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lively-potter · 3 months

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— nepenthe ; jjk ; part two

— genre ; age gap, angst, fluff, smut, sheltered oc, ceo jungkook, mafia/gang vibes ( kinda/sorta )

— warnings ; please note that in the beginning, the oc is in an abusive home — and if this triggers you please do not read. the oc is of age but nothing smutty will be happening for a while — but there WILL be smut. A small bit of SA is in this chapter and if it tiggers you, don’t read.

— intro, part one

— 2024 © @LivelyPotter

— find me on Wattpad ; LivelyPotter

— taglist ; @ahgasegotarmy116 @jk97bam

— word count ; 2.2k

***

SOLARIS January 20th, 2024 Charleston, SC

THE NAME SENT TREMBLES OF FEAR DOWN MY SPINE.

"Chairman Jeon?" my words cut off in a whimper at the reminder of the man everyone was frightened of. It was no secret to everyone how influential Chairman or Mister Jeon was and how much power he held by being the Chairman and owner of most of the multi-billion dollar companies in the United States and South Korea; the country he was originally from.

He even owned a Gentlemen's club here, called Ataraxia, in Charleston that Father visits more often than he ought — when the Chairman allows other people in the private club one another month.

I bit down on my lip as more thoughts raced through my brain.

Chairman Jeon wasn't a man even the most courageous of people wanted to cross, and those who did were either found dead...or just disappeared into thin air. He was the kind of man parents threatened their children with when they wanted them to behave. He was the same man Father threatened me with when I wouldn't stop crying after Mama died. Chairman Jeon was the most powerful sort of man Charleston had ever seen. It was also rumored that he had strong ties to the Mafia.

A cold chill passed through me at the thought.

Most of the people who lived here were grateful he barely made appearances, since ninety-five percent of the population of Charleston worked for him.

It had been months since Chairman Jeon had been here – I reckoned he spent most of his time in Korea, where his permanent residence was.

"Go to your room, girl, and remember –" he cut himself off to glare heatedly at me, "this house had better be spotless. I won't have my friends visit a pig stye."

I jerkily nodded and without wasting a moment, I raced away from him and shot to my bedroom. The first thing I did was wrap myself in my blanket and huddle in the corner – it was something I did when I wanted to think clearly.

Picking at the skin on my lip, I hesitantly glanced out the window and sighed. This would be a nerve-wracking week.

A stuffed purple bunny sat on the edge of my bed – a stuffed animal five-year-old me lovingly named; Mr. Carrots – caused me to smile. I shivered slightly underneath my blanket, thanking god I was finally warming up – and snatched the bunny from my bed and snuggled close to its neck.

Mr. Carrots had been with me the majority of my life and he was one of the only pieces of Mama I had left.

He brought me peace and comfort when Mama couldn't. I was anxious for what the next few days would bring but I didn't have any other choice but to just let them play out the way God intended.

*** SOLARIS January 21st, 2024 Charleston, SC

THE NEXT DAY WAS MUCH BRIGHTER THAN THE LAST.

Father had left before I woke up, sniffling with the first signs of a cold. I wrapped myself in one of Father's old sweaters to keep myself warm.

Wrapping my arms around my tummy with a flinch, I knew I better pay attention when it came time for Father to come home. The last thing I needed was for him to catch me wearing his old clothes to keep me warm.

The only thing I had to do before I started taking overthink down and cleaning was to place a new bandaid on the gash on my wrist.

Doing that, quickly, stomach grumbling in hunger, I entered the kitchen with a longing glance out of the tiny window above the kitchen sink.

I had lost count of how many years it had been since I was allowed to go outside the house and explore. I reckoned it had been years. I hardly remembered what kind of places were outside but I did remember how much I loved walking through the woods with Mama, collecting pretty leaves and tiny pincones. I smiled and started to twist the ends of my hip-length hair. I still had those leaves tucked inside the old pages of one of my old storybooks that Mama used to read to me. The little pinecones were stashed inside my little trinket box, along with the little acorns – we only found those when we were lucky.

I carefully grabbed a knife from the drawer, and cut a small apple in half, and nibbled on it as I pulled long hair out of my face with a ribbon and prepared to start cleaning.

I hummed happily under my breath as I picked up the glass, scrapped knees aching but I paid it no mind.

Hours passed by in a blur and I thankfully got the entire house cleaned and dinner and snacks already presented on the table before I declared myself done.

A grin beamed across my lips as I trotted to my bedroom and closed the door behind me. My bare feet padded on the carpet as I neared the small window a foot from the floor and knelt in front of it. My hands cupped my jawline, eyes watching the sun set with a heavy heart. Tears pricked my eyes and I closed them and clasped my hands together in front of my heart and began to speak.

"Dear heavenly Father," I started off, eyes closed and head tilted towards the sky, "I thank for letting me wake up and experience another day on this earth. I thank you for keeping me safe today, and being by my side when no one else is. I ask that you please watch over Mama and let her know that I love her and can't wait to be reunited with her one day." a lone tear dripped down my cheek, "Please, dear Lord, bless me and keep me safe and continue to hold me within your arms. I know that you have a plan for me," I continued, knees shifting.

"God always has a plan, my little Solaris." Mama's voice rang inside my head. "No matter how rough life gets at times, just know that God will always be there for you and after those hard times are over...the rewards are immense and glorious."

"But please, I just want to not be afraid anymore." I sniffled, "I want the pain to stop." the tear slid down my head and dripped onto my clasped hands. "I thank you for hearing my prayer and I hope you'll answer me soon." a small smile crept upon my lips. "I guess that's all for now – oh! And could you please keep me safe tonight and when Chairman Jeon comes back, please? I'm sorry to ask so much of you, but you're the only one besides Mama that loves me and I know that you hear me when I pray...um, Thank you again! In Jesus' name I pray, Amen."

My soul lightened and my heart rate relaxed and then sped up when the noises of the front door opening. A little gasp escaped my lips and I smothered.

Don't be seen or heard, Solaris.

The voices of Father's terrifying friends had me balking in place, arms wrapping around myself to ground my trembling.

With shaky fingers, I peeled Father's sweater off my body and stuffed it underneath my bed — I'd have to sneak inside his room and put it back when he left.

I sat in the corner of my bedroom, knees pulled to my chest, and listened closely to what was happening in the living room.

The house was old and nearly falling apart, which meant the walls were thin. Pressing an ear to the wall, my eyes fluttered closed to focus. But I didn't have to listen long.

"Girl!"

Father's boom made me stand at full attention. I held my hands together to shield the shakiness from them and scurried from the room.

Soon enough, I was standing in front of Father and his friends. Two older men who gave me the creeps.

James and Stevie.

They eyed me like I was a piece of meat when they plopped down on the sofa and stroked along their bulging beer bellies.

My lips trembled, remembering their slimy touches along my legs and biceps the last time they came here.

"Get us beer."

I stood ramrod straight and nodded.

I left the living room without another word and withdrew three bottles of Modelo and opened them. Shockingly being able to juggle them in my arms, I hunched my shoulders and walked slowly back to the living room — heart thundering inside my chest.

When I returned, Father was gone and only James and Stevie were there. Their eyes latched onto me in a second and they exchanged looks.

My eyes glossed over when Stevie ran a hand through his greasy hair and mustache while licking his nearly invisible lips.

"W-Where's Father?" I asked, even hearing the unaltered fear in my croaking voice. I took hesitant steps near them and slowly handed them the beers in my hand.

It was James who answered.

"Bathroom, sweetcheeks."

I only nodded in return, internally cringing at the terrible name.

Slowly sighing in relief, I turned and placed Father's Modelo on the coffee table and stilled when I felt a hand land on my lower back.

Disgust welled in my gut as another hand landed on the exposed skin on the back of my knee and caressed my skin.

"Don't." I stiffened, terror locking my limbs. "Please." I shook my head, turning to face the men. Their faces were held in a lecherous glare as their unfocused eyes glazed over.

Stevie's hand tightened around my knee and tugged as James' hand fell from my lower back.

"Why don' you take a seat?" James asked, fingering a yellow patch on his skin, running a hand on his swollen face — probably due to high cholesterol.

"No thank you." I shook my head and mentally begged Father to come back. I felt black spots dance across my vision in a slow, swift motion.

I felt so faint.

Their touches on my body made me feel disgusted. Dirty.

Even though I hated showers because of my experience with them, all I wanted to do in this moment was go under the scalding spray and wash my skin raw in hopes I'd never remember the feeling of their hands on me. I was so scared.

"I'm tired." I tried to refuse, tugging myself further away from them.

Stevie's eyes sharpened at my blatant disregard of his desires and he locked his limbs, preparing to jump up from his seat.

A tear left my eye in relief as Father stomped into the room, loudly complaining of the PowerPoint slide they had to finish before Chairman Jeon came back.

Tomorrow.

"I swear," Father grunted, plopping down in his recliner and snatching the beer from the table. "Every time that damned man comes back — everyone freaks out."

I slowly started in his direction, body positioning behind his chair. I felt my body relax the tiniest bit being away from those two men.

Stevie took a glance at me before looking at Father, "No shit." He agreed with an eye roll.

"I just don't know what Chairman Jeon just don't stay the fuck in Korea. Where he and that gang of his belongs."

My head was hung towards the ground as I listened closely to them bashing the Chairman. Speaking of how he basically took over Charleston with little to no work.

I didn't know how much of that was true — but I also thought they were just jealous of his success. I was scared of the Chairman, but I can also give credit when credit is due.

"Go to your room, girl, and leave us." Father ordered without looking at me.

I stood at attention and jerkily nodded.

I scurried to my bedroom and locked the door behind me.

In just a few moments, I allowed myself to fall down onto the floor and claw at my skin in hopes that I would scratch away the memories.

Would tomorrow be a better day?

I prayed that it would be.

author's note ; ✨

if you want to be apart of my taglist, just let me know! thank you so much for reading! I appricate every single one of you <3

#bts fanfic #jeon jungkook #jungkook x oc #wattpad #bts jungkook #jeon jungguk #jungkook #jungkook fanfic #jungkook fluff #jungkook au #jungkook angst #jungkook smut #jeon jungkoooook #bts jungguk #nepenthes

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snootlestheangel · 6 months

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pleasepleasepleaseplease tell us more about your shadow comapny ocs

Oh boy, this is mostly just gonna be me making this up as I go cause I literally only just made these boys.

We'll start with Ness cause he's definitely my favorite!

He's probably early 30s, and is the oldest of five. He's still in contact with them, technically, but he hardly ever visits anymore. His mother passed a couple of years ago, and there was a big fight that broke out between a bunch of family members. There were some secrets his mom had been hiding, and when she died it all got revealed and some members of his family didn't react well. In other words, her side of the family thought she was the perfect mom, but in reality, Ness had to pretty much raise his own siblings while his mom did nothing. She was never abusive, but definitely neglected her kids, and this has stuck with Ness. There were a couple of other things, but because Ness was already military at this point, he just stopped visiting family when he's on leave.

He's such a cryptid! Such a cryptid! This is all due to the fact he got the short end of the genetic lottery, and got dumped with a bunch of physical issues. He has vitiligo, which was a tough time when his dad's brother (uncle) took him to a like support group thing for kids with vitiligo. It was tough cause he was the only white kid there, and it was hard cause some of the parents of other kids didn't take him seriously. He's not pasty white, by any means! He's actually got a darker complexion thanks to his father's Greek ancestry, but still. His vitiligo is much more noticeable around his arms, hands, and stomach so he's always in long sleeves.

HE HAS HETEROCHROMIA!! This is important! Everyone loves Ness's one green-blue eye and almost golden brown eye!

He actually used to have really intensive speech therapy sessions because he has speech apraxia (Idk how to explain it but it's basically he struggles getting his mouth to move properly to form words), but when is youngest sibling was born, he stopped going. It was getting harder and harder for his dad to help with everything since his mom didn't do anything at this point. Because he had to stop speech therapy, he still struggles to form words properly, thus making him really self-conscious about speaking which is why he's so quiet. The military life has helped: he can perfectly say all the necessary words for use on the field, but outside of that, he struggles.

The Shadows like to lovingly tease him and say "It's just Nessie gurgling his words cause he's not used to speaking on land". It's surprisingly helpful for him to feel less weird about it, cause he's Ness! He's supposed to be a bit weird! The same applies to his heterochromia and his vitiligo: "Nessie's human form got confused!" or "Ness forgot what humans look like".

Ness joined the military because he figured those things didn't matter, that as long as he could do a job right, he'd be fine. Yes, his early years before Shadow Company were worse than his childhood, but he appreciates those years. They were hell on earth, but they gave him a backbone (something he didn't have before), and they gave him new skills and let him see the world. 'Sides, those years gave him the skills to get into Shadow Company, and he wouldn't have such great family friends if it hadn't been for his time before SC.

King of eye rolling and side eyes. Sticks his tongue out constantly during conversations/just in general. Sometimes forgets he's still wearing his goggles, so it adds to the cryptid-ness.

Lives with his boyfriend of almost 3 years and their one eyed calico named Patchy when he's not with the Shadows.

*He's so cryptid*

Flash time!

Only child. Loves his parents, but god he's such an only child. It's part of why he's pretty appreciative of the way a lot of the older Shadows take him under their wing. Especially Moose (@cod-dump 's Shadow OC) cause Moose is just so cool and so smart and he's so much fun to hang out with!

He was one of those ADHD kids that kept getting in trouble. Like it was a chronic issue for him growing up. So when the recruiting team for the army shows up to his highschool one day, he's asking a billion questions. The guy answering them is so patient with him, and gives him the answers he's looking for, doesn't mind when he's interrupted, etc. It's this interaction that has Flash considering a career in the military, and when he graduates he realizes his transcript was really poor and he won't get a dime from colleges, so he just joins the military. His parents stressed cause they saw it as a really last minute rash decision, but he saw it as the only option.

And it's a good thing he did. Are the methods used for correcting behavior good? Uh, no... No they are not. But are they exactly what Flash needed? Honestly yes. He needed the strict discipline (being an only child left him with too much freedom), and the army gave him so many different ways to expend his energy. It was perfect for him.

And so he got really good, really fast. And Graves said "I CALL DIBS!"

Has all sorts of weird physical tricks that he can do. Very flexible and likes to show off how fast he can run and for how long. He's got papers to turn into Graves's office but he's on the other side of the building? Running into Graves's office.

He loves hanging out with the Shadows outside of base, especially when some of them take him with them when they visit home on leave. He loves showing up every time he goes home with a couple of his closest Shadow buddies. His poor mother isn't used to having to feed so many people, especially ones with such large appetites.

But his favorite is when Graves invites him out to his ranch during the summer months. He's a city boy, a Northerner if you will, and he's completely unfamiliar with any sort of "country living". Cause "what do you mean I have all this space to just run? You want me to sling hay bales, sir??? ABSOLUTELY LET'S SEE HOW MANY I CAN DO IN THE NEXT HOUR!" *immediately distracted by the chickens* "Holy shit, Commander, you have chickens?!" *he's never seen a chicken in his life*

Flash is such a cutie pie, btw. Like perfect little average blonde American guy in his early 20s. Has so much energy that when he inevitably crashes somewhere, the other Shadows play a game of "Don't Wake The Baby"

Definitely having a sexuality crisis. Can't decide if he wants to devote his very existence to a woman or get tossed around by a big guy.

Truck time!

Truck isn't actually a gentle soul. He'll tell you your an asshole to your face, he'll yell at you for fucking up something in his shop, etc. He just grew up in a very poor neighborhood, being raised by his neighbors cause both parents worked long hours and he would stay with the other kids. It was an "every man for himself" type of life for him, especially as he got older and the kids got meaner.

It never helped that he struggled really bad in school, and his parents were too poor/too busy to look into testing him for different learning disabilities. It isn't until the military, actually, that he finds out he's dyslexic. He learned all the could about trucks and stuff through word-of-mouth/hands-on experience because of his father. Once Truck was old enough, his Pop was taking him to the mechanic shop he worked in and he taught him everything he knew.

Truck's dad passed away about a year after Truck joined the military, and it wasn't an easy loss for him. He devoted his time to learning everything he can about vehicles in honor of Pops.

He's a big boy, even if not very tall, and will rock your shit (in a bad way). He's sometimes deemed a "grumpy old man" but he's really just very closed off about personal matters and doesn't want "a bunch of idiots who don't know what they're doing" in his shop.

Actually thinks Flash is incredibly annoying, but he'll kill someone that isn't a Shadow if they said the same. He's one of the older Shadows, so he definitely took one look at this annoying ass kid that's several inches taller and said "This kid's gonna get himself killed, is no one going to do something about it?" and then didn't wait for an answer. But only for in the field. Flash is Moose's problem on base in Truck's opinion.

And finally Woody!!!

He's like younger to mid 30s. Has a wife and two kids (a five year old girl and three year old son). He's like a stereotypical frat boy except the specific type of frat boy that you trust with your life cause he'll make sure you get home safe and drink enough water.

He's cracking dad jokes left and right, he's just silly. It's definitely intentional. His first assignment was traumatizing and he knows everyone needs a reminder of the better things in life.

He was really close with a lot of the Shadows that were lost during the events of Las Almas, and that hits him hard. He can't help but feel so guilty cause he wasn't there, but if anyone heard it, especially Graves, they'd probably try to smack some sense into him. He was at home with his wife cause she had miscarried, and Graves is secretly so grateful Woody wasn't there. He had lost so many good Shadows that day, he can't imagine how miserable it would've been to lose Woody, too.

Woody definitely knows this, so he's letting his Dad Instincts take over sometimes. He's checking in on Graves and some of the other Shadows that were affected more closely by the events. Even if this sometimes means sitting in Graves's office for a drink and not saying a word, all because Graves sometimes just needs company.

Ever since earning his callsign, he's dressed as Woody from Toy Story for Halloween every year without fail.

So many Hawaiian shirts. So. Many.

Really good at matching someone else's energy and somehow bringing them up or down based on the situation. Like with Ness, he's bringing out his more social side, helping him relax in a social situation. With Flash, he's helping keep the ball of energy under wraps/grounding him.

Used his Dad Voice on Graves once and the two had a really long, awkward staring contest immediately after.

Avid user of the nickname "Kiddo" for literally any of the Shadows, even Moose, which is kind of an inside joke for the pair.

And those are my boys! They'll be playing the role of Graves's closest surviving Shadows in my work Unending Devotion soon, which will be during his hero arc

Please let me know if y'all make art/have any questions/potential ideas for these boys!

#shadow company ocs #shadow company #shadow oc flash #shadow oc ness #shadow oc truck #shadow oc woody #shadow oc moose #phillip graves #snootles's shadow ocs

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moonlight-at-dawn · 2 years

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Urgh, last few days I've been getting more anxious about visiting my parents. Not because of them, but others. My mom called a bit back to let me know other family would be there at the same time. Specifically, to warn me that my anti-science, anti-masker uncle would be there. He wasn't supposed to be visiting at all, but my cousins' plans changed both in timing and overall plan, so now he'll be there too.

And he thinks insult comedy is the pinnacle of humor.

And we're Boston-Irish.

He's almost definitely gonna make fun of me for wearing a mask and I'm gonna lose my shit. I already told my mom "Well, that's okay, but if he says anything that disrespects my right to live, I'm going to say something." So hopefully she also gave HIM a warning and that he keeps his mouth shut because my grandmother, who's his mother, had the same autoimmune disease I do, so I have a litany of post-viral autoimmune info to dump on his ignorant ass that maybe he'll listen to when I point at his daughters and grandsons and explain. Frankly I'd bet one of my cousins that'll be there already has it.

And on top of this, the aunt my parents are living with has a habit of bluntly imposing her opinions on others even when SOBER, and she's become an alcoholic. I kinda expect her to casually use slurs to describe my haircut (similar to women's soccer's Rapinoe). Will this happen? Probably not. But am I anxious about the realistic possibility anyways? Yes. Yes I am. Ugh.

If things go sour, I'll have to try to run off with my kid/parents, cause goddamn do i not wanna deal. But they live in SC now, nowhere near friends and other family, so it'd be a whole thing to arrange an escape 😩

I just wish it'd been possible to be warned a few days earlier than I was. I think it was the day immediately after my most recent therapy session, if I'd known before then I could've run these anxieties by her. I'm trying to use the different coping methods but ugh, my mind keeps coming back to it even if I feel like I've addressed it as much as can be. I'm just so fucking tired of ppl making me explain why I and ppl in general deserve to live, and with dignity and respect.

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thepaststillhurts · 8 months

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@roarofancients:

Paw points towards Pride Rock, to get Simba to pay attention: Two tiny cubs ran out of the King's Den, the orange-furred one with the bright green eyes stopped momentarily when hearing his big brother's "Brother, please wait!" On which the younger sat looking towards them. Once they were close beside him, the green-eyed cub's expression was that of tired. But not tired of sleep, but also unhappy. "I'm just... tired of all the family bickering, on everything. Sure Mother can calm everyone down most of the time, but it's frustrating Father. And both of you can tell how much those fights have been affecting me, Muffy" The older brother had a more sad concerned expression, "I do wish there was more I could do about it... But, I understand why you need to go off to be alone. Parents are too busy right now, my job is to keep watch on you in these situations. Go for it, take as long as you need brother." The two share a cub hug before the younger runs off. The direction was that Shadowy Place of the Elephant Graveyard, yet shortly after that such bickering sounded from within Pride Rock. Food, Territory, lionesses still choosing other males other than the challengers' winners... even some arguing could be heard of which of the two cub brothers should be King.

The group head to the Elephant Graveyard, the cub that would be Scar is very similar in looks to both Kovu and Simba as a cub, but younger given his size. They could wager he was about the age Kiara was when she first met cub Kovu. Curious cub explored the area. A hyena, a young adult appeared. Yet she had two young cubs with her, her own cubs curious about the lion cub visitor. "No place for a lion, really. Yet, not the first time you've come here. My young wish to play with you, is that allowed?" "Sure, as long as they mind their jaws' strengths. I... mostly am wondering whether the other social groups have similar issues to... at home, so much bickering... arguing, fighting... on and over literally everything..." The hyena mother showed a similar expression to a lion's concerned one. "Take as long as you need, to play. These two are sisters, the older one is Anasa the younger one is called Shenzi. I'll keep watch; the rest of my clan isn't as friendly as myself. Even to our own kind..." Shakes her head a second but keeps to her word. The cub play did actually have the lion cub feeling better, laughing also with them. But one day with such a visit and game, the young mother hyena told them to run. Run they did, the hyena cubs hiding in some holes big enough to hide them. Lion cub had to run far, having been chased by strange lions ended up away from home. Lost, yet discovered a wolf pack much like Alpha's species but different. The pack, knowing the cub was little threat to them allowed him to follow them around and eat scraps. One young mother wolf even made sure he got enough to eat. Eventually, he allowed her to get close enough to him that she started treating him as if he was one of her own pups. Carefully carrying him to her own pups, "He is to stay with us until he is ready to go back to his family, as such he should be treated as an equal to our own kin." The female wolf gave their pack a firm slight snarl-glare shutting down the possible protestors. "If the need arises, the two ally kingdoms of Jackals and the Cape Dogs respectively can keep our young safe while we deal with those trying to claim our territory"

@thepaststillhurts:

It was a weird feeling for Simba to be part of the past and see their own father as cub. And as he looked at them he had to realize he didn't know much about the family bickering. Neither Mufasa nor Scar told him much about their sibling relationship, maybe because it was too painful for both of them, and on the other hand, probably Simba as cub would have been too young to understand.

"I lost my father too soon to have a talk with him about what happened - and I was too young." He commented. "But this may be a key to Scar." He added, pondering.

#roarofancients #King of the Night Pride #Universe: Messed up/Individual | storyline: King of the Night Pride | timeline: post-SP

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t1deleuthera-blog · 1 year

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The Hotelier’s Daughter

In the Bahamas, as in other British colonies within the Caribbean, a small white minority had always ruled the much larger black majority both politically and economically. Beginning with the first recorded case of slaves being brought to the islands in 1648, thousands of Africans would eventually be brought against their will to work on cotton plantations and as domestic labor. Black people were legally subservient until the abolition of slavery in the British colonies around 1834. Even after slavery was abolished, the colony’s class system was based upon the same racial hierarchy which existed throughout much of the West Indies. Because of its history, the Bahamas has always had a small white minority population, usually clustered in settlements away from black Bahamians. The white minority in the Bahamas, who completely consolidated power, were propped up by the colonial government. The white industrialists, known as the Bay Street Boys, ruled the majority-black country through long-standing colonial rules and regulations that ensured black people were disenfranchised and undereducated. Black people mostly worked menial labor jobs and lived in shanty towns away from white settlements. To this day, white people continue to own many of the businesses in the country, now mostly in the tourism industry, as that constitutes much of the island’s GDP. While some owners are white Bahamians (colloquially known as “Conchy Joes”), today, things are different; a majority of the tourism executives, while still white, are foreigners. Enter my dad, a Jewish boy from Upstate NY with a master’s degree in hotel management from Cornell. He was hired out of Cornell to work on hotels all over the Caribbean and eventually broke away to found his own hotel and restaurant on Eleuthera, a remote island in The Bahamas. In between building hotels in the Caribbean, he also worked at a hotel in South Beach, where he met my mom, a gal from Texas. While we spent some time in Eleuthera while I was a baby, my mom did not really like the remoteness of the island, so we moved to Florida for a few years so my dad could travel back and forth to visit us. When I was 5, my parents divorced, and my mom moved back to Austin to be with her friends and the AA community; that is when my parents enrolled at Robert. E . Lee elementary school. Unfortunately, that is not a joke. This could be a whole essay in and of itself, but I’ll refrain. Anyway, I visited Eleuthera every summer for at least a month and over breaks during my childhood, but my primary residence and place of school was a wealthy majority-white neighborhood in Austin. Because it is such a small island (110 miles long, less than a mile wide in the middle), everyone knows of my dad’s hotel and restaurant, and they also know my dad himself, who is regarded as a positive pillar of the community for his involvement in non-profit work and treating his employees well. Maintaining the Barlyn family status as scandal free and well-meaning is of the utmost importance to him, as people tend to talk a lot in such a small place. However, since everyone knows him, I am known by association which adds to the power dynamics already in play, such as my race and nationality. I am called ma’am a lot and “boss lady” by people, which leaves me with a sense of uncomfortability. I especially noticed the race and power dynamics while attending my second semester of 8th grade there. Since my school was on the other side of the island, my day began at 5:45 a.m. My friends and I loaded into the back of a pickup truck to travel to the bus stop, a mere 45 minutes away. Then, we boarded the rickety old school bus with all the other kids--that is if the bus started. After arriving at school and singing the Bahamian national anthem, followed by the Lord’s Prayer, we were greeted by the principal, who would go around and shake every student’s hand. It didn’t take her long since only 46 students total were enrolled at Deep Creek Middle School, with 15 in my eighth-grade graduating class. While I was the only white student, all of my teachers except one were white and from either the US or Canada. This creates a knowledge imbalance, I would say, and reinforces the idea that only white people can hold and create knowledge. At my little middle school on Eleuthera, we read a book called “A Small Place” by Jamacia Kincade, published in 1988. The book-length essay explores Kincade’s experiences growing up in Antigua. It is a critique of the tourism industry and delves into the issues of the British colonial legacy. One of the themes of her writing is how A) locals are seen by tourists as people there to serve you and B) the effect this has on the locals themselves. Similarly, black intellectual June Jordan, in her 1982 piece “Report from the Bahamas,” examines the way locals are looked at by tourists. She perfectly encapsulates this idea on page 39 while discussing an advertisement for The Sheraton British Colonial Hotel in Nassau - “One of the photographs advertising the place displays a middle-aged Black man in a waiters tuxedo, smiling. What intrigues me most about the picture is just this: while the Black man bears a tray full of “colorful” drinks above his left shoulder, both of his feet, shoes, and trouser legs, up to ten inches above his ankles, stand in the also “colorful” Caribbean salt water. He is so delighted to serve you he will wade into the water to bring you Banana Daquiris while you float! More precisely, he will wade into the water, fully clothed, oblivious to the ruin of his shoes, his trousers, his health, and he will do it with a smile” (pg 39). The picture she paints illustrates that tourists just see local workers as objects to be ordered around, a fact many kids in my middle school echoed. Power is exceptionally evident in interactions between white tourists and local black Bahamians. Robert O. Keohane points out in International Relations Theory: Contributions of a Feminist Standpoint that “any definition of power as control, to be meaningful, must specify the scope and domain of power. Such a definition, therefore, refers to the ‘ability of one actor to influence another actor with respect to specific outcomes. White foreigners are the ones who are able to control outcomes because they hold the wealth. Locals work menial labor jobs such as housekeeping and waiting tables but are unable to reap the full benefits of their work because they only work for a salary; many will not be promoted to higher-level jobs as those are reserved for white folks. Said white folks are educated in the United States or Europe, they are given privileges not afforded to black Bahamians; therefore, there is not an opportunity for them to advance. In conclusion, I struggle with the dichotomy of knowing my dad is a great person while also indirectly contributing to a legacy of post-colonialism that saturates The Bahamas. Moving forward, I know I want to work in The Bahamas to make it a more equitable place; I must be aware of the white saviorism line that can so often easily be crossed.

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whereareroo · 2 years

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ON THE ROAD AGAIN

WF UPDATE (7/20/22).

Have you been missing me? I’ve been busy.

After several days of beach fun in SC with Grandkids #1 and #2, we’re off on a road trip to deliver the kids back to their parents in Connecticut. We’re cruising in “Freddy,” our recently acquired RV. We’re taking our time and hitting some fun spots. It’s like the “Old Days,” when we cruised with our own kids in our beloved RV named “Linda.”

We just finished Day Two, and we’re having a blast. Allow me to share some highlights.

Yesterday, just before we hit the border with NC, we stopped at the infamous South of the Border. It’s a little village of tourist attractions, with a Mexican theme, that opened in 1950. It’s a real tourist trap, but it’s famous. Over the years, with and without our kids, we’ve stopped there to experience the tourist life. You might have deduced that the name comes from the fact that it sits in SC just south of the SC/NC border. For 100 miles in both directions on I-95, there are funny billboards promoting the joint. Yesterday, for the first time ever, we paid the small fee and visited the reptile lagoon. We weren’t disappointed. It was better than many zoos. It’s filled with live reptiles: alligators, crocodiles, snakes, turtles, and other critters. It was a great stop.

About 25 years ago, on a trip with our kids, we visited the Science Museum in Wilson, North Carolina. We had a great time. Yesterday, I took the exit for Wilson to see if it’s still there. I remembered the interesting building because it was once a federal building that housed a Post Office and a Federal Court. I was thrilled to see that the place is still open and it’s thriving. The ticket agent told us that the building was built in 1928 and, after the space was abandoned by the federal government, the Science Museum opened in 1989. It’s so nice that a fun little science museum has survived in a small North Carolina town. We enjoyed our visit. I remember my kids doing science experiments in the big room that was the federal courtroom.

We spent our first night at a campground in Enfield, NC. It was perfectly adequate. The kids went swimming in the pool, and they went to bed early.

Our next big stop is Kings Dominion, a big amusement park/water park in Doswell, VA. We headed in that direction today. We’ve visited previously with our kids.

Of course, we had to stop in Richmond to visit the Science Museum. With our kids, we were always too rushed to hit this stop. Today, we had spare time. It’s another gem. Put it on your list.

We left the museum at about 12:30 p.m., and Mrs. Navigator told me to get back on I-95. She was going to use her navigation skills to locate a lunch place a few exits to the north. To get to I-95, we had to drive through a “shady” section of Richmond. In that neighborhood, I saw a burger place that looked interesting. Parking was tight, so I parked the RV on the sidewalk and we went in. (It looked like a neighborhood where it would be OK to park on the sidewalk.) I’m so very glad that we stopped. The place, called Boulevard Burger & Brew, is fabulous. It’s a 1950s-style burger place. The whole building has a 1950s vibe. We got the whole story from our server. The place opened in the early 1960s. Under three different owners, and three different names, it was a burger place until 2000. Then, after being vacant for a brief period, was the home of a tire store until 2010. Since 2010, it has made a comeback as Boulevard Burger & Brew. These folks really know how to run a burger place. It was filled with locals. We ate like pigs. Yummy!!

We spent the afternoon at a campground that’s alongside Kings Dominion. We can hear the screaming from here. Tomorrow, we’ll take the campground shuttle and enjoy a full day at the park. Today, the kids hit the pool and the playgrounds at the campground.

Guess what? I’m totally out of the loop with respect to inflation, the stock market, the Bannon trial, the marriage legislation in Congress, the Ukraine, Biden’s poll numbers, and the January 6th investigation. Guess what else? I don’t care. It feels good to be disconnected. I assume that the world is still spinning without my input. I’m enjoying a good, old fashioned, road trip. Life is good. (Caveat: I expect that the kids will be asleep before the January 6th hearing starts tomorrow night.)

So, you’re now up to speed. I need to get some sleep. I’ll need extra energy for tomorrow. Stay tuned.

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ateezthings · 3 years

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ATEEZ Reaction: S/O flinching during an argument

Anon said: “Hi um could I please request for an ateez reaction to their s/o flinching in an argument? Thank you so much if you do this!! Much love ❤️❤️”

Triggerwarning: This scenario could be triggering for some people as it deals with past (physical) abuse, no abuse will happen though. Take care of yourself and please seek help if you need it.

Genderneutral

Heavy angst (Writing angst is always emotionally draining but I love it so much, it means a lot more to me)

Jongho

You knew Jongho was strong. This didn’t help when he raised his right hand during the argument. You instinctively crouched down and covered your face with your arms. When you couldn’t feel any sort of punch, you dared to look at him again. The expression on his face scared the living hell out of you: shock, hurt, pain, disappointment.

“You thought I’d hi-hit you?”

At that point you realized you didn’t think, your body just reacted. Things, that happened in the past were screwing up your present, you had to start letting go.

“I do-don’t know, Jongho, I didn’t… I-You raised your arm and I thought-”

That’s when you broke down: knees giving out and tears starting to spill from your eyes, announcing that you were starting the self-healing process.

Sunken on to the floor, he slowly approached you, gently wrapping his arms around your body. For a while nothing could be heard except your muffled cries.

Holding you tight while you fell apart, he reassured you: “I would never lay a finger on you like that… please believe me, you are so precious”

After a moment of silence, he continued: “Do you wanna talk about what made you think that I could do that to you?”

With almost no energy left, you slowly shook your head no.

“It’s okay, I love you and I will always be here”

Wooyoung

He has a good heart. But he is also very passionate and that sometimes scares you when he is in one of his moods, rants like there’s no tommorow and he doesn’t hear you anymore. You were trying to get a word in but Wooyoung was speaking louder and louder about how it wasn’t his responsibility to get groceries after being at the studio for 13 hours a day, even though you asked him to in the morning.

He got so worked up he puffed his chest and fitfully lifted his arms. That was enough to make you flinch. It was a short action but of course Wooyoung noticed. Immediately becoming silent, it looked like someone took the life out of him.

“Did you think… I was going to…?”

Scared of your own reaction, you were paralyzed for a moment. Wooyoung rushed to take you into his arms, his comforting arms.

“I’m sorry Woo”, your voice sounded exhausted, like you’ve never been before.

“You don’t have to apologize for it… I’m sorry for getting so worked up, I never meant to scare you… you know I will always protect you.”

Mingi

You didn’t even remember what the argument was about. Mingi came home a little aggravated and you were tired from work so that’s when things went south.

“How many times do I have to tell you? I have the most important performance of my career that day, I can’t come visit your parents!”

“Mingi you never make time for me! It’s like your job is more important to you than me!”

Visibly frustrated, he quickly lifted up his arms in defeat. That’s when the flashbacks started in your head and you retracted back into your shell, shoulders and arms raised to protect your head.

“Y/N… I… Did you really think…” He didn’t need to finish.

The look on his face showed emotions that were beyond hurt, pain and disappointment.

You struggled to keep your composure: “I’m sorry Mingi, I don’t-”

He hurried over to you to take you into his arms.

“It’s okay… I could never do something like that to you.”

San

He forgot your anniversary. That was it. You knew that it wasn’t that big of a deal, but little things like that were important to you. They mattered more than any big gesture or present.

You simply expected him to write you a sweet message during the day or something like that. But he forgot. Even when you went to see him in the evening he didn’t seem to remember. So, you wanted to confront him about how much that hurt you.

You didn’t expect it to develop into a huge argument though.

“San, what I expected was just a little reminder that our relationship is as important to you as it is to me, I just wanted my boyfriend to send me a text… but you couldn’t even do that!”

That was it for him. You doubted his ability to show love?

He took a step closer to you but after seeing the rage in his eyes that was enough for you to step back in fear.

That broke him. And you could see that.

“No no no, that’s not- you’re not scared of me, right Y/N?”

It all happened so fast you couldn’t think straight. When you didn’t respond he broke down in tears.

So it was you, who took him into your arms, even though you doubted his good nature for a split second.

You tried to keep him together with your hug while struggling yourself.

San would never ever hurt you. His reaction was enough to make it clear to you how much the thought of you being scared of him hurt him.

Holding each other close you both let out cleansing tears and haunting memories that used to be tucked away in a back drawer of your mind, ready to be dealt with now.

Yeosang

He’s not the person to get angry audibly. Like twice a year you guys a conflict but it was never loud.

But this one was different; it was a much deeper conflict of values. He prioritized work. You knew he loved his work but did he have to ignore your needs while doing what he loved? You believed he could also pay a little attention to you, that’s what being in a relationship meant, right?

It was scary when he started to raise his voice but it was even more terrifying when he started to gesture wildly, trying to explain why you were wrong.

Naturally, you went into protection mode.

He stopped right in his tracks when he saw the terrified expression on your face.

“Y/N.. I wasn’t going to… I didn’t mean to scare you. I was just…”

You didn’t know how to explain yourself either. But you didn’t need to, Yeosang understood what was going on.

He carefully approached you and offered you a big hug. You let yourself collapse into him and allowed the tears to spill from your eyes, letting out all the pent-up stress and fear.

“I’m sorry my love. I will never forgive myself for scaring you…”

Yunho

You were on edge the whole day, anxiety acting up again. Sometimes you could deal with it, but not today.

In the evening it got even worse when Yunho didn’t seem to notice you were more nervous and jittery than usual. He’s had a hard day too.

So, you decided to put aside your own troubles to ask him how his day went.

His eyebrows furrowed: “I don’t wanna talk about it.”

“I just wanted to ask you how your day went, Yunho, and why you’re so pissed, I’m sorry”

He groaned out of frustration and turned his body away from you - a little too fast. That’s when something snapped in you and you got flooded with horrible memories of past situations that scarred you physically but more importantly mentally: You couldn’t help but protect your head from punches that might land on it.

“No, baby, don’t… I.. I didn’t mean to… I wasn’t going to…”

The look in his eyes was pure defeat.

“I’m so sorry” his voice was merely a whisper.

You were shocked when you realized you had thought he could harm you physically. He was your safe place.

So you let yourself fall into his arms, hoping you could comfort him as much as he comforted you.

Hongjoong

In an argument Hongjoong could raise his voice, you knew that. What you didn’t know was that even small rapid movements of his could trigger a memory in your mind that you hoped to suppress forever.

He only ran his hand through his hair but your reflex was to immediately cover your face.

“What was that?... Are y-you scared of me…?”

Tears started to spill from your eyes as you realized that you had hurt him: ”I’m sorry Hongjoong, I don’t know what’s happening”

Taking you into his arms, he tried to calm you down with his touch: ”Shh, it’s okay, I’m here, Y/N”

After your tears dried up a little, you moved to cuddle on the couch.

“Do you wanna tell me what happened?”

It was painful but you decided to tell him everything you could remember.

He was sure to hold you especially tight during the parts where you didn’t think you could keep on talking.

Seonghwa

You guys fought about his job and how he was never home. He reasoned he loved what he did and that was supposed to make it okay. It didn’t. So, your dispute was going nowhere.

Out of frustration he turned away from you.

The action was so quick, but it scared a part of you, that you didn’t know existed: the part that was abused.

You couldn’t help but flinch. Of course, Seonghwa noticed.

“Why’d you…? Y/N are you sc-scared of me?” His eyes wide open, the corners of his mouth visibly drooping.

You sank down onto the floor, unable to hold it in any longer. It was useless to cover your eyes, tears already spilling like a waterfall.

Seonghwa was quick to hug you.

You were falling apart in his arms, but it felt good to let it all out. Neither you nor Seonghwa needed to speak.

Let me know what you think in the comments.

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boldlyanxious · 3 years

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Love in the Time of Taco Trucks

Jasonette July SC 2: fluff

Part of bittersweet ever after

My masterlist

Marinette had been stuck on a series of buses all evening and she was exhausted. Her work day was long and the subway was backed up. The bus should have gotten her back over an hour ago, but she was not the only person who switched to the bus after waiting too long at the subway platform. She was hungry and tired and didn’t want to have to cook when she got home. Luckily she had spied the taco truck down the block so she had a plan for that.

She smiled as she approached Grant, the taco truck guy. She had been there a few times when her tips were good, so she was familiar with him. He was so proud of having called his taco truck Tuesday so it could always be taco Tuesday. He told her that joke every time. She rushed down the block and waved at him when it seemed like he was cleaning up for the evening.

“Please serve me before you close, Grant. I’m desperate,” she begged.

“Long day?” she nodded at him. “I have just enough for one order.”

He looked to his left and made a sad face at her. Marinette looked over. There was a man with a mask approaching.

“Sorry Marinette, I can’t serve you tonight.”

She didn’t even get a chance to protest because Grant had turned and greeted the masked man.

“Good evening, Red Hood.”

“How is it going Grant? Is it too late for tacos?”

“It is never too late for you. I’ll have them right out.”

“Seriously?? This day sucks.”

Marinette felt silly at the rage that filled her but she couldn’t help it. Her whole day was filled with people expecting special treatment and then her commute home was so long and full of more people who had no concern for the inconvenience they caused others. She had been so happy at the simple solution only to be denied when someone else showed up to get special treatment.

She barely felt the first couple drops of rain when she stepped away from the taco truck. But before she was even halfway down the block the water was pouring down on her. She ran for the nearest awning to get out of the deluge. She dug through her bag but she must have left her umbrella at work. She heard footsteps splashing the wet ground behind her and then stopped. She turned when the man’s voice spoke.

“Hey, Marinette?”

She hadn’t expected him to know her name. She wondered what Grant had told him about her. She was trying to place who he was. She didn’t know all the costumed alter egos in Gotham and always felt awkward when others talked about them. Most Gothamites already knew most of them and assumed others would as well. She supposed it was the same way with how it had been in Paris when Hawkmoth had been active.

“Yes?” she said hesitantly.

“Grant said you had been ordering food but he only had enough for one. I had him make it into nachos to spread out the ingredients so that way there would be enough for both or us.”

He handed her a box. She looked up at him when she accepted it.

“Um, thanks. I was really disappointed.”

“Probably how I felt watching you walk away.”

“What??” Marinette looked up at him quickly.

“Can I walk you home? I have an umbrella.”

Marinette nodded. It may not have been the best idea. She found that out more the next day when she mentioned that she had met the Red Hood. Her coworkers wanted to know how she had gotten away and if Batman had come to rescue her. She chose not to give any additional details. He had seemed very sweet walking her home. They had started off in silence but he asked a few questions and worked out that she had a really rough day. He listened to her and wished her a good evening before he left.

---

She was starting to think that Red Hood was planning their meetings. Grant refused to confirm, but it was the third week in a row that he had just happened to show up when she was walking past the taco truck. Each time he insisted on getting her tacos because he had made her think that she would have to go without on a day she really needed them. The first time could have been a chance. The second time it could have been his routine. The third time was definitely suspicious. But now, she looked down the street and Grant was already closed.

It was a shame. Red Hood had surprised her with tacos three weeks in a row and now she was craving them today. Oh well, she had food at home she could make. Somehow tacos always sounded better. Even if they weren’t free courtesy of the notorious crime lord Red Hood.

She was a little surprised when Grant called to her from behind the taco truck. She had thought he was closed up and gone already. She was really surprised when she rounded the corner and saw the set up. There was a blanket laid out and lights strung around. The area was hidden enough that someone would have to look around the truck to see them. That was probably best for a crime lord who may not like to stay out in the open. He was sitting there at ease, waiting for her, with probably enough tacos to feed an army. Marinette couldn’t help the smile at seeing it all.

“What is all this?”

“Tacos.” he said with a laugh.

“Okay, smart guy. Why did you get an entire taco truck worth of tacos today?”

“Sit with me.”

Marinette tucked her legs under herself and sat in front of him on the blanket. He handed her a plate with tacos and picked up one himself. Neither spoke for a few minutes. Marinette followed his lead and started eating. He stopped eating and watched her for a moment.

“I like you,” he said simply.

She almost choked on her taco. She suspected as much since he kept showing up. She didn’t think he was just interested in her thoughts on how to improve fashion to be useful to workers or how to improve the look or the various heroes and villains in the city. But he stated it so clearly and easily that it somehow made it more difficult to take in.

“Oh-uh-aahh. I like you too.”

“Really? You don’t sound so sure.”

“You just came right out and said it. Who does that?”

“Well, I do.” he paused. “So I guess Jason does.”

“Jason?”

“Yes. Jason. Me.”

“You told me your name. Isn’t that like vigilante 101? Keep your identity secret.”

“Probably. But I don’t want to be a secret from you. I want to know you.”

---

It was much easier for Marinette to date Jason than it would have been to date Red Hood. He had managed to keep his identity and personal life away from his home life because of the mask. Even those who knew who he was by given name had no idea where he lived or that he was dating a waitress. Grant knew but he was very loyal to Red Hood. They may have met through the protection racket, but Red Hood had proved he was worth it when the Black Mask had come knocking. Literally.

They had come on a night Grant’s daughter was running the truck for him. She usually only helped out on busy nights and wouldn’t be alone but Grant had been sick and she set up for him. They must have decided that she was easy to convince and went after her when she was there alone. But she refused to pay so they trashed the truck and knocked her around a bit as a means of convincing her. Red Hood had heard the shouts and crashes and saw her land on the ground after being shoved into the door. She had turned the handle to help her escape the onslaught but she broke her leg in the fall. Her lip was already split from being slapped.

Red Hood did not even need to ask what had happened. He saw Black Mask’s goons exit after her and walk up to her menacingly. He waited until they were fully out and focused on tormenting the girl before he attacked them. He never found out if they survived the beat down he gave them. He didn’t even care. He stayed with Kara until her parents were able to come and get her help. Red Hood visited Grant a couple days later. He assured him that his truck would be in business again and covered all the expenses not covered by the business insurance. Property and injury. Grant never complained about the protection money and Jason never paid for another taco.

It was their first time visiting the taco truck together after officially starting dating. Grant didn’t say anything about the boyfriend Marinette showed up with who had the same build as Red Hood. He served them with a smile, not even a wink when he told them their meals were on the house.

He had even taken Marinette’s favorite picture of them. Jason was teasing Marinette as he snatched her last taco. He was putting it up to his mouth but rather than trying to fight with him over it, she lunged at him and bit the other side. The picture was snapped right as they both were appearing to eat the taco. She cheered in triumph for besting him. He laughed and put her taco down before he leaned in and kissed her for the first time.

---

Jason grasped Marinette by the shoulders and kept her upright. He ended up having to leave her for a few minutes to handle something that couldn’t wait. He was incredibly frustrated at the interruption but she just took the bumps in their relationships as they came. It was one of the things he loved about her. She never shamed him when his work interfered with their relationship. She knew he worked hard to make sure that his work wouldn’t interfere but that their decision to keep her hidden from everything in his criminal life would sometimes take precedence over their plans.

She had been perfectly happy to sit and wait. But she had wanted to wait for him to order food. She had a bit of bread with her drink. Jason had left the instruction to keep her happy while he was out back on the call. He found out when he returned that they might have kept her too happy. Her drink was full when he returned but based on the check she had drunk several of the drinks in the time he was away.

She was drunk. She was teetering on the line between tipsy and happy drunk. He liked her like this. Happy and affectionate. He almost decided to just carry her back home but she squealed with delight when she saw the taco truck. She hadn’t had more than a couple pieces of bread and plenty of drinks. He looked over and Grant was waving at them.

Jason smiled down at her while he let Grant fix them the usual. Marinette turned and kissed him while they waited. She usually didn’t like to be overly affectionate in public but when her inhibitions were lower she cared far less about them being noticed. He could see that Grant was trying not to laugh at him as he tried to keep her from doing more than he knew she preferred before they got home. It was much easier once the food was ready. She clapped in excitement to get her tacos. She probably enjoyed the food more than the fancy dinner he had planned.

He watched her sit to eat, not even wanting to wait until they made it home. She looked back up at him and smiled then looked devastated as her taco dumped out onto her tray. He got up to retrieve her a fork. He didn’t think she would even hear his wistful comment in her current state.

“You silly beautiful woman.” He kissed her on the head before he sat back down. “I was supposed to be asking you to marry me right now.”

He was looking at the small box from the fancy restaurant. He just took it with him, planning to remove the ring and come up with a new proposal plan. He glanced back at her. She was looking at him, frozen. It took him a moment to figure out what had made her react like that. Her eyesb were wide but somehow got even wider when he opened the box. A gleaming diamond ring was displayed in the fancy slice of cake.

“You want to marry me?”

“I have never wanted anything more.” he said seriously.

Marinette didn’t even answer. She lunged at him and hugged him. He tried to stop everything from falling but her tray of tacos and the slice of cake hit the ground. He had to hold himself steady to keep her from knocking him to the ground with the force of her enthusiasm. He pushed her hair back from her face and leaned down to kiss her deeply.

“Marry me?” he asked when he pulled away.

“Always.” she said as she leaned to kids him again.

---

It was a small ceremony. Jason had family but he didn't talk to them and Marinette’s situation was even more complicated. They kept the engagement short and invited only a few people. Jason’s idea was to do it behind the taco truck since it seemed to always make an appearance in their lives. But Marinette wanted some place prettier. She found a park with an old stone stair path that came out of the trees and into a clearing. It wasn’t by the seating area in the park but with a few flowers and battery powered fairy lights it turned out perfect.

They did it at dusk when the city was quiet. Darkness had just settled. Jason almost fell over when he saw Marinette walk towards him. She hadn’t let him see anything of the dress ahead of time but he knew she had spend countless hours working on it. A pale gold dress with thousands of tiny rose gold beads sewn on and tiny fairy lights attached to the dress. Her hair was swept up with glittering jewels and curls cascading down her back.

He was the luckiest man alive. Not even because he was alive for the second time. He had her and he was better for it. He couldn’t even bring himself to think of the 'what if they had never met' or he had never followed after her that first night. He wouldn’t have anything in his life if she weren’t smiling at him like she was right now.

Having the taco truck cater for the small wedding was the first decision made after they found the ring in the cake and dirt. Grant had come out to congratulate them and Marinette had happily declared that they had to have tacos at the wedding. It seemed fitting since Grant had been at all the big moments from the beginning of their relationship. He felt like family.

---

Marinette ventured into their living room to see that Jason had already set out coffee and was bringing a tray that presumably had breakfast if the smell was anything to go on. She sat at the breakfast bar and poured coffee into the two mugs he had set out. She paused with the cream halfway tipped toward the coffee when she spotted a familiar logo on a take out box.

“What’s this?” she asked, pointing at the offending box. “Did you get tacos without me?”

He pushed the box towards her with a grin.

“Open it,” he said.

She looked at him skeptically but opened it like he suggested. There were a couple bits of food in the empty box but not the tacos she was hoping he would surprise her with.

“Gee, thanks.” she said, before pushing it into the trash.

The grin melted off his face and he frantically went for the box in the trash. He pulled it out and opened it before flipping it over and checking the bottom. He stuck his finger through a small hole and wiggled it. He dug back into the trash briefly before dropping the box in the can and tearing frantically around the apartment. Marinette was worried at the unexplained reaction as he crawled along the floor and flipped over cushions. She abandoned the coffees on the counter to follow him when he moved towards the bedroom.

“Jay, what’s wrong? I’m not mad about the tacos. I know you were out late and I was already asleep.”

“It was your gift.”

“You got me tacos and they escaped into the apartment?”

“No, I got you a hamster and it escaped in the apartment.”

“A hamster?”

“I know we said anniversary gifts weren’t necessary and that we both prefer spontaneous gifts but it was. I saw it in the window on the way home last night and remembered that you had always wanted a hamster.”

“Maybe the taco box wasn’t the best place for it overnight.”

“I’m not that ridiculous. I put it in the box just a few minutes ago when I heard you waking up.”

He opened the closet and pulled down a box from the high shelf. It was full of all the things they could think to need with a hamster. The hamster case was set up and looked to have a little snuggly area where it had spent the night. The only thing missing was the hamster. They looked all over. It was an exhausting day and they ended up missing their dinner reservation for their 2 year anniversary. They ended up sprawled on the couch snuggling at the end of the day with no sign of the hamster.

Taglist

#maribat #jasonette july 2021 #jasonette july #jasonette #fluffy #fluff #fluffy saturdays #boldlyanxious

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andilovetowrite · 3 years

Text

Punch To The Heart (Part 3)

Peter Parker x Reader

Summary: After repeatedly blowing you off on plans, events and trips, you have finally had enough. But Peter soon regrets it as he sees the harsh reality of almost losing his best friend.

Based on a request, you can find it here!

Warnings: Shooting and violence. But nothing too graphic. Some angst and crying, but also a lot of fluff :)

Here is my Masterlist in case you want to find more of my work :)

Part 1

Part 2

We’ve got he--r

Stay with us Y/nnnn

Come on, try anythin--

Oh, thank go-

Words swam in and out of your head, floating in front of you and into your ears. Voices shouted from either side of you at some point. You could feel yourself slipping into some type of unconsciousness, with bright white light shining through your eyelids. You could hear Peter’s voice mix in with your parent’s voices. You could hear May’s voice, and through some type of veil, you could listen to Uncle Ben’s voice as well. Sure that you were hallucinating, you tried to open your eyes but blacked out before you could try….

You regained your consciousness at some point, your brain making sense that you could not move your body. Which meant you were unable to roll your eyes. But you could feel things. The blinding sorts of pain in your stomach and right thigh. The rough material of some type of gauze covering your entire lower body. Your back bare, with your front covered in a flimsy cloth. And for a quick moment, you thought you were back in the van, with kidnappers and terrorists. And the thought alone made you pass out again…

The last time that you woke up, you were hit with a multitude of sounds and noises. Carts being pushed, metal creaking, glasses clinking. You could hear voices as well. The soft drawl of some lady next to you, one that you vaguely remember. A comforting voice, one that you were familiar with because she woke you up in the mornings. Your mom. Another deeper voice was trying to calm her down—your dad. A worried, yet the firm say that you knew since you went to her house every other day. Aunt May.

But one specific voice was loud and clear to you. High, slightly cracked, chocked up. A voice that you could recognise even if you were half dead. A voice that you grew up with, a voice that was by your side for years. A voice that now seemed to be crying softly from the other side of the room.

So with whatever energy you had left in you, you opened your eyes and whispered. “Peter”

----------------------------------------------------------------------------

“Peter”, Peter said, shocked, staring at your body. “Did she just say, Peter?”

The doctor nodded, putting his hand on his shoulder. “Yes, she did, I believe. Are you her boyfriend? Or a family member?”

Peter shook his head, still staring dumbfounded at you. “I’m her best friend.”

The doctor sighed. “Alright, well, here is what we know so far-”

“Wait, shouldn’t Mr and Ms Y/L/N be here? To get an update on their daughter?“Peter interrupted, trying to see where they were. The doctor sighed again.

“They had to go to a business meeting and told me that a lady named May Parker would be her guardian until they return in a couple of weeks.”

Peter’s mouth flew open. “They left her?”

The doctor nodded, looking at you sadly. “Yes, they did, but I will send them daily updates about how she is doing.”

Peter licked his dry lips, suddenly realising how parched his throat was. “Here, drink some water, and I’ll tell you how she is.” Peter took the plastic cup from him, drinking it down.

“So first of all, she is getting better. Our team of doctors had predicted that she would likely be in a coma for the next few days, but she has regained consciousness, and her fluids are good. Her internal organs are getting stronger, and hopefully, if all goes well, she should wake up for good in the next day or two.”

The doctor read his papers, nodding politely at Peter, who was visibly calmer. The doctor looked at his watch, tutting softly. “It’s late. I would advise you to go home. Get a couple of hours of sleep. You can come back in the afternoon.”

Peter looked out, confused when he saw the starting rays of sunshine come in through the window. He was so tired that he didn’t realise that he had been in the hospital for 9 hours. Peter looked at you, weighing his options. As if the doctor could sense what was going on in his head, he patted Peter’s back. “Visiting hours have been over since 3 am. But it opens up again at 11. Go and rest for a bit. It’ll do you good.” Peter averted his eyes to you again before he nodded, kissing your cold forehead lightly before he walked out, hoping to get some sleep or rest.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------

He didn’t get any sleep. Usually, if he couldn’t, he would call you or swing over to your house. Well, not usually. Ever since he started dating MJ, he wouldn’t even go to your home. And MJ never let him come over in the night, too paranoid that her parents would find Peter. Oh, and forget about patching him up after patrol. She would get sick at the sight of Peter’s bruises and injuries. One time, he even had to swing to the compound because he had been shot.

None of that would have happened if he had just been a good friend. Been a good best friend. If only he had not fought with you that day, not ignored you, then you wouldn’t be in the hospital with pipes going in and out of you.

Peter couldn’t shake his fear and paranoia, creeping out of his bed quietly, to not wake up May. Slowly walking to the bathroom, he looked in the mirror. Bloodshot eyes stared back at him. He ran his fingers through his hair, wincing slightly. Tears slipped down his face, little by little as he tried to imagine how worried you might have been. Soon, he couldn’t see anything, as salty tears fell into the sink infront of him. “Oh god, Y/N”, he said, voice cracking. He dejectedly went back to his room, grabbing his suit. Instinctively, he pulled it on, opening his window slightly. Jumping out the window, he didn’t even know where he was going. Somehow, he ended up back at the hospital, looking into your window. It was open, letting in the warm air into your room. He sighed, letting the mask fall off his face. He let the wind go through his curls, feeling it dry the lines of water on his face. Suddenly, he heard some noise from your window. Looking closer, he saw your eyes flicker open, and your voice walf over to him.

“You can come in, you know? Everybody has gone to sleep…”, you said, your voice cracked and scratchy from not using it. Peter just stood still for a couple seconds, too shocked to move.

You were alive! And speaking to him…

Jumping in, he landed softly, not wanting to cause a scene. “He-hey”, Peter said, stuttering. You smiled at him, tiredness showing on your features.

“Hey Peter, are you okay?”, you asked, eyes going over his own, how disheveled he looked.

“You-I, I’m not the biggest thing you should worry about Y/N! You-you were shot. Twice. How-I don’t-wha-”

You reached out to him, wincing as you moved your arm. Peter noticed this, running over to you. “Don’t-don’t do that, you can hurt yourself”, he said, worry evident in his eyes.

You sighed, sitting back. “Pete, why don’t you change out of the suit. I don’t want nurses to walk by and see Spiderman in my room… especially if you don’t have a mask.”

Peter nodded, pressing the small button on his suit that made it shrink up, revealing his clothes underneath. Peter didn’t say anything, but walked over to you, hands in his pockets.

“How are you feeling?”, Peter asked, sitting down gingerly at the side of your bed. You shrugged, not knowing what to say. A few minutes passes, the silence becoming suffocating. Almost simultaneously, you both said.

“I’m sorry”

Looking at Peter, you saw him staring at you indercously.

“Why are you sorry?”

Again, you both shut your mouths, and as easily as you could, you gestured to Peter to say something. “Why-why are you sorry? I’m the one who put you in danger Y/N! Yo-you could’ve died.”Peter rambled, eyes starting to glisten as he looked at your body, how those men had hurt you. “I-if I had just not fought with you, then you wouldn’t have walked out of the school, and I wouldn’t have had to give you the bag, and then they wouldn’t have targetted you. Y/N, I’m the reason you are in the hospital. I can’t-yo-you got so badly hurt, I can-no” By this time, the dam inside Peter had broken, as tears started streaming down his face.

You could feel your own throat start to close up, so you did the only thing you could think of. You opened your arms up, letting Peter crawl in. He kept his weight off you, so not to hurt you even more. You ran your fingers up and down his back, calming him down.

“It’s alright, Peter. I would have them rather come for me than yo-”

“No”, Peter said firmly, trying to mask the crack in his voice. “Don’t say that. You are far more important than me, you can’t even wish that Y/N”

You smiled sadly. “Peter, the world needs Spiderman. They don’t need me…”

“No no no”, Peter said, making you look at him. “So many people need you Y/N”

“No, they don’t, Pete. My parents don’t care. I mean, they aren’t here, are they? What is it this time? A business trip?”

Peter tried to object, but he knew that you wouldn’t believe him. “I-I need yo-”

“And don’t say that you need me, because you had no problem spending time with M-”

“I broke up with her”, Peter said hurriedly, wanting to get it out as soon as possible.

You nodded, feeling guilty as a small part of you rejoiced. “Good for you”, you said, emotionless. An awkward silence enveloped the air around you two again, but this time, it became too much. Out of nowhere, you started crying, choked hiccups and sobs coming from your throat.

“Y/N!”, Peter said, smoothening your hair.

“I-I’m sorry. I was just so sc-scared and I was sure I was going to die, and I just can’t do-” You said, hugging yourself softly, as you looked at him through blurry eyes. And you didn’t have to say anything before Peter hugged you closer, the last thing you saw was his brown irises before you dropped to sleep…

------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Dr Lee walked around the hall, looking at the different rooms before he reached Y/N Y/L/N’s room, and he had to clean his glasses twice to see what he think he saw. Hugging you, with your legs intertwined, was Peter. Your face snuggled into his chest, his arms were looped around you, holding you close. What was the most astonishing thing was how even your breathing and charts were. No patient who had ever gotten shot would’ve recovered so quick, but he could see something was different.

Carefully opening the door, he quietly watched as Peter stirred, eyes flickering open as he drowsily smiled, pressing a kiss to your forehead before falling back asleep.

Dr Lee sighed, smiling at them. “Oh, they are obviously in love….”

Ooh, I really liked this part! Anyway, thank you for reading this, and the next (and last) part will be out later this week, possibly on Friday or Saturday. If you want to be tagged in the next part of the following fics, please just respond to this one telling me that. Until next time👋👋

Tagged: @a--1--1--3 @idkatee @eternalscribblesforthesoul @loudbluepancake @poisondevotion @scram1326 @t-hollanderr @305weasley @starknik22 @marvelfansworld @lou-la-lou @lomlparker @marvelfansworld @wowitsel @vanteguccir @fullcheesecakeengineer

#peter parker fluff #peter parker x bestfriend reader #peter parker angst #shooting #violence #angst #fluff #x reader #y/n

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acircusfullofdemons · 2 years

Note

Storybook City sounds so cool!! I know you're focusing on the Wonderland paras right now, but have you thought about the others yet? Is there anything in particular about the world they're living in?? Sorry, if these seem like weird questions, I'm just enthralled right now by the concept!!

YES OH MY GOD!!!!!

This paracosm actually started a WHILE ago, when I re-entered my Jekyll & Hyde phase. So, the only other "section" SC has rn (with semi-fleshed out paras) is called "Victorian Gothic", which has, well, characters from books that fall into the "Victorian Gothic Era". Characters like Henry Jekyll/Edward Hyde, Victor Frankenstein, essentially all the Iconic mad scientists are there! (...and those from Dracula....)

The VG Characters, when I first made them, lived in this college dorm/large school? Because, well, most of them are scientists (or, trying to be, anyway).

NOW, however, with the addition of Wonderland, I'm thinking of having a sort of "hub" all the characters can visit, mainly because Wonderland is....another dimension, or something. Idk.

There's also Sleepy Hollow (from The Legend of Sleepy Hollow), which is just Halloween Town from The Nightmare Before Christmas ngl. They love Ghost Stories. The only one from there thats appeared is Ichabod Crane (who might be a ghost idk yet) & Katrina's descendant, who doesn't have a name atm. But! Ichabod is a salty old man & doesn't like her.

And the most recent location/section is "Ever After", which is where all the Disney Princess live. So, so many kingdoms like WHAT.

This is also lowkey ripping off Ever After High (rip 😔) BUT instead of the descendants having to follow their parents/ancestors paths, they sort of have to....make new fairytales/stories. Like, keeping the cycle going, in a sense?? After they graduate, they have to choose which dimension they wish to live in, be approved, and then HOPEFULLY take part in a new Story. Fun!

OH!!! I'm sorry this is already long BUT! Each dimension/section has a "spokesperson", someone who makes the overall decisions for their dimension. The way its determined is sort of funky, but its usually who's the most "popular"/who gets the most recognition from readers. So, Snow White is Ever Afters spokesperson since she was the first Disney princess to get a movie. Phineas/Mad Hatter is Wonderland's spokesperson & Rosa/Queen of Hearts is SO SALTY about it lmao. The Brothers Grimm (Alder & Beltop) are the....I'm not sure how to say it. They're the spokespeople for SC as a whole? Like. They're the leaders of everyone else, keeping track of which dimensions do what, that sort of thing. Its like if they were the principals & the spokespeople were....assistant principals??

(The Brothers also knew some characters before they became, well, characters. Phineas & Beltop were actually best friends. I think Cinderella & Phineas knew each other before their respective stories, too).

Anyway, I will leave you off with an explanation of how their adventures get turned into Stories. I'll use LIW as an example bc yeah. So. When Alice came back from her first two adventures in both Wonderland & LookingGlassland, she told lots of people (who...didn't believe her, because she was an 8yo Victorian Child who had a very active imagination, probably wrote it off as some vivid dream). But!! One person did believe her, that being Lewis Carroll. Everything she told him, he wrote down into a book, which of course became the one we're all familiar with today. Essentially, A Protagonist must find a Narrator to write down their story for them. Characters have varying opinions on the book events vs irl events (Phineas claims that the tea party scene went on much longer than in the book), but overall they agree that their books/original adaptations are the best adaptations provided.

I hope that satisfies some of your curiosity!! I really didn't know what to write so....I kinda jumped everywhere lmao 😅

#paraportal #player: dremieblur #luka answers #console: fractured fables #forgot to put in but neverland also exists. doesnt matter much yet but phineas & hook are buddies & i think thats beautiful.

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keanureevesisbae · 3 years

Text

Protection - Chapter 1

Summary: Mia Makaruku meets her new neighbor, but he isn’t at all what she expected him to be.

August Walker x Mia Makaruku (ofc)

Wordcount: 3.2k

Warnings: Mentions of a car accident.

Masterlist // Previous chapter // Next chapter

My muscles scream bloody murder, as I trudge through the hallways. Did coach Riley have to be so gruesome today? Goodness me, I don’t even know if I’m gonna make it back to my car. However, when I see the coach standing further down the hall, I quickly straighten my back and ignore the slight dulling pain I feel in my ankle and the rest of my leg muscles. ‘Mia,’ coach Riley says in a stern tone as I come closer to her.

Oh no, I think to myself. I did something terribly wrong. If she uses that tone after the first training of the week, it can only mean I’m in severe trouble. ‘Yes coach?’ I hesitantly ask.

Coach Riley’s looks indicate she is strict. Her blonde hairs are pulled back in a tight knot, a pair of glasses with a thick black frame rests on her nose and the eyeliner that hardens her eyes. While the indication is absolutely one hundred percent correct, you eventually find out she is a sweetheart deep underneath that hard exterior.

When I first arrived in Chicago five years ago, I had no idea what Thanksgiving entailed and I was ready to spend it alone in my apartment. She invited—correction: forced—me to spend time with her family, because she did not want me to sit alone in my apartment on Thanksgiving.

With my last foster family being everything but a great success, it felt good to be welcomed with open arms into a family. I’ve had my fair share of families and while they were all sweet, the last one was a total nightmare. Being slightly traumatized by the experience, it was good to be hugged by a grandma I had never seen before.

Hugs from grandma’s do wonders.

‘You did good today,’ coach says.

Great, now I know for sure I have severely fucked up. If coach Riley starts with a compliment, she is going to break some pretty bad news within a few seconds. I have trained with her for a little over five years. I know her and her odd and slightly crude way of communicating.

‘Okay?’ I say, waiting for the bomb to drop.

‘However, I want you to take it easy, so next training you’re going to train with Tristan on the side of the field.’

‘Come on, coach,’ I whine. ‘Why?’

‘Upcoming Saturday it’s the second to last game of the year. I need you top fit then.’

‘But I am top fit. Honestly!’

Coach Riley isn’t impressed, but to be honest: when is she ever? If this woman has made a decision, she’ll simply power through, no discussion possible. ‘You take it easy during tomorrows training and you listen carefully to Tristan. I noticed a limp on the field just now.’

‘There wasn’t a limp,’ I say. ‘I swear, it’s nothing to worry ab— Okay, I’ll take it easy tomorrow,’ I quickly say when I see her cocked eyebrow that does not bode well.

She finally smiles. ‘Good. Now scocch, I don’t want to look at your face any longer.’

Just when you think she is finally a little bit approachable and kind, she thankfully does this, because her smile was nearly creeping me out. I can’t stop my chuckle. ‘See you tomorrow, coach,’ I say, holding up my hand as I continue to walk through the hallways.

The closer I get to the exit, the colder it becomes. When I’m training, I somehow forget about the ice cold temperatures. However, when I’m not training, which is the majority of the day, I remember we are nearing the winterbreak and that handling these types of temperatures, is not one of my strengths.

I tense up when I step outside and if my ankle wasn’t slightly bothering me, I’d run to my car. When I reached the vehicle, I quickly step in and start to heat it up. My car, unfortunately, isn’t the most advanced and it takes quite some time before it’s even remotely warm. I shiver in the drivers seat. My phone peeps in my pocket and I pull it out, to check the notification that popped up on my screen.

Reminder to yourself: YOU NEED TO DO SOME GROCERIES. GET YOUR FAT ASS CAT SOMETHING TO EAT.

No, no, no, I forgot. I totally forgot. I curse morning-me for sleeping in today. If I had just done groceries this morning before practice, I could’ve go home now. Why was I lazy and chose an extra hour of sleep over doing something actually productive?

I drive off the parking lot, wave to some of my teammates and go to the nearest grocery store. If I have a clear idea of what I want before I go into the store, I can actually manage to do this pretty swiftly and then go home, so I can curl up on the couch to watch yet another cheesy Christmas movie. I desperately need to buy some food for my cat, some eggs and chocolate and… Do I need more?

This is why one makes shopping lists.

‘You idiot,’ I mumble to myself, as I park the car in front of the store. I get out and walk to the entrance. While I’m strolling through the aisles, to at least get the eggs, cat food and chocolate I do know I need, I hear some girls giggling behind me.

I look over my shoulder to my right and see two young girls standing at the produce section. When they look away, I see a glimpse of their red cheeks and notice they are both wearing Chicago Red Star jerseys. I can’t—and won’t—stop my smile. ‘Hi,’ I say to them, causing them to carefully wave at me.

They shyly wave back. ‘Are you Mia Makaruku?’ one girl asks when she finally found the courage to do so.

I nod. ‘The one and only.’

They look at each other and exchange some excited looks. ‘Can we get a picture?’

This has been my favorite part of the job so far. I mean, sure, I love soccer with all my life, however seeing girls this age cheering me on during the competitions and hearing about how they watch clips of me, so they can learn from my techniques, makes me realize I love that even more. They call me their role model and with the status I have, I can actually be one for them. It’s a job I should take seriously and I do.

When kids tell me they are going to try and watch the European Championship for Women’s Soccer, because I am on the Dutch National Team, I try even harder to be the best player of the competition and be a model for them to look up to. Be someone for them I wished I had when I was younger.

I nod again at the girls. ‘Of course. I love your shirts. Tell me: whose name do you have on the back?’

They start to laugh and turn around, showing the backs of their shirts. ‘Yours of course!’

◎ ◎ ◎

Life hasn’t always been sunshine and rainbows for me. I just barely think about it nowadays, since it only leaves me with more questions than answers and I’d rather not wander in the dark like that. It’s weird to think about the things I do remember and don’t.

I do remember the second we skidded off the road. I don’t remember I had a mother or father or three brothers with me in the car. I do remember eventually taking the officer’s hand and despite repeating my name like mantra, kept asking him if he had heard my name correctly. I don’t remember any bodies on the scene, because there weren’t any and I also don’t know how their bodies disappeared.

It’s hard sometimes, knowing there is a memory inside my head that I simply can’t reach, but also not knowing what I’m missing in life. Did my parents love me? Did I have a good bond with my brothers? Was there a specific reason I wasn’t in the system? Why weren’t there other people with the same last name in the Netherlands who recognized me?

I moved from foster family to foster family, while trying to regain my memories by visiting multiple specialists. I went to a lot of places. To England, Ireland, France and Luxembourg, but no one could help me out. At the age of twelve, they simply stopped trying, because it was no use anyways and there was one family back in the Netherlands who insisted on me staying in one place for a change.

Thankfully they did, however I only stayed with them for four years, before I moved to my final family, that was a hell to put it mildly.

Finally, for the first time in yearsI wasn’t going from one specialist to another and there was one place where I was always—despite the family—welcome: my soccer team. In all those years of me visiting specialists, there was always one thing I looked for: a ball to kick around. Soccer was my love, my passion and the only thing I started to care about.

And now I have managed to not only make a name for myself in the USA, but also worldwide. When I was nineteen, I debuted in the Dutch National Team during the European Championship and my performance there was what caught the attention of the Chicago Red Stars. I could leave the small SC Heerenveen in the Netherlands behind and go to the USA. I had seen the American National Team. They were exceptionally good and now I got to play alongside some of them.

My first World Championship was when I was twenty one and the Dutch team was in the finals against the USA. Despite my two goals, the USA was too good and beat us with 4-2. Sure, I was disappointed, but still I was very pleased with the fact that the Netherlands became second and it was such a highlight in my seemingly short professional soccer career thus far.

I managed to overcome all these things and still be the person I am today. Since I can’t remember my past, I made it my mission in life to make the most of my future.

Don’t ask me how, but I managed to come back from the store with three full bags. Apparently, if you wander through the aisles long enough, you’ll find tons of excuses to buy crap you didn’t even need in the first place.

I’m finally back at my apartment building and the automatic doors slide open as I reach them. I walk towards the reception and I say with a smile: ‘Hello Harold, how are you today?'

Harold, the clerk behind the reception who is nearing his pension, greets me with his signature smile and I see the two familiar dimples form in his cheeks. ‘Hello, miss Mia, I’m doing splendid this Monday. How was your training today?’

I simply shrug. ‘It was okay, but I have to take it easy now.’ I can’t help but to roll my eyes. ‘According to my coach, I was “slightly limping” and she needs me top fit this Saturday.’

He scrunches up his nose. ‘But my dear, I think you are incapable of taking things easy. Isn’t your coach aware of that?’

I can’t help but laugh. I always like to talk to Harold, it’s so easy to strike up a conversation with him. ‘I think she just wants to bully me. Is there by the way any mail for me?’

‘There certainly is. Three envelopes for you. Almost makes you seem like a very important lady.’ He sends me a playful wink. ‘Oh, before I forget: I told you about the apartment next to you being sold, right?’

I nod. ‘Does this mean Mystery Person is finally moving in?’ I ask.

Harold nods. ‘He moved in today.’

‘Ah, it’s a man. Is he hot?’

He shrugs. ‘He is pretty stuffy and a bit authoritarian looking. I was hoping for someone as radiant as you. I think we need more people like you around here, not a copy of miss Thornhill.’

I throw my long brown hair over my shoulder. ‘Well, what can I say?’ I chuckle. ‘Not everyone is a ray of sunshine like yours truly. Is there mail for him as well? I can bring it to him.’

‘An envelope did arrive, indeed. I don’t think he will go down here to pick it up. We barely made eye contact today. I hardly even know if he is aware there is a reception, let alone that I’m the clerk.’ He hands me the other yellow envelope and says: ‘Are you sure you want to do this, miss?’

‘Absolutely positive. It might be nice to get to know my next door neighbor. Let’s hope he is not a gigolo. I really can’t use sleepless nights anymore. I have two important games coming up, I need my rest.’

‘Mister Toriello was quite the man,’ Harold laughs. ‘Thank you, my dear, for doing this.’

‘No problem, Harold. See you later!’ I walk to the elevator and hold my card in front of the scanner. The doors slide open and when I get in, I press button number nine. I look at the name on the envelope. It’s actually addressed with a sticker, no handwriting, which I find so impersonal.

A. Walker

A. Walker is probably the most generic name I’ve ever heard. This man could be anybody. Would he be bald, have a beer belly and burps all the time or would he be young, attractive and actually a chance for me to leave my forever alone status behind?

While that would be nice, Harold did say that the man was quite stuffy and authoritarian looking.

As someone with barely any date experience (none at all, actually), I’d say stuffy and authoritarian looking isn’t really my type, but never say never right?

The doors open and I step out on my own floor. I walk through the broad hallways and stop in front of apartment number 943. From behind the door, I can hear someone dragging furniture around the apartment and an occasional male grunt. I knock on the door and just hope that he can hear me. I don’t want to start banging on the door like an idiot.

Thankfully, he did hear me, because footsteps approach the door and when it swings open, my eyes widen.

The man standing in the doorway, does not match the generic sounding A. Walker name at all. He is tall, with broad shoulders and the shortsleeved shirt he is wearing, totally accentuates his muscled biceps. I mean, the body is a total A+ (I don’t think I have ever seen someone this buff, while still being proportionate), his face on the other hand… I mean, he does have a beautifully sculpted face and it looks rather perfect, don’t get me wrong, but he looks so angry with that deep frown between his brows and the mustache isn’t really my thing either. Kinda ruins his entire face, if I’m being honest. ‘Who are you?’ he asks, his voice monotone and already bored.

That is not a good start.

‘I’m Mia,’ I introduce myself with a smile, because smiles make people comfortable and this man does not look comfortable. ‘I live next door, in apartment 944. I brought you your mail.’ I extend my arm, so I can hand him the yellow envelope. ‘Thought it would be nice, since we’re neighbors after all.’

He rips the envelope out of my hand and is actually inspecting the seal on it. I am deeply offended. Why on earth would he think that low of me? As if I would snoop through other people’s mail.

After his thorough inspection, he looks at me again. His eyes take me in and leans against the doorframe, crossing his arms in front of his broad chest. The shirt has a slight v neck and is that a tiny bit of chest hair I detect?

I’m almost expecting something condescending leaving his lips (he seems like the type), but A. Walker doesn’t say a word. He simply stares at me and now I kinda regret bringing his mail with me.

He looks and acts like an utter asshole.

‘What’s your name?’ I carefully ask him. Despite him looking like an absolute dick, I do think this is a man you might want to have on your good side. After all, he is my neighbor, I don’t want him to hate me, especially since from the looks of it this man can break me in half with just his pinky, which is intimidating on its own.

‘August Walker,’ he says, tilting his head, as he seems to scan my entire face. ‘Aren’t you that soccer player?’

Before I can even stop it, a smile breaks out on my face. I always like it when people acknowledge the fact that I’m a soccer player. I worked really hard to get where I am now and when people recognize me as that soccer player, it makes me happy. ‘I am,’ I say with an even brighter smile.

Maybe he isn’t so bad after all…

‘I hate women’s soccer.’

I’m dumbfounded. Why on earth does he have to be so rude? What on earth did I do to him to deserve this? What a fucking dickhead. I can’t believe I was actually trying to make a good impression on him. Maybe I don’t want him to be on my good side. Maybe I sort of miss mister Toriello now, with his late night adventures with very noisy female customers. At least he was nice enough to bring me cookies every now and then, to apologize for the noise.

I highly doubt August Walker knows how to bake cookies, let alone buy some of them to apologize for the inconvenience, whatever that may be.

‘Why?’ I ask, as my expression falters.

‘It’s stupid,’ he simply states. To make it even worse, he adds a shrug, as if it’s a well known fact and not just some stupid opinion. ‘Not as advanced as male soccer.’

I frown, as I try to cover up the fact I’m deeply hurt. ‘Well, that’s okay. To each their own,’ I say to him. ‘If we are being frank here: I think your mustache is pretty stupid.’

He simply raises his eyebrows, while his eyes still look bored and annoyed. ‘You do?’ he asks me. ‘Why is that?’

‘I don’t know. It makes you look like a pedophile, really. Have a good day, mister Walker.’ I walk towards my own door and barge inside.

Who gave mister August Walker the right to be this rude to me, someone who he barely knows? What a piece of shit.

My big orange cat Bobo walks up to me and he starts to meow, pulling me out of my racing thoughts.

The hairy companion makes me instantly forget about my new neighbor. ‘Hi, Bobo,’ I say with a chuckle. ‘I missed you too, little fella.’ I place the bags on the floor, before I lift him up, to press tons of kisses on his head. He purrs in my ear. ‘I bought you some food, so that means you can finally stop putting your head in my bowl and be a decent cat from now on.’

‘Meow.’

‘That’s what I thought.’

#henry cavill #henry cavill x ofc #henry cavill x oc #henry cavill x asian ofc #henry cavill x soccer player #henry cavill x mia makaruku #henry cavill fandom #henry cavill fanfic #august walker x ofc #august walker #august walker x asian ofc #august walker x oc #august walker x mia makaruku #mia makaruku #asian ofc

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fangirlyah · 4 years

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✦coffee shop visits - Draco Malfoy x Muggle!Reader (part 1)

summary: when things get complicated in Draco and Astoria’s marriage, a small coffee shop seems to be the solution.

warnings: none

word count: 2,019 who would say that Draco Malfoy, born in a pure-blooded supremacist family, would end up falling in love with a Muggle. No one would have crossed that thought in their mind, not even him. But he did.

It was a sunny day and with beautiful weather, which did not match the mood of the blond. The arguments with his wife, Astoria, were getting stronger and more and more serious. His son, Scorpius, was just four years old and he already knew that when he heard a hand whipping the table it was time to go to his room. Despite his troubled childhood and lack of parental affection, Draco knew that his son could not grow up in such an environment.

That Friday afternoon, when the sun was at its peak, Draco took his son and left his house for a cup of coffee to wait for the anger to wear off both him and his wife. Astoria didn’t even try to stop him from asking to leave her son with her.

A small and cozy coffee, with warm colors and few tables, was waiting for them a few streets away. It was perfect for spending an afternoon with a loved one. Draco came in with his son by the hand and sat on some sofas near the window, they were going to be there for hours so they should find more entertainment than just talk to each other, so watching people come and go, sounded like a good idea.

The first time he saw y/n was when he felt her presence at the side of the table "hello, I am y/n and I will be your waitress today, it is a pleasure to meet you both". Her smile radiated light and her sweet voice was almost melodious. Scorpius looked at her with fascination "Daddy, the girl is pretty!", listening to the small laugh that she released, Draco’s body felt things that he had not felt for a long time. "You are also a very handsome boy, may i know your name gentleman?" y/n followed the game naturally, without the blond needing to meddle and silence the child with a loose tongue. "My name is Scorpius Malfoy, I’m four years old and my dad’s name is Draco" the little blond boy pointed out to his father that was silent in front of him. Draco couldn’t stop contemplating the girl, he tried to lower his sight, but it was almost impossible. "It’s a pleasure to meet you, Draco and Scorpius". There, for the first time, y/n and Draco made eye contact, y/n thought that maybe that was the prettiest human being she’d ever seen. "Have you thought about what to order? There’s a new hot chocolate that I’m pretty sure you’ll like, Scorpius" she said trying to calm her nerves, where’s the boy’s mother? she thought. “I want that, Daddy! Please!" The boy stood on the fluffy couch but was gently pulled down by his father "you can have that, son...em.. I would like a coffee without sugar, if possible" y/n heard Draco’s voice and her hands trembled softly, he sounded intimidating but he had a touch of kindness that did not go unnoticed. "I’ll be right back with your orders". Within minutes, y/n appeared with a tray in his hands, she left the drinks and some complimentary cookies, with some drawings so that Scorpius could color with the crayons that she had taken care of giving him.

Weeks passed and y/n saw Draco and his son at least three times a week. And their cordial meetings were maintained. A short chat with Scorpius, which consists of telling him the new chocolates that were on sale and he explaining why he had colored each of his animated animals a certain color. Then take the orders and just give them a farewell greeting. y/n was fascinated with the child, his intelligence was too much for a child under five, and Draco was fascinated with the relationship that the girl had formed with his son. Scorpius didn’t usually open up like that to adults, he didn’t even share long conversations with his mother. So it wasn't until their fifth meeting, where Draco took the initiative to speak to her not just to greet her or give her his order. The idea of having another girl who was not his wife in mind as constant as y/n was in his thoughts, terrified him and that’s why he had never left the client-waitress chat with the pretty girl.

"How long have you worked here?" with an insecure voice, the blond spoke while she wrote down the five different cake tastes that her son wanted "a few months ago, my brother is the owner so when I lost my job this was my work solution" y/n spoke warmly and kindly even if it was such a trivial question as the one that he asked "what were you working before?". Scorpius looked intently at the exchange between his father and the girl, he had never seen anyone smile so much when talking to him and his father, almost always the adults who approached his father were serious and did not smile at him. "I’m a fashion designer, so I worked for a well-known stylist but he went bankrupt and had to fire his employees. So here I am, temporarily".

And so each day, they both learned new things from each other in those little talks. Since y/n’s hate for American peanut butter, and that Draco used to hate coffee until adulthood or that Scorpius knew all the alphabet at just four years old.

Months passed and coffee visits became more frequent, and afternoons at home with Astoria fewer and fewer. Scorpius' mother had not paid attention for months to what the child wanted or needed. She was immersed in her own 'misery', supposedly brought on by Draco himself.

"can you sit with us?" Scorpius asked one winter’s day, which was cold enough that the only ones in the place were them and a couple on the other end of the shop. Draco’s stomach began to feel tickles to his son’s words, he wished with all his being that y/n would sit with them. "Um...I could, but only if your father...em it's okay with it" she timidly turned her eyes from the child to the father to see him all flushed as he nodded quickly "if...um of course". Scorpius' small hands clapped as he saw the girl sitting next to him, "you’re very pretty up close too. Just as pretty as my mother". The little one had no idea that his words were stirring the adults’ worlds beside him. Y/n thought about them all the time, he wondered if his mother would be present and if there were more children in the family, but the one who most wondered was if the mother of the child was with Draco. "That’s very kind, Scorpius, I’m sure your mom is a very pretty woman" y/n avoided looking at Draco’s reaction for her own good. "It is, one day she will come with us and you will meet her!" the blonde’s eyes went to the window looking for distraction, he wasn’t sure that day would come. "I can’t wait!" she said without losing her sweetness even though jealousy and uncertainty were more than present.

That afternoon was full of tenderness and happiness in Draco’s eyes, he saw his son happy and smiling thanks to y/n. His heart melted when he saw them paint with crayons and look for equal patents in passing cars. There were times when they spoke to him and he was so immersed in y/n’s beauty and her charisma with the child that they had to repeat his name several times until he answered. It was the best coffee shop visit.

That week, they did not appear again. Y/n’s head did not stop reviewing all the events that occurred in each of their trips to the coffee. She had taken a great affection for both, father and son. She knew she shouldn’t, that she shouldn’t be fond of an already formed family, where she wasn’t a member. It was impossible for her not to idealize her with Draco and Scorpius forming a family. One of her greatest wishes was to have her own family, so imagining scenarios like Draco and his son looking for her from work and then going to do a movie night in their cozy home, came naturally.

She wondered day and night if Draco was with the child’s mother, she wanted to take her place. The looks from the counter to the table, the constant friction of their hands, the happiness that both released when Scorpius spoke to them; she wanted all that, she wanted to have that forever. But it wasn’t her place and she had to respect that.

on a sunny Wednesday, y/n felt a voice behind her as she put cream on a coffee "hi, y/n! I missed you!" A small voice rang causing her to turn around immediately, hoping to see Draco and Scorpius behind the counter. And they were, but they weren’t alone.

the smile that grew y/n’s face, when he heard the little one, vanished quickly. "You must be y/n. My son spoke of you a couple of times" spoke for the first time the woman, who was holding Draco’s arm. Y/n couldn’t stop her face from transforming when she heard the woman emphasize on ‘my son’. Draco noticed the girl’s face, who did not leave his mind and who made him squirm when he realized that he was falling in love with another woman who was not his wife, so he couldn't help but to curse the moment in which his son had mentioned y/n in front of her wife.

"Dad, can we go to coffee today? I miss y/n" said Scorpius sitting in his chair waiting for his pumpkin juice.

"Yes, sure son"

"who is y/n?" his wife had mentioned when entering the kitchen, without giving a smile. They hadn’t smiled in months, if at any point in their marriage they did.

"The pretty girl in the coffee shop! She always brings me a gift cookie and things to paint" his son mentioned enthusiastically.

"I’ll have to go meet her then"

"yes mom, you’ll like her very much! Dad likes her, always makes him smile a lot" shit.

To Astoria’s surprise, the woman behind the counter was a Muggle girl about two years younger than her, carrying a young and sweet air that fell off when she visualized the small family. "yes that’s me, you must be Scorpius' mother" she said without losing her cordiality. "and Draco’s wife, yes that’s me". The blond noticed her intentions, Astoria believed he was better than y/n, much better. "I am so happy to finally meet you and I am just as happy to see you again Scorpius, what would you like to paint today?" She addressed the child with the best humor despite the whole situation. "mmm...I’d like the dinosaurs’ drawings" with that, the little one ran to his usual seat leaving his parents behind "I’d like a peach tea... I see you at the table” Astoria said to deposit a kiss on Draco’s lips, which y/n did not see since her eyes ran before. He stood in front of the counter for about two minutes, until she finished with the usual boys’ order and the woman’s tea. "I’m sorry..." She looked up and saw him as beautiful as ever, but this time with a serious face. "Why are you apologizing?" "I didn’t tell you I was married" he spoke low despite the small clientele in the place. "You didn’t have to do it," actually a clarification like ‘I’m married and being nice, not flirting with you' would have been very helpful. She very deeply supposed it, but she wanted to hold on to that belief that she wasn’t reading the signs wrong. "What?" The blond was surprised, she didn’t feel the same as him?

"I’m just a simple waitress, serving coffee for you and your son"

"you’re not just that".

#draco malfoy #draco x y/n #draco x reader #draco malfoy imagine #draco malfoy fanfiction #harry potter #fanfic #fanfiction #hogwarts #one shots #imagine #muggle #cofeeshop

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victoriareyloficlists · 3 years

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Single Parents

Updated 10 November 2021

Rest of the Masterlist.

A Beautiful Mess by MizuPhoenix (AO3 2018 Rated E Complete, 5 Chapters, Modern AU, Quick Synopsis: Ben/Kylo is a new dad, left with a baby and note from a one night stand. Rey is his flighty loud neighbor, who always has way too many friends at her house and doesn't make things easy on his new lifestyle. They argue relentlessly, until one day an emergency calls for her help with the baby and spawns them into the path to something heated in a different way. ) Baby Fever by HerSistersKeeper (AO3 2019 Rated E Complete, 6 Chapters, Modern AU, Quick Synopsis: Single dad Ben Solo is fine staying single, even if he does find Rey, the teacher who lives a floor up from him and his son, attractive and charming. His toddler, Matt, has other ideas.) Baby Shark by Melusine11 (AO3 2020 Rated G Complete, One-Shot, Modern AU, Quick Synopsis: Ben Solo, kindergarten teacher extraordinaire can handle a lot. Fights over who is the leader in line for the day, crying over not getting the right color crayon they want, puke after gym time, but the one thing that consistently raises his blood pressure is one damnable song.) Bearers and Builders by AverageEpaulet (AO3 2021 Rated E Complete, 10 Chapters, Modern AU, Quick Synopsis: In which Rey needs a nanny for her daughter Hazel and Ben happens to be the just right for the job. TW: previous infant death.) Butter Crisp Sandwich by DarkMage13 (AO3 2021 Rated M Complete, One-Shot, Modern AU, Quick Synopsis: “Mr, I insist you join me for a tea party today, at precisely noon. My teddy will be there.” Ben glanced at the boring clock on the wall. Ten minutes until noon. He swallowed in fear. There was no escape. Or: Ben Solo cannot say no to an adorable hazel-eyed little girl's request for tea.) Choreae Lucis by Shestoolazytologin (AO3 2020 Rated E Complete, 3 Chapters, Modern AU, Quick Synopsis: Ben Solo takes his daughter to her ballet classes and forgets his heart there.) chosen dreams by blessedreylo (AO3 2020 Rated M Complete, One-Shot, Modern AU, Quick Synopsis: Single dad Ben Solo is struggling with a fussy baby that won't stop crying. Ben's new neighbor Rey hears the crying and knocks on the door to see if she can help.) Close Enough to Kiss by Somewhere_overthe_Reylo (AO3 2020 Rated E Complete, 2 Chapters, Modern AU, Quick Synopsis: Rey's daughter comes with her to take a final exam. Dr.Solo ends up being soft for babies.) Expanding The Family Tree by WaterlilyRose (AO3 2018 Rated E Complete, 9 Chapters, Modern AU, Quick Synopsis: Life didn't turn out exactly the way Rey imagined but she never imagined she could be this happy. Ben and herself were a good team with their daughter and proved themselves to be good parents.So if it worked once... why not again?) Father Knows Best by American_Punk_1990 (AO3 2016 Rated M Complete, 20 Chapters, Modern AU, Quick Synopsis: Ben Solo is doing all he can to be the best single father that he can but he is in desperate need for a good baby sitter. Rey needs a new job and the absurdly tall, kind of goofy looking guy with the world's cutest baby seems to have a perfect solution.) Go And Catch A Falling Star Chapter 17 by Ayearandaday (AO3 2020 Rated G Complete, One-Shot, Modern AU, Quick Synopsis: As a child, Rey is mesmerized by ballerina Leia and grows up to become one. Single dad Ben and his daughter Stella fall for Rey.) Goodnight Moon by LittleAndikin (AO3 2020 Rated M Complete, 2 Chapters, Modern AU, Quick Synopsis: Ben's 3 year old daughter Lily won't go to sleep without listening to the library's podcast reading of Goodnight Moon. When she's in the elevator with her father & a neighbour, she recognises Rey from her voice as the person who reads to her every night.) Halloween Wishes by danceinmystorm (AO3 2020 Rated G Complete, One-Shot, Modern AU, Quick Synopsis: Ben Solo tries his best to make sure that his daughter gets to trick or treat and get candy for Halloween. Just as the night feels like a bust, their next door neighbor invites them in for a fun surprise.) Have My Everything by MotherofScavengers (AO3 2020 Rated E Complete, 2 Chapters, Modern AU, Quick Synopsis: After months of convincing, teacher Rey is at last dragged by her friends to a strip club and gets gifted with a lap dance. When she's alone and waiting, she finally meets the dancer: Usually shy Ben, the single father of her favourite student. ) Hot Cocoa and Cinnamon by ABeautifulBreakdown (AO3 2020 Rated E Complete, 2 Chapters, Modern AU, Quick Synopsis: When a trip the the park leads to her child wandering off Rey is left in a state of panic. Distraught and over run with emotions she hunts down her little boy only to find him standing with a strange man who upon closer inspection doesn't actually seem so strange.) i found love where it wasn’t supposed to be, right in front of me by Lutrosis (AO3 2020 Rated T Complete, One-Shot, Modern AU, Quick Synopsis: Ben’s the sweetheart nanny to Rey’s twin daughters. When her new boyfriend is frustrated that he’s lower on her list of priorities than her children, he dumps her. Rey texts Ben and comes home early to find her kids tucked in, and Ben, ready with ice cream.) I need a teacher by kyoloren (AO3 2020 Rated E Complete, One-Shot, Modern AU, Quick Synopsis: Single dad and photographer Ben Solo sets up to take photos of fashion model Rey at her place and accidentally stumbles upon her massive dildo collection. Rey, forever sexually unsatisfied, decides that maybe she should try the real thing…) I Was Lost (For You To Find) by LadyReylo (AO3 2020 Rated E Complete, 19 Chapters, Modern AU, Quick Synopsis: “On Friday we received a visit from a man and his lawyer.” Mr Kenobi opened the folder on his desk. Rey instantly recognised it, her eyes widening, dread filling her. “What... what do you mean? What is going on?” She said, her tone firm. Whatever this was, if it involved her son, she needed to know the truth now. “His name is Benjamin Solo. And he claims his son was illegally put up for adoption eleven years ago without his consent.”) In Full Bloom by deedreamer (AO3 2019 Rated T Complete, One-Shot, Modern AU, Quick Synopsis: When high school teacher Rey Kanata gets flowers with a cryptic message, she freaks out, thinking she's being hit on by one of her students. On a mission to find out who sent the flowers, she meets Ben Solo -- single dad and owner of the little florist down on Main Street. When the flowers turn out to be a delivery error, Rey knows her job's no longer at risk. But what she doesn't know is that she's about to fall head over heels for the man who keeps sending her flowers day after day because he's a goner for her, too...) In the Bleak Midwinter Came a Rey of Light by Reylo_of_light (AO3 2020 Rated M Complete, 2 Chapters, Modern AU, Quick Synopsis: Rey's luck had run out. No purse. No phone. And now her car had broken down and her toddler is crying. Lucky for her, her knight in a shining Tesla is about to pull up. Perhaps there are miracles at Christmas.) Island Holiday: A Reylo Christmas Story by Rey_KnightofRen (AO3 2019 Rated T Complete, 2 Chapters, Modern AU, Quick Synopsis: Violinist Rey Niima is traveling to Hawai‘i to perform in her best friend Finn’s destination wedding the week before Christmas. She’s supposed to be playing a duet with cellist Ben Solo. Although Rey and Ben were rivals back in college, several years have passed since then and Rey discovers that Ben is now a VERY attractive and VERY eligible single dad. She starts to hope that her suitcase isn’t the only thing she’ll be bringing back with her from Hawai‘i…) Liam's Friend by Lady_of_Haven (AO3 2020 Rated T Complete, One-Shot, Modern AU, Quick Synopsis: Neighbor Maz watches Rey’s son Liam while she works and goes to school. Maz pushes him in his pram at the park everyday at 12, which is when Ben walks his dog Kylo. Little Liam loves Kylo and Ben. One day, Rey is out with Liam at a coffee shop when he recognizes and reaches out for Ben.) Lizzy Solo by Hellyjellybean (AO3 2020 Rated M Complete, 3 Chapters, Modern AU, Quick Synopsis: Its bring your kids to work day and little Lizzy Solo meets Rey for the first time. "Are you the same Rey that my dad told Uncle Hux he was half in love with?") Locked Out by INTPSlytherin_reylove97 (AO3 2020 Rated M Complete, 2 Chapters, Modern AU, Quick Synopsis: Single mom Rey has never accepted help from her neighbor Ben. But when she gets locked out of her apartment with a crying toddler, Ben is there. And Ben wants to continue to be there for them.) Love is Strange by SpaceWaffleHouseTM (AO3 2020 Rated M Complete, 7 Chapters, Modern AU, Quick Synopsis: Or the one where Rey lies and tells her coworkers she has a loving husband and a son. Now the annual picnic is coming up and she needs a fake picture-perfect family. Fortunately, her friend Ben fits all the requirements.) Love's Mystery by Hartmannclan (AO3 2020 Rated G Complete, 14 Chapters, Modern AU, Quick Synopsis: Ben Solo only needs one lady in his life; his daughter, Hope. So he is surprised to find himself intrigued by the masked woman who just spilled a drink down the front of his costume. Maybe this year the company Valentine's day dance won't be so boring after all? And what happens when he has to leave suddenly.....) lunch thief by thisismelodrama (AO3 2020 Rated E Complete, 34 Chapters, Modern AU, Quick Synopsis: In which Rey’s son steals Ben’s daughter’s lunch and chaos ensues.) maybe we're from the same star Chapter 4 by INTPSlytherin_reylove97 (AO3 2018 Rated M Complete, One-Shot, Modern AU, Quick Synopsis: Living together was supposed to be easy. Another person to help with the kids, they already spent most of their free time together anyways.) My Dad Will Not Date Miss Palpatine (But Maybe He Can Marry Her) by AnneAnna (AO3 2021 Rated T Complete, One-Shot, Modern AU, Quick Synopsis: Annie Solo is perfectly happy with her Dad and brother and the last thing she needs is her dad's high school sweetheart coming to town and ruining everything. But maybe just maybe Miss Palpatine will be far better than she expected.) Neighborly by Blueyedgurl (AO3 2020 Rated T Complete, One-Shot, Modern AU, Quick Synopsis: Rey and her son move into a new apartment and meets her new neighbor Ben and his cute dog.) Now I'm In It by crystanagahori (AO3 2020 Rated E Complete, 6 Chapters, Modern AU, Quick Synopsis: So Rey might have accidentally told her boss that she was bringing her loving husband and sweet two year old son to the fundraiser. She does not, in fact, have either. She does, however, have her neighbor Ben and his two year old son Noah.) Off guard by TheReadingNook (AO3 2019 Rated M Complete, One-Shot, Modern AU, Quick Synopsis: The last thing Rey is looking for is love. As a single mom, her plate is as full as she wants it to be, but her son seems to think otherwise. And when he sets out to fill that void, they learn some interesting things about life, love, and the bonds of family and friendship.) Our Karate Kids by Theyna_Shipper (AO3 2020 Rated G Complete, One-Shot, Modern AU, Quick Synopsis: When Rey drops in on her daughter's karate class for Halloween, she meets Ben Solo, another single parent, and watch their children spar.) Overboard by Biekewieke (AO3 2020 Rated M Complete, 10 Chapters, Overboard AU, Quick Synopsis: Ben Organa-Skywalker is a rich snob who hires her to clean his party barge, making her life difficult and fouls her mood. After a freak accident throws him overboard and Rey ends up saving his life. When he wakes up, it turns out he has amnesia. Rey sees it as the ultimate answer to all her prayers. She gets to take his arrogant ass down a peg or two AND she has someone to help around the house and with the kids for a while.) Please be my Daddy! by erney007 (AO3 2019 Rated E Complete, 5 Chapters, Modern AU, Quick Synopsis: Raising a child while having to do such demanding job is hard. Rey, an ICU nurse, accidentally finds out that her asshole neighbor, Ben Solo, is quite good at babysitting. After plaguing her child with Elsa obsession, Obiwan starting to call him “Papa”. And Ben kind of likes it.) Raincheck by Hormonal_Trashbag (AO3 2019 Rated T Complete, One-Shot, Modern AU, Quick Synopsis: Ben's 7 year old son tries to ask out his teacher Miss Rey on behalf of his father.) Rey's Braids by Magdalane (AO3 2021 Rated M Complete, 6 Chapters, Modern AU, Quick Synopsis: Ben's little girl falls in love with braided hairstyles. He watches video from the popular YouTube channel in which Rey teaches different braiding techniques. After weeks of failure, he DMs her on Instagram, desperate...) Say It With Feeling by amybeegood (AO3 2018 Rated E Complete, 18 Chapters, Modern AU, Quick Synopsis: Meet Rey, the Maid/Escort who really needs a solid day job and Ben, the reclusive, virgin billionaire who doesn't have a clue about real life or how to hire household help.) Something About November Chapter 18 by SpaceWaffleHouseTM (AO3 2019 Rated G Complete, One-Shot, Modern AU, Quick Synopsis: When Ben's adopted daughter finds a box of love letters he wrote and never sent, she decides she wants him happy for Christmas. With help from her Aunt Gwen, she sends her the letters.) Something Missing by Hellyjellybean (AO3 2020 Rated M Complete, 3 Chapters, Modern AU, Quick Synopsis: An angst-free AU where Ben takes his kid to work and loses track of him only to find him eating contraband candy with Rey from IT.) Take Me Out To The Ball Game by empirestrikesben (AO3 2020 Rated T Complete, One-Shot, Modern AU, Quick Synopsis: Rey is sitting with her daughter next to Prince Ben at a baseball game. Her daughter sneaks popcorn while her mom's distracted. The video goes viral and Queen Leia invites Rey and her daughter to the palace.) that's where you take me by blessedreylo (AO3 2020 Rated E Complete, 2 Chapters, Modern AU, Quick Synopsis: Single dad Ben asks his daughters nanny Rey to live with them during quarantine so she can help take care of her while he works remote. Lots of domestic proximity and mutual pining ensues.) The Ties That Bind by Telcontarian (AO3 2020 Rated G Complete, One-Shot, Modern AU, Quick Synopsis: Professor Ben Solo rules the classroom with an iron fist and he is not generally known for his kindness or for his understanding. However, when Rey approaches him to ask for help with her daughter, Kira, Rey finds that Ben is more gentle and caring than she originally thought.) To Play Pretend by SuchaPrettyPoison (AO3 2020 Rated M Complete, One-Shot, Modern AU, Quick Synopsis: Single dad Ben Solo is tired of being hit on by some of the mums from his daughter's kindergarten class. He asks his friend Rey to come with him to pick up his daughter as his pretend fiancée.) To Say Good Night to You by dawninthemtn (AO3 2020 Rated T Complete, One-Shot, Modern AU, Quick Synopsis: Ben is living a lonely quarantine when he gets a FaceTime call from a random toddler. He makes friends with the child, and eventually, her mother.) Violet Solo Turns 5 by hellocienne (AO3 2021 Rated G Complete, One-Shot, Modern AU, Quick Synopsis: Little Violet Solo is Ben’s entire world. His daughter is the most precious person in his life, and he is adamant about doing anything it takes to keep his little girl smiling. Despite Violet’s obvious charm and charisma, not even one of her invited classmates went to her 5th birthday party, and she is about to get an intense meltdown that not even Ben—super dad extraordinaire—could keep under control. Enter Rey Niima—Ben’s coworker who he might or might not be in love with for the last three years. She’s Violet’s (other) favorite person in the whole wide world, and this woman will truly do anything for Ben’s precious little girl. Even if it means sending a group text to her friends who all live in different parts of the city, and inviting their children to attend a spontaneous birthday party.)

#reylo #reylo fanfic

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romioneficfest · 4 years

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Mid-way Digest

Good afternoon and thanks for all the positive input on the 2020 Romione FicFest. We have had an amazing number of entries and still plenty of time to submit even more.

For those who are fashionably late to the caverns and have missed the first half of the festivities, Dragon is here to make sure you’re not missing out on any published fic for the fest.

So, without further Ado...

3am (Shell Cottage); Rated T: Brief Summary: Ron sneaks out from a sleeping Hermione while she’s recovering at Shell Cottage and feels his emotional cup overflow. He’s reminded that he means more than he thinks to Hermione.

Afterglow (Bringing home Baby Hugo); Rated K+ Brief Summary: After Romione brings home their second child, they take a day off with all three of them in bed— and take a moment to rediscover how beautiful they think the other is.

The Clash (Hermione admits she is wrong); Rated M (Not Ace Safe) Brief Summary: Sexy times and a disagreement at pub trivia

Day 2:

Hugo and the Dragon Pants (Pants) Rated K+ Brief Summary: Hermione and Ron parent stubborn little kids; Hugo is excited about his new pants.

Rosaceae (Roses/Flowers); Rated K Brief summary: Spending an afternoon on the Hogwarts grounds near the end of their sixth year, Ron watches Hermione struggle to master a new spell as he feels something burgeoning in his chest— something he should have paid attention to many years before.

His Favourite Part of the Day (Shell Cottage); Rated K Brief Summary: Ron loves everything about the woman he loves—her passion, dedication, and drive especially. But it’s also wonderful when that takes a backseat…

Teaspoon Vindication (Shell Cottage/Hermione admits she is wrong); Rated K+ Brief summary: After escaping Malfoy Manor, Ron comes to visit Hermione in her room at Shell Cottage, and does the one thing that may be the hardest for him— talking about his feelings.

Hogwarts, A History, A Mistake (Hermione admits she was wrong); Rated K Brief summary: Hermione’s mistake delights Ron.

Day 3

Going Back without you (Ron’s Bedroom); Rated K/K+ Brief summary: After the Battle of Hogwarts, Ron and Hermione decided to go their separate ways, thinking it would be for the best. However, a few days before Hermione is bound to go back for her eighth year, Ron begins to think that may not have been the best idea.

Shattered Hearts (Fred’s Funeral); Rated T Brief Summary: The afternoon after Fred’s funeral, Ron sneaks off to his bedroom. He breaks down and is comforted by Hermione.

A space to grow into (Hermione’s office); Rated K/G Brief summary: Ron shows Hermione an empty house.

A different kind of Apology (Anything Goes!) Rated K+ Brief summary: Ron has just returned, fresh after destroying the locket, and Hermione has never been more furious: though he, undoubtedly, expects her temper to subside after a few hours —as it usually does—, night falls again and she still refuses to talk to him. What she doesn’t expect, though, is that he’ll try anything for her to forgive him.

To Listen (Hermione admits she is wrong) Rated T Brief Summary: Rose is home for her 17th birthday and once again, she’s at odds with her very strong-willed Mother who can’t quite grasp that Rose is almost nothing like her Mum.

Day 4

What If? (Shell Cottage) Rated K /K+ Brief Summary: The night before their plan to break into Gringotts, Ron finds Hermione and tries to ease her fears.

Hope for the Summer (Hogwarts, Quidditch) Rated T Brief summary: Hermione daydreams about the coming summer while her friends play quidditch.

Need a Hand? (Hair) Rated T Brief summary: Grimmauld Place is wreaking havoc on Hermione’s hair: the humidity, closeness, and heat is making it frizz up more than usual. Ron gives her a hand and, in the process, discovers her touch is something he could definitely get used to.

Broken (Shell Cottage) Rated PG/T Brief summary: He found her on the landing, relieved that she was still here, but broken for her.

Wands (Wand) Rated G / K Brief summary: Arthur reunites Ron and Hermione with their wands.

Day 5

A Stroll through the Park (trainers) Rated K / G Brief summary: A child with light-up trainers sparks fear and a conversation.

Hermione’s Boyfriend (Hair) Rated G / K Brief summary: Ron reassures Hermione after she has to cut her hair.

Safe Harbour (Shell Cottage) Rated T Brief Summary: In a brief respite from the war, Hermione finds comfort with the sweet redheaded boy she loves.

Reconciliation (Ron talks about the Snatchers) Rated T / PG-13 Brief summary: After Ron suffers a nightmare, Hermione is there to comfort him.

Missing Trousers (Pants) Rated M (Not Ace Safe) Brief summary: Hermione’s brief stint with working from home has not been going well: Ron is terrible at housework, he’s bored out of his mind, and —on top of all that— the racket he’s making as he apparently turns the house inside out is totally shattering her concentration. So when he barges into her office, determined to get her to pay some attention to him, she decides to get back at him by teasing him a little before she attempts, for what seems like the millionth time, to get back to work.

Day 6

A light in the Dark (Wedding Day) Rated T Summary: Ron has been seriously injured during a mission and Hermione is keeping watch beside his bed in the middle of the night.

Namesake (Wand/SC/Hermione’s Wrong) Rated T Summary: On the anniversary of Dobby’s death, Ron and Hermione pay their respects.

Out with a bang (Fred’s Funeral) Rated T Summary: Anxious to help Ron, Hermione approaches George with an idea.

New Possibilities (Anything goes) Rated T; Not Safe for Ramadan Brief summary: In the evening after the third Triwizard task, Ron comforts Hermione about the future laying in front of them.

The Kinks in the Plan (Arthur’s Shed) Rated T Not Safe for Ramadan Summary: Harry and Ginny join Ron and Hermione mid-discussion.

Day 7

Like a Whisper (Fred’s Funeral/Ron’s bedroom) Rated K/G Brief Summary: He is paralyzed. her voice will take him where he needs to go.

The Moment I Knew (Their Wedding Day) Rated K+ Brief Summary: At he and Hermione’s wedding, before they take to the dance floor for their first dance as husband and wife, Ron delivers his groom’s speech and talks about the moment he knew Hermione was the One.

Last Match of the Season (Hogwarts, Quidditch Match) Rated T Brief Summary: There were times Ron questioned the sanity of returning to Hogwarts to do NEWTS… and this was not one of those times.

Watch my Stuff (Trainers) Rated T / PG-13 Brief Summary: Modern Muggle AU - A redhead asks Hermione to watch his stuff, and she gives an unexpected answer. She gets an even more unexpected response.

Relative Potency (Hair, Australia) Rated T Brief Summary: Due to the stifling heat in Townsville, Hermione, Ginny and Harry all get haircuts. Ron considers this an expensive and irresponsible move.

Day 8

Ignoring Ron ( Day 6: Ron’s Bedroom) Rated T / PG-13 Not 100% Ace Safe Brief summary: Muggle AU- it’s a few weeks before they take their A-levels and Hermione is trying very hard to ignore her infatuation with her best friend. Any possible triggering/warning tags: nudity mentioned, alcohol, drunkenness, not ace safe thoughts?

A Movie Night, in Three Acts (Day 10: couch) Rated K. Ace Safe. Brief summary: Family movie night at the Granger-Weasley household seems to be a competition of who’ll hold out the longest without falling asleep. Tonight, as always, Ron takes the crown. Warnings/Triggers: None.

Fallout (Day 2: Ron talks about the Snatchers) Rated T Brief Summary: After a post-DH nightmare, Ginny makes a few suggestions. Warnings/Triggers: Implied PTSD

Unsaid Things (Day 10: Couch) Rated T+++ / 16 Brief summary: Ron comes home to Hermione, and she has a million questions she wants to ask him. Any possible triggering/warning tags: cursing, crying, brief non-sexual nudity, blood mention, brief description of criminal violence and death

The Last Time (Day 7: Anything Goes) Rated M Not Ace safe Brief summary: They agreed not to do this, but can they resist?Any possible triggering/warning tags: Tiny bit of angst (resolved), sexual tension (resolved? Not likely with these two!)

A Peculiar Discovery (Day 7: Anything Goes) Rated T / PG-13 for language Brief Summary: A confrontation between McGonagall and Ronald Weasley over a certain petrified girl. Any possible triggering/warning tags: Rude language and my dreadful English. I apologize to the heirs of Shakespeare, but, I was really dying to publish something on Romioneficfest.

A Surprise Visit (Day 12: Crookshanks) Rated K+ Brief summary: After escaping the Shrieking Shack, Ron has spent the past two days alone in the infirmary as his leg heals— and he’s going mad with boredom. Lucky for him, there’s a certain someone who’ll defy the rules she’s usually hellbent on following to pay him a visit. Any possible triggering/warning tags: N/A

Positive (Day 12: Hermione pregnancy) Rated T Brief summary: Hermione pays her husband a visit in his office, surprising him with life-changing news. Triggers: Strong language/cursing (or Ron’s regular mouth?); mentions of sex; pregnancy (?)

Tell me I’m pretty (Day 11: Blanket) Rated T Brief Summary: A quiet evening on the roof, talking celestial bodies, opens up more than just the nighttime sky. Triggers: mentions of insecurity

Penannular (Day 7: Anything Goes) Rated M Not Ace Safe Brief Summary: Ron gets an owl on a Sunday after brunch at the Burrow and realizes that some things have to change in short order. Content Warnings: financial insecurities, Locket remnants, harsh language, Smutty stuff, dealing with Director Robards

Put a sickle in the swear jar (Day 11 - St. Mungo’s) Rated PG / K+ Brief summary: Ron is having one of those days… (bit of a post-Hogwarts domestic day in the life) Any possible triggering/warning tags: one bad swear, blood, allusions to Ron and Hermione doing it.

A Long Night ( Day 2 - Hermione’s Office) Rated K / G Brief summary: Hermione is slaving away in her office over paperwork. However, her redheaded husband knows just how to cheer her up. Any possible triggering/warning tags: N/A

Halloween at the Burrow (Day 8 - Skirt) Rated K Brief summary: Halloween has been a yearly affair at the Burrow ever since Teddy Lupin declared it was his favorite holiday, and this year is no exception. Harry and Ron, with little Rose in tow, are convinced they have the best costume this year— but their wives may give them some competition. Trigger/Content Warnings: None

The Moment (Day 13 - rings) Rated K+ Brief Summary: Escaping Percy’s wedding for some alone time leads to the big moment for Ron and Hermione. Trigger: fluff, fluff and did I mention fluff?

The Setting Sun (Day 7 - Anything Goes) Rated M Not Ace Safe Brief Summary: The war is over, and they’re home. The Burrow is too busy, too frantic. Ron thinks that an afternoon and evening out near Stoatshead Hill will be enough of a get-away for now. Content Warning / Trigger Warning: Language, nudity, al fresco behaviour, Not Ace Safe

Lose Yourself (Day 4 - Quidditch) Rated K+ / PG Brief Summary: Rose Weasley Granger is about to step on the biggest pitch of her entire life, one that she has been training for almost her entire life: The Quidditch World Cup Final. Before she is off at the starting whistle, she needs validation from the one person whose approval she desperately needs. Content Warning: Oliver Wood’s guest commentary.

In Another Universe (Day 8 - Date Night) Rated T Brief summary: (Modern-Day University AU) Hermione Granger, brightest young lady her age, completed her PhD in Linguistics at 25. Ron Weasley, a quantum physicist with a penchant for unkempt hair and loose ties… well, he’s getting there. However, Granger has agreed to spend a night out at a pub with him, and he’s going to try his hardest to woo her with what he knows she likes best: intelligence. Tags: mentions of alcohol, the word “damn”

Day 15

No Regrets (Day 10: Someone walks in on them) Rated T Brief summary: While on the world’s most boring tour of Hogwarts Ron decides to fix one of his biggest regrets. Any possible triggering/warning tags: Kissing, Sexual Innuendo, Heavy Petting

A Good Day (Day 9 - Wedding Day) Rated K / G Brief summary: Hermione takes a brief moment to herself during her honeymoon to think. Any possible triggering/warning tags: None.

Guard Duty (Day 6: Vest, Ron’s Bedroom, Day of Fred’s Funeral) Rated K Brief Summary: One more day in Ron and Hermione’s life and one more promise is made. Trigger Warning: mention of death, grieving

Helping her Relax (Day 10: Someone walks in on them) Rated PG-13 /T Brief summary: Ron tries to help Hermione relax at work, but things don’t go quite as planned. Any possible triggering/warning tags: Allusions to sex, intense snogging and fondling. Not ace safe.

Million Galleon Idea (Prompt/Day: Day 13: Ron explains something he’s invented for George) Rating: G Brief summary: Ron invents the perfect piece of baby clothing. Any possible triggering/warning tags: none

Hide and Sneak (Day 8: Cloakroom at the ministry) Rating: G Brief summary: Hermione loses Rose. Any possible triggering/warning tags: none

Career Change (Day 12 - Hermione is pregnant with Rose) Rating: PG Brief Summary: ‘I don’t have this urge to keep fighting. Content warning: none

We’ve got time (Day 7: Anything Goes) Rating: PG Brief Summary: Somehow, subconsciously probably, she ended up at the library. Trigger/Warning: N/A

Growing Twilight (Day 11 - Blanket) Rated MA Not Ace Safe Brief Summary: After a delightful al fresco moment, Ron and Hermione talk what she learned in how to care for Ron, and why things went sideways during their sixth year - including Ron’s deep thoughts on the matter. Content Warning: MA Rated content, non-explicit oral, mentions of the bird incident, Ron’s Insecurities

Christmas (Day 8: Skirt) Rating: T Brief summary: ‘You saw me in uniform every day for six years!’ Warning: Alludes to sex, swearing

Reputation (Day 8: Skirt. Cloakroom at the ministry.)Rating: T Brief Summary: It’s been many years since the Battle of Hogwarts, but it’s still sometimes necessary to break into the Ministry… even if you work there…Possible triggers/tags: Implied shenanigans

Food, or a book (Day 9: Their wedding day) Rating: M Not Ace Safe Brief Summary: Ron and Hermione discuss how to break the news to their family and friends. Possible triggers/tags: swearing, implied shenanigans.

#Romione Fic Fest 2020 #Fic Digest #Third time's the charm #Romione #Ron Weasley #Hermione Granger #Midway Digest #Current Anonymous Masterlist #Queue up for the Dragon

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