Hi could you do smt abt being Lucy bronzes little sister who is the photographer for city women and is in a secret relationship with Leila Ouahabi and no one know because your “forbidden” to footballers per Lucy’s request as according to her your still a baby as your like 23/24 ish.
by the rule book - leila ouahabi
leila ouahabi x reader
description: in which you and your sister have a set of rules that you break because of a certain defender
warnings: let’s pretend leila attended the world cup, basically me yapping, swearing, angsty?
a/n: leila train has arrived back at my stop lmao, thank you so much for the request, much love, enjoy ❤️❤️
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you and your sister had a set of rules that were heavily referenced while growing up, and the present.
this set of rules sworn on by each sister with the promise they would never be broken. and they weren’t, until leila came into the picture.
—
you were 8 years younger than your sister, lucy. you’re a bronze sister, meaning you were extremely fun, playful, but serious and stoic when you needed to be. you and your sister brought out the best in each other, expecting nothing but the finest.
lucy was the best older sister, she was funny and always included you in everything she did once you grew out of your snitch phase and actually became cool in her eyes. the two of you were always extremely close and that’s how you both liked it.
she encouraged you to put your heart to your passion, one of the main reasons you became a photographer.
lucy was extremely protective of you, hence why she created a simple set of rules between the two of you that shouldn’t be broken.
1 - don’t date any of lucy’s teammates
2 - don’t date any of (y/n)’s friends
3 - respect each other’s boundaries
4 - be honest with each other
5 - sisters come first
the rules were easily agreed upon by the both of you, they were made when you were 16 and lucy was 24.
—
you followed lucy around for photographer opportunities, landing yourself a permanent position on the media teams of both england and manchester city when lucy joined in 2020.
you always loved photography, adoring the feeling of capturing a canvas that would be around for years to come.
just before lucy joined in 2020, you were both at england camp. in free time, everyone would eagerly chatter about their new or current clubs they were going to.
you angled your camera at keira while leah marked her during a mini game, checking the photos with a pleased smile until your sister hopped on your back.
“munchkin!” (your nickname for as long as you can remember) “luce! get off!” you laugh, almost falling flat on your face until your sister got off you, giving you an exaggerated kiss on the cheek that you were quick to squeal and complain about.
“you’re so annoying” you grumble, unable to fight your smile at seeing your sister’s bright grin. “shut up, show me some pics, picasso” she teases.
you roll your eyes amusingly, giving her a sneak peek of all the photos you’d taken so far, letting out a bright laugh when she made you stop on a photo of her.
“that’s class” she pinches your cheek teasingly, “well done, baby sis” she coos teasingly, a couple of the girls coming over and teasing you too.
everyone viewed you as family and a teammate even though you were just their photographer, you’d been with them for so long, they’d grown a huge love for you.
“you excited for manchester, (y/n/n)?” leah throws an arm over your shoulder as you both walked inside st george, “yeah! should be good, nice and cold” you grin,
“maybe manchester city is where we can finally see you get a partner?” she teases, you both laugh, “lee, come on, you know the rules” you laugh, “i know the rules!” lucy calls out from behind you from where she was walking behind you.
you flip her off and she gasps offendedly, “i could get you fired for that!” she exclaims, you wave her off, laughing along with leah.
—
you, lucy and keira all lived together in manchester, splitting the rent and living comfortably.
but in 2022, the two of them got offered contracts for barcelona and they accepted, but you didn’t. manchester felt like home to you, and you really didn’t want to leave it.
it was the first time you’d been away from lucy, and don’t be mistaken, you are a highly independent person but something was so reassuring about having your sister with you.
before they moved, they helped you move into a flat for yourself, small and homey like you needed.
it was incredibly tearful dropping keira and lucy off to the airport, you don’t think you’ve ever felt your sister hug you so tight.
“i love you” she breathes out into your embrace, you hug her back equally as tight, “such a sap, bronzes don’t do that” you tease, receiving a slap on the back of your head.
it was daunting for the both of you to be apart, not really having to do that in your lives.
“i love you too” you smile, “i’ll call you when we land” lucy sniffs, hastily wiping away her tears and letting keira hug you as well. “my favourite bronze” keira smiles, both you and lucy letting out a wet laugh.
you wave them both off with a sad smile, waiting for them to go through the gate before you dragged yourself back to your car and drove off.
—
you went back to work at the beginning of the season, waiting for the girls to come outside to photograph their training session.
you smile and wave to familiar faces, taking a couple of test photos before you noticed a new face that you didn’t recognise at first, one of the new signings.
your eyes narrowed slightly in concentration when you looked at her, until you realised who it was. leila ouahabi.
you’ve never met her formally, only smiling at her in the hallways of national games if you had the chance. you always thought she was absolutely gorgeous, but you also appreciated the way she defended, even your sister agreeing she was incredible.
leila smiles at you, slightly surprised to recognise you slightly. the truth was, leila had been heavily looking at your social media platform ever since she laid eyes on you way back.
she thought you were gorgeous, she could tell you were a soft soul, with your charming smile and cute little face you made when you were concentrating on your camera.
she wanted to know you, she was just shy about it, not knowing to approach you, maybe this was the opportunity she needed.
—
training progressed, you smile pleasingly when you look back at your photos, your ultra focus showing on your facial features as you attempt to capture the best photos possible.
you were sat on the side of the pitch watching the girls train, your eyes subconsciously drifting to the spaniard.
it was until a mini game that a certain defender was chasing the ball, kicking it out and sliding directly next to you that your breathing quickened.
you look down to see her slightly wincing, heavily breathing and looking a little too attractive but that was an afterthought.
“are you okay?” you breathe out, the girl on the floor looks up at you surprised, a sly smile taking over her features.
“i’m fine, hermosa (beautiful), thank you” she winks, pushing herself up from the floor and dusting herself off, walking back to the pitch and making sure to look back at you with a flirty smile.
you blink in shock, what was that interaction?
—
these interactions went on, situations where you felt extremely nervous around her even when she was barely doing anything.
you were photographing the new kit, only a set amount of players selected for the campaign, and luckily for you, leila was the very last model for the day.
leila came in with her charming smile and a dray of drinks in her hands, she perks up when you make eye contact.
“good morning, hermosa (beautiful)” she grins, extending the warm drink out to you, you look at her in surprise, a grateful smile gracing your features.
“morning, leila, thank you” you take a sip and let out a pleased sigh, “how did you know this is my favourite?” you tease.
“i read your cup” she says with a flirty smile, though her cheeks tinged slightly with pink. you smile before clearing your throat.
you go through the plans for the shoot, explaining what type of photos you’ll be taking, the approach of the shoot and what you needed from her.
she maintained eye contact the entire time you spoke, nodding along with each and every word and clarifying on things when she didn’t understand.
it was almost hard to press the shutter button when leila would pose, it was a simple, basic, arms crossed - stoic football pose photo that you’ve taken numerous times in your career but something was just so different about how leila did it.
her confidence poured out of her and her smirk made your stomach flip. she was serious but loved to joke around with you when the time called for it.
the two of you basically chatting, taking a photo, chatting, taking a photo. a simple yet effective formula that you both enjoyed. so much so, leila asked you to go out on a date with her and you accepted without a second thought.
—
the two of you went on a couple of dates before the two of you started dating. back then it was really fresh but extremely obvious with the heart eyes you’d send each other.
the manchester girls caught on before the two of you could even process it. and the only condition for everyone was to vow their silence around your sister with the promise of the best pictures being published.
as time progressed, you both moved in together, both of you in one of the most genuine, loving relationship the two of you had ever had.
—
“baby, i’m working” you giggle, pressed up against a random wall, one hand on leila’s hip, camera in the other.
“amor (love), you’re not working right now” she grins cheekily, lips quickly locking with yours. one of her hands on your cheek and one on your hip holding you close to her.
you let out a little exhale from your nose in a laugh, to focused on kissing your now girlfriend of a year.
it was hard hiding it from lucy, especially when the two of you lived together. you were able to get away with it most of the time, telling your sister your roommate was just really chatty.
“baby” you mumble against her lips, attempting to push her away by the chest but the girl was attached to you, “shh, let it happen” she mockingly scolds, giving you a stern look before she kissed you breathlessly.
that’s when you hear it, the chuckles and teasing coming from familiar blondes, alex and chloe. “get it, baby bronze” alex whistles, you and leila pulled away with a roll of both of your eyes.
“don’t forget about that photo i have of you, alex” you threaten, one taken of her with an expression on her face during a header that had her screeching in fear when she saw you laughing at it.
“you’re just as annoying as your sister” alex flips you off when you blow her a kiss, laughing as they walked away.
leila squishes your cheeks together with one of her hands, forming your lips into a little pout, “mi amor (my love), those are my kisses” she grins lazily, clearly teasing you when she placed a little kiss on your forced pout.
you usher her off to training, giving her a playful slap on her backside that she shook her head at.
—
it was during the 2023 world cup that you both got found out, and boy was it an experience. your sister was extremely confused as to why you were so excited spain was in the final, wondering what your certain new interest about the spanish team was about.
“don’t tell me you’re a traitor, munchkin?” lucy scoffs while you set up your camera on the pitch during a pre-match walk.
“luce, i’ve got my england merch on, thank you” you laugh, shaking your head as you take a quick photo of her with an evident frown on her face, her eyes narrowed at you.
“why do you keep looking at their bench?” she questions, following your eyes to see some of the spain girls walking out to do their own checks.
“why are you so paranoid, lucia?” you tease, punching her lightly on the arm and wincing when a slap made its way to the back of your head.
“some of the girl’s play for city, i’m just being nice” you rub your head in slight pain, glaring at your older sister that she returned.
“i’ll find out, i always do” she concludes, letting you go back to taking some photos and other little media bits.
—
and unfortunately for you. she did find out.
the girls were lining up in the tunnel, about 5 minutes until everyone would walk out. ironically you see you sister standing next to leila in the tunnel, you try to fight your smile when you make eye contact with your girlfriend.
she smiles at you, your bodies moving on their own as you completed her pre match ritual, three quick pecks on the lips.
you both smiled brightly when you pulled back, before you heard a sharp voice coming from behind you.
“what the fuck was that?” your sister exclaimed, her hand on your shoulder and spinning you around, both yours and leila’s eyes widened, realising what had just happened. “fucking ouahabi” she breathes out in disbelief.
“i really hope you’re fucking joking, (y/n) bronze because i’m not fucking laughing” she says lowly, not wanting to attract much attention but she was.
you just look up at your sister in shock, mouth slightly agape, “nah, we’re talking about this. later” she glares, both at you and leila.
the girls walk out and you watch them dumbly as you go. you were grateful that moment wasn’t recorded.
during half time your sister wouldn’t even look at you, brushing you off like you were nothing. “don’t” she pleads, walking past you as you tried to approach her.
you walk to the tunnel and felt the tears pricking in your eyes, and like a magnet, leila’s hand found yours, dragging you into a quiet corner where the two of you could have some privacy.
as soon as your girlfriend brought you into a tight embrace, you broke down. “shh, it’s okay” she hums, kissing your cheek softly as you cried in her arms.
she pulls back slightly, looking at you with a sad expression when she saw your tear streaked face, her hand moving up to wipe away the evidence.
“i didn’t want her to find out like that, i was ready to tell her tonight” you sniffle, leila nods along with your words, listening to your little ramble intently as she comforted you.
“i know, bebé (baby), i know” she says sympathetically, pulling you into another hug and just holding you.
she stayed with you the entire time, talking you down and making you look presentable before you went back on the pitch.
she knew she would get subbed off anyway, only wanting to focus on you for the minute. you were still in a hug when lucy came out of the change room, her face softening when she saw your red eyes.
she was about to say something but she stopped herself, not wanting to do this right away. she weirdly smiles at both of you, tight lipped but still somewhat of a smile.
“it’s okay” leila whispers, and it really felt like it was.
leila kisses you softly before she makes her way back on the pitch, and of course when the match ended and england lost, the mood changed.
your sister let you hug her tightly after the loss, holding onto you for dear life as she hugged you. “luce, i’m so sorry, you played so well” you whispered, your hand rubbing up and down her back.
“i’m sorry, munchkin, we still need to talk” she sniffles, wiping away her tears and giving you a gentle smile. you nod, pulling her into another tight hug before you went off to congratulate your girlfriend, weirdly through the encouragement of your sister.
“hey, baby” you smile at your girlfriend, giving her a quick hug when she presses a quick kiss to your cheek.
“hermosa (beautiful)” she greets with a bright smile, “congratulations” you whisper, she thanks you quickly, looking over your shoulder to see your sister hovering around with tears in her eyes, walking around by herself.
“give me one second” leila whispers, gripping your hand gently and walking over to lucy, you and your sister having matching surprised expressions.
“i want to honest, i love your sister, we have been together for a year and we were going to tell you sooner but she was really scared and i respect her” she blurts out,
“i would love to talk about this with you, if you’ll let me” leila says nervously, lucy pauses for a moment before nodding, pulling leila into an extremely quick hug but extremely meaningful.
“sure thing, leila” your sister smiles, a little laugh escaping her lips, “you know, you broke rule number one” lucy teases, telling you everything was going to be okay.
“it doesn’t count! you left when she came over” you groan, letting leila tuck you into her side as she giggled, watching you and your sister bicker like kids.
she could tell how much you cared about each other. but lucy could tell the same for the both of you.
—
all three of you did have that talk, you and your girlfriend explained the details of your relationship to your sister that she was actually quite happy about.
she’d never seen you so happy, so light with any of your previous partners.
she could tell you both loved each other because it was so painfully obvious but she was truly happy after she let out a rant about how you literally broke every rule in the contact.
she got over it though, a hefty shopping spree having your bank account screaming for salvation.
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you know the drill - pretend it’s you! ily oniiii
liked by alexiaputellas and 44,232 others
leilaouahabi: biggest fan and personal photographer
view all comments
yourname: baby, my job is a photographer
↳ leilaouahabi: you’re no fun
lucybronze: hands off my sister
↳ yourname: you’re annoying
↳ lucybronze: you’re annoying
↳ leilaouahabi: i won’t touch her i swear
↳ yourname: sureeeeeeee
alexgreenwood5: so happy i don’t have to but my tongue anymore
↳ lucybronze: you knew?
↳ alexgreenwood5: no comment
leahwilliamsonn: told you!!
↳ yourname: you really did!
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Seven
Breaking News (Part 3)
(Max Verstappen X Reader, Charles Leclerc X Ex! Reader)
Fandom: RPF/Formula 1
Requested: Nope (I had an idea, Mr. Krabs)
Chapter warnings: cheating mentioned, sex references, song referenced belongs to Natiale Jane.
Pronouns: They/them
W.C. 1672
Chapter Summary: "Seven" is released during the race week, and Y/n sees Charles for the first time since their split.
As always, my requests are OPEN
MASTERLIST // HITLIST
(^Came from 2 pics on Pinterest)
<- Previous Part
It’s been months since I last saw Charles. It was not really a concern for me anymore. He can do whatever he wants, and I can do whatever I want. And what I want is to attend the race in Austin.
It was Wednesday, and we just flew in a couple of hours ago. We settled into our hotel room before Max went into the bathroom to shower before we went to dinner. Once I was dressed in a semi-fancy outfit, I decided to sit on our bed and wait for him to finish up. I had started scrolling through countless comments on my newest single, “Seven,” when Max came out of the restroom. He was wearing a black button-up and jeans, but at least it wasn’t Red Bull merch.
“What are you looking at?” He asked, coming up to look at the comments from over my shoulder. “Is that the new song?”
“Yeah,” I chuckled lightly, leaning back into him. “They’re loving it so far.”
“Well, of course, they are,” he retorted, standing up and pushing me to lay on my back as he leaned over me. He placed a couple of small kisses around my face before placing a final one on my nose. “You wrote it. Why wouldn't they love it?”
“It was just really different from my normal songs, I don’t know,” I sighed, setting my phone to the side as I wrapped my arms around his neck and played with the ends of his damp hair. “It’s also the second single for the album.”
“You haven’t even finished the album yet,” He shook his head with a laugh. “They’re your fans, liefde (love). They’ll love anything from you.”
“Doesn’t make the release any less daunting, schat (darling),” I whispered, pulling him down to kiss him. We moved in sync before ultimately needing to pull apart for air. “You ready to go?”
“Of course,” He said, lifting himself up before holding his hand out for me to stand beside him. “What kind of food are you feeling?”
~
Thursday is media day, so Max was off doing his own thing. It works because I had a virtual interview anyway, so I was able to hide out in Red Bull hospitality to do the interview in peace.
“Y/n L/n, your newest song, ‘Seven,’ is smashing the charts,” They started off, “Tell us about the story behind it.”
“Honestly, I think everyone knows the story behind it,” I chuckled. “I wanted to try something new, so I continued the fuel from my last relationship to make this song. I’ve never really done something like this, but I really liked it, and I think the fans do too.”
“They certainly do!” The interviewer reassured. “The story, the beat, everything is just so catchy! It’s an amazing song! What was your favorite part about writing this song?”
“The lyrics were really fun, and I got a little help from my new boyfriend for the melody,” I admitted. The interviewer’s eyes widened as they let out a gasp, and I just smiled wider. “He was actually the one that came up with the chorus beat.”
“Did he write any of the lyrics?” They asked quickly.
“No, he left that to me. He just listened to every draft,” I laughed as I remembered something. “About a month ago, I woke him up at like two in the morning on a race day because I had a dream about the lyrics. He loved it so much, it’s now the chorus. He also was not very happy that I woke him up that day. He had to be on track at like five, and I woke him up just before his alarm.”
“That is gold,” They laughed as well. “We have some fan questions if you don’t mind. One person asks what is your favorite lyric from the song?”
“Not a lyric, but the laugh before the first chorus,” I answered after a second of thinking about it. “While recording the gap between the first verse and chorus was missing something. I tested with more lyrics, but ultimately, the laugh sounded the best.”
“The laugh does make it better,” The interviewer agreed. “Next question, has your ex or his girlfriend reached out, regarding the songs you’ve released recently?”
“No, but there was an article that announced their relationship right after I released ‘Ava’ and she stole lyrics from a fan cover as her original caption,” I remembered. “I was tagged in a fan cover of ‘Ava’ where they portrayed Ava. It was actually amazing, and I loved it! They did an amazing job, and one of the verses was ‘if he’s your man, why’s he still in my bed.’ I, personally, find it funny, but everyone likes to paint it like there’s bad blood between us,” I explained, going off on a short tangent. “Sorry, but to answer the main question, no, they have not said anything to me specifically.”
“Do you wish they did? I mean, these two very popular songs of yours are centered around them, so do you wish that they acknowledged them?”
“They did, technically,” I replied. “The fact that they announced their relationship right after I released the song and used a fan cover of my song to jab at me kinda validates that they know about it. Plus, it’s funny that his teammate loved both songs. He’s told me that he blasts them in their garage all the time.”
“Well, that’s all the time we have today,” They wrapped up, satisfied with the answer. “Thank you for your time, and we’ll look forward to the full album.”
“Thank you,” I replied with a smile as I left the call. I let out a sigh as I leaned back in my chair, laying my head back and closing my eyes to rebuild my social battery.
“What album?” A voice asked from across the room. It was a voice I have not heard for month, causing me to immediately shoot my head up.
“What do you mean, ‘what album?’ I’m a songwriter, Charles,” I snapped. “Did you forget that’s my job?”
“No, just,” He took a breath, trying to recollect his thoughts. He hesitates for a second as if he didn’t want to say what he was thinking before just spilling, “Is the whole album about the breakup? Are you that caught up on it?”
“I don’t know yet,” I admitted, moving to stand up and approach him. “I haven't written it yet. Might be, the fans seem to love this era. So what if it is? What are you gonna say?”
“This is defamation,” He seethed, coming up to stand chest-to-chest with me. “I could sue you for both songs.”
“I don’t name you in either of them,” I scoffed. “Ava is a basic name. I could mean anyone named Ava, not just your girlfriend. Even in interviews, I won’t answer questions if they mention your names, and my answers are always vague. You have no grounds to sue me for my success. You just want to rain on my parade. I’m climbing in popularity, and you’re not. Admit it.”
“You’re only getting popular because you’re fucking Max,” Charles replied bluntly. Behind him, I could see a door opening, but I couldn't see who it was.
“Oh, please. If anything, I get hate for fucking Max,” I laughed. “At least I’m getting satisfied. With the way you’re acting, I’d say it's been at least a month since you got laid.”
“You’re one to talk,” He tried to start before I cut him off.
“Not like it’s any of my business what you do with your girlfriend,” I said with a sly smile. “On a side note, what are you doing in here? Ferraris aren’t allowed in Red Bull hospitality, last time I checked.”
“Yeah, Charles, you should head back to your own hospitality,” Christian pressed as he was the one to walk through the door with Carlos, Max, and Daniel, who was holding Max back.
“You’ll hear from my lawyer,” Charles spat toward me before turning and walking out the doors. I just rolled my eyes and bit my tongue before I made the situation worse.
“Did I hear an album?” Carlos asks sheepishly.
“I will send a signed copy to my biggest fan once I get it written,” I teased him as Christian and Daniel ushered him out to follow his teammate. Carlos shouted back a thanks before taking off. I shook my head with a small laugh as I walked up to Max who had calmed down since Charles left. “Thank you for mentally killing a man in my honor.”
“Always,” he joked back, “I’d do anything for you. Was he serious about suing?”
“I don’t know, but it’s just going to waste his money cause I worked with my publicist to make sure they couldn’t sue for defamation,” I reassured him, cupping his cheeks and leaning our heads together as he placed his hands at my waist. “Y’know, in case you didn’t know, I love you.”
“I have loved you since we were 18,” He whispered back. My eyes widened as I took in his words.
“Why didn’t you ever say anything?” I gasped out.
“It was before we both thought the same things,” he chuckled. “Your music was taking off, and I was still a rookie. I remember you said that you wanted to wait until you were in a stable place in your career before you started a relationship.”
“I was like 12 when I said that!” I laughed, shocked that he actually remembered that. “Well, if it makes you feel better, I always knew I would end up with you.”
“What’s that supposed to mean?” He jokingly took offense as he tightened his hold around my waist.
“I told all of my friends and family I would date you at some point,” I admitted lowly. He immediately began beaming at my confession. “No one believed me, but now…oh, if they saw us now.”
~~~
Next Part ->
~~~~~
© BAD268 2023. DO NOT REPOST WITHOUT PERMISSION.
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Pet for Rent, Chapter 1/4 (The Meet Cute) A CS Modern AU Story
For those of you who read "Sowing Seeds of Trust", you might remember that my dog Zeke had a starring role in it. To my great heartbreak, he died of cancer last June. When we rescued him, the shelter had named him Ernie, and he will be referenced with that name in this story.
Life without a dog proved to be very lonely, so at the end of August, we rescued another dog. The sad story of the dog in this story is what really happened to our new dog. He was named Norman and we renamed him Winston, just like in the story. That's actually him in the pic set with his 'ducky'.
This was supposed to be a short, sweet story, but somehow turned into 4 chapters. Updates will be once a week.
Special thanks to my beta @hookedmom and also to @beckettj and @zaharadessert for helping me understand the football (soccer) system in England.
SUMMARY: Emma Swan tries to cheer up her heartbroken son by 'renting' a dog from the local animal shelter. When she attempts to do it a second time, she makes a mistake, and realizes the dog has been rented by someone else the same day - a very handsome man named Killian Jones.
RATING: M (for smut in the last chapter, which can easily be skipped if that's not your thing)
WORDS: 7754
ALSO POSTED TO A03 & FFN
Story begins under the cut
🐾🐾🐾🐾🐾🐾🐾
Emma Swan flopped down onto her sofa with a sigh. Since their beloved dog Ernie died three weeks ago, she had come to dread her eight-year-old son Henry’s bedtime. Every night when he said his prayers, he ended with, “God, please tell Ernie I love him and miss him, and please send me another dog. Amen.”
Her son knew the chances of getting a dog were slim to none because of his soccer practices and games, and Emma’s schedule for her new job at the sheriff’s station. They had no time to train a puppy.
Understanding why he couldn’t have a dog didn’t make his heart hurt any less. Her heart was just as broken, knowing the sadness and loneliness Henry was experiencing.
After decompressing for a few minutes, Emma’s searching hand located her phone on the end table. She unlocked it and opened her Discord app, selecting the icon representing the parents’ group of Henry’s second grade class. Sitting up a little straighter, she typed a message: Does anyone have ideas of how to help Henry get over the loss of his dog? He keeps praying for a new one, but it wouldn’t be fair to the dog to get one with our busy schedule.
She watched the screen intently for a couple of minutes, but when no names appeared to show that someone was answering, she tossed the phone onto the couch and went into the kitchen to load the dishwasher.
Forty minutes later, after cleaning up the kitchen, going through her nightly routine and changing into her pajamas, she went back into the living room. Television held no interest for her, and realizing she finished her last library book the previous evening, she picked up her phone to mindlessly play a game. Upon unlocking it, her screen opened to the Discord page and she saw three replies to her question.
The first two simply expressed sympathy for the loss of Ernie, but the third one offered a helpful suggestion. Have you thought about ‘renting’ a dog for a day? The animal shelter just outside of town offers that option. We did it for my mother when her Maltese died. The post ended with the web address for the shelter.
Emma immediately pulled up the site and, after searching the homepage, clicked on the tab for ‘services’. Scrolling down the list, she saw ‘Rent-a-Pet’ and selected it. As she read the description of how the program worked, she idly twisted strands of blonde hair around her index finger.
It sounded like a great compromise for their situation. For a donation to the shelter in the form of money, bags of pet food, treats or toys, one of the available animals could come home with them for several hours. The dogs and cats were guaranteed to be docile and house-trained, and could be adopted by the ‘renter’, if desired.
Clicking on the link taking her to the bios of the pets currently housed at the shelter, she filtered it to include only canines. Pictures of nearly two dozen dogs filled the screen, each more adorable and aww-worthy than the last.
Quickly ruling out any that were guaranteed to shed fur all over her house or were bigger than her son, her search was narrowed to nine prospects. She knew her rambunctious son would be keen to play outside with the dog and walk him or her to Storybrooke’s dog park, so a tiny fru-fru pup was out of the question, too. That left six.
She selected one at a time, reading about their breed and temperament. When she brought up the picture of the fourth candidate, the big, chocolate brown eyes and happy expression nearly made her heart melt.
‘Norman’ was a mixed breed and very little was known about him, because he was found tied to a stop sign in the middle of Portland, Maine. He was guessed to be a cocker spaniel mix and was approximately 1-2 years old. His black fur looked sleek and Emma knew he probably wouldn’t shed. A short video showed him romping and playing with another dog in the fenced play yard of the shelter.
Saving the page, she brought up the calendar on her phone and checked their schedule for the rest of the week. Henry had an early soccer game on Saturday, which would be over by 10:30, leaving the rest of the morning and afternoon free. Switching back to the shelter website, she hit the ‘Rent-a-Pet’ button again and began filling in the information, selecting ‘Norman’ when it gave her the choice of animals.
She decided not to tell Henry about the plan, opting to surprise him with it instead.
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“Great game, kid,” Emma complimented her son, ruffling his sweaty hair. “Your pass to Avery was a nice assist. That goal turned out to be the game winner.”
“Thanks, Mom,” Henry grinned around his mouthful of granola bar. “That’s the first time all season we beat the orange team.”
“I know, and I think that calls for a celebration, don’t you?” Emma fished her car keys out of her jeans pocket, before picking up her lawn chair and water bottle.
“Are we gonna get ice cream?” he asked, before cramming the rest of his snack into his mouth.
“You just ate a granola bar and a banana, and lunch will be in just an hour or so,” she laughed. “I have something else in mind.”
“Whaisit?” he queried, the unswallowed food muffling his voice.
“Well, I know how much you miss Ernie, and Violet’s mom told me about a program at the animal shelter that lets you rent a pet for a few hours,” she answered slowly, watching his reaction out of the corner of her eye. “So, I signed up to get a dog for you to play with until three o’clock this afternoon.”
Henry stopped in his tracks, swallowing down the rest of his snack as his eyes grew wide. “Really? You can do that?”
“Yeah, we’re scheduled to pick him up at eleven. What do you think about that?”
His exuberant shout of joy and sprint to the car was all the answer she needed.
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Emma couldn’t keep up with her son once he unstrapped his safety belt, exited the car and bounded toward the front door of the shelter. He was already ringing the little bell on the counter for service before she made it inside and chided him lightly for not waiting for her.
A tall, broad-shouldered man with sandy hair and light blue eyes entered through a door, the barking of dogs stifled when it clicked shut behind him. He gave them a dazzling smile and greeted them warmly with a hearty ‘good morning’.
Emma reached forward to shake his hand. “Hi, I’m Emma Swan and this is my son, Henry.”
“David Nolan,” he responded, shaking her hand, then doing the same with Henry.
“My teacher’s name is Mrs. Nolan, the same as yours,” the boy told him.
“You wouldn’t happen to be in second grade at Storybrooke Elementary, would you?” David asked.
“Yeah,” Henry confirmed.
“Ah, well, that means your teacher is my wife!”
“Wow, cool!” Henry exclaimed. “She’s the best teacher I ever had!”
David’s grin grew even wider. “That’s good to hear. She tells me all about her students every evening and she thinks yours is the best class she’s ever had!”
“It’s quite a coincidence, meeting you here,” Emma commented with a smile.
“I’ll be sure to tell Mary Margaret I met the two of you. Now, what can I do for you today?”
Emma pulled her phone out of her purse, unlocked it, and tapped on the screen a few times. Then she laid it on the counter and turned it to show David. “I signed up for the Rent-a-Pet program. Here’s the email with my confirmation.”
David peered down at the screen and used his finger to scroll down a bit. “I see you chose Norman,” he commented, looking up at her.
“Um, yeah. Is he a good dog? I don’t want any messes in my house or car.”
“He’s a great dog,” he assured her, reaching back to the wall behind him to lift a leash off of a hook. “Gets along well with other dogs, seems to love kids, and is generally a very happy little guy.”
Henry bounced up and down on the balls of his feet. “Can we take him to the dog park? Ernie always loved going to the dog park.” His countenance dropped, a small cloud of sadness passing across his features.
David shared an understanding look with Emma. “Of course you can take him. I’m sure he will love it! Would you like to come back with me to get him?”
The boy turned to look at his mother. “Can I?”
“Sure, kid. I think I’ll come back, too, if Mr. Nolan doesn’t mind.”
“The more, the merrier,” David said cheerfully.
He waited until they joined him on the other side of the counter, then opened the door to the large room full of animal cages. Immediately, the sound of barking, howling and meows filled their ears.
“They get very excited when they know someone is coming back here. I think the animals closest to the door are spies and tell the others,” David joked, raising his voice to be heard over the din.
Emma walked behind Henry, watching him turn his head left and right to peer at the occupants of all of the pens.
“Aw, Mom, look at that little puppy! He’s so cute! Aw, that dog seems sad. I bet he doesn’t like being in a cage. Look Mom, they have cats here, too.” His litany was continuous as they slowly walked down the aisle between the enclosures.
Finally, David stopped in front of a pen and turned to them, gesturing toward the dog inside. “This is Norman. He has a sad story, but he’s kept his sweet temperament, haven’t you, boy?”
As if in answer, the black dog stood up, his tail starting to wag as he realized the man was talking about him. Henry dropped to his knees in front of the cage, placing his hands against the wire. “Hi, Norman! My name is Henry. Would you like to come home with us for a little while?” The dog’s tail was wagging so fast, his entire body wiggled. “I think he understands me, Mom!” Henry said excitedly.
As David slipped inside the pen to clip the leash to Norman’s collar, Emma asked, “Has he ever been rented before?”
“Several times,” David answered, straightening up once he had the leash attached. “He’s always done really well.” Opening the door of the kennel again, he allowed the dog to go ahead of him, out to where the boy still knelt.
“Hi, boy,” Henry crooned, running his hands over the dog’s head.
Emma bent down and stroked the sleek fur on Norman’s back and sides. “He’s so soft,” she commented.
“He appears to have the coat of a cocker spaniel,” David said, “but he’s definitely a mixed breed.” He watched the boy and dog interact for a few seconds before holding out the looped end of the leash. “Would you like to lead him out to the lobby, Henry?”
He looked up at Emma with hopeful eyes. “Is that okay, Mom?”
“How is he on a leash?” she asked David. “He won’t pull my kid’s arm out of the socket, will he?”
David laughed. “He does fairly well, but if he gets excited, he can get pretty rambunctious. He’ll be fine just going to the lobby, but you might have to walk him out to your car instead of Henry.”
“Sounds like a deal, kid,” she said, giving him a nod of approval.
Henry eagerly accepted the leash and started off down the aisle. “Come on, Norman. Come on, boy. You’re gonna like it at our house. We still have some of Ernie’s toys and balls.”
Emma and David trailed behind. “How long ago did you lose your dog?” he asked.
“Almost a month and Henry is really struggling with it. He and Ernie were best buds.”
“I’m sorry. That’s rough, especially for a kid.”
“And his mom,” Emma added. “I never realized how much I loved that dog, until he got sick and I knew we were going to lose him.”
“Hopefully, Norman will give you both a few hours of enjoyment and help ease the heartache a bit,” David said, before hurrying forward to pull the door open for Henry and the dog.
While David printed off the paperwork, Norman sniffed around Henry, who sat cross-legged on the floor, giggling when the dog licked his ears. “Ernie used to do that too, remember, Mom?”
Emma smiled down at him. “Yeah, you must have very tasty ears. Maybe you should start washing them better.”
“I won’t need to, after Norman washes them!”
She turned back to finish signing the papers. “It’s nice to hear him laughing again. He hasn’t done much of that lately,” she confided to David.
“I think this will be good for both of you and Norman. He really likes being around people. I’m very surprised he hasn’t been adopted yet.”
“Do you think there’s a reason for that?”
David shrugged. “This tends to be a slow time of the year for adoptions. Summer is over and school is back in session, so people don’t have as much time to welcome a new dog into their house.”
“That’s the boat we’re in right now,” Emma commented.
“Once it gets closer to Christmas, people will come in looking for pets to give as gifts. That’s good, but also bad, because about a quarter of them are brought back when they realize a pet is more work than they anticipated.”
“We got Ernie from the shelter when Henry was two. He was already five years old, house-trained and had all of the annoying puppy behaviors out of his system.”
“Most people want puppies instead of adult dogs, but there are a lot of advantages to getting an older dog.”
“Norman doesn’t seem to be very old.”
“I’d say at least two, but he’s pretty chill. Once he runs out of energy, he becomes a couch potato.” David collected the paperwork and tapped it on the counter to straighten it. “Well, that’s all I need from you. Norman is yours until three o’clock.”
“Yay!” Henry shouted, causing the dog to start barking.
Emma reached down to take the leash. “Don’t get him all riled up right before we put him in the car, kid.”
“Sorry, Mom,” Henry apologized. “I just can’t wait to get him home! Can he sit in the back with me?”
“Sure, but first you need to thank Mr. Nolan.”
Henry popped up from the floor and looked back at David. “Thanks, Mr. Nolan! I’ll take good care of Norman, I promise!”
“My pleasure, Henry. Have fun!” David grinned.
Mother and son exited the building, with Norman leading the way, tugging excitedly on the leash. “Slow down, pup,” Emma laughed.
Henry ran ahead to open the door of the yellow Volkswagen Beetle, sliding the front seat forward and clambering into the back. As soon as Norman reached the car, he hopped in and sat on the seat beside Henry like he’d done it every day of his life.
“Well, that was easy,” Emma commented, removing the loop of the leash from her wrist and tossing it beside the dog. After closing the door, she circled around behind the car to get into the driver’s seat. She looked into the rearview mirror and choked up at the sight meeting her eyes. Henry had his arms wrapped around Norman’s neck with his eyes closed and his head resting against the dog’s.
Emma was sure the time with Norman was going to be good for both boy and dog, but she couldn’t help but worry about what would happen when it came time to bring him back to the shelter.
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Emma was barely able to get Henry to eat when they got home, and had to reprimand him for sneaking Norman bits of his sandwich. The dog, for his part, sat politely while they ate, not begging or whining. She was impressed with his behavior, remembering how she had to break Ernie from begging at the table when they first adopted him.
Henry and Norman bonded quickly as they chased each other around the small backyard, playing with a tennis ball and squeaky toys from Ernie’s toy basket. Emma sat on their small patio, thoroughly enjoying the sounds of happy barking and her son’s laughter. She pulled out her phone and took a picture, posting it to the Discord group and tagging Violet’s mom to thank her for the idea of renting a pet.
Just after two o’clock, Emma suggested taking Norman to the dog park before going back to the shelter. They played there for forty minutes, then the three of them returned home and piled back into the car. Once again, she caught sight in the mirror of her son hugging the dog and sighed, but instead of dreading Norman’s return, she decided to enjoy every minute of happiness it was bringing to Henry…and herself.
Their time with the dog was over all too soon. After Emma parked the car at the shelter, Henry got out of the car and trudged to the door with the leash gripped tightly in his hand. Norman seemed to sense the boy’s mood and walked slowly beside him, his head hanging low.
David was at the desk to greet them again, an understanding look at his face at the dejected look of all three of them. “Was he good for you?” he asked.
“He was great,” Emma answered, rubbing her hand soothingly over her son’s back. “Wasn’t he, kid?”
“Yeah,” Henry quietly agreed, his eyes trained on the floor.
“You know, you’re welcome to rent Norman, or any of our other dogs, anytime you want,” David said.
Henry looked up. “But what if someone adopts him?”
“Well, that would be a good thing for Norman,” Emma reminded him.
“I guess,” Henry sighed. He knelt down beside the dog, wrapping him up in another hug. “I’ll miss you, boy, but maybe I’ll see you again.” The dog licked his cheek, eliciting a small giggle. Then Henry stood and held the leash out to David. “Thank you, Mr. Nolan. I had a lot of fun with Norman.”
“I’m happy to hear it,” David said, accepting the leash and moving around the counter. Patting the dog on the head, he added, “I hope we’ll see you again, soon.”
Henry turned pleading eyes to his mother. “Can we do it again next weekend, Mom?”
“You have Avery’s birthday party next Saturday, remember?”
“Oh, yeah,” Henry nodded, then bit his lip in contemplation. “The next weekend, then?”
Emma laughed. “We’ll see.” She leaned down to pet the dog’s head. “Be a good boy, Norman. You’re welcome at our house anytime.”
After saying their goodbyes, they watched David take the dog toward the door leading to the back. Norman turned and gave them a sad look before following the shelter worker through it, tearing at Emma’s heart even more.
She swallowed hard and said, “Come on, kid. Let’s go home.”
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The sadness soon wore off and for the next several days, Henry talked almost incessantly about all of the fun he had with Norman. Emma checked their schedule and saw that Henry had another early game three weeks later, which would be the last game of the soccer season. She relayed that news to Henry, asking him if he wanted to rent Norman again that day, and was answered with a very enthusiastic ‘YES!’
She nearly forgot to make the reservation, only remembering three days before, while waiting to pick Henry up from practice. Quickly, she pulled up the website and filled out the form, glancing up often to see if Henry was coming off the field because she always liked to meet him as soon as he did, instead of waiting for him in the car.
Emma was especially glad they decided to rent Norman Saturday, since Henry’s soccer team lost their final game by one goal. His downcast look was soon replaced with excitement when she reminded him that they would be going to the shelter.
When they arrived, he bounded out of the car and waited impatiently for his mom to join him, before practically sprinting to the door. It took a couple of minutes before David emerged from the back, beaming a smile when he saw them waiting at the counter.
“Henry! Emma! I’m very happy to see you again!”
“We’re here to get Norman,” Henry said excitedly.
A puzzled look crossed David’s face. “I’m sorry, but Norman is already being rented by somebody else today,” he informed them.
“What?” Henry asked, a slight tremor in his voice. Then he turned to Emma. “But Mom, you said we would be getting Norman.”
Emma was already pulling the email up on her phone. “There must be some mistake, Mr. Nolan. I reserved Norman when I filled out the form. See?”
She turned her phone for the worker to see it. David looked at it carefully, then pointed to the screen. “It looks like you didn’t ask for a specific dog.”
“I didn’t?” she questioned, then looked at her phone more closely, her heart dropping when she saw the blank space beside the ‘requested animal’ inquiry. “Oh, Henry. I’m so sorry. I was in a hurry when I filled it out and I must have missed that question.”
“We have several other dogs,” David consoled. “I’m sure you’ll have just as much fun with one of them.”
“No I won’t,” Henry pouted. “I only want Norman.”
“Henry…” Emma started, but was interrupted when the door behind her opened.
“Good morning, Dave,” said a deep voice with a distinctive British accent.
Emma turned to see the newcomer and nearly swallowed her tongue. The man standing before her had to be a mirage, because surely someone that handsome didn’t really exist. He had a lean physique clad in dark jeans and a maroon henley, with a tantalizing view of chest hair peeking out of the unbuttoned neckline. A black leather jacket completed his ensemble. His chiseled jawline was covered with a pleasing amount of scruff and his dark, windblown hair was falling over his forehead. He sported a wide grin and, between that and his deep blue eyes, Emma was mesmerized.
She was suddenly very aware of her own appearance. Henry’s early game meant she had thrown on a pair of sweatpants, donned an old hoodie and stuffed a beanie over her barely brushed hair that morning. Her face was free of makeup, unless you counted a few stray flecks of mascara that stubbornly refused to come off when she washed her face the previous evening.
“Hey, Killian,” David greeted.
The man’s - Killian’s - eyes had settled on Emma, a glint of curiosity evident in them.
“Oh, um, come on Henry,” she said, after several moments of silence. “Let’s get out of this man’s way.”
“But Mommmm…” he whined.
Emma put her hand on his shoulder and guided him away from the counter. “We’ll figure something out, kid.”
“I’m in no hurry, Miss,” Killian began.
“No, it’s okay,” she hurried to assure him. “I’m afraid I created a problem that might take a while to straighten out, so please, go ahead.”
“In that case, thank you very much,” he smiled. Turning his eyes to David, he asked, “Is Winston ready?”
Emma was surprised to see the genial shelter worker furrow his brow at the other man. “Why do you insist on calling him that?”
Killian shrugged. “He looks like a Winston to me, and he answers to that name when he’s at my house.”
David glanced at Emma and Henry and opened his mouth to say something, but apparently changed his mind. Grabbing a leash off of a hook, he said, “Give me a minute,” then he pushed the door open and disappeared into the back.
“Are you adopting a dog today?” Henry asked Killian.
“Alas, no. I just moved into a small apartment here three months ago and am still trying to get everything organized and put away. Being in a new town has been a bit lonely at times, so I’ve been coming here now and then to borrow a dog for a few hours.”
“That’s why we’re here, but somebody is taking the dog I want,” Henry grumbled.
“Henry, that’s enough,” Emma reprimanded. “You haven’t even looked at any of the other dogs.”
“None of them will be as good as Norman.”
Killian’s brows raised. “Did you say Nor-”
Just then, the door behind the counter opened and David came through, trying to control a very excited dog.
“Norman!” Henry cheered, dropping to his knees. The dog started jumping toward him, wildly licking his face as soon as he reached the boy.
“I thought you said he was already rented today,” Emma questioned David.
“He is,” he replied, looking pointedly at Killian.
Emma followed his gaze and saw the other man watching the interaction between Henry and the dog with a sheepish look on his face. The pieces began to click together and she asked, “Wait a minute - is Norman the dog you’re renting today?”
“Aye,” Killian confirmed, rubbing the back of his neck. “Looks like we’re here for the same dog.”
“But you called him by another name,” Emma continued.
“He’s the dog I’ve rented every time and he just doesn’t seem like a Norman to me, so I started calling him Winston,” Killian explained.
All three adults stood looking at the whirlwind of fur jumping all over Henry, who was giggling so much, he could hardly catch his breath.
Finally, Killian spoke. “It seems as though Win-, I mean, Norman, has made his choice. Please let Henry and…his mother have the dog today, Dave.”
“Emma,” she informed him. “My name is Emma Swan, and you don’t have to do that. You had him reserved first. Besides, Henry needs to learn he can’t always have his way.”
“I wouldn’t be able to enjoy my time with the dog, knowing how sad it would make Henry,” Killian responded. He took a step forward and offered Emma his hand to shake. “I’m Killian Jones, by the way. It’s a pleasure to meet you, Emma.”
As they shook hands, David cleared his throat. “Um, I have an idea of how to work this out. It’s a nice day, so why don’t all of you take Norman to the dog park together?”
Emma and Killian both whipped their heads around to stare at him. He seemed to shrink back a bit before stammering, “I mean, that way you could all spend time with him and get to know each other at the same time. You’ve been saying you’d like to meet more people in Storybrooke, Killian, and that’s where Henry and Emma live.” Looking at Emma, he added, “I’ve gotten to know Killian pretty well because he sings in the church choir with me and Mary Margaret. He’s a good guy.”
Emma slowly turned her eyes back to the very handsome man whose hand she suddenly realized she was still holding. She dropped it quickly, as she felt a blush heating her cheeks. Then she looked at Henry, who was sitting cross-legged on the floor with Norman sprawled across his lap. He was looking up at her with hope in his eyes.
Meeting Killian’s gaze once again, she asked, “What do you think?”
“I don’t want to put you in an uncomfortable position, Emma.”
“You wouldn’t have to go all the way back into Storybrooke,” David said. “There’s a small dog park at the end of the walking path, where a lot of people take dogs they’re thinking of adopting.”
“Please, Mom?” Henry pleaded. “Norman would like that, wouldn’t you, boy?”
Emma took a look at the pair and groaned, “It’s bad enough when you use the puppy dog eyes on me, kid. Now you’ve got the dog doing it, too.”
Killian chuckled lowly, the sound of it making Emma’s stomach flip in a very pleasant way. “I would hate to disappoint the two of them, so I’m game if you are, lass.”
Emma chewed her lip in contemplation for a few seconds, before saying, “Okay, but on one condition - you let me pay half of the rental fee.”
“I already paid the fee online,” Killian said.
“So did I, so I guess that takes care of that.”
“Not really,” David said. “You both paid, but you’re only renting one dog. I should reimburse each of you half of the fee.”
“Keep it,” Emma and Killian answered at the same time, then both laughed.
“The shelter can always use a little extra money, can’t it, Mr. Nolan?” Emma asked.
“Please call me David. And of course we can, if you’re both sure you don’t mind.”
As soon as they affirmed their answer, David walked around the counter and picked up the end of the leash. Handing it to Emma, he said, “In that case, Norman-slash-Winston is yours for the next four hours. You can bring him back sooner, if you like, but I’m sure he’s going to love getting out for a while. Oh, and if you get hungry, there’s usually a couple of food trucks near the dog park on Saturdays. Have fun!”
Emma and Killian thanked him, then went out the door with Norman straining at the leash, and Henry skipping along beside him. They quickly found the sign marking the path and started walking it.
After several paces, Killian turned to Emma and asked, “Is it me, or do you feel like David just set us up?”
“One hundred percent,” Emma laughed.
“How long have you known him?”
“David?” she questioned. At his hum of affirmation, she said, “Henry and I rented Norman three weeks ago and that was the first time I met him. David, I mean, not Norman. Well, it was the first time we met Norman, too. His wife is Henry’s teacher. Again, I mean she’s David’s wife, not Norman’s.” She knew she was rambling, but the thought of spending several hours with the gorgeous stranger was making her nervous.
Killian laughed. “That’s a relief. I borrowed Win-, uh, Norman three times and he never once mentioned being married.”
It was Emma’s turn to laugh - mostly because what he said was funny, but also in relief that he responded to her embarrassing prattling with humor, instead of judgment.
“So, if Dave just met you, he probably doesn’t even know if you’re married or dating anyone. That was a little presumptuous of him.”
“Are you fishing for information, Mr. Jones?” Emma teased.
“Killian will do,” he grinned. “And…perhaps?”
Before she could answer, Henry ran back to join them. “Can I take Norman, Mom? He’s walking really well on the leash, so I don’t think he’ll yank my arm out of the socket.”
She looked at Killian, who raised an eyebrow with a bemused look on his face.
“That’s something I said when we picked Norman up the last time,” she explained. Handing the loop of the leash to Henry, she said, “Don’t get too far ahead of us, kid.”
“We won’t,” he tossed over his shoulder.
Emma turned her attention back to the man beside her. “To answer your non-question Killian, no, I am not married or dating anyone. It’s just Henry and me, and always has been. When I told his father I thought I might be pregnant, he didn’t even stick around long enough to find out if I was or not.”
Killian absorbed this news for a few moments before responding, “If you don’t mind me saying, it sounds as if the two of you might be better off without someone like that, anyway.”
“Oh, definitely. Henry is more mature at eight than his sperm donor was as an adult. I was young and foolish, but I had to grow up fast once I became a single mother.” She watched her son trying to get Norman to walk beside him, then turned to look at Killian. “Sorry, that is a lot more information than I’m sure you wanted to know.”
“No need to apologize, Emma. I did ask, in a roundabout way.”
“So what’s your story? Did you move here from England, or am I misreading your accent?”
“You got it right,” he chuckled, then took a deep breath. “There was nothing left for me in England. My brother moved here soon after our mother died two years ago, and once I found out my girlfriend was actually a married woman, I needed a fresh start.”
“Ouch,” Emma commented.
“Aye, and now I’ve probably shared more than you wanted to know.”
“We’ll call it even, and promise to talk about much lighter subjects for the rest of the day,” Emma said.
“Deal.”
“You said your brother moved here. Does that mean he lives in Storybrooke?”
“Aye, he followed his heart and it led him straight to this quaint little town.”
“Who does he date, if you don’t mind me asking?”
“He’s engaged to the town librarian, Belle French.”
“Liam is your brother? I guess I should have figured that out since your last name is Jones.”
“It’s a very common name, lass. Yes, Liam is my brother. I gather you know him?”
“Belle is one of my best friends, so I know him through her. She used to babysit for Henry quite often, when I was a waitress at Granny’s.”
“Ah, the famous Granny’s Diner!” Killian exclaimed. “I visit that establishment frequently. She makes the best lasagna.”
“I think you meant to say the best grilled cheese and onion rings,” Emma grinned mischieviously.
“I’ve yet to try those particular delicacies,” he smirked.
“Try them,” she advised. “I guarantee you’ll love them.”
Looking ahead, they saw they were nearing the dog park and picked up their pace. They caught up with Henry and Norman just before reaching the entrance. There were about a half-dozen dogs running around the park, some loose and others on leashes.
“I think it would be a good idea for Mr. Jones to take Norman before we go in,” Emma told Henry. “He’ll be able to control him better if he gets too excited.��
“Okay,” Henry said, willingly handing over the leash.
“Thanks, lad,” Killian smiled.
Henry went through the first gate, holding it open for his mom, followed by Killian and Norman. When they were all in the buffer zone, Henry opened the next gate leading into the main part of the park.
“You’re raising quite the gentleman, Emma,” Killian commented, after he entered with the dog.
“He has his moments.”
They all watched Norman as he began sniffing around excitedly, then pulling on the leash when he noticed the other canines sharing his space. He nearly yanked Killian off of his feet with his enthusiasm to meet new friends.
The next twenty minutes were spent chasing the dog and trying to settle him down. After a few of the other owners left with their animals, Henry found a tennis ball and engaged Norman in a game of fetch. The adults sat on a bench to observe the pair, laughing at the clumsiness of the dog.
Emma noticed Killian rubbing his shoulder. “Alright there, Jones?”
“I think he might have pulled my arm out of the socket, Swan,” he quipped.
“Very funny, smart guy,” she said, making him laugh again. They watched for a few more minutes before Emma asked, “Do you have a job in Storybrooke? I started working at the sheriff’s station three months ago and I don’t remember seeing you around town.”
“I’m an architect. I was able to keep my job with the firm in England by working online and attending meetings with clients and my colleagues via Zoom. All of my time is spent in my office at home. It’s not ideal, but I appreciate my boss being willing to make concessions for me.”
“Do you plan to get a job here eventually?”
“Aye, if I decide to stay.”
“You don’t sound very sure.”
“I’m used to the hustle and bustle of a big city. Living in Storybrooke has been quite an adjustment.”
“I get that. We moved here from Boston when Henry was two. Granny’s granddaughter, Ruby, was our neighbor there, and when she decided to move back, she talked me into coming with her. At first, I had a hard time getting used to the peace and quiet. That was one reason why I adopted Ernie - just to have a little more noise in the house.”
“Ernie?” Killian questioned.
“Oh, he was our dog. We had him for six years, but he died a couple of months ago.” She pulled her phone out of the pouch of her hoodie and swiped to reveal her lock screen. “This is a picture of Henry with him.”
“Beautiful animal,” Killian commented sincerely, taking in the photo of the brown and white spaniel. “I’m so sorry for your loss.”
“Thanks,” Emma sighed, locking her phone and returning it to the pocket. “Henry grew up with him and he’s had a really hard time with it. Someone suggested renting a pet from the shelter to help him work through it, and that’s how we ended up renting Norman.”
“They seem to really like each other.”
“Yeah, they got along great the first time. That’s why I signed up to get him again, but I was in a hurry when I filled out the form and forgot to ask for a specific dog.”
“Ah, that explains the mix-up,” Killian remarked.
Another half hour passed while they chatted easily, until Henry came over and flopped down on the ground, quickly joined by Norman. “I’m hungry, Mom. Can we get something to eat?”
“Sure, kid. Put Norman back on his leash and we’ll go find those food trucks Mr. Nolan mentioned.”
They soon located the food trucks just down the sidewalk from the park. After discussing their options, they decided to get pulled pork sandwiches from the barbeque place. It was obvious that people who took their pets to the dog park frequented the food trucks, because each one had bowls of water set out in front of them and containers of dog biscuits on their condiment tables.
While they waited for their food, Henry tried to teach Norman to sit, rewarding him with pieces of the biscuits when he obeyed.
“He’s very good with him,” Killian noted.
“He prays for another dog every night, but our schedule is so busy right now. Plus, it’s such a big responsibility and I’m not sure Henry is ready for it. I might be wrong about that though, seeing how he is with Norman.”
After eating, they followed the sidewalk a little further and spotted a playground. Emma and Killian sat on a bench, with Norman sitting between them as they watched Henry play on the equipment.
“You know, we’ve lived in Storybrooke for six years and I never knew this playground existed,” Emma commented. “We don’t come this way very often, because whenever we go out of town, we take the road going south.”
“It appears to be fairly new,” Killian observed. “Perhaps they constructed it when they built those apartments over there, because they don’t look like they’ve been there very long.”
“Yeah, that makes sense. I remember when they were being constructed a couple of years after we moved here, which means they’re less than five years old.”
They lost sight of Henry for a few seconds when he climbed a ladder up into a tower. Suddenly they heard him shout, “Hey, Mom! Look what I found!” and saw him coming down a twisting slide with his arms over his head, clutching a tattered looking soccer ball.
He landed at the bottom and came running over to them. “Someone must have forgotten this at the top of the tower. Wanna kick it around with me?”
“Sure, kid,” Emma answered, hopping up from the bench. “It looks a bit deflated. Are you sure it’s even going to roll?”
“It’ll be fine,” he assured her. Placing it on the ground, he gave it a kick and watched it roll across the grass. “See?”
A black streak flew past him, with Killian following close behind shouting, “Wins-, I mean, Norman! Come back here!”
The dog ignored him, but stopped when he got to the soccer ball. He was trying to pick it up in his mouth when the three humans reached him. Killian was able to kick it away from him, directly to Emma, who stopped it with her foot, then booted it over to Henry. Norman ran from one to the other, in hot pursuit of the elusive ball.
The ‘keep away’ game kept them entertained for a long time. They ran, shouting instructions to each other and laughing until all of them were completely out of breath. Norman was able to intercept some of their passes, but they always managed to get it away from him before he was able to pick it up and run off.
Finally, Emma declared that she had to take a break. Picking up Norman’s leash, she said, “I think we should take him back to the food trucks to get a drink and buy a couple of bottles of water.”
“Aww, Mom,” Henry complained. “I’m not ready to go yet. Can’t I stay here? Killian will stay with me, won’t you, Killian?”
“First of all, you should call him Mr. Jones, and secondly, you’re putting him on the spot, which isn’t cool,” Emma admonished.
Henry looked appropriately chagrined. “I’m sorry, Mr. Jones.”
“Thank you, Henry, but if I may be so bold, I don’t mind you calling me Killian. That is, if it’s okay with your mother.”
Henry looked to his mom, who considered for a few seconds, then gave him a nod of approval.
Killian put his arm across Henry’s shoulders and walked him the short distance to where Emma was standing. “I’d be happy to go get the water, Emma.” He took the end of Norman’s leash from her. “I’ll be right back.”
“Okay,” she agreed. “If you’re sure you don’t mind.”
While he was gone, Emma sat on the bench watching Henry continue to kick the soccer ball around. Killian and Norman returned a few minutes later, handed her a bottle of water and sat down beside her.
“Do I owe you anything for this?” Emma asked, unscrewing the lid.
“Not at all. I think I can afford to buy a lovely lass a bottle of water.”
She refrained from rolling her eyes at his use of the adjective, still rueing the fact she met such a handsome man while looking like she just rolled out of bed. As she was getting ready to take a drink, Henry kicked the ball and sent it sailing over their head, causing Emma to duck and spill some of the water in her lap.
Henry ran over, stopping in front of her. “Oops. Sorry, Mom. I was trying to kick it at the teeter-totter.”
Emma brushed at the water droplets, looking around to locate the teeter-totter, which was at least twenty feet away from the bench. “Not even close, kid.”
Killian stood up. “Perhaps I could give you some pointers, lad. I was a rather good football player when I was younger .”
Henry’s forehead creased in confusion. “I play soccer, not football.”
Killian chuckled as Emma explained, “Killian grew up in England and over there, soccer is called football. They call what we play ‘American football’, don’t they, Killian?”
“Aye, lass. Sorry to confuse you, Henry.”
“Oh, I never knew that. So, how good were you?”
Killian rubbed a finger behind his ear, ducking his head a bit. “I played in a semi-professional league for a couple of years and actually tried out for a professional club, before I decided to go to Uni and become an architect instead.”
“Wow! Cool!” Henry exclaimed. “You probably know even more about soccer than my coach!”
Emma laughed. “Yeah, I’m pretty sure he knows a bit more than a volunteer coach for a youth league team.” She took the dog’s leash back from Killian. “Norman and I will sit this lesson out.”
Killian attempted to wink at her. “As you wish, Milady. Come on, lad. We’ve got work to do.”
She smiled fondly, watching the two of them passing the ball back and forth for a while, before pulling out her phone to catch up on her social media apps.
When she looked up a few minutes later, she saw Killian giving Henry instructions for controlling the ball as he dribbled it down the field. Apparently, they were using two trees as the goal and Henry was moving toward them quickly, while trying rather unsuccessfully to keep the ball under control. When he kicked it from quite a distance away, the ball hit one of the trees and ricocheted away.
Killian went to retrieve the ball and took it back to where Henry was waiting. He squatted down in front of the boy and began talking to him, gesturing now and then to different parts of the field.
Henry listened intently, nodding once in a while. When Killian finished speaking, he stood up and did a short demonstration of how to move the ball back and forth from foot to foot. Then he patted the boy’s shoulder, walked the ball further away from the trees and set it down.
Henry lined himself up behind the ball and looked up at Killian. After getting a reassuring smile from him, Henry started dribbling the ball across the ground with shorter, more controlled kicks, while Killian jogged beside him, shouting encouragement. This time, he got the ball much closer to the trees, before giving it a powerful kick that sent it shooting right between them.
Killian whooped as Henry raised his arms in victory, giving a triumphant cheer. What Emma saw happen next put a lump in her throat. Henry flung his arms around Killian’s waist, hugging him tightly, and Killian returned the hug, rubbing his hand over her son’s head as he looked down at him with a proud smile on his face.
🐾🐾🐾🐾🐾🐾🐾
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You should totally write a small thing bout the Band AU stuff, justice for the rockstar ( especially) trey and matt fr 🙏🏼 I would love to see you give your own opinions about it
-Saphari ★
As someone who literally listens to DVDA (I listen to maybe two songs) I- I'm so gay for the band AU shit. Like knowing Matt and Trey literally can sing and play shit makes me shake.
Mostly because of this. It's- you can see the energy and I need that. The neck, the hands? All it. All him.
I can not control myself, is what I'm learning. This is kinda smutty like it- it's just me being slutty for them tbh. Ok anyway idea times.
Gender neutral, mentions of slutty behavior.
✴✶✴✶
Let's see. Imma break this up the I can organize my thoughts.
If you're a fan...
So if you're just a fan, they (Matt and Trey) would both, likely, call you out if you're a "regular" at they're concert's.
And probably give you like a big hug over the railing at the like meet and greet sign bullshit after word SOULY to see you turn red and stammer.
They love you tho, I mean come on. You're adorable. Like a puppy.
If you don't understand some of the lyrics to the songs and like.. what they mean? Trey is ALL over you. Because he has that dumb stupid fucking kink.
If you have the same music taste as Matt, like Primus and shit? He's so down for anything you have to say. You could say the sky is purple and he'd look up and go "damn you right babe"
They LOVE knowing the fact they could probably tour anywhere and someone as adorable and innocent as you would just follow them and it's the exact OPPOSITE of what they're ego needs.
They give you a nickname since they don't really.... Know your name, just your face. Probably referencing the outfit you wore or your hair color or something dumb, I donno.
If you happen to bump into them just before the-the band starts? And like get blushy and explain yourself they just kinda smirk at each other and ask if you wanna hang out
It's fueling they're egos so damn much. Collectively.
Like Matt probably puts his arm around your shoulders and is like "backstage tour, just for you" and guides you back there.
And Trey's just watching you and shakes his head, tongue against cheek, because he knows it would be just so fucking easy to get you to do whatever they wanted.
But they sooooo offer to sign your chest. Or your hip. Or your thigh. Whatever, wherever.
They love it because it's like they claimed you.
Oh my god. You asking someone to take a pic of you three and it ends up being that one pic of like that lucky girl being kissed by both of them on the cheek.
Hangin out in the van with them before songs becomes a usual thing.
They also don't know your name still- anything they sign for you is made out to your nickname.
Like maybe Trey asked for it when he was drunk after a concert but he does NOT remember but he remembers moaning it as he uh relieved some stress....
And Matt definitely heard it come from your friends but he doesn't care about your name, no, he wants to hear HIS name leave your lips.
They do learn your name after a few repeats of they're concerts, they aren't total assholes.
But both are ridiculously talented. Trey's got that breath control and Matt's got those big bass hands. And Trey has the tongue technique and Matt has the ambidextrous talent. And that's all I'm saying about anything ever.
At the end of the day tho, they do find it admirable that you genuinely like them and the shit they make.
Trey can be a lil.............. self destructive when it comes to specific stuff he's not proud of, but knowing you'll give him genuinely helpful critiques makes him feel a bit more relaxed about it.
And with Matt's temper? He tried his best to keep it under control but you're like the one person he genuinely can't get mad at. Like he's tried. It doesn't work. You just make him soft.
If you're their manager...
Oh, they LOVE making it hard for you.
Like they do the most questionable shit on stage and then you have to explain it to like so many people and it basically just goes
"Who actually controls them?" "Who fucking knows. It ain't me." ".... Huh."
Example: the red carpet + dress + acid shit.
Good luck explaining that to the press....
They did try to get you to match with them that day... Maybe not the acid but they both thought you would've looked lovely in a dress like theirs.
And then you gotta yell at Trey to button up his shirt because he's being slutty for the paparazzi again and tell Matt to chill because he's about to verbally destroy a poor journalist for pronouncing a word wrong.
Also they shout out to you ALL. THE TIME.
On stage, during interviews, anywhere, everywhere.
Literally with out you, this shit can not be done. God knows they won't do it.... Maybe they will, they do kinda have control things, don't they?
Speaking of, you three bud heads a lot. Mostly because Trey writes absurd and inappropriate lyrics and Matt does his damn hardest defending him.
They get away with it tho.
Every single time.
Because they out number you so Matt will distract you while Trey cues up some puppy dog eyes because he knows he has them and they work so well on you
Also they flirt with you constantly. As a joke or for real, who knows, but they love seeing you blush and threaten to quit.
Especially Trey. He loves pushing buttons. And you're his favorite play thing. Like he loves to write dirty, fucking awful songs just to see you blush. Like he shows you one and he just goes
"Good ain't it? I was thinking about you when I wrote it."
And it's obviously about like 69ing or some shit and he has no shame in this at ALL.
And Matt loves like trying to calm you down because he knows he just has that nice soothing voice and sometimes to fuck with you he pulls you into a hug and pets you like a dog and is like
"Sshh, it's ok, baby, it's a joke. I know, he's so mean, isn't he?"
And he's all like pouty and mocking you and shit but you can't get free because the dudes fucking huge.
..... I might wanna be between them. This is such a journey for me, wow.
If something bad genuinely does come from they're teasing, they apologize so out right, serious as fuck and try to fix it the best they can.
Like they don't want you to get hurt or think they just want your body or to tease you- they do genuinely like you and find you funny as hell.
So if they fuck up and shit goes south during a concert or something, they take responsibility.
Although, with the way they can talk they're way out of shit? Psh, it rarely happens.
They do try to keep your name clean tho. They make like to fuck around and do stupid shit but they know you take your job seriously and you deserve respect for that and refuse to let you get roped into they're media fuck ups.
Also they throw you the best thank you partiest at the end of each tour concert. Like whatever you wanna do? Done. It's for you.
You planned the whole thing (the tour), had a budget, set up venues, you deserve more than a shitty lil party but fuck man. It's what they know sometimes. But it's with your best interest in mind.
They fucking LOVE you. They're just so fucking greatful for you not only helping them, but genuinely supporting them.
Speaking of- you are the one person they DO NOT prank.
If they do, it's dumb harmless shit like spraying you with silly string while you piss.
If someone does prank you or takes something too far??
Gone. Matt and Trey no longer know that person. They over stepped and gotta deal with the shit storm that's abouta knock the person's career dead.
If you're a band member...
You're fucked, bro.
The teasing from the other two scenarios gets worse because you just- you're stuck with them. All the time.
In the hotel rooms, on the bus, going to eat, sleeping, showering for fucks sake.
Privacy? Gone.
Well, not entirely. They still get you piss with out them, but they love being by you so they're glued to your hip.
You are their favorite lil band member and it shows.
They give you the best spot on the bus (the seat that doesn't hurt your ass after four minutes), you get first dibs on food during rehearsal breaks, you just-
You get the special treatment, ok?
You guys can "fit in the hotel shower and save the whales with the water you don't waste by taking three sperate showers"
Says Matt as he giggles and strips his clothes off and Trey just nods and smirks and is probably just gonna treat it like it's a casual thing friends do all the time because y'all are all adults anyway.
"It's fun." "Relax a lil." "I'll give you a shoulder massage." "I got the shampoo covered."
I think I'm just going through a lot while typing this out.
If you play the guitar and one of the strings snaps and cuts your hand, you have no idea how fast Matt while drop his bass guitar to help you out.
Trey'll make sure it doesn't happen again. And if it was the result of another band member pranking you?............. That dicks out the band. Doesn't matter. You got hurt, this isn't a joke. No one's laughing.
If it scars, the boys make a habit of kissing it as an apology. They're sweethearts when they want to be.
Trey probably lays awake at night thinking about how often you get hurt now and wants to wrap you up in bubble wrap. He thought you needed stitches.
Matt just double- triple checks the strings of any instrument you play before your allowed to touch it. He hated seeing you like that, it scared him.
If you play the drums, Matt and Trey will show you videos all the time of cool stick tricks and has if you can do them.
Also one of them makes a joke about you doing that to his dick but IDK who. You decide.
It you sit down with Trey and help him write a song he just gives you like heart eyes the entire time and he genuinely can't stop looking at you.
God forbid you have a cute mannerism when you write tho, he'll giggle and think about it for days. Literally.
And he always goes to Matt and is like "did you know they fucking do *insert thing* when they focus?" And he just sighs like "yes dipshit. This is the seventh time you've told me."
But Matt also hits him with the "dude I said my finger hurt and they kissed it for me" and sticks his tongue out at him.
Trey was pouty for the rest of the day.
They turn into idiots. Like puppies fighting for attention.
The way they CONSTANTLY make sure credit is given where it's deserved.
If you write a set of song lyrics to go into Trey's song? Guess who's singing it~ You are. Because you deserve the spot light.
Oh you wrote a riff for Matt? Shit, baby, it's yours now. Play it at the next concert and tear that shit up.
They also constantly talk about you during interviews and how greatful they are to have you and how you help make the creative process so much easier.
Don't imagine laying between them on the hotel bed and just whispering and giggling and kicking your feet at 3 am while the others are asleep and eventually you guys fall asleep all snuggled up.
These boys get handsy tho watch oouuuttt.
If you wear something revealing they just- they can't help it.
Someone's gonna call you pretty while the other just nods and bites his lip.
Compliments THROWN at you from across the room, dude. Literally.
They work really well off of each other so they rarely like fight for you.
Oh!! Oh they always go to you for help with naming songs and albums and album pics and shit.
-
Lowkey ashamed of myself because I feel like I could write more- I'm just blanking. Anyway @saphiari here ya go!! My shitty lil thoughts~
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