#once saved 2 lost dogs while on the way to the airport. i already had my 70 pound dog in the back of my car

[inkskinned]

i know people are good because of this: the universe often assigns me side quests. in a circular strangeness; despite my inability to locate my-own-anything, i am almost-always finding someone else's lost things. dogs, coats, phones, cash, laptops. it happens so often it's almost tiring; suddenly being looped into a tiny amount of detective work.

but when i'm with other people who are not used to this: the response is almost invariably delight. yes, maybe they are simply thrilled by the mystery. it's just... they light up so much. i think maybe more... i think they like the opportunity to do something kind.

a few weeks ago, i was at a bar and i found a wallet as soon as we stepped outside. i felt nervous to ask for help, worried i would be holding up the night. i picked it up and said go on without me, i should help this get back to its home.

instead, three people pulled out their phones - to find him on facebook, to help cancel his credit cards. two people went back into the bar to tell the bartender, two others went calling down the street. group texts, facebook posts, instagram stories. people, without even seeing what happened, start offering help to me. fifteen minutes and: someone knows someone who knows the guy. the cheer that went up - just for finding him, just for this small thing. someone gets him on the phone. strangers dance around me, hopping on their feet - are you the girl that found that wallet? good for you, that's a good thing you're doing/same thing happened to me and somebody did what you're doing and i thank god everyday for people like you/i can't believe you found him so fast this is so exciting

i gave it back to him in a parking lot. i watched his shoulders sag with relief. there was cash in it still - he checked the pocket, and then sheepishly held the money out to me. i didn't take it. i held up my hands. "it's no problem, man. i know you'd do the same for me."

i don't know him, to be honest. i don't know if he is the same kind of person i am. but he nodded at me.

and i know people are good. i know people are good, because the way this story ends isn't surprising. we wave goodbye awkwardly. my friend loops their arm around me.

"i can't believe we got it back to him," they said. "i'm going to be riding that high for weeks."

#i lost my wallet in disney world once #and really thought i had beefed it bc i was 19 and alone #and a woman got it back to me within an hour #just like . a mom #i have no idea how she got my number or info #and i do think that since then karmatically god has been like. #ur about to be the same person in someone else's life #btw i like the side quests but they never happen at a good time #once saved 2 lost dogs while on the way to the airport. i already had my 70 pound dog in the back of my car #and had to chase 2 dogs down the street to wrastle into my passenger seat #(she ended up writing me the fucking nicest thank you card and sending me WAY #W A Y too much in target bucks as a thank-you) #i went 2 go see batman the other night and legit like. had already been running late #to go see a friend #and instead was like. sorry i have to step outside and use this person's phone to see if i can find them #i once found 250 dollars in cash lol #MEANWHILE IN MY PRIVATE LIFE #I LOSE FUCKING EVERYTHING #adhd will be like #: thou art so observant that it is distracting : #: BUT not observant towards items that are not novel to you : #: die mad about it : #: so it is written. so it must be : #: no nobody saw where you put the fucking car keys :

[notmrskennedy]

Professor, pt2

A/N - here’s part two to my little prequels - it’s the last one I’ve got written, but just know that they definitely fall in love later in my head. It’s just that the ‘in love’ part turned into Friendliness so there’s that. Thanks for sticking around bc y’all make my days

Summary - A certain professor makes another unexpected appearance and friend? 

W/C - 2.6k 

Warnings - there’s a brief stint of depression and a bit of swearing i’m sure (but what’s new)

----

Nearly 50 hours of no sleep later and Spencer Reid is sure he’s hallucinating. He knows that the hallucinations come later, that it takes more like seven or eight days to get that bad. But he’s tired and hadn’t slept on the plane and there’s no amount of coffee that’ll convince him he’s awake enough to think the scene in front of him is real. 

Because there you are, arguing with an FBI agent. While in handcuffs. He notes the darker hair and the new style and the impossible amount of dirt you’re covered in. What a weird thing to hallucinate after a bone chilling case. He hasn’t seen you in three years—by all accounts, he should’ve forgotten your face already. 

“I heard she got caught shipping body parts,” Emily says, appearing next to Spencer. She’s more put together, having passed out for the four hour flight. Her hair’s tied up and she’s got airplane coffee in her hands. He wonders if this is any more real before he hears you shouting from him. 

“Thank God,” you call, trying to wiggle out of the man’s hold, “Dr. Reid! Tell them I’m not crazy.”

He hesitantly leans over to Emily. “This is real, right?”

“Yep.”

“I’m not going to sleep tonight, am I?”

“Nope.”

“See you on Monday, Emily.”

“See you then, Reid.”

And he’s trudging forward, waving at the other agent while stifling a yawn. He forces his eyes open and checks his watch. 2:37 AM. Is he going to catch the Metro? Or is he sleeping on Hotch’s couch again? 

The pleading in your eyes says Hotch’s couch and he doesn’t argue.

“Hey, Kazinsky,” he yawns, stopping a full two feet from you and your inhumanly large captor. “What’s the—what’s the charge?”

Kazinsky shakes his head, not daring to let you any slack. You’re bouncing on your toes, trying to contain yourself. He gets it. It’s not everyday you get arrested. He hopes. But ever forgetful of the whole being arrested bit, you keep jerking to move the hair out of your face. Kazinsky takes it as trying to escape and jerks back harder. 

“We picked this one up for transporting illegal…stuff, Doc,” Kazinsky mutters with half a shiver. “Thought I signed up for white collar, mail fraud type stuff. Not unpacking human remains type stuff.” 

Spencer pinches the bridge of his nose. Scrubs his hands over his face. Takes one more long look at you, obviously losing your mind. He knows a lot can change over three years, but you never seemed the ‘illegally transporting dead people’ type. Until he remembers your fun fact from that lecture all those years ago. 

“What happened?” he sighs.

All too tired for this bullshit, he wishes he could force the story out faster, but your face just keeps contorting with the story you’re so obviously trying to spin for both of them. You try to pull out of Kazinsky’s gorilla grip again, and Spencer notices the way Kazinsky winces every time you pull. Something wrong with his wrist?

“Dr. Reid,” you finally begin, “I was in Guatemala, studying these mummies we found in a cave. One of the bodies just needed further examining and so I was just shipping it back because it’s not like I can stuff a two thousand year old body in my carryon.”

All Spencer can do is raise half an exhausted eyebrow that prompts you further, red tinting your cheeks. 

“Look, I’ve been trying to tell Mr. Man Hands over here that I’ve got the paperwork in my bag, but after our little disagreement, I’ve been arrested.”

“Disagreement?” Kazinsky snorts. “You tried to dislocate my wrist!”

“Well, I can’t help it if you don’t announce yourself before grabbing me.”

Whatever desperation and pleading you’ve had, you’ve thrown out the window to stare down Kazinsky. Spencer has a new appreciation for the fact that he’d been wrong all those years ago. You aren’t fragile. You’re as strong as a femur bone with all of the—probably justified—anger of a bull towards a matador. 

But you turn back to Spencer and your gaze softens. Melts into the young professor he met all those years ago. He’s gotten over his crush—he’s definitely in love with Maeve—but you’re objectively beautiful. Despite the self-cut, terribly choppy bangs, or the light dusting of brown dirt that you’ve covered in. You’re pleading for his help, he knows it, but he just wants to go home. 

He’s reminded he’s better than walking away and ends up giving Kazinsky a tired sigh. “I’ll take her off your hands for you, Kazinsky.”

He wonders vaguely what Maeve will think of this when he calls her in 24 hours. He wonders if she’ll appreciate the gesture he’s made for an old acquaintance. No matter what though, he knows she’ll gasp and giggle and say something like ‘oh those anthropologists! Such a funny sort. At least it’s a better science than geology!’ and they’ll laugh together like old lovers. 

Kazinsky drops you in Spencer’s lap and runs. Human remains could be the BAU’s problem for all he cared. He liked mail fraud. 

Once Kazinsky’s out of sight, Spencer pulls the handcuff keys from his pockets and pulls the cuffs off of you. You breathe out a thankful sigh, trying to rub the future bruises away. You turn back to face him, tucking your hair back behind your ear, studying him through your lashes. He can’t be bothered to notice anything much more about you. He’s dead on his feet. 

The hand you place on his elbow jolts him away. Your eyebrows scrunch and he swallows at the concern. “Are you okay?”

“Yeah,” he sighs, rubbing the sleep from his eyes. “I’m just—we’ve been working an abduction case. 48 hours non-stop—“

He yawns again and you can’t help but mirror. “Did you know that chimpanzees and dogs are also empathetic yawners?” 

He smirks. “I did know that. Seriously though y/n, what’s up with the body?”

“I promise it isn’t illegal,” you rush out, just to receive a raised eyebrow. “The Institute I’m working for made some kind of deal with the Guatemalan government that I’m not really privy to, but I’m the only one qualified to handle the remains. Plus, I’ve got a reputation for being found with body parts so its—it’s not as bad as it sounds.”

He sighs again. He wants to tell you it sounds worse. That it sounds like you’re stealing on behalf of the Institute. That they’re doing what museums always do—pilfer and loot. But you sigh and hang your head and don’t exhibit one sign that you’re trying to trick him. Sure, you might’ve lied a bit about manhandling Kazinsky, but you sure as hell seem like a doctor just trying to do her job. 

“Look, call my boss. He’s waiting for me anyway. I’m sure the paperwork just got lost or customs is just as stupid as I think they are.”

Spencer nods. He pulls his phone out and punches in the number you rattle off. In ten seconds he’s speaking with Dr. Russel Bailey, head of the anthropology department at the Institute. There’s a quick relay of ‘yes, she’s authorised to have the body’ and ‘no, please don’t arrest her’ and ‘we’ll sort this out in the morning’. 

And once he’s hung up, you’ve already got your car keys out. “Do you need a ride home or anything?” you ask and quickly tack on, “I’m just trying to say thank you. Promise I’m not creepy.”

Spencer laughs and nods and drags his feet after you. He does need a ride home because he knows he’ll fall asleep on the metro. You talk incessantly about your trip to Guatemala on the walk down to your car, and he knows he should be listening. But he can’t. He’s too busy moving one foot in front of the other. 

And by the time you’ve punched his address into the GPS, he’s fast asleep, softly snoring. 

#

Maeve was dead. Maeve was dead. Maeve was dead. 

Nothing else really matters now, Spencer thinks on repeat. She was the only good thing I had and now she’s gone. Maybe I don’t even matter. 

There’s brief moments between this line of thinking where he can listen to the three dozen voicemails he gets left everyday. Telling him that they’re there for him. Telling him it’ll be okay. Telling him it was okay to grieve. 

Was it grieving if he just wants to melt into nothingness? To die without actually killing himself?

It’s during one of these brief moments that he gets the voicemail he’s accidentally been craving. He doesn’t want to want it. He doesn’t want to want anything. He wants to melt and starve and wither until no one thinks about him ever again. Because she’s not here and he can’t for the life of him figure out why he wants you. 

You’ve been gone. Researching your way through the Sacred Valley in Peru, making nice with the locals and scavenging bones like an angelic vulture. You’ve been there for the last month and can’t possibly know about Maeve’s death—it takes him another hour to get back to thinking about you. It’s still September, he thinks, and you’re supposed to come back around now. At the end of the month, he’s supposed to pick you up from the airport. 

Because after saving you from an arrest, you’ve been exchanging noncommittal letters and phone calls. He’s got a thin stack of photos that you’ve sent from your trip. But you aren’t Maeve. You never were. You never will be. 

He doesn’t know why he wants you to call him, but he does. 

Maybe it’s because you’re new, you aren’t tarnished by the history of Spencer Reid. Maybe it’s because you’re the only one who doesn’t treat him like he’s labelled: fragile, handle with care!

He listens and your voicemail is a sort of sing song. “Hola Spencer! I’m calling from some Peruvian payphone. I should be in the states in a little over 24 hours. I’ll call when I land. Hasta mañana.” 

 The next voicemail comes with: “Finally got back to the apartment. I didn’t think I’d miss the sound of guinea pigs running around. Weird. Anyway, call me when you can.”

And the third: “Spencer, seriously, why aren’t you picking up? I’m not going to have to break in, am I? Call me back.”

Culminating with: “Reid, I swear to fucking god. If I find you dead in that goddamn apartment, I’ll beat your body so bad you won’t make it the fucking afterlife.”

There’s a knock. One he won’t answer. One he doesn’t want to answer. He doesn’t want the pity or the advice or the dejectedness. He wants to float down a river and drown. 

The knock becomes a little more insistent. And now there’s voices attached. He can make out JJ’s voice, “He’s—he’s going to be okay. He’ll come back out when he’s ready.” Following is who he thinks is Penelope, though if it is, she’s far too quiet. One set of feet retreat. He can see the shadow from a pair of shoes and he wonders why Penelope is staying so long. Maybe she’s brought another basket. 

There’s one more knock—probably to ensure he’s not coming to the door—before a jiggle to the knob. And swearing. And jostling. And squirming. And pop. There’s a distinct swinging open of the door and a pair of boots tapping over his hardwood. 

Maybe this is how he dies. Miserable. Covered in snot and tears. Slippers half on. Depressed on the couch. 

“God, you idiot,” a voice breathes, pausing to take in the disarray. He vaguely remembers redecorating—throwing everything everywhere. The feet become more impatient and frantic and heavier. His doors all open and close and he can’t bother to correct the burglar. He’s right here, waiting, patiently waiting, for this intruder to kill him. 

A fantastic way to die. He wonders if you’ll want to look at his bones. You’ve mentioned wanting to. 

“Sound off, Reid,” you command. He knows its you. No one else could replicate that tremble in your lips, the break rolling off your tongue. 

“Y/n,” he croaks and he wonders how long ago was the last time he spoke. 

Light streams in as you flick open the curtains, bites into his skin with a hiss. You take in his disheveled state with no apprehension. Like you’ve expected this. Like you have no pity to give him. Maybe this is why he wanted you to call. 

“You broke in,” he mumbles and you shake your head. 

“I wouldn’t have to,” you begin to yell, just to lower your voice and grit your teeth, “if you would’ve fucking answered the door.” 

You always say there’s a time and place for everything. There’s nothing to top the word ‘fuck’ and he knows that you’re beyond angry. Beyond concerned. Beyond terrified for him. 

“What happened, Spencer?” you whisper, moving to sit down on the floor in front of him. You’re close enough he can smell your perfume, see the pleading look in your eyes. There’s no pity. If he could find the words, he couldn’t thank you enough. 

He could reach out and hold your hand, but that seems too far. Too much. So he swallows down the tears and whispers back, “Maeve died, y/n. She died because I let her.”

“Stop it,” you order. You’ve got a hard set in your eyes, the kind that he last saw when you stared down Kazinsky. “Stop that right now. You can’t stop the world from spinning, Spencer. You can’t stop the sun from coming up. You can’t stop what you don’t know to. I might not know all the details, but I know you. You’re a diligent man and I wouldn’t expect you to do anything less than everything for the woman you love.”

You place a delicate hand on the couch next to his and you sum everything up very gracefully. “Hindsight is a bitch, don’t let it make you hers.”

He can’t stop the twitch of a smile. Can’t stop the crack of happiness that bleeds out because you’ve decided to be so ridiculously you. No one’s ever called him diligent before and seems more fitting than fragile.

“She’s still dead,” he settles on and makes the bold move to slide his fingers under yours. It feels like such a betrayal to Maeve—is he supposed to touch another woman when he couldn’t even touch the love of his life?

You just squeeze his fingers, warm and present and decidedly alive. “Yeah. She is. You’re welcome to wallow for as long as you want, but you need to eat. We’ll see if I can remember how to cook with modern appliances.”

Your smile is contagious enough that a fleeting smile reaches his eyes. You pat his hand and stand. “I’m going to the store, and taking a key this time. I promise I’ll be back. I’m stickier than a public indecency charge.”

You chuckle for the both of them and carefully make your way out of the apartment. He listens as you take a key and tries his best to psych himself into a fit of hunger. It isn’t until you’re singing in Spanish, something sizzling on the stove, that he realises that the pain in his gut is the hunger, and not just misery. That he should probably get up for at least a minute. Just to satisfy the curiosity of what that smell is. 

Maeve would’ve liked you, he decides. Maeve would’ve really liked you. 

And it’s the first peaceful thought he’s had in weeks. 

#spencer reid #dr spencer reid #spencer reid fluff #spencer reid x reader #spencer reid fanfiction #spencer reid x you #reid x reader #reid x y/n #spencer reid x y/n #Criminal Minds #criminal minds fanfiction

[iwantitiwriteit]

Love Lockdown - Part 5

Back to December - Part 1

Pairing: Chris Evans x Reader

Summary: In the December prior to the pandemic, you spend Christmas with Chris in Boston, a first time meeting between you and his extended family. You struggle with implications of seriousness this milestone has on your relationship with Chris.

Warnings: Angst, Pandemic backdrop, Profanity, healthy dose of Fluff, sprinkle of Sexual suggestiveness

Notes: So much was really working against me getting this up for y’all lol, but nothing worth having comes easy, right? Anyways, tried some new stuff I learned in some articles I read, more showing, less telling. Allusions and metaphors. We’ll see how it comes across. Christmas in October anyone? Read the previous part here!

The ding DONG of the doorbell echoes so exaggeratedly, it had to have been your imagination. No, I’m really here now. With your blood pumping loudly in your ears, you stare straight ahead at the barrier to entry,  and seemingly to your happy future. 

A Christmas-covered front door shouldn’t cause you this much stress, but here you were, feeling mocked by smiling snowmen and delicate, origami snowflakes. 

You try to focus instead on one of the many thoughts flurrying your mind.

What if they hate me? Valid question, but sooo not the vibe right now. You go for another.

What if I hate THEM? Nice. None of these thoughts are stilling your rapidly beating heart.

“Ow! Loosen up the vice grip, will ya?”

“Oh,” you look down at where yours and Chris’ glove-clad hands are joined, releasing them almost instantly. “I’m sor—“

“It’s alright, babe,” Chris chuckles. As if you could muster a strength close enough to hurt this man. He’s sure not to let your hand get too far, taking it back into his and bringing it up to his rosy lips for a chaste kiss. 

You wish you could feel it, the warmth of his lips on your knuckles, but that would mean braving the Boston blitz without a piece of your knit armour. You’re not sure you’re ready for that. You’re also not sure how he does it. He’s wearing significantly less layers than you, yet he’s perfectly content as if it’s a Summer’s day, while you are, quite literally, quaking in your boots.

He notices your shivering shoulders, knows it’s not just the cold getting to you. With his right hand in your left, and his left hand wrapped around a gift, he nudges you with his words. 

“Hey,” he starts, but sees the opulent wreath on the door still has your attention. “Hey you,” he tries again. You finally look up at him. You lock your widened eyes with his ocean calm ones as he scans your face. Your brows could almost touch with how deeply furrowed you have them and your lips are fixed in a tight line.

“Typically it takes a lot to get my girl all nervous and whatnot,” he states, but you knew it was more of a question of what's up with you.

“Yeah, well… I’m not nervous, Chris.”

“Really? Cos the bruise on my hand would say otherwise,” he jokes.

You roll your eyes at him trying not to laugh. “Even if I was nervous, which I’m not, could you blame me? This is a lot. This is big. This... This is your family.” Your features soften and voice drops in volume. “I don’t wanna fuck it up.”

“Impossible.”

“You sure? Think I already did by taking this long,” you mumbled. You look away, unable to hold Chris' intense gaze anymore. Being in front of his childhood home, for the first time since you’ve started dating over 2 years ago, you can’t help but feel… guilty. 

No use in taking the conversation there at this moment. Especially knowing that lately it led to some sort of shouting match. The ‘I can’t’s’ and ‘next time’s’ didn’t suffice anymore. 

Chris only responds with a sigh as he rings the doorbell for the second time. He looks back over to you, a snowflake floating then landing on your lash. You’re unaware of how whimsical you look to him. How well you’re going to fit in with his family and friends. 

He takes his thumb to brush the snowflake off and cup your cheek. Watching as you swallow thickly, Chris moves his thumb to your throat to massage away the lump you try to move on your own. You relax into his touch, and he flicks his eyes down to your gently smiling lips then back up to your eyes. You know what he’s silently asking. Placing your hand on his wrist was your silent answer. He leans in slowly, and you wish you could stay like this, just for a little while longer. But all good things...

“Uncle Chris!” a youthful voice exclaims as the door swings open. Chris swiftly removes his suggestive hand from your neck and himself from your personal space. He prays there’s some mistletoe hanging inside.

“Hey Kiddo!” Chris huffs out as he picks the child up, replacing her spot on the floor with the present in his hand. She goes to wrap her small arms around his neck as he asks her, “Did you grow since just last night?”

“No!” She giggles as he pinches her cheeks. “I missed you Uncle Chris! You weren’t here when we woke up,” his niece pouts. You look at Chris to see him with matching puppy dog eyes and poked out lip. 

“Oh, Kiddo, I’m sorry. I--”

“It’s ok,” she cut him off, causing you to chuckle at her brashness, “I saved the gift from you and your special friend to open last!”

“Well, speaking of...” Chris pulls you in closer to him by your hand, “This is her! I went to get her from the airport,” he beams down at you. The little cutie in Chris’ arm has turned more shy when speaking to you as you exchange names and a quaint handshake. 

In a not-so-quiet whisper, she tells Chris, “She’s really pretty. Good job,” with an added thumbs-up and shoulder pat. You can’t fight your giggle and the heat that rises to your face, and Chris can’t fight the laughter that erupts from himself.

Chris is joined in a chorus of laughter, the foyer now filled with Evans’ of all ages, tickled by one of their youngest and no doubt happy that Chris is home… and brought company. This is it… you think.

It’d been a long while since you’d ‘met the family’, having not made it that far with the relationships leading up to this one with Chris. You wonder if it’s like riding a bike, or if you should’ve read an article on how to during your last minute flight.

In the crowd of smiling Evans’, you spot Chris’ mom and brother. You’ve met them on numerous occasions, all in L.A., and know them pretty well. However, everyone else you knew from a picture, a story or would be meeting for the first time this afternoon. There was going to be a lot of meeting, greeting, questioning, explaining… 

You steel yourself for the day ahead. Chris looks at you and gives you a reassuring smile and squeeze on your hand. You reciprocate, tension releasing only the slightest as you look at his sunny face, your reminder of why this must go well.

——————————————————————————

The first couple hours you were sure would be the hardest. It was a time of first impressions, and you only get one of those. Tasked with making the rounds to about 30 or so aunts, uncles, cousins, nieces, nephews, in-laws, childhood this and that, Chris wanted to make sure you met every. Single. Body. And as soon possible.

“That way, we get you comfortable faster!” He rejoiced. Chris’ excitement was always infectious so you try to let wash over and enthuse you. 

You lost count of how many times you fake laughed at ‘Chris has finally brought you home! We were starting to think you weren’t real!’. But with Chris by your side, the worn out joke was just bearable. He found new ways to respond each time, no doubt to at least keep you entertained. ‘Who do you owe money, then?’ or ‘When you find a treasure, you try to keep it to yourself as long as possible *wink*’ or ‘She’s not even here… she’s a hallucination’ never failed to make you laugh or make your cheeks burn.

It’s actually really endearing to know that there was some anticipation for your arrival. Unbeknownst to you, Chris had been hyping you up to his family. Telling them your accomplishments and aspirations in your writing career, which apparently impressed them. He told them your hobbies and other passions that sparked conversations about their own, and prompted advice on your life trajectory. 

All in all, breaking the ice was more delightful than you thought it would be, and hoped that by sticking by Chris’ side the rest of the day would go in that way. But the universe had other plans.

At one point, you get whisked away to the kitchen by Chris’ mom, Lisa, under the guise of needing help with some dishes for dinner. You quickly realize that it's a set-up of sorts, with most of the women of the Evans family gathered around the island putting finishing touches on their dishes and slyly sipping spiked eggnog. These are the people who you feel you have to impress.

Their chatter and laughter came to a halt as they eyed you cautiously crossing the kitchen to the spot Lisa designated you. It was only a matter of time before the interrogation began.

“So… we’ll cut straight to the chase: why is it we’re just now meeting you? You’ve been with our Chris how long now?”

“Vicky!” Lisa smacks her arm warningly. “Have you no filter? You’ll scare the poor girl off before dinner!”

Chris has told you about his infamous Aunt Vicky. “A true cream puff; soft and sweet… once you get past the tough outside,” you remember him telling you.

“It’s fine,” you start, not willing to cower from the inquiry, “Chris and I have been together 2-½ years— 3 in June. And we’ve been happily taking things slow.”

“Good on you for taking things slow. Most women would— and do— jump at the chance to lock down our Chris. But not you, you’re a woman with her own sense of self. We like that,” you’re affirmed with a wink.

Whew.

“You are as pretty as our kid spy said; thought she was exaggerating.”

“Um thank you…?”

“She’s pretty, but can she cook?”

“Carole!” Lisa warns another woman and apologizes to you with her eyes. Chris also told you about his aunt Carole, Vicky’s ‘side kick’. The two of them made for a dubious duo.

“Yeah, what’s Chris’ favorite dish of yours?” Aunt Vicky prodded.

“I can cook, but not that often for Chris,” you respond, to which you’re met with crickets and cock-headed looks. You add, “He’s out of town a lot, and when he is in town, he’s the one doing the showing and proving of why I should stay with him,” you joke (kind of), and to your relief, they find it funny.

“Oooo I like her!” Vicky and Carole say in unison, causing the kitchen of women to laugh. You really did try to keep your expectations low for this visit, not necessarily wanting to seek Chris’ extended family’s acceptance, but you can’t help the relief you feel in this moment.

The next couple hours pass of helping out with dinner dishes and dessert, giggling over glasses of cocktails and family stories. You’d narrowly avoided questions about marriage and babies, but that’s to be expected. For the first time today, you’re able to forget your worries and your boyfriend and actually enjoy yourself. Speaking of...

“Hey you,” Chris is waiting by your seat that’s next to his which he pulls out for you when you arrive at it. An early Christmas dinner is about to be served, and you and Chris are reunited at the table for the first time in hours. “Missed you,” he says with a kiss on your temple. “Can’t wait to hear about your day,” he adds. But there wasn’t much talking between you two throughout the meal, though. 

No, the Evans’ family theatrics don’t allow for it. All of them talk with complete genuineness, laugh with their entire beings, opine with their whole chests, and you see where Chris gets it from. Turning to your boyfriend, you find him smiling and laughing along with the rest of the table, looking full of warmth and love. Completed by his family. Your heart gets a little heavier thinking about how he doesn’t have these moments as often as he’d like. In part by his job, yes, but a small part of you feels like you may also have something to do with that. A thought that pains you to wade in too long.

After dinner you try to help with the dishes, packing away leftovers and to-go plates. You don’t get too far, instead get shooed out of the kitchen by the elders, being told to ‘spend the rest of the evening with your man’. You oblige, realizing you barely talked to each other since earlier in the day. In your quick scan of the house, you couldn’t find him, so you shoot him a text.

Some of the kids and teenagers were gathered around some games in the den. Their antics and wittiness remind you of your nieces. They happily let you join in, and at one point, you acquired a little one on your lap as your game partner. The two of you bond over beating her cousins in these games as you school them in a few rounds of Uno, Connect Four, and Jenga. 

Your phone buzzes in your pocket, and you smile as you check it.

“Oooooo is it from Uncle Chris?” she cheekily asks as you get up, setting her on your spot on the floor.

“They’re probably gonna go make out under the mistletoe,” one of the older kids teased. The room of adolescents erupt into a fit of giggles and chorus of ‘ews’

“Are you two gonna get married?” the little cutie randomly asks you. “I heard my Grandma and Aunts talking about it!”

“Oh, wow, um… I gotta, I’ll see you all later.” With that you dash out of the room, as symphony ‘K-I-S-S-I-N-G…’ fading behind you.

——————————————————————————

The sky was shades of baby blues, pinks, purples and oranges. It’s a beautiful backdrop to the snow and ice kissed tree branches and lawns. The road had been freshly salted and freed of winter obstacles making it easier to stroll along as you and Chris often did after a meal.

It’s even more beautiful than he said, you think to yourself. For a second you wonder why you were ever hesitant to come here. There was no real reason, yet you used a million excuses. But this time around, you finally ran out.

Not that you weren’t tired of your fear. That was it. The real reason… was fear.

You look down at your boots, the ones you dust off just one week a year now. Striding beside them are a larger, more expensive pair; they too only see the snow on rare occasions. Your eyes follow up the long legs they belong to, taking in the nice slacks and chunky cable knit sweater under a heavy, well-made piece of outerwear. Your eyes finally land on the face of the man in the fine threads. 

Looking at Chris right now, you’ve never seen him fit in so perfectly somewhere. But why wouldn’t he on the roads he cut his teeth on. He could make you forget every fear and every doubt you’ve ever had. Hell, he could make you forget your name on a good day. And on those days, you didn’t know what to do with all of that, what to make of it. But it’s the most wonderful time of the year, so 

“Come here,” you say just above a whisper, tugging on Chris’ hand causing him to turn to you. You bring your hands to his broad shoulders, smoothing out the invisible wrinkles there. You languidly drag your right hand over to his chest as you notice a red stain on the light colored knit. “My love…” you humoredly drag out as you tap on the food stain.

“I know, I know. My mother already beat you to the scolding,” he chuckles.

“You’d think by this age you’d have learned to be more careful.”

“Hmm, now what fun would that be…” his sultry tone didn’t go unnoticed by you. Your eyes on his tailored, dinner party clothes, hoping to find a relief for your emotions somewhere between the stitches. You never know where to begin with your feelings. Surely it would be to start with the easy stuff, but it all seems hard. 

You rub your hands on his chest, not quite meeting his eyes. “What’s up? Whatcha thinking about?” Chris asks with a lopsided grin, resting his hands on either side of your waist. You smile at him nervously. Before you could say anything, there’s a gust of sharp, cold wind. You clutch on to Chris’ sweater, burying your face in his chest seeking refuge and warmth.

“M’thinking about how you got me out in this damn cold! You know my southern bones can’t take it,” your whines muffled by his sweater. He chuckles at your antics.

Chris slowly drags his large palms up from your waist, and this just ensures that there are goosebumps on your skin under your layers if the wind hasn't done so already. He rests one hand on your shoulder pulling you apart just enough for you to look into his hazy blue eyes. His other hand continues it’s trek until it’s rested on the side of your neck, his thumb stroking your jaw. “I know of a way to get you warm…”

“Was this part of your plan?”

“Mmmm… maybe…” Chris leans in close, surely to kiss you, but you have other plans.

“How’s it feel to be back home?” you inquired with faux aloofness, slipping out of his hold and continuing your walk towards his mother’s home.

Chris hesitates for a second, wondering if you really just swerved a kiss from him. He clears his throat, “Uh… yeah it’s great! There’s nothing like family, I know you can agree to that. Even if they are loud… and crazy,” to which you both chuckle. “So…” he starts as he wraps his arms around your middle causing you both to waddle up the front lawn. “How do you feel? Not so bad, was it?”

“No! Far from it! I really, really love your family Chris,” you say as you crane your neck to look at him briefly.

“Yeah?”

“Yeah. Although, I strongly disagree with some of their choices in best music of all time, but I’ll learn to get over that. I got over it with you,”

Chris spins you around in his arms, hands firmly on your waist. “I don’t care what you say; Joel is the best music Billy of ALL TIME!”

“Yeah, ok.” you retort with an eye roll to his amusement.

“I’m glad you had a good time babe. They’ve been hounding me to meet you for a while now. I’m happy we made it happen.”

The words are right there on your lips. I’m sorry it took so long. I’m sorry I acted silly. I’m sorry I was scared to take the next step. But what if I’m not ready? What if we get it wrong? Your throat is dry, as it often is when it’s time to bare a little of your soul. At least Chris always has something to say.

“I can’t wait for you to see me this nervous when I meet your family…” You don’t know if that makes you feel better or worse. Chris looks into your eyes expectantly, lovingly. His features are soft and tender, and you think it’s the most beautiful sight on a man, on this man. Your man.

Chris looks at your lips then at your eyes. There goes that silent question again. You’ve never been one to give Chris what he wants when he wants it. He’ll never admit, but it’s one of the things he loves most about you. So, in true you-fashion, you make a run for it.

He’s baffled, but doesn’t waste much time in playing into your little game. You’re laughing hysterically as you look over your shoulder to see him bounding after you on the front lawn. You high tail it around the side of his childhood home, kind of hoping he catches you. Not even you, as stubborn as you are, would want to be running forever.

Chris walks into the backyard cautiously, but not cautiously enough as he’s met with a snowball in the temple. And your maniacal laughter.

“Oh, you’re in for it now!” Chris sneers as he scoops up the most perfectly compacted snowball.

“Oh shit!” You slowly make for the backdoor, walking up the deck stairs backwards, hands up in surrender “C’mon babe, you don’t have to do this,” you plead.

“Yes. Yes, I do. Cos all I wanted was an innocent, sweet kiss.”

“I’ll give you a kiss! Just put the snowball down.”

“It’s too late, sweetheart.” The look in his eyes is sending butterflies straight to your heat. As much as you wouldn’t mind ‘losing’ this game, there’s too much at stake.

“Think of my hair!” You whine to appeal to his better nature. That gave Chris pause, but only for a moment.

“It’s in braids; you’ll be ok.” When Chris takes a step towards you, you take a step back, but instead of eating snow as you anticipate, you slip on a patch of ice and fall flat on your ass.

Chris is quick to race over to your side. “Babe! Are you ok?” he’s slightly panicked as he lifts your torso in his arms, checking your eyes for consciousness.

“Got the wind knocked out of me, but I’m fine, yeah,” you say through a dry laugh.

“Oh, thank god.” He says with a sigh of relief and a wide smile. You smile back at him as he strokes your cheek and says, “Now I won’t feel bad about this.”

“Wha—“ You see white as your face freezes over. Chris is dying of laughter as you sputter the snowball out of your mouth. 

“Ha ha ha. Keep laughing... you won’t get that kiss you’re wanting so bad.” He immediately stops laughing, deflates, and pouts, causing you to giggle. “Oh my goodness! Is it that serious?” you teased him a little further. Chris was done playing, though. He stood up and folded his thick arms over his chest to show you he was serious.

You stood up too, and began to tap and poke at his shoulders, chest and stomach. Chris wouldn’t look at you, trying his best to stand firm and not smile. “Look up, dummy!” you say eventually. He acts as if he’s doing you a favor, but can’t hide his giddiness at the sight on the ceiling.

A leafy green plant, with a cluster of red inedible berries, secured with a red ribbon.

You take his face into your hands, lightly grazing your fingers over Chris’ full, trimmed beard. The world is out of focus as you and Chris are now eye to eye. Neither of you can hide your eagerness. You rub your thumb over his plump bottom lip and wonder why you would ever deny yourself this man.

Pulling him into you, the gap is closed between your mouths. The kiss is gentle, shy even, after first. It dawns on you that you’d only shared a quick peck at the airport, and before then, had gone a couple weeks missing each other’s touch.

The neediness and desire within you is heightened at the thought. You wrap your arms around his neck pulling him closer. You start to get lost in him, in his warm taste and touch. You feel the yearning in Chris too. He wraps his arms around your waist, hugging you tightly to himself. His hands start to travel to places you desperately want them to be, but he catches himself, remembering where you are.

“Let’s go say our goodbyes,” he says through an out-of-breath smirk. You bite your bottom lip and reply with a quick nod of your head. 

The pair of you head inside to make your last rounds for the evening. Chris keeps it pretty brief with everyone, the both of you promising to see them again sometime soon in the new year. Early Spring seems to work for most everyone; the kids will be on spring break, Chris will be home before jetting off for a press tour, and you’ll have settled in to your new writing job, that isn’t exactly your dream gig, but a step in… a direction.

As you got into Chris’ car to head for his Boston home, waving to his family as you backed out the driveway, none of you could predict or prepare yourselves for the very different, sordid world that waits in the months ahead. How drastically it would change on grand and small scales.

You look adoringly at Chris from your spot in the passenger seat, unaware the beginning of your relationship’s treacherous slope was just a few days away. Had you known, you wouldn’t have left that kiss so soon, would’ve cherished his heated embrace a little more later tonight.

But it’s already been written.

——————————————————————————

What’d you think?

#chris evans fanfiction #chris evans imagine #chris evans one shot #chris evans x reader #Chris Evans series #chris evans x black reader #chris evans x you #chris evans x y/n #chris evans x female reader #chris evans x woc #chris evans x poc!reader #chris evans fan fiction #love lockdown series

[whimsywispsblog]

All’s Not Fair in Love and War

A/N: Hello hello! Here’s chapter 5 for y’all! This one’s got some sadness and angst. Enjoy!

PART1, PART2, PART3, PART4

CHAPTER 5

March 12, 1981

The team sadly lost Lazar in Cuba. It was a great loss for the team and a horrible heartbreak for Park. They never even got the chance to let their feelings for each other bloom. The pain of loosing Lazar felt awfully familiar to her. Just like Harry. Loosing her brother was one of the most difficult phases in Park's life. He was someone who she confided in, someone who she trusted and admired. Someone who she loved with all her heart and soul, lying with blood splattered all around him, lifeless body staring at the distant sky. A haunting image that could never be erased from her mind. Lazar's death was just like that, except she saw him getting shot twice, the poor man helplessly surrendering to death. The scenario kept replying in her mind. -As soon as the team got back, Adler put Bell in a session. Poor Bell. He kept blaming himself for Lazar's death. He never even got a chance to mourn properly. "Adler! Let him rest! I don't think he's-""Not now, Rei. We need answers." Of course. He needs answers. Rei prepared the room for the session with Sims. "I hope he can survive this...he doesn't look well." Rei whispered to herself. If Bell dies, it was all for nothing. If the programme backfires, they loose everything. And Adler...good lord Adler. That man is going to get the boy killed. "We're doing an intercebral injection." Rei nodded to Adler, taking the injection. "Injecting directly into the brain could provoke seizures, or worse." Park warned, earning a glare from Adler."Unless, we don't overdo anything and keep the adrenaline from spiking. Hopefully" Rei replied, injecting. "We have a job to do." And that's when all hell broke loose. -Park hadn't noticed the time that had passed by while she kept staring at the wall in her apartment. The session was a success, minus a lot of drama from Rei and Adler. But Park's mind was caught up elsewhere...with Lazar."Park?" It was Rei. "You okay?"Park nodded her head sideways, tears now starting to roll doen her cheeks. Rei reached out to the woman. Park accepted her hug, burying her face in Rei's chest. She let out all her tears of agony, little sobs and wails escaping from her mouth. Rei kept rubbing her back, soothing her with her soft whispers of consolation. The death of Lazar had affected the whole team, even Hudson. They stayed like that for quite sometime, until Park left the hug to compose herself. Rei handed her a glass of water. "I talked to Chief. He said that they will let Bell in. He will stay under my wing." Park sipped a glass of water. The hiccups after crying made her squeal a little. Rei kept rubbing Park's upper arm. "That's great, but there's bad news. According to the plan that I overheard, Hudson wants Adler to kill Bell there in Solovetsky, away from the crowd. He has to make it look like an accident."

"Oh God. We have to improvise our plans then." Rei stared out of the window. The recollections of yesterday's session where Adler injected Bell through the eye socket and forced him to give everything without giving the boy even a moment to process his traumas. That was the first time in her life where she got highly physical with Adler. "Russell fucking Adler! Stop it! You're going to get him killed!" Rei kept pushing Adler away from Bell. He kept increasing the doses, like as if Bell's mind is a respawning game. Rei had enough. She pushed Adler away and ordered Park to get Bell out. The fight turned into a screaming match between Rei and Adler. In the end, Sims had to drag Rei out and Hudson had to hold her back from attacking. The two of them refused to even look at each other. Rei rubbed her bruised arm, thanks to Adler holding it tightly while getting her away from the room. "We need to get him to trust us." Park looked at Rei with an eyebrow raised. "Yes, but how?"

"We talk to him." Rei shrugged. "Park. How about tomorrow you stay close to Bell and once it's over, you pull Bell away? I'll get a ride for us and we can leave."

"We can do that, but, I doubt Adler will leave Bell out of his sight, unless we tell Bell about Adler's plans." The girls looked outside, deep in thought on how they can pull Bell out of the situation. To Park, Bell was her only chance in life to do something she couldn't- save her brother and Lazar. It was the same for Rei- the loss of her brother, Riley.-"Alright Bell, listen up." Park pulled Bell into a room. Luckily no one was there close by except for Sims and Rei. The girls came up with a brilliant plan. The Chief of MI6 would convince Black to let Bell go, once they manage to get Bell out of the field. Park and Bell will fly to London, immediately after the mission. Rei will stay back to handle the situation, if things turn ugly. "Tomorrow, once the mission is over, you will ride with me. I'll tell you where I am. Whatever you do, do not go with Adler."

"Why not?"

"A complicated situation which I will explain later. Give me a set of your civilian clothes. Once you're off the field, we will be picked up by an informant, where you will change your clothes and head for the airport, straight to London." Bell looked at Park, perplexed. "But...why are you doing this?"

"Bell, I owe you. This is the only way I can repay, making you MI6. It's the easiest escape route to give you a life of some degree of normalcy. I have done enough damage to you, maybe you don't trust me. But this one time, I need your trust." Bell looked at Park. Her eyes were red, swollen. The tone of her voice was that of someone pleading. True, he wasn't sure who to trust, but if she seemed to be ready to put her neck in the line for him..."Alright. I'll come. But, can I trust you?" 

"Of course." Park smiled. 

"Are we ready?" Rei barged in. The two nodded.

 -Everything went according to the plan in the Battle of Solovetsky. The nukes were stopped from detonating. The soldiers were busy celebrating the victory. But for Rei, Bell and Park, victory was yet to be achieved. According to the plan, Bell will excuse himself from the group when Park sends the cue 'Aah the artic air'  and somewhere a little further, Park will pick him up. From there, Rei will pick up the duo and a ride a little further, with 2 helicopter rides to the safehouse in West Berlin (sponsored by some 'friends').As soon as Bell got the cue, he waited for five minutes, laughing and hugging Woods and Mason. "Ah nature's call. Got to take this one." Woods snickered at Bell. From there the plan went beautifully. -"Okay, so it's a pretty long ride to Germany and we'll be stopping a couple of times." Rei yawned. Bell looked out of the window as Park treated his wounds ."Tell me again, why isn't the Chief talking to Hudson now, instead of us performing this drama?"

"Long story short, if Bell dies on the mission on the way or if Bell gets captured anytime now, then he becomes a liability to MI6. But once we're out of Solovetsky, I'll send the code and he will let Hudson know." Rei kept pondering, not fully understanding the situation. Bell was completely lost. The boy had too much to process. From loosing his identity, thanks to CIA and now being deemed a loose end after everything he's done for them, the boy found it too hard to digest anything at all. "Would the MI6 consider me a loose end?" Rei and Park looked at Bell, the boy giving them both an innocent puppy dog eyes. He looked so vulnerable and scared. "Well, once you win their trust, you'll be considered one of them. You have already won mine, you don't have to worry about anything." Bell nodded. His eyes grew heavy. The last few days' theatrics was finally taking a toll on him.

-

"Wait, come again? They want Bell? Park taking responsibility? Under Park's wing? But he- okay. Okay sir. Understood. I'll send the necessary documents for the transfer." Hudson rubbed his forehead in frustration. "What's the scene?" Adler blew out smoke. The anger in his eyes was concealed by his shades. "Your girlfriend and her best friend managed to sneak out Bell from under your eyes. MI6 wants Bell, they talked to Black. Park will take Bell to CIA. They will send an informant now, to whom I'll have to give the documents for the transfer." Adler sighed, he was boiling with anger. If Bell decided to turn his back against them, they will be in deep trouble. "Damn. Am I glad that your girlfriend had the balls to do something that I wanted to do." Mason glared at the two men. Woods just chuckled. "Mason we-""If he wanted to do something, he'd have done it by now." Mason was right. Why would Bell willingly give up everything he knew despite knowing that they had robbed him of his identity? "Right. We'll settle this in West Berlin. Pack up." Adler commanded, leaving to his room. He took out his wallet. In it was a polaroid of Rei that he had clicked a long time back. It was a beautiful moment he captured. Rei laughing merrily, her eyes twinkling, her long dark hair swaying sideways to the breeze- all under a beautiful blue sky. His thumb rubbed her face softly. "What are you up to, Rei" he whispered.

TAGLIST:

@lovinggooppalacebanana​

@quizzyisdone @sophtheunlikelybakeryfestival @nikkibell1937 @pookolokon​

#russell adler x oc #russell adler #cod bo cold war #call of duty black ops cold war #call of duty

[foronceleavemealone]

Long time no see

Part 1 Part 2 Part 3 Part 4

A/N: I feel like this is very dialogue heavy and I don’t know how to write good dialogue. I wrote a different begining, but I forgot to save it and the whole browser refreshed and I lost everything. So I don’t like this begining as much. I don’t know if this is any good. I know that in some of these conversations spanish would’ve been used, but I don’t speak spanish and I didn’t want to use google translate. There are lots of smiles, chuckles and sips, I guess that’s just how I roll as an awkward person. I apologise for any mistakes. I hope it’s at least a little bit enjoyable.

Summary: OC and Javier go to Laredo. Not very surprisingly Javier’s family wants to see him, the hero they all love and miss. Little do they know that he doesn’t feel like a hero at all while she knows.

Pairing:  Javier Peña x OC (I guess? But it can also be an insert. Seems somewhere in the middle for me. idk..)

Genre: fluff, angst

Warnings: mentions of death, explosion, survivors guilt, crying

————————————

The flight wasn’t that long, but for someone who gets motion sickness it seemed to last for an eternity. That’s one of the reasons she hated flying.

“You ok?” Javier asked looking a bit concerned when the plane landed. He knew about her motion sickness, but still, seeing someone unwell made him feel uneasy.

“Yeah, I’m fine” she said as she tried to take a sip of water. Her hands were shaking a little bit. It’d be great if this sensation would disappear the moment the plane touches the ground. But it lingers for a bit, making the day a little bit more difficult to get through. A part of her thought that this sensation got worse when she was in a bad mood, so she tried to be positive. “It went better than I though it would”

“Ok, let’s just get off this damn plane” 

————————————

When they exited the airport Javier’s dad was already waiting for them. 

“Hey pops. How ya been?” Javier said as he dropped his bag and went in for a hug.

“Oh my boy. I’m good, I’m good” Javier’s dad chuckled a little bit and gave a few pats on Javier’s back.

She admired this interaction from a bit further away. She knew that even though Javi wasn’t the most open when it came to feelings and emotions or affection, he had a good relationship with his dad as it was proven by this sweet moment. 

“And this must be your friend” Javier’s dad said looking at her.

“Ah...yes. It’s really great to see you again Mr. Peña” she reached out her hand.

“Sweatheart, you can call me Chucho.” he shook her hand. “I haven’t seen you since the day you both graduated from the academy. It’s good to see that Javier still keeps in touch with his friends from those days. You know, he talks about you” 

“Come on dad” Javier said while slightly rubbing his forehead with a small smile  on his face.

“Right” Chucho chuckled “let’s get going” he said and started walking to his car “we’ll chat on the way back’

She felt a little bit flustered. Sure she mentioned her friends to her mom. Especially since she and Javier were not only friends from the academy, but also trainee partners. So he once was quite a big part of her life. But the thought of Javier talking about her made her wonder in what light. 

“You need a hand with your suitcase?” Javier asked snapping her out of the thoughts.

“No, I’m fine” she smiled, started rolling her suitcase and walked to Chucho’s car.

“Here, let me help you” Javier said as she was about lift the suitcase up. 

“It’s really o-” she didn’t even finish as he picked up her suitcase and loaded it into the trunk. “Thanks” 

‘Yeah no problem” Javi said as he put his bag into the trunk and then gestured for her to get in the car. “Don’t you want to sit in the front?” he asked just as she was about to open the back door “I mean, I thought after the flight the motion sickness must be pretty bad still”

“Oh it’s fine. I’ll manage” she smiled again and thought about how many times she’s felt fine today.

He looked at her, not really believing her, but letting her be for now. 

————————————

"You know, some of your aunts will want to see. They planned a little get together for tomorrow" Chucho started the conversation after quite some time of silence from the three of them, with only the radio playing in the background.

"Where at?" Javier asked with something weighing on his mind.

She figured he didn't really want this get together.

"At home. It's nothing big. And I hope our friend will join us too" Chucho said glancing at her from the rear-view mirror with a warm smile. "I already told everyone Javi's bringing over a friend"

"Oh, well then I'll gladly join you" she assured him.

Javier too glanced at her smiling a little bit.

The drive was longer than it usually would have been. Javier’s dad took some detours to show her a bit more of the town. She appreciated it. It was cute how he would throw in some fun facts about Javier along the way. Chuco showed her the school that Javi went to, the diner where he went on his first date. He also talked about Javi’s early childhood crushes, but Javier cut him off with blushing cheeks. It was a nice moment and she felt a little bit closer to Javier.

Chucho suggested stopping to watch the sunset as it was the golden hour and everything was swimming in the warm light, but after some discussion they decided that they’ve had enough to take in for the day. 

————————————

She was settling in the room she was given. She still felt a bit uncomfortable with the fact that she was taking up space, even though Javier and Chucho both said that it’s ok and fine and that she was very much welcome here. 

She went to open a window, to let some fresh air in, and looked out to the backyard. It was very pretty. She remembered how Javier once mentioned his mother’s flower garden and here she was looking at it. Chucho didn’t seem like a huge gardener, but who knows, maybe he got some help to keep his wife’s legacy going. She was admiring the flowers bathing in the sunset when she heard a soft knock. She turned around and saw Javier.

“Hey, how you doing? Everything ok?” he asked leaning a bit on the the door frame.

“I’m good” finally she was something more than just fine “I was just enjoying the flowers. They’re very beautiful”

Javier smiled admiring the way she looked in the soft rays of the sunset.

“Do you wanna grab something to eat?” finally he asked after catching himeslf staring.

She nodded and they both went downstairs. They had a lovely dinner with Chucho, chatting away about various topics, and once again Javier’s childhood stories finding their way into the conversation and being painfully taken in (by blushing and slight laughter and small smiles) by Javier himself, They were talking for quite some time, before Chucho decided to retire for the night, leaving her and Javier at the kitchen table. 

“Your dad’s really sweet” she said before taking a sip of her drink “and a good story teller”

“Sure he is” Javier sat back and smiled “when he wants to embarrass me”

“Oh how’s that embarrassing? I thought all of those stories were lovely and cute”

“Yeah especially the one with neighbour’s dog” 

They both looked at each other and burst out laughing. They settled down after a few laughing bursts. It was a calming silence. Javi had missed such silence. With no pressure, no fear. She always seemed to make it comfortable. She always made everything a little bit better than it actually was. He had a few partners through out his carreer. He felt like Steve and her were the closest ones he’s had. But she was his first partner. Even though they were trainees back theb. They were just starting work straight out of the academy and she was right there alongside him. ‘Through thick and thin’ Javier thought to himself. 

“Well we should clean up” she said and picked up both of their plates bringing Javier back to the moment.

“Oh you don’t need to do that. Let me wash the dishes” 

“It’s fine. It’s the least I can do. Are you looking forward to tomorrow?” she asked feeling a bit (once again) out of place. It was supposed to be a family gathering and she felt like she was going to be an intruder. Besides Javier and his dad she knew no one. She didn’t want to leech on on any of them, yet she didn’t want to awkwardly hang around. 

“Oh... It’s inevitable at this point” he sighed “it’ll be fine” he said as if he sensed her thoughts. 

She looked at him and smiled. 

“We better go to bed, huh” she looked at the clock “since tomorrow’s gonna be a big day”

“Yeah we should” Javier agreed and they both went up the stairs. “Everything ok, you don’t need anything?” he asked her when they reached her room. 

“Yeah, everything’s good”

“Well if you need anything, my room is right next to yours”

“Ok. Goodnight, Javi” she patted his arm which sent chills down his spine.

“Goodnight” he walked to the door of his room and looked back at her’s. Various thoughts rushed through his mind, but he only shook his head and entered his own room. 

————————————

She couldn’t really sleep. Something was bothering her. The new surroundings? The events of the day? Sure they had a part in all of this, but it was something else. Everything seemed like a distraction from the things she was actually feeling. ‘But this is supposed to be a distraction, right?’ she thought to herself. Everything seems different during the day, but when the night comes and there are no more distractions, all of the demons come out to play. Should she even call these things demons? Then again, who’s gonna tell her not to if they bother her...

The demons are one thing, but Javi... now that’s another thing. She had forgotten how good she feels when they’re together. A laugh, a smile and the whole world seems a bit brighter with him around. She didn’t even realise that she was smiling thinking about him. 

She remembered what was waiting for her tomorrow. A big unknown. She’d had plenty of briefings and meetings with various important people at work and she didn’t feel this nervous. At about 3am she came to the conclusion that whatever happens, happens. It’s better to get some sleep instead, since it seems like it’s going to be another long day.

————————————

She woke up at 8 am. Somehow she felt refreshed even after all that inner turmoil. She started getting ready. Chucho said everyone would gather up at about 11am so she was right on track. She thought she’d skip breakfast, since the nerves were once again showing their presence, and wait around for lunch. She looked through the clothes she had brought. ‘What does one even wear to a family lunch like this?’ Her family never did such things, there were never any get togethers apart from funerals and weddings. Since she didn’t have much to choose from she picked black jeans, a moss green button up and black trainers. She also put on a charm necklace. She looked at herself in the mirror. ‘Something’s missing’ she thought. And then she remembered. She looked through the jewelry she had brought with her and found the watch. Javi’s watch. She thought it’d be somewhat sentimental bringing it here. She put on the watch and was heading out of the room. The second she opened the door she bumped into Javi.

“Oh sorry. I was just coming to get you” 

“Get me? For what? I thought everyone was gonna come at eleven”

“There’s no punctuality in this family” he smiled “everyone’s here already. Besides, I’m not letting you go out there alone”

All the nerves increased, since she thought she’d have more time to mentally get ready for this. But everyone was already here, which also meant that they were waiting for Javi to come back. He was the one they wanted to see after a long time, not her. But it was sweet of him to get her and ease her worries.  

“Ok, let’s go” she laughed nervously.

There were actually more people than she thought there would be. She figured it wasn’t only his aunts that were here, but his uncles, cousins and their children too. There were tables set out outside, in the backyard, and there was a lot of food. Everyone had most likely brought something to contribute. 

Javi introduced her to his aunts since they were the most eager to meet her. When they heard Javi was bringing over a friend, they thought it would be, well, a man. Instead they saw a woman walking next to Javi and immediately thought that this was more than a friend and that Chucho mixed something up telling them the information. They started asking questions about the “relationship”, how long they’ve been together, when’s the wedding and are there any children in their plans. All of these questions smacked both her and Javi in the face as they came out one after the other, not giving them a moment to answer anything. They both seemed flustered and they both explained that they’re just friends. The aunts were visibly upset at first but got over it pretty quickly. 

Javi then tried to introduce her to his other relatives one by one, but after a while she lost Javier to some of the children as they wanted his attention and wandered off to maybe strike up a conversation with any of his other relatives on her own. 

The gathering actually lasted the whole day. Some people left earlier than others, but the sun had already set and there still were people there. She helped cleaning up along the way with the other women and saw some of them off. 

Javi saw the last of the guests off and walked back into the kitchen where his dad was putting away leftovers.

“What a day” Javi said grabbing a beer.

“Sure was”

“Can you believe aunties thought we were a couple” Javi laughed and took a sip.

“Can’t blame them. Wouldn’t it be nice?” Chucho looked at Javier. They stared at each other for a bit. “She’s all grown up now. She’s a nice girl, Javi”

“She is” he twisted the bottle in his hands.

“Then why don’t you do something about it, son” Chucho said calmly. 

Javier looked at the ground. You could actually see the gears turning in his head.

“Where is she?” he finally asked.

“She’s outside” Chucho gestured to the backyard “she helped clean up and said she was going to get some fresh air” 

Javier walked outside, hands a bit clamy. He saw that she was sitting on the swingset. He walked over.

“Hey” he said with a soft smile.

“Hey you too” she said and scooched over.

He sat next to her. They were making the swing sway a little bit. 

“How... was today?” finally he broke the silence.

“It was good. Your cousin James is really... quite the charmer” 

Javier chuckled. 

“I saw you both talking” he did see them and he didn’t really like the way he was getting so close to her “did he show you pictures of his car or at least talk about his car?”

“Yeah, he did, a lot actually”

“That means he was hitting on you”

She looked at him smiling.

“What?” she giggled.

“Yeah, he’s got his own style. Doesn’t get him very far, but he still does it” he chuckled too. 

They both sat in the silence for a bit, but she was the one to break it this time. 

“How did you feel today? Back at home, surrounded by family”

“I guess it’s nice seeing everyone again, but...” he didn’t finish.

“You don’t like the attention” she did it for him.

“Yeah”

“They consider you a hero” 

“I’m not a hero” he felt like he’d heard these words before “nothing I did was hero-like”

“And that’s why you quit” 

“That’s why I quit” he nodded and looked outwards into nothing. 

She looked up to the sky. The night was warm, the sky was clear, not a single cloud in sight, so the stars were visible. She teared up a little bit while looking at them.

“You never told me why you quit” Javier said making the swing sway a bit more.

“It’s complicated” she said quietly.

He looked at her and saw her teary eyes. He was saddened by the sight. He didn’t expect her to say anything else, but he didn’t want her keeping everything in. She surprised him.

“I’d had enough. The shootouts, the bureaucracy, the right, the wrong, the work itself. Everything had built up, but losing my partner was the last straw” she paused for a bit “two months ago me and my partner Lydia were busting a lab. Nothing difficult. It’s as basic as basics get. The mission seemed like a success, we were about to pack up and go back, leaving the rest of the crew to finish with the substance collecting, when I realised I had lost my pager. I was about to go back and look for it, but Lydia said she wanted to check something up with the team and that she would look for it. So she went back into that basement” she paused for a moment again “there was an explosion. It killed her and five other people from my team”

He looked at her and saw a tear falling down her cheek.

“Were you injured?” his mind couldn’t comprehend the fact that she could’ve died that day. His very first partner, his friend, the woman he...

“I was fine. The explosion knocked me down, but I was far enough from it” she wiped away a tear “gosh.. I just keep thinking that it should’ve been me. I lost the pager, it was mine I-”

“It shouldn’t have been you” Javier interupted her and took her hand “it was an accident, ok? I’m sorry that you lost your partner and your team. But I am glad that you’re ok” he rubbed her hand with his thumb. He saw that she was trying her best not to cry so he put his hand around her and that was enough for her to lean into him and start crying. He held her until she calmed down, caressing her shoulder. At that moment he felt like he would’ve done everything in his power to protect her. 

It was the first time she had talked about this with someone. She was the type to bottle everything up, so it felt like a rock had been lifted from her chest. It was also comforting to be in his arms. She felt safe, calm at least for a moment.

“I’m sorry” she said still laying her head on his chest.

“Don’t be. It’s ok” he took her hand and was about to lift it and kiss it when he noticed that she was wearing that watch, his watch. “You’re wearing my watch” he rubbed her hand.

“Oh.. yeah... I thought it’d be a nice sentiment” 

That made him smile for some reason. But his thoughts were interupted when she sat back up, leaving his embrace. 

“Way to ruin a decent day, huh” she smiled and looked down.

“You didn’t ruin anything. If anything, you made it worth while” 

She looked at him and put a hand on his knee and caressed it a little bit. They sat on the swing for a little while. She had forgotten how calming the silences were when she was with him. No pressure, no fear. It just felt right. 

His mind was racing. He had so many thoughts, so many feelings. He was deep in thought when he heard her speak.

“It’s getting cold” she said rubbing her arm.

“Yeah... we should go to bed” he said as he stood up. He looked at her. He hesitated reaching out and taking her hand, so he was relieved that she got the memo to walk with him back to the house.

They reached her bedroom and stopped.

“Javi, I...” she looked into his eyes. Eventhough it was almost midnight the crescent moon provided enough light to see just how deep and beautiful they were. He was looking right back into her eyes as well. There was no doubt that they both were feeling the same thing. “Thank you, Javi” she broke the tension.

“Yeah.. no problem. Well I should..” he gestured to his bedroom.

“Yeah so should I” she gestured to her room. They both chuckled and went to their separate rooms.

#Javier Peña x OC #Javier Peña #Narcos #fanfic

[trudy-shams]

What we become - part 6

6 months later ------------ You checked out your reflection in the mirror for the 12th time, every 10 minutes in the span of 2 hours. Steve was late today. No!  You were NOT nervous, you just wanted to look presentable. You were a reflection of the place you worked for and you loved Asgard so it was not totally absurd you wanted to make sure you were looking good.

"The blonde boy isn't here yet, please stop wasting time in front of the mirror and take those drinks to table #6" Clint grumbled.

Him sitting in your section 5 times a week and leaving cute notes (and some hefty tips) did not go unnoticed by anyone. And no one was subtle about it. From Loki to Thor to Clint to Gamora, everyone teased you endlessly.

"Seriously, I don't know what is holding you, or him, back. Just go out on a date already" Gamora said while tipping her head towards the door.

And in walked Steve, in all his smedium t-shirt and khaki pants glory.

His eyes immediately found yours and his face split into a big grin as he made his way to a table.

Sometimes you wonder how you didn't see until now how handsome he was, but you know for a fact that your perception of beauty changes as you get to know them better. Sometimes their personality makes them more appealing while other times it's the exact opposite.

You couldn't stop the smile that spread on your lips.

You neared Steve's table "You are late today"

Steve dopey smiled back "I got stuck at an event my father organized but I slipped away as soon as I could and then there was the usual traffic"

"I have told you so many times, we have another branch of Asgard near where you live, you don't have to make the hour long drive just for some beers" You smirked.

The first time you got to know how far he lives, you were slightly confused as to why he would drive all the way. He just shrugged and smiled, saying he liked the ambience of this place better. You didn't really believe him but didn't push him either.

Now? Now you kinda knew why he drove so far. It would be stupid to pretend otherwise but you couldn't pass an opportunity to tease him.

"And I have told you, I really like the ambience " Steve was not the shy fella who couldn't meet your eyes anymore. It took a while but he slowly lost his inhibitions around you.

And you? Well, your perspective of him changed the very day he saved your life. You were so grateful to him.

But as you got to know him better, you felt a lot more for him than just thankfulness.

"So your usual then?" You took out your notepad.

"No, not today. I am already late, maybe I will take a to-go bag for some snacks. Enough for two people" Steve had this look on his face.

You were disappointed and you hoped it wasn't obvious on your face.

"Oh sure, I will bring it up right now" You internally cringed at the high pitch of your voice.

"Oh no, no rush, take your time. I know your shift doesn't end for another 30 minutes" Steve was full on smiling now.

It took a moment for you to realize what he meant and you bit your lip to keep from smiling.

"Well that's very presumptuous of you Mr. Rogers. I might have better things to do then go out on a d.., accompany you to whatever secret cult meeting you drive an hour for" Steve laughed out loud before pressing his hands to his chest.

"The Perseids Meteor shower is supposed to peak today and the sky is clear enough for a good view. It might be something fun to watch "Steve lost steam by the time he finished his sentence seeing your stern expression " it's Friday night so I thought you wouldn't have classes tomorrow and work. The best time to view is after midnight and If you are not comfortable, I understand"

You did your best to keep your laughter in at Steve's rambling but maintained your serious demeanor "We will have a few hours to kill then, do you want to watch a movie"

"I totally... what?" Steve was giving you his signature puppy dog eyes.

You finally dropped the act and grinned "I have been begging Nakia for days but she claims that no astronomical event can keep her from her beauty sleep. I am so glad you asked. It would be so much fun. We can take some drinks too. We can stop by my place and grab a picnic mat. Do we need chairs? Blan..."

"Ok doll breath" the nickname just slipped out but Steve decided to act calm"I have everything ready. We can just pack some food and we are good to go"

You did a tiny jump. "I can't wait" --------------- 12 Months later

"See, both Mr. Darcy and Lizzi are seeing things through their own corrupt lenses" you supplied hazily

The warm weather and shining sun had almost put you to sleep.

Then there was Steve's warmth that radiated from where you were leaning against him. His cologne, his soothing voice as he hummed a tune now and then and the comfort of knowing he  was there with you.

Steve and you were sitting in your favorite park. You, with your books and Steve with his sketch pad, as had become the norm for Sundays. Steve always asked you what you were reading and you always asked him what he was drawing.

Steve would show you his sketch if you would give him a summary of the book you were reading and answer his questions. You borrowed a few books from Mr. Stark's library every time you went home.

There was something about reading a physical book that you loved.

You had grabbed your all time favorite this morning while stepping out to Steve's bike.

"Usually people assume that one character had pride while the other had prejudiced views but I feel that they both had pride and their own prejudices. For instance, Lizzy knows what Mr. Darcy is saying about her family is true and on occasions, she has pointed out the same to her mother and sisters, even her father, but she is wounded when Mr. Darcy states the same. Her mind sees Mr. Darcy is a spoiled rich man with no compassion or heart" you went on, now glancing at Steve "but we should always remember, never judge a book by it's cover... or initial few pages" you stuck your tongue out at your own silliness.

Steve had this wistful smile on his face "Yeah, sometimes the first few pages cannot tell you the full story"

"That's why I read all books that I begin till the end" you all but whispered to Steve seeing how close he had come to you.

"I am so happy that you do" Steve whispered back. Just one inch, that's all you needed.

And then Steve's phone went off.

You both jerked away.

Steve took the call while you hid behind your book for the rest of the day. ---------------- 18 Months Later

"You will call me as soon as you reach" you repeated for the 5th time.

"I will, first things" Steve promised.

Steve had been enrolled in a 1 year MBA from a university in another country, as per his father's wishes. Apparently, it was a rite of passage all children in his father's circle had to go through. You were told by Nat that James, or Bucky as she called him, had been there too.

Like that was supposed to make you feel better.

Not that you could ask Steve to stay. You weren't officially dating.

You didn't know what was holding Steve or you back. Well, you knew what was holding you back. You didn't know what you would do if Steve rejected you.

You were sure he had feelings for you but you still felt that there was a wall between you two and you had solid reasons.

You had never, not once, met any of Steve's friends. Not even as a friend.

He always came to you, the area where you lived. Never the other way around.

He hadn't added you in any social media accounts he had.

There was a small part of you, which was growing everyday, that believed he was embarrassed to be seen with you. Not that Steve ever made you feel like that when you were together.

But then there was this glaring fact that he never asked you out on a proper date. It was always a plan to 'hang out'.

And that he hadn't even kissed you yet.

And now he was leaving for 12 months.

"I will miss you" Steve looked at you with such a rueful smile that you had to look away.

"Well, I will be right here. Literally, I will wait for you right here, at the airport gate, with a bunch of welcome home balloons and a six pack of your favorite. Who knows, maybe I can convince Ms.Hella to start an airport outlet and I will meet you inside, waiting with your regular order as soon as you land" you tried to lighten the mood.

"I will touch down at the airport every weekend then" Steve smiled which did not reach his eyes.

"Don't make promises you can't keep Mr. Rogers" You turned to him and smiled, having reached the security check.

Steve was hugging you the next second. Arms squeezing you tight while he murmured in your ear " I will miss you sweetheart, So much."

You took a deep breath to hold your tears in "I will miss you too".

You stood like that for a moment. You pretended not to notice the way Steve smelled your hair and planted a lingering kiss on your hair.

You both reluctantly parted.

"I will see you soon stranger" you whispered and started stepping back.

You had to let him go before you did something stupid. But ultimately, Steve beat you to it.

He grabbed your arm as you were about to turn away, jerked you forward, and planted his lips on yours.

There was nothing soft about the kiss. It was bruising. It was months of pent up frustration, attraction and tension all coming to the fore.

One of his hands was tangled in your hair while the other was like a steel band around your waist. You didn't know when your hands ended up crushing the t -shirt material around his chest. It was all tongue and teeth and desperation.

When you both came up for air, Steve looked absolutely wrecked.

He held you close and pressed 6 more quick kisses on your lips.

I *kiss* will *kiss* miss *kiss* you *kiss* so *kiss* much *kiss*

With that, he loosened his grip on your waist and hair and stepped back. Hair out of place and cheeks flushed crimson.

He let out a deep exhale and turned around, speed walking through security, not looking back once.

While you stood there, rooted to the spot for a few minutes, trying to catch your breath and quell the butterflies in your stomach, wondering what the hell just happened.

#steve x reader #captain america x reader #steve rogers au #mcu

[shawnpetermuffins]

I Miss You

A/n: I hope this is good because I put this off for so long wanting to do it justice. And this is based very loosely off I Miss you.

Summary: you two broke up recently, and it's not sitting well with Shawn, even though he's the reason you broke up.

Requested by @it-isnt-in-myy-blood: Hi, I recently listened to the song 'I Miss you' (Clean Bandit, Julia Michaels). Maybe you could write a fic based on the song, angsty but with a fluff ending? Thank you... ❤️

***

Kinda_yourname

2,158 likes

Kinda_yourname Cabo sunsets >>>> anything else

•

It may have only been a week, but I'm missing it here! 😭

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I shut my phone off and toss it to the end of the bed. I should have been with her on that trip, but tour got in the way. I got in the way. It's crazy to think that if you asked me three weeks ago, I would have said that my girlfriend and I could overcome any obstacle thrown at us. But ask me again a week later, and I would tell you I was wrong. That being away from her for months at a time was too much for me and I broke it off because I thought it would be what was best for both of us in the end.

Now ask me if I still believe that.

I don't.

I haven't told anyone about us yet. I mean, everyone probably suspects because there haven't been Amy preshow FaceTime calls for good luck, and I'm not texting like a madman during dinner or when we're on our way to the venues. And I know she hasn't said anything to anyone either. How? Because for one, she hasn't blocked me on any social media - I know, I've checked at least ten times just within the last two hours. And two, she hasn't deleted the three pictures of us that she has on her Instagram. They're still there for everyone to see, me included.

Now my fingers are hovering over the keyboard and I'm staring at her name on my phone which is still My Love 😍, and I'll probably never change it. Because she is my love, and to strip her of that title because I'm an idiot just isn't fair.

Hey... I miss you

I type and backspace and type and backspace at least ten times. Because I want to text her. I want so badly to text her, but what if she doesn't want to hear from me? I wouldn't blame her if she didn't want to. I was the worst. Breaking up with her over the phone, no less because I was hurting being away from her. Never once did it occur to me that, yeah, she was hurting too. Or maybe she's with someone else. Maybe she's found somebody new. I want her happy, sure. But I selfishly still want to be the one that makes her happy.

Y/n I miss you.

I delete it one last time and open my photo gallery. I have an album saved for photos of us. Photos that I never got to post because she wanted to keep us as private as possible without being a secret. Which is why both of us only have 3 photos of each other on our Instagram. One for our six months, a year, and a year and a half. Two more months and we would have had a fourth picture.

I'm swiping through the photos landing on one I took of her when we were flying back to Canada after our first trip together. We're on a private jet because this was before we went public with our relationship. Andrew made sure that we weren't seen together in the airport or anything. She's sitting in the seat across the aisle from me, legs up to her chest, earphones in, head resting on her knees as she smiles brightly at me. There's another one of us curled up together on this tiny chair in a green room in the UK that Andrew sent me. She's literally curled into a ball on my lap, sleeping peacefully and my legs are spread in front of me, arms wrapped tightly around her body, head resting against the back of the seat.

The next one Brian took. We were at my place for a very impromptu new years party. It was just gonna be me and y/n, but she insisted we invite the guys over. And we did. It was one of the best nights of my life. We're watching the ball drop, with her in my lap, arm around my shoulder. I have one arm behind her back, the other on her thigh. I think Brian knew something was going to happen because at ten seconds to midnight he pulled his phone out and captured out first new years kiss. She's holding my face and I'm practically leaning her back against the couch. It looks like I'm seconds away from crawling on top of her, and it be honest, I probably was. She's just too perfect for me to resist.

Then there's one that Josiah took of us just a few months ago at the studio house. I had y/n on the kitchen counter, she was in these jean shorts that I loved her in and a button up that she'd stolen from my suitcase. Not that I was complaining. It looked far better on her than it did on me. I stood between her legs, my hands on her sides, slipping under the shirt a little bit, leaning her hips exposed. Not that either of u cared with her fingers threaded in my hair as casually as they were. My face is blocked by her figure, but there isn't a doubt in my mind that I was smiling entirely too wide standing between her legs.

The video that follows knocks the breath out of me. She giggling like crazy, but the camera isn't on her, it's on me. On my back, more specifically. She laughs even more when I wince at the feel of her fingers on my red, raw skin that is now home of her fingernail scratches.

"Baby? What happened to your back?" She asked, amused.

"Don't know," I said, turning to face her, my cheeks still holding a slight blush. "But I think the real question is, what happened to your neck, missy?" I pluck the phone from her hands and turn the camera to her where she's trying to cover her face. I manage, however, to take her hands in my free one and the camera focuses on the flourishing bruises that litter her beautiful neck, my favorite place to rest my head.

I close my eyes, the memory of that night filling my mind. Watching her come down from her high, my face still buried between her legs. The weight and cold touch of her hands as she pulled me up to her, into her, because she needed me closer. I can hear myself murmuring the words 'I love you' all over her skin, still remember the way her back arched when I hit the right spot again and again and her finger ran down my back over and over, once more and she probably would have drawn blood. And I may not be home, but I can smell her on the sheets, that constant aroma of warm vanilla penetrating my nostrils. God, do I miss her.

I'm only making it worse for myself by doing this, I know that. But I should feel bad. I lost the greatest thing in my life and I didn't need to. So I got back to our messages, but instead of going to type a new one, I scroll through, reading through our old texts. There's countless paragraphs of us professing our love for each other. Lots of random pictures sent, most from my side. There's conversations about getting a home together, and a dog. And her telling me how much she loves my family and me telling her how much they love her, how much they ask about her. It's all hitting me too hard right now.

And it doesn't help that im literally sobbing at 2 in the morning, in Paris. The city of love. The place she told me was her favorite trip to ever take with me. Where we stood atop the eiffle tower and I gave her a promise ring, a ring that said I would love her and keep her forever. A promise ring that was now probably in the ocean in Cabo because I tore us apart so easily.

I sit up suddenly, struggling to catch my breath. It takes a few minutes, but I'm able to pull myself out of this empty bed that would only be comfortable with y/n laying next to me. I'm scrambling through the room, picking up the pair of jeans I threw off my body earlier and slipping back into them. I find a torn work out shirt in the bottom of my back and push my head and arms through before throwing my youth hoodie over my already overheated upper body. My passport is sitting in my guitar case, and I grab both things without a second thought. My suitcase trailing behind me.

It's difficult booking a flight and carrying a suitcase and guitar all at once, but I get along just well enough and adjust myself in the lobby while I wait for a taxi. I don't text Andrew until I've made it to the airport and am in my seat on the plane, ready for take off.

Emergency... had to fly home. Promise to make it back in time for the Paris show.

And I turn my phone off before he can text or call me back. Because there isn't a damn thing that he could say that would keep me there in a city that's meant for lovers, when my lover is across the world instead of laying in my arms the way she should be.

I know I shouldn't be doing this. I know there is someone out there who is better for her. Someone who isn't constantly on the move. Someone who can come home to her every night and help her make dinner. Someone who can cuddle her until she falls asleep when she's having a particularly bad day. I know there's someone who can do those things.

But I also know that he won't love her the way I do. He won't know all the little things that I do. Like how she only uses a blue toothbrush. Always has. And he won't notice the tiny scar that she has on her right middle finger from when we tried to make dinner together one night and she cut herself. He probably won't know that she wakes up at 3:34 every single night, because she hasn't been able to sleep fully and soundly through the night since she was four years old. And he'll mess up the way she likes her tea, using tea bags instead of leaves. (She like the herbal taste that you get when you use the leaves. And she likes when you do two scoops of them, and two scoops of sugar, but just cane sugar, the rock sugar makes it too earthy. And of course, she drinks it on ice because she hates burning her tongue with hot drinks.)

I'm thinking way too much as I get off the plane, reluctantly turning my phone back on only to see texts from just about everyone I know. They're all asking where I am, but I ignore them, because what I'm about to do is far more important than anything they threaten me with. I have to make things right.

Standing in front of this door that I've stood in front of hundreds of times should make me feel at ease. Remembering all the times I had her pressed against the other side of the door because I just couldn't wait to have her all to myself. But if anything, it's making me more nervous. So nervous that my hands are shaking, palms sweating, my breathing is jagged and I know if I don't knock right now I might never get the chance again and I can't lose her for real this time. So without giving myself the chance to rethink, I knock on the door three times and I wait, handing in the pocket of my hoodie.

I wait a solid thirty seconds, which feel like an eternity, before the door finally opens and I see my beautiful girl. Her face is bare, hair only halfway straightened, and she's in those shorts I love and my old Led Zepplin t-shirt.

"Shawn," my name still sounds like heaven spilling from her lips. "What are you doing here?" She crosses and then uncrosses her arms, shifting her weight from one leg to the other before standing completely straight.

I didn't even realize I was crying until I sniffled and heard my voice crack with just three words, "I miss you."

"Shawn," she shook her head.

"I tried not to," I insisted, still standing like a fool on her door step. "I swear I did. But I couldn't stop. I looked through all our pictures and texts, and I couldn't stop myself from missing you. And I know I have no right to because I broke things off. But I was in Paris and I was miserable because Paris was your favorite place, and that was where I promised to love you forever, and I'm still keeping that promise. I was an idiot," I continue to ramble. "If there's a better word for that, then I'm that too, because I thought it would be easier if I broke things off. This tour was going to be so long and to go that long without each other, I was scared that it wouldn't be enough for you. But it's not what I wanted, y/n. It's not, and I just-"

"Shawn, stop."

I shut my mouth instantly, ready for her to tell me to leave. But what she does instead throws me completely off guard. She pulls me into the apartment and wraps her arms around my neck, burying her head deep in my chest.

"I miss you, too." She mumbles and I exhale slowly, only to inhale that scent that I love so much. The scent that is naturally her. She starts to pull away, and even though I don't want her to, I let her but she only leans back enough to take my face in her hands and before I even have time to blink, her soft lips are on mine and I'm whole again.

She's mine again and I'm never letting her go.

***

Tags: @curlyshawny @shawns-badreputation @anamariel2301 @bbellbagel

This took me longer to write than it should have, but I kinda really like it. I hope you enjoyed and I'll see you Wednesday for more content! 💙

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#shawn mendes #shawn mendes blurb #shawn mendes fanfiction #shawn mendes imagine #shawn mendes one shot #shawn peter raul #shawn mendes angst #shawn mendes fluff #shawn mendes smut #smfsource

[theperidotshade]

hamelin-born replied to your post “Part Three of Ardyn Saves Regis on a Whim (which really needs a title,...”

*quietly loses mind* YES THIS IS SO GOOD YESSSSSS...

This snippet was crammed full of various Crowning Moment of AWESOME moments. I just - gah.

Regis just - just taking in all the small things as they drive through the smoking shell of the city - HIS city. The cat, oh the CAT - I don't know why, but I just. Love that small detail?

And SOMNUS. Somnus, being utterly and totally IN SHOCK at Ardyn deciding to save Regis. In shock, and that - that instant regret, that 'what have I DONE' moment. Was - was Somnus reacting to what Ardyn said about how he loved his brother, so much, more then just about anything?

And Somnus - basically telling Regis to 'make things right'. And - 'our line's greatest folly'? that's - more or less an admission of guilt, of wrongdoing. That is Somnus, admitting that he was /wrong/.

I'm not sure if I want Ardyn to learn of that conversation, or never to learn.

And just. I love the increasing strain that Regis observes in Ardyn as the time goes by. It's just - so very human, for all that the man is decidedly NOT.

Reckless? ARDYN saying something's reckless. Well. That should say something about the entire enterprise.

And GAH. Exploding the dropships via Ullador! Driving /through/ the roadstop/barrier! Just. So many, many good things!

And YES to Regis' realization that 'immortal' is /literal/. And - Regis is a smart man; I'm sure he can think of so many, many ways in which immortality is a literal /curse/. In which - being unable to die is the literal worst thing imaginable.

I wonder - Regis noticed the 'black blood', but does he really GET that Ardyn's blood is /literally/ black?

Wait until Regis sees the Scourge!face. That's - going to be an interesting time.

And love all the little details about Ardyn's Ama! Does - does Regis realize that he's literally talking to another King of Lucis? (once a king or queen of Lucis, always a king or queen of Lucis...) Ardyn hadn't explicitly SAID as much, but - well.

And Regis is just. Giving all the right reactions to the revelations Ardyn is literally drowning him in. And his shock, his horror, it's - helping Ardyn, I think. A little. It's the first time he's told /anyone/ this story, and it's - getting a reaction that helps him.

It's just. Regis is slowly realizing that the thing with Noctis? The so-called 'Chosen King'? The Astrals have /done this before/. This is the /second/ time around, and the first time - well. The first time was no kinder then the most recent iteration. The /first/ Chosen King is sitting right next to him.

/*grins*/ Wait until Regis learns that basically it was Shiva et al who gave Ardyn the order to work with Niflheim for precisely these ends.

Wow, I don’t know what to say. *blushes*

I’m so glad you enjoyed it!  This fic is enormously fun to write, and it makes me so happy others like it too.

The cat thing—okay, I have a bit of a story to tell about that, so I’m gonna put the rest of my reply under a cut.

Fair warning, it involves a natural disaster.

So, back in 2011, when I was still in high school, I lived in an area of the US that gets a lot of tornadoes.  Like, three to four on average every spring and every fall.

March/April 2011 was an unusual spring, though, because an enormous supercell swept across all of the Southern US, including my hometown.  Hundreds of tornadoes touched down in a single storm over the course of three days.

My town was...relatively untouched, although I do have trauma relating to that specific storm.

But the day after the storm passed over, I had to catch a flight to Massachusetts to visit colleges as a prospective student, and the airport I was flying out of was a couple hours away, in the center of the area worst-hit by the storm.

So my mom drove me out to meet my dad at the airport, and we were driving through absolute devastation.  Like, buildings completely gone, debris and rubble everywhere, trees fallen on buildings and cars, standing water in places.

But I don’t remember a whole lot about the destruction itself, other than the horror and shock I felt.

What I remember instead are the little things.  The handwritten ‘sold out’ signs in the windows of every gas station and convenience store.  Branches drifting by in a flooded river.  A dog trotting along the side of the road.  People standing in their yards, looking at where their houses used to be, not doing anything but talking quietly.  Just little, insignificant details that somehow managed to catch my eye.

That’s the feeling I was trying to capture in that scene with Regis—how the strangest things can draw your eye in the middle of all that destruction, and how they sort of seem dreamlike or unreal, but they’re going to be what you remember anyway.

And some of them make you feel better, in a way, because not everything is lost.  There’s still life there.

That cat is going to be one of the things Regis clings to, going forward, because it was just so ordinary in a setting that was decidedly not, and that made it extraordinary.

As for Somnus, well.  Hearing Ardyn say he loved him that much, seeing him accuse Bahamut of using them all, seeing Bahamut flee rather than give an answer—that really struck home to him that he’d made a horrific mistake.  He gave up his brother for reasons that didn’t really exist the way he thought they did, and oh, how that hurts.  And he can’t make it right—but maybe Regis can.

Ardyn is...probably not going to learn about that conversation for a very long time.  Because Regis, now that he has some idea of what Somnus meant, knows that it has to come from Somnus to really mean anything.  Which means two things: 1) it’s gonna have to wait for Ardyn to be in either the presence of the Ring or Somnus’ tom; and 2) it’s going to require more time than would really be readily available to them for a while.

I love writing Ardyn from Regis’ POV for exactly that reason: that I can use little cues to remind us all of just how human Ardyn is, despite his immortality and very, very dubious decisions.

Ardyn’s idea of ‘reckless’ is definitely a bit skewed, lol.  Hence why he uses it only in connection to a stunt that 1) requires him to take his hands off the wheel, 2) involves MASSIVE EXPLOSIONS, and 3) had a significant chance of not working or being only partially effective.

And Regis doesn’t object to that one, mind, because he too likes MASSIVE EXPLOSIONS.  And ramming through things that should not feasibly be rammed through.

They definitely feed each other’s destructive tendencies, self- or otherwise.

Yeeesss, Regis has Thoughts about this immortality thing.  Especially since, mind, he just lost at least two close friends, which he...hasn’t fully processed yet.

The full mechanics of ‘Immortal Accursed’=‘Healer and King who took the Starscourge into himself’ have also not been fully processed yet, which will be fun (not).

Regis is going to come to that particular realization slowly. Right now, he knows intellectually that yeah, Ardyn was probably a King of Lucis, but the things that that means they have in common haven’t really occurred to him yet.  It’s going to be things that become relevant in the days to come, as Regis, Cid, and Cor start salvaging what they can of Lucis.  And, well, Ardyn’s there too, he’s not just going to sit around and do nothing.

Regis’ reaction is actually helping Ardyn, yeah.  It’s—nice, to know that what happened to him is something other people consider wrong too.  That not everyone will side with the Astrals as Somnus did.

And the parallels are really hitting Regis hard already, even if he’s refusing to think about it at the moment.  The fact that Ardyn hasn’t actually referred to Noctis by name or title in this fic yet, you may or may not have noticed, is significant, because all the other players he has named when he’s referred to them.  Noctis is perhaps the only one directly involved that Ardyn doesn’t resent—and yes, I’m including Luna in that, for reasons I’ll explore in later installments.  (Basically, it has to do with the fact that of everyone involved, she is the one following his path—they aren’t necessarily good reasons, but emotions aren’t exactly logical).

And yeah, at some point Regis is going to have to confront the fact that his gods were gunning to destroy everything he holds dear.  It’s—not gonna be pretty.

#hamelin-born #my fanfic #ffxv #Evil Astrals AU #in which Ardyn saves Regis on a whim #cw natural disaster #cw trauma

[ginasneesby]

September- Viv and Andy part 2

On my previous trip to New Zealand in 2008, I and my friends spent a crazy month driving around the whole country with multiple stops and lots of road time, this time round I wanted to spend less time in the car and more time doing things. Top of Viv and Andy’s list was Whale watching in Kaikoura which is on the South Island near Christchurch. With our base in Auckland we decided to fly down meaning maximum time doing stuff and no long days hauling ass down the country. Domestic travel is super easy in NZ so I booked us some last minute fights to Christchurch  for the Monday and with no plans till the next day we were able to take our time and minimise travel stress.

We got in mid-afternoon and with google maps in hand tried to work out where our hostel was in relation to the airport, fairly typically I remember it being the opposite side of town, but decent buses and small bags meant it wasn’t too much of a hardship. We stayed at a youth hostel near the botanical gardens in a 3 person room, I guess meant for a family with one child, Viv and I hadn’t shared a room for a good few years so that was a bit weird; but it was comfy enough and we were going to be out most of the time anyway. After a quick freshen up, and a mini google, we headed back out to find somewhere to eat, Monday night in a big city, shouldn’t be too hard eh?

The town centre was absolutely dead. The shopping streets were clean and well-kept with big high street brands, wide streets with multiple pedestrian crossings and yet no people around except us. There didn’t appear to be any little bars dotted around, no bustling restaurants, the only place we found that had a few restaurants/bars in one location was dark and shut up. Perhaps this is different at the weekend, but it gave a slightly abandoned vibe, since the 2011 earthquake it seems lot of people left town for safety/work/the ability to drive on roads that hadn’t collapsed; and really you can’t blame them. We eventually found a small place that was one of those airstream caravans with a heated outdoor seating area that did burgers and pints of beer, by this point we were pretty hungry so it would have been good but honestly, I remember it being particularly good. On the way back to the hostel we passed a giant old school joystick controller mounted in the pavement which was linked with a large screen on the side of a building, with this you could play a giant game of space invaders. Again, we were the only people around in the streets so we played undisturbed for some time; although Andy was the only one good at it so after a while we gave up.

We were picked up Tuesday morning by a local man with a van who drove us all the way up to Kaikoura for the day, it’s about a 3 hour journey so a lot of driving for a day trip, but if you wanna see whales, Kaikoura is where you need to be. It was also really great to have a local drive us as we didn’t know much about the earthquake, save what had been on the news, so getting his insight and experience was sobering but important. On the way out the city, he pointed out some of the local sights that were no longer there, including the CTV building that completely collapsed leading to 115 of the 185 deaths in the disaster. The roads up the coast were also all twisted and broken having been fixed up slowly over the previous 7 years, at one point completely undriveable due to landslides and collapse. They took a long time to be fixed to the point of everyday use partly due to the extensive damage but also lack of money in region (Canterbury is quite a large area to share a budget).

Looking into the earthquake, the reason it was so devastating was three fold:

1)      It measured 6.3 on the Richter scale, the epicentre was only 6 and half km from the city centre and it was shallow. This meant there was simultaneous vertical and horizontal ground movement, with eye witness accounts describing people being ‘tossed in the air’ as well as increased liquefaction causing more ground movement, undermining many building foundations.

2)      There had been 2 large quakes in 2010, one measuring 7.1, which had already weakened some buildings and infrastructure in and around the city.

3)      It was midday so the city centre were full

 We made our way fairly slowly up the coast with a bit of chat and narration, over the last 7 years despite the money problems, a lot of work had been done to make these roads passable. Highways in New Zealand are pretty much all single lane and in most places it’s the only road, so with highway 1 out of commission there is no way north from Christchurch without going across to the west coast and back again (a 400km dogleg.) We were booked on a whale tour in the early afternoon and arrived with just enough time to have a loo stop and a quick drink before heading out; we had to watch a health and safety video first which was basically, boat go fast/sit down. The company then took us the last bit of the way to the harbour and onto the boats which were catamaran style and set up inside with swish bucket seats. The boat was pretty full with what seemed to be one large group of Chinese tourists so if we had any hope of getting 3 seats together and by the window we needed to be quick; I knew from experience that I get a bit sick so having somewhere to sit inside where you can still see the sea is useful. After another small health and safety talk (boat fast/sit) we were on our way; most of these tours have the ‘if we don’t see anything we’ll book you on another tour’ policy which isn’t always great coz people don’t tend to hang around Kaikoura for more than the day they’re booked, but it does mean the company would lose money so they really want to see something as much as we do.

Sick as a dog, I spent the whole time sitting outside on the back staring at the horizon coz I was told staring at a stationary line can help (it didn’t) but I made it through without spewing so I call that a win. We didn’t see much to begin with but these boats are set up with all sorts of underwater gadgets so they can try to identify where whales can be located. Kaikoura sits at the southern end of the Hikurangi trench which has depths of 3km very close to shore which has led to a large number of deep sea species ending up here; this food source is pretty irresistible to whales and so unlike a lot of places they can regularly be seen within a short distance of the coast. The boat sent out a pulse thing and the responding squeaks gave us a heading and eventually we came upon some sperm whales; the sickness subsided for a few minutes so I could watch and take some pics. To be honest, the whales were great, but even just being on the sea and looking back across the southern alps was amazing enough to justify the days travel, I’ve never heard my sister exclaim as much as our drive up once we got near the mountains. We returned to the harbour and were met by our driver who took us into Kaikoura for our included fish supper, having felt sick for the last few hours a giant pile of chips with decent ketchup was literally the best.

On our journey back we went at our own pace stopping for photos across Kaikoura, the southern alps and the pacific ocean; every one suitable for display like most of the south island. We also came across roughly a billion seals lying on spits of rock right next to the coastal road who were totally unfazed by our proximity and were, I swear, posing. The main bulk of the journey back we spent listening to our own things, I’m pretty sure I had the newest episode of ‘My dad wrote a porno’ which I was trying to get through without disturbing the driver or laugh so hard he asked what I was listening to. Having consulted my guests, we cannot remember what we did that night so it was clearly super important but having had a long day I’m sure we just flopped into bed.

Our flight back wasn’t until the evening so we had the whole day to play with in Christchurch; I wanted to go to the earthquake memorial which was a short walk through town. I had been the CHCH briefly in 2008 but only stayed for a half day due to time constraints so I don’t really remember what it looked like; I only really have a picture in my head of an old cathedral with a spire on a square. This, as it turns out, was the famous Christchurch cathedral who’s spire fell in 2011 and still wasn’t safe for visitors so they had built a ‘transitional cathedral’ while they fixed up the original. This was right next to the earthquake memorial so we were able to see both; the memorial ‘185 empty white chairs’ is a sombre little patch of grass on a junction with a bunch of chairs all painted white to represent the 185 people that lost their lives. The chairs are all different and range from wicker to kitchen to office to wheelchair, there’s even a baby carrier as sadly there were some children who died. There is discussion of how to make this memorial permanent as the chairs are just made of normal chair material and have required some upkeep and painting since 2012; I think it’s totally worthwhile as it’s a poignant reminder of the 5th worst disaster in NZ history.

After lunch we still had some time so we headed to the Canterbury museum in the botanical gardens, here there was a large exhibition on Antarctic exploration as a number of famous expeditions have taken off from CHCH. Now people tend to travel from Chile or Argentina as it’s a shorter journey by sea and they come to the Antarctic Peninsula which has a lot of wildlife, however, what’s-his-name Scott and thingy Shackleton didn’t know this in advance so left from NZ on a few trips. I don’t remember what else was in the museum but we did head to the café for a cuppa and large piece of cake before retracing our steps from a few days earlier and heading to the airport. I was really hoping for us to get back in time for my regular Wednesday night pub quiz at Zac’s bar; we just about made it only missing the first round. As we were 3 extra we had to form our own team so Canterbury UNT were not the same size as all the other teams put together; I don’t remember how we did but I’m sure we won. Right?

#newzealand #travelling #christchurch #earthquake #kaikoura #whale watching #wildllife #fish and chips #canterbury museum #pub quiz

[topimagines]

Birthday Surprise- Brendon and Sarah Urie (poly)

Request- (urie poly anon) maybe panic! is back on tour it's like the readers birthday and she thinks they forgot so she's really upset but brendon and sarah do something really cute for her at the show that night to surprise her and then its really cute/fluffy after the show?

Every once in awhile on tour Brendon would have a show in the same town or same arena two nights in a row. Those time were always your favorite because that meant you got a hotel room for the night, which meant you got to sleep in the next morning. This morning it was like a present to you since it was your birthday and you got to wake up in a big bed with Sarah. When on the bus the bed was smaller and you all usually got up early because of all the noise in such a small place. You looked to your left and saw Sarah still asleep and an empty space next to her. Brendon was probably in soundcheck. You looked at your phone to see it was nearly 1 in the afternoon so you decided to get up and start your day.

While in the shower you heard Sarah get up and walk into the bathroom.

“Morning Y/N.” she said sleepily.

“Hey love. Did you sleep well?” you asked her stepping out of the shower.

“Yeah. I mean I slept most of the day away.” she laughed.

It was rare you guys would sleep that late on tour, but you weren’t complaining.

“Well I was going to get ready then maybe we can get some food. Maybe Brendon can join?” you offered picking an outfit from your bag as Sarah was getting dressed for the day.

“He won’t be able to. He saved all his interviews for today. Also I have my friend coming to the show tonight so I’m going to meet her for a late lunch. See you later love.” she kissed you on the cheek and left the room.

You sat there for a minute hoping she would come back and realize that it was your birthday and she never said anything or that you could come with her, but she didn’t. You picked up your phone again and text Brendon.

To Brendon

Sarah is with a friend today and I’m all alone. Are you busy or can I come and chill with you?

Sent 1:54 pm

You started your makeup while waiting for a text back. It had been 45 minutes and you were fully ready when you finally got a text.

From Brendon

Sorry super busy. Sorry you’re alone, but I’ll see you after the show.

Received 2:39 pm

To Brendon

Ok. Love you.

Sent 2:40 pm

After that you felt like your day was ruined. You were all alone in a strange city on your birthday. Brendon was busy working and Sarah was hanging out with a friend. Did they forget or did they just not care. You never liked really celebrating your birthday, but a nice ‘happy birthday’ was all you wanted. Or even a ‘i love you’ from Brendon since you hadn’t seen him all day. You decided not to waste your day so you went shopping. You ran into a few fans who you took pictures with.

“Oh my god are you Y/N Urie?” some teen girl asked you.

“That would be me.” you smiled.

“I love you. Like I can’t believe it’s you. Happy birthday by the way.” you thanked her and talked to her for a few minutes before she left you alone.

‘Wow even the fans know it’s my birthday but not my husband nor wife.’ you thought to yourself.

After shopping a bit more you went to the arena where you went backstage.

“Hey Dallon do you know where Brendon is?” you asked as you passed him.

“He and Sarah went out for some food about 20 minutes ago. They should be back in like an hour.” he said and now you felt like shit.

“Thanks.” you said giving him fake smile and then leaving.

You made you way back to the hotel room where you packed up your stuff. You were back on the bus tonight, so you thought why not pack now and distract yourself from the tears you so badly wanted to cry. It wasn’t that you were jealous, you were upset. You felt like they totally forgot about you and your birthday. You had barely seen either of them today and you probably wouldn't at all. You were pissed off too and didn’t even want to go to Brendon’s show. The last time you missed one of his shows was when you were super sick. Even then you went to half of it before Sarah made you go to the bus because you looked like you were about to pass out.

You sat in the room bored out of your mind on you phone. You were so lost in social media and youtube you didn’t realize it was already almost 9.

From Sarah

You coming to the show? They just went on and Brendon was sad you weren’t here.

Received 8:49 pm

To Sarah

Why would he be sad. He didn’t care at all today either did you. I’ll see you on the buses later

Sent 8:51 pm

You felt like such a bitch but those were your feelings.

From Sarah

Are you okay? You seem mad. Want me to come up to the room?

Received 8:51 pm

You ignored it. Did she not realize it either. You talked to her all of 30 minutes today and text Brendon once. They both knew you were alone and they still hung out together.

From Sarah

Y/N talk to me. I’m sorry for anything I did wrong.

Received 9:06 pm

You started to feel guilty so you sent a quick ‘on my way’ text and went to the arena. When you found Sarah she was in Brendon’s dressing room.

“You came. Good thing. Wanna go watch from side stage?” Sarah asked you like nothing was wrong.

You rolled your eyes before walking towards side stage. Brendon was in the middle of a song when he looked over and saw you. You usually waved or smiled at him but you stood there with you arms crossed. You felt Sarah next to you laying her head on your shoulder.

“It will all make sense in a few minutes. I’m sorry.” she whispered to you before kissing your cheek and giving you space again.

What the hell did she mean by that? You didn’t want to hear any apologies, you wanted to go to bed, alone. You would be fine tomorrow but for right now you had the right to be mad. When the song ended he was staring your way. You saw his mouth the words ‘i love you’, but you didn’t do it back.

“Okay guys this is amazing that all of you are here. Like I love all of you and I’m so happy we got to play this city two nights in a row both shows sold out.” he said then looked back over to you and Sarah. Sarah grabbed your hand and pulled you along with her onto stage where Brendon was. You hated being on stage and you didn’t care how much you were mad because your grip on Sarah’s hand increased and you hid in Brendon’s chest as he hugged you.

“I’m glad you all are here to celebrate with us right now. For you who don’t know, which why the fuck don’t you know, this beautiful woman was born today a few years ago. I won’t say how many because she’ll get mad at me, if she isn’t already. Today me and Sarah have lied to you Y/N, ignored you, and were mean. We made you upset and I’m sorry. It was one of the hardest things totally ignoring you all day and you can call me a dick if you want to, but I love you and happy birthday.” he said then the band started playing happy birthday as Sarah and Brendon hugged you tight. You saw someone from the crew walk out with a cake with candles. You felt all your anger leave your body when you realized the had this all planned. You blew out your blew out your candles and turned to Brendon and Sarah.

“So you still think I’m a dick?” he asked into the microphone.

“Yes, but a good dick.” you laughed and you saw Sarah walking away laughing.

“Guys you heard it here. It’s a good dick.” Brendon laughed with a smirk on his face. “But that’s not all we wanted to do here. What’s something you’ve been asking for for a really long time?” he asked you and your face lite up.

“A puppy?” you asked you eyes big and he nodded.

You saw Sarah holding a small puppy in her arms as she walked towards you. You always wanted a french bulldog. Since you got married you begged them to get a third dog by saying there was now three people and you needed another dog. When Sarah handed you the dog you started to cry.

“Don’t cry Y/N you’re gonna make me cry.” Brendon said.

“Oh my god thank you guys.” you said petting the dog.

“Told you it would all make sense soon.” Sarah told you.

Brendon kissed you once more before you left the stage with the puppy still in your arms.

“Sarah why didn’t you just tell me? I’ve been really upset all day and I thought you forgot about my birthday. Oh my god I love him so much.” you said down at the puppy who was lickig your face.

“That’s the point of a surprise. Sorry we made you feel down, but I mean you got a puppy so it was worth it right?” she asked petting the dog and you nodded.

“We had been searching for the perfect one for the past month and found a breeder about 100 miles from here. I picked him up at the airport this morning, that’s why I left so quickly and lied. Then I brought him here and me and Brendon have been hiding on the bus all day with him.” Sarah explained it everything you were mad about earlier started to make sense.

“Thank you Sarah. I love him so much and I love you.” you said kissing her.

“Enough PDA. There are precious puppies watching.” you heard Brendon said walking off stage all sweaty. He had just finished his last song.

“I love you.” you said pulling him into a kiss.

“So what do you think you’re going to name him?” Sarah asked taking the puppy from you so she could pet him for a minute.

“Um, well I always wanted a dog named Zeus. Do you like that name little guy?” you asked the small dog who started licking your hand.

Both Sarah and Brendon seemed to agree and like that name. You went back to the bus and after more celebrating you all laid in bed surrounded by dogs.

“I think we need a bigger bed.” Brendon laughed.

A/N- I know it’s sort of a weird name for a dog, but I use to have a dog names Zeus and he was the kindest thing on earth. I think I cried for like 3 weeks after he died. 

#brendon urie #brendon urie imagine #brendon urie fluff #brendon urie x reader #sarah urie #sarah urie imagine #sarah urie fluff #sarah urie x reader #Panic! at the Disco #panic! at the disco imagine #panic! at the disco fluff #panic at the disco x reader #patd #patd! #poly relationship

[faucetdouble51-blog]

72 Hours in Seattle

Hi, it’s Abby. My mom asked me to write an introduction for this post about our last-minute trip to Seattle a few weeks ago. I was invited to play in a soccer tournament there and this one was different than most because there was only one game a day, which means there was plenty of down time to explore a city. (That is how I convinced my mom to go.)  We flew out the morning after my last final and stayed with her college roommate, Jenn for three nights and three days. Mom already told you that the culinary highlight of our trip was eating a Dutch Baby with backyard raspberries in Jenn’s kitchen nook, but that doesn’t mean we didn’t pound some pavement in search of great food around town. Here, Mom and I take turns giving you a run-down of our packed 72 hours.

DAY 1: THURSDAY

1:00 [Jenny] I am forever in search of counter-service spots when I travel, especially for lunch, when you don’t want to spend an hour-plus lounging around while the sun shines on a brand new city that is calling for you. That’s why we dropped our bags at my friend Jenn’s house (in Ballard) at 12:45, then headed straight to The Fat Hen, a sweet, bright fast-casual spot that served avocado toasts, ricotta toasts, freshly squeezed juices, and good coffee. It killed us to forgo Frankie & Jo’s, the vegan ice cream shop sensation right across the street (they have multiple locations around the city) but we were saving room for dinner. FYI: Delancey — remember Delancey? — was right there, too. [Photo credit: Seattle Magazine]

2:30  [Abby] We walked from Fat Hen down 15th Street to Ballard Avenue, the main drag in Ballard, a neighborhood that reminded me of Brooklyn. There was a ton of stuff to do and a lot of fun shopping including a cool second-hand furniture store called Ballard Consignment, an aesthetically pleasing succulent store (I can’t remember the name, can someone help me?), and a trendy clothing place called Prism where my mom tried on a thousand dresses but ended up just buying my sister an iron-on patch for her jean jacket that said “Stay Wild Child.”

4:00 [Abby] We met up with my mom’s friend Jenn, who got out of work early for us, and headed to Golden Gardens Park for a walk. It was so beautiful! I got a virgin pina colada at Miri’s, a new cafe right on the beach. Also, even though everyone says Seattle weather is not so great, look at our sky! It was like that for most of the time we were there. (Here’s a tip to future travelers: Go there in late June, early July.)

5:30 [Jenny] I think the only reason why I agreed to take Abby to Seattle was so I could try to snag a table at The Walrus and the Carpenter, the original Renee Erickson French-style raw bar in Ballard that opened almost ten years ago and that I tried to get into during my last visit, only to be turned away by the long wait every time. This time I wasn’t messing around. At the very un-glamourous hour of 5:30, I dragged Abby, Jenn, and Jenn’s 15-year-old daughter Stella to dine on fried oysters and small plates in their bright happy space. FYI: Erickson has opened a bunch of other places in Capitol Hill, including a steakhouse Bateau, another oyster bar with the greatest electric mint color scheme (Bar Melusine), and stuffed doughnut mecca General Porpoise, which, for Abby, might’ve been more of a reason to go to Seattle than her soccer tournament. (More on that below.)

7:30 After dinner, we walked back up Ballard Avenue to get ice cream at Salt & Straw, the Portland-based makers who have won over legions of fans with their artisanal concoctions…think Fresh Sheep’s Cheese and Strawberries or Oregon Wasabi and Raspberry Sorbet. But the line was too long, and even though it was still early, we were on East Coast time, so we headed home to bed. (For those of you interested, here’s an interview with Salt & Straw founder Tyler Malek on the always awesome Bon Appetit’s Foodcast.)

DAY 2: FRIDAY

10:00 [Abby] I had a soccer game in Redmond (we won 4-0!) where the most exciting food moment of the morning was a pretzel that came with that fakey nacho cheese that is so delicious. We didn’t get to start exploring again until lunchtime and decided we wanted to spend the afternoon checking out Capitol Hill. First stop…

12:30…Rocket Taco for lunch, where we ate some of the best carnitas tacos I can remember.

1:45 It was Pride Month! We loved the rainbow crosswalks which made for especially good instagram posts. (That’s me with our friend Maylie. And this was at the intersection of East Pine and 10th Ave.)

2:30 [Abby] And of course, we had to hit Elliott Bay Books. My mom bought me a paperback copy of The Handmaid’s Tale — I’ve been watching the TV show and it’s very disturbing, but she said I’d like the book. (She wants me to tell you that for school I also had to read Hiroshima and Take the Cannoli)

3:01 [Abby] Then the funniest thing happened. I had been looking forward to going to the iconic General Porpoise Doughnuts from the moment we booked our flights — we practically planned our entire Capitol Hill outing around it — but when we got there at 3:01, we tried to open the door and it was locked. It closed at 3:00! For about ten seconds we were all super disappointed but then, out of nowhere, an employee walks outside and asked “Does anyone want a dozen free doughnuts?” I guess they like everything to be fresh, so at the end of the day, they give away what hasn’t sold instead of selling them the next day. That might’ve been the highlight of the trip. And those doughnuts were some of the best I’ve ever had– the vanilla stuffed ones especially!!

4:00 [Jenny] We hadn’t planned on it, but we decided to hit Pike Place Market (because: of course!) on our way home to Ballard from Capitol Hill. We bought fruit and a lovely flower arrangement for our lovely hosts, but for the most part we just walked up and down the long hallways and gaped at the offerings. Maybe the most amazing part was that I got a parking spot on Pike Place right in the middle of everything (across from the flagship Starbucks.) I kept looking at the spot and looking at the sign saying This is too good to be true (once a New Yorker always a New Yorker, I guess) but it was actually true. Over a month later, I’m still on a high from it.

6:30 [Jenny] I know this is hard to believe, but we still had more to eat. I’ve written about this before, but the way Abby and I go about planning where we want to eat in a new city is completely different. I go to tried-and-true sources like Bon Appetit City Guides or Eater’s Heat Maps. She goes right to instagram, searches by locations, then studies the grid until a particularly inspiring pastry or bowl of ramen shows up. That is how she landed on Fremont Bowl where we went with Jenn’s family. Abby’s review: “Crazy good Japanese bowls, with fish, chicken teriyaki, and so much more. I’m not really a tofu fan, but according to my mom she had the best tofu she’d ever had in her life at this place. Fremont’s a fun area to walk around, too.” She’s totally right, the fried house-made tofu that our friend Maylie ordered was off-the-hook delicious. I was psyched because right next door was Book Larder, a store that specializes in cookbooks and community culinary events, but sadly they were closed for a private event. I guess that’s as good an excuse as any to return to Seattle in the very near future.

DAY 3: SATURDAY 9:00 [Abby] Mom, Jenn, and Jenn’s husband, Ben went for an early run around Green Lake Park (about a 3-mile loop she says) then we all gorged on Jenn’s now legendary Dutch Babies and plotted the day. Ben pointed us in the direction of the giant Asian Market Uwajimaya which was awesome (Oh, before that, Mom stopped for another cup of coffee at Anchored Ship in Ballard) but we ended up eating around the corner at at Dough Zone due to some intense soup dumpling cravings, aka the best food in the world.  It’s a good thing my next soccer game wasn’t until 4:00 that afternoon. We pretty much rolled out of there. Those dumplings were amazing.

6:00 [Abby] After my soccer game (lost 2-1) we drove to Mulkiteo and caught a ferry to Whidbey Island, about 25 miles north of Seattle across the Puget Sound, where Jenn and Ben have the sweetest cabin. The ferry was only about 25 minutes, but involved spectacular views of islands and huge mountains in the distance.

7:30 We only had about 12 hours to hang on Whidbey, but we got a good taste of it, snacking on their porch (above), chilling out by the campfire for an epic sunset; Ben grilled some local salmon and hot dogs for dinner. The house only had two bedrooms so my mom and I got to sleep in a tent listening to the crackling campfire. 

. Side Note [Jenny] Those of you who follow me on instagram might remember this photo. Jenn and Ben were torturing themselves trying to decide what color to paint the cabin — they were going for a dark Scandinavian cottage look — so I conducted an insta poll asking which combo you all liked. Most of you were in favor of the navy/white palette, the third one down. Last week, she sent me this pic:

How beautiful is that?!?!?! They went with Sherwin Williams Inkwell for the house and Benjamin Moore Oxford White for the trim.

DAY 4 SUNDAY

8:30 [Abby] We had an early afternoon plane to catch, so didn’t have a ton of time to explore, but we did manage to squeeze in a walk on the beach and a quick trip to Langley, where we ate eggs and cinnamon rolls at Useless Bay Coffee, then took a walk to a dramatic sandbar called Seawall Park. The town was so charming! From there was a convenient shuttle from Whidbey to the Seattle Airport, and we were on our way home.

Boy you fed us well, Seattle. We miss you so much!

Related: 36 Hours in Austin; 36 Hours in Portland, Maine; 48 Hours in Montreal.

Source: http://www.dinneralovestory.com/72-hours-in-seattle/

[danasukontarak]

Dana’s Travel Diary: Bali’n Out in Indonesia

International travel ideas often seem lofty, unattainable, reserved only for posh socialites with daddy’s bread to blow. I know I’m not the only 20-something who ever felt relegated to perusing Wikitravel or thumbing through the pages of an issue of Afar Magazine to get my affordable adventure fix. Admittedly, successful and seamless international travel also requires a decently-paying job and some tenacity for saving (at least one or the other). Before working at my current job and having both a salary and bountiful PTO, travel was not impossible, but far more limited by time and money. That said, the place I’d always had my eye on, the place that seemed overflowing with natural and spiritual wonder, was Bali.

The most popular travel destination in all of Indonesia, Bali is a quirky little anomaly of an island within a country with a notoriously harsh governmental regime. The people of Indonesia began to elect their president just 13 years ago in 2004. The penalties for drug crimes are harsh. On the trip, we only uttered the word “ganja” once, to a tatted-up taxi driver with ear gauges. His reply: no. As a man vacationing from Jakarta told me on Kuta Beach, cracking open a can of Bintang (Indonesia’s Heineken), “You know Bali, but you don’t know Indonesia.”

The people in Bali practice Balinese Hinduism. In fact, they are the only part of Indonesia that is not predominantly Muslim. The women wore colorful three-quarter lace shirts, patterned sarongs, and sashes eloquently tied around their slim waists. They walked with baskets on their heads, babies slung round their shoulders. Guys wore patterned headbands and also wore artfully tied sarongs around their waists. Frangipani and incense offerings in stapled banana leaf trays litter the sidewalks and windowsills of nearly every building we passed in Bali. The Balinese women prepare these at multiple times throughout the day, a pleasant floral reminder of this island’s unique culture. 

I paid for my flight in early October, for a trip I took in late January. I was able to find a roundtrip ticket for the 10,000 mile journey for $750. (That’s only 7.5 cents per mile!) Tickets can run an upwards of $1,200 from D.C. to Denpasar, so I grabbed these before the weird online airline algorithm and Big Brother saw hearts in my eyes and hiked up the price before I could click submit. Reminder: always browse flights on Incognito Mode. 

Before traveling, my research was limited. Basic research is necessary, of course, such as what the currency and conversion rate is (Indonesian rupiah [IDR], roughly 13,000 per USD), or where your hotel is in relation to the airport, or what season and general climate it will be during your stay. I talked to my friend Claudia, who’d been to Bali a few months before. I checked out a few major tourist destinations online (the must-sees), and left the rest up to fate, as I tend to do. 

We departed from Ronald Reagan Airport in Washington, D.C. I traveled with my ex-boyfriend, the awkward result of planning for trips in super advance but not planning on a breakup. It worked out, though. I was glad to be traveling internationally not just with another person, but a man. I never felt endangered at all during my trip, but I had no idea what the general atmosphere would be like. There were a few notable times I was relieved to have had his male presence (i.e. when I panicked over a lizard in the hotel room; when we wanted to travel by motor scooter through congested streets; when I had to carry a bowling ball of a fresh coconut through Ubud). Major media would love to have you believe that, as a traveling woman, you’ll be kidnapped and sold into sex slavery. I feel you run this risk at equivalent levels no matter where you go. TBH. No need to be scared or paranoid, but also remember: a little common sense and alertness go a long way when traveling.

Our flight was 22 hours, collectively. The route was D.C. to Detroit to Incheon (South Korea) and finally to Bali. The meals on board the Korean Air flight from Detroit to Incheon were hit or miss. Bibimbap was a hit. Everything else (seafood and potatoes, beef and vegetables, etc.) was an extreme miss. During one meal, I opened an applesauce-cup of the softest tofu I’d ever seen in my life - it was almost liquid. I looked around to see if the Asians on board were on board with this virtual tofu smoothie. It looked like no cup was left uneaten, besides mine.

When we arrived in Ngurah Rai Airport in Bali, we were approached immediately by a seemingly friendly and helpful taxi driver. It was past midnight and he stuck by us quite adamantly as we fumbled with our phones as they attempted to pick up Indonesian cell service. He offered his phone so that I could call my hotel and arrange an impromptu middle-of-the-night check-in (which I hadn’t prepared for). I watched the driver, Norman, wave away other people also appearing to be in need of his assistance. What I figured was that he had an eye for Americans, or rather, our American dollars. In my limited experience, the most money you will spend on transportation whenever traveling internationally, is the cab ride from the airport to your lodging destination. Norman charged us $55. We didn’t ask the price prior to departing, but we’d assumed it was cheap because of the way he described pricing of hostels and homestays. This was the single most expensive charge during our time in Bali; it is an unheard-of taxi price once actually anywhere in Bali besides the airport.

When searching for hotels prior to the trip, I saw that the average price of a pretty nice hotel over there was not much more that what you’d pay for a shitty hotel here. I used Expedia points (earned from flights over the past few years) to get a discount on already-affordable 4-star resorts. The first hotel we stayed at was Blue Karma Resort in Ubud. They were very accommodating and welcomed us in at nearly 2 in the morning, showing us to a very lovely hut-style room with outdoor shower and cabana. In the morning, we also saw that there was a beautiful shared infinity pool, and a nice on-site restaurant with yummy breakfast and fresh fruit salad. 

The hotel was in a somewhat remote area, but shuttle/taxi/scooter service was abundant. In Ubud, there are many street markets with cool pants (I bought three), keychains, native trinkets and the like. Ask “How much?” but be prepared to be given a price marked up with the Gringo tax. Counter with a reasonable offer, and they’ll most likely be glad to accept. It’s cool to negotiate with vendors and taxi drivers - do not expect to negotiate in restaurants with posted prices, or anywhere else where you are actually billed. 

Also, tipping is a nice gesture, but service fees are generally built in to all charges, especially at hotels and restaurants. I did, however, leave tips for the cleaning staff at each hotel - just a dollar or two, which I’d read is the equivalent of many of their entire day’s salaries. 

In Ubud, we walked down a busy street to get to the Sacred Monkey Forest. Taxi drivers beckon for your business every three steps. Stray dogs dodge pedestrians skillfully, while others nap between scooters and storefront steps. Entry to the monkey forest is about 3 USD, and vendors inside sell bunches of bananas to feed to them. If you hold banana above your head, they’ll climb up your body to grab it. If you aren’t vigilant, monkeys will snatch any loose items from your pockets or hands. We lost a pack of rolling papers to one stealthy monkey, who then pulled it apart like an accordion and abandoned it upon discovering it was inedible. 

On the second day started at 2 A.M., when we left in a shuttle to go on the Mt. Batur sunrise trek. Mt. Batur is an active volcano that has erupted as recently as 2000. It’s highest point is about a mile up, and the ascent takes about 2.5 hours. The tour company fed us a banana pancake and strong coffee for breakfast, and the hike began in quite the anticlimactic fashion as we stumbled along behind a 19-year-old Balinese guide, criss-crossing paths with many other tour groups. I began to sweat and lose my breath after about 45 minutes, before the hard part even started. Several parts of the path are dangerously rocky, while others are sandy, slippery, and almost impossible to navigate without falling straight down on your ass. When we reached the top, we were given banana sandwiches and an egg boiled in volcano steam (still liquid and almost raw - I fed it to a stray volcano dog). The view was incredible, despite our guide having doubted the sunrise would be visible on such a cloudy day. 

The walk down was easier but still not easy. Our guide held my hand to help me down tricky areas, and asked my ex, “You jealous?”

Food in Bali was delicious and cheap. It seemed that most of the warungs (Indonesian word for small restaurant/eatery) had similar menus, and at most, you could get appetizers, entrees, and beverages for under 15 USD. We ate enough curry, satay, and sambal to last a lifetime.

The next morning, we rode on the backs of scooters to the hidden treasure that is Tegenungan Waterfalls. The ride was pleasantly risky. There’s nothing like accepting a motor scooter ride from a stranger in a foreign country. We passed a butterfly farm and lots of places that sold Buddha statues and carved stone items. We reached the waterfall at about 10 A.M., and a long set of stairs led down to a gorgeous sight.

At that time in the morning, only a few people were there already. The crash of the waterfall was thunderous and humbling. I approached with caution, wading at a respectful distance, enjoying God’s beauty.

The scooter ride back into Ubud was hectic, because we happened to run smack dab into the Saraswati festival, which happens twice a year. Saraswati is the goddess of knowledge, music, arts, wisdom and learning. My kind of gal. People were flocking out of temples en masse in traditional Balinese dress, and there was a scooter traffic jam amidst the celebration. My driver was incredibly skillful and brazen, getting through the traffic by any means, sidewalk driving, and truck blocking necessary.

Back at Blue Karma, we packed our bags and headed to Nusa Dua to check into our second hotel, Jimbaran Cliffs Private Resort and Spa. The pictures online for this resort looked amazing, its primary draw being the private infinity pool on the terrace of each room. The first thing I did was jump in with a plate of complimentary fresh papaya, pineapple and watermelon.

The area where we stayed in Nusa Dua was a lot different than Ubud, a lot more like a “regular” city. Our hotel, however, was so hidden in the cliffs that we got a taxi driver stuck in a narrow brick alley trying to find it. 

We heard that Aussie surfers and locals at Kuta Beach had the best and easiest access to Bali’s famed magic mushrooms. Though marijuana is highly illegal, shrooms are pretty much normalized. Officially, they became illegal a few years ago, but its availability in Bali is akin to the availability of weed in D.C. On Kuta Beach, we were offered shrooms in Coca-Cola, which we tried but didn’t feel too much. Kuta Beach was extremely dirty, with trash lining the shore and stray dogs snarling at each other. Little old lady vendors won’t leave you alone until you agree to a henna tattoo or a foot massage or a black stone bracelet that’s “cheap, cheap for you.” 

The shopping malls near Kuta Beach are nice, and it was kind of comforting to browse through Zara and H&M while halfway across the globe from home. On our last day, we rented a scooter and took it solo through the city, filling up our tank from a lady on the side of the road with an Absolut bottle full of petrol.

We had a big seafood dinner by the beach on our last night, and headed to the airport for a 1 A.M. flight back to Incheon, and then Detroit, and then D.C. Aside from a slight fiasco with Customs in Detroit over a dragonfruit I’d tried to bring back with me, the journey was alright. This was the second stamp in my adult passport and well worth the extreme jetlag. 

It’s a trip I recommend for anyone with any shred of a sense of adventure to go on, and somewhere I’d definitely consider returning to by myself. If you are considering planning an excursion to beautiful Bali, here is a summary of what I’ve learned, some handy tips based on my experience: 

1: Search flights often and purchase flights early - You can also sign up for price alerts through most travel websites. Remember to browse flights in incognito mode! 2: Know what to expect, but know that you won’t know what to expect - Do SOME research, but more importantly, just be openminded with common sense. 3: Plan ahead for transportation from the airport upon arrival - Check with your hotel before your trip to see if complimentary shuttle/taxi service from the airport is provided! You may also want to call and arrange a taxi ride beforehand if possible, to avoid the higher fees at the airport. 4: Stay in more than one hotel and explore multiple areas while in Bali - Each place has a different vibe. Stay in at least two areas. DON’T stay in a Hilton or other American chain hotel - you’ll be cheating yourself. 5: Negotiate prices, and check multiple options - It’s ok to negotiate prices in most instances. Vendors will always start off high. 6: Do everything, immerse yourself in the culture, be kind to locals - It would be a good idea to download Google Translate and download the Indonesian language library, just in case you don’t have service and need to translate something for a local. 7: Be careful with shrooms and DON’T check for weed - Weed is a no-no in Bali, but shrooms can be risky (especially if you are unaware of the potency and dosage). 8: Don’t try to bring a dragonfruit home with you - CBP will be on that ass.

#bali #travel #travelseries #travelwriting #indonesia #asia #wanderlust #adventure #traveldiary #danastraveldiary

[ladystylestores]

The Ultimate Weekend in Alaska Road Trip Itinerary • The Blonde Abroad

Zhanna, the storyteller behind Roads and Destinations is sharing the ultimate weekend in Alaska road trip itinerary!

Alaska has been on my bucket list for as long as I can remember. Unfortunately, succumbing to popular belief, I thought I would need at least a week to visit the Last Frontier.

For a full-time accounting assistant with just two weeks of vacation a year, it didn’t look like this dream could become a reality. But with a few days set aside for a long weekend, I thought to myself, why not? We had been traveling in the US on weekends and holidays before. Why couldn’t we make Alaska happen?

For our weekend Alaska road trip itinerary, we focused on the southcentral region of the state. With many direct flights from Los Angeles to Anchorage, we spent most of our 3.5 days exploring this part of Alaska, rather than waiting at airports.

Although Anchorage is the largest city in the state, it’s a perfect destination to start your weekend road trip in Alaska. Its vast parks and nature centers give you a chance to immerse in the natural beauty of the state without driving farther away from the city.

Nearby towns and dramatic landscapes such as Kenai Fjords National Park introduce you to rural and unspoiled Alaska, so you really get to experience a lot in a short amount of time.

Here’s the ultimate weekend in Alaska road trip itinerary!

The Best  Time to Visit

Since the weather in Alaska is unpredictable and winters are harsh, the best time to go on a road trip in Southern Alaska is from April until mid-September. Even though the temperatures are still low in spring, the state—including its wildlife—slowly begins to wake up. At this time the roads are pretty clear from snow.

From the middle of March, ship cruises start resuming their operations—which is great news for those who plan to explore Resurrection Bay and Kenai Fjords National Park.

Visiting Alaska in winter has its own charm. Certainly, not all destinations in this weekend Alaska road trip itinerary are accessible during the snowy season. However, winter festivals in Anchorage and other outdoor activities are quite lovely!

On top of that, it becomes easier to reach Exit Glacier in Kenai Fjords and Portage Glacier in Turnagain Arm once lakes freeze solid.

You can find more information on the best time to travel to Alaska here.

Where to Stay

Since Anchorage is the biggest and most populous city in Alaska, it offers accommodations for all tastes and preferences. From big chains such as Hilton and Marriott to small and inexpensive bed and breakfasts like Deal’s Bed & Breakfast, the city suits budget and luxury travelers alike.

It’s also the best option for those who despise changing accommodations every night. They can base themselves in Anchorage for the weekend and take two-day trips to Whittier and Seward.

The drive time to these small cities is approximately 1.5 to 2.5 hours, respectively. If this wasn’t a good thing already, long summer days allow for a few extra stops along the way to add to this Alaska road trip itinerary!

Those who prefer to travel at a slower pace can spend one or two nights in hotels and B&Bs in and near Whittier.

Campers usually stay at Portage Valley Cabins and RV Park or Williwaw Campground. Most of these places require calling and checking the availability of the rooms and camping spots in advance.

Booking.com

Weekend Alaska Road Trip Highlights

Anchorage

Turnagain Gallery and Gifts of Alaska, Bird Creek

The Alaska Wildlife Conservation Center

Williwaw Campground

Portage Lake

Whittier

Seward

Day One: Early Arrival in Anchorage

Things to do in Anchorage depend on the time of your travel. While in winter you choose to spend more time indoors and visit the Alaska Native Heritage Center and the Anchorage Museum, spring and summer are all about outdoor adventures.

Tony Knowles Coastal Trail

Upon your early arrival in Anchorage, you can’t think of a better activity than hitting the Tony Knowles Coastal Trail. The 11-mile hiking and biking path spreads from Second Avenue in downtown Anchorage to Kincaid Park.

It ensures a great way to stretch your legs after a long flight while admiring scenic views of the city and its surrounding.

Kincaid Park

To save time by not going back and forth, you can continue your hike or bike ride in Kincaid Park. Although the park has its own beautiful vistas, trails, and designated sports grounds, Alaska’s wildlife attracts the visitors in the first place. If you’re lucky, you can see moose and black bears roaming freely here.

Potter Marsh

Potter Marsh is another great destination in Anchorage to encounter wildlife—mostly birds. Located at the southern end of the Anchorage Coastal Wildlife Refuge, it’s home to migratory and nesting birds such as eagles, gulls, Arctic terns, and northern pintails.

Moose, beavers, and muskrats also frequent the marsh. Occasionally, brown and black bears wander nearby.

Flattop Mountain

To the east of downtown Anchorage, Flattop Mountain allures locals and visitors with a steep 1.5-mile trail. The hike can be tiresome, but the views from the top are worth every effort of climbing this famed mountain.

Turnagain Gallery

Day Two: Anchorage to Whittier

The best way to make the most out of the weekend road trip in Alaska is by getting off the beaten path and exploring lesser-known places in between.

I’d recommend starting your second day early, so you can catch sunrise right outside Anchorage. Pullover anywhere along the Seward Highway and watch how the sky turns from purple to yellow and finally blue.

Once done, get back on the road and head to Whittier, exploring a few other places along the way.

Turnagain Gallery Alaska Art and Gifts

At mile marker 100 of the Seward Highway, about 20-minute drive south of Anchorage is located Turnagain Gallery Alaskan Arts and Gifts. The place features wood sculptures, handmade jewelry, paintings, and glass art made by local artists.

Everything in the gallery is available for sale. Be sure to check its operation hours before your visit.

The Bake Shop

For breakfast or brunch, stop at The Bake Shop in Girdwood to enjoy homemade sourdough pancakes, sweet rolls, hot or cold sandwiches, and signature soups. The place also caters to vegans and vegetarians and offers veggie pizza, vegan soup, and fresh salads to dig into.

The Alaska Wildlife Conservation Center

Once back on the road, check out the Alaska Wildlife Conservation Center. Located about one hour away from Anchorage, this non- profit organization focuses on providing quality care and the best environment for injured and orphaned animals.

Among its famous residents, you can see the black and brown bears, moose, reindeer, and wood bison.

Willow Campground

For a chance to view spawning salmon in fall and hike to a glacier, be sure to visit the Williwaw Campground in Portage Valley.

With the towing glaciers and snowy massifs, the place has, arguably, some of the best views in Alaska. Hikers can’t get enough of the Blue Ice Trail winding through woods and near scenic lakes and ponds.

How gorgeous is Portage Lake?

Portage Lake

You can get a better look at Portage Glacier from Portage Lake, which is located about 8 minutes away from the campground. The lake freezes in winter, usually around February, allowing for a safe 3-mile hike all the way to the glacier.

Portage Glacier Cafe

Before finally heading to Whittier, visit Portage Glacier Cafe to enjoy the filling and inexpensive hot sandwiches and pies.

Horsetail Falls

Whittier

Spend the Rest of the Day in Whittier

Whittier is one of the smallest cities in Alaska. Its population barely exceeds 200 people. Though the city is small, it offers plenty of things to do in one day! From boat cruises to hiking and waterfalls chasing, Whittier keeps adding stunning places and outdoor activities to your Alaska road trip itinerary.

Heads up: There is only one land access to the city through the Anton Anderson Memorial Tunnel, the longest (2.5 miles) highway tunnel in North America.

Top Things to Do in Whittier

Portage Pass Trail

Regardless of whether you choose to conquer the waters of Resurrection Bay and Prince William Sound or not, be sure to hit the Portage Pass Trail. This moderate 2-mile hike allows for the stunning views of Portage Glacier and Portage Lake at the end of the trail.

Horsetail Falls

You don’t want to miss Horsetail Falls! Lost in lush summer greenery, a waterfall cascades off the mountain from a height of 330 feet and empties into the Lowe River.

Boat Tours

The majority of the travelers visit Whittier with one purpose in mind: to embark on a cruise ship that takes them to Kenai Fjords National Park or Prince William Sound. On the downside, the city’s options are limited compared to nearby Seward.

Top Places to Eat and Drink in Whittier

Oceanfront Cafe

Oceanfront Cafe is one of the newest places to eat in Whittier. The cafe is famous for two things: specialty coffees and a gorgeous view over Passage Canal.

Other things to try here are fish tacos, reindeer sausage dogs, and salmon chowder served in sourdough bread bowls.

Wild Catch Cafe

Wild Catch Cafe is another popular destination to grab a salmon burger or order fresh clam chowder.

Cafe’s menu doesn’t include many choices, but whatever is on it promises to be satisfying and delicious. Though we didn’t dine here, based on my research, the place claims to have vegetarian and vegan options as well.

Day Three: Whittier – Seward – Anchorage

Seward is located about 1 hour and 50 minutes away from Whittier. Gateway to Kenai Fjords National Park, it entices the adventurous travelers with dozens of glaciers, scenic hikes, such water activities as paddling, and gorgeous views.

Top Things to Do in Seward

Boat Tours

Just like Whittier, Seward attracts the visitors with ample bout tours to see and explore some of famous Alaska’s glaciers. You can find different tour operators as well as tours, varying it their itineraries and duration.

For half of the day, we cruised across Kenai Fjords National Park — reserve your spot on a boat tour here!

Helpful Tip:

While booking your tour, check to see if it includes lunch or not. Some companies allow you to add in the option of having lunch on the boat. If not, be sure to bring your own lunch and snacks as the water excursions last on average five hours.

Two Lakes Park

Change the scenery at Two Lakes Park. While the blue waters and mountains caught your attention before, now it’s time to focus on Alaska’s temperate rainforest! The highlight of the park is a short, less than a mile loop through the woods full of spruce trees and small waterfalls.

Lowell Creek Waterfall

On the southern edge of Seward, Lowell Creek Waterfall unveils its presence with the loud sound of pounding water. The waterfall is set near a country road and can be reached by car. No hiking is needed.

Kenai Mountains – Turnagain Arm National Heritage Area

Kenai Mountains – Turnagain Arm National Heritage Area

On your way back to Anchorage, stop at Kenai Mountains – Turnagain Arm National Heritage Area for a quick photoshoot during golden hour. Recognized for its compelling historic and cultural heritage and distinctive landscape, the place deserves at least one full day.

Considering that you have only one weekend this time, this destination can be a valid reason to go on another road trip in Alaska in the future.

Final  Thoughts

Alaska is a wonderful place for scenic road trips. While traveling to northern parts of the state might ask for a longer vacation, you don’t need more than three days to hit all the best spots in Southcentral Alaska.

Check out these guides to see more things to do on your Alaska road trip:

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[coffeelevel8-blog]

72 Hours in Seattle

Hi, it’s Abby. My mom asked me to write an introduction for this post about our last-minute trip to Seattle a few weeks ago. I was invited to play in a soccer tournament there and this one was different than most because there was only one game a day, which means there was plenty of down time to explore a city. (That is how I convinced my mom to go.)  We flew out the morning after my last final and stayed with her college roommate, Jenn for three nights and three days. Mom already told you that the culinary highlight of our trip was eating a Dutch Baby with backyard raspberries in Jenn’s kitchen nook, but that doesn’t mean we didn’t pound some pavement in search of great food around town. Here, Mom and I take turns giving you a run-down of our packed 72 hours.

DAY 1: THURSDAY

1:00 [Jenny] I am forever in search of counter-service spots when I travel, especially for lunch, when you don’t want to spend an hour-plus lounging around while the sun shines on a brand new city that is calling for you. That’s why we dropped our bags at my friend Jenn’s house (in Ballard) at 12:45, then headed straight to The Fat Hen, a sweet, bright fast-casual spot that served avocado toasts, ricotta toasts, freshly squeezed juices, and good coffee. It killed us to forgo Frankie & Jo’s, the vegan ice cream shop sensation right across the street (they have multiple locations around the city) but we were saving room for dinner. FYI: Delancey — remember Delancey? — was right there, too. [Photo credit: Seattle Magazine]

2:30  [Abby] We walked from Fat Hen down 15th Street to Ballard Avenue, the main drag in Ballard, a neighborhood that reminded me of Brooklyn. There was a ton of stuff to do and a lot of fun shopping including a cool second-hand furniture store called Ballard Consignment, an aesthetically pleasing succulent store (I can’t remember the name, can someone help me?), and a trendy clothing place called Prism where my mom tried on a thousand dresses but ended up just buying my sister an iron-on patch for her jean jacket that said “Stay Wild Child.”

4:00 [Abby] We met up with my mom’s friend Jenn, who got out of work early for us, and headed to Golden Gardens Park for a walk. It was so beautiful! I got a virgin pina colada at Miri’s, a new cafe right on the beach. Also, even though everyone says Seattle weather is not so great, look at our sky! It was like that for most of the time we were there. (Here’s a tip to future travelers: Go there in late June, early July.)

5:30 [Jenny] I think the only reason why I agreed to take Abby to Seattle was so I could try to snag a table at The Walrus and the Carpenter, the original Renee Erickson French-style raw bar in Ballard that opened almost ten years ago and that I tried to get into during my last visit, only to be turned away by the long wait every time. This time I wasn’t messing around. At the very un-glamourous hour of 5:30, I dragged Abby, Jenn, and Jenn’s 15-year-old daughter Stella to dine on fried oysters and small plates in their bright happy space. FYI: Erickson has opened a bunch of other places in Capitol Hill, including a steakhouse Bateau, another oyster bar with the greatest electric mint color scheme (Bar Melusine), and stuffed doughnut mecca General Porpoise, which, for Abby, might’ve been more of a reason to go to Seattle than her soccer tournament. (More on that below.)

7:30 After dinner, we walked back up Ballard Avenue to get ice cream at Salt & Straw, the Portland-based makers who have won over legions of fans with their artisanal concoctions…think Fresh Sheep’s Cheese and Strawberries or Oregon Wasabi and Raspberry Sorbet. But the line was too long, and even though it was still early, we were on East Coast time, so we headed home to bed. (For those of you interested, here’s an interview with Salt & Straw founder Tyler Malek on the always awesome Bon Appetit’s Foodcast.)

DAY 2: FRIDAY

10:00 [Abby] I had a soccer game in Redmond (we won 4-0!) where the most exciting food moment of the morning was a pretzel that came with that fakey nacho cheese that is so delicious. We didn’t get to start exploring again until lunchtime and decided we wanted to spend the afternoon checking out Capitol Hill. First stop…

12:30…Rocket Taco for lunch, where we ate some of the best carnitas tacos I can remember.

1:45 It was Pride Month! We loved the rainbow crosswalks which made for especially good instagram posts. (That’s me with our friend Maylie. And this was at the intersection of East Pine and 10th Ave.)

2:30 [Abby] And of course, we had to hit Elliott Bay Books. My mom bought me a paperback copy of The Handmaid’s Tale — I’ve been watching the TV show and it’s very disturbing, but she said I’d like the book. (She wants me to tell you that for school I also had to read Hiroshima and Take the Cannoli)

3:01 [Abby] Then the funniest thing happened. I had been looking forward to going to the iconic General Porpoise Doughnuts from the moment we booked our flights — we practically planned our entire Capitol Hill outing around it — but when we got there at 3:01, we tried to open the door and it was locked. It closed at 3:00! For about ten seconds we were all super disappointed but then, out of nowhere, an employee walks outside and asked “Does anyone want a dozen free doughnuts?” I guess they like everything to be fresh, so at the end of the day, they give away what hasn’t sold instead of selling them the next day. That might’ve been the highlight of the trip. And those doughnuts were some of the best I’ve ever had– the vanilla stuffed ones especially!!

4:00 [Jenny] We hadn’t planned on it, but we decided to hit Pike Place Market (because: of course!) on our way home to Ballard from Capitol Hill. We bought fruit and a lovely flower arrangement for our lovely hosts, but for the most part we just walked up and down the long hallways and gaped at the offerings. Maybe the most amazing part was that I got a parking spot on Pike Place right in the middle of everything (across from the flagship Starbucks.) I kept looking at the spot and looking at the sign saying This is too good to be true (once a New Yorker always a New Yorker, I guess) but it was actually true. Over a month later, I’m still on a high from it.

6:30 [Jenny] I know this is hard to believe, but we still had more to eat. I’ve written about this before, but the way Abby and I go about planning where we want to eat in a new city is completely different. I go to tried-and-true sources like Bon Appetit City Guides or Eater’s Heat Maps. She goes right to instagram, searches by locations, then studies the grid until a particularly inspiring pastry or bowl of ramen shows up. That is how she landed on Fremont Bowl where we went with Jenn’s family. Abby’s review: “Crazy good Japanese bowls, with fish, chicken teriyaki, and so much more. I’m not really a tofu fan, but according to my mom she had the best tofu she’d ever had in her life at this place. Fremont’s a fun area to walk around, too.” She’s totally right, the fried house-made tofu that our friend Maylie ordered was off-the-hook delicious. I was psyched because right next door was Book Larder, a store that specializes in cookbooks and community culinary events, but sadly they were closed for a private event. I guess that’s as good an excuse as any to return to Seattle in the very near future.

DAY 3: SATURDAY 9:00 [Abby] Mom, Jenn, and Jenn’s husband, Ben went for an early run around Green Lake Park (about a 3-mile loop she says) then we all gorged on Jenn’s now legendary Dutch Babies and plotted the day. Ben pointed us in the direction of the giant Asian Market Uwajimaya which was awesome (Oh, before that, Mom stopped for another cup of coffee at Anchored Ship in Ballard) but we ended up eating around the corner at at Dough Zone due to some intense soup dumpling cravings, aka the best food in the world.  It’s a good thing my next soccer game wasn’t until 4:00 that afternoon. We pretty much rolled out of there. Those dumplings were amazing.

6:00 [Abby] After my soccer game (lost 2-1) we drove to Mulkiteo and caught a ferry to Whidbey Island, about 25 miles north of Seattle across the Puget Sound, where Jenn and Ben have the sweetest cabin. The ferry was only about 25 minutes, but involved spectacular views of islands and huge mountains in the distance.

7:30 We only had about 12 hours to hang on Whidbey, but we got a good taste of it, snacking on their porch (above), chilling out by the campfire for an epic sunset; Ben grilled some local salmon and hot dogs for dinner. The house only had two bedrooms so my mom and I got to sleep in a tent listening to the crackling campfire. 

. Side Note [Jenny] Those of you who follow me on instagram might remember this photo. Jenn and Ben were torturing themselves trying to decide what color to paint the cabin — they were going for a dark Scandinavian cottage look — so I conducted an insta poll asking which combo you all liked. Most of you were in favor of the navy/white palette, the third one down. Last week, she sent me this pic:

How beautiful is that?!?!?! They went with Sherwin Williams Inkwell for the house and Benjamin Moore Oxford White for the trim.

DAY 4 SUNDAY

8:30 [Abby] We had an early afternoon plane to catch, so didn’t have a ton of time to explore, but we did manage to squeeze in a walk on the beach and a quick trip to Langley, where we ate eggs and cinnamon rolls at Useless Bay Coffee, then took a walk to a dramatic sandbar called Seawall Park. The town was so charming! From there was a convenient shuttle from Whidbey to the Seattle Airport, and we were on our way home.

Boy you fed us well, Seattle. We miss you so much!

Related: 36 Hours in Austin; 36 Hours in Portland, Maine; 48 Hours in Montreal.

Source: http://www.dinneralovestory.com/72-hours-in-seattle/

#read more #see more #check it out #interesting #learn more

[rebeccahpedersen]

Atlantis!

TorontoRealtyBlog

The plan today was to provide a brief review of Atlantis before my “MLS Musings” post.  But then I got typing, as I often do, and the “brief” review just kept going!

By the time I got to 1,200 words, I realized I’d be saving the MLS Musings for next Friday.

This post does have at least one thing in common with the topic of real estate, however, and that’s the inherent negativity that exists in all reviews…

Was I really away on vacation?

It sure doesn’t feel like it…

The week after your vacation is always three times as busy as the week preceding the trip, and Atlantis feels like it was a year ago.

A reader asked me for a brief recap of the trip, but surely by now, you guys know nothing I say is brief.

Feedback, commentary, and opinions on hotels, resorts, restaurants, and almost everything in the service industry are almost always inherently negative, so while I will say, “I had a great time,” and “I would definitely go again,” let me regale you with my long list of complaints first.

If it bleeds, it leads.  And happy stories don’t make the news.  So why should a review of a glorious Caribbean resort be any different, right?

Let’s start from the very beginning…

Atlantis has a shuttle that picks you up at the airport and takes you directly to the resort, but as the parents of a 17-month-old child, we wondered, “Does the shuttle have child seats?”

The answer, of course, is no.

And as my wife was told on the phone, “You don’t need a child seat in Bahamas.  It’s not mandatory.”

Not mandatory.  But preferable?  This is supposed to be a 5-star resort; we were shocked that they’d encourage us to overlook the safety of our kids, but oh well.

We decided to hire another service to take us to and from the airport, partially because of the child-seat issue, but also so we could stop at a grocery store and liquor store before we hit the resort.  As I’ll explain later, that was a more important journey than we thought it would be.

Having taken the 7am flight, we arrived at the resort around 1pm, tired already, and looking forward to unpacking and getting settled.  We were told by the front desk, “Check-in isn’t until 4pm,” but I figured that was more of a general rule.  How many times have you got to a hotel or motel and they said, “Oh, actually, look – your room is ready”?

We wandered around the sprawling and intimidating resort for 90 minutes, then went back to the desk, only to be told, again, that our room wasn’t ready.  2:30pm?  Really?  The room wasn’t ready?

My wife was in that, “Please don’t do this again” space, hoping I’d get down with “island time” and relax a little.

When we went back to the desk at 3:45pm, and were told the room wasn’t ready, I just about lost it.  But then I remembered I was supposed to relax, so I did.  I relaxed against the wall next to the front desk, and stared at the clock.  For 13 minutes.  Until at 3:58pm, magically, the person at the front desk said, “Mr. Fleming?  Your room is ready.”

Our room wasn’t ready, however.  Not for habitation.

We opened the front door, and like a punch in the face, the smell of cleaning products hit us.

The carpet was damp.  It was clear that they had put a lot of effort into cleaning the room, I’ll give them that.  But nothing was dry.  It was like a steam room, and you could see moisture on every surface.  Even the TV had streaks from cleaning products.

We explored the resort a little more, and soon realized that the “perfect resort for kids” had no ramps for strollers, and only three elevators.  The entire resort is full of husband-and-wife teams, carrying their strollers down the stairs like contestants on American Gladiators.

The resort is full of these little shacks that serve light and healthy meals like hamburgers, nachos and cheese, pizza, french fries, and hot dogs, but looking for something a little more our speed for the first night, and hoping to get out of the sweltering heat, we asked if there was anywhere we could just sit down?

Go to Mosaic, we were told, and so we did.

Hiking up and down paths that seemed to lead nowhere, with positively no idea where we were going (“up there, right, then left, then right,” is what we were told), we found Mosaic after about a half hour.

Once inside the beautiful, air-conditioned restaurant that didn’t have a single person inside, we were quite relieved to say the least.  It was exactly what we wanted after a long day of travel, and forced walking.  Just a nice, cool place to grab a quick bite and then get back to the room to put our daughter to bed.

Little did I know, the restaurant opened at 5:30pm.  We arrived at 5:31pm.

My wife and I took turns going to the massive buffet, looking for what our daughter could, would, should eat, and helping ourselves as well.

We were probably in there for twenty minutes, and when we asked for the bill, the waitress looked at us a little funny.

A few minutes later when I opened the billfold, I realized why.

$144 U.S.

For two people, because children under 2-years-old eat free.

My fault, 100%.  No question about it.

We were like lambs to the slaughter; walking inside and sitting down without inquiring about the price.  I probably wouldn’t have left, had I known this was an “all-you-can-eat” buffet at $72 USD per person, since I was so tired I’d have likely just said, “Screw it, let’s do it.”  But I sure wouldn’t have been caught off-guard!

I signed for a $15 tip, which I actually felt bad for, because it’s so cheap!  Barely over 10%, I thought.  But having been there for 20 minutes, and since the waitress only sat us down and gave us glasses of water, I tried to justify it in my mind.

I would soon learn what you guys already know: that there’s an automatic 15% gratuity on EVERYTHING on the resort.  Not to mention the 7.5% vacation tax.

22.5% added to every bill.  Even something as “cheap” as a $5 bottle of water comes with the 22.5% addition.

We left Mosaic feeling stupid.  Almost $200 Canadian for a twenty-minute meal.

My mother and I have this saying about vacations, and it goes like this, “Start spending.”

On vacation?  Start spending.

If you’re going to do it, do it right.  You’re away from home, you’ve earned this, you saved for this – so enjoy it.  Just start spending!

And after shelling out $200 for one plate of food on the first night, I figured, “What the hell, it is what it is.”

The next morning, however, I made another discovery regarding price, and this one didn’t sit quite as well with me.

It seems that all the “cheaper” restaurants on the island are of the all-you-can-eat variety.

Meaning that if you want breakfast at Mosaic or Poseidon’s Table, you’re paying $41 USD per person.

Sorry guys, I can’t do it.

I’m not cheap, and I’m not poor.  But I can’t do it.  I can’t pay $106 every morning for breakfast for my wife and myself.  I simply refuse.

The problem was, they didn’t have anywhere you could avoid the all-you-can-eat money-grab.

I’d have gladly paid $20 for two eggs on a piece of toast, but that option was nowhere to be found.

We ended up getting bagels and/or Starbucks-style cheese-croissant-bacon-thingees from the coffee shop, which along with a coffee, ran our total to about $30 per morning.

Thankfully, all the food we had bought at the grocery store for our daughter – fresh fruits and veggies, Cheerios, et al, was able to help one of us avoid gaining 6% in total body mass over the course of the trip.

I don’t know if Atlantis styles their all-you-can-eat restaurants around the American obsession with being fat, or the best way to overcharge people, but either way, the results were felt.

On the first night when we went to fill the bath for Maya, we discovered that the faucet didn’t work.  It let out a trickle of water that I calculated would have taken 8 hours to fill the tub.  So I took out the ice bucket, filled it with lukewarm water, and dumped it into the tub.

I repeated this act twenty-six additional times.

And then did so for the entire trip.  Twenty-seven buckets per night, for seven nights.  I filled the ice bucket 189 times in total.

We rented a “suite” at Atlantis, that’s essentially a 1-bedroom with a living room, so that we could have Maya sleep in a crib in the living room while we slept in the bedroom.  The pocket sliding-doors that separated the living room from the bedroom, however, did not close.

So every night when we went to bed there was a 24-inch gap that allowed noise to transfer, and thus if we wanted to be inside, we had to remain silent to avoid waking the little bug up.  We ended up drinking on our terrace every night, watching the people below – without kids, party the way we used to.  Oh, we made that observation more than a few times!  It’s just not the same with kids, is it?

The next day we decided to check out “Dolphin Cay,” which is pretty much as it sounds; a large man-made lagoon with a pack of cute-as-can-be dolphins, that kids of all ages would love.  It’s $400 USD per person to swim with the dolphins, but we were told by many on the island that you can go and watch for free.

Free?  Is anything free at Atlantis?

Imagine my surprise when we walked up to Dolphin Cay and found a swarm of people standing behind a fence that was 700 feet from any dolphin, and yet some people were on the sand, on the other side of the fence, a little closer.

Want to walk out onto the sand for a better look?

That’s $17 USD per person.

I couldn’t stomach it.

$51 for the three of us is nothing, and I’d gladly pay it to see one smile on my daughter’s face.  But I was just so unprepared for how this entire resort is built around picking people up, turning them upside down, and shaking them until every last penny falls out.

The goddam umbreallas on the beach, necessary to keep my kid from baking in the sun, were $20 to rent.

And while I don’t want to complain about the $295 USD per round of golf at Ocean Club, since that’s a personal choice I made, it bears mentioning.

So what else can I complain about?

Not once during the trip did the cleaning staff replace our shampoo and soap, so I basically grew dreadlocks.  Thank god for the bar of Dove I brought from Toronto.  I’ve never liked hotel soap.

The cleaning staff also didn’t empty our garbage, so each morning we’d take that down with us and throw it out ourselves.

We checked out the Atlantis “Kid’s Club” one afternoon, only to find it wasn’t a place where our kid could play, but rather a drop-off centre.  I mentioned in my post from two weeks ago how our daughter wouldn’t be allowed to play, given she was under 3-years-old, but I didn’t realize this was for kids only.

We asked if we could take a look anyways, and the guy at the desk said, “Adults aren’t allowed back there.”  I smiled, and said, “I’m not looking to build a Lego castle, I just wanted to see what’s behind the curtain.”  He replied, “It’s not possible, sir.”

I pictured a dozen kids behind that curtain, all sitting in front of cute little sewing machines, making textiles to be shipped out from the nearest port…

Call me crazy, but the idea of dropping my child off at this fine establishment for an extended period of time didn’t sit well with me.  Maybe, as a huge Liam Neeson fan, I’ve seen Taken a few too many times.  Tell me if I need to cut the cord here.

In the end, we made our own good time, as one has to do.

I realize just how much this reeks of “first world problem’s,” but, well, we live in the first world.  So this is my review.

The irony is, I had an amazing time.  So did my wife.  And our daughter?  I’ve never seen her so happy.

As I said at the onset, most reviews are negative.  People are far more likely to put the effort into a complaint than they are to put the effort into a “job well done.”

I’ve been to two Sandals resorts, and those trips were flawless.  So I’m not letting Atlantis completely off the hook, but I will admit that many of the negatives we experienced at Atlantis are things we would filter out next time.

Atlantis comes with a massive learning curve, and many of you wrote comments on my blog two weeks ago to that effect.  In fact, some of your comments helped us to learn what’s what!

This trip with our daughter was a huge “success.”

Last summer, we went to the same cottage that we’d been to four times previously over Canada Day long weekend, and it just didn’t work with Maya, who was then 7-months-old.  One month later, we went to Idaho, and soon learned that it wasn’t the right vacation for an 8-month-old child.

But Atlantis was perfect for her.  She played in the kiddie pool for hours every day, and in the sand on the beach.

She loved to explore the grounds no matter where we went.

And she spent hours watching the fish, sharks, and turtles from the various aquariums and outdoor ponds.

Seven days, and she never fussed.  She didn’t cry on either plane ride, she went right to sleep every night at 7pm, and slept for 12 hours.  She never stopped smiling the entire trip, and every day was a new experience for her.

Yes, Atlantis is expensive.

Yes, Atlantis is large, awkward, and has no accessiblity for strollers.

Yes, the room and the service disappionted us.

But as I have come to learn in the past year, the needs and well-being of my child now come far before my own.  This wasn’t a vacation for David and Jenna; it was an experience for Maya, and for the Fleming family as a unit.

I’m sure there are other, better, cheaper, closer, quieter, cleaner, sexier resorts out there, but looking at the photos and the smile on my daughter’s face in each of them, I wouldn’t change a thing.

Have a great weekend, everybody!

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