#i remember trying on these really firm leggings that my mum has

[little-whats-her-name]

"I can't hear you over the sound of the eight billion glasses and plates clinking, and the very high possibility that I'm going to lose my job, and the fact that everyone at this charity dinner hates me but we have to act nice to each other, and the weird lighting in this room, and these fucking Spanx!" - Katherine Hastings, probably

#she's autistic because i said so #the lighting in the charity dinner is so weird #it's not bad lighting but the spotlights make me think of searchlights #i remember trying on these really firm leggings that my mum has #and my mum was like “remember when you were asking about shapewear because of that show? that's what Spanx feel like.” #and i'm thinking “well that's bullshit; i can see why they made an entire cold open about them; this material is awful.” #also there's a continuity error in that cold open with katherine's sleeves #and it bothers me because when ana posted the scene on her insta; there was no continuity error #but the clips were in a different order in the actual episode #which just goes to show how many times i've watched that cold open #like i love it and i hate it #also wtf were the tight sleeve things for #do people really pay that much attention to women's arms when they're wearing tight dresses? #katherine and ana don't need spanx #and the former shouldn't feel like she needs them #i will die on this very specific hill #that scene in the commercial ep where sadie says something like “women should wear what they're comfortable in” #TELL THAT TO YOUR GIRLFRIEND #on x's insta she said that they were all wearing spanx and could barely breathe #and i'm just thinking about katherine really awkwardly asking dori for help #and dori sending a text to sadie #being like “we will all support katherine. we will all be concerned about her job and be physically uncomfortable together.” #women loving women in a non-gay way #but also in a gay way #sad that i can't tag people in hashtags #because i would love for @harrietdyker to write a fic #american auto #katherine hastings #sadie ryan #dori otis

[eabwriting2023]

The Father - Day Nine

Shiny, plastic and new. The White gleaming showroom really brings out his features. His glistening tooth smile, his slick black hair and popping blue eyes dressed in uniform given to them, he is more than perfect.

I stand upon my tiptoes staring into his pupils full of miniature computers, his iris turning as I move my head from side to side.

“This is who you would like?” Mum comes behind me lightly tapping my shoulder. “Looks friendly.”

“So, can we take him home?” I beg giving my mother puppy dogs eyes.

“He’s not that expensive, compared to those over there… alright then!”

Boxed and payed for by the cashier. My new father slid into the back of our car. Mum drives while I sit behind her, my tiny legs dangling. I can’t help but look behind me knowing that he lies a few meters away from me.

Home sweet home. All 85 square meters of it with brightly coloured green grass freshly mowed with black and white sleek block structure building.

The box isn’t heavy but awkward to manoeuvre around. I would help, but I know my little frame would be useless.

Eventually, after Mum has wrestled the box into the house and past the slim front door we are inside, the box sits in the middle of the room just in front of the dining table. A few steps later, ripping the outer layer apart to reveal father, a few wipes from my Mum’s phone allowing him to access our household he is alive…

Fathers eyes once closed now blink forcefully as though he is trying to remember the mechanism. One pupil and then the other, he stares down at me.

“Hello.” His voice is clear and firm, not too strict but spoken like an authoritative figure. “What is your name?” He smiles at me directly.

I look back at mum who is pulling the same smile back at me. “Go on..” She says.

“Hi.. my name is Amelia.” I stutter looking back at mum for support.

“It’s great to meet you, Amelia.” Father pauses before saying my name but pulls out his hand to shake.

“I don’t want to shake your hand silly.” I giggle running up to him, arms outstretched ready to be hugged.

Father is adaptable. He knows what is happening and hugs me firmly carefully not to hurt me. I feel loved. It feels strange to cuddle someone not present in my life.

Over the next few weeks, he is marvellous! Everything I ever imagined having a Dad. He plays ball games with me outside in the garden, teaches me useful life lessons like how to fold sheets and wash my grubby clothes.

I look at Mum and I can feel her happiness radiating seeing me so joyful, the change in me glowing.

I am alone at night wrapped away in my bedcovers, my night light providing a tiny smudge of light in my bedroom. I am awoken by rustling just outside my window. As I pull the covers off my body knocking vibrations hammer on the front door, then comes the shouting.

“LET ME IN NOW OR YOUR DEAD!” A raging voice screams from the other side of the door.

I sit in the darkness, only half of my face visible in the light. I am frozen, I don’t know what to do? Warn Mum and Father?

Two sets of familiar footsteps are heard rushing past my room. The voices from Mum and Father whispering together marching down the stairs. The front door security has been tempered with, I can hear the red lock laser turning to green.

A third person’s footsteps marches into our house. They are much larger and scarier. The door slams shut behind them.

“We want no trouble here…” Mum‘s soft voice calls out.

“If you take a further step we will both take action.” Father says sternly. “You have the chance to leave unharmed.”

“I’m not leaving until I see the child.” The third voice is gruff and unnerving, an unfamiliar, untrustworthy voice.

“You have no right.” Mum says now aggravated. I can sense her heartbeat race.

“You are harbouring a human child, I have every right, what you’re doing is a criminal offence, this child deserves to be with their human family!”

I sit perched on my covers glaring at my teddies all piled up in the corner. Mum is my mum.. what if she has been Ai all this time, just as Father is? I feel my own heartbeat race knowing what happens next can’t be good.

There is a moment of silence until what feels like Father lurches forward. This stranger attacks until the entire house is filled with the noises of anger and violence. I cannot stand the sounds anymore! I rush out of my room and stand full view in the corridor looking down at it all.

This stranger is muscular and large, his ginger hair frizzy, where his beard covers his entire face dressed as though he is about to go fishing, drenched head to toe. Father, Mum and this stranger fight as though they are in a Karate movie.

“Stop!” I yelp at the top of my voice. “My ears!” I hold both hands to my ears to block out this horrible noise.

Everyone stops what they are doing and looks up high, their eyes glued to me. Perhaps shouting wasn’t the best idea I’d ever had…

“Come here little girl there’s no need to be scared, I’m here too-“ The Stranger froze just glaring into my eyes. “You are no human..” He finally says. “You are one of them.”

#creative writing #writing #life #nanowrimo

[erodasfishtacos]

harry adores yn with his entire being and i can tell that she loves him just as much but the poor thing is just so scared, and by what you have showed us she has a fair reason to have struggles

Through Hell and Back

warnings: cheating, mentions of domestic violence, this could just be overall triggering if you have experienced trauma or family struggles.

this is a very important blurb to understand dynamic and history of the characters.

PLEASE let me know your thoughts.

—

Harry’s out at a bachelor party for his friend, Jack, at a noisy bar downtown where there is a mechanical bull and half-naked waitresses.

His phone rings at two-thirty in the morning, he already knows who it is and why she’s calling him so late.

He steps outside the noisy bar, “Hi puppy, y’alright?”

Harry already knew she wasn’t.

Her voice is shaky, “Er, are you still out at the bachelor party?”

If he says yes, she’ll just try to say have fun and was just calling to check in - a lie because she felt like such an inconvenience at all times.

“No, just got home,” He lied smoothly, he could hear her trying to hide a sniffle - she must have had a bad dream.

Every since she started trauma therapy, they’d been getting worse, as she worked through her struggles with a therapist.

—

“I-I don’t want to g-go in,” YN whimpers as she sits in Harry’s passenger side outside the clinic, “I can’t talk about it.”

“Baby, you need to do this. You need to talk to someone who’s trained to help you, okay? You promised you’d try it f’me,” He hums, rubbing a thumb over her wet cheekbone.

She shakes her head stubbornly, “It’s all going to come back.”

“Yes, it will. Because you didn’t work through it, you repressed it. There is a difference, okay?” Harry’s heart feels like it’s being ripped in two as YN looks like a caged animal.

YN squeezes Harry’s hand so hard it hurts but he doesn’t mind, he can feel her fear being shared through the rough touch.

She wipes her eyes with the sleeve of her sweater, “Please, H. I don’t want to remember.”

He sighs softly, “I would never force you to do something you don’t want to do. If you really want to leave, we can.”

YN searches his eyes, sees his sadness and she knows she has to push through because she loves him so much, “Will you walk me in?”

“Of course, s’fucking proud of you. My strong girl,” Harry praises, kissing the top of her head, and shutting off the car.

He walks her in, watches her as she hesitantly goes back in with her new therapist, and sits in the waiting room for the hour and a half until she comes out.

He does that every week without miss.

Drives her, walks her in, sits in the waiting room, and then drives her home.

She doesn’t usually talk much after the sessions, her eyes swollen and puffy which is a telltale sign she cried during the appointment.

Harry holds her hand on the ride home, sometimes draws her a bath or tucks her in for a nap under his covers.

One day, after therapy, they crawled into his bed together. She hadn’t said one word since she walked out of the office but she looks tiredly at Harry.

“Why?”

Harry frowns, “Why what?”

She hides her face into the fluffy pillow, words mumbled, “Why do you want me? I’m so broken.”

“Hey,” Harry responds loudly, pulling her up and giving her a serious look, “You are not broken. Even if you were, I’d love every broken piece, okay? I want you because I’m so in love with you it doesn’t make sense.”

YN shakes her head, “I don’t deserve you. You-you have to drive me to therapy every week, leave work early, have to make it up the next day.”

And well, his heart breaks a little because she truly believes that.

Harry grips her jaw, gently, “If you need to go to therapy for the rest of your life, I’ll drive you until I’m ninety. I’ll drive you five days a week if you need it.”

He continues,“I don’t deserve you, sweet girl. Strongest, bravest, most resilient person I’ve ever met. You are my soulmate and I believe that wholeheartedly.”

“I want to nap now,” She whispers, crawling back into her shell where she’s safe from the world, from facing her fears.

Harry just stares at her, the girl he’s had a crush on since fourth grade, the girl he’d been in love with since ninth.

When she felt broken, well so did he.

—

“Mum, I want to do more for her,” Harry cries to his mother one night at dinner after school.

“I know you do, Harry. There is only so much you can do. She has parents tha-“

“Those aren’t parents, mum! You know that!” He shouts angrily, “I need to do more for her. Help her!”

Anne looks at him with a soft, understanding expression, “You’re doing all you can, Harry.”

—

He was still doing all he can.

“I wa-was wondering if you wanted to come over and watch a movie?” YN acts casual despite the tremor but he won’t call her on it - on the phone at least.

“I’d love to pup, I’ll be over on a tick,” already walking away from the busy bar.

Harry can hear the relief in her voice when she says, “Okay, I’ll see you soon.”

When he uses his key to open the door, she sat on her couch with all the lights in the house on, not one off.

“Oh, pet,” Harry murmurs, all the blinds were drawn shut and he knew she’d already triple checked that the windows were locked - despite the state of the art security system he had installed for her.

“Um, so are we feeling a scary movie or romcom?” She ignores his words, picking up the remote, and pulling up Netflix.

He flicks a couple of the bright lights off until it’s normal dim and he sits next to her on the couch, taking the remote and turning off the television.

“Talk t’me,” Harry coaxes, unraveling her from the heavy weighted blanket, and tugging her into his chest.

“M’fine,” YN lies on a choked whimper.

“Y’safe, you know I’d never let anythin’ happen to you . Please puppy, tell me,” He’s not to manly to beg for her to open up.

He allows her to nuzzle her face into his neck, “He cam-came back an-and he -,” her voice drops, “broke in here and I wo-woke up as he was opening my door.”

Harry holds her for a very long time that night.

-

With Harry and her therapist’s constant encouragement she’d been able to be more open and up front with Harry - which made him feel unexaplainably proud of her.

Anna almost fucked everything up, all the hard work without even realizing it.

It was nearly three in the morning this time.

Harry was stuck at Anna’s house with her and her friends for a movie night.

He’d gotten up to go to the bathroom when his phone rings.

Anna sees who it is and picks it up, “What do you want? Harry’s busy and doesn’t have time for you right now. You know it’s not all about you, right?”

Then she hangs up, all of her and her friends giggling at how she just treated YN.

Harry is unaware of the call for a few minutes when he gets back until he gets a text from YN.

I’m sorry I bothered you. I am okay. Have fun tonight x

He scrolls through his phone in confusion until he sees the call, he glares over at Anna, “Did you answer my phone?”

She has a cocky look on her face, “Yeah, I told YN that the world doesn’t revolve around her and to leave us alone.”

All the friends are giggling - but that comes to an abrupt halt when Harry stands up, knocking over the little table of drinks with his anger, “Where the fuck did you get the idea that you could touch my phone, let alone answer it?”

All of them are quiet.

He scoffs, “Now all you annoying prats are going shut up? Get the fuck out of my way,” he orders to Anna who’s pouting.

“C’mon, it was a joke. Don’t leave,” She whines, grabbing at Harry’s arm which he instantly rips out of her grip.

“Don’t touch me. I can’t fuckin’ stand you,” He tells her honestly before storming out of her house without a look back at her teary face.

-

When he arrives at YN’s house, a book is automatically been hurled at the front door when he opens it, then another.

“Hey, puppy, stop tha’. S’just me, you’re okay. S’just me,” He coos, rearming the security system to make her feel better.

She is only in one of his shirts with the company logo on it and soft cotton boy shorts, hair frizzy atop her head.

“Y’have another nightmare?” Harry asks softly, all the lights were on again, every single one.

YN clenches her jaw, “No.”

He hardens his expression too, “I was in the bathroom when she answered that call. As soon as I found out, I came over here. Don’t be sour with me.”

“I didn’t have a nightmare.”

“I know y’bloody lying because your legs are still tremblin’. Now cut the bullshit and talk t’me, we’re not going backwards,” Harry tells her seriously, with all firmness he can muster.

“I love you.”

It takes him aback. YN told him how much she adored him but it was something that didn’t come easy for her.

To hear it flat out, well….he nearly almost melted on the floor into a pile of goop.

“I love you too, puppy.”

She takes a deep breathe, “It’s been that same nightmare, but it’s not really a nightmare? It’s a flashback to…”

YN swallows before she continues, “Remember when….when I ran from my parent’s house to yours and my dad came and found me…”

Harry doesn’t want to remember but he does.

—-

“Harry, he-he just pulled up,” YN cries, peeking out his window, “I don’t want to go home.”

“Harry, he’s screaming at your mum. I have to go.”

“Harry, I have to go before he does something stupid. I’ll be okay, I promise.”

“Harry, don’t cry. I’ll be fine, he’s just really upset. I’ll just deal with it and it will be over before we know it, okay?”

——

“I remember,” He wavers like he normally doesn’t, feeling like a helpless sixteen year old again.

It was moments like this were no matter how hard he wanted to be angry or scream at her for making their relationship so difficult, that he couldn’t be.

How could he blame her for her commitment issues?

Why she struggles to trust?

Why she never feels good enough?

“I’m sorry to bring that up-“

“Do not apologize,” Harry interrupts, “I want to know everything you experience or feel no matter how traumatic or upsetting.”

YN despite her own struggles, when she heard Harry say things like that…well she knew full heartedly that he loves her with no conditions.

She knew this was so hard on him, “I am so in love with you, H.”

His eyes automatically soften and he reacts like he’s being praised. His face lights up without him even knowing it does.

“I’ve been in love with you since I was sixteen, thank you for being my person. I appreciate everything you do for me.”

It was something she had been also working on in therapy, expressing gratitude- specifically to Harry.

And it works because Harry actually starts tearing up, eyes watering with emotion, “I love you. I’d walk through hell and back for you.”

He would and he has.

#harry styles #harry styles writing #update #harry styles masterlist #harry styles fic rec #harry styles x reader #harry styles x you #harry styles fluff #harry styles x y/n #Harry styles angst #cheating!harry blurb #cheating!harry #cheating!harry masterlist

[hubbie22]

Here is an ask well half an ask from the lovely @meddowscrl please don’t hate me 🥺 I just can’t do happy endings. I tried, I just couldn’t. I can only do angst. I like to suffer ~nervous laughter intensified~ Also, please excuse the writing, I have a respiratory infection and am heavily medicated.

You were happy, weren’t you?

“I want a divorce.”

You stare at him, you had only asked if he wanted to change the drapes. And the answer, turned your world upside down. He had been your boyfriend since 1968, your husband since 1972 and yet with one sentence he was now nothing.

“The drapes, I just wanted to change the drapes.” You mutter out like a hapless child.

“We haven’t been good for months.” He looks at you, his eyes hidden behind sunglasses.

“We haven’t?” Since when haven’t you two been good? Since when haven’t you two shared one brain cell? That was news to you.

Roger stands firms, flicking his long hair back. “No, Y/N.” He sighs, “We haven’t been us for months.”

“Is there someone else?” You look at him, searching for something. “You promised me. You promised me.” The words come out like a chant or mantra, what you held onto when he was on the road. A promise from another lifetime ago.

He sighs, as if he wants to tell you the truth. But he looks at you, and he sees the brokenness he caused. And he can’t bare to make it worse. So, he lies.

“No.”

You walk past him, and he grabs your hand and you think for a moment he will tell you he change his mind. But he hasn’t, and you tear yourself away from him trudging up the staircase.

“Y/N, this has been a long time coming. I’m not happy…. I’m not happy with you anymore.”

“A long time coming for who?” You can’t even look at him while you are packing your things. Most of which, he bought you. So, you only bring what you can into this relationship with yourself. “For you? Because I was happy.” There are tears streaming down your face, like a waterfall, “And I thought we were happy, it’s news to me that we aren’t. And that’s we haven’t been for sometime. Or maybe that you haven’t been.”

You sit across from him in a London high-rise, a wood table between you two and armed with a divorce lawyer. It happened fast, or maybe you were out of it the last few months.

You looked over at Roger, his hair was shorter the last time you saw him.

He stopped by your new apartment to drop off things you left, you could remember his shocked face when you open the door. You heard rustling outside and curiously you opened the door to see Roger crouched down, putting a box by your door. Blue eyes meet yours, and it was like time hadn’t passed. And maybe that’s why you treated it that way, maybe that’s why you went with the old routine. And you wonder if it was the gleam in his eyes, that let you believe that there was something to hold onto; that hope remained.

“Just some bits and bobs of yours.” Roger said, fumbling his keys in his hand.

“Thanks, Rog.” You can’t move from the door frame, the gaze y’all shared unbroken. Years of memories dancing between tha gaze. The squeal of the kettle you put on earlier makes the both of you jump.

“Cuppa? I still have your favorite biscuits.” You couldn’t stop yourself from buying them. It was just normal. And sometimes normal in this new word you didn’t know, was what you needed to sleep at night.

“Really?!” His blue eyes light up, and you motion for him to come in. Staying for tea was a dangerous thing, an old and easy routine. It was weird being so comfortable with someone, who was leaving you behind. Funny how the more things change, the more they stay the same.

Maybe it was because of the easiness of it all, that you left yourself fall back into the comfort of it all. As of you two were old friends, not two lovers frayed at the seams. Because of that easiness, you let yourself entertain a thought that maybe you could save your marriage. Put back the broken pieces into something recognizable, but it wasn’t enough. The yearning, the reminiscing of old times through the stuff he brought to you somehow turned into fumbled kisses and clothes thrown around haphazardly. It was something you thought would change the course of where your life was going. Instead of reconciling, it turned into Roger sneaking out when he thought you were asleep. It turned into your lawyer, letting you know Roger wanted you to have more than you asked for. It turned into more resentment and hurt from you, how he could use you and then leave you. How could he so easily but all those years together aside? It turned into something that shouldn’t have happened. And it turned into something that would stay with you forever. A funny word forever, because forever never is forever.

“Sign this, and your divorced will be finalized. All assets obtained during the marriage have been split, due to Mr. Taylor’s wishes.” Your lawyer says looking at you, sliding the papers across, while Roger’s lawyer speaks, “You will be comfortable, and well off Y/N. My client has been more than generous. In fact, I’ve never seen a settlement this amicable from the side of the main breadwinner .”

You sign the papers without any words, you don’t even look at Roger. You realize as you sign on the dotted line, this will be the last time you will use the surname you used for years. Funny how something you thought would never change, would be stagnant in your life just fades away. You then pass the papers across the table back to Roger’s lawyer, you watch as the lawyer slides the papers over to Roger for his signature.

And when Roger takes the paper, you stop breathing you wonder if his mind will change at the eleventh hour. But, he signs it without any hesitation. It’s a fluent and flawless movement, very unlike Roger- really. Part of you breaks at that, it was like he didn’t care he was closing the door on years of his life. Closing the door on you.

You stand up, smoothing out your wide legged pant suit. After the divorce, you had dipped your toes back into the world of working for a living. Putting that masters degree in business to use, and now it was time to separate yourself from the last of the rock n roll lifestyle you loved. And you turn to walk away, high heels on the marble floor when someone grabs your wrist turning you around.

“Take care of yourself, Y/N.” Roger looks at you with concern in his blue eyes. And you wonder if it’s for the friend he was losing, and not the marriage he let go of so easily.

You look at him, “I will. Don’t forget to wear your glasses, we both know you are blind. Don’t forget to call your mum once in while, she misses you. And try not to get so angry at the boys, they mean well.”

“Even after everything I’ve done, you don’t hate me.” You spot something in his eyes, you can’t put a name too. An emotion that seems out of place, it was almost looked like guilt and forlorn.

“I told you a long time ago, I could never hate you. No matter how much, I may want too. I just can’t.”

“You are too good, Y/N. I’ve forgot to remind myself of that. Maybe that’s why…” he drifts off, “Even those daft band mates of mine agreed. Never let me forget it. But, Im sure they are out to drive me mad!” He says with a small smirk.

“With the drum sets you destroy, I doubt the plan to make you mad.” You make a small sound, something between a strangled “hmph” and snort in retort.

“Same old, Y/N.”

“By the way, I have something to-”

“Roggiee!” A voice like a bell cuts through the hushed words you tell him.

You both turn to see a girl, or really a woman bounding toward y’all. And you look toward Roger, and you see the look in his eyes. A look that used to be reserved for you. And it clicked, the guilty look etched in his eyes, not even moments ago. The guilty look he wore that night. The whole reason your world was being upended and ruined. It was for her.

The bitterness filled you up, the way he could so easily toss you aside. The look you threw at Roger was one of pure resentment and unbridled rage.

“You lied.” Your hushed words, that come out through clinched teeth drip with a malice.

He looks at you with wide eyes, as if he was trying to shelter you from the truth. And you see that damned look again. “Y/N, please. I just couldn’t tell you.”

But before you can answer, she comes up with a smile on her pink lips and a twinkle in her dark brown eyes. “You must be, Roggie’s lawyer! I’m Gwen.” She smiles at you. And her smile is sickly sweet, and almost innocent.

It makes you want to scream, to throw something, to do something other than what you are doing.

“I’m Y/N, actually.” You extend your hand to her. Her eyes go wide, and she looks at Roger, who goes to her side immediately.

“Y/N, please listen.” He hold onto her side, and the whiteness of his knuckles against the material of her dark dress don’t go unnoticed by you. “I didn’t mean to fall in love with her.”

Gwen chimes in, “We honestly tried to stay away from each other, we just couldn’t. We were drawn to each other.”

If you weren’t so bitter, hurt, and angry perhaps the romantic side of you would find that notion tragic. You had read about it in books, and always rooted for the star-crossed lovers. But, now you were the collateral damage, you were the woman scorned.

“When we decided that what we had was something, I couldn’t tell you. I couldn’t tell you that I was in love with someone else, when you were there from the start. I just didn’t want you to find out after I got back from tour-”

“He couldn’t see you broken like that.” Gwen finishes for him.

You can’t even begin to comprehend the information given, you were gobsmacked. You were completely barred raw, for everyone is this godforsaken lobby to see. And because of that, you selfishly did not want to see how genuinely happy he looked with someone else. Someone who wasn’t you. So, you used the words you knew would cut him to the bone. “So, you thought it was better to make me believe it was my fault you weren’t happy. That I was ignorantly living in one sided marital bliss, while you were falling in love with someone else? While you were planning to leave, I was planning for a life with you?” Your eyes are blazing, your face hot with rage, “You thought it was better to make me believe I was the problem? I can’t believe you! After everything I did for you? After putting my life on hold for you?! This is how you repay me? I deserved the truth, but you, the both of you took that from me.”

“I just-” He sighs, “I just wanted to be happy again, and when I’m with Gwen I’m happy. And I was going to tell you, I was going to tell you that day with the drapes. But, you then you uttered that damn promise. And what was I supposed to do? How could I break my best friend? I’ve always been the asshole to everyone, but you.”

“I love you.”

You look at Roger, his long blonde hair disheveled with bright blue eyes. “I love you too, you are my friend. My very best friend.” You bump your shoulder against his, and let out a giggle.

“I’m in love with you, Y/N.”

You stare at him wide eyed, “Oh.”

“I have been for sometime.”

“Rog, I love you too. But, that doesn’t mean I want to date you. I know how you are, you will grow bored of me and find someone else. And love is sweet, but it’s not your nature. I don’t think I have it in me to me hate you, or to lose you. Please don’t make me lose my best friend.”

“You don’t get it, Y/N.” He looks at you like you hung the moon, and you like it. You crave that look. “I don’t want anyone else, it’s you. And I think it’s always been, and always will be you.”

“You promise? You promise it’s only me forever?” You bite your lip and stick out your pinky finger, like you had done so many times growing up.

“I cross my heart and hope to die.” He says as he raises your intertwined pinkies up to kiss it.

“And in that moment, I was back in Truro laughing with a curly haired little girl, and then I was in uni with that same girl, who was my best friend, I saw that girl. And, I couldn’t do that to her.”

You look at him, your face cold as stone. “I’m still that girl, I haven’t changed. You have. And that’s okay, it’s okay the change that’s life.”

That is how it ends, with a look of heartbreak on your face as the elevator doors close on the sight before you. And when the doors open, and you are greeted by the sight of the lobby. You realize, you didn’t even tell him what you wanted too.

Would it change anything?

#roger taylor imagine #roger taylor x reader #queen imagines #roger taylor

[storiesforallfandoms]

i’m giving up this life ~ thomas shelby;peaky blinders

word count: 1996

request?: no

description: after his wife takes a bullet meant for him, tommy finds she was holding a secret from him, and that it is time for him to give up on the gangster lifestyle

pairing: thomas shelby x female!reader

warnings: swearing, violence

masterlist (one, two)

Tommy closed his eyes as the shot rang out. For once, he was prepared for whatever was coming, and he even started to silently ask for forgiveness in his next life.

However, the end didn’t come. There wasn’t even any pain that would’ve indicated he was shot. When he opened his eyes, he found his wife laying on the ground at his feet instead, a pool of blood growing around her.

The man who had attempted to kill Tommy was frozen in shock as he watched the infamous gang leader fall to his knees. He took his wife into his arms, cradling her as he frantically tied to stop the blood coming from her wound.

"Come on, love,” he begged. “Wake up, stay with me.”

Her skin was ice cold. Tommy’s hands were stained red within seconds of touching her wound. He was panicking, his mind wasn’t working properly.

Anger started to course through his veins, and in one quick motion, he pulled his gun and shot the man until he was riddled with bullet wounds. He scooped (Y/N) up in his arms and quickly carried her out of the room.

“Tommy!” Arthur called as Tommy emerged from the building. “What happened?”

“I don’t know where she came from,” Tommy said, still in a partial daze of anger and worry. “One minute it’s just me and him, the next I find (Y/N) in front of me after...she’s bleeding so much.”

Arthur opened the door of his car. “Get in, I’ll get us to the hospital.”

~~~~~~

The wait was agonizingly long. Tommy had begged to be in the room with (Y/N) as they operated on her, but the doctor was firm in having him wait in the waiting room. The Peaky Blinders may have had most officials in Birmingham under their thumb, but the doctors still held a certain level of professionalism no matter who their patients were.

Polly came to be with him while Arthur and the boys went to deal with the body Tommy had left behind. She was watching him pace back and forth in front of her. “Tommy, pleas sit down. You’re making me dizzy.”

“How much longer till we hear something?” Tommy asked, ignoring his aunt. “They’ve been in there for so long.”

“It takes time, dear. They have to make sure she doesn’t have any complications and she’ll make a full recovery.”

“Why don’t they know yet?”

Polly sighed as Tommy finally sat next to her. He pulled a cigarette from his pocket and struggled to light it. His hand was shaking so much the flame wouldn’t stay over the cigarette. She placed a more steady hand over Tommy’s and guided the light to the cigarette.

“She’ll be okay Tommy.”

Tommy was blinking back tears as he took a puff from his cigarette. “Why would she put herself in danger for me?”

Polly took Tommy’s hand in hers. “Love makes you do crazy things, and she loves you so much.”

Tommy didn’t say anything. Instead, he took another long puff off his cigarette.

(Y/N) was an angel; a kind woman with a heart of gold who was strong and unafraid of anyone or anything. Tommy could never understand what it was that made her fall in love with him, and he’d never understand how she could love him so much that she’d risk her life for him.

When the doctor emerged and called (Y/N)’s name, Tommy was standing within seconds. “Is she okay?”

“She will be after some rest,” the doctor told him. “She lost a lot of blood, but you got her here just in time. We managed to extract the bullet and stitch up her wound. They’ll both be just fine.”

“They?” Tommy asked.

“The baby.” Tommy’s eyes widened, which answered any questions the doctor had. “You didn’t know.”

Tommy was shocked into silence. He didn’t even know (Y/N) had suspected she was pregnant. If she had known. Maybe she didn’t, or else she would have told him, right?”

“Can he see her now?” Polly asked, coming to Tommy’s side.

“Of course,” the doctor responded. “Go on in, Mr. Shelby.”

Tommy’s feet moved before his mind caught up with him. He found (Y/N) in her hospital bed, her eyes closed and the color slowly returning to her face.

He was almost afraid to touch her as he pulled a chair up next to her bed. She looked so fragile, like even a slight touch would cause her to shatter into pieces. He gently brushed her hair from her face, allowing his hand to linger against her face for a moment longer.

“I’m not worth this, love,” he whispered. “I deserved that bullet, not you. It was meant for me. I should be the one in this hospital bed.”

His hand moved from her face to her stomach, gently touching the spot where his child was growing inside of her.

“I didn’t even know. I continued to put your life in danger because of what I am, and because of that we almost lost our baby.”

With no one around to see him, Tommy let the tears freely run down his face.

~~~~~~

(Y/N) was unconscious for a total of three days. Tommy did not leave her side for a single moment. Each of his family came to visit their sister-in-law, and to make sure Tommy was okay. Polly often brought food for him, knowing he wouldn’t eat otherwise.

The doctors continued to give (Y/N) a shot that was meant to help give the baby nutrients to grow while (Y/N) was unconscious. Every time someone came in to give her the shot, Tommy just wished she would finally open her eyes again, that she’d finally be okay to grow the child on her own.

Ada was the last to visit, bringing a small bouquet of flowers with her for (Y/N).

“How is she?” Ada asked, taking a seat in the chair next to Tommy.

“The doctors say she’s stable,” Tommy responded. “They say it’s only a matter of time until she wakes up.”

“She’ll wake up soon,” Ada assured him. “She’s a fighter, remember? A real Shelby.”

This managed to make Tommy chuckle slightly, the first time in days that he showed even the slightest positive emotion.

“I suppose Polly has told the family our surprise announcement,” he said, his eyes trailing back to (Y/N)’s stomach again.

“Only me,” Ada responded. “She figured you two would want to tell everyone when (Y/N) wakes up, but she also knew you’d need someone while she’s still out. Someone who doesn’t have a cock between their legs.”

Tommy smiled slightly again. Polly always knew what he needed, what they all needed. For the woman who never birthed them, she was truly their mother through and through.

“I’m terrified, Ada,” Tommy admitted. “Not of having the baby, but that what I do - who I am - is going to put that baby in danger. I’ve known for years I’m putting (Y/N) in danger, but she’s always insisted she doesn’t mind. It was her choice to be a part of this family and this life, but that baby didn’t get to choose. We’re forcing him into a life of danger, all because of me.”

Ada put a hand on Tommy’s shoulder and gave it a slight squeeze, but she didn’t try to dispute him. Of course he was right, they all knew he was. Every Shelby man knew the risks of bringing a child into the world of the Peaky Blinders, even Ada knew when she gave birth to Karl. But for Tommy it was so much worse. Tommy wasn’t just a Shelby man, or just a member of the Peaky Blinders. He was their leader. He was the one with a massive target on his back constantly. He was the one their rivals would look to first to find a way to gain leverage over him - meaning they would look to (Y/N) and their baby first.

“I’m giving up this life, Ada,” Tommy said, the words coming out just as he made the decision in his head. “All of it, I’m giving it all up. The minute (Y/N) wakes up and is okay to leave the hospital, I’m taking her to the Garrison where we’ll announce she’s pregnant, and then I’m announcing my leave. Arthur can take over for me. Then, I’m taking (Y/N) as far away from Birmingham as I possibly can. Somewhere fit to raise our baby together.”

Ada was smiling at her brother. “I think that’s a perfect idea, Tommy.”

“Do you really mean it?”

The Shelby siblings looked over to see (Y/N) looking over at them, her eyes still blinking in an attempt to adjust to the bright hospital lighting.

Tommy jumped up from his seat and took (Y/N)’s face in his hands, kissing her face repeatedly. She giggled as he did so, before moving her head so he would kiss her lips. Ada stood as well, smiling down at her sister-in-law. “I’m glad you’re awake, (Y/N).”

“I’m glad you’re the first two I got to see,” (Y/N) responded. “Are those for me?”

“Yeah, I brought them,” Ada responded. “An assortment of your favorites. I figured this drab room needed something to brighten it up.”

(Y/N) smiled weakly. “Thank you, Ada. I really appreciate it.”

Ada gave (Y/N) a gentle hug before leaving her alone with Tommy. His touch was still gentle as he took her hand in his. She was still cold, but he was beginning to feel a slight warmth in her fingertips. It was almost like she was coming back to life all at once.

“I’m sorry I jumped in front of that bullet, Tommy,” she said. “Arthur tried to stop me from running into the building, but I knew what you were going to do and I just...I couldn’t let you...”

She trailed off, but Tommy knew what she meant; I couldn’t let the father of my child die.

“You have nothing to apologize for, love,” Tommy said. “I’m sorry I put you in danger, not just that time but all the times before as well. It’s not fair of me to keep doing this to you.”

“It’s your job, Tommy, and your family. I knew that when I married you.”

“But our baby didn’t know that when we created him.”

(Y/N)’s hand trailed to her stomach, the same way Tommy’s often had when he thought about the baby. “Is he okay?”

A smile tugged at the corners of Tommy’s lips. “It is a boy?”

(Y/N) smiled back at him. “Oh, I don’t know, but I have a feeling. Your mum had three Shelby men before she had one girl, and Ada and John have only had boys so far. I figure it only makes sense that we’ll have one, too.”

Tommy brought her hand to his lips and gently kissed her knuckles.

“Did you mean it, Tommy?” she asked again. “About giving up the Peaky Blinders?”

“I meant every word I said,” Tommy responded. “I almost lost you, (Y/N), and I’m not risking that again. I’m not risking losing our child, either. This life was not meant for families, and it’s best to get out before we bring a little one of our own into this world.”

(Y/N) was practically glowing at this news. While she supported Tommy with whatever decision he made, she’d be lying if she said the thought of bringing a child into his world hadn’t scared her. To hear him come to the decision to get out all on his own made her heart feel warm and made her feel happy.

“I love you so much, Tommy,” she said.

“I love you, too, (Y/N). Rest again, love. When you are cleared, we have a lot to tell the family.”

#thomas shelby #thomas shelby imagine #thomas shelby x reader #Tommy Shelby #tommy shelby imagine #tommy shelby x reader #cillian murphy #cillian murphy imagine #cillian murphy x reader #peaky blinders #peaky blinders imagine #imagine #one shot #fanfiction #fanfic #fandom

[hehebread]

[BKDK] Izuku keeps mentioning a Kacchan to reporters and they think that's his gf

this was a request on twt that i had way too much fun writing. warning for suggestive language!

--

“And is there…. a special person….or a group of people you would like to thank on air today? Anyone who inspired you? Anyone you would attribute your success to? An image of victory per say?”

Izuku’s eyes glimmer as the bright lights of the studio reflect on his irises. “Oh!” He jumps in his seat, his perfectly- coiffed curls bouncing as he nods frantically to the show’s host. “Yes! Yes!” Leaning forward with his hands on his leg, the camera zooms in on his face where the blush is painting his cheeks. “I wouldn’t be the hero I am today if it wasn’t for Kacchan!”

And it’s as if an earthquake alert dropped on the talk show. The host grows this devious grin on his face as he turns to the camera team and says, “Well, well, well, behind every great man is a woman after all.”

Izuku isn’t quite sure why the host is bringing his mother into this since the interview is reaching its end and he has already discussed her influence in detail very early on, but he doesn’t get a chance to ponder.

The host, Yamaguchi-san, leans into Izuku’s space with renowned interest and an interesting glint in his eyes. Izuku feels himself sweating in his oversized maroon-striped suit.

“So, Midoriya-san, Hero Deku, Rising Symbol of Equity and Hope, can you tell us more about … Kacchan?” His voice goes higher at the last syllable, almost sing songs, and Izuku is not sure if he should be worried or not, but he won’t pass an opportunity to gush about Kacchan!

“Ah, Kacchan is very … confident, hardworking, strong, and smart. Kacchan is a hero who knows how to lead a team and perform under pressure, an inspiration to both myself and our entire graduating class, and a”—Izuku can feel the heat rise in his face as he tries to hide in his colour— “a shining star who was closer to me than All Might!”

The host makes a loud ‘AWWW’ noise at the same time as the small audience in the studio. “My, my! Sounds like Kacchan is very important to Hero Deku! Don’t be shy! Tell us more! Is there a physical description to go with your precious person?”

“Ahm!” Izuku fiddles with his fingers as he avoids the gazes on him. There a long beat of silence before he manages to say, “Muscles….Blonde…..Sharp eyes….” With a vague gesture to his middle section, he mumbles, barely audible, “Big, ugh…..” Heart.

“OOOOOOOOOH!” The host goes wild and so does the audience. “So are we talking Hiromi Oshima type big or maybe Rio Natsume, or aaaah Aki Hoshino even ….?”

Izuku feels his ears ring in humiliation as he tries to process what they’re talking about. Something Kacchan has in common with all these beautiful women is his big successful career so Izuku nods. “Yes!” Then, a thought occurs and he rises in his chair. “Even bigger!”

After all, Kacchan’s net worth is higher than these ladies.

“BIGGER?”

“The biggest!”

“Oh my god!” The host is losing his mind now! “And is it … natural? Or did Kacchan get a little help from professionals?”

“No, no, no! Kacchan was a natural ever since we were in school together!” Izuku’s eyes shine with a fire to defend his childhood best friend, no longer trying to hide in his big suit. “No one helped Kacchan get this big!”

“That’s … amazing!” The host shakes his head in both awe and disbelief. “Now we want to see Kacchan in action! When the hero works around the city, defeating villains, does the size get in the way?”

Does Kacchan’s fame get in the way of his work? “Sometimes,” Izuku muses, “But Kacchan never lets the restless and perky nuisances stop him, y’know. With a little shake from his hands, and a few colourful words of wisdoms, nothing gets in the way!” Izuku laughs as he remembers Kacchan’s way of dismissing fans and reporters alike.

“Wow!”

“Of course, there are times where Kacchan’s big firm moulds become springy and hard to control, but I have yet to see an instance where that has been a major issue. ”

Kacchan is still having some adjustment problems with his new hero costume, particularly his grenade mould, but that’s as far as distractions go.

“Does Kacchan not use support?”

“Uhm, only when it’s a dire situation! Sometimes I’m even allowed to provide assistance!”

“You must be very lucky…”

“I am! It feels … exciting and … very special! Kacchan doesn’t trust just anyone, y’know! I can never quite get used to the trust we built together. We are one unit working together.”

“Do you use your hands…. Or something else?”

“Oh, hands! Yes! But anything works really! Whatever Kacchan is comfortable with and needs at the time. Black Whip, combo moves, an iron grip...”

The host furrow his brows and seems to be considering Izuku’s answer before he opens his mouth again. “Uhm, never mind.” He then turns to the camera, smile back on. “Our time is almost running out! Thank you, hero Deku for your time! We look forward to seeing you again in the big screen!”

--

The next day, Izuku wakes up to the headline: Hero Deku And His Mysterious Busty New Girlfriend: The Beautiful and Spunky Kacchan!

He’s doomed

--

He sees Kacchan early the next day.

Having spent the morning talking to tabloids and the host show agents about the misunderstanding and whether or not it was possible to take down the episode at least, Izuku slumps his head on his desk in defeat.

Oh, this is very bad.

He starts thumping his forehead on the wood in sync with the bleeps noises in the phone, already planning his funeral in his head.

Okay, so it seems the suspense around this girlfriend is raking up his popularity, but god, at what cost.

“Nerd, we need to talk.”

Izuku’s soul near flies to the roof at the sound of the door to his office slamming close. Fuckfuckfuck.

Kacchan stands before him with his hand on his hip, teeth snarled and looking ready to tear his flesh open. Oh, this is going to be fun!

After flashing a haughty glare at the glass door to scare away the nosy friends hanging about, Kacchan continues, “About the interview.”

Of course! Yes! His final hour is approaching. “Haahahaha, what about it?” Izuku feels his undershirt cling to his torso, sweat collecting on his face. He directs a shaky hand to a nearby chair. “Feel free to take a seat, Kacchan! You want me to get you anything? Water, tissues, uhm, a knife, a body sized bag, or uhhh, a shovel? I think I have some spare sheets of paper if you’d like to give me a chance to—“

“So…” Kacchan starts.

“PLEASE TELL MY MUM I LOVE HER!”

“…this Kacchan, huh?” Having completely ignored every single word Izuku just said, Kacchan crosses his arms and scowls. “Is she strong? How come I never heard about her before? Since when did you start dating this gravure idol and pro hero, huh?”

“Wha—?”

“So, you just go around giving everyone pretty nicknames now?” Kacchan snorts and his expression darkens before he slams his hands on Izuku’s desk. He looks at Izuku from under his chin, and Izuku swear he can see flames behind his eyes. He growls, “What’s her actual name?”

An alarm bell rings in Izuku’s ears and he stutters, “Ka— Ka— Kat— Katsuko! Bakugan Katsuko…….”

Kacchan’s expression doesn’t change and Izuku feels his heart leap to his throat. God, Kacchan is gonna call his bluff at any minute now. He’s going to reject him then he’s going to break his heart and his bones.

“What’s she like?”

Kacchan shifts forward slightly and Izuku is just know noticing the ample cleavage in clear view. Right there. In front of Izuku’s face. “Uhm. Ah, she’s very, ugh, im- pec— impeccable!! And strong! Muscl— mature!! Breasty too – I mean, pretty! PRETTY!” Izuku bites his tongue then swallows thickly. “Beautiful, actually!” Lifting his gaze to meet Kacchan, he whispers, “Gorgeous. Just the most amazing person in my life.”

Kacchan is staring intently with his sharp red eyes, and Izuku feels his chest swell with confidence he never had before. “Kacchan is my inspiration, and I just … love … Kacchan so much. I wish I had the courage to tell him— um, her that.”

“Are you two serious?” Kacchan asks, impassive but there is silent rage hiding behind his words.

Something flashes quickly through Kacchan’s eyes before he narrows them. It takes Izuku a second to recognise that it’s /hurt/ and then he realise what he has just done.

“No, no, no!” Izuku backtracks immediately. “I don’t even know her that well! In fact, she kinda smells and definitely has sweating problem.” Izuku needs to do damage control and come clean NOW. “You know what? I will call her and break up with her right now. Ha ha ha.”

What the hell is he saying? Who is he going to call?

Kacchan stands up while Izuku fumbles with his phone. “Don’t be a dick,” he says, before he heads to the door.

Izuku jumps from his chair and is ready to chase after him when Kacchan stops him. “How big?”

“Huh?”

“You said Bakugan was big.”

Ah, yes, he did. Tragically.

“Um, y’know just…” Izuku motions with his hands like he’s moulding two doughballs, palms up and fingers wiggling because he’s lost control of his life once he accepted his funeral date, but that’s not even happening anymore so what is he doing really.

He then makes am hourglass shape in the air and belatedly realises that he’s just outlining Kacchan’s shape in front of him. Izuku retreats his hands and puts them behind his back in shame.

Kacchan is looking at him funny. Like he’s trying to figure something out.

“Does she shoot aerial bomb or something? Is that a combat-style quirk?”

Izuku blinks.

Kacchan just sneers and turns around.

“Whatever. I’m doing a photoshoot this afternoon. The Sekushī clothing line is dropping a new summer set and they asked me to model.”

“Se- Sekushi?? You mean, like—” Izuku feels his face go impossibly red. “You’re saying that, you’re going to wear, like…..” his voice goes down to a whisper when he says “…..a b-b-b-b-b-bikini?”

“Swimwear,” Kacchan turns to say over his shoulder, “Among other things.”

The sexy smirk he sends Izuku’s way is doing very, very weird things to Izuku’s body and imagination, things too inappropriate to describe in a work setting.

Kacchan leaves but not without offering the most dangerous challenge to Izuku’s mental wellbeing. “Feel free to drop in.”

Oh, he absolutely will.

“Bring Bakugon.”

Oh, he absolutely will not.

Actually….

Maybe, he will.

Kacchan is going to ruin Izuku

#dekubaku #dkbk #bakudeku #bkdk #bnha #mha #boku no hero fic #boku no hero academia #my hero fanfic #my hero academia #izuku midoriya #midoriya izuku #bakugou katsuki #katsuki bakugou #prompt fill #icewrites

[newtonsheffield]

Hi. Maybe for spicy sunday we can get a glimpse of Kate and Anthony in a pool on particular hot day? ☺️

Okay, Okay, I have spent all week, tryna figure out where they would have access to a pool where others wouldn't be and ahhh I couldn't think of anything that wouldn't get them arrested for indecent exposure but ahh Did you know that Aubrey Hall has a pond?

👀👀👀👀👀👀👀

While Kate wouldn't say it was the main reason, She had to say, dating a man rich enough to own a country manor really did have its perks. For example he'd turned to her, three days ago and said, Let's go to the country this weekend as though it were the simplest thing in world. His mother had told her in a hushed whisper months ago now how he hated to go to their country house, how he only ever went there to mourn his father, and Kate had felt an ache in her chest at the image of Anthony, all alone there, grieving.

The first time he'd taken her there though she'd been wary, having head what his mother had said, but he'd smiled and said I want to make good memories there again. And who was she to argue? If he wanted her there, to remember how happy he'd been there, then that's what she would do. So every time he smiled at her, and tucked her hair behind her ear and begged her to go away with him, she did it. She packed her bags and strapped Newton into his harness, and let him drive her out of the city.

And really, in the summer when the flowers were blossoming and she lay with her head on his chest in the garden threading daisies into his hair, it was beautiful, he was so beautiful. She could almost imagine the 17 year old boy he'd been here, with Gregory on his shoulders, trying desperately to grow a little stubble, with his hair falling into his eyes, and she fell even more desperately in love with him. As they lay by the pond in the garden, the sun beating down on them, his sunglasses a little askew, his fingers, tickling the bare skin on her back.

"What did you do as a teenager here?" Her voice was soft, her fingers playing with the button of his shirt, the little flamingos printed on it making her smile. "Hiked mostly, played rugby with my Dad and brothers, helped my mum in the kitchen, we were so happy. This was my favourite place." His soft smile turning mischievous, a wicked smirk that always twisted her stomach. "Of course I would hang out in the village and talk to the pretty girls there." Laughter burst from Kate's chest, imagining a teenage Anthony, attempting to ooze charm the way his older self did. "And were you popular with the teenage girls?" "Oh immensely, teenage Kate Sheffield would have been completely at my mercy." Kate laughed again, and honestly, she'd seen the pictures, Anthony was exactly the kind of boy who would have set her heart aflutter if he'd winked at her with his school bag strewn over his shoulder, and exactly the kind of boy who would have had no idea she existed.

"You never would have looked at teenage Kate Sheffield, she had glasses and braces, and she-" "Was absolutely beautiful, I've seen the pictures, you can't fool me now, Sheffield." He cut across her, his fingers curling in her hair setting her heart a flutter. She hummed. "And say, your teen self lured young Katie Sheffield here, I went by Katie all the time then," Anthony looked delighted, "What would you have tricked her into doing." She could feel the smirk on her lips as Anthony sighed. "Well, I definitely would have told her how beautiful she was, and then, I would have tried to convince her to go swimming in the pond." Something warm sunk into the pit of her stomach, settling there, an idea forming as she sat up. A faux gasp. "Really Anthony, for shame. Did that ever work?" Anthony laughed, "Would you believe, No it didn't."

Hs eyes were curious as Kate stood, his mouth falling open completely as she slid the zipper on her skirt down, shimmying out of it, her crop top following shortly after, tossing it too him lightly, hitting his chest, frozen. She faked a gasp again. "Would you look at that. It worked." She said as coyly as she could manage, turning to walk towards the pond shivering a little as the cold water hit her legs. Anthony was sitting up now, his mouth hanging open in surprise. "It's awfully warm today Anthony, are you quite sure you wouldn't like to join me?" Almost as soon as the words had left her lips Anthony was stumbling towards the pond, his fingers fumbling with the buttons on his shirt, tripping a little as his shorts got caught around his ankles, laughter bubbling out of her chest, as he slashed towards her, flipping his wet hair from his eyes. And he looked so young and handsome and care free as he spun her around in the water, her breath catching.

"I wanna Marry you here." His eyes shining at her, his hand fiddling with the ring he'd placed on her finger only months before. "Yeah?" Her own voice a little rough tears stinging at her eyes. Tears shining in his own eyes. "Yeah."

Her lips finding his softly at first, soft heat simmering between them, his eyes darkening when they pulled apart, his lips finding hers again, tugging until her legs wrapped around his waist, muscles firm against her. His mouth trailing down her neck, soft lips nips drawing soft little mewling sounds from her, echoing through the garden. The sun still beating down on them, the warmth of him against her, contrasting with the cool water. And then it all seemed to happen at once. Their hips grinding together in a slow, teasing rhythm, laugher and happiness and so much love bubbling between them, their eyes locked together, identical grins on their faces as the tension built, slowly, air passing between them in gasps and moans, Anthony's forehead falling against hers. And then it crashed over them like a wave, shuddering against him her arms still holding her tightly, refusing to let her slip under the water bonelessly.

Anthony's breathless laughter echoing through the garden, Kate's own joining it. "I love you so much. You make me so happy." Anthony's eyes were shining at her in the sunlight, his sunglasses abandoned on the grass. Kate hummed, her lips meeting his forehead. "I hope your teenage self is very pleased." Anthony scoffed "Teenage Anthony is beating his chest like a madman because his wife is a frigging goddess." "Not your wife yet." She teased, unable to keep the smile off her face. "Semantics. Now, Katie Sheffield, perhaps if this pond impressed you so much, I could show you my Bedroom? I have some pretty cool CDs." And their laughter echoed through the garden again.

This was long and full of nothing. I'm so sorry

#these kids are just stupid and in love #and honestly it's really cute #not me getting heart eyes #bridgerton and sons au #kathony #anthony x kate #anthony bridgerton #kate sheffield #kate sharma #spicy sunday🌶 #but it's not that spicy #molly's asks and answers

[writtenbysj]

A Ghost of A Memory| D.M

Summary: You and Draco we’re friends with benefits until your sanity ran dry.  WC: 2070

Warnings: angst, toxic relationship, vague sexual encounters, drinking, intoxication-- biggest warning: Toxic Daddy lol

A/N: Leave me requests. This a ravenclaw writing bc I’m ravenclaw and don’t know what houses my readers are.

“Time for you to go,” he said. His back faced you as he slipped into his shirt, looking out into the water of the lake. Being in the dungeons, there was a constant glow of rippling water around his Prefect dorm.

Balanced on an elbow, you kept the silk sheet loosely around your chest, “Got somewhere better to be, yeah?”

His lanky figure swiveled around, taking you in. Your hair disheveled and cheeks a wild hue of pink, just how he liked it. His lips curled into a half-smile as he approached you. Sitting up, you released the sheet--exposing your bare chest. It was more of a sentiment, a notion for no words. You were baring yourself to him, only him.

This rendezvous seemed to be never ending. It began when you were paired together as partners in potions. You a Ravenclaw, him a Slytherin and together you were paired together for a potions project. It was quite clear from the beginning that he had no intention of helping with the project, so in spite, you turned it in with your name only. That incident caused a heated verbal argument and the release of a few stinging jinxes that landed you both in detention.

“I’m a Malfoy, it’s a name not hard to remember,” he seethed. Seated beside him, you rolled your eyes, “Unfortunately so.”  “I’ve got better places to be than scrubbing cauldrons with a slag like you,” he huffed, scraping out the hardened waste. “Slag? Really, in what way do I qualify as a slag for, Malfoy?” He lowly chuckled, “Right. What was I thinking--who’d touch you? You would need to garner someones attention first. Not an easy task with your messy hair and wrinkled clothes.”                                                                                              Annoyed, you scooted back to face him, “Seems like I’ve sure caught your attention, yeah?” He was silent, his eyes fixed on yours. Feeling bold, you stood up and inched closer, “Are my clothes too wrinkled for you? Want me to take them off?”

You were only being sarcastic. Trying to disgust him, but you couldn’t ignore the heat that pooled in your lower abdomen. There was an invisible string that pulled you closer and closer until your heat was met with his knee. If he bounced his leg, he’d rub your clit. And you silently begged for it with your eyes. He slowly swallowed and licked his lips, his eyes trailing down to yours.

“I wont tell anyone,” you promised. He silently nodded as his hands trailed from your ribs to your bum, squeezing; he pulled you closer. Hesitantly  you straddled his lap, nervous you would awake him from a trance. But, it was the most peculiar feeling you two had. There was a mutual itch that needed to be scratched. A release that needed to be freed. Was it the tension? The verbal arguments? Had he wanted this too?

“Somewhere better than with a slag like me,” you were bitter, and you hated to admit it. It was supposed to be a tease, but at the end of the day, that’s what you were to him. He had made it quite clear. 

You had seen Astoria rushing to kiss him after he played your house in quidditch. Saw him with a blonde at the back of the library when you were up late studying. Even saw him sneaking into an alcove while on your Prefect rounds. It also didn’t help he was keen on parties, and enjoyed the talk that followed him. It hurt, but he always said the same thing, “you promised you wouldn’t tell anyone our first time.”

“Don’t sound so down, were both using each other,” he laughed. Despite being sordid, he had the purest smile that made it feel as though having him only for a bit was worth it.

“Right, yeah, well...let me know, I guess,” you said averting his gaze as you gathered your clothes from the floor. Slipping into your laced thong, you could see him watching your from the corner of your eye. It felt like a small victory to hold his attention.

--

“I’m telling you this party will be worth it. You need to drink this slump away,” your best friend, Willow, argued. “Right, well, I’m only going for the free alcohol,” you said. 

“Also a little birdy told me, Cormac McLaggen has had his eyes on you for a bit now,” she teased. 

“Cormac McLaggen? He’s a complete git, but he is fit I guess,” you replied, finishing your makeup. You wouldn’t admit it to Willow, but, he wasn’t Draco. 

But maybe this is what you needed to move on. Show him how it felt. You weren’t just a sex doll, that sucked and bent over when he told you to. This could be good, you thought.

--

Walking into the room of requirement, the noise was deafening. It was amazing that magic alone could contain the rowdy teenagers and shouts of the singing witches.

 “Fuck, this is not a place you can be sober at,” you laughed pulling Willow to the drink table. 

“Fuck no,” she yelled. Pouring you each a shot, you shouted, “to getting drunk”. “To getting drunk,” she mimicked laughing.

It was only an hour later, but shots of fire whiskey and swigs of varying concoctions began to make you feel light, free and even confident. Across the room, Cormac stood with his friends. You had been dancing with Willow, grinding into her while keeping his attention. There was a tent in his pants that was hard to ignore. Dropping your gaze you licked your lips and made your way off the dance floor.

Leaving his friends without a second thought, he met you in the middle. “Never knew you could dance like that,” he teased.

 “I only do it if I have someone to do it for,” you flirted, tilting your head to the side.  His arms wrapped around you, and drunkly fitted you against the wall.

His lips caressed your neck, as he made his way to your ear, “you’re fucking naughty, aren’t you?” You lowly giggled, “you tell me.” 

His lips furiously engulfed yours. It was a quick, hungry rhythm as though he had been thirsting for this for days. And to be honest, you had a longing to be wanted--no, needed.

You raked your hands through his hair, before eagerly tugging at his collar. You hastily bucked your hips into his pelvis, feeling a pulsing emit from his cock. Moaning into his ear, you lips nibbled against his earlobe.

It was a moment that felt that felt eternal, but was swiftly stollen from you. “McLaggen, thanks for getting her wet but I can take it from here.” You hear, uplifting you from a trance of sexual fire.

Your eyes darted to his. Your e/c meeting his enticing blue ones. There was a dominance present; one that you had only seen in the bedroom after the moon had risen into the sky. 

“Thanks, but I think he can handle it,” you interjected, returning in for more. But, a strong hand had gripped your shoulder, pulling you back.

“Don’t think you quite get it, darling,” he stated icily. 

Pulling away, Cormac’s dilated pupils sized Draco. He carefully raked his stature, sizing his battle before returning to you.

 “Something I should know about,” he questioned. His voice was thick, and laced with an alcohol that stenched your nostrils.

“No--” “Yes,” Draco cut you off. His grip pulling you closer. “I hate others touching what’s mine,” he continued.

 Rolling your eyes and huffing out, you made yourself available to him and you knew it. He could tell you to jump and you would ask how high? At the end of the day you were his and he knew it. You belonged to him no matter how much you hated it.

“Give me a minute,” you said, grazing his McLaggen chest. It was bulky, and you intended to enjoy it. He was muscular, but not the lean muscle you were enamored with. He was bulky, and filled with a man. But you longed for a boy built with struggle.

Stumbling away, Draco gripped your arm, “Fuck, how wasted are you? I get you’re a Ravenclaw, but a McLaggen...no, a Gryffindor--what the fuck?!” He was fuming, and it would be a lie to say you didn’t enjoy it.

A firm grace swept your lips; you were in control. “Don’t like it? What happened to no one wanting to touch me?”

“You’re drunk--we’re not doing this now.” He was fuming, boiled to the top and ready to spill over.

“Keep this energy when you're pegging the next slag,” you drew, yanking your arm away.

His snowy lashes profusely blinked as he soaked in your words, before yanking you through the door. Stumbling forward, you intended to keep up with his pace but it was useless. He was charging through hallways, and leading you through unknown ground. Before you knew it he was mumbling pureblood to the dungeon door and sweeping you back into his prefect room.

“Haven’t we done this before? You have a one-fuck limit per day, if I remember correctly.” You were smart with him, but then again you were at your limit. How much longer could you uphold this needy position that you were kept in.

He angrily plummeted his hands against the wall on both side of your head, “What the fuck are you on?!”

“Don’t know what you mean, Malfoy,” your eyes struck daggers into his soul. He could feel it and his stomach propelled lower. He was losing you. 

“You’re mine,” he argued, hoping the time you two spent meant something to you as it did him.

“But you’re not mine--are you,” you questioned. His grip loosened and you walked forward, making him back up until the back of his calfs reached his bed.

“I didn’t kiss you saturday at your match. I didn’t suck you off in the library. We haven’t done it in an alcove in weeks. This was a mutual agreement of us using each other and I’m calling it off.” You words with dripping with a truth that riddled you for weeks, and you were content.

You glowed in confidence as he stood dumbfounded...or so you thought. “We couldn’t be together even if we wanted to,” he argued.

“No,” you asked, a warm liquid pooling at your slit. 

“No. Everything I do is for you, we can’t be together,” he stated. His eyes glittered in truth, but you bit your lip in resistance. You studied the boy you knew so well.

You knew his soft side, and the way he cared for his mum. The way he hated stew, and that he hated his earlobe to be nibbled because he would rather give you the sensation. You knew so much, but at the same time so little.

“You don’t get to do this,” you poked his chest. Your lips twitched and your teeth bared, “You do not own me. No matter how bad you want to posses me. I’m not yours to keep.”

It was the truth he didn't want to hear. His eyes glanced down to the floor, following the familiar rhythm of water ripples, “I want you everyday. I would choose you every minute of everyday if I could.”

“Then choose me, Draco. Choose me. I stay here waiting like a lost puppy for you to want me and I can’t do this anymore. I’m losing myself. I feel like a piece of me is missing when you’re not around and all we do is fuck when you have the time. I long for you and it hurts.” Tears brimmed your eyes and your lip twitched into a quiver. How pathetic, you thought to yourself.

His eyes stared into your words; his mouth, not moving a syllable. 

“I’m too drunk for this. Maybe another day,” you said, running your hands into your eyes--you’re head shaking.

“No,” his voice was loud, almost too loud. His walls were crumbling as he saw you exiting his world. “Please, y/n. Don’t go now.”

Your lips formed a slim line and your shoulders shrug, “Can’t stop me if I’m already gone--can you?”

 It was a timeless game that came to an end. You teasing questions he already knew the answer to. And it hurt, it truly struck a match that you so bitterly did not want to light.

But until the day he opened up, bared his walls, and submitted his ego for realease...you were gone. A ghost of a memory that would drive him mad.

#draco angst #draco malfoy imagine #draco malfoy friends with benefits #draco malfoy smut #draco malfoy x ravenclaw!reader #draco malfoy blurb

[chilly-me-softly]

Every Little Thing’s Gonna Be Alright • Chapter 24

Chapter 1 - Chapter 2 - Chapter 3 - Chapter 4 - Chapter 5 - Chapter 6 - Chapter 7 - Chapter 8 - Chapter 9 - Chapter 10 - Chapter 11 - Chapter 12 - Chapter 13 - Chapter 14 - Chapter 15 - Chapter 16 - Chapter 17 - Chapter 18 - Chapter 19 - Chapter 20 - Chapter 21 - Chapter 22 - Chapter 23

And there's the end! Thanks to everyone who read, left comments or liked it. My longest story ever, a real pain 😅. I admit I got a little lost here and there but I enjoyed writing it. There will be more chapters but I still have to decide some things so I don't know if or when they will be published... anyway I hope you like this last one x

The situation at home is awkward. Evelyn wanted to find the right moment to talk to her brother but that moment never seemed to come. She would stare at him, spend most of her time with him and yet she couldn't get those words out of her mouth. Engrossed in her own head, she hadn't noticed that the same thing was happening on the other side. Ben had an important decision to make too, or maybe he had already made it and it was only communicating it that scared him.

And one evening Evelyn had just put Cece down but didn't want to go to bed so she slowly closed the bedroom door behind her and made her way to the living room. But in the silence of the house she changes her mind and slips into Ben's room, settling into his bed and holding him close.

He immediately sighs squeezing her back, "What are you doing?"

"Remember how many times mum nearly had a heart attack because she couldn't find me in bed and I was sleeping with you?"

"How can I forget... when you slept alone I worried" she chuckles softly before sighing.

"I miss that. Being young and not having the world on my shoulders and being able to hide in my big brother's arms and feel better immediately"

"We're grown up, but that doesn't mean you can't count on me no matter what" for a moment she thinks she might burst into tears at any second, but she takes a deep breath closing her eyes to calm herself. "Even though we'll be far apart, we'll always be there for each other. Promise me Lyn"

"Ben" for a moment she thinks he knows, but it can't be. Jack promised her that he would give her all the time she needed and at the very least give her a heads up. So she tries to turn to look at him as if she could see him in the dark, but his grip is so firm she can't so she sighs "I promise, I promise"

There's silence for a few moments in the room before Ben sighs and releases his news, the one he's been holding in for a while now. "I might be a Chelsea player next season"

Evelyn snaps to her seat as soon as she processes those words, making a fuss to lean over and turn on the light hitting Ben in the process. "WHAT? Oh sorry! Ben that's great"

"Shh don't wake Cece up" Ben pulls her down but she gets back up again, resting her elbow on the mattress and looking at him proudly.

"You know I always knew you were destined for great things"

"Fly down. I said I might, it's nothing official yet"

"Well they'd be really stupid to let you go at this point: you're talented, you're a hard worker and you've got a pretty face too which never hurts" the two giggle as Ben lightly hits Evelyn with his foot and she then sits back down, her arm almost tingling.

"Why don't you look happy B?"

"I am" he states bringing his knees up to his chest and resting his arms on them, his hands brushing against each other from time to time.

"But there's something that doesn't make you live this moment to the fullest. Is it Deb?" she asks, but he's already shaking his head.

"I'll ask her to come with me if I accept" he admits slightly embarrassed as always when it comes to his personal life, but still sharing a smile with his sister who knows what it means. And she wishes them all the best because they deserve it, and not because they are the two people who have been closest to her in the last period but because they are good together and deserve all the good things that can happen to them.

"Is that for me?" Evelyn doesn't even give him time to think about changing subject, seeing him shift awkwardly from his seat sighing slightly.

"It's just... I worry about you. And Cece. It scares me to leave you here alone, because I can't ask you to follow me. Not now that you've found some kind of normality anyway"

"Ben" his name comes out more or less as a whisper, she doesn't even know if he heard it frankly. So she clears her throat slipping towards him and moving even closer, "We said you wouldn't worry about us any more than you have to"

"How can I?" when he looks up Evelyn can clearly see his inner struggle, and her stomach clenches in a painful grip. "I know I'm not her father but I love her, I love you and I can't help but worry about you as well since we live together"

"Benjamin James Chilwell are you really thinking of not taking the chance of a lifetime for a burbler and a whiner?" Evelyn tries to keep a straight face as she nonchalantly wipes away a tear that is silently rolling down her cheek.

"Family. For my family"

"Damn it Ben" she hits him on the arm between his laughter as she thinks it's now or never, if she doesn't tell him right then it's going to get harder and harder and she'll end up telling him the day she leaves. So she takes a deep breath.

"You know it's a good thing then that Jack asked us to move in with him. And that I said yes" next thing she knows she's on her back on the mattress with Ben moving his fingers over her body making her laugh and her trying to free herself.

"I can't believe it, what a bastard! You could've told me sooner!"

"Eh what can I say... I feel a certain pleasure in seeing you struggling" she sneers still trying to catch her breath as he drops down beside her.

"I promised you Ben, this time will be different. I won't make the same mistake twice" his hand goes to intertwine with hers, "Accept that contract if you think it might be the right move for your career, Cece and I will always be there to support you even if we can't see each other every day"

"I love you"

"I'm proud of you"

-

"Damn it!"

"Are you okay babe?" Jack yells from the other room where he and Cece are watching TV.

"Yeah" Evelyn lets him know clenching her teeth as she glances at the dog and places the container in her hand on the table.

"You need to stop that okay? One of these days I'm going to break something. Or you can hurt yourself"

"Babe who are you talking to?" Jack walks into the kitchen confused as she rolls her eyes.

"Your dog. He always has to get in the way"

"He just wants to play" he chuckles taking the dog and giving it some attention, "Look"

"It's annoying. I almost regret when he kept his distance as soon as we got here. And no, don't look at me like that. You have to stop"

Before she can say or do anything else, Cece comes running crashing into Evelyn's legs and laughing making Evelyn sigh just looking at Jack. He chuckles giving the dog one last pat before letting him go, "He just wants to play babe"

"I want to play babe" the little one states nodding as Evelyn picks her up, eyebrows arched in surprise.

"What did you just say?" the little girl repeats smiling as Jack hides a smile with his back to the two washing his hands.

"No no. Mh-mh. I'm not babe for you, I'm mommy"

"But he calls you that!"

"He's my boyfriend, he can"

"I can too! I'm your girl" Evelyn sighs knowing she can never win that battle, while Jack can't contain himself anymore and bursts out laughing.

"This is all your fault"

"How come?"

"You're a bad influence on her"

"Nah that's not true, she loves me. You love me don't you?" the little one agrees nodding as Jack pokes her tummy.

"Oh yeah? Well since you two get along so well, you can give her a bath tonight" she handed the little girl, who immediately wrapped her arms around his neck, winking at him.

"Yay! Lots of bubbles Jack?"

"As many as you want" and as the two of them walk away discussing the big plan that is taking a bath, Evelyn looks at them smiling getting lost in her thoughts.

Although it wasn't her first move, it was certainly the heaviest of all. Both emotionally and physically. Packing up her things and watching Ben do the same felt reassuring, but as soon as she remembered the different paths they were about to take, the nostalgia came flooding in. But there wasn't enough time to dwell on everything that Cece was calling for her attention and so it was back to square one, choosing what to pack for the moment and what not to, looking after the baby, spending time with Ben before going their separate ways...

Jack had made sure she had everything she needed, to make her feel as welcome as possible. They'd taken time to get everything set up, to make his house theirs, and she'd slowly gotten used to calling it home. And she really hoped it would be the last trip for her daughter, a permanent arrangement.

And she didn't have any big problems at the moment except for that dog. She'd never had a chance to complain about it, even when they came and went from that house the animal's behaviour had always been impeccable. He and Cece made a well-matched pair and there had been times when she'd actually thought about giving them both away, but then Jack would always calm her down. Recently though, he'd started following her around, getting in her way more than once or simply resting his face on her legs when they were on the couch watching TV. Talking to Deb about it, the girl had suggested that maybe her period hormones were the cause of the animal's sudden attachment to her, a hypothesis she had immediately ruled out because, firstly, it had never happened before and, secondly, she wasn't on her period.

However, that chat had put something in her mind, something she had not yet given a chance to sink in and had not yet checked above all.

"I wanna another baby" Jack surprises her that night after a thousand stories to put Cece to bed, alone in the living room brightened by the shades of light from the screen.

She looks at him. All she can think about is his choice of words. There had been moments: the first time Cece had called him dad, the time he had referred to her as his daughter, the first time she had referred to him as daddy in such a natural way. Yet each time, having the certainty that he considers her his despite everything, is like the first time. Like he'd never done it before. "Another?"

"Yeah. I want to add another member to this family, give our daughter a sibling. Can you imagine?" Evelyn can't speak, she's visibly emotional and Jack notices this as he replaces his dreamy expression with a more concerned one.

"I don't want to push you though if you don't feel like it yet. I know I'm not her father, well at least not biologically, and I don't want you to think it's for-"

"I think I'm pregnant" she then interrupted him giving voice to that thought that had been torturing her for a couple of days and it took him a moment to process those words.

"What? That fast?" and she laughs straddling him taking his face in her hands, leaving a tender kiss on his lips.

"I'm going to be a father?" he murmurs, his eyes sparkling as his hands go to brush against what is her stomach.

"I don't know for sure yet. I still have to take a test but I'm optimistic"

"Why haven't you taken one yet?"

"I guess I was scared. Last time I was pregnant I..."

"Oh honey, listen to me. I'm not leaving you anytime soon, okay? If you're pregnant, if you're carrying my baby right now... leaving you is the last of my thoughts. Trust me"

"I know that. I just-"

"Need someone to remind you of that once in a while. And that's what I'm here for" Evelyn leans in again to kiss him before standing up and offering him her hand which he accepts without hesitation.

"Where are we going?"

"To find out the truth"

-

Evelyn and Jack look at each other, unable to hold back a smile as Ben enjoys Cece sitting on his lap, helping her with the slice of bread in front of her. Since they had gone their separate ways, those lunches were commonplace to spend time together and they had learned to treasure those moments.

"Uncle B" Cece lifted her head bringing a crumb to the boy's lips, "what's a little sibling?"

"Oh...well a sibling is someone you'll love dearly when mum and dad have another b- wait" Ben lifts his head looking at the two in front of him, "A sibling? Why are she asking me about a sibling? Lyn" a glance is worth a thousand words as surprised and incredulous happy expressions appear on both of their faces before they get up to hug them.

"I knew it! I knew there was something different about you today!" Ben holds Evelyn tightly to him after putting Cece down, overjoyed for his little sister and the new life that will soon fill their lives.

"The dog, he knew all along"

"You 're damn right" Evelyn chuckles at Deb's statement as the boys look at them confused as they play dumb.

"I'm sorry man, this time it's your turn to take all the whining"

"Hey! Watch your mouth" Evelyn points her finger at him as Jack hugs her from behind, one hand going to gently caress her side.

"It's true! You used to cry a lot, about everything"

"Not about everything"

"A lot" Ben insists on pointing out, as his sister sticks her tongue out.

"Eh it is a bit true" Jack puts in earning a dirty look from her trying to push him away, "but I don't care. I'm ready to experience it fully, with the good and the bad too"

Later that day everyone seems to have collapsed around the living room, everyone except the two brothers. Ben signals for Evelyn to go out into the garden and the two of them walk off without waking anyone up.

"Quite a nice day" the boy relaxes on the deck chair in the green space closing his eyes for a moment as she settles down next to him.

"You called me out here to talk about the weather?" she teases him turning her head to look at him.

"And to tell you that I'm proposing to Deb this weekend"

"Ben! I can't believe you kept this from me all day" a gasp as she smacks him on the arm.

"It's not like I could exactly yell it out" he excuses himself turning for a moment to look at the glass door, "and I couldn't tell you with Cece around"

"You're right, I forgive you" she chuckles acknowledging that the little girl could have blurted it out at any moment without meaning to and ruin everything.

"Aw my big brother" she pinches his cheek as he tries to wriggle out of it by slapping her hand away, and for a while they laugh acting like they're kids again.

"Do you remember when you showed up at my house?" sighs Ben after a moment and at her nod, he continues, "you said there would be no more chances for you to find someone. Well looking at you now you could say you were wrong"

"You want to make me say it Ben?!" she looks at him cheekly before they both burst out laughing.

"I just want to... look at us. Me almost engaged, you almost a mother of two. For being the only members of the 'Boo love by Chilwell' club, it hasn't gone so bad"

"Oh my god, shut up! I totally forgot about that! We weren't normal kids"

"We never were" and it's like they've run out of time to spend alone as the little one of the house comes in rubbing one eye claiming Jack is still asleep and doesn't want to wake up.

"Oof I really hope my children can have a relationship like ours. You are and will forever be my best friend" she says sincerely, smiling and closing her eyes for a moment before standing up as Ben leaves a kiss on her temple.

"I will always be with you"

-

"Hey so about what my brother said earlier..."

"There's no need, like I said I want it all"

"Yeah but I just want to say one thing" she stands up on her toes to leave a kiss on his lips and he's already with his hands on her waist bringing her down not breaking the kiss. "I can feel this time will be different. I won't cry"

"Hmm how come?"

"Because I'm happy now"

----

Tag: @alexajanecollins @emwritesfootball @rosie7703

#every little thing's gonna be alright #my writing #original #football imagine #football imagines #jack grealish #jack grealish imagines #jack grealish imagine #ben chilwell #ben chilwell imagine #ben chilwell imagines

[ginemrys]

a change of heart

This is something very different to what we usually write, a bold departure from Jily! But we were inspired by a tiktok that showed Peter knocking on Marlene's door to Meant To Be Yours from the show Heathers and knew we had to write it!!!

Marly,

Lily and I are going a little stir crazy now. I try not to let her see how fed up with being stuck inside I am, but as you know well enough, she’s an expert at reading people.

I wish you could know where we are, that you could come and visit. We keep showing Harry photos of all of you, making sure he knows you all once this damned war is over. I think you’re going to be Marly for the rest of your life now, he’s quite taken with babbling some form of it over and over whenever you’re mentioned.

It’s unreal to think that he’s going to be a year old soon, where did that time go? Sometimes I feel like we are all still at school, taking our exams and getting up to mischief. I miss mischief almost as much as I miss the boys. We see Sirius of course, but no one has heard from Remus in a while, not since he went on his last mission for Dumbledore. I’m worried about Peter, he seems to be struggling worst of all, he barely replies to my letters now. I want him to be alright, he’s one of my closest friends and I hate the idea that he’s pulling away from us when we need him the most.

We miss you lots, miss you all. Please pass our love onto Dorcas and the others, you understand that we can’t write to everyone, just in case.

Stay safe, stay brilliant.

James.

Marlene stood in her childhood bedroom holding the letter in her hands. She smiled down at it, imagining baby Harry saying her name. She put the letter down on her bedside table before sitting on the edge of the bed.

“Marlene, dinner is ready!” Her mother called from downstairs.

“I’ll be down in a minute.” She called back, her head in her hands.

“Marly?” A quiet voice spoke from her doorway. Marlene’s younger brother, Marcus, stood there. He was home for the summer, having just finished his sixth year at Hogwarts. He was the only person who could ever comfort Marlene when she cried, knowing just what to do. So he stepped into her bedroom uninvited, and sat down beside her, one arm around her shoulders.

“Hey, you.” She said, with a small sigh. “Sorry… It’s been a tough few weeks.” She said, resting her head against his as they sat together.

“I know.” Marcus replied, his hold on her tightening slightly. “And I’m not going to ask, because I know you can’t, unlike Mum and Dad. Sorry they keep pushing you to tell us what you’ve been doing.”

“It’s fine, it was all just better when I saw more of my friends… I miss them. Lily and James I barely get to hear from, even Dore is too busy for me…” She sighed. “Right, can’t let our food get cold. Race you?” She said with a small smirk, moving back from him.

“It’ll get better, I’m sure.” Marcus said softly as she moved away, getting to his feet. A grin spread across his face as she spoke, his eyebrow raising. “You know I’ll win!” He took off running, making sure to shut her door behind him to slow her down.

But then a bang sounded from downstairs, Marlene’s mother screamed.

“Arsehole!” Marlene shouted after him, throwing the door open. She froze hearing her mother’s shout, but she joined her brother by stumbling into the kitchen. Marlene’s mother lay on the ground, her face pressed against the cracked tile.

“Mum!” Marcus called out, rushing towards his mother, falling to his knees to grab her. A cold laugh sounded and another green light filled the room. Marlene stood with wide eyes as she stared at the scene before her as Marcus fell limply on the tile next to her.

“Marlene, run! Go!” Her father shouted, his face wet with tears as he burst into the kitchen from his study, brandishing his wand. “You’re important in this war, go now!”

Marlene looked at her father for a moment before running towards the door, more figures moved into the kitchen and she could hear her father grunting as he shot spells that burnt hot behind her. She pulled the door open, but was stopped by a figure standing on the path. “P-Pete?”

“Stay there!” Peter said, his voice surprisingly firm. But his wand betrayed him, his hand shaking as he pointed it at her chest. “Don’t try to run, Marlene!”

Marlene felt sick, the shaking wand arm showed the dark mark embedded into his skin. She stared at him before turning on her heel and sprinting up the stairs. She ran at full pelt into her room, slamming the door closed and locking it behind her before resting back against it. She looked around even though she knew she was trapped. “Fuck.” She muttered, looking around for her wand. She could almost hear Alastor condemning her for putting it down.

Peter sighed as Marlene ran. He felt sick, unable to stop shaking. But this was a test, he had to do this. His mark was fresh, still itchy and green. He needed to kill, to kill by order of his new master in order to turn it black. And he was tasked with the murder of Marlene McKinnon. So he pulled the door open, hearing the thud of Mr McKinnon as his body hit the floor beside his wife and son. The stairs creaked as Peter climbed them, he could hear the chuckles of his fellow Death Eaters, none of them who knew that he was the spy believed that he could do it.

Marlene saw her wand had rolled onto the floor so scrambled forward on her hands and knees to grab it. “Come on.” She said to herself, trying to conjure a patronus to send for help. She had placed anti-apparition wards over her house a few weeks prior, to protect them. She’d thought people couldn’t get in, but she clearly had been wrong. A few wisps appeared out of her wand but she couldn't possibly think of a strong enough memory to conjure a corporal form. Not while her heart ached and her head spun.

He knew where he was going, he’d been here before. He’d lingered in the background as everyone had fun, drinking and partying after sixth year when Marlene’s parents had been out for the night. He’d sat alone, curled up on an armchair watching Lily begin to fall in love with James as they spoke quietly with their backs against the sofa. He knew where Marlene’s room was.

He knocked gently on the closed door. “Marly? It’s going to be alright, Marly. Just open the door, please.” He called through it, his voice soft. He could hear her ragged, panicked breathing behind the wood.

“It was you.” Marlene called back, her back hard against the door. “You’re the traitor. You… You joined their side. Pete, why?”

“Just open the door.” Peter replied, his voice a little harsher now. “I don’t owe you an explanation, I don’t owe any of you anything. Now open the door, Marly.”

“You could have come to us, any of us. We could have helped if you were struggling. Pete, Pete please.” She said, angrily brushing the tears from her face.

“No, I couldn’t!” He spat. He could have killed her by now, could have unlocked the door with a simple alohomora and he’d be done with it. But she knew now, she knew. Finally he could tell someone about how he felt, about how they all had made him feel over the years. “I couldn’t talk to any of you. None of you care, none of you remember I’m even there half the time. Remus used to give a slight shit, but then Dumbledore sent him away. And James only cares about his precious Lily, he doesn’t have the time for any of us anymore.” The words spilled out of him, his voice rough as he shouted through the door. “You’re on the losing side, Marly, you can’t win! So why bother trying?”

“That’s not true!” She exclaimed. “It’s not! We all care about each other so much, but it’s so hard, this war is so hard and it is worth trying, we want a future, a future with all of us.” She sobbed, her hand covering her mouth. “We all care about you. Please, Peter, we can fix this together. Me and you. I can save you, this isn’t the end. It can’t be the end.” She whimpered.

“It's too late. People didn’t care about me before the war, they won’t now. There’s no way.” He knew the door was locked, but still he reached down to turn the doorknob, knowing it would scare her. Some sick part of him was taking pleasure from hearing her sobbing. “Let me in.”

“We’ve always cared about you. What about Sirius and James? Remus? You’re one of the marauders. I’ve never seen a friendship as close as yours…” She said, standing up from the door and stepping back towards the bed, her wand raised.

“I’ve never been one of them, not really. I was just a means to an end.” Peter said as he pointed his wand at the lock, watching it glow slightly as he unlocked it. “It’s always been them, then me. An afterthought.”

“That’s not true, they love you. Let me help you, I can protect you.” She said, pointing her wand at the door. Her legs hit the edge of the bed, knocking the bedside table and the letter she had been reading landed on the ground.

“Not anymore.” Peter whispered. He cast a shield charm as he opened the door, knowing that she would try to attack him the second he appeared in her view. And of course he was right, because there she was, her wand pointed right at him. “See, you lied.”

“You’re trying to kill me, Peter. What do you expect?” She said, sending a stunning spell even though it bounced off his shield charm.

“I have to.” Peter said. “Expelliarmus!” Her wand soared out of her hand. Peter was never very good at catching, so he let it clatter to the floor in front of him. “I have to, Marly. You know that.” But still his hand shook.

Marlene winced as she watched the wand fall to the ground. “You don’t. You don’t have to do this, Pete. Please,” she looked him in the face, “let me help you, please don’t do this. Don’t kill me. I’m begging you.”

“You can’t help me. No one can help me. Not until the war is over.” Peter said, his voice sounding like he was trying to convince himself of the fact, to make himself believe that what he was doing was right. “It’ll be fine, Marly. It won’t hurt.”

“They’ll know it was you. They’ll find out. They won't forgive you if you do this.” As Marlene looked at him she could hear the voices of her friends in her head. We can’t be together, not anymore. I’m sorry. We’re going into hiding. I’m scared. You know I’ll win. I love you.

“No one will know.” Peter shook his head, his hand growing steadier by the second. “They think it’s Remus.” He drew in a deep breath, forcing himself to mean it, to want it. “Bye, Marly.” He whispered the words and saw the flash of light.

Marlene’s body hit the ground with a soft thud, her head falling next to the letter. Her eyes lay open, glazed and forever staring.

Peter had to press his hand to his mouth to not be sick, his fingers tingling at the feeling of casting an Unforgivable curse. His eyes travelled from Marlene’s dead, blank expression to the parchment beside her head. He recognised that handwriting. He walked over to her, taking care not to look at her anymore and picked it up. James . He was worried about him… He knew it was all for show, James hadn’t cared about Peter for years, if at all. But maybe he suspected. Peter knew he had to work harder with his so-called friends, if he wanted to prove himself to the Dark Lord. A sharp pain sliced his arm, a small cry escaping him. He looked, his mark was no longer green, but jet black. He’d done it.

“The other side are on their way. Let's go.” A gruff voice called from downstairs before steps moved through the house and disappeared.

The parchment slipped from Peter’s fingers, drifting down to land on Marlene’s outstretched palm. He kicked her wand behind him as he turned to leave the room, now it looked as though she had been killed without knowing who it was, in the middle of reading the letter. It probably didn’t matter much, but it gave Peter more of a sense of ease. He followed the sound of the voice, joining the other members of Voldemort’s inner circle, minus Snape of course. He did not know of Peter’s change of heart, and was not going to learn of it. Not until it was all over.

A quiet ache ran through the house as it was left alone, the bodies of the fallen left to run cold on the floor.

“Don’t fucking touch me.” Sirius growled at Alastor, pushing past him as he slammed the door open. “Marlene! Marlene!” He shouted into the house, walking forward towards the kitchen. He gagged when he saw Marcus’ body lying there next to his mother and father. He stumbled back against the doorway, looking around.

“Marlene!” He screamed out, pushing past the other members of the Order who were walking into the scene. He checked the living room before forcing his way upstairs and slowly pushing open the door into Marlene’s room. He slumped down onto his knees seeing her body. “No…” He crawled forward to pull her into his arms, wrapping his arms around her. “No.”

“Sirius…” Remus whispered. He’d only just gotten back from his last mission, the exhaustion obvious on his face. He and Albus had been halfway through their usual debrief when the message had come in, the message that the McKinnons' house had the Dark Mark emblazoned in the sky above it. Naturally Remus had come and had known Sirius would be there. “Oh Merlin, Sirius, I’m…” He took another step into the bedroom, unable to tear his eyes from Marlene’s.

“Get out. Get the fuck out of here.” Sirius snapped, holding Marlene close to his chest, stroking her hair. He looked down at her before he screamed out in agony, holding her tightly; unable to comprehend that she was dead.

“You don’t mean that. You’re upset.” Remus whispered, though a tear had fought its way down his cheek. Sirius had never spoken to him in that way before, not even when Remus had screamed at him for telling Snape about the passageway to the Shack. It stung, it hurt worse than any full moon. “I’m sorry she’s gone, Sirius.”

Sirius could barely hear anything, he lifted Marlene into his arms, lifting her up onto the bed and settling her onto the blankets. He stood up, leaving her there. “Get the fuck out.” Sirius snapped, moving forward to push Remus out of the room.

“Why are you being like this?” Remus asked him, his eyes wide. “This wasn’t me, Sirius. I didn’t- You know I would never hurt any of you!”

“You weren’t here! Where were you? If there were more of us we could have helped.” He growled, his thoughts were jumbled and he just needed someone to blame.

“You know I can’t tell you that! I was away on Dumbledore’s orders, Sirius!” Remus’ hand gripped the banister, his back pressed against it as Sirius backed him out of Marlene’s room. He could still see her long blonde hair on the bed, his stomach turning. “I’m sorry she’s gone, I really fucking am. But I promise you, I was with Dumbledore.”

“How do I know you’ve not been off with the enemy?” Sirius said, closing the door behind him, protecting Marlene in the only way he could. “How do I know you aren’t lying? You got here so quickly…”

“You really think I would betray you?” Remus snapped, the mere implication that Sirius thought he was the spy shattering him. “You think I’d work with him , betray James and Lily, put Harry at risk? Get Marlene killed? Fuck you, Sirius. You dare? You dare think that the things I’ve been doing haven’t been for the Order, for Dumbledore? You think so fucking little of me to consider I’d ever buy in to his blood purity bullshit? Me ? Clearly you don’t know me at all.”

“Marlene’s dead, people didn’t know where she was, where her family was. Marcus.” Sirius wretched, doubling over but trying not to throw up. “How else would they know?” He groaned.

“I don’t fucking know how they found her!” Remus was shouting now, furious at his supposed friend. “But I didn’t sell her out, I didn’t sell any of you out! Because I believe in my friends, Sirius, I would never think you or Peter would have betrayed James. But no, I do work for the Order alone and suddenly I’m a spy. I know you’re hurting, and I know you’re grieving. But I’ve seen the way you’ve been looking at me for months, and I’m sick of it! So go fuck yourself, I’m done.” He stormed down the stairs, the front door slamming behind him.

“Fuck you! Fuck you, you traitor!” Sirius screamed down the stairs, his knees giving way as he slumped down.

“Get him out of here.” Alastor said to a couple of Order members, who grabbed Sirius and dragged him out of the house.

The front door shut, the green glow of the Dark Mark still lingering in the air. But the house was silent once more.

#a very angst filled oneshot about peter pettigrew killing marlene mckinnon #its dark friends its very dark #inspired by heathers #peter pettigrew #marlene mckinnon #marauders era #marauders fanfiction #first wizarding war

[nooneelsecomesclose17]

I’ll leave what I’m chasing - Part 2

I hope people like the name (and that my research was right)

(AO3 link)

“How long did she say she’d be?” It’s not the first or even the second time Robert’s asked that since they stopped talking and he’s been pacing ever since Aaron had told him Sarah was bringing them home.

“An hour, but knowing Seb he’s conned her into buying ‘just one more cookie Ganma’ or an extra go on the swings. He’s got her wrapped round his little finger and she loves it. Why don’t you sit down.” He does, replacing the pacing with twisting the corner of the cushion in his fingers. “Robert, it’ll be fine.”

“You don’t know that. What if Seb doesn’t remember me, or the baby hates me.”

“Now you’re being daft. Seb knows exactly who you are, he has a photo right beside his bed, and your Mum has our wedding photos on nearly every surface. We talk about you loads. As for Ana she doesn’t have it in her to hate you.”

“He calls her Ganma? Mum?”

“Oh. Yeah, we were going with Grandma weren’t we, and my Mum was Nana. R’s were a bit of a struggle for a while so Ganma it is.”

“Speaking of your Mum, I thought there’d be a welcoming committee or something. A few pitchforks maybe.” He tries to smile, but Robert really doesn’t know how he’s hit the nail on the head. Thankfully he’s saved by the sound of Sarah’s key in the lock, and Robert jumping to attention at the sound.

“Later.” He rests a hand on Robert’s shoulder as he heads to the door to see Sarah struggling with the pushchair and a bouncing Seb. “Just how much of a sugar rush are we going to be suffering later?”

“Oh hush.” She glances past his shoulder. “Everything ok?”

“Getting there.”

“Good. Right, well I’ll leave you to it. Robert, come round later, we’ll have a chat, ok?” With that she’s gone, leaving Aaron to lift Ana from the buggy.

“Seb, mate, stop jumping a sec, you’re making me dizzy.” He glances over his shoulder to see Robert frozen into place, just staring at the three of them. “There’s someone here to see you. Do you remember we talked about Daddy Robert coming home?”

Robert’s still just standing there and Seb’s pulling back on his hand as he tries to convince him to go closer. Seb’s shy with anyone new and as much as they’ve talked about him, it’s still strange for him that he’s stood in front of him and Aaron’s willing him to actually move and speak to his son.

“You want to say hello? It’s ok mate.”

“You said he was far ‘way.”

“I know and he was but he’s home now, see, and I think he would really like a hug because he’s missed you so much.”

“And Ana?”

“Yeah. So what do you say?” Seb looks between him and Robert a few times before all but launching himself at Robert who barely manages to catch him as he barrels into his legs. He watches them for a bit, pressing a kiss to Ana’s head.

It still felt slightly surreal, that Robert was here, that they were all together and he feels the tears start to run down his cheeks, Ana’s little hands patting them. “It’s ok sweetheart, I’m not sad. You want to meet your Daddy, huh?”

Robert’s got Seb on his hip, the little boy babbling away in his ear, trying to tell him everything he knows in ten seconds flat.

“Seb, can I borrow Daddy a minute? So he can say hi to Ana?”

“Ok, but he has to watch my ‘toons with me.”

“I would love to.” Seb nods, satisfied and runs off to switch on the TV. Robert’s staring at Aaron, a slightly bemused look on his face. “He’s amazing.”

“Yeah. He’s got over everything so well, better than I thought. Better than me on some things.” It’s stupid, but he feels nervous, introducing Robert to his daughter. He’d not said much as he’d told him all the little things about her before they came home, has no idea what he’s thinking. “And this is Ana. Sweetheart, this is your Daddy Robert. I’ve told you all about him eh?”

“Ba!”

“Hi.” His eyes are shining with tears as he takes her in his arms and the tension seems to fall out of him. “Hi little Ana. Aaron she’s gorgeous.”

“Eh, she’s alright I suppose.”

“Where did her name come from? I expected...well with your lot I wasn’t really sure what to expect.”

“I didn’t want the usual biblical name, although apparently it’s a hebrew name, but that’s not why I chose it. It’s also the Spanish form of Anna which was as close to Annie as I could get without actually taking your Gran’s name.” He, Vic and Sarah had gone to Spain when news came of Annie’s death and he was a little stunned to find one of their wedding photos on her mantelpiece. He’d known Robert had kept in touch but he’d never mentioned telling her about them, but clearly he had.

“Aaron...I…”

“You weren’t here, but she deserved to have part of you.” Robert doesn’t say anything for a few moments, just staring at her before he hands her back to Aaron and makes his way to the door. “Robert, wait!”

*****

“Robert! What are you doing? You can’t do that!” He catches up with him halfway up the hill behind the village, the wind swirling round them making him wish he’d thought to grab his coat as he’d hurriedly knocked on Sarah’s door asking her to watch the kids.

“Go home Aaron.”

“No! You’re not doing this again. Eighteen months I’ve waited for you. I accepted you cutting me off, I put up with it, but you’re not doing it again. Talk to me!”

“I don’t deserve it. Any of it.” He slumps down onto one of the rocks jutting out of the earth, still wet from the rain and Aaron can’t help but wince a little.

“What are you talking about, of course you do.”

“I don’t. I have a little girl Aaron and she doesn’t know who I am, because I was so stupid. I let her down. I let Seb down. The one thing I promised I would never do to my children.”

“So, what? The solution to that is to let them down again by running away?”

“No I...I just wanted some air. It’s all just...a lot I guess.” He smiles that little half smile of his that always drives Aaron a little crazy.

“Yeah, it is. It was for me and I didn’t have a daughter to meet. Maybe I should’ve waited, let them stay with your Mum for the night, let you get yourself used to being out a bit more.”

“No. I wanted to see them. I s’pose it just hit me how stupid I was. I let myself get caught up in everything even when you told me to stop. I should’ve listened, I should’ve…” He covers his face with his hands and all Aaron can do is hold him as he cries. “I’m sorry.”

“I know, and we’ll talk some more, but it doesn’t have to be right now. Hey, come on, it’s over now. You’re home, with me, and your family.” He shivers in the wind. “You had to find the coldest bit of the village to come to didn’t you.”

“Gotta keep you on your toes.”

“Want to head back? Don’t want to be late for Seb’s cartoons.” Robert nods and Aaron gets to his feet, grimacing at the state of his jeans. “I will warn you that you won’t hear any of them because he’ll talk all the way through about everything and anything. Remember when you were worried that he wasn’t talking? He got over that and then some.”

“I can’t wait.” He still seems hesitant though, a little lost.

“You know, it’s ok if you need to go off, be on your own or whatever, but just tell me. When you ran out, it scared me.”

“I promise.” He takes hold of Aaron’s hand, grip firm, and smiles as they start to make their way back to the village. “You still haven’t told me how Mum came to be living in our other flat. Last I knew she was happy up in Whitby.”

“She was, but when Ana arrived I struggled a bit and needed some help. She was early and I wanted to stay with her so your Mum came up to help with Seb. I think she was having so much fun she didn’t want to go home. She was staying with Vic, but they had a few disagreements about Luke which made things difficult so when Liv moved back to Dublin it just made sense for her to move in.”

“And she hasn’t taken over? Because I know she has trouble taking no for an answer when it comes to family.”

“No. We’re getting on fine. I wouldn’t have coped without her.” The truth was he’d asked her to stay but he can’t get into that without telling Robert everything that’s been going on with his family, and he doesn’t want to get into that right now. He’d felt so alone, a new baby to cope with and making sure Seb didn’t feel left out, without any help. Sarah had been a godsend.

“Sure you would. Your lot must’ve been there. A new baby, they’d be over the moon.”

“Yeah, well, they’ve all had a lot on.”

“Aaron, what’s going on. That’s the second time you’ve blown off my question about your family. Don’t get me wrong I’m happy my Mum’s here and that the two of you are getting on so well but there’s something you’re not telling me.”

“Not today, eh? Today I just want to enjoy having my husband back.”

“And you definitely want that? Me, I mean.”

“I don’t trek all the way up here for just anybody you know. I never wanted anything else you know that.” Robert looks away, guilt all over his face. “Hey stop looking like that. I know why you did it, and I understood, I’m just saying that there was never a question whether I’d want you back.”

“So what now?”

“Now we go home, watch cartoons with our son and play with our daughter. Everything else can wait.”

#Robron fic

[stardancerluv]

Being a Good Friend

Epilogue Part One

Summary: Shadows of the past creep in.

Warning: none

Alex stopped walking beside you on the sandy beach. You stopped and eyed him. His worry was evident on his face.

“Alex, talk to me.” You tucked some hair behind your ear. “You can’t keep everything bottled up.”

You watched as he pressed his lips together. He looked past you before he looked back at you. His blue eyes reminded you on how sometimes, ocean could get turbulent here. He reached out and placed his hands on your tummy. Sighing, you put your hands over his. “I am fucking scared.” He finally said in a rush. “What if they find us here?” He added.

“They won’t.” You reached up and caressed his cheek, ignoring how he flinched.

“I’d be beside myself if anything were to happen to you and our little one.” He leaned into your cheek, he made a strangled sigh as he looked downward.

“They won’t Alex, it will be ok.”

******

That had been the last either of you had spoken of Juliet for quite a bit of time.

Waking with a start, Alex was breathless. He could’t remember what had made him so scared in his dream but he certainly was awake now. He did not see falling back to sleep happening anytime soon so he gently eased out of bed, careful to not wake you. It was almost five in the morning.

Pulling on his flannel robe, he went to check on little his Alexandria, his little Lexi. The moon and the dawn that was approaching flooded her room silvery, blue light. He heard her baby coos and gurgles before he even saw her.

“You couldn’t sleep either, huh love?”

There you were standing and holding on as tight as you could to the railing. She wiggled as he drew close. “Hello, my little princess. You’re happy to see daddy aren’t you ?”Reaching down, he gently picked her up and she almost immediately nestled close to his chest.

His heart swelled as he held her. He walked out onto the balcony to look at the he dark ocean lapping at the beach. Rubbing her back he looked out, she let out a burp that made Alex laugh so hard. “You may be my princess but you are a lot like daddy.” Cupping her head gently he gave it a soft kiss.

He gasped when over her head, he saw someone looking up at them. He immediately shrank back into the apartment. Fear gripped his heart. He looked around, putting his little princess down. Hunching over he walked over to the balcony. He peaked over the edge, whoever had been there was gone. It did not stop his heart from racing. Scooping up his princess he held her. What was he going to do, he just didn’t know.

*******

You put a bowl in front him the next morning. “Alex, are you ok?” You stood beside him as he ate his cereal. Absently, you played with his hair, it was getting longish. You were going to enjoy it while you could.

He nodded.

“Are you sure? You look like you didn’t sleep a wink.”

He finally looked at you and grimaced. “I checked on our little princess and when I did, we went out to the balcony. Someone was looking up at ours.”

“Are you sure?”

“At five in the morning, I’m sure.” He looked even worse then he did moments ago. “When I went go and look they were gone.”

“Good, maybe it was just someone walking by who happened to look up.” He sat back and pulled you onto his lap. “I really hope so.”

It couldn’t possible be Rose or Juliet, you mused as you hugged him. Your stomach, as you felt ill at the thought.

Lexi cooed and gurgled, lifting your head you smiled at your precious little girl. Who so many ways was just like her daddy from her wild auburn hair, bright blue eyes and some of her expressions she’d make when she spoke to either of you in her baby babble.

“Ok, we’ll stop ignoring you princess. Do you like your strained apples?”

“Daddy found you those apples.”

Right at that moment, she took a spoon and flicked it and it landed right on daddy’s face. You giggled into Alex’s shoulder who just looked stunned.

“She told you.” You giggled further into his shoulder.

******

After Alex had gone to work at the paper, you went to go and check the mail. Alex’s mum had said she she had sent a package for the baby. So you have been watching the mail like a hawk.

“Sra Law, Sra Law.” Turning, you smiled. You were still not over the giddy feeling you felt when someone would call you Mrs. Law.

“Sim.” You knew very few words but the ones you knew, you used. Sim = Yes in Portuguese

“There was a break in last night.”

Remembering, what Alex had said made fear knot in your stomach. You shifted Lexi to your other hip. “Do we know who did it? Is there any leads?”

The man shook his head. “Nao. They didn’t take anything but we’re telling the residents to make sure they lock their doors and we’ll be keeping an extra security guard on tonight.” (Nao = No in Portuguese)

“Obrigada. We’ll stay safe. I’ll tell Alex, I mean Senhora Law.” (Mrs. Law in Portuguese)

“Very good.” The sweet man who had been on the first to welcome you the complex, gently patted the back of Lex’s head. “She is such a sweet baby.”

“She is. Though she did throw some apples earlier.”

The man gave a belly laugh. “She has a a strong will like her mommy and daddy.”

You smiled, she certainly did with all she survived but you simply nodded. “She really is.” You agreed.

******

You put Lexi down for a nap once you got back to the flat. She went down easily. Once she was breathing evenly, you called Alex.

“Hi love.” He purred into the phone.

“Alex, can you come home?”

“I can try it is a heavy news day, with all the prep for carnival coming.”

“Please try to get home, tell them I am being a silly mommy. I need you home.”

“Are you ok?”

“I will be once you get here.”

“Ok, I will be there soon.”

****

He had not heard you this upset since well before. He swallowed hard and quickly typed up the last few lines he needed for his article. He the. Sent it to the editor. Taking out his wallet he managed to find in one of the pockets, he found Detective McCall’s card. He called him.

“Why Mister Law, I was just thinking about you.”

Alex rolled his eyes, the man could be dramatic.

“I hope those were good thoughts.”

The man chuckled at the other end of the line. “You know in my field there is rarely good news. Well, we are still attempting to track down Juliet Miller. We believe her and her lover boarded a boat headed to South America.”

“Oh, that is brilliant.”

“Hey stay positive there are only three known ships that take passengers so we are watching those. We will pick her up in no time.”

He sighed. “Great.” He grimaced. “ I suppose that is a good thing.” Alex was feeling confined, he desperately wanted to hang up.

“It is. Now, tell me how are you and the wee girl ? Is she keeping you up all night.”

“Not yet, but she did throw her breakfast at me this morning.”

The man chuckled, “They’ll do that.”

“Well, I better finish this article, there is always a story that needs to be covered.”

“Right, well talk to you soon Mr. Law.”

******

Thankfully, his boss was understanding and knew exactly what he was going through. Also gave him tickets to go and see it with you and the little princess. That way not only could he enjoy it but he could also cover it.

He managed to get one cigarette in before getting to the flat. He had really cut back, but with his news of Juliet loose made his old habit come back and hard.

When he came into the living room, he found you with your legs drawn up and your arms around them. You startled when he came to sit beside you. “Baby, what’s the matter? What happened?”

You threw your arms around him. He almost fell backwards but he held firm and held you tight. He resting his chin on your shoulder.

“Someone broke into the apartment complex last night. Maybe that is who you saw last night.” You pulled back and looked at him. Oh, he hated seeing you so upset. That is why you two came here to get away from all of that.

“Are they doing anything about it?” He felt like someone punched him. So someone had certainly been there last night.

“There will be an extra guard.”

“That’s good.”

*****

Sometime later when you started a late lunch for the two you, he shed his work clothes and slipped into some sweats and and sweat shirt. He went and checked on his precious Lexi.

“Ola, Ola?” (Hello in Portuguese)

He heard you say but nothing further.

“Shall we go and check on Mum?” Scooping Lexi up, he held her and walked into the kitchen.

“Who was that?”

You were stirring a the begging stages of what looked like a delicious stew or soup couldn’t tell just what yet.

“I don’t know it’s the second one today.”

Putting Lexi down in her high chair, he got her some yogurt. “Now, let’s not throw this at Daddy alright?” He traced her sweet soft cheek. She certainly only his heart and she was still such a wee thing.

He went over to you, and wrapped his arms around your middle. We’ll be ok. He whispered and pressed a kiss to your cheek. “We’ll be ok., I promise” He assured you.

Walking with you away from the stove, “Alex, I’m cooking.” He chuckled. “You know me, I love being a sweet distraction.” You giggled at that, and that you let him gently turn you around. “I do have some good news.”

You smiled gently. “Yes?”

“My boss wants me to cover carnival in two days and he gave me tickets so that you, Lexi and I could go.”

Your eyes lit up then. “Oh, that is wonderful.”

“It will be and it will give us a chance to get away a little bit. Clear our heads.”

“I’d like that.”

@mac-n-cheesie @dance-like-russia-isnt-watching @rentskenobi @brookisbi @johallzy @darling-i-read-it @professionalclown @chogisss @calcifvr @i-love-scott-mccall @stardust-and-starlight @the-mandalorian-clone-lover @unfilteredmoonchild @sithonis @xbrex @hollow-r-us

#femi!reader #ewan mcgregor #ewan mcgregor imagine #ewan mcgregor pov #ewan mcgregor fluff #ewan mcgregor angst #alex law #alwx law fluff #alex law angst #alex law fanfiction #alex law x y/n #alex law x you #alex law x reader #being a good friend #epilogue part one

[shipmistress9]

The Perks Of Your Boyfriend Being A Ghost - 2

You know how it is when authors say "This is definitely just a one-shot!". In many cases, they don't actually mean it. xD So, as announced... part 2 of this self-indulgent fic.

AO3

Today had been a good day.

Zephyr and Nuffink only had one small fight right before lunch that thankfully had been easy to solve – Zephyr's 'stolen' notebook had actually just been in the wrong drawer of her desk. Aside from that, the two had taken turns playing with Brianna for a while so that Astrid actually had had the time to do some dearly-needed chores around the house. Both bathrooms and the kitchen were clean again, the lamp in Nuffink's room was repaired, and the leg of Zephyr's favourite cuddly dragon sewed back on. She'd even found the time to do some baking in-between, rewarding herself and her children with a bunch of fresh cookies for tea.

All in all, Astrid felt remarkably good after this day. Accomplished. Successful. Happy. She was even humming along with the music on the radio as she tidied up the toys and clothes and kitchenware from all over the living room. A good day indeed.

She perked up when the song ended and the first beats of the next one followed, smiling to herself. It was an older song, one of her favourites from when she'd been young. Feeling giddy, she danced around the room, singing along with every line. She still knew them by heart.

"Mum? Are you okay?"

Astrid glanced up when she heard Zephyr's puzzled voice and couldn't suppress a grin. All three children were standing in the doorway, undoubtedly drawn by her terribly off-tune singing, and staring at her with varying degrees of bewilderment.

Once, the thought of someone seeing her like that would have been embarrassing. But Astrid was long past that point and just enjoyed feeling good for once.

"Yep, fine as a flower in spring." She made a sloppy pirouette, giggling as she nearly lost her balance. She was just too giddy to care.

"Mummy dancy!" Brianna came toddling over to her, her tiny arms reaching for her.

Astrid happily lifted her up, whirling around some more with Brianna in her arms, and chuckled when the little girl squealed in delight.

It didn't take long, only a few more seconds, before Nuffink joined them, goofing around with the beat of the music. Zephyr watched them a little longer, but then, with a shrug and a roll of her eyes, started to dance as well. Astrid shifted Brianna to sit on her hip and used the other one to help Zephyr and Nuffink pirouetting until they could barely stand straight anymore.

Before long, they were all laughing giddily and eventually fell onto the old sofa, everyone on top of everyone else. Cooing happily, Astrid closed her arms around her children, cuddling them tight and basking in their laughter.

Moments like this were what made all the hardship worth it.

. o O o .

Later that day, Astrid stood at the window in her bedroom and watched the sun setting behind the forest. For once, bedtime had gone by without any drama; Nuffink had fallen asleep while Astrid had read them a bedtime story, with Brianna already asleep on her arm, and Zephyr hadn't protested against turning the lights off in time either.

And now, for the first time in what felt like forever, Astrid had the chance to just enjoy the pretty view outside. She'd thought about putting the time to good use, maybe prepare food for some other more hectic day or sort through more laundry. But then she'd decided that she'd done enough that day. She'd earned herself a calm evening, hadn't she?

Content like she hadn't felt in a long time, she watched as the glowing light dipped behind the trees. They seemed to be on fire, the sky above them painted beautifully in orange and pink.

The moment the last ray of sunshine left the house, she felt his touch again. It was as if he stood behind her for real, his chest against her back, his hands loosely on her hips, and his mouth on her neck. Her instincts told her to lean back against him, but she knew better than to give in. She’d tried that once, and instead of cuddling into his embrace had stumbled right through him. Remembering his remorseful look was enough to make her hold still and just enjoy his closeness instead.

You looked happy. So beautiful.

His words in her mind were accompanied by a memory that wasn’t her own. She saw herself as she danced with her kids, saw her own smile through Hiccup’s eyes. It made her smile again, feeling his adoration through his mental touch.

“I am happy,” she replied in a quiet whisper. She turned around to look up into his pale face. “Our life might be difficult but that doesn’t mean it’s not good. Even if I had a fairy’s three free wishes, there’s only one thing I’d want to change.”

Oh? And what’s that?

He sounded amused, a small smile tugging at his pale lips.

She lifted her hand and let the tips of her fingers glide along the outline of his cheek and jaw. There was a tangible resistance, almost as solid as skin, and she could swear that she could also feel his stubble. How did he do that?

“I wish I could live with you,” she breathed, fighting to keep the sudden surge of sadness out of her eyes. “I wish we could have more than just these shared hours at night. Don’t get me wrong, I’d never want to miss them. But… but I wish I could live with you. Does that make sense?”

Hiccup’s gaze dropped away from her eyes, his smile turning into something more sombre as he leaned his head into her touch and laid his ghostly hand over hers.

I know what you mean. My life was not unhappy, but now that I know you it seems to have been rather pointless.

There it was again, the underlying sadness that so often lay like a shadow over him. A part of Astrid wanted to curse herself for bringing the topic up in the first place, but she couldn’t help it now. And it had been the truth anyway, not something she wanted to hide. It wasn’t just the way he took care of her sometimes she enjoyed. It was all of it, all of him.

Carefully to not move right through him, she nudged his head up so he would look at her again. "I love you."

That brought the smile back to his face. He cradled her cheek with his large hand and kissed her, with more firmness than she was used to but she certainly wasn't complaining. It felt good to have their lips slide together, to have his tongue move with her own.

I love you, too.

Astrid hummed against his mouth, overwhelmed by the sincerity she felt in his words. She still wasn't used to hearing these words and actually believing them. Her marriage had left her heart bruised and aching, but with Hiccup it was healing a little more with every passing day.

"Come here." She pulled him along to her bed. Her tugging at his hand surprised him, and for a moment, they were both startled. Usually, Hiccup had to concentrate to not resolve into thin air, so her catching him by surprise like that was new.

But it was good, too. It meant that he was getting stronger still, as became evident as well as they settled on her bed. This time, she could feel him. He lay above her, but instead of just hovering in the air, she felt his weight pressing down on her – not as heavy as a grown man should be but he was there. She felt him move with her as his kisses and touches left her restless, felt him grind against her in the sweetest ways. His mouth nipping at her neck, one of his hands in her hair and the other caressing her side – it was all just wonderful.

She chuckled when his hand slipped beneath her shirt, pushing the hem up to reveal the naked skin of her belly.

"Since when do you bother with clothes?"

Hiccup's lips twitched.

I thought it would feel more… real to you that way.

He sounded hesitant, a little embarrassed even, and hid his face against her neck.

"Mmh, very thoughtful of you." She placed her hands to his shoulders and gently nudged him upwards.

He took a moment to react, just long enough for Astrid to notice– when had the appearance of his shirt disappeared? She blinked, taken by surprise, but held back any comments. She didn't want him to feel self-conscious and actually really liked the impression of ghostly skin beneath her fingers. She shifted a little, luxuriating in feeling his body against her own – or something close to that – and beamed up at him. "You're amazing."

Hiccup smiled sadly and shook his head.

I'm just trying to make you happy. You do so much, I want to give some of it back to you.

Astrid closed her eyes and leaned into his hand. They’d had this conversation before. Just like his bar for what accounted for a good mother was rather low, the same seemed to be true for what she accounted for as a good man, a good lover. Her former husband certainly had never treated her like Hiccup did now.

But she didn’t want to talk or even think about that anymore. All she wanted was to enjoy her time with Hiccup as best she could.

Leaning up, she brought her mouth back to his and resumed kissing him. Hiccup followed happily, once again treated her with knowing hands all over her body. Unable to resist, Astrid even splayed her hands over his chest and shoulders, relishing in what little she could explore of him. Sometimes, her fingers only found thin air, when she moved too quickly or with too much pressure, but this was still so much more than only weeks before, so wonderful.

But then she felt something new and paused. She hadn’t expected that.

“Is… is that a supernatural erection?” she giggled, unable to help herself.

Hiccup stilled, and when she heard his voice in her head, it was filled with laughter, too.

Ha! You could call it that, I guess.

They laugh together for a moment until, testingly and to assure Hiccup that she wasn’t laughing at him, Astrid ground herself against him and hummed. “Mmh, feels good.”

Hiccup beamed down at her, even as his cheeks appeared to be a little darker as if he was embarrassed.

More to make it more real for you. If… well, if that’s what you want?

Astrid bit her lip and shuddered as a pleasant shiver ran down her spine. So far, Hiccup had only used his hands and mouth(s) to please her. This though... “Yes, I do want that,” she breathed.

He kissed her again, hungrily, then relieved her of her shirt and kept grinding into her, his forehead resting against her own. It left her head spinning and let a deep moan sound from deep within her, her body so hungry for this kind of intimacy. In her mind, she heard him groan.

“Do you feel it, too?” she asked, a little breathlessly.

A shadow crossed Hiccup’s face and he averted his gaze, shrugging non-committedly.

No… But I remember what it feels like. The longing. The desire. And watching you… listening to you… You make it easy to call these memories back.

His words made her blush and biting her lip, she, too, looked away. She was used to getting teased for the noises she made during sex. Hiccup had assured her many times that he didn’t mind and even liked them… but it was still difficult for her to accept.

After a few more minutes of making out like this, she fought to get her legs out of her trousers. She struggled a little but it was so worth it when he settled between her legs, now just as naked as she was.

Hiccup leaned over her again and resumed kissing her. The movements of his phantom body became more intense, grinding against her and making her gasp through their kiss. Oh, it had been so long since she’d felt anything like this, the intensity, the desire, it was real.

Perfection…

The word vibrated in her head and all but made her glow from the inside. His mental voice was so full of sincerity, of love and adoration. With a little effort, she opened her eyes to look at him, wanted to convey the same feelings to him.

“I could say the same about you,” she whispered, a little breathlessly as her hands fluttered along the outline of his chest.

He chuckled, his translucent body vibrating against her own, and it left her mewling. She needed more.

Stomping down on her embarrassment and insecurities, she let her hand glide down between their legs. When her hand closed around his cock, she let out a needy groan. He felt big. Big and hard and even throbbing a little against her palm. How much concentration did that cost him?

She looked up at him, biting her lip as she searched for his consent. He nodded ever so slightly, his smile glowing with love as she guided him inside her.

Hiccup didn’t move fast, no mindless thrusting or anything like that, but the intrusion still stung. Enough for her to wince at the unexpected pain and for Hiccup to halt immediately.

What’s wrong?

A little embarrassed, Astrid chuckled. “Nothing, just… go slowly? I might be a bit out of practice. It’s been a while since...”

Since before Brianna’s birth, to be precise. But those were more memories she didn’t want to think about now.

Well, it’s been a while for me, too.

There was again humour in is voice but also wistfulness, and Astrid kissed him again to wipe it away. Hiccup gave in and with her encouragement slowly pressed into her again. This time, it felt better, the stretch not as bad and just enough for her to feel him. As if…

She pulled back to look up at him, incredulous. “Did… did you make your cock smaller?”

Once again, Hiccup averted his face in embarrassment and shrugged.

Yes? Perks of no solid body, remember? And my ego is not so big that I can’t accept such an alteration. I want this to feel good for you. ”

She hummed, touched by this gesture, and let herself enjoy his attention. She couldn’t say whether the perks of his ghostly body gave him that much of an advantage or whether he was just naturally good at this, but she could definitely say that she’d never had sex as good as this before. Hiccup started at a slow pace, just sliding in and out of her while he kept distracting her with his kisses. For all she could guess, he tried different angles until he’d found the one that made her moan the loudest, and only when she was mewling for more did his thrusts became harder and faster.

Beautiful!

Hiccup’s voice was like humming in the back of her mind, a string of praises and little groans that made her feel wanted like never before.

Piece by piece he took her apart, Astrid barely able to even think. He felt so good, so amazing, his cock inside her, his lips and hands roaming her skin. It left her shaking, trembling, helpless against the onslaught of sensations. Out of reflex, she grasped at his shoulders, whimpering when he couldn’t withstand her strength, and she had to clutch at the sheets beneath her instead.

With precision, he pushed her closer and closer toward the edge, and then right over it. Stars exploded behind her eyes as she spasmed between her sheets, her body clenching hungrily around Hiccup’s cock, and her mind was going entirely blank, except for Hiccup’s voice in her thoughts. There was a deep groan, so full of longing that it made her heart burst – and two words.

So… warm!

When Astrid came to it again, still breathless and with bones that felt like jelly, Hiccup was still above her. He was cuddled close to her, his face against her neck, and if she hadn’t known better she would have said that he was trembling.

“Hiccup? Is everything okay?”

He grunted, not really an answer but at least he’d heard her.

She waited, for him to say something or for her mind to start working again, whatever happened first, when she realised what he’d said.

“Wait! You said warm. Did… did you feel that after all?”

Again, he shook, his hands tightening on her arms as if he needed to hold on to her.

I… I did.

The admission was accompanied by a sense of overwhelming confusion.

What… what is happening to me?

To Astrid’s relief, he didn’t sound scared, but she could understand his restlessness. And after he always took care of her, now it was her turn to take care of him. She made to look at him, wanted to reassure him that, surely, everything was okay. But when she looked up at him, the words got stuck in her throat, her mouth falling open.

For the eyes that looked back at her were of a bright green.

-----

So, what's this? More control, certainly. But...?

* - . - * - . o O o . - * - . - *

If you want to support me you can buy me a coffee. I love coffee 😊 (Ko-Fi)

#Hiccstrid #fanafiction #httyd #Astrid Hofferson #Hiccup Haddock #Ghost Boyfriend AU #lemon #not for children #modern AU

[nerdzzone]

Light After Dark: Chapter Eleven

Summary: Brooke Harris was trying her best to be grateful. As the world tackled the COVID-19 pandemic, she was healthy and safe and so was the rest of her family, but her dreams had very quickly been crushed by the economic fallout. Trapped on the quaint island of Jersey with nothing, but free time to wallow in her mistakes, Brooke’s mental health was taking a hit, but when she collides with a handsome stranger she starts to realize that the future might not be so bleak and there might still be a light at the end of the tunnel.

Pairing: Henry Cavill x OFC

______________

June. 14. 2020

Henry: Are you busy this evening?

Me: I'm never busy these days

Henry: That's not true. Sometimes you have plans with your family

Me: Fair point, but only because I never have a better offer 😉

Henry: Well, would you be interested in joining me for dinner tonight?

Me: Absolutely 😊

Henry: Great, I'll pick you up at six!

A quick glance at the clock told me that it was almost four now so I dragged myself off the couch and headed to the bathroom to shower and get myself date ready.

****

I walked into the kitchen at about quarter to six where Molly was doing some homework and Cassie was starting on dinner.

"Where are mum and dad?"

Cassie glanced up from the pot she was stirring.

"Just at the shop, picking up a few things we're low on," She informed me. "You look nice, any plans?"

The children took no time at all to rat us out at the party. It took less than fifteen minutes for one of them to spill the beans and force us into an awkward explanation in front of the group. The general consensus was that everyone was pleased for us though and it was nice to not have to hide anything.

"I'm going for dinner with Henry," I admitted. "He's picking me up in a few minutes."

"Ooh, very nice," She grinned. "Where are you going?"

"I don't know. Hopefully not a restaurant, I don't really feel comfortable with that yet even though I'm sure they're all taking precautions. I'll probably suggest we get takeaway and eat in the car or something."

"In the car?" Cassie laughed. "Surely on an island like this you could find somewhere more romantic than his car!"

"That's true," I smiled. "Anyway, I don't know what he has planned so we'll have to wait and see."

"Well, I'm very happy for you, Brooke."

I wrinkled my nose despite the smile on my face.

"Not necessarily much to be happy for at the moment, we're just....friends that kiss."

"Oh please," She rolled her eyes. "You're a couple. He's your boyfriend. You two just don't want to admit it."

I was about to argue, but my phone buzzed in my hand and a quick glance told me that it was Henry and he was outside.

"I have to go," I told her. "But he's not my boyfriend so don't go spreading any rumours."

"Oops, I already called TMZ."

I stuck out my tongue as she laughed at her own joke before grabbing my purse and heading for the door.

As soon as I got outside, my jaw dropped. The car sitting in our driveway probably cost more than my parent's house or at least came pretty close. He had the window rolled down and resting his elbow on the frame, leaning out with his sunglasses on in a way that was effortlessly sexy.

"Is this your car?!" I asked, still shocked by the sight.

"No, I stole it," He smirked. "Of course it's mine."

"Oh hush," I rolled my eyes. "It could belong to your dad or something."

"To be honest, it may as well. I can't take it off Jersey so he drives it more than I do."

A sly grin onto my face.

"Can I drive it?"

Henry chuckled, but shook his head.

"Nice try, but no."

"Why not?"

"Do you even have a license?"

I scoffed indignantly.

"Of course I do," I informed him. "I'm a great driver."

"I'm sure you are," He smirked. "But this isn't just any car."

I rolled my eyes, but relented.

"Alright, fine. If I'm not special enough to drive your car then I understand."

I pouted dramatically, but again, Henry just chuckled.

"Get in," He nodded his head to the passenger side. "And maybe I'll let you drive on the way home."

"Yay!" I squealed, clapping my hands as I hurried around the front of the car and got in. "Does it go really fast?"

Henry shot me a look as he reversed off the driveway.

"Questions like that will turn that maybe into a firm no."

"Fine, fine," I held up my hands in defeat. "I'll be careful. It is a great car though."

"I bought it with my first big pay cheque," He grinned proudly. "I was looking at something a little more reasonable, but my dad thought I should splash out and treat myself."

"He probably knew he'd be the one driving it most of the time," I smiled, earning a chuckle and a nod from Henry.

"You are probably right," He admitted. "So, would you like to know the plan for the evening?"

"Absolutely," I shifted slightly in my seat so I was facing him a bit more. "We're not going to a restaurant, are we? I don't want to ruin your plans, but I don't feel super comfortable with that yet."

"No, no restaurant," Henry assured me. "We're having a picnic."

"A picnic?" I smiled. "That's so romantic."

Henry glanced over quickly to shoot me a wink before turning his eyes back to the road.

"I do my best."

****

He drove us through the small little city down towards a beach, but not the same as the one we were at before. Most of the beach dwellers had gone home for the day as it was now getting into the evening so even though it was still warm and sunny, the beach wasn't at all crowded. Henry grabbed an authentic picnic basket and blanket from the boot of the car and slipped his hand in mine before leading us towards the sand. Once we'd found a nice little spot, he laid out the blanket and gestured for me to sit down.

"This is so cute," I gushed. "What a great idea!"

"I thought you might like it," He smiled, settling down next to me on the blanket. "It's safer than going out to eat and gives us more privacy than using either of our gardens."

"Oh god," I rolled my eyes. "My family would be spying out the window the entire time. Cassie and my mum have barely stopped talking about us since your family left the other day."

Henry laughed, shaking his head.

"My family have been a bit more subtle," He informed me. "But I did get a call from Charlie this morning asking about you so the news has obviously made it's way around already."

"And what did you tell him?"

I wasn't going to press the issue and make him tell me the details of a private conversation, but curiosity got the best of me and I couldn't help but ask.

"Oh, you know," Henry shrugged. "I told him that you're a baker and you make me delicious things to eat so I'm letting you hang around for now. And, of course, that you're hot so that's a bonus too."

I pulled a face and swatted his leg.

"You're so rude!"

"I'm kidding," He chuckled despite the pout that slid onto my face. "I told him that you're talented, smart, funny and gorgeous and that you've been a wonderful ray of sunshine to brighten my little lockdown life."

“Wow," I smiled, my cheeks burning from the unexpected compliments. "That's actually really sweet."

I could have sworn Henry's own cheeks looked a shade redder, but he simply shrugged.

"It's all true."

"Well, I don't want to get too cheesy, but I feel the same," I admitted. "I was feeling pretty hopeless when I first got here, but you've made my time here much more enjoyable than I anticipated it would be."

"I'm glad I could help," He smiled as I leaned against his shoulder.

He wrapped his arm around me and pulled me close, using his hand to gently tilt my face towards his before pressing his lips against mine. It was a soft, sweet kiss and despite the fact that it still seemed very surreal that our relationship reached this point, my heart was ready to burst out of my chest.  He was so tender for such a big, tough looking man and I appreciated the care and gentleness he showed in every romantic moment we'd shared so far.

I reluctantly pulled away as Henry's stomach growled rather loudly.

"Hungry, are you?" I giggled. "What did you make for dinner?"

"I didn't make it," He admitted, looking a little sheepish. "I picked it up from a local restaurant. I got a couple of sandwiches, crisps and fruit salad for dessert. They had cakes, but I thought it might ruin the mood if they're not up to your standard."

I leaned back, laughing as he unpacked the meal.

"It wouldn't have ruined the mood, I'm not a snob," I assured him. "It's nice to eat other people's baking sometimes, getting to reap the benefits without doing all the work."

"I'll remember that for next time," He smiled. "But I didn't want to chance it on our first date."

An ear to ear grin slid onto my face at that comment.

"Is that what this is? Our first date?"

"Was that not clear?" Henry smirked at me and I shrugged as he handed me a can. "How about a toast to honour the occasion?"

I glanced down at the can and saw it was wine as he pulled out a beer for himself.

"To us," I smiled, cracking open the can. "To light growing in dark places."

"Very poetic," Henry teased, gently knocking his can against mine. "To us."

I sipped my drink before investigating the can a bit closer.

"Were they sold out of champagne?"

Henry chuckled as he passed me one of the sandwiches and a napkin.

"No, but I didn't want to get too carried away since I'll have to drive us home," He informed me. "Why? Do most of your first dates start with champagne?"

"Oh yes, definitely. In fact, I normally insist on it," I laughed, my words filled with sarcasm. Henry playfully rolled his eyes as I took a bite of my sandwich, swallowing before I elaborated. "I'm just kidding. Honestly, I haven't really dated in a long time."

Henry raised an eyebrow, looking unconvinced.

"No? I'm surprised you're not fighting men off left and right."

"Definitely not," I smiled, shaking my head. "But I don't really put myself out there to give them the chance. My last relationship ended a few years ago and I dated a little after that, but I find the whole process quite tedious."

"Well, I hope you haven't found it tedious with me!"

"No, no, of course not," I rushed to assure him. "But it was different with us. We met and just enjoyed spending time together until it became more. After my ex and I broke up a couple of years ago, I realized that these days it's mostly dating apps and going out with someone you've only seen a picture of and I just can't be bothered with that. It seems so awkward."

"Fair enough," Henry nodded. "Why did you and your ex break up? If you don't mind me asking."

"No, not at all," I smiled. "He's gay. He was raised in a super religious family so it took him a long time to come to terms with it so we were together for almost two years before he finally decided he couldn't hide it anymore."

"That must have been a shock.."

"It was," I admitted. "It was a pretty hard time, but we're still good friends now and I'm glad he's comfortable being who he really is. I was upset at the time, but after I calmed down I realized how hard it was for him. Besides, it wasn't like he didn't love me, he just loved me in a different way."

"That's very understanding of you," Henry observed. "A lot of people would probably be more resentful."

"Probably," I shrugged. "But he can't change who he is so there's no point in holding a grudge. What about you? Any vengeful exes I should be aware of?"

"No, none of them are vengeful," He laughed. "Most of my break-ups were pretty amicable. I actually worked with my most recent ex, Lucy, on the Witcher. She's a stunt woman so our paths have crossed a few times and there's no bad blood there."

"That's good," I smiled. "I think it's nice when people still get along after a split. Obviously you cared for that person at one point so I always think it's such a shame when relationships deteriorate to the point where you can't even stand to be in the same room as the other person."

"I agree," Henry nodded. "Fortunately, most people I've dated have shared that outlook. I wouldn't say that I'm friends with any of them, but I don't think many would cross the street to avoid me."

"Good," I sipped my wine. "I find men who leave a trail of broken hearts behind them very off putting. I'm too old to chase around after a player."

"A player?" Henry chuckled. "That sounds like something I no longer have the energy to be so we're on the same page there."

I was already fairly certain that was true. I hadn't seen much evidence of Henry playing games or stringing me along as was so common in dating these days from both men and woman, but it was always good to have a bit of reassurance. While some people shied away from discussing their previous relationships, I'd always found being open and honest about it prevented any conflict or surprises later on.

****

We continued talking chatting as we ate our dinner and had just settled on Henry's life growing up on the island as we finished.

"So," I started, turning to face him. "If we were here and none of this virus stuff was happening, what would be your favourite places that you would have to show me?"

"Hmm, that's a good question," Henry pondered. "I definitely would have taken you to that look out point we went to, but I also would have made sure we visited Durrell Zoo."

"Oh, is that the one you do charity work for?"

Henry smirked, shaking his head.

"You need to stop googling me."

"Hey!" I protested. "You told me that yourself!"

"Did I?" He didn't seem convinced, but it was the truth. "Well, yes, it is. They're a great organization, but I also have fond memories of going there when I was a boy so it's nice to share it with other people."

"That's really sweet," I smiled. "Is it your favourite place on the island?"

"It's definitely one of them," He nodded. "But I'd also take you there if it was open."

He pointed into the distance and I followed his finger with my gaze.

"Is that a castle?" I asked, shielding my eyes from the sun to get a better look.

"It is," He smiled. "Gorey Castle or lé Vièr Châté. It was built in 1212 and was used for the defence of the island. It's really interesting, there's lots of little towers and secret rooms. And just thinking that it's been there for over eight hundred years makes it quite an experience."

"That's really cool," I agreed. "So many people must have wandered through there over the years, even before it was just used as a historical monument."

"Exactly," Henry nodded. "It's fascinating! The stories those walls could tell if they could speak would be enthralling."

Henry's eyes shined with intrigue at the thought and I couldn't help, but smile at the sight.

"You like history, don't you?"

"I do," He admitted, looking somewhat sheepish. "I find it really interesting just thinking about everything that's happened and how it's created and shaped the world we know today."

"It is interesting," I agreed. "You must have loved working on the Tudors."

"I did!" Henry smiled. "I would love to do more period pieces if the opportunity arose. There's plenty of people whose stories deserve to be told."

"It's really cool that you're so passionate about it," I mused. "Not to be rude, but I don't think many people expect someone who looks like you to be interested in things that are sometimes considered to be nerdy or uncool. It's refreshing."

"People tell me that a lot," He chuckled. "But I am who I am. I love video games, fantasy novels and history. Just because I also enjoy staying in shape and exercising and because I have to look a certain way for some roles, that doesn't change."

"And it shouldn't," I insisted. "I think that people just always need to fit everyone into one specific box, but that isn't realistic. Nerds can be hot too."

Henry tossed his head back laughing before nodding in agreement.

"Yes, yes they can," He grinned, filling me with a kind of pride at being the one to make him look so happy. "Speaking of staying in shape, was yoga something that came naturally to you or have you just become more flexible over time?"

I tilted my head questioningly, wondering where his query came from until he pointed at my legs. At some point in our conversation I'd crossed my legs and then pulled my feet up on top of my knees. The stretch felt nice and I hadn't even thought that to some people it was an unusual way to sit.

"Oh, I definitely became more flexible over time," I informed him. "I was so stiff when I first started, I couldn't even touch my toes. It's amazing how fast your body adjusts though. Now the stretches that used to be quite a strain are just naturally comfortable."

"I really should try it," Henry sighed. "I may be strong, but I am not flexible."

My face lit up as I got an idea.

"Do you want to try it? I'm not a teacher or anything, but I could show you a few moves!"

Henry hesitated at first, but then nodded.

"Alright, yeah," He agreed. "Let's give it a go."

"Great!" I smiled, pushing myself up to my feet. "Why don't you watch me the first time and then do it with me after?"

"Sure," Henry agreed, looking amused by my enthusiasm.

"Okay, I'll keep it super simple."

I moved off the blanket and onto the sand, standing so he got a sideways view. I reached my arms up above my head, enjoying the stretch before slowly bringing my hands down to the sand in front of me letting my weight fall forward to stretch my back. After pausing there for a moment, I stretched back up once more before leaning back down and planting my hands in the sand. I stepped my feet back until I was in downward facing dog.

"Following along so far?"

I turned my head to the side as I rocked my feet back and forth a bit to see Henry's reaction.

"I am," He nodded with a smirk. "But I think I'd appreciate a different angle..."

I stuck my tongue out despite my cheeks reddening at his flirty observation and turned my attention back to what I was demonstrating.

I lifted my left leg up behind me before bringing it under my body and planting my foot between my hands. Once I had my balance, I raised up and lifted my hands above my head, holding for a moment before lowering down and repeating it on the other side. After that, I lowered from downward dog into plank and hopped my feet forward before standing.

"Ta-da!"

"Well done," Henry clapped, standing up. "You'll have to direct me as we go, I don't think I can remember it all."

"That's fine," I smiled as he came to stand next to me. "So start by stretching your arms up..."

I led him through the first part, only glancing over at him once we were in downward dog. I giggled at the sight.

"Your hamstrings are tight," I observed. "Ideally, your heels should be flat on the ground."

Henry looked down between his arms towards his feet.

"They're not that far off," He protested. "But what's next?"

I guided him through the rest of it which he, unsurprisingly, handled with ease. He smiled proudly as we landed back on our feet and my heart melted at the sight.

"Good job!" I praised. "Now, do you want to see my favourite part of a yoga practice?"

He eyed me suspiciously.

"Is it some super tricky move that I'll never be able to do?"

"No," I giggled. "It's probably the easiest."

I moved back to the blanket, lowered myself to the ground and laid flat on my back with my hands by my side. Henry watched for a moment.

"Is that it?"

"It is," I confirmed with a smile. "It's called Shavasana."

My eyes were closed, but I felt Henry lay down next to me and he slid his hand into mine as he did. I bit back a smile, relaxing as we stayed like that for at least a few minutes.

"It's very calming," Henry commented. "But I can think of a position that I would find more enjoyable..."

"You can?"

As soon as the question came out of my mouth, his hand slipped out of mine and I felt his body move until it was hovering over me. I let my eyes drift open then to see his smiling face just inches above my own. I sighed happily as I moved my hands from the blanket to wrap my arms around his broad shoulders.

"This is a better position..."

Henry simply smirked before lowering his head until our lips collided. My mind went blank in the most blissful way, it was like the world around us disappeared. The weight of his strong body above me was a new sensation and one that added to the thickening atmosphere around us. The way his back muscles tensed as my hands roamed over them, tracing them through his shirt as they fought to keep him steady above me and the way he moaned just slightly as I lightly nipped at his bottom lip was almost too much for me to handle. I let my hands weave into his hair as our tongues clashed, but as I lifted my leg, hooking it around his hip in a desperate attempt to get us even closer together, he pulled away, resting his forehead against mine.

"I'm sorry," He sighed, breathing heavily. "We have to stop."

I let my foot fall back against the blanket, my cheeks reddening as I realized how carried away I'd gotten and how it would look to anyone else on the beach.

"Sorry," I mumbled shyly. "I got a bit lost in the moment."

Henry chuckled and bent his head to peck my lips again before rolling over and sitting next to me.

"You don't need to be sorry," He assured me. "I thoroughly enjoyed every second, perhaps a bit too much, but if we kept going I'm not sure I'd have the willpower to stop and getting caught having sex on the beach would not be a good look for Superman..."

I couldn't help, but laugh at that as I sat up next to him.

"No, I imagine it wouldn't be," I agreed. "It wouldn't be a great look for me either really even though I'm sure no one would blame me for being powerless to resist you."

"I think it would be the other way around," He argued. "You're the irresistible one here."

"Hardly," I playfully rolled my eyes. "I've read the comments on your Instagram, they're much more juicy than the ones on mine."

"That's a good thing," Henry smiled. "Or I'd have to make some big romantic post about you to stake my claim."

"You have a claim, do you?" I raised an eyebrow. "I know you like history, but you don't need to go all caveman on me."

"Is that caveman behaviour? It's probably more something a knight would do."

"No, if you were a knight you would joust for me," I teased. "And that is something I wouldn't mind seeing."

"Well, I do have some skill on horseback," Henry admitted. "But jousting is a bit dangerous for my taste."

"Do you actually?" I asked, suddenly intrigued. "Know how to ride a horse, I mean."

"Of course!" Henry looked at me like I was crazy. "I rode one in the Witcher, did I not?"

"Sure," I shrugged. "But not for very long. I assumed they stuck you on a really tame one for just long enough to get the shot."

He laughed at that suggestion, but shook his head.

"No, I spent a lot of time bonding with that horse and I can ride very well," He insisted. "I can take you sometime if you're interested? I know the owner of one of the stables on the island quite well."

Excitement buzzed in my stomach at the thought. I'd always loved horses, but riding lessons were expensive and not in our budget when I was a child.

"That would be great!" I grinned. "I'd love to!"

"Perfect," Henry nodded. "I'll call them and see what I can sort out, but for now, I should get you home before you freeze."

I was hoping Henry hadn't notice the shivers that had been running through me since the loss of his body heat, but as the sun was starting to set my thin long sleeved shirt and shorts weren't cutting it. I reluctantly nodded and he rose to his feet before holding out his hand for me. Once the blanket was folded, he took my hand and we started off towards the car when I remembered what he'd said at the start of our date.

"Do I get to drive us home?!"

Henry looked nervous as his eyes flicked over to me.

"Do you promise to drive slowly and not scrape anything?"

"Of course," I smiled. "I promise to drive more carefully than ever before."

He gave it another moment of thought before sighing and handing me the keys. I cheered and practically dragged him back to the car as I ran towards it eagerly, thinking that this was probably the best date that I had ever been on.

-

Tag List: @heartfelt-pen​ @stephartrave @herefortherealdeal @imaginecrushes​

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#henry cavill fanfiction #henry cavill fic #henry cavill fanfic #henry cavill x ofc #Light After Dark

[travellvogue]

Date -Trent Alexander-Arnold

The same boy, the same time, strolling casually into your office.

“What?” you spit. The harsh tone has no effect on him, after all he’d grown used to being your punching bag. You had of thought being the social media manager to such a huge football team would mean you wouldn’t have to cope with a stream of nosy men, desperately trying to keep to yourself, simply stick to your job of posting a few pictures on a match day, and carry on with your life within the addition of being attached to any of them personally.

“Oh, good morning to you to, thought I deserved a nicer welcome” he smirks, voice laced with sarcasm, thick scouse accent filling the small room as he throws himself down onto the arm chair, legs sprawling open at different angles, man spreading beyond belief as you stare coldly at his face, your blank expression making him giggle. You pay no attention to him, the oak wood desk littered with sheets of paper and sticky notes was far more entertaining than his mind games, returning to typing out your email, blissfully ignoring his presence.

He clears his throat, searching for the attention he didn’t receive, patting at his chest, the hollow echo bouncing off the walls. Every noise he seemed to make pierced through one ear and out of the other, shivering with a huff as your eyes dart upwards, looking over the frame of your glasses to see him smiling at you, nibbling on a complimentary chocolate, the wrapper tossed to the side- he’d done it on purpose, he knew you were particular about the organisation of your office, always reminding you how ‘sad’ it was to have the chocolates in colour compartments, always making it his mission to see how many he could put in the wrong sections until you notice and tell him off, creating a game that only he seemed to enjoy. 

“You think I’m just gonna fall to my knees and suck your dick or something?” you scoff, your vulgar words making your cheeks heat up at the realisation of what you’d just said, Trent taken aback by her blunt wording, certainly not hating the idea, but he’ll keep that to himself.

His finger drums against the wooden frame of the arm chair, the continuous pattern driving you slowly insane, breath becoming increasingly heavier with frustration. “What do you want?” you finally groan, accepting that you’d have to acknowledge his presence to try and make him leave, your words harsh as you push away from your desk. Hands clamping together, lips in a tight line as you display the fakest, over-the-top, smile you could manage in your moment of annoyance, eyes peering through his body, only for him to gift you a flirtatious wink.

“Just here to enjoy your kind and loving words” he says way too cheerfully for an early morning training session, and for being in an office he certainly wasn’t welcome in to. His words dripped in sarcasm knowing he’d never received such affection. Sighing as you force out a fake laugh, wobbling your head as your ‘smile’ rips from ear to ear. 

“Trent.” you begin, elbows resting on your desk, leaning forward to ensure he listens, “I don’t know what you want, but I’m certain you’re not here to help me post an instagram, so... if you don’t mind, I’ve got a job to be getting on with… a proper one”. You shoo your hand in front of your face, beckoning him out of the room as he scoffs with a cocky smirk, tongue poking out to lick the corner of those plump lips. You envied how they always looked so smooth and kissable despite the constant attention his own tongue showed them.  

“Aight” he holds both hands up in defeat, legs swinging forward as he stands up and brushes his training gear down. “Love ya, see you at lunch” he winks, noticing the small blush rising to your cheeks as he hops out of the office. 

Shutting the door behind him, he stood still for a second, back resting against the metal plaque scribed with your name across it, even the sight of the words that made it up made his stomach twist. His smile speaks a thousand words, the image of your blushing cheeks and eyeline fixed on the floor as you tried to avoid his deep brown orbs replayed in his mind. The bitterness of your tongue couldn’t hide the true emotions behind your eyes. 

He knew that you giggled to yourself every time you looked through the pictures from the recent training session, studying the shots of him pulling stupid faces at the camera, knowing they’d be run passed you before they were posted to social media platforms. Yet, there was one image that always seemed to haunt him. One you’d convinced yourself to be the firm truth. And that was how you viewed him. The lense of your eyes snapping him into the frame with ‘every other footballer’ as he remembers you mumbling under your breath the first time you’d hurried him out of your office. Your cold, abrupt, attitude seemed to simply be there to protect yourself- the walls around your heart ones he wished he could chip away at, but you wouldn’t allow them to erode, a stubbornness he knew was similar to him- but the two of you were fighting for different things. Yet fighting for the same person. You.

That’s why he sits with you at every lunch time. The unavoidable teasing from Virgil, Ox and Robbo, was something he could put up with if it allowed him to explore the Y/N behind the mask. Plus, he hated seeing you lonely. Maybe you had your guard built up but you weren’t a nasty person. No one here hated you, they just simply let you be, your attitude oozed independence- something he so strongly admired yet detested.

“What you got for lunch today pretty girl?” he asks, sitting himself down opposite you, the plastic chair legs scraping against the wooden floor making you flinch at the invasion of your silence.

“The same as you?” your tone was dry yet still laced with slight humour, a question and a statement within the same words, looking up to be greeted by his smile, stabbing at his food with the meta fork. 

“Y’know where you won’t have to eat the same as me?” he asks casually, the nervous bounce of his leg hidden by the table,  shoveling a mouthful of food into his gob, seeing you raise an eyebrow at his question, but you don't dig any deeper, it’s almost as if you didn’t hear him, continuing eating your meal like he’d said nothing. The quickening pace of your heart hidden by your calm demeanour.  

“At that nice italian” he answers for himself, phone pushed along the table so it’s in clear view for you to read the booking confirmation for ‘Alexander-Arnold’ shining on the screen. 

It took a second for everything to sink in, the smoothness of his ‘request’, the question, the answer, the booking confirmation. Was this his way of asking you on a date? 

“A date?” you groan, the butterflies in your tummy batting their wings against your rib cage.if the table wasn’t covering both your lower halves, you’d noticed your legs had begun to dance to the same beat. Every part of you wanted to say yes- but why? This wasn’t what you wanted...right. The battle between the angel and the devil on your shoulder was one sided at this point. You knew he wasn’t like all the other footballers’ - the type of guys your mum warns you of. But the fear of; ‘maybe’, a simple ‘what if’ put on hold what your heart was really screaming at you. 

“A date” he nods in confirmation of your question, proud smile on his face, he;d done it, he’d asked you on a date. Having gone off on a limb to book a table for the two of you, the sense of pride was joyous in this moment, no matter what the upcoming answer was. 

The commotion of the other players in the dining room filled the silence between the two of you. Heartbeat seeming to hammer in your ears with anticipation. Before you could convince yourself otherwise- you’d answered. 

“Alright” you shrug, playing it as cool as you could whilst feeling overwhelmed with emotions you didn’t even know existed. Although, it was enough of a reaction for him to let out a small chuckle, almost a cheer if you’d listen closer over the pounding of your own heart. Watching him rub his hands together in the corner of your eye, once again nibbling on his bottom lip. 

Back to silence, returning to eating the meal that was now on the border of becoming unpleasantly cold. A comfortable silence, one that simmered his excitement, letting him know not to get too carried away with himself, the thoughts in your mind racing round in a loop at 100 miles per hour.

“I’ll- uh- see you tonight? 6pm sharp m’lady” he winks, wobbly legs lifting him up from his chair, praying you wouldn’t see the trace of nervous sweat he’d left on the wooden seat, cleaning up his plate and cutlery, taking yours with him within an ask. 

Maybe this wasn’t such a bad idea after all...

#trent alexander arnold imagines #trent alexander arnold #trent alexander arnold one shot #trent alexander arnold smut #trent alexander arnold blurb #liverpool fc #liverpool imagines #football imagines

[asexual-hugger]

Lady Eleanor McQueen leads the group to a brilliantly-decorated table in the dining room. Tall candles surround a large silver plate, and chairs are set all around. Harry and Dominic get the two chairs next to each other along the long side of the table, on the right, while Kade gets the third chair next to Dominic. This placement is directly across from where Allison will be sitting right next to Detective Ernest Sinclaire. To her surprise, however, there appears to be an extra chair on her other side.

“Mum, did you mis-count the seating?” she asks. “Why is there an extra chair on the other side of me?”

Lady Eleanor is about to answer when the doorbell rings.

“That must be him,” she says. “I forgot to mention... Excuse me. You can all sit down. Dinner will be served momentarily.”

She disappears down the hall to answer the door. Muffled voices. One is clearly Lady Eleanor, but the other is an unrecognizable male.

“We were just sitting down to eat,” Lady Eleanor says. “Please come in. Allison is already here. She’ll be thrilled to see you.”

She re-enters the dining room, and Allison gets a good look at the mystery guest behind her. A strapping young man wearing a felt hat with a patterned scarf and a long jacket grins widely at the assembled family.

“Evening, everyone,” he greets them in a smooth kind voice. “Brothers. And Allison McQueen. My, my, my. You get more beautiful with each passing day.”

“Oh, my god. Walter Enos. Is that you???” Allison gets up from her chair and embraces the stranger tightly, and he returns the gesture a bit too eagerly.

“The one and only,” Walter answers proudly. “How have you been? You sort of lost touch after high school.”

Walter was Allison’s high school sweetheart. After graduation, they had gone their separate ways but managed to stay in touch here and there. When Allison decided to move to London, Walter had stayed closer to home, wanting to be near his family.

“Yeah. I’m afraid that’s on me,” Allison answers. “As you know, I moved to London in hopes to find a job in my field of study. I’m still working through my criminal justice program, but I think now I’ve settled on something I really want to do.” She nods towards Detective Sinclaire. “Detective, I want you to meet Walter John Enos. He was my boyfriend in high school. Walter, meet Detective Ernest Sinclaire.”

Detective Sinclaire stands up and offers his hand. “It is my pleasure to meet you, Mr. Enos. I’m a private investigator with the Ledford Park Detective Agency, and Allison is currently my assistant.”

“Assistant?” Walter looks between Allison and Sinclaire. “So he’s your boss?”

“He is,” Allison replies. “I invited him to spend Christmas with us, and no one told me YOU were coming.” She eyes Lady Eleanor skeptically, and Lady Eleanor takes a small sip of wine as she looks away.

“Sorry.” Walter looks guilty. “I thought maybe your mum told you. She thought it would be a good gesture for us to catch up and spend the holidays together. It’s been a long time since we saw each other.”

Allison can sense her family’s and Detective Sinclaire’s eyes on her, and her cheeks burn. “Let’s eat dinner first,” she says quickly. “I guess you’re on my other side, Walter. That explains the extra chair. I’m starving. I don’t know about the rest of you.”

“Yeah! Let’s eat!” Dominic shouts. “We can catch up and all that good stuff after dinner. Walt, how’s it going, man?”

“It’s been great, Dom. How are you?” Walter asks, reaching over to shake the eldest McQueen child’s hand. “Are you still flying?”

“I am always flying,” Dominic answers. “Nothing’s changed. You still working at your dad’s accounting firm?”

“Nah. I decided to go my own way a couple years ago,” Walter replies. “Allison inspired me. I thought that if she could travel to London to be her own person, I could do the same. I’m actually working in an office for a small local company running their numbers. They were looking for a bookkeeper.” He winks at Allison and gives her a tender kiss on the cheek. On her other side, Detective Sinclaire tenses up.

“A bookkeeper! How wonderful!” Lady Eleanor comments.

Lord Sebastian, Allison’s father, speaks up. “Is it by any chance that Winslow’s place a couple blocks down from here?” he asks.

“It is,” Walter answers. “They’ve been in need of a bookkeeper for months. When I spoke to the guy at the desk, he explained that all their skilled people had left. They hired me on the spot.”

Dinner is served, Lady Eleanor placing a giant roast turkey on the silver plate in the center of the table. Sautéed vegetables surround it: carrots, onions, mushrooms, potatoes and peppers. There is a smorgasbord of side dishes and a variety of breads.

“This looks delicious, Mum,” Harry comments.

“Thank you, Harry dear,” Lady Eleanor responds, grinning at her son. “I made something for everyone, since there are different preferences at this table. You know that variety is the spice of life.”

“I think we should serve our guests first,” Lord Sebastian says. “Walter, Detective Sinclaire...would either of you like some turkey? I’ll let you in on a secret. My wife cooks the best dang turkey on this side of the village.”

“Oh, stop.” Lady Eleanor giggles like a schoolgirl, cheeks flushing.

“Yes, please!” Walter answers eagerly, at the same time Detective Sinclaire says, “I would love some, Lady McQueen. Thank you.”

Walter holds up his plate for Lady Eleanor to serve him, while Detective Sinclaire waits patiently before receiving his serving. Again Walter gives Allison that flirtatious wink and a sidelong glance. Detective Sinclaire stiffens, his jaw tightening, but for Allison’s sake, he keeps his professionalism.

“So Mr. Enos,” he starts, addressing Walter before clearing his throat. “You said that you and Allison used to date in high school.”

Walter gazes at Allison fondly. “We sure did,” he gushes, remembering every moment like it was yesterday. Memories start bubbling to the surface as he speaks. “Those were great times. Movies, bowling, dinner and dancing at the local cafes. Pretty much every date that teenagers experienced. And of course you couldn’t forget prom.” His hand finds Allison’s knee and gives it an affectionate squeeze. The way he’s recalling every detail of their time together in such a romantic fashion only causes Sinclaire to tense up even more. He grips his dinner fork with such strength that his knuckles turn white. 

Allison doesn’t say much during the story. She looks over at her boss and notices his expression. Was that jealousy in his blue eyes? His face is dark, and he seems to be clenching his teeth. Walter’s hand begins to rub gently across her leg. She manages a small interested smile at him and places her right hand on Sinclaire’s shoulder, silently attempting for him to relax. He seems to acknowledge her touch for a moment, easing up only slightly, but his eyes move down to where Walter’s hand is resting on his assistant’s knee. Anger crosses his features and he stabs his fork aggressively into a slice of turkey, bringing it to his mouth and chewing it quickly.

“Yes, Walter, we know how romantic you were in high school,” Allison tells her former flame gently, trying to halt the topic. “It was fun while it lasted, but we both know that everyone moves on at some point.” Her eyes keep diverting to Sinclaire.

“Not me,” Walter says truthfully. “A day in my life has not gone by without me thinking about you and what you’ve been doing. You were everything to me, Allison McQueen. I always believed that you would be the girl of my dreams even beyond high school. Are you going to the tree-lighting ceremony tomorrow night?”

“Of course we are,” Allison answers. “Our family goes to it every year. We’re going to stand around the fence and sing carols. Same as last year.”

“I didn’t see you last year,” Walter says. “I had to work, sadly, but at least this year will be better. If I get picked to be Christmas Maestro this year, I’m choosing you as my duet partner.”

He grins the grin that always melted Allison’s heart through high school. He hadn’t changed. He was still the charming boy she had fallen in love with back in the day.

“And you believe you’re going to be Christmas Maestro,” Allison observes. “You seem very confident about that. Not to mention you’re hoping that I’ll sing with you.”

“Why not?” Walter challenges. “We both have the best singing voices of a lot of people in this small town. It only makes sense that I would pick you. We were the top singers in our high school chorus. It’ll be just like old times. I still love you, Allison McQueen. I’ve never stopped loving you. I want us to catch up. There is so much I haven’t heard about your life in London. I wish I could see you more often. I only hope that you still have a place in your heart for me.”

He turns back to his dinner and starts conversing with the rest of the family, and Allison takes advantage of her new out. She looks back over at Detective Sinclaire, his face still hard but saying nothing. He looks as if he is really struggling to hold back some very powerful emotions.

“Are you all right, Detective?” She speaks in a low voice so that Walter won’t hear.

“To be honest, no, I’m not,” Sinclaire replies, his voice sounding strained. “Just listening to your former boyfriend rave about your high school romance and then have the nerve to put his hands all over your body is enough to make me hurl. It’s like he was craving attention, and the way he was gloating about you being the love of his life...ugh. I’m vomiting in my mouth just thinking about it! You’re not really still into him, are you?” His expression turns questioning, and slightly hopeful that she will say no.

“Honestly, I haven’t really thought of him at all,” she replies, and she can hear the huge relieved sigh that escapes him. “I was not expecting him to show up tonight. Mum didn’t tell me she had invited him, and I had distinctly told her that I had already invited you. You seem really tense. Did Walter’s story get to you that much?”

“His story, his attitude, everything,” Sinclaire admits. “He was speaking extra loud, too, like his relationship with you was the highlight of his entire life. He just confessed his love to you, and he hasn’t even seen you since high school.”

“Well, we WERE in love, once,” Allison replies. “I did love him. He was the most charming boy I ever met. He treated me like a queen when other boys brought me down. We lost touch after high school, though. I moved away for college and job hunting. I never knew I would meet another equally charming and handsome guy after Walter John Enos, but then you showed up that night several years ago with your white knight in police armor demeanor and saved me from what would’ve been a toxic date. I don’t recall Walter doing that.”

“I saved you because I saw a vulnerable woman in danger,” Sinclaire explains. “That despicable individual that attacked you in his car was way out of line. Even if I wasn’t a private investigator, I still would’ve rescued you. My instincts were telling me that you needed help.” He pauses, looking over at Walter laughing with the boys. “You mentioned that you loved Mr. Enos, like past tense. How do you feel now?”

“Now...I think I might be falling for someone else,” Allison answers.

#choices stories you play #desire and decorum #pixelberry #detective story #fanfic #tv show idea #choices game #play choices