#;; & chat : amelia bones
Text
Quem: @miabcnes
Local: Madam Puddifoot's Tea Shop
Quando: Dia dos Namorados, Flashback Sexto Ano
O que poderia dar errado em um encontro às cegas? Tudo. Sturgis podia listar diversos motivos, mas mesmo assim acabou cedendo quando seus amigos convenceram ele a se inscrever no ‘Vai dar Namoro?’, uma espécie de dinâmica que alguns alunos do sétimo ano tinham criado com objetivo de unir os solteiros de Hogwarts. Enquanto se dirigia ao Madam Puddifoot’s Ted Shop, onde tinha sido marcado seu encontro, Podmore conseguia escutar a voz de seus amigos em sua cabeça: “Vai ser legal, Stu”, “Milagres acontecem e quem sabe esse não é o seu momento de finalmente desencalhar”, etc. Era impossível negar que eles tinham um ponto, e desde que seu par não fosse uma aluna purista Podmore presumia que as coisas poderiam fluir bem, caso contrário o que seria um encontro romântico iria se transformar em uma tarde de ofensas e brigas. O corvino não tinha muitas informações sobre o seu par ou qual tinha sido o critério utilizado para juntar os casais, a única informação que tinha recebido fora um pergaminho com algumas instruções a respeito do encontro como o local e hora. Assim que chegou ao estabelecimento, o bruxo explicou sua situação para a Madam Pudifoot e a adorável senhora o levou até uma mesa de dois lugares que ficava aos fundos, próximo a janela. Sturgis Podmore não sabia ao certo quem tinha sido o responsável por pensar naquela dinâmica, mas ele era obrigado a admitir que tudo estava muito bem organizado e estruturado e isso sem falar da decoração exuberante do Madam Puddifoot’s Tea Shop, por onde olhava encontrava diversos arranjos florais espalhados pelo local. O bruxo não soube dizer por quanto tempo esperou até seu par chegar, mas assim que viu Amelia Bones se aproximando da mesa onde estava ele automaticamente abriu um sorriso. Aquilo realmente estava acontecendo?! “Amelia”, cumprimentou a bruxa. “Se seu irmão descobrisse que estou em um encontro com você imagino que ele iria querer me matar, mas vale a pena correr esse risco”, Sturgis tinha uma relação bastante amigável com o gêmeo da bruxa, Edgar Bones, e por conta dessa relação de amizade não sabia qual seria a reação do amigo diante da situação. “Enfim, a grande questão é que fico feliz que seja você. Imagina só se me colocassem em um encontro com Alecto Carrow. Não que eu tenha nada contra ela, apenas tenho um grande amor pela minha vida e o jeito psicopata dela me assusta um pouco. E se precisar não hesite em me mandar calar a boca, quando eu fico nervoso eu costumo a falar sem parar e não paro mais… Como agora”.
11 notes
·
View notes
Text
Quem: @miabcnes
Local: Início do show de Florence and The Mermaids
Quando: Witchella, Dia 1
A bruxa não sabia exatamente como Mia estava se sentindo após descobrir que Edgar também iria dividir a barraca com eles, e como forma de tentar animar a amiga e garantir que tudo estava certo entre as duas Meadowes arrastou a lufana para que elas pudessem aproveitar o final do show de Florence and The Mermaids. “Eu sei que você tem total razão de estar brava comigo, mas não deixe que isso estrague o seu dia”, falou na tentativa de animar a amiga enquanto caminhava com Mia em direção a aglomeração que estava assistindo ao show. “I swear I never saw it coming. Quando o Ed perguntou ao seu respeito eu respondi ele na melhor das intenções, nunca achei que ele iria se convidar para ficar com a gente”.
7 notes
·
View notes
Text
you're the only one I want to see
to the anon who suggested this idea: I hope you know it has become a permanent installment of my before-bed-fantasy-dream-time. this is very much inspired by the Andrew/Amelia Golden Globe's interview, hence the title. thanks to @hereyeswerefilledwiththestars for the reader's interview theme I appreciate you bestie <33 hope you all enjoy comments and feedback is always appreciated. ilysm
////
“I think you’re being summoned.”
“Am I?”
You watch in professional disbelief as Harry Styles turns in profile to find that, yes, his publicist is waving him onto the next interview.
“Oh, yeah,” he pouts, “So sad, I was having such a good time chatting.”
“Don’t worry,” you reply with an air of chumminess you can’t quite believe is coming across as effortless, “We’ll find a time soon, darling, I promise.”
“They can’t keep us apart, I won’t let them,” he declares, “Keep up the good work.”
“I’ll certainly try!” You call after his retreating back. As soon as he’s out of ear and eye shot you double over, wheezing to the camera man, “I can’t believe I just had a full conversation with him.”
It’s the 2023 Britt Awards and British GQ has hired you as a representative for the red carpet, after your web series gained popularity and got you noticed by large publications across Europe and America. In a world where every interview has to have a schtick, yours is called “Two Drink Minimum,” a show where you invite celebrities out for at least two drinks and ask them increasingly more ridiculous questions as the night progresses. So far, you’ve hosted names such as Pedro Pascal, Bryce Dallas Howard and Jonathon Van Ness and in the new year, it seems like everyone’s publicist is in your inbox asking for a feature. Your career has led you to a lot of “pinch me” moments, but watching Harry Styles’ ever-sequined back sauntering away from you calls for a punch square in the face.
Suddenly, a male voice pulls you from your star-struck stupor.
“I was hoping you’d be here.”
You start, spinning around to come face to face with the man who decorated both your high school bedroom and college dorm room, and your phone lockscreen for as long as you can remember having one. Matty Healy, wearing a dark green suit and an amused smile.
You press a hand to your chest, “You scared me-”
Instinctively, he reaches for your forearm, “-oh no, I didn’t mean to scare you-”
You grip the sleeve of his suit, hardly believing his real skin and bone is beneath it, “-you just materialized out of nowhere-”
“-I was just so excited to see you, I couldn’t help myself.” He giggles — really giggles.
You can feel your face heating up in spite of yourself, “Wha- excited to see me? Matty Healy please-”
“No, really, ask the boys I’ve been dying to meet you.”
The knowledge that the men of the 1975 have even mentioned your name, let alone had full conversations about you, is almost too much to handle. You search for a word, anything really, that might be appropriate. Your brain feels like hot pea soup.
“And where is your… gang this evening?”
His brow furrows, you immediately regret saying anything. Staring at him might’ve even been better.
His lips turn up at the end, “Gang?-”
You’re already explaining yourself, “I don’t know why I said that you’re-”
He’s smiling full on now, like he knows something you don’t,“Yeah, there’s a name for what we are, love, it’s a-”
“- A band, I’m sorry it’s just that I’ve been talking to Harry Styles and I’ve lost all cognitive ability,” you joke, gesturing wildly at your forehead.
He rolls his eyes, the smile becomes a smirk, “Oh that’s it, is it, you’re still thinking about him? Should I leave, should I go find him for you?” He points his thumb behind him, already turning to go.
You reach for his arm again, giggling at his sarcasm, “No, no, Matty that’s not what I meant-”
“- No it’s alright, I don’t want to stand in the way of true love.” He waves one hand at you, the other loosely holds your finger tips.
“No, honestly what it is is that I’m actually getting really nervous around you but I was embarrassed so I used Harry as a cover,” Truer words had never been spoken.
He’s nodding, a single strand of hair tickling his eyebrows,“Oh, there’s the backpedal, no it’s alright the damage is done, I see where I stand. Just England’s second best male pop star, that’s alright.”
You whistle through your teeth, donning a jokingly skeptical look,“I don’t know, I feel like Ed Sheeran might have that title.”
His mouth actually falls open at that,“Ed Shee- right I’m leaving, you’ve slandered me for the last time-”
You’re laughing now, the nerves have gone. It feels like you’ve been old friends forever,“No! Matty, don’t give up on us-”
He shakes his head, looking away from you into the crowd, “-after I was so kind and complimentary to you-”
“- you’re right I’m the worst, I’m awful-”
“-telling you how excited I was to see you, practically baring my soul-”
“- please come back, let’s talk about this!”
“Ok, fine you’ve convinced me.” He circles back to you, clasping his hands in front of him. His eyes make a trail from your eyes to your mouth to your necklace back to your eyes. If you weren’t blushing before you certainly are now.
You take a deep breath, “Ok, now you were telling me where your band is.”
“Yeah, they’re queueing at the Glam Bot.”
“Oh, is there a line?”
“Yeah, it’s ages long too, I couldn’t stand there any longer. George is gonna text me when we’re up.”
“Do you have your pose planned?” You ask.
“No, and I’ll tell you what we should probably figure that out because that thing is proper intimidating.”
“Yeah, it comes at you awfully fast doesn’t it?”
“Yes! It’s so fast, I get nervous just watching it.”
“Matty Healy? Afraid of a robot?”
He frowns with his whole face, leaning backwards,“No, no, I’m not. I’m a big guy, I don’t get scared-”
You roll your eyes, laughing through your nose,“That’s right I forgot, forgive me.”
“-It’s fine, just try to remember next time,” He winks at you, just barely so much so you think you might have imagined it, “No, I’m mostly just scared that I’ll blink or something stupid.”
You make a noise of agreement, “Do you want to practice not blinking?”
He bites his lip in thought,“How would we do that, exactly?”
“Easy, we’ll just have a staring contest.”
“Oh yeah, okay .”
You square off, each of you closing your eyes in preparation.
“Ok,” you say, “Counting us down. Three, two, one, go.”
You open your eyes and are immediately met with his stare, dark amber, autumn leaves and the forest at sunrise, maple and mahogany. Your breath catches in your throat. He’s smirking at you again, as if he can read your thoughts. You try to think about neutral things, dogs, going to the grocery store tomorrow, how much your feet hurt right now, just in case he can.
“My eyes hurt already,” You whisper.
He doesn’t say anything, just hums something under his breath. It all feels strangely intimate, all these people in the room and he’s staring at you like you’re the first person he’s ever seen in his life. An idea washes over you suddenly. He’s rocking back and forth slightly on his heels. Just as he moves forward, you lift your hand and snap your fingers in front of his nose. He blinks immediately.
“Ha! You blinked!”
“That’s cheating!” He’s indignant, his Northern accent evident.
“It’s not cheating, I’m just preparing you!” You laugh as he shakes his head, running a hand through his hair.
“This is so unfair,” he rubs his dry eyes with the heel of his palm.
You pout sarcastically at him. “I’m so sorry, I hope someday you can forgive me.”
“It might take a while,” He wrinkles his nose at you, then is distracted by his phone lighting up i his pocket, “Oh, George is demanding I come back now.”
Your stomach falls slightly, “Yes, go back to your-”
“Gang?” he raises his eyebrows.
“-exactly.”
He touches your arm again, the skin tingles, “So sorry to leave you, I feel like that was probably the most worthless interview you’ve done all night-”
You laugh.
“Not like that it was bad, I just feel like I didn’t give you anything whatsoever.”
You place your hand over your heart, “Don’t worry, it was very impactful to me.”
“Ok, well that’s all that matters,” He’s inching away, lingering slightly, “Maybe we uh… maybe we can have a redo on your show.”
You hum agreement, “Now there’s an idea, Healy.”
“I have good ones sometimes.” He shrugs, thumbs in his pockets.
“I’ll have my people get in touch with your people,” You say, and before you can stop yourself, shoot him a pair of finger guns.
He’s almost turned away, but does a double take, laughing, “Did you just finger gun me?”
“Pretend that didn’t happen.”
“Sure. I’ll see you in there.”
He walks away, giggling still, looking over his shoulder at you. You retreat to the bathroom to call your roommate in hysterics.
#matty healy fic#matty healy x reader#the 1975 fic#im very excited abt this one I must say#hope you all enjoy !!!#mayhaps there is a part two being thunk
433 notes
·
View notes
Note
Hi!
Um
Is Amelia Bones open for the rp thing?
Yeah of course!!!
Just dm me the tag to your side blog once you make it and if you chose to make an Insta dm me that too and I will get you added to the proper chats there!!!!
7 notes
·
View notes
Text
5 years - Hannix AU
A/N: I already explained here how I'm planning to proceed with this chapter. In case anyone is interested... I listened excessively (and by excessively, I mean very excessively😅!) to Rhythm of my heart by Rod Stewart and Nur 1 Minute by Hecht (song in swiss german from one of the best swiss bands there is😍!) for the whole chapter but especially during writing the flashback scene. Since I suspect that I'm the only swiss german speaking here, I tried myself at translating and adapting it here😬😅. I DO NOT have any rights at the song and I'm not claiming to! The song belongs entirely to Hecht and their production company!
I hope you enjoy🥰!
Taglist: @sweetwhispersofchaos
Warnings: almost drowning (losely based on a personal experience), angst, lots of fluff💗
Previous chapter / Next chapter
Chapter Five
The first hour at the beach passed by quickly. The Fitches called and apologized for being late, but apparently Shannon’s sister had spontaneously decided to visit San Diego and therefor they went out to meet her for lunch. They would join later though.
Natasha and Penny chatted the whole time, laughing at their husbands and daughters who kept chasing each other in the water and on land. Penny told her about the sailing trip she had taken with Maverick and Amelia and Natasha reported what had happened at dinner yesterday.
“I bet it was pure chaos”, Penny chuckled.
“Oh yeah, that it was”, Natasha answered and turned her gaze to the water, just in time to catch Jake dunking their former instructor under water.
Lynn and Amelia squealed in delight, jumping out of reach to evade the same destiny as Maverick. Jake chased them down, but Amelia was a fast swimmer and managed to get to the beach before he could reach her. Lynn wasn’t as lucky. He caught her ankle and yanked her back, holding her upside down just above the water.
“What are you gonna do now, princess, huh?”, he asked, smirking devilishly.
“Let me down, daddy!”, Lynn yelled, giggling and fighting against his hold on her, but she had no chance.
“You sure you want me to let you down? You’re gonna get dunked”, he warned playfully, slowly lowering her.
“No! Stop!”, Lynn gasped, punching her little fists into the water.
“Hold your breath”, Jake instructed and dunked her, headfirst, under water.
Once she was under water, he let go of her ankle. In attempt to quickly resurface, Lynn kicked wildly, causing the water to churn and bury her beneath it. Wherever she looked, there was water, which burned in her eyes. The waves, even though they were small and gentle, added to keeping her underwater. She couldn’t reach the surface, no matter how hard she tried. Why did no one help her? Couldn’t they see that she was unable to help herself? Lynn started to panic. She cried out as loud as she could, swallowing a ton of water in the process. Her lungs protested heavily, turning her whole body into a shaking mess. A primal fear settled deep in her bones, fueled by her natural will to survive. Where was her dad? Would he let her die? Was he looking for her and couldn’t find her? Or couldn’t he reach her?
For Lynn it felt like an eternity when it was really “only” a few seconds until Jake managed to grab her around her hips and pull her to the surface. Lynn coughed and gasped for air; her cheeks tinted in a deep pink color. Jake’s playful mood was instantly gone, worry overtaking his features.
“Hey Princess, you okay?”
Lynn was still gasping and holding onto him as if her life depended on it. Her small fingers dug into his arm and her eyes were wide with shock. Jake brushed her wet blonde locks out of her face, holding her close to his chest. Ensuring that she was safe.
“Lynn are you okay?!”, he asked a bit louder, his voice full of worry and a tiny bit of fear.
He was still new at this parenting thing, but he could see that she was still fighting for breath. That she wasn’t alright yet. His heartrate picked up speed, making his heart pound against his ribcage. Has she been underwater for too long? Would she lose consciousness any moment? Has she been seriously injured?
Lynn nodded slowly, taking deep breaths, and rubbing the salty water out of her eyes.
“Yeah, I’m fine”, she finally answered, but her voice trembled slightly.
“You sure?”
Jake didn’t fully believe her. And he didn’t like the look in her eyes; not at all. She was still scared. His little girl was scared, and it was his fault.
But Lynn nodded again and loosened the tight grip of her fingers a bit.
“I’m okay, daddy.”
Jake hugged her tight, burying her face in his neck, and soothingly stroking her back.
“I’m sorry, princess. I shouldn’t have dunked you like that. I didn’t want you to get hurt or scared. I’m so sorry”, he rambled, his heart still beating out of his chest.
“It’s fine daddy. I’m fine”, Lynn assured him, pulling back to look at him.
She smiled brightly, the rosy color already disappearing from her cheeks. She gently cupped his cheek.
“You didn’t hurt me, daddy. I’m okay. Just a little shaky”, she admitted, already giggling again.
Jake smiled back at her, but his expression was pained.
“I think we should take a little break. Yeah?”
Lynn nodded. Jake carried her back to the shore where he put her down to let her run off. He trailed behind and took some deep steadying breaths, attempting to calm his racing heart. That had almost gone wrong. He’d almost lost his daughter, one day after returning home. He watched her run straight at Natasha, flinging herself into her mother’s arms.
Nat almost lost her because of me, he thought.
That thought did nothing to calm his heartbeat. And it caused a string of questions to form in his head. Which was unusual for him since he rarely ever questioned himself. A no-go at his job. But right now, these dangerous questions clouded his mind as he stood a few feet in front of the picnic blanket, staring blankly into nowhere.
Was he made for this? He hadn’t even been around his daughter for twenty-four hours and already came way too close to killing her. Would he ever be a good father? He’d already missed the first five years of her life and barely managed to keep her alive. He didn’t know what he was supposed to do should she feel sick or unwell. He didn’t know what she liked or hated. He didn’t know what kind of music she liked to listen to or what audiobooks she enjoyed. Who her friends were. At what place she enjoyed spending time. His heart sank.
He knew nothing about his daughter.
A good father knows his children. Every façade of their personality. He would hold them on their bad days, helping them through their struggles and pull all the tricks he knew to cheer them up. He would be there when they experience big achievements to cheer on them, his heart exploding from love and pride. He is their biggest fan, come hell or high water. He loves them with every fiber of his being.
Jake sighed. He is Lynn’s biggest fan, that fact is undiscussable. He loves her more than life itself, also undiscussable. But he doesn’t know anything about his daughter. And only love is not nearly enough to make me a good father, he thought.
His face must have reflected the content of his inner monologue since he earned a concerned look from his wife when he walked up to them.
“All good?”, she asked while braiding Lynn’s hair.
Penny eyed him curiously while reaching into her bag to retrieve a bottle of water for Lynn. Jake swallowed hard and reached for his shirt first, yanking it on before grabbing his flip-flops.
“I – ehm… I’m gonna take a walk. Be right back”, he stuttered and marched off without waiting for an answer.
“Daddy? Where are you going?”, he heard Lynn call after him.
He didn’t stop, instead increasing his pace. He needed to get away or else his daughter would see him crying. He couldn’t let her see how much that incident in the water had shaken him up.
“Jake?”, he heard Natasha’s concerned voice from afar.
Still, he kept walking away from them.
*-*
“What just happened?”, Natasha asked, utterly confused, and mildly concerned.
“I don’t know”, Penny answered, watching Jake march down the shore with furrowed brows.
“Daddy!”, Lynn cried and attempted to run after him, but Natasha held her back.
“No baby, stay here. Stay with Penny, I’m gonna go look after Daddy”, she ordered and sat her daughter down next to Penny.
“Where is Jake going?”, Maverick asked, as Amelia and he returned from the water.
“I’m gonna look after him. Keep an eye on Lynn, please”, Natasha asked while putting her sundress back on and throwing her sunglasses onto her bag.
After quickly stepping into her flip-flops, she jogged after her husband.
Lynn, the clever child she was, wanted to use the momentum to run after her parents, but Penny caught on quickly and grabbed her arm firmly, pulling her back onto the blanket.
“No, no, no young lady. You stay here”, she chuckled and put her arms around Lynn, hugging her tightly to her chest.
“But Mommy and Daddy–“
“Your parents are fine. Don’t worry, sweetheart.”
Lynn fought against Penny’s hold for all but one minute before giving up and engaging in a conversation with Amelia. Maverick and Penny exchanged a worried glance, silently communicating with their eyes. But soon enough, the girls dragged them right into their conversation.
*-*
He’d just gained back at least some control over his feelings when he heard her calling him again.
“Jake, wait!”
“I’m fine”, he shot back without turning around.
“No, you’re not. Don’t try to fool me”, she retorted and grabbed his arm.
“Let it go, Nat. It’s nothing.”
He yanked his arm out of her hold, trying hard not to let her see the tears glistening in his eyes. But he’d forgotten how stubborn his wife could be. She ran ahead of him and stopped him by putting her hands on his chest, clearly annoyed because of his behavior. But her next snappy retort died on her tongue the moment she saw his face.
“What’s wrong?”, she asked instead, her voice laced with worry.
“Nothing”, he tried to deflect again, but she saw right through it.
“Please Jake, talk to me. What’s wrong? Is it too much, being here with Maverick, Penny and Amelia? Did I do something? Or Lynn?”
“What? No!”
“What is it then?”
He averted his gaze, looking at the waves lapping at the shore. Anywhere but at her. He couldn’t tell her, or rather, he didn’t want to. He was afraid of her reaction, fearing she would slap him across his face for nearly taking away their daughter from her and tell him to stay the hell away from them. He couldn’t bear to lose them a second time. His heartbeat fastened underneath his rips and his breathing picked up speed too. Fear crept up his neck and sent his thoughts spinning inside his head. He shut his eyes tightly, curling his hands into fists at the side of his body. Was he having a panic attack? He didn’t know because he couldn’t think straight. He felt like he had a ton of weight on his shoulders, that was slowly crushing him. He knew he should tell her, but he couldn’t. His throat was tight and dry, making it impossible to speak.
Natasha watched his features change and knew that he was fighting something. A memory maybe? A flashback to his time over there? She didn’t know and she didn’t want to ask, fearing she would scare him away and make everything worse. So, she took his hand, squeezing it gently before bringing it up to her lips to kiss his knuckles. Grounding him; or at least an attempt to. Like in their early days as a couple, it worked wonders.
“She almost drowned.”
His voice was no more than a whisper. Hadn’t she been hyper focused on finding out what was wrong, she would have easily missed it.
“Lynn?”, she asked nonetheless, just to clarify.
He nodded barely visible.
“She’s okay”, Natasha answered simply, mostly to buy herself some time to sort out her thoughts.
Her heart did a somersault at his confession, nonetheless she stayed calm. Lynn was fine, hadn’t said a word when she came back to the picnic blanket. She had looked fine too, maybe a bit out of breath but no serious injuries. Nothing to worry about.
“No – it’s…”, he began, running his free hand through his hair, “I’m not even twenty-four hours around her and she almost dies! I can’t… I–“
“Jake, she is fine. Nothing happened because you were there. Everything is fine.”
“No, nothing is fine, Nat! I almost killed her! My own daughter!”
“Stop, please–“
“I’m supposed to protect her, not put her in danger! She’s supposed to feel safe with me! How is that possible if she almost dies on my watch?!”
“Hey, look at me”, she interrupted, cradling his cheek in her palm and turning his face to her.
He looked devastated, self-conscious and so much not like himself that it broke her heart.
“She’s fine. Lynn is fine. Nothing happened, okay?”
“I’m not made for this… I should… I’ll never be a good father. I missed out on too much and I have no idea what I’m doing. That’s a horrible environment for a child to grow up in. I can’t do this.”
Natasha shook her head, gently wiping away some of the tears that had escaped his eyes.
“All you’re saying is nonsense and you know that. You are a good father”, she insisted, searching his eyes.
He looked at her, cautiously putting his hands on her waist. He needed to hold onto something to ground himself. And as she had been for many years, she was his anchor. He surrendered himself to this feeling of comfort that he’d been missing for the past five years. She had never failed to make him feel at ease when he needed it the most.
“Most importantly, she is safe with you. I know that and she knows it too. She trusts you blindly, Jake. Like I do.”
Her words helped settle his heartbeat. How she did it was a mystery to him and would most likely remain that. However, against his inner urge to be in control, he let her lead him. Away from his doubts and fears, back to himself.
“And she knows how much you love her, I made sure of that.”
Natasha smiled at him, still framing his face with her hands.
“I told her, from day one, how much her Daddy loves her. How badly he wanted to be her Daddy. How he wanted to wrap her up in his strong arms and never let go. How much he cried when she came into this world.”
They shared a laugh at the memory. Natasha was glad to see some of the tension leave his shoulders.
“She knows, Jake. She’s always known, and she promised me to never forget it. Besides…”
He raised his brows when she remained silent for a couple of seconds.
“Do you seriously think I knew what I was doing when we had her? And what exactly makes you think that I know what I’m doing now?”
He chuckled, pressing his forehead against hers.
“I’m still figuring out this parenting thing. And as I heard from our friends, that never stops. But I’m so glad that now I don’t have to do it alone after all”, she admitted, smiling widely and brushing her thumb over his cheek.
Jake pulled her into a tight hug, trying to express his gratitude and love on that way. His throat was still way too dry to speak. She buried her face in his neck, reveling in the feeling of home. Because that was what his arms felt like. Home.
*-*
They still took that walk Jake intended to. To calm themselves in the first place, but also to enjoy some time alone. The opportunities would be rare in the next few days, so they savored every chance they got to just be together again. Although that conversation from last night in the kitchen was still hanging in the air, they didn’t mind. Now wasn’t the time to talk about that. Jake promised to tell her when he was ready, and Natasha believed him.
Strolling down the beach, hand in hand, they basked in the comfortable silence for a few moments before Jake spoke up.
“I remember why we fought so hard to stay here”, he remarked, staring at the horizon where the water seemed to sparkle, “The view’s still as beautiful.”
Natasha chuckled, tightening her grip on his hand just a little more.
“Long time ago”, she stated absentmindedly.
“Feels like forever and yesterday at the same time”, he agreed and stopped suddenly, positioning her in front of him.
His arms wrapped themselves around her waist from behind and his head settled on her right shoulder. She held onto his arms, leaning back into his chest and closed her eyes when he dropped a kiss on her cheek. They enjoyed their moment quietly, letting their eyes wander over the sea.
“Since then, we got married and became parents… Can you believe it?”, she asked, chuckling softly.
“Crazy… We were so young back then.”
“Well, I don’t know if one considers 29 young–“, she countered and yelped when he started tickling her sides.
“Are you calling us old, Misses Seresin?”
“Who said anything about me?”, she quipped and squealed when he turned her around and threw her over his shoulder.
“Let me down!”
“I’m gonna carry you like this for the rest of the day”, he threatened playfully and started walking back to their friends.
“No, Jake! Let me down!”
“Not a chance!”
“I’m serious! Let me down, right now!”
She pounded his back, not too hard, but with enough force to get her point across. Suddenly, she lost her balance and almost fell forward too far, so she instinctively grabbed the hem of his shirt for support.
“Jake!”, she gasped.
He laughed devilishly and adjusted his grip on her hips and legs, pulling her further up. She forgot to let go of his shirt and pulled it up his back a bit. When she realized that, she froze. There were scars on his back, varying in length and healing status.
She saw them for the first time. Last night, during their passionate hours in bed, she hadn’t seen them because of the darkness. She hadn’t even felt them while roaming his back because she hadn’t been particularly focused or able to form coherent thoughts. But they were there. She resisted the urge to trace them with her fingers, not wanting to reveal to him that she’d found them. There must be a reason he hadn’t shown her yet or told her about them. Although she was more than willing to find out why he got them, she didn’t want to pressure him too much. He’d tell her, once he was ready.
Luckily, Jake didn’t seem to notice that she’d frozen above him or that she’d pulled up his shirt. Slowly, she let it fall down, covering his scars again.
“Maybe if you ask nicely”, he answered instead.
She could hear the smirk in his voice and rolled her eyes, nonetheless unable to fight the smile that crept on her lips. Truth be told, she was relieved, even if the scars worried her. He was back to himself, to the man she had fallen for and vowed to spend the rest of her life with.
“Please”, she conceded swallowing down her pride.
Slowly, he lowered her back down into the sand, before pulling her in for a kiss. She gasped against his lips before kissing him back, her hands gently weaving through his hair.
“I love you”, he whispered when they pulled apart for air.
“I love you”, she replied just as softly.
They kissed again, then intertwined their fingers and headed back to their friends.
*-*
“Everything alright?”, Penny checked, when they took a seat moments later.
Jake nodded and put on his sunglasses, before lying down with his hands behind his head. Natasha chose to keep her sundress on this time, stretched her legs out and copied his position, reaching for her sunglasses and pushing them onto her nose.
They barely had a minute before Lynn all but flung herself down on Jake’s chest and yelled at him to join her and Amelia for building a sandcastle.
Natasha expected him to ask for a minute of rest, but Jake nodded his head and let her drag him with her. Natasha shook her head, smiling.
And he worried he wouldn’t be a good father, she thought.
Their daughter was spoiled rotten with the amount of attention she got from him. Natasha wondered whether it would be a problem when Monday rolled around, since Lynn had to attend kindergarten then and would definitely not be getting that much attention there.
“Penny for your thoughts?”, a voice interrupted her train of thoughts.
She glanced over, looking directly into the curious eyes of Maverick. Penny had left them on their own to take part in the sandcastle building process.
“Oh, umm… yeah, I was just thinking about what Jake and I talked about before”, she answered cautiously, trying to buy herself some time.
“Is he okay?”
Maverick nodded down into the direction of Jake, observing the scene.
“Yeah–“
“I mean, is he really okay?”
“What?”
She looked at Maverick, confused. Maverick sighed, lightly shaking his head.
“He’s doing a good job at playing it cool, but - after everything he's been through, I don't know… it's impossible to just put it away. I wonder if the long-term effects have already started or if he still has enough strength to suppress everything...”
She kept her gaze on Maverick, her heartrate picking up speed.
“Do you know what happened to him over there?”, she breathed out.
She was desperate to know, and she was willing to use every chance she got to gather some information. Maverick pressed his lips into a tight line.
“Has he told you anything yet?”
“No. He keeps brushing it off as a long story and that he doesn’t want to talk about it. And I respect that, but… I need to know. I want to help him, but I can’t do that, when I have no idea about what he went through. So, do you know something?”
“He should be the one telling you”, Maverick deflected, studying Jake from afar.
“Please”, Natasha pleaded, gently touching Maverick’s arm to get his attention.
“I… I can’t, Phoenix.”
“Please!”
She rarely begged like this, but Jake’s well-being was very close to her heart.
“No. I can’t betray his trust. He… He begged me not to tell anyone and I won’t break that promise. He’ll talk about it when he’s ready.”
Maverick smiled sadly at her, apologizing with his eyes. Natasha sighed in defeat. Then, a thought occurred to her. Questions that had been sitting in the back of her mind since this morning in the kitchen.
“How did you know he was alive? How are you involved in this?”
Maverick’s eyes widened and he clenched his jaw, remaining silent. Natasha looked him dead in the eyes, waiting, but her patience was fading fast.
“Phoenix–“
“No! With all due respect, sir, I have enough of everyone keeping me completely in the dark! So, answer my question.”
Maverick sighed, hiding his face in his hands for a moment. She was about to demand again when he exhaled loudly, hugging his knees, looking at the horizon.
“Fine”, he conceded, “it started with–“
“Phoenix!”, Payback called out, Shannon and the kids walking up behind him.
Natasha almost cursed her friend’s timing out loud, took a deep breath instead and swallowed down her frustration, before flashing her friends a smile and getting up to hug Shannon. Her expression changed immediately though when only Payback was in her eyesight. Upon seeing her face, Payback pursed his lips and raised his brows.
“Did we interrupt something?”
“It’s fine”, Natasha brushed off, trying her best to mask her disappointment, before bending down to press a loud kiss on the cheek of her goddaughter, Hailey.
“Hi sweetie”, she cooed and wrapped the girl up in her arms.
Hailey hugged her tight, a huge smile on her face. They had a special bond, practically from the day Hailey had been born. When Payback and Shannon had asked her to be Hailey’s godmother, Natasha had burst into tears; a rare thing to happen, at least before Jake’s accident. But becoming the godmother of the first-born dagger squad baby was such an honor, that even Natasha had teared up about. Hailey was an absolute sunshine and, much to Natasha’s delight, Lynn’s chosen role model.
“How are you?”, Natasha asked, putting Hailey down into the sand and brushing a hand through her curls.
“I’m very happy”, the ten-year-old answered, “because I got a good grade in mathematics last week!”
“Oh yeah? What did you get?”
“An A plus!”
Natasha high-fived her goddaughter with a proud smile on her face. Hailey was a genius in math, acing almost every exam at only ten years of age.
“She definitely inherited that from Reuben. I was terrible in math”, Shannon grinned, taking Hailey’s flip-flops and stashing them away.
“Hi auntie Phoenix”, Sam waved, before running straight over to Amelia, Penny, Jake and Lynn.
Natasha didn’t even have enough time to answer him before he was already out of earshot. Delilah fought against the death grip her father had on her arm to avoid the sunscreen he wanted to put on her face.
“Come on, Delilah. It’s for your own good. Believe me, you don’t want to get a sunburn”, Payback tried for what felt like the hundredth time.
“Here, let me help you”, Shannon laughed and crouched down onto the picnic blanket she’d laid out.
Hailey put on sunscreen by herself and only checked with Natasha to see if she had missed a spot, before running over to join the sandcastle building crew. Shannon and Reuben busied themselves with Delilah while Ally glanced longingly down the shore to the others. But she stayed right where she was, knowing that she wasn’t allowed to go near the water without her swim west on. Luckily, Natasha knew that and helped her put it on.
“There you go, now you can join them”, she smiled and cupped Ally’s cheek gently.
Ally smiled widely at her before taking off. Only a few instances later, Delilah was up and ready to join her twin sister, her laughter delighting the grown-ups who stayed in the shadow.
Natasha wished she could ask Maverick to take a walk with her to resume their conversation, but that was inappropriate. So, she sat down next to Shannon and started chatting with her to distract herself from what she’d learned today. But no matter how hard she tried to fight it, occasionally, her gaze would land on Jake and her mind asked all these unanswered questions again.
*-*
Thanksgiving, one year ago…
A gentle breeze blew across the patio, displacing the daytime heat that was still building up here in Texas, even in late November. Natasha stretched her nose into the air and inhaled the familiar scent of fresh hay and the rose bushes which were planted in front of the patio. It was a wonderful end to today, especially considering the date. Thanksgiving was, unsurprisingly so, her least favorite holiday of the year and had been causing downright discomfort for four years. She was certain she would never fully get back to liking the holiday, but under these circumstances, she would at least come to tolerate the celebration.
For the first time since Jake had died, Natasha and Lynn spent Thanksgiving in Texas with Nancy and Jeff Seresin. Although Jake had never been super close with his parents, they’d always had a friendly relationship, especially since Natasha and later Lynn had joined the family. Jake’s parents loved their granddaughter dearly and had been a part of her life since her birth. And they loved Natasha. Usually, mother and daughter-in-law are not expected to have a great relationship, and Jake was worried at the beginning that due to his own dispute with his parents, they would give Natasha an even harder time. But those worries were unnecessary. From the first meeting on, Jeff and Nancy had been very friendly and even kind to Natasha, welcoming her into the family with warm smiles.
*-*
“She’s a good soul and she makes you happy”, Nancy had said to her son when Natasha was out of earshot.
“Yeah, she does.”
“I think I’ve never seen you happier”, she smiled and patted his arm lovingly.
Jake smiled back. It was one of the nicest honest conversations he’d had with his mother since his sister’s death. Although the wounds of that story were still deep and caused a great distance between him and his parents, he felt that they were taking steps towards each other again. Whether that had something to do with a certain dark-haired woman who was currently being toured over the ranch by his father, he wasn’t 100% sure. But the odds were pretty good.
“I hope it works out with her.”
Jake took his mother’s hand and squeezed it gently.
“I really hope so too.”
He’d left his hometown with a black velvet box containing a very special ring, which he gave to Natasha not long after that first visit to Texas. The rest is history…
*-*
“She understands where he is”, Natasha stated absentmindedly.
She sat at the big wooden table, her arms crossed over her chest and her legs stretched out. Nancy sat next to her, with her hands folded in her lap and her legs crossed. The used dishes from dinner were still on the table, along with a half-empty wine bottle.
They currently watched Jeff hold the rope of Lynn's horse, Sissi, and laugh with his granddaughter who was sitting on the wooden fence, patting the horse. With his other arm, he braced Lynn’s back to keep her from falling off the fence.
“She does?”, Nancy asked, not tearing her eyes away from the scene on the lawn of the ranch.
“On her first day of kindergarten back in September, the parents were allowed to stay for the first hour. Most children had both parents with them, even if they were already divorced or separated. Except Lynn, obviously. When it was time for me to leave for work, I wanted to say goodbye. Lynn was playing with that girl she had become friends with during the first five minutes, so I walked up to them and overheard their conversation. The girl asked her about her dad, where he was, why he wasn’t there and Lynn…”
Natasha had to take a deep breath to steady herself. She felt like she was transported back to the original moment. Reliving it in front of her mind’s eye, together with all the feelings.
“Lynn said… My daddy is with the angels, there where the ocean meets the sky. He watches over me and mommy… Then the girl asked if her mommy has brought home another daddy and if she misses her right one. And Lynn, my smart little daughter, answered casually… We miss him every day, but we don’t need anyone else. It’s just me and mommy.”
Nancy drew in a breath, still looking at her granddaughter, then her lips curled up into a small smile. Natasha shook her head slightly, feeling a few tears well up in her eyes.
“She is too clever for her age…“
“What?”, Nancy asked, turning her head around for the first time.
Natasha sighed, biting her bottom lip before continuing.
“She should be angry, hurt… I don’t know – absolutely furious with me! She should cry and scream at me!”
“Why?”
Nancy reached over and laid her hand on Natasha’s arm.
“Because she is four years old and doesn’t have a father!”, Natasha sobbed, barely keeping herself together.
Her mother-in-law gently stroked her arm, attempting to sooth her. Nancy had trouble understanding where this was suddenly coming from or why her daughter-in-law was seeing things that way.
“I can’t see what you’re trying to tell me, sweetheart”, Nancy calmly responded, still stroking Natasha’s arm, “because she has a father. She knows who her father is. He’s just not able to be here, be with her.”
“But that’s the point!”
“I’m sorry, I don’t get it.”
“Why did I have to fall for a fellow officer, of all people?”, Natasha sighed, wiping at her cheeks and gently shaking her head.
Even though Nancy knew that Natasha only sounded so defeated because she had an emotional moment, not because she truly meant those words, the fact, that she said them anyway, stung. More, than she first realized. Suddenly, Nancy feared that Natasha regretted her decision to choose Jake. But that was certainly not the case, right? They‘d been so in love… so excited when they learned that Lynn was on the way. They never once mentioned that it had been a bad decision to keep the child. Or to have married each other in the first place…
„I didn’t want that. I knew what I was signing up for when I joined the Navy. Hectic life, no real place to call home, most likely no long-term relationships… I was okay with that. I didn’t need anyone but myself and my family, which is always on my side. And then?”
She stopped and sighed again, rubbing her hands over her face. Nancy didn’t utter a single word, nervously chewing on the inside of her mouth. She was not sure whether she’d like where this was going.
“Then, Jake happens. He comes into my life with a capturing smile and irresistible charm and turns everything upside down… God, did he infuriate me! I thought we would just be at each other’s throats ‘til the end of our lives, but no… Oh, was I wrong about that.”
Another beat of silence followed.
“Instead, he becomes one of the best things that has ever happened to me. I never believed that those sappy romance novels have a point when they claim that you’re on cloud nine when you’re in love. Another thing I was wrong about. With Jake, I was floating. We had our problems, our disputes… which couple doesn’t? But not once did I think about leaving him! Not ever. At the end of the day, he was the one I wanted to call first when I succeeded in a new and difficult maneuver, when I saw a particularly beautiful sunset, when I won a sparring battle against one of my colleagues… he was the first and last thing I thought about every day. When he asked me to marry him, I was over the moon, as pathetic as that sounds. I wanted nothing more than to become his wife. Which was already risky for my heart.”
Natasha bit her lower lip, brushing her finger over the rings on her left hand. Even after four years, she still couldn’t take them off. Whenever she considered it, she felt like she was cheating on him.
“Suddenly, there was someone other than my family that could lose me. There was someone I could lose. I was able to accept that because the time I got to spend with him was more than worth the worries during a deployment. I strongly believe each one of us would have been able to cope if the other hadn’t come back from a mission. That’s a risk the job demands we take… But when I got pregnant, that was a different story. It wasn’t about just us anymore. We faced a responsibility, a huge one. There was now a little person… a tiny, helpless human that couldn’t live without us… that shouldn’t have to grow up without one of us.”
She watched her daughter laugh heartily and saw all the similarities Lynn shared with Jake. The joy featured on her face in the same way it used to on Jake’s. The laugh sounding from deep within her belly. The dimples on her cheeks. Natasha’s heart soared and ached equally.
“However, it was never up for discussion that we keep it. Best decision of our life. Nothing can compare to the feeling we had when we got to hold her for the first time. When her beautiful eyes opened for the first time and took in the world around her. All of these firsts that we witnessed together made the worries worth it. We still knew that it was possible that Lynn could lose one of us. But somehow, even with that mission coming right up, we convinced ourselves that it wouldn‘t happen to us. I guess that was silly“, she smiled sadly and took Nancy‘s hand to squeeze it gently.
“You were hopeful, that’s not silly”, Nancy pointed out, squeezing her hand back.
“Let’s agree on hopeful in a naïve way”, Natasha replied, shaking her head while watching Lynn and Jeff walk Sissi back to the stable.
“Anyway… I don’t even know where I was trying to go with this”, Natasha admitted, looking at her mother-in-law with wonder in her eyes.
Nancy laughed. It was clear where Jake and now Lynn got their laughter from.
“Originally, you started this with telling me that Lynn understands where Jake is”, she offered, smiling.
“Right, yeah”, Natasha chuckled, looking down at their interlocked fingers, “well, I don’t know… it felt like a gut punch hearing her say that. It reminded me that it’s my fault that she doesn’t have a dad–“
“For heaven’s sake, Natasha, it’s not your fault!”, Nancy interjected, exasperated.
She hated that Natasha kept saying that.
“It is”, Natasha insisted, meeting her gaze.
“No, it’s not. We can’t choose who we fall in love with, that’s the simple truth. It’s one of the few things that are decided over our heads. And to be honest, I’m not sure if that’s a bad thing.”
“That’s not what I meant. I’m not regretting Jake. Did you think I do?”
Her mouth formed into a little o-shape and she furrowed her brows. Nancy chose to stay silent, but that still gave her earlier thoughts away.
“I’m not, I swear! I didn’t want you to think that. God, how could I regret him? He’s the father of my child! The love of my life! I treasure what we had – what life has given us. What we’ve built together. I wouldn’t exchange it for anything. Never. What I wanted to say is, I should have told him to stay at home. He would still be here had I done that.”
“You can't know that! If not on this mission, he might have died on the next one.”
“There wouldn’t have been a next one”, Natasha released shakily, covering her mouth with her right hand, averting her gaze for a moment.
“What? But… how?”
“With his next promotion, he would’ve been able to apply for a position as an instructor. We might have had to move, but the risk of him dying would have been reduced many times over.”
“But I thought he only gets promoted if he flies the mission in Afghanistan?”
“We thought so too, but Cyclone enlightened us shortly before Jake made his decision. He would have gotten his promotion, but a year or two later. He would have had to do one or two more longtime deployments, but those would have related to less danger.”
“Oh…”
“Yeah… see why it’s my fault? I should’ve insisted that he goes for the safer route. He was worried that we’d lose the house, but I would’ve even slept under a bridge if it meant that he was still alive and with me!”
“Oh honey, I’m so sorry”, Nancy said and reached over to brush away a few of Natasha’s tears, “it was a horrible decision Jake had to make. My boy was forced to choose between the safety of his family and his own... and you know what? Even if you’d asked him to play it safe and go for the longtime deployments, he would have still chosen to go for the mission. He wanted to be able to offer you a safe and stable life, in the house of your dreams filled to the brim with love. That was my son. And if it meant that he had to risk his life for it, he would’ve done it over and over again.”
Natasha pressed her lips together and nodded, watching Jeff and Lynn come back from the stable. Her mother-in-law was right. No matter how many times he would have been forced to make that decision, her husband would have given his life for the safety of his family every time.
*-*
“Mommy, come look how funny Grandma looks in this picture!”, Lynn yelled from the living room.
Natasha smiled while she finished drying the plate she was currently holding and put it onto the pile on the counter. Jeff, standing next to her and rinsing the last wine glass, chuckled and nodded into the direction of the living room.
“You better hurry before she comes to drag you over there”, he laughed.
“You sure? We’re not done yet”, Natasha checked.
“Don’t worry, there’s not much more to do anyway. I got it.”
She patted his arm, smiling at him thankfully, and left the kitchen to join the other two ladies. Nancy held a photo album in her lap and Lynn was squished into her side, gazing intently at the pictures presented to her. When Natasha walked up to them, Lynn lifted her head, a giant smirk on her face.
“Mommy, look”, she said and pointed at an old photograph sitting in the middle of the right page.
It was indeed a funny picture of Nancy. It had been taken on a beach day; the position of the sun made it almost too dark to see anything. Nancy wore a giant sunhat and made a funny face at the baby lying on the blanket in front of her. The baby’s laughter could almost be heard through the picture.
“Yeah, she looks funny. She’s making a grimace, like you do sometimes.”
“Do I look like that too when I make a funny face?”, Lynn asked, giggling.
“Mhmm”, Natasha nodded.
Lynn had to try it out immediately, sending her mother and grandmother into a fit of laughter. Once she recovered from it, Natasha shook her head and kissed her daughter’s hair, plopping down next to her on the couch. Lynn’s attention was already back on the picture.
“Who is the baby, Grandma?”, she asked, her finger tapping onto the picture.
“That’s Caroline”, Nancy answered, staring absentmindedly at the baby.
Her eyes turned glassy, and she skimmed the baby’s head with her fingers.
“Who is Caroline?”
Natasha sucked in a breath. Lynn gazed at her grandmother, intrigued by her answer. Nancy slowly turned her head towards her grandchild, smiling sadly.
“Caroline is my daughter. She’s your daddy’s sister.”
Natasha pressed her lips together, nervously observing the conversation from her spot next to Lynn. They’d never mentioned Jake’s sister to Lynn before. When she’d been pregnant, she and Jake had talked about the topic “Caroline”. They’d discussed how they wanted to approach it, when the right time was, who’ll be the one initiating the conversation and so on. They’d also talked to Nancy and Jeff about it, checking with them whether they were envisioning the “right” way. Ultimately, they decided to wait until Lynn would be a little older, until she’d be able to properly understand the story behind “Caroline”. But since Jake had died, that plan had been thrown out the window, like so many other plans they’d made…
“Daddy has a sister?”, Lynn asked incredulously, her eyes almost popping out of her head and her mouth slightly agape.
She looked like one of those comic characters and almost made her mother and grandmother laugh. They would’ve if the topic at hand weren’t such a serious one.
“Yeah”, Nancy answered simply.
“I didn’t know that. Where is she? Can we meet her sometime?”
Lynn whipped her head around and met Natasha’s eyes.
“Did you know daddy has a sister, mommy?”
“Yes, I know.”
“Can we meet her? I want to meet her!”
She started to bounce excitedly on the couch like she had a sugar rush.
“That’s not possible, Lynn”, Nancy interjected, gently grabbing Lynn’s hands.
“Why not? Does she live too far away?”
“She’s… Caroline’s not with us anymore, sweetheart.”
“But… I don’t understand… where is she?”
Nancy met Natasha’s gaze for a split-second, took a deep breath and looked back at Lynn. Natasha didn’t dare to breathe, her heart beating violently against her ribcage.
“Caroline is with the angels, just like your daddy.”
*-*
From that moment on, the evening had developed into a disaster. Lynn had stared at them, mouth agape and confusion written all over her face. When neither her mother nor her grandmother had made further comments, she’d started shaking her head, accusing the adults around her of lying to her. She’d looked from one face to the other, desperation taking over her features. Even Jeff hadn’t been able to calm her down. She’d thrown a tantrum, started screaming, and evaded the comfort offering hands, running out of the backdoor onto the lawn. Trying to escape the lying adults. Natasha had caught up to her midway to the stable, scooped her up and hugged her tight to her chest.
“It’s okay, baby. I’ve got you”, she’d whispered into her hair, stroking her daughter’s back.
Lynn had cried, holding on tight to her mother after she’d realized that she wouldn’t be able to escape any further.
“Why is everyone around me with the angels?! It’s unfair! I don’t want that!”
Natasha’s heart broke, tears glistening in her eyes. It was indeed unfair.
“I know, baby, I know it’s unfair…”
“Why does this always happen to me?!”
“I don’t know, sweetheart. I wish I knew”, Natasha answered, carrying her back to the house.
Lynn kept sobbing in her mother’s arms, barely looking at her grandparents who stood at the patio door. Nancy wanted to brush her hand over Lynn’s head, but the little girl jerked her head away. Natasha apologized with her eyes and kept walking towards the stairs.
Nancy and Jeff didn’t follow.
*-*
Upstairs, she headed straight for the guest room, silently changing Lynn into her pajamas. Their whole nighttime routine passed silently; the only sound was Lynn sniffling sometimes. She laid her down onto the bed, carefully and lovingly draping the sheets around her. Lynn gazed up at her, clutching her stuffed white sheep tightly against her chest. Natasha brushed a lock of her blonde hair out of her face, gently cupping her cheek.
“I know you’re hurt because you miss daddy, and that you won’t be able to meet his sister. But you can’t be angry at your grandparents, okay? You know, I couldn’t meet Caroline either. She’s been with the angels for a very long time, much longer than daddy.”
“Why is she with the angels?”
“I’ll explain that to you another time. It’s a very long story that I don’t want to tell you by myself. I’ll talk to grandma and grandpa about it and we’ll decide how and when to tell you, okay?”
“But I wanna know!”
“And you will, but not today. Somewhen in the future.”
“Tomorrow?”
Natasha sighed at her daughter’s stubbornness.
“I don’t know. Let’s leave it at that, okay?”
“You’re lying to me again!”, Lynn snapped, sitting up, anger flickering in her green eyes.
“I’m not lying, Lynn”, Natasha retorted, gently pushing her to lie down again, “I’m protecting you and doing what’s best for you. I promise we’ll tell you. Can you trust me on that?”
Lynn searched her eyes, apparently considering her mother’s offer. Eventually, she nodded slowly. Natasha smiled at her, kissing her on her cheek. She attempted to get up when Lynn spoke up again: “Mommy?”
“Yes?”
“I miss daddy”, Lynn confessed, on the verge of tears.
Natasha gasped and sank back onto the edge of the mattress, pulling her daughter into her arms.
“I know, sweetheart. I miss him too, so much”, she cooed, stroking the back of Lynn’s head.
Lynn rubbed at her eyes when they pulled apart a moment later and Natasha helped her brush her tears away. Her heart broke all over again and every breath she took hurt.
“I wish I could bring him back for you. I’d do anything to bring him back for you”, she whispered, bringing Lynn’s hand up to her lips and kissing it.
“Can’t the angels just give him back?”
She let out a little laugh at Lynn’s suggestion, gently shaking her head.
“I wish they could… but you know what? He’ll always be with us. In here”, she said and put her hand on Lynn’s chest, right over her heart.
Lynn looked down, furrowing her brows.
“He lives on, right here in our hearts. In yours, in mine, in your grandparents’… in uncle Rooster’s, uncle Coyote’s and all our other friends’. Wherever we go, he’s with us and watches over us from one of the clouds, where he sits right next to his sister. They keep us safe.”
“Are they our guardian angels?”
“Yes, they are.”
Lynn sniffed and thought for a moment, then a smile broke out across her face.
“I kinda like that”, she said, clutching her stuffed animal back against her chest.
Natasha smiled down at her and pressed another kiss to her cheek.
“Me too. Sweet dreams, baby.”
#5 years#hannix au#hannix#hangman x phoenix#jake hangman seresin#natasha phoenix trace#top gun: maverick#writing#fanfiction
24 notes
·
View notes
Text
Episode 6: The After Party
-This episode of Witherburn After School News contains depictions of harassment. Viewer discretion is advised.
Hello Witherburn!
I'll be honest. Its been a good week in our little town. There's still news so don't worry, but nothing too dramatic which I feel like this town needed. I mean, I feel like we haven't had a week like this in months. With all the havoc that's been happening recently, it's just nice to have a little breather. You know?
Anyways on the agenda today is the Clark family and the land they're buying at the base of the mountain, the rumors about Ivy Groter, and the local celebrity that's coming back to town.
All that and more coming up on-
[phone pings repetitively]
Well shit...
Sorry about that, listeners, but the sophomore group chat just started blowing up with information about Scarlett's Homecoming party.
Now this is a developing story so take what I'm about to say with a grain of salt, but apparently there is evidence of Amelia being harassed by Hunter. I'm reading that there is a video somewhere and people were saying that Hunter was acting weird that night. To be fair, when is he not?
We will obviously get back to this and report when we know more, but for now let's get on with our first story.
Notable figure Collin Portman has decided to return to Witherburn. Colin Portman of FBI Seattle fame is coming back to town to help take care of his elderly mother. How sweet.
Now a lot of the younger people of Witherburn don't realize that Collin Portman is a Witherburn native. He left for Hollywood nearly twenty years ago and tries to keep his visits back to town very hush-hush. He says that Witherburn will always be his fave place and he tries not to ruin it with paparazzi.
Collin Portman says that while he is here, he is going to open an acting studio in towns square. He's also donating enough money to renovate the park, which desperately needs it.
His reasoning is that he just wants to give back to the town that raised him. Though to be honest, listeners? I don't know if I believe him. Maybe I just have a mistrust of rich white men, but every interview I've seen from him just seems.. disingenuous. Also his mother talks about him and she's one of the Newberry porch sitters. In fact I talked to Mrs. Portman earlier this week and she seemed in perfect health, able to take care of herself. Then when I asked about her son coming back, she said that he just needed a bit of support right now. I didn't ask anymore questions, because despite what my critics say, I'm not here to expose someone going through a rough time. I'm just here to point out that this situation is strange.
It doesn't matter what I think though. I hope Collin Portman has a nice stay in Witherburn.
It's time for monster of the week, brought to you by Mr. Pickler. This week Mr. Pickler was apparently hunting in the woods when he saw something darting behind the trees. According to him, he also felt like he was being watched his entire hunting trip. He also swore he could hear rustling in the branches but when he turned around, there was nothing there. It wasn't until the last day of his hunting trip that he saw it: a towering dark figure that had arms as thin as twigs. He looked like he was made of only skin and bones. He had claws that were long and sharp as knives. His eyes were sunken and shrunk. Then.. Actually I'll let Mr. Pickler tell you the rest.
"Right when I went to look at it, it was gone. I immediately knew what it was and what I had to do. I downed my whole flask and that thing didn't come 'round me no more."
Now this was an interesting creature, listeners. I believe that the creature Mr. Pickler believes he saw was the Hidebehind and warning, don't listen to this if you ever want to go into the woods again. The Hidebehind legend was started by woodsmen of America, specifically the West Coast loggers of the 1800's. The creature, true to its name, was known to hide behind the trees and stalk its victims. It was credited with many disappearances of loggers that wouldn't return home.
Whenever someone looked directly at it, it would use its long and thin limbs to hide behind the nearest tree. An d also apparently had superhuman speed that allowed it to stay hidden. It has thick and sharp claws that it uses to disembowel its victims. According to legend, the Hidebehind would watch you for days before making you its next meal. It would wait for the perfect moment and then would slice open your stomach. And according to some legends, you would still be alive while it dragged you to its nest and began to eat you. The only way to prevent this creature from attacking you is to drink alcohol because it hates the taste and smell of liquor.
Luckily for us, this is most likely an old tale told by forest men to come to terms with the dangerous business of logging. Often in the olden days. lumberjacks wouldn't come home after logging accidents. It was a dangerous field with one in every hundred lumberjacks dying on the job. Whether it was a tree falling the wrong way or a mountain lion, it didn't matter because it still would've been a terrifying reality to live in for most lumberjacks. They would often drink to deal with the passing of their friends which is probably the birth of this legend. Lumberjacks trying to make sense of all the death and convincing themselves that alcohol would protect them.
Knowing this background, I can confidently say that Mr. Pickler was probably drunk. He was seeing things while on that hunting trip and we should be happy he didn't shoot his hand off on accident. Seriously it wouldn't be the first time he hurt himself like that. Though it makes sense. Mr. Pickler was probably using alcohol to pass the time and that combined with the days he spent alone caused him to see a creature from his childhood. So don't be too terrified next time you go in the woods. It's probably just a squirrel you're hearing. Thanks again to Mr. Pickler for sponsoring Monster of the Week. Maybe next time though, don't drink alone in the woods.
Our next story is about Chris Breckenridge, or Dyce as he prefers to be called. Apparently his twitch streams have reached over 50,000 viewers at one point and he was rated by this streamer, Smash, which is a good thing . I'm like 85% sure of that. Apparently he is even thinking of dropping out of school to pursue his gaming career which I am begging him not to do that. We all know Chris can do stupid things like that one time he agreed to eat dog feces for $5 and then was in the hospital for 2 weeks, but genuinely this is one of the stupidest ideas he's proposed. Especially since his Esports team is doing very well. No one is more shocked than me, I promise.
Chris says it's due to the fact that he is quote "a goat at video games" but I'd be willing to bet that it also has something to do with his talented and less annoying teammate. They have one last game to win before they qualify for the district Championship. That game is Tuesday in the gym if anyone wants to go watch it. It will also be live streamed so finally a socially acceptable way to support the school in your pajamas. Go turtles and let's hope we can see our Esports team at District.
Listeners I have an update on Scarlett's party. Here's the story that we know so far: Amelia was brought to the party by her friends and was the designated driver. Amelia has never been to a high school party before and was quote "only there to make observations." She also jokingly called this whole thing a science experiment, saying "I want to see my fellow high schoolers in their natural habitat." Though she didn't really socialize much until about 1:00 a.m. when a large group of peopled decided to play Truth or Dare. One of the people playing was Hunter. This becomes important later. Amelia spends most of the game telling truths and giving generally boring answers.
"Sorry guys," she had said. "I'm just not that interesting." But when it was Hunter's turn he chose Amelia, who picked truth again. He said something along the lines of "stop being boring" and encouraged her to choose dare, which she did. Once this happened, he dared Amelia to kiss him. She immediately told him she wasn't doing that and to pick something else, but Hunter kept pushing it. Soon enough Scarlett stepped in and told Hunter to knock it off and that he was being a creep. Hunter then stormed off and wasn't seen for the rest of the game. Amelia quietly thanks Scarlett and they continue with their game, but that's not all that happened. Later on in the night around 2 a.m. Amelia went to the bathroom to catch her breath and get a moment of quiet. Her friends have said she was starting to get tired and overwhelmed so they were starting to get their stuff together so they could leave. Though Hunter apparently followed Amelia into the bathroom and tried to have a conversation with her. By the end of this conversation Amelia was storming out of the bathroom looking pale as a ghost. She apparently told Hunter to never speak to her again and quickly left with her friends. I am being told that someone was on a live stream during this time and we are going to be looking for the video. It's said to have some of their conversation on it.
All of my support goes to Amelia. We all know Hunter can be a creep but God this is on a new level. I mean following someone into the bathroom? Why would he ever think that's okay? Take a few days to get some rest, Amelia. We all know you deserve it.
As long as we are discussing one member of the Clark family we might as well discuss the others. The Clark parents have bought some land at the bottom of the mountain. Apparently they are using this land for hunting purposes, but the Clarks are not the type to get their hands dirty like that. People nearby have reported seeing construction equipment being moved in and out during the night so whatever they're doing there is something they don't want people to know about. Neighbors have made noise complaints and one even asked the mayor if they had a building permit, but the mayor simply said there wasn't any proof of construction on the site. Which is just a load of BS. I mean how hard would it even be for them to get a building permit? I swear it's literally impossible for that family to play by the rules. I wish I had more information for the story, Listeners, but I couldn't explore the grounds due to a barbed wire fence surrounding the property. So much for being hunting grounds...
Don't worry I will keep investigating this and will inform y'all the moment I get new information.
Let's move on to some nicer segments, shall we? The library is starting a knitting circle in an effort to get younger people into the art of textiles. You don't even need to knit. Crochet, needlework or embroidery: all of it is welcomed at the library. All the librarians ask is that you bring a project and some good conversation, which sign me up. I have been needing an excuse to get back into crafting. It meets on Wednesday night at 7:00 in the group room of the library. Hope to see y'all there.
Now we get to talk about what was supposed to be our main story today. Ivy Groter apparently wants to start a Wicca and Pagan club at school. There is significant interest in the club, not just from the three actual pagans at the school but from a couple of people who are simply into astrology, crystals and other forms of spirituality.
Now I think any sane person can see that this is a harmless club, but sadly Witherburn isn't filled with sane people. Some local churchgoers are saying that this club is satanic and can't be approved by the school. Others are starting to spread rumors that Ivy is actually practicing dark magic in the woods. Ivy says that this is very offensive and that it's very dehumanizing to see people treat her religion as evil and not safe for school especially when the school currently has a bible club. But let's be honest, Listeners, these rumors are unsubstantiated and I think point to a bigger problem in Witherburn.
We aren't accepting of different people. I mean seriously, Ivy Groter is a straight A student and an active member of student counsel yet people are acting like she's some cartoon villain. It doesn't take a genius to realize this is giving "I saw Goody Proctor at the Devil Sacrament" vibes. Did the satanic panic not end in the nineties? Why are we looking at a perfectly fine young lady and acting like she's summoning Lucifer in her free time, because what? She's a goth Pagan? I feel like this is an issue that needs to be talked about.
Witherburn has been and always will be a small town that has a lot of diversity and thought and we should be fostering that diversity, not stifling it. Paganism and spirituality are on the rise and I hate to be the one to break it to those church ladies- Oh who am I kidding? I'm fine with making them mad, but stats show that over 33% of Americans identify with the term spiritual over religious and that number is rising. It was only a matter of time before this mindset came to Witherburn. From what I can tell, these churchgoers have one of two options. They can either keep going down the path they're on and temporarily prevent change from happening, but go down in WItherburn history as bigots and Puritans or they could accept this club and recognize that other ideas should be allowed to flourish in town. I think we all know what they're going to choose though. Best of luck to the Pagan club. I hope to see your posters in our halls very soon.
Okay everyone I found the video of Hunter and Amelia at the party. Apparently Chris was live streaming for his twitch and that's how we got this recording. Be warned. There is some mildly disturbing stuff on here including what might be assault and what is definitely crossing a boundary. Here's that video.
DYCE:
"Oh yeah, chat! I'm at the Homecoming afterparty hosted by the wonderful Scarlett Johnson"
[Muted woo in the background]
"Yeah it's been pretty chill tonight, guys.
Wait, wait did Hunter just go into the bathroom with Amelia? Oh my god these guys think they're sly. Seriously though why would they hook up in a bathroom?
Ha, the chat wants me to eavesdrop. You know, why not? Maybe I'll knock on the door and scare them after a few minutes, teach them not to make out where people pee."
HUNTER:
"No one would care about you, but one day you will slip. God, will that be nice."
AMELIA:
"Hunter please get off me."
HUNTER:
"I do what I want."
AMELIA:
"I said don't touch me."
DYCE:
"Whoa, Amelia are you okay?"
AMELIA:
"I'm fine. Hunter's just fucking drunk."
DYCE:
"Um, I'm going to end the stream here guys. Dyce out."
THE REPORTER:
So... that was intense. The group chat is still blowing up. Apparently Amelia doesn't want to talk about it, which is fair and we should respect her wishes, but also Hunter has left the group chat. Many people have reported this to the principal already and one person has reported it to the police but they're saying there's not enough evidence for an investigation. To be frank listeners, I think we all know how this ends. If Hunter was harassing Amelia there will be no repercussions for his actions. He is always getting away with these things. This is the Clark's town and we are just living in it.
I don't know how to end this episode, folks. I mean I am angry as hell but it's also just.. sad. No one should have to deal with this. I guess I can only say that if you have any more evidence against Hunter Clark then please send it into the police. Also make sure Amelia knows that we stand behind her. Don't press her for story or for gossip, but let her know that we are here and on her side. And to Amelia, I really really hope you understand the love this community has for you.
That's all for today. Tune in next week to Witherburn After School News. I'm The Reporter, signing off.
WitherBurn After School News is written and directed by Jordan Oliver. Edited by Frances Hughes. The Title Song is by FutureMe Amelia Farrow-Gracia is played by Miranda T. Grauzas. Hunter Clark is Played by Xavier Ledesma. Dyce is played by Miles Hannah
2 notes
·
View notes
Text
Entering the Unknown: Your Average Day | Part 3
MEANWHILE... DOWN IN EARTH...
(This section will use she/her pronouns for Martin for simplicity's sake.)
Martin Bradley, an Admin, was finally starting her day. (Once again, it is unknown why she doesn’t change her name. I guess she likes it, so it's up to her.) Of course, her best friend and roommate Helia Delos was already ready and making the breakfast she makes every other day, the Delosian.
Martin: "You shouldn't have."
Helia: "You get this every other day! What do you expect?"
Martin: "True, true. Say, wanna go out for Bianzi's Pizza tonight with the rest of the Pals?"
Helia: "Of course! Is everybody available?"
Martin: "Pick already said he had plans, and I actually haven't asked anybody else."
Helia: "You should start guaranteeing everything."
Martin sent out a message to the Pals group chat.
MARTIN BRADLEY: Anybody up for Bianzi's tonight?
SUOMI ANDERSSON: Hey, finally I can show up to something! We're closing early today.
NICK RAFTER: Sorry I've got government work
RYAN HODGESON: Sure
OLIVIA SMITH: As usual, no
EMILY WALKER: Same
MARTIN BRADLEY: Yeah, I know. We need to arrange something to get you here from Britain.
LEX FIRENOOK: sure, as long as the topbitches aren't there
YUMI OTSUKI: No thanks, I have stuff to do.
AMELIA NAGAI: Hell yeah
JAYDEN PARKINS: sure, kody is coming too [picture of the two]
KRIS C: Sorry, I've got lessons.
Martin: "Looks like it's us, Sapphire, Ryan, Lex, Amelia, Jayden, and Kody."
Helia: "Ooh, that's a lot of us compared to usual! This'll be fun!"
Bios Unlocked
Martin Bradley - She's an Admin of The Unknown. Her task is to make sure that the universe is stable. They mostly use it for fun though, since there's not much danger.
Helia Delos - She may possibly like Martin. And Martin may possibly like her back.
Suomi "Sapphire" Andersson - After moving to the US, she set up an IT joint. She has some loyal workers!
Nick Rafter - He's a good friend of Martin. He is oddly similar to Cyber.
Ryan Hodgeson - He's annoying and talks too much and too stupidly. Still a good friend.
Lex Firenook - A demon who hates the Toppats with a fiery passion, especially Reginald. She'll gladly fuck anybody however given the chance.
Olivia Mary Elizabeth Smith - She's a Bri'ish gamer and loves comfort and pets.
Emily Dawn Walker - As a massive Pokemon fan, she loves creatures.
Yumi Otsuki - A Japanese-born baller at heart.
Amelia Nagai - They really like messing with their friends. REALLY.
Jayden Parkins - He's pretty tall, but he's broken a lot of bones. He needs more *calcium*.
Kody Burnham - A certified baller. Basketball, golf, baseball, you name it.
Kris C. - He runs a instrument lessons business as well as an ensemble group called Genesis. Michael Jackson, Queen, and Elvis have been his biggest hits.
CREDITS
Lex Firenook: @lexi-the-demon-69
2 notes
·
View notes
Text
Chapter Three
A/N: The more I sit with this story, the more I remember how much I loved it the first time I wrote it. I don't love the writing style and I've been switching little bits but for the most part it is how I wrote it the first time, just with a few more edits. I hope you're enjoying it! Don't forget to like, reblog and message about your thoughts! It always really helps :)
Warnings: Explicit language, consumption of alcohol
Word Count: 9.1k
Story Page / FAQs / ETTC chats.
The remnants of fallen autumn leaves that were scattered along the path leading to Taron’s home crunched under Amelia’s feet as she closed the wooden gate behind her. Taron had pointed his cottage out when he walked her back to the village after they’d walked around the wildlife park so that she would know where to go later than evening. He had offered to pick her up but she insisted that she would be okay.
And she had been.
She wore the same bobble hat as she had during the day and had decided to put her earphones in for the walk. The soft melody of David Bowie and Bing Crosby filler her head as she walked, and she found herself humming along. Her walk was pretty quiet minus the few people who waved and asked how she was doing.
The longer she had been in Rivercliffe, the less frequently she was asked for photos or autographed. It had really started to feel like the much needed break that it was. Amelia couldn’t have been more thankful. She was starting to know people by name and she felt as home in the village.
The coffee shop knew her regular order, no matter who was working; Jules at the newsagents knew her typical purchases when she nipped in on her way back from the pub; everyone at the pub knew her regular drink; and everyone at the bed and breakfast knew that on a morning, she would sit in the corner of the dining room with a cup of tea, her book and her toast and jam. She was becoming one of the locals.
The metal of Taron’s doorbell was colder under her fingertips, and when she finally pressed it fully, she could hear Taron’s muffled profanities from inside. She shifted her weight between her feet as she waited for him to open the door. While she walked, she hadn’t noticed the cold so much, but as soon as she stopped it hit her like a wave. The icy, bitter chill to the air froze through her clothes and attacked her bones. It nipped harshly at her nose and she was grateful that her hat covered her ears.
Just as Taron pulled the green door open, she removed her AirPods and shoved them into her pocket without putting them in their case.
‘You’re going to regret that when you need them later and they’re dead,’ Taron laughed jokingly as he stepped back so that Amelia could walk into the cottage.
A furry bundle came bounding into the kitchen as Taron shut the door and slid to Amelia who smiled. It jumped up at her and tried to jump into her arms as she bent down to greet it.
‘Pickle, get down!’ Taron scalded. ‘I’m so sorry. I never asked if you were allergic to dogs. Or good with them in general.’ Taron sounded exasperated, as though he’d made a huge mistake and was risking Amelia walking out of his house.
‘I’m not. Allergic to them, that is. I love them so he’s fine. I never knew you had a dog.’ She continued to fuss at the animal, using both her hands to rub up and down his sides rapidly, but she looked at Taron with a radiant smile. ‘He’s beautiful.’
Taron’s cottage was small, though Amelia guessed he didn’t need a big house if it was just him living there. As soon as she stepped through the threshold and into the cottage, she was standing in the small kitchen. There was a fridge to her right, and in front of her was a half wall of cupboards and worksurfaces. The floor was made up of large, stone tiles though there was a rug under the small dining table in the far left corner of the room. It was a very typical cottage kitchen and Amelia immediately felt relaxed being in the space.
‘You really will regret not putting your earphones away properly,’ Taron chuckled.
‘I know, I do it all the time and each time I promise myself that I won’t do it,’ Amelia replied, taking her AirPods and their case from her pocket to put them away properly. ‘I was awful when I had wired earphones. They were always tangled.’
She pushed her from her feet and placed them next to the door on the mat where Taron’s shoes from earlier in the day were.
‘Pop your coat and scarf on the hooks next to the door.’
When Amelia had removed the rest of her outer layers she looked at Taron who wore jeans and a t-shirt. ‘If you’d have told me that you were wearing jeans, I wouldn’t have turned up looking this casual,’ she breathed in amusement, gesturing to her outfit. When Taron had told her to dress comfortably, she had taken that seriously and opted for a pair of thick joggers and an oversized t-shirt tucked into them at the front.
‘I haven’t long since gotten home from work,’ he replied. I got called back because Pippa isn’t feeling too great. We think she ate something funny when she shouldn’t have.’
‘Oh I’m so sorry. Is she doing okay now?’ Amelia asked as she bent down to fuss Pickle a little more.
Taron nodded, making sure the latch on the door was locked fully before he walked to the kettled and switched it on. ‘Yeah she’s doing better now. The on-call vet is there now making sure that she’s okay and I’ll get updated in the morning. But hopefully it’s all passed now. Do you fancy a cup of tea? I can make one and then go get changed.’
‘Why don’t I make it for you? You’ve been on your feet all day and it’s the last I can do.’
Taron let out a long breath and nodded with a thankful smile. ‘Only if you don’t mind. That would be great.’
‘I wouldn’t have offered if I minded,’ Amelia countered. ‘All you need to do is tell me where you keep your mugs and spoon. Oh, and how you take your tea. That would also help.’
Taron opened the cupboard above the kettled that housed an abundance of mugs of varying sizes and styles, and pulled the drawer underneath the kettle open.
‘There you go,’ he chuckled. ‘Tea and sugar are in the caddies and milk is in the fridge, obviously. I have a splash of milk and two sugars, please.’
Amelia nodded and shooed him out of the kitchen so that he could get changed. She perused the mugs as she waited for the water to boil. Some mugs were dainty, others big and bulky. Some were tall and some were short. Taron had mugs to match any occasion, any season, and any cuppa requirement.
She spent a silly amount of time deciding on two mugs but ultimately chose the shorter white mug with a gold ‘T’ for Taron and a slightly taller, skinnier mug with a gold Christmas tree on it for herself.
The whole tea making process was going well until she couldn’t see a bin anywhere in the kitchen to put the used teabags into. She started to panic a little as she walked in circles.
‘Taron?’ She shouted into the house.
‘Yeah?’
‘Where’s your bin?’
‘Cupboard under the sink, love.’
‘Thank you!’
Once the used tea bags were disposed of, and everything she’d used had been put away, Amelia lifted her cup to her lips to take a large sip. If there was one thing she loved in life, it was the very first sip of a cup of tea. It always reminded her of a quote from Jack Kerouac that she’d read years before.
The first sip is joy, the second is gladness, the third is serenity, the fourth is madness, the fifth is ecstasy.
No matter where she was or what she was doing at the time, Amelia would appreciate the first five sips of her tea. With each sip, she let herself more and more into that state of ecstasy where nothing else around her mattered. When standing in the middle of Taron’s kitchen with the mug wrapped in her hands close to her face, she let her eyes fall closed as she sipped the drink.
‘Enjoying yourself there?’
Amelia jolted at Taron’s voice coming out of nowhere. She almost spilled her tea. Almost. There was no way that she would allow herself to spill her drink. It was much too good to waste by spilling it.
‘I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to scare you.’
Amelia handed Taron his drink and watched as his eyes closed in joy as he took the first sip. She let her eyes shift from his face down to his feet, taking in his appearance. His hair was fluffy on top of his head and he’d changed into a white t-shirt and black joggers, a very similar outfit to her own. He looked more comfortable than she’d seen him before and she liked it.
Seeing him in just a t-shirt meant that Amelia was able to see his toned bicep more clearly. The curve of his muscle was prominent and she could see it start to strain against the material of his top. Especially as he lifted his drink to his lips.
‘It’s fine. Thank you, again. For offering to have me ‘round for dinner.’ ‘You are more than welcome. I’d pretty much managed to prep everything I needed before I got called back into work so it won’t take too long to cook. You can go and get comfortable in the living room if you’d like?’
Amelia nodded slowly. ‘Or I could always keep you company while you cook, if you’d like?’
The corners of Taron’s lips turned up into a small smile as he nodded, putting his cup on the side and striding to the fridge. ‘I would love that. Thank you.’
******
Taron’s living room was just as lovely as the kitchen. The walls were a gentle off-white colour with the bottom half being wooden panels of the same colour. There were two small sofas in the room, both of them with scatter cushions on them and a cosy blanket draped over the back.
A wooden fireplace sat underneath the TV which rested on the wall, and the fire was already lit, heating the room wonderfully. The same beams that were also on the kitchen ceiling were in the living room and were a darker shade of wood to the window sills and doors, contrasting perfectly.
The living room was a lot cosier than Amelia could have ever pictured. As she walked into the room fully, she could feel the soft carpet under her feet and it was as though she had a slight bounce to her step. She was followed closely by Taron who carried two bowls of apple pie and custard for dessert.
‘The films are in that corner,’ he mentioned when Amelia got to the coffee table in the middle of the room.
Lo and behold, there was a bookcase in the far corner of the room near the stairs that held a multitude of DVDs. She slowly made her way to them and when she stopped, she let the very tip of her finger glide over them. Taron’s collection included almost all genres of film. He had comedies, romantic comedies, sci-fi, a couple of horror films and dramas.
There were two films that caught Amelia’s eyes. Mainly because she had been in them as a young actress and they reminded her of happy times. It took less than a second for her to grab them, along with Love Actually which was what she actually wanted to watch.
‘You know,’ she said gently as she sat on the sofa next to Taron, holding Me Before You up so that he could see it, ‘this was one of my first movies.’
‘No way!’
Taron was shocked. When he first saw the film he could have sworn that Amelia had been acting for years before. Sure, she was young when she was in the film but she looked to be so confident and in her element. Not to mention the fact that she played the part so perfectly that he had fallen in love with her as an actress.
‘Yeah way,’ she replied with a large grin. ‘I was so scared. It was my first audition ever and it was rather scary being on set for the first time. Would you mind if I put my feet up on the sofa?’
She had taken her bowl of dessert from Taron and when he shook his head with a giant smile, she lifted her feet from the ground and folded her legs. Pickle snuggled up next to her and rested his head on her knee, looking up at her innocently. Amelia petted him quickly before biting the first piece of dessert.
Her eyes closed in pure bliss as the sweet dessert filled her senses.
‘Thank you,’ she mumbled.
Her words were soft and Taron could feel butterflies start to flutter in his stomach as he watched her with the same grin she had given him.
‘Honestly though,’ he said after he finished his mouthful of food. ‘I would never have guessed that it was your first film.’
‘Thank you,’ Amelia chuckled. ‘That makes me feel better because I used to analyse every single move I made in it. Like literally every single move.’
‘What do you mean?’
‘Put it on and I’ll show you.’ Taron stood from his spot and moved to the DVD player that sat under his TV. ‘Wait, you’re actually going to put it on?’
Taron nodded. ‘I would never tell you this normally, and I will forever blame the fact that I am exhausted after work, but when the film first came out, it was one of my favourites.’
Amelia’s cheeks heated rapidly. She was unable to fathom the way that Taron made her feel. Even with the smallest of gestures or the simplest of words, he was able to raise her heart rate and leave her speechless. Whenever she was around him, she had to make sure that she was paying close attention because she could so easily fall into a trance from his voice alone.
‘Really?’
She was stumped. Beyond stumped.
‘Yeah,’ Taron nodded as put the disk into the DVD player. ‘It still makes me cry even now so be warned.
It was Taron’s turn to feel his cheeks heat up. He couldn’t believe that he would ever out himself like he did with Amelia. And to the person who was actually in the film. The person who made him cry. Amelia found it endearing though. The way that Taron smiled at her gingerly when he turned around fully.
He moved back to his seat silently and sat down. He started the film and took a deep breath. When he looked to his right, Amelia was taking a deep breath of her own and he let out a silent laugh. She looked heavenly with the light from the fire casting an orange glow over her face.
For the first time since they met, Taron had her full attention. He was still nervous though. He was nervous that she was there out of pity because he’d sounded so desperate when he invited her over. Nervous that the feelings he had for her weren’t even a tiny thought in her head.
‘Okay so this bit here,’ Amelia said as she pointed to the screen, pulling Taron out of his trance. Her character was talking to elderly women in a café at the time. ‘This was our first day shooting and I hadn’t met anyone else by that point. It was fucking terrifying. And all I was doing was talking to women.’
‘You wouldn’t be able to tell how nervous you were,’ Taron reassured her, taking a bit of his food before it got cold.
‘Thank you. I hated that costume. It was itchy and made me feel so self conscious all day. I could have cried with happiness when I got back to my trailer and put my joggers and a hoodie on.’
‘You looked really pretty,’ Taron whispered.
‘Hardly. I was a mess. Look at me there!’ She pointed to the screen again where her character was wearing bright coloured tights. ‘That is not the picture of beauty.’
‘You’re always a picture of beauty.’
‘Stop flattering me,’ Amelia giggled. Taron made her feel some kind of way but she didn’t know if he was being genuine with his comments or simply trying to make her feel better.
‘I’m telling you the truth. You’re always beautiful.’
Amelia was at a loss for words. Taron was being so lovely and she struggled to believe a word that left him.
‘Anyway,’ he added quickly. ‘Would you like a hot chocolate?’
******
Me Before You turned into Star Wars which eventually turned into Love Actually. The clock on the wall above the doorway read one in the morning and Taron was half asleep on the sofa. His voice had grown deeper and slower as he tried to chat with Amelia who still had her legs crossed under her and Pickle sprawled over her.
‘It’s late. I should probably head home.’ Amelia leaned to the side to stretch but accidentally bumped her head on Taron’s shoulder. I’m so sorry. No wonder I get called a clutz all the time.’
‘Don’t worry about it. It happens to the best of us.’ Taron’s repetition of some of the first words Amelia spoke to him three weeks before made her smile. He’d done it a few times since they first become acquaintances but each time he did it, she found herself smiling for longer. ‘And as far as heading back, it really is late and I would hate for you to walk in the dark and the freezing cold. So you could always just crash here tonight, if you’d like?’ Taron offered.
He was scared to offer. He didn’t want Amelia to feel obliged to stay simply because he’d asked her. But it was cold and he was worried that she would freeze on her way back. There would be no part of him that would resent her if she decided to head back though.
‘I have nothing here,’ she spoke delicately. ‘I don’t have a toothbrush or pyjamas. And I wouldn’t want to put you out.’
‘You wouldn’t be putting me out,’ Taron insisted.
He quickly retracted back into the sofa at the thought that he could have been coming on too strong. After getting to know Amelia, he came to realise that whenever she said she didn’t want to put him out, she really did want to do the thing that he was offering.
‘I have spare toothbrushes in the cupboard under the sink in the bathroom, and you could borrow one of my t-shirts and a pair of shorts or joggers to sleep in/ And I have a spare phone charger if you’d need that too.’
Amelia nodded slowly. ‘Only if it’s okay then. Thank you.’
‘It’s no bother. I’ll grab blankets and set the sofa up for myself and you can have my bed.’
‘No, you have your bed. I’m the one intruding and staying here the night!’ It was Amelia’s turn to insist. Taron worked and needed a comfortable bed to sleep on so that he could be well rested. Amelia herself could nap later on in the day if she needed to but Taron wouldn’t be able to. ‘Please.’
Her words were soft and full of sleepiness. Taron found it hard to register what she was saying because all he could focus on was the velvety sound of her voice as her eyelids worked against her and strained to stay open.
‘I insist that you take the bed,’ he said strongly. ‘I’ve slept on the sofa quite a few times before and it’s actually really comfortable.’
‘Yeah, so I’ll sleep on it.’
Stubborn. The only word Taron could think of to describe Amelia in that moment. Despite her clearly being shattered and her voice weak from drowsiness, she still refused to stand down. When Amelia wanted something, she would do anything in her will to do it. Though she would never push someone too far if she knew that they couldn’t take it.
‘You can have the bed. If I had a cottage with two rooms it wouldn’t be so bad but there’s only one room upstairs other than the bathroom.’
‘Taron, it’s fine. I promise you. I’ll be fine on the sofa.’
Taron had to laugh at their little back and forth.
‘I’ll take the bed,’ he responded finally with a gentle sigh laced with a smile.
‘Thank you.’
‘Are you good to get ready now?’ He asked. Amelia simply nodded. ‘Come on then.’
Taron stood up first and held his hand out for Amelia to take. Her hand was warm in his, and softer than he could have ever imagined. The skin of her palm was delicate as his fingers lightly trailed across it. It was like a fire burning in the tip of his fingers, Amelia’s skin the oxygen needed to make it burn brighter. And hotter.
She smiled at him shyly as she stood up, Pickl shifting awkwardly. They didn’t let go of one another’s hand when she stood. They remained connected as they ascended the stairs and walked into the bedroom that sat to the right of the stairs.
Taron pushed the door closed slightly before standing completely still, his hand still in Amelia’s.
Just like the rest of Taron’s house, his bedroom was light and airy with wooden beams on the ceiling and a dark wooden four poster bed on the far left wall. In the corner closest to the singular window there was a wardrobe bursting at the seams.
The bed was dressed in the loveliest tartan bedding and it had a few more cushions than Amelia’s bed at the bed and breakfast. One cushion that really grabbed Amelia’s attention was a small, cream coloured one with a fringed edge. It was simple and pretty against the bedding, and overlapped the fluffy blanket that sat on the bed slightly.
Taron let go of Amelia’s hand as he started to walk towards the wardrobe. Amelia felt empty. It was as though holding Taron’s hand was all she ever really needed. She felt safe with her hand in his and without it, she felt uneasy. It was strange to her, how she could have been in relationships that lasted years and feel normal when their hands were no longer connected but she’d known Taron for three weeks and she felt something indescribable when she wasn’t around him.
It was like she yearned to be around him and have his full attention. But whenever that happened, there was always something there to ruin it. There was always an underlying feeling of guilt when her attention wasn’t on him and she didn’t want to bring it up in case he felt differently.
‘Joggers or shorts?’ Taron asked when he pulled one of his drawers open.
‘Shorts please,’ she replied quickly. A little too quickly for her liking. As much as she would have loved to wear a pair of his joggers and be completely and utterly enveloped in him, she couldn’t sleep in long bottoms.’
‘Shorts it is,’ Taron smiled. ‘I’ve got this pair with a good drawstring. So hopefully you can get them to fit how you like them.’
Amelia giggled softly, and proceeded to throw her hand over her mouth when she’d heard herself. Taron looked at her with a small grin as he walked back to her and put the grey shorts and black top in her hands.
She thanked him quietly and followed him to the bathroom so that she could get changed.
‘There’s spare toothbrushes under the sink. Pick whichever one you want and pop it in the holder when you’re done. It can stay here in case you need to use it again another time.’
‘Thank you, I’ll be quick.’
Taron was already waiting to use the bathroom when Amelia had finished and she side stepped so that he could walk past her. He looked her up and down swiftly, trying to his amused grin when he saw just how much his clothing buried her figure. Even though she had tied the drawstrings as tightly as she could, she still had to roll the waistband to prevent them from falling down.
‘Sorry if I took too long,’ she said with a shy smile as Taron squeezed past her into the bathroom.
‘No, you didn’t,’ he smiled. ‘Are you sure that you’re happy on the sofa? I would feel so much better if you just took the bed. It truly is no big deal.’
‘I’m being serious when I say that I don’t mind the sofa. There have been so many times at home when I’ve chosen to sleep on the sofa rather than get into bed so I’m fine.’
Taron breathed a small laugh and nodded. ‘Only if you’re completely sure then.’
‘I’m sure,’ she said firmly.
******
3:26am.
The exact time that Amelia woke up from what had been a lovely sleep on Taron’s insanely comfortable sofa. As soon as she peeled her eyes open a tiny bit, it was as though the cold from outside had enveloped her. She shivered dramatically as she picked up her phone, groaning quietly when she saw that she’d only been asleep for a couple of hours.
Not wanting to be rude and turn Taron’s heating up herself, she pulled the blanket further up her body and tucked her legs up to try and retain a little heat. Though it didn’t do much good.
She tossed and turned for fifteen more minutes in an attempt to get back to sleep but it never caught up with her.
In the end, she let out an exasperated sigh and stood up. She made sure to keep the fluffy blanket she had stolen from the other sofa around her shoulders with the unwavering cold that filled the living room.
She tiptoed up the wooden stairs and tried her hardest to not let them creak under her and wake Taron up. Once she made it to the top she took a shaky breath. Taron’s soft snores sounded through the bedroom door and Amelia suddenly felt bad for needing to wake him up.
‘Taron?’ Her knocks were miniscule but she didn’t want to knock too loudly and scare him awake. ‘Taron?’
A few seconds later, the door pulled back and a very sleepy Taron came into view. Amelia felt even worse for waking him up when she saw just how exhausted he looked.
‘Is everything okay?’ He rubbed at his eyes with his fists and yawned around his words.
If Taron’s voice during the day didn’t send Amelia into overdrive, it sure as hell did when he was sleepy. It was deeper than normal, and held an extra rasp that had her stomach clenching. The usual velvety tone was still there but the sleep that coursed through him changed it lightly.
‘I’m so sorry to have to wake you. It’s just that, umm, I’m a little chilly and didn’t want to just turn your heating on. Plus I have no clue how it works.’
She stood awkwardly in his doorway, hoisting up the shorts he let her wear further up her waist and rolling them again to try and get them to stay in place. It took a little while for Taron to respond but Amelia assumed it was just him trying to process what she had said.
In his sleepy state, he hadn’t thought to put a pair of shorts on when he climbed out of his bed, so his black Calvin’s were the only piece of clothing he wore. From moving around in bed and walking to the door, the waistband had shifted lower on his hips and were only just covering his crotch.
His stomach was toned but not super muscular, and his arms were far broader than she had thought. He was almost always hidden under a jumper or a long sleeved t-shirt to shield himself from the cold air when working outside so she hadn’t been able to see just how broad he was.
Her eyes drifted to his legs but before she could get too far, she clocked what she was doing and looked back up, coughing lightly.
Taron still hadn’t responded but he stared at Amelia who wrapped the blanket tighter around her shoulders and hopped between her feet softly. She tried not to stare back but it was impossible with how amazing he looked in front of her. The light from the moon hit the high points of his cheeks and she could just about make out his eyelashes fluttering against the top of them.
He still didn’t answer. He simply walked back into his bedroom and towards his bed.
‘What are you-’ Amelia trailed off, confused. Beyond confused.
‘Come and get in,’ he said as though she should have known what he was doing. He pulled the covers open so that there was a space for Amelia to climb in. ‘I don’t want you to get cold downstairs and I can’t be bothered going down to turn the heating on right now.’
‘Are you sure? I can always turn it on if you don’t want to go downstairs. It’s no big de-’
‘Are you going to get into the bed or not?’ He replied cheekily, closing his left eye into a short wink.
******
When the sun first started to shine through the thin curtains in Taron’s bedroom, the light hit him in the face and woke him up. Though unlike usual, he was unable to roll onto his side and grab his phone from his bedside table. Unlike usual, there was a beautiful girl in his bed with him.
Her hair had started to fall out of the bun she had put it in before bed and was cascading down her cheeks and over the pillow she lay on. Her top half was still drowned in one of his t-shirts. A t-shirt that would begin to smell like her if she wore it for long enough.
Amelia was still fast asleep when he woke up, her eyelashes fluttering perfectly against her cheekbones. Rather than potentially wake her up by moving, Taron opted to stay where he was with her in his embrace. He smiled down at her before he noticed that he could feel the soft skin of her legs against his.
It hadn’t been until then that he remembered what happened the night before. When the light knocking and soft voice of Amelia woke up from his slumber. He had groggily walked to the door and didn’t put bottoms on. He was embarrassed that he’d opened the door to her like that.
Amelia clearly didn’t mind though. She laid on her front with her right hand slung over his torso and her leg over his thighs. Her head was tucked between her pillow and Taron’s arm, and he could feel her soft breaths against his skin. She was warm against him, a stark contrast from the cold that he was usually met with when he woke up.
Even though it felt strange having her in his bed, waking up to Amelia felt good. He didn’t know how else to describe it. It just felt good. And he wanted to enjoy it.
Amelia sniffled and yawned just as Taron started to draw patterns on her shoulder absentmindedly. She didn’t wake up like he thought she might have. She pressed herself further into him and hugged him a little tighter.
Taron snuggled himself further into the mattress slowly and decided that he would try to get a little bit more sleep before waking up for the day. He leaned his head against the top of Amelia’s and enjoyed the smell of her conditioner.
He was so relaxed that it took him no time at all to succumb to sleep once more.
******
Amelia could feel the heat radiating from Taron when she woke a little while later. She peered up at him and let her eyes wander over his face.
His eyelids had a gentle sheen to them, and his eyelashes fluttered delicately against the tops of his cheeks. His lips were parted slightly, and he breathed deeply, a few snores escaping him ever so often.
Amelia could have watched him sleep all day if she could–with his arms wrapped tightly around her body holding her to him.
The stairs in Taron’s cottage creaked at the centre so she only allowed herself to walk on the outside of them. She only almost fell once, but she swore her life flashed before her eyes when it happened.
The living room was the same as she had left it early in the morning; her phone was still on the coffee table and the blankets were still piled on the sofa. Before she headed to the kitchen to make some breakfast and a much needed cup of tea, she folded the blankets and put them on the end of the sofa before checking her phone in case she’d missed anything important.
As usual, she’d only missed a couple of texts from a group chat she didn’t pay much attention to. The Co-Star notification at the top of her notification centre caught her attention. Think about your future today.
She quickly replied to some texts before she finally sauntered into the kitchen to find something to cook for breakfast. Taron had told her before he headed to bed that she could make herself at home and make herself food if she wanted to.
In one of the cupboards she’d found some flour, and she knew that he had sugar and eggs as she’d seen them the day before. She knew exactly what she was going to make, she just hoped that Taron liked them too.
The sound of pans clattering in the kitchen woke Taron up from his peaceful slumber. He moved his arms to pull Amelia closer to him in his sleepy state before realising that she wasn’t with him and the sounds of the pans downstairs was her.
He fisted at his eyes as he yawned before he stretched and let himself fall further into the bed.
‘Oh shit!’ Amelia exclaimed, capturing Taron’s attention.
He got out of bed and walked to grab some clothes from the pile on the floor. He pulled his joggers up his legs and tied them loosely at his waist before he grabbed his phone and walked out of the room and down the stairs, clicking the heating on as he walked past it.
In the commotion of getting a frying pan out of the cupboard near the oven, Amelia hadn’t heard Taron headed downstairs.
‘Morning,’ he whispered groggily as he entered the kitchen, rubbing at his chest as he did.
Amelia turned to him with a soft smile. ‘Good morning. I thought I’d make pancakes for breakfast but then things started falling. Sorry if I woke you. I’ll finish your cuppa now.’
‘I’ll finish those, don’t worry about it. Pancakes sound lovely, by the way.’
He cradled his drink in his hands as he watched Amelia finish the pancakes. He found it fascinating to watch her move around his kitchen so effortlessly, in his top, as she cooked.
The longer he stood and watched her, the more he wished that he could have that every morning. He wanted to wake up to her pretty face every day and have her potter around the house in his clothes. He wanted to hold her in bed every night and cook with her every evening. He could see a perfect little life with Pickle in the cottage, or anywhere else they wanted to live.
‘Do you happen to have any chocolate spread? Maybe strawberries too?’ Amelia asked as she put the final pancakes onto the stack.
Taron nodded before he pushed himself off the side and towards the fridge and the cupboard next to it.
He really could imagine a life where it was just the two of them forever.
******
‘What about Elijah?’ Autumn asked as the man being spoken about was standing not too far away from the table where they all sat gabbing. ‘He’s a brainbox! Went to Oxford and everything.’
Sada rolled her eyes dramatically at Autumn’s choice of guy for Amelia, whereas Amelia took a deep breath when she saw who Autumn was talking about. She should have recognised him by his name but she didn’t fully know who it was until she saw his face.
It had only been a couple of days since she’d first seen Elijah and the memories were still raw. She felt silly really, because it wasn’t like anything happened for her to feel so weird about him. He was just pushy and she didn’t like it. When she was with Taron for dinner, she explained what had happened and he was devastated for her. He kept apologising for the man’s behaviour constantly, even when Amelia told him not to be sorry because it wasn’t him that had done anything.
‘He’s not really my type,’ Amelia replied gently.
She didn’t feel like she could tell Autumn and Sada why she didn’t want to sleep with him. For one, they’d consumed quite a bit of alcohol in the three hours that they’d been sat in the pub which meant that there was a high chance they would say something. And secondly, if she told them, there would be a multitude of questions and she wasn’t mentally prepared to answer them that evening.
‘Babe, we’re not looking for your future husband, even though that would be pretty damn good if we found him. We’re simply looking for someone you can hook up with for a single night.’
Autumn sipped her pint of Stella as she scanned the bar once more for another potential guy for Amelia.
‘I don’t see why you’re so set on getting her laid, Autumn. What if she doesn’t want to sleep with anyone?’
Autumn looked at Amelia with an expectant look to receive nothing but a miniscule shrug.
‘See!’ Autumn shrieked. ‘She wants to get laid!’
‘No need to tell the entire fucking pub,’ Amelia mumbled as she hid behind her glass. Ever since she and Taron first had a Southern Comfort and coke together, it had been her go to drink at the pub. ‘And I never said I wanted to get laid.’
There was really only one man who Amelia could see herself sleeping with, but there was no way that it would ever happen. Especially with them not spending too much time together. If Taron wasn’t working, Amelia had plans. If Amelia was free, Taron had plans. They text one another a lot but there was nothing more than that.
‘You literally just-’
‘-face it, Autumn,’ Sada interjected, ‘your plan to get her laid is failing miserably because you don’t know her type.’
‘Well if you’re so certain that you know her type, you name a few guys for her then.’
Amelia chuckled as Sada cracked her knuckles in playful competitiveness at Autumn’s challenge.
As Sada looked around the busy room trying to find at least one guy that might tickle Amelia’s fancy, Amelia finished her drink and almost slammed her empty glass on the table. She was beginning to feel the effects of the alcohol that was coursing through her. Everything seemed to be moving slower than it had when she first got to the pub for what had quickly become girls’ night.
It was as though she could really feel things properly, every tiny touch being intensified against her body. Even the material of her cardigan against her arms was intense. She was sure that if Taron were to be there that the excited feeling deep in her gut when she saw him would be even more intense.
Voices were almost in slow motion too. But not too slow that she couldn’t understand what was being said to her. It just took her a little longer to process what people were saying and answer. She knew that she would wake up the following day with an incredibly terrible hangover but she was enjoying herself so much that she didn’t really care.
‘Easy,’ Sada started as she locked eyes on a table of lads she knew were around their age. ‘Eoin, Jacob, Duncan, James and…Taron.’
‘Taron,’ Amelia repeated wistfully.
The corners of her lips lifted into a smile as her stomach swarmed with butterflies. No other guy mattered when his name was mentioned, and she wasn’t sure they ever would again.
‘Taron? As in Taron Prince?’ Autumn asked. Sada hummed.
Taron looked like a prince, but that definitely wasn’t his surname.
‘Taron…Prince?’ Amelia asked.
Sada nodded. ‘Which other Taron would I be on abou- oh.’
‘I don’t want to hook up with any Taron Prince,’ Amelia grimaced. ‘Would rather hook up with myself. Wait, that didn’t come out right. I don’t even know what I mean, but I don’t want to hook up with Taron.’
Sada burst into fits of laughter while Autumn shook her head before getting up to go back to the bar. The girls usually spent their time in the coffee shop but after an extremely stressful week, Amelia suggested the pub for a change of scenery. It helped that on a Sunday night there were always rugby players in and so there was plenty of eye candy. Not that any of the three women wanted one of them.
Why they had been together that day, they had spoken about everything. They talked about the argument Autumn and Spencer had the previous night that almost ended their relationship. They talked about Sada and Noelani’s weekend getaway to York for the Christmas markets, and they talked about Amelia’s plans for Christmas when she got home.
The drinks had been flowing freely and none of them could walk in a straight line. They could barely think straight so when a tall, blonde, happy go lucky kind of girl around their age walked into the pub and made a beeline for Sada, Amelia wasn’t quite sure why she felt a pang of jealousy.
‘Rosie!’ Autumn cheered as she got back to the table, placing three drinks on the table before wrapping her arms around the woman. ‘It’s been so long, what are you doing back here?’
‘I came to see my grandparents and take them back to my house for Christmas. How’ve you been?’
‘I’ve not been bad, thank you. I can’t believe you’re here.’
Amelia sat awkwardly throughout Autumn’s exchange with the girl before she lifted her new drink to her lips and downed over half of it. It made a loud noise as she put it back on the table and Autumn turned around quickly to see Amelia sitting awkwardly but with a sweet smile on her face.
‘Oh shit, yeah. Rosie, this is Amelia. Amelia, this is Rosie.’
Rosie’s sickly sweet smile had Amelia rolling her eyes internally. Amelia stood up to join in the conversation but she felt strange about Rosie.
Rosie looked like the kind of girl who would smile and say one thing to your face but give a dirty look and say something completely different behind your back. She looked like the kind of person Amelia couldn’t get along with. Though she still accepted the embrace from Rosie as she forced a smile onto her face.
When Rosie pulled away, Autumn and Sada were both back in their seats so Amelia sat back down and watched as Rosie pulled up a seat next to her.
‘I can’t believe I’m getting to meet the Amelia Bray. You’re a pretty big name with the guys in the village,’ Rosie said.
‘I’ve heard,’ Amelia replied quickly. As much as she appreciate that Rosie was clearly a friend of Autumn and Sada, she couldn’t wait for the leggy blonde to disappear. Being in her presence made her feel uneasy.
‘How long are you here for?’ Sada questioned, trying to change the subject. She knew that Amelia hated talking about herself.
‘I’m only here until the morning. Came to grab my grandad now and then we’re setting off stupidly early so that we can be at mine by lunch time. Speaking of, I should probably get him before he gets another pint.’
Autumn nodded, standing up as Rosie did to hug her one last time.
‘It was lovely to meet you, Amelia,’ Rosie spoke gently through her insane smile as she nodded to Amelia who gave her a smile in return.
‘You too.’
When Rosie had left the pub and Autumn and Sada were both back at the table, Amelia downed the second half of her drink.
‘Rosie used to have a thing with Taron,’ Autumn spoke nonchalantly.
Amelia could feel her cheeks heat up as she tried to remain smiley, even though all she wanted to do was scream in rage. The alcohol was affecting her more and more with each passing minute.
‘It was rumoured that they had a thing, Autumn. You know that nobody but those two know the truth of what happened.’
‘Oh come off it, Sada. She used to go to his house on an evening and not leave until the day after…wearing the same clothes as she was the night before. You can’t tell me nothing was going on between them! She was even there last night. James from the coffee shop saw her leave earlier. Apparently she was wearing Taron’s joggers too.’
Amelia’s stomach sank at Autumn’s words. She sat back and took herself away from the conversation between her two friends. She couldn’t listen to them talking about Taron and another girl.
Only the morning before, Amelia had envisioned a life with Taron; waking up each day to make breakfast and a cuppa for them to enjoy. 24 hours later and Amelia could feel her world crashing around her. If Taron and Rosie were seeing each other, and had been for a while, then not only was Taron a liar, but Amelia was definitely not his type.
She wasn’t as tall as Rosie, and her hair wasn’t blonde. If Taron was into leggy blondes, then there was no point in Amelia fighting for his attention because he clearly wouldn’t want her.
Why would he when he had Rosie?
She was so caught up in her own little world of fighting her emotions and trying not to cry that she hadn’t noticed Taron walking into the pub and to the bar. He walked to the guy behind it, Matt, before turning around and leaning against the wooden structure. It didn’t take long for his eyes to land on Amelia, and he had to fight the urge to smile at her brightly.
He lifted his right hand in a silent greeting but dropped it when Amelia didn’t reciprocate the gesture. Normally she would be more than willing to say hello to him but that day she blanked him. He thought that maybe she hadn’t seen him so he waved again, but still he got nothing in return.
She had seen him when he turned around but she was so caught up in her emotions that she couldn’t bring herself to wave back. It hurt her to know that Taron would never like a girl like her. How could he? She wasn’t leggy, she wasn’t blonde, and she didn’t have the brightest smile in the world.
‘Amelia?’ Autumn put her hand on Amelia’s shoulder to get her attention. ‘You okay?’
‘Yeah. I think I’m going to go back to the bed and breakfast. I don’t feel too great all of a sudden.’
‘Do you want us to walk you back?’ Sada offered, worry evident on her face.
Amelia shook her head, insisting that she would be okay and that she would text them when she got back so they knew that she was safe. They reluctantly agreed to let her go and made sure that she was bundled back up before hugging her and bidding her farewell.
As soon as Taron saw her leave the pub, he threw a £10 note on the bar under his glass and followed her out quickly. The bitter cold of the outside nipped at his cheeks, and he worried that Amelia’s hands would be getting cold as they were never covered when she went out.
‘Amelia?’
He jogged to catch up with the woman who had blatantly ignored him for the first time they had met. When she turned around to face him, she had tears in her eyes and her tongue was pressed to the inside of her cheek. She was trying her best not to cry.
‘What’s the matter, love?’
‘Don’t.’ Amelia’s words were stern as she took as deep a breath as she could and wet her lips. ‘Don’t.’
‘Don’t? Don’t what?’
‘Call me love.’ Taron’s eyebrows furrowed as he watched her. ‘Were you ever planning on telling me, Taron?’
Taron stood in the middle of the street completely dumbfounded. The last time he’d spoken to Amelia, she was so warm and welcoming. But that night there was a chill to her and it wasn’t because of the weather outside.
‘Amelia, you’re going to have to give me more than that.’
‘Were you ever planning on telling me that you’re seeing someone? For weeks now you’ve been flirting with me and wanting to get to know me and spend more time with me but you’re seeing someone. Were you ever going to tell me?’
‘What?’ Taron didn’t know what to say. He was scared to say anything. ‘I’m not seeing anyone.’
‘Oh don’t bullshit me, Taron! I don’t blame you because she’s fucking stunning and I’ll never be that!’ Amelia was slurring slightly and her head had started to spin. The more irate and annoyed she got, the harder she found it to speak.
‘Never be what? Stunning? That’s the biggest lie I’ve ever heard. You’re so bloody beautiful, Amelia. Can we please go somewhere to talk properly? Or can we talk tomorrow when you’re sober and can communicate properly?’
Taron took a step closer to Amelia but she moved herself back, holding her hand up to tell him not to get any closer.
‘Don’t you dare come near me. Do you hear me? I don’t want to be near you right now, you fucking liar.’
‘Amelia, please. I don’t know what you’re talking about.’
‘Rosie,’ Amelia seethed, watching all of the colour drain from Taron’s face. ‘Now he gets it.’
;Love, she-’
‘Is your girlfriend,’ Amelia interrupted. ‘I get it Taron.’
‘No! She’s-’
‘Taron, save it. I don’t want to hear your excuses.’ she was starting to get emotional, her bottom lip trembling and eyes growing heavy with tears. ‘Was I just keeping her place warm? In bed? Is that all I was to you? Someone to play with until she came back?’
‘Oh my god, no!’
Taron tried to step closer to her again so that he could try to get her to listen to him but she moved back once more, almost tripping over a stone in the road.
‘I mean it, don’t come near me.’
‘Rosie is a friend, Lo-Amelia. She’s a friend. That’s all she is.’
‘A friend that you also happen to sleep with? Do you know how fucking stupid I feel right now, Taron? For weeks I’ve thought that for some stupid reason you might actually like me the way that I like you. But all I was, was a fucking idiot. How could you ever like me when I’m not tall, I don’t have bleach blonde hair with perfect roots, and I haven’t got a smile brighter than the fucking sun?’
Tears had started to fall by that point and Taron’s heart physically broke.
Standing a few paces in front of him was the girl who had stolen such a huge chunk of his heart.
Standing a few paces in front of him was the girl that he wanted to spend every waking minute with.
He adored her.
He adored her so much that he’d have walked through fire for her.
But he couldn’t tell her.
He wanted to tell her.
He wanted to say the words he was too afraid to say and then scoop her up and hold her forever. Amelia was the first person he thought of when he woke up and the last person he thought of before he fell asleep. She meant more to him than he cared to admit.
‘I’m not seeing her.’
‘Tell me whatever you want, Taron. I don’t fucking believe you.’
Amelia wiped at her eyes angrily before turning so that she wasn’t facing him head on, too sad to look at him.
‘You know,’ she sniffled, ‘I thought that after years of being used I might be used to this feeling. But this,’ she motioned between the two of them, ‘this feels a thousand times worse. I never thought that somebody like you would ever use me but look how that turned out.’
Taron was stuck in his spot as he watched Amelia walk down the street and out of view. He could see her wipe at her eyes and the soft sounds of her sniffles. Tears had started to fall from his eyes at the thought of Amelia not trusting him anymore. But he couldn’t say anything. He didn’t know what to say to make it better.
Even when people had started to walk out of the pub to see what the commotion was, she couldn’t move. All he could do was sink to the ground in a heap and let out a strangled sob. Autumn and Sada ran to his side and asked what was wrong.
‘She thinks I was using her.’
‘Who?’
‘What?’ Autumn and Sada asked at the same time.
‘Ame-’ He hiccuped. ‘Amelia. She thinks I’m seeing Rosie and using her so I’m not on my own. I’m not using her. I told Rosie last night that I didn’t want to see her. But she didn’t listen. Now look what’s fucking happened. When I find out who told her that I was seeing Rosie I’m going to kill them, I swear to God.’
The tears that trailed down his cheeks were hot and salty.
He hated himself.
Amelia hated him too and that felt the worst.
She hated him.
#taron egerton#taron egerton sex#taron egerton blurbs#taron egerton fanfiction#taron egerton imagines#taron egerton fanfic#taron egerton writing#my writing#ETTC
13 notes
·
View notes
Text
O JOGO FOI LANÇADO! As reservas dos personagens foram feitas para os seguintes participantes, por ordem de chegada:
JAMES POTTER para Maya
SIRIUS BLACK para Lizzie
MARLENE MCKINNON para Brim
EMMELINE para Cassidy
LILY EVANS para Jennie
HESTIA JONES para Lua
MARY MCDONALD para Luna
AMELIA BONES para Sadie
ALICE MURPHY para Rima
EDGAR BONES para Nik
FRANK LONGBOTTOM para Caos
OPHELIA DIGGLE para Mariáh
Lembrando que vocês têm 24h para entregar a ficha do personagem por chat ou submit. Qualquer dúvida, estamos disponíveis no chat. Não se esqueçam de nos mandar o pronome de vocês e a banda favorita do char, eim? Vai por mim, vai ser importante lá na frente, ok? ATÉ JÁ! <3
2 notes
·
View notes
Text
I posted 108 times in 2022
54 posts created (50%)
54 posts reblogged (50%)
I tagged 108 of my posts in 2022
#not a fic - 57 posts
#hp - 52 posts
#harry potter - 52 posts
#ask meme - 33 posts
#send me an owl - 33 posts
#fic rec friday - 31 posts
#mewling about haripo - 22 posts
#3rd pov - 19 posts
#romance - 18 posts
#angst - 13 posts
Longest Tag: 34 characters
#notif arrived just a few days ago~
My Top Posts in 2022:
#5
you're nobody until somebody loves you (261-270/∞)
100-word drabbles for a range of ships. *Requests always welcome! Repeats allowed~*
Chapters 261-270: [FFN] [AO3] | ← → | start from the beginning
Pairings/Characters: Oliver Wood/Terence Higgs, Victoire Weasley/Hannah Abbott, Regulus Arcturus Black/Frank Longbottom, Luna Lovegood/Blaise Zabini, Alecto Carrow/Narcissa Black, Theodore Nott/Draco Malfoy, Amelia Bones/Alice Longbottom, Harry Potter/Cedric Diggory, Percy Weasley/Penelope Clearwater, & Lily Luna Potter/Scorpius Malfoy
Rating: K
Words: 1,000 collectively
Additional info: romance, slash, femslash, cross gen, angst, fluff, hurt/comfort, AU fic, Marauder era, Harry's era, Next Gen era, 2nd person POV, 3rd person POV
Summary: Song by Sammy Davis, Jr., 100-word drabbles by mew. So is unrequited love always unrequited? | Various pairings, eras, etc. Includes het, slash, femslash, cross-gen, next-gen, but nothing too bad. Read it all or only what you like!
See the full post
3 notes - Posted March 20, 2022
#4
a proper sit-down
My two favorite Marauders confiding… :'3
Fic: "a proper sit-down" [FFN] [AO3]
Pairings/Characters: Sirius Black/Remus Lupin
Rating: K+
Words: ~1,240
Additional info: romance, slash, lightangst, Maydayverse, Harry's era, 3rd person POV
Summary: With a new war on the horizon, Sirius and Remus finally have a chat, just the two of them, nearly fourteen years in the making…
See the full post
3 notes - Posted July 17, 2022
#3
Fic Rec Friday!
Though tagged as Percy/Alicia, this delightful drabble is more of a pre-Percelicia fic with an entertaining focus on Alicia’s friendship with Angelina and Katie. :D After all, who else knows you best, esp when you pipe up that perhaps the Weasley twins are getting a little carried away with their pranks? XD So of course Angelina and Katie have to get to the bottom of Alicia’s new tune... Bursting with friendship feels for the Gryffindor Quidditch witch trio, this drabble will surely put a smile on your face, so give it a read and leave a kind word in a review when it does~ -w-
Follow for more stories and recs with the minor characters!
3 notes - Posted June 24, 2022
#2
@sethmi - Oh, wow! Tysm for requesting for this ask meme! :’D And tysm for the compliments on this Drastoria fic of mine (as well as the follow <3). I’m super happy about that since I’ve got such set hcs about Draco and Astoria, and I’m rather fond of that fic, esp in the Maydayverse. :’)
5 notes - Posted July 10, 2022
My #1 post of 2022
A Flight of Fancy
Aaaand this is what happens when you get to thinking about your freckled favs. XD
Fic: "A Flight of Fancy" [FFN] [AO3]
Pairings/Characters: Oliver Wood/Percy Weasley
Rating: K+
Words: ~2,490
Additional info: romance, slash, barely anyangst, fluff, Harry's era, 3rd person POV
Summary: Oliver's got something plaguing his thoughts, so he drags Percy out for a flight around the pitch with him.
See the full post
25 notes - Posted February 5, 2022
Get your Tumblr 2022 Year in Review →
1 note
·
View note
Text
Quem: @miabcnes
Local: Roda Gigante
Quando: Witchella, Dia 1
Fazia algum tempo desde que Sturgis estava reunindo coragem para falar com Amelia Bones e sempre que decidia tomar uma atitude alguma coisa acontecia para atrapalhar seus planos, era como se o universo estivesse conspirando para que ele não tivesse a chance de conversar com a lufana. Podmore apenas queria entender o que estava acontecendo entre eles, isto é se ainda existia algo entre eles devido a completa ausência de Mia durante as férias. O corvino tinha escrito para a loira com frequência durante as férias de verão, mas não tinha obtido nenhuma resposta dela e desde então não sabia se tinha feito alguma coisa de errado. A dúvida e a incerteza estava consumindo Stu aos poucos, de forma que ele precisava conversar urgentemente com Amelia para entender o que estava acontecendo.
fila da roda gigante, acompanhada de Daniel McLaggen, seu colega de casa da Corvinal e que parecia estar bastante interessado em Mia, o rapaz logo seguiu os dois. Se fosse ficar esperando pelo momento ideal ou a melhor hora, Sturgis nunca teria a oportunidade de conversar com a garota. “McLaggen, ainda bem que te encontrei. Fiquei sabendo que o Ed tá procurando a Mia feito doido no festival, ameaçando que vai cair no soco se ver alguém se engraçando com a irmã dele. Se eu fosse você eu iria sair daqui o mais rápido possível, antes que o Ed acabe com sua raça e esse seu rostinho bonito que as garotas adoram”, a verdade era que o bruxo nem sabia onde Edgar estava ou o que estava fazendo, apenas tinha inventado aquela história para que Daniel fosse embora o mais rápido possível. Sabia que o que tinha feito não era correto, afinal de contas nem tinha ideia se o colega realmente estava com Mia ou não, para começar aquilo nem era e sua conta, mas não podia perder a oportunidade de conversar com a bruxa.
Como tinha imaginado ao inventar aquela história, não demorou para que McLaggen fosse embora deixando Sturgis e Mia esperando na fila do brinquedo. “Me desculpe por isso. Sei que não tem justificativa para o que eu acabei de fazer, mas eu gostaria de conversar com você. Na verdade, eu preciso falar com você”.
11 notes
·
View notes
Text
Quem: @miabcnes
Local: Ministério da Magia, Nível 7
Quando: Feira de profissões
Era inegável a animação de Dorcas Meadowes para a feira de profissões, mas a bruxa suspeitava que seus motivos eram bem diferente da motivação dos outros alunos. Aquela era a oportunidade perfeita para rever um de seus irmãos, o Benedict, que trabalhava no Serviços de Administração do Wizengamot. Por mais que escrevesse cartas para todos os seus irmãos e que estivesse atualizada a respeito das notícias que envolviam os membros da família Meadowes, ainda assim Doe sentia saudade de seus irmãos mais velhos e das oportunidades de passar um tempo com eles. Eles a irritavam? Sim, mas isso não mudava em nada o amor e carinho que sentia por cada um deles e quando ficava longe deles por um bom tempo, durante o período que passava estudando em Hogwarts, a bruxa até que sentia saudades da energia caótica e levemente irritante de seus irmãos.
Como seu irmão estava no meio do expediente do trabalho e ela supostamente estava no Ministério para participar da Feira de Profissões, o tempo com Benedict foi limitado, mas o suficiente para Doe dar um abraço apertado, colocar a fofoca em dia e matar um pouco da saudade que sentia de seu irmão mais velho. Após o breve encontro, Dorcas apressou-se em procurar por uma de suas melhores amigas, Amelia Bones, entre os departamentos do Ministério e após bons minutos e com a ajuda de outros colegas a bruxa conseguiu encontrar a amiga. “Finalmente te encontrei”, disse ao avistar a lufana. “Você não sabe o que eu acabei de descobrir. Dei uma escapulida da feira para encontrar com meu irmão, o Ben, e ele deixou escapar que Hamish MacFarlan está trabalhando aqui no Ministério”, qualquer pessoa que conhecesse Dorcas Meadowes minimamente conhecia sobre sua paixão em relação ao Quadribol, então não era de se espantar o seu tom animado ao falar sobre o antigo capitão do Montrose Magpies. “Enfim, agora você e eu vamos pegar o autógrafo dele”, afirmou com determinação.
2 notes
·
View notes
Text
É hora de ir pra sala! As aplicações de Marlene McKinnon, Narcissa Black, Hestia Jones, Andromeda Black, Amos Diggory, Amelia Bones e Amycus Carrow foram aceitas. Players, o link do servidor será enviado em alguns minutos, fiquem atentos aos seus chats e bom jogo!
Seja bem vinda à mais um ano letivo, MARLENE MCKINNON! Li na sua ficha que você é MULHER CISGÊNERO, tem 22 ANOS e veio de GLASGOW/ESCÓCIA para estudar ENGENHARIA AEROESPACIAL. Além disso, o pessoal da GRYFFINDOR disse que você se parece muito com ODESSA A'ZION. Será que é verdade? Uma coisa eu sei: só de te olhar eu já sei que você é CORAJOSA, mas também é muito AUTO-DESTRUTIVA. Que bom te ver por aqui, KINNO!
Seja bem vinda à mais um ano letivo, NARCISSA BLACK! Li na sua ficha que você é uma MULHER CISGÊNERO, tem 22 ANOS e veio de LONDRES/INGLATERRA para estudar HISTÓRIA. Além disso, o pessoal da SLYTHERIN disse que você se parece muito com ANYA TAYLOR-JOY. Será que é verdade? Uma coisa eu sei: só de te olhar eu já sei que você é LEAL, mas também é muito EGOCÊNTRICA. Que bom te ver por aqui, CISSY!
Seja bem vinda à mais um ano letivo, HESTIA JONES! Li na sua ficha que você é uma CISGÊNERO FEMININO, tem 21 ANOS e veio de LONDRES/INGLATERRA para estudar CINEMA. Além disso, o pessoal da RAVENCLAW disse que você se parece muito com ELLA PURNELL. Será que é verdade? Uma coisa eu sei: só de te olhar eu já sei que você é TRABALHADORA, LEAL E CRIATIVA, mas também é muito SONHADORA, DESASTRADA E PERFECCIONISTA. Que bom te ver por aqui, HESTIA!
Seja bem vinda à mais um ano letivo, ANDROMEDA LYRAE BLACK! Li na sua ficha que você é uma MULHER CISGÊNERO, tem 26 ANOS e veio de LONDRES/INGLATERRA para estudar MEDICINA. Além disso, o pessoal da SLYTHERIN disse que você se parece muito com YARA KHMIDAN. Será que é verdade? Uma coisa eu sei: só de te olhar eu já sei que você é ATENCIOSA, mas também é muito CATEGÓRICA. Que bom te ver por aqui, ANDIE!
Seja bem vindo à mais um ano letivo, AMOS DIGGORY! Li na sua ficha que você é um HOMEM CISGÊNERO, tem 22 ANOS e veio de OTTERY ST MARY/INGLATERRA para estudar MEDICINA VETERINÁRIA. Além disso, o pessoal da HUFFLEPUFF disse que você se parece muito com PAUL MESCAL. Será que é verdade? Uma coisa eu sei: só de te olhar eu já sei que você é DILIGENTE, mas também é muito PRETENSIOSO. Que bom te ver por aqui, DIGG!
Seja bem vinda à mais um ano letivo, AMELIA DOROTHEA BONES! Li na sua ficha que você é uma MULHER CISGÊNERO, tem 22 ANOS e veio de BRISTOL/INGLATERRA para estudar MATEMÁTICA. Além disso, o pessoal da HUFFLEPUFF disse que você se parece muito com GRACIE ABRAMS. Será que é verdade? Uma coisa eu sei: só de te olhar já sei que você é PRÁTICA, mas também é muito INFELIZ. Que bom te ver por aqui, MIA!
Seja bem vindo à mais um ano letivo, AMYCUS CHARLES CAVENDISH CADOGAN-CARROW! Li na sua ficha que você é um HOMEM CISGÊNERO, tem 22 ANOS e veio de WINDSOR/INGLATERRA para estudar ADMINISTRAÇÃO. Além disso, o pessoal da SLYTHERIN disse que você se parece muito com LORENZO ZURZOLO. Será que é verdade? Uma coisa eu sei: só de te olhar já sei que você é LEAL, mas também é muito PREGUIÇOSO. Que bom te ver por aqui, AMES!
0 notes
Conversation
Knave of Hearts: Question 1; There is a holiday named Thricewane.
Tark: *laughs*
Knave of Hearts: Why is it called Thricewane?
Tark: We all just fucking giggle as [something] Thricewane.
Eudora: *mimes ringing the bell*
Tark: Can I make a history check?
DM: Eudora dinged.
Eudora: Eudora dings.
DM: This is first come, first serve, friends. This is an open-note test, this is for player knowledge.
Hunt (OOC): Ooh.
Tark (OOC): Oh, well then fuck. jk
Eudora: It's called Thricewane because it's commemoratin' the merging of three planes.
Knave of Hearts: Correct. I will give you one, an extra if you can tell me which three planes.
Eudora: I believe it was the Material Plane, this here plane that we're on right now, and was it... Shadowfell?
Knave of Hearts: Yes, very good. Two points to Carmilla.
DM: Let me write this down because this is actually point based.
Tark (OOC): Man, I'm so proud of you. I have no thoughts, no knowledge, no nothing. Nyessa's over here freaking right off the bat.
DM: Mm-hmm.
Tark (OOC): I'm so proud.
Eudora (OOC): I remember it because the name and the history behind it, it's neat.
Hunt (OOC): I second-guessed myself.
Marigold (OOC): Oh no.
Knave of Hearts: While we're on the topic, upon Thricewane there is a tradition known as The Knocking what are the words that are exchanged traditionally in this?
Nathaniel (OOC): Oh you mentioned this!
Hunt (OOC): Ah fuck!
Tark (OOC): And this is player knowledge, we can't---
DM: It's an open-note test, but it is player knowledge.
Hunt (OOC): Honestly, I don't think I wrote anything on it.
Tark (OOC): I know. Oh god damnit.
DM: This is legit lore trivia.
Tark (OOC): You make up half the shit. How are we supposed to know?
DM: You gotta listen to me when I talk.
Tark (OOC): Gaaah! *laughing*
-repeating the question-
Hunt: May I make an Intelligence check on this?
DM: You may.
Nathaniel: I will also make a check.
DM: Make a history check, or no this would technically be Society I guess? You could use history if you wanted to if that's better?
Hunt: Well it's the same. *rolls* 10.
Nathaniel: *rolls* I got a 17.
DM: I will say with a 17 'cause ya'll would know this, especially Nathaniel being a normal person. I guess you have a normal family comparatively, which is insane.
Nathaniel (OOC): Amelia did also love folklore.
DM: This is true. I will---
Nathaniel: He probably participated in Thricewane all the time. I probably loved Thricewane as a kid.
-going over whether to let Crow have the point or everyone roll Initiative with INT to see who would know it. We decide Crow gets it-
Nathaniel: *sees what Swan sent* Oh, do I, is the Knave looking for all of these?
DM: Yeah, that's the words exchanged.
Nathaniel: Oh, great. ding. "You knock thrice and the person inside the door says “Someone is here on this long dark night?” the knocker says, “May I come in and sit by your fire?” “Be on your way, the fire won’t warm you.” “May I come in and rest my old bones?” “Be on your way the road is calling.” “May I come in and sit down beside you?” “Be on your way, you are not welcome here.”"
Knave of Hearts: Very well done Bysmark. One point or you.
Hunt (OOC): As a player, I have no memory of that.
DM: That's fine.
Audence Isben (OOC): [in chat] THAT IS AMAZING
DM: This is all taken from, I believe, notes I have shared with people.
#D&D mischief#Relni campaign#Relni Recap#Relni Chapter 36#I knew the answer to the first question#or an approximation of it#but I hesitated on the fear of being wrong#I am so sure that The Knocking exchange wasn't mentioned during a session#I didn't find it in previous sessions#so that may've been a private exchange around that time since Crow seemed to be the only one who recalled it
1 note
·
View note
Text
Hey I know I’ve been hecka inactive recently I’ve just been low on large social media energy if y’all know what I mean, but I just thought I’d let y’all know I’m alive and ask your opinion on something
So I’m writing a little thing (low key just for me it’s not Harry Potter related) BUT I’m wondering if the MCs should kiss late one night at work when they’re the last two there or after one drives the other home and comes in for like 3 am tea?
#amelia chats#bones#i ship camastoo so hard#if you guys like bones hmu i need to fangirl with a few people#steph and i need to enlarge the bones fandom#and people we can talk about pej with#🥵🥰😍
2 notes
·
View notes
Note
If you’d like, could you please write about a typical day of Charlie’s shenanigans at Welton?
(Idk what you pictured him as doing during his free time but I totally see him making friendships/alliances with some of the staff and causing light-hearted mischief)
anon my beloved <3 it would be my honor to write about mr dalton, just for you <3
let's break this down bit by bit
first of all, he wakes up like thirty minutes before his first class, every day without fail
he gets dressed, grabs a small breakfast from the dining hall, and is in his classroom for the first period
i've got a whole post about him as a teacher, but i have other ideas that i'm now going to divulge
he doesn't like intimidating his students during tests, so he'll step out on those days
(don't worry, he leaves a fink in charge in case cheating takes place,
not that he'd get super upset, it would mean he didn't prepare the student enough and they would go over the content again, and then retake the test,
(but if the student cheated again, he'd report it, gotta draw the line somewhere))
ANYWAY
on test days, he goes to bother other teachers' classrooms
mostly todd's at first
he heckles todd during his lessons
like, he'll snore loudly if todd talks too much
or just boo him
"i thought poetry was supposed to be exciting!"
"i thought people on wall street who committed light tax fraud were supposed to go to federal prison"
"...wow..."
eventually, todd has to kick him out so he can get his lessons done
so charlie ventures off to bother the latin class
as they're repeating their verbs, charlie will follow along, but slightly behind and very loudly
"agric—"
"AGRICOLA"
mr harrison kicks him out a lot quicker than todd does
but matthew harrison and charlie get along pretty well
matt is one of the teachers that doesn't have a stick up his ass, but he still follows cameron's rules
for the most part
one time, he and charlie switched classes for the day and cameron never found out
it was a total disaster because
a) charlie doesn't remember any latin from his days at welton and
b) charlie's lesson plans for civics are so incomprehensible that matt couldn't follow them at all
("what does 'amelia will argue about this for at least ten minutes' mean?"
"what does it sound like it means?")
but, as mentioned before, charlie grows to love teaching and to love the kids at welton
luckily, he doesn't have his own "charlie" student
or maybe unluckily
todd would say "kids these days don't want to get expelled"
whatever
once the teaching day is over, charlie will usually go watch the kids at their extracurriculars
particularly, he likes watching the rowing team
he doesn't coach crew, but he sure acts like it sometimes
"don't lean so far back!"
sometimes, he'll sit with todd at soccer practice and reminiscence about the good ole soccer days
"remember when you kicked the soccer ball into the lake and made pittsie run after it?"
"he's the tallest, he'd get the least wet!"
"he's also skin and bone and it was freezing that day, he almost got hypothermia because of you"
"he did not!"
anyway
charlie is very grateful for the staff at welton academy
he likes chatting with the custodial staff
they're incredibly lovely people who deserve more attention
he's definitely one of those teachers who makes kids pick up trash off the floor, just to make custodian's jobs easier
he and cameron, surprisingly, get along better than expected
charlie's students say only good things about him, and they're getting the highest grades out of any class, so that must mean something, right?
but once extracurriculars are over, and students start going to teacher's for homework help, you can usually find charlie either in his classroom helping students or in todd's classroom, lightly bullying todd
"don't listen to what mr anderson says, metre is a state of mind, it's not necessary to understand"
"okay mr dalton, thanks for your insight"
but study time in mr dalton's room is great
sometimes a lot of work gets done, sometimes he needs to catch up on the latest gossip and/or hear the students complain about other teachers
like, if someone complains about mr anderson, charlie's usually defensive
"you're lucky to have a teacher like him, he's just pushing ya cause he loves ya"
but if someone complains about mr orland from the math hall, charlie is all in
"he said you were WHAT? oh my god! that crusty old bastard!"
what happens in mr dalton's room stays in mr dalton's room <3
every now and then, charlie will take time to call his kids
haha remember when i set that up and then never brought it back around i'm a creative writing major <3
charlotte, being the baby of the family, calls her dad the most often
she teases him about his teaching at welton
"i'd rather tell my friends you're doing community service than teaching at welton academy"
"your support means the world to me, i love you charlotte"
virginia is wedding planning with her fiance
she doesn't take her father's advice because she "doesn't want to jinx her marriage"
and it's like, yeah charlie's been married three times, but a blue color scheme during the summer? girl...
john is in the process of moving from darmouth to brown to start his phd program
he's gonna be a meteorologist!
which is not the study of meteors, as charlie learned very quickly
anyway
he calls his children and then grabs todd to go to dinner
welton food is better than when they attended, but it's still not great
and they work so hard to teach the Future of America so they deserve to go out to dinner
that's what charlie says anyway
much like his school days, charlie almost always leaves any work he has to do until the last minute
any homework he has to grade, any lesson plans to draw up
that happens at ten pm, every night
his light is always the last one to go out
he either has the self-control to do it himself, or todd will go down there and do it himself
"it is three am, please go the fuck to sleep"
it's probably why charlie gets up thirty minutes before class
he doesn't want to spend all his time """grading homework""" or whatever todd does all afternoon
he wants to connect with the kiddos
he wants them to like him
and they do
he just never hears the kids say "mr dalton would never assign us forty practice problems, he's better than that"
or "mr dalton actually likes talking to me, so yeah, he's my favorite teacher"
what else?
sometimes he'll go bug cameron when neither of them is busy
he doesn't want cameron to feel left out <3
so sometimes between class periods, he'll knock on cameron's door just to say hi
(he won't interrupt parent meetings or phone calls, he's not a monster)
but he'll just like, "hi cameron 😁"
"hi charlie, can i do something for you?"
"nope, just here to tell you that i love ya"
"okay"
"... i'm not leaving until you say it back"
"i love you too charlie"
and charlie leaves with a big smile
not shutting the door when he leaves
~
i hope you liked this, anon! <3 ily
taglist:
@chloe-octavia @aedan-mills @regina-della-poesia @justarandompjofan @sapphicnoel @iguanamuppet @finding-an-angle @srj901 @boy-wonder-oncologist-fan @tuskofthyme @nothing-gonna-wake-me-now @fumbleface @deadswiftiesociety @spaced-out-state @vanitysanity
#dps 2: electric boogaloo#dead poets society#charlie dalton#we got a charlie centric one today folks!
28 notes
·
View notes
Last Seen Blogs
