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#12 days of christmas event
pekennabohm · 3 months
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🐾 por РeҜeŋŋД βØЋм♡♡ Via Flickr: Wasabi // Purr HW Ed. Hair - Absolute Pack @ Mainstore [Glam Affair] Olwen [Lelutka EvoX AVALON] 🆕Frost-E Fest ^^Swallow^^ Group Gifts for ''12 DAYS OF CHRISTMAS'' MICHAN - Meria Bracelets 🆕Frost-E Fest MICHAN - Lupita Nails @ Mainstore [Glitzz] Milena Set - Fatpack 🆕Warehouse Sale @ Mainstore
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beautifultypewriter · 3 months
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The Fourth Day of Christmas ~ Evan Buckley
Prompt: Decorating the Christmas tree
Pairing: Evan Buckley x reader
Warnings: None
Word Count: 937
A/N: First time writing Buck, so I hope it's okay!
You struggled to hold the box in one hand as you used the other to twist the key to Buck’s apartment in the lock. You should have just texted him when you were in the elevator, but you figured you’d be fine on your own. You were wrong. The box almost slipped from your hand, but you caught it at the last second. With a sigh of relief, you managed to unlock the door and push it open, “Buck? I’m here.” Before you could even get the door shut, Buck was bounding into the room and taking the box from your hands. You tried to stop him, “I’ve got it.” He gave you a pointed look and you laughed, fully closing the door now, and stepping further into the apartment. Buck set the box on the kitchen island and watched as you looked around at the decorations.
He shoved his hands into his pockets, “So what do you think?” He looked around the room and you smiled as he refused to meet your eyes, instead opting to look around at all the work he had done. There was garland wrapped around the banister of the stairs and lights strung up wherever he could get them. It was colorful and warm
You smiled at him, “It looks great.” He smiled back at you and you clapped your hands together, “Let’s get started on the tree.” You moved over to the box you had brought with you and opened it up. You couldn’t wait to show Buck your ornaments. Each one was unique and held a special meaning to you and you wanted to share that with him. Turning back around, you were met with Buck holding a clear plastic box filled with colorful and glittery baubles. Your eyes moved from the ornaments to Buck’s face and back again, “What are those?”
He followed your gaze down and then he was looking at you again, his eyebrows furrowed, “They’re my ornaments for the tree.” He shrugged one shoulder as you only stared at him, trying to figure out how to word your next sentence.
“No.”
Buck took a small step back, his mouth open and his eyes wide, “No? What do you mean no?” He clutched the box tighter to his chest, turning slightly as if to shield the decorations from you.
You giggled quietly as you stepped forward, “I’m sorry. I just… I meant those are horrible ornaments.” Buck gasped and you giggled again, “It’s just there’s no personality. No sentimental value. Did you get them on sale?” You could see an orange sticker on the side of the box and Buck swiveled again to hide it from you.
“No!” His shoulders sagged and he loosened his grip on the box, “I might have.” His grip tightened again, “There’s nothing wrong with that.”
Stepping forward, you ran your fingers through his hair, noting how he melted into your touch, “Of course not. I just think that you deserve something better.” With slow movements, you took the box of baubles from him and set them on the counter. You took Buck’s hand and pulled him over to the box you had brought with you, “Look at these.” You sifted through your ornaments, pulling them out to show Buck what you meant by better. The agnel that had been on your grandmother’s tree when she was a child, your Baby’s First Christmas ornament, the hand painted ornament you had gotten on your trip to Australia, a plastic bauble that had been filled with fake snow and decorated with stickers by your niece, and the Mickey Mouse ears that you had because he was your favorite character. You gushed over each ornament that you pulled from the box, stopping when you sensed that you had shown him enough to get your point across. Looking away from the box, you smiled, “You see?”
Buck wasn’t looking at your ornaments, he was looking at you, a dopey smile on his face as he nodded, “Yeah. Let’s put them up.” You nodded as you placed the ornaments back in the box and carried the entire thing over to the tree. Reaching in, you grabbed the angel and placed her on the tree. Buck followed suit and grabbed an ornament from the box and hooked it onto one of the branches.
The two of you worked together, Buck occasionally asking you about an ornament and you telling him 10 minute stories for each one. When the box was empty, you moved back to the kitchen and grabbed the baubles. Buck bit back a laugh as you open the cheap plastic container and picked a red and silver one, handing it to him. He took it by the hook as you grabbed another one for yourself. The pair of you moved over to the tree and filled in the empty spaces with your baubles. You grabbed a few more and Buck helped you fix any bare spots.
After the tinsel had been set on the branches, you both stepped back. Buck wrapped an arm around your waist and pulled you close to his side. Your head moved to rest on his shoulder as you both stared at the glittery tree. Buck smiled, “It looks perfect.”
You nodded to him, “It really does.” You adjusted your position so you could look at him, “Thank you for inviting me and my ornaments to be part of your decorating.”
With a grin, Buck leaned down and pecked your lips, “Thanks for being part of it.” You smiled at him and turned to look at the beautiful tree once again.
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calcium-cat · 1 year
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✨OSD December Event✨
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Have you heard of Dreamcember? Well this here is One Small Dreamcember! 
It is an unofficial fan event based off my fic One Small Dream; a story about Dream accidentally turning back into a child and living with Nightmare and the bad sanses. 
All are invited to participate, both art and writing are welcome, and you’re free to do whatever prompts on whatever day you want. There are also extra prompts to do instead of the prompt of the day. Please keep the prompts platonic/ship-free.
The tags are #onesmalldreamcember and #osdecember22. And speaking of tags, please tag me in your work, I would love to see/reblog your creations! 
Have fun with this! ✨
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The 12 Days of Christmas
In TEN WHOLE DAYS, the first event that we're running is starting! It's called the twelve days of nicercy christmas and is based on the Christmas classic The Twelve Days of Christmas.
PROMPT LIST:
Dec 14: Pears | First Dec 15: Doves | Two Dec 16: France | Hens Dec 17: Calling | Four Dec 18: Gold | Rings Dec 19: Eggs | Geese Dec 20: Swans | Grace Dec 21: Milk | Eggnog Dec 22: Dancing | Mistletoe Dec 23: Jumping | Lordship Dec 24: Flutes | Eleven Dec 25: Drums | Ending
Tag us ( @percico-nicercy-events ) and tag your creation #12daysofperciconicercy and #percico-nicercy events so that we can reblog your work!
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vainvenus · 1 year
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⌲;꒰Winter Hell Wonderland꒱
Pairing(s): Vance Hopper x Gn!Reader
12 Days of Christmas Prompt: Snow Day!
Summary: Schools out because it snowed like hell and while Vance hated the cold more than anything he's outside in the snow with you.
Includings: More opposites attract, can be read as platonic or romantic but it's mostly platonic, nothing but fluff y'all
An: Look at me being on time because I'm writing this in Study Hall
This is also rlly short so sorry
@finneysbaseball @misalemon1 @nzlikestea @go-on-and-kiss-the-girl @thelorewitch @xxsunflowerloverxx @iluvblueberrymuffinz
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Vance peaked from his curtains to look outside, squinting as the snow was practically blinding him. His lips formed into a snarl as he saw the snow continuously falling from the sky and joining the rest that was scattered throughout the ground.
Most would say it was a Winter Wonderland outside since the entire town was covered in snow like those cute mini Christmas sets you see everywhere, but Vance would call it a Winter Hell since he hated the snow.
He just didn't like the cold in general, his closet wasn't made for cold weather with the amount of wifebeaters and short sleeves he owned. He didn't like having to deal with the chance of him getting sick and the cold just made him uncomfortable.
But one good thing about the horrible weather was that school was called off because the roads weren't in good condition to drive in so he could be happy about that.
Vance closed his curtains and went to lay back down in his bed, there was no way he was gonna walk all the way to Grab-And-Go in freezing weather like this and there wasn't like there wasn't anything more to do.
As soon as he was getting comfortable under the warm covers he had heard a knock at the door and he groaned, flipping on his side and hoping that whoever it was would just go away.
But they didn't, the knocking had continued and after about three minutes of dealing with continuous knocking he got up and hurried down the stairs, sliding to the front door.
Vance cracked the door open a bit and was ready to start shouting at whoever he could see through it but he stopped once he saw you with a huge grin on your face.
He rolled his eyes and opened the door, letting you in as you shook off the snow from your coat, hat and mittens. Stomping on the doormat to free your boots from the snow.
He glanced out the window, noticing that snow still wasn't letting up before he looked back to you. "The hell are you doing out in this weather?"
"What do you mean? This is perfect weather to play in, Vance." You said, gesturing to the boy who was still in his pajamas "The real question is why aren't you dressed yet?"
He had looked at you with an indescribable expression but it was a mixture of disgust and pure confusion. "I'm not going out in that hell."
"Oh c'mon, Vance! It'll be fun!" You had said with a bright smile on your face.
"No."
You nudged his shoulder, making Vance shudder as the cold fabric of their coat brushed against his arm. "I'll buy you those tickets to that racecar show you've been dying to go to."
"I'm not that easy to bribe." He retorted.
"Front row seats."
"I...f...fucking hate you." Vance shivered, even though he was wearing two winter coats, his thickest pair of jeans, snow boots, wool gloves and a hat, he was still freezing cold as he dug his face further into his coats.
You had only giggled as you were laying in the snow, limbs spread out like an "X" as you were moving them back and forth so that you could make a snow angel.
"If you wanna stay warm then you gotta move around." You stated and he had grumbled something incoherent under his breath.
"Why not join me and make a snow angel right next to mine?" You had said, looking up at him as he was standing over you with a slight glare.
"And get more snow in my hair and deal with my ass literally freezing? No thanks." He scoffed as he looked up at the sky, seeing that it was beginning to snow even more.
You shruggd and got up, bending over to make a smiley face on your Angel before you had started to make a small ball of snow before rolling it along more.
"What're you doing?" The blonde questioned as he watched you roll around in a circle to create a huge looking snowball.
"Building a snowman, duh."
He huffed, his air coming out like smoke as he did so, watching as you were starting to roll up the second ball for the snowman.
"After you do that can we head back in? I can't feel my toes or fingers."
You shook your head, rolling your eyes. "You're so overdramatic. You should consider acting the way you're being such a drama queen."
"I'm not being dramatic!" He had exclaimed, now rubbing his legs together. "I'm fucking freezing my balls off so let's wrap this shit up."
You pushed the snow for the second ball towards the snowman, looking over at Vance who was shaking like he'd been trapped in a deep freezer.
It was a funny sight that you started to giggle since he looked like a penguin whenever he was attempting to move around to creative any kind of heat as you had suggested earlier.
Vance was a little right though, it felt like it was getting colder and even as much as you loved the snow you wanted to get back where it was warm and maybe convince the boy to watch a Christmas movie with you.
"Fine, we can go in after I'm done." You said and he had groaned, only agreeing because he knew there wouldn't be a middle ground.
You lifted the second ball of snow on top of the first and looked back to Vance. "Why don't you help me with Bob?"
"Bob?" His brows furrowed as he stopped waddling around and you gestured to the snowman in making. "Bob!"
"We are not naming that snowman, Bob." Vance said, rolling up some snow so that he could help make the head and help the process go by faster so he could hurry up and get inside.
"What's wrong with Bob?" You asked and he had snorted. "It's basic and it's stupid. Who names a snowman Bob?"
"Me! And I think it's a lovely name."
"Well I think it's boring."
"Okay. Do you have any bright ideas for a name?" You questioned as Vance walked over and placed the last ball of snow on top and he had looked at it up and down.
"Don't know yet, he doesn't have a face so I can't put a name to him. See that's why you're a bad namer. You named him before he even had a face."
"Namer isn't even a word. So since you don't know proper English I think I should name him." You took some buttons from your pocket, placing them on the snowman as Vance broke two twigs from the trees.
"Well I think I should name him because I wouldn't name him something stupid like Bob." The blonde replied, sticking the twigs at the side of your snowman.
He stepped back, staring it after you were finally finished. It had black buttons for eyes that were a bit lopsided and a small button smile with two pink buttons were it's cheeks would be.
Vance turned his head back to you "Where's his nose?"
"Forgot it."
"Another reason why you shouldn't name him."
You had playfully narrowed your eyes at him "Fine, what do you wanna call him?"
He stared at the snowman for a bit, his foot tapping against the snow before he had smiled and looked back to you. "Pud."
"Pud?" You repeated in complete confusion and he had nodded, gesturing to the snowman.
"Pud. Short for puddle which is what he'll be when this bullshit weather blows over."
You gasped and put your ears over Pud's ears as if he had any, glaring up at Vance as he had a shit-eating grin on his face.
"Yeah, he'll be a huge big puddle that I'll stomp in."
Before you could even make another remark Vance had cut you off as he let out a sneeze, it was high pitched and made his nose scrunch up which would've made you laugh if you weren't fearing it was gonna be the start of a cold or something else.
"Bless you..."
He sniffled. "I swear to God if I got sick because you wanted to play around in the snow I'm gonna kil- achool!"
You had smiled nervously, hiding being Pud/Bob.
"Well think about it this way...if you are sick then that means-"
"Achoo! Achoo!"
You winced, smile straining as Vance sniffled and his nose and cheeks were starting to grow a faint pinkish red shade. "I won't beg you to come back out?"
And if you didn't have fast reflexes Vance would've had you in his grasp as he lunged at you and you had ran off almost tripping in the snow as the boy was yelling profanities while he chased after you.
And what do you know? The next day Vance did end up with a slight cold.
"I fucking hate you.." He mumbled, his stuffy nose making him sound all weird as he blew his nose into the tissue and tossed it into the trashbin.
You had chuckled nervously as you handed him a cup of tea even though he requested a pop. "Hey, but at least those racecar tickets will be worth it...right?"
"They better be, or the next time it snows I'm burying you."
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eyesoffthemaud · 1 year
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12 Days of DadMight: A December Event!
An Event is HERE! Here's the TL:DR.
What's the Event Called?: 12 Days of Dadmight
When does the event take place?: December 14th - December 25th
When are the Angst Days: December 14th - December 19th
When are the Fluff Days: December 20th - December 25th
Want to know more? GOOD! There is.
How would I describe the Event?
“12 Days of Dadmight” is a Christmas Event for the enjoyers of the relationship between Toshinori and Izuku (aka Dadmight). It’s one of my personal favorite relationships in MHA, so I decided for Christmas to turn it into an event for others like me!
While everyone knows the typically “12 Days of Christmas” song, this event comes with a twist. My personal favorite fic tag, is Hurt/Comfort- and the event reflects this!
Fluff is fun, however, I wanted to give our angst-lovers a treat as well! So, the first 6 days of the event are for our angst creators. Post an angsty dadmight fanfic or artwork if that’s what tickles your fancy! I want to cry myself to sleep.
That’s not to say I don’t love fluff! What is angst without fluff??? The last 6 days of the event are for the fluff creators. Post a fluffy fic or artwork! Make my cheeks hurt from smiling so hard!
Submission Rules:
Must be following my tumblr at @eyesoffthemaud
Produced pieces must include DadMight; particularly Izuku and Toshinori Yagi - other characters definitely may be included, but the main focus would be the relationship between both Izuku and Toshinori.
There is no limit on entries for this event. By submitting any piece(s) for the event, you are eligible for the prize. However, this does not mean that participating in all 12 days guarantees a win for the event.
Writers:
Minimum word count for fics: 1000 words
When submitting your writing, submit it to the collection (LINKED HERE) if your work isn’t in the collection. I haven't seen it.
Please add the tag, 12DaysofDadmightAngst or 12DaysofDadmightFluff to your piece as an indicator of what category you’re submitting your piece to.
Artists:
Art must be fully colored, simple sketches would be loved dearly but would not qualify for prize runnings.
When submitting your art, tag me @eyesoffthemaud. If your art has been reblogged then I have most definitely seen it. If I haven’t interacted with it in some way- I cannot guarantee that I have seen it.
Please add the tag, 12DaysofDadmightAngst or 12DaysofDadmightFluff to your piece as an indicator of what category you’re submitting your piece to.
Submission Timeframe:
All Submissions must be posted between December 14th through December 25th.
Late submissions are welcomed, but not encouraged.
There will be an official announcement when the event submission period has closed for judging. After that, any submissions after that announcement will not be considered for the prize.
Rules:
Have Fun and Enjoy the Dadmight! Seriously.
Fics and Artwork should definitely not contain anything NSFW.
Heavy Gore is personally welcomed by me. However, I heavily discourage the showing, referencing, description, and/or usage of needles of any sort. This is an extreme phobia of mine, and as the event runner, it’s something I personally cannot handle. Please keep this in mind when writing/drawing- I wouldn't make this a rule if it truly didn't trigger my phobia.
This is not a Dekumight event. I swear. If you submit a Dekumight work to this event, I'm not only blocking you but blacklisting you from literally any and all events I ever choose to run in the future.
Prizes:
There are total 4 “winners” for the event 
2 writers, 1 from the fluff submissions and 1 from the angst submissions received
2 artists, 1 from the fluff submissions and 1 from the angst submissions received
The prize that each winner will receive is 1 Full Body/Full Render commission from my wonderful spouse @mcfanely! Each winner gets 1 art piece just for them!
(The rules of McFanely’s commission sheet still apply when describing what you’d like done)
Additional Information
Feel free to submit pieces for both the designated “Angst” and “Fluff” submission periods. Please know that you can only “win” for 1 category. In other words, one person cannot win in multiple categories.
More Questions?
Any more questions about the event can be directed to me via by Tumblr Askbox, or in my discord server.
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unfortunatetheorist · 3 months
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Merry Christmas! - Lemony's 14 Days of Christmas, by @unfortunatetheorist.
Merry Christmas everyone!
To celebrate the festive season, I have written a Snicket-y parody of 'The 12 Days of Christmas', which goes like this (one line for each book, inc. 'Chapter Fourteen'):
On the [___]th day of Christmas, Lemony gave to me:
1 - A really awful beginning
2 - Two crocs a-croaking
3 - Three leeches eating
4 - Four workers debarking
5 - Brand new orphans!
6 - Untimely traitors
7 - Seven Crows a-flying
8 - Eight patients dying
9 - Nine lions starving
10 - Ten 'Quiglet'-s kissing
11 - Eleven mushrooms waxing
12 - Twelve rooms a-spying
13 - Thirteen fruits a-using
14 - Fourteen Chapters to read
e.g. On the first day of Christmas, Lemony gave to me,
A really awful beginning!
On the second day of Christmas, Lemony gave to me,
Two crocs a-croaking,
And a really awful beginning!
So you start from the relative day (e.g. 7th) and work backwards:
Seven crows a-flying, Untimely traitors, Brand new orphans!, Four workers debarking, etc...
Wishing everyone all the best for 2024, even if "the best, like an interesting piece of mail, so rarely arrives..."
¬ Th3r3534rch1ngr4ph, Unfortunate Theorist/Snicketologist
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dumbificat · 4 months
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ta-da ! i’ve been planning this for a little bit, i’m finally doing an event ! what better than to mix christmas and comfort :D
in this event: i will be post a small drabble every even day of december (2, 4, 6 etc.) for twelve days. (now posting before new year’s day). the list of characters and prompts* are:
wriothesley (ft. sigewinne) + letters to santa
freminet + tree decorating
dan heng + matching jumpers
albedo + hot chocolate
kaeya + building a snowman
childe + holiday baking
gepard (ft. serval) + under the mistletoe
caelus + christmas shopping
lyney + stealing warmth
kaveh + matching pajamas
xiao + a christmas miracle
sampo + belobog’s santa
i’m excited to write these, i hope you’ll enjoy my first event :D
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mrsriddlenott · 4 months
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Hey y’all, I am sorry that I have gone a bit awol recently, I got entirely distracted as the holidays started and started working on my 12 Days of Smutmas event for the month of December which you can find here!!!! Plz plzzz have a look at the prompts and request some characters!! I am still working on my regular requests this month, but my main series’ are gonna be paused until after my birthday in the first week of January, which I am planning to do a fic event for as well that I’ll have put together, probably, by the last week of December!!
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daddywrasslin · 3 months
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Twelve Days of Ficmas: Day 4
Ornament exchange with Kenny and Eloise.
Kenny never really got to celebrate Christmas, or any holiday really since being in the organization. After the hell they've been through this year, Elle wants to show him some of the magic the season has. No shenanigans this time. (At least, not really)
Kenny's fingers traced the jagged scar across her stomach as they lay together, images of 6 months prior flashing in his brain. It caused his stomach to turn a bit, knowing that he was the cause of such damage in her precious skin.
He tried not to dwell, wanting to erase the horrible memories from his brain and just. Be.
She was alive. She was here, living and breathing flesh and bones, all that was left was the jagged scars as a permanent reminder of his grotesque past. He may not have plunged the knife into her, causing these jagged scars, but he may as well have been holding the blade.
But she was here, lying right next to him with her arm slung over his middle. She was here and she forgave him. And she loved him.
She shifted next to him, her eyes fluttering open as a sleepy smile crossed her face.
"Hey." She said, her voice filled with sleep.
"Hey." He said, his voice barely above a whisper for fear that it would break.
Even in her exhausted state, she was still near perfection.
"How long you been up?" She said, shifting her weight once more so she was closer to him.
"A while. Sorry to wake you." He said quietly.
"Its okay. I was getting up anyway." She said with a yawn.
He knew she was lying, but he wasn't going to call her on it.
"Oh hell, it's Christmas Eve." She said, suddenly sounding a lot more awake than she had previously.
"Oh... I guess it is." He said with a shrug.
Kenny never paid much attention to this time of year. He never really had much to celebrate. At least until he met her.
"I got you something." She said with a smile.
"Oh? You... You didn't have to." He said in surprise.
He didn't feel like he deserved anything from her. Not after the pain he'd caused her. Not after everything.
"I know. But it's Christmas. Season of giving and all that." Elle said with a smile.
She stood up from the bed, stretching her arms which caused her shirt to raise, revealing several more jagged scars and Kenny felt sick.
Each time he saw her bare skin, he was reminded of the sins of his past and what he almost lost. It ate away at him worse than it did with the boy nearly 6 years ago. But she was here. She was okay.
And she loved him.
She exited the room, returning within moments with a small box in her hand.
"I have a few more like... Actually things to give you tomorrow but. This was something my mom and I used to do when I was a kid and I figured why not start a new tradition. New memories and all that." She said with a shy smile as she handed him the box.
He stared in awe at her, wondering how he could have gotten so lucky. After everything he'd done.
He opened the box and peaked inside, smiling at the smooth ornament in the shape of an N64 controller.
"it's cheesy I know but. We both like video games, which you still owe me another round of street fighter by the way. But we used to do an ornament exchange every Christmas before...." She paused, looking at the ground before clearing her throat and looking back up at him. "But I wanted to get you something.
Kenny felt his heart flutter and the sting of tears prick his eyes. "I.. I don't know what to say."
"You don't have to say anything. Hell, you can tell me it's stupid idea. I just.. this year has been a lot and I know you haven't... Anyway... I just. I wanted to make this special, you know?" She said, rocking from one foot to the other as she scratched the back of her arm.
Kenny stood from the bed and made his way over to her, placing his hands on her cheeks and pressing his lips to hers. She immediately pressed closer to him, her thumb brushing circles over the top of his hands.
He pulled away after a moment, pressing his forehead to hers.
"It's perfect. You're perfect." He said, willing the wavering of his voice away as he fought back the tears that were in the verge of falling. "I love you."
"I love you." She said, her voice a whisper as her eyes remained closed and a smile danced at the corner of her lips.
She truly was art.
"I um... We don't have anywhere to hang this though." Kenny said after a moment.
"Guess that means we'll have to get a tree." She said, her eyes opening and a wide smile forming on her face.
"Yeah, I guess so." He said with a laugh.
Maybe there was a reason to celebrate. And maybe, even after everything, they would be okay.
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pekennabohm · 4 months
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🐾 por РeҜeŋŋД βØЋм♡♡ Via Flickr: LeLUTKA Noel Head 3.1 🆕12 days of Christmas Event Stealthic - Incense 🆕12 days of Christmas Event [Glam Affair] Winnie [Lelutka EvoX] 🆕12 days of Christmas Event [LILO's FIT] Shape Lel EVOX Noel GIFT 🆕12 days of Christmas Event .:District 28:. Jingle Balls @STORE .:District 28:. Holiday Stocking 🆕LAZY SUNDAY Ascendant - Noelia Overall Fatpack 🆕Santa inc
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beautifultypewriter · 3 months
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The Third Day of Christmas ~ Jake ��Hangman’ Seresin
Prompt: Visiting a tree farm to pick the perfect tree
Pairing: Jake Seresin x reader
Warnings: None
Word Count: 862
A/N: This went in a direction that I had not expected, but I really like how it turned out.
The sound of your car door slamming echoed in your ears as Jake stepped over to you, slinging his arm around your shoulder. He pulled you in close as the two of you walked over to the entrance of the local tree farm. There was a big sign next to the table where you paid to get in. Jake squeezed your shoulder, “Look at that, sweetheart. You can cut your own tree.” He smirked over at you, and you snorted a laugh.
“You’re gonna cut down a tree yourself?”
Jake looked offended as he shook his head, “You think I can’t?”
You smiled sweetly at him, “I never said that. I just figured you wouldn’t want to mess yourself up, pretty boy.” You gestured to his hair and clothes, and he scoffed loudly. He opened his mouth to retaliate, but you pulled away from him quickly and skipped over to the table, handing over some money to the teenager sitting behind the table. She gave you a white and green ticket in return and told you to enjoy your day. Jake had caught up to you and pulled you into his side once again, following your lead down the rows of trees. They seemed to go on for miles and you had a good feeling, just knowing that you’d find exactly what you were looking for here.
The two of you had been searching for over an hour and that good feeling was fading fast. You were starting to feel a little discouraged and a little bit worried that you weren’t going to find a tree at all. Jake had continued to point out beautiful trees, but none of them were perfect. You wanted this year’s tree to be perfect. You needed it to be perfect. “What about this one?” You were broken from your thoughts by Jake, who was standing next to a nice seven-foot tree. Stepping over to him, you circled the tree, analyzing every needle and gently prodding every branch. Jake waited quietly while you examined the tree, hoping that it would be the one. You shook your head and his shoulders sagged just slightly.
Pointing to a section near the top of the tree, you looked to your partner, “There’s a hole.” Jake followed your finger, but he couldn’t see what you were talking about. It looked fine to him, just as the ten other trees before this one looked fine.
He sighed, “Sweetheart… these trees have all been fine.” As you turned to him, he placed his hands on his hips, looking up to the sky as he tried to gather his thoughts. And you couldn’t blame him because he was right; the trees had been fine. But…
Shaking your head again, you turned away from him, “Fine is not good enough. Our tree needs to be perfect.” You turned to him again, a small frown on your face and your eyebrows furrowed.
Jake stepped closer to you, his hands resting gently on your shoulders, “Why?”
You refused to meet his eyes as you swallowed, “This is our first Christmas together.” You didn’t say anything else, and you still looked at the ground. Jake’s eyebrows shot up and he resisted the urge to scratch his head.
He tried and failed to catch your eye, “What do you mean? We’ve been together or two years.” You finally looked up at him, stopping him from saying anything else. He stared at you as you shook your head once again.
“Yes, but we each went to our own families places that first year and last year you were overseas.” His gaze softened as you rubbed your arm, “This is the first Christmas we will be spending together in the same place, and I want every part of it to be perfect.” Your gaze drifted to the ground again, your feet shuffling in the dirt. Then Jake’s lips were on yours and your hands were moving to rest on his cheeks. Stepping closer, he deepened the kiss, his own hands moving to rest on your neck.
He pulled away, pressing his forehead against yours, “It’s already perfect.” Your lips split into a smile, and you closed your eyes for a brief moment. Warmth radiated between the two of you and you moved closer, savoring the feeling of him being so near. The chatter of other families picking out their trees drifted over to you, and you opened your eyes again. Jake was still staring directly at you, his grin getting bigger by the second, “Okay?”
You nodded, your fingertips running gently over his cheeks, “Okay. Let’s get this one.” You nodded to the tree next to you and Jake’s grin got bigger if that was even possible. He pulled away from you quickly, shocking you slightly as the cold air hit your face again.
Jake clapped his hands together, “Let’s get chopping.” He turned side to side, searching for an axe probably. You barked out a laugh as you shook your head, watching him find what he needed and make his way over to the tree. That warmth was back, and you couldn’t wait to get your perfect Christmas tree home.
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levihan-drabbles · 1 year
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Secret Snowman + Levihan 12 Days of Christmas Announcement! 🎄🎅❄
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Hey Levihans!
The core content team has prepared some events to celebrate the winter holidays and first up is the highly requested Secret Snowman Gift Exchange! This will be a fan work exchange (fics, art, AMVs/edits) and you will have the chance to specify which mediums you prefer to give and receive.
Rules will be as follows:
1. In order to receive a gift, you have to give a gift
2. All works must be safe for work (SFW)
3. Gifts will be due by December 31
4. Remember to keep who you have a surprise!
If you want to participate, please fill out this form: https://forms.gle/QBvsZMRjMviRNELaA
Be as detailed as possible to help your snowman!
You must sign up by Wednesday, December 14 at 11:59 PM PST (pacific standard). We'll assign everyone a person based on gift-giving/ receiving preferences and send out assignments on Thursday, December 15. Feel free to let us know if you have questions in our ask box!
Here is our second main event for the season! We present to you: Levihan 12 Days of Christmas!
Starting on December 12, every day leading up to the 24th, we’ll be doing a special event every day! The prompts are as follows:
• Day 1 - Make a Levihan Holiday-Themed playlist!
• Day 2 – Draw Levihan fanart with Levihan participating in holiday festivities
• Day 3 – Share your favorite older Levihan works (before 2018)
• Day 4 – Share your story of how you came to love Levihan :))
• Day 5 – Recipe exchange! Share your favorite holiday recipes!
• Day 6 – VC event in honor of Levi’s birthday: Events include Live reading, hunger games, karaoke, and more!
• Day 7 – Make messages to your fandom friends to show your love and appreciation to them
• Day 8 – Write Levihan holiday-themed One-shots!
• Day 9 – Things you wish you knew before you encountered the fandom (a QOTD discussion)
• Day 10 – Share your favorite recent Levihan works (after 2018)
• Day 11 – Chain story in text: we will have a prompt to start, and people will reply to add on! each person’s reply continues the story
• Day 12 - What does the levihan fandom mean to you? (a QOTD discussion)
The Day 6 VC event will happen on Saturday, December 17th at 7am Pacific Daylight Time. If you would like certain fics to be read aloud for the live reading, please dm us with the following:
• the fic of your choosing
• the specific parts you would like to be read aloud
We estimate each fic to take a 20-ish minute timeslot, so be mindful of that when choosing your passages! All works for the events should be SFW :))
Once more, if you have any questions let us know in the ask box!
Yet Another Unrequited Love For Titans Discord Server Link: https://discord.gg/HwepKrrM
See you all at the event! 🎄
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12 Days of Nicercy Christmas Hall of Fame
A huge round of applause to everyone who participated in this event!
Since this event had very short notice, this Hall of Fame is for both participants and completionists. Together, we got a whooping 23 fanfics! You can check them out here. Thank you so much for making this event possible :)
Without further ado a huge congratulations to our event completionists:
BobInTheComments
Doevademe (OriginalDaemon) @doevademe
And our event participants:
cabin13 (friendlypeach) @wild-flowerhoney
DancingInTheSliverGlow @hermesmyplatonicbeloved
purpleavocado
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vainvenus · 1 year
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⌲;꒰ Baking 101 ꒱
Pairing(s): Jane "El" Hopper + Byers!Reader
12 Days Of Christmas Prompt: Cookies
Summary: Reader helps El bake cookies for the first time since she had no clue what she's doing.
Includings: Platonic (Reader's like a sibling to El), takes place during S4 but no spoilers, featuring will byers and jonathan byers, Jim and Joyce are married, tooth rotting fluff
An: I love writing sibling bonding fics, it's like a reward fr
@nzlikestea @go-on-and-kiss-the-girl @thelorewitch
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"El... what're you doing up this late?"
You were rubbing you eyes and trying to get them to adjust to the dimly lit kitchen, you wouldn't have been able to tell it was El if it weren't for her hair and how it was up in a messy ponytail.
She was wiping something from her hands as she gestured to the bowl and your eyes glanced around the kitchen which was a mess.
There was flour almost everywhere including the girl's pajamas, hands and face. There was split milk on the counter and your eyes had widened a bit when you saw the amount of sugar that had been spilled everywhere.
"I was trying to make cookies for everyone..so we could eat them in the morning..." She had said, her eyes gazing around the mess she had made.
"It didn't go well.."
You had giggled, grabbing the broom "I can tell. How about this, I'll help you bake it but we'll still tell them it was your idea."
She had nodded at this, grabbing the other broom to help you clean up the mess she had made.
It took the two of you a good ten minutes to clean up all the flour that was everywhere along with the sugar, salt and egg yolks. You weren't even sure how she managed to get half of the ingredients on the flour and not the bowl but you knew she was still new at a few things.
You had decided to start all over, placing the ingredients that you were going to need to make the cookies and the icing on the now clean counter.
"Okay so first put the butter and sugar into the bowl and put it in the mixer, let it mix until it's all creamy." You had said and El had grabbed one of the bowls, putting the soft butter into it and the sugar as well.
She let the ingredients mix as you were mixing the flour, baking powder and salt together in a slightly bigger bowl. El waited until it looked nice enough and she leaned the bowl you to affirm that it was good.
You glanced over and nodded "Good job! Now can you add one egg and two teaspoons of vanilla extract?"
"Two teaspoons?" She had repeated in a confused tone and you put your bowl down, searching for the clatter of spoons and showing it to her, pointing at the smallest one.
"Pour the vanilla extract into this two times and put it in the bowl after you crack the egg. Make sure not to get any eggshells in there and then stir it really good." You had said and she nodded, smiling softly as she took the spoons from you.
You watched as she careful cracked the egg on the side of the bowl and let the yolk fall into the bowl before she placed the eggshells aside. You almost wanted to giggle when she started pouring the vanilla extract into the tablespoon, trying to be as precise and careful as she could doing both pours.
El grabbed one of the whisks and started stirring it together and looking at you as if she were doing it wrong but you gave her a thumbs up which made her face ease up.
"All done." She said as she gave the bowl to you and you had thanked her, pouring it in with the dry ingredients and stirring it together. "Now we'll let it chill in the fridge for a bit so it won't be all sticky when we use the cookie cutters." You explained, putting plastic wrap over the bowl and putting it in the fridge.
You had grabbed a sheet of parchment paper, placing it on the table and putting a bit of flour on it, not minding that El was following you around like a baby duck.
"What's that for?" She asked while you were grabbing the cookie cutters that came in the shapes of Christmas trees, snowmen, reindeers, snowflakes, candy canes and stars.
"In case the dough is still a little sticky." You responded, putting the cookie cutters on the table and taking a seat.
"Is there anything you're hoping to get for Christmas?" You asked her, deciding you didn't want to sit in silence while waking for the dough to chill.
El had tilted her head, brows knitting together as she thought for a second before a smile grew on her face and she started nodding. "Yes! A paint set so I can paint with Will. He's very good!"
You had nodded "He is really good! Do you think you'll be as good as him someday?"
She shook her head, a bright smile still on her face "No...Will's really good and I still can only draw stick figures."
"You and me both! God, even when I was younger and will was like a baby he was still better than me somehow." You had giggled and El had looked at you in disbelief.
"You weren't even a little better than him?"
You shook her head "I could barley draw a stick figure then and I'm still not that good now. We had a draw off yesterday and I got my ass handed to me." You giggled, getting up from your chair and going to the fridge so you could get the dough out.
You placed the bowl on the table and told El to take off the plastic wrap and throw it away as you had grabbed a pan, putting it on the counter a bit away from the bowl and parchment paper.
You then looked for the rolling pin, smiling triumphantly as you had found it and you handed it to El.
As you grabbed half of the dough, flattening it out a bit you had started explaining to El what to do. "You'll just press it against the dough, back and forth and just roll it out." She followed your instructions, rolling the pin back and forth against the dough until it was stretched out enough.
"Awesome! Now here comes the fun part!"
"What's the fun part?" A soft voice had questioned from the stairs and you had both turned your heads to see Will who looked like he was half awake by the way he was squinting and yawning.
"What're you doing up?" You questioned.
"Heard some noise and I was thirsty. What're you two doing up?"
"Making cookies." El responded and that seemed to wake up Will as his face started to light up. "Can I help?"
"Fine, only because we woke you up." You said and he had came down the rest of the stairs and stood next to El as he looked at the dough spread out.
You told El that there was really no way to mess up this part, you just place the cookie cutter on the dough, press down, pull the cookie cutter off and presto! You've got yourself a cute little Christmas themed cookie.
Will's favorite seemed to be the Christmas tree since you had seen him pick it up about ten times already and El showed much favor to the star shaped ones so it was up to you to make sure there was a mixed amount of each shape.
As you finished cutting them out you had made sure to spray the pan before placing the cookies on it and placed them into the oven. You grabbed the cute little timer and set it to the amount of time that the cookies needed to stay in the oven. Now all that was left was to put the icing on them, clean up the mess you made and hopefully get a few more hours of sleep in.
As you were cleaning up the things you weren't going to need anymore, Will deciding that he would help too just to make the process a little easier and quicker he had voiced a question he forgot about earlier.
"Why are you two up this late making cookies anyway?"
While you were washing your bowl you had answered "Well, Santa said he was just craving some homemade sugar cookies, so here we are. Maybe you could deliver them? I'm sure he's missing his favourite elf anyway."
"Hardy har har. That's so funny I almost forgot to laugh." He rolled his eyes and you had let out a laugh, finding your own joke very funny and you even heard El giggling as she was wiping down the counter.
"I don't know, Will. It was a little funny." She said, looking over her shoulder to look back the boy.
Will fake gasped, placing his hand over his heart "The betrayal! I can't believe you right now."
"Think about the betrayal Santa feels. One of his elves not wanting to send him cookies. I would be hurt." El said and you couldn't help but laugh as she pushed on your joke.
"I'm literally taller than you! Stop it!"
With the cookies being set out to cool all that was left was to make the icing and start decorating the cookies then you could peacefully go back to sleep, thank god.
You put the powdered sugar, two tablespoons of milk, corn syrup and vanilla extract in a medium sized bowl then turned your head to Will, pointing at the cabinets.
"Will can you get the food dye while El mixes this?" You asked, passing the bowl to the girl who had already got the hang of everything by now and Will went to grab the food coloring.
But as he grabbed the food coloring his hands had brushed against the plastic bottles of spices, causing a few to drop with the sound of plastic clatter and you winced.
"Are you trying to wake up the whole house?!" You chuckled.
"Well, looks like you're almost there." A groggy voice said from the stairs and you sighed, knowing that you had woken up your other younger brother.
"Hii.." El whispered as he rounded the corner into the kitchen and he gave a small yet tired smile, waving to her. "Hey. Why are we up making cookies this late?"
"Will has us helping him make his cookies for Santa. Y'know, Elf work." You said as he had shot you a glare as he placed the small bottles of food coloring down.
"That wasn't funny earlier and it's still not funny."
"It's a little funny." Jonathan stifled a chuckle as he leaned against the table causing Will to huff.
"I'm done, [Y/n]." El said, showing you the fully mixed bowl and you clapped your hands together as quietly as you could not wanting to wake up either of your parents next.
"Nice, now we'll put put some into the bowls, mix the food coloring in them and put them in the piping bags." You said, pouring the white icing into different bowl and then handing them to El and Will.
Jonathan decided that if he was gonna be awake now he might as well help you guys so he started mixing the green icing.
Once all of you were finished you were the one to put them in the piping bags since you were the only one who knew how to do it the fastest and without creating a mess.
El grabbed a star shaped cookie and started to decorate it with the blue icing, all of you grabbed your own cookies of choice and started to ice them.
"Hey, can you pass the white icing?" Jonathan asked, holding out his hand for it and you had grinned smugly up at him.
"Yeah..of course." You said, putting some of the icing on your fingers and putting the piping bag into his hand.
"Thanks-" But he was cut off as you smudged the icing across his lips and face, giggling as you stepped back.
"[Y/n]! C'mon!" He groaned, wiping as much as the icing from his face as he could, lunging to wipe it all over yours and you moved out of the way causing Jonathan to get icing on Will instead.
"Jonathan!"
"[Y/n] started it! Get her back!" He said, grabbing you by your shoulders to use you as a shield and Will had grabbed the yellow icing smudging it on his hands and pressing them on your face as you squirmed and laughed.
You noticed El giggling while watching the situation go down and you held out your hand "El! Help me out here I'm being double attacked!"
She grabbed the blue icing, putting it on her hands and reaching to put them on Will's face leaving her blue handprints and he wiped them off, immediately wiping them back her.
Giggles and laughs fueled the once whisper quiet kitchen, all of you forgetting about how quiet you were supposed to be as you attacked each other with the icing.
"Will! You got it in my hair!"
"Because [Y/n] got it in mine!"
"Then get it in hers!"
It seemed like there as more icing in your hair and on your faces than the actually cookies.
"El! Get him! We're on the same team here!" You had exclaimed, giggling as you wiped the yellow icing from your nose and she blinked.
"There's teams?"
"Obviously! And we're winning!"
"What's with all the noise?"
All of you froze and stopped all the laughing and giggling, staring to look up at the stars where you both of parents stood, crossing their arms and looking down at you all.
It was quiet as you all looked at each other and you opened your mouth to tell them what had happened but El had spoke up.
"So...Will needed help making cookies to deliver to Santa because he's one of his Elfs-"
But before she could even finish the whole thing she was muffled as Will had pressed his icing based hand over her mouth.
"Enough with that story!" He shouted as El had started laughing again since you and Jonathan were loosing it.
"But it's true?"
"No, El it's the full truth, he's just in denial." You giggled, noticing that both of your parents were still standing on the stairs looking for an explanation to the mess and noise.
"Cookies?" You offered two to your parents that El decorated with a nervous smile.
"We made them ourselves!" The girl had chimed in beside you.
Will smiled, coming near the two of you. "Yeah and the icings really good!"
"Trust me, we know." Jonathan added some half of the icing was on your faces.
Your parents only sighed, and of course they couldn't be upset about the mess for long because how could they with such sweet kids like you all, smiling up at them with multiple colors of icing on your face.
"What are we gonna do with you all?" Joyce sighed, taking a bite from the cookie and letting out a sound of delight.
"Love, cherish and and spoil all of us?" You offered, bringing all of them into a tight hug as you all smiled like those cheesy family pictures up at them.
"And not punish us for the mess and noise because you love us all?"
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harrietdyker · 1 year
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a word i can't remember and a feeling i cannot escape
Summary: If Melissa can’t remember, Barbara decides—she can’t afford to forget.
My answer to the prompt on the 12 days of christmas event that said: “You don’t remember me.” “I remember that I trust you.”
A/N: tagging for temporary amnesia, head injury (described very inexplicitly), infidelity, angst with a happy ending (spoiler - divorce). Posting this here as well for the 12 days of christmas prompts event in case people don't have AO3 since I locked my fics for registered users <3
AO3 Link
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There is a spot in Penn Treaty Park that Melissa could never forget. On the edge of the Delaware, under the branches of a willow tree. The sensation of her back pressed against the tree trunk, the sounds of the city’s riverside livening up in the evening hours, the cold biting into her, Barbara’s fingers closing around her elbow tentatively, her eyes cast down.
Could never forget the way Barbara’s voice broke around her name when she said, “Melissa, I— I can’t—”
The sinking of something heavy in her guts when she replied, “I know,” even though she didn’t believe Barbara would say anything else. “I just—I don’t know how to make it stop. And I couldn’t just—”
Could never not feel, still, the sensation of desperately wanting to cross her arms over her middle, but Barbara holding on to her elbow tighter. The beating of her heart. Closing her eyes and hearing Barbara ask, voice so soft she barely registered it, “We said we’d leave it alone.”
“I know what we said. I can’t.”
Could never get the raw expression on Barbara’s face when she had the courage to look at her again out of her head. The heavy, shaking breath Barbara released when Melissa continued. “I can’t do it anymore. Pretend it doesn’t do anything to me when you lean over my shoulder. When you smile at me. When you call me sweetheart. Because it means more than either of us want it to mean.”
“So what do you want?”
“I don’t know. I’m sorry. I—”
Barbara stepping closer, her hand moving from Melissa’s elbow to Melissa’s neck. Her eyes shut. The scent of her warm and sweet and she could never forget the way it made everything about the moment feel futile, like she would never have a way out. Like she would always ache for this, this impossibility, this unsurmountable desire.
“Forget it. Forget I said it. I don’t—”
“Melissa,” Barbara said, then, cutting through the noises of regret in Melissa’s head, and when she opened her eyes slowly, God, Melissa could never forget her face in that moment, the suggestive implications of her asking, again, “What do you want?”
“You,” Melissa said, small, more afraid than she’s ever felt. “I want you.”
Could never forget the sound coming out of Barbara’s throat when she kissed her like an admission of guilt. Saying, again and again against Barbara’s lips, “I want you.”
Barbara’s body pressed against hers. Her freezing hands on Melissa’s freezing cheeks. Barbara stopping to breathe, saying, “I can’t,” and kissing Melissa again and again and again until Melissa couldn’t feel anything but Barbara’s lips.
Barbara pretends it never happened. She leaves Melissa’s bed pretending it never kept happening. But Melissa could never forget it. That spot in Penn Treaty Park where she got to close her fingers around something that could never be tangible enough to grasp.
Because Barbara is not hers, but she wraps her arms around Melissa and tells her that she loves her, and Melissa falls asleep with Barbara’s fingers threaded in her hair, only to wake up and remember that Barbara is not hers. That every time Barbara enters her home, her real home, she sheds Melissa off like snakeskin and pretends again.
Pretends she can continue being Barbara Howard, woman of God, matriarch of the house, the lady of her church, the wife to a husband she doesn’t love but tells herself she needs. And Melissa has nothing to remember but the Barbara that tucks her head into the crook of Melissa’s neck and speaks her truth into Melissa’s skin, wounded and vulnerable and desperately in love. But she remembers her alone. Barbara does everything she can to forget.
***
Barbara grips the edge of the desk so hard she might as well break her knuckles around it. Gerald sits with his head hanging low, the light in the kitchen so dim that Barbara can barely make out his features. He threads his fingers together and breathes in and out, then meets Barbara’s eyes.
“You’re telling me…” he starts, shakes his head. Barbara braces herself. “A divorce?” he asks, hopeless. “Thirty-five years, Barbara.”
“Honey, don’t I know it,” Barbara says, the pet-name sour on her tongue. “But I can’t—”
“We renewed our vows. We said—”
“I know what we said. I cannot do it anymore.”
Gerald swallows, shoulders slumping low. Barbara keeps her back straight, her chin high. She keeps her knuckles tight around the edge of the table and tries not to fall apart. Because if she would, everything would—she would pull back. She would tell Gerald that she didn’t mean what she said.
“I’ve known, you know? Melissa. I’ve known.” Gerald strains the words out. Barbara had guessed as much, at some point over the years. Had been happy enough to have them both pretending. Not anymore.
“So what do you want me to do, Gerald?”
“Keep lying.”
“I’ve tried.”
“Thirty-five years, Barbara. And you’re just—”
“I don’t want to forget her anymore,” she snaps. And that’s that. Gerald’s face crumbles. Barbara rises and turns her back to him. She doesn’t want to forget herself anymore. Doesn’t want to feel split up into pieces that she cannot make into a whole person. Wants to be what Melissa has made possible for her to be. “We’re getting a divorce,” she says.
And that’s that.
***
Melissa stares at her phone, waiting. Waiting for a message, a call, a knock on her door, anything to tell her that Barbara did not forget, once again, that she’s allowed to want. That Barbara has gone through with her decision. That it has happened, and that Barbara does not resent her for it.
And when it comes, all the message says is “Penn Treaty Park”. It’s snowing, and Melissa has never been on her feet and out the door so fast in her life.
She finds Barbara at the same spot that she has always wondered if Barbara remembers and finds herself warm with the knowledge that Barbara does. When she’s close enough, Barbara pulls her in, says, “I told him,” and Melissa pushes her back against the tree trunk and leans their foreheads together and doesn’t know what she could possibly say to that. Her gloved hands hold onto Barbara’s arms and her eyes fall shut. She breathes Barbara in, the same scent after all these years, always, warm and sweet and making everything feel futile, except now it’s making everything feel possible. Barbara kisses her, sighs her name, “Melissa,” a reverent vibration to it, “I’m getting a divorce.”
“What is something I never thought I’d hear Barbara Howard Say,” Melissa intones a Jeopardy contestant, the relief breaking her chest open, and Barbara pulls her closer.
They kiss, and they stumble, and they laugh, except then, very fast, it’s not funny anymore because Melissa starts falling, the snow under her feet slippery, and Barbara almost catches her, but Melissa slips between her fingers, and she knows this is going to end badly, by now, but still, she can’t do anything when her head hits a rock by the edge of the water.
She’s out.
***
It takes too long for Melissa to wake up. Not that the doctors say that, but that’s what Barbara thinks. They ask her who she is, and she lies, or doesn’t, depending on how you look at it, and they let her ride in the ambulance, let her sit by her bed, and Melissa’s stable, is what they say, but Barbara can’t bring herself to tell anyone that Melissa’s unconscious until she knows more.
By more, she means, well—by more she means until Melissa wakes up.
It’s late, and it is winter, and she has just told her husband that they’re getting a divorce. There is no one she would like to talk to, right now, aside from Melissa.
So as the hours stretch, Barbara starts feeling every second turn longer. Melissa lies still and Barbara lays a hand over the back of her palm. She waits, but she’s been waiting forever, and she doesn’t think she has it in her to be patient anymore.
“Come back to me, sweetheart,” she whispers.
It takes too long for Melissa to wake up, but eventually, she does.
Blinks her eyes open and Barbara could cry, a gentle smile spreading across her face, her lips trembling and her eyes blinking away tears. She holds Melissa’s palm tighter and comes closer to Melissa, leaning over her and saying, “Hey, baby,” but then Melissa furrows her brows, her hand twitching under Barbara’s hold, and Barbara stops.
“What…” Melissa croaks, then groans in pain, and then the nurse is in, and Barbara pulls back, Melissa following her with her eyes, clearly confused, and there’s a deep fear that settles within Barbara’s chest, but she can’t speak it out loud.
She watches as the nurse calms Melissa down, explains the situation, fixes her pillows, hands her water. And the whole time, Melissa’s eyes are on her. But it’s not the kind of look Melissa has always given her. The kind of look that said, I’d know to find you anywhere.
It’s empty. It’s unfamiliar.
“Who is this?” she asks the nurse, then, and Barbara feels her entire body shutting down.
“Mel—” she starts, the name falling of her lips like a knee-jerk reaction to being hurt.
The nurse speaks softly, slowly. “It’s your wife,” she repeats Barbara’s lie.
“I don’t—” Melissa starts, looks between the nurse and Barbara. “I don’t understand,” she finally says, uncertain, hesitant, the implication of a question mark at the end of her words but no more than that; sounds defeated, sounds small, sounds lost.
“Okay, it’s okay,” the nurse says. “What don’t you understand?”
“I don’t recognize you,” Melissa speaks to Barbara. Barbara shakes her head.
“Honey,” she tries.
Nothing.
“I’ll go get the doctor,” the nurse says, and then she gestures Barbara to follow her out the room. “We’ll be right back,” she tells Melissa.
She leaves Barbara in the hall, offers her a coffee or a tea or some water but Barbara declines, sits down in one of the plastic chairs and half-listens when the nurse explains that they’re going to have to do some tests. She knows she should be writing things down, but the look Melissa has given her won’t leave her, the scared one, the confused one.
“I think you should wait here until we know a bit more,” the nurse finishes her explanation, and Barbara agrees. Not knowing what to do but to agree.
Can’t stop thinking of a world where Melissa doesn’t know that she got the divorce. Where the divorce doesn’t matter. Because that look in Melissa’s eyes when she saw Barbara—Melissa doesn’t remember.
***
It’s an hour later when the nurse approaches her again. Barbara stands, body stiff when she does, realizing it’s been a while since she’s moved.
“She asked for you,” the nurse says, and just as the hope lights up in Barbara’s body, adds, “she still doesn’t know who you are. But she asked for you.”
When she enters Melissa’s room, Melissa’s sitting up against the pillows in her bed, and the doctor attempts a comforting smile before leaving them alone. “I’ll be right outside,” she says before closing the door, leaving but a crack.
Barbara comes to stand near Melissa’s bed. They look at each other, the frown never quite leaving Melissa’s face.
“You don’t remember me,” Barbara says. Melissa shakes her head. Then inhales, closes her eyes and pinches the bridge of her nose.
“I remember that I trust you,” she replies. “I don’t know why.”
I don’t know why, either, Barbara thinks, linking her fingers together, moving her hands nervously in front of her body. She doesn’t expect Melissa to reach out and holds her hands and make her stop, but that’s what Melissa does. Then she stares at their hands.
“You fell,” Barbara says. “Hit your head.”
“They said.”
“Do you remember that?”
“No.”
Barbara takes Melissa’s hand in hers, waits to see how she will react, and when Melissa doesn’t pull back, Barbara holds it, runs a thumb over the back of it.
“Do you remember Penn Treaty Park?” she asks, voice so small she can’t believe it’s coming out of her throat.
Melissa is still staring at their joint hands. “I mean, I know of it. I don’t—what’s the question?”
Barbara inhales. Nods. Bites the inside of her cheek to stop from doing anything else, like crying, or begging Melissa to know what she is talking about.
“Who are you?” Melissa asks. Finally looks back up.
“We—” Barbara starts, stops, can’t say the lie she told the nurse to Melissa’s face. Can’t explain who she is to Melissa in a few simple words. Doesn’t know how to. Doesn’t know what kind of cruel joke God is playing on her, because if Melissa doesn’t remember, then everything starts feeling unreal.
“We’re married, I know,” Melissa sighs. “I’m sorry.”
“Don’t be.”
“They said it might be temporary. That that’s common for a head injury.”
Barbara nods. “May the good Lord make it so,” she says. Melissa’s eyes light up and she laughs, small and quiet. “What?” Barbara wonders.
“Nothing. That just—sounded familiar.”
Barbara finds herself smiling. There is something of her in Melissa’s memory, nevertheless.
“Sit?” Melissa asks. “They said the tests will take a while.”
Barbara does. “You should rest,” she tells Melissa. Melissa is clearly struggling to keep her eyes open. She lets them fall shut at Barbara’s words. Barbara arranges the pillows lower for her and helps her lie down.
“Tell me about you,” Melissa murmurs.
“What should I tell you?”
“How did we meet?”
Barbara watches over Melissa as she starts falling asleep and tells her, “We work together.”
She doesn’t tell Melissa the whole story. She doesn’t lie, either. She tells her the pieces of truth that has always been there: that ever since the first day, she’s been on her mind; that the closer they became, the harder it became not to fall in love; that she has never felt what Melissa has made her feel before, and that she will never be able to let that feeling go.
And Melissa sleeps and doesn’t hear her, but she holds her hand, and the only thing on Barbara’s mind is one simple sentence: I remember that I trust you. I don’t know why.
If Melissa can’t remember, Barbara decides—she can’t afford to forget.
***
It takes a week, in the end.
A week of fielding questions from Janine and Jacob and Ava; a week of listening to the doctors explain everything to Melissa and writing it down neatly on a notepad, going over everything with Melissa again when the doctors leave; a week of not telling Gerald, of barely going back home, of avoiding her daughters until she can figure out how to say that she got a divorce for a woman who does not remember her.
But trusts her. After everything she’s put her through, God knows why.
A week of going through memory exercises with Melissa.
A week of telling Melissa stories that lay Barbara bare on the ground but never expose how Barbara wishes they were simpler to tell.
A week that feels longer than it ought. A week that sees Barbara looking in the mirror at night, repeating the words Melissa has told her countless times in her head, you don’t need to hide.
A week until Melissa looks at her, and Barbara knows something is different even before Melissa says, “Barb,” even before Melissa reaches to run a hand over her cheek, even before Melissa pulls her into a kiss and says, “you’re getting a divorce.”
“Oh, honey,” Barbara sighs into the kiss and feels her body melting into Melissa’s hold. “I thought I’d never hear you say that.”
“Don’t steal my lines.”
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