#/not me taking forever to reply to this ooop
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BEAUTIFUL PERSON AWARD! Once you are given this award you're supposed to paste it in the asks of 8 people who deserve it. If you break the chain nothing happens, but it's sweet to know someone thinks you're beautiful inside and out ✨
Ooops... just noticed I've gotten two of these from you now, without answering! My bad 🥺
Thank you so much, though! I really do appreciate the thought, even if it takes me forever to reply ❤️❤️❤️
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Episode 10: "Michael? What the fuck is that man doing?"—Kolby
In this round: Touchy Subjects leaves everyone feeling a little, well . . . touchy; Colin, Alex, and Kaleigh bond through being the only ones left out of the vote; Champ throws everyone else in an alliance chat and trusts that it will stick; Raffy and Steven send in advantages and disadvantages galore from beyond the grave; and Michael proves he deserves to be here with a little help from a steal-a-vote received from Chris and a plan to flush Zee's idol
eman
I have entered my Lilith era . . .
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We all know *what* I did, now it's time to get into why I did it.
Honestly, quite honestly, there are a lot of people in this tribe that I feel some degree of closeness with but if those degrees of closeness were to be put on a spectrum there are also those I feel closer to than others.
And in typical type-a, nerd, never got asked to the dance fashion, I have actually been wracked by guilt with the knowledge that my big inclusive circle was going to have to dwindle. (See also the tears over the chain reaction even if I already had my list ahead of time and didn't actually randomize it)
So, here's how the vote went down. Champ & Zee had been gunning for Raffy for a while. Couldn't tell you who first threw his name out there, wouldn't even if I could. I like Raffy (who doesn't like Raffy), and I was willing to admit to some idol paranoia - I also suggested maybe keeping him around for a few more rounds than sending him to purgatory to let him get stronger and build his resume and voting out a subtler threat in these early merge rounds, but that wasn't accepted, so I went along.
And then at the chain reaction it became pretty clear that there was something going between Raffy & Steven.
So, we had to break them up. We just did.
And then they started throwing Tony's name out, and that's when it became clear just what subtle game was being played.
I'd had my doubts when I was first sent to Maracas. AND I was sent to Maracas with Tony.
People have been trying to get me to say just how close Tony and I are for a while. Dude, what do you think it was the three of us on the Island alone for over a week?? Plus Tony and Kolby coulda turned on me when Tanner tried to drive the vote and they didn't. Then Tony coulda betrayed me again at the prisoner's dilemma game and he didn't. He had my back and I will forever have his. (And he sent me a 10% advantage to).
Not only was NOT betraying Tony an option, BUT even more importantly if I had a chance to blow up the other game in the process, I was gonna do it. Because I strongly, strongly suspect that this was a longer term thing (first sending me to Maracas and then undermining my primary foundation by taking away one of my closest allies). So I denied them the chance.
And then I sent both people responsible away. And they will have to battle each other so that no matter what happens only one will emerge.
The only thing that shocks me is that I was able to send both responsible away. I really expected to sorta be banished in the process. And since I wasn't, I gotta come up with a long-term strategy and fast.
Ooops!
Zee
Forgive me father for I have sinned, apparently more than the rest of my tribemates. The Raffy blindside was a success, we told most people that Kolby and Steven were gunning for each other, but most people seemed to want Tony, which is fine, and it's safe to say nobody who was left out of the Raffy vote, expected the Raffy vote. Champ and I both used our extra votes to ensure success, and it all went off without a hitch. This is what I would be saying if shit didn't hit the fan. Eman gave their immunity up to Tony before votes were cast, which caused some people to say to vote Eman, I replied "that seems kinda mean" and people switched to saying Kolby. Colin played an alliance revealer on Eman, figuring out that they had 6 alliance chats which were msged within the last 48h before the tribal. Four of those I was in, the other two I'd assume would be w/Michael + Tony, and Kolby + Tony. Raffy then played his Full Transparency Advantage, so he knew who ended up voting him, and so did everyone else. Alex, Steven, Kaleigh, and Colin were all left out of the vote, and then Trinica told us that a second tribal was immediately happening. I forgot to give Kaleigh a name bc a lot of ppl were msging, and we switched from Colin to Steven last minute.
Problem is, Colin was pushing my name to his compatriots of Steven, Kaleigh, and Alex. I KNEW, that they all were working together, and I knew I couldn't trust Kaleigh. So I got four votes that tribal, which means since I didn't win immunity, I know I'll likely be voted if the numbers aren't in the right spot. Onto the challenge, we had touchy subjects, and I knew that my name would probably be the answer for a lot of these questions considering that after tribal I got passive aggressive messages from Kaleigh, Alex, and Colin. Like....hella passive aggressive bordering on plain aggressive. Also, got many many many non-apologies for writing my name down, which, for those of you who are unaware of what that looks like, the sentence starts out like an apology might be coming, but actually morphs into reiterating how they were apparently closest to me(which is like Alex wth you barely talk to me, if we talk I'm usually the one initiating conversation), which is why they were the most upset that I betrayed their trust like this.
Meanwhile, everyone is flocking to the henhouse. Eman has the best social game, and everyone can see that too. They won "who will win if they make it to the end", "who is actually running the game?", "who is the season's hero?", "who is playing the best strategic game?", AND "who is playing the best social game?". Apparently Eman told Champ that people were lobbying for them to vote me on the revote, and they told me everyone was running to them after they got left out of the vote. Very suspicious. Eman and Tony however lost their votes(allegedly), which means my chances of staying in the game are even more slim. I REALLY don't want to use my idol, and Colin came to the Codenames group and suggested us working together, so maybe that's a pretty good plan. I have to talk with people more today, but I NEED to win the next challenge, and I NEED the votes to go my way. If we isolate Colin from his allies, and breed distrust, then I'm hoping that we can shake things up just enough to pull off the numbers. Especially because it makes sense to offer colin the chance to betray us, because I'm using my full transparency advantage this tribal.
Jack
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Strongest Allies - zee and champ (my babes) they r so genuine and I love their personalities
Kolby
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Alex
Fuck if I know what's going on in this game, confessional prompt, FUCK IF I KNOW. Actually that's a lie: Zee's running the game, Champ is lying to me and Kaleigh, and Eman doesn't trust me, apparently. So shout out to the editors if I were in the show proper, I'd have a fabulous downfall episode right now cuz all the shit I said last episode collapsed on me. Colin, Kaleigh, and I are now I guess gonna scrounge however we fucking can to swing the numbers back our way and build a new majority. Hopefully some of the quieter players will decide they can get further with us than with Zee and Kolby and hopefully some combination of Colin's idol, my gamble advantage, and mine and Eman's extra vote can help do it.
Colin
okay so I'm not the bitch that goes out without a fight. like I WILL stick up for myself and everyone should know that.
but damn is it getting hard right now. after last night's double tribal it's just been LIE after LIE from everyone!! from Zee, Champ, Jack, Eman, all people that I thought I could trust!! that I was literally aligned with!! the ONLY good thing about last night was that it put me with Kaleigh and Alex. like those two had my BACK and TRUSTED me during that second tribal. they could've easily just left me to rot with the rest of my game. but they showed me so much loyalty
so naturally we made an alliance and i shared with them that I had my idol. the one thing I vowed to keep secret in this game, but I don't regret it. like they had my back and I for SURE will have theirs. it is a COMMUNITY idol for us, and we gonna use it to outplay the rest of the hoes.
--
as much as I like to play up a villainous archetype in games, it kinda stings when touchy subjects comes along. like up until yesterday's tribal, I was straight vibing in this game. no real strategy, just getting to know people and forming connections. but out of NOWHERE I was blindsided and left out of both votes? for why?? just because I'm friends with Raffy??
now touchy subjects makes it seem like I'm public enemy #1. I don't get it. everyone turned on me SO QUICK just because I stood up for myself when people were lying to my face.
i'm really annoyed by it, and honestly not in a great headspace regarding it. I feel like I didn't do anything to really warrant the villain status, so still getting it makes me feel shitty.
Kaleigh
WELP!!!! THIS GAME HAS SUDDENLY BECOME EXTREMELY UNFUN!!!! apparently everyone knew to vote for raffy and steven except for ME (and alex and colin lmao oh and raffy and steven obviously) ANNNDDDDDD… for the second surprise tribal colin randomly messaged me and said he thought had the numbers for zee and zee wouldn’t give me anything so i voted for zee and of course steven got one vote more than zee did. champ hasn’t spoken to me since tribal, zee said she was rly hurt i put her name down and i said i was rly hurt that she lied to me about the vote and didn’t give me a name for the second one even tho it was obviously a coordinated move. so yaaaa, obviously neither of us trusted the other before this and now it’s like, ok obviously we both have showed with our actions that we don’t trust each other. which is okay with me! like i made a choice that i thought would be good for my game and it didn’t turn out the way i was expecting it to but i have a newfound very tight alliance with colin and alex…
this challenge will be interesting, i sense i may be the vote for the CAN’T KEEP A SECRET bc everyone kept info from me this past vote so i guess they think I CANT KEEP A GODDAMN SECRET! or also the person most likely to turn on their alliance. likeee, sure w/e fine, i never intended to be allied with zee for long anyway. she has literally been lying to me LITERALLY**** LITERALLY! SINCE DAY ONE.
i messaged a little with michael and jack after tribal. jack was being friendly to me and reassuring me he wants me in the game but iiii knoooooow he’s tight with champ and will do whatever’s best for their game so i can’t trust him whatsoever unless i’m able to build trust with champ again. idk wtf she’s doing. but she WAS covering for SOMEONE this morning for the idol hunt cuz alex and i got the same prompt a couple hours later. and i think it’s where the idol is cuz i got the hint. SOOOoo i think either jack or zee have the idol, probably zee. which… if i can pinpoint where that idol is… i could potentially steal it… OR i can steal eman’s half of their extra vote with alex. i feel like an idol is more helpful than an extra vote but what the FUCK DO I KNOW!!! lmao god. this game is hard and i miss steven and weirdly i miss raffy, who i literally never talked game with and didn’t have any interest in working with in the beginning bc he didn’t talk to me but HE HAS GROWN ON ME AND I WISH HE WERE HERE.
please let someone from purgatory return soon. i am planning to tell alex about my knowledge is power advantage today whenever he’s off work and let him know i discovered that i could steal eman’s half of their extra vote and hopefully he’ll have some ideas of how to either use that to our advantage or figure out who got the idol and steal that. i think zee, kolby, champ, and jack are tight and tony, michael, eman, and also potentially kolby are also tight. cuz jack+champ know each other irl and so do tony+michael. scary they have kolby as the common tie. but either group could peel off and grab me/colin/alex to get out someone from the other group. so let’s hope that happens! i’m a little scared for alex bc he rly thought he could trust eman and they fully lied to him about this vote so i’m like… eek…. anyway i did record a 13 minute video confessional but cba to figure out how to post it so here you are :) i’m hoping alex can talk sense into eman or something cuz the way these IRL relationships are fucking up my game is rly pissing me off!! also i'm the only person who flipped on their alliance and is still in the game with the person i flipped on LMAO cuz jack flipped on raffy who he was allied with. so, i do a little bit fear for myself. but also QUE SERA SERA BITCHES
Tony
Welp, I didn’t think old tribal lines were gonna matter as much but apparently they do. Not only were people gunning for me at last tribal, I now have no vote for this tribal!! I’m so frustrated with this, but hopefully things change!
Champ
Well wow just pull off two back to back blindsides! There’s so much going on but as of right now I’m closely aligned with Zee Eman Jack Kolby and I know the Michael and Tony are friends IRL so they are locked in votes for sure. I’m hoping this vote for Alex goes well, tbh I feel horrible for voting him but I have to be loyal to the people I told my votes too. I think I’m definitely well connected however I’m definitely making a target of myself so I’m hoping I can go far and honestly if I go out at least I’m playing better this game then I was last game so at least this is a major improvement
Zee
It has been radio silent all day. I genuinely am unsure of whether or not to use my idol, because nobody has told me even one name all day. idk if anyone is online but usually people are by this time, and so I'm a bit concerned since tribal is in 8 hours, and I haven't heard even a single name yet. Are people trying to pull a Zee blindside? Or maybe they're trying to make me flush my idol by being paranoid or something. Very suspicious, not enjoying it very much. I definitely feel more vulnerable after touchy subjects, AND after that last second tribal council. The vibes are off, might have to try to bust my ass to win every consecutive individual immunity, use the idol to cement myself in final five, and then keep winning. That shouldn't be too hard....right? We're 10 people, moving down to 9 shortly. So to get where I need to be, I need to win five individual immunities in a row basically. I have the ability to lose one of those and use my idol, it's a feat that I don't know if I could pull off but honestly I've gotta get a challenge win because people seem to think I'm a threat, and it's not a good thing. For some reason I'm getting the credit for spearheading Raffy's vote out which is like, I mean I did kinda organize most people together for the vote, so it's a nice little mark on my resume. But still I don't vibe with how it's negatively affecting my game. I KNOW Champ won't give up her immunity, and we don't have strong numbers, also my name is definitely out there so it's just a case of whether or not I decide to use my Idol.
--
Ok so Eman Michael and Tony said they don't have votes, and Jack said that Alex said he didn't have a vote either. Jack just suggested an Eman blindside.... so....I'm ok with that, I was honestly thinking about it earlier today so I'm glad he's the one who threw it out.
Michael
Kaleigh, Alex, Colin and I are going to try something tonight. Champ assumed I'm voting with her after like 3 messages and one vote? Oh well, let's see what happens
Kaleigh
um. things are popping off. michael wants to vote w me/alex/colin and he has a steal a vote. apparently tony and eman and michael all lost their votes due to disadvantages of purgatory origin. someone (certainly my angel baby steven) has sent me a steal a vote. i haven't told anyone. jack is saying he wants to vote w me/colin/alex but i call bullshit so we aren't telling him anything real so far. we'll see how he votes!!! we might use my knowledge is power to steal eman's half of the extra vote they share with alex if they aren't willing to use it tonight the way alex wants to. i dont know whether to reveal my steal a vote or not. it could be the diff between me staying or going. i haaaateeeeee today LOL
Alex
Michael is willing to blind side Seven with us and that is fucking GAME CHANGING. I'm not going to fully get my hopes up because, like, oof last tribal, but this could be something. Everyone wrote him off (clearly, based off TS) BUT ME AND KALEIGH STUCK WITH HIM. This slow burn alliance has finally caught fire!! He's cool as hell in general and now he's coming out of the shadows to go for throats? Incredible. I was holding off on writing this until we got to do our video call but even with Michael losing his vote I still have hope! Sorry, Eman and Zee, here's hoping one of you goes tonight and the more advantages Kaleigh and I can keep to ourselves/quiet, the better. Just gotta do some extra work on Colin to make him trust the plan, it seems, but let's GOOO.
Tribal Council
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Lost Votes: Michael, Eman, Tony, Zee
Michael (Zee's Stolen Vote): Kolby (It’s nothing personal, honestly just making a move in this game. We just ended up on different sides of things, but hope to play a game with you in the future!)
Champ: Alex (I’m sorry I didn’t ever want to do this)
Colin: Kolby (Play your own game babes. I hope youre having a great time in europe)
Kolby: Alex (shouldn’t have flipped on soca!)
Kaleigh: Kolby
Jack: eman (AUNTIE :( I love you personally but everyone seems to love you sry :()
Alex: Kolby (Second time is hopefully the charm.)
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Jaydick with jealous Dick (if you’re still taking prompts)
Dick was not a jealous person. He wasn’t. All of his exes could testify to that—if anything, he was too trusting, as one of them had complained. There was simply no point to it, he thought. Cheaters were going to cheat, and openly distrusting those who weren’t cheaters would just drive them away.
He certainly wasn’t the type to get jealous over someone who he wasn’t even dating. And he wasn’t dating Jason, had never even considered it. Jason had every right to talk to the dude in the tight shirt and the tighter jeans. If he wanted to laugh with the stranger over drinks, share a straw, even, that was entirely in his purview and none of Dick’s business.
So yeah, Dick was not jealous.
“You are so jealous,” Tim told him.
“What gives you that impression?”
“Dick. Lower the fucking spoon before you stab the guy.” Tim shook his head. “Seriously, I thought you wanted Jason to go out more, meet some people.”
“I do.” Dick could hear how plaintive his own voice sounded, and he scowled even as he lowered the spoon. That he couldn’t remember picking up. Ooops.
Tim was right, though. This had been Dick’s idea, to begin with. He’d just wanted to see Jason let a little loose; get the other man a little sweaty, maybe, see him dance, laughing and relaxed with alcohol so that Dick could enjoy that beautiful grin—
Oh. Oh.
“Maybe you should talk to him,” Tim suggested. “And then get some fucking therapy, Jesus, Dick.”
“I’m in therapy; this is like number 294 on my list of issues.”
Dick was already moving, not waiting for Tim’s reply (“Oh please, it’s at least 142.”) before marching up to the pair by the bar and calling out: “Hey, Jay.”
The transformation was immediate. Jason turned toward Dick, and Dick knew all of that focus was now on him. It was as everything—everyone—else had ceased to exist. The expression on Jason’s face gave Dick the courage to ask: “Wanna dance?”
“Yes,” Jason said immediately. And then he took Dick’s hand.
Presumably, the guy Jason had been talking to looked quite put out when Dick led him to the dance floor. Dick didn’t give a shit, so he didn’t turn around to check. It was far more important to catalog the way Jason gripped his hips, the way the younger man’s shoulders felt under Dick’s hands, how their hips found the same rhythm immediately as if they had been dancing together forever.
“If you ever make me wait that long again,” Jason murmured, mouth close to Dick’s ear, “I’ll kill you.”
Dick chuckled, even as a frisson of heat shuddered through him. Jason had done it on purpose. Of course. “Tim has been advising therapy.”
Jason laughed. “Not saying he’s wrong about that, but you can’t argue with the results, can you?”
No, Dick thought, grinding closer to feel that laughter shake through him, Jason relaxed and sweaty and dancing just as Dick had wanted him to be—No, I can’t.
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The Mystery (Part 2/?)
Two Days Later in the Mage District
Finn entered the dark building. Despite being located in a popular district of Stormwind, this place was always dark and nearly deserted. It gave him chills just entering the building. Maybe it was the name - the Slaughtered Lamb - or perhaps it was the fact that once you walked into the basement you realized it wasn’t a tavern at all.
~~~
Outside, Anjewel had been walking across the rooftops engaging in her normal, albeit personal, patrol. She was on her way to the Mage District to check for incoming mail. It had been two days since she wrote Valdis and wanted to see if a reply had been sent. Anjewel spotted Finn walking alone and was just about to jump down and call for his attention when he entered the Warlock Coven. A chill ran down her back as Valdis’ words ran through her mind. It’s a hard position Anj. Everyone wants power and I hold it. I don’t know whom to trust and every day someone new works to thwart all I’ve worked for to restore order and defend Azeroth. I can always trust you, right?
Anjewel swallowed hard and realized that she had been too open with Finn, and he knew Valdis led the Black Harvest - an organization once thought dead until the Legion threatened to take their world once more. While the information could be found out, it was hard to do, and Anjewel had just given it away.
It’s Finn. I’ve known him forever. This is just Val’s paranoia eating away at me. I can’t handle it anymore. I already have to write her in code, and I can’t use her real name in conversation. This is ridiculous. I don’t know what he’s doing, but he’s not going after Valdis. Still, she found herself unmoving from the rooftop as she watched for his exit, her expected reply forgotten.
~~~
Within the Slaughtered Lamb, Finn made his way down the darkened staircase. Working from memory, as he dared not write anything down to be found, he made his way through winding corridors until he found the one he wanted. A fel green hand surrounded by a circle was painted on the door. He knocked once, then twice, then once more before taking a step back.
A voice rumbled from behind the door, “Enter.”
Finn entered the room and closed the door behind him. Sitting behind a large, hard carved and sparsely decorated desk, sat a Draenei in a robe. Though the robe was hooded and covered most of the figure's features, the tendrils hanging from his chin gave his race away. The figure motioned, and Finn moved to stand just a few paces away from the desk.
“What is your progress?”
“She wrote the First and cut off her ties for a time. It is as you wish. The First is utterly alone, partly due to her own making, but now in part because of your own. The sister does not believe, but suspects enough that trust will be hard to earn again. The sister believes she is doomed to have only failed relationships, save the one she has with me.”
The hooded figure slid open a desk drawer and removed a pouch of gold. He placed it on the table, and Finn felt a thrill flow through him. It sounds so much heavier than I expected. Moving quickly to take it, Finn secured it to his belt and stepped back to his place in the room.
“Excellent. Why attack the problem head on when one can simply weaken the defenses? Your work is complete for now. Keep the sister away and eventually the First will fall. She already crumbles. Just a slight nudge in the wrong direction and her position can be ours.”
The dismissal was clear, and Finn turned to leave. He made his way back upstairs and into the daylight. He stood to the side, closed his eyes and took a focused breath. I am doing that more and more lately. Is it worth this? He took a step and the gold jingled in the pouch. He felt his anxiety leave, and whistling he headed in the direction of home.
~~~
Her heart fell within her chest. I’m not the best at my job, but I’m not an idiot. He didn’t have that pouch going in, and that’s the fifth time in two days he’s had to slow down and calm his nerves. Valdis is right, and this time I’m to blame. Anjewel went to stand and lost her footing. She landed on the roof, her hands slamming into the tiles before she rolled off onto the soft ground below.
A few moments later, Anjewel opened her eyes to see Finn staring at her. Fuck. She looked around to find that he wasn’t the only one looking. As she perused the faces staring in her direction, she saw a draenei leaving the Slaughtered Lamb. Time to think about that later. Filing away his facial features, Anjewel laughed. “Ooops! I was practicing and must have slipped. Finn, what are you doing here?” She struggled to get up, and Finn offered his hand.
As she got up, Anjewel worked at the clasps on his new money pouch before throwing an arm around his neck and leaning on him. “I’d stand tippy toe to kiss you right now, but I’m afraid I sprained my ankle. Can you carry me to the physician around the corner?” The crowd was gathering around them now, and she knew there would be no better time. She feigned falling against him and in doing so she caused the coin purse to drop. A well timed shriek of pain covered the sound of money hitting the ground.
“Of course Jewel. Let me.” He wrapped her arms around his shoulders and scooped her up. The crowd around them cheered and Anjewel looked behind to ensure that some untrustworthy soul took the gold pouch. It didn’t take long, and Anjewel rested her head against Finn's shoulder. “Thank you Finn. I should probably practice closer to the ground next time.” As he carried her two blocks down, she thought about that draenei and worked to memorize his face before the details became blurred through pain medication.
Draenei would never willingly work with the Legion, demons or the Black Harvest. So if a draenei has, they are a traitor to their race. Now I just need to find him and coerce the truth out of him. Another thought, more chilling than the others so far, raced through her mind. What if it wasn’t Valdis? Finn has been working extremely hard to get me to believe Valdis is responsible for this large case of missing persons. But he has A LOT of information for someone who just cares for my general well being. If that’s true, my latest letter played right into plans I’m only just now beginning to suspect. And how long has he been at this? It has to be recent… it has to.
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Highland Destiny Chapter 5 ~Dinner for Two~
They were standing in the middle of the lounge, suspended in time and space, between heaven and earth, looking into one another's eyes. Claire's hand was still in Jamie's, his fingers generating tiny sparks that surged erratically through her body, fanned into a flame with just a little pressure of touch. His eyes, dark with wanting, bore into her soul, sending delicious heat to her core. She felt the sudden rush of blood to her head as her heart raced, scattering all logic and reasoning into some unknown dark abyss. She tried to summon a memory from the past; Frank, Oxford, the hospital corridors, her parents, uncle Lamb... anything to keep her from drowning into Jamie's deep blue. But it was futile. She was falling, dropping, slipping, but she had no idea into where.
The electrically charged interlude was interrupted by the sound of ringing from Claire's iPhone, jarring them from their trance and making them both blink. " Dhia !" Jamie murmured under his breath as his hand released Claire's, to rub the nape of his neck.
Ding! Ding! Saved by the bell.
O' sweet Lord Jesus H. Roosevelt Christ! Ding ding indeed!
Regaining a tiny bit of composure, Claire reached behind the back pocket of her jeans, extracting her phone. "I need to take this," she whispered hoarsely, barely audible.
He nodded and motioned with his hands towards the doorway as he made his way to the kitchen. She nodded back with an apologetic smile.
Seeing the image of the caller on her phone, Claire momentarily forgot Jaime and what just transpired. "Geillis, darling!"
"Hiya chick! How are you daein'? O' my God, o' my God ah heard from Joe yoo're in town. Sae, ye moved here for good?" answered an animated woman's voice in broad Glaswegian.
" Absobloodylootely – YES! Oh God, it's so good to hear your voice, Geillis. We ought to meet up as soon as possible. Listen, are you free Friday night? If so, let's catch up then. It has been bloody ages!"
"Och this is so excitin'! Aye definitely, let's meet up. Maybe Joe will come too. Ah cannae wait tae see you and show you our shop. By th' way, what's wrang wi' ye? Ye sound like ye hae bin runnin'. 'Tis a bad time?"
Claire twisted backwards to peek through the doorway. She saw Jamie leaning over the sink, splashing water to his face and neck and felt the heat crept up her own. "Well, kind of. Look, sorry to make this short but got to go. I promise to call you first thing tomorrow. Is Scotch & Rye Pub on Friday at 7 ok? I've been told that its the place to be. We can grab some fish and chips if you fancy."
"Brilliant, sorted! Scotch & Rye pub it is then Friday at 7! Ah cannae wait. An', och, Claire...you hae a laddie there wi' ye?" She can almost see her friend's cheeks dimpling and giving a wicked wink.
"Sod off, Geillis!" She always knows, the bloody cow! With that, Claire turned off her phone.
Although she was so thrilled to hear from her friend, the call was a welcomed distraction. Geillis was one of her closest mates in Oxford in medical school. And along with Joe, they were the three Musketeers in the campus until Geillis dropped out. In the earlier days, she developed an interest in Alternative Healing after joining a movement against big pharmaceutical companies; hence, she left her medical studies and followed her boyfriend to Inverness to set up a health and herb shop.
Claire was staring at the phone in her hand when Jamie walked back in. He leaned on the doorway, smiling, his breadth blocking the light from the corridor. "Hey, Sassenach. Shall we start dinner?"
She smiled back. "Sure!" And she followed him to the kitchen taking his outreached hand.
..........
In the next half hour, Claire busied herself with dinner's preparation while Jamie chopped the shallots and washed the chanterelles. Still rattled from earlier, she carefully stirred their conversation onto something neutral and avoided eye contact, but working in such a small area, touching was unavoidable. A couple of times, he had to place his hands on her hips as he navigated narrow spaces, and his mere touch sent bolts of heat coursing through her body. But with his laid-back and relaxed manner, it wasn't long before they were back to bantering and joking. Once the chanterelles had been sauteed, and the rice and shallot simmering in broth and wine, she left him to continue cooking while she washed and changed.
Drying herself after a quick shower and shave, Claire was very conscious of Jaime in the other room. Just knowing that he was there under the same roof was enough to make her heart do somersaults. She could hear him moving about as the wooden floors creaked and the pots and pans banged. For a very big man, he looked right at home and comfortable working in the kitchen.
In her bedroom, she looked for something to wear but looking into her wardrobe, there wasn't really a lot of choices. Well, it's only Jamie anyway, it's not like it's a date!
Well Beauchamp, ready for round 2? Ding! Ding!
Wot round 2? There will be no round 2.
So why did you shave your legs?
Rubbish! I always shave my legs.
Liar, liar, pants on fire!
Annoyed with herself, she decided to put on a pair of black leggings, an over-sized sweatshirt emblazoned, OXFORD and white woollen socks. She twisted her hair to the top of her head and fastened it with a hair clasp after giving up on taming her wayward curls. Looking into the mirror, she scrunched her nose and poked her tongue out.
Ok, Beauchamp, let's do this!
Do what?
Get laid?
Not gonna happen.
But you want to.
I do not!
Liar, Liar, Pants on fire!
Sod off!
Satisfied with her reflection, she went to the kitchen.
When Claire walked in, Jaime was in the process of opening a bottle of Chablis. He gave her one of those heart-dropping smiles as he took in the sight of her. His eyes travelled up and down, lingering for a moment at her breast. Jesus H. Roosevelt Christ! Can he tell I don't have a bra? She quickly reached down to touch the hem of her sweatshirt to check its thickness. Taking it as an awkward moment, Jamie reached out and guided her to the table, placing a hand on the small of her back. The scent of her favourite food made her stomach growl ferociously. He must have heard her belly rumble. "Hungry Sassenach? he said with a grin.
She was pleasantly surprised to see that Jamie did make himself at home. There was nothing else for her to do: the table was set, the green salad dressed, her flowers haphazardly arranged in the vase and placed on a side table, and he even had a few of her scented candles burning. In the background, she could hear L-O-V-E song by Nat King Cole playing softly in the lounge. In spite of her nervousness, she couldn't help but smile. Maybe the hunger was getting the better of her.
"Very hungry, indeed!" she replied. Then cocking her head, she exclaimed, "Oh my God, Jaime, you have Uncle Lambs record player working! Sorry, I don't have any sound system set up yet. It's been a hectic during the last few days. There's still a lot of things I need to do with this house."
"Och, dinna fash Sassenach. I love old music and light jazz. We still have my grand parent's record player in our family home, and occasionally, we play some of my ma's collections for 'ol time sake. I hope you dinna mind me going through your uncle's records."
"No of course not, that's what it's there for. Maybe after dinner, we can go through some and listen to some old jig."
"That's grand, Sassenach!" He took her hand and kissed the inside of her palm.
Over the next couple of hours, Jamie and Claire got better acquainted over Rissotto and wine. As the evening progressed, Claire began to relax and enjoy herself as they exchanged stories about their families and life. She found Jamie charming, and like most Scots, he was born a storyteller. He spoke of his late parents and his sister in Lallybroch where he grew up, and in return, she reciprocated in kind and spoke of her travels to archaeological sites with Uncle Lamb and what she can remember of her parents.
After dinner, they moved to the lounge to listen to records. While Jamie lit up the log burner and prepared the whisky and tumblers, Claire fixed a tray of strawberries and cream and coffee. Claire couldn't help notice how at ease Jamie was - he looked like he's lived in Uncle Lamb's cottage forever. For the first time she arrived in Inverness, Claire felt at home, and she wondered if it had to do with Jamie.
..........
Three-quarters of the whisky bottle later, Jamie and Claire collapsed on the floor, spent from laughing so much, after attempting to dance the can-can to Sinatra's "New York, New York." Jamie was a terrible dancer, and Claire couldn't help but giggle her way through the routine. After a few more twirls and twists, they decided to call it a night. She didn't want the evening to end, but it was getting rather late.
Claire got up from the floor and holding up an almost empty bottle in the air, she announced, before slumping on the sofa, "Ok, Jamie, last drink. I'm totally knackered."
Jamie followed suit, but instead of sitting beside her, he sat down on the coffee table facing her. He reached out and took her hands between his own. This time, there was no hint of seduction or suggestion of flirt. "Sassenach, thank ye so much for a lovely evening. I've never laughed so much in my life, but I will need a taxi, I canna drive back home in my state," he said with a slight slur.
"Rubbish, you can stay here, there's plenty of room. I won't have you driving after drinking so much, and you can have my bed, it's the biggest in the house. I'll take the guest room," Claire insisted. She tried to stand up but swayed a bit. As she regained her balance, she looked up at him and smiled. "And Jaime, I had a wonderful time too. Thank you." Claire got on her tip-toes and gave Jamie a kiss on the cheek before swaggering backwards. She giggled. "Ooops."
"Weel, if ye don't mind, then I don't mind either." Jamie slightly unsteady on his feet, caught Claire by the elbows and laughed.
Claire peered into the almost empty bottle of whisky and poured the rest in each of the tumblers. "Good! That's settled then. And no, I don't mind at all. Last drink?" she said, handing a glass to Jaime.
"Aye." And raising his glass, he made a toast. "Slange var Sassenach!"
Claire wobbling on her feet managed to raise her glass, laughing. "Cheers mate!"
After downing their whisky, Claire handed the glasses and empty bottles to Jamie. "Right, I'll go and get some fresh sheets, and you can bring these in the kitchen. Then off to bed."
"To bed or to sleep?" he asked mischievously with a glint in his eyes.
"Ha-ha,"
Claire hurried to the bedroom, slightly zig-zagging as she made her way. That last remark from Jamie made her conscious of him all over again. Damn you, Jaime! As she was getting some fresh linens from the cupboard, she heard a thump and glasses falli
"Jamie, are you alright?" She went quickly to the kitchen and found Jamie taking off his shirt stained with wine. On the floor were shards of glass and spilt leftover wine.
"Och sorry Sassenach, I'm not familiar with your house, and I forgot you had boxes laid there. I tripped over them."
Claire thinking he might be still shaky on his feet due to intoxication, pulled him away from the broken glasses. "It's alright, Jamie. Just stand back a little please." After cleaning up, she went over to him to see if he had a cut. "Let me see you hands Jamie."
"Dinna fash Sassenach, it's just a wee cut." He held up his thumb, and she saw there was a shard sticking out. She quickly went to her first aid kit drawer, to get a tweezer, iodine and some cotton. It was a small cut, but the shard had to be taken out.
Holding Jaime's thumb to the light, she pulled the glass out from the cut, and fresh blood started to flow. Without thinking, as if it was the most natural thing to do, Claire put his thumb to her mouth to suck the blood. Oh, sweet Mother Mary, what did I just do? She only came to her senses when she felt Jaime drew a sharp intake of breath. She felt embarrassed. Feeling idiotic and foolish, Claire didn't dare look up to Jaime and slowly released his hand. Head bowed, she realised he had taken off his shirt after forgetting about it for a moment. As her eyes wandered to his naked torso, she noticed his hard washboard abs and the movement of his breathing. On the hollow of his navel, ran a trail of dark reddish-gold hair that disappeared into his jeans. The thought of running her finger on that trail made the insides of her legs quiver. The skin on her face and neck turned hot. Jesus H. Roosevelt Christ, what have I done, and what am I thinking?
"Sassenach, are you alright?" Jaime said softly as he lifted her chin to look him in the eye. What she saw in Jaime's eye was a concern, instead of his usual mischief. She can only nod, too aware of Jamie's naked torso "You dinna need to be scairt of me - I wouldna force me on you." He paused, taking her hand. "But I would verra much like to kiss you. Would you mind?"
Point of no return, she swallowed. "No Jaime, I wouldn't mind." She paused and then continued, her voice sounding raspy to her ears. "Please kiss me," Then she placed her cool hands on his hard abdomen.
The moment, Claire touched him, he felt his body was on fire. He thought of the other women in his life in the past, Louise, Geneva, Annalise, Laoghair e, and looking back, he realised how shallow they have been. The sex was always a welcome release, but beyond that, there was nothing. With Claire, everything came naturally; he was himself, he can laugh, and most of all, she was herself. He looked down at the woman before him but still found himself confused with what he was feeling.
Jaime, staring into Claire's golden caramel eyes, slowly lowered his head, one hand behind her neck and the other on her waist, pulling her against him. Their lips met, just the lightest touch, but it was enough to send electricity sparks across every nerve ending. It was just a grazing of lips, but he was shaken to the core. He pulled away, his heart hammering, taking shallow breaths. He looked at Claire's beautiful face, her eyes were closed and her lips lightly parted. Dhia! Unable to contain himself, he pulled her back once more, this time into a more passionate and intense kiss. He gently thrust his tongue to the opening of her mouth, parting them to delve inside, teasing and probing until she made whimpering sounds. Her own kisses became hot and urgent, her arms snaking around his neck while her fingers ran through his hair, and this made him kiss her harder more. Standing on tiptoes, she pressed her body closer, crushing her breast against his hard chest, sending pleasures down his groin and making Jamie groan.
They pulled away for air, and Jamie searched Claire's face. "Sassenach, I want ye so much, I can scarcely breathe. Will ye have me?" His voice cracked.
He thought his heart would burst when she nodded.
Feeling emboldened, Jamie then hoisted Claire on to the kitchen counter and clumsily pulled up her sweatshirt, releasing her hair from its clasp and revealing her white breasts. Her curly mass came tumbling down, and Jamie ran his hands through them, raining her neck with urgent kisses and nibbling her earlobes. " Mo Nighean Donn," he whispered. Her legs automatically wrapped themselves around his waist, and she arched her back as an invitation, Jamie's Gaelic endearments making her wild. "Christ Claire, ye are so beautiful!" Jamie whispered in a ragged voice.
Claire moaned loudly as he lowered his head to suckle at each breast, paying homage to each erect nipple. Then his tongue started its frenzied exploration on her skin as his hands tugged at the waistband of her leggings. Once released from the constriction of clothing, Claire said in a husky voice, "Take off your pants, I want you now."
Seeing Claire exposed on the kitchen counter with her legs apart, was enough to drive Jamie wild with lust. He quickly unbuckled his belt and lowered his jeans without taking his eyes off Claire. Relieved of his jeans, he gathered her into a crushing embrace, his hands fondling her round arse, pressing his hardness against her. Her hips started to rotate, wrapping her legs tighter. He reached down between her thighs, and the feel of her slippery wetness made him groan and grab her thighs even tighter. "Jamie, I want you inside me, please."
Hearing the plea, Jamie lifted her with ease, spreading her legs as he pinned her against the wall. Without a word, he plunged his cock into her wetness. Jamie silenced her cries with a hard kiss thrusting his tongue in the same rhythm as his cock. After a moment, breathing hard, he released her lips, biting and kissing her neck, his hands tightening their hold on her arse as he rammed into her, slamming Claire's back against the kitchen wall. She whispered "harder," and "deeper" as she bit him hard on the neck, which drove Jamie to the edge. He did as she asked and more. As Claire let out a loud cry, her body began to convulse, making his balls tighten. Finding his own abrupt rush of release, Jamie arched his back as he thrust one last time and let out a grunt.
They held each other for a long while, not speaking, not moving. Eventually, Jamie carried Claire to her bed. She was limp in his arms. As he laid her down, he slipped in under the duvet with her and gathered her close to him. They fitted perfectly. And then he whispered softly, tha gaol agam ort mo chridhe.
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Kie x Y/n
**lol literally wrote this just now and then got the notification that you posted my request ooops I guess more Kie for me, my lucky night 😋 @maybankiara
Discription: short little fluffy blurb about the loml
Warnings: unedited, just wrote this really fast after daydreaming just now
You felt like she was always someone else’s. Not that she would ever be someone's property. She was a queen, an absolute goddess. What you mean is that first it was John B, then JJ and Pope. They all had her attention at some point. All you wanted more than anything in the whole universe was for her to look at you with love and want, the way you’ve seen her look at others. You spent your free time scheming and thinking of ways to get her to want you the way you wanted her so badly. It was a lost cause, but you were madly in love with her and there was nothing you could do to change that.
The boys were in the water surfing, you sat there with Kie watching them get some sick waves and also some pretty intense wipeouts. There was no way in hell you could pay attention to the boys for long though, not with an angel sitting next to you. You watched her giggling as Pope wiped out and took JJ down with him. When she smiled, it was with her entire face, her beautiful lips turned up, her cute little dimples and her beautiful eyes shining with happiness. You zoned out, admiring her beauty and she caught you staring. “Why are you looking at me like that y/n?” “Oh, no reason! I was just staring into space, daydreaming.” you replied quickly and nervously. “No need to get defensive silly goose.” she smiled and tapped you on the nose. You found it kind of pathetic that just a slight touch from her made your heart race a million miles per hour.
You guys were all hanging out at the Chateau just smoking and drinking and talking about old memories. Your hazy mind took the opportunity to get closer to Kie. You were basically sitting in her lap and you couldn't stop smiling about that. You felt her breath on your neck when she reached over you to grab some snacks on the table. You tensed up and admired her beautiful face while she wasn’t paying attention. Someone was obviously paying attention though. JJ’s loud ass voice pulled you out of your blissful state, “Soooo.. is it time we all acknowledge how whipped y/n is for our wonderful Kiara Carrera?” “Dude, stop, what are you doing?” Pope responded. Kie noticed all the boys' reactions, Pope nervous that JJ had called you out, John B smiling along with JJ, looking at the two of you knowing exactly what he meant.
You stupidly grabbed your phone, pretending like you had a call that you had to take, and immediately ran out to the porch just to get away from the whole situation. Kie followed after you, worried if you were upset and wondering if JJ was serious. “y/n what's wrong? Sorry he's such a dumbass. Don't worry, I try not to take him seriously when he's drunk.” You couldn't lie and cover up your obvious feelings anymore, no matter the consequences “The thing is Kie, he was serious, and it pisses me off that he's right. I am completely whipped for you. I’ve basically been in love with you since the second I laid eyes on you. It’s okay, I know you don't feel the same way, someone as perfect as you wouldn't want someone like me.” She stared at you, concentrating on the words coming out your mouth. “Why would you ever think that someone wouldn't want you? Any person on planet earth would be lucky to have you, especially me. I can't believe you really feel that way about me, I'm honored” You looked back at her, shocked “Really?” She held her hands on your cheeks and gently wiped the tears escaping your eyes. “I hope those are happy tears beautiful” You nodded eagerly, “Kie, am I allowed to kiss you? Would that be okay?” “You never have to ask angel.” She pulled you in and kissed you eagerly, biting your lip and pulling you closer to her. You felt like you died and went to heaven, feeling her tongue on yours and her body pressed up against you. It was like time went by in slow motion. You wished it would last forever. You couldn’t wait to kiss her again and again whenever you wanted. The three boys had their heads peeking out the window laughing and whistling at you and Kie. “Get it girls!” John B said happily. “So y’all admit I was right?” “Yes JJ you were right, now shut up and maybe next time let me tell her how I feel about her myself, you don’t have to do it for me butthead!” You jokingly yelled at him. “Okay okay okay, I’m sorryyyyy but y’all still love me.”
#obx#jj maybank#jj outer banks#kie outer banks#kie obx#john b outer banks#pope obx#kiara x reader#madison bailey#kiara carrera x reader#casstriestowrite
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Just the Two of Us (12)
HAHN AU
After lunch Melissa rode with Benny and Lainey since Marcie was headed back to Maxine. Despite her telling them they didn't have to, the siblings walked her up to her apartment and stepped inside.
"Your place is very," Lainey paused looking around, "Put together."
Melissa snorted plopping down on the sofa, "Wasn't any of my doing. It was his mom."
Before they could go any further, Jeffrey slid his feet into the main area of the apartment with a scowl on his face. He walked over to toss a card to her and turned back around not caring that it fell on the floor. Melissa started to pick it up but Benny got to it first.
"Aye, don't throw shit at no woman. Fuck is wrong witchu?"
Lainey politely stepped out of her brother's way going to sit beside her friend. Jeffrey turned back around, the scowl still on his face.
"How about you mind your got damn business and get out of my place."
Benny held the card up between them, "Don't throw shit at no woman. Hand it to her."
"I'm not handing shit to her. You can if you want to and then get the hell out."
Laughing a little, Benny's free hand went to his throat. He squeezed then lifted the smaller man off the ground. Lainey had to stop her friend from getting up, her intervening wouldn't make Benny let him go and Lainey knew it.
"You heard what I said. I don't fuckin repeat myself," Benny said through gritted teeth, "Do what I said or Ima toss you the way you tossed this card."
Benny held him up a few seconds longer then let him go and held the card out. Jeffrey took it for him and went to hold it out to Melissa with a shaky hand then left the room quickly.
"Hes gonna be so mad when yall leave," Melissa laughed.
Benny shrugged. "You got my number, call if you need me to break his jaw."
"Break his jaw?"
"Yeah," Benny nodded a small smirk on his face. "I break jaws and I break backs. Depends on my mood."
Lainey stood up quickly groaning, "See, uhn uhn that's nasty. Let's go, Benjamin."
Benny laughed at both females reactions. Melissa sat there looking stuck, just staring at him. He winked at her ignoring his sister pulling his arm.
"Ima get outta here and get my lil baby home. But you call me, aight?"
Melissa nodded. "Alright, Benny."
"Your lil baby is ready to go," Lainey sassed, "Bring your ass on, Romeo."
Benny dropped her off at the house then went to his office to check on the paperwork the secretary said he needed to look over. To be honest, he had been avoiding going to his tow yard. He was still extremely angry with Mitch but he didn't want to get carried away and kill him. He was ruthleess but he wasn't stupid.
Seeing the old Honda made him roll his eyes but he got out anyway and went inside the office. He stopped by the secretary's desk to pick up the folder with his name on it then headed back to the larger office. Mitch got up from his desk when he saw his friend wall into their shared office.
"Benny, I been callin you. I wanna talk and make this right." Mitch sputtered out quickly.
"You wanna talk," Benny scoffed tossing the folder onto his desk, "Talk about how you groped my lil baby in the one place she's supposed to be safe?"
Mitch sighed, "You have every right to be pissed, I get it. I was drunk and not thinking I'm sorry."
Benny swung at the slightly taller man, hitting him in his mouth. "Keep that bullshit ass apology. You thought she was gon let you do it and give in but my sister smarter than them females you be dealing with."
Mitch doubled over and held his jaw, "Dammit, B! Chill!"
Ignoring him, Benny charge at his former friend knocking him over and started to assault him. Though Mitch was bigger in stature, Benny was much stronger and it showed. Mitch was pretty much powerless in the fight. Satisfied with what he'd done, Benny got up and dusted himself off. He went to his desk to sign the paperwork leaving his unconscious ex friend on the floor and left when he was finish. Benny knew he didn't have enough money to buy Much outta his half of their business but when he did, Mitch was a good as gone.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
Three months later and things were going smoothly. Fortunately for Jeffrey's jaw, he had been cordial with Melissa so Benny didn't have to make any visits. But that didn't stop her from talking to him on the phone almost every night, and taking him lunch a few times a week. Mitch's brusies had finally healed and he came back to work full time but he was rarely in the office with Benny. Caleb had moved into the house, Benny and Lainey didn't protest it, they were trying for the sake of their mother to have a better relationship with him. Lainey had spent those months getting her salon prepared and decorated, finally she was finished. It was time for her party to celebrate the night before opening.
"Girl, you did a good ass job in here," Marcie exclaimed hugger her friend.
"Thank you, girl. I couldnt have done it without Benny. He was actually pretty helpful."
Marcie looked around. "Where is he anyway? I figired he might have been with Melissa but she's over there with your mom."
Lainey shrugged, "He said he had to pick up my gifts. He should be here in a little while though."
"Aaah, okay. So how does it feel to have your own salon? Its all yours, girl."
Lainey laughed, "Its not mine till I pay for it completely but I'm excited. I've wanted this for forever."
"What do you mean? Girl, I already know about it being paid off."
"What? No its not," Lainey frowned. "I haven't paid for this."
Charles crept up behind her smiling and spoke softly. "But I did."
Jumping, Lainey turned around with a smile on her face. She accepted his hug enjoying his arms around her then pulled away and hit his arm.
"Charles, did you really pay for this?"
He nodded. "Yes ma'am, I did."
"But why? Charles, that's a lot of money."
"To you it might be," he replied moving a piece of hair from her face, "But to me no amount of money is too much. Think of it as a gift from your man."
Melissa came over at the end of his statement and nudged Marcie.
"Ooop, don't let Benny find out his lil baby got a man," she joked.
Marcie laughed, "That vein in his neck gon burst open in here."
Lainey flipped them off the turned back to Charles. "I dont know what to say but thank you. I'll pay it back."
Charles kissed her forehead, "Pay me back by letting me take you to dinner tomorrow after you close."
Lainey agreed just as his phone started to ring. He let her know he was going to step back into her office to take the call. While he was gone the ladies talked amongst each other and the other party goers. Tilda went to grab her niece's hand and led her over to her parents.
"We are so proud of you, babygirl. You've wanted this since you were young and you got it." Caleb reminisced. He moved in to hug her and for the first time in a while she didn't reject him.
Hanna was next, she squeeezed her daughter tight and rocked them from side to side before letting go. "You just don't know how happy and proud I am of you, little girl. And I didn't forget about my trip to Aruba either."
Lainey laughed and nodded. "Yes ma'am. You know Ima still take you."
Thirty minutes went by before Benny walked in with a big smile on his face. He cut the music down then gathered everybody around excitedly.
"You ready for ya gift, Lainey?" He asked.
"Yees! I been waiting all night for it."
Benny laughed, "Its only been an hour since the party started, drama queen. But I got you something that will make this evening feel complete. You ready?"
Lainey nodded wondering what her brother could have possibly gotten her. He had already made sure she had everything in the salon and then some. Benny told her and their mama to close their eyes then went to open the door.
"Aight, on the count of three open your eyes. Yall count with me."
....1
......2
........3
Mother and daughter opened their eyes and screamed. Cameron and Zion stood before them smiling. Cameron had to catch their mama from falling and pulled her into a hug. Lainey jumped on Zion holding onto him for dear life. Both women cried happy tears.
"My babies," Hanna called out. "Oh thank you, Jesus! My babies are all here!"
"We home, Ma," Cameron told her pulling away. "We home for good."
Lainey switched with her mama and hugged Cameron tight then went to hug Benny thanking him. The brothers hugged their father and aunt as the the party went back to normal. Melissa and Marcie stood off to the side watching the reunion.
"I see you," Melissa said filling her cup with punch.
"You see me what?"
"I see you looking at her brother. You over there undressing him with your eyes. For shame," she teased.
Marcie laughed nervously. "Oh whatever, I was just watching them hug. It was beautiful."
"You don't gotta lie to me."
"Look here, Ms. He said he breaks backs and I want him to break mine," Marcie spat playfully. "I'm married not blind."
"Mmmhmmm...not too much longer it looks like."
Finally done with his call, Charles rejoined the party and went straight to Lainey. He kissed her cheek letting her know he was back.
"Hey hey whoa. Who is you and why you kissing on my baby sister?" Cam asked quickly pulling his sister towards him and his brothers.
Zion wiped her cheek off and glared at him.
Benny laughed and he folded his arms across his chest. He told everybody he was nice brother, now they were about to find out one by one.
"My apologies, I'm Charles Frederickson. Nice to finally meet you two," Charles said with a genuine smile on his face.
"You the governor, ain't you?" Zion asked.
"Yeah," Charles nodded with a slight laugh, "That's me. And no I don't have more important shit to do. Your sister takes priority as long as it isn't life or death."
"Mmhm," Cameron mumbled. "So why are your lips on my sister?"
Benny jumped in, "He call himself with a thing for her. She been talkin to him a lot."
"Hmm, is that so?" Zion asked.
"Benny's right, I definitely have a thing for your sister. I asked her to make things official bit ahe said I had to go through the three of you first. So," Charles chuckled, "This time is as good as any. I'd love to date your siste, make things official. Can I have your blessing?"
Cameron and Zion stared at him and Benny answered. "Give us some time to think about it. We'll let you know, man."
"Fair enough," He nodded. "I'm gonna go grab some food and let you yall catch up. Lainey, come find me when you're done."
Charles smiled at her before walking off. Lainey started to follow him but Cam pulled her back.
"Bring ya lil hot ass back here. Where he come from?"
Lainey shrigged still smiling. "I met him when I did the Firat Lady and her family's hair. Isn't he sweet?"
"No," all three brothers answered.
"Look at you all giddy and blushing," Zion said, "Uhn uhn, we gotta check him out first. Aint no fool taking advantage our our baby."
Lainey pouted looking at her brother. "Don't run him away like yall did the other boys. That's why nobody wanted to date me, they was scared of yall."
"Anybody that got scared by us being normal big brothers ain't good enough for you," Benny assured her kissing her head.
Lainey folded her arms, "Yall always threatened to shoot them."
"Okay and?" Cam asked shrugging.
After the party was over, Lainey and her siblings stayed behind to clean everything up. Charles, Marcie and Melissa offered to help but were denied. The clean up was almost finshed when the door chimed and opened.
"Who the fuck," Benny's voice trailed off seeing their estranged sister standing there. "What is your ass doing here, Candace?"
"Nice to see you to, B." She laughed. "Ooh Cam, Zion, yall are out. Good to see yall too. It's been years."
Lainey stepped forward, "He asked you a question. Why are you here? You know you're not welcome around us."
Candace sucked her teeth, "No need for the attitude, Alaina. I jist wanted to come see my family and congratulate you."
"Uhuh, you've seen is and said your peace. Leave." Lainey demanded.
Candace looked around the salon and whistled lowly. "This is nice. I wonder what or who you had to do to get this."
"I'm not you, I worked legitimately for this, Candace."
"You're right about one thing. You're not me and could never be me, little girl. You're just a reject."
Benny pulled his little sister behind him knowing she was about to pounce. His older brothers watched the scene unfold, they wanted to see how Benny handled it. They knew he'd grown into an even better man than he was before he went to jail. He'd been handling everything in his own for years now and they were proud.
"Leave and don't bring ya ass back here or anywhere near us. You know I don't repeat myself, now go before I let her beat ya ass lies she did last time."
Candace scrunched her nose up at him and started to back away laughing. "No need to be so hostile, I just wanted to give yall a gift "
"Leave," Benny barked loudly.
Candace noddee and headed towards the door. She stepped out then stepped back in with her son. She pushed him towards them with a scowl on her face.
"Since yall moved out the hood and doing better figured yall would want that. Have him," she shrugged the turned to leave.
Lainey rushed to the the five year old and picked him up. "Lil Q, baby. Where have you been?"
He looked at her stragely for a second. "I dont know."
"Do you remember me?"
Taking a few moments to stare at her, he slowly started to nod and smile formed on his face. "Auntie!"
The brothers watched the moment with mixed feelings. They were glad their nephew was back with them nut they knew Camdace wasn't just giving him to them to be nice. She was planning something and they were going to figure out what.
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Is This Seat Taken? Ch. 1
Summary: Rucas Senior Year AU. Riley’s a loner who doesn’t really have any friends, besides her twin brother Josh but she keeps to herself in school. Something happened the year before where she missed the 2nd half of the year but she’s back for senior year and Lucas’ heart is ready. He’s had a crush on her since he moved to Philly in 3rd grade and he’s convinced this is the year they’ll move up from the class-friends label and into something more. This is not a completely fluffy fic, I’m going to be diving into some deep shit so if that’s not your cup of tea please leave *this does include some serious depression if it goes beyond that I will trigger warn it*
A/N: Hi friends! I finally wrote something!!! Not sure where it’s going to take us but lets see!
Tagging: (if you don’t want to be tagged let me know or if you do let me know, I'm just trying to tag my usual suspects) @iwantyoutochooseme @celluloiddreams @imaginarybird
Words: 1,687
It was the first day of senior year and overall Lucas was feeling good about this year. He had a few solid friends and his sister, well stepsister, Maya to keep out of trouble this year but he felt up to the task. The only issue was that he couldn’t get a certain brunette out of his. Riley Matthews had been on his mind since he moved to Philly in the 3rd grade. They always been in the same class and when they got to middle school they always had at least once class together. They weren’t quite friends, but they talked in class and she smiled at him when she saw him in the hallway. Riley didn’t have friends really, everyone thought she was a great person and no one complained when they were parried up with her in class for a project. But she ate lunch alone in the library and mostly kept to herself. Lucas had been trying to get himself closer to friends with her since they got to high school but she always dodged his invitations to each lunch with him and his friends. He never really got why they weren’t anything special, just him, Zay, Josh, who was in fact her twin brother, and Maya. She knew all of them from school, and her and Maya had been friends in elementary school. But for some reason she always refused.
Last year Lucas and Riley had almost all of their classes together. As a result Riley seemed to be more comfortable with Lucas, they never hung out. But he did get her number and they talked over text often. While, it was often about school but it was talking nonetheless. He had a crush on her for what felt like forever and had been working on asking her out right before they went on winter break, but she was absent that day and she didn’t return for the reminder of the year. He asked Josh about it once and Josh got really quiet which was unusual for him. It took him a few minuets to answer Lucas but he just told him,
“Riley’s working through some stuff so she’s doing online school for now.”
“Okay? But why don’t I ever see her when I’m over? I’d really like to catch up with her” Lucas had tried to probe for more information but Josh had once again brushed him off saying,
“She’s been staying with my Uncles Eric and Jack for a while, so that’s probably why you haven’t seen her.”
After that Lucas just dropped it not wanting to upset his friend, but he always kept a look out for the brunette. And today seemed to be his lucky day, on his way into his first class he spotted her. She sat by the window near the middle with an empty seat next to her though she looked a little different. Her hair was shorter and the tips of it were purple, she had on some overalls with a floral undershirt. Lucas thought she looked beautiful he plopped down next to her and with his most charming smile asked,
“Is this seat taken?” Riley jumped a bit being taken out of her thoughts
“Oomph! Oh hi!” She tried to sound cheerful but Lucas could tell something was off, “Yeah, I mean no.” Riley shook her head, “No it’s not taken, yeah you can sit there Lucas”
Lucas beamed and Riley gave him a small smile in return, “Where have you been? I missed you last year” Lucas inquired as he pulled out his notebook noticing Riley already had hers open with a purple pen next to it
Riley looked out the window for a moment before turning back to him, “Oh yeah, um. I was dealing with some stuff so I just did online school.”
Lucas nodded, “Yeah that’s what Josh said when I asked him about you.”
Riley gave him a curious look, “You asked about me?”
Lucas chucked again and nudged her, “Of course”
Before Riley could ask another question class had started
As they were packing up Lucas turned to Riley, “Where you going next?” In reply she just handed him her schedule, “No fucking way”
“What!” Riley asked a twinge of panic in her voice
“We literally have the same schedule, what a world.” Lucas smiled at her brightly and he noticed she looked slightly relived
“Do you…do you want to sit next to me for our classes?” Riley asked shyly fidgeting with the rings on her fingers
“I would love nothing more, and that way when we have to partner up for stuff we can just be partners!” Lucas smiled as the tension in Riley’s form eased out and her face broke into a mega-watt grin. Ooop and there’s the reason I haven’t dated anyone else, Riley Matthews still has my heart.
“Thanks Lucas”
--
Most of their classes had consisted of syllabus and then getting to know those around you so Lucas and Riley had talked and talked. He teased her slightly about not being in school but when he saw how tense she became about it, he stopped. She asked him about Maya and his parents. They talked and it seemed to Lucas they were having a great time, until it was time for lunch.
“Hey Riley, do you want to uh eat lunch with me and the gang?” Lucas asked rubbing the back of his neck nervously.
Riley gave him a soft thoughtful look, “Not today, cafeteria is way to crazy the first couple of days. But ask me again next week and I might say yes.”
Lucas smiled, happy to be given even a bit of hope. “Where are you going to go?”
“Oh, the photo-lab I have some film I want to develop” Riley pulled out five film canisters as Lucas chuckled
“But you’re not even in photo this year?”
Riley nodded, “That’s because I’ve taken all the photo classes they have, but Mrs. M loves me so she lets me come in whenever.”
Lucas nodded, he wanted to hug her before they parted but he didn’t want to make her uncomfortable, he knew his own feelings but I didn’t want to force them on the poor girl. So he held out his fist for fist bump, which Riley chuckled at as she bumped it and they went their separate ways.
--
As soon as Lucas plopped down for lunch he started filling the gang in on his day.
“Guys, and Maya. You’ll never believe who I have all my classes with this year!” Lucas explained looking a lot like an over-excited puppy
Josh smirked, “Would that be my womb-mate?”
Zay gave a look, “Huh?”
Maya rolled her eyes and she chuckled at Josh’s joke, “Riley, you doofus.”
“Oh…OH!” Zay’s eyes perked up as he wiggled his eyebrows at Lucas, “So this is your year man? Going to finally get the girl you’ve been pinning at since you moved here?”
Lucas’ face and ears grew red, “I have not been pinning.” The entire group gave him a look. “Okay fine maybe I have, but this is our year man! We sit next to each other in all of our classes and I told her that if we have to partner up for anything that we’d be automatic partners.”
Lucas saw Josh give a sigh of relief, “That man is awesome, I mean for you because I know you love my sister-“ Lucas tried to cut him off but Josh just kept talking, “But Riley was worried about that especially after missing the last half of the year.”
Zay nodded, “Yeah you never did tell us where she went?” Zay asked with a mouth full of food
Josh stiffened, and Lucas got a flash of Riley having the same reaction eelier, “Because its Riley’s business not mine. If she wants me to tell you, which I doubt she does, I will. But until then y’all can fuck off.”
Maya laughed, “Y’all? You’ve been spending to much time with Lucas”
“Hey!” Lucas whined, “Sorry I lived in Texas until 3rd grade. You all have weird accents to they just seem normal because of where we live.”
Maya chuckled, “Okay Bucky-McBoing-Boing”
--
In the darkness of the photo lab Riley worked to roll her film into the canisters and took a moment to breathe deeply. This was going to be a good year she was determined. It had already started off well because Lucas was in all her classes. She felt herself smile as she thought of him; he had always made her heart warm ever since he moved here in 3rd grade. And he somehow wanted to be her automatic partner, now that was a dream come-true, no worrying about who she would pair up with in classes or who she would sit next to. It would always be Lucas. As she finished rolling the last one and closed the container the bell rang and she headed back out into the light and onto the rest of her classes for the day
--
The rest of the day went smoothly for Lucas and Riley, they were laughing and smiling and Riley felt comfortable talking with him. When they were walking to the parking lot Lucas started to fidget with his pack-back as he asked Riley, “Would you like a ride home? It’s just me and Maya in the Jeep and I’m sure she’d love to see you again.”
Riley gave him a soft smile, “Thanks but Josh and me are driving together, I um have an appointment to get to. But I’ll see you tomorrow!” She started to walk away but as soon as she got a few steps she turned back around and gave him a hug.
With both their heights her face laid gently in the crook of his neck and her breathe tickled him as she whispered, “Thanks for making today less scary”
And like that she was gone, he stood there for a moment dumb-founded until Maya smacked him lightly on the back of the head.
“Boy, you got it bad.”
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11, 13, 14, 41,42, and 45. GO!!
I am just hopeless with my replies, aren’t I? Every time I say I’ll be regular, my life screws me up. *sigh*
Anyways, thanks a lot @weasleyismyking540 for the ask and sorry if you felt I ignored it! *hugs*
11. Who is your current OTP?The only couple I am so invested in is (and will forever be) is Romione! (Sorry for such a boring and obvious answer :P)
13. Any NoTPs? Tons really, but to make it simple its anyone-who-is-not-Ron X Hermione. Romione for life! (Ooops! That was too dramatic) 14. Go on, who are your BroTPs? This is like super obvious, Ron and Harry of course! And I also love Hermione and Ginny, Ginny and Luna. Ques:Why do we always say BroTPs? They are my SisTPs!
41. List and link to 5 fanfics you are currently reading:Omg, I am so utterly behind with my reading (so embarassed) and I mostly read oneshots now but these are the ones I am following currently.
i)Thieves by @trademarkblue Yes I will follow this even if she takes another twenty years to finish it. ii)Everything in Transit by @remedial-potions I’m sure all of you have read it by now. If you haven’t, GO READ IT NOW!
iii)The Second Prophesy by Zalini : Hasn’t been updated in a while but has a very interesting premise and I am still waiting for it.
iv)Pause by @trademarkblue : The HOLY MOTHER OF ALL SLOW BURN FICS! We might all slowly combust to death by the time this is over but who cares!
Did I make it to 5? nope, I didn’t. There is one another fic that I should be reading but I am not coz I don’t have enough tissues at hand and I am worried I’ll sob at the drop of a hat and be an utter mess if I start before she wraps it up.
v) 7 years, 6 months, 4 days by @trademarkblue I am sure this is another angst masterpiece in making so all you bravehearts, go read it!
42. List and link to 5 fanfiction authors who are amazing: I feel everyone who dares to write and then put it up for others to read are absolutely amazing. So just choosing 5 would do every writer a disservice.
But if asked who are my absolute favourites, I’ll say, @trademarkblue , @remedial-potions , @aloemilk @honouraryweasley12 , @wildegreenlight , @theperksofshippingromione , @idearlylovealaugh @coyotelaughingsoftly amnd Notsing,
45. What is your all time favourite fanfic? I will name two coz I can’t choose between them.
Stay Standing by Windschild8178Thieves by @trademarkblue Thanks again for this ask @weasleyismyking540 ! I loved answering these!
The questions here are from this post
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18, 19, 26, 35, 44!
possibly very late reply, I was in the arms of Morpheus (I’ve never heard this phrase being used in english but… actually nobody but me uses it in greek either…. ooops)
18. Obsession? My nails xD since I was like 12 I keep them long, pointy like claws and they always have to be painted. I own a shitone of nail polish and my nails probably hate me for not letting them breath ever but I can live with that.Past few months I’m obsessed with Castle Cats… Like I wake up and the first thing I do is open the app and send my cats on quests…. my mum thinks I have a problem xD buuut it’s caaaats!! and I guess I’m obsessed with cats in general since forever and the best thing that happened to me when I started learning english was learning the word cat and that my name was spelled Catherine (when they teach us english here -I was taught brithsh english mainly- they tend to make you change your name to it’s “enlish” version instead of just writing it in english characters… idk why but if I just spelled it Katerina they would tell me it’s wrong!!!!! bitch my name ain’t wrong) :^) but I still don’t live with a cat and I’m salty about it :^)
19. If you had one wish, what would it be? a cat pleaseor turn into a cator eternal life, but like no need for food or sleep… so I can live in libraries and read every last book on earth (and play all the games O_O Like how are games gonna be 100 years from now?) and I guess getting a cat would also be easier then…
26. Best thing that has ever happened to you? The amount of time I’m staring at this is embarrassing but ¯\_(ツ)_/¯All that comes to mind is key moments that fucked shit up….Sure a lot of good things have happened to me but the best?Finding Tumblr would be one of the top… might sound weird but I feel good here. I get inspired, learn so many things, I’ve been introduced to stuff I’d never thought I’d enjoy, I laugh a lot… and yeah that’s the internet in general but Tumblr just feels like home you know… safe.This blog might as well be my own little plain of oblivion! -yes I had to say it shut up XD
35. Do you wish you could ever start over? If I didn’t have anxiety and my mental health was good enough for me to take care of myself I’d be out of this joke of a country. I’d probably isolate myself though and if I met people and things got hard I’d probably just vanish and start over again :P
44. Selfie? I’ve only ever taken a selfie twice in my entire life and I was drunk… I think I was around 9? when I stopped letting my parents have pictures of me taken and I was conveniently sick during picture day. My grandma hates me for it, my mum too x) And the whole obsession with selfies everyone seems to have just made me hate photographs even more and it’s a shame cause there’s been so many times when there was something really beautiful in front of me and I tried to carve it in my memory… and I eventually admitted that IT WOULD HAVE BEEN SO MUCH EASIER IF I HAD A CAMERA LOL I would often try to draw or write about it however so… I guess it was a good thing…So em… maybe a future Sunday?? Look if I ever miraculously convince my parents that we NEED a cat I will take all the selfies with that cat xD
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ESL
Late at night when your friend calls you to pick her up in a bar. You hint that your friend was wasted and can’t even help herself text an uber to take her home. Good thing, you can now use your car since window hour had extinguished. Would you mind listening at her rants for a while? Or you’ll just take her home so you can have your peaceful sleep? For tomorrow you still have tons of paperworks to finish off.
-------------
You were checking your email for your prepared schedule when your phone rang like there’s no tomorrow. Being irritated, you hastily picked it up, only to find out ‘twas your friend calling you.
“Hello?" You waited for minutes but no one answered, all you hear was high volumes of sound playing in the background.
After waiting for minutes that almost felt like years, you were about to hang the call when the person on the other line spoke at the top of her lungs.
"What the heck? You’ll get yourself drunk and can’t make it to your home? Where’s Hanna?… What?! Shit!… Okay stay there, don’t move! Do you hear me?! Never do something that will put yourself to trouble! Where’s that bar specifically?!… I’ll go and get you.” Then you hang up.
You glanced on your phone to check the time and it says, 11:15pm.
Really, 11:15 and yet she’s in the bar drowning herself as if there’s no work tomorrow? Unbelievable, you thought to yourself.
After changing your clothes from a barthrobe, which you were actually wearing after taking a bath earlier right before checking your email, you hurriedly went to your car and drove off. Worried of what horrible things your friend could do whenever she’s drunk.
------------------
You stopped your car in front of a classy bar. But bar is still a bar, you said to yourself. It differs no from any other bar that serves alcoholic beverages and full of smoke from various chain smokers. Eventhough still hesitant, whether to step in your feet inside, you wiped away all doubts and moved forward. Telling yourself, you won’t stay inside for long. You’re just going to pick her up and take her home so you can finally have a sound sleep. Easy as pie right? So you went inside, astounded by different scenes you’ve watched since this was your first time getting inside a bar, you accidentally stepped on someone’s foot.
“Ooops, sorry…. I’m really sorry.. sorry I didn’t mean it," explaining yourself repeatedly.
Your eyes unknowingly landed with the person whose feet you just stepped on.
Wait do I know her? you aksed yourself.
It’s hard for you to recognize the lady due to dim and flickering lights the bar has. But, the complexion, her body size looks like her, short hair? Is this... Hesitant at first, you kept away some strands of messy hair in her face.
“あらららら！酔ってきたら、あなたは全体の災害です。” you said before taking the seat beside her.
She twitched by the fact that your skin touched hers while you're occupying the space.
“Mmm…” She hummed
“Daryl, let’s go~” you replied as soft as you can get.
“Y/N???” She asked eyes half-opened
“Hmm.. mm.. Let’s go.”
Instead of moving, she stayed still. Eyes locked on the ground as if she’s in deep thoughts. You were about to grab her shoulders and help her to stand when she suddenly talked.
“Y/N, how to be you?”
This made you stop and decided to sit back and answer her with a question.
“W-what do you mean?”
She responded with a sigh.
“Well as you can see, I also want to be loved back by those people whom I love–”
“Why did you suddenly bring that up? You already know my answer with that right?” You answered then looked away.
“Yeah, I know. It’s just that, why can’t he just love me back? After I have given my all! There’s nothing left to me. I--”
And there, her voice broke. You quickly glanced at her only to find hot tears were already running down her cheeks. But she immediately wiped it, afraid of being seen by others.
“Sorry, I just can’t help but to cry.”
You closed the distance between the two of you and hugged her while brushing her back saying,
“It’s okay, you can cry all you want. There’s no reason for you to hide those feelings and wait for it to subside.” Assuring her
“Y/N, I wish I was as tough as you. I wish… I was as brave as you. Y/N it hurts! It pains me a lot! I never thought that this could be this painful. I-I .. never thought that we will end up like this.”
--------------
“So who’s the fucking retard, mind telling me??” You asked
“Mark.” She simply answered.
Your eyes widen upon hearing the name. You even spit out the juice you were drinking.
“Mark? Mark who? Mark Aure?! Mark whose love interest of Kim way back in highschool?! Our CLASSMATE?!”
“Of course NOT Y/N!” She answered defensively.
You heaved out a sigh of relief.
“Thank God! I was relieved by that,”
She was about to take her drink when you continued talking.
“Since, I can’t imagine the two of you being together. Holding each other’s hands, exchanging sweet words, having a public display of affection ew, gross!!!” You said while making face.
“Wow ha, coming from the forever VIRGIN.” She snaps.
“Wait, are you trying to dis me? Just because of me, being still a virgin? That I have never slept with someone for my entire life? Is that what you are trying to imply now Daryl?”
“Woah.. chill there. I didn't say anything like that! I just want you to teach a lesson, how dare you dis Mark for him not being that attractive in your sight?”
“I’m just telling the truth, THAT the two of you DON’T LOOK GOOD TOGETHER.”
“And what if I’m saying the truth Y/N?”
“You know what? That’s what you get from reading pile of smuts, you try to perform what you read!” You countered.
She looked at you eyes wide open. She never expected that to came out of your mouth neither you, it just slipped out! Then there, hurt and disappointment registered from her face. She looked away and never argue. After that, no one dared to talk again. Until you decided to break the silence.
“Look, sorry for what I said earlier I know it added the pain you are feeling now. When, I should be helping you ease your pain," you apologized but she remained still
“So it wasn’t Mark whom we both know?” you decided to do the talking now
“No.” She answered.
“Who?”
“Tuan.”
“Ooh.. Tuan.” You repeat
The bell rang when you heard the name.
Mark Tuan? Where did I heard that again?
“Aaah!!! Mark Tuan!” You said as if you won from a Million-lottery sweepstakes.
“Yeah. Mark Tuan," she said before taking the shot of her drink.
"Mark Tuan? Who’s that?”
From a lively facial expression, your face turned into a total frown real quick.
“Mark Tuan of Got7," she said lifeless.
“Got7??? Isn’t that a korean boygroup? Am I right?”
“Yeah, in fact they’re well-known," then she took a shot once again.
“You know what? I didn't know that you have this talent of being a clown when drunk,” you mockily said.
You glanced with your phone to check the time.
2:30am
After seeing the time you stood up and made a stretch. You looked at Daryl whose sulking with alcohol again.
“You almost got me there, let’s go~ you’re too intoxicated already.”
She whined when you held her shoulders.
“Let’s go Daryl~ I’m taking you home.”
“No~ lesh drinnkkk~!” She protested
“Listen Daryl," you leaned closer to her as you try to explain your side.
"It’s already 2:30 in the morning and yet, I am here having an argument with you. I’ve been from a wedding earlier, I haven’t been rested since I went home. Then here you are calling my number as if there’s no tomorrow asking me to take you home for you can’t handle to get home all by yourself. So here I am! Just so you know, I still have tons of paperworks to finish off tomorrow! So please," you stopped for a while to compose yourself as you start to lose your patience.
"cooperate." you exclaimed exasperately.
But instead of getting an audible answer. You just heard a snore and right there, she was fast asleep.
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Time Upon Once, Ch.3 (3/?)
Summary: Killian Jones is a bailbonds man, living in Boston and doing his own thing. But on his 29th birthday, a kid knocks on his door and claims to be his son. What happens when Killian is forced to face his past along with a mystery prophecy about his own purpose in life?
Rating: M (eventually)
A huge thank you to @tnlph @businesscasualprincess and @blessed-but-distressed for beta duties and @shady-swan-jones for the banner!
Tagging a few people that showed interest in this story: @lk0622 @nowforruin @sambethe @xemmaloveskillianx @l-e-x-a-xd @profoundlyfadedprincess @once-uponacaptain and @icecubelotr44 (want to be tagged? let me know and I’ll do it)
on Tumblr: I II
ao3 ff.net
I know... it's been ages. But I'm back to this story now! I cannot commit to a weekly update, because writing this fic is a lot of work that involves plotting, rewatches, tweaks, backstory and a huge amount of detail that is really draining for me. So bear with me. I will commit to have an update every two weeks.
All comments and reviews of encouragement will be highly appreciated
Chapter III
The sound of knocking at the door interrupted Killian’s first cup of coffee in the morning. He went to answer, still absentmindedly holding his mug in his right hand.
Regina was standing on the other side of the door, wearing a sensible grey dress and a coat, holding a basket full of red apples. She was poised to speak, but whatever words she had died on her lips the second she got a good look at him, her eyes widening as she trailed her gaze back and forth over his body. It was then that Killian realized he hadn’t bothered to put on his shirt before opening the door, his bare chest attracting the Mayor’s attention before she lowered her gaze appreciatively to where his jeans were hanging low on his hips. Killian contemplated acknowledging her interest with a suggestive remark, but he ultimately decided against it. He had zero intention of following up on those remarks with any type of dalliance with his son’s adoptive mother. Some doors - much like his heart - were better to remain closed. He settled for a soft clear of his throat and a raised eyebrow in her direction.
That seemed to snap Regina’s attention back to his face, and she quickly schooled her features into a honeyed smile with little authenticity behind it.
“Did you know the Honeycrisp tree is the most vigorous and hearty of all apple trees? It can survive temperatures as low as forty below, and keep growing. It can weather any storm.” There was a veiled threat in there somewhere, and it made the hair at the nape of his neck rise in alert. “I have one that I’ve tended to since I was a little girl. And to this day, I have yet to taste anything more delicious than the fruit it offers.” She grabbed one of the apples from the basket and held it out to him. Killian didn’t take it. “I’m sure you’ll enjoy them on your drive home,” Regina insisted.
Killian Jones may have felt like an orphan for the past twenty years of his life, but that hadn’t always been the case. And though he hadn’t thought about her in a long while, he couldn’t help but hear the warning voice of Isobel Jones in his head at that very moment.
“I’m sorry, Madam Mayor,” he said with his most polite voice, “but my Mum taught me not to accept food from strangers.”
Regina’s smile faltered, something sinister crossing her features before she regained her composure. “I’m hardly a stranger,” she offered with a seductive smile.
Killian tilted his head as if to consider her words. “Even so, I’m afraid I’m not very fond of apples. Never really developed a taste for them. And it turns out I won’t be needing them today, anyway. I’ve decided to stay a while.”
Regina didn’t hide her menacing look this time. “I’m not sure that’s such a good idea. Henry has enough issues. He doesn’t need you confusing him.”
Killian sighed, running a hand through his hair. He didn’t wish to antagonize Henry’s mother further, but nor did he want to leave Henry just yet. Not until he was sure that whatever deep issue was troubling the lad was resolved.
He chose his words carefully. “I don’t mean any harm, or wish to be an inconvenience. I just want to make sure he’s okay.”
Regina gave him a dismissive look. “He’s fine. Any problems he has are being taken care of. ”
“What’s that supposed to mean?” Killian asked alarmed, a sense of dread creeping into him.
“It means I have him in therapy. It’s all under control. Take my advice, Mr. Jones. Only one of us knows what’s best for Henry.” She paused and looked Killian straight in the eye, a silent dare passing between them. Killian said nothing, choosing to hold her gaze as his only reply to her words. “It’s time for you to go,” Regina said, finishing her sentence with a sweet fake smile on her face.
Killian cleared his throat. “Or what?” he asked daringly.
Regina took one step closer to him, her tone cold and calculating. “Don’t underestimate me, Mr. Jones. You have no idea what I’m capable of.”
She gave him one last look before she swiftly turned around and left. Killian let out a weary sigh. He’d let his emotions get the best of him, and now he and Regina were at odds again, exactly like he hadn’t wanted. It wouldn’t resolve anything. It wouldn’t help Henry, which was the only thing he cared about at this point. He let the door slam closed, and replaced his mug on the table. He was going to need a stronger coffee and a better breakfast to start this day.
And for that, he needed to put a shirt on first.
/-/
Killian sat at the counter of Granny’s dinner and sighed as he took in his mug shot staring back at him from the front page of the local newspaper. His mind drifted to the last time he’d had his mugshot taken over a decade ago, and he found himself horrified at the fact that he hadn’t made it forty eight hours in this town without making it to the news. Clearly small towns were not his thing.
The striking brunette he’d seen bickering with her grandmother the night before interrupted his thoughts as she placed a cup of hot cocoa in front of him.
“I didn’t order this,” Killian said. Because as wonderful as the hot cocoa looked, he wouldn’t have ordered one. Especially not today of all days, when it brought back too many painful memories that he’d already had a hard time keeping at bay.
Ruby gave him a coy smile. “Yeah, I know. You have an admirer.”
Killian couldn’t help the smirk that graced his lips, “Is that you, lass? If you wanted to get close to me, you need only have asked.”
Ruby’s eyes danced up and down his face, studying him and Killian instantly felt a pang of regret settle in his stomach at his own stupidity. Aye, he was no stranger to resorting to let anyone willing and available help him chase away the demons of Emma for a few hours. Two bodies connecting, tangled limbs and a mindless release. A few hours of just not thinking. But somehow, Killian didn’t think he should be conducting himself in such manner in the town where his son lived, and with the woman that would be serving him breakfast for the duration of his stay. But more than that, something just didn’t feel right.
She must have read the bluff in his eyes, because she gave him a sultry smirk before shaking her head. “It wasn’t from me, hotshot.” Her eyes darted to one of the booths behind him and his eyebrows shot up in surprise at the sight of the Sheriff - Graham- sitting there, nursing a cup of coffee. Killian gave Ruby a confused look before he cleared his throat and rose from his seat, taking the mug in question over to where Graham was sitting.
“You decided to stay,” Graham offered politely, as Killian set down the mug in front of him.
“Observant… an important feature for local enforcement.” Killian cleared his throat uncomfortably. “Look, mate, the cocoa was a nice gesture, and I’m impressed that you guessed that I like cinnamon on top, but I’m not here to flirt. It’s not that I’m not flattered, I am. You seem to be a very nice bloke, and I’m sure you’ll make someone happy someday but I don’t bat for your team.”
Graham looked at him confused. “I didn’t send it.”
Killian could feel his cheeks reddening as the sheriff realized the meaning behind his words and blushed as well. From the corner of his eye, he could see Ruby giving him an unashamed smile while mouthing ‘Ooops sorry’ at him. Killian reached to scratch behind his ear, trying desperately to think of a way to talk himself out of the situation he’d put himself in, when another voice spoke up from the next booth.
“I did,” Henry said, standing. “I like cinnamon too.” He was wearing a school uniform and beaming at him.
“Don’t you have school?” Killian asked between confusion and surprise. He wondered where the lad’s mother was and why Henry was sitting alone at the diner.
“Duh, I’m ten,” Henry mocked him. “Walk me?”
Killian nodded, leading Henry outside of the diner. Anything to get him away from the amused looks the sheriff and the waitress were giving him.
Killian and Henry crossed the street and the lad strode ahead purposefully, Killian following closely behind. His sense of direction was good, but he still didn’t entirely know his way around town.
“So, what’s the issue with you and your mum, lad?” he asked nonchalantly, his mind still tracing back to his conversation with Regina that morning.
“It’s not about us, it’s about her curse,” Henry stated. “We have to break it. Luckily, I have a plan. Step one – identification. I call it Operation Cobra.” He beamed at Killian, his freckled nose twitching in a familiar way that was forever imprinted in Killian’s memory. He felt it again, that pang of regret and longing, letting it wash over him before he thought back on Henry’s words.
“Cobra?” Killian tilted his head slightly perplexed. “That has nothing to do with fairy tales, lad.”
“Exactly,” Henry pointed out. “It’s a code name to throw the Queen off the trail.”
Killian’s heart broke a little when he heard Henry referring to his adoptive mother in that way, as if she were an evil villain from a fairytale. He decided to ask the lad a few questions, trying to understand how deep his fable world extended.
“So if I follow your tale accurately, everyone here is a fairy tale character, right? They’re just not aware of it.”
“That’s the curse,” Henry nodded. “Time’s been frozen – until you got here.”
“What about their pasts? Their stories?”
“They don’t know. It’s a haze to them. Ask anyone anything, and you’ll see.”
Killian tried to make sense of Henry’s words. “You’re telling me that, for decades, people have been walking around in a haze, not aging, with fabricated memories, stuck in a cursed town that kept them oblivious to everything?”
They had reached the school grounds and Henry nodded one more time, smiling proudly at him. He remembered that smile, only that it had graced another face, another set of lips. Once upon a time, he’d have given anything to have that smile directed at him. His world shone brighter when Emma had smiled proudly at him. It had made him feel as if he were invincible.
Henry’s next words shook him out of his memories. “I knew you’d get it. That’s why we need you. You’re the only one who can stop her curse!”
“Because I’m the son of Snow White and Prince Charming?” Killian scoffed incredulous.
“Yes! And right now, we have the advantage. My mom doesn’t know that. I took out the end. The part with you in it.” He took a few pages that seemed to have been torn from the book out of his backpack, and handed them to Killian. Killian took them, his eyes focusing on a detailed illustration of a light haired man carrying a baby wrapped in a blanket. The blanket had his name - Killian - embroidered onto it. “See? Your mom is Snow White.”
“Lad-” Killian started, but Henry interrupted him.
“I know the hero never believes at first.” Killian’s heart sank in his chest at the tone of Henry’s voice. “If they did, it wouldn’t be a very good story. If you need proof, take them. Read them,” Henry pleaded. “But whatever you do, don’t let her see these pages. They’re dangerous. If she finds out who you are, then it would be bad.” There was a hint of real fear in his voice that made Killian reach out for Henry’s shoulder in a comforting manner.
They’d reached the school entrance and Henry spoke in a haste. “I’ve got to go. But I’ll find you later and we can get started. I knew you’d believe me!”
“I never said I did.” Killian cocked an eyebrow.
“Why else would you be here?” Henry yelled mischievously as he turned and ran to the school.
Killian chuckled before his eyes settled on Mary Margaret, who approached him smiling.
“It’s good to see his smile back,” she confessed.
Killian shook his head, a slight self-deprecating tone in his voice. “I didn’t do anything.”
“You stayed.” Mary Margaret pronounced the words with precision, as if the small act of Killian deciding to stay just for a few days would have created such an instant and rapid change in Henry’s life. “So, does the Mayor know you’re still here?”
Killian’s eyebrows shot up in his forehead. “Oh, she knows. She paid me a lovely visit this morning.” It was Mary Margaret’s turn to cock an eyebrow but Killian waved his hand dismissively, the pages of the book still clutched in them. “It was anything but a friendly visit. Makes me wonder how she’s been elected, considering her people skills - or lack of thereof.”
Mary Margaret seemed to be thinking about Killian’s question. “She’s been mayor for as long as I can remember. No one’s ever been brave enough to run against her.” She lowered her voice. “She inspires quite a bit of, well, fear. I’m afraid I only made that worse by giving Henry that book. Now he thinks she’s the Evil Queen,” Mary Margaret sighed.
“Who does he think you are?” Killian asked curiously.
“Oh, it’s silly.” Mary Margaret blushed.
“Try me, love,” he teased.
“Snow White,” she confessed, biting her lower lip in embarrassment.
Killian’s heart skipped a beat as he felt a sudden rush of warmth rushing through his blood. Snow White. If we were to believe Henry’s fable, this was his mother.
“Who does he think you are?” Mary Margaret asked in return.
He reached to scratch behind his ear nervously, trying to figure out what to say. But it wasn’t necessary, as Mary Margaret seemed to read into his behavior and pieced it together.
“The drawing, the name in the blanket. Killian,” she started, her eyes widening, “he thinks you’re…” she trailed off, her eyes searching his features in a way that should have made Killian uncomfortable, yet it didn’t.
“Aye,” he finally agreed. “He thinks I’m your son.”
/-/
Killian knocked on Dr. Archibald Hopper’s office door, his feet shuffling back and forth, trying to fight that nervous sensation that was creeping up the back of his neck. He heard the voice inviting him in and quickly entered the room, pulling on his most charming smile.
“Killian Jones,” Archie said, motioning to the newspaper lying over the desk. “I was, uh, just reading about you. Let me guess – you’re here for a little help with post-traumatic stress?”
Killian chuckled. “Believe me, I’ve had worse traumas than this one, and I’ve come out of them somehow unscathed.” He reached to scratch behind his ear, noticing how much that particular tic of his had started making a repeat appearance since he’d made it into this town. “I’m here about Henry…”
Archie backtracked a few steps, discomfort showing in his features. “I’m sorry. I… I really shouldn’t-”
Killian raised his hand in a placating gesture. “I know, I don’t want you put you in a compromising situation, mate. But… the lad thinks everyone is a character from his book. That’s…” he tried to find an appropriate word. “That can’t be healthy for him.”
Archie sighed, his eyes carrying more than a hint of reproach. “I-I hope you don’t talk that way in front of him. It can be, um, quite damaging. These stories… They’re his language. He has no idea how to express complex emotion, so he’s translating as best as he can. This is how he communicates, using this book to help deal with his problems.”
Problems. The word sliced through Killian’s heart like a dagger, filling him with ache. This wasn’t the destiny he’d wanted for his little boy when he signed off on the adoption papers.
“He thinks his mother is the Evil Queen,” he said softly, not being able to hide the despair in his voice. “Why would he think that?”
Archie hesitated. “His mother is, uh, a very complicated woman. And, uh, over the years, her attempts to try and bring Henry close to her only backfired.”
Killian swallowed the lump in his throat. “Can it be fixed? Is there- is there hope for them?” He noticed Archie’s confused stare and gave him a tight smile. “I was adopted. Once. I know it can be hard sometimes, but it can also be a good thing, a wonderful thing.” Gods knew, the Joneses had been everything to him, right up until the very moment they were taken away from him in that car accident.
Archie walked toward his file cabinet and pulled a folder from it. “Why don’t you take a look at the file? See what I mean.”
“Shouldn’t that be confidential?”
“Perhaps it can help put your mind to ease,” Archie offered gently. “Just, uh, see that I get it back, okay? And Mr. Jones, just for the sake of the boy, be careful how to handle his belief system. Destroying his imagination would be… devastating.”
Killian took the file. “Aye, thank you, I will.”
/-/
Killian hadn’t made it past the second page of the reports - his heart cringing at words like troubled mind and abandonment issues - when there was a knock on his door. Checking he had a shirt on this time, he stood up and answered the door. The sheriff was standing on the other side, an uncomfortable smile on his face.
“Mate,” Killian started awkwardly, “if this is about earlier-”
Graham cut him off with a wave of his hand. “Actually, I’m here about Dr. Archibald Hopper. He mentioned you got into a bit of a row with him earlier?”
“Uh - no?” Killian said confused.
“He says you demanded to see Henry’s files and when he refused, you forced him into handing them over.”
Kilian’s eyebrows shot up in surprise. “He gave them to me,” he tried to explain, but Graham shrugged at him.
“Alas, he’s telling a different tale. May I check your room? Or do I have to get a search warrant?”
Knowing nothing good would come from refusing, Killian could recognize a set up when he saw it. He just wanted to smack himself in the head for not realizing it sooner. Before he’d taken the bloody files to begin with. He stepped aside and let Graham enter the room.
“This what you’re looking for?” He motioned to the bed where the file’s contents still lay scattered.
“Well, you’re very accommodating.” Graham pulled out a pair of handcuffs and Killian groaned. “I’m afraid, Mr. Jones, you’re under arrest. Again.”
“Bloody great,” Killian sighed, as the handcuffs snapped shut over his wrists. . “This is a set-up, mate.”
“And whom, may I ask, is setting you up?”
I can think of one person who wants me out of the picture.
/-/
Killian stood in front of the plain painted wall, his handcuffed hands in front. He hadn’t posed for a mugshot in a decade - a remarkably good streak, considering his origins - only to have it taken twice in the same amount of days in bloody Storybrooke. He sighed, exasperated.
“The shrink is lying, mate,” he repeated, for what felt like the umpteenth time.
“To the right, please,” Graham ordered. “Why would he lie?”
“Someone might have put him up to it,” Killian cocked an eyebrow at Graham, hoping the sheriff might catch on to the hidden - and not so hidden - meaning in his words.
“To the right,” Graham repeated again, waiting until Killian turned to take another picture. “Who could possibly do that?”
“Oh, I don’t know,” Killian shrugged. “Someone intimidating. Someone who wields a lot of power locally. Someone like the Mayor, perhaps?”
“I don’t think Regina is that intimidating.” Graham said, with a tilt of his head as he took the polaroid out of the camera. “And she’s the Mayor. She’s supposed to be involved in all the town’s affairs.”
Involved, uh.
“Interesting,” Killian cocked an eyebrow. “Tell me, mate, how involved is she with the police force?”
Graham hesitated for a second, a slight blush coming to his cheeks and it was all the confirmation Killian needed to realize that there might be something going on there. But before any of them could speak again, Henry barged into the station with Mary Margaret right behind him.
“Henry! Henry, what are you doing here?” Graham asked, his body going a little stiff as he spotted Mary Margaret.
“His mother told him what happened,” Mary Margaret said briefly, her eyes darting worryingly to Killian.
Killian’s heart sank in his chest and he turned, almost afraid to meet Henry’s eyes. “Lad, I don’t know what your mother told you, but-”
“You’re a genius!” Henry interrupted excitedly, beaming at him. “You were gathering intel for Operation Cobra.”
“Operation what? I’m a bit lost.” Graham said.
“It’s need to know, Sheriff,” Henry said curtly, his narrowing eyes just daring the man to disagree. Killian felt a strange mix of horror and pride, seeing himself reflected back at him through his young son for the first time. He’d been exactly the same at Henry’s age when it came to defying authority. “And all you need to know is that Miss Blanchard’s going to bail him out.”
That last part took Killian out of the thoughts that were running in his head. “You are?” he asked confused.
“I - yes. I trust you,” Mary Margaret said.
Graham looked from one to another and tilted his head, raising an eyebrow at Killian. “I didn’t know you two had gotten so close in the span of 48 hours.”
From the corner of his eye, Killian saw her blushing and averting her gaze and he felt sorry for the poor woman. All she did was give Henry a book and in the past few days she had her credit car stolen, was the subject of the Mayor’s wrath, and now was being dragged to bail the kid’s biological father - her supposed son - out of jail while the sheriff was off getting the wrong idea.
“None of your business, mate.” Killian spat, his words a cold warning. “But if the lady is indeed here to post my bail, then I’m free to go. So, if you don’t mind uncuffing me,” he said, raising his bound wrists in front of him, “I have better places to be.”
/-/
Killian seriously contemplated the idea of going toe to toe against Regina, and he would have done it if he thought anything good could come out of it. But nothing would. If the woman was prepared to pin such an absurd and unfounded crime on him, gods knew what else she was willing to do, just to get him out of the way. He had to stay one step ahead of this game. Sighing deeply - it was only noon and his day had been more eventful than the last two years of his life - he made his way back towards his rented room. He needed a shower and a nap. And coffee.
He’d already gotten his key into the lock, and was moments away from turning the handle when he heard steps on the landing behind him. But when he wheeled around, it was only the elderly innkeeper, Granny, he presumed. But she looked troubled.
“Mr. Jones. Oh my, this is terribly awkward. Uh, I need to ask you to leave.” She fidgeted with her hands. “I’m afraid we have a ‘no felons’ rule. It… It turns out it’s a city ordinance.”
Of bloody course.
“Let me guess – the Mayor’s office just called to remind you?”
She was even more uncomfortable when she met his gaze again, her mouth pulling into an apologetic frown. “You can gather your things, but I need to have your room key back.”
He briefly considered laying on the charm and trying to convince the woman to turn a blind eye to the ordinance. He knew he had the charisma to pull it off - it was after all, one of his favorite tactics to employ in his job, and what had gotten his jail records sealed back in the day - but much like everyone else in this town, she seemed terribly afraid of the Mayor. And the last thing Killian wanted to do was cause anyone else more grief. In all likelihood he’d be out of there by the end of the week, but the townspeople had to live there. It wasn’t worth it to have them alienate the Mayor. He simply smiled and handed over his key.
He always had his loyal companion, his Bug, to rely on. It would hardly be the first time he’d slept in his car.
/-/
Killian knocked on the door and waited politely for an answer, toying with the manila envelope between his fingers. Mary Margaret opened the door and looked slightly shocked to see him standing there. He couldn’t blame her, it was an awkward situation for him too. Killian knew better than believing Henry’s far-fetched story about cursed fairytale characters in a town that time forgot, but a small part of him couldn’t help but studying Mary Margaret’s features to see if there was any resemblance between the two of them. Perhaps in the way she tilted her head at him? Her chin? He shook his head to quickly discard those thoughts - they wouldn’t do him any bit of good - and gave Mary Margaret a soft smile as he lift the envelope.
“I just wanted to say thank you and, um, reimburse you the bail money.”
Mary Margaret gave him a long and thoughtful stare that left him shuffling his feet, as if he couldn’t hide his deepest thoughts from her.
“You look like you need to talk,” she said as she opened the door and motioned for him to enter. Killian took a few hesitant steps into the loft, an odd sense of familiar warmth invading him as he took a seat at the table like Mary Margaret indicated.
“Let me get you something to drink,” she said, making her way to the open kitchen area and gathering a few things.
Killian let his eyes drift around the place, focusing on the soft ambiance and exposed bricks, the natural light coming from the window, the earthy tones which made the loft so cozy and inviting. Like a home. He hadn’t had one of those - a home - in a long time. After the accident, he’d gone right back into the system, bouncing from foster home to foster home, with a few group homes thrown in for variety. Fourteen of them, across three different states, and none of them had that air of simple comfort that Mary Margaret’s place seemed to exude. He was lost in those thoughts, his mind wandering to the broken dreams he once held, of building a home of his own, when a mug was placed in front of him. Snapping back to the present, he gave Mary Margaret a grateful smile and brought the mug to his lips, taking a sip. The familiar taste invaded his mouth at once, and he couldn’t quite hide his reaction.
“Cinnamon?” he asked in a soft voice, trying hard to keep the memories at bay.
“Oh, I’m sorry. I should’ve asked. It’s a little quirk of mine. Do you mind?” Mary Margaret seemed slightly fretful, and Killian could see the inner nurturer in her jumping with the need to offer something else if needed.
“Not at all,” Killian reassured her, taking another sip and letting the familiar taste comfort him instead. “I - I just knew someone that was very fond of it too.” The words lingered in between them, Mary Margaret’s silence making him feel at ease. It was an odd feeling, this familiarity he felt, the effortless comfort he drew from his surroundings. It made it easier for him to express himself. “When you bailed me out, you said that you trusted me. Why?”
Mary Margaret’s eyes drifted towards the table, her hands cradling her mug. “It’s strange. Ever since you arrived here, I’ve had the oddest feeling like we’ve met before.” She tilted her head and gave him a quizzical look, a slight hint of self-deprecation clinging in the way her lips curved in a small smile. “I know it’s crazy.”
“Well, if we were led to believe Henry’s version of the events, I am your son,” Killian said jokingly, trying to lighten the mood. It seemed easier to jest than to deal with why he was feeling this way. Or why he apparently wasn’t the only one.
Mary Margaret cocked an eyebrow at him as her lips pursed into a small pout. “It’s probably that, then.” She cleared her throat. “For what it’s worth, I think you’re innocent.”
Killian scoffed. “Of breaking and entering, or just in general?”
“Whichever makes you feel better,” she shrugged.
“Aye.” Killian’s finger traced the rim of the mug, his breath exhaling in a deep sigh. “While I appreciate the trust you’ve bestowed upon me, it doesn’t really matter at this point. I’m leaving,” he announced and his eyes focused on hers.
She was looking at him intently, but there was no judgement in her eyes, no measure that found him wanting and unworthy. He expected the familiar condescending look towards the problematic type of trouble he clearly would bring to everyone around him, but there was none. In her eyes there was just understanding and empathy. He cleared his throat, shifting uncomfortably under her unwavering gaze. “Thank you – for everything – but I think it’s for the best. If I stay, Henry’s only going to keep getting hurt, or building up his expectations only to be disappointed when I don’t measure up to them.”
And I won’t measure up. The lad deserves better.
“What happens when you go?” she asked in that curious tone that she probably used with the children in her class. The one teachers always used when they already knew the answer, but liked to ask prodding questions in the hopes you might arrive at it on your own. “Perhaps the fact that you want to leave, is why you have to stay. You care about him,” she affirmed.
Killian nodded, struggling to find the words. “His mother is adamant to keep him away from me, which she is in her right to do, as it was a closed adoption. If I stay, even if it’s to try to help them mend things, who knows what she’ll do.”
Mary Margaret gave him an understanding smile, her soft features showing a peculiar strength underneath her warm exterior. “But who will protect Henry if you leave?”
And that was the question Killian had no answer for.
/-/
He rapped his knuckles against the door frame, his most smug smile plastered on his face. Regina lifted her eyes from her work, not even trying to hide the displeasure at finding him there.
“What do you want?” she almost spat at him. “I thought you’d be out of town by now, ignoring the pending charges against you.”
Killian smirked, crossing the room with as much swagger as he could muster, his eyes never once leaving Regina’s. It unsettled her, he could tell. If he wasn’t mistaken, there was a quick flash of fear before she schooled her features again. He stopped by her desk and gently placed the bottle of rum he’d acquired at the local store.
“I’m not planning to escape any charges and I have all intentions of making it to my court date.” He cleared his throat and enjoyed the way her eyes narrowed in annoyance. “I feel we’ve started on the wrong foot here, Miss Mills. Please accept this humble gift as a token of goodwill. A peace offering.” He’d lowered his voice and made it as smooth and un-intimidating as possible, whilst still maintaining some resolve.
Regina tilted her head to look at the bottle before she gave him a condescending smile. “I don’t do rum.”
“Well, you might want to consider trying it. It really does help release the tension.” He cocked a scandalous eyebrow at her, letting the innuendos settle in the air between them.
“What do you really want, Mr. Jones?” Regina said in a clipped tone, trying to contain the rage in her words and failing at it.
“If you think a terrible frame job is enough to scare me off, think again, Madam Mayor,” Killian said calmly. “I had no intention of coming between you and your boy. I really did just want to see for myself that the lad was alright. But the fact that you’ve tried to scare me out of town? Makes me think perhaps I need to stay for a little while, and see what happens.” He took a few steps back, his eyes never leaving Regina’s. “I know it’s what his mother would have wanted. “
He could see the instant effect his barb had on the woman in front of him, but in that moment he couldn’t bring himself to care. He wasn’t one to provoke a fight if he could help it, but this was one instance where backing away wasn’t an option. There was too much at stake. So he was going to stay. He’d stay in this town until he knew his son was okay. Until he knew Emma’s son was happy and loved and living the life he deserved. The life Killian and Emma never got to have.
“Goodnight, Regina,” he said before turning around and leaving her office without another word.
Dusk was breaking as he walked down Main Street, but he still had one last errand left to do. Then he could crawl into the backseat of his car for the night, and let his memories wander towards the many other times in which he slept in that same car. Emma’s head resting on his shoulder and his hand tangled in her hair. That last home he’d ever felt.
It wasn’t long until he found himself waiting outside the shrink’s building, two steamy to-go cups in his hands. Henry smiled only briefly when he spotted him. Killian tried very hard to quiet the frantic pace of his beating heart and bury deeply the need of grabbing the boy and take him far away from here. He settled for smiling back as he held out one of the cups. Henry grabbed it and took a sip, lips curving into a genuine smile.
“Hot cocoa with cinnamon. You remembered.” He beamed at Killian, as if his entire world was a better place just because he’d remembered his favorite drink.
Killian patted Henry’s head and gave him a stern smile. “Rule number one lad: never accept food or drinks from strangers.”
“But you're my dad,” Henry objected and Killian’s heart squeezed in his chest at the word. He closed his eyes for a brief moment, trying to get a handle on himself, but when he spoke again, he couldn’t quite keep the emotions at bay.
“Once again, Henry, rule number one: never accept things from strangers, no matter who they are or how you think they won’t hurt you. Promise me?” he pleaded.
Henry nodded, “Okay.”
Killian sighed deeply, taking a sip from his own drink. There was a bench nearby and he started towards it, letting the lad follow him. “Rule number two: confrontation never leads to anything. Especially when you’re at a disadvantage and you don’t hold all the cards.” He gave Henry a pointed look. “Aye?”
“Does this mean you’ll help break the curse?” Henry asked eagerly.
“I need time to understand all of this, lad. I won’t lie to you. I don’t necessarily believe in this curse… but I will stay, for a while.” Killian’s voice broke. “It- it’s what your mother would have wanted.” He smiled, his finger pointing at Henry’s cup. “She was actually the one that loved cinnamon in her cocoa. It was her favorite. “
“Would she have believed?” Henry asked, and that was all the permission Killian needed to cast his mind back to his memories of Emma.
They’ve been hanging together for about a month, roaming the streets and lifting small things - wallets, snacks from convenience stores. Just enough for the two of them to get by, huddled close against each other in the backseat of the bug at night, trying to keep each other warm. Slowly, he’d realized how his touch lingered every time he was near her, the need to be closer to her in every sense invading his thoughts over and over. He’d been mesmerized by her from the moment he met her but there was nothing a poor sod like him had for her, other than the desire to keep her as safe as possible in the life they were living.
But that afternoon, he’d struck some luck. He’d been following a mark, an old lady that seemed like easy prey to pickpocket but at the end he couldn’t go through with it. Instead he offered to carry the woman’s groceries for her, and she’d been so thankful she’d offered him some cash as a reward. He’d wanted to refuse, but he knew he could use that money for several things. He needed the money. Though something the woman had said stuck with him.
“Use it to do something your heart desires.”
So he’d taken Emma to the movies to see an old Disney classic, and they’d splurged on popcorn and sodas. Later, as they walked through the night, passing the last of the soda back and forth, he’d asked her.
“Do you believe in happy endings?”
“C’mon, Killian,” she scoffed. “Do you? What is there to believe? The goodness in people’s hearts? Destiny or fate or some almighty being making everything alright? I don’t believe in any of those things!”
He stopped short, the hopelessness in her voice breaking his heart. His hand reached for her arm and slowly, gently he brought her around to face him. “And what do you believe in, Swan?”
She gave him a smile that didn’t reach her eyes. “I believe that people will always be out go get you. I believe that they will leave you behind in the blink of an eye when you’re no longer convenient. I believe in looking out for yourself, and you’ll never get hurt.” She fidgeted, her eyes averting to the floor, her voice nothing but a thin thread. “But lately…”
His heart beat frantically in his chest. “Lately what?”
She lifted her head, her green eyes meeting his, a small flicker of hope shining through. “Lately I’ve started to believe in you….”
“Emma…” he breathed, his hand moving to cradle her face as he leaned in and captured her lips with his. She threw her arms around his neck and he let the soda fall to the ground, gathering her up in his arms as he kissed her over and over.
Killian took a deep breath as he brought himself back to the present, a time where Emma was no longer by his side, a decade of broken dreams and sleepless nights. And Henry.
“No,” he whispered, “Emma wasn't interested in fairytales. Nor happy endings. Neither of us were - are.” His eyes focused on Henry’s hopeless stare. “I’m sorry, lad. But I don’t want to lie to you. Your mother was many things, but a believer wasn’t one of them.”
“It’s okay,” Henry said as he drank his cocoa, his unwavering faith making Killian wish so badly Emma could be there with him to see it. “I’ll believe enough for the three of us.”
“Aye,’ he said, reaching up to clap the boy on the back. “You do that, Henry.”
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A Box Chocolate
Happy Valentine’s Day, my dears! I hope you enjoy today :D (For anyone who cares aboout my personal life: I’m back home since about 4 days and still tired, haha ~)
Trying to balance the number of bags all at once yasu pushed the door open by shoving his shoulder against it.
Surely it wasn't the most elegant way to do it, and not the most effective one, either, since he bumped into the person standing on the other side of it immediately.
“Fuck”, he swore and dropped at least three boxes of chocolate.
“Yasu!”, a surprised voice exclaimed and a wide, familiar smile appeared behind another pile of boxes. “What are you doing here?”
With great effort yasu managed to get down to his knees and pick up the dropped chocolates without losing another one. He was pretty proud on his acrobatic display and almost expected ka-yu to applaud.
Unfortunately he had to realize that it was impossible for him to do so, since he was holding just as many bags as yasu himself. Probably even more so.
“The same as you, obviously. Picking up some of the valentine's chocolate the fans sent. I left most of it for the staff, but they still made me take so much of it.”
He let go of a small laugh, that felt nervous for some reason.
Lately he didn't spend a lot of time with ka-yu and whenever he met him he desperately wanted it to go right. Sometimes he missed him in his life.
“That's not what I meant”, ka-yu furrowed his brow slightly, but he was still smiling.
He seemed happy whenever they met and yasu was glad he was doing so well. Sometimes he hoped he missed him in his life, too, though.
“I was wondering why you don't spend the day with someone special. Surely there is someone?”
Although it was just a statement he made it sound like a question. Something about the way he said it was off.
“Nah, forever alone, you know the tragic story of my love life: I fell for music and she made me her bitch.”
Ka-yu laughed warmly at that. His face wrinkled up and his eyes looked very kind. Yasu was surprised he wasn't spending the day with someone special. He was adorable.
“So, fancy going for a coffee with me, if you're free anyway? Maybe you'll feel less lonely then”, he suggested.
For a moment yasu hesitated. It sounded very tempting. He hadn't had a proper talk with ka-yu for far too long and being all alone on Valentine's was a little depressing, even if he didn't like to admit it.
“What if someone sees us together?”, he asked nonetheless. “I'm not too keen on any kind of gossip. Or squealing fans on the street, for the matter.”
With a smirk ka-yu shrugged.
“Don't worry, I know the perfect place to go. So, can I give you a ride?”
Nodding in agreement yasu followed his former bassist outside where he had parked his car close to the company building.
Handing over his chocolates he watched ka-yu place them in the trunk, before he got into the car besides him.
He had always liked the car. It smelled a little like ka-yu and he enjoyed the way the tattooed knuckles tightened around the steering wheel.
In another life – where music didn't come first – he might have been very attracted to his friend.
Curiously the dark haired one shot him a fast glance from the side, before fixing his eyes on the road in front of them again.
“You look pretty good”, he observed. “I was worried you'd be pushing yourself too hard with the new release and all.”
“I'm good”, yasu shook his head and looked out the rear window.
The city flew by fast and he liked the feeling of moving forward. He had always liked that feeling.
“Where are you taking me, though? It looks familiar.”
Turning his gaze back to ka-yu he could see him smirk slightly.
“We're almost there”, was the only thing he gave away, before pulling into a driveway.
Yasu blinked at the house they had parked in front of.
“But that's your place!”, he laughed in surprise, getting out of the car anyway.
Walking to open the trunk again ka-yu performed a small bow and grinned:
“Best service in town, I assure you.”
Shaking his head in amusement yasu helped him carry all the bags filled with sweets over to the front door, following him inside.
He knew ka-yu's place quite well. Not as well as he used to, though, he remembered with a little pang of sadness.
“Feel at home”, his friend welcomed him and led him into the living room.
He gestured for him to sit down on the couch, while he placed all the boxes on the coffee table in front of it. The table was so small that some of the chocolates fell down over the edges, but none of them bothered to pick them up again. There was no space left to put them anyway.
“Now, what would the gentleman like to drink?”, ka-yu wanted to know in a mocking tone of voice.
“Coffee would be great, thank you”, yasu smiled up to him.
Ka-yu turned around and he watched him disappear into the kitchen. He was wearing a pair of pretty skinny jeans and he couldn't help notice the nice curve of his butt. Again, he wondered why there was no one else around, wanting to spend the day with the bassist.
After a moment he returned with two steaming cups, handing one over to yasu.
It felt hot against his fingers, but he held on to it closely nonetheless.
Ka-yu sat down next to him and for a moment they just stared at the piles of chocolates looming over them.
“I'm not even finished with the ones I got for my birthday. Are you?”, yasu sighed.
He almost flinched when ka-yu gave a loud laugh in return.
“You bet”, he replied and as he turned his head yasu could see him grin widely. “You're talking to the master of sweets. I'll be finished with those in no time as well. I basically have chocolate for breakfast, lunch and dinner. And all the snacks in between.”
The seriousness with which he had given this statement made yasu chuckle.
“I nearly forgot”, he admitted. “But I won't manage that.”
With slight disapproval ka-yu shook his head and took a sip from his coffee.
“Weak, yasu, weak”, he scolded. “We'll have to work on that.”
Sipping from his coffee as well, yasu pulled one of his legs up onto the couch to make himself more comfortable.
“So...it's Valentine's Day...what do we do?”, he started, not sure what he wanted to imply himself.
Ka-yu looked at him as if he were completely out of his mind.
“Why! We eat chocolates until we both feel sick and afterwards we watch bad TV shows that no one but you would ever think are funny!”, he exclaimed passionately and grabbed for the first box of chocolates.
Yasu couldn't help but smile at that premise. He hadn't been aware of how scared he had been to be alone today.
So he took up one of the nicely wrapped up chocolates as well, marvelling at how much trouble fans went through to send these.
“It's so nice of them”, he mumbled more to himself, but got a sound of agreement from ka-yu nevertheless.
Looking up to him he could see that the first streaks of chocolate were already smeared across the corner of his mouth.
For a very weird moment he wanted to lean in and lick them away.
He wondered if it had been easier back then, or if he had just forgotten how hard it actually was to cover it up.
Hastily he turned his head and started to munch down on the chocolates as well.
It tasted good, but he could never feel quite the happiness that shone on ka-yu's face whenever sweets of any kind were involved.
He chewed slowly and without haste, mixing the taste inside his mouth with small gulps of coffee. He enjoyed the feeling of melting chocolate on his tongue and he enjoyed ka-yu chatting away next to him. He sounded happy and he had almost forgotten how happy he made him feel as well.
“God, those were delicious!”, he pointed out, finishing the last piece from a light blue box.
“What were they?”, ka-yu asked curiously, reaching over to read the small paper attached to the box.
He stared at his name and then glared at yasu threateningly.
“Hey, did you just eat some of MY chocolates?”, he inquired and yasu grinned apologetic.
“Ooops?”, he offered.
“You didn't even let me try them, although obviously they were delicious!”, ka-yu carried on, but it sounded like he was making fun of him.
Sheepishly yasu looked down on the empty box again. Although his friend seemed to be joking he felt the need to apologize still.
“Sorry”, he murmured. “I forgot to check. Now it's too late.”
“Nah...”, ka-yu disagreed. “I'd still like to try.”
Confused yasu raised his eyes again, only to find ka-yu's lips really close to his all of a sudden.
Without further warning he kissed him and out of reflex he closed his eyes.
They had kissed before, mostly on stage, but it had been so long ago that he had nearly forgotten how soft his lips felt.
Against the light pressure he felt a bold tongue sneak forward, licking over his lower lip.
It made him shudder lightly all over, but before he could really start to enjoy it, ka-yu pulled back again.
Opening his eyes again yasu blinked at him in a state of shock.
In a very casual manner as if nothing weird had just happened, ka-yu smacked his lips and stated:
“Mmh, delicious indeed.”
Then he went back to placing another piece of chocolate in his mouth, not even looking at yasu in such a careless manner that it did not feel like he was avoiding his eyes either.
For a moment longer yasu just stared at him. And then it hit him.
Shuffling closer he placed his head against his friend's shoulder, again closing his eyes with a very quiet sigh.
“How did you know I wouldn't spend the day with anyone else?”, he wanted to know in a small voice.
The room was so silent that he could hear ka-yu chew and swallow without hurry.
“The office called me when you came to pick up the chocolates”, he explained and yasu could hear him rustle with some paper wrapping, probably picking another piece up from a box.
“Thank you”, he admitted and smiled slightly.
On his lips he could still taste chocolate and ka-yu.
“I really didn't want to spend the day alone.”
Against him the bassist shifted his position, until he felt an arm wrap around him and another soft kiss being placed on his hairline.
“I know”, ka-yu whispered gently. “I always know.”
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Forget Me Not Chapter 3 ~Frankly Speaking~
Lallybroch always made Claire's heart lighter, and no matter where her travels took her, it was still home she looked most forward to. Her inheritance from uncle Lamb enabled her to travel, which he inspired in her when she was a child. Forever grateful to Brian and Ellen for taking her into their family, she offered part of her inheritance from her parents and uncle, to put towards the restoration of the hotel. Despite Brian's initial unwillingness to accept Claire's gift, which was deemed totally unnecessary, she had insisted on end until they had to finally succumb. She had been too stubborn to let go of the matter, and told them, she'll never wholly be part of the family unless they accepted her contribution. Now home at last and soon working for the family business, she couldn't be any happier.
"That was bloody gorgeous," Claire gushed, grinning at Jamie, as she cleaned her plate, eating every morsel of the Raspberry Mille Feuille with relish, including the garnish meant for decorative purposes. It was a favourite treat that Jamie had made, especially for her homecoming.
"Watch yer language, young lady!" scolded Ellen gently, her disapproving look quickly turning into amusement as she watched her foster daughter finished the dessert with enthusiasm.
Claire's penchant for swearing was acquired from time spent with her uncle Lamb at archaeological sites during summer holidays before he died. No amount of admonishment nor threats of her mouth being washed with lye soap by Ellen put an end to the habit.
"Sorry ma...everything was just so delicious," Claire apologised in a muffled voice, mouth still full with pastry and raspberry. "Absolutely fabulous homecoming - I'm so terribly spoiled. I should go away more often. And Jenny, the Beef Wellington was divine. I don't understand why you don't want to work in a restaurant. You're a fabulous cook, and you can give Jamie and Willie a run for their money with your talent," Claire said, her eyes twinkling as she winked at her foster brothers.
Jenny smirked feeling pleased, as she had always taken pride in feeding and taking care of her siblings. She hoped one day when she and her fiance Ian Murray are finally wed, she would have many children to take care of. "Did ye hear that, laddies?" Jenny eyed her brothers. "Good thing I didn't join the family business and become yer head chef. Not that Murtagh isna doin' a fabulous job, but home-cooked classical dishes are still the best, instead of those fancy cooking ye lads learn at yer swanky school."
Everyone on the large family table laughed, and Claire sat back and watched in contentment as the quibbles, banter and sallies carried on. Even Geillis had joined in with the raillery, and she was glad her friend mingled easily with her family with no awkwardness. That's not surprising though, as hospitality and conviviality were what the Frasers were known for whenever guests graced Lallybroch.
Ever since stepping into the threshold of the Frasers home earlier, Claire was engulfed with familiarity and belonging, but somehow, she couldn't shake the feeling that somehow something had changed. It didn't take long to figure out what was different - she knew it was Jamie. He was no longer the gangly and ungainly lad that left Lallybroch for France six years ago. Although they had kept in touch regularly, it was the first time they had seen each other in years.
When Claire first laid eyes on Jamie at the platform of the train station earlier, her breath had hitched. She was caught unaware of how much he had physically changed. He was broader, taller, and his body gym-honed, as a result of his daily workouts. Claire had always known Jamie liked to keep fit but seeing the result of his discipline was another thing. She was flummoxed by the newfound awareness of him as a man and how devastatingly handsome he looked. Although he had held her in his arms before in his brotherly way when they were younger, somehow being held by him at the train station was different. The feel of him was conflicting with her childhood memories, and it made her confused as unfamiliar sensations arose in her. Now, more than ever, she was conscious of everything that was Jamie, and every time he looked directly into her eyes, strange flutterings sprouted from her belly causing her to feel warm and tingly all over.
At one point during dinner, she had unconsciously glanced at his lips as he sipped his wine, noting the few days' bristles of his beard, and she allowed her mind to wonder how many girls he had kissed. When her gaze eventually went to his eyes, she was mortified that he caught her staring. Looking away in embarrassment, Claire mentally scolded herself for thinking such things, and she thought, how appalled Jamie would be if he knew what was going through her mind. She tried to dismiss the strange sensations triggered by his presence as silly musings of those of teenage girls'. But it was futile as he was constantly nearby and just like when they were younger, he was tactile and demonstrative with his affections. Brotherly love, that's all it is and nothing more , Claire thought.
She was brought back from her reverie when her phone beeped and buzzed.
"No phones on the dining table...ye ken the rules, Claire," Brian reminded his foster daughter, throwing a stern look her way.
Geillis' prying eyes, having a mind of their own, wandered onto Claire's phone screen which was placed on her friend's lap. She saw the name, bold and clear as the screen was swiped to read the message. "Oooh, it's from Frank!" she announced inadvertently in a soft voice, but loud enough for everyone to hear.
"Frank? Frank Randall?" Willie glanced at Claire with an arched eyebrow.
Claire felt the heat creep up her face, as she never told anyone, apart from Geillis, that she had been in contact with Frank ever since that one summer when they met for the first time since leaving school. She had been secretly in love with him for as long as she can remember and had arranged to meet up once she was back home.
Jamie leaned closer even though he was sat next to her. "Sassenach, why does Frank have yer number?"
"Are ye seeing a lad?" Brian piped in, now curious and attentive to the conversation, as Claire was the only one in the family who haven't brought home a special someone.
"Och Claire, ye're blushing, dear...so ye have a boyfriend?" Ellen joined in, beaming. "Ye should invite him for dinner so we can all get to know him."
"Ma! He was a prick back in school!" Willie blurted, giving Claire a disapproving look.
"Language lad!"
"So, is he yer secret boyfriend?"
"Sassenach?"
"Is it a date and if so, why is he no' picking ye up?"
"Ye have a boyfriend?"
Jenny didn't utter a word, but her head snapped back and forth, watching the interrogation like she was watching a tennis match. And Geillis' only answer to Claire's frown was "Ooops."
"I don't have a boyfriend, alright!" Claire snapped, sounding a tad bit terse than she intended to. "He's an English guy who went to the same school as Jamie and me, and we're just texting. I'll be meeting with him in the pub later."
Everyone was silent for a few seconds until Jamie spoke up. "Sassenach, I'll drive ye to the pub...it's getting late, and it's dark."
"No, Jamie, I can go to the pub myself. I'm a big girl now, and I don't need a chaperone. Besides, Geillis is coming with me," she replied impatiently, trying to hide her mounting irritation of being put into a spot like a schoolgirl caught doing something she shouldn't.
"I am?" Geillis sounded happy at the prospect of going to the pub. She had always loved going out.
Claire nodded to Geillis, giving her a warning scowl to zip it.
"Claire! Jamie is just offering to drive ye to the pub. We all know you can take care of yourself..." Willie joined in, asserting his position as the older brother.
"I was going to the pub meself, so I thought I'd drive ye..." Jamie added, the furrows on his forehead deepening.
"How convenient!" she muttered, regretting her reply immediately. Jamie had always been nothing but sweet to her and Claire wondered why she was feeling guilty that he knew she was off to see Frank.
"What's that supposed to mean? And why are ye upset?" Jamie asked.
"I'm not upset!" she retorted, giving him a pointed glare. In actual fact, she felt unsettled, and she doesn't know why she should feel that way. Her family was just curious.
"Yes, ye are! How long have ye been texting Frank?" Jamie remarked, his face devoid of any expression.
Usually, able to read Jamie's mind, Claire wondered what he was thinking. It made him harder to read when his gaze is so intense that she daren't hold them for long.
"Da?!?" Claire looked at Brian imploringly, looking for support. She daren't glance at Ellen as she knew there would be questions in her eyes. And the last thing she needed was having to explain to her family who and what Frank was. It was no one's business!
Brian let out a sigh as he dug out his car keys from his trouser pocket and tossed it at Claire. "Here, lass, take my car. Right, lads...back off now. The lass is right. She doesn't need any of ye hovering about especially if she's seeing a boy...that's her affair. She'll tell us when she's ready."
Catching the keys, Claire quickly slipped out of her chair and went to Brian to give him a thankful hug and a kiss. "Thanks, da." And before anyone could say anymore, she quickly left the dining room, signalling Geillis to follow suit.
"Mind, if ye have too much to drink, call one of the lads or a taxi. Don't want ye drinking and driving..." Brian shouted after Claire.
"Aye da, will keep that in mind," she shouted back, mimicking his accent, as Claire ran up the stairs with Geillis in tow.
..........
Jamie felt like he was punched in the gut when he found out Claire was meeting Frank at the pub after dinner. What he thought of his adolescent infatuation towards his foster sister as long dead and buried, had resurrected in full force as something more astronomical and immense. It was no longer an innocent teenage crush with dreams of holding hands, gentle kisses on the cheek and sharing a tub of ice cream, but something more deep-seated that was awakening inside him. Perhaps, it had been there all along, and distance and absence had prevented him from dwelling on his yearnings. When he had held Claire in his arms at the train station, he felt a pleasant stirring, and he so wanted to bury his face in her neck and feel the thrumming of her pulse against his lips. Claire had pressed her forehead against his as she told him how much she missed him, and if Willie and Claire's friend hadn't been there, he might have been tempted to kiss her.
But then there's Frank. Damn him to hell and back. He should have gone back to where he came from after he finished school, but instead, his family had stayed, and Frank went to study law in Edinburgh. Claire would undoubtedly like that about him, her being an intelligent girl and all. If memory served him right, she had told him a long time ago, she preferred the tall, dark and handsome type, and now, Frank was an academic, to boot. To make matters worse, he was no longer the reprobate that he used to be. He was actually a nice guy, and after his pupillage, he was on his way to becoming a barrister and most probably a successful one too.
For as long as Jamie could remember, he and Claire had no secrets. Even when he was in France, and she, in Switzerland, there were nights when they would talk on the phone for hours on end. She never broached the subject about boyfriends or relationships in her life, and when he did ask, he had waited with bated breaths for her answer. Her response was always, "I haven't found anyone special yet." If he was perfectly honest with himself, he dreaded the day when Claire would announce she was seeing someone. So, it must have been Frank all along all these years. How could he compete with someone that Claire was wholeheartedly devoted to? But on the other hand, unlike Frank, Jamie knew her like the back of his hand; he understood her fears and weaknesses, he could tell when something was bothering her, and the world wasn't right, he accepted and appreciated her flaws as perfections and endearing, he remembered all her favourites and dislikes. And most of all, he wasn't going to stand back and let some English sod steal his Sassenach right under his nose.
Jamie looked at the grandfather clock as he heard a car parked on the gravelled driveway. It was past midnight already. As he hadn't been able to sleep, he decided to watch a movie in the family TV room, which was once their playroom when they were kids. He got up and poured himself a treble measure of whisky before settling once again on the sofa. He could hear Claire and Geillis giggling as they made their way up the stairs. Half an hour later, the door opened.
"Jamie?" Claire walked in, wearing one of his old shirt and thick, red woolly socks. "I hope you don't mind...I went to your room and took one of your shirts. I've never been a jammies person."
He smiled and patted the sofa next to him before getting up. "Fancy a whisky?"
Claire nodded as she padded over to the sofa and slipped under the quilt Jamie had been using to keep warm. It was a cold night, and he hadn't bothered putting the fire on. "What are you watching?"
"Just flipping channels...nothing exciting," he replied, handing Claire a tumbler with a double measure of Lagavulin, before settling next to her under the quilt. Jamie knew she liked her whisky peaty.
"Jamie, sorry about earlier. I acted like a brat. I have no idea what came over me..." Claire started as she turned to face him, tucking her feet beneath her.
"It's alright, Sassenach." Jamie raised his glass. "Here, slàinte mhath and welcome back home," he said softly. "So, how was yer night out?"
"It was alright...it was great to see a few familiar faces. I talked to Frank, but he had to leave early because of some emergency at home. We're meeting tomorrow morning again for coffee." Claire shrugged as she swigged her whisky with an audible gulp.
"That's nice. So ye still fancy the lad?" He was swirling his glass and looking into the oaky liquid.
"If you mean if I'm in love with him... I don't know...well, I don't think so. I thought I was, until tonight. I've grown up loving the notion of being in love, and when you're finally faced with the object of your fantasy, reality doesn't really do it justice, does it? But I do like him, and he's changed a lot. And he seems to like me, so we'll see how it goes. I guess I've changed... people change, you know...just like Frank."
Jamie let out a deep breath he'd been holding in for long. He didn't want to look at her lest he revealed the jealousy he felt towards Frank. "I've changed too ye ken, but at the same time, I'm still me."
"Jamie as I said people change and those changes are more noticeable, especially you haven't seen them for ages. But what I don't want to change is what we have between us...I think what we have is pretty special."
This time Jamie shifted from his position and turned to face her. "Aye, Sassenach, what we have between us is quite extraordinary. What I want ye to know is, what I feel towards ye and what I know I have with ye, will never change. I promise ye that. Best ye don't forget."
Claire smiled for the first time since walking into the room. She put down her tumbler on the coffee table and arms wide open, she beckoned, "Friends again?"
Jamie rolled his eyes as he reached out and gathered her to his side, laying her head on his chest before kissing the top of her head. "Sassenach, ye clown. Of course, we're always that. Now shall we watch a movie?"
Claire snuggled closer, pulling the quilt around them and wrapped her arms across Jamie's middle. "Alrighty, you choose as long as it's not a war film," she replied, settling in a more comfortable position.
Twenty minutes later, the door opened. It was Jenny. "Hul-loh, ye two. I thought I might find ye here."
Claire raised her head from Jamie's chest, drowsily. "Oh hello, Jenny, want to join us? Enough space on the sofa."
"Och no, I'm going to bed. I just wanted to ask ye both if you'd like to go out for dinner tomorrow night? Ian had Italian in mind. I've asked Willie and Geillis already, and they said they're coming. So what say ye two?"
"Sassenach, fancy Italian tomorrow and maybe bowling after?" Jamie asked, smiling as her head bobbed, realising she must have fallen asleep.
Claire nodded. "That would be lovely... sounds fun."
"That's fab, it's a date then. Good night ye two!" Jenny winked before closing the door.
By then, Jamie sensed Claire had nodded off to sleep as she let out a faint snore. He pulled her closer to his side, relishing in her warmth and the feel of her body so close. Jamie tried to concentrate on the film and dispel thoughts of what Claire's nearness was doing to him. He wished she didn't look so damned provocative, wearing only his shirt. Part of her appeal was that she was so unaware of her own allure and charms. As Claire shifted, muttering incoherently, Jamie knew he was on a very short tether, strained and taut, that was likely to snap any moment. He needed badly to refill his glass with a good measure of whisky but didn't want to disturb Claire's slumber. He was just at the point when he was getting uncomfortably strained when the door opened again. It was Willie this time.
"Oh, it's ye both, I thought someone left the lights on," Willie whispered as he noticed Claire sleeping on Jamie's arms.
"Listen, Willie, can ye do me a favour and carry Claire to bed. I have an awful cramp on my leg and can't stand. I dinna want to disturb her."
"Aye, nae bother."
Willie lifted Claire effortlessly in his arms before saying good night to his younger brother.
The moment Jamie heard the door closed upstairs, he quickly got up and poured himself another treble measure of whisky or maybe more, and downed it in one go. Christ Sassenach, ye'll be the death of me!
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