#on the other hand this first part mirrors Mia's journey because here too there's a murder mystery | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

darling-dummy-blogs · 3 years

Text

When Midnight Strikes- Victor Li

Summary: There is a New Years Party being held by LFG and Mia is of course invited. However as much as she is ecstatic to go, she has to avoid her boss who she has fallen for. Little does she know, he plans to tell her how he feels when the clock strikes midnight.

Paring: Victor Li X F!MC (Mia)

Genre: Fluff!

Warnings: None!

Fandom: Mr. Love Queen's Choice

Word Count: 1.5k

Notes: None! Happy New Year's Eve Everyone! <3

It was New Years Eve. A day to celebrate right before the new year comes around. A day that Mia was looking forward to.

The past year has been quite a journey, a crazy one. But she had made so many memories this year with all of her friends and she was ecstatic to make many more in the new year. Especially with a certain someone, who she grew to fall in love with, even though he always drove her crazy...

Victor Li.

The CEO of LFG, who just so happened to be her boss and the person who held funding for her company. As the year went by she learned more about Victor. The more she knew, the more she began to fall for him.

Like the soft side of him that had only been reserved just for her when it was just the two of them. And the little things he'd do for her even though he wouldn't outright tell her that it was for her. Such as getting her little souvenirs every time he went on a business trip out of Loveland.

Even learning more about his past and discovering that he was the little boy who saved her all those years ago. It also seemed like a distant memory now, but it was a memory that Mia would hold dear to her heart.

The more time the two of them spent together, whether it be outside of work or during work, no matter how harsh he was with her, the growing feelings that she felt for him only seemed to grow stronger with each passing day.

Now that New Year's Eve was here, there was going to be a celebration that was going to be hosted by LFG. Mia had been invited personally by Victor, weeks in advance. The topic being brought up after the two of them had a lovely dinner at Souvenir.

"What are your plans for New Years?" Victor asked, as he took the dishes to the kitchen to clean them. Mia followed him, "New Years? I haven't thought about that at all, so as of right now, nothing… Why?"

"LFG is having a celebration. You should come." He gave her a small smile. Her cheeks flushed as she slowly nodded, "I'll go."

In reality, she was more than happy to go to this event however, the sudden realization of her being around Victor for the entire evening hit her. Now that wasn't a problem in itself. However, the problem was, Mia was head over heels in love with him, and she wasn't sure if he even felt remotely the same. Not only that but he was her boss. Her boss.

A part of her wanted to tell him how she felt, after all the things that they've been through together, he deserved to know how she feels towards him.

Yet the other part of her, fears of being rejected. Not only that but the fear of making a fool of herself in front of her own boss. Even though it hasn't been the first time, it still was something she feared constantly.

Especially considering she'd be surrounded by others as well. So the panic that she felt began to kick in. Would she be able to tell him how she feels? How would he respond to her feelings? Would he take it well? Would he reject her? These thoughts began to rush through her mind as she paced her living room. She was supposed to meet Victor at the party soon.

The event was semi-formal so Mia managed to find a nice dress at a reasonable price just days before the party and had made sure she looked presentable, seeing as though she'd be seeing lots of LFG's colleagues. She sighed as she tried to compose herself in the mirror. Mia decided, "All I have to do is avoid him. If I can do that, then I'll be fine!"

She kept telling herself that even as she arrived at the party. Mia let out a shaky breath as she was prepared to do as she said she would: avoid Victor as much as possible. It seemed cruel, sure, but Mia knew she wouldn't be able to face him, not when her feelings were ready to burst open.

As she made her way in, her eyes scanned over the large crowd of people, her eyes soon found the man in question.

Mia's breath got caught in her throat as she gazed at him. Of course, he looked incredibly handsome today. Seeing him standing across the room, talking with a few colleagues, wearing a black tux.

From her view, she always found him to be attractive but on this particular night, it was as though the universe wantee to make everything much harder for Mia. She stared at him for quite some time, getting lost in her thoughts.

At the sudden feeling of someone watching him, Victor turned his head, catching Mia's gaze from across the room. Mia snapped out of her daze as she quickly looked away the moment they made quick eye contact.

Crap…

'I hope he didn't see me…' She thought as she made her way through the crowd, trying to get farther away from him. She needed to stick to the plan.

Keep her distance from Victor.

And Mia did exactly that, at every given opportunity, whenever she'd spot Victor in the far distance or if he'd try to speak to her, she'd excuse herself from every conversation she'd have just to run off.

Her plan had been going quite well, avoiding him seemed much easier than she thought it would. However, Victor was not too happy. No matter what he did, she was avoiding him!

He had been trying to talk to her all night and she kept running off. He grew a bit frustrated that she refused to speak to him, but the feeling of sadness also grew within his heart. Does she really not like him that much, to be constantly avoiding him?

Victor frowned, not liking that idea at all. He needed to speak to her, all he had wanted was to talk to her… But with every opportunity, it would get stolen away as she would still run off. It was now a quarter to midnight. 11:45 and still not a word to Mia. Victor's frown turned into a scowl as he was becoming agitated. WHY won't she talk to me…?

That one question filled Victor's mind. He searched all over for her, not a single trace of her could be found in that party. Victor glanced at his watch, another five minutes had passed. 11:50 He kept looking, even asking others of her disappearance.

But of course, the more people denied seeing her. Time seemed to be moving too fast, even though he had the ability to slow it down himself, he didn't. He was going to find her.

Yet another five minutes had passed. 11:55… He sighed as he pulled open one of the doors leading to the balcony. The last place he has yet to check. And there she was, standing at the railing, gazing down at the city below her.

"...Mia." He called out after a moment. She snapped out of her thoughts, turning to face Victor, her eyes widening. "V-Victor!"

He strode his way over to her, with an unhappy look on his face, "Why have you been avoiding me all night?" He asked.

She gulped, "What? I wasn't avoiding you. I've just been busy talking to people, making connections." She lied as she glanced at him, nervously.

He silently stared at her. "Don't lie to me, you've been avoiding me ever since you've arrived." He crossed his arms over his chest as he gazed at her intently, waiting for the real reason as to why she was avoiding him. Mia let out a sigh. "I'm sorry Victor… I was avoiding you.." She admitted truthfully.

"Why?" His voice came out softer than before, as he stepped closer to her. Mia looked down. "I couldn't face you today, because…" She took a deep breath.

11:56…

"Because I'm in love with you!" She blurted out, as she looked at him. For once, Victor was left speechless. She continued speaking however.

11:57…

"I'm in love with you…" She repeated shakily. "I've been in love with you for the longest time. And I've tried to hide it, I've tried to deny it but I just can't anymore."

11:58…

She gazed into his eyes, as his frown immediately perked up into a loving smile. One that made her heart flutter.

11:59…

"Dummy…" He brought both of his hands up to cup her face, warming up her flushed cheeks. "That's why you've been avoiding me?" He let out a chuckle.

12:00.

He leaned in closer, their foreheads touching as he spoke in a whisper, "I love you too." Mia's heart pounded wildly at his words but couldn't deny that this was what she had hoped for. He closed the distance between them affirming his true feelings to her with a long yet soft kiss. It wasn't long until the two pulled away from the kiss. Victor spoke once again.

"Happy New Year, Mia."

#mlqc #mlqc fluff #mlqc victor #mlqc fanfic #mlqc li zeyan

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saturatedboy · 3 years

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The Paw of a Lion (Ethan!Winters x Karl!Heisenberg)

This can be found on my AO3 page (Use title name)

Word count: 4.5K

Chapter 2 is below cut

The car journey had been rather unpleasant much to Mr Winter’s taste. He normally wasn’t picky but the scent on the car was hurting him and making him feel slightly sick in the stomach. Was he still panic-stricken? He stared down at Rose in his arms, fast asleep with a monkey toy in her clutch. No. He wouldn’t let himself be scared after the car wreckage he went through, instead he’d brushed it off as simple homesickness since the new home was in a neighbourhood filled with those who he was sure to ‘get along’ with well. ‘We will be home soon Rose.’ The blonde thought, turning his direction of gaze to stare at the passing trees. “How long left?” The question slipped through his lips, waiting for an answer off one of the agents that had taken the unoccupied seats around him. Luckily for him, he got the window seat and he did feel a little smug about it.

“There in 5 minutes Mr Winters.” The driver replied, adjusting the mirror at the front to get a better look at the apparent ‘bio weapon’ that was sitting in his car. Ethan looked to be just a normal guy with a daughter, there was no physical difference to him than any other ordinary guy. Well- except from the fact there was scars littering his body on his arms mostly, and the loss of his fingers.

Clicking his tongue and wetting his lips, Ethan sighed and leaned his head against the window having the same sickness feeling wash over him. He just wanted out, to feel fresh air and the ground and to hear something else than the music the agents were playing. Fortunately for him, the rest of the journey was swift and soon the car had rounded off in between trees that had a large dirt road leading further into the mass of woods that seemed to appear as he was just about to doze off. Having a spiked interest in the change of scenery, Ethan pushed himself of the window and looked about. Tall trees hung overhead, turning their leaves into a range of the sunset colours with small flowers blooming and dying mixed together in the grass that settled among the sides of the track the car was driving on. It looked, dare he say, peaceful. How ironic, having a bunch of bio weapons staying in a peaceful area. This was sure to be no peaceful stay if he was going to be surrounded with neighbours off different kinds.

Driving down the path had led them into a circled area, with buildings surrounding the outside edge. The car drove clockwise around the circle, Ethan looking towards the middle the whole way. There appeared to be a small park area settled there Ethan had guessed in the middle of the whole site. It held three benches, a small climbing frame as well as a set of swings. ‘I’m sure the Dimitrescu daughters will enjoy there,’ The father had thought, looking down at Rose with a smile taking hold of his lips. “And I’m sure you will too when you’re a little older.” Luckily no one heard him talk to his dear daughter as the music was still playing, loudly.

Placing his sight back onto the buildings, he saw a mixture of them. There appeared to be 5 houses in total, and he had a fair guessed of whose house was who. The first house was a very large one, elegantly painted in white with a very tall front door. The place had pillars outside it and it seemed to have a total of three floors. At the top there was a balcony that looked to reach around the whole house. Driving past it, Ethan could see the three daughters and their mother stepping out of the car, Bella being the first to run straight into the home.

The next house was a bungalow, making the house to its left (from Ethan’s view) more towering than it seemed. The house was simple, having brick walls and small round windows. What made the place stand out on its own was the moat that built around it. A fucking moat. “Moreau house,” Ethan mumbled, a small strike of cold shifting down his spine at the thought of when he had to fight him and how the other would be constantly throwing up. Unpleasant memories to put it.

The next house, this was the centre house that was splitting the 5 houses, was a really nice modern blue house, having two floors and a porch. The car had stopped right In front of the front porch and the agents had begun to move out of the car after it was securely parked. “Hey Rose,” Ethan whispered down to his once sleeping daughter, awaken at the call of her name and her father's voice. With grabby hands and a tired smile, she reached out to take hold of her father in any way, shape or form. Carefully unwrapping her from his coat, Ethan took his daughter into his arms and reached to open his door only to have an agent open it for him. He stepped out, nodding a thanks in return and looked towards what appears to be their new home. “Look Rosie, this is out new home. You like the baby blue hm?” He asked, seeing his daughter babble random noises and have pleased eyes. Some on-looking agents that were travelling him had silently cooed at Rose’s reaction, looking towards one another with scrunched eyes and happy smirks on their faces. Placing her on his hips, Ethan walked up to the front porch and looked back to see the view. It wasn’t too bad...he could probably make a living of being here. Looking to his left, he looked towards the other two houses. A frustrated sigh left his lips.

The house to the left was two floors like his own, only difference being it had a garage connected to it and the windows were boarded up. “It seemed Mr Heisenberg doesn’t particularly like the light,” An agent pointed out to Ethan as they caught him staring.

“Makes sense.” Ethan replied back, looking towards the last house. The last house was also a bungalow; however, it had a garden with a fence surrounding it. The fence was a deep brown and the garden had a small tree already growing within its square. “I’m sure Lady Beneviento would be there every day.”

Hearing Rose’s babbling had Ethan brought Ethan to coo at his daughter, bringing her to nest smugly in his arms instead of his hip. Holding her close, Ethan walked up to his door and let the agents open it. Inside the home was fairly empty but he could've guessed that before even entering the place. “We will leave you be. Any supplies needed or anything changing just contact us on the home phone settled in the kitchen. You are not allowed to leave this area unless orders of Redfield have been given out. Welcome to you brand new home.” The agent who had been driving Ethan and his daughter there had spoken, signalling the other agents that had decided to walk in after Ethan back out of the house. Being quick to accept orders, they left Ethan to standing in the open hallway of his house. The car leaving was the last Ethan heard before accepting the silence of the new place.

“What do you think Rose, think we’ll like it here?” His eyes caught the stairway that led straight to the second floor on his right, with two doors on the left in his eye sight. More babbling came from Rose as she tried to give her father an answer which Ethan accepted with a laugh. “Yes, you are right my little cub. We should see what we are working with.”

It had been a total of three hours before Ethan had got himself comfortable in front of the television on the couch. It seemed the whole place was coated in the paint of blue and white. It was a fitting theme Ethan had thought, however he felt Rose’s room should maybe be painted a different colour. Maybe yellow, maybe green- he'll ask for paint when he needed to. So far, the father had discovered there was warm water, heater was working however it seemed to be on a timer, there was a master bedroom and a baby room right next door on the second floor, the kitchen had been stocked with what seemed to be a month worth of food and there was a living room along with a study room that was filled with books from his last home.

Last home.

He spent a while fixing that place up with his wife Mia...Ex-wife Mia. The place was their dream home, something they planned for a while into their marriage and they had finally got it, finally settled down-all for it to be taken away because of lies. Ethan had laid on his back, arm draped over his forehead as he looked up at the ceiling. The material of the couch under him felt perfect, he could doze of there and then but until he had a baby monitor, he wouldn't be sleeping downstairs until he knew he could be there for Rose in her need. Without realising it, the father had begun to voice out his thoughts to no one but the empty sound of his home.

“I wonder how she is- ha! What am I thinking? She’s going to hate the idea of a divorce. She should be thankful I even let her near our daughter after all this shit. She’s one lucky woman.” A ragged breath forcefully came out of his throat startling Ethan. Leaning up, legs sprawled on the other cushions of the couch, he lunched forward and began to cough into his right hand. Closing his eyes, he could feel a thick substance coat his hand as he coughed into it. Making sure he had his breathing under control, he cautiously opened his eyes to find black substance covering his hand. No- not substance. He knew exactly what it was. Mold was covering his arm. “Oh, for fuck's sake,” He breathed out, swinging his legs so he could stand and go wash the substance off him.

Whilst making his way to the kitchen at a brisk pace, it had appeared the Mold was growing further up his arm. Raising a brow and having a feel of sickness was over him again, he collided against the edge of the sink and began to turn the taps to run the water over his arm, watching as Mold fell into the drain below. Strange, the Mold wasn’t coming off his skin. It was like it was a part of his skin. Reaching for the wash cloth with his other hand, Ethan scrubbed hard against his skin seeing the Mold not disappearing any time soon. ”What the!” The exclaim that left his lips had him scarping the cloth against his skin, digging in with his nail and scratching away. Nothing. The black oozed more over until his full arm had become a midnight black. “No, no no no,” The words fell onto the deaf ears of the world around him as he collapsed to the floor, tap still rushing with gushing water and his back touching the cabinets that were sitting underneath.

The sickness that rotted over him fell deep into his stomach, twisting and playing with his intestines. A few dry coughs sent Ethan to feel a lot warmer than normal. He felt like the room he had settled in, the kitchen, had become as hot as the oven that was switched off. His sight became blurred, and the noise of his child was heard faintly in the back of his head. “Rose,” He breathed out, tears stinging his eyes as he let his head fall onto his shoulder. "I need to calm down Rose,” he told himself, as though the Mold covering him could understand him. He could feel it growing, taking his limbs into their own care and covering the skin of his with a protected layer of their own. Weirdly though, it seemed to only cover his arm and the top of his chest. Was this a good thing, or a bad thing? He didn’t know. He didn’t want to know. He just wanted to hold his young one, to make sure she knows she is safe.

The cries from the baby had increased, sounding more like a tantrum then just a sadness cry. Ethan pulled his legs to his stomach, trying to steady his breathing and clear his sight of the tears that leaked. It wasn’t till he felt the Mold settle down that he could finally move without feeling like spewing whatever food he last ate. Noticing the change of temperature around him, it being settled to a warm but slightly chilly feeling, he made a quick dash for the stairs that were in the open hallway. He moved swiftly on his feet, not wanting to take any chances of falling ill to the Mold before he could reach his crying Rose.

Scrambling up the stairs, Ethan had busted into his daughter room startling the child more than she appeared to be. “Aw no baby, I’m sorry,” He softly spoke, hurrying to pick her up out of a white crib she was nestled in and taking her into his arms. Being thoughtful with is movements, Ethan cradled her head with one hand and settled her body onto his other arm that was still covered in the Mold to keep support of her. “I’m sorry. Oh, baby papa is sorry. Shh, shh, It’s okay. We will be okay,” He repeated, cooing into his daughter’s ear to help her slow her own breathing. The small bounces he gave and the cradling movements of his body was luckily enough to help her stop crying, the odd sniffle taking out of her mouth instead. “There we go, we are okay. I’m sorry Rose. Shh, we will be okay.” Little Rose had held tightly onto her father’s clothing, smelling the familiar scent of him. She rested her own eyes, her cries making her tired then she had already been in the car and before. “That’s it,” Ethan whispered, “Just sleep my little cub. I’m here now, papa is here.” His voice had soothed her down greatly, the voice bringing her to sleep once more before she was drifted deeply off into her mind.

A dry cry came from Ethan’s mouth as he placed her back into her crib, pulling a blanket and pushing her money toy close to her sleeping body. He stood over her crib, watching the chest of his daughter fall and rise. She was at peace, something she so should always be at. Being a single father was going to hit Ethan hard, if he was down there dealing with the Mold then who knows what he could be dealing with next. He made a mental note to get baby monitors for every single room.

It had been another 4 hours before a knock had awoken Ethan from his lightly sleep. He groggily opened his eyes and looked around, seeing he was leaning his head on the kitchen table. Next to him was his laptop as well as a cup of what he guessed to be a now cold coffee, untouched either way. Checking his arm, the Mold had disappeared as he slept. It was after he placed Rose to sleep, he had come downstairs to turn the tap off and steal a book from his study to do some more research on engineering. He just wanted a normal life as soon as possible, the memories of his job at engineering brought great pleasure to his mind of living normally, a feeling he was already missing and it had just been over a day since he last felt like it.

Brushing a hand down his face and scuffing up his hair, Ethan pushed himself out from under the table and stood up, hearing his bones cracking the process. The feeling was great but the noise was uncomfortable to his ears. Hearing the knocking again, Ethan groaned loudly and exited his kitchen, still hearing the knocking. “What,” He groaned out loudly, the empty space of the hallway making his voice bounce about. The knocking had stopped for a second, only to repeat again. “Oh, go to Hell,” Ethan shouted, hearing the knocks stop for a second time. Smiling, Ethan made his way to his front door, hand placed around the handle. Just as he was about to pull the door open, the knocking once again started again. “I’m going to fucking kill you- Heisenberg what do you want?” Just as the blonde pulled the door, there stood the factory man with a bright smile and hand raised after his activities of knocking.

“Hey there papa, missed me much?” He amused, flashing a smile at the other. Ethan stood, hand still on his door handle looking down at the gruff man. His appearance looked worse than he last saw him at the meeting. He was now all sweaty with droplets pouring off him like a dripping tap, oil was staining his shirt he wore and his hands had become thick with saw dust. A sigh left Ethan’s lips as he moved himself o rest against his door frame.

“What you need?” Heisenberg blinked at Ethan, before whistling a tune. “If you not going to answer, I’ll be going, Goodbye Heisen-”

“Wait!” The voice from Heisenberg had stopped Ethan's movements of walking back inside. Hating himself for still wanting to feel kind to the other, Ethan looked back at the man who looked desperate to say something, a pleading stance of clasp hands looking up at Ethan had the father feeling a little weak.

“What?” He asked, waiting for Heisenberg's reply.

“I was wondering...” He started, looking around him as though he didn’t want anyone to hear his next words, “That maybe we should start calling each other by our first names.” The request left Ethan speechless, he stood with furrowed brows trying to read the other. What exactly was he planning?

“First names? Now why would we need to do that?” Ethan crossed his arms over his chest, watching Heisenberg huff and look away.

“Because we are neighbours duh? Makes sense. Does it not.” Ethan would have smacked him if it wasn’t the fact he was somewhat right. Uncrossing his arms and rolling his eyes, Ethan nodded at Heisenberg.

“Alright then, what do I call you and the others?” Heisenberg had immediately brightened up, taking a brave move of turning around and sitting on the porch step.

“Easy! You can call me Karl,” he said, pointing a hand at himself as he looked over his shoulder to see Ethan shutting the door behind himself. He waited for Ethan to sit, to which he had to pat the open space next to him for the father to do so. After Ethan had made himself comfortable with legs straight out In front of him and sat at an arm's length away from Heisenberg, the other had carried on. “Dimitrescu, you can call her super-mega bitch. Next is Moreau. Just call him ugly. And lastly is Beneviento. Just call her Donna because she is somewhat decent and call that wretched thing that moves and talks, sawdust.”

Ethan had sniffled back a small chuckle at hearing Heisenberg talk. He’ll get the other’s names later, their proper names when he has the chance. “How about I call you the guy who carries a hammer to compensate for something else.” Heisenberg lightly gasp at Ethan’s words, looking over at him with an open mouth.

“How dare you,” He spoke, expressing his offensives to his words. Ethan couldn’t help but allow himself his release of a laugh, finding the moment rather...amusing to be with the factory man. “I would never take you to by a guy like that...to make jokes.” Heisenberg pulled out a cigar from his pants pocket, only to fetch in his other a lighter. Ethan watched as he lit it, suddenly being annoyed with the habit of seeing the man with one. Leaning over, Ethan plucked the cigar from the man's lips and threw it out on the dirt road in front of them. “Oi, what you do that for,” Heisenberg asked, pointing at his cigar a few meters in front of them.

“I have a child, no smoking in or even near my house.” The air around them both changed slightly, dark clouds overhead had slowly begun to invade the space of the blue that was once there. It seemed the sound around them had soon tried to settle in. “I do enjoy making jokes,” Ethan broke the starting silence between them, wanting to keep this conversation going before the upcoming rainfall would ruin it.

“You should act more like that then- seeing you all stuck up is worse than seeing the tree trunk try think of a new name for her new wine.” The older man groaned out, looking at the other once again.

“I’m just being careful of my kid. I can’t let her be hurt again.”

“You can still be protective and let go of yourself.” The older flicked open the lighter that he had still had in his hand and placed it between them both. Ethan watched as the flame danced, standing at a reasonable height. “See, the flame is surrounded by the wind yet it will stay standing because it has the fuel to do so. Look, it even follows the movements of the world around it. You have the fuel to protect the squirt.” Heisenberg flicked the top of his lighter back down, stuffing it back into his pants pocket before turning back to the other with a small grin. “And you can still let loose. Even if the wind does pick up,” Heisenberg had moved rapidly, wrapping his arm around the young male’s shoulder and brought him into his side. “I’ll be there to shield it.”

Such words and non-thoughtful actions had brought Ethan to look down at his hands. He could feel the burn of his cheeks and the smile that was pulling on the edge of his lips to raise. This. This was weirdly nice, to know someone was there. But that’s what Mia, Redfield and many others had said to him before in the past. “Promise me,” Ethan breathed out, looking up at Karl. Karl raised a brow and tilted his head slightly.

“Promise what?”

“Promise you’ll always be there. And you can’t break that!” Ethan’s tone caught Karl off guard, to the point he had accidently shifted his arm off Ethan’s shoulder and let it fall to the wood just behind him. He swore he caught a glimpse of guilt flash over Ethan’s eyes before his pupils went back to staring at the darkness of his shades sitting comfortable against his eyes.

“Ethan,“ Karl swallowed deeply, noticed by his adman's apple jumping. He didn’t like promises. Never in his life did he have to promise something to someone else. This was big commitment. ‘Promises don’t break. Ethan trusts me to not break something’ he told himself before sighing into the cold air. Using the arm that was behind Ethan, he pulled it around and took Ethan’s chin into his hand. “I promise I’ll always be there. I’m your neighbour, you ain’t getting rid of me that easily.” He said, laughing as hr watched as dread appeared quickly on Ethan’s face.

“Oh great, looking forward to it,” Ethan had sarcastically said, smacking Karl’s hand away from his face but letting the smile dance across his face. “Thanks though, if you break it, I will not hesitate to ask ‘mega-bitch’ to be there for me.”

“Ey, I said I’ll be there. Anyway, I would do a so much better job than her,” Heisenberg said defensively, huffing and pouting that Ethan would go to her than him. “Just you watch,” He sneered, pointing at the Dimitrescu house in a violent manner, “I’ll be a whole lot better than her.”

Ethan placed his hand on the outstretch hand of the fourth lord, pushing it down gently so it rested between them both n the wooden planks beginning to stain from the rain gathered by the wind. He hadn’t realised he left his hand on top of Heisenberg’s as he spoke, however the other was ecstatic over the fact he felt his hand. “I won’t ask her then. Can’t believe I’m saying this but this your first step of gaining my trust that you want oh so badly,” Ethan teased, looking back to the world in front of them.

“You’ll see. I’ll gain more than just your trust.” Heisenberg peered down at their hands, making sure Ethan didn’t noticed and let out a soft happy hum. This was the first step, he would gain Ethan’s trust and then next, he would gain Ethan’s appreciation. For now, he was fine with this. He looked forward too, after tearing his gaze from their connected hands almost and watched as the rain droplets began to pick up.

“Well,” Ethan was the first to speak, standing up to his feet. Karl pouted at the loss of contact but also stood up, feeling excited on what the father would want to do next. “This has been fun. Now go home.” Or maybe not excited.

“Why? can't I hang here?” Karl pouted, trying to make Ethan feel guilty.

“You want my trust? Go home and don’t make yourself sick. I suppose you can call me, seemingly they just give out numbers on paper without consent.” Ethan clicked his tongue in annoyance, he was sure Moreau had already tried calling him a total of 5 time today in the space of three house, trying to talk his way of how happy he was Ethan saved them all. If only he could block numbers on the rotary phone.

“Okay fine. But you owe me at least a 2 hour call.”

“You get 30 minutes and that’s it.”

“1 hour call.”

“Don’t push you luck...1 hour and 30 minutes and that’s it.” Karl did a mini-fist pump into the air and nodded eagerly. Ethan chuckled and looked away shaking his head watching as Karl tilted his hat down, a way of saying ‘bye’ to the other and made his way of the porch.

“Good talking with you Ethan! Can’t wait for tonight!” He hollered out over his shoulder as he made his way towards his own home, only turning around hallway to see that the Winter male had disappeared already into his home. Feeling very satisfied with his days' work, and it only being the first day, he looked down at his hand and held it in his other, trying to recreate the feeling of when Ethan had placed his hand on top of his.

“I really am touched starved.” he said before walking straight into his front door.

#Karl Heisenberg #ethan winters #ethan x karl #lord heisenberg #karl heisenberg x ethan winters #the paw of a lion #resident evil 8 #resident evil village #Lord Karl Heisenberg #heisenberg #ethan x heisenberg

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sadaboutniall · 4 years

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something about you;

introduction | masterlist | tag | wattpad

Thirty One. December, 2020.

On Boxing Day, Niall wakes up to the sound of laughter downstairs, to the smell of cinnamon buns wafting into his room, to sunlight streaming in through a small gap in the curtains. The bed is empty but when he stretches his arm out he can still feel the warmth where Isla had slept, and when he opens his eyes he can see that the sheets are still rumpled on her side.

As he stretches and slowly wakes up, Niall lets out a soft, contended sigh. He remembers how Boxing Day felt when he was a kid, when he’d wake up early to rush downstairs and play with the toys he’d gotten the day before, then spend hours feeling happy and sleepy, watching football and eating leftovers on the couch. That’s not quite his plan for today, but, as he swings his legs over the side of the bed and starts to find some clothes, this morning feels just as magical.

He finds exactly the scene he’d imagined in the kitchen: his mam, Isla, and Chris, together at the table, cradling mugs of tea and giggling over some joke Niall’s missed out on. There’s a plate of cinnamon buns between them, a Boxing Day classic, and Niall wants to be invisible for a moment, to just take this scene in uninterrupted, to memorize it forever.

He only gets a few seconds before his mother notices him.

‘Good morning, pet,’ she says, smiling. ‘Sleep well?’

‘Grand, yeah,’ he tells her, padding the rest of the way into the kitchen. He drops a kiss on her cheek, then one on the top of Isla’s head. ‘Missed you,’ he says, soft, just for her. He catches a tiny flush of red to her cheeks, a private twitch of her lips.

‘Cinnamon bun, mate?’ Chris passes the plate across the table, so Niall drops himself into the seat next to Isla and takes one. They’re good enough to make him moan out loud, eliciting a surprised sound from Isla, who knocks her leg against his under the table. He tosses her a smirk.

‘So the charity match is at 11?’ Maura asks, oblivious. ‘Will we all take the same car?’

‘Reckon I’ll drive Isles and myself,’ Niall says, around a bite of cinnamon bun. ‘Was thinking we might take a bit of a walk after, near the canal maybe.’

From across the table, Maura catches Niall’s eye. She knows what Niall’s been planning, of course, but not the details—he hadn’t worked them out himself until this morning, until the day settled over him comfortably and he knew, without a shadow of a doubt, that it was time. But she gets him, his mam, has a brain just like his, a mother’s intuition, unmatched. She gives him a small nod, which Niall mirrors, and then brings her mug up to her lips to hide her smile.

Niall’s team loses the annual boxing day charity match, which is fine, really, because they raised €40,000 for Mullingar General Hospital, and Niall couldn’t really think about anything other than Isla, anyway. He feels like he spent half the match watching her, bundled up on the sidelines with Emilia, Siobhan Foley, and Una Moran, cradling a cup of hot chocolate, standing up to cheer every time Niall gained possession of the ball.

He finds her out on the pitch after the match is called, once he’s showered, changed into street clothes, bundled himself up appropriately for an Irish December. They’re here until January second this time, the longest Niall’s spent in Mullingar in a long, long time, and he feels so comfortably relaxed about it, so warm all over, tingly down to his fingers. That feeling only multiplies when he finds Isla, kicking a ball back and forth with Mia.

‘Hey,’ Mia calls, when she spots him. ‘There’s our loser!’

‘Your husband lost too, you know,’ Niall calls back, sidling up to Isla. He wraps his arm around her waist, feels butterflies flutter in his stomach as she leans against him. ‘Where is he, anyway?’

‘Waiting in the car, said he’s too cold,’ Mia shakes her head. ‘LA’s softened him.’

‘Embarrassing,’ Niall laughs, leaning forward to give Mia a kiss on the cheek. ‘We’ll see you two tonight, yeah? At Deo’s?’

‘Assuming Sean doesn’t freeze to death, you will,’ Mia steps back, smiling now. ‘See you lot later. Enjoy your walk!’ And then she’s gone, rushing across the pitch toward the warmth of Mully’s mam’s car, idling on the side of the road. His arms still wrapped around Isla, Niall watches her go, thinks about that: the word husband.

‘Really fucking miss her,’ says Isla, turning in Niall’s arms so he can wrap her up in a hug, press a kiss to the top of her head. ‘I hate LA.’

‘Me too,’ Niall laughs, rubbing Isla’s back gently. ‘I wish it would fall into the ocean.’

‘It might, one day, all them earthquakes and shit,’ Isla glances up at Niall. ‘Maybe you shouldn’t say that.’

Niall laughs, presses a soft kiss to Isla’s nose. ‘You’re right, I take it back.’

For a moment, they stand there, holding each other in the middle of the football pitch as the early afternoon settles around them. This feels like the center of the universe, like Isla is the gravitational pull that holds it all together. He tilts her chin up to kiss her, remembering their very first kiss, exactly like this, in another pitch only a few miles away.

‘You know,’ says Isla, when they pull away. Her lips are cold and her cheeks are red and Niall can see her breath, curling in the air between them, as she speaks. ‘I realized something this morning.’

‘What’s that?’

‘We broke up ten years ago today. Like, to the day.’

‘Fucking hell,’ Niall thinks about it for a second, shaking his head to ward off the memory. ‘You’re right. Boxing Day 2010. Fucking stupid of me.’

‘It needed to happen,’ Isla’s fingers gently run over the back of Niall’s neck, cold, giving him goosebumps. ‘It sucked, but I don’t think we’d be here now if we hadn’t.’

Niall hums, agreeing. He hasn’t spent too much time thinking about the different roads he and Isla could’ve taken, because he knows this is the right one, too. The stupid mistakes, the seemingly endless pain, the drunk dials and the sleepless nights, they were part of a road: twisted, messy, perfect, theirs. He wouldn’t want to change it. He wouldn’t be holding her here, now, if he did.

‘I’m glad,’ Isla says eventually, softly. ‘I’m glad we broke up and did all that stupid shite when we did it. I think I always knew we’d find our way back to each other, you know? And even though we lost time, I… we have the rest of forever to make up for it.’

‘We do,’ he tells her, his throat suddenly dry, his heart leaping in his chest. ‘I love you.’

‘Love you too,’ she smiles, presses her lips to his gently, and Niall knows.

‘Isla,’ he says, pulling back from the kiss, reaching his hand into his pocket. He closes his fingers around the small, soft box, taking a deep breath when he thinks about the ring inside. ‘I have something I want to ask you.’

And he knows, as he drops onto one knee in the muddy grass in the middle of the pitch, in the middle of Ireland, in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean, in the middle of the Universe, that Isla is going to say yes.

AN DEIREADH // THE END

####

there it is, the end of niall and isla for now! this has been such a journey and I didn’t want to sign off without saying thank you so, so much to anyone who has read even a sentence of this fic. it started off as such a small idea, and I genuinely thought most of the chapters would be between 500-1,000 words. instead, most are 1k plus, and I would be lying if I said I wasn’t proud of myself for managing to pull this off. niall, isla, emilia, and mully are so close to my heart now, and they so feel like they’re going to be a part of me forever. it means the fucking world that I got to share them with other people. thank you for reading, for letting me have a space to do what I want to do, and for trusting me with them. i love you and I owe you. finally, a big ol thank you to @moonshiningsunrising, without whom this concept wouldn’t even exist. I wouldn’t have started posting my niall x ofc writing without rand’s remarkable support and kindness, and I owe this work, which is a piece of my heart, to her. thank you thank you thank you thank you everyone. niall and isla belong to you now. i’ll be back soon with more.

taglist: @stylishmuser @thicksniall @stayclose-holdsteady @niallhoranruinsme @ajayque @flickerswinehouse @1dfangirls35 @crocodileniall @halfpinthoran @awomanindeniall @booksncoffee @edgeofmyniall @kare38 @emmathefantomes @coconutdawn @irish-nlessing @niallspeachybum @perksmikey

#one direction #1dff #one direction fan fiction #niall horan #niall horan fic #niall horan fan fiction #niall horan imagine #niall #something about you #:')#the end

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evien-stark · 4 years

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✧I Need You✧ Chapter 166

As predicted, Helen Cho was now MIA. Or at the very least not answering her phone. But it all meant the same thing. She’d been abducted by Ultron and was being used to create his next, probably final, body. The one that would be too much for anyone on your team to deal with. This had to come to a stop. Very quickly. After the party she’d gone back to her labs in Seoul, so that’s where most of the team was heading now. With the hopes that it wasn’t too late. The plan was to take the Cradle away no matter what. Steve, Nat, and Clint were headed there. Fury was headed back to the Tower to link up with Maria, and he had plans to take Bruce there so he could start prepping the labs for the Cradle’s arrival. It would have to be dismantled. Tony was headed for the NEXUS in Oslo so that he could try and sniff out Ultron’s second enemy. Where did that leave you? Tony didn’t really need you to go to the NEXUS with him. You wouldn’t be much help. It was all tech stuff, at least that was as much as you’d gleaned while he’d been talking about his plans with the team. He was going to go there and decrypt the codes himself- or at least find out what this other person was doing and try and one-up them. Just generally piss them off enough to have them come out of the shadows enough for a talk. You couldn’t help with any of that. That was all Tony stuff. Bruce didn’t need you around for similar techy reasons.

So that left you really going with the rest of the team to Seoul. This made the most sense, too. Ultron was there for sure, hiding out with Cho, trying to get her to do whatever it was he needed her to do. The twins were probably there, too, playing security. So you needed to go with them in the hopes that maybe you could have another faceoff with Ultron and the kids. Maybe actually talk some sense into them some time. And if not- then beat some into them, if necessary. But when you stayed a little too close to the group taking the jet, Tony put a careful hand on your arm and dissuaded you. While the others walked out across the yard while the sun was just starting to come up, you stood on the porch with him. “What’s up?”

“You’re coming with me.” He said this like it was an order and amended a mere second later. “...aren’t you?”

“I don’t think you need me.”

“I always need you.”

This was no time to be smiling or basking in the constant reverence he had for you- ...but you allowed yourself a small moment before forcing yourself to get serious. “I appreciate that.” Laying a hand over his heart as you told him so. “But you’re going to go fish out some hacker. I can’t help with that.”

“It’s not the fishing part I’m concerned with, it’s the de-hooking.” Clearly he thought he could do this, otherwise why would he go? Though what choice did he really have? He was the only one capable. So he was going. A common thread through most of your lives now.

“De-hooking.” Said a little flatly as you cast a look up at him.

“I can pull this guy out of the water with the finest bait. But getting him to come play on our team- I need you for that.” He seemed pretty serious about this. That this was you task. For obvious reasons.

But… you couldn’t resist an arch of your brow. “You’re not leaving your people pleasing duties to me, are you? I haven’t been your assistant in quite some time, you know.” Six years in fact- in November of this year.

“You’re better at it. There’s no harm in admitting it. Doesn’t bruise my ego. People prefer you over me.”

“There was a time when that was absolutely not the case, you know.” When you got shoved aside as soon as Tony came into radius. That was fine. You were fine with that life while it was happening.

Suddenly, almost too suddenly, you were the favorite. ...Tony’s, too. What a world. “Well it is now. So come with me to Oslo. I’ll bait the guy and you charm him.”

There was a little tilt of your head. “You assume it’s a guy?”

He looked a little caught and held a hand palm-up. “Totally right. You can put in a complaint with HR later.”

Leaning up, you pressed a kiss to his cheek. “I am HR. And I’ll give you a pass. This one time.”

“I assume I owe you a favor in return.”

“About a million at this point.”

The two of you were wearing matching grins at one another. “But who’s counting, right?”

---

You made a quick pit stop at the Tower ahead of Bruce and Fury just to change clothes and check in. While you were fitting yourself into a more presentable outfit (not that you were ungrateful for Laura’s hospitality) you also called in to the NEXUS to schedule a drop-by. Anything to announce your overt presence was good right now. While it had the benefit of also drawing Ultron’s attention, the two of you were more concerned with this hopeful ally knowing you were about to try and undo all their hard work.

The people on the other end of the line were entirely delighted by the idea that you and Tony were coming by. And they promised to let him do whatever he wanted. Because he was Tony Stark- and because they were expecting you since Fury had called earlier. Something else that worked to your advantage. You had them clear out the building except for what you left up to them as being essential personnel.

Deciding against flying in the suits, the next stop was the private Stark Industries airfield where you hopped aboard a small private jet with him. Happy called halfway through the flight to complain that you hadn’t asked him to help. A smaller fire to put out, to be sure, but you told him this was more Avengers business and less business business. It didn’t exactly make him feel better, but he did relent.

With Tony on the wheel, and this being a slightly slower journey due to the way it was being taken (which was really not the best idea as the clock was ticking, but the quinjet hopping over to Seoul wasn’t a quick ride either), you sat in back for just a little bit to try and get some of your other work done. Emails that were piling up. Calls that needed to be made. Reports that needed to be checked on. Your brain wasn’t very focused, though. It didn’t take you too long to give up and go sit co-pilot.

“So what do we do once we get there?” Asking him after lowering the volume of his music.

“I go to the main console and start undoing all this person’s hard work. They’re trying to keep Ultron out- which is great for us.” His eyes were ahead on the clouds, hands steady on the wheel. ...joystick? Whatever.

You hummed out a small noise. “Going for nukes is a bit overkill. But Ultron must have a backup plan since he hasn’t been able to get his hands on them. Getting rid of us is one thing. Getting rid of everyone else is another.” Nuclear devastation worldwide was an easy out.

Though Tony was nodding, he seemed unsure. “Got a read on what that backup might be?”

“Something big.”

“Very helpful.”

“You’re welcome.” Smiling over at him briefly, taking his teasing in stride. “So. The NEXUS?”

“Yeah. Well. Like I said. I’m gonna undo all the hard work. Decrypt all the codes. It’ll probably trigger some alarm bells and after that I can target location once whoever it is starts trying to change them around again.” He flipped a few switches and then turned the captain’s chair sideways in a swivel, looking at you.

You mirrored him, setting one leg up on the other, clasping your hands over your knee. “Ultron is having a tough time with this person. You think you can do better?” Asking earnestly, not bitingly.

His grin told you all you needed to know. “I have to say… you dressed so sharply, cutting me down to size. It’s kind of working for me.”

It was an exceedingly difficult task not to smile- or give in to him. “Let’s save the world first before we start the pillow talk.”

“We’ve done it so many times. Basically have it down pat, at this point.”

---

Three people met you outside at the entrance after Tony put the jet down. One woman, Thea, seemed like she was at the head of operations for the NEXUS. While she was happy to meet the both of you (...Tony more than you, which was fine), she was extremely focused and right to the point, although curious about what was going on and what the two of you were planning to do (...again, Tony more than you, still fine). The other two, a younger woman by the name of Millie, and a young man by the name of Cedric, seemed to be her assistants.

And were entirely more giddy to meet Tony Stark in person. Also to follow around very close while you were being shown around. And not sneaky in the slightest as they snapped a few pictures here and there. It was annoying and unprofessional but you’d put up with it for now.

The building was pristine and surgically clean, humming with the life of servers and computers and a probably many other things that were beyond you. It was almost a little intimidating, but you found yourself a little bit at ease with Tony’s confident yet casual struts. Walking around like he owned the place. Inspecting panels as the group walked by. And then when Thea brought you to the main room, Tony walked ahead to one of the more obvious computer consoles, shaking his hands forward and then fanning them over the double keyboard.

You were probably entirely see-through as you leaned over, watching him go to work. His hands were quite beautiful.

And he was aglow. In his element.

“A hacker who’s faster than Ultron is a pretty interesting idea. He could be anywhere.” Tony gave half a glance over his shoulder at you. Which prompted you to step closer despite not having anything to do. “So we could be home, is what you’re saying.”

“Relaxing on a couch, I’m sure.” Wry little smirk lifting the corner of his mouth. “But- the NEXUS is the center of everything. So now we’re just looking for a needle in the world’s biggest haystack.”

Your eyes tried to focus on the screen. On what he was doing. But he was moving so fast, typing away so busily- yet every keystroke with passionate purpose- he might have invited you to stand beside him, but you were really miles behind. “How do we do that, exactly?”

“Pretty simple.” A few more pointed hits on the keys and he turned to look your way, eyes a little delighted behind his amber sunglasses. “You bring a magnet.” Speaking plainly for your benefit, you knew. His attention returned back to the screens. A little singsong escaped him, “Oh- I’m decrypting nuclear codes and you don’t want me to…” Like he might play pied-piper to this hacker on the other end.

It was a wonderful thing. Truly. Watching him so alight with energy. Watching him work.

His next hum, something deep and rumbly, shot straight through you. “Hmn. Gotcha.” Overly confident and just oh-so sure of himself. This was no time to be so unfocused. But you really couldn’t help yourself.

“Found them?” Trying to actually keep your mind at the task at hand, you leaned just a little up and pretended like you understood anything you were looking at on the screen.

“They’re trying to one-up me- currently- and- almost doing a good job of it- now- if we can keep them busy while we pull a locate-” He kept saying we but he was the one doing everything. And you really had absolutely no hope of helping him out. ...so you similarly hoped he wasn’t really asking you to do anything.

A box popped up on screen: Impressive.

Tony clicked his tongue against the back of his teeth. “What’d’you think? Should I take the bait?”

Your brows lifted high. “I thought we were doing the baiting?”

“Someone’s the bigger fish here. I’m eager to find out who.” Eager being an understatement. He was practically exploding with energy over this. Then again, it wasn’t every day that Tony Stark met an intellectual match. He typed back: Invite me over.

It took no time at all- literally one second, maybe two, for a response to shoot back out: No, I think I’ll come to you.

That sounded extremely threatening. This person was playing around with nuke codes- playing keepaway sure, but… you had no idea whose side they were on. And very quickly this had turned menacing. You put a hand on Tony’s arm. “What do they mean by that?”

Question asked and answered in a matter of moments.

Your visor kicked on without any prompt, sliding across your vision and then flooding with bright light that very nearly blinded you. On instinct you stumbled back, eyes closed tight, hands reaching up with a hiss. Then fear made you smarter, and you pulled your Reactor off your chest and threw it in Tony’s general direction, trusting that he would catch it. Whoever this was, they were infecting your tech. The last thing you needed was for them to trap you in the suit and take you for a joyride.

“Tony-”

“Hang on-” The sound of his typing was different- not on their computers, you realized, probably one of his fold out tablets.

Why you? You weren’t even involved. Not really. Then again, if it had to be somebody-

Something strange hit you. Like a warm bolt of lightning right across your forehead, over your scalp, and down your spine. It was a weird sensation. Though you’d ditched the Reactor, you wondered if they were redirecting nanobots in an effort to hurt you somehow. “Stop!” Not sure who you were asking. The person responsible, at the very least.

...and then it did. Everything died down. Even the light. When the brightness faded you chanced a few blinks of your eyes, seeing something behind your comprehension flooding the screen. Code? Lines of it. And then a boot-up percentage-

And then-

“My apologies, Ms. INY. I mistook you for a hostile force.”

JARVIS. Clear as day- that was JARVIS’ voice. A warm feeling wound deep in your chest as your head whipped up. “Tony-”

His look of stupor melted into an equally warm grin. “Well how ‘bout that.”

---

The three of you were on the jet out of there fairly fast, not wasting any more time. It made sense in the immediate aftermath- kind of. The one person to outdo Ultron and keep up with Tony- of course it was JARVIS. If you hadn’t been absolutely sure he’d been dead, it would have been the first thing you’d suggested-

And the fact that he wasn’t dead made you want to cry. Happy tears. There was just no time for them.

You were sitting up front again. Tony had his attention on the tablet in his lap, typing away. “JARVIS, take the wheel.” Then he looked up briefly. “I missed saying that.”

“My pleasure, sir.”

Maybe it was a rude thing to ask, but you couldn’t help yourself. “How are you alive? -not that I’m not happy, don’t get me wrong-”

“I could never misconstrue your feelings, Ms. INY.” ...okay. Maybe just a few happy tears. Ones that you were wiping away as Tony started to speak. “He’s not all back yet. But he’ll be good as new by the time we hit the Tower.” You didn’t need it explained to you why that was. Tony had his head down, super focused. He was putting JARVIS back together.

But it seemed like JARVIS had at least the most crucial parts. Enough to talk. Enough to sass in that endearing way of his. And enough to fly a jet. ...and keep nuclear codes away from Ultron. JARVIS continued where Tony had left off, “When Ultron attacked me, I ejected my primary cores. Dead is a strange word to use, but I suppose it’s the closest approximation. However, even though everything that made me was scattered to pieces, my protocols strangely seemed to still be running. I was unaware of my being until I heard you speak.”

Tony looked up briefly. “When he attacked you, he was trying to assimilate what he assumed was Ultron. Then you snapped him out of it.”

“You were going to take over Ultron?” The very idea was… well it was something.

Tony seemed to agree as he looked your way, a little glimmer in his eyes, and a spark of that selfsame idea hitting his chest. “We can use that.”

Falling behind, as always in these matters, you just had to hope he was still fine being patient with you. “How?”

The gentle smile that rounded his lips let you know you were okay. “Assuming the team gets the Cradle? We have another shot at this. A new vision.”

Oh. A do-over. One your potential future possibly rode on.

“All we have to do is convince Bruce.”

For some reason, that task seemed harder than building Ultron 2.0.

#Tony Stark #Tony Stark x Reader #INY Chapter One Hundred Sixty Six

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freedomintothedaylight13-blog · 5 years

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Introduction: Hi!

Hi!

I’m Tara, and I’m twenty-seven years old.

I’m going to talk about my weight loss history/introduction in my next post, so I figured I would make this post about me as a person. This will serve two purposes:

1) To help those who follow (if I have any followers?) get to know more about me.

2) More importantly, to remind me there’s more to me than just my weight. For so many years, whenever I looked in the mirror (and even still today), all I see is my weight. I forget to look beyond my body and see the girl inside that skin.

Here are some facts about me that have nothing to do with a weight loss journey:

I love to write. From the time I was a little girl, it has been a huge passion of mine. I’ve written stories, poems, essays on everything from paper towels, napkins, countless notebooks, word documents, and computers. It’s like a compulsion of mine, and it’s always the best way for me to express myself. I’ve been published in my college literary magazine and was vice president of the literary club, as well as published in a Brooklyn, NY newspaper at 10 years old. My biggest dream is to have published books/novels, and be on the NY Times Best-Seller list. One day!

I moved from NY to AZ last September, so it’s been almost a year. I’m happy here, although I miss home like nothing else. I wish there was a way I could mix NY and AZ together, for the cooler weather of the east coast, with the majestic sunsets of the west coast. The delicious New York food, with the friendliness of the Arizona people. I miss the rain and thunderstorms of New York, but I know when I’m home, I miss the stillness and quiet of Arizona twilight. I think I’m becoming an okay blend of the two places, but I still wish I could be in two places at once.

I am in a lovely relationship with my girlfriend of four years. Crystal is beautiful inside and outside and she is amazing; I am so lucky. She tolerates my hours-long trips around Michaels and Ulta. She also shares a love of food network with me, Italian dishes (and doesn’t judge my tendency to unscrew the cap of parmesan cheese at restaurants and rain down on my food!), crafting, and cute dogs. We met in college and were long distance before I moved here for 9 months, which was one of the hardest things I’ve ever done. Now we have our first apartment together, and we have a small black kitten named Luna Francis Bean. My girlfriend is hilarious, kind, smart, and a total inspiration to me. My cat is also all of these things :P We have an adorable family if I do say so myself.

Taylor Alison Swift is my favorite human being that I don’t actually know personally. I’ve been a fan since early 2007. I have every one of her albums (some multiple copies; hello, 1989 polaroids!), and have seen her on tour 5 times. All of those are cumulatively some of the best nights of my life. I talk about her way too much and can be what some may call obsessed. I’ve been wearing red lipstick and cat-wing eyeliner like her since I discovered her, and it is part of my own signature look. I have her lyrics memorized and on a constant loop in my head. She’s been the background of me falling in love, feeling heartbreak (all kinds), picking myself up off the floor and fully embracing my own reputation. I started learning to write songs (or trying, anyway), because of her. One day, I hope to hug her tight and actually be able to look her in the eyes and tell her all of these things.

I love makeup! I love doing my makeup and doing other people’s makeup. I actually became a certified makeup artist back in February of this year (even though I haven’t put it to use yet). I spend way too much money on new mascaras, palettes, highlight, and foundations. Some people binge watch TV shows and movies, I binge watch makeup tutorials on youtube for hours. One of my favorite YouTubers is Bailey Sarian, who does murder mystery and makeup; where I get to watch her do gorgeous makeup on herself and she teaches us about a true-crime story that makes your skin crawl. It’s a win-win! The picture above was my rainbow makeup for pride this year! (I didn’t go to pride. But I still wanted to do the makeup, as if I went!)

The Golden Girls is my favorite TV show. Boy Meets World is a very close second. Yes, my favorite TV show is one about old ladies. I watched it with my grandma when I was a young girl, and now I watch marathons of it. I’ve seen so many episodes and reruns but I laugh just as hard each time. I have an autograph given to me by one of my best friends from Betty White herself. I have t-shirts, books, mugs, everything. I hope one day I’ll be as confident as Blanche, as heart-warming as Rose, as wise as Dorothy, and as fearless as Sophia.

Laughing is one of my favorite things in the world. I love stand-up comedy and listen to comedy albums as I drive to keep myself from succumbing completely to road rage during my daily commute. I can repeat (and do often with friends from work) complete skits and dialogue from my favorite comedians. I do my best to make people laugh as much as I can. I truly believe that laughter is one of the greatest gifts we’ve been given as human beings, and it can truly spread joy for everyone and anyone.

Here I’ll include some shorter facts that are just as important, but not requiring long winded paragraphs (although I could easily write long winded paragraphs for these things too).

I love books, and one day I hope to have a library like Belle in beauty and the beast. (No, really, I want the ladder to swing on and everything). If I’m lost or MIA, I’m probably in between stacks at Barnes and noble. I also think I’m Belle from Beauty and the Beast, since my nose is usually stuck in a book.

I’m obsessed with dogs. All dogs. My favorites are pit bulls, pugs, and golden retrievers. I have a dog voice and everything (that also gets used on my cat).

My mom is my best friend. I bother her all day long with questions about any and everything. She is one of the things I miss most about New York, if not the biggest thing.

I’m terrible at texting back. I know it, I am aware of it, and sometimes I try to work on it. I make no promises, though. (Bonus points to you if you get where this screenshot is from!)

I love crafting. I love the idea of creating something with my own two hands. I wish I had a job that allowed me to be more creative and work with my hands. Crafts allow me to express myself and be a kid again. (side note: sometimes when I’m anxious, I make my own notebooks from tutorials on youtube).

I love watching documentaries. Call me super boring, but I love to curl up with a mug of tea and a documentary that will teach me something. Whether it’s historical or just about something new, I’m usually pretty enraptured.

I can’t cook. While this is something I’d love to improve upon with going forward in my weight loss journey, currently I suck at it. I can make maybe 4 things without burning the house down. And 3/4 things involve pasta, so....

Speaking of pasta, it’s my favorite food. I’ll eat it almost any way you can serve it to me. Lasagna, Macaroni and Cheese, with garlic and oil, baked ziti, in soup, literally any way you can put it on a dish. I wish I chose to write a long paragraph about pasta. While I clearly don’t discriminate between pasta dishes, I have to say, bowties are my absolute favorite kind.

So there are some facts about me!

If you read through all that, I applaud you! I actually enjoyed writing it because it reminded me that underneath everything, where my heart and brain are, I’m a pretty fun person. I have wit, a sense of humor, and a heart that’s way too big for my body. So, these are things I must remember when I am trying to stay calm looking in the mirror. Look past the exterior, and remember there’s a funny, kind, sweet soul inside this body I am trying to heal.

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kaoruyogi · 6 years

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C’est Si Bon

I saw this post yesterday about a 1950′s AU Cullen, and this morning I woke up with the full story in my head. So here it is! It’s a little long, so I put part of it under a cut for the sake of people’s dashes.

For @lyrium-blossom , @kagetsukai , @mssaboteur , @ladydragon1316 , @veritasrose, @laraslandlockedblues , and anyone else who’s interested!

Pairing: Cullen Rutherford x Belle Dolan (1950′s AU one shot)

Rating: T for Teen

Today would be the day. Cullen decided it as he rose from his old bed in his old room in his parents’ old house. Today would be the day he ventured out. He had been outside since coming back, but he also had not. He had yet to journey beyond the corner three houses down.

Fear kept him at home those six months. It was not a rational fear, he decided about two months into his self-imposed confinement. But it was fear, nonetheless.

He ran his fingers through his hair and puffed out a humorless laugh at himself. He was what they called a “POW.” Pee-Oh-Doubleyou. Prisoner of war. Captured and kept alive. Alive as his enemy saw fit to keep him. As it happened, they chose not to keep him very alive. They locked him away, fed him food they told him over and over was poisoned until he was so starved he ate it anyway because even death would be better than the void in his gut, tortured him, tortured his platoon, killed them one by one.

His puff of a dead laugh was not aimed at all that, but at the irony of his present condition. All he could think of when he was over there was his freedom. Now he had it, and all he was doing with it was locking himself up afresh. Self-inflicted isolation.

So, today would be the day. Cullen dressed simply, comfortably. White cotton tee shirt, tired blue jeans, black and white sneakers—the left one had a smudge on it he reminded himself to clean later—and his black leather jacket. The jacket would not have been his first choice for outerwear before he went over there, but now it helped. His brother gave it to him when he got back. Said it was for luck. Cullen hadn’t the faintest idea how a jacket could be lucky, but then he still kept at least one of his dog tags on his person at all times. So he took the jacket, and today he wore it.

He left his room. The first step. His mabari, Charles, followed him through the house. Cullen was the only person in that house who called the dog by his proper name. All his siblings insisted on calling him Charlie. Cullen found it quite irksome. He petted Charles on the head twice.

Cullen gave himself a onceover in the bathroom mirror before he left the house. His mother always told him he was such a handsome boy, and he might once have been. But a scar—a remnant of the dozens or hundreds or thousands of beatings he suffered—now marred his face. It rose from his upper lip to his cheekbone, pink and shiny and horrible. He did not like the man staring back at him. He put a hand over the glass before he walked away.

He brought Charles with him when he left. The poor mabari had not been on a proper walk in ages, and it was as good an excuse as any to have him at Cullen’s side. The large gray dog rarely left Cullen’s side, as it happened. It gave him great comfort to have Charles with him as he walked, like taking a piece of home with him into a vast and terrifying wilderness of concrete and brick and people.

Cullen walked past the corner. He walked down the street. He nodded his greeting to an elderly neighbor as she watered her begonias. He approached Main Street. He gripped Charles’s leash tight in his fist, doing his best to ignore the onslaught of noise around him. Screaming children. Metal roller skate wheels grinding on cement. The rumble of the occasional passing Cadillac.

To his surprise, he arrived on Main Street without incident. He watched Charles watch their surroundings, and it put him a touch more at ease knowing someone had his back. Together they passed Adan’s Pharmacy. Then they passed Sims Grocers, Cabot’s Malts N’More, two beauty salons, the cinema, and the library. They made it all the way to town hall without a word or glance from anyone.

Cullen thought he had done quite enough for today. He and Charles turned around to head home the same way they came, feeling rather accomplished they had come so far. Even Charles held his head a little higher.

As they approached the library, the front door opened. A young woman, about his age, exited the building. She wore a dress the color of a robin’s egg covered in tiny white dots, and it swayed wide around her pale calves as she walked. Her slightly curved nose was buried in an open book, and her red hair was gathered into a ponytail, forming a single fat curl that brushed her collar. He could not see her entire face, but he would know her anywhere.

Belle. She was the girl he grew up admiring. As children, they went to the nearby lake with their classmates to swim in the summers. He used to watch her red hair in the sun as it dried into wild but gentle curls and listen to her boisterous laugh. In high school, he walked her home on Thursdays. It was out of his way by several blocks, but he never said a word about that. He listened to her talk about all the magnificent things she wanted to do with her life, and he did his best to bring out her boisterous laugh for himself. She smiled at him once while she sang her solo in the school choir. She embraced him once after his parents died. She kissed him once in the dark after their last high school dance. He left the smudge of her too-bright lipstick on his mouth until the next morning.

Cullen’s heart tightened in his chest as she approached him. He had not seen her since before he shipped out to basic training. What if she grimaced when she saw him? What if she disliked the man he had become? What if he was so broken and wrong she did not recognize him at all?

But all those questions proved pointless. Belle’s attention was so rapt on the contents of her book, she walked right past him. He heard her humming while she went. “C’est Si Bon,” by Eartha Kitt. His sister, Mia, played the tune once when her boyfriend, Marcus, came over for dinner. Cullen was not one for anything Orlesian, but he liked the song well enough.

Against his better judgment, Cullen called after her. “Belle,” he said once at too low a volume. When she did not turn, he said it again, much louder.

Belle gasped hard, and her book tumbled from her hands onto the sidewalk. Guilt filled Cullen’s gut at the sight. She whirled around with a blend of shock and ire on her face. It melted away the moment she laid her hazel eyes on him. She smiled. His heart leapt into his throat.

“Cullen,” she said, and she rushed back toward him, leaving her book on the sidewalk. “I’m so happy to see you!”

“I-It’s good to see you too, Belle,” he said. He felt foolish under her gaze. It was a silly notion to call out to her like that. He had no idea what to say to her.

“It’s been a long time. You look well.” She meant it. He did not expect her to mean it.

Before he could reply, she cast her eyes down and let out a happy, “Charles!” Cullen had forgotten she was the only other person that called the mabari by his proper name. Belle knelt down to pet the dog. “It’s been much too long since I’ve seen your handsome face, Charles.” Charles grunted and licked her hand, and she only just managed to stop him licking her face as well.

“You look very well, too,” said Cullen as she stood.

“Thank you.” She paused for three seconds too long, her eyes wandering over his face. They were beautiful eyes. “I missed you, you know,” she finally said. “You never told me when you were shipping out. I would’ve come to see you off. Given you something for good luck or…something.”

“Ah, yes, I—” His free hand reached up to rub the back of his neck. An old habit. “I’m sorry. At the time, I didn’t think it was much to fuss over. I thought I…I thought I would be back sooner.”

Belle smiled again, exposing the wide pointed canines she had ever since her baby teeth fell out. “It’s alright. I probably would have cried all over you anyway. Turned into a damn sobbing mess and not let you get on the bus. So it was probably for the best.” She was the first non-adult he ever heard curse when they were young. She had not changed a bit.

“I missed you, too,” said Cullen before he could stop the words leaving his mouth. Surely, she would think him too forward now. She would leave, and he would never see her again but for the occasional casual coincidence.

But she laughed. She laughed her boisterous laugh, and something fluttered in his chest. “Well, good! I’m glad to know my missing wasn’t one-sided.” She laid an absent pat on Charles’s ribs. He panted happily at the loud thump it made. “Let me buy you a malt or a Coke or something,” she said after a moment. “Cabot still likes me, and he’ll let me take a couple of his glasses to the park or something so we can catch up. If you’re up for it, that is.”

“That won’t be necessary. I can pay fo—”

“Hooey. I’m buying. To make up for the good luck gift I never got to give you. I won’t hear another word about it except ‘yes,’ and ‘thank you, oh wonderful, kind, fabulous Belle.’” She lifted her chin with her superior little grin.

Cullen chuckled. He had not laughed much lately. “Alright,” he said. “Yes. Thank you, oh wonderful, kind, fabulous Belle.”

“Ha!” She clapped once. “Good! Oh.” She turned and ran two short steps to recover her library book, and she dusted it off on her two short steps back. She hooked her arm over his crooked elbow, smiled up at him, and said, “Shall we?”

“Of course,” he said, and the three of them began their walk together.

Today would be the day.

*****

#i couldn't help myself #no one asked me #but here you go #cullen #cullen rutherford #commander cullen #cullen x belle #belle dolan #dragon age #dragon age inquisition #fanfic #50's au

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