#my husband made this joke tonight because i just did this quest

[cocochannel00]

Only Wish (This Year)

All Y/n wants for Christmas this year was Harry to be home... so what happens when Harry can’t make it? (a part of the ‘Christmas song fic challenge’)

Word count: 3k Pairing: Harry Styles x reader

A/N: hello my loves! This is my submission for @goldenbluesuit​’s christmas fic challenge, Christmas is literally my favorite holiday of the year and I’m so happy I got a chance to do my first fic writing challenge based on the absolute bop that is Britney Spear’s “Only Wish (This Year)”. If you want to read more great Christmas fics by some amazing writers checkout the Christmas Song Masterlist Here and if you want to read and more of my writing check out My Masterlist Here. I hope you enjoy!! 

"Love I think the tree looks a little crooked"

"No, it's not! It looks fine," you grumbled as you tried to fluff one of the branches that was limping to the left a bit. You had just gone out with Anne yesterday to the Christmas tree farm to get it. The two of you spent nearly two hours walking around the field looking for the perfect tree to put in the living room and after your fingers and toes had officially gone completely numb the two of you gave up and settled for the lanky one in the corner of the field that no one wanted. The tree towered over you quite a bit and had a bit of a tilt, but it reminded you a bit of Harry and this Christmas that was what you wanted, him.

"The reindeer you just hung up is about to fall off, Love" he mumbled from the screen of your computer as he face-timed you from the studio in LA. Rushing over to the left side of the tree, you scooped up the ornament quickly just as it was beginning to slide off of the scrawny branch you had placed it on earlier. As you less than gracefully began to pick yourself off the ground, you heard a wolf whistle come from your husband.

"On second thought, if you keep bending down like that I think I might actually like this tree" Harry stated with a smirk as you gave him the middle finger. "Your mom and I picked it out yesterday cause we thought it looked like you. A little lanky, a little scrawny... looks like he just rolled out of bed" you replied with a laugh.

"I'm going to spare my ego and pretend you didn't just compare your beautiful, loving, and supportive husband to that sad drooping tree you have in the corner."

"(Y/n) is that Harry you're talking to in there? Tell him he better be making it home for Christmas Eve dinner or I'm going to be having a stern talking with Jeff" Anne shouted from the kitchen where she was finishing up some cookies for when Gemma and Michal' today.

You could see the color drain from Harry's face as he scratched the back of his neck. You and Harry have been married now for a little over a year but had been dating for well over three, so you know his every tick and giveaway and when Harry begins to scratch and rub at the back of his neck you know it's bad news.

"I've got this really good chorus started with Mitch, but were still trying to figure out whether-"

"Harry"

"We spent all of yesterday  working through the tracklist and I think I've narrowed it down to-"

"Harry"

"I think I'm going to end the album with the song I wrote on our honeymoon. I tweaked the melody but it's still-"

"Harry" you whispered for the last time before he finally stopped his rambling. You could see him by the way he was avoiding your stare that he didn't want to say the words you both were dreading. He isn't coming home for Christmas. You both knew it was a possibility when he flew out to LA nearly five weeks ago to finish the album before the new year. Despite Harry's offer of having you come to LA with him, your job didn't allow you the luxury of taking off that much time especially during one of your busiest times of the year. You had held out hope that Kid Harpoon and Harry could tie up all of the loose ends ahead of time, but clearly, that wasn't going to happen.

"I tried baby, I really did. There are just too many little things that need to get done here. I promise I'll try and make it back next week, we can have our own little Christmas together in London" he stated trying the lighten his crushing words. This was supposed to be your first Christmas as a married couple together so to say you were disappointed would be an understatement, but you knew that if you let Harry know he would be on the first flight out to London.

"It's ok, we both knew this could happen. I'm sure Anne and I will spend way too much time fussing over Adelaide to even notice you're not here" you replied back trying to lighten the mood a bit more by mentioning Gemma's adorable two-year-old daughter.

"Stop rubbing it in" he joked as Jeff called his name in the background. "I need to get back in before they all have my head for keeping them here past midnight again. I'll try and sneak another call later tonight if you're still up"

"So good, H. I love you"

"I love you too, (Y/n). See you soon" Harry replied back as he hung up. You closed your laptop and continued your quest to finish decorating your slightly distorted Christmas tree. Securing the lights onto the tree had somehow become the hardest part of decorating the tree, so while you were wrapped in a mess of bulbs and strings you didn't even notice Anne come in with two cups of hot chocolate.

"Oh dear let me give you a hand" Anne muttered as she placed the mugs on the coffee table before rushing to your side, delicately untangling you from the lights while placing each string perfectly in its place. You gave her a quick thanks before you walked over to the couch to admire your work.

"He texted me to check up on you, that crazy son of mine. Swear I love him, but sometimes he's got just no sense of priorities. Leaving his wife all alone for the holidays, just not right" Anne said as she passed you a mug and sat down next to you.

"I appreciate you belittling your son on my behave, but reset assured that I am ok. I'm sad we won't be able to spend our first Christmas together as a married couple, but I'm sure we'll have our own little Christmas once he gets back. Besides, I still get the full week off of work and I get to spend time with you and baby Adelaide for the next couple of days and it will be great!"

"Well if you ever need me to put him in his place you let me know, ok sweetheart? Can't have my favorite daughter-in-law feeling upset" she said as she wrapped her arms around you.

"Thanks, Anne" you replied as you gave her a tight squeeze, placing a kiss on her cheek.

"Anytime dear. Now quick, turn on channel Hollywood Gossip before Gemma shows up,  she never lets me watch this show. I heard Lily James was spotted with an ex-boyfriend again"

The two of you spend the next hour catching up on some gossip and making lists of everything that still needed to be done before Christmas in two days. If there was one thing you were certain about, it was that you were going to make the most of your situation and try and have the best Christmas possible

**********

It was Christmas eve and you had spent the entire morning cooking and prepping for the large family meal you and Anne were hosting for Gemma and Michal and a couple of close friends. The two of you had been absolutely buzzing and Christmas tunes had been playing throughout the house since you both woke up bright and earlier at 7 am. You had scoured your suitcase for the perfect Christmas outfit but after spending 20 minutes trying on outfits in the and had settled for one of Harry's red cardigans and some dark washed jeans. The smell of the vanilla candle that smelt just like Harry that Anne had left in your room last night made you miss him even more as you finished getting yourself ready just in time to hear the doorbell ring downstairs.

You peeked out the window and saw Gemma and Michal standing at the door with little Adelaide at their feet and quickly ran to the door to greet them. Once you opened the front door a pair of small arms wrapped themselves around your legs as Adalaide screamed your name.

"Well hello, my sweet girl. I missed you so much! Did you miss me?" you asked as she nodded quickly. You picked her up carefully and smothered her face in kisses just as Anne came over to greet everyone.  The five of you made your way out of the foyer and into the kitchen as Gemma wrapped her arms tightly around you and dragged you to the far end of the kitchen.

"Good afternoon my favorite sister. How is the married life treating you? Any surprises I should be worried about this Christmas?" she asked as she stole a Christmas cookie off of one of Anne's various dessert displays.

"It's been very nice, thank you. I don't think you'll be having any surprises from me this Christmas"

"Pitty I was hoping they be able to be in the same class as their cousin could go to school together," she said nonchalantly smirking at you as you stood there confused.

'What do you mean cousins? Adelaide already in day-care and I don't-- Oh my gosh Gemma are you -"

"Shh don't say it out loud, but yes. About eight weeks along, but we haven't told anyone yet. I'm telling you because last time I told you everything went well, so I think you're my good luck charm... and I need you to drink all of the shots Chloe tries to feed me tonight" She mumbled as you laugh and give her a big hug.

"Well congratulations Gem, I wish you both the best. Hey Adelaide, did you know what special person is going to be joining you really soon?" you asked the little girl in your arms as she played with the butterfly necklace Harry had gotten you for your second anniversary together.

"Santa"

"You're right baby Santa is coming tonight. Why don't you help me and Nana Anne finish decorating these last cookies before everyone gets here"

**********

The night was fantastic. After all of the guests had arrived, you all sat down to eat the wonderful roast Anne had been making all day. The room was filled with laughter and smiles as people recounted their most embarrassing Christmas stories. Your favorite was Michal's who as a child got so excited about seeing Santa at the mall that he actually peed on Santa's lap while telling him what he wanted for Christmas. Gemma discreetly slid her shot glass to you numerous times throughout the night and despite the questioning looks coming from Chloe, no one questioned Gemma's excuse of being the designated driver this year. Overall it was by far one of your favorite holiday meals to be a part of, you only wish Harry could have been there to share it with you.

"Me pants are about to explode, but does anyone fancy a little Christmas Eve stroll outside?" Michal asked as he cuddled a sleeping Adelaide to his chest.

There was a chorus of agreements and your large group slowly began to clean up their placemats and prepare themselves for the trek out in the snow. You helped Gemma load the dishwasher as Anne distributed Tupperware for everyone to take leftovers home with them before running upstairs to grab your winter jacket and boots. After everyone was all bundled up, you all headed outside into the snow, Gemma, and Michal leading the way as walked along the sidewalk. You watched the way Gemma placed a snowflake on Adelaide's nose and waited for the little girl to giggle before quickly wiping it off just to do it all over again. You continued to watch the interaction with a yearning in your heart at the thought of having your own kids with Harry and being able to take them on walks and show them ordinary things like snowflakes. Just as you had begun to drift off into your subconscious world Anne came up next to you and wrapped her arms with yours.

"That will be you someday, I can just feel it" Anne stated as she squeezed your hand tight. You gave her a small smile and nodded your head.

"I hope so. Just have to get your son to stay in one spot long enough" you joked as you rubbed your hands together for warmth.

"That man worships the grown you walk on, Love. If you tell him you want kids right now he'll drop everything"

"Hopefully when I get him back next week we can talk about it all a bit more" you replied as Anne nodded her head.

Your walk lasted about a half-hour until Adelaide began to cry saying she was tired and wanted to go to bed. You all preceded to head back into Anne's home for a bit to warm up before everyone would drive back to their respective homes to continue to celebrate their Christmases. Being the busy body that you were, you began to make tea for everyone in the hope of avoiding the dreaded interrogation about Harry and your's relationship that always came towards the end of these gatherings, but it never came. You think Anne must have warned them that you were feeling somewhat sad about Harry not being there because they managed to avoid the topic throughout the rest of the night. Just as the clock struck midnight everyone slowly began to say their goodbyes and exchanging any last-minute gifts that needed to be given. You helped Anne gather everyone's things and waved your last goodbyes before heading into the living room to relax a bit.

"I'm a bit wiped out dear so I think I'm going to head to bed early. Will you be ok here by yourself?" Anne asked cautiously as you scrolled through some pictures Harry had sent you the other day of him at the studio.

"Yes, I think I'll be ok. Have a good night Anne and thank you for a wonderful Christmas"

"No thanks needed dear, you're family now and always will be. I'll see you in the morning".

You waved a quick goodbye as Anne left upstairs to her room. The silence downstairs was only making your feelings of missing Harry worse so you decided to put on the TV and watch a Christmas movie to lift your spirits a bit as you cuddled Harry's picture to your chest. You know he was having Christmas Eve dinner with Jeff's family now and you didn't want to bother him so you decided that you would suck it up and wait until tomorrow to call him and tell him how much you really miss him. All you wanted this Christmas was to have him sitting next to you, sipping on a couple of hot chocolate and making fun of your weirdly patterned socks.

You hoped that flipping through the tv channels would help distract you but the minute you started channel surfing and Love Actually popped up on the screen in front of you, the waterworks began. You cried because you missed Harry. You cried because you didn't get to share all of your happy memories of today with him. You cried because you could cuddle him to sleep and wake up to his delicious scent. There you sat in his childhood home wrapped in a fuzzy blanket crying. You sobbed into the blanket as quietly as you could in the hopes of not waking up Anne and after what felt like an eternity, you finally fell asleep on the couch

*********

You were peacefully asleep on the couch until the sound of music blasting from the kitchen speaker startled you awake. 

“I signed my letter that I sealed with a kiss I sent it off, and just said this...”

"Oh, fucking shit. Stupid fucking Tom calling me at..." you heard as a crash came from the kitchen.

You jumped from your curled up position on the couch and turned around to see where the noise was coming from. As you sank deeper into the couch hoping not to be seen, you saw a silhouette moving around the kitchen searching the drawers. Your pulse began to race as you start to run all of the potential ways in which this intruder could kill you right now. Just as you were about to reach for your phone to call 999, the intruder turned on the light and you saw a familiar head of curly hair.

"Jesus fucking christ Harry nearly gave me a heart attack" you stated as Harry nearly jumped out of his skin.

The two of you stared at each other for a while before you finally processed what was going on. Harry was here. Harry had made it. He was here for Christmas. He came. You all but sprinted off of the couch and launched yourself at him, hearing release gasp as you latched on to his body like a koala.

"Nearly gave me a heart attack there, love" he stated as he wrapped his arms around you and ran his hands through your hair.

"I could say the same thing. Who comes home after midnight and doesn't say anything, especially when said person said many times that they weren't going to be to make it home"

"Wasn't supposed to be home but then mom said you looked upset after our call yesterday so I told Jeff I would finish the rest in the London studio and zoom call any last-minute details. Excited to have me home?" he asked with a smirk.

"No" you stated trying to hide your excitement.

"Come on Love, don't lie to me. I'm excited to be home. Get to spend Christmas with my beautiful, smart, kind, amazing wife.  Get to shower her with gifts. Best Christmas ever"

"Definitely best Christmas ever" you mumbled back as you leaned in and kissed him, savoring the taste of his lips after so long.

"I have one more surprise for you that I think you'll like" he stated as he broke away from the kiss.

"What" you whined as he laughed at you.

"Told Columbia that I'd make the record, but that I'm not releasing it till the end of next year. Want to settle down a bit more, gain more stability in case..." he trailed off as he cheeks turned pink.

"In case what?" you asked innocently even though you knew exactly what he was insinuating.

"In case you want to try for a baby like we talked about on our honeymoon. Said you wanted more stability from me before we started trying so this me giving you that. Don't want to pressure you or anything and this is your choice and I don't- "

"Yes," you whispered.

"Yes?" he questioned before you nodded your head and wrapped your arms around his neck.

Tears appeared in his eyes as he spun you around the kitchen. You laughed as he chanted "baby baby baby" quietly as to not wake Anne but the joy in his expression spoke volumes. You were both ready for this next chapter in your life and whatever happens next, as long as you were together, you knew everything would be ok.

“Hey babe” you whispered as Harry continued to cheer quielty. 

“Yes, Love?”

“Is Britney Spears your ringtone?”

“Maybe... It’s festive!” he defended as you laughed

“Ok love, whatever you say” 

Hope you all enjoyed and happy early Christmas to all who celebrate and a Happy Holidays everyone!!

#harry styles #harry styles imagine #harry styles blurb #harry styles masterlist #harry styles x reader #harry styles fanfiction #Christmas #harry styles x fluff

[captainseaweedbrains]

Ship: Everlark #48

Thank you so much for sending me a prompt! I hope you enjoy! As always, drabbles don’t exist in my world. So it’s a bit longer than I anticipated. :P 

Prompt: Meeting again at a high school reunion AU

Ao3: X

Send me a ship and a prompt and I’ll write a fic/drabble!

“If you don’t go over there and talk to him, I’m going to and you know I won’t edit out any embarrassing details,” Madge warned when she saw Katniss looking over at the Welcome table yet again. 

Katniss scowled, the alcohol clearly not kicking in yet. “I don’t need your help, Madge.” 

“You’ve been sitting here for twenty minutes, Katniss,” her friend pointed out, “watching that table like a scared hawk.” 

“Can a hawk be scared?” Madge glared at her and she conceded. “All right, all right. Yes, I am acting like a scared, made-up hawk, but I can’t help it! I made a total ass of myself back in high school. I’m afraid he’ll remember.” 

“Of course he’ll remember.” 

“You’re no help. Why’d I bring you as my date again?” 

Her friend smiled a winning smile and rubbed her swollen stomach. “Because my dearest husband decided a fishing trip with his brothers was more important than coming with me to our ten year high school reunion and he bribed you with anything you wanted from his store as thanks.”

“Right, right,” she laughed. “So why are you trying to pawn your date off on some stranger, Madge Hawthorne?” 

“Please!” Madge scoffed. “Peeta Mellark is so not a stranger to you. How many times did you two hook up in high school? In the band room, under the stage in the auditorium, the Home Ec room, and correct me if I’m wrong, but didn’t you two do it in Abernathy’s office?” 

Popping the maraschino cherry from her drink into her mouth, Katniss smiled. “I’m not confirming, nor denying, anything of the sort. We were total saints in high school.” 

“Uh huh.” Madge sighed and readjusted herself in her seat. “If you were total saints, why not go over and talk about your sainthood with Peeta, then?” 

Because she had broken his heart? Because 18-year-old Katniss panicked and ruined a great thing? Because she knew for a fact, thanks to Facebook and small town busybodies, that Peeta had just gotten out of an engagement with some gorgeous blonde who looked like a model and showing up now felt like cutting open an old scar? Because she was scared of telling him how she really felt then? And how those feelings haven’t really gone away and seeing him there, smiling and laughing next to Delly Cartwright as they welcomed old classmates, reminded her those feelings were definitely still there?

“Because he’s busy working the Welcome table,” she said instead. “Don’t you hate when people chit chat you up while you’re trying to work a table?” 

“No, but that’s because I’m not weird about people like you are.” 

“I miss the shy, barely-spoke Madge from high school,” Katniss teased, bumping her foot against Madge’s. “What happened to her?” 

“I joined a sorority in college and had to do three years of recruitment,” was all she said, still giving Katniss a pointed look. “Go talk to him, Katniss. Rip the band aid off.” 

She looked over at the table and frowned. “What if he tells me off? I don’t think I can handle that kind of rejection.” 

“He won’t,” Madge comforted, resting a hand on Katniss’ knee. “But you won’t know until you go over and say hello. Here,” she tore off her name tag and ripped it in half, handing the two pieces over to Katniss. “Ask for a new name tag for me as your excuse to talk to him.” 

She gratefully took the stickers and stood up, glancing over at the table. Two people were in line, the first person animatedly talking to both Peeta and Delly she didn’t recognize from behind. Yes, she can do this. With one long shot of her drink, she went and stood in line, Madge giving a whoop of cheer in support. 

The wait wasn’t long. Five minutes tops before she was walking up to the table, the two pale blondes smiling up at her, reminding her of all those times in high school they’d be managing the ticket table at lunch for Student Council or the ticket booth for football and basketball games. 

“Katniss Everdeen!” Delly welcomed in her high-pitched squeaky voice that hasn’t changed a bit in ten years. “I thought I saw you around! You silly goose, how are you? What have you been up to? How has life been treating you? How is that lovely sister of yours?”

“Delly,” Katniss smiled. Even now, after all these years, it was hard not to reciprocate the woman’s warmth and energy. “Life’s been good, thanks. Can’t complain. Still living at home with my mom and sister. Prim’s fine. Going to school to be a doctor.”

“That’s amazing! And you’re a teacher now, I hear, right?” 

“Um—yes, I am.” Her eyes shifted to Peeta, who was all smiles as well, before focusing back on Delly. “I’m a high school choral director at the high school next town over.” 

“You did always have a beautiful voice,” Peeta stepped in and her legs almost turned to jello at the sound of his familiar yet somewhat deeper voice. “Inspiring students to find their voices.” Ever the wordsman, Peeta Mellark was. 

“Yes,” she blushed, unable to help herself. “Um. That’s a really nice way of saying I spend half my time telling my classes to quiet down so we can get some work done.” They laughed and that helped calm some of her anxiety. “How are you both? I haven’t seen either of you since we all left for college!” 

Delly answered first. “I’m a proud Stay-at-Home-Mom—” 

“Don’t get her started on her triplets or else we’ll be here all night,” Peeta teased, happily accepting Delly’s shove. 

“Wow,” Katniss breathed. “Triplets. That’s—that’s a lot of babies!” 

“That’s what Thom says—you remember Thom, right, Katniss? We all had gym together in eleventh grade. Well, he’s my amazing husband now and he’s always joking how we nailed it out of the park on the first try.” She held out her phone to show a picture of three chubby toddlers, two girls and a boy, smiling cheekily at the camera in nothing but their diapers. “Gretchen, Analise, and Tommy,” Delly explained, pointing to each happy baby. “They just turned three last month and boy, are they keeping me busy!” 

Katniss nodded. “They look adorable, Delly. Look just like you.” 

“Thank you. That’s what everyone says.” She put her phone away. “Anyone in your life, Katniss?” 

“Oh, um. No.” She looked down at the stickers in her hand, realizing she didn’t need it now with Delly talking a mile a minute. “Work keeps me pretty busy and most guys don’t understand why I prioritize a bunch of high schoolers over—well, everything.” She laughed, feeling a bit awkward now talking about her non-existent love life. 

Delly looked over at Peeta, a knowing look in her eyes. “Peeta knows exactly how that is.” 

“Delly,” he said, rolling his eyes at her. “I’m a high school art teacher,” he explained to Katniss. “And I run the school’s debate and speech teams for some extra money. So I get prioritizing your students over everything else.” 

Oh. She didn’t know he was a teacher, too. Well that made a lot of sense why it was a pain hunting him down on Facebook. How had she not put two and two together? “Elective teachers unite,” she joked half-heartedly, feeling nervous again now that the attention was on him. 

“May our program budgets always just barely make the cut,” he joined in, all smiles. She smiled back, unable to help herself. His smiles, familiar despite time away, always made her feel more at ease. 

“You know, ever since I had the triplets, my bladder has never been the same,” Delly abruptly said standing up. “I have to visit the potty. The bathroom,” she corrected herself. “We’re working on potty training right now. Peeta, guard the table while I’m away?” 

“Oh. Uh, sure thing, Dells.” 

“You keep a close eye on him, Katniss. Make sure he doesn’t cause any mischief,” Delly warned with a wag of her finger before walking away, waving to those she knew as she went, which seemed to be everyone.

Katniss stood there for a moment, forlornly watching their buffer leave. She barely knew Delly, but now as the curly-haired blonde left, she felt a bit of a betrayal of being left alone with Peeta. 

“You don’t have to watch over me,” Peeta said, her attention snapping back to him. “Delly was just teasing.” 

“Oh no, it’s okay.” It wasn’t, not really, but admitting that would make things ten times more awkward. “Madge is my supposed date tonight, but she’s been spending more time in the bathroom than with me. So it’s fine. Um.” Just get it over with! “How are you, Peeta?” 

“I’m fine, Katniss. Thank you for asking.” 

“Of course, of course.” Wishing she’d consumed more alcohol before pursuing this quest, she went forth, “I heard you moved back into town. With your brother?” 

He shook his head. “I forgot how small this town is. Yeah. I moved back. Go on and ask.” He motioned at her, rolling his eyes. “About my engagement. Everyone’s been asking about it.” 

Katniss winced. “I didn’t want to pry, but yeah, I heard.” 

“As did many others.” He sighed and leaned forward, resting his elbows on the table. “I’m fine, really. I broke it off with her, actually. Wasn’t a right fit,” he explained. “I didn’t think it fair to either of us to continue further, but it still hurts a little.”

“I’m sorry to hear that, Peeta.” But was she really, though? Was she seriously happy about a guy she hadn’t spoken to in over ten years being single again? God, she was a horrible person. “But it sounds like you did the mature thing. Breaking it off like that.” 

He shrugged. “That’s what everybody tells me.” 

Someone came up behind her and she stepped aside as Peeta snapped into greetings mode. It was amazing watching him change so swiftly like that. Some people truly never changed, she realized, remembering how quickly he seemed to change moods at the flip of a switch. He did it the day she broke things off with him. How his eyes cascaded down in disappointment and she’d wondered if he might cry after confessing how he felt about her for all this time, but then someone had walked in, calling out to them, and he became all smiles and acted like nothing drastic had happened between them.

It was a bit unsettling, the more she thought about it now. 

The line of late comers started growing and Delly still hadn’t returned. Deciding to keep her promise, Katniss took a seat next to Peeta and smiled as another former classmate stepped up, ignoring the quizzical look he sent her as they were asked questions about times for the planned events and how they both were doing. Many assumed they were married now, remembering how close the two were in high school, and thank god for Peeta stepping in and saving her stumbling tongue, explaining how Katniss was just keeping Delly’s seat warm until she returned and that they hadn’t seen each other until tonight. 

After the third or fourth classmate assumed their matrimonial union, Katniss laughed, picking at the ripped sticker she’d stuck to her skirt for safe keeping. “I didn’t realize so many people remembered us together.” 

“Small town school,” he reminded her, his tone light and joking. Like she didn’t stupidly break his heart. “I’m not surprised they remembered you. You forget how much of an effect you have on people, Katniss.” 

Her cheeks warmed. “I think you mean yourself there, Mr. Popular. I was that awkward band and choir girl with the braces who never shut up about why the Baroque style was far superior to Classical.” 

“I remember those rants fondly,” Peeta laughed. “Your face would get all pinched because I barely knew what you were talking about, so I couldn’t offer any opinion. And I loved those braces! The silver brackets really brought out the silver in your eyes.” 

She rolled her eyes, remembering that line he used to pull every time she complained about her teeth. “Well I’m happy to say those days are gone. I’ve been metal-free since college.” 

“Took that long, huh?” 

“I’m pretty sure my orthodontist was just milking it for my money those last three years,” she laughed. “My teeth looked pretty straight to me.” Katniss smiled widely, showing off her white, straight teeth she suffered many mouth cuts and rubber band snaps to achieve. He joined her and wow. It really did feel like no time had passed between them. Like they were just a couple of teens back in high school, making fun of a teacher or a douchey classmate. 

Peeta looked down at the table, tapping his pen in thought. “You know,” he said after a moment, still looking down, “I am free from this table at 7.”

“That makes sense,” she nodded. “If people haven’t arrived in the first hour and a half, that’s their loss.”

“It is,” he smiled, glancing up at her. Yes, his eyes were still as clear blue as she remembered, and was it possible for eyelashes to grow? His looked longer now. “If you’d be fine with it, Katniss, I’d like to catch up with you some more.” Was it her imagination or did he seem nervous? That made no sense. She broke his heart. If anyone should be nervous, it was her. And she was. The constant flutter in her stomach more noticeable now with her sitting so close to him. 

“Oh. Um.” It was her turn to look down at her hands. “Okay. Sure. Yeah, that’d be great.” 

Peeta seemed uncertain, though. “Are you sure? Was I too forward just now? Sorry, ever since my break-up, I seem to be a bit rusty talking with people.” That was hard to believe. 

“No, no!” Katniss rushed to assure him. “I just—didn’t think you’d really want to catch up after how we ended things.” There. She mentioned it. Old heartbreak was out there now. “I know I messed things up pretty badly.” 

To her surprise, Peeta laughed, shaking his head. “Trust me, that is water under the bridge, Katniss. I was stupid and should have picked up on the vibes you were sending me.” 

“And I was stupid, too,” she said, a bit shyly. 

“High schoolers can be pretty stupid.” 

“I don’t know,” she smiled. “Mine seem a lot smarter than when we were that age.” 

“Mine too.” He pretended to think. “Perhaps we were just idiots and it has nothing to do with how young we were.” 

She laughed. “Maybe.” 

He tapped her pen with his. “To being idiots?” 

“To being idiots.” She tapped his pen back. 

And at 7 o’clock sharp, Peeta declared it was time they drank until they got so drunk, it was like they were back at Finnick Odair’s Friday night after-game parties. Katniss happily agreed, sternly reminding him she wasn’t going to make out with him tonight like they used to do in the toolshed during those parties, causing him to burst out laughing. Quickly scrawling out Madge’s name on a new sticker, she told Peeta she’d meet him at the bar. 

“I have to give my date her sticker.” He told her the booze waited for no one and headed to where a group of their classmates were chanting for someone to “Chug! Chug! Chug!” She smiled and went back to Madge, who was chatting with Leevy Anderson, an old friend of hers. 

“Well,” Madge asked after Leevy excused herself. “You were gone an awful long time. Did you get my sticker?” Katniss handed it to her with a smile. “I take it things went well? Or were you just sputtering out nonsense.” 

“It went very well,” Katniss told her, glancing over at the bar where Peeta stood, holding two drinks out, one clearly being hers. “We’re going to get crazy drunk now because this night has been extremely long for both of us. I hope you’re fine driving me?” 

“One of us needs to get crazy drunk tonight,” Madge laughed, patting her stomach. “Drink for me, too?” 

“Of course.” 

“Going to make out with Peeta Mellark like old times?” her friend teased, noticing Peeta now. “I’m sure there’s a closet you two can sneak into.” 

Katniss scoffed at her friend’s blatant assumption. “No, we’re not making out tonight, Madge.” Madge nodded, taking a sip of her pop. “We might next Friday, though,” she added a bit coyly. “He’s taking me out to dinner.” And she walked away before her friend could say anything further.

#Everlark #The Hunger Games #Everlark fanfic #The Hunger Games fanfic #Everlark fanfiction #The Hunger Games fanfiction #my writing #asks #mandelion82 #high school reunion #fluff

[stonylovessteve]

Creator Reveals

We’ve reached the end of the exchange and that means it’s time to reveal the creators of all our works.

Thank you for putting so much love and effort into Stony Loves Steve 2020, you really made it a great experience. We hope everyone loved it as much as we did!

Giftees, be sure to leave a comment and kudos on your gift if you haven’t already. All our creators worked hard to make this event a success, so show them some love.

You can now post about your work publicly outside of the exchange. Tag it as #stonylovessteve2020 on tumblr and we’ll reblog you. @ us @stonylovessteve on twitter and we’ll retweet you.

Below the cut is the final list of all the works produced for the exchange and the creators.

Love thy neighbor by captainstars for picturecat  (616, 2.2k Words)

Neighbors are supposed to come around to borrow a cup of sugar; these ones take Steve’s husband instead.

Or

“So let me get this right, you came here to save me?” He asked.

Steve ducked his head down in a nod.

“But you managed to get captured by my kidnappers?” He added.

Steve paused, and then repeated the motion.

“And somewhere in the midst of all that, they turned you into a cat.” Tony pointed out, like it wasn’t obvious.

Funnel Cakes and Ferris Wheels by jehbehee for muchmoremajestic (MCU AU, 5.4k Words)

Tony takes Steve on a road trip to help him relax before his last exam.

give me something sweet by starkboi for starksnack (MCU, 1.5k Words)

Steve loves baking on his days off, there's just a missing ingredient that's been on his mind lately.

operation: grocery shopping by starksnack for avengersandco (MCU, 6k Words)

Steve, Peter, and Peter's trusty sidekick Mister Dog set off on a quest to check off everything on their grocery list. Will they find everything they need and get rewards from Tony?

Featuring cloud watching, scented markers, and Born This Way by Lady Gaga.

Moon and Stars by DepressingGreenie for march_hyde (MCU, 2.6k Words)

Steve and Tony spend the full moon at their cabin in the woods.

there's no place i'd rather be, without you beside me by ircnshield for starkboi (MCU, 10.5k Words)

“I don’t think he wants you to leave,” Natasha jokes from the couch.

“Yeah, no kidding,” Tony says as he bends down to scratch behind the dog's ear. “Look, buddy, I’ll give you a treat if you stop looking at me like that and let me go down to my lab.”

Dodger, seemingly unimpressed, walks closer towards Tony’s shoes, turns his body around, and simply drops his body on top of them.

Turn a Little Faster by Ishipallthings for b0n3l3ssm1lk (AA, 5.4K Words)

Tony and Natasha pose as a couple for an undercover mission. Steve doesn’t find this distracting. Not at all.

And yet, it all goes downhill from there.

(5 times Steve is distracted thinking of Tony, and 1 time Tony distracts Steve on purpose.)

Taking chances by hundredthousands for shcrlockholmcs (MCU, Comic)

Tony can’t resist it when Steve gets like this, and he’s feeling a tad uninhibited tonight.

say my prayers by farawatt for jayjayverse (616, 3.3k Words)

Steve gets into the motel at a quarter past nine in the morning.

You've Got That Power Over Me by stevesnarkrogers for alexcat (MCU, 8k Words + Fanvid)

“Pull it together, Stark,” Tony muttered to himself.

Steve’s chest ached at the sound of Tony’s voice. God, he missed him. He wanted nothing more than to wrap him up in his arms and see if they could—no. YOU pull it together, Rogers. You’re here to help Tony, not yourself. Eyes up, soldier.

Net of Wonder by hollyandvice (hiasobi_writes) for Syan (MCU, 2.4k Words)

"You can't control me." Then Tony whips his tail again to turn away from his father.

"You swim out that door and I'm planning your wedding and coronation myself."

Tony stills. He swallows down the way the oppression tries to pound him flat. But there's no avoiding the inevitable. He looks over his shoulder to glare at Howard. "Be my guest. It's not like you ever would have listened to me anyway."

Tony isn't expecting an apprentice when he goes to meet with Yinsen after a blowout fight with her dad, but he finds all that and more in Steve Rogers. Steve gives Tony everything he needs while Tony runs from his future, never knowing that their futures might be more entwined than they'd realized.

diastolic pressure (in between heartbeats) by firebrands for betheflame (MCU, 8k Words)

For flame, who gave the prompt "Steve and Tony have been fake dating for a while, but everyone else thinks they're *really* in love. When a mission goes terribly and Tony is presumed dead, Steve realizes he's in love with Tony and Dramatic Shenanigans Ensue."

Same Difference. by Perlmutt for Huntress79 (MCU AU, 5k Words)

Tony and Steve are the successful heads of two different divisions of SHIELD IT Security and are the walking wet dreams of all ladies in the company. Tony Stark is the elegant genius with his dark humor while the newcomer Steve Rogers is known for his gentlemanly behaviour and kindness. On the surface the two men are rivals. But there's more to it than meets the eye...

Canteen food is horrible, the intern is chaotic, and Tony goes toe-to-toe with a hyena to rescue the princess who doesn't need to be rescued...

Why Need a Thousand Words? I Prefer a Picture Instead by march_hyde for Neverever (MCU, 4k Words + Art)

Steve is struggling with a project for Tony, not that he knows of it. So of course Tony finds out and has to help out with whatever he can do.

Operation Check Yes or No by avengersandco for hundredthousands (MCU, 2.7k Words)

Steve just wants Tony to notice him, but he’s not sure how. Lucky for him, his friends help him make a plan to capture the attention of the one he wants.

When I Look At You by Syan for AvengersNewB (MCU, Comic)

Steve is always looking at Tony in very meaningful ways... Or very embarrassed ways, depending on the situation~

for god's sake, dear (just say yes). by frostfall for captainmistyknight (vicspeaks) (AA, 10.8k Words)

Ever since they’ve met, Steve has been in love with Tony Stark. So when Tony makes a marriage pact with him, he jumps at the offer, thinking that’s the only way he could have Tony.

Fast forward five years, and Steve is ready to pop the question to Tony, with hopes that maybe, just maybe, Tony feels the same.

That is, until he meets Carol Danvers, who just so happens to be dating Tony.

Honey, Keep the Sugar, You’re Enough for Me by Shamen610 for avengersincamphalfbloodstardis (MCU, 1.6k Words)

"I want you to draw me like one of your french girls." Tony had said, the very first time he had walked through his door.

Steve, who had been carrying a bag full of paints and a canvas under his arm, had barely been able to keep everything under wraps upon hearing the bold words.

Or

Steve doesn't actually have a Sugar Daddy, no matter what Bucky says.

Lullaby by alexcat for XtaticPearl (MCU, 1.9k Words)

Steve has nightmares and Tony helps.

Achromatic by captainmistyknight (vicspeaks) for firebrands (Marvel Noir, 2.8k Words)

"Steve’s life ended the moment he was born, according to the doctor’s at least. Of course, it took them awhile to figure it out, but when he was three years old, his Ma realized that on top of all the other issues he had to deal with, his eyes weren’t responding properly to light. She took him to the doctors to get tested, and they spoke his doom.

He was permanently colorblind. An achromat. He’d never know love."

A story of growing up, misunderstandings, and love in the jungle.

Easing Into Us by HogwartsToAlexandria for wingheads (MCU, 4.9k Words)

No matter how much he's tried, Steve could never find the right moment to tell Tony, to come out to him in a setting that'd be both private and allow him to flee if it didn't go as well as he hoped it would.

Until some jerk at the bar decided that Tony being an out and proud trans man was reason enough to pick up a fight. And Steve couldn't stand by and watch it happen.

Tony didn't much like that. At first. Ask him again tomorrow.

Bring Me His Heart by jellybeanforest for firelightmystic (MCU, 6.3k words)

Steve Rogers, infamous cat burglar, is hired by Tony’s business rival and ex-girlfriend, Sunset Bain, to carry out a little corporate espionage, namely to steal the original arc reactor prototype Stark had surgically removed from his chest.

Steve does steal his heart, but perhaps not in the way his employer had envisioned.

Or:

Tony interrupts Steve mid-heist in his penthouse and assumes he is the escort he hired for the night; Steve doesn’t correct him.

Memories of Us by muchmoremajestic for QueenE (MCU, 3.5k words)

An examination of three objects in retrospect as part of a scrapbook for a birthday gift for Steve.

Graphic Design is my Passion by zappedbysnow for talesofsuspense (Marvel, Comic)

Tony was about to have lunch when he saw someone he didn't want to run into inside the restaurant. He quickly backed away and snuck into a cafe nearby, plunking his ass onto a chair shielded by a wall, which just happened to be Steve Roger's art class.

Steve is an artist who does commercial work and draws comics. He spends his weekends teaching a drawing class for free at a local cafe. He doesn't recognize the guy who snuck into his class in a suit that looks like it costs more than his month's rent but he looks stressed and like he's running from someone. He can let this one slide. And no. It's not because the man looks damn fine. He's just a sympathetic guy.

The Love of Every Single One of My Lives by jellybeanforest for farawatt (616, 10.3k words)

Tony loves Steve, and he will always love him no matter how many times he has to bury the man before he gets it right.

Priceless by njava97 for kesktoon04 (MCU, 9.3k words)

Steve Rogers feels like he’s finally gotten the hang of this waking up in the future thing. He’s been dating Tony Stark for 6 months now and it's been going surprisingly well. But when an extravagant anniversary present brings up bad memories and a mission goes sideways, Steve is forced to confront the fact that maybe the first step to letting go of the past involves letting people in. Or: Steve Rogers has a series of epiphanies in a hospital bed, expresses a couple of emotions, talks about his problems and gets all the love he deserves.

AKA my love letter to Steve Rogers.

Ouanga by fundamentalBlue for venusiaries (MCU, 7.7k words)

Steve wakes up to the sound of screaming.

Take a Hand by RoseRose for HogwartsToAlexandria (MCU, 3.4k words)

Steve is single, alone, and about to give birth.

Fortunately, Tony is an amazing nurse.

Falling in Love at the All Day Cafe by betheflame for BladeoftheNebula (MCU, 3.9k words)

One of the things about the particular block they lived on was that at the corner was, quite possibly, the world’s best bakery. It was Zagat rated and everything, so it wasn’t just Tony that felt that way. People flew in from all over the world to eat at All Day Cafe - Tony had bumped into Gwenyth Paltrow a few months ago and thought it was his best friend, Pepper, and that was awkward - and their pastries were no joke.

Run by Olympic Gold Medalist Steve Rogers, the cafe specialized in classic French pastries with American twists - like a pain au chocolat that also came encrusted in pistachios - and routinely sold out of their daily specials within two hours of opening. Peter, in particular, loved their peanut butter cookies that the baker swore was nothing special but Tony was wondering if they’d laced it with kiddie cocaine or something.

Tony, in particular, loved going to stare at the owner.

That’s What You Get (for waking up in Vegas) by bon3l3ssm1lk for JehBeeEh (MCU, 1.3k words)

A dimly lit bar blasting dance music. A rugged man making conversation. A third round of beers, courtesy of the man. A fourth, fifth, and sixth round.

Steve couldn't remember much else.

laughing in bed by wingheads for RoseRose (MCU, Art)

prompt: sex with laughter

James & Barnaby by Wikketkrikket for mariana_oconnor (MCU AU, 16.7k Words) 

Steve Rogers has medical debt so ridiculous that if he doesn't do something about it, his mother will be out on the street. He swallows his pride and agrees to a 'charity marriage' with the elusive son of Howard Stark, so Howard can show off how wealthy and generous they are. Maybe it would have worked, too, if he hadn't then met the love the love of his life on his last night of freedom.

Still (Until you moved me) by GuiltyFan21 for maythecat12 (MCU, 2k Words) 

Steve hates it in the 21st century, where everything is so different. Life's a mess, the only constant thing being SHIELD coming to check on him. Until he meets Tony Stark, a brilliant genius who makes him feel more human.

The Icing on the Cake by BladeoftheNebula for Lacrimula_Falsa (MCU AU, 2.8k Words) 

Steve’s a bit low on cash this month, so he figures making a bit extra by jumping out of a cake couldn’t hurt.

If only someone had told the birthday boy that.

The Next Life by Sheron for hollyandvice (hiasobi_writes) (MCU, 2.5k Words) 

Eventually Tony had said: listen, I own an island, let's go.

artwork and email by ohjustpeachy for njava97 (MCU AU, 6.7k Words) 

Tony makes a donation to Art Reach, a non-profit, never expecting to get such a kind thank you note in response. He certainly never thought he'd find himself excited to look in his inbox every day, eager for a new message from the foundation's director, Steve Rogers, but here he is. Or, Tony falls for smol Steve over a bunch of emails and everyone knows it but him.

Hug n' Fly  by talesofsuspense for rebeccakbaa (616, Art) 

Iron Man flies Steve back to the mansion after he loses the serum.

who's that? by venusiaries for Perlmutt (MCU AU, Art) 

Quarterback Steve Rogers meets the love of his life in the hallway.

Closer Than Together by shcrlockholmcs for ircnshield (MCU, 5.6k words)

The annual Stark Industries Gala is coming up and Steve wants to ask Tony. But his efforts are of no avail and they both end up going alone. How can Steve stand by and watch everyone else take a bite out of the man he has feelings for?

Brooklyn Life by ashes0909 for himbos (MCU, 1.6 words)

Steve mentally followed his boyfriend's path across the bedroom and down the stairs into the living room

“Oh that fucking--!” Tony cried before he’d even made it past the couch. “Steve!

Objectively Perfect by AvengersnewB for Wikketkrikket (MCU, 2k words)

Going on an objectively perfect, but absolutely horrible date might be the last sign Steve needs to finally talk to the guy he actually wants to be on a date with, so desperately.

(Spoiler: The guy is Tony)

Instinctual by mariana_oconnor for DepressingGreenie (MCU, 17k words)

The true effects of the super soldier serum are top secret. Only a few people know the truth - the serum turned Steve Rogers into a werewolf. Steve still hasn't found a way to tell Tony, even though they've been in a relationship for months. He can't bring himself to explain that he's a monster.

But when they are clearing out an AIM base, that decision is taken out of his hands.

Could Never Resist a Man with Facial Hair by kenshincha for zappedbysnow (MCU, 1.5k words)

The team is tired of Steve and Tony pining for each other. They decide to do something about it.

A timely revelation by frosted_astronaut for captainstars (MCU/1872, 2.3k words + Moodboard)

Sheriff Rogers is in love with Tony Stark, the blacksmith. However, he denies it even in front of himself, until it's time for him to realize that he can't live in a lie forever.

Central (Jurassic) Park & More by cccoffee for nanasekei (MCU, Art)

A collection of art pieces for Stony Loves Steve 2020!

Something Fell From the Sky by jayjayverse for Shamen610 (616, Art)

When Tony is missing in action. Steve starts looking for him right away and when he finally finds him, it's nothing like he thought it would be.

-The art is really explicit so take care :)

I'll Catch You (If You Fall) by maythecat12 for ishipallthings (MCU AU, 10.4k Words)

New York: an artist and a superhero, an accident, and getting back together.

Just One Of Those Nights (The SLS Remix) by Firelightmystic for jellybeanforest (MCU, 6.4k Words)

Natasha's been angling to set Steve up on a date for a while now...

In Your Wildest Dreams by Neverever for cccoffee (AA, 3.4k Words)

The Guardians ask the Avengers to pick some flowers. What could go wrong with that?

Breath of a Fish by picturecat for sheron (AA, 4.9k Words)

Their relationship was courteous, as it must be for any two witches who had no interest in feuding with one another properly. But to someone he could trust not to repeat his words, Steve often complained that Stark was basically a warlock, the way he carried on with esoteric nonsense and ignoring the needs of the people. For his part, Steve had no idea what Stark’s objection to him was. He knew only that the man so obviously delighted in teasing Steve that the people of their town regularly placed bets on when they expected them to come to blows.

The Ballad of Nomad by himbos for GuiltyFan21 (MCU AU, 3.1k Words)

Set in the Old West, Steve Rogers, who moonlights as the vigilante Nomad, and his lover, Tony Stark, make a stop in the town of Extremis. Little did they know, trouble awaited.

How To Woo A Living Legend (by Anthony Stark) by Huntress79 for stevesnarkrogers (MCU, 1.5k Words)

Past the fight against the Chitauri, Tony finally finds the courage to act on his long-harbored feelings for a certain Captain. But he never, ever would have expected that the “Tactical Genius of the Century” could be this blind in regards to Tony’s attempts.

Take a number by jellybeanforest for kenshincha (MCU, 7.2k Words)

Since an unforgettable one-night stand a few years prior, alpha Steve Rogers has pined after infamously-promiscuous omega Tony Stark. He may not have much money, but he has scrimped and saved for the past couple years, determined to declare his intentions by getting the man the best courting gift he can afford, something to distinguish himself from the dozens of more well-heeled suitors gunning for the heart of the elusive billionaire.

All-American Cupcake by One and Five Nines (Obani) for frostfall (MCU, Comic)

“You’re a jackass sometimes, Steve. I’ve seen you get into a fistfight with three guys at once, but you can’t even TALK to the guy you’ve been in love with since we opened.”

#stonylovessteve2020 #Steve Rogers #stony #stevetony #superhusbands

[yoowritings-blog]

SF9 REACTION ONE.

SF9′s reaction to having an arranged marriage with someone they cheated on. (CEO AU)

Description: SF9, individually, cheated on you once, which led to a heart wrenching break-up. But, things take a turn for the worse when you have an arranged marriage to them.

Warnings: Mature language!

INSEONG:

Standing on the white tiled floor, Inseong looked at the bride coming. The older boy’s hands were nervously clasping and unclasping together, however, he was still able to look stealthy to those around him. A small, charming smile found its way on to his face, helping him portray the feeling that nothing was wrong. So lost in thought, he didn’t notice that his bride had made her way to him; however, when he heard her clear her throat, the blonde haired male was shaken out of his thoughts and he quickly swerved his body so he was staring directly at her veil-covered face.

As the priest began speaking, Inseong secretly squinted his brown kitten-like eyes in hopes to get a better view of who his wife to be was; dread quickly overcoming his body as he realized he couldn’t make out her face whatsoever. 

Nevertheless, should he really care?

After all, the grand marriage was hardly based on his feelings. It was for the media to be drawn in, like bees to honey, and help make his family-company stay in the limelight. Thus, meaning, whoever he married, his life wouldn’t be that impacted.

Right?

“Inseong, do you say ‘I do’?” The priest questioned to him, his eyebrow quirking as he waited for a response from the fairly young CEO. The words spoken were quickly registered into his mind, causing Inseong to abruptly smile and loudly say the words. Soon, the veil was lifted off of the bride’s face and the young CEO stood face to face with someone who he believed he would never see again. A small, almost inaudible, gasp left his mouth as the bride displayed a bitter smile.

A bitter smile only directed at him.

“(Y/n), do you say 'I do’?” (Y/n) forces out a smile, the words barely coming out from her blood red painted lips.

“I do.”

The two words caused Inseong’s mouth to go dry and his vision to go blurry. 

YOUNGBIN:

Youngbin’s almond colored eyes bore onto the food on his fine China plate, the chatter of his family and her’s causing him to eat slower-- he genuinely regretted not rejecting the proposal of an arranged marriage three months ago. His sharp gaze soon settled on to the diamond engraved wedding band on his ring finger.

If a gaze could burn, his certainly would have. 

“I need fresh air.” She suddenly spoke, her words piercing through the atmosphere. Her face looked so angelic that her mother nodded in approval fo her to leave. “Youngbin, why don’t you go with (Y/n).” His own mother commanded, causing the boy to quickly nod his head.

The brown, wooden chair he occupied was soon heard screeching away from the dinner table, as he began to slowly walk towards the beautiful garden his parent had made when he was a child; the place he knew she would be.

Once there, the cool autumn wind engulfed his lean frame; however, that didn’t slow him down on his quest to get closer to the female. “Why didn’t you reject?” (Y/n) spoke, her words hardly above a whisper. Externally, Youngbin cringed. “I-I don’t know,” he sheepishly stuttered out, his hand going to caress the back of his neck; a trait he reserved for when he was nervous. (Y/n) turned her body around, and that’s when the boy noticed her tear dried cheeks paired with her still glossy eyes. Her pink colored lips opened and Youngbin felt apprehension grace his emotions with her words,

“Why would you want to hurt me again?”

JAEYOON:

Jaeyoon’s hand reached to grab her’s as she pulled away from him. The wedding ceremony had just ended; he and she were husband and wife by law now. A loud sigh escaped his plump, coral lips, “(Y/n), please, please! Just fucking listen to me!” He spoke, frustration lacing his tone. His words pleaded for her to listen-- unfortunately, it only fueled her anger.

“No Jaeyoon! You don’t fucking understand.” She harshly whispered to him. Her words so broken that it ate away at him, he was sure that it would keep him awake tonight. Her (e/c) eyes bore right into his brown eyes. “I love Inseong! my feelings aren’t a fucking joke, you prick. We’re married now and--and--oh my God. I broke Inseong. I actually broke his heart.”

“(Y/n), if you would just listen-”

“Lee Jaeyoon, can you fucking listen to me?!” She cried out, “I hurt Inseong! He was crying during the entire ceremony, for fuck’s sake! Didn’t you see how broken he looked? I broke him... Just like you did to me. But, here’s the difference. He healed me, something you didn’t-- still don’t, have the balls to do.” She jarringly replied to him as the weight of the situation dawned on to her.

“But, then again... Jaeyoon, how would you know the feeling of heartbreak? You weren’t the one who was cheated on.”

DAWON:

Sanghyuk huffed as he laid on the ground, the harsh wooden floor was screwing with his posture; therefore, no matter how many blankets he placed on the stubborn ground, it still felt as though tiny daggers were digging into his pale back. Biting his lower lip, he quickly made a hast decision.

Standing up, he swiftly walked over towards the king sized bed as his brown eyes stayed glued to his wife’s sleeping posture. Crossing his fingers, he prayed to some God out there that she wouldn’t accidentally kick him or push him off of the large mattress.

Laying on his side, his pink colored lips pursed into a small pout once he saw her face… Underneath the fluffy, warm blanket, her tear stained cheeks shone, creating a glossy effect.

He had really screwed up by marrying her.

“Sanghyuk--please, why? Why did you cheat on me?” (Y/n) sleep talked, her words causing Sanghyk’s brown eyes to well up with tears. Tears that threatened to spill over. “I’m sorry,” he pathetically whispered out to her sleep-talked question. 

Slowly, a dark chuckle escaped his mouth when he realized he was crying.

“Ah. I’m so unworthy of you, (Y/n).”

ZUHO:

Juho’s eyes glossed up in confusion and sorrow when he saw her-- he was beyond baffled due to her abrupt appearance, as he had genuinely expected that she would be the last person he would be wed to. Before he could stop himself the words flew right out of his mouth, “I’m Baek Juho, I don’t think we’ve ever met,” his calm tone confused her, but, she was able to quickly regain her composure.

He was going to act as though they didn’t know each other.

The look she sent him was enough to make Juho want to burst into tears, and that was something he didn’t know he could feel. He wasn’t sure if it was because he was acting as though he didn’t know the beautiful girl, or because he had cheated on her. “Please, take a seat.” (Y/n) spoke, her words monotone as she sent him a snarky smile.

Taking a seat next to her, he felt her move away from him. His fingers swiftly went to play with the diamond band on his finger, his chocolate brown eyes so glossy that (Y/n)’s mother questioned him out of concern-- one hundred percent unaware of the deep, dark, distressful past her daughter and he held. “Juho, dear, are you going to cry?” She humored, causing Juho to honestly nod. A pain filled smile infused its way onto his face, however, no one noticed.

No one but (Y/n).

“How could I not? Your beautiful daughter is going to be my wife.” He quietly let out, causing both sets of parents to awe; but he paid little attention to the sweet noise, rather, he focused on the hurt and disgust that was painted across (Y/n)’s face.

God, I truly am the biggest scum on the face of the planet, Juho thought to himself.

ROWOON:

Seokwoo resisted the urge to slap his face bloody when he saw (Y/n) laying on the cream colored couch. Three weeks had gone by since the day of the marriage and each day he arrived late, but left early, in fear of angering (Y/n) even more or doing something he would regret.

A small sigh left his pink lips as he dropped his briefcase on to the coffee table. He walked over to her small figure and gently lifted her off the furniture to carry her to her own bedroom. Holding her bridal style, he walked towards the room. Taking a glace down at her, he noticed she was awake-- but beyond exhausted as the bags under her strong (e/c) eyes displayed the bigger picture. “Seokwoo?” (Y/n) rasped out, her voice almost causing him to melt into a puddle of happiness.

He truly expected her to call him something crude.

“Sh, (Y/n), just go back to sleep.” He softly proposed to her, still holding her fragile figure. “Seokwoo,” she softly began, “Why did you to agree to the proposal? You could have said 'no’, and then I wouldn’t have to worry about my heart getting broken again.”

Her sorrow filled words caused Seokwoo to take a rough gulp.

“Go back to sleep.” He hesitantly whispered back as he could’t bring himself to answer her.

TAEYANG:

Taeyang watched her stunning figure sway along with her lover, his heart breaking as his brown eyes focused on their figures. The way her hands fit perfectly around his neck hurt him more than he would have liked to admit. Furthermore, the way (Y/n)’s lover had his hands planted on her waist, a familiar emotion of envy engrossed the lean male’s body. He genuinely regretted saying yes when his wife had asked him if she could invite her lover. Despite that, the look she gave him when she asked him that question-- it made him realize that he didn’t have the heart to disagree with her.

“Tae, you’re staring... Again.” Youngbin pointed out with the hand that held the scarlet colored wine, his hazel hued eyes watching his younger friend’s eyes that bore into his wife and her lover. “Bin, I really can’t help myself,” he quietly whispered out to the boy as his glossy eyes went to stare at the older boy. “God, it really hurts… I love her so damn much, but I hurt her, and now she’s happy with him.”

His words caused the older boy to sigh and shake his head in empathy for his friend. “Tae, if you want to get back together with her, then, for fuck’s sake, tell her the damn truth! That girl, one hundred percent, fucking blackmailed you. Please, it hurts not just me, but everyone else, that you won’t tell her the truth.”

A bitter smile decorated Taeyang’s face as he stared back at his friend, “But I can’t, Youngbin, I can’t.”

HWIYOUNG:

Youngkyun looked at the breathtaking girl. She was dressed in a tight black dress and red stilettos-- her choice of clothing caused his tongue to graze his bottom lip as he enjoyed the view. The whiskey filled cup he had ordered prior to her entrance was soon forgotten. His mind had quickly registered her appearance, and before anyone could blink, he was making his way towards her figure. Grabbing her hand, he began to pull her out of the prying eyes of the nightclub.

Once again, his short temper had gotten the best of him.

“Youngkyun!” (Y/n) screeched out. She was extremely bewildered by the man’s actions. The lean boy’s lips quickly pursed into a tight line as he pulled her into the elevator, powerfully pressing the button that would lead them to their hall number. Scoffing to himself, Youngkyun looked the other way.

“What the actual fuck! Why did you do that?” She exclaimed to him. Her question caused Youngkyun to shake his head and stare at her in disbelief. “We’re engaged, you can’t wear shit like that to a fucking nightclub unless you aren’t engaged. What would the media think?” He retaliated to her, frustration and a hint of jealousy evident in his voice.

Smiling bitterly, (Y/n) fired back at him, “What would the media think if they found out you cheated on me before this?”

Chani:

Chani sighed to himself as he watched (Y/n) talk to Taeyang, also known as his older step-brother and her boyfriend, his hands turning into passive aggressive fists when he noticed how happy she looked with him. His almond colored eyes were quickly beginning to gloss up with tears as he realized she looked damn near perfect with him than she ever did with him. Soon enough, his fists opened up and his fingers began to play with the diamond studded band that decorated his ring finger.

He regretted cheating on her and then wanting to marry her.

His selfishness had gotten the best of him.

Yet, the more disgusting part was that; he was marrying the girl his step-brother was actually in love with. However, Chani couldn’t help it. He was hopelessly in love and infatuated with her, she was the reason he had even wanted to pursue his father’s company when he grew older. All because he knew she would be with him when that happened. But of course, he had ruined whatever love they had when he had kissed another

“Why me?” He whimpered out to himself.

#sf9 reactions #sf9 #kim youngbin #youngbin #kim inseong #inseong #lee dawon #x reader #kpop #dawon #kim rowoon #rowoon #lee jaeyoon #jaeyoon #kim hwiyoung #hwiyoung #yoo taeyang #taeyang #kim chani #chani #baek zuho #zuho #kpop reactions #ceo au #sanghyuk #seokwoo #juho #sf9 x reader

[raendown]

Pairing: KakashiSakura Word count: 4160 Summary: Sometimes you have to break before you can be put back together. And sometimes you need a little help with both.

Follow the link or read it under the cut!

All The Little Pieces

“My life is a really great joke that I would absolutely laugh at if I weren’t so afraid I might cry right now.”

After a rough translation, Kakashi was at least mostly sure that was the gist of what the woman beside him was trying to say. It was hard to tell through the slurring of her words, syllables bleeding and running together like the alcohol dripping down between her fingers. Sakura didn’t even seem to register that she had spilled her drink.

“Kakashi do me a favor and laugh for me, would you? If I try right now I might throw up.”

“Are you sure you wouldn’t rather I fetched you a nice tall glass of water?” he replied. “Very refreshing. Very sobering.”

“Pah, who wants to be sober?!”

“I think I prefer you when you’re sober.”

“Well I have a husband who would prefer me when I’m not there entirely so who gives a fuck about anything?”

Both of them sighed for different reasons. Kakashi gave some thought to trying to sneak the bottle of shochu farther away from her elbow, inch by inch, until he could hide it somewhere. In the end he decided it wasn’t worth the risk of losing several fingers. Absolutely three sheets to the wind she might be but Sakura was still the heir of the sannin Tsunade, equipped with all the skills and talents that position implied.

Instead he leaned back in his seat and observed her from head to toe and back up again. What he saw was a women who had been bowed by the life she had chosen. Her shoulders hunched, her head hung low, hair falling in limp disarray without the usual headband to keep it in place. Alcohol coated her hand from the many drinks she had spilled with her trembling fingers and dotted the stylish trousers which had been a pristine white upon her arrival.

“I take it you read the latest correspondence from Sasuke?” he ventured. Sakura snorted.

“Correspondence!” A wave of her hand sloshed clear liquid at him that he only barely managed to dodge. “He can take the time to report to his Hokage but not to send a letter to his wife or child. A child! Kakashi we have a bloody child together and he still can’t be arsed to so much as send a quick hey hope neither one of you is dead!”

“Hm.” Kakashi didn’t offer much in the absent man’s defense. There was, in fact, no defense to give. He happened to agree with her that Sasuke’s behavior was pretty unacceptable for a man who claimed to want nothing more than the resurrection of his clan.

“Do you know…do you know that I am twenty-four years old, I have been married for five years, I have a four year old daughter, and I have never been kissed.”

The sip of soda water he’d been taking choked in his throat and sprayed all over the bar when Kakashi spit it back out in shock. “I’m sorry,” he coughed. “What!?”

“Yeah! I know!” Sakura slammed her glass down on the bar top hard enough for a crack to appear. “We made a fucking baby together but he’s never so much as laid a single peck on these lips. What am I doing wrong, Kakashi? Should I have been quieter? Tried harder to follow him on his stupid quest? Mailed him nudes? What!?”

“Sakura I don’t think it’s anything you could have fixed on your own.” Kakashi was rather impressed that his voice remained so steady. He was still reeling from the idea that two people could get married and have a kid but not kiss even once. Actually, now that he thought about it, he’d been to their wedding and he distinctly remembered thinking it odd that the ceremony had not ended with a kiss.

“Well it’s not as if he’s putting in any effort. He’d have to be here to do that.” Sakura’s voice cracked and when she looked over at him her eyes were just as broken. “Sarada asked me the other day why her daddy doesn’t love her enough to come home. What am I supposed to say to that?”

“Oh Sakura…”

“Right? Poor Sakura who got everything she ever wanted! Poor Sakura who’s living the dream life! This dream sucks!”

With one more slam of her fist the glass that she’s been holding shattered between her fingers. Sakura cried out in surprise and Kakashi’s body twitched at the noise, setting off his flight instincts. It was a miracle he managed to stay still in his seat. He was exasperated to see Sakura opening her hand with nothing more than an annoyed sigh, green chakra already glowing as she began to heal herself.

“We should get you home,” he decided. She didn’t offer much of a fight.

As it turned out, Sakura was so drunk she could barely stand and Kakashi ended up escorting her home. Little Sarada was apparently staying over at Auntie Karui’s place tonight to play with Chōchō, which he was grateful for. It wouldn’t be the best thing for someone that young to have to see her mother in such a state, nor for Sakura to be woken up by a hyper four-year-old the next morning.

For most of the journey home both of them remained silent. Sakura appeared to have run out of steam and was losing energy with each step closer to her bed. Kakashi didn’t really know what to say. He knew she wouldn’t appreciate empty platitudes but there was very little positive that he could say about her situation. It was shitty and there was no sugar-coating that. She already hit the nail on the head herself with her earlier words: she’d gotten everything she ever dreamed of all throughout her childhood. It was hardly her fault that those dreams didn’t turn out quite the way she expected, although a part of Kakashi wondered what exactly she had expected from someone like Uchiha Sasuke.

Better than this, apparently.

It was as they were climbing the steps to her front door that Sakura finally let out a wounded noise and Kakashi looked over to find tears streaming down her face. He couldn’t remember the last time he had seen her cry. After the fourth war was finally over it was as though she had used them all up. Yet now she had her head tilted back to look up at the empty sky, tears trickling down her temples to soak in to her messy pink hair.

“All I ever wanted was for someone to love me, for someone to see me. When he proposed I thought that Sasuke saw me and I was so…so happy.” A hiccup bubbled up and out but she kept talking without missing a beat. “It wasn’t correspondence he sent, Kakashi. It was divorce papers. He found someone that he truly sees and it isn’t me. It’s never me.”

There wasn’t much he could say to that.

“I’m sorry Sakura,” he said, because he was. He was sorry she had to go through so much pain. Without looking back down from the stars, she shrugged awkwardly.

“Yeah. So am I.”

“Someday I hope you can find a way to move on. When you do you will find that there are many more people who see you than you realize, people who see you and who love you just the way you are.”

An inelegant snort escaped her and Sakura shook her head but said nothing. Kakashi let her unwind herself from his hold and stagger across the porch to her front door. When she struggled with her keys he stepped forward to help but neither of them said anything else. Sakura disappeared inside her house and Kakashi turned away, hands in pockets, to go back to the bar they had just left. It had been his intention to have a quiet evening to himself with no responsibilities and no worries. Since that plan had gone out the window the moment Sakura walked in and demanded an entire bottle of shochu to herself, he might as well go get drunk too. It just seemed like that kind of night now.

 -

 It took a while for Sarada to understand that her father had a new family he wanted to build. It took even longer for her to stop feeling like it was somehow her own fault for not being a good enough daughter. Strangely, it was the Rokudaime who helped her out with this the most.

The other children in Sarada’s age group were all extremely jealous that she seemed to be a favorite of their village leader. Honestly she wasn’t even sure why she had been chosen. What was so special about her? When she found out that her mom had been his student for one whole year a way long time ago she’d thought maybe that was why he liked her. But then, why didn’t he hang out with Boruto too? That burrito-head’s dad had also been a student of the Rokudaime and he didn’t get to sit in the Hokage’s office eating ice cream and doodling on official reports.

Perhaps her favorite days were the ones when Kakashi – as he had insisted she call him – would ask for her help creating a distraction so that he could sneak out and play hooky for the day. They always met up again somewhere else and Kakashi would let her ride on his shoulders as they toured the marketplace looking for a pretty trinket she could take home to her mama. On those days Sarada forgot that her father didn’t love her enough to come home. On those days Sarada forgot to wonder if perhaps she wasn’t good enough. Because on those days she had all she needed in a kind man who loved her and bought her red bean cakes and thought the entire world of her. It was, she decided, even better than having a father. Kakashi had no reason to love her but he did it anyway.

Of course, there were downsides to being left behind that affected more than just her. It hurt Sarada to watch her mother be so sad in those moments when she thought her daughter wasn’t looking. There were times Sarada would peek her head around the corner to find Sakura staring quietly out the window, eyes scanning the horizon as though expecting to see something that wasn’t there, and each time the expression on her face was more and more resigned.

It took a long time for Sakura’s smile to reach her eyes again but Sarada would always remember the day it happened. As soon as class had let out at the Academy she had run straight to the Hokage Tower, up to the top floor, and scrambled in to Kakashi’s lap to bury her face in the chest of his robes. The man he’d been in a meeting with had faltered in his speech, probably surprised to see her there. Kakashi, on the other hand, had wrapped one arm around her automatically even while his other hand continued to take notes without pause.

“Maa, you think that will affect the prices? We have a contract with them at set prices until the end of the year. If they’re going to raise their fees at that point then we should start looking for other suppliers now. Thank you for bringing this to my attention.”

“Of course, Hokage-sama.” Sarada couldn’t see the man bowing with her face pressed in to clean white robes but she did hear the rustle of his clothing and an appropriate amount of pause before he spoke again. “Please excuse me.”

Kakashi waved him off with a dismissive hum. The door closed on retreating footsteps, leaving the room quiet but for the swishing sound of Kakashi’s brush as he continued to take notes. Sarada hardly expected him to drop everything to tend to her. She had long learned that there had to be a proper balance between caring for one’s precious people and tending to one’s duties; she had learned to be patient while Kakashi finished being the Hokage so that he could be her friend instead.

Luckily it seemed he only needed barely more than a minute. The brush made a muted click when it was set down on the desk and then a large hand was stroking at her hair in a comforting gesture which never failed to make the world fall away.

“What’s wrong, Princess?”

“Inojin was making fun of my glasses again today. He’s so mean!”

“Oh, was he now?” The hand on her head moved to pat her on the back of her shoulder, a signal for her to look up at him. When she did her was wearing a very serious expression. “Do I need to erase him from this existence? Just say the word Princess.” Sarada giggled.

“Yes please!” she replied sweetly. Kakashi turned his eyes up in a happy smile.

“Anything for you!”

She knew he didn’t mean it, of course. Kakashi loved each and every one of his subjects, would give his life for any of them in an instant. He would hardly order the death of such a promising member of the next generation just because of silly childhood bickering. Still, his little game did make her smile.

“Hm, looks like it’s about time for me to take a break, wouldn’t you say?”

“Oh yes, Hokage-sama,” Sarada replied, adjusting her glasses in an important manner. “Breaks are important!”

“Then it seems to me that I would be remiss in my gentlemanly duties if I didn’t walk you home.”

Since that was exactly what she’d been hoping for when she came here, Sarada couldn’t stop herself from burrowing in to his chest again for one more good hug. Kakashi welcomed her easily and hugged back just tight enough to make her squirm and beg for mercy. Then he released her with a laugh and let her lead him out of the office, holding her hand and listening to her recount the scene in which Inojin had insulted her glasses.

Halfway home Kakashi swept Sarada up on to his shoulders and held her legs as she continued to chat. At six years old she thought she might be getting a little big for this but not in a million years would she be the one to suggest it. So long as he was willing to keep carrying her around, Sarada was happy to keep her rightful place as for as long as he would let her.

When they turned up the walkway to her home Sarada and Kakashi were both laughing at his terrible attempt as a joke. Her head was thrown back and her hands clutched at his forehead to keep her balance. Kakashi clung tightly to her feet and hunched forward a little under the weight of his laughter, threatening to send them both toppling to the ground. Neither of them noticed at first when Sakura opened the front door to greet them and stopped, spellbound by the sight they made.

Kakashi was the first to look up, attempting to straighten and wobbling dangerously before managing to do so. He shot her a bright smile and dared to release one of Sarada’s legs so he could wave.

“I found this stray cat wandering around in the tower,” he called up. “Can I keep her? Pleeeaaase?”

“Kakashi!” Sarada exclaimed. “I’m not a cat!”

“Maa, you’re right of course. More like a teeny little kitten.”

“Hey!”

One hand covering her mouth, Sakura took a deep shuddering breath in as she observed how happy her daughter was interacting with the man who carried her. It wasn’t as though she had been blind to their growing friendship but for the last couple of years Sakura felt as though she had existed with a thick fog wrapped around her. The colors of the world were muted and dull. Any small joy she found was quiet and distant.

Now suddenly it was as though the fog had rolled back and she realized that while she had been treading in place, life had moved on around her. Her baby girl was happy. And if she could be happy then so could Sakura.

“Mama! Tell Kakashi that I’m not a kitten!”

Sakura shook away the stupor which had fallen over her and looked down at the pair a few steps below her. Kakashi was giving her his best puppy eyes and Sarada was trying her utmost to do the same, though with less practice hers were slightly less effective. Unable to stop it, Sakura burst in to laughter.

On the walkway below, both Sarada and Kakashi stared up at her in awe. Sarada couldn’t help thinking that in that moment her mother had never been more beautiful. Such a smile! She hadn’t seen a smile like that in years and the relief of seeing it again very nearly pulled the breath right out of her chest. It was as though suddenly she was a whole new woman again.

“I don’t know, sweetheart,” Sakura called down at last. “Your claws aren’t really big enough yet to call you a cat. Kitten sounds pretty accurate to me!”

Sarada was caught halfway between joy at seeing her mama so happy at long last and screeching in indignation. She was not a kitten!

For his part, Kakashi simply continued to smile. Their Sakura was finally coming back to life. He could ask for nothing more than that.

 -

 Three years, depending on the perspective, could seem like an eternity or like the blink of an eye. For her it was both. It had been three years since Sakura had received a request for divorce through the mail from a man who couldn’t be bothered to come home more than once the entire time they had been married. Even she understood by now that asking him to come home to ask for a divorce in person was expecting too much of Uchiha Sasuke.

On the anniversary that marked three years since her life had taken its latest big turn, Sakura took her daughter to the training grounds to show her the chakra exercise she had promised. It seemed a perfect way to celebrate, preparing her daughter for the future and giving no thoughts to the past. Since the day that Sakura had had her moment of revelation, her relationship with her daughter had been better than ever. They spent more time together as she passed on all number of skills to this precious child. Sarada was learning to cook like her, to throw a shuriken like her, to heal wounds like her, and could hardly wait to punch straight through trees like her. No matter how busy her life got Sakura never forgot to take the time for her daughter.

She also forced herself to take the time to just be. Once every couple of weeks she met up with her friends for ramen or a few drinks. Ino stopped by for lunch sometimes to tell her all the latest gossip that a head of the Interrogation department was privy too. Choji swapped recipes with her whenever they met up at one of Naruto’s spontaneous gatherings. Shino gave her teaching tips that had worked on his own kids in the academy.

Even at work it was a whole new world. Sakura put more effort in to some old half-formed dreams and finally opened a children’s clinic which she helped run three days a week. As the Head of Medical Staff at the hospital she was hardly expected to run grunt work anymore and was able to delegate much of her duties to make room for other things. Not that she neglected the hospital by any means. Sakura was a medic, through and through, and she adored the work she did there.

So many things had changed because of one small moment and she could hardly believe it. It felt incredible. It felt like living again.

As she went through the chakra exercise with Sarada one more time, demonstrating it again so the young girl could use her as an example, Sakura finally became aware of the approaching chakra signature. She was grinning when she turned around, the expression only widening when Sarada slipped by her with a happy shriek to tackle Kakashi in a flying hug. The Rokudaime caught his little Princess and swung her around in a circle.

“What’s a couple of pretty things like you two doing in a drab training ground like this?” Kakashi asked, directing a wink over at Sakura. Sarada punched him on the arm and he staggered sideways dramatically.

“Mama’s teaching me how to hold chakra in my arm so I can punch people better!”

“Oh dear!” Kakashi held both hands up to his face. “Should I be worried?”

“Absolutely,” Sakura laughed.

“So mean to your respected village leader!”

“Hm. Respected but not all that respectable.”

Kakashi clutched his chest in betrayal, not fooling either of them. They could both see the crinkles around his eyes as he smiled. Sarada gave him another swat before trundling away to take up her practice again. He observed for a few moments with a quiet pride before settling himself beside Sakura and bumped their shoulders together.

“How are you holding up?” he asked. She leaned her head against his arm and gave a content sigh.

“Really well.” She didn’t need to ask to know what he was referring to. “I don’t think that I wanted to admit to myself that I hadn’t been in love with Sasuke in a long time. He was my dream, my happily ever after, and if I let go of that I didn’t know what else I had. Now I can see how blind I was being; I have Sarada, I have friends – I have you. I don’t need Sasuke. Don’t even want him.”

“You don’t miss him?”

“I miss…the security of him, I suppose. But no, not him. It took me long enough but I can see now how right you were. There are lots of people in my life who see me and lots of people who love me. I’m grateful for what I have.”

“I see you.”

Kakashi’s voice was but a whisper and that, more than anything, caught Sakura’s attention. Lifting her head, she looked him in the eyes with a curious sound. Even stranger, she found him looking back with an almost hesitant expression.

It felt as though the world were rocking on its axis as Kakashi reached up and slowly pulled down the mask which had covered his face since the day they first met. He was handsome, although she would have guessed that based on the rest of him. And then the world stopped spinning and fell, fell, fell through the fabric of reality as he leaned down and pressed their lips together in a soft, perfect kiss. He lingered, but only for a moment. Then he was pulling away and they were staring at each other, both with wide frightened eyes.

“Forgive me,” he murmured. “I couldn’t stand the thought of another man having your first kiss. I know there’s little chance of you feeling the same but if you would do me the honor of a dinner sometime–”

Sakura cut him off as she pressed their lips together again, taking what she could even with no idea what she was doing. How could she not have seen this? The fog had lifted and still she had been blind to what was right there in front of her. It baffled her how she could have not known how in love they were but she could see it now. He could see her and finally she saw him too.

“I’m glad it was you,” she told him when they pulled apart again. “I don’t ever want to kiss another.”

“Oh.” Although he sounded a little broadsided, he definitely didn’t sound unhappy with her answer. “I think I can arrange that.”

“Thank you, Kakashi. For being there for me. And for her. You’ve been so good to us and I don’t know that I could ever tell you how much that means to me. Just…thank you.” She offered him a tremulous smile and Kakashi gave him one back, the first true smile she had ever seen on his face. It was unsteady and so, so beautiful.

Before he could find a way to reply to such heartfelt words, they were interrupted by a tug on Sakura’s sleeve. When they peered down Sarada was standing there, hands behind her back and mischievous grin upon her lips.

“Does this mean I can call him Kaka-Tōsan now?”

It was hard to tell who was blushing the darkest, Kakashi or Sakura. Neither of them minded though because it was also hard to tell who was laughing the brightest.

#the ending they all deserved #rae writes #kakasaku #kakashi #sakura #sarada #fanfiction #naruto shippuden

[blahblahblippyblah]

Nico's Quest (happens after events of THO)

Chapter 1: Nico gets a prophecy

full story: http://archiveofourown.org/works/11403567/chapters/25542171

Summary:

Nico must go on a quest to stop Orpheus bringing back souls from the dead. there only one person who can help him out. Will

Nico was relieved when Apollo finally left, scratch that he was overjoyed. He wasn't the biggest fan of the former god. It didn't help that he managed to destroy half the camp before parting. But now that Apollo was gone they could all take a breath until the next terrible incident happened.

The night after Apollo left Nico's nightmares started again. Not that he wasn't surprised. He always had nightmares. But this nightmare was different this time. He was in his father's castle in the underworld. His psychopathic step mother Persephone sat on her throne looking bored while his father stormed around the room shouting and breaking things. Yep just a regular old day Nico thought. Eventually his father calmed down and turned. When he saw Nico standing there he straightened up.

"Good you here. Well here enough. I need you to do something" his father said.

Yep world best dad. No ‘Hi son’, no ‘How you doing son’, just ‘Hey I have more chores for you’.

"What do you need father" I spat.

"Maybe we should get a more handsome and older hero husband. Not that your children aren't capable, but it would be nice to shake thing up" Persephone interjected while filling her nails.

Hades turned towards her. "My children will do fine dearest. Plus I would rather keep this a secret, and Nico is more suited for keeping underworld problems from Zeus"

"What problem? And why can't Zeus know about it?" Nico said.

“I’ll spare you the detail but we have an escaped soul. Many souls escaped during the waking of Gea but this one in particular needs to be sent back." Hades went on walking over to his throne.

"Who is it?" Nico asked.

Hades mouth twitched as if saying the name was going to cause him to burst in flames. Persephone however interjected.

"Orpheus. The handsome lad managed to get out and is now charging wealthy families to bring back there loved one. A clever business plan if you ask me" Hades eyes flared but he ignored his wife.

"You son can see why that is an issue. If Zeus found out I had someone s telling sold back from the underworld ... Well it wouldn't be pleasant."

"So why can't you look for him yourself? I'm kind of busy at camp" Nico said.

Persephone let out a snort which Hades also ignored. Nico bunched his fist. His understood where the stereotype evil step mother came from.

"You don't think I would have him in my current possession if I could find him. Orpheus is clever. He's hiding from me. I looked all over the earth and couldn't find him anywhere. That's why I need you to look for him. Go on one of your little quest and bring him back."

Nico frowned. He was kind of fed up with going on dangerous quest for his dad. Plus he was finally enjoying camp. He really didn't want to go out on his father's errands.

"But..." Nico tried to interrupt but his father waved him silent.

"I hear you have an oracle back online. She'll give you more detail. Now I have to get back to work.” Hades said getting up.

"Wait a minute” Nico started saying but he was immediately awoken by his alarm clock.

*

Nico put his food tray down on the Apollo table a little too hard when he went for breakfast. Orange juice sloshed out of his cup and onto his pancakes. He fell down beside Will who looked up at him confused.

"Wake up on the wrong side of the coffin this morning?" Kayla joked.

Nico just frowned at his pancakes and began stabbing them with his fork. Will put a hand on his for arm.

"Everything ok Nico?" he asked.

Nico felt bad. He didn't want to upset Will. Why did he have to be so caring?

"Nothing. I just had the pleasure of taking to my father last night" Nico said. He knew he wasn't being 100% honest but he didn't think this was the time or place to talk about his inevitable quest.

Will pouted at him but didn't press him any further.

After breakfast Chiron announced that tonight they would be having a small game of captured the flag with the few year round campers to celebrate the defeat of the Colossus. Also Apollo finally leaving many campers thought.

This cheered Nico up slightly. Even thought there was only around 20 campers he still loved playing capture the flag. It was something he was actually good at. It also helped that he enjoyed showing off in front of Will. Something he would never admit to.

So at 3 o'clock they all gathered outside the forest. Nico had put on his bronze beast plate a thick wool sweater and a more ripped pair of jeans so his good ones didn't get ruined. By the forest other campers had outfitted themselves and we're helping each other strap on armour. Nico scanned the group looking for the familiar mop of blonde hair. He quickly spotter it and headed over to Will.

He grinned as Nico approached

"You’re playing today?" Nico asked skeptically with an eyebrow raised. Will didn't usually participate in capture the flag. His archery skills were mediocre at best. His hand to hand combat was a joke. And he was always needed to reattach Paolo’s limbs.

Will gave a malicious smile.

"Since Percy, Jason and the other aren’t here I thought I'd finally have the chance to wipe the floor with you." Will taunted. Nico raised both eyebrows mockingly

"Ok we will see how well that works out. I hope you brought enough ambrosia for yourself once I'm done with you." Will just smiled at blew him a kiss mockingly.

Chiron called for everyone's attention and separated them into teams. Nico was stuck with the Demeter cabin and a bunch of other not so super cabins. At least the one Ares kid was on his side.

The Demeter cabin came up with the brilliant idea of growing a giant beanstalk and putting the flag on top. Nico was unsure at first when Miranda put a tiny seed in the frozen ground and draped the flag over it. But as she knot her face in concentration the plant grew taller than the tress taking the flag with it.

Sherman came up with an attack plan and Nico made some mental notes in his head about where Sherman thought they might be able to find the flag. When the whistle went off from somewhere in the forest Nico ran a wide flank. He knew that Malkolm and the Hectate kids would make sure he couldn't shadow down travel to the flag so that left Nico with having to actually find it.

He ran thought the tress listening intently for any sounds of movement. Keeping an eye out for any signs of the enemy’s flag. He heard 2 people someone running towards him so Nico jumped up into a tree and did his best to blend in with the shadows the branches were casting. The two people stopped under the tree and looked around.

'I swear I just saw him around here' one of the people said.

Nico craned his neck to see who it was being careful not to move too much so that he stayed camouflaged in the dark. He saw a familiar mop of blonde hair that blended in with his jacket and the snow on the ground. The second person was Connor Stool. Nico gave a grin. Of course it would be will he would run into.

Nico shifted his weight and gripped his sword at a better angle. He then jumped down out of the tree and on top of Connor. Knocking him out cold. Will quickly spun around pulling out his bow and stinging it. Pointting it right at Nico. They circled slightly. Nico knew Will wasn't confident with close combat but Nico didn't like the look of the tranquilizer arrow will had sting on his bow.

"Ready to have you butt handed to you by a healer?" Will taunted with a smile

"If I were you I would watch your footing" Nico laughed.

Before Will pieced together what Nico had said Nico spun down swinging out his leg to catch Will’s causing him to trip. Will's arrow went flying but landed far away. His hand kept tight on the bow. Nico used the hilt of his blade to hit Will’s writs causing him to drop the bow while Will continued to fall back.

This was way too easy Nico thought. He stood of Will who had a disgruntled look of annoyance on his face. This now made it 15 Nico 0 will for capture the flag games. Nico smiled down at Will then offered out his hand to help him up. Will to it but grunted as he stood.

"If you tell me where the flag is I won't knock you out like Connor" Nico promised.

Will's mouth went up at one side disbelieving.

"And why would I do that Di Angelo?: Will taunted.

"Because you realize how superior I am. Also you like me" Nico mocked.

Will gave out a genuine laugh.

"Ya I guess I do really like you." Will admitted. Nico saw Wills eyes twinkle. The twinkle Will got when he was up to something. Before Nico could figure out what it was Will had rushed forward and brought Nico up into a kiss. His arms wrapped around Nico like vipers.

Nico stood shocked for a second but then returned the kiss. He sheathed his sword so he could put both hands on Wills hips. Suddenly Will deepened the kiss. Will pushed into Nico harder an opened his mouth slightly. His tongue came out and began finding it's way into Nico's.

This was very new to Nico and his head spun. If Will hadn't been holding him up he would have fallen over. Everything became fuzzy. Then as quickly as it started it stopped. Nico noticed the sudden absence of warm against him and opened his eyes. Blinking a few times for his brain to come to from the kiss Nico saw Will holding out Nico's sword pointing it at him grinning.

"You sneaking little siren" Nico said half amused that will had the nerve to take his sword.

"Never let the enemy distract you" Will said in his mocking Chiron voice.

From in the forest they heard a shout from Sherman Yang.

"It's on Zeus’s fist!"

Nico smirked. He knew where to go now.

Before Will could reach road to stop him Nico took a step back into the shadows to get closer to the fist.

>>>

Nico stepped out of the shadows and immediately fell over. As soon as his feet touched the ground a log gong like sound reverberated around his head. It sent his head swimming in circles. His eyes unfocused and his legs tuned to jelly. He tried to stand but heard another loud gong like song which sent him back down. Blinking through the disorientation Nico realised he wasn't at Zeus’s fist. He was in the middle of a grove. Surrounded by giant tress so thickly entwined he could see the sky above.

Another gong. But this time Nico relieved it wasn't a gong. It was a voice that reverberated so loudly it shook his bones.

'Stolen soul shall find a pass If shadows fails to break the glass The musician hidden in plain sight Only the sun can find the light. Else the shadows fall to night'

The voice echoed through Nico's head. He could feel his eyes rattling inside his skull. Only two thoughts went through Nico's brain.

'Get Out'

He managed to get on his hands and knees and crawl towards the nearest tree. He used all his willpower and threw himself into shadows one more time. He didn't have a destination in mind. He only concentrated on one thing. Will. I need to find Will.

#solangelo #nico di angelo #Will solace #trials of apollo #Percy Jackon and the Olympians #heros of olympus #nico/will

[relationshipadviser-blog]

25+ Times Boyfriends And Husbands Made Sure Their Relationship Is Never Boring (New Pics)

New Post has been published on https://relationshipqia.com/must-see/25-times-boyfriends-and-husbands-made-sure-their-relationship-is-never-boring-new-pics/

25+ Times Boyfriends And Husbands Made Sure Their Relationship Is Never Boring (New Pics)

Long term relationships are a fulfilling commitment that, done right, can become the defining element of a long and happy life. Years of familiarity does mean however that a certain frisson, the thrill of spontaneity, does sometimes get lost in the comfortable routines of everyday coexistence.

These guys understand this, and like to keep their significant others guessing. And what better way to do that than with a creative practical joke? Because nothing is sexier than a sense of humor, right?

We here at Bored Panda have compiled a list of boyfriends and husbands who make sure their relationships never get boring, as a follow on to our previous post. Scroll down to check them out for yourself, and don’t forget to vote for the ones you like best!

#1 Legend Has It They Remain Hidden To This Day

#2 Went To NYC On Business And I Had To Show My Wife I Wasn’t Enjoying It Without Her, So Here Is Me Having A Bad Time All Over New York

#3 R.I.P

#4 Day 14 Of Wife Being On A Work Trip

#5 My Wife Really Likes It When I Do House Work So I Sent Her These Pictures While She Was At Work Hoping It Would Turn Her On

#6 My Wife Hates Being Embarrassed, So We Surprised Her At The Airport

#7 The Handsomest Man

#8 Great Deal

#9 Probably Another Bored Boyfriend At The Hobby Lobby

#10 My Wife Is Smokin’ Hot So I Picked The Shower Curtain

#12 Can A Girl Poop In Peace? My BF & Our Cat!

#13 Just Got To Tennis. Boyfriend Has Taken My Racket Out And Put A Frying Pan In Instead. I’m Not Even Joking

#14 My Husband Has Been Sticking These In Places I Can’t Reach To Annoy Me. It’s Working

#15 My Wife Ordered This On Amazon For Our Baby Announcement But It Didn’t Fit Her So I Decided To Put It To Use

#16 I Let My Husband Decorate The Bathroom

#17 My Wife Ran And Won Her Age Group In Her First 5 K This Weekend. Here Are A Couple Pictures From The Race

#18 My Girlfriend Put The Quote On The Left, It Took Her 2 Weeks To Realize I Changed It

#19 My Wife Took The Toddler And Left Me With The Baby Yesterday Morning. She’s A Worrywart And I Love Photoshop. Lesson Learned: Don’t Reply With Just A Photoshopped Picture When She Asks How Things Are Going With The Baby

#20 When You Leave Your Wife In The Car To Shop At The Hardware Store On A Really Hot Day

#22 Just Doing What My Wife Asked

#23 My Friend Played A Prank On His Girlfriend. She Has A Night Vision Motion-Activated Camera Setup In A Quest To Treat A Sick Coyote. She Checks The Footage Every Morning Religiously. He Rented A Sasquatch Outfit And Walked Around The Camera At 4 Am

#24 Built A Garden For My Wife A Few Months Ago And It Is Finally Time For The Bountiful Harvest. Tonight, We Feast Like Kings

#25 Wife Gave Me One Job To Do For The Day – To Get The Dogs Tag Engraved

#26 Styling Done Right

#27 Being The Girlfriend, I Was Given The Job To Decorate Our New Home. Yesterday, My Boyfriend Said He Wanted To Pick Just One Piece Of Decor Out. I Was Impressed He Actually Wanted To Be Involved! Next Day, He Walks In Smiling, And Introduced Me To Kittiana Jones. This Is Why I’m The Chosen One

#28 At The Time My Girlfriend Didn’t Know Why I Wanted My Photo Taken On This Side Of The Bridge

#29 My GF’s Obsession With Cheesy Cursive Signs Inspired Me To Make My Own Uninspirational Signs

#30 Women Confuse Me. My Girlfriend Sent Me Out For Groceries, And Like Any Rational Person, I Thought That Meant Go Get Hats For The Dogs. Turns Out She Was Hungry

#32 I Made My Wife A Shower Curtain Of Me Drinking A Beer In The Shower. She Wasn’t Impressed

#33 Valentine’s Card From My Lovely Hubby

#34 Savage

#35 My Husband And In-Laws Wanted A Family Photo While I Was In Labor And Having Contractions

#36 After Months Of Denial And Many Nights On The Couch. I Finally Got The Evidence To Prove To My Wife Why She Sleeps Better Than I Do

#37 Friend Works At Mr. Lube And Sent Me This

#38 Bored Walking Around Hobbycraft With My Girlfriend And Did The Most British Thing Possible. She Thought I Was Immature But I Think I’m Hilarious

#39 My Girlfriend Told Me To Do The Laundry And Wash The Kitten

#40 Wife: “Where Are You?†Me:

#42 My Girlfriend Got A Bit Of A Shock When I Dropped To One Knee Only To Tie Up My Shoelace. Was Not Expecting The Verbal Onslaught That Occurred Afterwards (Props To The Stranger For The Photo)

#43 I Guess My Boyfriend Didn’t Quite Understand When I Said He Should Be The Penguin

#44 My Wife Told Me This Fork Was For The Crab. I Remain Dubious

#45 This Is What Happens When You Leave Your Boyfriend Alone For 5 Mins…

#46 Girlfriend Said “Go Get A New Shower Curtain Before My Mom Arrives.” I Think This Is Fair

#47 My Roommate’s Girlfriend Didn’t Understand Why We Were Laughing At Her Shoes

#48 My Husband Is Real Mature. Couldn’t Leave The Crayola Experience Without Naming His Own Color. Payton Is My Moms Dog That Will Hump Literally Anything

#49 Asked My Husband To Put The Pillowcases On The Pillows

#50 So Me And My Girlfriend Had A Maternity Photoshoot And…

#52 What Nearly 14 Years Of Marriage Looks Like Over Here…

#53 Wife Said “No Cheap Flamingo In My Yard.†1 Month And Counting

#54 My Dad Made This Pic Of Our Rock Climbing Trip When I Was In 5th Grade And Sent To Mom. She Was Not Amused

#55 I Snuck This Reminder On My Wife’s Phone

#56 I Got My Girlfriend A New Bike Helmet. With A Drake Face-Print Balaclava Now She Looks Like A Custom Video Game Character

#57 Went To A Ride Through “Safari”. I Took At Least 200 Pics. This Is The Only Pic My Husband Took

#58 I Bought A Tiny Violin To Play When My Coworkers Or Girlfriend Complain

#59 This King Size Bed Keeps Getting Smaller And Smaller

#60 My Girlfriend And I Decided To Swap When We Agreed To Be Peter Pan And Tinkerbell

Read more: http://www.boredpanda.com/

[mysteriouslyzealouspandalov-blog]

25+ Times Boyfriends And Husbands Made Sure Their Relationship Is Never Boring (New Pics)

New Post has been published on https://relationshipguideto.com/must-see/25-times-boyfriends-and-husbands-made-sure-their-relationship-is-never-boring-new-pics/

25+ Times Boyfriends And Husbands Made Sure Their Relationship Is Never Boring (New Pics)

Long term relationships are a fulfilling commitment that, done right, can become the defining element of a long and happy life. Years of familiarity does mean however that a certain frisson, the thrill of spontaneity, does sometimes get lost in the comfortable routines of everyday coexistence.

These guys understand this, and like to keep their significant others guessing. And what better way to do that than with a creative practical joke? Because nothing is sexier than a sense of humor, right?

We here at Bored Panda have compiled a list of boyfriends and husbands who make sure their relationships never get boring, as a follow on to our previous post. Scroll down to check them out for yourself, and don’t forget to vote for the ones you like best!

#1 Legend Has It They Remain Hidden To This Day

#2 Went To NYC On Business And I Had To Show My Wife I Wasn’t Enjoying It Without Her, So Here Is Me Having A Bad Time All Over New York

#3 R.I.P

#4 Day 14 Of Wife Being On A Work Trip

#5 My Wife Really Likes It When I Do House Work So I Sent Her These Pictures While She Was At Work Hoping It Would Turn Her On

#6 My Wife Hates Being Embarrassed, So We Surprised Her At The Airport

#7 The Handsomest Man

#8 Great Deal

#9 Probably Another Bored Boyfriend At The Hobby Lobby

#10 My Wife Is Smokin’ Hot So I Picked The Shower Curtain

#12 Can A Girl Poop In Peace? My BF & Our Cat!

#13 Just Got To Tennis. Boyfriend Has Taken My Racket Out And Put A Frying Pan In Instead. I’m Not Even Joking

#14 My Husband Has Been Sticking These In Places I Can’t Reach To Annoy Me. It’s Working

#15 My Wife Ordered This On Amazon For Our Baby Announcement But It Didn’t Fit Her So I Decided To Put It To Use

#16 I Let My Husband Decorate The Bathroom

#17 My Wife Ran And Won Her Age Group In Her First 5 K This Weekend. Here Are A Couple Pictures From The Race

#18 My Girlfriend Put The Quote On The Left, It Took Her 2 Weeks To Realize I Changed It

#19 My Wife Took The Toddler And Left Me With The Baby Yesterday Morning. She’s A Worrywart And I Love Photoshop. Lesson Learned: Don’t Reply With Just A Photoshopped Picture When She Asks How Things Are Going With The Baby

#20 When You Leave Your Wife In The Car To Shop At The Hardware Store On A Really Hot Day

#22 Just Doing What My Wife Asked

#23 My Friend Played A Prank On His Girlfriend. She Has A Night Vision Motion-Activated Camera Setup In A Quest To Treat A Sick Coyote. She Checks The Footage Every Morning Religiously. He Rented A Sasquatch Outfit And Walked Around The Camera At 4 Am

#24 Built A Garden For My Wife A Few Months Ago And It Is Finally Time For The Bountiful Harvest. Tonight, We Feast Like Kings

#25 Wife Gave Me One Job To Do For The Day – To Get The Dogs Tag Engraved

#26 Styling Done Right

#27 Being The Girlfriend, I Was Given The Job To Decorate Our New Home. Yesterday, My Boyfriend Said He Wanted To Pick Just One Piece Of Decor Out. I Was Impressed He Actually Wanted To Be Involved! Next Day, He Walks In Smiling, And Introduced Me To Kittiana Jones. This Is Why I’m The Chosen One

#28 At The Time My Girlfriend Didn’t Know Why I Wanted My Photo Taken On This Side Of The Bridge

#29 My GF’s Obsession With Cheesy Cursive Signs Inspired Me To Make My Own Uninspirational Signs

#30 Women Confuse Me. My Girlfriend Sent Me Out For Groceries, And Like Any Rational Person, I Thought That Meant Go Get Hats For The Dogs. Turns Out She Was Hungry

#32 I Made My Wife A Shower Curtain Of Me Drinking A Beer In The Shower. She Wasn’t Impressed

#33 Valentine’s Card From My Lovely Hubby

#34 Savage

#35 My Husband And In-Laws Wanted A Family Photo While I Was In Labor And Having Contractions

#36 After Months Of Denial And Many Nights On The Couch. I Finally Got The Evidence To Prove To My Wife Why She Sleeps Better Than I Do

#37 Friend Works At Mr. Lube And Sent Me This

#38 Bored Walking Around Hobbycraft With My Girlfriend And Did The Most British Thing Possible. She Thought I Was Immature But I Think I’m Hilarious

#39 My Girlfriend Told Me To Do The Laundry And Wash The Kitten

#40 Wife: “Where Are You?†Me:

#42 My Girlfriend Got A Bit Of A Shock When I Dropped To One Knee Only To Tie Up My Shoelace. Was Not Expecting The Verbal Onslaught That Occurred Afterwards (Props To The Stranger For The Photo)

#43 I Guess My Boyfriend Didn’t Quite Understand When I Said He Should Be The Penguin

#44 My Wife Told Me This Fork Was For The Crab. I Remain Dubious

#45 This Is What Happens When You Leave Your Boyfriend Alone For 5 Mins…

#46 Girlfriend Said “Go Get A New Shower Curtain Before My Mom Arrives.” I Think This Is Fair

#47 My Roommate’s Girlfriend Didn’t Understand Why We Were Laughing At Her Shoes

#48 My Husband Is Real Mature. Couldn’t Leave The Crayola Experience Without Naming His Own Color. Payton Is My Moms Dog That Will Hump Literally Anything

#49 Asked My Husband To Put The Pillowcases On The Pillows

#50 So Me And My Girlfriend Had A Maternity Photoshoot And…

#52 What Nearly 14 Years Of Marriage Looks Like Over Here…

#53 Wife Said “No Cheap Flamingo In My Yard.†1 Month And Counting

#54 My Dad Made This Pic Of Our Rock Climbing Trip When I Was In 5th Grade And Sent To Mom. She Was Not Amused

#55 I Snuck This Reminder On My Wife’s Phone

#56 I Got My Girlfriend A New Bike Helmet. With A Drake Face-Print Balaclava Now She Looks Like A Custom Video Game Character

#57 Went To A Ride Through “Safari”. I Took At Least 200 Pics. This Is The Only Pic My Husband Took

#58 I Bought A Tiny Violin To Play When My Coworkers Or Girlfriend Complain

#59 This King Size Bed Keeps Getting Smaller And Smaller

#60 My Girlfriend And I Decided To Swap When We Agreed To Be Peter Pan And Tinkerbell

Read more: http://www.boredpanda.com/

[pastordorry-blog]

Merry Christmas!

“LORD OF IT ALL!”

Christmas Ever 11 pm Service

Luke 2:1-20

December 24, 2017

  Last month, my husband Phil and I went on a pilgrimage to the Holy Land with three other people from our congregation, three people from Yardley UMC, and about 30 others from various places around the country. We arrived in time for a very late supper on Tuesday and went to bed, pretty much exhausted from the traveling. Wednesday morning, our tour guide had us board the bus at 7:30 AM so we could be one of the first groups to arrive at the Church of the Nativity in Bethlehem.  He said, "I know you're tired, it's been a long journey here, but trust me.  If we don't get to the church early, we won't get to see the best stuff.   The line will be way too long."  

I didn't mind getting up early.  I was so excited about seeing the place where Jesus was born.  For months before the trip, the main thing I was looking forward to about my trip was knowing I would be standing here, in the pulpit on Christmas Eve, having been to Bethlehem.  I was positive the trip would bring me some new insight, something special, that I could share with you, and that would make a difference for each of us.

But that is not at all what happened on our trip to Bethlehem.  It was every bit as crowded as our tour guide predicted.  And not only was it crowded.  It was a little rough!  We waited and waited on the main floor of the Church of the Nativity to be able to go downstairs to see Jesus' actual birthplace, and when we got there, we were given 10 seconds to kneel at the altar, look at the camera while our guide snapped a photo, and move on.  Supposedly Jesus was born in a cave--not a wooden stable like we so often think of. But the Church had made the cave so ornate, it didn't feel like anything.  Plus, it was hard to think spiritual thoughts when the other groups were pushing and shoving us.  Our guide even got into a shouting match with another tour guide about protocol, and which group should go first.  We had come to Bethlehem to worship the Prince of Peace, but our experience was anything but peaceful!

At the end of the day, we got back to our hotel, and I told Phil, Bethlehem was a bust. I was really disappointed that I was not going to have a special insight to share on Christmas Eve.  I was also a little worried, that we come a long way, and what if every day was like this?  

Thankfully, things got better and better with each day of the trip.  It didn't get less crowded.  I think we just got better at being pilgrims.  What I didn't realize before going on this trip is that I would need to learn how to be a pilgrim.  After all, I've been a "pilgrim", a person on a quest to know and love God, for a very long time!  But going to Israel, that was my first rodeo, as they say.  My brain was flooded with new details.  How brown the landscape is, except for the palm trees.  How much like here the highways are,  yet how different the makes and models of the cars are. The smells of all the different foods, building materials, and even cleaning products!  The sounds of people speaking in multiple foreign languages all around us, almost all the time.  The Muslim calls to prayer.  All of it interested me!  It's like that joke about how a donkey will starve if you give him two bales of hay instead of one, because he can't decide which to eat.  It took me a few days to learn to focus in on what was most important at each holy site. I didn't know how to do that on our first day, when we visited Bethlehem.  And because of that, I returned to the hotel feeling unsatisfied.  I was not filled with the good things I thought I was bound to receive.

And so I found myself this year, as I was reading over Luke's Christmas account, amazed at how the characters in the Christmas story were able to take it all in.  It was definitely THEIR first rodeo! God was doing a brand new thing, and they were the first people to know about it.  Luke tells us that the shepherds saw the angel, went to Bethlehem, and met the baby Jesus for themselves.  God in the flesh, right there with them!  They were so filled by what they heard and saw, that they were practically bursting at the seams.  They went back to their fields unable to contain their gratitude and joy.   The echoes of their songs of praise can still be heard even 2,000 years later.  Every day groups of pilgrims come from all over the world to the Chapel of the Shepherds, a few miles outside of Bethlehem, to sing Christmas carols and imagine what it would be like to be the first people to hear the good news that Jesus was born.

On that first Christmas, the shepherds sang with gusto and joy.  What a contrast to how Mary reacted!  Luke tells us that she was amazed at how the shepherds had seen an angel.  That's a surprise, considering she saw the angel herself many months before.  But maybe what amazed her was not the new that Jesus was born, but the way God decided to share the news with the world, by telling a seemingly unimportant group of people like the shepherds before anyone else.  The echoes of her quiet ponderings can still be felt even 2,000 years later.  Every day groups of pilgrims come from all over the world to visit Mary's home in Nazareth, and to imagine what it would be like to be part of Jesus' life and ministry on earth, and part of his early Church.

I like the contrast of these two reactions. The shepherds' jubilation and Mary's serenity.  In our Christmas Eve services, we try to incorporate both, because both are important.  In a few minutes, we will quietly sing, "Silent Night" and ponder what Christmas means as we hold up our candles as light in the darkness. We will say the Lord's prayer, and treasure Jesus' life and teaching, even as we wonder, how to best live that out in our time and place.  And then we will abruptly change mood.  Margaret will pull out all the stops on the organ, and we will belt out "Joy to the World", because the news of Christ's birth is so good, we cannot contain our gratitude and praise.  Even the earth itself will repeat the sounding joy, that Jesus is Lord of it all.

I am very happy to report to you that, as the days of our pilgrimage to the Holy Land went on, I got better and better at being a pilgrim.  I figured out how to focus in on what mattered most.  I learned to enjoy the moment.  And I came home filled with memories and experiences to digest over time. So ultimately, I did not come home disappointed, although I never did get that one big, "Wow!" moment. I flew home with a bunch of souvenirs, but without that one great story to tell you tonight, on Christmas Eve.

Or so I thought.  Shortly after coming back home, I noticed a change in myself.  While we were in Israel, we went to an archeological dig in Jericho and saw a wall that is 10,000 years old.  We stood and looked down into a pit at a wall--nothing special about it, except it was built 10,000 years ago!  It was largely destroyed, the Bible says, by the Israelites.  We’re still singing about Joshua and the Battle of Jericho.  I realized, God's been on the job for a long time.  I should really stop worrying!  People of faith have faced challenges and frustrations in every age, but God is still God.  it doesn't matter the year.  God is Lord of it all!

While in Israel, we saw pilgrims from so many different countries, often speaking languages we could not even identify, let alone understand.  On our last day, people from Poland were gathered for worship on the beach at Caesarea, and they gave us prayer cards.  Poland!  One day at lunch, we sat next to people from Guatemala.  Guatemala!  And then, guess what?  Phil and I were walking around some shops at lunch one day, and we heard someone call his name.  It was a couple from North Wales, where we used to live before moving to Newtown. The husband is an attorney Phil has done work with over the years.  We not only saw people from far away, we ran into people from home!  I realized, God is everywhere!  If I could learn to relax into that communion of all the saints, I could have more peace and joy.  It doesn't matter where you are from, or where you are.  God is Lord of it all!

While in Israel, we went to so many beautiful churches.  Just about every important religious site is marked, not with visitor centers, museums, plaques and monuments--but with churches!  Sometimes there are monuments and plaques, too.  But there's always a church.  And a gift shop.  That's how I got so many souvenirs!  The churches are often very ornate, not really my style, but built with expensive materials like marble and bronze, and painted with gold leaf.  All done as a way to honor and worship God.  But we also saw the fields where the shepherds graze their sheep, and caves where they put them at night, especially in winter. We saw tenement housing on the West Bank.  We saw mangers.  Not made of wood--made of stone!  There's not a lot of wood in Israel, but there's no shortage of rocks.  It is very likely that the stable where Jesus was born was a cave, and the manger was a carved stone feeding trough.  Not fancy at all.  I realized, that's a lot like my life.  Some days are worth showing off--I could take a selfie and post it proudly. But some days, I'm humbled by my limitations, mistakes, and humanity.  So why not just accept it?  After all, God is Lord of it all.

I read Luke's account and am jealous of how easily Mary and the shepherds seemed to take in the good news of Christ's birth. They were already adept at focusing on what mattered most, and enjoying the moment.  They were already good at experiencing God, wherever God was to be found. Perhaps that is the second miracle of Christmas:  that God made people able to receive God's presence.  Why make light if we have no eyes with which to see its brightness? Or skin with which to feel its warmth? But unlike seeing light and feeling warmth, experiencing God's presence does not always come easily to us.  And yet, it comes.  Maybe not in the "Wow!" ways we can easily spot, but most often in little bits at a time, and almost always, in retrospect.

Perhaps that is why Jesus told his disciples, when he gave us the sacrament of communion, to eat the meal "in remembrance of him".  Perhaps we were designed us to best experience God's presence, by taking God in, in small bites, by remembering and treasuring and pondering our experiences, and by patiently learning to be pilgrims.  It may be that we can only loudly sing God's praises after standing quietly for a time in the new life.

Inside the Shepherd's Chapel, outside Bethlehem, the message of the angel to the shepherds is carved in Latin. It begins, "Gloria in altissimis Deo et in terra pax."  Glory to God in the highest heaven, and on earth peace." Peace to all humanity.  Peace to each of us.  Peace, because God is Lord of it all.  Amen.

[aveyondwinterexchange]

From the Aveyond Kingdom forum: Queen-of-Ice101′s Te’ijal/Galahad fanfic for EsmeAmelia! 

Aislday Adventures _____________________________________________________________________________________________ Te'ijel walked at the back of the pack, her feline-like eyes sweeping over the woods on either side of the path as she watched for any threats. Up ahead Edward and Stella were talking softly while Mel led the group through the woods, and a slight flicker of concern washed through Te'ijel as Mel stumbled sideways before righting herself. The vampiress glanced up at the sky, taking in how dark it was getting and how many days they had been travelling with almost no sleep before sighing. Of course these stubborn humans would push through until they were nearly collapsing with exhaustion. Snow was falling softly through the air as they pushed through and Te'ijel noticed just how badly Mel, Stella and Edward were shivering, and how the bottoms of their clothes were soaking through because of the snow. She let out a barely heard sigh. It would do no good for them to catch their deaths out here. "There is a city coming up ahead. The last signpost we passed a couple miles back said it's a small city called Travonet." She announced to the rest of the group, her enhanced sight picking up on the reflection of lights from further up ahead in the sky. The group gave various sounds of relief and Te'ijel shook her head with mild amusement. Humans were frail, but they were determined and highly entertaining. Once presented with a chance for rest the group picked up their pace, causing them to reach the smaller town in record time. Mel dropped back with Edward and Stella and the three of them talked about being greatly relieved to have finally reached somewhere with real beds while Te'ijel caught up with her husband ahead of her. "While they check in for the night shall we go hunting?" She asked quietly, her eyes glittering with mirth at the thought of his reaction. He certainly did not disappoint. "I will NEVER partake in such practice of hunting humans, you evil demon spawn!" Galahad said vehemently. Te'ijel laughed. "You are truly missing out crumpet." She teased, enjoying how his eyebrows scrunched up in anger and exasperation. "Silence yourself!" Te'ijel only gave a wicked laugh and jogged past Galahad to walk next to Mel. "How long do you wish to stay in this village? I can sense my brother right on our tail, if we stop for too long he will catch us." Te'ijel stated, her voice going serious as she addressed the exhausted looking girl. Mel nodded, looking older and more pained then any 18 year old should. The weight of the world was resting entirely on this girl's shoulders, and Te'ijel could see the toll it was taking on her. "Only one night. We'll eat and rest tonight and collect goods come tomorrow." Then Mel held a hand up and watched as a few falling white flakes landed in her hand before melting away. "It's good that we're stopping for the night. The snow is getting heavier, and sleeping out here in the ice cold wouldn't be a good idea." Mel said, talking more to herself then Te'ijel. The vampiress smiled to herself and watched Mel pick up the pace once again as she led the group through the snow covered woods towards the city. This girl was becoming quite the leader. As they reached the city walls Te'ijel's brows furrowed. There were strange leafy circles hanging off of the gates and she could hear the sound of singing from within the walls. They entered the city and for Te'ijel it was like walking into a explosion of colour. Covering the walls of the city were strange circles made of greenery with red ribbons and berries and strangely coloured baubles. Green and red greenery and ribbons were wrapped around the lamp posts and over the shop stalls and doors there was more of the greenery and decorated circles. Distantly she could hear people singing about hope and love and she turned to the humans in utter puzzlement. "What on earth are they doing here? Is this some strange superstitious ritual we have come in to?" Mel and Edward looked at her in surprise. "What?" Te'ijel looked around before looking back at the two young adults staring at her. "I've never seen anything like this." "You mean to say you've never celebrated Aislday?!" Mel exclaimed. "What is Aislday?" Mel gaped at her and Te'ijel glanced at Stella, Edward and her husband to see various states of shock on all of their faces. "You aren't joking? You really don't know?" Te'ijel sighed heavily. "If I knew, would I be asking?" She asked irritably. "Come now wife, surely you've heard of Aislday? I've even made garlands to go on the door of our house in Ged'here for Aislday!" Te'ijel stared blankly at him. "Those are not vampire wards? I always thought that you were attempting to create vampire wards." Galahad threw his hands up in the air with a exasperated noise and Te'ijel smirked slightly at his reaction before looking back at the young adults. "Now tell me, what is this Aislday?" Mel gestured for them to walk as they talked and fell into step on one side of Te'ijel, Edward coming up on other side. "Aislday is the day that we celebrate the gift of hope that the goddess granted to all of us. On Aislday people exchange gifts, sing songs about hope and kindness, have a grand feast and decorate with brightly coloured objects to bring cheer and happiness." Edward explained. "Gifts? Why gifts?" "To show that we care. Usually it is only exchanged between friends and loved ones." Stella softly. Te'ijel shook her head in amusement. "What a silly holiday. You celebrate hope for a small time before going back to hating each other and basing everything off of superstition and anger. What is the point of a holiday that does nothing." Surprisingly it was Mel that spoke up this time. "It doesn't do nothing. Even if it's only for a short time, isn't a holiday that causes people to go the extra mile and show kindness towards others worth it?" Te'ijel shrugged elegantly. "Perhaps." The conversation was dropped in favour of looking for a inn. They managed to find one and much to their relief there was more then enough beds for all of them. The three humans collapsed into beds in exhaustion, passing out in minutes. Te'ijel was not in need of sleep but even she curled up on the top of one of the beds and allowed her body to relax. She glanced over at her husband to see Galahad leaning against one of the walls close by. "Husband, move to the wall closer to me. I wish to speak a little bit." "So you may play your games?" Te'ijel smirked slightly at his expression but shook her head. "No. I simply wish to have some company tonight." Galahad hesitated before walking over and leaning against the wall between the bed she was sitting on and a empty one. "Was this Aislday a holiday when you were human?" Te'ijel asked softly. Galahad twitched. She never usually asked about his human time but today curiosity had won out. "Yes. Apparently it became a thing when the goddess had her first daughter, Aisling, the nymph of hope. She was born twenty years before I was." "That would explain why I had never heard of this celebration, I was turned long before the hope nymph was born and we did not travel through any cities during this season when we were on our quest with Rhen. We were in the mountains." Galahad nodded. "That's true. I forgot about that." "Hmm.....when does this Aislingday come?" "It's in two days." Te'ijel nodded before falling silent, keeping watch over the humans. She heard Mel whimper in her sleep but the young woman fell silent moments later so Te'ijel didn't bother waking her. "It's really snowing out. The paths that had been dug in the snow to lead from building to building are completely covered and the snow is getting higher." Galahad suddenly said, his voice further away then it had been moments ago. Te'ijel looked over to see him standing at one of the windows peering out and Te'ijel rose before walking over and peering out of the window next to him. "You are right. The snow is coming down extremely heavy now. If it does not let up soon our travels may become more difficult then anticipated." _____________________________________________________________________________________________ "What do you mean that we can't leave the city?!?" Mel shouted, the harried looking innkeeper holding up his hands in a placating manner. "We opened the gates but the snow is piled as high as our tall males stand and is packed in by the wind! We've been doing our best to shovel here in the city and one of the people here is a Mage that's been magically melting and evaporating the snow along the city paths but she is not strong enough to do that for the paths out there, and she can only go so far. You will have to wait for a couple days as the snow melts." Mel threw her hands up in the air with a snarl, a almost panicked light in her eyes. "But Gyendal will have more then caught us by then!! I'll end up fulfilling that damn Prophecy and then this whole quest will be pointless!" Te'ijel stepped forward, effectively catching the panicking girls eye. She turned to face Te'ijel who shook her head. "He will not catch us. He relies on his magic to track us and the snow acts as a dampener. With this much snow he will be out of commission as long as us, if not longer." She saw Mel relax and stepped back, glancing over at Edward and Stella who exchanged looks of excitement. "There is a good thing that comes out of this." They all looked to Stella who had broken the tense silence and Edward gave a massive grin. "We'll be able to celebrate Aislday!! We can get small gifts and with the permission of the innkeeper we might even be able to make ourselves a special Aislday meal!!" The young prince exclaimed. Mel brightened slightly and Galahad stepped forward. "Very true! We can do a surprise gift exchange. Stick everyone's name into a hat and have each person withdraw, get one gift for each person so that we may still exchange gifts but we do not have to risk spending too much of our gold." Her husband said, sounding much more cheerful then usual. It took a moment but eventually everyone made sounds of agreement, the slightly sweating innkeeper letting out a almost unnoticeable sigh of relief at the fact that Mel had relaxed and no longer looked like she was ready to crush the innkeeper. "I have a hat here if you want to use it." He suggested tentatively. Mel nodded and Edward approached the counter. "Do you have a pen and old paper we could use? The innkeeper nodded and withdrew old paper and a quill pen which Edward used to scribble down everyone's name, ripping the paper into five pieces and dumping it in the hat. Edward closed his eyes and covered the hat, shaking it up before uncovering and holding it out to everyone. "Grab a name and don't say who you got, then shop for a gift for that person that can come with us on our quest." Edward stated, excitement filling his face. Te'ijel watched as Stella, Mel and Galahad each took a name before reaching in and taking one of the two leftover papers, stepping back and unfolding it to see the name of her giftee written in Edwards clean writing. Everyone watched as Edward withdrew his name and grinned before looking up at everyone else. "Let's get started! Instantly Mel had flipped up the collar on the warm coat she had bought in the last town before giving a half wave and stepping out of the inn, a cold wind blowing into the lobby before the door closed behind her. Te'ijel shook her head and sighed before walking up the stairs, glancing out one of the window along the staircase at the snow with distaste. She may be immune to the cold but even vampires were not immune to the sopping wet that snow brought. She placed her bag with her bow and arrow on the ground, frowning at the frayed string. It had been a while since they had been able to stop somewhere she could replace the strings and after the over strenuous use that this weapon was getting it was starting to break down. Then Te'ijel sat down on the bed and opened the piece of paper in her hand. Mel. The vampiress stretched before glancing idly around the room. What should she get the girl? Mel was rather withdrawn which made it hard for anyone to get close and learn about her. Te'ijel sighed heavily before rising to her feet again and heading back towards the stairs, grabbing the burgundy cloak out of the bag that held her arrows to hide from passerbys her race. Just sitting here was rather pointless, she would have more luck figuring something out if she looked through some of the shops and stands. She entered the main lobby to see Edward and Stella discussing food that would be needed for the feast they had spoken about. They were just wrapping up the conversation as Te'ijel approached, and when they looked up to see her Stella gave a soft giggle and suddenly rushed past her to the stairs, vanishing up the staircase to where the beds were on the upper floor. "Strange girl." Te'ijel muttered as she watched the lilac haired girl for a moment before turning back towards the main room where Edward was standing talking to the innkeeper. "Out into the snow I go." Te'ijel sighed before pushing open the door and stepping outside, grimacing at the softly floating snowflakes in the air. The door to the inn closed behind her and she started down the path, her heeled boots clicking against the frozen cobblestone. She saw a few people glance at uneasily but she ignored them, confident that the cloak she was wearing would hide her unnaturally pale skin from anyone so long as she didn't stop to talk with them. The shops were all warmly lit from the inside and Te'ijel stepped into the first shop only to freeze and sneeze several times as the strong scent of incense assaulted her nose. "Oh are you alright?" A lilting voice asked. Te'jel glanced over to see a short woman hurry over, concern in her brown eyes. "Fine. I simply have allergies." Te'ijel said curtly before moving to back out of the shop. "Oh we have something for that. It's a wonderful scent that is soothing to the nasal passages and has helped some of the people in this town who face seasonal allergies!" Te'ijel stared at the woman. She was trying to sell allergy incense.....to a vampire. She bit back a snort and simply shook her head, turning to leave only to hear the woman come up behind her. "Wait!!! I have more then just incense and allergy remedies. Aislday is just around the corner, surely you would be in need for a last minute gift for someone?" Te'ijal paused and turned to face the woman, keeping her face hidden in the shadows of her cloak. "What, pray-tell, could you have that I would want." "How about a carved figurines or dishes? Maybe some scented soap? Scarves?" Te'ijal shook her head and moved to walk away only for the woman to call after her with one more offer. "What about a journal?!" That made Te'ijal pause. A journal. Mel had a journal, she always wrote in it. At one point when Mel hadn't been able to sleep she had spoken with Te'ijal for a bit and had told her that she had been writing in her journal since she had originally taught herself to write. In her bag she carried several worn journals as well as the one that she had been writing in through the journey. And the journal she was writing in was nearly filled. "No. Your journals will reek as much as this place does. However, that is a excellent idea, I believe I will use it." Te'ijal commented before stalking out of the shop, allowing the door to close sharply behind her. She strolled along the cobblestone streets, scanning the shops as she passed until stopping in front of a small one that when the door opened smelled faintly of old books and ink. She stepped inside, gazing around cooly before slowly making her way through the shelves. There were large volumes along the shelves that lined the walls and stacks in boxes of old and worn books. There was a rack with leather book bags on the far wall and several small boxes of bookmarks made entirely of tiny beads woven together to create intricate patterns. Te'ijal glanced over those items and instead went to a large shelf filled with journals. "These are quite nice." She murmured to herself, long and tapered fingers slipping loose of her sleeve and sliding gently over the spines of the journals until they came to rest on a soft cover journal. She gently grasped it and pulled it loose, examining it carefully in her hand. The cover was a deep chocolate brown all the way around, with black stitching along the rims. It was certainly a classic looking journal, but what really made it stand out was the ornate tooling along the spine and on the cover, intricate designs that stood out from the dark cover with the cinnamon colouring it had been dyed. It was held closed with a metal clasp that only added to the overall appeal of the journal and Te'ijal gave a satisfied nod. This was perfect. She strode briskly through the shop to the back where a desk was with a older man sitting behind it reading. "I wish to buy this." The man looked up and nodded, holding his hands out for the journal. Te'ijal placed it in his hands and he looked over before glancing back up at her. "A gift or for personal use?" "A gift." He nodded and reached under his desk to withdraw parchment paper which he carefully wrapped the journal in and handed it to her. Te'ijal tucked it into her coat and turned to walk away only to stop when the man spoke, his tone so calm and quiet that you would almost think he was talking to himself. "Down in the village square there is a Mage who sells magical wares. Recently he's started magicking pens so they never run out of ink and will not smear when you touch the ink on the paper by accident. It's quite handy, especially if you happen to be traveling." Te'ijal stopped. That would be perfect for the kinds of traveling they were doing, where they might have to pack up at a moments notice and continue fleeing. "Thank you." He made a noncommittal sound and Te'ijal walked out, heading directly for the village square. Upon reaching it she found it extremely busy as people milled around in the square, going in and out of shops and talking to people who ran different booths. Almost their entire group was in the square in that moment. Stella and Mel hurried past Te'ijal only moments after she had entered the square, Stella holding a larger shaped package and Mel empty handed as they spoke in low tones. She watched Galahad vanish into a leathertanner's shop and she couldn't help but glance around at the decorations and excitedly blathering people in bemusement. Humans were so strange. With a slight shake of her head Te'ijal walked briskly over to the booth that she could sense the magic coming from, not bothering to browse but simply walking directly up to the young man in Mage robes. "Hello! How may I-" "I have been informed that you sell magicked pens that never run out of ink. I want one." The man's mouth was still partially open from being mid word when she had spoken and it took him a second to recover. "Uh...of course. I have them right here made out of assorted wood. Which one would you like?" Te'ijal scanned them for a moment before reaching down to withdraw one that she recognized to be made out of rosewood. "I wish to have this one." "Good choice! Rosewood holds my magic the best, and that's the last one!" He wrapped the pen before handing it to Te'ijal who accepted the wrapped object with a curt nod. "Having any luck with your gifts?" Edward's voice sounded from behind her and she turned to face the young warrior who reminded her slightly of Galahad. "I am. And you?" The brown haired male bobbed his head with a bright grin. "I found the perfect gift for my giftee!! This town has some really interesting shops!" Te'ijal smiled slightly at the teens excitement. "I'm sure. Now, was their a particular reason you came over here?" Te'ijal expected Edward to shake his head and leave to wrap whatever gift he had found but to her surprise the prince nodded his head and went slightly serious. "Uh...I know this is your first Aislday so I thought that I would mention something to you." "And that is?" "Well, one of the most important things about Aislday is that you show thatbyou care for those around you, usually through the act of gift giving as a little reminder to them. I know we all agreed to only get a gift for the person who's name we pulled....but maybe getting one for Galahad since he's your husband and all might be a good idea." Then Edward dropped his eyes and rubbed the back of his neck bashfully. "I know you probably think it's a stupid idea. I just.....thought it would be nice." Te'ijal watched the slightly blushing prince for a moment before tilting her head in thought. "Perhaps you are right. He does seem quite fond of this human holiday, perhaps he will appreciate something from me." Te'ijal mused. Edward's head popped up again and Te'ijal smirked slightly, he reminded her of a eager child with his excitement and goofy nature. "So it's a good idea!! Great!! I'll see you later the I guess!" Te'ijal watched in amusement as the teen rushed off. Such a excitable boy. _____________________________________________________________________________________________ Te'ijal joined the humans during lunch, contending herself with a bottle of blood that she kept on hand. The young adults chattered about some different holiday traditions, even her usually quiet husband joining in. Although she would never admit it to anyone, she did enjoy seeing Galahad relax and enjoy himself again. It felt like it had been so long since she had seen him smile. She thought for a moment, trying to remember the last time she had seen his face light up with his smile. Since he talked to that magic elf girl many, many years ago before the Nymphs vanished from Aia, he had smiled when the male elf had said something sweet to the girl as she had blushed, clearly flattered that the boy she appeared to be sweet on would say something kind. That was the last time she remembered seeing him smile. "Well, I'm not quite finished shopping yet. I'll leave you guys and go finish up." Mel suddenly announced, pushing her now empty plate aside and standing before she strode out of the tavern they had chosen to eat at. Te'ijal stood as well. "I believe I shall finish up my own shopping as well." Then once again she was out walking through the streets as the winter breeze nipped at her face. She found herself more appreciative then normal that she was immune to the cold, for the wind had quite a bit of a bite that it carried. She wandered aimlessly from booth to booth as she walked through the square, glancing back at the tavern to see Galahad, Edward and Stella finally leave the square. Then the walked across the square to the woodworking shop. As she pushed open the door the scent of fresh wood washed over her and allowed the door to close behind her as she looked around. "Welcome to my shop!!!" A jovial voice called to her. Te'ijal glanced over at the well built man who approached her. "What can I do for you on this fine day?" Te'ijal glanced around once more before turning back to the man. "Yes, do you have carving tools?" The man laughed and gestured around him. "I run a woodworking shop ma'am, it'd be in bad form if I didn't sell those." Te'ijal waved a impatient hand. "Yes. Now, where are they? I wish to buy some for a gift." He grinned at her and gestured for her to follow him as he walked deeper into his shop, leaving Te'ijal to follow impatiently after him. They came to a stop in front of a large wall filled with containers that held various tools where he left her before returning to a table a few feet away. She stared at the tools for several moments, picking up different ones and examining them cluelessly before returning them to their boxes and moving onto the next row. They all looked pretty much the same to her, she saw nothing special or different about it. Te'ijal hissed out a breath of unusual frustration. She had no idea what to get Galahad in this place. She knew that he loved to work with his hands and that he preferred to do woodworking, and she knew that the couple of tools he did have were old and worn, but she had no idea what she would get to replace them. "You have a idea of what you want?" The man asked, coming over to her after some time had passed of her going through the tools and yet remaining standing there in front of the rack. "I don't know. I am not a woodworker, my husband is. I do not know what tools he would want. He only has a couple and they are worn, that is all I know." The man nodded, glancing through the shelves before turning to her. "I have a idea of what you may be looking for then. You say he only has a couple of tools?" Te'ijal nodded in affirmative. "I see. Well, then this may be a good gift. I sell individual tools, but during the holidays I also sell tool sets that come in a durable leather carrier. I have a relatively inexpensive one that has several different kinds and sizes of chisel and knife, along with something for sharpening. Would you like to see it?" "Yes." He vanished into a back room several feet away, the sounds of rummaging heard before he emerged with a leather satchel of sorts in his hands. He undid and opened the top flap and undid ties on each side before laying the entire thing open in front of her. Tucked into secure holders were tools on both sides of the carrier. One of the sides was a large pocket. "For thinner wood creations or any drawings he might have of projects." The man explained. Te'ijal nodded in distraction as she examined the tools and the holder they were in. "I believe that this is exactly what I am looking for. How much is it?" "Two hundred and eighty." Te'ijal went still. She could not spend that amount of the groups money on a present. They needed that for food and equipment. But.....she did have a emergency fund that she kept on herself, money she had possessed before she had joined the group. It would clean her out..... "That is far to expensive in my opinion. I will not spend that amount of gold." "You will not find this quality of craftmanship anywhere else! My tools are of the finest quality, you would be paying a good price here compared to some places. You said yourself that you don't understand this trade, so you would not understand how in demand such a high quality of craftsmanship like this is." Te'ijal shook her head. "I do not need to understand the quality level. I will not spend that amount of money on a gift. There are other places I can go to buy such sets, this is far too much." The man held it up closer to her almost as if to tempt her. "This is the best kind of set you can find anywhere. You will find nothing of this quality anywhere else. I am selling you the best of the best." Te'ijal smirked. "Ah, but you just said it was a more inexpensive set. Were you falsely advertising your product to me." The man blinked before a slight grin came over his face. "Not at all kind lady, this set is more inexpensive....for this quality of work. Surely you would not expect me to sell this for nothing." "I would not. However, I know that you are selling it for top price that is unreasonable to expect. I know you can go lower." "How much lower would you be willing to pay?" Te'ijal fired off the first number that came to mind, going purposely much lower to allow him to bring the price up, while still going much lower himself. "Two hundred gold." "Two hundred?!? For this!! No, two hundred and seventy five. I'd sooner sell my first born for such a price!!" "Two hundred." Te'ijal repeated, saying nothing else but "accidentally" bumping her money bag in her cloak to allow him to hear the jingle of coin. He shook his head. "Two seventy." "Two five." "Two sixty." "Two ten." He made a slightly exasperated noise. "Come now, work with me here!" Te'ijal pretended to ponder. "Alright, two fifteen." He groaned. "Your killing me here. Two fifty." "Two seventeen." "Two forty five." "Two twenty." Te'ijal said blandly. The man rubbed his head in frustration, clearly aggravated that she was not giving into his price range, though clearly his pride and his desperation to bring home such a prize to his wife and children drove him on. "Two thirty five." "Two twenty five." "Two thirty and that is my final offer." The man said with finality. Te'ijal smirked. That was exactly where she wanted the price. "So will you be buying this?" She pretended to hesitate before nodding. "Yes." "Wonderful!! I will wrap it now." Once it was wrapped and payed for Te'ijal tucked it into her cloak and started back towards the inn, her pace slow. She could already picture Galahad's face when he saw her gift. Perhaps this Aislday would be more enjoyable then she had originally anticipated. _____________________________________________________________________________________________ The next day was a whirlwind of chaos around the inn that was utterly empty other then them. The humans and Galahad got up early and went shopping as a group to pick out food for the feast that they had spoke about being a tradition for Aislday before returning to the inn to utilize the kitchen that the innkeeper had given permission for them to use in order to cook for the feast. Te'ijal chose to wrap her gifts while they were gone, taking twine and a dark blue ribbon that she had bought the day before and wrapping the pen and journal in the parchment paper the journal had been given to her in, then tying it up with the twine to keep it from being opened and looping the ribbon around it into a bow to make it more appealing. Once she had finished that she pulled out the second gift. The one for Galahad. Te'ijel stared at it for a long while, her hand running absently along the paper that wrapped it. She did nothing for a moment, before taking the pen out of her pack and writing Galahad's name on it in calligraphy. "Hey Te'ijal!!! Come help us!!" Mel's voice echoed up the staircase as a door downstairs closed with a bang and voices filtered up to her. Te'ijal let out a long breath before hiding the gifts away again and rising, heading down the stairs. "Coming." She was promptly set to work chopping things in prep, which she did not mind for once. It kept her mind off the fact that in a rare feeling of emotion she was both dreading and anticipating the giving her gifts tomorrow. _____________________________________________________________________________________________ Morning came and Te'ijal could be found sitting at the window on the far end of the room, enjoying the peace. Galahad was sitting near the three young adults and as the sunrise came up she glanced over to see him perfectly relaxed, eyes closed as he rested against the wall. "Today is Aislday." She said quietly. "It is." He agreed without opening his eyes. Te'ijal survayed the three humans before smirking slightly. "Do you wish to participate in a little wager?" "What?" Galahad asked in confusion, his eyes opening as he looked over at her. "A wager. That Edward will be the first one to wake up and he'll wake up the girls by being needlessly loud and obnoxious." There was the faintest hint of a twitch at the corners of his mouth and he shook his head. "That's not a wager I will take. I know that he will do that, I need not lose money betting for anything different." Te'ijal's smirk grew and she glanced over at the beds as true to her prediction Edward began to stir. It took several minutes of shifting as Edward began to come out of sleep before he bolted upright, his hair sticking up in every which direction. "IT'S AISLDAY!!!!" Te'ijal watched in amusement as his loud shout scared Mel awake, causing the thief to bolt upright with her dagger poised and Stella to sit up, a disoriented expression on her face. "What's happening?!! Who's attacking?!" Mel snapped. Edward appeared oblivious to her reaction as he began to dance around the room like a idiot, a goofy grin on his face. "It's Aislday!!! Get up already!!" "That's what you scared me awake for?! I aughta-" "Oh don't be such a grump!! It's Aislday! No one is allowed to be grumpy!" Edward interrupted, going over to Stella and pulling her to her feet. "Come on you guys!! Let's eat so we can exchange gifts!!" Everyone followed Edward down the stairs, some going at a slower pace such as Mel and Te'ijal. Breakfast was a quick affair, bread and jam and cheese. However even just the short time that was taken to eat was enough to allow Mel and Stella to wake up fully and soon they looked almost as excited as Edward to return upstairs to exchange gifts. Soon they were back upstairs, Edward and Galahad shifting several of the beds to that they could all sit in a circle for the gift exchange. Once everyone was seated Edward looked around the circle, his eyes shining with excitement. "Alright, who's going first?" "Can I?" Stella asked, her face brighter then usual as she hesitantly raised a hand. "Yeah! Then we'll go clockwise from you." Edward exclaimed and Stella stood, walking over to her bed and pulling the large package she had been carrying when Te'ijal had seen her in the square in her arms. "My name that I pulled was Te'ijal's. So this is for you." She placed the package gently down on the floor in front of Te'ijal who stared at the package with interest for a moment before reaching over and untying the twine, pulling it loose and then unwrapping the paper. "I know it might be kind of a odd gift but I though that you would really like it since you've talked about how you like experimenting with different kinds of arrows for your bows and I thought that this was a experimental as it could get." Stella babbled. Te'ijal nodded and looked up at Stella, her eyes crinkling in the corners in leu of a smile. "I appreciate these. This is a great gift, I quite enjoy playing around with the damage properties of different kinds of arrows and this will allow me to do so whenever." Te'ijal then looked back down at her gift. Sitting on the paper was a set of ten new arrows, and in a protective case was twelve different jars. Each jar held a different kind of poison, ones that ate through flesh or ones that attacked different internal systems. One even froze the enemy quite literally upon the poisoned arrow getting the strange poison into the bloodstream. "You like it?" Stella asked hopefully. "I do. Thank you." Stella relaxed, a shy smile flickering to life. Te'ijal set her gift aside before watching Mel who retrieved her gift, a thicker rectangular gift which she handed to Galahad on Te'ijal's left before taking her seat to Te'ijal's right between Te'ijal and Stella. "I got you." Galahad nodded and slowly opened it before blinking. "A book talking about the different kinds of birds and exotic plantlife all over Aia." Mel gave a uncomfortable shrug. "Yeah. I know that you like watching the different birdlife as we are traveling but you told me when I asked that you don't know very many of the different kinds of birds so I thought that you might like this. It'll let you identify different kinds." Galahad looked up from the book and gave a small smile. "I appreciate that. I believe I will get good use out of this." Mel relaxed and gave a nod to him before leaning back and looking over at Te'ijal. "So who did you get?" Edward asked eagerly. "I got Mel." Te'ijal informed the eager prince before standing and retrieving her gift, handing it to Mel before seating herself and watching closely as Mel accepted the gift with sparkling eyes. "You used a ribbon to tie it shut?" "No, that was merely a addition that I believed you would appreciate. You might find use for it with your gift inside, for use as a marking ribbon or somesuch." Mel nodded and withdrew her dagger after she had undone and put aside the blue ribbon and slit the twine. She sheathed her dagger and then carefully unwrapped the gift, her eyes widening as the paper was pushed fully aside. "It's a new journal." She murmured, reaching down to carefully lift the book out, studying the cover before flipping through the pages. "This is beautiful." She finally said, looking up at Te'ijal who merely pointed at the smaller wrapped object that had been left behind. "That is part of the gift as well." Mel quickly unwrapped the object and smiled when she withdrew the rosewood pen. "I like this. I'll have to buy some ink soon." "No need." Te'ijal said calmly, a hint of a smile flickering to life. "What?" "That is a magicked pen, it will never run out of ink and the ink will never smear if you touch it." Mel gaped at the pen before turning to Te'ijal, a grin on her face. "Are you serious?" "Now you will be able to journal without having to watch the ink levels and hold off on sharing thoughts to preserve ink until our next stop." Mel's grin brightened and she wrapped the gifts to place them carefully in her lap. "Thanks Te'ijal. This is perfect." "You are very welcome." The vampiress answered, turning to her husband with a slight smile. She was truly enjoying herself on this human holiday. "Who's name did you pick husband?" Galahad reached under the bed behind him and pulled out a package, sliding it across the floor to Edward. "I received the young prince." Edward's face lit up and eagerly took the present, unwrapping hastily only to exclaim in delight upon seeing new leather bracers inside. On the top of the bracers there was a intricate carving of a rune and Edward looked over at Galahad in curiosity. "Those runes mean king and brave, depending on which dialect you are speaking from these parts. I felt that either way they fitted you well." Edward grinned widely as he tried them on, the bracers fitting perfectly. "This is amazing!!! I love them! Thank you Galahad!!!" The final giftee was obviously Stella and she watched cheerfully as Edward pulled out his wrapped gift with a flourish, presenting it to her. Stella took the present and began to carefully unwrap it, leaving Edward to wiggle around in impatience. "Open it faster!!" He urged, making Stella giggle and slow down for a few second to tease the impatient brunette. "Let's see....." "Stella!!" Stella giggled again before having mercy on her friend and fully unwrapping it, gasping softly as shimmering purple fabric came into view. The gentle young woman reached down and carefully withdrew the fabric to reveal a warm shawl that shimmered and shined with different shades of purple. "Oh Edward...." She whispered as she stared at the shawl in her hand. "Do-do you like it?" Edward asked, hopeful and nervous all at once. Stella sniffed and placed it aside, reaching over and hugging him tightly. "I love it Edward. The shawl is beautiful." She told him, her voice muffled by his shoulder. Te'ijal smiled as Edward's expression, a mixture of pleasure and embarrassment as he hugged the smaller girl back before releasing her as she pulled back to pick up the shawl once more and wrap it around her shoulders. Eventually they all fell into easy conversation, enjoying the quiet of the morning and relishing in the relaxation afforded to them though being blocked into the town by the snow. The day passed quickly as they talked and laughed, Edward surprising everyone by pulling out a pack of Aislday chocolates he had bought for everyone as a surprise treat. The humans split most of them, and Galahad convinced Te'ijal to split one with him to see if they could taste the chocolate. Much to Te'ijal's surprise she could taste a faint hint of the chocolate, a flavour she hadn't tasted in so long that she had all but forgotten it. Eventually Mel, Edward and Stella decided to have their Aislday feast, leaving Te'ijal and Galahad behind upstairs, the room darkening as the winter sun began to set. Te'ijal and Galahad moved the beds back to their usual places without a word, a awkward atmosphere filling the room. "Wife." She glanced over at Galahad to see him crouch down next to his armour which he had forgone for Aislday and withdraw a thinner package before standing and approaching her. "This is for you." Te'ijal blinked in surprise before reaching over and taking the package. "You bought me something? But my name was not the one you picked." "You are my wife, and Edward reminded me that on Aislday gifts are exchanged between spouses. It's only right for me to buy you something." Te'ijal glanced at him before focusing on her package and unwrapping it carefully, only to stare down at her package, her eyes widening ever so slightly. "So far that I've noticed we've gone into no less then five different shops that traded with the Dream-weavers that can enter the Dream realm and sold this enchanted bow string, and each time you call it a frivolous purchase and never get it for yourself, but I know you well enough now to know that you want this." Her husband said in explanation. "You found a memory string." Te'ijal murmured, reaching in and gently lifting out the shimmering black string. "These can only be made out of the memory roses that used to grow at the foot of the memory caves. Now they only grow in the Dream realm. It'll never break and it moments of desperation for salvation it can even infuse the arrows with the power to bring up the worst memories of the victim....." She said quietly, uncoiling the string and running her fingers along it before a rare smile sprung to life and she looked up at Galahad. "Thank you husband." He nodded and she let out a soft chuckle. "You know, you aren't the only one Edward meddled with. I have a present for you as well, he told me the same as he told you, that spouses should give to one another to show affection. I'll go retrieve it now." Te'ijal moved to where her things were and slipped her wrapped bowstring into one of the pockets on her quiver of arrows before grabbing the larger package with Galahad's name on it and carrying it over to Galahad, handing it to her husband wordlessly. "Open it." He accepted the package, looking momentarily at his name on the front before carefully opening the package to reveal the soft leather carrying case. He looked up at Te'ijal with slightly furrowed brows before reaching down and opening the bag, his jaw dropping as he gaped at the contents. "You-....you got me carving tools." He whispered, his eyes wide as he reached into the case and slowly withdrew one of the tools to examine slowly before he looked back up at her. "Your current tools barely work anymore, you said as much yourself." Te'ijal said, her tone slightly gruff. "Wife.....I don't-......thank you." "You're welcome. I'm sure you'll get good use out of it. The man said that there is a pocket/pouch on one side where you can store thinner projects or drawings of future projects. Whatever you wish." He nodded before looking up at her, the corners of his mouth twitching before curving up into a smile, the first smile that Te'ijal had ever caused. "I love this. I will work on a small carving tonight." Te'ijal returned his smile and they stood together in a companionable silence before Edward and Mel started calling for them to come down and sit with them from the bottom of the staircase. Galahad put away his gift and as Te'ijal descended the staircase she glanced out the window at the Twilight sky. Although she would probably never admit it aloud, she had been quite pleased with the gift exchange and the reactions to her gifts for Mel and especially Galahad. It was a welcome reprieve from the stress and tension as they tried to evade Gyendal and find the Orbs before him. _____________________________________________________________________________________________ A year later- Sedona, Arishta Isles: Te'ijal hurried through the streets with her coat hood up to block out the chilly wind, her skin pink from the cold. Oh how she loathed the winter now that she was human. A package was clutched in her hands and she tucked it further into her warm sleeves. She reached her and Galahad's home and fumbled to get the key out of her cloak but managed to withdraw it, her frozen fingers clumsily unlocking the door and allowing her to push it open with a clang as she grumbled under her breath, slamming the door behind her and hanging up her cloak as she hid the package away and made her way into the kitchen. "I'm home." "Welcome back love." Galahad greeted her, smiling at her briefly as he stood at the counter carving their roast duck. "Did you get what you need?" Te'ijal nodded and cleared off the small two person table in their kitchen as he finished carving the last of the duck and placed several slices on both their already full plates. He carried them to the table where they both sat and poured the gravy overtop of the mashed potatoes and the duck before they dug in, Te'ijal finding herself savouring the flavour of stuffing and the potatoes and the gravy along with the duck quite against her will. She really hated food, yet her traitorous mouth and stomach loved it. She and Galahad engaged in light conversation as they enjoyed their meal, finishing at a leisurely pace before clearing their dishes and wrapping up the food to store. Once almost everything was put away Te'ijal slipped out of the room to where her coat was hanging and withdrew the package before hurrying to the living room, beating her husband there by mere minutes. When he entered the room and saw her sitting on the couch with the wrapped package sitting in her lap he chuckled softly, coming over to sit next to her when she beckoned for him to do so. "What is it?" "Happy Aislday." Te'ijal said with a hint of a smile, handing him the wrapped package. He accepted and eagerly opened the package to reveal a thick book. Upon scanning the title of this large novel he burst into peals of laughter, a wide grin springing to life and the corners of his eyes crinkling. "A collection of myths and records of vampires over history." He said with amusement before looking up at her. "You remembered that I wanted this. I was interested in doing some research on humans views of vampires over the years now that I am free of the curse." Te'ijal's mouth twisted in distaste at the reminder of her mortality, before giving herself a brisk shake and turning her full attention to Galahad opening the front cover. She saw him glance over the page before stopping on her inscription and reading it. "Look at what the humans think of us! Aren't their foolish myths utterly ridiculous? I'm sure you'll get as much amusement out of this as I did." He laughed again, closing the book and placing it on the table in front of the couch with a grin. "I plan to start reading this as soon as I can. I have no doubt I will enjoy it." Te'ijal smirked and he stood, excitement glittering in his azure blue eyes. "I'll go retrieve your gift now then." He said with a slightly nervous smile as he walked out of the room, leaving Te'ijal to sit waiting in anticipation until he returned holding a object covered in cloth. He set it on the table directly in front of Te'ijal, moving back around to sit directly next to her as he gently gripped the cloth in preparation to reveal the gift. "Ready?" Te'ijal nodded and he pulled the cloth free to reveal a intricately carved wooden building replica. Her eyes widened as she realized what the building was and she felt a lump rise in her throat. "It's the cathedral. The Ged'here cathedral." She whispered. Galahad nodded and Te'ijal reached out a slightly trembling hand to touch the roof of the house, her fingers sliding down over the shingles that he had stained black to the wooded walls that had been painted to look like stone. There was real glass that he hand painted to look like stained glass and the door was painted to look like the solid oak doors that led to the cathedral inside. "You got everything perfect. Right down to the odd shape of the front of the cathedral with the two alcove-like areas on either side of the door." "Do you like it?" Te'ijal opened her mouth to respond but closed it again when she realized that she would not be able to speak. She missed her home so, so much. But this....now she would have a piece of home with her as she lived out her pathetically tiny mortal lifespan. "Love?" She looked over at him and he examined her face before blinking in surprise. "Are you....teary? Because of this?" "No, I'm simply holding back a sneeze." Te'ijal snapped, looking back towards the house and blinking firmly to get rid of the hazy mist she absolutely refused to call tears. Galahad gave a huff of amusement before wrapping a arm around her, pulling her close and pressing a kiss to her temple. "You are teary, you cannot fool me after how long we have been together. Does that mean you like it?" Te'ijal contemplated continuing to argue that she was not teary, but when she looked back at the flawlessly and lovingly done miniature of the Ged'here Cathedral she decided that tonight would not be a night she would waste with pointless arguing. "Yes Galahad, I love it." His bright smile was worth abaninding the argument for Te'ijal, and when he tilted her head to give her a soft kiss she did not resist, nor did she fight him when he tugged her to his chest and reclined back on the couch with her in his arms as he reached over to grab his book and start reading. Te'ijal rested against her husband, content for the most part aside from the dull ache in her chest. She missed being a vampire, oh how she missed it, but she was finding as the days went by that having Galahad with her helped lessen the ache in her chest. The clock chimed on the mantle and Galahad's arms tightened around her slightly. "Happy Aislday my love." Te'jal tilted her head so her forehead rested against his neck and she let out a soft sigh. "Happy Aislday."

#aveyond #aveyond winter exchange