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msfangirlgonewild · 4 years

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Prescence (post-TROS fanfiction/Post Canon)

Before I’m posting on Archives, this is my first DamereyDaily2020 during pandemic week, and this is the second after Healing or ‘possibly the third’ series of ‘It's Like Poetry, Sort Of. They Rhymes.’

Pairing: Poe Dameron/Rey Skywalker

Word count: 4,650

Prompt: ’Two hearts and one home.’ Plus a bonus from late March ‘If You Lived to Be A Hundred’

Summary: Three months later...Poe had faith that his dauntless ally, his best friend, his ray of sunshine, his beloved Jedi...had returned for him.

Once the Death Star’s latest target and the site of the Rebel base during the final battle. Yavin 4 was a vast and most affluent planet of the Outer Rim Territories, and its large and sprawling tropical jungles teemed with an abundance of exotic beauty.

Following a long hyperspeed, T-70 X-wing Black One had reached Yavin 4. Similar to Ajan Kloss, this tropical moon planet was where Poe Dameron was born. He was glad, relieved to have finally returned from Coruscant and the third meeting of the Galactic Senate’s restoration.

Poe thought about the peace that had ensued after the war, and the friends that he had made along the way. He missed them so much out there, but it was time to come home, take a breath, and rejoin his father. Nonetheless, he was reflected on Finn and the journey with his fellow former stormtrooper Jannah, along with Rose Tico, Chewbacca and Lando Carlissian in search of their families. Larma D’Acy was now in the Senate’s seat while Beaumont Kim as her aide. Caluan Ematt had retired and returned to his home planet with his family. Kaydel Ko Connix had been promoted to Major and continued to serve in the military. And Jessika Pava, the fearless sole member of the Black Squadron was taking over Poe’s command.

He had visited some time with Maz Kanata at her restored castle at Takodana where she had her new cantina, and with Zorii Bliss and Babu Frik who were still running spices like in the days when Poe had worked them long ago. Zorii would keep in touch with him until if she needed hand otherwise.

The giant red planet was covered in clouds as Black One dropped from the atmosphere and flew over the grassy fields to landed perfectly just as near from his father’s homestead.

He pulled off his flight helmet and climbed down from the cockpit. As General Dameron’s temporary side droid while Beebee-Ate was away with Rey, Artoo-Detoo popped up from the astromech socket behind the cockpit, and maneuvered himself with his two small rockets to land slowly onto the ground. Finally, the droid and his maker-pilot were strolling toward the stable next to the farmhouse.

They walked past his mother’s A-wing interceptor, parked next to an old X-wing model, and Poe was suddenly curious. He looked towards the craft as Artoo was suddenly became excited with blipping and whistles.

Poe turned to the diminutive droid, as he arched his brow. “What?” he asked unexpectedly. “What do you mean—“

“Is that you, son?” His father shouted from the nearby stable while fixing his tractor. “And I could hear Artoo’s droidspeak.”

He nodded to himself. “Yeah, Dad,” he said, still focusing on the ship as Artoo rolled closer. “I’m home!”

“How’s my old mates at Coruscant?”

“Er...they all missed you,” he looked closer at the craft: one had the red stripe on two of its wings and on the body. It was sleek, like the T-70 X-wing or his original Black One that had been destroyed inside the Raddus’ hangar.

Poe abruptly realized that this was the T-65B starfighter, the one that Uncle Luke had piloted to destroy the first Death Star at Yavin 4, and then thirty three years later the same craft that had flown to Exegol with the guide of a Sith Wayfinder, with Poe along with Finn and the rest of the Resistance following its track.

Red Five––here? Poe thought. No kriffing way!

“They’re coming to visit you the next seasons,” added Poe, sighed in relief. “And they’ll bring some of that Corellian cognac that you wanted!”

“Sounds good, Poe!” Kes Dameron answered enthusiastically.

That’s Master Jedi-Luke’s X-wing and I recognize this ship, Maker-Poe, the droid beeped to Poe. And I think there is someone here?

“Who?” asked Poe.

“Oh, there’s a visitor for you, kid,” Kes added. “And she’s with our Beebee.”

“Really?” His heart leaped to find out Rey was already there.

“Of course, you Space Porg! Did you see that old X-wing she’s flying?” Kes chucked as Poe got annoyed at his ridiculous teasing. “She’s at our old place. Do invite with your Jedi friend for a dinner tonight.”

“Ah…no problem, Dad. And I’ll tell her!” Poe wore a satisfied grin as he turned to giddy Artoo. ”Will you take it easy, bud?”

Sorry, sir. Artoo beeped. Never can help it.

He shook himself as he walked and the droid followed. “You know what, you’re a lot more cheekier like Beebee-Ate.” he observed. “And a bit naive.”

Why thank you very much, Master-Poe. You have to add that I’m a stubborn little droid as well. Jedi Master-Luke calls me that, by the way.

“Ah, I almost forgot that.” he chuckled lightly as they move along the path through the woods where his new home was, where his family was, and where the Uneti tree was located. “Does Uncle Luke cross your mind?”

Yes, Master-Poe. We had a lot of adventures when I was with him from time to time. But I can’t say much about what happened after he had gone.

“I know, Artoo,” he sighed sadly.

Until a sound of jubilant beeps and chirps approached as a spherical looking droid followed by a tiny cone shaped, rolled towards Poe.

“Beebee-Ate! Welcome back!” Poe exclaimed, dropping to his knees. He rubbed the droid’s body back as Beebee’s dome head jiggled excitedly like a child has returned from a long trip. “I really missed you, Buddy?”

Same to you, Master-Poe! Beebee beeps and chirps happily. It’s good to be home! What’s up, Artoo and you’ve been spending time with him!

Incredibly much, Beebee-Ate. Artoo replied. Master-Poe is happy you’ve come back.

“And how d’you enjoy crossing the galaxy with your Jedi Mistress-Rey?” he asked with a smile at Beebee. “Have you stuck with her?”

Yes, sir. She’s been keeping my antenna straight in case I get into trouble. We’ve traveled around to all the places, especially Tatooine.

“You mean Luke’s old homestead?”

Yes, sir.

Dio rolled closer to Poe. “Welcome back, Master-Poe.” he said calmly. He had been living there permanently as Poe’s second familiar. “How was the Senate meeting at Coruscant?”

Poe groaned as he nuzzled the droid’s cone head like a house pet. “Lot’s of reconstruction and other headaches, Little Buddy.” he smiled lightly. “Thanks for asking.”

He brought himself back to his feet as he was looked in the direction where he was going. “Is she there?” he asked.

“Yes, sir.” Dio replied.

Jedi Mistress-Rey has been at the tree in about an hour, Master-Poe. Beebee beeped in reply.

“What’s she doing?” asked Poe, looking at Beebee.

Meditating. Beebee double-beeped.

Poe looked over in the direction of the tree. He took a deep breath, glad of see Rey again. They had shared intimately at the forest of Ajan Kloss during an evening celebration. And it felt rewarding to him, as it was so very uncommon.

“Why don’t you guys go with Artoo and charge yourselves alright?” he said at the two. “I just need to speak alone with her.”

Beebee and Dio responded in the affirmative as they joining with Artoo and proceeded to the charging area. Poe resumes up the path, which finally opened into a clearing where he could almost feel her presence.

The ancient Force-sensitive Uneti tree stood there near the lake and his family’s old home, remodeled now as his own. Like The Great Tree at Coruscant, colorful fan-shaped leaves of gold and brown were attached to the coiled branches and stems of the large, twisted trunk.

Then Poe saw the enchanted tree, and near it a beautiful floating figure sat crossed-legged in the air with small boulders and rocks hovering slowly around her as the Force flowed through her. Her eyes were closed peacefully as she concentrated in a meditative trance that flowed between her and the tree.

Poe was silently impressed; he sat down on the grass, placing his flight helmet beside him. Then he stripped off his flight vest and placed it on top of the helmet as he watched the floating and reposed Rey. She had more beautiful since their first encounter on Crait where she had used her power to lift rocks. Looking at her now, Poe thought her once again of how she resembled an ancient Yavinesque goddess with her celestial objects surrounding her.

He’d never fallen in love with any woman in the galaxy before he found her. He had wanted her from the beginning when they first met at the Falcon, and now he loved having her in his life. Time was specifically a good thing when it came to General Dameron, who was gladly reunited with the lone scavenger from Jakku, now a fiercely independent Jedi after the tides of galactic war.

And it was something that he had faith in the ideal of his dauntless ally, his space goddess, his ray of sunshine, his beguiling sweetheart, and his beloved Jedi. She had returned for him.

Then a minute later, Rey had finally completed her meditation. She lowered herself neatly on the ground as the rocks fell around her.

Poe stood up and walked to her. “Hey, Sunshine,” he said to her.

Rey was aware of the familiar voice as she slowly opened her eyes and blinked. “Hey, Flyboy,” she replied breathlessly with a bright smile.

Poe took a quick step forward as Rey approached him and then wrapped her arms around him. At once all his aching memories of three unbearable months had finally lifted, and his eyes closed in bliss that as was back in his beloved Jedi’s arms. He tightened his hold around her waist and leaned against her chest as he inhaled the scent of her.

"I missed you,” she sighed softly.

“Same to you,” he murmured, his face buried in the crook between her neck and shoulder. “I’m surprised that you’re here.”

“Oh, I know. That’s why I came to see you, Poe,” she sniffed. “It’s been a long time since I was away.”

“I was worried while you were still out there.”

“More than your Force-sensitivity of tracking me?”

“Indubitably.” Poe lifted his head, raising his brows in a cocky manner and looked at her teary eyes. “I don’t want to spoil it too much, and it takes time,” he said meticulously, wiping her tears with his thumb.

“To be sure,” assured Rey.

He chuckled as his eyes mirroring hers while he stood in silence. It had been months since he and Rey had parted after leaving Ajan Kloss. There had been a lot of opportunities in their separate ways during the restoration of the New Republic, and some perks.

And he could see the truth in her eyes. Rey had missed him all these months since their fight against the Final Order, Emperor Palpatine, and his Sith Eternal, and she had come back to see him once again.

After disowning herself her Palpatine bloodline and adopting the Skywalker’s surname, Rey had made plans for the restoration and reorganization of the New Jedi Order––or maybe a search for the kybel crystal to build her own lightsaber from the parts of her staff.

She had returned to see Poe after her final trip to Tatooine. And either way, Poe was happy that Rey had come.

He began to move closer again until Rey spoke. “I hope you’re surprised I’m here with Beebee-Ate,” she noted. “He missed you.”

“Did he?”

She nodded slowly. “Uh-huh.”

“That’s my buddy,” he shrugged his shoulders with a sardonic grin as they gently pulled away. “And you’ve been flying Uncle Luke’s Red Five. What happened to your Falcon?”

“Lando asked me to borrow it for a while with Chewie,” she answered. “He told me the whole story about how his ship before he was beaten by Han in a card game.”

“That’s him, alright. He’ll never change a bit,” he sighed with a scoff, scratching the back of his head. “Are you going to stay for a while?”

“If you want me to,” she assured playfully, “then, I’m staying.”

“Good, I’m glad you’re welcome here, and you can stay as long as you like,” he said with a smirk. “Also, my Dad made some dinner for us tonight.”

“That’s sound’s wonderful,” she said in an optimistically.

Poe led her on a simple tour of the Force-sensitive tree. Despite growing up in the desert, Rey had already visited so many greens planets in the galaxy like Takodana and Ajan Kloss. But she was amazed at the exotic fields of Yavin 4 with its fresh breezes blowing through the Massassi trees, the scented fresh fruits of Koyo trees that Kes had planted, the bioluminescence of fresh flowers and lush green grasses, and the gleams of the late afternoon sun on the crystal-clear lake that shone with a lustrous and rare beauty.

As they strolled around under the tree in conversation, Rey noticed the renovated house nearby. “I can see the new home that you’ve to built over there. Is that the house where your parents lived?”

“Yup, I’m still restoring it,” he answered, shoving his hands into the front pockets of his fight uniform.

“Perhaps you need a hand. I’ve fixed a lot of stuff besides ships,” Rey glanced at him. “How about it, General Dameron?”

“Why not, Jedi Mistress Skywalker.” he was amused at the tone of her new surname. “A carpenter would be nicer to have around than a scavenger, a mechanic, or even a Jedi. But you only have a new lightsaber rather than a laser saw. Or maybe the Force would do–”

Instinctively, Rey quickly slapped his arm while Poe laughed with a cocky humor as they strolled. She ignored him as she is looked up to watch the gentle breeze moves through the branches of the Force-sensitive Uneti tree.

“Your father showed me this tree, and I can’t believe it’s so beautiful and mythical,” she said. “But it much seems so huge and different, unlike the one at Ahch-To.”

“It’s pretty awesome, huh? And it’s matured and more than I expected.” He walked to the trunk, but did not get close. “My mom helped Uncle Luke to cut two clippings a long time ago. So he gave her one as a thank you present.”

“So Luke has the other one at Ahch-To,” Poe continued. “and you’ve said there was a library underneath the trunk of the tree where the sacred Jedi texts kept.”

“That’s right, Poe.” she answered. “I returned the day on exile as when I saw the tree, it was burned down.”

Later, she stopped as Poe kept strolling. “Have you ever touched the tree?”

“Huh?” he blinked as he halted and turned back toward her.

“Did you?” she asked curiously.

“When I was thirteen, I was supposed to be close to the tree, but I’m afraid that was because I was being sensitive about staying away.” Then he swiftly glanced at her. “Later, I did at this point that I sat under the tree, and when I did, I felt the inside of me for the first time while I was napping.”

“Was it scary?” she asked.

Poe moved shyly away from her. “Nope, it’s childish. But sentimental.”

“Can you tell me, Poe?” Rey giggled, teasing him. “Come on.”

He turned back toward her again and looked down at the necklace that held his mother’s wedding ring around Rey’s neck. His expression was earnest as he moved towards her, and his fingers fiddling with the ring.

He took a patient breath and began. “I can only I remember what I felt about my mother and me. She was very close to me when I was a little boy. She would take me outside at night when my father was fast asleep. We went to the lake near the growing Force tree, we’d lie down on the grass and stared at the night sky.” Poe released the ring from his hand as he looked up at the afternoon sky. “Once, she pointed to the brightest star –– Caeli, the Bird Star of the galaxy. And it was a good sign; my mother promised me that I’d become the best pilot when I grew up, just like her.”

Poe missed his mom so much when he was with her. She had taught him advising and caring across the galaxy and over until he found himself in a place where the eyes of Shara Bey could not reach him.

“That was very touching, Poe,” she observed. “You missed your mom a lot?”

He sighed as he looked down at the surface roots between his feet, and he felt something like life, a presence, like the air through him. He cocked his head at her. “What about you, Sunshine?”

“What?” she puzzled.

“Have you touched or meditated through the tree?” he asked simply.

She took her breath with ease. “I felt it,” she replied with a simple nod.

“Was it scary or something?”

She shuddered slightly as Poe moved at her. “Hey, it’s alright I’m here with you.” he reassured her.

“It’s like a magnet pulling me, Poe,” she answered, and her eyes rose and met his. “It’s not scary. It replenishes me inside––the Force––through the way of the world, through my parents, Han, Luke and Leia, and Ben. I had cherished them as my faithfully as long as I wished for them. They’re in peace now, and I shall never regret it. The bond between Ben and me has been reconciled and purpose. I was very fond of him and remember him as a friend rather than an adversary. I embraced him with gratitude when he brought me back to life after I was defeated Palpatine and the Sith.”

Poe moved closer to her, brought her hand to his lips and softly kissed her knuckle. “Finn and I thought that you were gone there at Exegol.” he murmured with his breath hitched. “I…I’m––“

“I know, Poe,” she answered softly in a brittle tone. “But I live.”

He watched her in silence for a while, and before he could kiss Rey began to talk about something else.

“I was there in Coruscant,” she said. “At the service.”

He understood. He hadn’t seen her at the Monument Plaza during the service. “Finn told me that you’d left early,” he said.

“I wish I could’ve stayed for a while, but I had something to settle.” she nodded slowly. “That was a good speech, Poe. It was very...”

“Solacing,” he admits, cutting off Rey’s sentence.

Rey clasped both hands. “I’m sorry.”

He heaved a sigh and swallowed, looking more comforted than grieving. “I know, sweetheart. I don’t want to affect myself of having an ordeal like this. I miss everyone, especially Snap and Aunt Leia.”

She bowed her head sadly. “I understand.”

“Leia was your master after Uncle Luke, Rey,” he said.

“Yes,” she said calmly. “Master Leia taught me everything while I was at Ajan Kloss. She watched me what I’m doing, and it was with a patience between peace and calm. She told me about all the moments she treasure with Luke as he taught her every day. I miss her, and especially Master Luke, Poe.”

Rey recollected the motherly relationship with the master who trained her apprentice to refocus and free her mind from fear through the Force. She understood entirely that patience was the key of the Force.

Poe walked and stood beside her as he gazed at the fields. “Before we left on a mission in search of the Wayfinder, Leia said she was passing her torch to me to bring the Final Order down. And while I was at Exegol that I nearly failed or retreated, until the spark which had become a fire finally arrived with Lando and the entire fleet from the whole galaxy. They had done it, and Leia was right about what she’d said about new hope. I believe in her, Rey.”

Then a single tear fell from his eye, and he wiped it away. “Anyway, that was then before the war was over and it was time to move on. But i’m here now with my dad to start a new life, right from the start.”

He took a breath like he’s relaxed from bereavement as he runs his hand through his hair. “So, um…how’s Tatooine?” he asked. “Beebee-Ate told me.”

“Hot during the day, and cold at night,” she said, walking over and staring out at the lake as she felt the gentle wind behind her. “It looks fairly different than Jakku. And it’s not to be lightly traveled, that desert planet.”

“Did you find what you’ve looking for at Uncle Luke’s place?” he asked, watching the most beautiful Jedi he had ever seen standing on the very edge of the lake.

After exploring across the galaxy, and revisiting Ahch-To, her final stop had been the Lars homestead in the Great Chott flat on Tatooine. The moisture farm had remained abandoned, it was there where she buried Anakin and Leia's lightsabers. She stayed there for a while in peace and tranquility, staring at the striking blue and gold sunrise of the twin suns.

“Nothing special,” answered Rey after took a long breath. She picked up a small stone and threw and skipped it across the water. “But, there’s one who came and visited me before I left.”

“Luke?”

“No, it was Leia,” she said, turning her back to him. “She told me everything about Ben, about the pain he’d suffered, that there was still good inside of him, and she could feel it before she died.”

After a moment, Poe sighed as Rey went on. “Leia told me about you, Poe. Not so feisty as you’d think since when you were with her.”

“Oh, please,” he said like he’s was fooling around. “What was our second mom saying?”

“She wanted to know how you felt to be without guidance. Your instinct as a leader was genuinely unsurpassable, and it was such a difficult situation with what you did out there. She was pleased with you, Poe.”

Poe missed having Aunt Leia by his side during the war after Shara’s passing. He was just amazed by the miracles in the galaxy.

“When if she comes as a ghost to see you,” said Poe with a light smile. “tell her to say thank you, will you?”

“There’s more,” she said, this time sincerely. “Leia told me that I was her last wish for you—it’s because I’m your gift, Poe. I hadn’t noticed this before we met––”

Poe moved closer to her and felt the way her body relaxed against his. He placed his finger gently on her lips to silence her. “Enough, sweetheart. You’ve talked too much, and I know the exact words that she said to me.”

“Oh, there is something else,” she added with a sigh, leaning her forehead to his, and held her hands on his chest, clutching her fingers against the fabric of Poe’s flight uniform. “While I was still meditating with the tree, and I felt a presence that was unforgettable.”

They stood looking at each other in serenity and longing as the sunlight gleamed on the surface of the Yavinesque lake around them.

“It’s about us, Poe.” she whispered as her breath hitches. She closed her eyes like she was praying.

His heartbeat skipped a beat, and his eyes blinked as though he couldn’t believe what she was saying. “Tell me,” he murmured, as his eyes closed with hers.

“I remember at Crait when you were bewildering me while I used the Force to lift rocks and help you, Finn, and the rest of the Resistance to escape. Then we met at the Falcon, and as we shared about our pain by Ben and then Snoke, we were truly connected. Then we bickered with each other like feral Loth-cats about the Falcon being on fire because of your habit on lightspeed skipping,” Poe snorted at that as Rey lightly chuckled before continuing. “We fought alongside with Finn against the First Order from time to time. And while on a mission, you protected me that I fought my Palpatine bloodline against turning to the Dark Lord’s throne and falling to the Dark Side. And when I was ready for heading to Exegol to face my grandfather, were still arguing that I didn’t need you to safeguard or watch over me anymore. But you still protected me because you were deeply in love from the beginning without telling me.”

And Poe moved to hold her gently, then ran his hands smoothly along her arms and between her neck and her face. His head moved up as his lips brushed softly against her forehead. Rey flutters her eyes blissfully as she let her saying the words to flow. He whispered with kisses, from one of her eyelids to her cheek, and then that close to her mouth. Rey sighed with bliss and felt the feathery touch of his breath against her skin.

She went on: “Then the other day during the victory celebration, the night we shared each other in the deep of the forest when we made love...as the Force enlivened inside of our deepest emotions we shared, and preserved this moment forever. And when we left Ajan Kloss at dawn in our separate ways, I felt that my presence was inside still in your heart and soul, and that you would be waiting for me when I returned from across the galaxy. And now…” she paused for a second with her eyes opened, and Poe instantly stopped kissing her while his eyes stared lovingly at hers. “Poe?”

“What?” he asked, his expression beguiling.

“Why did you stop?” she asked, begging him to continue in his dawdling manner.

“Why did you stop,” he asked. “I wouldn’t know until you allow me to say so.”

Her breath hitched, then she choked up like she was almost crying, and they were both quiet for a moment until her face rested on his shoulder and Poe moved his hand to gently fondle her head.

“I came for you, Poe,” she declared softly at last with her eyes closed. “And I’m here…right here.”

He smiled peacefully, pressing his lips against the crown of her head. “Well, you’re here right now, my Lady Jedi,” he replies. “And I love you.”

With hindsight, she took his hand from her head and placed it gently on her abdomen.

Poe‘s eyes were stunned and surprised, and his mouth parted in wonder. Rey cocked her head to face him and smiled at him.

“No way,” he stammered, furrowing his brows. “Rey, you’re––”

“Does it surprise you, General?”

As their heartbeats touched each other’s chest, Poe’s permission was written into the desperation of with which his mouth met hers, something like a sense of contentment that he shared with her. He wanted more than anything is to be with her eternally.

Two hearts and one home. Poe discerned in thought.

“So you’re staying with me, Rey,” Poe said as his eyes gleamed and smirked. “And if you live to be a hundred?”

Rey laughed joyfully. Tears flowed down on her cheeks, and he gently wiped them away with his thumb. “I hope to live to be a hundred minus a day.” she sniffed in jest.

He chuckled thoughtfully with one brow widened. He nodded and caressed Rey’s face as she looked at him. “So that I never have to live a day without you.”

She leaned her forehead against his. The Force inspirited their emotions because of love, and the heart of the galaxy was forever changed.

“I love you, Space Porg.” she murmured.

Instead of calling her ‘Desert Rat,’ he decided to call her from now on.

“I know, Buttercup,” he answers softly, pulling her gently and returning his lips to hers. “I know.”

#damereydaily2020 #damerey #poe x rey #poe dameron #rey skywalker #damerey fic #star wars fanfiction #star wars #star wars nothing but star wars #13. if you live to be a hundred #21. two hearts and one home #may the queue be with you #may the force be with you #post canon

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madpanda75 · 5 years

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“Escape Room Escapades” Part Two

Part Two of my story where Rafael and the reader are locked in an escape room, with the prompts: "That’s probably the fastest I’ve ever done that” and “Isn’t this considered public indecency? We could get arrested!” from this lovely smut-filled list.

You can read Part One on my Masterlist. I was gonna make this the conclusion but who knows, there may be a third part...ya’ never know ❤️

Warning: NSFW (I also call Rafael a “butt nugget” because I have the sense of humor of a 12 year old boy 😂)

A gust of wind rushed past your bare legs as you walked down the street. You clutched your skirt, making sure you didn’t flash any poor unsuspecting passerby. Having been too preoccupied with Rafael’s cases and your own, you had forgotten to do the laundry. The only pair of clean clothes you had was a brown suede skirt and a cream colored sweater. Going commando to a team building event was not ideal, but you could suffer through a couple of hours. You had been to an Escape Room before. The plan was to get the whole charade over with as quickly as possible and make it back home in time for some birthday champagne and a Netflix marathon on your couch.

You turned the corner and saw Rafael outside the building. He was dressed in a blue-grey cashmere sweater and jeans that did a stellar job accentuating his assets. Good Lord, the man looked amazing even in casual clothes. You walked up to where he was standing, silently cursing him for being so damn cute. “Rafael?”

Rafael turned towards you. Your heart skipped a beat. Up close you could see how the color of his sweater brought out the green in his eyes, some stubble on his face already beginning to grow after one day of not shaving. You shook off your impure thoughts and glanced down at your phone to check the time. “Where’s everyone else?”

“Patel couldn’t come. He had to take his dog to the vet and Walters is sick with dengue flu.” Rafael rolled his eyes at that last part. You would think a lawyer could come up with a better excuse.

“So it’s just us then,” you said.

“It would appear so.”

“Great,” you grumbled, reminding yourself to have a little chat with Patel and Walters on Monday morning. Let’s see them try and ask you for advice on litigation techniques now. “Come on. Let’s get this over with so we can go on with our lives.”

Once inside, a young employee whose name tag read “Lucy” signed you both in. Rafael stood next to you while you filled out the registration form, studying your profile—the gentle slope of your nose, your cherry red pout. He could feel your body radiating heat. You were exquisite. How was he supposed to concentrate with you in the room. His racing mind suddenly came to a screeching halt when you glanced up and caught him staring.

“What?” You asked, furrowing your brows at him.

“Nothing. I just...uh...noticed it was your birthday today.” Rafael pointed to the form.

“Yep and I’m stuck here with you,” you sighed. “Lucky me.”

Once you finished, Lucy led you down a hall with several doors, stopping at one called, The Hydeout Game. “Here’s the story,” she replied in a dramatic British accent. “The good Dr. Jekyll has been acting strangely for weeks and gone missing!” She gasped. “A crazy fellow has been causing chaos in town so you’ve been hired to investigate. Can you find out what happened to Dr. Jekyll before it’s too late.” She rubbed her hands together and manically began to laugh.

You and Rafael looked at each other and then at her, completely unfazed.

“Tough crowd,” Lucy mumbled, losing the British accent. “Ok, here’s the deal. You have 75 minutes to figure out how to get out of the room. There’s a walkie talkie in there in case you need help.”

“75 minutes. I thought this was only supposed to be an hour,” you said.

“Your boss specifically requested that we give each group an extra 15 minutes to ensure you have enough time to figure out how to escape,” Lucy replied.

Rafael scoffed. “Well it’s nice to know Jack McCoy has confidence in our ability.”

Lucy unlocked the door and made a sweeping grand gesture with her arm for you to enter the room. The room was set up to reflect Victorian times, elegant with luxe blood red wallpaper and plush furniture. A large fireplace was on your right and to the left was a sitting area with bookshelves and a secretary desk. In the middle of the room a table was set up to look like a laboratory with various beakers, pipettes, and paper strewn around. “Good luck!” She waved and slammed the door shut.

*****

It only took fifteen minutes of being locked in a room with Rafael for you both to begin bickering. You managed to find Dr. Jekyll’s journal, a large notebook with a cryptic message scrawled on the page. Obviously it was a code of some sort. The problem was you and Rafael couldn’t decide which code it was.

“It’s clearly morse code,” Rafael argued. “Look at the length of the message. It fits into the morse code alphabet.”

“That would be too easy, Barba,” you retorted. “It’s Alberti’s disk. The message is written out of order. You can encipher it one letter at a time.”

Rafael shook his head. “This isn’t rocket science. It’s a locked room in the middle of Manhattan where kids go to celebrate their birthdays. Trust me, it’s morse code.”

You stood there with your arms crossed, both of you going back and forth like a tennis match.

“No, it isn’t”

“Yes, it is.”

“No, you’re wrong.”

“No you’re wrong.”

“No, I’m the one who’s right! You’re just being...a...a...a butt nugget!” You exclaimed. There were several other choice words you had for Rafael yet butt nugget was the first thing that popped into your head.

“Wow. Butt nugget. Really?” Rafael laughed. “If this is how you argue in court, maybe you should have taken more plea deals with my cases.”

Red flashed before your eyes. You were seething. “That’s it! I’ve had it!” You boomed, stomping over to the door and pulling on the knob. When it didn’t budge you pounded on the frame, demanding to be let out.

Rafael’s eyes widened and went over to lead you away from the door. “What are you doing? Just calm down!”

“Calm down?! CALM DOWN?!” You screeched, practically in hysterics by that point. “I can’t calm down because I’m stuck in a room with YOU! What is wrong with you?! For months I’ve been bending over backwards, working like a dog to help you and for what?! So you can treat me like dirt and criticize every single thing I do.” You ranted and raved, moving closer and closer towards Rafael. “Whatever happened to a thank you! But no, nothing! Maybe if you removed that torts book you have wedged up your ass, you would realize that I was just trying to help you! And to think I was once attracted to you! Major mistake on my part.” You laughed like a mad woman before getting right in his face. “Now you listen to me. We’re going to figure out this puzzle, get out of this room and we’re going to do it MY way and if you don’t like it that’s too damn bad.” By this point you were practically nose to nose with him, jabbing him in the chest with your index finger, out of breath from your maniacal tirade. Of course it was hard to focus on staying angry when the smell of his cologne left you weak in the knees.

Rafael didn’t speak a word. He glared at you—his nostrils flaring, his jaw set. You felt a sudden shift in the room, your hateful stares transforming from fury to lust. The temperature began to rise and a flush crept up your face. It felt like you were about to combust. Beads of sweat dotted Rafael’s forehead, his heart thumping wildly in his chest. He let out a shaky breath, lowering his gaze to your mouth. Before you could even react, he grabbed you by the waist and kissed you hard. Your bodies sighed in relief, finally releasing months of pent up sexual frustration.

The kiss was everything you had fantasized it would be and more. So much more. It was explosive and all-consuming. Rafael tasted like coffee mixed with mint and a hint of spice. His strong lips moving fervently against yours, sending a tingle straight to your core.

He pushed you back against the old fashioned secretary desk, a drawer popping open to reveal another clue. You gasped in surprise, allowing him to slide his tongue into your mouth. One hand found its way to your hair, threading his fingers through your silken locks while the other cupped your face. Rafael was shaking slightly, trying to restrain himself and not paw at your flesh. You grabbed his hand and moved it to your breast, granting him permission to explore your body.

He groaned, gently squeezing your breast, feeling your nipple strain against your thin sweater. His lips must have been laced with an aphrodisiac. Everything around you become fuzzy except for Rafael. The tension in the room began to dissipate. The hunger you had for each other reached its peak. Both of you surrendered to the moment, giving into your deepest desires.

Your pussy throbbed with need, your arousal beginning to coat your inner thighs. In an answer to your prayers, Rafael wedged his leg between yours, spreading you open for him. His eyebrows raised in surprise when he reached down to lift your skirt only to discover that you weren’t wearing any panties. “You’re full of surprises, aren’t you?” He purred against your mouth.

“Don’t ever underestimate me, Barba,” you giggled into a moan, rocking back and forth on his thick thigh, the rough denim providing the most delicious friction against your clit.

Rafael braced his leg against the desk and grabbed your hips, encouraging you to grind down harder against him. He could feel a wet spot beginning to form on his thigh. His kisses moved across your cheek, finding purchase on the sensitive spot below your ear. He inhaled deeply. You smelled like cinnamon and vanilla, alluring, warm, and good enough to eat. Your pulse quickened, he could feel your heartbeat beneath his lips as he painted your skin with his tongue.

You shuddered and reached for his belt buckle. “Fuck me,” you said in a breathless whisper.

The sound of clinking metal brought him back to reality. He stepped away from you, his chest heaving from exertion. “Wait. Isn’t this considered public indecency? We could get arrested.”

You nodded your head, completely out of breath. “True. It is a Class B Misdemeanor, punishable by up to 3 years in jail or probation and a fine of up to $500. Not to mention having a permanent criminal record.” You glanced down to see Rafael’s erection straining against his jeans. A sinful smirk slowly spread across your face. Sitting down on the desk, you opened your legs even more, teasing him with your glistening swollen sex. “So do you think we should stop?”

Rafael licked his lips, his eyes darkened as he drank you in. “No fucking way,” he growled.

In one long stride, he was on you, planting a searing kiss to your lips while he dragged his fingers against your slit.

You reached down and whipped off his belt before unzipping his jeans. “I’m on the pill and I’m clean,” you mumbled between kisses.

“So am I,” he replied, pushing his pants and underwear down in one swift movement.

Grabbing his cock, he brought it up to your sheath only to stop for a moment. He locked eyes with you, searching your face for any sign of uncertainty. You smiled and nodded your head, wanting this just as much as he did.

Rafael slowly guided himself into your sheath. You mewled in response, grabbing a fistful of his sweater. “Fuck,” you whimpered. “I knew there had to be a reason why you were so cocky.”

Rafael let out a breathless laugh, stopping halfway to let you adjust to his size. As your body relaxed, he pushed himself further until he was buried deep inside your molten hot core. Inch by inch, he slowly pulled out, leaving the head of his cock inside you before pressing back in. Your head fell back, a loud drawn out moan leaving your lips.

Rafael shushed you and grabbed your chin to meet his gaze, dragging his thumb across your bottom lip. “We have to keep it down.”

You nodded and gently bit down on the pad of his thumb before taking it in your mouth, moaning around the digit as he began to move against you. Rafael found his rhythm, his ass cheeks clenching with every hard thrust. The wet sounds of your coupling spurred him on and he quickened his pace.

You released his thumb and wrapped your arms around his neck, burying your head in the crook of his neck. “Barba,” you gasped.

“Call me, Rafael,” he replied in a strained voice.

You obliged, softly chanting his name. Your hot breath tickling his ear. “Oh, Rafael,” you softly moaned, biting down on his earlobe.

Rafael groaned. There were so many nights he would spend stroking himself, imagining you with your legs wrapped around him, whispering his name. Even now he wasn’t fully convinced that this wasn’t a dream and he would wake up alone in his bed, in need a cold shower.

He took hold of your leg and lifted it until your knee was pressed up against your chest, allowing him to penetrate you even deeper. You drew in a sharp intake of breath causing Rafael to freeze and instantly pull back. “Did I hurt you?”

“No. It feels so good,” you whined and wrapped your other leg around his waist, using it as leverage to arch your hips up. Letting go of his restraint, he pounded into you, grunting with his efforts, pushing you towards your release while trying to hold off his own. The desk banging into the wall with every movement.

You choked back a sob, the root of his cock rubbing against your clit. A warmth spread throughout your body, settling all the way down to your toes curling within your boots. One more thrust sent you over the edge. Rafael tugged you into a bruising kiss, silencing your cries as wave after wave of pleasure rippled through you. You trembled, your nails biting into Rafael’s neck as you clenched hard against him. He groaned into your mouth, impaling you one final time before his cock swelled inside your core, filling you with his release.

Aftershocks surged through your body, your walls still fluttering against Rafael’s cock. He shivered and gently lowered your leg. For a split second, you forgot where you were, losing yourself in his passionate embrace until Lucy’s voice came over the walkie talkie. “Hey guys!”

You pushed Rafael away and grabbed the walkie talkie. “We didn’t do anything!?!” You said in a panic.

“Well of course you didn’t, you’re still locked in the room. Consider this your 30 minute warning.”

“Thanks.” You hopped off the desk and adjusted your skirt. “How are we going to get out of here,” you mumbled to yourself while looking around for clues. Your mind switched gears from having impulsive angry hot sex with a man you were supposed to hate over trying to figure out how to win the game, which was no easy feat with Rafael’s cum leaking out of you.

“This is ridiculous.” Rafael zipped up his pants and helped you search the room. He was sweating through his sweater from your coital workout. “We’re two of Manhattan’s top ADAs. It shouldn’t be this complicated.”

“Try to think outside the box and look in places you normally wouldn’t.” You bent down and inspected the faux fireplace.

Rafael stopped, noticing how your skirt rode up, following the line of your long legs all the way up to your ass. He tugged on his collar and cleared his throat, shifting his gaze over to the table and picking up a prop beaker. “So...ummm...do you always go commando.”

You turned towards him, blushing profusely. “Laundry day,” you explained, clenching your thighs together. Narrowing your eyes, you looked right past Rafael and noticed the open drawer on the secretary desk. The drawer you had bumped open while otherwise occupied. You brushed past him, making a beeline to the desk drawer and pulled out a decoder ring. Your eyes shifted to Jekyll’s journal on the side table that you and Rafael had been squabbling over earlier. “I’ve got it,” you announced.

It was all beginning to make sense. The numbers on the page spelled out another clue. Once you figured that out, it was all downhill from there. You glanced over at Rafael and smiled. “Alright counselor, are you ready to get out of here.”

*****

You and Rafael put your minds together and were able to find the key and unlock the room with 10 minutes to spare. The minute the door opened, you both thanked Lucy and fled, terrified she would suspect something other than puzzle solving happened in that room.

It was dusk by the time you walked outside. The cool crisp air whipped at your face while leaves danced around your feet. A rich and earthy scent hung in the air, it was warm, smoky, and inviting. Even the city that never sleeps couldn’t escape the impending arrival of autumn.

You stood on the sidewalk next to Rafael, rocking back on your heels, avoiding eye contact at all cost. Apart from the honking cars and chatter of people brushing past, there was nothing but awkward silence between you both. The reality of what just happened less than an hour ago began to sink in. Neither of you dared to make the first move, waiting to see if the other person would speak first.

In the end, it was you that eventually caved. “That’s probably the fastest I’ve ever done that,” you blurted out. “Unlocking the room, not the sex. Although I don’t normally rush into sex either and definitely not with a coworker. I mean not that the sex wasn’t good cause in the words of Tony the Tiger, it was grrrrrreat! I mean, I haven’t orgasmed that hard in years and— Oh my God, I can’t believe I just said that.” You turned beet red and covered your face with your hands. Rafael’s eyebrows shot up into his forehead, the corners of his mouth twitching into a smile. While you were humiliated by your bout of verbal diarrhea, he thought it was absolutely adorable. “And on that note, I’m leaving. Have a good night and I’ll see you on Monday.” You gave him a half-ass wave and scurried away as fast as humanly possible.

It took Rafael a second to realize you were gone you had left so quickly. He was surprised that you hadn’t left a dust cloud in your wake like in the cartoons. “Y/N, wait up,” he called, practically jogging down the street to catch up with you. “Jesus, you’re fast,” he huffed.

You stopped in your tracks, shocked that Rafael was chasing you down and not laughing at your expense back where you had left him. “What is it, Rafael?”

“Well, I was wondering if you had any plans for your birthday?”

“Probably vegging out on my couch, binging “Murder She Wrote” while drinking champagne straight from the bottle,” you replied with a shrug.

Rafael nodded and scratched the bridge of his nose, his heart hammering in his chest at what he was about to say. “That’s too bad because I was wondering if you’d like to celebrate it with me.”

Your eyes widened in surprise. “Really!?”

Rafael chuckled. “Yeah, really. There’s a great French restaurant not too far from here. Unless you’d rather spend the evening with Angela Lansbury.”

“I think Angela can survive without me for one night.” You smiled and took a step closer to Rafael, reaching out for his hand.

He intertwined his fingers with yours, glancing down at your joined hands before looking up to meet your gaze. With his free hand, he reached up and gently tucked a strand of hair behind your ear before trailing down to your cheek, caressing the soft skin with his thumb. You closed your eyes and tilted your head, your mouth brushing up against his palm.

Rafael’s breath hitched, pulling you close enough towards him to press a soft kiss to your lips. This kiss was different than before. It was shy and hesitant, almost innocent. Almost. The kiss quickly began to unfurl into something more, something dark and desperate.

Somewhere off in the distance, you could’ve sworn you heard someone say, “Get a room.” As ironic as that was, you couldn’t care less and neither did Rafael. You melted under his touch, his tongue dueling with yours as your breaths mingled. You clutched fistfuls of Rafael’s sweater for fear your legs would give out.

Pulling back just a hair, you looked into Rafael’s big green eyes, now consumed by lust. “Why don’t we get the food to go?” You suggested with a devious smirk on your face.

*****

You were awoken the next morning by an expletive followed by the sound of a pan clanging against your counter. The rich smell of chocolate filled your nostrils.

Untangling yourself from the bedsheets, you sat upright and stretched your arms over your head, naked as a jaybird, your bedhead wild and crazy. It had been months since you had slept so soundly. You felt rested and invigorated.

You let out a contented sigh and flopped back in bed, melting into the mattress. Your fingers skimmed across your body, trailing down to the dull ache between your legs. Rafael’s touch still lingered on your skin, the smell of sex mixed with his cologne covered you like a blanket.

Last night, it was more than just layers of clothing that were shed. Words were exchanged. Months worth of suppressed emotions bubbled to the surface. You were finally able to look past the insecurities, the animosity, and truly see the other person.

Turns out you and Rafael had more in common than you thought. It wasn’t easy for either of you to open up but laying in bed, sweaty and satiated, your limbs entwined, you both felt safe, finding comfort in each other’s arms.

More clattering coming from the kitchen made you curious to see exactly what Rafael was up to. The walls of your apartment were paper-thin. You could hear him cursing and rifling through your drawers. Getting up out of bed, you shivered and wrapped your arms around yourself before spying Rafael’s cashmere sweater on the floor. You tugged it on, the hem barely concealing your bottom and padded down the hall, following the path of clothes that littered the floor.

You walked into the kitchen and spied Rafael standing in front of the oven, wearing nothing but your apron. His back may have been to you but you knew the front of the apron read, “Hot and Spicy….and the food is pretty good too!” It was an appropriate choice of outfit for him in that moment.

Leaning against the doorframe, you took advantage of the view before you, drinking in his bare feet, his muscular calves, all the way up to his thick thighs and finally settling on his firm yet oh so pinchable ass. His ass was the reason why they invented the peach emoji in the first place. You could bounce a nickel off it.

Sensing that he was being watched, Rafael turned around. “Good morning,” he said with a shy smile, his ungelled hair sticking out in every direction. He had a dark smear of something that appeared to be chocolate batter on his cheek. There was a boyish charm to him, a far contrast to the tailored suits and sharp-tongued snarky ADA you had grown accustomed to. It was a side of Rafael you had never seen before.

“Morning.” You took a step closer and grabbed a kitchen towel, cleaning the chocolate smudge off his face. “Be careful with the oven. That’s an unfortunate kitchen accident in the making,” you teased and playfully tugged his apron. “Oh...yeah.” Rafael blushed and rubbed the back of his neck, stepping aside to reveal an unfrosted chocolate cake sitting on a plate. “I was trying to find your coffee but I saw the cake mix and since we never got to dessert last night I thought I would bake you a breakfast birthday cake.” You gazed down at the dessert, feeling a lump form in your throat. Noone had ever made you a cake for your birthday before, not even your parents. In fact, you had forgotten you even had the cake mix in your cupboard. The simple gesture touched your heart. You turned around and smiled at him. “I appreciate the sentiment, although I think I got my dessert last night.” You pushed back a lock of hair that had flopped forward on his forehead, planting a kiss on the spot then moving lower to kiss the tip of his nose, and finally his lips. “Thank you,” you whispered. “You’re welcome.” He wrapped his arms around your waist and kissed you deeply, humming in appreciation as his hands moved lower towards your backside. “Can I help frost?” You purred against his lips.

“If you like.”

You grabbed the cake and placed it on the counter next to the open can of chocolate frosting that Rafael had set out earlier. Grabbing a knife from the drawer, you started to coat the cake in chocolate frosting. “I didn’t know you were such a baker.” Rafael stood behind you, inhaling the sweet warm scent of your shampoo. “I know my way around the kitchen, among other places.” He brushed your hair to the side and dropped open-mouth kisses to your neck and shoulders. “So I’ve noticed.” You dipped your finger in the chocolate frosting and brought it up to Rafael’s lips. He sucked greedily on your index finger, his eyes boring into yours.

Your breath hitched. You resumed frosting your cake which was becoming increasingly difficult to do with Rafael nuzzling your neck while he ran his hands up and down your arms. You bit back a whimper and grinded back against him, feeling his growing erection press against your ass. “Why do I feel like we’re about to reenact the pottery scene from Ghost.”

He chuckled and gently nibbled on your earlobe.The scruff on his cheeks tickled your skin. “Do you want me to hum Unchained Melody.”

You giggled and tried to wiggle away only to have him tighten his hold on your waist. “Actually I have a better idea. Why don’t we eat this cake in the bedroom.” You grabbed the cake and glanced back at Rafael, motioning to the fridge. “Don’t forget to bring the whipped cream too,” you said with a wink.

Traipsing back to the bedroom, with Rafael following, you made sure to put a little more swing in your hips, fully aware that if you turned around, you’d catch him staring at your ass. There were still a lot of unknowns for you and Rafael and while you weren’t sure what the future held, you did know one thing—this was definitely the best birthday ever!

@glimmerglittergirl @southern-magnolia @sweetcannolicarisi @delia26 @obfuscateyummy @sass-and-suspenders @eclecticminded @thatesqcrush @katmstanton @amirightcounsellor @beltzboys2015-blog @letty-o @sonnysdoll @lyssa1385 @sweetsummertime99 @burningsorr0ws @gibbs274 @izzythefanfreak @riodallas @babypink224221 @livxrafa @esparza-army @obsessionprofessional @ottosuricato @melsquared79 @dreila03 @raulmonamour @tropes-and-tales @thecraziestcrayon @imjustreallynosy

#rafael barba #rafael barba fic #rafael barba imagine #rafael barba fan fiction #rafael barba fanfic #barba #barba imagine #barba fic #law and order svu fic #law and order svu imagine

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littlefeatherr · 4 years

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I was tagged by the lovely @supernovadragoncat

Name: Littlefeather

Nickname: Feather, Jenny the pooh, Boo boo

Zodiac: Virgo. And literally nothing I've read about it even remotely resembles me.😆

Languages: English, Lakota, I understand Spanish but have difficulty speaking sentences of any meaningful length.

Favorite season: Fall. Bright, golden days, chilly nights, pumpkin spice lattes return (yes I love them, fight me) it's no longer unbearably hot, stores bring back dark colors, BAKING, leaves turning, caramel apples...love it all. In fact I'm already willing summer to be over and it's still spring.

Favorite flower: Stargazer lilies.

Favorite animal: GIMME ALL THE ANIMALS! No bugs though.

Favorite fictional character: Marianne Dashwood.

Favorite color: Burgundy, red, black, forest green

Rocket pop or creamsicle? Rocket pop

Coffee, tea or hot chocolate? Tea, but it kind of depends.

Average hours of sleep: 8 to 10. Crohn's disease takes the starch out of me.

Followers: Yes! ❤

Blankets: Goose down blankets. Otherwise I wake up too hot and that's just miserable.

Dogs or cats: Both!

Last book finished: The Call of the Wild

Blog established: 2011 I think.

Dream trip: Lake Louise, Canada. Scotland. I would also love to go to Argentina, Patagonian and also see the glaciers of the Perito Moreno National Park.

Three things you would bring to a deserted island: An air conditioner, a tent, and spf 100 sunblock. I'd spend my time bitching to myself about the heat and the bus.

Random fact about me: I once entered a mechanical bull riding contest in Virginia City. I came in second, the prize was a free body piercing. This is what happens when Littlefeather tries to drink a shot of whiskey at every saloon on Main St. And that actually isn't the wackiest contest they host: every year their biggest event is a the world championship outhouse race.

I tag @maplesyrupao3 @zip00198704 @kandidlyrandom @rufina72 and anyone else who wants to do it!

#meme #about me

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bananashemmo · 5 years

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Soccer Boy (Part 3)

Pairing: Y/N/College!Football!Calum

Rating: All

Parts: 1 | 2

Summary: Freezing cold and out of place, Y/N steals a hoodie that appears to be football and college boy Calum’s while she’s watching her first game at the college football field.

“I’d like to say a huge welcome to everyone. I’m glad to see all the estate agent students have shown up at our usual Thursday meeting here at the Golden Caramel.”

You looked over at Cassie with a smug look on your face. You were trying your best not to laugh. Seriously, it was pressing your lunges flat.

“Who voted Danielle Stevens as president of the real estate agents?” Cassie leaned forward in her chair to whisper in your ear. Now you couldn’t help but giggle just a bit.

“I don’t know,” You whispered back, “But don’t pull her out of her dreams. She’s probably imagining she’s standing in front of a crowd. Even though we’re only 15 who have decided to show up.”

You leaned your back against the chair you were seated at and took a look around the familiar faces.

Thursday night was as mentioned a weekly meeting of the real estate agents. You had shown up at the coffee house ‘Golden Caramel’ which according to you was the best place to get coffee with quality and great prices.

The place was small. It wasn’t for everyone as they were very environmentally conscious. Besides the typical wooden tables that were so in and modern, the fake skins on the chairs and lamps that looked like they were from the mid-60s, they also had plants from all around the world.

It was like walking into a jungle. They were fond of leaves hanging from the ceiling and letting the plants grow wherever they wanted.

Behind the desk which was filled with coffee beans in different kinds of glasses, big and small, the blackboard was placed and had the specials colored in various colors. You could almost point out every coffee you had tasted here but your favorite was iced coffee with caramel and passionfruit.

“I’ve made this little quiz which I thought could be fun for today’s meeting. It’s just something we’ve learned from the curriculum.”

“Is this a test to see who’s the worst or a quiz where she knows she will win?” You leaned forward again to speak to Cassie and sipped on your coffee.

“I don’t know.” Cassie shook her head. She had a habit of having wide eyes in general, not great at hiding it when she thought something was ridiculous or similar. They were to the point of popping out.

She looked down at the paper handed to her, scanning the questions to see if something was familiar or easy. She looked like she could already see her horrible results when this was over.

“A little quiz?” You questioned out loud when you were given the paper, “This is 30 questions!”

You weren’t supposed to say it that loud. It caught Danielle’s attention and she looked towards your direction.

“Any problems, Y/L/N?” She asked and you shook your head.

“No, it’s fine. I just need a double espresso with this.”

She didn’t answer your cocky remark, deciding just to give you the death stare and turned around. Her ponytail flew in the air and swung over her shoulder, and you rolled your eyes by her attitude.

“You wanna know who she reminds me of?” You asked Cassie and she nodded her head interested.

“You remember that movie, Bad Moms? The one we saw in the theater with your ex-boyfriend David? Yeah, she reminds me of that Gwendolyn lady who keeps wanting to decide how you’re supposed to act like a mom and causes everyone to be frightened at her intimidating personality.”

Cassie’s hand came up to touch her lips, trying to cover in the laugh she wanted to fill the room with.

You smiled gently at your joke and focused back on the paper. You could feel Danielle stare towards you. She didn’t say anything but her ice blue eyes were almost causing you to feel uncomfortable.

“I think we should also agree to rote the old rules we have here at Sydney Falls College. Just to make sure that everyone is agreeing to how we act here at campus.” Danielle suddenly said and you furrowed your eyebrows.

“What kind of rules?” You questioned quietly and moved the paper up to your mouth so Danielle couldn’t see you were speaking.

It was like sitting in the middle of a class back in high school. Not even the professors here at college were that strict.

Cassie shrugged her shoulder in confusion. She was actually the one who kept up with the college news. She had even considered joining the News Paper Club but avoided it because she didn’t want to work next to Lara.

“Maybe like the ones footballers have?” She suggested and you nodded your head silently.

Why all the rules? Why couldn’t everyone just act like their personality?

“I think we can all agree that the footballers have never really been our cup of coffee.” She raised her cup of coffee in the air just to add more to her joke and she laughed at herself.

“Bloody hell..” You wanted to sink further into your seat. Not only because of her horrible joke and her lack of situational awareness. But also because of the mention of footballers. You already didn’t like where this was going.

Danielle glanced towards you quickly and then back to looking at everyone.

“The intern rules when agreeing to become a real estate agent is not to date a footballer. They don’t cause anything else but trouble, they have no sense of reality what is going on and is only joining college to play football. We, professionally, don’t want something like that to happen. Who wants to get their mind ruined by a footballer.”

“Y/N does.” Cassie sang quietly, causing you to hit her in the arm lightly.

“I’m not getting my life ruined by a footballer would you shut up.” You whisper-yelled, looking back at Danielle.

This was ridiculous. Suddenly, your choice of study path was going to decide who you were allowed to date?

“Why are we acting like we’re all enemies?” You whispered and Cassie shrugged her shoulder.

“I don’t know but it’s been like this since forever, remember-,” Cassie stopped speaking and her eyes widened. Now, it was only a matter of time before they would pop out of her face.

“Remember what?” You asked and leaned forward to hear her better in case she wanted to whisper something.

“Alert. Someone has shown up. Maybe he wants his hoodie back?”

You wanted to yell a loud ‘what’ by her words but instead, you quickly turned your head to the side to see who walked inside the coffee house.

“Oh my god, no no no!” You mumbled below your breath and quickly stood up from your chair.

Cassie was wearing a huge smirk on her face as you quickly started to sprint towards Calum who had suddenly shown up into the coffee house. This was definitely not the time and you needed to be fast so people wouldn’t notice him.

Luckily enough you were walking behind the back of the chairs so everyone’s attention was towards Danielle.

Calum smiled from top to toe when he saw you, but before he got a word said you grabbed him by the hand and started to pull him further into the coffee house.

“Woah, Y/L/N. Where is it burning?”

“In my ass, that’s why I’m a rocket shooting you to somewhere else.” You didn’t have time for his sneaky remarks.

You pulled him to the end of the coffee house where a few couches were. It meant that you were located closed, but you were still able to see what was going on at the meeting. Just to see if Cassie was fine by sitting alone.

“It’s my first time here and we’re already holding hands? If you weren’t cute I’d be saying this was going too fast.”

“Stop it, Calum.” You tried to say the last thing seriously, but the evident smile on your face ruined it.

He laughed carefully and let go of your hand to take a seat by one of the seats. You assumed he was here for the coffee and not just to humiliate you in front of everyone. Just the little scene by standing up was enough.

“So what kind of coffee do you think I’d like?” He asked, taking one of the menus from the wooden table and looked it through.

It had the same theme as the blackboard. Completely black with words written with coal font. It had different colors and Calum scanned it briefly.

“You’re probably into brewed coffee.” You replied simply. You had no idea if you were going to overanalyze what kind of coffee he preferred. It was like guessing if you preferred houses with tiles or wood.

“I think it’s a close one,” Calum agreed, “I am standard coffee kind of guy. What about you? A cappuccino?”

“No, actually.” You looked over towards where Cassie was sitting, still noticing your coffee that was quickly placed on the table beside her during the process of getting Calum out of the sight.

“I forgot my coffee.”

Calum leaned to the side to look towards the others, a smile growing on his face.

“Is this some kind of cult meeting?”

You rolled your eyes deeply by his question and laughed quietly.

“Sometimes I’m actually wondering the same.” You mumbled below your breath and wondered how you were going to get your coffee back. If you walked back, you needed you had to sit back and continue whatever quiz or teambuilding plans Danielle had in mind.

“It’s actually the estate agents. We have a meeting every Thursday. I think you can compare it to practice a few times a week where you meet up with the footballers. It’s just instead of running around on glass kicking a ball we drink coffee and discuss world problems.”

“You think that’s all we do? Kicking around on the grass with a ball?” He questioned and looked at you with curious eyes.

You smiled carefully and shrugged your shoulder. Had he forgotten you had never stepped your feet onto a football field before weeks ago?

You ordered a new coffee when the waitress showed up, Calum also ordering one along with a vanilla muffin to the side.

“We actually also sprint through orange cones just to spice it up a bit. Sometimes we also go to a different sport just to try something else and still be teammates and see the understanding of working together. We joined the swimming team the other day where my friend Ash was swimming. Not that it was any good, we all sucked big time during water polo.”

“You don’t know how to swim?” You questioned and leaned back in the dark green chair. It had nice fluffy pillows behind your back for comfort.

“I’m not saying I don’t know how to swim. I can do the basics but I don’t think I’d ever become a professional.”

“Me neither.“ You shook your head, “The closest thing you will see me by the ocean will be my toes sticking to the surface. I’m not really into water unless I have to drink it. Does that make sense?”

You couldn’t help but laugh at yourself. This was getting out of hand and you had barely started the conversation yet.

One subject changed to another in a split second and you barely noticed it.

“I don’t think it makes sense but alright.” Calum grinned and thanked the waitress when she came back with your coffee.

One of the great things about Golden Caramel. Always great service and you didn’t have to wait long for a simple coffee or a muffin.

Calum grabbed his fork and the plate, moving it closer to his body so he wouldn’t spill during the eating process.

“So do tell me... Why did you show up?” You questioned and crossed your arms.

“You’re already interrogating me?” Calum questioned back and smiled into his muffin.

You rolled your eyes again by his question. Answering a question with a question. What a classic move.

“How about you answer my question before I answer yours.” You leaned forward as you spoke just to seem a bit more serious. It wasn’t working on Calum’s behalf, he felt amused.

“Well, you were the one suggesting this place. I thought I had to check it out. I assumed I would run into you.” He replayed after finishing chewing.

“What I did not expect though that this was the cult meeting of the estate agents. You could have warned me you know! I’m not really that popular in the mingle of house economy and what kind of tiles you would use on the roof of an apartment.”

“I only recommended it to be nice!” You laughed, “I didn’t expect you would actually show up.”

“Of course I would.” He replied and placed the plate back on the table to take a sip of his warm coffee. It was still smoking with steam but Calum didn’t seem to mind the heat.

“What is going on with that rival anyway? I just heard about it today?” You asked carefully and looked back.

Cassie seemed so bored. You considered waving her over if you could get her attention but she was too caught up in Danielle’s talking to look somewhere else.

“Well, I don’t know if I want to call it a rivalry. I mean, it’s not like we hate each other. I just think most estate agents think footballers are wasting their time at college because they are highly golden careerists. I mean, I want something special in life but I choose this college because of its focus on football.” Calum explained and you nodded your head.

“Why are you asking?” He smirked, “Have they noticed the hoodie?”

“What? No!” You shook your head, looking down at yourself just to check that you weren’t wearing it.

“I haven’t worn it since everyone kept staring at me on the hallways.”

“Wasn’t the only one staring Oscar Flane?” Calum leaned forward and scratched his light stubble. It gave definition to his already defined cheekbone and jawline.

“His eyes counted for ten but no. He wasn’t the only one.” You shook your head by Calum’s smile growing and you took a sip of your iced coffee.

“What’s your story anyway? Why is he so obsessed with you?” He questioned and wrapped his fingers together.

“It’s been a few months now and I don’t really know why. I think he’s just into the ‘girl saying no and rejecting me so I have to try even harder. Why are you asking? You jealous?” You knew the last bit was both too far and teasing. You couldn’t help yourself by the way Calum was staring.

“Why would I be jealous?” He leaned down to grab his cup of coffee to take a sip. “You’re already my territory.”

You choked on your iced coffee and widened your eyes. You wanted to cough lightly but that would cause attention from the cult. Oh my god. Now you were starting to think that way as well.

“Are all footballers that literate about their hoodies and owning a girl? I mean, is it that important?” You asked and he shrugged his shoulder with a challenging look.

“You’d imagine all the rules this college has. It’s teeming with rules.” Calum explained and you raised an eyebrow.

“So, as your girl,” You leaned back in your seat, “What am I supposed to do?”

“Well,” He shrugged his hands together in thought and leaned forward in his seat. “One of the things we do is that our girls show up in our hoodies at a game. See it as some sort of lucky charm.”

“Every game?” You questioned, widening your eyes. You were reconsidering how great it was now to steal a hoodie that wasn’t yours.

“And practices.” He smiled and you shook your head.

“That’s too much football for me.” You laughed, continuing to shake your head.

You reached out to take your phone just to see if Cassie had written something. Maybe she was actually enjoying the quiz? Nah, that would be too weird and so not like her.

“Tumblr is calling?” He suddenly questions and your eyes glanced back at him.

“So if you have just a slight interest in coffee, the morning life changer, I’m also associated with a Tumblr Girl?”

Calum smirked carefully by your question but he decided not to say anything.

“Don’t give me that look, Hood.” You shook your head by his smirk growing even more. He got this light in his eyes when he did.

“I might have had a Tumblr when I was in high school but I’ve kind of switched over to Pinterest instead.”

“Why? To look at pastel skirts?” He questioned and drank the last bit of his coffee.

“No, to look at tattoo ideas. I love Pinterest because it has the best inspiration no matter what kind of subject you’re into.”

“Impressive.” Calum nodded his head and looked back towards the group of people because they were causing noises.

You looked towards the group also in confusion. Now you were finally getting eye contact with Cassie and you didn’t understand what was going on until she made motions that you had to leave with Calum.

“Oh my-,” You quickly stood up from your chair and took the coffee out of Calum’s hands.

“We have to leave now.” You roamed through your wallet to place some cash on the table and grabbed Calum by the arm again.

“What is going on?” He asked but you didn’t respond.

You had no idea what was going on but you weren’t going to get caught with Calum. Just imagining Danielle’s haunting face noticing you with a footballer was enough to make you sigh and roll your eyes.

“We need to leave before another interrogation stars.” You responded in a mumble and took the back door. At least it wasn’t an emergency exit door. You could have caused much more attention if that was the case.

Calum couldn’t help but laugh in confusion. He found your desperation amusing and once you were outside in the cold without the eyes of Danielle, you could finally breathe.

“Oh my god, I’m so gonna end in the service economy class instead of this.” You whined and touched your temples just to get away the pain that was spreading.

“Aren’t you going to follow home with your bleach blonde friend?” He questioned and pointed back at the Golden Caramel.

“Well, I think she can manage without me.” You shrugged and scanned the windows just to see if she was looking for you. If she wanted to follow with you, she would probably have left also.

“So that means I can finally walk you home?” He crossed his arms and you looked back at him.

“You don’t think I can walk by myself?” You answered with a grin and crossed your arms.

“Would you stop being so prissy.” He rolled his eyes with a smile by your question and leaned his arm forward as an invitation.

“You act like you’ve known me for weeks.” You laughed carefully and accepted his offer.

It wasn’t like you didn’t have the braveness to walk home on your own. It was just you never really knew who you would run into and besides it was starting to get late.

The weather was alright. You could probably have used a sweater if you had brought it along, but you managed just to walk in your t-shirt. Calum was also just wearing a black one and he didn’t seem to mind the fresh wind.

His arm was also warm and nice, which was a benefit to you. It kept a bit of the cold away since he was almost like a radiator.

He also had tattoos on his left arm which you hadn’t noticed the last time. They were decorative and simple.

“You’re looking at them as if this was Pinterest?” He asked, a smile playing on his lips.

“It’s always nice getting inspired.” You commented, now fully looking at his arm now that he was away of your observance.

“What’s the bird?”

“It’s for my sister. She is like my best friend and the light of my life. I know no matter what she is always there to be by my back. I’m sure if I committed a robbery, she would be there to back me up.”

“So her name is Mali-Koa?” You observed, looking down at the letters.

He hummed, looking up at the sky. It wasn’t often you saw starts. It was usually clouded at night, especially by this time of year.

“You’re family-orientated?” You looked up at the sky as well, trying to spot the moon. It had symbolic to you, considering you had a half moon tattooed right next to your left ankle.

“Very. My family is super important to me.”

“They could totally make a movie of you, couldn’t they? Football frat boy who’s mummy’s boy and loves spending Saturday’s watching Love Actually?”

“And what are you? The anti-socialist fighting for the climate and trying not to waste plastic?”

“I’m studying to become an estate agent, Calum. Not to become a politician.” You finished the discussion. You weren’t just sounding like you had known each other for a while. You sounded like you had been married for years.

“Okay then.” Calum folded his lips together not to laugh. “Let me ask you something different instead.”

You looked up at him waiting for him to continue.

“Are you going to the traffic light party at the Brooklyn Fraternity house tomorrow night?”

“Isn’t it just funnier looking at a traffic light on the road?” You had never really been fond of parties. Sure, it was fun at small ones but once the number crossed 50, you were starting to feel it lacked personality.

“I’m sure you’d find it amusing. I mean, you can just wear red. Nobody would come up and try to hit on you?”

“And who should I say I should be dating that would sound convincing?” You crossed your arms and stopped from walking to look at him.

“Just say you’re with me. Considering you already have my hoodie.”

“Honestly, I’d rather stick my head into the ground in my neighbor’s garden and pretend I’m a carrot.” You jokingly said and loosened your arms. You were starting to get near your dorm house.

“Just think about it. I could use some company. It can get boring just drinking with the team all the time.”

He said the last bit sweeter than the rest. He seemed generous and wished that you would show up.

“Well see what happens Calum. Thanks for following me home.” You smiled and pointed towards the building where your dorm room was.

“You’re welcome,” He gave you a light hug and leaned down to your ear.

“Next time, I’ll pay for the coffee.”

284 notes · View notes

fic-xation · 5 years

Text

Spicing It Up

Sam proposes something a little unorthodox for his and Max’s night off. But is it too much for even Max to handle? Archive of our Own

"Uh-huh? ... Yeah. Oh, yeah. Absolutely... Ah, Mahzeltov! ... Well, give her my best. Goodbye, sir."

"Well?" Max asked, anxiously popping his head out from the crowded confines of their office trash can. Their usual scuffle over the phone always landed him in the strangest of places... "What'd the commissioner say?"

Sam, shaking his head, hung up the receiver.

"Sorry, lil' buddy. No aliens, demons, mutants, or some unholy amalgamation of the three."

"What about a ponzi scheme?!" Max rocketed himself from the trashcan, snagging at Sam's collar in a panicked frenzy. "Embezzlement?! ... Hell, I'll even settle for mild insurance fraud, jut gimme SOMETHING, man! Anything!"

With the air of one casually removing a tick, Sam snagged at Max's ears, and plucked him from his lapel.

"Nothin' doin', Max. There isn't even so much as a WHISPER of crime tonight."

Tossing his friend to one side, Sam crossed over towards the open window, his hands comfortably nestled in their respective pockets.

"Seems as if the city that never sleeps is taking a much needed power nap." he said thoughtfully.

His partner, however, was far from thoughtful.

"... AaaaaAAAHHHH, I CAN'T TAKE THE SILENCE, SAM!! I need chaos! I need mayhem! I need some sense of superiority as I beat the snot out of some slimy smuggler!"

With a faintly groan, Max collapsed, face-first, against the floor. Sam, meanwhile, merely observed him, scratching at his doggish ear with a contemplative sort of expression.

"... Well..." Sam slid the window shut. "If you're REALLY eager for something to do... We could, uh..." he cleared his throat, awkwardly straightening his tie. "Y'know... Spend some 'quality' time together..."

Max's despair seemed to vanish as quickly as it'd appeared. Scrambling to his feet, he race over towards Sam, leaping into his unsuspecting arms like a bride readying to cross the threshold.

"Why SAMMY, you dirty dog..." Max cooed, snuggling up to his partner's broad chest. "Why didn't you just SAY so?"

He gave a saccharine giggle of mock, girlish delight, coyly tracing little circles against the fabric of Sam's tie.

"What did you have in mind? ... Ooh! Why don't we break into the aquarium again and have a brief make-out sesh in the shark tank?"

"Ehh," Sam shrugged. "I don't think so... I always get the feeling those great whites are enjoying it far more than they should..."

"Fair enough... Oh! How's about a game of ~French Maid Shooting the Balls Off a Nazi Officer?~" Max's smile then faded slightly. "Wait, no, I tore up my fishnet stockings after that caper in Reno last week... Ooh, I got it! How about you leave me handcuffed to the bed, forcing me to relive my mysterious childhood trauma as I desperately struggle for survival?" Max seemed to salivate at the very idea. "Oh my god... HOT..."

"... Actually..." Sam gave a sheepish little smile. "I was thinking we could try something... Different."

"Oooh!" Max flashed a carnivorous grin. "Spicing it up, I see! Do tell!"

Sam opened his mouth to speak, before snapping it shut with a bashful whine. Whatever this idea was, it was evidently too embarrassing to speak aloud. Chewing his lower lip, Sam gestured for Max to come closer. Max, kicking his elongated feet excitedly, happily obliged, gleefully leaning in as Sam finally mustered the courage to whisper his proposal.

Max's smile melted like an ice cube on a frying pan. Mouth agape, he suddenly drew back from Sam's embrace.

"... Y-you're... You're not SERIOUS, right?"

"We don't have to try it if you don't want to!" Sam said hurriedly, waving his hands. "I-it was just a thought!"

"... Yeah, but... Why THAT?" Max seemed repulsed by the very notion. "It's just... It's so... Ugh! I can't even SAY it!"

"I know it's a little... out of the norm for us-" Sam said, settling himself onto a chair as he shyly rubbed the back of his neck. "I just... y'know..."

"... Are you bored with our usual shtick?" Max looked almost hurt by the idea.

Sam's ears pricked up almost at once.

"No! No, buddy, far from it! ... I was only thinkin'... Maybe if we TRIED it, we might wind up likin' it... We wouldn't make a habit of it, of course, but..." he trailed off, lowering the brim of his hat down over his eyes. "... Nothing. Forget I even-"

"Do YOU wanna try it?"

... A surprisingly straightforward question, considering it was Max.

With a sputter of surprise, Sam felt the heat rise against his muzzle. Squaring his shoulders, he hurriedly glanced away.

"... Th-that... That's not really impor-"

"Up-up-up!" Max swatted a finger against Sam's lip. "Shut it, Sam, I've heard enough. Look, if you REALLY wanna give this... THING a shot, I'm in."

Sam finally returned his gaze to Max, eyes wide.

"But... But I thought-"

"Well, QUIT thinkin', or you'll work yourself into a freakin' tizzy! And mind you, I don't use the word 'tizzy' that often." Max reached up, readjusting Sam's hat to its proper angle. "... At the risk of sounding like some pouty-faced teen in a bad chick-flick, I..." he glanced down, fidgeting with his hands. "... Well, I trust you. You wanna do something, so I'll try it. If I like it, great. If I don't, I get to take a baseball bat to your kneecaps. Win-win!"

"... When did a baseball bat enter into the equation?" Sam smiled slightly.

"It's called 'incentive,' Sam." Max huffed, folding his arms. "So, we got a deal?" Sam's chuckled lightly, patting a gentle paw to the crown of Sam's head.

"Okay, lil' buddy... If you insist."

Two hours later, Max found himself in the desolate hallway of their building, just outside their office door, feeling increasingly foolish with every passing second. Swallowing hard, he tugged at the faux pearls lining his throat. In spite of his bravado earlier, the whole ordeal made him uncharacteristically nervous... THIS was new territory for him and Sam... Sure, they'd been married almost eleven times, did the horizontal bop practically every hour, and fooled around with everything from jumper cables to piggy banks... but THIS...

This wasn't just spicing things up, this was dousing it in tabasco sauce before lighting it on fire...

"Saaa-aaaam-" he whined aloud, hurriedly glancing over his shoulders. "C'mon, aren't you ready YET?"

God forbid any of their neighbors, (least of all Flint Paper) should see him like this... Not that he didn't look amazing. All these years later, and he could STILL rock his old prom dress like an absolute queen... It was just the context of the outfit that made it feel... weird...

And the cheap Taiwanese plastic of the jewelry rubbing up against his fur probably didn't help either.

"Just one more sec, pal!" Sam called back, and suddenly, there came the muffled noise of a clattering misstep, followed by a hefty THUMP.

Curious, Max raised a brow.

"... Ya still alive in there?"

"... J-just lost my footing!" Sam hollered, and Max, with a faint giggle, could hear the embarrassment in his voice.

'... Clumsy goof...' He thought fondly, straightening the candy-colored lace of his hem. Just then, the door swung open, and Max, glancing up, barely troubled to suppress his laughter.

A holdover from their 25th anniversary at the Inventory, Sam was all dolled up in his best, (and probably ONLY) tux; all in black, with a prominent bowtie and tophat replacing their casual counterparts.

"... Look, I didn't have the time OR the money for a new suit, okay?" Sam grumbled, scowling at Max's derisive mirth.

"H-hey! It's important to recycle!" chuckled Max, wiping away a tear as he strolled across the threshold. As soon as the door closed behind him, however, he suddenly took stock of Sam's... 'renovation.'

It quickly became clear why the whole elaborate set-up took close to two hours. The office was cleaner than Max'd ever seen it, (though, admittedly, most of the clutter had just been shoved up against the walls.) In the center stood their rarely used ping-pong table, made only somewhat classier by a red sheet posing as a tablecloth. The lights'd been dimmed, and the shudders drawn, leaving only the rust-stained candelabra as the main source of illumination. Max's nostrils twitched, and he caught a familiar blend of tomatoes, diced onions, and oregano.

Spaghetti sauce.

... Romantic spaghetti sauce... Romantic spaghetti sauce with romantic outfits and romantic mood lighting... How could it get any worse?

"Oh, I hope you don't mind-" Sam's voice cut through Max's train of thought. "I found one of my Sinatra CDs while I was cleaning. Would it be alright if I...?" he trailed off, smiling all too hopefully.

Sinatra. Of course. The perfect soundtrack for any romantic setting.

Max did his best to smile in spite of the anxiety twisting his stomach.

"Sinatra? Sure! Put him on! Ol' blue eyes! Swoonatra! Chairman of the board! After all, the guy's been married four times! Who better to serenade our... d... d-d.." the very word seem to swell Max's tongue. Dry-heaving, he promptly struck his own gut.

"D-DATE! OUR DATE!" he finally choked, gasping for air as he pressed his hands to his knees.

... The relief of finally verbalizing it was dampened slightly by the palpably awkward silence that followed.

"... You good, buddy?" asked Sam, worryingly. Max hurriedly straightened up, forcing a smile with such manic intensity that his left eye began to twitch.

"You betcha! I'm great! I'm better than great! I'm about to have a romantic candle-lit dinner with my... s... s-sweetheart..." Max felt the blood rush to his face, but he bared his teeth, determined to persist. People used cutesy terminology during these things, right? Sam was probably expecting it by this point.

"... I-isn't that right? ... My little... Er... Sh-shumbly... w-wubbles?"

... Max would've given six of his own ribs to crawl under that table and never be seen by anyone ever again.

"... Y'know-" Sam smiled, though not unkindly, as he placed a gentle hand to Max's rigid shoulder. "You don't have to talk like that if it makes you uncomfortable... Heck-" he shrugged, scratching the back of his neck. "It's kinda makin' ME uncomfortable..."

Max exhaled, his body going limp.

"Oh, thank GOD... No offense, Sam, but I just can't do the cutesy-wutesy crap... At least NOT unironically."

"I'd have to agree," nodded Sam, pulling out a chair for his partner. "Watching you trying to be purposefully adorable is like pulling teeth."

"Um, I beg to differ, Sam." Max hopped up onto the chair, the length of his legs barely making it past the edge of the seat. "Pulling teeth is both exhilarating and vaguely erotic. What I did a moment ago was just..." he gave a faint shudder. "Creepy..."

Sam chuckled, shaking his head as he carefully pushed Max in.

"Well, that aside, I DO appreciate your willingness to give this a shot, Max. Just remember, if it gets to be too much, you can tap out at any time." He fetched a comforting smile, playfully tussling the space between Max's ears. "Don't forget, our safeword is 'subvert.'"

"Aaah, subvert." mused Max, settling back against his chair. "My favorite variety of 'vert,' second only to 'per.'"

"Noodle-head." Sam chortled. Leaning over, he planted a soft kiss to Max's cheek, briefly savoring the familiarly fluffy texture against his lips. Max, with a sigh, contentedly leaned into it, a slow smile stretching across his face.

... Maybe this 'conventional' date night wouldn't be so bad...

"Oh, speaking of which-" Sam straightened up, breaking the kiss almost as soon as it'd begun. "I better check on the pasta before it burns."

"Ohhhh," groaned Max, reaching his arms out like a needy toddler. "Can't we just skip the food and play tonsil-hockey for an hour?"

"Your vividly grotesque idioms for making out are strangely winsome, Max." Sam commented, crossing through into the next room.

While his partner made himself busy, Max tried his best to occupy his sporadic attention, absent-mindedly studying the slender prongs of his laid-out fork.

'... I wonder how far I could get this up my nose...' he pondered, before hurriedly shaking his head. 'No, no... No zaniness... Sam wants a nice, romantic evening, and by God's left nipple, I WILL DELIVER!'

... But there was that word again... Romantic... There was just something to it, some sense of unease that dangled from the phrase like a booger. But then again, maybe it wasn't the word, but rather the aesthetic that came with it. Hearts, flowers, naked cherubs and giggling waifs and long walks on the beach... It was just all so...

'Disgusting? Stupid? Flagrantly artificial?'

... Embarrassing....

Maybe it was just because he and Sam never had to experience the awkwardness of a first date. They'd grown up together, and once they finally took their relationship to the next level, their lives just became one long, uninterrupted honeymoon phase. There was never any anxiety over impressing the other, no charade of exemplary manners.

Now, they were on a REAL date...

And Max had to suffer all the emotional torment that came with it.

"Hot stuff, comin' through!"

Max gave a slight start. Quickly setting down the fork, he watched as Sam reentered the office, a saucer of steaming spaghetti on each hand.

"I'll say you are." Max smirked, disguising his surprise behind a snide little wink.

"Aw, hush." scoffed Sam, smiling modestly as he placed their dinner towards their respective ends. Moving over towards the CD player atop his desk, Sam carefully slid the Sinatra disk into place, before hurriedly switching to his favorite track.

"~Every kiss, every hug

seems to act just like a drug.

You're getting to be a habit with me.

Let me stay in your arms,

I'm addicted to your charms.

You're getting to be a habit with me.~"

"How apropos," sneered Max, as the honey voice filled the space.

"Eh, what can I say?" Sam winked in return. "I'm a sucker for theming."

Briefly retreating under the table, Sam soon withdrew a small ice bucket housing a bottle of something pink and bubbly. Holding it at arm's length, Sam popped off the cork, taking care not to spill too much froth.

"... Champagne, eh?" Max smiled, a little uneasily, as Sam poured out their glasses. "... Gee, you, uh... Ya really went all out, huh?"

"Well, go big or go home, right?" Sam said, sounding somewhat unsure. Sliding the bottle back into the bucket, he took his seat opposite Max, suddenly looking around as if having noticed something.

"... Did I overdo it?"

"What? ... Oh, no! No!" Max shook his head. "No, I didn't mean that in a bad way! I'm just..." 'Intimidated?' "... Flattered that you went to so much trouble, that's all!"

Sam relaxed, taking a small sip from his drink, before chuckling. "... Heh... Well, I guess this is what you'd call a childhood fantasy."

"... Really?" Max raised an eyebrow.

"Sure," Sam bowed his head bashfully, his muzzle shifting from brown to red. "I'm only a little ashamed to say so, but ever since my blossoming adolescence, it's been a secret dream of mine to treat my special someone to a hand-crafted night of atmospheric intimacy."

Max pressed a hand to his chest. That was.. surprisingly kind of touching...

"... What are you, a girl? Who refers to themselves as blossoming?"

Much like any knee jerk reaction, the quip was out before he even had a chance to think. Ears standing on end, he clenched his fists so hard against the table that the cloth began to bunch under his fingers. This wasn't right, this wasn't romantic... If the circumstances had been different, it would've been fine. Hell, it would've been expected... But this was a DATE, people aren't supposed to make fun of their dates!

"But I DID blossom," continued Sam, completely unfazed. "I blossomed like a beanstalk. What's YOUR excuse, pint-size?"

Max heaved a sigh, releasing his snag on the wrinkled cloth.

'I've served as the racket for games of tennis that were less stressful than this...' he thought, snatching at his glass, and downing the drink in one quick-fire gulp.

"... You doin' okay, buddy?" Sam said, and all at once, Max felt as if his hand were encased in an oversized catcher's mitt. Max looked up, and saw Sam's platter-sized paw gently caressing his apple-sized fist.

All at once, inspiration took hold; a chance for redemption.

... Or further mortification, depending on how you looked at it. For Max, the odds were pretty split.

Nevertheless, Max screwed up his courage, clutching at Sam's hand with both of his own, he yanked at his partner's arm, drawing the knuckles to his mouth...

... And kissing them.

It was light, clumsy, and about as awkward as a grade school play, but he managed, hurriedly throwing Sam's hand aside like a used snot rag before slumping back against his seat.

Sam, meanwhile, just sat like an open-mouthed totem pole, slowly glancing between Max, and his hand.

Was that a good reaction?

... Then, quite out of the blue, Sam was chuckling. That special husky, back-of-the-throat sort of chortle that Max typically adored, but was NOW making him feel about as hot as a steamed vegetable, and just as stupid.

"Don't laugh!" he snapped, though something in him was grateful for the sound breaking the tension.

"S... sorry, Max..." Sam snickered. "I-it's just... I haven't seen you blush like that since our ninth honeymoon."

Max's beady eyes narrowed. "... What're you talking about?"

"Oh, come on..." Sam smirked, leaning against his elbow. "You remember."

Max's eyes suddenly went wide.

"... Oh, good Lord Sam-" he whimpered, ears drooped. "Not that, please-"

"Now what WAS it?" Sam playfully pondered, scratching at his chin. "What WAS that little word...?"

"Sam, I beg you-" Max slid further into his seat, his aforementioned blush only deepening. "Please, no!"

"That magic little four syllable phrase-"

"Sam-"

"That rarely used pet name that makes you crumble like a Jenga tower-"

"SAM!"

"Hm?" Sam finally looked towards Max, still smiling his complacent little smile. "Something amiss, my little Lago-Muffin?"

... As soon as it was out in the open, Max wasted no time, slamming his face into the plate of spaghetti with a low, muffled groan. Sauce went flying in all directions, but he didn't care.

He hated Sam.

He hated that stupid nickname.

And he hated how much he loved both of them and how weak they ultimately made him...

"... So you DO remember." Sam piped up, evidently proud of himself. He slid a noodle from Max's scalp, before slurping it up with a satisfied gulp. "I know I remember. You and I had just nabbed the infamous Pinwheel Purloiner, and were celebrating over a chocolate malt. The whole set up was so beautifully Rockwellian that I called you that as a joke... But, low and behold, you purred like James Dean's motorcycle makin' sweet love to Martha Stewart's blender."

"... Done in by a lousy play on words." Max mumbled into the pasta. "... How humiliating..."

"Nah," beamed Sam, raising Max's head up by his ears. "On the contrary, I find it rather endearing." Taking a moment to observe his partner, he added, "Sheesh, Max... ya look like a tomato..."

"Don't remind me," Max grumbled, eyes downcast. Sam shook his head.

"No, I mean ya got sauce all over your face. Here-"

Lifting him up and across the table, Sam drew Max into his lap. Plucking at a napkin, he then began to smother it against Max's unwitting cheek.

"Agh-! S-Sam!" Max sputtered, writhing like a dug-up grub. "Quit it!"

Sam paused.

"Lago-Muffin."

‘... God dammit.’

Max's eyes turned to comical spirals as he slumped against Sam's stomach in a love-struck daze. Satisfied, Sam was able to finish his cleaning before Max came to.

"... That nickname NEVER leaves this room, understood?" Max growled, still red-faced despite the lack of pasta sauce. Sam gave a soft guffaw,

"Whatever you say, Max. Do ya want me to put you ba-"

"No." said Max stoutly, folding his arms. "I live on your lap now."

"... For all intents and purposes, that may as well be true." Sam considered, spooling a strand on pasta onto his fork, before passing it along to Max. Max happily obliged, snaring the fork between his razor-like teeth like a shark.

Just then, Sam's CD reached the final track of the album.

"~I won't dance.

Don't ask me.

I won't dance.

Don't ask me.

I won't dance,

Madame, with you.~"

And once again, Max was granted an idea.

This time, however, with more confidence.

Leaping to the floor, he bowed slightly, offering out his hand in an all-too romantic fashion.

"Sinatra may not dance, but I'd like to." He grinned. "... Care to join me?"

The outright coolness of the gesture was enough to surprise them both. But while Max kept his composure, it was Sam's turn to look flustered. Blushing, he nervously tugged at his bowtie.

"... W-what, uh... what brought this on?"

"Eh," Max shrugged. "I've already been humiliated beyond belief... Twice now, in fact! So, I figure... third time's the charm, right? ... Besides..." He gently threaded their fingers together, urging Sam onto his feet. "... I'm a sucker for theming."

... Maybe the awkwardness of a first date wasn't so bad. Heck, maybe Max was even better at this romance thing than he thought! He'd just have to keep at it if he wanted to get any better.

But that was alright. After all...

Max didn't mind spicing things up every once in a while.

An entire fanfic inspired by a single throwaway line of @supermary64‘s marvelously charming prom comic!

Hope you lovelies enjoyed it!

#sam and max #sam and max freelance police #freelance husbands #I might have gone a little insane writing this #but I'd like to write more #not just Sam and Max but for other media I enjoy #we'll just have to wait and see #<3 #fanfic #fanfiction

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heeydolan · 6 years

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Lie Detector {G.D.}

Summary: For this Tuesday’s video, Grayson and Ethan decide to another lie detector test. This time, on Grayson’s girlfriend, Y/N.

Request

A/N: I’m not very funny but I tried.

Warnings: N/A

WC: 1.1k

masterlist

Filming videos with the twins is not necessarily the number one activity on my list of ‘favorite things to do’. Every time they ask, I always say no but somehow both of them find a way to convince me to do them. As much as I hate to admit it, I’d do anything in the world for those boys no matter how much I don’t like it.

Grayson and I have been dating for almost a year. Luckily, my friendship with Ethan is great and I’m able to put up with the pairs constant bickering back-and-forth. The three of us are always together as much as possible and they both know how to push my buttons in just the right ways

Hence why I’m not jumping up and down at the idea of making videos with them. I always end up in some kind of position that makes my nerves sky rocket.

“Baby, will you please make the video with us?” Grayson begs me for the third time in the past hour.

“Gray, as much as I’d love to be connected to a ton of wires and have Ethan harass me for your channel, I’m going to have to pass.”

“I won’t harass you!” Ethan defends himself. I look up from my laptop laying across my legs, give him a ‘yeah-right’ glare, and continue typing out my notes from my lecture this morning.

Grayson sits beside me on our shared bed, lays his head on my shoulder, and sighs.

The next day, I’m sitting between the two boys filming the intro.

“What’s up guys?” Grayson screams at the camera. “We’re–”

“–Wait, let’s do it together.” Ethan cuts off his brother.

“Dude, just–”

“–Grayson!”

“Ok, ok! Ready?”

“We’re back!” The twins yell in unison, following it up with a laugh.

“Today we’re with Y/N–”

“– my beautiful, amazing, caring, sweet girlfriend.” Grayson cuts Ethan off this time.

“Today we’re hooking Y/N up to a lie detector. I’m going to ask her questions about hers and Grayson’s relationship and see how she really feels about my brother.” Ethan explains then turns to us. “Do you think she’ll still be your girlfriend after this video?”

“Of course I do. She’s going to do great.” Grayson grins widely at me then kisses me on the cheek.

Ethan stands up, sticking his face in the camera, taking up the whole frame, “Then let’s get started.”

The three of us are now set up at the kitchen table. Grayson to my right, the lie detector equipment all connected to me, the lie detector technician to my left, and Ethan beside him.

“Ok guys, this is Mike. Mike the lie detector guy.” Grayson introduces him.

“But today he’ll be detecting nothing but truths.” I joke.

Ethan rolls his eyes, “Mike, was that a lie?”

“Doesn’t say.” He chuckles.

Mike begins to talk about the technical aspects of the machine and how the test works. He explains that it tracks my heart rate, sweat glands, and breathing patterns, thus indicating if I am telling the truth or lying.

If I’m being completely honest, I am overly nervous. Knowing Ethan, he will find a way to trick me or ask the most ridiculous questions and it will just throw me off. Luckily, I’ve mentally prepared myself for that so hopefully I won’t be too caught off guard.

Once the viewers are all informed on how this is going to play out, we begin with the questions.

“Question one,” Ethan taps his finger on his chin, looking between Grayson and me, “is Grayson a good boyfriend?”

“Yes.” I quickly answer.

We all look to Mike, “true.”

“Well, not to brag but I am pretty great.” Grayson leans back in his chair, popping his shirt.

Ethan rolls his eyes and continues, “Y/N, do you only date Grayson for the attention?”

“No. What the heck Ethan?” I question, a little shocked he asked such a serious question so soon.

“She’s telling the truth.” Mike the lie detector guy confirms.

Ethan turns to the camera, “now all of you doubting their relationship can shut up and we’re not cutting this statement out.”

Grayson and I laugh as he squeezes my knee and we keep going, “Did you watch our videos before you started dating Grayson?”

“Yes.”

“True.”

“Were you in Grayson’s lane before you met him?”

“Yes.”

“Also true.”

Ethan pauses and glares at me. “These questions are boring since you’re being so truthful. Let’s spice it up, shall we?” I throw my head back, aggravated because I was just getting comfortable since I was getting all the questions right. But, as always, a typical Dolan Twins video can never be boring so they do the most to spice it up.

“Is there anything you would change about Grayson?” He asks.

“No!” I feel my heart rate pick up.

“Lie.” Mike shrugs his shoulders.

“Ha!” Ethan exclaims, “finally got you.”

“What would you change about me then?” Grayson raises an eyebrow.

I nervously laugh and kiss Grayson’s cheek, “you know I love you but you have an issue with snoring. I’ve gotten used to it but there are still some nights, if you fall asleep before me, I can’t sleep at all.”

“Ok, that’s lame, next question.” Ethan breaks up our moment.

He asks a few more questions, all of my answers coming out with the best outcome possible.

“Ok, now, the final question.” Ethan speaks low and serious, “Do you, Y/N, actually, really, truly like Grayson’s tampon earring?”

“I do.” I simply state as I lovingly look at the boy to my right then take a glimpse of the shiny wing hanging from his ear. He smiles at me and I can’t help but fall even more in love with him.

Every time I look at him, my heart races. Somehow, that hasn’t messed up my results so far. Although, I’m a little nervous it will with this question.

“And again, she’s telling the truth. Overall, she passed the lie detector test with flying colors.” Mike lets us all know.

“I guess she really does like you, dude.” Ethan jokes.

Grayson throws his arms around me and pulls me into a hug. He presses his lips against mine and I can’t help but smile through the kiss.

I pull away from his lips but stay close. Jokingly, I can’t help but ask, “Can I put you through this torture now?”

#grayson dolan #grayson dolan request #grayson dolan imagine #grayson dolan imagines #grayson dolan fanfic #dolan twins #imagine dolan twins #dolan twins imagines #dolan twins fanfic #dolan twins request #imagine #fanfic #request #grayson #dolan #imagines

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ohnoboho · 6 years

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a little sugar, a little spice (pt. 1)

Oh hello again, dear readers! @misty-the-mysterious, this is for you, lovely! Based upon your fluff prompt “I didn’t agree to this much adorableness” from approximately five billion years ago.

Summary: Logan, the optometrist, is awful at giving gifts. Most years, he doesn’t even try, but when he does, a trail of happenstance leads him to a bakery that will open his eyes like never before. You like bad puns, fluff, and cliches? Great, dig in, because they are all baked right in to this story. Get your fill(ing). Sorry, I’ll stop.

“Loooogan! No cookies today?! How the hell am I supposed to make it through the day without that sweet, sweet chocolate?” Roman draped himself lazily across his friend’s desk, knocking a pair of glasses onto the floor.

“Tsk, Roman!” Logan huffed, snatching the glasses up quickly and studying the lenses carefully. “The last thing you need is sugar. These are Mrs. Hubbard’s new glasses and you can be the one to explain to her what happened if they are scratched.” He glared down at the other man and swiped at the lenses with a cloth.

Roman peeled himself from the desk slowly and threw an arm across his eyes dramatically. “Oh, Mrs. Hubbard would absolutely understand once I explained my tragic collapse due to chocolate withdrawal.” Under his hand, he winked cheekily. “She’s a fellow cacao-lover.”

“Why would you even know that? How is that relevant?”

“Well, because, unlike you, Dr. Grump, many people actually enjoy some small talk as they have to sit and wait for you to do whatever it is you do back here. I know lots of things about your patients. Do you want to know who is getting divorced?”

“Jesus, Ro, no.” Logan couldn’t help but laugh a little as he gingerly placed the glasses and case back on his desk. He didn’t even have to look up to know the smug smile that Roman wore; it was a familiar feeling. A distant beeping cut into their conversation. “Isn’t that the phone ringing? You keep up this poor job performance and I’ll have to fire you.” The tone was serious, but the teasing glint in his eyes gave him away.

“You wouldn’t last a week without me, specs.” Roman shot back with a barking laugh as he slipped back through the door.

Logan pushed his glasses further up his nose with a scoff and returned to the stack of form piled up on his desk. Prescription forms, inventory forms, new patient forms, claim filing forms. Before, he all but cherished that time of day. After their dizzying lunchtime rush of patients, Logan could retreat back to the calm of his office and turn his mind off with paperwork. The slick glide of his pen, the mechanical repetition of signatures, the effortless organization. Now, the absent tapping of his pen filled the little room. He puzzled at how empty his desk looked without cookies. He let his head drop onto the stack of papers with a groan.

Three weeks prior, the chain reaction leading to the cookies had been set in place by a spring rain. Logan had traced it back often in his mind. It had been a morning like many others, but in the mental motion picture he played back again and again and again, he found those markers of change. Little pinpoints that would eventually lead him to those cookies.

It had rained that morning as Logan rode his bike to work. It often did that time of year. No different than any day, except the construction next door forced him to find a different place to park his bike. He found a suitable, covered bike rack across the street. Pinpoint one.

Roman barged into the office particularly boisterously that morning. Logan groaned quietly as he closed the drawer he had been filing away papers in. Fifteen minutes of quiet that morning, not too bad. His hand was already on the doorknob when an unfamiliar sound gave him pause. Roman was giggling. Not laughing or cackling like he normally did, but giggling. Logan frowned. From the other side of the door, Roman’s voice lilted and rang. There was talk of some kind of dinner plans at an exotic sounding restaurant with the mystery person on the phone. Roman said he was excited for the champagne with gold flakes the person would definitely be bringing him, since it was his birthday, and giggled once more. Pinpoint two.

Possible Gift Ideas for Roman De la Vega. Logan found himself staring down at the empty list again. Three patients had come and gone. Simple check-ups, which, unfortunately, gave his mind plenty of room to continue to agonize over this strange thought. He had never given Roman a birthday gift before. After all their years of knowing each other, they had just come to an understanding. Logan was terrible at giving gifts and even worse at receiving gifts. Casual birthday dinners and rounds of drinks had always been fine. So why was it suddenly not fine this year? Pinpoint three.

By the end of the day, the list was still empty and Logan had turned to Google to tell him what to get his own best friend for a birthday gift. He nearly hurled the monitor across the room when Roman popped his head through the door to say goodnight. They shared an awkward goodbye. When the door finally closed, Logan slumped down onto his desk with a frustrated groan. Graduating third in his class from Pacific U. apparently proved nothing about his intellect if he couldn’t figure out something as simple as the perfect gift for Roman. After angrily scrolling through blog post after blog post about gifting watches and sports memorabilia, he finally gave up and slunk out the front door. Pinpoint four.

This trail of pins all lead up to the faithful moment when Logan, struggling to unwrap the lock from his bike, looked up to curse whoever might be “up there” and suddenly noticed the shop in front of the bike rack. It was a bakery, warm and inviting as they usually are, with a large chalkboard sign in the window that had caught his eye. Delicate pastel flowers and smiling pastries curled around the edges encircling the beautiful, curling calligraphy of possibly the worst collection of puns Logan had ever seen. “Knead a loaf-ly gift for your sweetie pie? Crumb on in and check out our hot-crossed buns!” And that was the last pinpoint.

Small bronze bells above the door frame tinkled as Logan pushed the door open slowly. The air that was kicked up around his feet seemed to dance lazily about, heavily aromatic with some spice he couldn’t place. Logan remembered thinking the place was like a reverse TARDIS, so much smaller than it seemed on the outside, as he bumped into a table stacked tall with vibrant boxes of intricately painted chocolates. In every available space, there were mismatched pieces of furniture covered in baskets, boxes, and dishes displaying a dizzying array of goodies. Even more, lush plants of all shapes and sizes squeezed in corners and draped atop shelves. Logan found himself drifting in small circles, lost in the waves of colors, more colors than he had ever seen in once place. By all logic, it should have been overwhelming, but it was something else. Charming, maybe, or whimsical, he thought as he studied a row of glassy chocolate planets under a glass dome. They seems to catch and shimmer in the light as he tilted his head from side to side slowly.

“Umm… can I help you with anything?”

Logan rocketed up and scrambled to adjust his tie. One wayward elbow jostled a nearby shelf; a pit thudded down into his stomach as the flower pot at the top tipped dangerously towards the edge. Two pale, delicate hands shot forward to steady it, replacing it gently with a extra tender tap.

“I’m- I’m very sorry. This place is very crowded. Many objects in here. I shall have to keep a better eye on my elbows. I apologize.” Logan stuttered awkwardly as he spoke, clutching the offending joint in one hand.

“It’s fine. There is a lot of junk in here.” The other man shrugged as he spoke, shifting his dark hoodie further up on his shoulders. His flat composure told Logan that kind of thing happened often. “So, do you, like, need anything?” He asked again.

“Oh, uh, I just noticed the sign in the window…”

“And you ‘kneaded’ a gift for your ‘sweetie pie’?”

Logan flushed brightly at the slightly mocking tone and the dark smirk of the other man. Stupid, he knew it was stupid, and now this man knew how stupid he was for being pulled in by a sign filled with puns. “I-I’ll just go.”

“No, no, geez, I’m sorry. I was just kidding. I just have to look at that silly sign every day and I swear it’s stuck in my brain.” The man chuckled sheepishly, rubbing comically at his forehead like he was trying to scrub the bad puns out of his memory.

Logan sighed in hesitant relief and chuckled too. “Yeah, that sign was...something. I just need a gift for a friend.”

“Sure, totally. Let me go get our baker. You’re lucky you caught him in, he’s a master at gifts. And awful puns.”

Logan nodded a silent thank you as he disappeared back behind the counter. The big glass case at the counter was bursting with the golden glow of pastries and Logan stepped closer to examine them as he waited. The goodies seemed to crowd up against the glass, vying for his attention as they glistened and shone. Rows of plump cream puffs, pillowy croissants, and glistening fruit tarts filled his vision in a sugary hurricane. His stomach seemed to whine as it reminded him of how empty it was. A few muffled footsteps on the other side of the case brought Logan back from his pastry daze. He straightened up slowly this time, making sure to move cautiously as he pushed his glasses farther up his nose. By the time the baker came out from around the corner, Logan had positioned himself, casually perusing a basket of what seemed to be handmade potholders.

“Hi, welcome in to For Goodness Bakes! I’m Patton. Virgil said we might need some help today?”

“Ah, yes, I’m Logan and I need a gahh…ift.” Logan could hear the gears of his brain falter and screech against each other as he glanced up. For a moment, he was sure he had somehow stumbled into a cartoon world as the man that stood in front of him surely wasn’t from the real world. From the unruly mess of silky curls to the tri-colored sweater tucked under his bright pink apron. The wide, charming grin and his impossibly smooth, tawny skin. The bakery seemed to be built around him, a perfect, cozy habitat. When Patton giggled at Logan’s stumbled words, it took a tremendous amount of willpower to stop himself from turning and sprinting out the front door.

“A gift? That’s great! Would you like some suggestions?” Patton smiled warmly, reaching up to flip a stubborn curl from his face. But before Logan could even answer, the baker gasped sharply. “Oh, sugar sprinkles! Hold that thought!”

“I’ve already got the chocolate for the almond horns going, Pat.” Virgil called from around the corner, answering the request before Patton could even put it into words.

“God bless you, you fantastic, little shadow bunny!” Patton called back around the corner. His only response an unintelligible grumble. “I would definitely lose each and every one of my remaining marbles if I didn’t have that delightful cupcake.”

“Sorry, did he say almond horns?”

Patton nodded vigorously, curling bouncing. “Yes, I had a customer request them specially for her daughter birthday. It’s my first time making them, but they aren’t coming out quite right. I think I’m missing something.” The small frown that crinkled his lips made Logan’s pulse leap.

“Are you using marzipan or almond paste?”

“Almond paste.”

“Well, I don’t want to tell you how to do your job, of course. I mean, nevermind, it’s unimportant. You probably don’t want to hear any of my feelings- I mean, advice.” Inside his mind, Logan pleaded with his mouth to just stop talking. That was a new thought.

“Oh, jam tarts, my grammaw always said ‘everybody got love and recipes and we should learn to share both of them more’!” Patton chuckled fondly, pushing his hands into the pockets of his apron and rocking back on his heels.

Logan barely managed to croak out his answer. “Rosewater.”

“What’s that you said?”

“Marzipan is traditionally made with rosewater, while almond paste isn’t. The rosewater will add another flavor to them, which could be what you think you are missing. My grandfather would make almond horns for holidays when I was a kid. I would consider them my favorite sweet, but not many places around here seem to make them.”

Patton clapped his hands together under his chin; his eyes dancing in a way that reminded Logan of a mad scientist or a crazed artist. “OH! FANTASTIC! Viiiiirge, remind me to go get rosewater from home in an hour!”

“I’m not Siri, Patton...”

“Please, compadre pal friendo?”

“Yeah, fine....”

“Thanks, puff pastry! Wow, and thank you. Logan. What fantastic timing you have wandering in here at just the right time to help me out of my little dilemma like some kind of baking fairy godfather! I’ve got to do something for you… What could I do…. Wait! You needed help with something!”

“Yes, a gift for my friend.”

“Right, right, right, yes, yes, yes.” Patton tapped the frame of his glasses, old plastic lenses with a few small cracks in big wire frames, Logan couldn’t help but notice. “All right, what kinds of things does your friend like?”

Logan shifted his weight from foot to foot awkwardly. The question he had been dreading. “Let’s see…” Tapping his phone awake, Logan studied the tiny list he had managed to scrape together. “He drinks far too much coffee, so that’s one thing.... He always says his favorite holiday is the day after Valentine’s days for some reason. I don’t really know if that counts. His favorite color is red possibly. And he sings. A lot. Is that helpful? I’m not sure how this all works.”

When he looked up from his phone, the baker was gone. Logan took surprised step backwards and looked around in confusion. A quiet tapping helped him spot Patton again. Standing up on his tiptoes, Logan could just see the top of the other’s head where he knelt on the other side of the glass case. His plump fingers rapped quickly against the surface as he glanced over the pastries inside. He seemed to be muttering rapidly to himself.

“So, is he extra?” Patton called up to him.

“I’m sorry, what?”

“Your friend? Is he fun, fab, fancy? Extravagant? A little dramatic maybe?”

Logan chuckled a little. “Yes, very much so.”

“Does he dress well?”

“Does that help you pick what kind of pastry he’d like?”

“Oh, absolutely, sugarcane! Is he fashionable? And is it like classically fashionable or more modern and trendy kind of fashionable?”

Logan tried to picture Roman in his mind. His face came through clearly, with his trademark smug grin and bright amber eyes, but when he tried to imagine an outfit, it was just a blur. Was that something people really noticed? He furrowed his brow. “He, um, wears blazers often, I suppose? And he went to that large fashion convention in New York one year, I think.” That was all he could manage.

“New York Fashion Week? He must be a bit of a trail-blazer then, eh?” Patton laughed to himself as he popped up from behind the case, his head barely clearing the top. “Okay, I’ve got some ideas bouncing around in the ole’ noggin for a gift. When do you need this gift by?” He leaned his arm on the top of the glass case and rested his chin on his wrist. His fingers left a smudge of flour across his nose. Logan pretended to intensely consider the calendar app on his phone.

“Is tomorrow too soon? I apologize for the short notice. I will pay any extra fees you need.”

Patton waved him off with a shake of his hand and a cheery wink. “No way, muffin, not for my baking fairy godfather. I’ll have it ready tomorrow morning for you, okie dokie?”

“Yes, that would be perfect. Thank you for accommodating me.”

“Oh, cream puffs, it’s nothing. But now you’ve got to swiss roll on outta here, ami-dough, because I’ve got baking to do!”

“Wow.” Logan whispered, looking up at Patton with a mixture of awe and terror on his face. “That was truly, truly awful.”

The other man only gave a silly shrug in response and shooed him out.

As the door to the bakery swung shut behind him and Logan stood in the heavy night drizzle, he didn’t feel cold at all. In fact, he felt positively warm. As he rode home, he made a mental note to check his temperature when he got home. Logan mumbled to the buzzing streetlamps he hoped he hadn’t caught anything.

But, of course, Logan hadn’t known then that he was the one that was caught.

#thomas sanders #sanders sides #logan sanders #patton sanders #roman sanders #virgil sanders #fanders #famders #fanfic #logicality #hey i'm back

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aion-rsa · 3 years

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Link Tank: Revisiting The Hunchback of Notre Dame After 25 Years

https://ift.tt/eA8V8J

Twenty-five years later, Disney’s PG take on Victor Hugo’s The Hunchback of Notre Dame remains one of the most radical films in Disney history.

“It is hard to imagine Disney adapting a Gothic novel in which every single major character is morally grey and almost all of them die at the end. Yet, in 1996, Disney released The Hunchback of Notre Dame, a retelling of the very dark Victor Hugo novel. What’s different? Oh gods, it would almost be easier to say what is similar: names, location, and the fact that Quasimodo has physical disabilities. This book is very bleak, guys.”

Read more at Inverse.

The post Link Tank: Revisiting The Hunchback of Notre Dame After 25 Years appeared first on Den of Geek.

from Den of Geek https://ift.tt/3vJ3Sbr

#aion-rsa #Den of Geek

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srflowerbakery · 3 years

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For just $37.99 Orange Crème Cycle High Protein, NO REFINED SUGAR Power Cookie Tastes like the yummy, creamy crème cycle pop we all enjoyed getting from the ice-cream man. Real Orange Essential Oil folded into a vanilla high protein cookie base resulting into this fantastically delicious treat. Eat cold for an even more close to dream cycle experience. Dunk into a glass of cold milk or non dairy beverage for a breakfast- healthy option. Ingredients: Organic Brown Rice Four, Organic Sorghum Flour, Organic Coconut Flour, Organic Oats, Expeller Pressed Olive & Avocado Oils , Organic Coconut Sugar, Vanilla Bone Both, Aluminum Free Baking Powder, Baking Soda, Xanthan Gum, Tapioca Flour, Psyllium Husk Fiber, Pure Vanillin Extract, Potato Starch, Pink Himalayan Salt, Orange Essential Oil. Gluten Free-All Natural - NON-GMO- ORGANIC. Dairy Free, Soy Free, Egg Free, Nut Free (coconut - tree nut) Low Sugar, Higher Protein MCT for added healthy fats Essential Oil- Orange- Use the real oil from the real tree NO ARTIFICIAL ingredients/ flavor. Bone Broth for gut, joint, immune health, etc. NO artificial sweeteners!! NO artificial food colors- banned in my home!! Don't let the taste fool you- it is part of my Higher Protein, Clean, Organic , Good for you Smart Snacking . school safe -Cookie Line for breakfast or anytime!! Other flavors available- Mint Chocolate chip, Chocolate Chip, Cinnamon Rain, Coffee Cake, Pumpkin Spice. Apple Pie, Confetti Birthday Cake, Do you grab a high protein bar/ snack/ cookie? Have you looked at the Ingredients? Is the Food label clean? Do you need an in between snack that doesn't sky rocket the blood sugars and leave you extra hungry and tired. Are you looking for a snack for those kiddies that is school safe - NO NUTS (coconut-tree nut is allowed in my school district). Do you go to the vending machine? etc. As a health conscious person, mom, wife, busy busy person I found this very troubling & concerning. THEN when I found something in the ...

#OrangeEssentialOil #DairyFree #BoneBroth #WeightManagement #GlutenFree #eggless #WheatFree #MCT #Breakfast #organic

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cabanacatalogs · 3 years

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The Devil Wears Prada Fashion Decoding

The Devil Wears Prada was released in theaters on June 30, 2006, and even after 15 years, we still get chills every time Andy Sachs hits the Runway offices post-makeover. She is seen wearing one of the chicest outfits we have ever seen – ensuring that she will stay and slay. The primary reason fashion lovers worldwide loved the movie is that it depicts what the actual world of fashion offers. It shows that you will find people talking and displaying nothing but style when you enter the offices of a high-street fashion magazine. The second attribute of the film’s popularity is the looks graced on the screen, thanks to Patricia Field (Costume designer).

To show our love for fashion and hypothetical magazines, we looked back at the movie for inspiration. And with the best quotable lines, we found inspiring outfits which hold relevance even today. To confirm how outfits of The Devil Wears Prada, even after a decade and a half, are still relevant, we decoded the movie’s fashion statements and found style lessons for you all.

First Style Lesson: Faux Furs Are Fashionable and Yesteryear

Faux fur coats might seem like a yesteryear fashion, but it is not outdated. They are just not everyone’s style because it is complicated to pull off that look. Miranda Priestly was seen wearing faux furs twice, and both of the times, she slew the screen. So, note that if you like Miranda and have the guts to try, there will be a fair chance that you would never look anything but elevated!

Second Style Lesson: Tweed Blazers Will Never Go Out Of Style

The movie’s highlight is when Andrew/Andy hits the runway offices post her high-class makeover. Every moment after that point, my eyes were on what she would wear next. A look that caught my eye was the tweed blazer look she created; at first, my mind was in a bit of hustle as to whether it will look good or not. But, after a point, it actually resonated. She aced the look and looked all “leveled up.” So the next big purchase has to be the tweed blazer, because it’s beautiful and classic. However, Andy was shown carrying a green purse in the very same scene; you might want to lose that.

Third Style Lesson: The Classics Will Never Let You Down

Fashion is all about acting the classics! Many people might disagree with me because they believe it’s boring. But no, that’s not true, and if it’s good enough for a hypothetical editor in chief of a high street fashion magazine, they will be ideal for you. Even if you clearly see the photo attached, you can observe a lot of classic elements that would look chic when paired as an ensemble.

Miranda is seen wearing a fab trench coat with a timeless buttoned-down blazer with classic black suit pants. So effortless yet highly gorgeous! The layered outfit can be a perfect style statement the next time you attend a high-class meeting, but we are not so sure about the belt. It is not that distracting, but in my opinion, that belt in this decade, not an ideal combo.

Not only Miranda, but I am a fan of Nigel’s plaid suit set. He has actually swayed that three-piece yesteryear plaid suit well enough. We suppose the theme of that day at The Devil Wears Prada was classics because even Andy is dressed to perfection with her black and white skirt suit ensemble, not to miss her beautiful layered pearl necklace.

Fourth Style Lesson: You Can Never Be Fully Dressed Without Coats

Coats for the fashion impaired are just a requisite to protect them from cold. But in the world of style, a good jacket is a necessity. It’s an extension of the already chic outfit that you are wearing underneath. So as depicted in the movie, one can’t ignore but note the types of coats that the cast wore every day. It shared ideal information and inspiration for fashion enthusiasts like us!

So, the next time frost season comes up, hit your office and streets wearing elegant statement coats. Take inspiration from Andy and either go for block colors such as green with a spice of animal print (as shown in the photo) or statement classic wrap-up white coat. Remember that the longer, the chicer, so no matter what you select, ensure that you are putting some thought into your coat. All your worries are over once you have laid your hands on a perfect coat. Just wear the same over your outfit, add funky headgear, pop on classic sunglasses, and you are set for your next glam office day.

Fifth Style Lesson: Layering Is the Key

People say Chanel is the key to fashion elevation. But remember, Chanel does not fall in everyone’s budget, so we took inspiration from The Devil Wears Prada that layering is the key. But what is layering? It’s not rocket science. Layering basically is mix-matching and creating an ensemble with different clothes. For instance, when you are wearing a simple shirt and skirt, class it up by adding a trench coat on it; after that, put on a pair of (color coded) heels, and don’t forget to layer your accessorize like necklaces and rings.

So the next time you get out of your home, style your outfits The Devil Wears Prada style and look like the ultimate fashion girl.

Sixth Style Lesson: When in Doubt Bow to Black

Feeling stumped on what to wear on the next charity gala event? Note, when in doubt bow to black. While styling black dresses, people think that they will look just like everyone else, but that is not true. There are so many different silhouettes and variations in design that even if the whole world wears black, they will look different. Also, it’s not about the color you are wearing; it’s more about the autonomy that you can actually pair any accessory with this color.

So, please don’t refrain from wearing black because it’s a no-fail attested color for festivity by the editor-in-chief of Runway.

Seventh Style Lesson: Subtle Toned Outfits Win Hearts

The last fashion style we decoded from the movie has to be that trend of subtly toned outfits. You just can’t ever go wrong with toned-down outfits. Be it Emily’s brown gingham dress, Andy’s brown jacket, serious journalist look, or Miranda Priestly’s purple outfit, they all promise elegance. The next time you wish to look fashionable, don’t search for blasting shiny outfits; instead, select subtly and add accessories.

Decoding style and then finding clothes that resonate with that “style palette” is challenging. But who are we if we can’t fight the challenge? Not only did we find suitable The Devil Wear Prada suited outfits, but we have found a website that will stow all your fashion/styling needs to the best of their capabilities. We are talking about Cabana Catalogs.

We believe that Cabana is one of the best shopping stores online because they have clothes and accessories that resonate with a fashionista’s choice. So, don’t wait up; if you wish to style yourself to perfection, navigate to Cabana Catalog’s official website and stock your favorite clothes and accessories today.

Source:- The Devil Wears Prada Fashion Decoding

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artyrogue · 3 years

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Blind Date Gaming: Pokémon

I knew going into this whole dating business that I'd hit some titles that are well-known. I knew I'd hit some I'd sunk hours of my youth into as well. It was only a matter of time! Well, the clock stopped tickin', 'cos I just had a date with Pokémon. Not, like...with a Gardevoir or whatever weird stuff the internet serves up, I mean a single night of old Pokémon Red. Let's see how far I can go in, say, four hours without really trying to speed run or anything!

So you all know this title well enough. Sic your pets to boop each other on the noggin' until one is left standing. Scooch over to the pet hospital with your amazing socialized, free healthcare. Go abduct a few more pets until your computer yells at you to change the channel. So let's dive in and just get some quick highlights. First up: your rival. He's a pansy with a turtle now.

He never could handle spice. Plus, how exactly does whipping me with a tail not hurt? Whatever.

I bruised through a forest, no big deal. Oddly enough, I almost made it to the end with no encounters! Then, suddenly, I got harassed by a couple of mascots. I nabbed 'em for shiggles, named them all Clark. They're all Clark inside anyway.

I need to pit these things against Mickey Mouse for a rodent death match of the ages

Got to Brock Sampson, the rock-type goon. Unluckily for me, my starter is fire-type and has the disadvantage. Luckily for me, this game is really dumb and the rocks only tackled, defended, and used Bide, a.k.a. the worst move in the game. I just Growled during Bides and lit the 35-foot rock snake on occasional fire. Free badge!

They really dropped the ball with Onix. I've always assumed a stone serpent should be a total badass, but here we are.

Flew through Mt. Moon, learning of shorts and meeting some thugs that reflect the wild-west of old Nintendo games by including whips. Not sure if this guy is a lion tamer or a dominatrix, but we'll let him slide for now. He needs to get his cartoon hands checked out at a hospital.

Just came back from Zubat Lovers Anonymous, I see

After reaching Cerulean, we hit our next hurdle: Misty, the water-type gym leader. Her starfish would own my fire lizard, who is currently the only member of my team, so I decided to shop for a new groupie. Saw a sleeping tele-cat in a corner of a grassy field, so I threw a ball at him. Turns out he has amazing latent psychic powers. Too bad I ain't got time to train a coward who can only flee. I decide to use him only to ferry me back to hospitals.

Can't escape now, sleepycat

I decided to shift some gears, move some numbers around. Turns out you can alter time and space with this magic napper. I stare into the abyss it creates in our reality's fabric and out pops a different cat. It's like the internet with how many cats there are here. Regardless, this cat was who I needed and deserved. He became my new partner in crime.

Man, how many eight-year-olds would have killed to see this screen back in the day?

I abused my world-manipulating powers to drudge up a third in my little crew. The Scots all thought that there was a monster in their loch, but little did they know it was actually warped to me from 50 years in the past. Not wanting to create more dumb souvenirs based on a Turonian-era sea creature, I chided it to stay at my side.

Man, those ears make me want to eat some cinnamon rolls

With my dream team in tow, we expertly sauntered through Vermilion, the good ship St. Anne, and some really annoying dark cave. I got to Celadon just in time to gawk at the ladies in the local gym. It was yoga day, but I wasn't there for the trainers. I was there for the Oddish.

Them some fine feminine mobile bulbs, right guy?

Soon after, I started focusing on Team Rocket in their little gambling heist. Inside, I got reminded of the severe limitations of the older age of gaming.

Dude can carry 99 of the same TM, but can't grab a second one with a different name. Pathetic.

At this point, I checked my time and decided to call it. There wasn't much left beyond annihilating everyone with my team of champs. Who can possibly stand against an aerial firesaurus, deepsea fatty snail, and what I can only assume is some kind of grand deity who conveniently fits inside of a 4-inch ball? No one, that's who. No challenge, no need to continue. I retired early and peaced out. I'll probably hack the Hall of Fame later to ensure I still make in there for future trainers to marvel at me. I have Missingno.'s number and he owes me a favor.

So yeah, as expected, I'd probably go on a date with this title again, but I've already dated this one so much that there's no personal need. It's a simple version of the famed gaming series, so I assume you all know it or have played it. Still, you should take this Sprite of Passage for your time reading through this silly writeup. It might change color if you leave it in the freezer!

I always thought he had a really poorly-drawn right hand, but looking at it now, I think he's supposed to have one arm behind his back? I love how old sprites can be misinterpreted like that.

#blinddategaming #pokemon #gameboy

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buckyscrystalqueen · 6 years

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What Happens Next: Part 2

Pairing: Chibs x Reader

Warnings: Swearing, SOA canon deaths, angst, fluff

Word Count: 5,652

Part 1

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

You and Lyla stood in your new large kitchen that over looked your mis-matched furnished living room (thanks to the open floor plan) as the guys unpacked the two moving trucks full of four different houses of stuff. You had a mix of everything, from Gemma’s long family dining room table, to the entertainment center from Jax’s house. You also donated the bed from your dad’s master bedroom to Ellie and took Jax and Tara’s for yourself. Couches and chairs from all four houses decorated the wood floor of the living room to make room for your massive family and your guests.

“I can’t believe we pulled this off.” You said as you unpacked stacks of colorful kids cups into one of the cabinets. You heard Lyla giggle as she stacked kids plates in the cabinet next to you; designating these two as specifically for the kids.

“I honestly thought I was gunna be stuck in the same room as my step daughter for the rest of my life. Not that that’s a bad thing but still.” With a giggle, you glanced over at her and nodded.

“God, I know the feeling. The idea that I was gunna have to raise four kids in my dad’s house.” You shuttered at the thought and laughed. “That house barely had enough room for me and Tara growing up.”

“God, I remember that.” You nodded as you took a step back and pulled out the drawer there for kids silverware. You let out a sigh as you simply dumped the rest of the contents of the box in the drawer.

“How do we already have so much shit? I thought we went through all this when we packed.” She took the empty box from you and tossed it toward the back door with a shrug.

“Five kids and four houses.” You nodded as the sound of heels on your wood floor caught your attention.

“Well look at you.” Venus said sweetly as she headed into your kitchen. You turned around with a smile as she paused in front of you and gently put her hands on either side of your belly. “You look…”

“Huge. Like I should be ready to pop but instead I have sixteen damn weeks to go.” You interjected with a laugh. “I don’t know where all this weight came from but it just keeps going straight out.” You swung your hands forward along your sides and made a rocket sound, causing both girls to laugh.

“You carry it well, sugar.”

“Yea, I’m jealous.” Lyla interjected as she grabbed the two of the last boxes you needed to unpack up on the counter. “I felt like I gained everywhere.” Venus giggled as she walked over and grabbed the last box marked ‘spices and shit’.

“My friend was the same way. She gained it all in her hips and ass and girls…” She looked over her shoulder on her way to the walk-in pantry with an almost evil smirk. “She already had a planet ass.”

“Who’s got a planet arse?” Chibs asked as he came in with another kitchen box. “Certainly not m’wife, aye?”

“Venus’ friend.” You said as you took a step over to take the box. He quickly lifted it up over your head and stepped around you. “I can help, ya know.” You sassed as he set the box on the ground by the cabinet marked ‘pots and pans’ and pulled the box open. All three people in the kitchen started protesting at once.

“Not carryin’ boxes, ye don’t.”

“Not with a whole house full of men.” Venus chimed in.

“We’re basically done in here.” Lyla said as she tossed the empty box with the rest and grabbed the last one marked ‘plates’.

“Go make sure Tig an’ Quinn ‘ave the bed where ye want it, luv. Careful on the steps.” You rolled your eyes and threw your hands up in the air.

“Cops are here.” Happy called out from the foyer as he headed up the stairs to the third floor, where Kenny and Piper’s rooms were.

“Fuck does this bitch want?” You grumbled as you headed through your living room and to the foyer, dodging Kenny on his way to the stairs. “You all unpacked, sweets?” You asked as he darted around you.

“One more box.” He called out as he dashed up the stairs. You nodded at his retreating back as you glanced in at Montez and Rat, who were turning the office into Lyla’s bedroom, and paused in the front door doorway. You cocked your eyebrows as Althea and one of her officers, Candy Eglee, who was an old high school acquaintance, came up the porch steps.

“What do you want?” You asked as you leaned against the doorway, blocking her entry into the house. She gave you a nasty look as she tucked her thumbs into her belt.

“I’m looking for Filip.” You cocked your eyebrow at her and crossed your arms over your chest.

“Why?” You glanced over at Candy who simply rolled her eyes.

“I need to bring him in to ask him a few questions on a drug case I have.” You pursed your lips and nodded as you pushed off the door frame.

“At the end of the day on a Friday, I’m sure you do. He’ll come down on Monday with our lawyer.” You watched Candy’s lips twitch into a small smile as you stepped back into your house and grabbed the door. “Anything else? No? Didn’t think so.” You waved at your friend and closed the door with an annoyed huff. You turned on your heel and jumped when you saw Chibs leaning on the back of one of the couches watching you across the entry.

“Wha’ she wan’?” You rolled your eyes and rested your hand on your bump.

“Bring you in for questioning on some drug case. You being good?” You asked him as you stepped over and stood between his feet. He put one hand on the side of your bump and crossed his heart with the other.

“Cross m’eart, luv.” You smirked and nodded as you moved your hands to his shoulders.

“Well one way or another, she can wait until Monday to talk to you. I’ll call Lowen tomorrow.” He nodded and pulled you toward him. He looked up at you with so much love and adoration, you thought your heart would explode.

“This was a good call, m’luv. ‘avin’ them move in wit’ us.”

“I know.” You teased as you twirled a lock of his hair around your finger. “I’ve always got the better ideas.” He huffed a laugh and brushed his hands across your 22 weeks along bump absentmindedly.

“I’ven’t seen those kids this ‘appy in…” His words were cut off instantly as one of the twins, his son kicked his left palm for the first time. A choked laugh escaped his lips as he moved both his hands to the side. He poked gently twice before your son kicked back again.

With tears in his eyes, he leaned forward and placed a gentle kiss on your bump and said something softly in Scottish Gaelic. You felt a kick of the other side from your daughter and you reached down to move his hand to that spot. Tears filled your eyes as you poked at your other child through his fingers and received an immediate response.

“Little luvs.” He whispered as he went back and forth, gently poking at his children. You kept your hands half on his and half on your stomach as the world around you disappeared. Neither of you could hear the boys all the way up stairs yelling at something or Lyla yelling out for them to behave from the first floor landing.

You didn’t hear Quinn or Montez complaining as they carried your old, heavy dresser up the stairs to Thomas and Abel’s shared second floor bedroom. You didn’t even hear Lyla asking you directly what you thought about just ordering pizza for dinner; the only thing you noticed in that moment was your little family. After a few minutes of interaction, your kids seemed to get tired of being poked at, stopped kicking back and just settled in to wiggling around to find a comfortable spot once more.

“So perfect.” He said softly as he ran his calloused hands over your bump. “So, so perfect, m’bairns.”

“Sooo, are you two gunna feed the workers or just stand there all day?” Tig said. You both looked over at your friend, who was standing on the back porch, smoking.

“Shut it, Tigg’a.” Chibs snapped as his hands slid to your hips to move you back a step. “We’re feedin’ ev’ry one but ye now.”

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

“Hey look!” You said playfully as you awkwardly tapped your feet on the dash of your SUV. You glanced over at your boyfriend. “I do still have toes.” He chuckled as he stopped at a red light and reached over to rub his hands over your thirty-one weeks along bump on the way home from your appointment. His son instantly kicked back. Since the first time the twins kicked, he had always been the more active one. You let your feet fall back down and shifted a bit on the passenger seat.

“I told ye, luv. I didn’t paint yer ankles las’ nigh’.” Your face deadpanned only slightly as you looked over at him.

“You’re so funny.” You mocked as he started driving at the green light. He chuckled as you laughed a fake laugh when the glint of a flashing blue lights caught your eye. You turned in your chair slightly and groaned. “Is she fucking serious right now?”

“Fuckin’ gash.” With a few choice swear words, Chibs pulled over to the side of the road.

“Driver, turn off the car.” Jarry called out over the patrol car’s PA system.

“Is she fucking kidding?” You asked as Chibs turned off the car.

“Swear ta Christ, we’re filin’ a law suit.” He said as he tossed the keys on the middle console.

“She’s gunna end up like Roosevelt soon, fuck a law suit.”

“Driver, step out of the vehicle.” You both rolled your eyes as you both reached down and unbuckled your seat belts. Chibs got out of the car with his hands over his head as someone tapped on your window. You looked over at deputy Ramon Martinez and he gestured you out of the car.

“You’re fucking kidding, right? I’m fucking pregnant. Where the fuck am I running to?” You watched him heave a sigh.

“Come on, (Y/N).” He said as he opened the passenger door. You shook your head as you reached out to take his hand for balance.

“This is such fucking bullshit. Why are we being pulled out of the car?” You watched him glance back to where Althea was putting Chibs in cuffs.

“Anonymous tip of drug possession and trafficking.” You looked over at him in stunned silence and he nodded. “Yea, I know.”

“Martinez, where’s that scale?” Jarry asked as Martinez put you into loose cuffs and helped you walk back to the cop car.

“It’s in the trunk.”

“Get those fuckin’ ‘andcuffs off my fuckin’ wife!” Chibs roared as he tried to get off the hood of the car. Jarry slammed him back down against the metal as Martinez purposely let you lean on the hood next to him.

“Leave it, Filip.” You hissed as Althea headed back to the trunk to get her scale. You glanced over at the small box of rolled joints on the hood from Chibs’ kutte beside his wallet and phone and you thanked God he didn’t bring his gun to the appointment. You glanced down at your boyfriend as he took a step over and leaned against your side.

“’s’all right, luv. Jus’ call Lowen for me an’ Tig ta come get ye. This’ jus’ bull shite.” You nodded at him as you reached over and ran your fingers through his hair. You both looked up at Jarry’s huffed and cocky laugh.

“1.2 ounces. That’s officially over the legal limit.”

“’s’mine. ’s'all mine.” Chibs said immediately with a sigh. He looked up at you and shook his head against the hood. “She didn’ know I ‘ad it.” You physically bit your tongue to stop yourself from saying anything to the contrary as he pushed himself up off the hood. He gave you a chaste kiss before Jarry came over and yanked him away from you.

“I love you, baby.” You told him sadly. He nodded as she unlocked her car and opened the back door.

“I luv ye, too baby girl. I’ll be ‘ome soon.” You nodded as Jarry forced him into the car.

“Don’t count on that.” She sneered. You met her eyes as Martinez uncuffed you.

“You’re the dumbest bitch…”

“Watch it, (Y/N).” Martinez snapped so you wouldn’t get arrested to. “You want me to call someone?” You shook your head as you walked your giant baby bump toward your trunk.

“No, just give me his phone. I’ll call Tig.” He nodded to you as Jarry called in to the county jail to let them know she was bringing someone in. He grabbed the phone and wallet, showed them to Chibs through the front window of the car and gestured to you. With a small nod of confirmation for your boyfriend, Martinez passed them over to you to take with you. With a soft ‘thanks’, you sat down in the trunk and called Tig.

“Yea?”

“Tiggy? I need you to come pick me up ‘cause I can’t drive. I’m in front of Floyd’s…”

“What? What happened?” You rolled your eyes and glared at Althea as she leaned against the car to talk to your boyfriend… who was completely ignoring her and watching you to make sure you were OK.

“Fucking gash arrested Chibs for possession. Bullshit pull over.” You heard him move the phone away from his mouth and talk to one of his brothers before coming back to you.

“We’re coming, sweetheart. Venus is gunna ride with me to drive you and I’ll call Lyla and let her know that I’m sending Rat and Brooke to go get all the kids from school in the van.” You nodded to yourself as you kept your eyes locked on Chibs’ through the windshield.

“Thanks, hun. I gotta call Lowen…”

“You good here?” Jarry asked. You ripped your eyes away from Chibs and looked at her incredulously.

“You’re fucking kidding, right? You’re gunna leave a fucking seven months pregnant woman on the side of the fucking road after you arrest my husband for some bullshit, trumped up charge and ask if I’m OK? Who the fuck…” You heard Chibs, Tig and deputy Martinez shout your name and you scowled. “Yea, I’m fucking fine.” She gave you a smug smile and signaled to her partner.

“Have a good day, ma’am.” You ground your teeth together as she got in the car without a care in the world.

“Just get here, Tigger!” You snapped as Jarry pulled away from the curb and drove off. You growled and snapped the phone closed as you pushed yourself out of the trunk. Floyd came running out of his shop and helped you to the passenger side.

“If you need witnesses, you let me know, darling.” You gave him a small smile as he helped you into your SUV.

“Thanks, Floyd.” He gave you a reassuring smile before heading over to the driver’s seat and turning the car back on for you. With a shake of your head, you rested your head on your fist as tears began to slowly fall down your cheeks.

~~~~~~~~~~

“Docket ending 4973: People verses Filip Telford.”

You sat up a little straighter and your grip tightened the slightest bit in Venus’ hand as your orange clad boyfriend was carted out of the back temporary holding cell in full transport restraints. Like a magnet finding its match, his eyes met yours for as long as he could before he was forced to turn away to look at the judge. The man up on the bench didn’t even look up at your boyfriend as he flipped through Chibs’ extensive file.

“Arrested for misdemeanor possession of marijuana, how do you plea?” You looked over at Chibs as he glanced over his shoulder at you.

“Not Guilty.” Ally Lowen, the club’s lawyer said confidently. The judge still didn’t look up.

“Prosecution on bail?”

“Remand, your honor. Defendant is the President of Sons of Anarchy motorcycle gang with ties to Ireland and Scotland as well as other various states and the means to flee.” As if she knew you were going to object, Venus reached over and grabbed your upper arm.

“Your honor, my client and his wife, who has no other family and has sole custody of her two nephews, are expecting twins in October. The weight of the marijuana he had in his possession was within the legal limit and the added weight was the papers the marijuana was rolled in.

There is documented distaste for my client by the Charming police department and the San Joaquin sheriffs department because of his known associates; however, he also hasn’t had any official criminal based interaction with the police for the past eight years. Also, there was no reason given when he was pulled over other than a personal vendetta.” The judge sighed as he flipped the file closed and looked at Chibs and Ally. You stole a half second glance over at Althea, who was absolutely fuming along the wall with her arms folded over her chest.

“There was no given reason when you were pulled over?” Chibs shook his head and your own head mimicked his.

“No sir.” You saw the judge, who must have seen your head shaking, look over at you with his eyebrows raised.

“I take it you’re the wife.” Your head instantly changed direction to a nod as Venus stood and helped you to your feet. The judge’s eyes widened as he got a look at your massive bump (thanks to your children laying right in front of each other) as you held onto the wood divider in front of you so gravity and your bump wouldn’t pull your small frame over in your short, kitten heels.

“Yes sir.” He nodded and pursed out his bottom lip then shook his head and waved his hand toward your boyfriend.

“Go home, Telford. Stay out of my court room otherwise I’ll tack on this case to the next one.”

“Yes sir. Thank ye sir.” Chibs said happily. The judge called for the next case as Althea growled and stormed out of the court room. You could see the officer hesitate as Chibs dipped away from him to give you a pecked kiss before he pulled him back to the holding cell. Ally turned toward you as Venus grabbed both your purses and helped you down the isle.

“There’s four more dockets today which will take about an hour.” Ally explained as the three of you stepped out of the court room. “Once he’s back at the jail, it’ll only take a couple hours to get the paperwork sorted. I’ll call you the moment he’s clear.” You smiled at her with tears of joy in your eyes and gave her an awkward hug.

“Thank you. I’ll write you a check and bring it to the jail…”

“Don’t worry about it. Open and shut case; this one’s on me. Consider it a baby gift.” You smiled at her as she quickly walked away to head to the jail.

“See, honey. I told you justice would prevail.” You looked over at Venus with a smile as she handed you your purse.

“Thanks for keeping me calm today.” She smiled as she held your arm so you wouldn’t topple over when you wattled in your insensible shoes.

“That’s what friends are for, sugar. That and premeditated murder.” She glanced over at you with a wink as she hit the button. “Alright, let’s go get little Abel from school and Thomas from the sitter and head to the jail so we can get your man home.”

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

“Do ye think she thinks we don’ know she’s stalkin’ us?” You shrugged as you glanced over at Althea’s personal car, which had been parked a half block away from your house for at least an hour a day for weeks… even though you had spent the last four days in the hospital delivering your kids. You looked into her car from the back seat and huffed as she tried to hide herself in the front seat by bending down and pretending to look for something in her car.

“Did I tell you that I put a camera in Piper’s bedroom window facing where she always parks?” He chuckled as he pulled up to the gate you had purposely installed to keep the Lieutenant off of your property. He glanced back at you as he waited for the iron gate to swing open.

“Smart luv. But now tha’ ye’ve ‘ad the babies, I’m concerned she’ll come afta ye.” You smiled brightly as you looked over to your right at Shiloh Jackson, your first born son.

“Yea, I dare that bitch to try.” You glanced up at your boyfriend as he pulled past the gate and made sure it closed behind you. “Now that I’m basically allowed to stress out again, I’m calling that DA that used to jam you guys up.” Chibs groaned as he pulled around to the garage and pulled into your spot.

“Luv, jus’ let it go.” You looked up at him through your lashes as he put the car in park.

“No! She chucked you in jail for no reason and is parking outside our house… our house where our children live. Our four, young… impressionable… innocent children that are being stalked because that woman has some crazy obsession with MY husband.” He rolled his eyes as he turned off the car and got out.

“I can ‘andle ‘er, m’luv.” You looked over at him as you unbuckled Shoshana Grace’s car seat.

“Then handle it. Six feet under, handle it.”

“Daddy!” Your smile faltered slightly before growing tenfold.

“Did he just…?” Chibs nodded with the brightest smile you had ever seen as he turned and picked up Abel.

“Aye, boy-o. Mommy an’ daddy are ‘ome.”

“Did you bring the babies, too?” You giggled from inside the car as you unbuckled the belt to Shiloh’s carseat.

“No, we’ve left the babes a’ the ‘ospital.” Abel frowned at him and pouted as he looked in the car.

“Mommy did you leave the babies?” You smiled and shook your head.

“No Abel, daddy’s kidding.” The little boy looked so relieved as Chibs shifted him on his hip so he could see into Shana’s car seat. You looked over as the door behind you opened and smiled at Lyla.

“We had a long, long talk about mommies and daddies last night. Like how it’s OK for some people can have two mommies and two daddies if one set goes to heaven… just like Kenny and Ellie do.” Your heart soared in gratitude as she smiled and grabbed the handle of Shiloh’s carseat. You slid out of the car beside her and gave her a hug.

“Thank you. I didn’t even know how to have that conversation with him.” She nodded and kissed your cheek.

“That’s what friends are for. Now come on, we have to get these babies to their own party.”

——

“Wow. She is relentless.” Tig said as he watched Jarry drive past your house in her cop car later that night. Chibs nodded as he ran his fingers lightly through your hair as you dozed in his lap. He watched the cop car from the shadows of the unlit front porch as she slowed in front of the gate for a moment before taking off down the street.

“We need ta do sum thin’ bout ‘er.” Chibs said softly so he wouldn’t wake you up. Since you got home from the hospital, all you had been doing is running around the house, making sure your kids and your party guests had everything they needed… despite the fact that the party was for you. “She’ll go afta (Y/N) now tha’ she’s not pregnant an’ I can’t ‘ave tha’.” The members of SAMCRO nodded as they smoked cigarettes, all watching the tail lights of the cop car drive away.

“Want me to handle it, Prez?” Happy asked as he leaned on the rail and stared at vanishing tail lights.

“We can’t take out another cop.” Tig said quietly as he looked over at the front door to make sure none of the kids were awake. “Not since that DA bitch knows Juice was responsible for the last one.”

“(Y/N) wan’s ta call tha’ DA so she can sue the county ta make a point. Let the dirty work fall ta the ‘ands a’ the inmates.”

“They’d just put her in PC.” Montez said.

“Yea but how many times have we taken care of shit in PC?” Quinn asked. Chibs sighed as his fingers moved from your hair and began absentmindedly dragging up and down your side.

“At this point, I don’ think we’ve another choice. One wrong move an I lose ev’ry thin’. We either send ‘er in or she destroys m’family.” He shook his head and very gently kissed the top of your head. You shifted the slightest bit in his arms and he paused to make sure you didn’t wake up. A smile stretched across his face as you gripped his kutte in your fist and nuzzled your cheek against his chest. It was little moments like this where he remembered just how much he truly loved you. He shook his head subtly and looked up at his club.

“And I won’ let ‘er destroy m’family. We do this smart; let m’wife go first. Hap, ye’re second option, aye?” The men all nodded as they turned to watch Jarry drive past one more time before she actually had to go to work. With a sigh, he took the last drag of his cigarette and put it out in the ashtray. He put the two baby monitors onto your lap (one for Thomas and Abel’s room and one for the twins’ nursery), slid his arms under your thighs and cradled you to his chest as he stood up. “Nigh’ lads. Last one in, lock the door.”

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

“Ms. Patterson?” The ADA, Tyne, looked up at you with her eye brows raised as you walked into her office with your three youngest children in a stroller. You gave her a small smile as she gestured to her assistant that you being there was OK. She stood up from her chair with a smile as she stuck out her hand across her desk.

“Ms. Telford, how are you today.” You huffed a laugh as you took a seat across from her.

“Mother of four and three of them are under two years old; I’m tired.” She laughed with you as she closed the file on her desk and nodded.

“I do not miss those days.” She folded her hands on her desk and looked at you expectantly. “So what can I help you with?” You grabbed the file of information and photos you had against Althea from your diaper bag with a smile and handed it over to the ADA.

“I want to file a lawsuit against Althea Jarry for harassment, false imprisonment and stalking. I also want to file a restraining order against her for myself, my children and my husband.” Tyne looked at you, curiously as she pulled out the stack of papers and photos.

“I wasn’t aware that you two officially got married.” You rolled your eyes as she flipped through the time stamped photos of Althea parked outside your house for the past couple weeks.

“Despite the fact that I legally changed my name six years ago, we didn’t and we never will officially be married since he’s still technically married. But after 10 years of standing by his side no matter what, I think I have to right to call him my husband, don’t you?” She nodded slowly as she picked up the court documents from Chibs’ most recent arrest.

“I think I would agree with you there.” She glanced through the paperwork with a sigh and shook her head. “This can all be considered circumstantial, Ms. Telford. I can issue a restraining order but…”

“You feel like going for a drive?” You interrupted with a tight lipped smile and a nod. “I feel like going for a drive. Best way for me to prove a point, after all.” Her eyebrows cocked as you simply stood up and pushed the chair you were in closer to the desk. You smiled at her and nodded.

“Yea, I’m 100% positive that she followed me here. I watched her the whole way here. I know she knows I’m here to talk about her so when I leave, I know I will be pulled over for no reason and arrested since I’m not pregnant any more. I have Lyla on stand by a few blocks up the road to pick up my car and my kids.

So, my three week old twins, my two year old nephew and my five year old nephew, who just started calling me ‘mommy’, will have to go a week with ANOTHER parent that is disappearing for no reason. And I will have an even stronger case against you for deliberately not doing anything to stop this injustice from happening.” She nodded as she grabbed a tape recorder from her desk drawer and her purse.

“Lead the way.” You smiled at her as you backed your stroller out of her office.

“Thank you for your time.” As the two of you headed out her office, she told her assistant to grab a video camera and follow her. The three of you rode the elevator down to the garage in silence as you made faces at Thomas, who was sitting right in front of you. He giggled contently as he waved his stuffed elephant at you.

“He looks so much like his father.” Tyne said softly as the elevator doors opened in the parking garage. You nodded as you stood up straight.

“He looks more like my sister.” You led the two women to your SUV. They helped you get the three kids in the car and Tyne opted to sit in the back so Althea wouldn’t see her because of your tinted windows. She traded her assistant, Marie, the tape recorder for the video camera.

“So just drive like you normally would.” Ms. Patterson said as you got in the car beside Marie. You nodded and buckled your seatbelt as Tyne did her little introduction for the two recordings. You could see Althea waiting for you down the block as you pulled out of the parking garage and you barely made it three blocks away to right where Lyla was waiting before the red and blue lights started to reflect in your mirrors.

“Driver, please exit the vehicle with your hands in the air.” You huffed as you glanced in the mirror at Tyne.

“Three blocks. I made it all of three blocks. Can you do something about this, now?” She nodded as Althea called out for you to get out once more.

“Stay in the car, (Y/N).” Tyne said as she stood up awkwardly and walked between the two seats.

“Driver, last warning. Step out of the… shit.” You glanced out the side view mirror with a laugh as Tyne headed back to the cop car. You rolled down the window and grabbed your cell phone to record the confrontation.

“I want you, in my office, now.” Althea took a step back and shook her head as she pointed to your car.

“She… s-s-she…” You snorted a laugh as Lyla came over to get your kids. The two of you looked at each other and burst out laughing as the ADA began reaming the Lieutenant out.

“Serves her right.” Lyla said as she leaned against your car to watch with you. You nodded as Althea ripped off her badge and slammed it into Tyne’s hand. You and your best friend laughed even harder as the badge was passed over to Candy, who put Althea into cuffs and escorted her to the back of the squad car. Tyne came over with a smirk.

“You’re free to go, Ms. Telford. I’ll have that restraining order drawn up and sent to you but I don’t think you’ll need it where she’s going. I will need you and your husband to testify.” You gave her a small nod as you stuck out your hand and shook hers.

“Just let us know when. We have a whole list of witnesses available. Thank you, for all your help.” She gave you a small nod and walked away while telling Marie to get her a car. You glanced over at Lyla with a smile. “Go celebrate at Red Woody?” She nodded as you saved the video to show Chibs and the boys.

“I think it may be the first party SAMCRO throws where we are on the right side of the law the whole time.” You laughed as she headed back to her car. You took one last glance back at Althea in the back of the cop car and laughed to yourself. You pulled back into traffic and looked up at Thomas, who was in the far back seat.

“Looks like mommy wins again!” You both cheered as you headed toward the Stockton ports with a victorious smile on your face.

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