#i shall be hiding somewhere in the bushes if anyone needs me

[jamiemackenziefraser]

All That Was Fair 

Chapter 28: The Precipice

Summary: The bliss of blind optimism begins to dissipate

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Jamie awoke the next morning to find Claire curled up against his back, one of her legs thrown over his and her arm draped across his chest. A content smile sleepily formed on his face as he came to the realization that he was the little spoon. As much as he didn’t want to disturb her— and he very much enjoyed this cuddling position and would have to keep it in mind for later— he thought she needed a little extra care this morning. 

Turning over with the utmost delicacy, Jamie tried to keep her limbs in position over him while he shifted to face her. Once he was face to face with his faerie, he could watch her expression as she slept. 

“Mo calman geal,” he breathed in barely a whisper. My white dove. 

She was so beautiful lying beside him, the early morning sunlight illuminating her alabaster skin. Her lashes were dark against her cheeks, and the curls of her hair twined around her face with abandon. He wanted to wake up every morning to the sight of his love like this. 

Leaning forward, he brushed his lips gently in the spot between her brows that was smooth with sleep. Moving along, he hovered his lips over her cheek before pressing the barest hint of a kiss along the cheekbone. 

She awoke slowly as he kissed her other cheek, murmuring something unintelligible and squeezing her eyes shut tighter against wakefulness. 

“Good morning, mo chridhe,” he whispered as he ended his exploration of her face with a quick peck on the lips. 

“Jamie?” she dazedly murmured. 

Her arms came up to wrap around his shoulders as her eyes fluttered open. 

“Hi, a leannan,” he said warmly. 

She pulled him closer and then rolled them slightly so Jamie was lying back and she could rest her head on his shoulder. 

“How are ye feelin’ this mornin’?” he asked. 

“Tired,” she replied, her voice hushed. 

“Tired? Ye’ve only just woken up. Could ye no’ sleep last night?” 

“I did. I’m just… tired,” she responded. The fatigue was apparent. She seemed muted somehow, speaking as though her head was underwater.  

This sent Jamie’s heart beating faster, and he lifted up his head so he could look down at her, studying every inch he could see. But to his knowledge, nothing seemed wrong with her physically, other than the fact that the sweet calm of sleep was dissipating, leaving her with a pallor and listlessness that made Jamie’s stomach knot. 

“And ye dinna ken why? Maybe ye’re sick?” he asked anxiously, “maybe ye’ve caught something?” 

He repositioned them, shifting so that Claire moved back to the pillow and he could brace up on his elbow above her. He placed a hand on her forehead, his thumb brushing over her brow, but found it cool. “Can ye tell?” 

Jamie held his breath, daring to hope that maybe she could simply heal herself as she’d healed him. Could faeries even do that? 

Shaking her head against his head, she seemed sad. “I can’t tell,” she answered softly, but couldn’t provide any more explanation, “I can’t feel anything.” 

“Maybe ye should go back to sleep, a leannan?” Jamie suggested, his anxiety mounting. He brought his hand up to brush his fingers down the side of her face. 

She gave another shake of the head, interrupting his motions. “I don’t want to. Can I just sit with you for a while?” 

His heart broke a little at her tentative question. 

“Of course ye can, my sweet one,” his voice caught a little on the endearment, “but why dinna ye jes’ stay in bed while I feed Adso and myself? I have time, I’ll be back before ye know it.” 

“I want to stay with you,” she insisted, the clinginess obvious in her voice. But instead of its usual feisty quality— the way she adhered to him with passion, as if every touch lit the fire inside of her— she seemed limp. As if the most she could do to keep herself by his side was ask. 

Jamie’s brow furrowed. He was really starting to get concerned about her. Studying her pale face, he traced a fingertip across her cheekbone. 

“We’ll stay then, a leannan,” he opted not to bring up his worries any further. Not when she was like this. 

Despite the words that had just left his lips, there was a lump in his throat and a tugging on his mind that he couldn’t ignore. They could only stay for so long… Jamie was supposed to go into work. To leave Claire by herself. Glancing at the clock, he saw it was only 6 am, and he let out a sigh. There was still plenty of time to take care of her before he had to leave. 

For the umpteenth time, he wished he could simply up and quit his job. Everything in his life paled in comparison to the consumingness of her. But he knew that this trouble would pass soon enough, and it wouldn’t be right to abandon his passion and livelihood simply because he wanted to spend every waking second with his lass. 

Claire was staring at him, her head tilted against the pillow as she watched this struggle play out on his face. There seemed a moment where her features darkened and her eyes fell. 

“I forgot about work,” she murmured, having correctly intuited exactly what was going on in his brain. Disappointment cast a veil over her normally open face. 

“I have time, a leannan. I always have time for you.” 

Jamie started to reach out, meaning to bring her into his arms again, but she shook her head. 

“Go on. You need food, and time to get dressed. Let’s go,” she said. 

Whether she was fighting it or not, Jamie would slow down. He shifted himself closer to her on the bed, cupping her face with one hand and sliding his other over her hip. He caressed up and down in long strokes, intentionally slow. 

“Ye’re the only thing on my mind right now, mo Sorcha. 

The look on her face made his stomach twist. Her eyes were downcast, not meeting his, and there was tension in the muscles of her cheeks, as if she was trying to hold a mask in place. She was quiet, and the only reply to his words was a shaky exhale. 

Jamie drew up so he hovered over her. Tilting her face up, he brought his lips to ghost a kiss over those beautiful pink lips. 

Even that didn’t seem to break the somber mood that trapped his love. Jamie felt excessively guilty as he stayed rooted in that position, staring into her eyes and cradling her face with both hands. He wished he could tell her he would take off again, that they could take a sick day together, and that he could hold her until she felt normal again, but he couldn’t say any of those things. 

“It’s okay, Jamie,” Claire murmured, turning those fatigued eyes on him full force, “let’s go downstairs.” 

*

While Jamie made breakfast, Claire wandered over to the kitchen table. He glanced over every few seconds to check on her, but she was so quiet. His concern amped up several notches when he looked over at one point to find she had laid her head in her arms where they rested on the table. Her eyes were closed and her breathing slow. 

Something was definitely wrong. 

Jamie turned off the stove and abandoned his parritch. He walked over to her and gently ran his hand over the back of her head, trying to shove down the worry that nearly made his hand tremble. 

Her response was to simply turn her head a bit on her arms, indicating she felt him, but she didn’t say a word. 

“Sassenach—” he started to say, but she lifted her head. 

“I’m fine. Just tired.”

“I dinna want to leave ye.” 

She did raise her head then, turning big honey eyes up toward him. Her lips caught the heel of his hand in a kiss before she spoke. 

“You have to go, Jamie. It’ll be good. I’ll go back to sleep, and I’m sure I’ll feel more like myself when you get home.” 

Jamie felt like a toddler about to have a tantrum. He was tired of this conflict every damn day! He hated going into work and leaving her here, but he hated leaving his company when he knew very well they needed him. He felt like he was being torn in different directions and that one day he would simply snap. 

Taking a deep breath, he shoved down that line of thinking. It wouldn’t do Claire any good to have him strung out over work. While she was sick, he would simply have to keep it together and make one decision at a time. And today, whether he liked it or not, the decision was clear. 

“Okay, Sassenach. But that doesna mean that I willna give ye my full attention now while I’m here.” 

She smiled a little at this, lifting her head enough to fix him with that whisky gaze. “Does that mean you’ll have your breakfast on the couch?”

Jamie rolled his eyes but felt his muscles ease at the relief of seeing that glimpse of her usual self. 

Recently, she’d begun to rebel against the kitchen table. The kitchen chairs were no good— she would complain. No good for snuggling, she meant. Even when she scooted hers as close as possible to Jamie’s, that was apparently not close enough for her. She’d begun a campaign against the table then, trying to get him to sit on the couch for meals where she could burrow into his side. Finding her incredibly distracting and a bit disconcerting to have a faerie trying to apparently jump into his skin while he attempted to have a meal, Jamie had stood firm on his policy. Meals were taken at the table. 

Only now, seeing that tiny spark in her eyes at mention of breakfast on the couch, Jamie never stood a chance. 

“You win, a leannan. Jes’ this once, I’ll have my parritch wi’ ye in the living room. Come on, then, lass.” 

And so he found himself on the couch, bowl held out in front of him and Claire glued to his side. It didn’t take long for her head to meet his shoulder and her hands to wrap around his bicep in a sort of half-hug. 

His heart skipped a few beats as she clung to him. 

“Yer hands are cold, a leannan,” he noticed.

She murmured an uncertain hmmm? but didn’t say anything more. Jamie decided to drop it. Clearly she was under the weather, no denying it, but he hoped that an actual day of rest would do her well. He simply swallowed down his parritch and tried not to think too much about what he couldn’t control. Claire was silent nearly the whole time, just breathing deeply against his side.

When it came time for him to run out the door, he was ready to cry and stamp his feet at the unfairness of adult life. He tugged his bag over his shoulder with more force than necessary, and had to resist tearing it off again as he returned to Claire where she lay on the couch. 

“If I have a second free I’ll run back to check on ye, alright, mo ghraidh?” he said after getting her tucked underneath a warmth blanket, an edge of urgency on his voice. The blanket was a poor substitute for his body, but he didn’t want to leave her with nothing. At least he could wrap his tartan around her, imagining his protection enveloped her. 

“Don’t worry, Jamie. I’ll see you when you get home,” Claire said, already settling down on the throw pillow with her eyes falling closed. 

It eased him considerably to see her already burrowing in for a nap, and he muttered a quick prayer over her in Gaelic before giving her one last kiss to the forehead. 

“I love you more than anythin’, mo chridhe. Be well,” he said in farewell. 

“I love you,” she echoed, her voice already laced with the slur of sleep. 

***

Murtagh Fitzgibbons Fraser was no babysitter. 

Sure, he’d spent nearly all his free time with Ellen’s bairns, but that was different. He was a hard man, used to solitude, and he most certainly did not take care of people. 

Only when Jamie Fraser had called him from work, his voice dripping with anxious concern, pleading with him to go check in on his lass to see if she was alright, Murtagh had somehow lost his mind and relented. Maybe it was something about Jamie’s story— how Claire was feelin’ ill but he’d forgotten to leave a cellphone with her so she could call if she needed something— or maybe it was just the obvious worry in his godson’s voice, but something had made Murtagh give in. He hated letting down the lad more than anything, so he had decided that he could manage a little look-in that was most certainly not anything more than that.

A short time later, he found himself unlocking Jamie’s house with his spare key and yelling a greeting as he stepped inside. 

“Claire? Lass? Jamie asked me tae check in on ye. Are ye alright?” he called. 

But he heard no answer. Figuring she was upstairs in the bedroom having a nap, Murtagh made his way upstairs, only to find all the rooms empty. 

“Lass?” he called again, “are ye here?” 

He worried for a minute that she’d left, made a run for it while Jamie was at work so she could avoid saying goodbye, but then he remembered the way the lass had looked at Jamie, spoke about him, and he knew in his wame that there was no way the lass had up and left. 

He checked the basement before making another round through the house, only to find no trace of the wee lassie. 

There was one last place to look, even though only someone out of their damn mind would go outside on a dreich day such as this one. 

He slid open the back door reluctantly, squinting out into the back garden. His eyes swept lazily across it, not expecting to find anything, but then his gaze landed on the shape of a figure laying on the ground in front of the wee patch of dirt that was a sorry excuse for a garden. 

Adrenaline flooded Murtagh’s veins, and he ran outside, cursing under his breath. 

By the time he got to her, dropping to his knees beside her, she was struggling to sit up, pushing up on her hands and shaking her head, looking disoriented. 

“Have ye lost yer mind, lass?” Murtagh burst out, reaching to help her sit up. 

She didn’t answer, just pressed her dirty hands against her face and swayed slightly. 

Taking in the sight of her, Murtagh realized Jamie had been right to call him. The lass certainly was ill. Her face was pale and drawn, and she looked damn near ready to keel over again. Her hand shook where it was lifted to her face, and she was blinking hard. 

“Come on, now,” Murtagh said, much more gently this time. 

She still didn’t say anything, but she didn’t protest either when he took her arms and laid it across his shoulders so he could lift her to her feet with a quiet “up ye get.” 

Her breath hitched the moment they were upright, and she sagged heavily against him, barely supporting her own weight. Like a sack of grain against him, the puir lass couldn’t even manage to hold on. 

“Ye’re alright,” Murtagh found himself saying to her as she struggled to stay upright, “let’s get ye inside.” 

Slowly, they made their way inside, Murtagh taking the majority of her weight and offering encouragements he didn’t know he had in him. She didn’t say a word, white lips pressed tightly together as her feet dragged. 

Once they had finally made it inside, Murtagh deposited her on the couch before grabbing a blanket and tucking it around her. 

“There ye go, that’ll be more comfortable than the dirt outside, I’d expect,” Murtagh said. 

By this time, he was used to the lass not saying a word. He thought maybe she was one who simply shut down when she wasn’t feeling well. Besides, she seemed like she was barely conscious, let alone coherent enough to have a conversation. So he was surprised when she murmured out a weak, “thank you.” 

“Ye’re welcome, lass,” Murtagh said, trying to sound gruff and uncaring, but the words came out gentle as her tone struck some chord inside him, “get some sleep now. Ye’ll feel better wi’ some rest.” 

He must have been losing his edge if one sick lassie could turn him into a mother hen. 

“Jamie?” she asked, her voice muffled by the blanket which she was pulling up toward her face. 

“He’ll be back when ye wake,” Murtagh promised. 

She closed her eyes then, seeming content with that answer, and Murtagh left her to head into the kitchen where he could call Jamie privately. 

The poor lad was rocked by his report, sounding over the phone like someone had punched him in the stomach, and he’d promised to be home right away. He must have broken every traffic law because it took him only 20 minutes to get home from the city. 

Jamie burst in through the front door, disheveled and wild with worry, and Murtagh found himself rushing over and shushing him so he didn’t wake the lass where she slept on the couch.

His godson had quieted immediately, and before Murtagh could give him the story, Jamie was pushing past him into the living room. 

Murtagh watched as the lad caught sight of Claire, his eyes filling with soft worry. His entire demeanor changed from wired to gentle as Jamie knelt down beside the couch, brushing curls away from the lass’ forehead so he could press a kiss there. 

Her eyes fluttered open at the touch. It seemed to take her a second to orient herself, but the second she realized who was with her, her whole face melted. 

“Jamie,” she breathed out. 

“I’m here now, mo ghraidh, dinna fash,” he said, more gentle than Murtagh had ever seen him, “go back to sleep. I’m here.” 

“Will you stay with me?” she asked. 

Murtagh felt like he was intruding on a private moment, but he couldn't seem to look away as Jamie pressed another kiss to her brow. “In jes’ a minute, lass. Hold on, jes’ a moment.” He kissed her again, as if he couldn’t bear the words coming from his mouth. “I promise I’ll be right back.”

She nodded, barely moving her head, and then closed her eyes again. Looking like the weight of the world was on his back, Jamie stood and turned toward Murtagh, gesturing toward the kitchen with a tilt of his head. 

“So you found her in the garden?” Jamie asked once they were both seated at the table. 

“Aye. She looked like she’d collapsed out there. Something’s wrong wi’ the lass, Jamie.” 

Jamie looked sad, his blue eyes— so like Ellen’s— were unfocused. His mind was clearly in the living room. Shaking his head, he admitted, “I ken. I’m scared for her.” 

“Take her to a doctor, lad,” Murtagh told him, “she needs help.” 

For some reason, this seemed to pain Jamie all the more. He looked down, fiddling with his fingers. Something was going on in that brain of his, but Murtagh had no idea what it was. 

“Dinna fash, I’m sure she’ll be fine,” Murtagh told him, “take some more time off, see her well, and call me if ye need anythin.” 

“Thanks, Murtagh,” Jamie said, nodding as if to convince himself of the validity of Murtagh’s assurances. 

“Dinna think on it,” he dismissed, “Now, go back tae yer lass.”

***

When Jamie closed the door behind Murtagh, he had to take a second to lean his back against it, pushing all the air from his lungs in a long breath. He felt like his head was whirling, his body thrumming as he came down from the adrenaline. The drive home had been a mad dash, and Jamie didn’t even remember half of it. Now, the quiet stillness of the house seemed stifling. 

He wouldn’t think about Claire’s suffering. He wouldn’t think about her laying outside the garden all by herself.. He wouldn’t think about her perfect skin marred by dirt as she tried and failed to push herself up… he wouldn’t—

The punishing flood of mental pictures burned in his brain and twisted his stomach in guilty turmoil. 

He was a fool. He was a damned fool for leaving her. He’d known she wasn’t well this morning, and he’d known she was far too stubborn to take care of herself and simply sleep, but he’d left her anyway. 

As he returned to Claire’s side to find her fast asleep, he was torn between cursing her for her foolishness in going outside and cursing himself for deciding to leave her. 

“I’m here, mo nighean donn,” he whispered to her as he pressed a long kiss to her temple, lips lingering as if his touch could erase the mistakes of the day. 

Part of him wished that she was awake, if only to comfort him that things weren’t as bad as they seemed. But she was finally resting, and if his kiss didn’t wake her, he wouldn’t disrupt her sleep. 

Deciding she would be better off in bed, Jamie slid his hands underneath her and gathered her in. He carried her upstairs, taking careful steps with his most precious cargo before settling her again in bed. She barely stirred— hardly reacted at all to the change in location. Her eyes remained shut and her face still. 

“Rest now, mo ghraidh,” Jamie murmured over her. 

He allowed himself one caress over her brow and one kiss to the top of her curls. And then he left her to her sleep. 

The second he sat down at the desk in his study, he felt himself deflate like a balloon. He buried his face in his hands and swallowed hard against the lump in his throat. 

The only sound filling the room was the clock ticking on the wall.

***

Next

#i shall be hiding somewhere in the bushes if anyone needs me #all that was fair #claire x jamie #outlander fanfiction #update #fae claire

[generous1ty]

Gundham, Nagito and Hajime with a s/o that has a duck army? (A surprisingly strong duck army) they say they’re gonna take over the world with it-

Also they probably throw bread crumbs on Kazuichi so the ducks attack him.

hihi!

i really love this prompt, not only because it’s so random, but because i love ducks and having a strong duck army sounds amazing. i suppose we’re the Ultimate Duck Army General? hahahsjjskds

don’t bully Kaz too much pls--

also, you didn't specify whether you wanted headcanons or drabbles, so i did drabbles for them! hope you don't mind. :)

lots of love! <3

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Gundham, Nagito and Hajime reacting to their S/O who’s a General of a strong Duck Army!

genre: fluff warnings: none besides...bullying Kazuichi... </3

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Gundham Tanaka (0.6k words)

to say that this day was like any other day would be undermining the situation at hand.

currently, unbeknownst to Gundham Tanaka, the Forbidden One, you had been holding an army of your own and kept it hidden from him! an army of ducks, at that!

it was so surprising that it had baffled the man from his ice cold persona to his power to call his Four Dark Devas.

i mean, a mere mortal has the ability to handle an army of ducks?! absurd!

you must be... more reliable than he thought. surely you were of the same caliber as him. after all, not just anyone can become a general of an army. a duck army especially.

"[Y/n]... have you conquered the demon that speaks to the ducks?! is that why you have claimed such immense power over armies and armies of such strong opponents?!" his voice rattled your ears as you simply smirked, crossing your arms in wait for his speech to be done.

"Gundham, the Forbidden One," you called his name, grabbing his own attention as a cold bead of sweat fell down his face, "I have been sustained to years and years of training to be able to master the art of creating this massive duck army!"

while you had a bag of crumbs still left in your hands, you decided you'd enjoy yourself a bit.

"with this army, i will take over the world! everyone will know my name as [Y/n], God(dess) of the Flying Creatures!" you boasted, as Gundham let out a strained noise.

"you surely have enough power to defeat me, [Y/n], God(dess) of the Flying Creatures. HOWEVER! Gundham, the Forbidden One must stop you in your tracks! To let a mere mortal wander with such power is blasphemy! so i shall put a stop to it,"

you readied your bag of crumbs, your hands already inside of the paper before he could even cast a spell or draw a summoning circle. more so, before he could start anything, you had already throws the crumbs at him, yelling the iconic line almost anyone wants to say,

"ATTACK!!"

. . . .

he... had lost..?

surrounded by calm ducks that had once been feral to him, Gundham was laying on his back. the floor had never felt so cold...

"to think... i would lose to such as the likes of you..." he let out a bitter chuckle, his eyes fluttering shut, "i guess this shall be the end of Gundham, the Forbidden One, right?"

"Gundham," your voice was strong and stern, enough to shake his own eyes open once more despite his quick and shameful defeat, "your purpose is not to defeat me, but to befriend me in defeating the Demon King of hell, and to restore peace across the lands."

your outstretched your hand, waiting for him to accept the help off on his back, "so befriend me, and i shall help you conquer the demon realm."

you were a worthy opponent indeed... to defeat him and then accept him, no wonder you were leading such an amazing duck army. truly, you were a leader; someone worth following.

his hand had fallen into yours, mesmerized from your skillful nature.

what had you done? had you cast a spell on him? a spell that made his heart pick up speed, or make his face light on fire?

despite this, he could not utter a word. he simply hid behind his scarf, admiring you from the distance you had placed.

"now, let's go bully Kaz," you suggested, his hand still in yours as you both travelled away to faraway lands to throw breadcrumbs and magic spells at Kazuichi Souda.

<3

Nagito Komaeda (0.5k words)

Nagito's hands were filled with breadcrumbs and his body flocked with different kind of aquatic birds.

of course, it was just his luck to be hindered when something lucky happened to him. that was just the cycle. even so, he smiled at the ducks gently pecking at his hand for the bread. the ducks were so cute, and full of a beautiful kind of hope.

before this, he had to deliver some bags of bread crumbs to you. he didn't ask why, nor did he need to. he was just happy you trusted and depended on him to even ask for a simple favor from him!

but sadly, on the way to you he was attacked by a large group of ducks. now, with no way out but to feed the ducks, he stay sitting on the ground, feeding the ducks either by hand or by throwing some crumbs out.

any passerby would think he was some crazy lunatic or something.

you, however, had tried to meet him halfway since... well, since he didn't show up with your bags of bread crumbs.

"hey, what are you guys doing? i told you to stay in--" with a few ducks in your arms, your eyes spotted Nagito. he had heard your voice from your general direction, and his eyes had met yours.

"Nagito?!"

"[Y/n]!"

. . . .

"wow, [Y/n]! you really commanded those ducks as if they were your own army! such talent..! nothing less from an Ultimate, I suppose," he praised you for helping him get away from the flock of ducks that were, as said, your own army.

"i really am lucky to have had you save me, huh?" his question made you smile as you picked up on of the ducks from the nice, straight line behind you.

"from my own army, yes. very lucky, i'd say," Nagito's face seemed to flush a bit, shoving his hands into his pocket as he looked away from making eye contact.

"your army, huh..? then i guess i got it right," he boasted, chuckling to himself.

"well, they don't call you the ultimate lucky student for nothing," with your back turned to him, arms outstretched wide with enthusiasm as you began your speech.

"i shall dominate this world with this very duck army! ducks will be the new indoor pets, they'll be fed and appreciated everywhere.. they'll be a new trend! and once i take over this world..." you turned around, taking the bags with breadcrumbs from Nagito, "you'll be my second in command."

you waved goodbye as you trotted along with the many, many ducks following behind you.

his hands that were released from his pockets had covered his mouth, his mouth that let out small chuckles and giggles.

the hope you gathered inside of you to say that you'd take over this world infested with despair and fill it with hope by a duck army! it was splendid!

and to be your second in command...

he supposed that maybe just once, he could be a little bit selfish.

<3

Hajime Hinata (0.7k words)

it had been a simple outing to the park.

Hajime had no idea why you insisted to go somewhere else, as the park was a nice way to get some soft exercise and the scenery around the park nearby was beautiful.

he was fine with it if you didn't want to go, though.

despite all your protests, you both went anyway.

you two had only been in the park for a small while, but you were so stiff and observant. it was kind of concerning to him, so he decided to ask.

"hey, [Y/n], are you okay? if you don't want to stay here we can--"

"NO! i-i mean, no. i'm okay, i just-- i have something to tell you after we're done with the walk, okay?" you insisted that you both finish this walk.

you also thought that the scenery of the trees and the lake was beautiful, especially since the sun was so bright today. the weather was good for a walk, Hajime knew what he was doing when he suggested the outing to be today.

he scrunched his nose up a bit, but agreed nonetheless, "alright.. if you say so. if you ever need anything, you can always just ask."

he was so reassuring just AGGHHH I LOVE HIM

anyway

ducks.

all you saw were your ducks everywhere. if you hadn't trained them to understand your signals to stay away, you swore Hajime would have been swarmed and pecked by many, many ducks by now for even being near you.

thank goodness you had thought of things beforehand.

other than you spotting ducks everywhere, you were also graced by Hajime's smile the whole walk. just looking at nature and taking in the beauty of it-- Hajime loved being outside.

but most of all, he loved being with you during all this. if he was honest, he hoped that the thing you had to tell him was a confession-- but he wasn't lucky like Nagito. to get his hopes up would be silly, so he just needed to be logical.

maybe it was about this park, or something that had happened to make you so...

"Oh hey, a duck," his voice startled you. but that wasn't the only thing that surprised you.

a duck?!

he picked the small duck up and-- oh god.

"HAJIME!!"

. . . .

shooing a few ducks away from the brunette, you dusted him off, a sorry expression on your face.

"agh, i'm sorry--"

"why're you apologizing?" he gave a soft laugh, "it's not like you knew i'd be attacked by ducks."

as ridiculous as it sounded, after he picked up the small duck at his feet, he was knocked over by a multitude of others in hiding.

now that he thought of it, why were there so many ducks nearby..? he didn't see any on the lake, either. it was... odd.

"so hey, do you know why..?-"

"Hajime," you helped him get up on his feet, taking his hand and pulling him up from the ground.

his face flushed a bit as he grabbed your hand, and he gave his attention to you, "yes, [Y/n]?"

"those ducks were mine," you told him, a hand on his shoulder as you gave him the same sorry face as before, "i'm sorry."

...what?

what did you mean by-- what?? those ducks were yours? why-- no, how did you get those ducks? how did you get them to be so well trained to hide in bushes and trees??

"i know it's probably confusing, but-- i've had them for a long while. i promise i'm using them for the good of the world," you told him, as his confusion only worsened.

"good of... the world..?"

he could see your expression darken as you smiled, grabbing his hand and raising it to intertwine your fingers.

"world domination," you told him, your face brightening up once more.

he was baffled-- speechless. world domination?! he had to stop you--

"well, that is, if you can conquer the world with ducks," you chuckled, which had cancelled out your past claims.

"but i really did train those ducks. they're like my own mini army,"

he chuckled, almost finding this amusing. his chuckle turned into a small laugh before kissing your forehead, "world domination sounds like a good goal."

your face flushed a bit, letting go of his hand and backing away.

before conquering the world, it'd be better if you conquered the feeling inside your chest first.

#hajime hinata #hajime #hajime x reader #hajime hinata x reader #nagito #nagito komaeda #nagito x reader #nagito komaeda x reader #gundham #gundham tanaka #gundham x reader #gundham tanaka x reader #x reader #drabble #danganronpa 2 x reader #danganronpa x reader #dr2 x reader #dr x reader #dr2 imagines #dr2 #dr #dr imagines #generous writings #i went overboard for Hajime oops #what can you expect from a hajime simp ig... </3 #gundham was really fun to write for though!! #love writing dialogue for gundham + reader #loved picturing nagito feeding ducks too #they're all so cute i love them

[nanagoswife]

For You? Always.

Chapter Twenty

Summary: Ben comes home and some good things are in order...

W/C: 1.8k

Warnings: insinuated intimacy

A/N: Technically, this is supposed to be the last chapter, but there's a few more things I wanted to write for these two. Although these are side stories, it still technically means it's not done 😂 so, you all have something to still look forward to for this world that I fell in love with. Also, I'm soon going to be doing some editing of the chapters (especially the early ones) to make them just the small bit better. Thank you to everyone who read and supported this story. I love you all.

Also if anyone would like to see a specific situation (first visit to reader's parents, stories with Cody and Boga, etc.) feel free to ask me. I'd be more than happy to write that for you for your enjoyment. With that, enjoy this not really last chapter.

- - -

“I haven’t seen them in so long,” Ben said as you walked up the few steps to your house.

It had been quite a while spent in the hospital. The doctor wanted to wait until his concussion was gone and his ribs were healed properly, due to the past.

“I’m sure Cody is just going to bowl you over,” you said with a chuckle which he returned.

“Then, it’s a good thing that my wrist is the only thing not fully healed yet.”

Over the last month and a half, you had done a lot of back and forth from the hospital. Between work and taking care of the dogs, you would see Ben. Thankfully, your neighbours were overly generous and took very good care of Cody and Boga during all of this.

“We may even need to go back to the hospital,” you joked.

Unlocking the door, you were met by the two familiar faces. For a moment, they seemed to hesitate in disbelief. It didn’t last long as they started excitedly barking and attacking Ben with months of longing to see him.

You tried hard to hide your laughter behind your hand, but it didn’t last. Ben had to sit so that he wouldn’t be knocked over, even while he was crouching. The two were practically jumping on him.

Eventually, they had turned their attention on you as well. The two were happy that they had both of you again. Together.

While you sat in the entrance of your home, you greeted Cody and Boga until they finally calmed down.

“Looks like you were half right,” Ben said, pushing back his now wild hair. “It wasn’t only Cody who bowled me over.”

The two of you laughed and you helped him up.

“Now, I can’t always be a hundred percent right, now can I?” you said with another chuckle.

In return, he gave a cheeky grin in response before thanking you.

After that, it was almost like life went back to normal. The routine of walking the dogs, Ben making dinner, and so much more. This time, though, you had a new appreciation of being with the other.

The men from your office that were recorded were charged and arrested. Everyone else seemed to find ways to apologize to Ben, and sometimes you for going off of a rumour instead of the truth.

Soon, work was normal again. Ben would come up and see you when he could, Siara and Paisley joked around about many things, and you would walk home arm-in-arm with Ben.

There was also the day that Freddy FINALLY proposed to Paisley. It brought a new optimistic air around everything.

Everything seemed so much better.

-

On your two year anniversary, Ben had said that he wanted to make a bigger deal out of it. Partially because you never got to celebrate your one year due to some events. So, he wanted to treat the two of you.

Like quite a lot of dates the two of you had, he told you that everything happening tonight would be a surprise.

So, you got ready. The dress you wore matched the colour of the topaz that you never took off. Even when you were mad at him so long ago, it had stayed around your neck.

For a moment, you just stood while looking in the mirror. You stood there until you felt familiar arms wrap around you. The feeling of his chest against your back always comforted you.

“You’re absolutely beautiful, you know,” he whispered into your ear and pressed a kiss to your cheek.

Smiling, you caught a glimpse of the suit he was wearing. He was wearing the suit you hadn’t seen since just before he left for work. The one he wore the night the two of you shared the most special of moments.

“And you’re as handsome as the first time you wore this suit,” you said in reply. You felt as he moved his hands to your waist and drew small circles with his thumbs.

As he nuzzled into your neck, you felt him smile. “Maybe there’s something else we could repeat from that night.”

When you turned in his arms, you were met by his playful gaze.

Grabbing his lapels, you pulled him against you and whispered against his lips, “Maybe.” Then you kissed him briefly before pulling away to finish getting ready. You didn’t miss the slight drop in his shoulders of disappointment when you did. It made you chuckle to yourself.

When both of you were ready, the two of you walked hand-in-hand. You didn’t know where you were going, but you figured it out quickly.

“Rick’s?”

Smiling down at you, he nodded. “I did say that tonight needs to be special,” he said. Excitement ran through your mind as you thought of what he may have planned.

When you arrived, you were surprised to see the restaurant empty, save for Siara, Brian, Paisley and Freddy. Of course, Rick was there too.

Ben leaned down and whispered, “We’ll be alone after we eat. I just thought it would be nice to have everyone together for a little while.”

Nodding with a smile, you made your way to the group.

After greeting each other, you all got down to your usual group conversations that would quickly shift to different stories and groups. It was all like normal.

One thing you loved was seeing how happy Paisley and Freddy were. It was the first time you all had been together since the night Freddy proposed.

“So,” you heard Brian start, “do you have a date set yet?”

Paisley and Freddy shared a look before nodding. “Not an exact day, yet. But, we were thinking sometime next year.”

All of you shared excited smiles as some more questions were asked. You and Siara, even though you had seen it a hundred times, asked Paisley to show her ring off again.

You held Ben’s hand on his knee while everything was happening. Once in a while, he would give you a small squeeze in comfort. It made you smile a little bigger each time.

At one point, the two of you were able to take a quick moment for yourselves between the other conversations.

“What do you think so far?” he whispered as he leaned close to your ear.

“I love it, but I’m excited for later,” you whispered back to him. He smiled and gave you a quick kiss to your jaw before sitting back again. Then, he winked.

Even while all of you ate, the talking strongly persisted. There were just so many things that all of you hadn’t been able to discuss for quite a while. It had been a long time since all of you actually had time.

After food was eaten, and the drinks were finished, the others all said that they had to leave. It left the two of you alone in the restaurant for a moment. Now, you were leaning against Ben’s shoulder.

“I know that we’re now alone here, but I’d like to take you somewhere else,” he told you.

“What else do you have planned, Mr. Kenobi?” you said playfully.

“You’ll see,” he said with a grin. “Shall we?” He pressed a kiss to the side of your head.

Nodding, he stood up first and offered you his hand. Taking it, you easily looped your arm through his as he led you out of the restaurant.

On the way out, you said goodbye to Rick as he was at the entrance.

“Have an amazing rest of your night, Rosebud,” he said with a huge smile. Then, he looked at Ben, “Make sure you treat her right.”

“I will, sir,” he replied with a wink. A look was shared between the two that you couldn’t make out.

For a while, the two of you walked around while you talked. As you did, you hugged his arm tightly, loving the comfort. Tonight was going so well and your love for him only continued to grow in each passing moment.

After a while, you noticed that he was bringing you to a place you haven’t been in almost two years. The place where you and Ben shared your first kiss. The place where you officially became a couple.

Looking up at Ben, a large grin was painting his face. For the briefest moment, he glanced at you and quietly chuckled.

“Like I said, I wanted tonight to be special.”

When you reached the path, he unlooped his arm and took your hand. Leading you down the pathway, he held your hand tightly while occasionally looking back to you. There was excitement on his face that easily spread to you.

Like the last time you first reached the opening of the path, there was a blanket where the grassy area was surrounded by trees and bushes. The waves still possessed a calm push.

With the blanket, instead of an electric lamp, there were candles lighting the area. This gave it a beautiful yellow glow to the area.

There was also a bottle of champagne with two glasses on a small table that was basically touching the ground. Every little part of the setup only made you happier and more excited to see what else Ben had in store for the two of you.

The bright moon hung in the air and brought an extra beautiful glow to the setup. It also helped bring a special glint in Ben’s eyes as he looked into yours before leaning close.

“What do you think?” Ben said quietly next to your ear.

His curiosity was genuine as he watched your face. In response, you smiled, “It’s perfect, Obi.”

That gained you the grin that always made you melt. The one that not only spread from cheek to cheek, but one that showed all of his teeth. His very short facial hair only served to amplify it.

“Come on,” he said and grabbed your hand again. With a slower pace, he walked you over to the blanket.

When you got there, he didn’t take long to pull you to him. One hand was on the small of your back while the other still held your hand. Your free hand rested on his shoulder.

For a moment, you looked into each other’s eyes. Your heart swelled as you saw him smirk.

“May I have the honour of joining you in this dance,” he said as he reached in his pocket and started playing music from his phone. The first song: Fly Me to the Moon. Your first dance together.

“The honour would be mine,” you replied.

Easily, he swept you into a dance. It was nothing special. Mainly just the two of you swaying from side to side with small steps while enjoying the other’s warmth.

When the song ended, Ben turned off any others that may play. Looking into his eyes, you were swept away by the tenderness in them. There was also something else that seemed like he was excited about something.

Reaching up to cup his cheek, he leaned into your touch and your thought was brushed away. All you knew now was that you were in the arms of the man you loved.

You didn’t know how long it was, but the two of you stayed like that for a while. Then, you saw as he swallowed before talking.

“Y/N, I love you so much,” he started. “There’s never been anyone who I could ever see in this moment. You’ve helped me learn so much through these years.”

“Obi-Wan,” you said softly. You traced your thumb over his cheekbone.

There was no way you could describe how you were feeling. You did know, however, that, even with what was happening during your one year, you were just glad to be here now. There was nothing you would change if it threatened this all from happening.

“You are strong, independent, and I’m just lucky that you ever even smile at me,” he said. You could feel his heart racing, “I’m honoured to know that I’m one of the reasons for that smile. I’m honoured that you ever took notice of me.”

For a moment, he paused. He took your hand that was on his cheek and held it in his own.

“Now, you’ve gifted me with more than your smile. You’ve gifted me with your love of which I will never take for granted.”

With his words, tears began to fall with your smile. Gently, he wiped the tears away.

What he did next shocked you, but in a way that sent butterflies through your stomach. Ben had gotten down on one knee and held out a box holding a beautiful ring.

“Y/N Y/L/N, your smile is the only one I ever want to wake up to. Most of all, you are the only one I see by my side for the rest of my life. Will you marry me?”

Your tears of happiness were falling again as you were truly elated. Desperately, you had to stop yourself from laughing from how happy you were feeling.

There were no questions. Although you had to keep happy tears from falling, you yelled, “Yes!”

Immediately, he stood up and crushed his lips to yours. As he kissed you, he took the ring out of the box. For a moment, you separated so he could slip the ring on your finger. Looking at each other for a small moment, you smiled then kissed each other again, just relishing the moment.

When you needed to catch your breath, you rested your head against his. He chuckled.

“What is it?”

“I forgot that we have some paparazzi,” he whispered. Then he gestured towards the bushes. “They insisted on taking pictures.”

“Ah.”

Once again, you kissed him. The two of you were too enraptured in the moment to care about the others that may be watching.

The two of you went the rest of the time pretending that your audience was never there and totally didn’t make a bunch of noise when they left. So, Ben popped the champagne and the two of you enjoyed the night while leaning up against each other watching the moon and the waves that gently danced along the sandy beach.

-

Soft lips were pressing against your bare back and shoulders when you woke up. Ben felt as you moved and tightened his arm to pull you to his chest.

Slowly, you turned so that you were facing him. The sight of him was amazing. His overly ruffled hair from last night, the beard just a little thicker, and his blue eyes looking at you lovingly.

Resting a hand on his chest, you traced a finger through the hairs there. This is the man you’re going to spend the rest of your days with.

“Good morning, darling,” he whispered.

You buried yourself into his chest and loved how he moved his arm to wrap around your back. “Do we have to leave the bed today?” you said against his neck before pressing a kiss there.

“Well, I’m sure the neighbours won’t mind having some more time with the dogs,” he replied playfully.

As he moved his hand to the small of your back, he moved so that he could kiss your neck, throat, and shoulders. You splayed your fingers through his hair as he continued until his lips meant yours.

“As much as I love the sound of it, we should probably get them.” You almost whined as he pulled away.

“Do you want me to stop?” His voice had a twinge of disappointment.

All you could do was chuckle, “I never said that.”

With his signature cheeky grin, he continued.

-

A month went by, and you were sitting in the doctor’s office. Lately, you’ve been feeling terrible. Nausea, headaches, and you were more tired than usual. This has lasted just over a week now. Even Ben was starting to get worried and he was always optimistic about everything. Well, almost everything.

So, you went to the doctor. You didn’t tell Ben, as he would rather wait for it to pass over due to his dislike for medical care. When you thought about it, he had a good reason.

Right now, you were waiting for results. While you waited, you were scared for what it may be. You didn’t think to look up any symptoms before you arrived.

“Ms. Y/L/N,” the doctor called out. Meeting their gaze, they said with a smirk, “Please come with me.”

For a moment, you panicked at thinking something was wrong and they were bringing you somewhere private to tell you. That’s what you thought, but you didn’t think they’d look so positive. Maybe it was just so they could give you medicine for some sort of flu.

They invited you to sit and get comfortable.

In the moment, you were very confused. The fact that you went to a private room made you think something bad was going to be said, but the doctor still wasn’t letting up their grin.

“Is something wrong?” you asked. You really needed to know what was happening.

They smiled, “No there isn’t. You are perfectly healthy. Both you and the baby.”

Shock filled you. Did they really just say the baby? When you looked back at it, it did make sense. You were late, but you didn’t even think about it.

A smile spread across your face at the thought of the new addition. Excitement, not without being accompanied by nervousness, filled you at the thought of telling Ben the news.

“You’re about 4 weeks along. Congratulations,” the doctor said with a smile.

There were a couple things that you went over with them before you left. One thing filled your mind: telling Ben.

So, walking through the door, you were greeted by Boga. You heard music softly playing from the office, telling you where he was.

“Hello, darling,” he said as soon as you stepped through the door. He was at his desk, doing work that wasn’t needed to be done for almost a week.

“I thought we agreed that this weekend was supposed to be work free,” you said jokingly, but still seriously.

He sighed and looked slightly embarrassed, “I know but there was something bugging me.” Then, he saw the happy look in your eyes, “What did you do that has you so happy?”

“I went to the doctor,” you replied. There was a slight look of discontent but you watched as he pushed it away. “And, good news, I’m fine.”

A smile spread across his face. Then, he considered you for a moment.

“There’s something else, isn’t there?”

You nodded, putting a hand over his as you knelt down beside him. Taking a moment, you swallowed down your nervousness and took a deep breath.

“Ben,” you paused for a second, “I’m pregnant.”

At first, shock came over him. You imagined that it was what you looked like when you first found out. Finally, a small smile spread his lips.

“We- we’re having a child,” he quietly mumbled to himself. Meeting your eyes, his smile grew large, “We’re having a child!” His excited tone broke through the last nerves you had felt.

Suddenly, he slid off his chair to his knees and pulled you in for a hug.

“How far along?” he mumbled into your hair as he held you close.

“About a month,” you replied.

He pulled back and looked in your eyes before kissing you. Both of you knew exactly what a month ago was.

Then, he chuckled to himself.

“What?”

“Clearly, they’re already like us. They want to show up before our other big step.”

“Just like how you said I love you first,” you chuckled. “Now, that’s definitely a you thing.”

His smile grew. “And they’re also like you. Making me smile at just the thought,” he said softly as he brought a hand to your cheek.

“Then, I hope that they will be as kind as you,” you said, leaning into his hand.

“And as caring as you,” he came back.

No longer could you hold back. You kissed him with all of the happiness you felt. You kissed him with the happiness of your future.

@stardancerluv @jaydenwoo @madmax2003 @where-fantasy-meets-reality @hopeladybug @wintersoldiersthings

#obi wan x reader #obi wan x you #obi wan kenobi #obi wan #obi wan fanfiction #obi wan fic #obi wan fluff #obi wan imagine #obi wan kenobi imagine #obi wan kenobi x reader #obi wan kenobi x you #obi wan x y/n #ben kenobi #ewan mcgregor #mordern au #modern!au #fanfic #fluff

[snapeysister]

Vulnera Sanentur

New one-shot consisting of 5 different time episodes about Severus Snape’s signature healing spell. My headcanon is that the spell had been passed down to him by mother Eileen and not having been used before by any other wizard except those from the Prince family. // This and other one-shots can be found on my newly opened AO3 account https://archiveofourown.org/users/Hayalee8 <3

_______________

 "Watcha sayin', mummy?"

His voice sounded feeble, dropping with exhaustion. Just a short while ago, his shrieks of pain and terror had been filling the room; now, however, a soothing dizziness took over, his mother's quiet singing voice lulling him into sleep.

"Be silent, darling, it's almost over. Just a wee bit and I'll be done. Don't move yet."

Gentle fingers continued tracing along his naked back, and he obediently held still, and yet wanted an answer to his question.

"But watcha sayin'?.."

His mother sang a few last tunes, voice trailing off, the words turning almost into a whisper.  Her movements stopped and she rose from his bed which she had been sitting upon for the last minutes.

"Something good, something very good, Sevvie. It's a song which makes your back feel alright again. It's not hurting anymore, is it?"

"Nah, it isn't, mummy."

"I'm happy, darling. Now let's make sure you're going to sleep well, shall we?"

He wanted to protest, as he always did, he never wanted to sleep, he hated being left alone and the nightmares only increased the fear; but his lids did not obey him anymore.

"I see you won't need a calming draught this time", he heard his mother chuckle quietly, "good night then."

He felt being tucked in and a light kiss on his forehead, yet was too tired to even smile back as he usually did, as his mind traveled off into the land of dreams.

***

"Please, please come! She's going to die, you have to heal her!

"I can't."

"Please, she will die!! You know how to do it, you always know!"

"I said I can't, Severus."

"But why!? Just come and sing that song, you've just been doing it on my arm when father hit me yesterday, why can't you now?!"

"Just let it go."

"No!! I won't! If you don't want to, I'll do it myself! Tell me the spell!"

"It won't work."

"Because I don't know how to, but you do, mum! Help me save her!!"

"Be quiet, Severus."

"I won't! That's evil! She doesn't deserve to die!"

"I said be quiet!"

"You are just as evil as him!"

"Shut up, will you!? Is it my fault that your retarded father had to kill this sodding cat?! The spell doesn't work on animals! Besides, he cut her throat; she must have bled to death already."

"I don't believe you!!"

"Leave me alone, now!!"

***

Severus riffled through the drawers in desperate urgency. Nothing. The bookshelf didn't have anything to offer either. The floor was littered with papers and pencils and books and whatever else he had thrown around in his frantic search. He hadn't still mastered the spell well enough to be able to follow the exact sequence of melody and words, but his notes could help him out, they most definitely would, he had no doubt in his abilities, he just needed to find those notes. The ones he had scribbled down after having listened carefully to his mother performing it on his body, following yet another broken bottle having been thrown in his direction, slicing up his skin. He didn't want to ask his mother as she would inquire  in turn what he would need it for, or even worse, for whom... Severus had no intention whatsoever to elaborate on who he had been sharing his magic with the past weeks. Never were they to know who he was meeting with during those lazy afternoons filled with absolutely nothing but him sitting behind the bushes, staring at the road behind them and waiting for the tiny figure with the long, wavy red hair to approach the playground and whistle three times. Then he could leave his hiding place and allow himself to smile and be him, actually enjoying his existence, for the next few hours, until the darkness fell and they both had to leave, each one to what they were able to call home.

Severus threw himself on the bed. The notebook was nowhere to be found. And yet he had promised it to her. That he would help her get rid of the ugly red scar on her leg, the result of the recent tryouts of their magical abilities. How he hated himself for that stupid idea of his. What was he thinking, attempting to cut that bloody orange with her sitting right next to it? To be honest, neither of them had deemed it possible to actually make something happen just by staring at it and doing imaginary cutting movements with the fruit knife. When she had tried it, nothing at all happened, whereas him... Of course it was Lily who had kept her nerves and swallowed the pain and the tears and promised she wouldn't tell anyone how the knife ended up slashing her leg instead of the orange.  And that she didn't believe he did it on purpose, like when the branch had fallen on Petunia back then, before she got to know who he really was. Severus, devastated as he was about his lack of damage control, and astonished by her bravery, gave his most sincere and heartfelt promise to find a way to make it disappear. So Lily could attend her first day at Hogwarts without this disgraceful injury, the screaming proof of him having failed her in both his abilities and their rightful application.

Their first day was due tomorrow. Lily was waiting at the playground for him to arrive and fulfill his promise before the sun would set and she had to go home and prepare for her big day. And here he was, in his bloody room, all his efforts in vain, the notebook gone and so the healing spell.

Severus sighed deeply.  Never before had he dared taking anything of his mother's, neither ingredients which she kept  in a box in the storage room, nor vials or lotions she used to store in an empty cupboard in the attic. But drastic times called for drastic measures. He had to make up for the spell somehow, and if he remembered correctly, dittany was another way of healing scars. Luckily for him, his mother was at work. Severus quickly climbed the ladder to the attic. He had no time to lose. Thankfully enough his mother knew how to keep things in order. Every vial and bottle were meticulously labeled. He grabbed the bottle with "Dittany" written on it and stormed down the ladder and out of the house. He would take care of the chaos in his room later and if his father arrived before him to see it and punish him for this, so be it. Perhaps he'd get another chance then to listen to his mother singing the spell and would write it into another notebook. Right now, Lily was what mattered most.

***

"He must have it written somewhere!"

"We've searched through all of his stuff so far, there is nothing here!"

"Who told you he really knows how to do it?! Perhaps it's just a rumour!"

"A rumour? Are you daft?! I saw him perform it with my own eyes, on Evans! They were practicing with their brooms and she flew into the Whomping Willow by accident and had her face and arms cut badly. Snape rushed to her and began moving his wand up and down the cuts and do some singing, so by the time the patrol arrived the cuts had disappeared and she was walking on her feet with him leading her up to the castle."

"You are the daft one, Prongs; isn't it clear then that he must know it by heart??"

"It still has to be written somewhere. He could've hardly made it up on his own, could he?"

"Yeah, rather not; it's Dark magic the git is into, not healing spells. He must have found it in the library and written it down."

"What for then?"

"To impress Evans? He fancies her no less than you, Prongs, and that's the sort of thing she'd appreciate, mind you, so he can cover up for all his Dark stuff."

"Oh shut up and search, Padfood, the class will be over soon and we've got to get out of here before everyone comes back!"

"What if we don't find anything?"

"We cannot let anyone know it was Moony who scratched the boy. If there won't be another option, we'll drag him personally to the hospital wing to make the cut disappear."

***

This was not the enemy he had invented it for. This was not the spell he would have expected to make its way into the halls of Hogwarts, of all places. And even though it was by far not the first time he had to resort to Vulnera Sanentur to heal cursed injuries of students or colleagues or Death Eaters, he would have never thought it to be possible that he had to use it to undo the damage caused by his very own curse, casted by Lily's son, of all people.

Of course he believed Potter. He could have never known what force the curse carried. If Potter knew, he certainly wouldn't have applied it. As much as Severus felt repulsed by the boy, he knew that Potter was as far from Dark magic as the Dark Lord from valuing mercifulness, or love. He contemplated if a simple detention had been enough an appropriate punishment to bestow upon Potter. If he should have made him to return the book, which Potter undoubtedly had laid his hands upon, regardless of the lies the boy had told him. His apparent leniency for the infliction of such a powerful curse by a student on another was obvious, and it worried Severus. Sectumsempra  had by far not been the only dangerous spell he had written down in his book. On the other hand, he reasoned, as easily impressible as Potter was, the messy result he had created would probably serve as a deterrent, powerful enough to keep him from attempting another tryout with any of Severus's spells. At least not without the knowledge of their counter-curses, first and foremost Vulnera Sanentur, which Potter had not the slightest possibility of mastering.  

Vulnera Sanentur. Such tremendous power in only two words, reversing unforgivable, unfathomable harm, healing what would've never been expected to heal. A song of life, the melody of which he had inherited from his mother to be able to put a stopper in pain and destruction and death. This time it had saved the soul of his godson and his former enemy's son alike, the one from being killed, the other from becoming a murderer.

Where would he meet it again, waiting for him to be evoked to secure the survival of another miserable being? How would that fateful crossroads look like, where would the paths it offered lead to? There was one thing he knew with dreadful certainty - it would not be destined to save the Headmaster's life. And the more he thought about it, the more he felt his other conclusion to be affirmed - neither would it save his.

Severus sighed, feeling a wave of exhaustion overpowering his senses. Before he closed his eyes to gain a few hours of sleep which were left for him until the break of dawn, a peculiar thought crossed his mind, perhaps for the first time in his life: If his mother had mastered the healing spell for a human body and taught it to him, wouldn't it have been assumable she had  knowledge of a spell to relieve the pain of a human mind as well?  And if she had, would there have been a reason not pass it down to him? If only...

His mind drifted off, and so did the thought.

#severus snape #vulnera sanentur #one-shot #finally writing #fanfiction #young snape #marauders #eileen prince

[ktheist]

twenty-six

chapters:   25 / 26 / 27

knight!jungkook x princess!reader

x

Silver armor encases Taehyung’s body almost as though he was made for it - for war and the blood that is bound to spill when he puts it on.

You would know, you’ve been on the receiving end of the battlefield.

Yet you ask for the same suffering of Goldwald’s people.

Something in the bottom of your belly churns with unrest as your mouth sews itself shut. You’ve been a silent watcher as Taehyung draft out the map of the rich merchant-filled land, marking red dots upon the blueprint of where the soldiers will lay in hiding. Whether they attack or not is solely up to the young King of Goldwald - if he agrees to become part of the Southern Kingdom’s territory, then there was no need to make use of the soldiers. If he so chooses to go to war, then he is bound to lose.

This is the first time Taehyung rides for war ever since you got married - some had expected him to seize what’s left of the lone countries at first light the day after he takes the throne. As what was expected from his tyrannic reputation.

Some, as your sister had belatedly relayed before she left after the ball, had thought the Queen - you - had finally put the savage beast to sleep.

You didn’t know the degrees of truth that holds, but you do know it was you who poured the promise of blood over the beast’s lust.

A peck lands on your forehead, just inches from the jeweled crown that sits atop your prettily made hair. Yerin’s hairstyling skill is like no other - you’ve summoned her back to the palace and she’d obeyed every one of your command without so much as a complaint. It is unclear whether it was a good thing or bad.

“You’ll get wrinkles before you turn 30 with a frown like that,” Taehyung jests, a smile making its way to his handsome features - he does that a lot now, smiling that is, “fret not, I’ve given orders to the men to strike down Goldwald’s army only and spare the weak.”

And he’s become more considerate - for you. Because he notices the troubled lines that appears on your face as the men hustled around the palace with polished sword and shields for preparation of war.

At times you find yourself melting from how warm he felt but most times you step back like what you’re doing now, as though reinforcing the invisible line between you two.

The slightest flash of hurt in his eyes does not go unnoticed by you yet you school a stern expression - the way you usually would in his unwanted presence. Though you aren’t so sure why, even though he’s leaving you alone for at least three months, there’s a heavy weight in pulling on your heartstrings. 

“Thank you, my King.” You lower your head, “you are most considerate. Goldwald’s people are fortunate to be blessed with your kindness.”

When you raise your gaze, his is becoming shrouded with looming clouds. If there weren’t as many footmen and maids lined up from the palace’s doors down to the gate, you’re sure - he would have burst out. Begged you for your reason for being so distant when all he is, is granting your wish.

The young prince you married would have done so regardless of whether there were watching eyes - perhaps it’s true, the beast lying within the King has its claws clipped. He’s beginning to show much more refinement - a telltale of a wise ruler.

Surprise paints your face when he lowers his face to your stomach, a gloved hand caressing the side of your belly - between the ball and the preparation for Goldwald’s seize, you’ve found yourself due any day now.

“I won’t be here when you come into this world,” he murmurs low enough for only you and him to hear, “but I’ll come back as soon as I’ve conquered Goldwald. Don’t make mommy go through so much pain, yes?”

Guilt’s rears its ugly head at his tender voice and the jarring truth to the baby in your belly’s identity. You don’t regret having your child - but as days pass and as Taehyung’s tone begin to sound like a soft lullaby, the fact that you’re lying right to his face doesn’t sit as right with you. Not the way it used to.

He fixes you a smile - one that is so conflicted but at the same time longs to hold you. Yet he does nothing but bow before turning his back on you as he walks towards his horse, the men already in formation.

“Taehyung,” you find yourself calling his name, making him halt, one foot on the stirrup while he cranes his neck towards you.

Before you know it, the clicking of your heels echo into the air. His lifted brows are the last thing you see before your lips press against his. Surprise is still present on his face when you pull away - you couldn’t bring yourself to send him off with a smile. Perhaps it’s the gnawing feeling festering inside the lightless part of your heart, knowing Jungkook is somewhere in one of the towers, on the look out for enemies - possibly witnessing you run towards the man you swore to loathe. Perhaps it’s the brood of war that you’re sending Taehyung off too. But you mean it when you say-

“Come back to me safely.”

x

“My Queen, you shouldn’t be out of bed!” Eunha laments, deep creases of frustration marking the spot between her eyebrows.

Unbeknownst to you, before Taehyung’s departure, he had gathered all the servants and gave orders to be on the look out for their Queen in case she overworks herself - said orders to be effective immediately after he passed through the palace’s gates.

Not even a day later, the servants greet you with wary bows and gazes. As though the baby was going to pop out of you right that instant. 

Eunha, having been with you for almost a year, had been more vocal than the first time you met her - but you supposed it was her own way of caring for her Queen. Even though some may deem it discourteous to speak to a monarch in that manner.

Perhaps, three days ago, you would have believed that she was genuinely one of yours if you hadn’t noticed the numbness in your fingertips and the slightest shade of purple underneath your nails - like that of a dead man’s.

“I was just getting some water from the table,” you simply say, holding the glass of water to your lips while you turn another page of the book Yerin lent you - for some reason she’d taken to standing by the sidelines rather than actively trying to get into your good graces.

It was not a mystery why - what happened that night with Taehyung had embarrassed her greatly yet her family’s status would be ruined if she’d quit being your lady-in-waiting out of the blue. 

Two days ago, you would have let the tendrils of guilt bind around your throat until it was hard to even swallow.

You’d noticed it the morning after Taehyung left. The signs were subtle - you didn’t feel any pain but perhaps that was because of your high tolerance from the many times you’d sustained injuries during practice and on the battlefield.

Still, you’d skipped all meals, piling them underneath your bed, leaving empty plates for them to pick up until Eunha helped you bathe and Yerin helped you into your nightgown and combed your hair like she usually would.

It was something in the way the latter’s brows come together in a mutual uncertainty as she ran the comb through your hair, “your majesty, I hope I’m not overstepping my boundary but...”

“What is it?” Your tone was as cold as the fingers in your lap - perhaps, on days she didn’t hold so much motive to harm you, there would not have been so much animosity directed to her.

“Um - it’s just, you seem awfully quiet today - are you alright?” The mirror reflected every movement of her eyes as they darted away from your heated gaze, towards the corner of the room and finally fixed on your hair.

It could have meant many things. A mouse who got her tail stuck in the trap, being one of it.

But you couldn’t call the guards and have her thrown into prison with just a mere hunch - an assumption.

Eunha was not entirely out spared from it either.

With a sigh, you’d dismissed her with a, “I’m just tired - it’s my first time being pregnant and a Queen.”

As though you did not just snap at her a minute ago, Yerin had chuckled - it was the first time she ever did anything that required lowering the guard around you, apples on her cheeks and all whilst her hand went to cover her mouth, “I see, I can’t fit my foot on either shoes but I shall pray for my Queen’s health and safe labor.”

It had taken you awhile to register her well wishes and another to finally respond, “thank you, Yerin.”

As soon as she was gone, you’d hurried to the window. Torches lined down the pathway towards the garden and a few more scattered across the maze-like bushes. The moon had beamed at you in greeting.

“Jungkook?” You whispered into the night but it was another man who’d stepped out from the shadows.

“Not tonight - Jungkook has errands to run.” Yoongi informed, eyes as unfazed as ever.

By ‘errands’ he’d mean going to the bars and pubs - that was where rumors, regardless whether true or not, spread like wildfire. Jungkook had been your ghost - your eyes and ears.

“Come inside - we’re going to pay the physician a visit.” You left the window half-agape and disappeared into your closet where the cloak you’d used time and time again to sneak out, was lying in the corner underneath your ground-swept ballgowns.

There wasn’t so much as a thud to signal his entrance but you’d instructed him to bunch up the cloth that you’d piled your lunch and dinner over under your bed regardless. When you’d stepped out of the closet, dark cloak hanging around your body - you didn’t think it’d cover your stomach but it did - Yoongi already had one hand clenched around the cloth.

You’d use the servant’s passage to avoid the guards -  anyone who could have been planted here to keep an eye on what you’ve been up to, make sure you weren’t going far and beyond what they wanted and if you did they’d-

“Poison, your majesty.” The physician had been a man in his 60′s with graying hair and beard and moon spectacles sitting atop his bulbous nose. He’d stood in front of you with a darkened expression in a worn out green robe he’d hastily thrown on after being woken up from his deep slumber, “the way the tip of your fingers were blue and dark veins begin to appear over your stomach - I’m sure it’s because you’ve consumed the extract of the bloodflower.”

The rapid thrumming of your heart had spread throughout your body yet your voice had been startlingly calm as you’d gently rubbed the skin stretched over your stomach, just above the spot where you’d felt the kick of another life from within - perhaps it was the knowledge that your child was still alive that had grounded you, prevented you from ordering an execution of whom you did not want to think about.

“And my child?”

“I cannot say for certain,” he shook his head, “it is difficult to ascertain the amount from the food you’d brought as it’d been mixed together - I will send my apprentice-”

“No,” you speak over him, voice as sharp as the two swords hung over the wall just above the headboard in your chamber, “speak of this to no one. I will send you one of my ghosts - he’ll assist you in getting whatever you need to do to get the antidote. For now, whoever orchestrated this thinks we don’t know so they will be unprepared.”

You’d stood up from the chair, forcing your wobbling knees to hold you up even though all you want is to crawl into your bed and bury yourself under layers of blanket as though it would protect you from the spiteful hands of those who wanted to harm you and your child.

But it was the unsettlingly warm desire of Taehyung’s arms wrapping around you that made you clear you hold your chin higher as inner protest.

The physician lowered his head as he cede before speaking again, “one more thing, your majesty, if I may be so bold, I would advice against straining yourself working given the circumstances and until I’ve made a concoction of the antidote.”

“That’s reasonable,” you say after a moment of pondering - the physician’s crestfallen expression being caused by your next words, not going unnoticed but neither do you plan to change it, “but I can’t simply put matters of segregating resources to cities on hold whenever I want to.”

“You could have rang and I’d come and get it for you.” Eunha’s huff tears you away from your recollection. Hands planted on both sides of her hips, she’s a remark away from bursting into a nag.

“Alright,” you shut the book gently, but not before marking the page you’re on, “will you help me prepare for the day, Eunha?”

Despite her drawn brows and conflicted pout, she relents a heartbeat later, “as you wish, your majesty.”

Eunha helps you bathe and change into a teal dress that arrived from one of the boutiques from the capital. Except where you would accept her hand in assisting you to walk, you hold yours out to Yerin. The woman stares at you as though you’ve grown another head for the longest moment before dropping her own in a courtesy, “your majesty.”

Smiling, you hook your arm around hers when she offers it, noticing Eunha’s darkening expression before you begin to tread towards your office. The whole time, she trails behind you and Yerin like a maid would had it been within your own castle in the Northern Kingdom. Had your rise not been so opposed by the aristocrats and ministers that you were forced to find alliance in someone whose status was on the other side of the sphere compared to yours.

#bts smut #jungkook smut #taehyung smut #bts scenarios #jungkook scenarios #jungkook x reader #bts x reader #jungkook fanfiction #bts fic #bts fanfiction #jungkook fic #bts fluff #bts fanfics #bts fics #jungkook fanfics #jungkook fluff #bts jungkook #knight!jungkook #princess!reader

[eleven-times-lively]

Eternal Love - 1

Summary: Love by fate, connection at heart, soul despite sight. Cedric x blind!OC  Word Count: 1879 Note: Omg it feels amazing to be writing again! This is a fantastic miniseries so buckle up and follow along! Also I’m not doing taglists anymore. 💕

Soft, gentle humming filled the otherwise gloomy air. “This way,” she whispered to the space around her, continuing onward. To anyone else the sight would have been a deterrent, but for her it was no issue. 

The sky was black and thunder cracked just above the clouds. A storm was circling overhead, both of clouds and blood. She navigated the hills and crevices of the decrepit graveyard with ease, pushed by an invisible force

“Cedric, no!” 

Her head whipped around trying to find the source of the noise.

The whisper in her ear told her to crouch down, stay hidden for now. She did exactly that, not quite knowing what she was hiding from or why. A flurry of commotion ensued. Spells were thrown about, blasts and powerful forces firing off from every direction. After a surprisingly short time, she felt compelled to stand again, thanking the spirits for making her hide in the first place.

She stepped around the grave behind which she had been hiding, and remained silent to examine the scene. She heard a light choking from somewhere nearby, almost as if drowned out by gasps for life. Her invisible guide brought her to the source, which was immediately silenced by her presence.

“Please,” the voice pleaded. She stepped back for a moment, not expecting the voice to sound so deep and rugged, yet… knowing. 

“Is it safe?” She murmured, though more to herself than anything. She pondered before nodding, once again taking a step forward. “Do you need help?” Her melodic voice her on injured ears, dropping the jaw of the injured boy before her.

“Please,” he once again choked out. She reached out an arm, allowing him to grab on and help himself to his feet. “Please… I-”

“I know,” she interrupted, placing a gentle hand on his arm. She shut her eyes, muttering to herself before a globe of light encircled them, transporting them away from the desolate sight.

***

The warm cottage was a welcome change from the battlesight. With a flick of her wrist, a fire was lit and the hearth was aglow. She helped the boy over to her single chair in the corner, examining him with a cautious eye. 

“You have seen much trouble,” she murmured. “Be still.” Before the boy had time to protest, small flecks of light infiltrated the space around him, shrouding him in brightness. 

A small, shrill sound erupted from the boy's mouth before all went quiet. The light died down, and left was a boy no longer covered in blood, but in fear. “What are you?” He whispered, trying but ultimately unable to back away from the girl before him.

“Do not fear, friend. I am here to help.” She took his hand, an empty stare cast deep into his widened eyes. “What is your name?”

“Cedric.” The sound came out as barely more than a whisper.

“Cedric,” she repeated, feeling the words in her mouth. “I’m Li.”

“Who are you?” His pupils were still blown wide, knuckles turning white as he gripped onto the chair.

“A friend,” she told him again. She took a step forward, tripping over his outstretched leg. She would have caught herself, but not before Cedric’s large arms did it for her.

“Woah there,” he chuckled, studying her face. “Are you okay?”

“Heavens,” she muttered. “Thanks for that.” Speaking to an invisible force, she nodded curtly at Cedric and walked away. 

Li returned with the tea, walking slowly as she was wary of any more stray limbs. “Oolong tea, it will calm you.”

“Thanks…” Cedric was hesitant to take the cup, but did nevertheless. “Now can you explain all of this?” He gestured around vaguely.

“Very well.” She sat in the chair opposite him. “My name is Li, and I am one with the spirits of the forest.” She stopped speaking, seemingly at the end of her rather short oration.

“That’s it?” He nearly chuckled. “You can’t be more than my age, why don’t I know you?”

“Hogwarts did not want my type of magic, and without parents I could not travel to another school. No one else was willing to help me.”

“Help you?”

“Well I am blind.”

Cedric said nothing, his mouth forming a small O. “And you keep talking to nothing?”

Her mouth upturned slightly. “Not nothing, the spirits. I can connect with the spirits held deep within the forest. They are my friends. My guides. That’s how I found you.” 

His eyes went wide. “I’m sorry.”

“For?”

“I’m not entirely sure. Hogwarts didn’t want you? You don’t have parents?”

“I suppose I’m doing well for myself.” She smiled weakly, pausing for a moment. “When will you go back?”

“To Hogwarts?”

She nodded. “Well Harry thinks I’m dead doesn’t he?”

She nodded again.

“I think I need to heal first, after that I’m not sure. May I stay here?”

“Absolutely. Come, let me show you the spare room.”

*** 

Cedric rose the next morning to the smell of breakfast and fresh tea. He crept down the stairs, but was sure to make enough noise as to not startle Li.

“Hello, Cedric.”

It was, in fact, Cedric who was startled. “You knew I was down here.”

“Again, dear, the spirits tell me everything. That and you aren’t exactly light on your feet.” Cedric blushed a bit before ducking down by the kitchen table. “Did you sleep well?”

“Fantastic, actually,” he smirked a bit, “was something in the tea?”

“Just a bit of lavender and a healing blend. Nothing bad.” He nodded, impressed and amused. “Breakfast.” She set the plate down in front of him.

“Thank you so much.” He immediately began taking forkfuls of food. “Are you going to eat.”

“Cedric I rise with the sun. I ate breakfast hours ago.” She smiled softly, taking the remaining seat at the table.

“Oh.” He blushed once again. “So these spirits,” he began after a moment, “can you… see them.”

“Well,” she stifled a giggle, “not in the traditional sense, no. I can’t see them as one would expect, but I have sense of them. I have a much deeper connection that transcends sight or even communication. It is as if we are one.”

“Huh,” Cedric chewed as he tried to process. This was unlike anything he had ever experienced, and he wasn’t yet convinced that this wasn’t some fever dream while he was in a coma at St. Mungos.

“How are you feeling today?” Li interrupted his thoughts.

“Fine I guess.” He pondered for a moment. “I mean, you did heal everything. I think I’m still having a bit of trouble processing what happened.”

“Me too,” she confessed. “I arrived at the end of the ordeal, and naturally I couldn’t see anything.

Cedric nodded, contemplating. “How much do you know about the wizarding world right now, Li?”

“More than you would think.”

“Then I have some things to share with you.”

“Very well,” she stood from the table. “Finish getting yourself ready. I will show you my forest.”

***

Cedric found Li outside in her front garden later that morning. 

“There you are!” She exclaimed. It was the most emotion Cedric had heard from her. “Come on. I can’t wait to show you my home.”

They walked a while in silence, weaving through pathways and bushes. At one point, Li tripped over a root. Cedric happened to swoop an arm around her just in time.

“That, um, wasn’t there yesterday.”

“It’s alright,” Cedric chuckled, still holding on. He realized his error and quickly let go, stiffly clearing his throat. 

Li froze for a moment, a soft blush spreading across her lightly freckled cheeks. She brushed her stray black hair out of her face and continued walking. “So what was it that you needed to tell me?” She broke the awkward silence and palpable tension. 

“Right.” He stiffened, suddenly remembering he had a purpose. “What do you know of the dark lord.”

She froze immediately, sharply turning on his heel. “Say no more Cedric,” her voice rose slightly. “His presence shall not be invoked. I know enough and that is perfectly fine with me.”

He took a deep breath in, unsure of how to proceed. “He’s back.”

A single tear fell from Li’s eye as her face twisted into a sour grimace. “I knew this day would come,” she whispered. 

“My apologies, but… what?”

“Back to the cottage,” she hastily looked around, “now.”

“Care to explain?” Cedric was bewildered as Li locked the door and forced him into a chair.

“Cedric, the dark lord is responsible for the death or my parents and sister.”

Cedric's eyes widened, mouth forming a small circle. “I’m so sorry, Li… I-”

“It’s fine, Save your apologies. That was nearly sixteen years ago. I know enough that I know that with the dark lord back we are all in danger.”

Cedric’s lips pressed into a thin line. He knew. “What do we do?”

“Hide.”

***

The pair hid for about three weeks. Seemingly waiting for the day when Voldemort himself would show up at the cottage door to kill them both. They grew closer in this time. Li began to trust the strange outside energy that came into his life, and Cedric finally felt true warmth from the spunk and prim girl that had saved his life. Deeper feelings lie within them both, and they were beginning to bloom.

They were seated closely on the couch one afternoon when Cedric decided to bring up the topic that neither of them had brought up in nearly ten days. “Have you heard anything?”

“No.” Li responded coldly, gaze still fixed on the wooden wall. “Well…”

Cedric stiffened. “Well what, Li?”

“He’s coming for Hogwarts.”

Cedric shot up. “And you didn’t think to tell me!? I need to go help!”

Li turned to face him, a tear falling from her eye. “I know,” she whispered, almost inaudibly, “but I didn’t want you to leave.”

His face immediately softened. “Li…” He struggled a moment with what to say. “You know I have to go.” He was in so much pain having to say it. He had never seen Li cry, and he hated every second of it. “It’s okay…” He got back onto the couch, holding her shaking body in his arms. 

They stayed like that for a while, Li trying to choke back her tears and Cedric nearly crying along with her. Truth be told, Cedric didn’t want to leave either. “Come with me,” he whispered, partially hoping that maybe she wouldn’t hear him.

“What?” She choked out between sobs. 

“Come with me. Back to Hogwarts.”

“Cedric you know I can’t do that.”

“And why not?”

“I-” She hesitated.

“Exactly. You may not have traditional magic, but you’re so powerful. You could help so much… and I’d love to have you at my side.”

“I’m blind Cedric. How much of an asset could I really be?”

“A lot. Need I remind you of your spirits.”

Her lips pressed into a thin line, knowing he was correct. “This is a massive risk.”

“I know. And I wouldn’t have even said it if I didn’t trust you with my entire heart. He placed a small kiss on her forehead. “Take some time. We can go in the morning if you’re ready.”

“Thank you.”

***

Part 2

#cedric diggory #cedric diggory x reader #cedric diggory fluff #cedric diggory x oc #blind reader #cedric diggory x blind!reader #spiritual #eternal love

[lu-undy]

Chapter 58 - SBT

Here it is!

"You're alright?" 

Lucien kept staring at Mundy even after they broke the kiss.

"Oui. Let us go and see Richard." 

"Alright." 

A moment later, Lucien pushed the door and entered the tailor's shop. 

"Ah! Bonjour, L!"

[Ah! Hello L!]

"Richard, you remember my dear friend M?" 

"Of course, how do you do?"

Hands were shaken in the quiet shop. 

"What brings you here?" The tailor asked. 

"Business I'm afraid. May we have a look at your collection?" Lucien asked. 

"Oh, what about your friend?" 

"Treat him as you would me." Lucien answered and Richard nodded. 

"Then, please follow me. Paul, tu t'occupes de fermer s'il te plaît?" Richard asked his son.

[Paul can you close the shop, please?]

Mundy was clueless as to what was happening or being discussed. All he knew was that Richard walked to a shelf, pulled something down and -

"Crikey…" 

The wall slid open. 

"Come along, M." Lucien said and the three men entered the secret corridor. 

Mundy kept his thoughts to himself out of politeness as he followed Lucien and Richard to a room full of weapons. They were hung on the walls elegantly or put in display cases. 

"M, have a look and tell me what you will need. I shall have a chat with Richard." 

"Oh, uh, alright…" 

Mundy easily located the rifles and went to observe them while Richard and Lucien had a chat in French at the opposite corner of the room. 

That tailor was something else! He had very fine and modern models. Unlike Eddy's which were hunting ones, Richard's rifles were clearly of military grade. Their style was clear. Mundy inspected the different scopes, the reloading mechanisms, the handles… He spent a few minutes dissecting those rifles with his eyes. 

"So, does anything interest you, M?" Richard asked. 

"Not really… I mean this is very modern, eh?"

"Indeed, we try to keep our merchandise up to date." He walked to the Aussie. 

"Yeah, I've never seen anythin' like those guns, even back in service… Nah, thanks a lot mate, but I'm too used to my old gun to change now." 

"What type of rifle is it?" 

The conversation went on for a few minutes while Lucien grabbed a revolver, a suppressor, bullets and everything he needed for the day's job. He finished with a balaclava as Mundy and Richard finished their chat. 

"Are we ready, Mundy?" 

"Yeah, I don't need anythin' from here, but that's very impressive stuff you have, Richard."

"Thank you." The tailor nodded. "Anything else for you, L?" 

"Non, I have everything, merci. We shall take our leave, I'm afraid time is playing against us." 

"Of course." Richard answered and the three men exited the gun shop to come back to the tailor's. 

"Thank you for everything, Richard." Lucien extended his hand. 

"My pleasure." Richard shook it firmly. "It is an immense honour for me to have the privilege to help the great L, really." 

"Thank you." 

"And good luck to you both." Richard shook hands with Mundy who nodded and both him and Lucien exited the shop. 

"Do we need to do anything else?" Mundy asked. 

"Unless you need to do something now, non. Let us proceed." 

"Alright, to the old sugar factory then." 

"Oui." 

Mundy started the van and drove off. It swallowed mile after mile as they exited the limits of the city through the old industrial area. Once they were out, the desert spread for as far as the eye could see.

Lucien leaned back on his seat after slipping his black balaclava on. He took his cigarette case out and flipped it open next to Mundy, who took one. 

"Thanks, luv'." 

"My pleasure." 

Lucien then lit both their cigarettes.

"Richard called you 'the great L', eh?"

"My reputation precedes me, I'm afraid." Lucien smirked. 

"Yeah… quite impressive." 

Lucien chuckled and puffed on his cigarette. 

"So what's the plan exactly?" The Aussie asked. 

The Frenchman took the file with the photographs that he had left in the glove box again and opened it. 

"We know what route Duchemin will take, so we have multiple options."

"Alright." 

"We get inside and pass as two regular mercenaries."

"We knock two out and get their uniforms, ok." Mundy answered. 

"Then, we go to one of these hangars that he will visit with his guests and we wait for him. Once he gets there, we take him away and hide him somewhere, where we will deal with him." 

"Wow, wait, hold on, what about the blokes that he'll show around? And where are we supposed to take him? The place is in the middle of the desert!" 

"We will strike before he is accompanied by his guests. It is still too early in the afternoon for them to be there and I would imagine Duchemin will want to rehearse his little show on his own first, to memorise the route. We will only have to ambush him in one of the hangars. As to where we will take him, look at this picture…" 

Lucien handed a photograph to Mundy. 

"Yeah, it's one of the hangars I guess, what about it?" 

"It doesn't have any thermal signature on it."

"Yeah, and?" 

"It is not the only one. Look here and here too! Non, Duchemin is not using all of the hangars, which means that we can take him to one of the empty ones."

"What?! You want us to torture him there?! In the middle of the bloody complex?! They'll find us out in minutes!"

"Non, Mundy, not if we give them something more… urgent to chase." 

"Like what?" 

"Mundy this is a clandestine animal reserve, what does it contain?" 

"Animals?" 

"Exactly! And dangerous ones! Say if one of them escaped, what would happen, hm…?"

"Bloody hell, you're a genius!" Mundy exclaimed and Lucien smiled. 

"I do have my moments." He proudly answered. 

"Alright so, we get in there, knock two blokes off, take their uniforms, then we free some beasts up, that will set the goons on a chase. Meanwhile, we catch Duchemin, get him in an empty hangar and kill him. Did I get it right?" 

"Oui, I think that is the plan. But now, you have to think, Mundy." 

"About what?"

"What species would take them the longest to catch?" 

"I wouldn't go for just one." The expert hunter explained. "Whatever the beast you'll put, it'll be outnumbered by the guards and they'll end up catching it or killing it. Nah, I'd go for a few, let them spread and fight." 

"Hm-mh, interesting. Which ones then?" 

"Big cats."

"Which ones in particular?" 

"All of them if we can. They're big, scary and they'll keep them busy for a while."

"Très bien."

[Very well.]

"Now the thing is how on Earth are we gonna break them free?" 

"And not getting eaten ourselves, you mean?" 

"Well yeah, that would help, wouldn't it?" 

Lucien chuckled. 

"Indeed it would. Here, I got these from Richard." 

The Frenchman handed Mundy small spherical objects in his palm. 

"What's that?"

"Explosives." 

"What the hell?! You want me to blow up now?!" 

"Calm down, you won't." Lucien chuckled. "This is the remote." He showed a button on his jacket. 

"Are you serious?!"

"I am."

"That's proper spooky business right there… But what do I do with these things?" 

"When we get there and are in uniforms, we will split up. You will go to the hangar with the felines and place those little explosives on the locks of the cages. Meanwhile, I will make sure that the empty hangar is indeed empty." 

"Ok, alright, then we meet somewhere and wait for him?" Mundy asked. 

"Indeed, we do. When the moment is right, I will detonate the explosives, which are small enough to just blow the locks up. The animals flee and in the panic, we get Duchemin 'to safety'." 

"Gosh that's brilliant…" 

Lucien smiled. 

"And you thought about all of that just now?!"

"More or less, oui." 

"Bugger… If we weren't busy right now I'd bloody kiss ya." 

"You may still do it when we park." 

"Don't tempt me, luv'...!" 

They exchanged a laugh. 

"Good Lord, I'm off to kill a bloke and I'm laughin'." Mundy said.

"Quite absurd, isn't it?"

"Yeah. But nothing really makes sense in this life, eh?" 

"Exactement." 

[Exactly.]

They shared a loving and conniving glance. 

"Ah, how much I love you… You might never know or understand." Lucien said. 

"You're so weird." Mundy chuckled. "We're off to do what we've been wanting to do forever and you think now is the time to get all sappy and lovey?"

"Oui." 

"You're weird." 

"Weirdly under your charm, oui." 

"Pff…" Mundy chuckled. "Alright, look here, we've arrived." 

The van parked and both men slipped out of it. 

"Mundy?" 

"Yeah?" The Aussie adjusted his rifle on his back. 

Lucien removed one glove and put his naked hand on Mundy's cheek. The way he looked up at the Aussie seized Mundy powerfully. 

"I love you." 

"Love you too. D'you want me to-?"

"Please, oui. I need it, I need you." Lucien pleaded with his angel eyes.

Mundy took Lucien by his waist and pulled him closer. Their lips met in silence, under the scorching afternoon sun. 

"When we're done with all that, remind me to continue this where we left off, ok, love?" 

"I shall." 

This time Mundy dived down to Lucien's lips and pulled his waist closer against his. 

"Listen love, when this is all done, I'm takin' you and we're leaving, ok? We'll live a simple life in the desert. I'll teach you how to hunt and fish, and you can teach me French."

Lucien smiled, albeit sadly. 

"Mon amour…"

[My love…]

"Ok?" Mundy insisted. 

"O-oui." 

"Right, let's do this." He put his lips on Lucien's forehead and left a silent kiss. 

"Oui." 

They headed for the complex and found the same entrance they had gone through the last time they had come, the fence that Lucien had cut through. Once they slipped in, it was a matter of seconds before they located two guards. 

Lucien readied his silenced tranquiliser gun and Mundy, his blowgun. They nodded to each other and when the guards passed behind the hangar, out of anyone else's view, Lucien and Mundy shot one each unconscious. 

After a minute, they wore the grey uniform and helmets. 

"Now, follow me, but you will have to do the talking." Lucien said. 

"Why?" 

"The accent." Lucien answered and Mundy's eyebrows jumped.

"Ah, yeah, I forgot."

They resumed their walk, armed with the rifles provided by the guards, which bodies they hid in some bushes. 

"Pst, Lu', there he is…" Mundy was comically speaking from the corner of his mouth, with his teeth clenched. 

"You may speak normally, no one is within earshot and the walkie-talkies are off." 

"Oh, yeah, ok, I tried to be… spooky." 

Lucien smiled under his helmet. 

"Go and place the explosives, I will check on the empty hangar. We shall reconvene here in 10 minutes sharp." 

"Okay, you be careful, ok?" 

"You too." 

They parted ways. Mundy headed for the feline hangar. He entered without too many problems and pretended to patrol inside. On each cage he passed, he put a little explosive, right on the lock. He used them all, and there were more than two dozens. When he was done, he glanced at his watch and exited the hangar to reconvene with Lucien. 

But he got interrupted. 

"Hey!" One of the guards called him. 

"Yeah?" 

"What're you doin' in there?" 

"Patrol."

"Did you fix the light?" 

Mundy tried to hide his surprise. 

"Yeah, nah, I was just sent to get the reference for the light bulb, I'll report it and get someone down here to fix it." He answered. 

"Ah, alright, cheers mate." 

And Mundy turned on his heels, sighing in relief that he passed the test. A few moments later, he was meeting with Lucien again.  

"How did it go?" Lucien asked. 

"Stressful. Had to talk to a bloke. He asked me if I fixed a light in the big cats hangar."

"What did you say?"

"That I was just taking the reference for the bulb?" 

Lucien smiled. 

"Excellent job."

"What about you?" Mundy asked. 

"Hangar A3 is indeed free. It was locked with a padlock but I easily picked it. We should be able to use it whenever we need. I found a few things to help us too, a chair and some ropes."

"Aces. Now, to get the bloke…"

"Follow me." Lucien said and they walked to the front of the hangar. 

Not a minute later, the man himself appeared. Duchemin was impeccably dressed, with a blue three-piece suit and matching dark blue, varnished shoes. He was followed by a few people who were not in uniforms… 

"Oui! I need that to be ready! What am I paying you for?!" 

The little escort of men in suits apologised profusely and went back to wherever they came from, leaving Duchemin alone. 

"Follow me, Mundy." 

"Right." 

Lucien walked close behind Duchemin as he passed them. 

"So first, we go through hangar A1, that's the birds, oui, colours and noises, perfect as a grand opening, then we move on to C5 with the reptiles… Hey! Are the alligators in better shape than last time?" Duchemin stopped in front of the reptiles' hangar and asked a few guards. 

"The vets said they were a bit depressed cause they don't see much of the sun but they should be fine."

"Depressed?!" Duchemin repeated. "What kind of nonsense is that! They're stupid animals, for God's sake!" 

Mundy clenched his fist and gulped down hard, trying to keep his calm.

"Right, let me move on! I don't want to get angry before Rochefort and his friends arrive…" 

Duchemin moved along, Lucien and Mundy still on his heels, on the orange and dusty ground of the desert. 

"The projectors were installed, good…" Duchemin raised his head to the towers with projectors planted at regular distances between the hangars. "At least they didn't mess that up!" 

He went on and Mundy followed until he felt something bump him. He looked down at Lucien and the man under the helmet gave a very slight nod as his gloved fingers slid to the button of his jacket, through the uniform vest that he had opened.

He pressed it and it was a matter of seconds before the guards started yelling around hangar B10.

"What the hell is that racket?!" Duchemin yelled.

One guard came running but before he reached Duchemin, a few wild cats escaped through the door of the hangar, bringing down the guards. Duchemin gasped and started yelling left and right, as more guards poured out to help their colleagues.

"Don't kill them! They are priceless! Put them to sleep! They are worth a fortune! Why does everything have to go wrong now?!" He roared angrily. 

"We gotta take you to safety, let's go." Mundy said, and both him and Lucien escorted Duchemin to the empty hangar. 

"Why are you taking me here? There is nothing in this hangar!" 

As Lucien faked to unlock the padlock on the door, he raised his eyes to Mundy who seemed at a loss as to what to answer. 

"Uh… Well exactly that's the point! We stay in there with you and lock ourselves up until the situation's under control. C'mon, get inside!" 

And in a second, the three men slipped in and Lucien locked themselves up inside the wide abandoned storage area. 

"Mon Dieu, that was close…!" The criminal said. "Argh, I don't even have a phone line installed here to call reinforcements!" 

Lucien had gone further away and came back with an old chair. 

"Y-yeah, take a seat, it could be quite long. We don't know how many more beasts escaped." Mundy said and Duchemin obliged. 

"This chair is the most uncomfortable thing ever…!" The rich rascal said. 

"And it is your last." Lucien answered while removing his helmet, he shook his head left and right. Duchemin's eyes snapped wide and he was about to shout for help but too late, Mundy had a kukri against his throat from behind. Lucien undid his tie  and quickly used it as a gag on Duchemin's mouth.

"Now, let us have a chat, shall we?" 

#tf2 sniper #tf2 spy #sniperspy #SBT

[griffinsandpeacocks]

Phoenix, Son of Hades and Persephone

Warning: Contains foul language! And toxic behaviors mentioned in passing.

Phoenix had come to Auradon to be closer to his father. Hades had been upset for a long while and his mother Persephone had sensed Hades’ pain so gave Phoenix a nudge to go to his father. Phoenix hadn’t needed much nudging as he didn’t quite fit in back home. Or one could say, liked home very much.

In his escapades as a youngster he was fine being the bottom and that made others think he was weak. It was just how they thought of such behavior, and he had grown tired of being approached for that sole fact; which was well known about him. Especially after Apollo’s bastard had decided to lead him on then stab him in the back by outing said fact by saying Phoenix never actively sought out to be on top. Oh, he had almost killed the demigod. That had been a form of social suicide. He’d get to suffer mockery for ages thanks to that little bastard.

On the day he’d left he wrapped him in a rose bush and left him gaged in a garden covered by the roses then growing a tree up around it. He heard eventually Helios had pointed out where the brat was when Apollo had started to look for him. Of course Posiden had pointed out being a demigod even if Zeus’ grandson he’d insulted Hades’ full blooded godling, and thus though furious Apollo couldn’t punish Phoenix. whom had been very smug upon reading his mother’s letter. She’d applauded his creative way of taking care of his anger towards the other godling without hurting him too seriously. Phoenix would be hard pressed to admit he had wanted to hurt the other. He just... Couldn’t. 

When he’d arrived he’d wandered around lost and uncertain where anyone was, was there some sort of assembly going on his father neglected to inform him of? Yet Hades rarely forgot such details; he tended to plan well when he did plan at all. Phoenix eventually found them, drawn to the sound of music he sees a large crowd in a graveyard and he spot his father’s hair, grown out and tied back the blue striking in the sea of more ‘normal’ colors. he walks closer and hears a man speak he has a clear accent, it’s french, at least Phoenix thinks it is; he’s not too certain never having lived outside Olympus.

“I know many here knew the man we say goodbye to today, so I shall keep my part short, as many will wish to say words I am sure, such as how dare he leave in this way. Though, I digress, Sir Cogsworth was many things to many of us, a mentor, a friend, a pin in the side... But to me he had been an anchor. I would never have been able to make it through my life without Cogsworth by my side to keep me and the other staff of the castle in order. He was focused we keep everything in order in at least the best shape we could, and it made the years as an animated wax stick trio bearable...” He paused a moment laughing sadly along with several others. His expression is pinched and he looks like he struggles to speak before he clears his throat. “So I must say, I am not pleased to loose you friend, but I am glad you shall no longer be in pain, so I bid you au dieu.” He had turned to the coffin leaden with flowers and did a flourished bow and stepped down walking off to the side pulling out a handkerchief rubbing at his face as he leans against a tree. The posture reminded Phoenix of someone wanting to hide. Phoenix moves closer trying to slink through shadows as he grows lilies gathering them in his hands; a collection of white, yellow and blue and walks up to the man.

“I’m sorry for your loss.” Phoenix says softly wincing as the man startles he looks over blinking and smiles flourishing the handkerchief he tucks it away to effect a proper façade. Phoenix frowns, he shouldn’t hide his emotions just for his sake, and offers the flowers having removed the pale pink ribbon he used to tie back his hair to tie together the bouquet. The man paused in shock looking at the rather stunning flowers he accepts them and takes a deep breath.

“Thank you, though I don’t recall seeing you, are you a new arrival? If so I apologize you’re introduction is such a sad thing as a funeral.” The man says and Phoenix smiles sadly, he never had been to one, though he’d heard about many from Thanatos. He wasn’t to sure how to properly react, except he knew these tended to be sad affairs.

“Some might call it fitting given my father is Hades. I am sorry though... He seemed to mean a lot to all of you.” Phoenix says giving a small half smile and shrugging a bit worried he’ll seem as out of place as a snake in a hen house. Lumiere chuckles sadly looking out to the coffin, a young man stood there and seemed to struggle with words a moment before saying something softly in french and quickly going to a woman in a black dress with her long brunette curls pulled back and held behind her with a golden rose clip. 

That must be the Prince and his mother Phoenix realized, she had warm brown eyes hidden behind a dark veil and she looked as upset as everyone else, though she gently pulled her son close rubbing his back as she whispered to him. The boy was around his own age and had eyes alike but not to his mothers, Phoenix had seen both green and brown, so the Prince had hazel eyes, not quite one or the other color, somewhere in the middle. Though when Phoenix had seen him he’d look distraught like he couldn’t think and had panicked while standing in front of the crowd. At least Phoenix thinks that’s what happened. 

“Ah, poor Ben... This will be the first funeral he’ll remember.” Lumiere says softly sadly and Phoenix frowns and feels horribly out of place. The idea of death was so foreign to him. He’d never had to worry over it as there were few things or beings able to kill a god, and until now he’d not really known anyone with this looming fate either. This was going to be a new and not wholly good learning curve.

“Ah, there’s you’re father...” Lumiere notes looking oddly calmer now the tired worn look brightening up a bit. After many had come and gone Hades steps up and he looks behind him at the coffin and places a crystal flower down, it’s a white rose. He looks out at the crowd his expression carefully neutral. Phoenix knows that look, his father only ever had that expression when he struggled to control his own emotions. Though he could see sadness echoing in his father’s eyes the only cue in his face was a slight furrow of his brow and the tight jaw.

“I am not comfortable speaking before all of you, but I felt the man we’re saying goodbye to deserves to hear what I have to say. He was a very honorable man, one I admired and those have been few, fewer were those who impressed me quite like Cogsworth. He was a loyal friend, a hard worker, and a stubborn goat when he felt like putting his foot down. I had hopped to get to introduce him to my son, but instead I must say goodbye to him instead. You will be missed but your memory will be cherished and you deserve your rest.” Hades says turning and nodding to someone though no in the crowd sees them. Phoenix watches a shadowy figure he doesn’t know who watches looking upset but they smile and Thanatos nods back to Hades before offering his hand and slipping away like a wisp with the figure. Phoenix wonders if he should say anything.

“I wonder...” Lumiere says gazing where Hades had looked and Phoenix sighs and swallows feeling uncertain and shifts on his feet.

“Dad made sure he knew you’d all never forget, Thanatos will make sure he get’s ho- I mean... Er...” He isn’t sure how to say it... Home to him yes, but most here might call it hell, or something equally bad. Lumiere smiles at him, though it clearly subdued he shakes his head.

“Non, non, home is right little one. He’s home now.” Lumiere says blinking tears away though they slide down anyway he takes out the same handkerchief and dabs them away and Phoenix wonders at it, he hasn’t really seen many people he knew cry. He’d cried plenty but it was odd to actually see it. He isn’t going to cry, it just felt sad to see this crowd in clear pain over a loss he was sure hit hard. He doesn’t feel the same pain they do. The crowd looked a mix from anywhere of open grief to cold stony expressions hiding sad eyes. He couldn’t fathom it, he knew that, but his sympathy still went to these people. He worries for his father, was this why he was so sad lately? Watching humans he had come to like grow old and pass away, all the while staring out over an island that held a daughter that he’d likely never be able to meet? 

Phoenix quelled the sudden anger at his father’s position, it wouldn’t do to get angry he’d end up growing a thorny plant and hurt someone. Which he both doesn’t want to do, as hurting people wasn’t an answer and it would get him in trouble. He had heard magic wasn’t looked on too kindly here in any form though he found it annoying they’d call his powers magical given they weren’t magic. 

He had no pact with anything to allow him these abilities, he was just able to control plants in a way no other creature on the world could. Well, save other gods or nymphs tied to nature, though his was more potent than a nymph he wasn’t as good at it as his mother. He didn’t conjure things he willed them to grow, either from his own pool of energy or by touching a plant and encouraging it to bloom. He preferred the latter as it took less energy and was faster, but if he were to grow them on his own they could be anything he imagined. 

Magic was something that was specific, Hecate had told him that though gods seemed magical truly they were just powerful primordial beings able to control things in a way that was passed down to them from their Titan parentage. Magic was a separate power to the differing abilities the gods had and she then showed him many of her own tricks which all seemed like all and none of the other gods powers. As a child he had always loved being around her as she would twinkle lights about her and he’d spend hours playing with them as one or both of his parents were busy. Then again most understood magic as just power beyond normal human ability... So he supposed he couldn’t argue that without getting a headache or giving one to someone else. 

“Ah, you’ve meet Phoenix then, Lumiere, I hope he has been on good behavior?” Hades asks stepping closer and leaning on the tree as well to watch the people as the coffin was lowered and slowly buried. He looks tired but when he looks at the frenchman his expression softens and his eyes glow with a fond light. Phoenix catches it immediately.  Maybe his father has a new lover?   Almost all the gods and even goddesses tended to be polyamorous though there was a huge difference between being so and going behind one’s lover’s back and having a fling. He hated the way Hera reacted towards Zeus’ dalliances but then again she wouldn’t make a step that would make her look like anything less than the perfect wife. Even if it meant tormenting the wrong side of her husband’s affairs.

Many had begun to disperse from the graveyard and Phoenix was surprised by how much smaller the crowd was now. Fewer than half stayed including the royal family ruling over Auradon. Lumiere shrugs slightly he just seems tired now though he gives a half-hearted smile Hades’ way.

“Ah, he’s been a very polite young man. Though I think he’s a little confused by what to do in the face of so much grief.” Lumiere says and Hades looks over worried and sees Phoenix’s icy eyes clouded in worry his form shifting side to side as he tried to hide his discomfort. Hades moves and pats his son’s shoulder gently smiling softly at his son.

“You’ve never had to deal with this, Gia willing we don’t have to have another service any time soon. Sympathy isn’t something bad to have; it makes you like your mother. Thankfully you’re not apathetic like me.” Hades says and Phoenix both loved hearing that and didn’t. He wanted to be compared to Hades more often he always heard how much he was like his mother, as nice as it was, becuase his mother was a wonderful goddess, much calmer and less prone to rash flights of fancy that may end up as tragedy for humans than most other gods and goddesses. 

His father was just as amazing in his eyes. Hades was strong and stern, true; prone to make mischief, and make brash choices like his brothers, but he also was less prone to doing things that caused strife among humans nor was he outright spiteful of them like creating gorgons or other creatures that would often attack humans on sight. Based on Phoenix’s understanding Hades had the best track record out of his siblings really. Or at least a cleaner one by comparison. He didn’t understand why it was avoided comparing him to his father. He had similar eyes, blue; though his were brighter a more icy form of his fathers stormy blues.

“So it’s not bad I wasn’t crying?” Phoenix asks still confused though he wasn’t upset about it he wasn’t sure if he shouldn’t be crying. He didn’t know the one everyone had said goodbye to after all so he shouldn’t be upset wouldn’t the tears be seen as odd? Hades nods and pats his shoulder and pulls him into a half hug against his side and Phoenix leans into it relaxing a bit as he tries calming his emotions. Even as confused as they were. If there was one thing that wasn’t fun about being a god was how emotions worked with them. According to several gods their emotions were less restricted than other races. When they felt, it was something they felt strongly and it was often hard to contain it, whether it was joy, grief, or anger. Even weird amalgamations of said emotions.  

“Hades.” A man says and Phoenix assumes him to be King Adam becuase his father looks less than happy to talk to him. The man is a tall and broad blond, a stern look to him with cool blue eyes, not quite ice chips but they certainly weren’t warm like his Queen’s.

“King.” Hades says back curtly. Phoenix notes his father’s posture stiffens and he brings up a mask of indifference and mild displeasure.

“Is this Phoenix?” The woman the young Prince had gone to asks, so Phoenix is certain she must be Queen Belle. Hades nods though keeps his attention on the King. Both seemingly trying and glare the other into cowering. 

“Hello, Queen Belle, I presume?” Phoenix says trying to smile though he’s uncertain and does a slightly jittery bow sure he’s messing up as he isn’t sure how customs are here. He just bows slightly and inclines his head as he did with Zeus. She chuckles though it’s a bit hollow and curtseys and he blushed not sure he was owed the courtesy. After all his title wasn’t much out of Olympus and Greece. The Prince even bows and he tries to smile though it’s more a wince, his hazel eyes though pretty don’t glimmer they’re dull with pain. Phoenix wants to brighten them, he doesn’t like seeing this other young boy upset.

“Yes, I wish we’d have meet with some nicer circumstances. Oh those are beautiful Lumiere.” She says eyes brightening a bit at the sight of the vibrant blooms. Phoenix shrugs not certain how exactly to address that with the royals. He didn’t mind he just hoped them the best in recovering from the loss. Lumiere had been easy as he hadn’t realized who he was at first. Though he flushes at the compliment to the flowers he’d bloomed.

“Phoenix here gave them to me with his condolences.” Lumiere explains smiling at the flowers the look less stressed than earlier. Hades looks over curious as he looks first at the lilies then smiles that tired air stuck to it.

“You’ve gotten better at growing them.” He says making sure to catch Phoenix’s gaze the two silently survey the other checking for any cues of distress and Phoenix smiles though it’s weaker than his usual.

“Mother says that they’re almost prettier than hers now. I don’t believe her though.” Phoenix says shrugging looking at the blooms, they might be exception specimens of they’re variety but they didn’t give off that paradise like aura his mother’s plants would. 

“Growing them?” Prince Ben asks looking curious, seeing an opportunity to distract the boy Phoenix leaps at the chance for a smile or at least a distraction. Phoenix looks at the wilting yellow rose in the Prince’s pocket and grows a fresh new one and swaps it. He sees the King go tense expression growing almost angry and looks to his father worried he’d done something wrong but Hades had moved a hand out to grab the King’s shoulder glaring at him. 

“Oh, that’s cool.” Ben looks amazed and Phoenix pays more attention to the other child to ignore how he feels like he messed up. “How’d you do that?” Ben asks and Phoenix spins the dead rose between his fingers back and forth. He could rejuvenate it but it wouldn’t last long, and would eventually only cause it to decay faster each time he tried to bring it back to it’s former lush vitality. If it had roots it would be another story. So long as the plant was still able to grow he could influence it’s health for as long as it remained able to grow.

“I can grow things like my mother, Persephone. She’s the Goddess of Spring. I can also become a shadow like Father but I haven’t figured out how to really do that...” Phoenix explains and Ben is wide eyed asking him all sorts of questions Phoenix answers without a second thought, at least both of them are distracted. Ben asked questions about what The Underworld is like, if he knew certain gods and so on so forth. Phoenix was unsteady at first, not used to anyone being so actively interested, but easily grew fond of Ben. The other boy was compassionate and when he cared he cared deeply, the draw back was his naivety. Ben tended to believe in and look for the good in all things. Phoenix adored it about him but also hated it. People especially those in Auradon would certainly attempt to take advantage. Not to say Ben was stupid, just... Soft. Phoenix felt strangely protective of him, and that feeling only seemed to solidify the longer he spent time with and around the Prince.

Phoenix slowly grew fond of the kingdom as much as he hated the similar way people preened for power like back home it was no where near as toxic, people there still had good hearts and had a habit of reminding people when to shove off when they over stepped their boundaries. He makes a few friends though it’s tentative at first. Being friends with Ben is difficult as it earns him ire from everyone around him. Except a few. Queen Belle, Fairy Godmother and Lonnie are very encouraging all around of him and the steps he takes to separate himself from a few negative stereotypes associated with greek gods and goddesses. He fights constantly to subdue his emotions as it could be hard not to grow angry when someone would start up behavior they so viciously condemned in Auradon, yet seem prone to all the same. 

He is allowed to grow plants without penalty as it was best he use the energy on something given if he is left idle too long he looses control over his power and it will grow plants rampant around him. Control at least full control eluded him at his young age. He could grow things on command but if he didn’t use the ability to flex it it would just build into excess growth in the general area. He worked on it with both his father and Fairy Godmother but he couldn’t seem to find a way to work it out.

Hades had suggested that perhaps Phoenix just wasn’t able to due to his mixed nature, given Persephone was a fertility Goddess and nature oriented while he was fire, shadow and death/spirit oriented. He was a King of wealth and all beneath the earth while his wife and Queen was a goddess of what grew through it and above. Phoenix was a strange middle ground. He could become mist and shadow like or even summon fog around himself but it was rare to manifest and often only if he were afraid. He had much better grasp over his nature abilities. 

“Life here isn’t nor will it be easy... And it kind of hurts to see the Isle and know my sister’s out there... But, I think I made a good choice coming here.” Phoenix says softly to his father. Hades just stares out over the water and seems to distracted to notice at first.

“I’d hope so, you’re stuck here or Olympus anyway.” Hades reminds him and Phoenix nods with a heavy sigh. It was true he couldn’t really travel elsewhere. Not until he could control his powers fully. Then he could travel about without one of his parent’s oversight. 

“At least here more toxic behavior is curbed and pushed out of the public areas. Unless of course said behavior is common, but there’s enough good here I don’t feel like I’m trapped and need to lash out at everyone near me to breathe.” He says kicking a rock and Hades rubs his back staring over the Isle. He says nothing but Phoenix knows how his father feels. It hurts but it’s easier to deal with here rather than at home. It’s not so much a weakness here as accepted unfortunate circumstances. He does hope to meet his sister one day though, most likely she’ll hate him. He couldn’t blame her though, if he’d have grown up in a cage he’d likely hate anyone on the other side of the bars too.

@hereliesdeedee​​ for the aesthetic, they’re amazing at making these and they put a lot of work into making me the one above for Phoenix Prince of The Underworld son of Hades and Persephone. 

#disney descendants #descendants oc #hades #descendants hades #Live action Adam #live action belle #lumiere live action #Mention of cogsworth #Mentions of Mal #Ben #Lonnie #hades descendants #ben x oc #lonnie descendants #ben florian #ben descendants #descendants #my oc Phoenix

[innaminitus]

Bloody roses

Pairing: Loki x reader

Request:  Hey. Could you create something of a mortal young woman who is lost in the forest and finds a castle abandoned (a bit like the beauty and the beast style) but it is loki who lives in it, very dark in his shadow before stairs, very alone, but he meets this light crossing this door and his heart is warming, he falls in love... (from @lokihiddleston)

Warnings: dark, Crimson Peak, the-last-season-of-the-borgias-ish romance with a dash or gore

Word count: 2489

A/N: once I’ve reread it it reminded me a lot of Romantic period, especially Mickiewicz, about how people in that era began to see life as something more spiritual than the classicists (is that a word in english?) and I just liked that. I hope you’ll like it as well. 

You’ve never felt such cold. Such bone-crushing, tears freezing cold.

You were marching through the forest for what felt like hours, your feet frozen from the snow, the tips of your fingers, even if hidden inside the leather gloves, so cold you couldn’t feel or move them anymore.

You were going to die. Alone, in this frozen, dead forest, bathed in the darkness of the starless light. Having pale moonlight as your only companion you forced your sore muscles to move forward, to lead you into hope of finding the end of the woods. You heard no sound but the squeaking of the snow under your feet and twigs breaking under your heels, followed by the heavy breath that was the harder to make the longer you walked.

You wrapped the remaining of your coat tighter around you, but it was just as frozen as your body, giving you no more than a weak, fake assurance of safety. Last bit holding you together from completely breaking apart.

Your legs hurt, thin ankle boots weren’t made for long walks and deep snow, and you soon felt them soaking, ripping apart even, letting the ice through the small holes in the material. There was no hope for you.

Hunger was also taking over your body, and the overwhelming frost assured you that you wouldn’t find any berries. If the cold wouldn’t kill you, hunger would. And if they both would fail, tiredness would finish the rest.

Tears flowing down your cheeks were unbearably warm, and yet even they froze in the middle of your cheeks or on the edge of your jaw. You couldn’t speak, your tongue was stiff and you were sure it could fall off anytime, and get lost in the snow somewhere near your fingers.

To pray was all you could do.

And someone, and it didn’t matter whether God or the Devil

heard your prayers.

*

He felt the soul in his forest long before shy knocking could be heard in the empty castle. He hoped, even if just a little bit, that the soul would die in the freezing winter ruling now in the cursed kingdom, that his peace will not be disturbed. Nevertheless, the closer it got to his castle, the more eager his heart was beating. He didn’t have any company for so long, after all.

You knocked, because that would seem polite. Even if the castle seemed abandoned, it was still much better than the forest. The garden leading to the main entrance must’ve been beautiful once, you recognized bushes of roses and lilacs, long dead from the harsh winter. Stone pavement was ruined, you kept tripping over broken pieces of it, wrecking your boots completely.

The door opened after the third knock and you murmured thanks, surprised that your vocal chords weren’t as frozen as the rest of your body. You looked around, searching for the person who opened the door for you, but didn’t find anyone in the dark entrance hall, only a beam of moonlight boldly entering through the massive window lightened the room you found yourself in. Just as quiet as they opened, the door closed, making you jump slightly, leaving you at the mercy of the shadow you saw hiding before the stairs.

“Good– good evening…” You struggled to say. “I’m– sorry to interrupt, but I was robbed while travelling back home, I got lost in the forest and– I’m freezing.” You didn’t quite understand why you kept talking to the frightening shadow under the stairs, all you knew was that the inside of the castle was delightfully warm and you would do anything to warm yourself up.

He didn’t say anything, just listened to the delicate voice of the girl he so hoped would die in the forest, eaten by the wolves and fear and that he suddenly felt the unreasonable need to protect. You took a step closer to him, the moonlight shone on your hair, glistening from melted snow. Another step and he could see your face, pale and frightened, and so beautiful.

You stood there, shaking, with pain and fear holding your heart, clenching onto your coat as if it was the only thing keeping you alive.

“Forgive me,” the shadow spoke suddenly and a man walked closer to you. His voice was calm and soothing. Once his face wasn’t hidden by the shadow you weren’t that frightened anymore. “I am not used to guests, as you may suspect.” He waved his hand and all of the sudden the castle was lightened by countless candles, warming the appearance of it, showing expensive furniture and carpets. You took the chance to examine your host. His clothing was clean and black, made of heavy, exclusive materials, his skin was clear of any blemishes and pale just as the moon you left behind. His beauty was somehow raw, but it was beauty nevertheless. “Please, if you’d kindly follow me, miss, I’d gladly help you.” He reached to you, and, perhaps enchanted by his charm you took the arm he offered and followed him to the room adjacent to the hall, which was immediately lit by the candles as well.

“Are you a sorcerer, sir?” You risked asking, somehow unbothered by the odd happenings at all.

He chuckled and you thought that the sound of it was pleasant.

“Yes, I think we might say so.”

The room was sumptuous, full of paintings and big windows, with sofas and armchairs looking like they were the most comfortable in the world. The fireplace was enormous, with a large mirror above it and an already lit fire inside. The man led you to one of the sofas and you almost heard your muscles screaming from pleasure when you sunk into the cushions.

“Thank you,” you sighed, sneezing almost immediately after. “I’m sorry…”

He just laughed politely and reached to your hands, taking the gloves off. Your fingers hurt and you didn’t want to look at the frostbitten skin, surely incurable. You would be lucky if you kept your fingers at all.

But in his warm hands the pain gradually stopped, to be replaced by the delicate shivers and finally the cold was beaten and you could move your fingers again. He took his soft skin from yours and you could see that your hands were untouched and healthy.

“Thank you, sir,” you murmured again, feeling that your eyelids became heavier and heavier with each moment. “Can I ask… What’s your name?” You held down a yawn, but the world around you seemed to be falling asleep as well.

You could only see his smile when he said:

“My name is Loki. Of Asgard.”

It must’ve been the Devil

who heard your prayer.

*

Delicate sunrays woke you up, and you felt surrounded with clouds and warmth, as if the rays were kissing your whole body, leaving you in bliss. You opened your eyes, fluttering your eyelashes, surprised to be well rested.

When you saw the black silk bedsheets, every memory of what happened to you came back with a force of a storm.

You were travelling back home from your old aunt’s mansion in the countryside near Cheshire, your carriage warm and filled with your belongings, when suddenly you stopped in the dark forest. You heard ungodly noises before, shaking, you forced yourself to move. The thieves were faster; they opened the door, ripped your dress when dragging you out, pulled your hair and laughed obscenely at your cries. The carter lay dead in the puddle of snow and blood, the horses run away, scared. The thieves turned away from you for a moment, to take your trunks out of the carriage, and you knew it was the only moment you could use to run away. So you did – you run until your legs were cramping, and run even after that, stopping only when you couldn’t see anything from the darkness of the night.

You were now in this odd castle, lying in a bed you didn’t fall asleep in, in a nightgown that wasn’t yours, with this strange, lonely man that filled you with the same sense of peace you felt on the graveyard. Dead, hopeless peace.

You slowly got up, amazed by how none of your muscles hurt, and wondered if he changed your clothes or used the unsettling magic on you.

He heard the delicate footsteps on the wooden staircase and closed the book he wasn’t really reading. Your presence in his silent home somehow made him feel slightly more alive, the lonely emptiness in his soul was being filled. He didn’t like the impact your short company had on him. He didn’t speak to anyone in what felt like ages, and you moved his heart way more than he’d want you to.

And yet here he was, waiting impatiently for you to wake up, just to see your rosy cheeks again and hear your voice fill the room. He conjured the food, probably way too much than you could eat in a week, but he just wasn’t sure what would you fancy for breakfast.

You walked through the door insecurely, your arms wrapped around your waist, the red nightgown contrasting with your paleness. You might’ve been the most beautiful mortal he’s ever laid his eyes on.

“Good morning,” he greeted you when he found his voice hidden deep in his throat.

“Good morning.” You almost smiled. “I couldn’t find any clothes…”

“I shall take care of that.” He wondered if the warmth he felt in his cheeks was shown on the outside. “But please, eat first. You must be hungry.” You nodded and sat on the other side of the table. He waved his hand and the food flew from the dishes and settled on your plate. He watched you take the first bite. “When you’re finished, I have a gift for you, Y/N.”

“How do you–“ You started to ask, but silenced when he raised his eyebrow. It was obvious how he knew your name. He was a sorcerer, as you called him.

You emptied your plate in no time, your eyes wandering around the room, around his face and hands, but not like a doe, afraid, searching for danger. No, your sight reminded him of a predator.

He got up when you cleaned your lips with a napkin and walked to you to offer you his hand. He longed for your touch like a starved man, as if your soft skin was the cure for all his sorrows.

You took his arm, your bare feet touched his polished shoe. He led you to the room next door, slightly nervous. Will you like his gift?

You froze when you saw what he’s done, your feet were wet as you stepped into something sticky, still slightly warm.

“I trust these are the men responsible for your misery?” You heard his voice somewhere next to you, but it sounded as if you were under water.

Yes, these were indeed the men that robbed you. With their throats slashed and guts spilling on the marble floor. You looked down, at the blood pooling at your feet.

You should be screaming. Running away from this castle, from this man as far as you could, and yet you didn’t feel scared. You felt odd sense of justice. You could die because of them. You could be frozen in the forest, eaten by the wolves you’ve heard. Your carter was, after all.

“Thank you,” you said silently, turning your gaze to the handsome stranger next to you. “This is truly thoughtful gift.”

He nodded once with a gentle smile that could melt the snow outside the castle.

“You are… welcome to stay for however long you please.”

He placed a hand on the small of your back, just because he couldn’t resist himself. Your eyes were locked on him, and he was more than delighted to know that you liked his present. He spent half of the night hunting down these blasphemers who dared to raise a hand on your perfect form. They didn’t deserve to breathe any longer.

“In fact,” he dared to say, “you can never leave. If you wish.” You titled your head. “This castle is… empty.”

He was nervous. Despite all he’s done and his power he was nervous about how would you react.

You let your mind wander. You didn’t really have where to go back to, your mother was dead and your father hated you for not being a boy. Staying in this strange place that filled you with unspeakable peace seemed as a way out of your problems.

“I’ll stay,” you said calmly, looking at the drying blood on the floor. “I’ll stay.”

*

Months went by and the castle seemed to be more alive once you took care of it. The winter passed and spring came, bringing fresh air filled with the scent of roses Loki brought to life for you.

You enjoyed his company. He treated you with your favourite dishes, little gifts and magic tricks you adored. You read poetry to him before you went to bed, took care of the garden and filled the castle with flowers you picked. You were content with your life, but the longer you spent time with him, the lonelier you became. Longing for little touches, long sights, soft whispers.

You were picking up the roses after they bloomed in marvellous shades of red, happy to finally enjoy the sight of them. Loki was sitting on a bench next to you, reading out loud a book about old kings and their wars, blood and love in uncertain times. You liked his voice, so deep and calming, you liked how his tongue formed syllables, how his lips moved after he licked them before reading.

“Ah!” You shook your hand rapidly, your finger pricked by the traitorous thorn.

“Are you alright?” Loki looked at you over the book and placed it aside when he saw the blood. “Let me see.” He got up and walked to you, taking your hand in his with his usual gentleness, examining the wound.

Slowly, very slowly, as if not wanting to scare you away he brought the finger to his lips, parting them just enough to lick the blood off your skin, the feeling of his tongue on you making you shiver.

He didn’t let your hand go and you didn’t want him to. His eyes travelled from your palm to your eyes, then settled on your lips, slightly plumped from the chill evening air.

“Can I kiss you, Y/N?” His voice no more than a whisper, the air dense suddenly, pushing you into his arms.

You let it push you, let it settle you in his warmth, to join your lips together and sunk in the taste of the words he just read, the blood and unspoken promises.

For it was, after all, the God who listened to your prayer.  

 ___

TAGS (let me know if your tags aren’t working, because they seem alright when I do them on my computer and then I look on my phone and they are broken):

💞: @taylorswiftloverforever13 @fuckythebuckybarnes @kaylig02 @daddyloki @it-jinxed-us @themusingsofmany @randomlea @annakohanasworld @theunofficialduke @prismroot-starlight0 @deathofmissjackson @tricksterwinchester @villanellevi

💚 -  @lucantis @amiablestyles @maybell88 @selemeworld @starofthedawn @imjustaworldoffandom  @lovesickforvillans @iamverity @midnight-queen-1  @adefectivedetective​ @peachlobotomy666  @artanopolis​ @cherrygeek86 @fan-girly-girl  @mercadez119​ @myownviperroom  @40sstuckys​ @thatweirdwalangpake @sociallyawkwardbeanwhowrites @thathedonistgirl

#loki x reader #loki x y/n #loki x you #loki #loki imagine #tom hiddleston #tom hiddleston imagine #avengers imagine #marvel imagine #mcu imagine #avengers #marvel

[kettle-on]

George Harrison x gardener!reader

Chapter 2

At last!! The joining chapter!

George is here!

This ended up much longer than I meant it to be, but... c’est comme ca la vie!

Read on :)

*this picture is from a map made of Friar Park by Alan Tabor in 1914

_______________________

A three-day stretch of sunshine and warm weather is rare for this time of year, but I’m grateful for it as I sit with my cup of tea and perched on a stool in the garden kitchen. It’s become my designated spot to spend my lunch break - when not drinking in the view from the window, I can keep my head down in here quietly and out of anyone’s way.

It’s Wednesday, and I’ve managed to get through the past two days on mostly tea and biscuits. It’s been fairly straightforward so far, and I’ve observed progress on one or two large plinth displays, been shown around an expanse of pine trees, almost got to investigate the alpine garden and mini Matterhorn but not quite yet, and have finally been able to lay my hands on a dogwood bush in an area I’m told was once called “The Paddock.”

I am glad for the easing-in process. What a nightmare it would be to screw up somewhere prominent at a place like this; so large and visible, and so well-loved and historic.

I take a grateful swig of my brew as a shout comes from the doorway to the hall,

“A-ha!”

Bravely, I sneak a glance up to the source of the voice and am instantly breathless.

He looks softer and greyer than I’d imagined, but I’d still know those eyes anywhere: the man of the house, George Harrison himself.

“They said you’d arrived, but I was beginning to think I was being swindled,” he reveals a toothy grin. “George.”

I appreciate that he not only still bothers to introduce himself, but he already knows my name, too.

For all I’d learned about him being the quiet, mysterious Beatle, and the moody dark horse, he is all lightness and giving. With his arms wide, he leans attentively onto the island counter across from me, and I feel as if I could unravel right there before him.

He scans my face with eagerness and I realize I have yet to say a single word.

“Well, I’ve…” Breathe. Keep your cool. “I’ve only been here since Monday, so...” I manage to offer, my eyes dancing across the surface in front of me and settling on my almost empty mug of tea, “It’s a big lot. Plenty of space to hide.”

He’s quiet but he hasn’t moved. I dare myself to return my gaze to his face, and it’s only now that I notice the sparkle in his eyes. How is he still this handsome? The deep lines across his famous dark brows remind me of tree bark, and I wonder how many years of scowling they took to develop. Then I make the mistake of letting my eyes drift to his mouth, now in a crooked and thoughtful closed smile.

“What do you make of it so far? Gettin’ on all right?” he asks, quickly peering into my almost empty mug before heading over to the kettle. He fills it with water up to the top line, and it looks like we’ll be here a while.

 “It’s beautiful. Olivia started to give me a tour when I arrived, but we had to cut it short. From what I’ve seen so far, I can see how you’d never want to leave.”

He opens a cupboard to take out a mug for himself, but even with his back facing me he makes sure to look over his shoulder, listening intently.

I continue, “I’m glad to be starting small, to be honest. I’ve been sorting out those bushes by the pool.”

“I see. Shoved you ‘round the back, did they?” There’s the grin again, and the unmistakable smile lines I recognize from various old video clips I’d seen floating around the internet.

“Yeah,” I manage, narrowly avoiding a giddy sigh.

“Well, I’ve been working on the garden for, oh, fifty years, is it? You should have seen it then, all buried in rubbish and brambles and debris. Horrible. But, as you say, you start with the little things, whatever you can manage, and you start to get an understanding of what you’re working with, you know. It’s easy to be overwhelmed.”

Leaning back against the counter with his arms folded, it’s clear he’s used this plan of operations many times.

“But there’s always a little unhappy area that just needs someone to come along and give it some careful attention.”

The kettle bubbles along, lending a soundtrack to the butterflies I’m trying to subdue in my stomach, and George points to my cup of tea, inquiring if I’d like another. I smile in agreement and quickly gulp down what’s left, and then offer the mug in all its floral print glory back to him,

“Thank you.”

His eyes linger on my face for just a moment before he returns to the counter. I look out the window again, and begin to piece together the circumstances of my current situation. This is George Harrison’s house. This is where I work. I’ve trained for years on my own and on teams in classrooms and greenhouses, learned the Latin names and all about colour theory and garden design. I’ve aggravated a dodgy hip many times over from shoveling dirt in the rain. I’ve earned very little money all the while, but look what it’s come to: I get to come here every day, and soak in the history and whimsy of such a magical place. How lucky am I?

“This wasn’t you, was it?” asks George after it dawns on me that he’d been humming something familiar for the past few minutes.

“Sorry?”

“Nickin’ all my tea bags. I’m sure I filled this up at the weekend,” he states, demonstrating a single tea bag nestled in the pale blue china caddy, ironically labelled ‘tobacco’.

It wasn’t me, and luckily he believes me. A few of the gardeners I hadn’t yet met had been in and out since my lunch break began, but I wouldn’t dare be a snitch and reveal them as the culprits.  Nevertheless, George’s efforts to make a brew for himself are thwarted when he finds the usual spot for the box of tea bags empty.

“This is outrageous!” he feigns fury. “Nevermind. Come on, I’ll show you where I keep the good stuff.”

Without a second thought, I follow him out to the vegetable garden where one of the gardeners I haven’t met yet is checking the progress of some turnips.

“All right, Vijay?” calls George. For a man of his age he’s quite speedy, but decades of singing and stress, (and smoking, I recall) have left his voice fairly scratchy when he tries for volume.

Vijay responds with cool pleasantries, and my host takes care of our introductions.

“If you’re after any veg for your table, he’s your man.” George explains, and Vijay’s bashful smile returns him to his notes.

We carry on our trek, past more beds of herbs, vegetables, and if my nose is to be believed, there are blueberries somewhere nearby.

The song George is humming sounds a bit like a Johnny Cash tune, and he builds his production with finger snaps and whistles.

The hedges here seem to go on for miles, and it’s a few minutes before we reach the end of this garden. The path leads down a slope where it meets the service driveway and disappears among some tall trees.

“No, I don’t think I’ll take you into the forest today, but remind me. I think you’ll like it. A nice old fashioned Lovers’ Walk.”

I blink at him, my mouth having fallen open slightly on the journey.

Instead, we cross to the right, to the grand chateau itself.

“I feel like I’m not supposed to be here,” I confess as we near a huge stone doorway like the one I met my first morning.

“You don’t have to come in if you don’t want to. But I think you might want to,” he toys with me, and the lines around his mouth hold back a knowing laugh.

“Yeah, all right, go on then,” I pretend to be cool and casual, and my trickery works.

It’s dark in here. This is a back way after all, but that doesn’t preclude the walls from their own ornaments and paintings. I pass beneath a brass swan seeming to emerge from the woodwork, and follow George over to a room that he almost facetiously calls a pantry.

“Shall we take our tea in the courtyard today?” he asks with all the put-on poshness of a John Cleese character, then returning to his normal manner to inquire,

“Or do you have work to be getting back to?”

Checking the time on my phone, I’m relieved to see my lunch hour isn’t up yet.

“I’ve got twenty minutes, how’s that?”

“All the time in the world!” he roars, shuffling over to a built-in set of shelves that nearly reach the ceiling.

He lets out a cheer when he finds it, and turns to me grinning to proudly display the box of tea we’d come all this way for.

Yorkshire Gold.

#george harrison #george harrison fanfic #george harrison x reader #george harrison x gardener reader #george harrison fluff #gardener fanfic #gardener reader #friar park #friar park fanfic #beatles fluff #beatles fanfic #beatles fanfiction #the beatles

[mamichigo]

Heck yeah!! Loved ur Giyushino Drabble it made me soft. But ANYWAYS. 40, hiding/hoping not to be caught kissing and 52, accidentally caught kissing for Giyushino (obv) You can choose who catches them! Ty!!

40. Hiding/hoping not to be caught kiss

52. Accidentally Witnessed kiss 

Anon, I’m really sorry it took me this long to get to your request!! I hope you enjoy

*

hide (and you seek) (1k)

While Shinobu had been quick to find a hiding spot, Giyuu stood frozen, scanning the area for a good place to hide himself, mind blank and all out of ideas. He heard Shinobu hissing something under her breath, and Giyuu turned too find her crouching and furiously pointing somewhere behind him. Giyuu’s gaze went from her face to what she was pointing to, and the more confused he felt, the more Shinobu pressed her fist to her mouth, hiding her lips behind them.

After a few more seconds of that, Shinobu ran to him, light on her feet so she wouldn’t be heard, and took his hand in hers. “What would you do without me, really?” Shinobu teased, and Giyuu could now see that she had been hiding a smile. “Let’s go, before we run out of time!”

“Where are we going?” Said Giyuu, letting himself be dragged wherever Shinobu fancied.

“Oh, don’t worry about it. I’ve got this,” she replied, winking his way before focusing back on her path.

The journey wasn’t long—in fact, it wasn’t a journey at all, as Shinobu simply took them to a corner where the bushes grew high and thick, enough so to cover the both of them. They dropped to the ground, side by side, silent so they could hear anyone approaching.

“Kochou,” Giyuu whispered, close to Shinobu’s ear.

“Hm?”

“Are you sure this is safe? It doesn’t seem life the best place to be hiding in…” Giyuu commented, frowning at all the open space in front of them, with no bushes to cover them.

Shinobu turned to face him. “Of course. as long as we stay still, I’m sure we’ll be alright.” Giyuu subconsciously slid further down and locked his limbs in place, intent on not giving away their hiding place. He paused when he heard Shinobu chuckle. “You look silly,” she said, grinning.

“If they find us, we’ll be in trouble,” Giyuu reminded her, frowning when she only smiled further.

“You’re being so serious!” Shinobu curled her fingers in a beckoning motion. “Come here.”

Curious, Giyuu did as she said. “Closer,” she instructed, and he followed. Shinobu looked side to side, then leaned in, like someone about to tell a secret. But, instead, she planted a kiss on his forehead. Giyuu blinked in surprise.

“What was that for?” Giyuu asked.

“No reason.” Shinobu tilted her head, and her eyes were going squinty from all the smiling she was doing. “You just had that kind of expression on your face.”

“What kind of expression?”

“That one, exactly! The confused puppy one,” Shinobu explained. At Giyuu’s offended huff, she leaned in for another kiss, this time on his cheek. “I think it’s cute.”

“…Oh,” Giyuu eloquently replied, eyes turning to the ground.

“Tomioka-san?”

“What?”

“Your face is red.”

Giyuu immediately slapped a hand to his face, covering half of it—which was, in fact, warm. Shinobu’s giggling was getting louder as she tried to catch his eyes, but Giyuu dodged it like his life depended on it.

“It’s cute when you’re embarrassed too,” Shinobu added, to Giyuu’s dismay, who continued to shrink into himself in hopes of disappearing from sight. “There’s no need to be so bashful, you know.”

When Giyuu didn’t reply, Shinobu tried to pluck his hand away, but it remained stubbornly in place. She raised her eyebrows at him, which Giyuu ignored. Seeing that he had not intention of wielding, Shinobu kissed his knuckles, right where his mouth would be.

“Well?” Shinobu asked, eyes twinkling.

Slowly, Giyuu lowered his hand, promptly being pulled into a kiss.

“Kochou, we’re being too loud,” Giyuu tried to protest, only now remembering they were supposed to be hiding.

Shinobu, however, didn’t seem at all concerned, kissing the corner of his mouth, then leaving a chaste but sweet kiss on his lips. Giyuu, more by instinct than anything else, licked her bottom lip, where the taste of her strawberry chapstick lingered.

“Wouldn’t it be bad if were caught like this?” Giyuu tried to reason, against the wish of his own body, which had already decided to hug Shinobu by her waist.

“Then we’ll have to not get caught, right?” Shinobu replied, laughing quietly.

Thee sound made Giyuu paused. He only now realized Shinobu was laughing like this, carefree and relaxed, for the first time in over a week. Not only that, but her eyes sparkled with playfulness that she rarely allowed herself to display. Giyuu stared at her, at the beauty of her untamed happiness, and melted under the force of her adoring gaze. No wonder he was falling into another kiss soon after, without any more protests.

She kissed him slow, a series of small pecks on his lips like the wings of a butterfly, all marked by the curve of her smile against his mouth. He kissed her like a man searching for water, chasing after her lips and wanting more, but happy with what she gave him.

Giyuu almost forgot about hiding, about where they were, about discretion and shame. For that one moment, he was happy to kiss Shinobu with the blue sky above them and the grass under their bodies.

The moment the spell was broken was disoriating, to the point where Giyuu didn’t quite process the new set of giggles that had appeared, registering only as white noise in his brain. When he caught up to his surroundings, however, Giyuu snapped back from Shinobu, knowing his face went beet red when he found Naho, Sumi and Kiyo watching the two of them with open curiosity.

Normally, Shinobu would be more worried about getting caught in the middle of kissing, but this time, she only made a semi-serious face at the triplets. “It’s rude to stare, you three,” Shinobu admonished, lightly.

The girls looked between themselves, dissolving into a new fit of giggling before running away. “Now it’s your turn to count!” Sumi helpfully reminded, shouting over her shoulder.

Shinobu looked to Giyuu as she got to her feet. “I suppose it is our turn. Shall we go?”

Giyuu had forgotten all about their play of hide and seek, but nodded nonetheless—if only for the sake of the triplets’ and Shinobu’s happiness. When Shinobu offered a hand to him, Giyuu took it, and clasped it tightly.

“Yes, let’s go.”

#kochou shinobu #tomioka giyuu #giyushino #kny #requests #my writing #also this is part of the #modern au

[the-prince-of-professors]

@tremendousdetectivetheorist at last, here is Part II of your story!! 🎻💌 I’m sorry it took so long, and once again this is not super polished and edited, but it’s already been so long and also, I hope it can cheer up your evening :) <333

(Part I)

Watson watched as the two lovers greeted each other, decided his presence would not be missed, and left the room in search for the conservatory. It was not difficult to find the set of beautiful, eye-catching glass doors leading into it, as they were close to the main entrance; but what business Holmes would have in there, Watson could not fathom. Nevertheless, he entered, and followed a stone path to the left past some exotic bushes and plants with colourful flowers, until he found the second palm tree as Holmes had instructed. Here he sat down on the small bench beneath it, and, closing his eyes to the soft sound of a babbling fountain somewhere nearby, he waited.

His thoughts effortlessly wandered to the case at hand, and to the two unlikely lovers involved in it. Before his inner eye he saw once more Stevens’ face as Webster walked up to him and placed his hands on his shoulders; the way his stern features softened when tender fingers stroke his cheek, and the way they both seemed to melt into each others’ presence, relieved not so much by the prospect of a solution as by seeing it through together. It was an unlikely love to the eyes of the outsider, that it was; but one peek behind the curtain, and who would ever again doubt its fierce authenticity?

He was pulled from his thoughts by a hand on his shoulder, and a breath in his ear; and he opened his eyes to find those of Holmes twinkling at him.

“Did I startle you?” asked Holmes.

“I was only dreaming.”

Holmes sat down next to him. For a moment or two neither spoke. Holmes hummed a quiet tune while idly inspecting his surroundings, and Watson patiently waited for some explanation for this odd meeting place.

“Are we waiting for someone?” he asked at last.

“Not to my knowledge,” Holmes answered.

“Then why are we here?”

And Holmes met his eye with a look Watson could not remember ever seeing in him before: it was as if every line on his face had smoothened at once, and his eyes had grown young with innocence, and his smile was that of a secretive school boy—and he lowered his gaze, and pointed to a spot on the worn and scratched piece of wood on which they were seated. Watson bent forward, squinting at the marks barely visible among less deliberate damages.

“S.H.”, he read, then looked up. “You?”

“Yes, Watson,” Holmes said with a chuckle.

“I don’t understand.”

“This house used to belong to my dear uncle and aunt. And this,” he continued, looking at his surroundings with a smile, “was my very own sanctuary, whenever I would visit them in town. I could sit here for hours; scribbling, or reading, or thinking. Webster’s father bought the place no more than ten years ago. I heard he had showed a great deal of appreciation for the conservatory upon buying, and I guessed he would have kept it much as it was: I am happy to see I was right.”

Watson looked at him, trying to imagine Holmes the boy hiding out under the protective leaves, lying stretched out with his nose in a book on this very bench, marking his initials in it with a penknife.

It was surprisingly easy.

“It is a very peaceful place,” he said, and Holmes met his eye.

“It was the safest place on Earth, in my world,” he said, and Watson could not decide whether the faint smile on his lips was one of sorrow, or of happiness.

So he took his hand, and pressed it firmly.

----- ♥ -----

It was again sunset, and again the two men made their way up the path to the house that had belonged to Holmes’ late relatives. Once again, the door opened almost immediately upon knocking, and Steven’s stern figure became visible. He showed the gentlemen into the morning room, where Webster was waiting—this time seated in the velvety chair, and tapping his fingers anxiously on the armrests.

“Mr Holmes!” he exclaimed, jumping up from the chair, “and Doctor Watson! Oh, am I glad to see you! It is a beautiful day, a happy day indeed—I can’t begin to tell you how grateful I am!” And he shook both of their hands fervently, grinning with his whole face.

“I take it you have had a talk with Mrs Chaillard,” said Holmes.

“Indeed, why she left in a rage not an hour ago! There is a passionate woman, if there ever was one, and she was most upset—most upset! But I need not tell you more, since you already must know every detail of this business!”

“On the contrary,” Holmes smiled, “apart from setting the operation in motion, we know very little of its actual execution. Now,” he continued, taking a seat upon the divan, “it is clear that the solution proved successful; but if you don’t mind, I would very much like to hear the details.”

Webster looked wide-eyed at Watson, who nodded in agreement; and he clasped his hands together in excitement.

“Well! Then please sit down, Doctor,” he said, “and I will gladly tell you! She came her in the morning, as she had promised, asking me one last time if I would not accept her ‘most generous offer’. I did as you told me yesterday: I stuck to my initial decision and fully and wholeheartedly refused her.

‘My heart is not for sale,’ I said, firmly. ‘You must understand that, Mrs Chaillard. There is nothing in the world which will stop it from belonging to him.’

“She was disappointed, I could see that—I think she had held some hope all the way to the end, despite my constant protests. Well, she said I would be sorry, and she left—and as strong and unruly as I had been during our interview, I must admit that at that point, I was all shatters and shivers again. I could not help but think she had the advantage after all, and that she was on her way to ruin our little utopia like a locomotive running full force through a rotten picket fence—it was only the assurance in your telegram last night that we should not lose faith, and Stevens’ infinite comfort and support, which kept me from completely falling apart. Well, Stevens forced me to take some lunch; and then we waited, for what felt like an eternity. I know you were also anxious at that point, my dear—it was written all over your face,” he said, taking Stevens’ hand and giving it a squeeze; and Stevens raised his eyebrows the very slightest, in a way which with some imagination could be interpreted as agreement.

“But then,” Webster continued, “we suddenly heard a carriage stop outside, and before we had time to do as much as get up, there was a furious knock at the door. It was her, of course; Stevens opened, and she pushed right past him; and I shall never forget the look on her face as she entered this room, nor the feeling it produced in me, for I could see right away that something had gone horribly wrong on her end, which must mean horribly right on ours. She stopped right in the middle there, on the carpet; I raised to my feet; and she simply stared at me for some moments, with the burning gaze of a wounded tiger.

‘Mrs Chaillard,’ I said then, ‘you look upset.’

‘Upset? Upset!’ she cried, taking a step towards me—but I stood my ground. ‘How dare you stand there as if you know nothing of the humiliation I just went through in the office of the editor of the largest magazine in the city! What is this trick you have played on me?’ she went on, and held up the same velvety bag in which she had placed the photographs and the letters after waving them in my face the day before.

‘But I assure you, I do know nothing,’ said I.

‘Nothing of THIS?’ she cried; and she reached inside the bag, and threw its contents at me.

“And what was it?” asked Watson.

“Nothing but this!” said Webster, and laughed as he reached into his pocket and produced some small pieces of paper. “Some biscuit wrappers, and a few tickets stubs to Lord’s. You can imagine I had some difficulty keeping a straight face. But I looked her in the eye, and said very sternly:

‘Perhaps the trick is one you have played on yourself all along.’

“I was quite pleased with myself for that, especially since it caused an even stronger emotion in her. All she could do was stomp her foot and let out a scream like you’ve never heard before. That last part was not very pleasant on the ears, of course; but then she cursed me in at least ten languages, and I was never so grateful to be so thoroughly insulted before in my life. You see, until now she had—despite threats of my destruction—been nothing but affectionate and seductive and pleasant with me. It was the most welcome change of behaviour, I must say. At last she cried:

‘This is the last you have seen of me, Lord Webster—mark my words!’

“And she left the house. I sank down upon the sofa, for by then I was shaking again, though this time with relief; and Stevens, who had heard everything, came to sit beside me—”

“—I was very proud of you, my dearest,” said Stevens, this time with clear affection in his deep voice, and kissed Webster’s hand.

Webster stopped in his retelling, for a moment or two forgetting all but his lover’s touch, and the eyes gazing into his own.

“Well,” said he then, “after blessing our fortune that we were once again free and that this horrible business was over, we immediately sent for you. It is all over, is it not, Mr Holmes?”

“I dare say that it is, my Lord,” Holmes said softly. “She has nothing on you now, and I hardly think anyone would believe her story should she decide to try it anyway, which I don’t think she will.”

Webster put his hand on his heart, smiled, and took a deep breath, much like one would do on the very first day of spring. Then he raised to his feet, to once again clasp the hands of his rescuers.

“I thank you, Mr Holmes,” he said, “and Doctor Watson. I cannot begin to describe the happiness you have brought us both.”

“We played a very small part in it,” smiled Holmes. “I’m quite confident, too, in saying that the photographs and the letters will soon be returned to you in the most discreet manner. Take good care this time, that they do not fall into the hands of another ill-willed enemy!”

“You may be certain of it, Mr Holmes,” said Stevens, reaching out his hand as well, “and may I also express my deepest gratitude for what you have done for us both. I hope you know how much this means to us.”

“Indeed, I’m sure we do,” said Watson, shaking his hand.

“You know,” said Webster then, “this whole business has been such strain, and now I truly do feel like celebrating. I think I finally shall take the plunge, and travel to the continent. That is,” he continued, taking Stevens’ hand again, “if my valet would be so good as to come with me.”

Stevens carefully raised Webster’s hand to his lips once more.

“I would like nothing better,” he said.

----- ♥ -----

It was with a puzzled mind that Holmes again entered the glass doors to the conservatory—and that says quite a lot when it comes to the man in question. But Watson had asked him here, to meet below the same palm tree as before—the usual palm tree—and he would naturally oblige. So there he was, walking down the little stoned path, and sitting down on the worn wooden bench to the sound of the friendly fountain. And he had not sat there long when he felt a familiar hand on his shoulder, and looked up to see Watson’s smiling face and twinkling blue eyes looking down on him.

“I hope I did not startle you.”

“Not at all.”

Watson sat down next to him, and again they both sat in comfortable silence for some minutes.

“Holmes,” Watson said at last. “May I ask you one thing?”

“Anything, my dear Watson.”

Watson turned towards him. With great affection, he looked him in the eyes for a moment; then he said, in the most serious manner:

“May I borrow your penknife?”

Holmes started a little in surprise. But he reached into his coat, and produced a small knife. Watson took from him—carefully, as if it was the most precious of relics—and then he got down on the ground and, sitting on his knees, he traced the wooden surface of the bench with his fingers. When he had found what he was looking for he put the knife to the wood, and carefully carved six scores in it. Then he sat back up on the bench, and handed the knife over to Holmes, who looked bemused upon the initials now next to his own.

“J.W.” he stated, placing the knife back into his pocket. “But… I must admit, John, that I do not quite understand.”

“I want you to know,” Watson said, looking intently into his eyes, “that wherever your safe place is… I will be there with you.”

And he smiled his kindest and most genuine smile, the one that will, I’m afraid, never be reserved for you or me, but is but for one person alone; and it was met with that special glimpse lighting up in Holmes’ eye—the one he had learnt to recognise.

----- ♥ ----- ♥ ----- ♥ -----

#holmes and watson #my writing #yes of course they had to be there too somehow ^^ #again sorry it took so long #me saying ''i will do this soon'' is just not realistic #and if you'd like me to put it on ao3 eventually let me know #<3

[hiddenklausgoldstein]

Prank Gone Wrong

Shall we Date Wizardess Heart

Disclaimer: I do not own any of these characters, all rights belong to the game Shall we Date Wizardess Heart

Warning: Shounen-ai

Pairing: Alfonse x Caesar

Summary: Luca plans to prank Caesar, but how bad does it get?

One Shot

"I'm here to do a prank on Caesar today, I'm letting everyone know who is reading this since this is what I will be doing. I'm going to go up to him and tell him that Alfonse no longer loves him." Luca Orlem said towards the distance. "Okay, let's go find Caesar."

Luca started to walk around the campus, but he didn't need to search the whole entire area at least. Since he spotted Caesar near the hallway, so he walked over towards him with a grin on his face.

"Yeah, I think that's what I need to do..." Caesar Raphael said to himself, but didn't notice that Luca was in his hearing range. "Hey, Caesar." Luca Orlem called out to him. "What?" Caesar Raphael asked, as he glanced towards Luca now. "I wanted to tell you something really quick." Luca Orlem said with a grin. "Is it bad?" Caesar Raphael asked now. "I just have something to tell you." Luca Orlem replied. "Okay, just say it." Caesar Raphael said, slightly losing his patience.

"You see... Alfonse no longer loves you, in fact he wants to break up with you." Luca Orlem told him, as he grinned while looking away from him this time. "What? He would have told me that." Caesar Raphael said as he glanced at the ground a little. "Well, he didn't say it. So, what will you do?" Luca Orlem asked him.

But before he could get an answer, Caesar ran off somewhere as Luca shook his head now. Luca seemed to grin again, wondering what Caesar would do now. So, he oddly went to go find out where he went. Meanwhile...

Caesar was hiding in the North Forest behind a lot of trees, as he seemed to watch Alfonse and Leon talking to each other. Though, he was really hurt by what Luca had told him, as he wondered if it was true or not.

"No, I think the others would like to come here sometime." Alfonse Goldstein smiled at Leon. "Okay, thanks Alfonse." Leon said as he smiled. "No problem, that's what friends are for." Alfonse Goldstein stated, as he oddly glanced around the area.

Leon smiled once more as he walked off probably to go to the spring of unicorns, since that was the way he headed. Alfonse sighed to himself slowly, as he glanced towards a bush since it made some noise.

"Alright... is anyone here?" Alfonse Goldstein asked. "It's just me." Caesaer Raphael replied, as he slowly crept out from behind a tree. "What is it?" Alfonse Goldstein asked him. "Is it true?" Caesar Raphael seemed to ask, as he looked towards the ground. "Is what true?" Alfonse Goldstein seemed to ask as he looked at him. "Well... I heard that you no longer love me and want to break up with me." Caesar Raphael said as he even walked closer to him.

"What? That's nonsense, I will never break up with you. Plus I will always love you, Caesar." Alfonse Goldstein said in a calming tone. "I was so worried that it might have been true." Caesar Raphael said as he actually started to cry.

Alfonse didn't say anything else, he just wrapped his arms around Caesar now and let the other man cry against his shirt. Caesar just stayed rather close to him now as he felt Alfonse's love for him, so he knew it wasn't true and that this man did love him very greatly still.

#solmore #wizardess heart #luca orlem #caesar raphael #alfonse goldstein #leon #never do this to someone #one shot

[rebelwith0utacause]

Daydreaming, vol.1, part 3

Yellow, here’s a new part of Daydreaming vol.1 if anyone wants to read it. ^^ ( @ilumxna ) part 1 | part 2

You thought you had your shit together. It’s been years since you’ve felt this angry or this insecure. The emotions hit you so suddenly, they almost left you gasping for air. Common sense flew out of your head and you just had to go and see it for yourself.

The call from your mom came at 3 in the morning. You were somewhere in dreamland when the first sounds of the familiar tune broke through your slumber. Seeing Liz’s name this early in the morning wasn’t good. You loved your mother dearly, but you were almost positive that she would be the bearer of bad news.

Her voice sounded strained with a breathy undertone when she asked to have coffee with you in the morning. This didn’t surprise you too much since she moved to LA after retiring, opting to make it her permanent residence while she traveled around the world and took photos. You were so happy that she could live her dreams. You were also pleased to finally be close to her after almost three decades of being apart.

You picked up both drinks from the nearby coffee shop and set out towards the park. It was a slightly chilly morning so the park was half-empty, leaving you with plenty of seating options. She was still the same as ever, save for the grey in her hair and her nervous demeanor.

“Mom, you’re scaring me. What’s going on?” you asked as you gave her her coffee and a sideways hug. Your long limbs were able to envelop her whole without being awkward. 

“Don’t worry, baby, Andy and I are fine. Is it so weird to want to see your kid these days?” 

“C’mon, mom,” you huffed, “you called me at 3 AM so something must definitely be up. Now, don’t beat around the bush and just tell me.”

It was weird talking to your mom like this. It used to be her taking this no-nonsense tone with you, but things have definitely changed. She couldn’t look you in the eye at first, holding her gaze to the left, trying to find the words.

“So, you know how I just got back from this trip, yeah? We went as far as Maine with your dad. I haven’t felt so alive in a long time. Now I know why you miss touring so much.” she started, sitting sideways on the bench and taking your hand in hers.

“We were in this tiny little town in Connecticut, you should’ve seen the sunsets… Kinda reminded me of Sydney. Anyways, we decided to snap a few photos of the beach and grab a beer with your dad. There was live music, and, honestly, here comes the tricky part. The kid, the one singing… It almost felt like I was transported twenty years back in time and it was you sitting on that barstool. He looked like he might be a carbon copy of you Luke. I… I thought I might be losing my mind, but your dad agrees with me.”

You were still trying to process her words when she pulled out her phone and unlocked it, showing you a picture of a curly man, a little older than a boy, in fact, looking directly into the camera with a vacant stare in his blue eyes. “Look, baby, I know this might be a lot to take in, but I swear to you. I felt something there. I think he might be yours. There’s just no other way of explaining it. We asked around, and it turns out that he takes the stage there every week, so he’ll be around. I’m not gonna tell you what to do, but I think that you should go and make sense of this whole situation by yourself.”

It felt like time stood still as you were staring at that picture. It reminded you of looking at yourself in the mirror, except the hair color was a bit darker, the skin a bit smoother and the stare a bit more lost.

There were a lot of emotions brewing underneath your skin. There was definitely uncertainty, not knowing whether it was worth it to even pay attention to this issue, he might just turn out to be a lookalike, as bizarre as it may seem. There was a hefty amount of anger, because if what you felt deep in your heart was true, someone managed to hide a son from you for years, and you might just have an idea who. There was also sadness, that you missed so much, that you almost missed it all.

It took you a week to get over the shock and plan the trip, but once you were seated in that rental car, driving down I-95, you knew you made the right call. It was approaching sunset by the time you got there. Your mom was right, it was a beautiful one. You grabbed a seat towards the back, glad that there weren’t that many people who could recognize you. The band was just a fond memory locked up in your mind by now, but there were still a few people asking for an autograph on the street and your name still appeared in popular songs as the author. Guess you couldn’t live without music after all.

You were slightly amazed at what you heard. His voice was nothing like yours. It was a lot deeper and intimate, not entirely radio-friendly, but jam-packed with emotions. You couldn’t help yourself but rake your eyes over him. If you didn’t know by now, you were 99.9% sure that this was your son.

Almost as if waking up from a dream, he strummed the last chord on the guitar before saying “Thank you for having me here tonight. My name is Matt, for those of you who don’t know me, and I’ll be seeing you next Thursday, same place, same time. Have a good night!” 

So all this time you had a baby boy called Matt. It somehow fit him perfectly. It was showtime. You slowly approached him as he was packing his guitar. “You could’ve added a bit of emotion at the end, you know that, right?”

His startled stare turned to you and you could see him sizing you up. Something clocked, but he was still unsure. “Excuse me, do I know you?”

“I don’t know, Matt, do you?” He knew something. You just knew it in your heart of hearts. He somehow knew you or maybe knew of you.

“I always thought that you were just a figment of my imagination…” That was not what you were expecting to hear. Have we met before?

“I’m sorry, it’s just I have this recurring daydream of looking at a stage and seeing you there, and the light makes it difficult to see if it was you, but I just know it is. Holy shit. It was driving me crazy.”

“I used to be in a band. Maybe you’ve seen us play live.” you point out, lifting the corners of your mouth. “Listen, this might sound weird, but do you… maybe… wanna grab a beer with me? I feel like we need to talk.”

“Sure, let me just make sure all the equipment is safely stored.”

You take a seat at an open table, hearing seagulls faintly in the distance. After a while of uncomfortable silence and curious stares, you decide to break the ice. “Is… This is hard for me to ask but, is there a chance that we could actually be related?”

“If you’re asking me if I’m your son, then there’s a high probability it might just be true. I’ve never really known my dad. All my life it’s been me and my mom.”

“Your mom?”

“Yes, Y/N.” Even though you had your doubts, hearing her name was like a punch to the solar plexus. It was common knowledge among your friends and family that she was the one that got away, and also the one who shall not be named. “Y/N…”

“Yes, you know her?” he said with a slight tilt to his head, something that he never forgot you used to do.

“You could say that… I guess I didn’t know her enough because she managed to hide something from me for 23 years.”

“Listen, maybe it would be better if you talked to her about this all. I’ll give you her address,” he said, giving you an apologetic look and grabbing a napkin and a pen from the bar. “It’s not far away from here and she’s probably at home. That’s my number if… if, you know, you want to give me a call after everything is cleared up.”

You take a careful look at him. He’s looking everywhere but at you and his cheeks are stained red. It shouldn’t be this way. He shouldn’t feel ashamed to ask his dad if he can keep in touch. With sadness and anger simmering in your blood, you pull him in a hug and whisper brokenly “You’re not getting rid of me that easy kid.”

#luke hemmings #luke #luke 5sos #luke hemmo #5sos luke #lh #lrh #imagine #imagines #fanfics #fanfiction #writing #5sos #sorry for the crappy content

[cards-onthetable]

Emotional roller coaster

I just have so, so, so many feelings about last night’s episode. I’m not going to sit here and waste time onhow Maria Baez is too good for this trashcan show, or how ridiculous it is that every damn thing is a huge conflict of interest now (Erin being sent to deal with her dad re: some controversial issue? Frank saying “if I can’t get my daughter to do what I want...” or something like that? Me still watching when every scene nauseates me? Gross x 3). Today I’m just going to talk about Jamko. I went back and forth between (almost) 👀😍 and like, crying in misery every scene so join me on this emotional roller coaster of ridiculousness.

Scene: crossing paths in the precinct between shifts

OMG this scene is actually almost cute.

Eddie in a t-shirt (even if it’s pink)? Jamie in short sleeves? Omg omg 😍

“You look like a partner I used to have.” Is this... an attempt... at old style bantery Jamko?!

I can’t figure out what’s up with Jamie even after watching multiple times (thanks @jamkosarmyoftwo). He looks better/less dead than he has in a while (maybe it’s the short sleeved uniform? 👀👀) But lol his voice/inflection/line delivery is still a little off.

It feels noteworthy that not only did Eddie volunteer to be the decoy driver in this operation to catch the cab passenger — the whole operation is her idea.

A steak sandwich waiting in the fridge after a long night at work? This is like the first Real Evidence that Jamie actually loves her. Let me tell you, I’d pretty much marry anyone who feeds me after a night shift on the spot.

Eddie waving at him is cute not gonna lie. 😍😂

Sidenote: what’s the status of Jamie and Eddie’s relationship at the precinct? We know their superiors know they’re married at this point, but what about the other cops? Are we just ignoring that little detail they spent a year apparently hiding? Yes? Okay cool.

Scene: Eddie and Witten at another cab robbery

😂😂😂 someone else besides Eddie now gets to be the STEP BACK yeller! Amazing! Eddie’s moving up in the NYPD y’all.

Why is it daylight? Is it the next day after the precinct scene? What happened to these middle-of-the-night robberies? I have many questions about this, folks.

I legit cracked up when Eddie goes to check on the victim and he falls forward, dead. Is this meant to be some comic relief? Why do I watch this show?

Scene: Jamie and Eddie’s apartment

Eddie’s making Jamie dinner after he left her a steak sandwich. Again, I have questions about the sequence of these scenes... Eddie’s already had another shift so it has to be the next day right? Nothing makes sense.

I’ll try to ignore Eddie choosing to make Jamie a damn salmon (because that’s a reasonable, quick-ish weeknight dinner before rushing off to work) and apparently only making one (would she not have like, fed herself too???) because omg for a second, they’re almost cute 👀👀

I would’ve liked to see a quick little kiss when Jamie walks in like they’re some kind of normal couple but it’s whatever, I guess

“Aw, you didn’t have to do thaaaattttt!” Again with the weird inflection. Maybe this means he’s trying for something other than ugh-just-get-through-the-scene-without-dying? But lol.

Aaaaand then we go from almost-cute to cringey super fast.

Eddie asks about the decoy operation (reasonable) and then gets weirdly upset about the wrong things when Jamie updates her.

Old Eddie would easily have understood the selection of a decoy who closely resembles the victim profile. Like don’t even with me @ her getting all butthurt over not being chosen for a role where they need a male.

It bothers the fuck out of me that Eddie reacts the way she does to Jamie getting the driver job. Again, objectively, she should realize why she was passed over. And Old Eddie would not have expected Jamie to give her this ~special treatment~ she’s asking for here when she says he should have told the sergeant that she wanted that job. And... she wants it because the last scene “got to her”? And she claims Jamie’s being “overprotective”? God I hate it all.

Talk about an inappropriate ~work-life balance~ when they’re having these emotional Disagreements about work-related matters at home. Gross gross gross.

Oh we’re mentioning last year’s decoy op when Jamie jumped out of the damn bushes to save Eddie (which was totally overprotective and inappropriate)? GOOD LET’S file this away for later shall we?

Now Eddie’s basically storming out. Nice. I hate it. I feel like this ~argument~ was done completely the wrong way and I can’t take either of them seriously right now.

Scene: family dinner

SPOILER ALERT: I HATE EDDIE IN THIS SCENE TOO

Remember that time Eddie waltzed into Jamie’s apartment all “you got ESPN?” And that deleted scene where she tried to win Mets tickets? And the general idea in earlier seasons that she’s a sports fan?

SO WHY THE FUCK does she get this horrified look on her face all “that’s part of the game?!” when Sean says he hit the opposing pitcher with a pitch?

Yes dude. Payback in the form of intentionally hitting opposing players with pitches is a part of baseball. I will withhold my personal opinion on this topic but the point is, yeah, it’s a common thing in the game of baseball. So gross @ Eddie up in here acting like she’s never heard of that before and she’s all horrified by it. I don’t buy it.

“Where’d you get that, G Gordon Liddy?” Lol when I asked @ontherockswithsalt who tf G Gordon Liddy is, she was all “ASK YOUR DAD THAT’S WHO” so cool @ Eddie casually referencing this Watergate dude when she was not born yet when that went down.

0/10 I hate it.

Scene: decoy discussion after dinner

WAIT Tell me more about Jamie’s past sports gambling. 👀👀

Last time we talked about this, Eddie was pissed that Jamie was chosen instead of her and accused Jamie of being overprotective. And here she is being overprotective asking if there are any safer alternatives? 🙃 I’m tired.

Yes please Jamie. Explain to Eddie ~how the job works~. Good good.

They don’t annunciate at all in this scene and I can barely understand what they’re saying. Glad to have you back, Will “just-get-through-the-scene-without-dying” Estes.

Sidenote: Lol @ his short sleeved button down. Dad Look on point.

Scene: DECOY OP OH BOY HERE WE GO 🙃

Jamie picks up the suspected perp in broad daylight with a huge ass black van not at all discreetly following him. Nice.

Eddie anxiously listening to police radio somewhere in her own car. Nice.

“Just drive.” Lol @ everything.

By the way cabs in NY have partitions between the driver and the backseat to protect the driver so this entire premise is bullshit and they would’ve done better to make it like, Uber drivers getting whacked or something. but who cares about realism?

“What the hell are you going?” Like he’s so damn casual @ having a gun held to his head. I’m dying. 😂😂😂

OH NO THE HUGE ASS BLACK VAN LOST THE FEED. WHATEVER WILL THEY DO?! Also highkey dying @ this ridiculous graphic. 😂🙃

The fuck @ this entire car ...chase? Whatever you’d call it when Jamie is driving with his knees for blocks and blocks while holding an armed attacker at bay.

HE’S WEARING CARGO PANTS GOD SPARE ME.

EDDIE TO THE RESCUE WHAT THE FUCK?

The “find my phone app” is more reliable than NYPD technology? Nice.

And then Jamie rolls his eyes before they do this weird jerky grab-each-other thing and I hate it all.

SOME ISSUES: Eddie listening in on a police operation while off duty. Eddie using the fucking FIND MY PHONE APP to interfere with said police op. Eddie shooting a perp while off duty.

Normally this would prompt a huge ass investigation into all of Eddie’s activities, including off duty discharging her gun. This seems like very clear evidence that they can’t safely continue working out of the same precinct. Yet I’m sure there will be zero consequences and we’re just supposed to be all 😍😍 @ Eddie saving the day.

It’s all so ridiculously absurd, y’all. I can’t take this shit seriously. I mean is the show even trying anymore? When I watched this scene live last night, I literally thought “wow this is it, this is where I stop watching Blue Bloods.” And I mean that may or may not be true but like... I hate it so much.

Scene: Eddie and Jamie’s apartment again. Sitting Like This on the couch.

Lol @ this casual transition from watching a cooking show to “that’s the second time you’ve saved my life. Thanks.” 🙃🙃🙃

This discussion that “if we accept the risks for ourselves we have to accept the risks for each other” is actually a great line and it’s a thing they should’ve talked about a long time ago, way before getting married. But that doesn’t mean I’m cool with Eddie taking it on herself to be Jamie’s guardian angel (who the fuck basically calls themselves someone else’s guardian angel? 🙃) for the rest of their careers.

THIS KISS. Geez I’m not here for it. Like every kiss they’ve had since getting engaged has looked just like the 2 kisses they had before that. I need to feel something different in these married people kisses okay?

IN SUMMARY: These contrived Jamko work situations are about to get really old really fast and I need a change if I’m going to keep tolerating this bullshit on my tv every Friday night. They don’t have a healthy coping strategy re: each other’s inherent risks as cops and they don’t have a healthy coping strategy to allow them to work out of the same precinct and constantly be aware of/involved in the other’s work activities. It’s stupid from a marriage standpoint, stupid from a work and realism standpoint, and ridiculous all around. Do better, folks. I hate it.