heat of the moment as I settled myself over him, joining our bodies, a groan rumbling through his chest that set me on edge immediately. I’d never had sex with someone bare and to know that, and to feel that, we were that much closer to each other set every nerve-ending in my body on fire. I was consumed by the lust I felt for this man, feeling a depth of pleasure I had never known could be mine.

We found a rhythm that worked for us, the water sloshing over the sides a bit as we drove each other higher and higher. I felt his fingers slip between my legs, helping me along and soon I was crashing around him, my orgasm rippling through me just before I could feel him spilling into me. I felt completely taken; I was his, and I didn’t know how I could belong to anyone else.

I didn’t even realize I was crying until Taron was trying to wipe the tears away, but his hands were wet too so it wasn’t helping that much. “Shhh, it’s okay, I promise,” he spoke, seeming to understand my emotions more than I did as he just held me to him, my chest pressed against his, our bodies still connected, the jets gently pummeling our skin. I laid my head against his shoulder, hiding my face against his neck as his fingers slowly danced across my back, soothing me a bit. I wanted to be ashamed but couldn’t be; Taron seemed used to sharing this level of intimacy but he also seemed to understand that I just wasn’t.

“I’m so sorry, I promise I won’t always be a mess like this,” I said once I had managed to calm down.

“I’m not the one to apologize to, love,” he said gently. “It’s okay to feel things and to feel them deeply. I think I can handle that, yeah?” he grinned. “I rather enjoy making you feel this much.”

“You’re such a saint, T,” I laughed. “Anyone would be lucky to have you.”

“Well then I suppose you should consider yourself very, very lucky indeed,” he sighed happily. “But you have no idea what you do for me too.”

“I feel like I haven’t done anything. It’s always been you doing things for me,” I said softly.

“I don’t want to hear you say such things about yourself. You’re amazing, and you make me happy, and that’s always enough for me. I don’t need things, I don’t need someone to take care of me. I just want someone who’s face lights up when they see me, who genuinely enjoys talking to me, who makes me laugh at every turn, who wants to go on adventures with me, and who is willing despite her hardships to trust me. And that’s you,” he replied.

“You are too good to me,” I sighed, his words striking something deep and vulnerable in my heart and reverberating there.

“I hardly think I’m even remotely good enough for you, but you seem to want to be with me,” he replied, making my eyes bulge a little. Taron, not good enough? He had to be kidding. “I just don’t think you’ve ever been treated well or how you deserve to be. I know I can’t fix that, but I’m going to try and make a difference, if you’ll let me.”

“Anything for you, Taron,” I smiled at him. “Now should we get out of this water before we get all pruney?” I grinned, stealing a sweet kiss that made my chest ache. I could probably kiss him all day and still never get enough.

“Dinner sounds like a perfect way to end this day, now that you’ve helped me work up my appetite,” he smirked at me lightly.

“You’re so naughty,” I laughed, finally managing to disentangle myself from him and wrapping a fluffy towel around myself after climbing out of the tub. We quickly got ourselves ready for dinner, choosing to have our last meal at the conventionally named but absolutely romantic Dubrovnik Restaurant. The rooftop eatery was open air during good weather, and so I’d donned a warm cardigan over my dress, and Taron had pulled on a blazer over his button-down and jeans. We got seated in the white plush chairs and the entire place was softly lit with candles and lamps turned low. I truly enjoyed the atmosphere of it, and the food, oh the food. It was the best I’d had there in Dubrovnik, and I wished I could just keep eating it for forever; almost as much as I wished I could just stay in this paradise with Taron forever.

But you can only appreciate the very best things in life by them coming to an end, and so we returned to London the next day, ready to figure out how to continue blending our normal everyday lives together. My flatmates were of course absolutely thrilled to have me back, peppering me with so many questions it made my head spin. I did my best to give them just enough answers to keep their curiosity at bay, while keeping some of the more private things with Taron just to myself.

I threw myself head-first back into work over the next few weeks, feeling like I needed to make up for the past month where my productivity had been seriously lacking. Taron and I found a way to balance out seeing each other, going on some fun dates, some super romantic ones, and oh yeah, having lots of sex. I was now officially addicted to him, and it really was all his fault in the best possible sense of the word. I’d gained some kind of confidence in what we had and was doing my best to work through my lingering issues. I still hadn’t told him I loved him, but every day he seemed to chip away more and more at the barriers I’d built around it. Bless his soul, he was eternally patient, I’d give him that. So my initial fears about reality taking anything away from us were unfounded; our relationship somehow just kept getting better. And I finally felt like I was really home in London; I had an amazing job I actually liked, lovely flatmates and friends I enjoyed spending time with, and the sweetest boyfriend a girl could luck into having.

So I was feeling pretty damn great about my life one balmy, late-summer day as I was striding toward my office, coffee cup in hand and laptop bag over my shoulder. I managed to accidentally brush past a guy who had just stepped out of a coffee shop, and I turned to apologize but before the words could escape my mouth I froze.

His build was thinner, his jawline sharper, and his face somehow more handsome than I remembered, but I’d recognize that tousled brown hair and those deep-set brown eyes anywhere.

Kevin. My mind went absolutely blank as I clutched my laptop bag and purse to me.

I nearly thought I was having a stroke at first, that he was just a figment of my imagination. But there he was, somehow, incomprehensibly, standing on the sidewalk in London before me.

“Jessica! It’s really you!” he said brightly. “Imagine my good fortune. I thought I’d have to spend more time trying to track you down and here you run right into me.” His voice sent chills down my spine and sent my stomach plummeting to my feet.

“How the hell are you here?” I asked, rooted to the spot. Other people were walking past us but I felt like I was suddenly in an alternate universe. “And why?”

“Relax, Jess. Things have changed. I’ve changed. I wanted to apologize to you,” he said, gesturing for me to move out of the way as a group of school kids giggled their way past. We ended up stepping closer to an alley between the coffee shop and another brick building beside it, and I was already looking for a way to leave.

“There’s nothing you can say to me to apologize,” I said coldly. “You don’t deserve any of my time,” I practically hissed.

“I know. I’m not asking for forgiveness. I just needed to see you again. To make sure you were okay,” he said, taking a step closer to me as I took a step back.

“I am just fine, no thanks to you,” I said with narrowed eyes. “You can’t just sweep back into my life thinking that things will just go back to how they used to be. I’m not your toy to play with and toss away and abuse any more, Kevin,” I said, taking several more steps away from him, until my back hit the brick wall of the building behind me.

I should have ran then. I should have turned around and started walking and never looked back. There would always be too many should haves in my life with Kevin.

Within seconds he had crossed the space between us and I flinched when he reached out to me, but his touch was gentle as he took my chin in his hand. “I never meant to hurt you, and I’ll forever hate myself for it. I had a long time to think about what I did, what happened between us. Please, just give me a chance again, to prove that I’m different now.”

“I can’t,” I whispered, trembling slightly at his touch. “I’m already with someone else.”

I have very little recollection of what happened next.

I don’t know if it was the rejection that set him off, but his grip on my face instantly tightened like a vice before he slammed the left side of my face so hard into the brick I heard a loud crack and felt the impact on the right side of my head. My vision went blurry and I dropped like a stone to the ground. He kicked me in the side then too, and I instantly curled up and away from him, trying to protect myself from the assault. This couldn’t be happening again. I’m going to wake up soon, and it will all be a nightmare. Taron will wrap his arms around me, and tell me it’s not real. Please god, let it not be true.

I don’t know if I screamed, or if the young couple that came to my aid were just walking past at the moment, but suddenly Kevin was tackled to the ground by the man, and the woman was instantly on her phone calling police. She knelt next to me as I tried to sit up, but the pain in my side, and my head, was too much. I could feel something warm and wet trickling down my face and into my eye, and I gasped as it stung. Still, I struggled to reach over to my purse, fumbling with it to try and get to my phone. The woman, who had the kindest eyes, seemed to understand and pulled it out and handed it to me.

I tried to focus on the keypad numbers to unlock my phone, but they wouldn’t stay in the same place and I kept hitting the wrong ones. Finally, frustrated, I shoved it back into her hands and told her my passcode. “Call Taron, please. My boyfriend, you need to call him and tell him where they’re taking me,” I said, fighting desperately hard against the darkness that was threatening to pull me under.

The sirens came, ear-splittingly loud, and it was enough for me to not throw up as the nausea of pain swept through my body. Kevin must have been handcuffed and arrested; but I couldn’t see enough of what was going on around me to know it. When the medics lifted my battered body onto the stretcher and began immobilizing me, I cried out in pain as my side where he’d kicked me lit up in renewed pain, leaving me short of breath.

I was beginning to fade in and out as they pushed me into the back of the ambulance and settled an oxygen mask over my face. I could only hope the woman had been able to reach Taron; he would be absolutely worried sick if he didn’t hear from me.

How did he find me? I thought again, bright white spots exploding before my vision as the doors were slammed shut and we were hurtling through the streets of London. The medics were saying words I couldn’t understand; if they were talking to me, I wouldn’t have known it. They poked and prodded; a needle pushed in my arm, gauze pressed against my face.

I knew it had all been too good to be true. This thought was even more painful to bear than the broken parts of my body.

And then everything went black.

**********

I promise this isn’t the end. Read more in Part 10.

#taron imagine #taron egerton #taron x reader #taron smut #taron egerton fanfiction

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deadmancrawling · 5 years

Text

Firefly | ch

a/n: hello friends :) here is a calum fic that i will be updating every friday around 6 pm central time!! as usual, thanks to miss jules for helping me with this story and being my impulse control/personal therapist/confidante/best friend/life partner/soul mate etc. go hound her ask box and tell her to update numb without you because i need luke fic in my life!!!! anyways yes, this is based off tangled, i don’t wanna hear about the similarities because I KNOW!!!!! anyways i hope you enjoy this little beginning :,)

also feel free to follow my twitter! i am usually on there and would love to get to know you guys!

word count: 1k

rating: PG

warnings: thievery?? there really are none lol

“Are you two ready for a bedtime story?” Calum asks his two daughters as they settle into their beds in their joint bedroom.

“Yes!” Thalia, his oldest, exclaims.

“Tell us the one about the Princess again!” Lydia, his youngest says.

“Ah, you like the princess one, don’t you? It is a good one, if I do say so myself.” Calum grins, looking as his daughters as they get cozy under their blankets.

“It’s almost like you’re telling a story about Mommy!” Lydia smiles.

“It is, isn’t it? I heard this story as a kid, before I even knew your mommy. Before I even became King.” Calum tells his girls.

“Whoa.” Thalia says.

“But you changed it you and Mommy’s names?” Lydia asks.

“Yes, because it makes me and your mommy seem cool, little one. Are you ready? Are you tucked in? Because it’s going to be a good one.” Calum smiles.

“Yes! We’re ready!” Lydia exclaims again.

“Alright. It’s starts off with a young man named Calum, who had dreams of seeing the castle up close one day.” Calum begins.

The sun is just barely rising over the horizon as Calum and his two friends, Jacob and Jack, follow him towards the kingdom.

The three friends stop and take in the view before them; the magnificent Rysling Castle stands before them in the distance, as if it were taunting Calum to just try and take the crown jewels.

“Well would you look at that!” Calum exclaims, gesturing to the castle. “I can’t wait to own one of those one day. God, I’d make an excellent King, don’t you think?”

“No.”

“Absolutely not.”

“As King my first rule would be to celebrate me as soon as you wake up.” Calum says.

“And that’s why you’ll never be King.” Jacob responds.

Calum rolls his eyes and the three men all continue to walk into the Kingdom.

It’d been years since Calum had crossed over the bridge into Downtown Rysling, but it was like nothing has changed.

Most of the time, Calum spends his time stealing from the rich on the other side of town and giving back to the poor. He’s done it since he was young and has no plans to stop soon either.

“Do you think it’s going to be easy to do the job?” Jack asks, as soon as the three are on the roof of a building.

“Do you think I’d even consider doing it if I didn’t think the job would be easy?” Calum asks, raising an eyebrow at the man. “That’s such a dumb question. Of course, I think it’s going to be easy.”

Jack shrugs as the three of them hop from building to building, getting closer to the castle, while still trying to lay low. If they get caught now, then the entire mission is compromised, and Calum desperately needs the money that the Crown of Rysling is sure to give him.

Soon, the three men are near the castle, and Calum begins to survey the area around the building, making sure not to get caught. You can’t be too careful when you’re attempting to steal the crown jewels.

Calum gestures for the brothers to follow him, and they bring their equipment with them, moving quickly and quietly, doing their best to avoid being spotted and heard.

“Okay,” Calum whispers. “Hoist me up.”

“Are you sure this is a good idea?” Jack asks, looking between his brother and Calum.

“Don’t tell me you’re going to back out now.” Calum says. “Come on, think of the money! We’ll be able to buy one of our own* castles!”

Jack sighs and helps his brother hoist Calum up, and Calum begins scaling the building to find the window to the crown room.

After several minutes, Calum gets up to the crown room window and carefully nudges it open just enough so he can slip in and out without notice.

Luckily, inside, there’s not many guards keeping watch of the crown; they’re either asleep or their backs are turned to it, and Calum laughs at how easy it’s going to be to steal the crown.

Slipping in the window, Calum steadies his breath and is light on his feet as he sneaks into the room to get the item he’s desperately wanting.

A quick grab and the crown is suddenly in his satchel. He looks around to make sure no one is looking at him, and then carefully climbs back through the window, and slams it shut to get their attention.

The guards suddenly look at the pillar where the Late Princess Ayla’s crown once sat to find it missing, and immediately begin racing out of the castle to quickly find the missing item.

“Five of you, go west. Another five go east, you three go south, and I’ll go north with Captain Kit here.”

“Yes General.” The men respond.

“Do not* let them find Princess Davina. If she’s found, the King will have our heads.” The General says.

The men begin to disperse on their horses, traveling in all directions to try and catch Calum and his partners with the crown.

Calum, Jack, and Jacob end up splitting up once they leave the castle grounds. Calum heads north, Jack heads east, and Jacob heads west.

Calum, who has the crown still in his satchel, runs for his life as fast as he can. Dashing through trees, switching directions; right, left, right, left, straight, downhill, uphill, it’s fight or flight mode for him right now.

He can hear the General and the Captain nearby, and as a last minute attempt to not be found, he camouflages himself underneath some fallen branches and leaves, steadies his breathing, and stays as still as humanly possible.

“I saw him run west.” The General says, stopping his horse to think for a moment.

“Should we go west?” Captain Kit asks, looking at his superior.

“Let’s go check on the Princess first. Make sure he hasn’t found her.” The General says.

Then, the two men are off and as soon as they’re out of ear shot, Calum climbs a tree to see where they’re headed. If the Princess is nearby, he’s sure to be able to get some cool stuff from her that he can sell and get money for.

At the top of the tree, Calum can barely see the top of a tower, but decides he’s going to meet the princess no one has seen in nearly a decade.

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gatesofember · 5 years

Text

Frailty and Fortune: Chapter 1

PJO Arranged Marriage/Royalty AU Part 10

Rating: T | Pairing: Solangelo

Prev | Next | AU directory | Read it on AO3 (Recommended) | Arranged Marriage AU Masterpage

Summary: A few months have passed since Prince Nico's wedding to William of Solace. Even with his husband at his side, Will sometimes feels lonely as he settles into his new life. He misses his home, his family, his friends, and his studies in Venadica. Meanwhile, Nico is uncertain how to help him, awkward about expressing himself, and he wonders if he'll ever be able to truly make his husband happy. As time goes by and Will continues to feel lost in his new home, Will and Nico must both learn how to make their marriage work.

Nico’s day was off to a terrible start. Will hadn’t been next to him when he woke up that morning and Nico hated waking up alone.

“He was there when you woke up,” Reyna corrected when Nico complained to her. “He wished you a good morning. You fell back asleep before he even left the room.”

“Oh,” Nico said. “Then where is he?” He had been sitting at the little table in the apartment’s common room waiting for husband, staring hungrily at the platter in front of him. He didn’t want to start breakfast without Will, but he had been waiting so long that even Asterion had given up staring at Nico with pleading eyes in the hopes of being offered a few pieces of meat.

“He’s still getting dressed,” Reyna said. “The new separates you ordered for him were finished last night. I think he’s trying them on.”

Nico nodded in satisfaction. “Then I suppose I can forgive him for being so late.”

Most of Will’s wardrobe was foreign-looking and Nico liked seeing Will in dark colors, so he’d decided to give Will a few new outfits as a gift. The separates trend was fairly new to Pluto; rather than being made entirely of one fabric, the parts of a suit could be mixed with other colors and patterns. Nico had been skeptical of the style at first, but he’d started to like it. Will would look beautiful in separates. Will would look beautiful in anything.

“Let’s review your schedule,” Reyna said, and Nico groaned as he was pulled back to reality. She opened the bag at her side to find the schedule she’d written out for him. “The Queen Consort requested for lunch and dinner to be held outside—”

“What?” Nico interrupted. “Again? But it’s been so hot!”

“It has been pleasantly warm, not hot,” Reyna corrected. “Anyway, you know that sitting by the flowers makes your mother happy. The sky has been so clear now that the spring showers are mostly over and she wants to spend as much time outside as possible before it becomes too cold in the fall.”

“At this point, I don’t care if it makes my mother happy, I’m tired of—”

“It makes your husband happy, too.”

Nico held his tongue. Reyna was right. Will loved being in the sun.

“Fine,” he grumbled.

Nico heard the door to Will’s room open and he glanced up from his empty plate, excited to see how Will looked in the clothes he had ordered for him. Of course Will looked handsome in anything, but Nico had never seen Will wear separates before.

As soon as Nico set eyes on him, he knew why. Will’s breeches were dark blue, his waistcoat purple and striped, and his coat was gold. The colors and patterns clashed horribly, but Will beamed proudly in the doorway. Bonnie dashed out of his room and circled around his legs, blissfully unbothered by her master’s offensive ensemble. “What do you think?” Will asked, holding out his arms to allow Nico and Reyna to examine his clothes. “They fit wonderfully.”

Nico wasn’t sure how to answer. He glanced at Reyna, but Reyna looked just as perplexed by Will’s appearance as Nico felt. Eventually, she composed herself and asked, “Who dressed you, Your Highness?”

“I did it myself,” Will answered proudly. “I’ve been trying on different pieces all morning. Do you like it?”

Nico cleared his throat. “It’s certainly colorful.”

Will’s expression fell. “It’s terrible, isn’t it?”

Nico looked back at Reyna, then they both nodded. “Awful,” Nico said.

“I have the worst judgement when it comes to this sort of thing,” Will sighed. “I was so sure I’d gotten it right this time. I liked these colors, so I thought if I put them together....”

“Perhaps you should allow someone else to arrange your outfits for you,” Nico suggested.

“Let me try again,” Will said. “I like dressing myself. Wait here, I’ll be back in a moment.”

Will left with Bonnie following at his heels. Nico and Reyna shared a look.

“Was that a joke?” Nico asked.

“I think so,” Reyna answered. “I hope so.”

They stared at Will’s closed door for a second before Nico cleared his throat. “What else do you have on my schedule for today?”

Reyna straightened her papers. “Your day is fairly clear, actually. I could schedule the history lesson you skipped last week for this afternoon—”

“No.”

“Alright, but you can’t put if off again. We’re doing it tomorrow.”

Nico grimaced. He’d have to find another excuse to get out of it.

The door to Will’s room opened again and he came out wearing a pair of green breeches, an orange waistcoat, and a deep maroon coat. “How about this?” Will asked.

“It’s...not good,” Nico said.

“Is it better than last time?”

“Um....” Nico looked at Reyna for advice. Should he be honest, or should he be polite?

Will sighed. “It’s not, is it?”

“No,” Nico said. “Actually, it might be worse. Try to only use two colors. The coat and breeches usually match.”

Will nodded seriously. “Wait here,” he said. “I’ll try again.” And he vanished into his room with Bonnie once more.

Nico looked at Reyna. “He’s not joking, is he?”

Reyna shook her head. “I think that he genuinely has no idea what he’s doing.”

“But he’s terrible!”

“He is,” Reyna agreed. “And you married him.”

Nico waved dismissively. “It was an arranged marriage.”

“Yes. An arranged marriage that you consented to.”

Nico thoughtfully tapped his chin. “Well. He has some good qualities, too. And since my schedule is clear, I think I’ll spend the day with him to remind myself of that.”

“Your schedule isn’t completely clear,” Reyna corrected, putting her papers back in her bag. “We need to review the reports from the Angelian mines this season.”

Nico groaned.

“Actually,” Reyna continued, “it was suggested to me that you visit them yourself now that you’re of age.”

“All of them?” Nico asked in horror.

“The most profitable one, at the least.”

Nico frowned. “But that’s...that’s the Phrygian gold mine. That’s....”

When Nico didn’t continue, Reyna nodded. “Midas,” she confirmed.

Nico hadn’t seen the earl of Phrygia for at least half a decade. Midas hadn’t even been invited to the wedding. Normally, neglecting to invite an earl in one’s own duchy would be a great insult, but considering his history, Midas was fortunate to be an earl at all. In Nico’s opinion, he ought to be in prison, no matter how cooperative he’d been in that investigation....

“Midas,” Nico repeated with a curl of his lip.

“You don’t want to go,” Reyna observed.

Nico snorted. “What gave you that impression?” he asked sarcastically, folding his arms and slumping back into his chair.

Reyna sighed, but before she could say anything, Will’s door opened again.

“How about this time?” Will asked. His breeches were violet, his waistcoat yellow and silver, and his coat pale orange with pink and white floral embroidery.

Nico sighed. “Will, I told you to limit yourself to two colors.”

“I know, but I liked these colors so much and I couldn’t decide on just two—”

“It looks ridiculous,” Nico interrupted.

Will’s lower lip puffed out. “That bad?”

“You look like you belong in a circus act.”

Will brightened. “I like the circus.”

“That doesn’t mean you should dress like one.” Nico waved to his manservant. “Jules-Albert, please help him.”

Will deflated and slumped back to his room in defeat with Jules-Albert following behind him.

When they left, Nico caught Reyna looking at him. “I don’t want to hear another word about Midas,” he snapped.

Reyna sighed. “I don’t either, but he is the earl of Phrygia,” she said. “The Phrygian gold mines are crucial to the reconstruction of the Divitian economy.”

“I know.”

“Then you also know that you shouldn’t be angry with me for bringing this up.”

Nico bit his lip to stop himself from retorting. “Right. I apologize.”

“You were a bit short with your husband just now, too,” Reyna said. “I agree that he looked like he belonged in a circus, but there was no need to say it like that.”

Nico bristled. “I don’t think that the way I speak to my husband is any of your concern!”

“Your Highness.” Reyna’s voice was calm, but stern, and quickly burned through Nico’s anger. It almost felt like she’d physically smacked his head to get him to start thinking straight. She had been in his service long enough to know how to deal with his temper.

Nico wrinkled his nose in irritation, but said, “You’re right.” She usually was.

“About Phrygia,” Reyna continued, as if nothing had happened. “I know that the issue with Midas is...personal. I won’t force you to visit him. If you’d prefer, I can request for someone to go in your place.”

Nico shook his head. “That’s not necessary,” he said. “I’ll go.” After all, Midas was far from the worst person he’d ever dealt with.

“You won’t have to be alone with him,” Reyna promised. “I wouldn’t make you do that.”

“Thank you,” Nico said. He could forgive Reyna for the times that she left him alone in uncomfortable social situations as a ‘learning experience,’ but Midas was different.

Will’s door opened yet again and Jules-Albert held it for Will, who was now dressed in maroon breeches and a maroon coat with an ivory embroidered floral waistcoat. Nico smiled in satisfaction. “Much better,” he said. “You look beautiful, Will.”

Will smiled ruefully. “Thank you,” he said. “But I like to dress myself sometimes.”

“Then I’ll have someone teach you how to combine separates,” Nico said. “Come join me for breakfast.”

Will nodded and sat down. As Jules-Albert filled their cups with tea, Reyna rifled through her bag again. “A letter arrived from Diana for you early this morning,” she said, offering Will an envelope.

Will thanked her. “It’s from Lee,” he announced as he broke the seal.

Nico nodded. Lee and Lou Ellen were usually the ones to write the family’s letters, he’d noticed, but Kayla had also sent several drawings and notes written in large, awkward letters and Austin sometimes wrote to Will privately. Will treasured every scrap of paper they sent him.

“Only good news, I hope?” Nico asked.

“It seems so,” Will said. “Lee says everyone is relieved that Octavian finally left for his own estate. Hyacinthus decided to stay in Phoebus a while longer. My father must be happy about that. And...oh. Oh, dear. Not again.”

“What’s wrong?”

Will shook his head. “My father. He’s...well. I suppose I should have expected this. Lee says, ‘Papa is in the process of taking in a new ward — an orphaned farmer’s daughter named Meg who’s about Kayla’s age. Michael and Lou Ellen are arguing over whether this means Michael won their bet on how long Papa would last after the wedding before adding to the family. They agree that a taking in a ward ought to satisfy the criteria for ‘having a child,’ but Lou Ellen argues that Michael specifically stated that Papa would ‘have a baby.’ Meanwhile, I have remained carefully nonpartisan.’”

“How did a farmer’s daughter end up under the care of a duke?” Nico asked.

Will was quiet as he read a bit further, then he laughed. “Apparently she tricked my father into it — at least, that’s what Lee thinks. Papa won’t tell anyone exactly what happened, but it wouldn’t be the first time a child tricked my father into taking them in. I’ve told you about how Octavian ended up in his care.”

“I hope your father’s judgement has improved since then,” Nico said. Reyna snorted in agreement.

“Lee says that Hyacinthus likes her,” Will said as turned to the next page of his brother’s letter. “Hyacinthus talks Papa out of his worst ideas, so she sounds promising.”

“That’s good. Anything else?”

“Lee says that Kayla and Austin have each grown about an inch since the wedding,” Will said. “Michael’s been doing relatively well, but Austin still shuts himself in his room to sulk and play his violin and Kayla recently threw a tantrum that resulted in the destruction of a particularly expensive set of china. It sounds like she’s not excited about the new ward. She liked being the only daughter.” Will read quietly for another moment before folding the letter and replacing it in its envelope. “I’ll write back later this afternoon,” he said, tucking the envelope in his coat pocket.

“So how would you like to spend the day?” Nico asked. “We could go riding through the grounds or I could try to teach you to fence again.”

Will shook his head. “I would love to, but I already made plans with your sister.”

“Oh,” Nico said. He tried not to sound disappointed. “What will you be doing?”

“Needlework,” Will answered.

Nico tutted and shook his head in amusement. “She’s forcing you to do needlework?”

Will didn’t laugh. If anything, he seemed confused. “She’s not forcing me. I enjoy needlework.”

“Oh,” Nico said again. Will looked like he expected Nico to continue. Nico wasn’t sure what Will wanted, so he cleared his throat and said, “I...don’t. Enjoy needlework. So I thought....”

Will nodded. “I understand.”

Something in Will’s expression said that he wasn’t completely satisfied by Nico’s response, but Nico didn’t know what else to do. He looked at Reyna. She didn’t offer any suggestions, so they finished eating in silence.

Will stood up and kissed Nico’s cheek. “I’ll meet you later today.”

“You’re leaving already?” Nico asked.

“I promised your sister I’d meet her after breakfast.”

“Oh,” Nico said. “I see. Then I’ll see you outside for lunch?”

“Of course,” Will answered.

When he pulled away to leave, Nico’s stomach churned uneasily. He didn’t want Will to go — not when he still seemed like he was disappointed in Nico. “Will,” he said, reaching out and grabbing his hand. “I hope you have a good time with my sister. And, um, you look wonderful in those clothes.”

“Thank you,” Will said.

“I love you,” Nico added.

Will smiled. “And I love you,” he answered. He leaned down to kiss Nico’s lips. When he started to leave again, Nico let him go.

“I think I’ll have that history lesson today,” Nico said glumly. He might as well get it over with while Will was too busy to spend the day with him.

“An excellent idea, Your Highness,” Reyna said. “I’ll prepare the documents.”

Nico looked at the door again. “Do you think I upset him?”

“Your husband?” Reyna asked. “You did tell him that he looked like he belonged in the circus and you came very close to mocking his interest in needlework.”

Nico cringed. “Why do I always say things like that?”

“I’m afraid I haven’t been able to figure that out,” Reyna answered. “But to your credit, you’re improving. You haven’t called anyone a toad in years.”

Nico sighed. “Marriage is much more difficult than I imagined it would be.”

“Would you like me to advise you?” Reyna asked. When Nico nodded, she said, “Apologize to him when you’re alone this evening and remember not to do it again. It’s not so difficult at all. You’ll learn.”

Nico wasn’t so sure. Living with Will was wonderful, but Nico couldn’t help fearing that it was only a matter of time before he made a mistake. He’d fooled Will into thinking that he was kind, but how long would that last?

And there was still the issue of the legitimacy of their marriage....

Reyna tilted her head to the side. “Is something else wrong?”

“No,” Nico said. “Or...yes. But it’s nothing you can help with.”

Reyna pursed her lips. “I’m your adviser,” she said shortly. “I’m perfectly qualified to help you.”

Wonderful — now he’d made Reyna upset, too. “I know,” Nico said. “I didn’t mean...it’s just a personal issue.” Well, not quite personal, he added silently. The consequences could be quite political, in fact.

“Perhaps I can still help,” Reyna said.

Nico shook his head. “I don’t think so. It’s...Will and I...it’s nothing.”

“Have you had an argument?” Reyna asked.

“No,” Nico answered.

“Are you getting along well?” Reyna asked.

“Yes,” Nico answered.

“Then what is the problem?”

Nico took a deep breath to gather his courage and — “We haven’t consummated the marriage yet,” he blurted out.

Reyna stared silently like she was waiting for him to continue or to reveal that he was joking. When he didn’t, she said, “I’m sorry, you what?”

Nico sank into his chair. “I think you heard me.”

“Yes, but....” Reyna paused like she was searching for words. “I was under the impression that your physical relationship was rather successful.”

Nico shrugged. “I suppose it is,” he said.

“You seemed quite eager to for your wedding night.”

“I was.”

“You’ve been married for months now.”

“We have.”

“I caught you with your hand down his breeches in the conservatory last week.”

“Please don’t remind me.”

“And I saw the mess in your bed sheets this morning.”

“Lady Reyna!”

“So how, exactly, have the two of you not managed to consummate the marriage yet?”

Nico bit his lip. “I don’t know. Reyna, I think something is wrong. Our marriage won’t be real until it’s consummated and I’m not certain that he even knows how to do it. What if it never happens? What if our marriage is fake forever?”

Reyna rubbed her forehead. “I assume you haven’t talked to your husband about this?” she asked tiredly.

“I didn’t know how,” Nico said.

“Of course not,” Reyna sighed. “Your Highness, you know that the only way to resolve this is by talking to him, don’t you?”

Nico nodded.

“The sooner you do, the better,” Reyna said. “So tonight, you have two things to talk to your husband about. Firstly, apologize for mocking his fashion sense and interest in needlework. And secondly, bring up the topic of consummating the marriage, at least just to discuss it and understand why it hasn’t happened yet. But your marriage is not fake. Consummated or not, it’s very real. Understand?”

“I understand,” Nico said.

“Good. Now, let’s get started on your history lesson.”

* * *

“It’s nice to have company while stitching,” Hazel said. She held her needle up to the sunlight streaming through the parlor windows to thread a new string through its eye. “This is much more enjoyable than it is when I do it by myself.”

Will tilted his head curiously. “You stitch alone?” he asked. Needlework was generally enjoyed as a social activity for groups of women to engage in while chatting. They would talk about anything from recent gossip to philosophy, complimenting each other’s designs and offering advice. Will had many fond memories of stitching with Daphne and Lou Ellen (but not with Kayla, as she couldn’t be trusted with needles).

“I stitch with my mother and my tutors sometimes, but there aren’t many people my age in the palace,” Hazel said. “Nico and Reyna are the closest. I don’t often have the opportunity to stitch with someone I’d consider....” Hazel paused. “Never mind.”

Will didn’t pressure her to continue. With the wedding guests gone, the palace felt cold and empty. Decades before, the Palatium de Divitae would have offered residence to many courtiers, but they all fled back to their homes across the country when the Scarlet Delirium depleted their wealth. Hazel, who had been born into Pluto’s barren economy, had never known what it was like to live in a lively palace with other young people. She’d had very little experience with making friends.

“Nico never stitches with me,” Hazel continued. “I don’t think he even knows how to hold a needle.”

Will laughed. “He did seem perplexed when I mentioned we’d be doing needlework together.”

“I suppose it’s to be expected,” Hazel went on. “Needlework is more of a woman’s hobby, after all.”

“Well, I like needlework,” Will said as he reached for a new color of thread. Bonnie tried to bite it out of his hand and Will patted her head to distract her. “Perhaps it’s because I spent so much time with the sorors in Venadica, but I tend to enjoy feminine things.”

“That’s why it’s so nice to have you as my second brother,” Hazel said. “Now I can fence with Nico and stitch with you.”

Will couldn’t suppress a large grin when Hazel referred to him as her brother. He probably looked foolish smiling so widely, so he ducked his head to hide it. Even though the Palatium de Divitae wasn’t quite home to him yet, Hazel had clung to Will’s side since the wedding and battled with Nico over the right to spend time with him. It hadn’t been long before she started to feel like family.

“You talk about Venadica all the time, you know,” Hazel said suddenly.

“Do I?” Will asked.

“You mention it in every conversation. Venadica this, Venadica that.”

“It’s probably because I’m usually there this time of year. I’m sorry — it must get tiring to hear over and over.”

Hazel shook her head. “Not at all! It’s just something I noticed. You seem to miss it a lot.”

Will nodded. “I do.”

“Then why don’t you go back?”

Will had considered that, but he couldn’t request for the royal family to fund his trips and he didn’t feel right asking Apollo to continue sponsoring him. Of course Will had his own income as the earl of Solace, but he preferred not to spend it on himself. After all, he was only an earl in title; he didn’t even live in Solace. He had his income sent back to the mayor of the city and trusted Lee to ensure that it was distributed properly.

“I’m a newlywed,” Will said instead. “I don’t want to leave my husband. I’ll go back to Venadica eventually, but not right now.”

“Well, take me with you when you do,” Hazel said. “I want to see the city for myself. Nico wouldn’t take me with him either time he visited you because he didn’t want me being a nuisance while he tried to woo his fiancé.”

Will laughed. “He said that?”

Hazel shrugged. “May as well have. I begged him to take me to the Expo, but he told me that I’d just meddle in his affairs if he brought me along. But you’ll take me, won’t you?”

“Of course,” Will said. And he would — he just didn’t know when that would be. “Maybe next year. I can take you around the city, introduce you to some people, and show you where I study. You’ll love it there.” Will paused. He wondered if he’d be able to continue where he left off when he went back. Would his research be waiting for him? Would a new student have taken his place as Asclepius’ favorite pupil?

It was a foolish thing to worry about, Will knew. He’d always be welcomed in Venadica, but he wanted the city, research, and people to continue moving forward while he was away. He wanted the others to continue his research. He wanted Asclepius to find new young scholars to mentor.

What really bothered Will was the possibility that he wouldn’t move forward. As time went on, that possibility seemed more and more likely.

“I feel like I haven’t done anything since the wedding,” he said without thinking.

“Haven’t done anything?” Hazel asked. “I thought Nico and I were keeping you busy.”

“Of course you are,” Will quickly assured. “I’ve been enjoying myself here. But as a prince’s consort, I don’t want to only spend my time having fun — I want to be useful. I miss practicing medicine, as well. Actually, I was hoping to visit the palace’s physician today and offer to help in the infirmary.”

“Oh, don’t do that,” Hazel said with a grimace. “No one goes to the physician unless it’s absolutely necessary. She frightens me.”

Will frowned. “Hazel, you need to go to the physician. Your health—”

“I know, I know,” Hazel said with a dismissive air that reminded Will of when Nico was feeling particularly troublesome and rebellious. “Alecto forces me to let her visit if I’m ill. If I hurt myself sparring, someone helps me with the bandages.”

“Are they doing treating your wounds properly? You wouldn’t want them to scar.”

“Why not? I think scars make me look daring. Look at this one! I got it while sparring with Nico a few months ago.” Hazel promptly stood and hiked her skirts up to her knees, then rolled down her stocking to show Will a thin white scratch along her calf.

Will sighed, resigned but affectionate. Sometimes, Hazel reminded him of Kayla so much that it hurt. “If you aren’t worried about scarring, then please at least make sure your wounds are treated properly to avoid infection. Now tie up your stocking and right your skirts before Alecto comes and scolds you.”

Hazel acquiesced and picked up her embroidery hoop to continue her needlework. “Anyway, you don’t need to practice medicine. We have people to take care of it.”

Will sighed. His family didn’t understand his desire to work, either. He spent all summer in Venadica studying, they said, so why didn’t he take his winters off? Why did he insist on continuing his schooling in Delphi, or on overseeing the health of the animals on Apollo’s ranch?

“I want to,” Will tried to explain. “I’m a consor.”

Hazel nodded wisely. “That’s true. Consors are all strange.”

That hadn’t quite been Will’s point, but Will decided that she understood well enough.

A moment later, Alecto returned to Hazel’s parlor to announce that luncheon was being served in the cypress grove. “Would you like to come back tomorrow to continue?” Hazel asked as they set aside their embroidery hoops.

“I would love to,” Will answered. He offered Hazel his arm to escort her outside.

Persephone, Reyna, and Nico were already seated when Will and Hazel arrived with Bonnie following close behind, and it wasn’t long before Hades came with his advisers. Bonnie cuddled up next to Asterion and Will sat between Nico and his sister while they ate a meal of fruit and dry fowl. Having been spoiled by the wonderful flavors of Southern Juvian cuisine, Will was still getting used to the bland flavors of Plutonian food and their tendency to overcook meat. Even Venadica’s food was far better than the Palatium de Divitae’s.

However, Will was pleasantly surprised when the servers lifted the lid off a silver dish to reveal that it was filled with a cold, sweet custard.

“Ice cream?” Will asked happily.

“Nico requested it specifically,” Persephone said. “He mentioned that it’s one of your favorite Juvian desserts.”

Nico turned red to his ears and avoided meeting Will’s eyes, but he smiled shyly when Will thanked him.

After they’d finished, Nico approached Will and asked if he’d finished stitching with Hazel.

“We’re taking a break for today,” Will answered. “Spending too much time holding a needle isn’t good for your fingers. My hands already feel cramped.”

Nico’s expression brightened. “Then since you’re done, would you like to go riding? I just finished my lessons for today.”

“Perhaps later,” Will said. “There was something else I wanted to do before dinner. Could we have an evening ride instead?”

“Oh,” said Nico. He faltered, but then smiled at Will again. “Yes. An evening ride sounds wonderful.”

“I’ll meet you in our apartment this afternoon to escort you to dinner,” Will said. “After that, we can change and get our horses.” He kissed Nico’s cheek before leaving.

Will had been meaning to meet with the palace physician for a while. Although he’d been enjoying his blissful newlywed life with Nico, it hadn’t been long before a part of Will had begun to feel bored. Like he’d told Hazel, he was a consor — and as a consor, there was a part of him that craved something more than just having fun with his husband. Perhaps it was a sense of productivity that Will needed. Perhaps he required the feeling that he was helping people. Whatever it was, Will was ready to study and work again. The infirmary was the ideal place to start.

The doors were open, but the inside of the palace infirmary was dark. At least a dozen private nooks lined the left and right hand walls, all seemingly unoccupied. Each of the nooks contained a cot and a chest, with a private window on the exterior wall. The windows did little to let in the morning sunlight. Thin curtains covered the glass, only allowing a dim glow to pass through.

Will knocked on the wooden door frame to announce himself. “Hello?” he called. His voice echoed back at him from the tall ceilings. “Is anyone here? I wanted to speak to the doctor.”

Will heard a distant shuffle from deep within the infirmary before the small figure of a woman appeared from one of the farthest nooks. “A new patient?” croaked her raspy voice.

“Uh, no, not a patient,” Will said. He detected a faint, unpleasant odor as he stepped inside, like sheets that hadn’t been washed properly after someone had been sick on them. Will wrinkled his nose and glanced into the private nooks as he passed them. The furniture seemed dusty and the beds looked like they hadn’t been changed recently.

The woman cleared her throat, stopping Will in his tracks. Will had been so distracted by the lack of sanitization that he’d nearly run into her. Up close, Will could see that while her clothes looked heavy, the woman was little more than a sack of bones. Her shawl and the ends of her sleeves covered sores on her pale skin. Yellow crust lined pink eyes and gray hair was matted in clumps on either side of her head. How long had she been in the infirmary? What sort of disease was she suffering from?

Will apologized and stepped back to leave a respectful distance between them. Plutons preferred to maintain a larger degree of personal space when conversing, especially with a stranger and even more so with one of the opposite sex. “I am William of Solace,” Will said. “Well, I suppose it would be more proper to say ‘of Angelus’ now. I was interested in seeing the royal infirmary and meeting the physician. And you are?”

“Akhlys,” the woman rasped. “And I am the physician.”

Will swallowed nervously. “Oh, I...of course,” he said. “I’m pleased to make your acquaintance.”

“Pleased?” Akhlys repeated. “Why would one be pleased to see a physician or go to an infirmary, Your Highness? This is the domain of the sick, the suffering, and the dying. Every visit is a brush with death. Every mention is a reminder of our inescapable mortality.”

“Uh...right,” Will said. “That’s a very...um...introspective and, uh, cautionary viewpoint. But I prefer to think of this as a place of healing.”

Akhlys tsked in disapproval. It turned into a cough.

“Are you alright?” Will asked.

“What does that mean, ‘alright?’” Akhlys said miserably. “Are any of us ‘alright?’ Life is suffering, and then we die.”

Perhaps he shouldn’t pass judgement on someone he’d barely met, but Akhlys didn’t seem like a good fit for a physician. She looked more like she was in need of healing than someone who healed others. Will doubted that her presence beside one’s sick bed would offer much encouragement to a recovering patient.

“I’m a student of medicine,” Will said. “I came here to offer my assistance.”

Akhlys shook her head woefully. “Why would you want to stay in the den of disease?” she asked. “This isn’t a place for princes and their consorts. You’re no help here. Come back when you are miserable and dying, when you are in that vulnerable state of suffering that renders all men powerless in its wake—”

Akhlys broke off to cough again.

“Perhaps I can help with your cough?” Will suggested.

“No one can help me. Now leave this place and let me wallow in solitude.”

“Right,” Will said. “Well, I can see that your busy with your...uh...wallowing. I’ll come back later.”

“You may return when you’re dying,” Akhlys growled.

Will took a step back. “Uh...yes. I will. And maybe also when I’m not dying. Enjoy your...um...solitude.”

He turned and fled before the stench of the infirmary could knock him unconscious.

* * *

Nico found Will sitting at his writing desk in one of his private rooms that afternoon, mumbling to himself as his pen scratched against paper. Bonnie was at his feet, lying sleepily on her back with her legs extended into the air. Will rubbed her belly with the toe of his shoe, but his brow furrowed in concentration as he wrote.

“Are you replying to your family?” Nico asked.

Will jolted in surprise. “I didn’t hear you come in the apartment,” he said. “I’m sorry — I would have greeted you.”

Nico stepped inside. “I don’t mind. You were focused on writing. Is it for your family?”

“Yes,” Will answered. He set down his pen. “But I can finish later.”

Will always did that, Nico had noticed — rarely was he ever too busy for Nico. As long as he hadn’t made plans with someone else, Will dropped what he was doing to give Nico his attention whenever Nico approached him.

“Did you enjoy your day with Hazel?” Nico asked.

“Yes,” Will said. “We had a nice time together.”

“Good,” Nico said. “Good.” He clasped his hands behind his back and rocked onto the heels of his shoes.

Will watched him for a moment before turning in his stool to face Nico. “Was there something you needed to talk to me about?” he asked.

“No, nothing,” Nico said. “I just didn’t think you’d be here until this afternoon.”

“Neither did I.” Will sighed wearily. “Actually, I was hoping that I’d be busy, but my plans didn’t quite work out. I went to see the physician.”

“Why? Are you feeling ill?”

“No, I was hoping to offer my assistance. I miss practicing medicine and I thought she might have work for me.”

“You could have asked me instead,” Nico said.

“Well, I wanted to speak with the woman in charge first. I thought it would be more polite that way.” Will sighed again. “It doesn’t matter. She’s not interested in my help.”

“She’s not?”

“No, and she wasn’t very nice about it, either. But she seemed like she was just having a bad day, so perhaps I’ll go back and try again another time.”

“Well, Akhlys has always been unpleasant,” Nico said. “That’s why everyone avoids going to the infirmary if they can. Pity, though — I would dread visits much less if I knew you’d be there.”

Will’s tired expression turned into a smile. He opened his arms and Nico stepped closer to embrace him. Will kissed the corner of Nico’s mouth. “I’m so glad I have you,” he whispered.

Nico felt a pang of guilt. He knew that transitioning to life in Pluto wasn’t easy for Will — he needed his husband’s help. Nico wasn’t so sure he was doing enough to support him.

Nico took a deep breath and pulled back. “Actually, I wanted to apologize,” he said, brushing his fingers through Will’s hair.

Will’s head tilted to the side. “What for?”

“I’m afraid I was a bit too harsh on you about the separates this morning,” Nico said.

“Not at all,” Will said. “I know that I have no eye for that sort of thing. My brothers tease me constantly.”

“Well, yes, you are terrible,” Nico admitted. “But I worried that I might have teased too severely. Did I upset you?”

“Maybe a little,” Will admitted.

“I’m sorry for that,” Nico said. “And I’m sorry for assuming you didn’t like needlework.”

“You didn’t need to apologize for that,” Will said. “But thank you.”

Nico cleared his throat. “Also, there was something I wanted to talk to you about.”

“What’s wrong?” Will asked.

“Nothing. I...um....” Nico swallowed. Just ask him, said a voice in Nico’s head. Reyna had told him to try talking to Will about consummating their marriage that day, at least to attempt to understand the problem. Nico had to know.

But something about the look in Will’s eyes crumbled Nico’s resolve. “I just wanted to talk about next week,” Nico lied. “Lady Reyna and I reviewed reports about the income from Angelian mines today and I’m leaving Divitia to visit the gold mine in Phygia.”

“Oh,” Will said. “Then I suppose we won’t see each other for a while. It’s been some time since we’ve been separated, hasn’t it?”

Nico averted his eyes. “Actually, I was hoping that my consort would come with me.”

Will blinked. “Oh,” he said again.

“I understand if you’d rather stay here,” Nico went on. “It’s not a pleasure trip. I’m going to see the mine and meet with the earl. I just...I thought it might be a bit more tolerable if you were with me.”

“Nico, I’d love to go with you,” Will said quietly. His smile was small, but his eyes crinkled in delight. “That would make me so happy.”

“I hope you won’t be bored,” Nico said.

“I won’t be. I take my duties as your consort seriously.” Will pulled Nico close again and rested his cheek on Nico’s shoulder. “Thank you for inviting me.”

Nico didn’t quite understand why the invitation had made Will so happy, but then again, Will had unusual interests. Nico was just glad Will had cheered up. He could bring up the topic of properly consummating their marriage later; what mattered right then was that Will was holding him and Nico had just made him smile.

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wangtaeil · 5 years

Photo

wow. hello everyone! i cant believe i really get to say this, but i just hit 3,500 followers. w o w. i've been making ateez gifs for exactly 3 months now and in those 3 short months i have gained over 500 followers, bringing me to an amount i am totally undeserving of. i honestly have no idea how this happened but i am so grateful for each and every one of you i didnt know what i should do to celebrate this amazing milestone. i considered opening requests for gifs or moodboards, maybe even start taking requests for the amazing writing skills i've developed recently. that might still happen (and would probably be for mutuals only i'm afraid) but for now i want to just give a shout out to my amazing mutuals who make being here worth it. its gonna get loooong so its under the cut thank you all so much for this, i love you all

here we gooo....

@cryiingemoji if i said everything i want to say to you here, it would take up this entire post. luckily you already know it all because its been 700 years lol. speak to you soon, ily 💚

@sooncheolie i’ve said it a thousand times in the what, 3 years we’ve been friends? but you are one of my closest friends on here, and i’d like to think that if we knew each other in the real world we would be basically best friends. you’re amazing and i’m so glad we stumbled into each other’s lives back when we were just imhobi and jinjackson. you got me into seventeen and taught me all their names, now i just have to get you into ateez... ily 💚

@mauloveskpop miss mau, anyone that is lucky enough to call you a friend is truly blessed. we’ve known each other for years and i’ve loved every damn second of it. you’re amazing and so hard working, a real treasure. i’ve discovered a lot of groups through you and learned how to gif by watching you grow, ily 💚

@1oonar my daughter... you’ve been gone for over a month now but i still think about you every day. i hope you are well and i will be here waiting when you get back, ily 💚

@whiteconfession laura, honestly, i’d be lost without you. you’re an absolute riot to talk to, every time i see your name come up in my dm’s i know i’m about to lol in real life. i’m so proud of you for all your achievements, not that i ever had any doubts. and its not that long until sungyeol returns woo! ily 💚

@visualsan i dont know that i’d be writing all of this right now if it wasnt for you and your sister, i think its all down to you two that the amount of atinys that follow me are following me. i remember being really scared to talk to you at first because i’d admired your blog for a while and i actually freaked out a little when you followed me. i’m so glad we became friends, you’re so wonderful, ily 💚

@smol-joong like i said to bea, i wouldnt be able to write a 3.5k follower post if it hadnt been for you. you told people to follow me and then everything just blew up. you did that for me, i cannot thank you enough. you’re very special to me and i’d take a bullet for you (or take a buffet for you as my sister would say...). ily 💚

@prettyseonghwa wow, where do i start with you miss yasmin? you are an actual angel. i dont know what i did to deserve you but i’m so thankful for you. you’ve been there to talk me through some rough times and you handle everything with such maturity. you’re so thoughtful and caring, even when you’re struggling yourself. i wish i could do for you what you have done for me. ily 💚

@softmingis wonderful miss luna. you were one of the people i was most intimidated by when i first became part of atinyblr. no matter what you say, to me you are a big account and i was scared to approach you. but look at us now! you’re one of my favourite people here and i love talking to you. i’m so happy you came back, ily 💚

@doorootu res, i’m so happy to have met you. your finals are almost over and i’m so proud of you! soon you will be all over my dash again and i cannot wait! ily 💚

@omg-gyu i’ve missed you while you’ve been away taking your exams, i hope everything is going well for you. i was honoured to be the one you asked for advice when getting into ateez, i hope you’ve been enjoying this comeback, ily 💚

@honeyboysan jules, i admire you so much. your love of all things nature is so pure and wholesome and its a joy to see. you’re so thoughtful towards other people’s feelings and weird phobias. allowing myself and your followers to share your nb journey is inspiring, i wish you nothing but happiness, ily 💚

@cherryjoong honestly maggie, you’re some kind of chaotic good, you’re the human embodiment of your ateez crack moodboards, so much fun and i love interacting with you. also you and jules are so EFFIN cute i cannot handle it. ily 💚

@moonctzen you’re so much fun and you’re taeil biased so that automatically means you’re awesome. i know we dont interact that much but i thoroughly enjoy seeing you on my dash. ily 💚

@moonitaeil we dont interact much but your posts on my dash brighten my day. i’m glad we share a love of taeil, ily 💚

@127-mile emilie, you’re a very talented writer and you bring so much joy to so many people with your au’s. i hope you continue to write and grow for many many years, ily 💚

@softforyunho it says it right there in your url, you are the softest. so lovable and seeing you share your love for yunho is heartwarming. ily 💚

@jaehyunay you are hilarious, i love talking to you and seeing all of your lovely wallpapers that you make. keep up the good work! ily 💚

@meinyunho natali you’re so lovely. watching your adventures in gif making has been a pleasure. you’re doing so well and i hope you continue. you’re doing so well, i’m proud of you, ily 💚

@honeyjoongie elli, you’ve been gone for so long but its like you’re still here because of the amazing queue you set up. its so thoughtful and you’ve really made everyone so happy with the posts you’ve tagged them in. you even remembered who my stray kids bias is, you’re so powerful and you dont even realise it. everyone is so excited for you to come back, including me. i hope your exams went well, ily 💚

@missminji miss harleigh. you are another person i was quite intimidated by when i first got into the fandom, but looking back i have no idea why. you’re wonderful and totally deserve to see your bias yuto when you go to see pentagon. ily 💚

@wooyuong inna inna inna... you are the one i was the most intimidated by. literally everyone i know already knew you, even people not in atinyblr knew you and i once posted that i wanted to be friends with you and then immediately deleted the post because i was scared you’d see it. but it turns out you’re not scary, you’re infact very cute and adorable and lovable and i might adopt you. ily 💚

@choisansbitch we dont know each other very well, but maybe that will change one day. you are chaotic, but sometimes we all need a little chaos in our lives. you’re fun, i like it. ily 💚

@dearmingi you are someone i would like to get to know better because i dont think we know each other too well just yet. that being said, i do love seeing you on my dash. lets talk more, ily 💚

@sonqmingi definitely was intimidated by you at first and tbh still am a little and i dont know why. you’re awesome though and i’d love to get to know you more, ily 💚

@soulofatiny an angel in disguise. you are so wonderful and kind and caring and i wish there were more people like you in the world. it would be a much kinder place is there were. ily 💚

@woovoung another little bit of much needed chaos on my dash. we dont really know each other that well, but you’re definitely fun. ily 💚

@multidino sometimes i feel like i can actually hear your posts. you’re always there and always first to interact when i say i’m bored for which i’m always grateful. ily 💚

@jonghostation i was a little intimidated by you at first because even before i followed you you were always all over my dash interacting with everyone. i hope we can become friends, ily 💚

@celestial-yunho the last of the people i was most intimidated by. you have such a big presence within the fandom that i didnt think you’d even notice if i followed you. i’d love to get to know you more! ily 💚

@kqyvnho we’ve been mutuals for 2 whole days but i didnt want to leave you out! i hope we can become friends! ily 💚

so there we go! thank you all so much for everything 💚💚💚

#this is so loooong omg #i'm sorry if i missed anyone

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mr-chrisevans · 5 years

Text

Meet Cute - pt. 1

Prequel to A Christmas to Remember

Word Count: 2,675

Next Chapter

Before I met Chris and before I had even a modicum of success as a writer I worked at a little cafe in Los Angeles. I was trying, to no avail, to find a job as a freelance writer for an online blog somewhere in the city but worked there to make ends meet. But when a stranger walked into that cafe little did I know everything would change.

*****

"Hey, Estelle!" I shouted from the living room of our apartment. "Do you know what happened to my nametag? I cannot find it anywhere and I have no idea where I put it." She walked into the room with her toothbrush hanging from the side of her mouth. "I could've sworn I saw it when I walked into the kitchen this morning."

"Did you check your purse?" She asked, her voice muffled as she continued brushing her teeth and walked back to the bathroom. "You always leave it in there, Laurel."

"Yes, I already looked in there," I said and ruffled through my purse one last time. "I didn't find it when I-" I paused for a moment and defeatedly pulled my nametag out of my purse.

"I told you." She said from the bathroom.

"You are a bonafide genius." I laughed and grabbed my car keys from the kitchen counter. "I'll see you tonight."

Estelle walked back into the living room. "You better not be late tonight. It's Casey's birthday and she will rip that pretty little head clean off your shoulders if you're late again."

"I know, I know. I promise I won't be late. I'll give you twenty dollars if I am." I told her and made my way to the front door.

"I will take you up on that." She laughed and waved me out of the apartment.

*****

By some miracle, I got to work five minutes before my shift started, much to the surprise of my manager.

"On time for once?" Mark laughed at me as I walked behind the counter and set my things in the back. "I hope this lasts."

"Early actually." I joked. "But I can't make any promises. You know me too well for that." I pulled my notebook out of my back pocket and started scribbling down some random notes.

He smiled at me and went back to making himself a cup of coffee. "This much is true. So, what kind of drink would suit your fancy this morning?"

I held my pen up to my chin in thought. "I'm thinking just a classic vanilla latte with some swan art."

"I'll see what I can do for you." He went back to preparing the coffee and I sat in front of the counter continuing to write in my notebook. "Any inspiration come to you this morning?" He asked, hearing my pen run against the paper.

I chuckled. "Not unless you count waking up twenty minutes late and scrambling to get ready as inspiration."

"I'm sure you could do a lot with that for a story." He placed a mug next to me on the counter. "A love story. A compulsively late barista struggling to make it big as a writer meets a handsome mysterious stranger one day. It practically writes itself." He joked and sat down next to me.

I shook my head and chuckled. "I've never been one for cliche stories, Mark."

"Laurel, I hate to break it to you, but you are a cliche. Probably in the wrong city though."

"Are you telling me I should move?"

"Oh god no. You're late every day but you sure as hell know how to upsell some scones. We need you here."

"Apparently I'm the only one who knows how to do latte art around here too," I said and looked down at my coffee. "This looks more like a cartoon penis than a swan."

"We all have our weaknesses." Just then the door chimed signaling the first customer of the day. "Looks like it's time to sell some scones." He gave me a pat on the back and took his coffee over to the back counter to start doing inventory.

"Good morning!" I said to the man walking up to the counter putting on my best customer service persona and standing up from my stool. "How are you today?"

He smiled and tousled his hair a bit. He was incredibly handsome and I felt like I was blushing just from looking at him. "I'm doing pretty well. How about yourself?"

"I'm doing fine. There are worse places to be." I joked and earned a chuckled from him. "So, what can I get started for you today?"

"I'll just take a small dark roast to-go. And why don't you throw in a scone too."

"Sounds great. Can I get a name for that." I said and pulled out a to-go cup and a sharpie.

"It's Josh." He said with a smile and handed me his credit card.

"We'll get that going for you right now, Josh." I smiled at him and handed his card back.

*****

After my shift, I rushed home as quickly as I could and found Estelle already dressed and waiting for me on the couch. "Actually on time for once. That's surprising." She said without looking up from her phone.

"I'm thinking about turning over a new leaf." I joked, closing the door behind me and walking to my room.

"Knowing you that won't last very long." She shouted after me. "Now hurry up so we're not late."

I changed out of my work clothes as quickly as possible and dashed into the bathroom to do my makeup. I was ready in ten minutes, which was faster than I think I've ever managed to get ready. "I'm all set. Let's head out." I said confidently as I walked back into the living room. "Do you wanna drive or should I?"

"I'll take it this time." She stood up from the couch and grabbed her purse off the kitchen counter. "I'd rather not be hungover at work tomorrow night."

"I guess it's a good thing I work at a coffee place then. Easy access to hangover cures." We made our way out of the apartment and into the parking lot, praying that we'd make it to the bar on time.

*****

We made it to the bar just in time and saw Casey and Jules sitting at a table. "It's the birthday girl!" I shouted as we got to the table and I pulled Casey into a hug.

"I can't believe you made it on time." Jules laughed as Estelle and I finally joined them.

"It's a miracle truly." I laughed. "Now I am going to go get myself a drink. I will return shortly." I slapped the table and made my way over to the bar. It was surprisingly busy for a Thursday night so I had to wait to get the attention of the bartender. As I stood by the bar I felt a tap on my shoulder and turned around. I was surprised to see Josh's face, the guy I had served earlier that day at the cafe. "Oh, hi."

"It's nice to see you again. I didn't expect to see you here." He was just as handsome and charming as he had been that morning.

"You know working at a coffee shop is a lot tougher than you would expect." I joked.

"I don't think I caught your name this morning."

I smiled and held my hand out to him. "It's Laurel."

"Well, Laurel, it's nice to officially make your acquaintance." He responded and took my hand in his. "How about I get that drink for you?"

"I will certainly take you up on that offer. A rum and coke, if you please." He quickly flagged over the bartender and ordered my drink for me.

Just as I was about to thank him his friend walked over and slung his arm around his shoulder. "Come on, Josh. Stop being creepy and come back to the table. I'm moments away from kicking your ass at darts."

"I am being the opposite of creepy. I met Laurel this morning at The Grind and I was just being friendly." Josh pushed his arm off and smiled at me. "This is my friend, Chris. I apologize for his crassness but maybe you'd like to join us for a round of darts."

"Yeah, it'll be a lot of fun." Chris beamed. Something about him seemed oddly familiar but I could not peg where I knew him from. And while Josh was a good looking guy, I couldn't help but fall into Chris' gorgeous blue eyes.

I almost forgot how to speak while I was lost in the handsomeness that was Josh's friend Chris. I finally regained the ability to understand and respond. Sighing, I replied. "As much as I would love to, I'm here for a friend's birthday so I have prior obligations."

"That's a shame. But I hope you enjoy your drink and hopefully I'll see you around sometime."

"That would be lovely." Josh gave a curt wave goodbye and headed back to his table while I grabbed my drink and made my way back to my friends.

"Who was that hottie at the bar?" Jules asked when I sat back down.

"Just a guy who came into work today." I shrugged off the question and took a sip of my drink. "Nothing special really." Estelle turned to look at me and gave me a prodding look. I sighed before responding. "Well, to be honest, his friend was a lot cuter."

Casey chuckled and shook her head. "He did seem more your type. I would say go for it."

"Speaking of handsome men," Estelle started, "Why isn't Alan here with us, Casey. You would think the birthday girl's man would join us for the festivities."

Jules froze and discretely shook her head attempting to warn us to avoid the subject. Casey sighed and set her drink down on the table. "He will not be joining us tonight because he is no longer the birthday girl's man." All three of us tried to console her with kind words and hugs but she brushed us off. "I'm fine guys, don't worry about it. He was an ass anyway and I'm surprised you guys didn't say anything about it earlier." She laughed. Estelle and I exchanged a quick look before turning back to her. "What was that about?"

I sighed before responding. "Well, we tried to tell you before."

"Multiple times, actually," Estelle added. "But you were a little too blinded by infatuation to realize it."

Casey laughed at our responses. "I guess you're right. His hauntingly good looks distracted me from his rotting core of a soul." She joked.

"How about a toast," Jules spoke up and raised her glass. "To a new year free of assholes with rotting cores." We all raised our glasses and cheered.

"I hope one of you is prepared to be my designated driver because this birthday girl is planning on getting plastered."

"I think Estelle will take up that mantle. In the meantime let's get a round of shots."

*****

About thirty minutes in we all had a nice buzz going and Casey insisted on all of us going to play darts with Josh, Chris, and their friends. They were incredibly inviting and we were all more than happy to be there. "All right, I say we all team up. Teams of two with a boy and girl on each team." Chris announced gesturing with a beer in his hand.

"I think that sounds like a fantastic idea," I added.

Chris smiled at me. "As the two pioneers for this idea, Laurel and I will be on a team. You may divide amongst yourselves." Josh looked a little annoyed by our pairing but Casey quickly jumped at the opportunity to be his partner.

"I hope you're good at this. I don't want to have to pull your dead weight here." I joked and nudged Chris with my elbow.

"Oh, don't you worry. We will crush this, I promise." He held up his hand for a high five and I obliged.

We played darts for a while before Estelle eventually got bored from losing to Chris and me in every round, so we decided to sit and talk instead. The conversation bounced around to a bunch of different subjects that probably were not very interesting for a sober person. Chris discretely pulled out a pack of cigarettes from his back pocket and stood up. "If you don't mind me, I'm going to go outside for a second."

"I think I'm gonna join you," I added before he walked too far away and grabbed my purse to join him. Josh looked a little upset for the second time that night, but I couldn't pass up a cigarette with a handsome man.

We walked out to the porch at the front of the bar and I pulled my pack of cigarettes and a lighter out of my purse. The two of us set a cigarette between our lips. He successfully lit his while I struggled with my own lighter. "Here, let me help you." He leaned over and lit mine for me with his lighter.

"Thanks." I smiled and took a drag. "I guess this guy was standing on his last leg." I usually managed to be confident around guys I thought were attractive, but something about him gave me butterflies in my stomach like I'd never felt before and words were suddenly not my strong suit.

He smiled at me and turned to look out toward the street. "So, what do you do?" He asked.

I took my cigarette from between my lips and sighed. "I work at a coffee shop right now," I told him and leaned against the railing facing towards the building.

He turned his head to look at me. "You don't strike me as the kind of person who plans on working at a coffee shop for the rest of her life. What do you want to do?"

I smiled at his response and looked down at the ground. "I'm actually a writer. Well, a struggling one, but still a writer." I laughed. "The cafe is just a way to keep me alive for right now until I find some kind of freelance job."

"That's really cool. I wish you the best of luck in that endeavor."

"Thank you, it's greatly appreciated." I smiled and turned to face him. "So, what's your passion?"

"I'm an actor, actually."

"Oh, wow, that's really cool." He nodded along and took a drag from his cigarette. "Anything that I might have seen?"

"Maybe, yeah-" Just as he was about to finish his sentence when Jules and Estelle burst out of the bar supporting a limp Casey between them.

"Woah, what is going on?" I asked, shocked by the state Casey was in.

"Apparently she had a lot more to drink than we thought," Jules said and tried to shift Casey's weight on her shoulders. "We're gonna get her home now so she doesn't feel even worse in the morning."

I put out my cigarette and turned back to Chris with a sigh. "I really wish we could talk more but duty calls." I switched spots with Estelle to support Casey while she went to go get her car and we started down the steps out of the bar.

"It was really nice to meet you, Laurel. Maybe I'll see you around sometime." Chris leaned over the railing so he could see me before we got into the car.

I smiled up at him. "I'd like that a lot." I wanted to stare into his eyes for the rest of my damn life but was quickly pulled back into reality by Casey attempting to drag me into the back seat with her and repeatedly calling me babe. Who knew that mess of a night would lead to the rest of my life.

#Chris Evans #chris evans fanfiction #meet cute #author: cptn-wdw #mc ch 1

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parabellum-rpg-archive · 4 years

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Congratulations, Joss! You’ve been accepted to play Julius Heller. Your request to change his FC to Chris Evans, and his school to West Point, has also been approved. Please make your page and send it in within 24 hours.

Admin note: Hi, I’m obsessed with the detail in this application! I love how much thought you put in to his motivations and his history with Karina. I can’t wait to see Julius on the dash! - Admin M

IC INFORMATION —

CHARACTER DESIRED

Julius Heller

DESCRIBE THE CHARACTER IN YOUR OWN WORDS

Julius was pretty much force-fed the need to sacrifice for God and country from the age of 3. His father intended his son to follow in his footsteps, maybe be a full-bird colonel or even a general. Julius was smart and adaptable, he had to be with how he grew up, and he didn’t have close ties to any one place in particular. Add on a father whose love and respect was based solely on how willing Julius was to say how hi when his father said jump and you have the perfect candidate for the clandestine services. People from happy functional families don’t tend to become spies.

Working for the CIA wasn’t quite what he imagined, but it was thrilling nonetheless. His focus was Russia and working dealing with bot farms and counterespionage. He ended up dealing with the Russian Mafia’s encroachment on the US and developing connections in the mob in Moscow and St. Petersberg. After the Ukrainian revolution, he was sent to the Crimea to gather intel about Russian separatists and the Ukrainian forces trying to fight back against them. He ended up deep undercover, dating the daughter of a Russian-backed politician suspected of funding anti-Chechen terrorist activities.

Karina. Oh Karina. She wasn’t the first love of Julius’s life, but she was the one who got to him when he was vulnerable and in need of someone to hang onto. She was trouble, the kind of trouble he should’ve known to avoid, with a drug problem and an attitude that she could get away with anything because of who she was. But she got him in important doors, and lying next to her in bed at night made him feel like someone might love him at least a little for who he really was, even if he wasn’t sure who that was anymore.

Karina got into a new kind of trouble: playing at the games her father was involved in. She didn’t seem to understand why Julius would object, when he was the one neck-deep in it too, and it resulted in a fight that only ended when she called him to tell him she was pregnant. She also revealed that she’d been using his name to engage in all kinds of bad behaviour and had gotten him so deep in shit that even he couldn’t get out. He was going to get pulled by his handler and be sent back stateside. She told him if he left her, she’d reveal everything he’d been up to and make trouble for him with the Russian Mafia, blowing up his whole mission. She knew just enough that if she told the wrong people, he’d get outed and burned and probably end up dead.

While he was trying to find a way to bring her home with him, still convinced that they could have a family and be together, despite all the evidence to the contrary, Karina disappeared. At first, Julius assumed she was doing it on purpose to force him to acquiesce to her demands. Then, he was simply frantic, using contacts he only had for life or death situations to try and find her. She was found by Ukrainian police in an alley, dead of an overdose. The media called it a tragic accident and hinted that it might be a suicide, while her father accused first the Ukrainians and then his own Russian contacts of having her killed. Only Julius knew that the Chechens had been tipped off about her involvement in her father’s business there. And that sent him down the rabbit hole of not knowing whether or not his own organization was to blame; whether they’d weighed the likelihood of his own death or hers and come up with an equation that he couldn’t be a part of.

There is Julius pre-Karina and Julius post-Karina, and it’s the defining moment where he went against God and country and had to discover who he actually was as a person. He’s still figuring that out. What is the difference, after all, between someone who commits crimes for personal gain and someone who does it for the flag? Is he any better than a criminal himself? Half his co-workers retired and became arms dealers or corporate security chiefs who engage in morally grey activities in foreign countries where no one is watching. Who is he if he’s not the good guy? He’d always believed that a good guy doing a bad thing for the right reasons was better than a bad guy doing the same thing for the wrong reasons. Now he’s not so sure there’s even such a thing as good guys and bad guys at all.

His involvement with the Sinclairs has left him feeling even more confused. If he’s keeping someone safe, but he’s doing so for criminals, is he better than he was when he was getting people killed for the government? His moral quandaries are something he tries not to dwell on, the kind of man who acts and doesn’t worry about second-guessing because it will get you killed, but years of turning off his moral compass has made it impossible to shut it off anymore.

What’s worse is there are people in the Sinclairs that he likes, that he cares about, who matter to him. Not getting attached was supposed to be part of his job, but having done it once with Karina, it’s become a habit he doesn’t know how to quit.

All of this would suggest a brooding, angsty man who weeps into his whiskey quietly in his apartment while it rains, only of course he’s too manly to actually weep. But Jules is the opposite of that. He’s had to become pathologically well-liked as part of his CIA training, and it’s carried forward into his new line of work. He can sit down at a table and make friends with whoever happens to be there, so that by the end of the evening, he knows the name of everyone’s spouse, children, mistress, and favourite sports team. Jules can get secrets out of people and they don’t even realize he was the one who asked in the first place.

He doesn’t let a lot of people in, and even when he found Paityn and protected her, almost on a whim, he still struggled to let himself care for her. She reminded him of Karina, trouble that needed him and fulfilled that part of him that wanted to be the knight in shining armour when he’d spent his life hiding in the shadows. But she and her mother have wormed their way into his life, so that he now even has weekly coffees with Penny to discuss her family and frets over Paityn if she doesn’t check in even on his days off. He’s dangerously close to considering at least part of the Sinclairs as something almost like family, which he hasn’t had since he joined the service, and it would frighten him if he let himself think about it.

WRITING SAMPLE

Once upon a time, Julian Helmann had thought he knew what right and wrong were. Now he knew he had no idea. After years of wearing a variety of masks and using so many different names that he sometimes forgot which one was real, he was back in the country that he’d loved but never really known. He had a new identity, which had cost him his retirement fund. His former handlers at Langley had agreed to quietly retire him provided he accepted that Julian Helmann was burned in the intelligence community, never able to work for any government, disavowed by the service and made known to every agency willing to listen. He’d signed along the dotted line and hadn’t told them all to eat shit, because he was too tired to care. It was over, that was the important thing.

So he was now Julius Heller, and that was who he would be for the rest of his life. Or until something new happened that required him to leave this one behind. He’d learned not to rely on anything remaining the same. Being adaptable was what kept you alive.

He’d picked Chicago because it was unfamiliar to him. He’d never lived there with his family growing up, there were no military bases near enough to bother him, and it seemed like a city that didn’t require you to have a past. No one needed to know his life story, they simply knew that he was here now.

Case in point, he’d been coming to the Sinclair bar for a month and had made friends with three bartenders and five locals. None of them cared about what he’d done before arriving in Chicago, other than making sure he wasn’t a fan of the wrong sports team. He’d spent his life worrying about the motives of every stranger he came across, so it was refreshing to know that he was surrounded by people engaged in the kind of lifestyle that meant he already knew what their motives were, and that they didn’t care about him. Maybe he’d spent too much time in Russia. Maybe he couldn’t really get along with anyone but criminals anymore. When you’d spent fifteen years of your life learning how to do a thing, it was simply possible you couldn’t stop.

Of course he knew who they were. He’d chosen the bar for that very reason. What better place to blend in than a bar where everyone had rap sheets and a pressing desire not to answer questions? They weren’t even that bad, as gangs went. They didn’t kill your whole family as a lesson if you fucked up while you watched. Chicago had been run by the Irish and the Italians, who would probably hate to hear that that marked them as soft when it came to organized crime syndicates, but Jules had chosen it over places with a heavy Russian influence. Sure, the Russians were moving on Chicago, they moved on anywhere they could, but they didn’t have a stranglehold on the place yet. If they did, he supposed he would have to leave. He was used to that.

There’s a quiet after an explosion that most people don’t realize. The blast itself isn’t so much loud as it is an attack on the senses. You don’t even process it as sound because it blows out your eardrums. And then there’s just quiet, and a ringing that slowly grows louder and louder. You can feel it in your head, your teeth, your chest. You’re dripping blood from your ears, your nose, anywhere the shrapnel has hit, and the world feels a lot like if you’ve been pulled into the undertow, and you don’t know which way is up. It is one of the most disorienting sensations, and there’s no way to get used to it. Whether it’s your first explosion, or your 30th, you handle it the same way, which is badly.

Julius was outside the bar, which wasn’t hard, since there was now a much larger entrance than there had been, wondering if Vladimir had found out who he was and had sent a message about the thing in Vladivostok. A man pointed a gun at him and was probably screaming, Jules’s ears hadn’t adjusted yet. He’d be at least half-deaf for three days. Reading lips was never as accurate as people thought, but even in his current state, Jules could tell it was in English. And more, that the man didn’t have Soviet teeth, so he wasn’t Russian. Ukrainian, maybe?

“Ya ne rozmovlyayu anhliysʹkoyu.” I don’t speak English. Julius couldn’t even hear his own voice, didn’t know if he was shouting it or if it just felt that way. He kept his hands up, trying to wipe the blood off of his face on the inside of his elbow. The words, “fucking Sinclairs” was clear enough that Jules felt comfortable assuming this was not, in fact, a hit on him.

While debating whether or not to simply lie down on the ground and let things take their natural course, he saw a crumpled form with hair that caught the streetlight glow. It was a girl. She reminded him suddenly of Karina, the way they’d found her behind Yuzhnoe. He’d looked at the crime scene photos, still had them, couldn’t stop looking, as if something was going to finally tip him off and tell him for sure what had happened.

The yelling man with the gun had stopped pointing it at Julius, also having noticed the girl, and was walking towards her, firing and missing. The Costellos really needed to offer better firearms training. Julius shot the man in the head three times in quick succession, twice in the main body cavity as well just for good measure. Scooping up what turned out to be a handy little assault rifle that was definitely not street legal, Julius kicked the corpse several times just to be absolutely sure.

The girl was small, smaller than Karina had been, she weighed almost nothing as Julius rolled her over and checked for injuries. His hearing was fucked, so he kept having to look up, checking for cops or reinforcements. When he saw them coming, he was disappointed to realize it wasn’t the cops. Cops he could handle. This was going to be complicated.

Throwing her over a shoulder, he flicked the gun to semi-auto and sprayed a pattern directly at the oncoming car, causing it to spin out and hit the curb trying to avoid the bullets. That gave him time to unlock his car and toss the girl into the back seat. Button-lock cars were really a lifesaver.

The street ahead was suddenly blocked off by an SUV, and the car behind was moving to block him off as well. Fabulous. Turning, he noted that the girl was coming around. “Hey, I need you to get down and hide in the foot well, okay? Just … don’t move and don’t open the car for anyone. I’ll be back in a minute.” After a moment, he dug his phone out and tossed it to her. It was a burner anyway. “If I’m not back in five minutes, call 911 and then the first number in the contacts, tell them you need an extraction. Someone will come, okay?” Looking out the window, he judged he had maybe 30 seconds before they were about to have company. “Everything’s gonna be okay, I promise. You’re gonna be fine.”

Four minutes and 12 seconds later, he opened the driver’s side door, dripping blood from a graze across his bicep. It would sting but wouldn’t kill him. The SUV that had been blocking his path was now on fire and the one behind them had a small semi-circle of bodies around it. The girl was still there, looking dazed and so small. Her eyes seemed to take up most of her face. Karina’s face had been different. He reminded himself of that. Not the same. Different girl, different country, different him. “Let’s get you home, okay?”

#accepted

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