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notonlymice · 5 months

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90 RUMBELLE + 10 ANYELLE/ANYEM FICS I THINK ABOUT A LOT

I enjoy finding interesting fics to read through rec lists, so I decided to make one myself. I've only been in the fandom for less than two years and I still have a lot to read, but these are some of my favourites so far.

1. Acceptance by Silential

Storybrooke, 9537 words, E

Rumple has gained some weight and feels self-conscious about it. Belle shows him that she loves him anyway.

2. Accord by sira_underhill

Creature AU, 7546 words, M

Rumplestiltskin is a dragon.

3. A Little Help by Crysania

Dark Castle, 2025 words, E

Table sex (poor table).

4. All I Want For Christmas Is You by lizandletdie

Non-magical AU, 16919 words, T

Neal asks Belle to pretend to be his terrible girlfriend so that his father would say please date anyone but not this one. This doesn’t go as planned.

5. Alone In My Tower by Crysania

Enchanted Forest AU, 8450 words, E

Belle’s father locks her up in the tower until she agrees to marry one of her suitors. She summons the Dark One to help her.

6. Always One More Time by Bad_Faery

Non-magical AU, 54001 words, E

Due to certain reasons Gold has excelled in oral sex and puts an online ad offering his services.

7. Any Just Cause or Impediment by suchadearie

Non-magical AU, 15287 words, E

Belle is about to marry Whale and thinks his best man, Gold, hates her (it’s actually the opposite).

8. Anything by whereismygarden

Enchanted Forest AU, 2719 words, E

A deal with the Dark One turns into friendship and then into something else.

9. A Streak of Luck by WorryinglyInnocent

Enchanted Forest AU, 27998 words, T

Belle is cursed, and she goes looking for the Dark One hoping he could help her.

10. Baby It's Cold Outside by rowofstars

Non-magical AU, 14407 words, E

Gold and his housekeeper Belle are stuck in his house due to a blizzard.

11. Balancing the Books by BarPurple

Non-magical AU, 3302 words, E

Angry oral sex in the library.

12. Braided Leather and Smooth Skin by ZionAngel

Storybrooke, 5010 words, E, Graphic Depictions Of Violence

Rumple has nightmares about Belle being whipped, and she suggests to fight fire with fire.

13. Buried Treasure by Emospritelet

Storybrooke, 19860 words, E

Lacey decides to distract Gold from his thoughts about Belle and hides his ring in an interesting place.

14. Buttoned Up by nerdrumple

Non-magical AU, 24343 words, E

Belle doesn’t feel beautiful, but it doesn't stop her from masturbating at her workplace. Gold accidentally witnesses it.

15. Chevalier by oceanofdarkness

Dark Castle, 2363 words, E

Gaston comes to rescue his fiancee and sees something unexpected.

16. Dark Castle series by extree

Dark Castle, 23354 words, G, T

Dark Castle fluff.

17. Darkest by ScarletteStarlett

Dark Castle, 1847 words, E, Rape/Non-Con

Rumplestiltskin is as dark as he claims to be.

18. Dark Heart by Emospritelet

Non-magical AU, 122667 words, E

Two years ago Gold and Belle broke up, and she left town. Now she is back, and apparently she has a baby.

+ 19. Twisted Fate by Emospritelet

Non-magical AU, 110565 words, E

Everything pre-breakup is the same as in "Dark Heart", but at some point Belle manages to tell Gold she is pregnant.

20. Dark Lover by woodelf

Storybrooke, 2932 words, E

Rumbelle roleplay (with dirty talk).

21. Desperate Souls by rowofstars

Non-magical AU, 25227 words (7/? chapters), E

Belle needs money, so she agrees to do some lingerie modelling for Gold.

22. Discreet by whereismygarden

Dark Castle, 1721 words, E

Rumple catches Belle masturbating.

23. Double the Meaning by BarPurple

Dark Castle, 1936 words, E

Flirting through double entendres.

24. Essays by RosexKnight

Non-magical AU, 3977 words, E

Instead of an essay Belle turns in an erotic fairytale retelling.

25. Fair Trade by Anonymous

Enchanted Forest AU, 3233 words, M, Rape/Non-Con

Villagers make a virgin sacrifice to Rumplestiltskin.

26. Five Times series by lizandletdie

Non-magical AU, 11644 words, T, E

Belle has a crush on her new neighbour but constantly makes a fool of herself in front of him.

27. For a Good Cause by rowofstars

Non-magical AU, 5968 words, E

Chubby Belle and the green dress.

28. From Shattered Places by lizandletdie

Historical AU (non-magical), 124553 words, E, Rape/Non-Con

Lady Belle was raped by Nottingham. Mr. Gold offers her his hand in marriage of convenience.

29. Hang On Me by nerdrumple

Non-magical AU, 2930 words (1/2 chapters), E

Gold is going to hang himself when suddenly he sees Belle through the window.

30. Head over Heels by B_does_the_write_thing

Non-magical AU, 7338 words, E

Belle finds out that her boss Gold has never received a blow job.

31. Her Angel by Kelyon

Enchanted Forest AU, 8475 words, G

Belle flees from her own wedding and comes across a spinner and his son.

32. Homecoming by rowofstars

Enchanted Forest AU, 5850 words, G

Rumple goes home from the war and wonders if he would be welcomed by Belle and their newborn son.

33. Hot Cocoa and Stolen Kisses by Kelyon

Non-magical AU, 19715 words, E

Lacey tries to connect with Mr. Gold through hot chocolate.

34. In Dreams of Him by mareyshelley

Creature AU, 14958 words, E

Gold is an incubus.

35. In the Blood!Verse series by Megara Bee (Megara_Bee)

Vampire AU, 48780 words, E

Belle makes a deal with Gold, a local vampire, and he drinks her blood, but not in a usual for vampires way.

36. Layered by TheStraggletag

Non-magical AU, 9017 words, E

Mary Margaret, a famous actress, wants her wedding dress to be made by Gold, a famous designer, but doesn’t want paparazzi to know she’s getting married, so she asks her friend Belle for a favour.

37. Legal Binding by Of_Princes_and_Savages

Non-magical AU, 3375 words, E

Lawyer!Gold and his secretary Belle have fun in the car.

38. like an open book. by SerenaLyon

Dark Castle, 7782 words, E

Light BDSM in the Dark Castle.

39. Liminal Space by rufeepeach

Non-magical AU, 18997 words, E

Midnight bonding of two broken hearts through an act of vandalism in a parking lot.

40. Lipstick Kisses by mareyshelley

Non-magical AU, 39060 words, E

Lacey has broken up their secret relationship with Gold, but now she has another secret.

41. Love Me Before The Last Petal Falls by DeliriumsDelight7

Hanahaki Disease AU, 5697 words (1/4 chapters), M

Unrequited love makes Belle cough up flower petals.

42. Married to the Magic by Crysania

Dark Castle, 11076 words, E

Accidental marriage through drinking some strange tea.

43. Midnight Rides by Maplesyrup

Non-magical AU, 8406 words, E

Belle and Gold often take night rides in his car, both thinking that the other isn’t really interested.

44. Mr. Good Mood series by lizandletdie

Non-magical AU, 23250 words, G, M, E

Belle spends a night with an older man and soon realises he is her friend's father.

45. Necessary Roughness by Shipperqueen

Storybrooke, 8598 words, E

Belle pretends to be Lacey so that Rumple could be rougher with her.

46. Neverland by Emospritelet

Non-magical AU, 79107 words, E

Belle wants her first time to be special, so she hires an escort. She definitely doesn't expect her teacher to show up.

47. Nightcap by Mrs_Stiltskin (Lady_Belles_Teacup)

Storybrooke, 2616 words, E

PWP with lactation kink.

48. Not A Prince by LicieOIC

Storybrooke s2, 2515 words, E

At least someone comes to the library to unchain Belle...

49. Of Greasepaint and Flyers by Bad_Faery

Non-magical AU, 14041 words, E

Circus AU.

50. Old Names and New Titles by rufeepeach

Storybrooke, 4277 words, T

Belle and Gold babysit Henry.

51. One Small Spark by Bad_Faery

Dark Castle, 5471 words, E, Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Rape/Non-Con

Regina didn’t lie about the clerics.

52. On the Shores of Loch Katrine by PhoenixTalon

Non-magical AU, 53036 words, E

To inherit his grandfather’s estate in Scotland, Gold needs to get married.

53. Our Way to Fall by nerdrumple

Non-magical AU, 17670 words, E

Belle wants her mother’s necklace back, and Gold suggests her to do something shocking for it. He doesn’t expect her to agree.

54. Pages of Reverie by chippedcupwrites

Dark Castle, 2002 words, T

Belle stumbles upon a book with a sleeping curse and sees strange fairytailish dreams of herself and someone else.

55. Red Lights by rufeepeach

Non-magical AU, 30855 words, E

Gold is a 45-year-old virgin and hires an escort to finally experience sex.

56. Refuge by Fyre

Dark Castle, 13024 words, M, Graphic Depictions Of Violence

Belle, desperate and scared, comes knocking at the Dark Castle doors.

57. Representation by AngelofDarkness1605

Storybrooke, 18711 words, M

Watching porn together turns out to be good for the relashionship.

58. Room to Breathe by Bad_Faery

Non-magical AU, 10124 words, M

Gold is a hoarder, Neal hires Belle to help him declutter.

59. Sacrifice by guinevere_grey

Dark Castle, 4755 words, E

When Rumplestiltskin claims her as his price, Belle expects him to have sex with her, but time goes by, nothing’s happening, and she loses her patience.

60. Santa Baby by lizandletdie

Storybrooke, 3859 words, E

Gold and Lacey celebrate Christmas with anal sex.

61. She Can't Help It by wonderwoundedhearers

Enchanted Forest AU, 7453 words, E

Ella Enchanted AU.

62. Shelter From the Storm by lizandletdie

Non-magical AU, 49605 words, M, Graphic Depictions Of Violence

They meet at a domestic violence shelter.

63. Sparks by Emospritelet

Dark Castle, 9291 words (5/? chapters), E

Rumple, Belle, and a little dragon in the Dark Castle.

64. Swipe Right by B_does_the_write_thing

Non-magical AU, 1972 words, M

Annoying loved ones make Belle and Gold try online dating.

65. Tattercloak by DeliriumsDelight7

Enchanted Forest AU, 41320 words, T

Retelling of the fairytale “Allerleirauh”.

66. Temptation by MelissaBosquez

Dark Castle, 6157 words, E

Rumple is like, be careful with my things, maid, or I’ll spank you! Belle is like, hope this doesn’t awaken anything in me…

67. The Best Ideas are Found in Books by JediAnnieScrambler

Enchanted Forest AU, 977 words, E

Belle masturbates to a picture of the Dark One and accidentally summons him.

68. The Big Tease by TheNaughtyScandalousScorpio

Dark Castle, 14537 words, E

Belle finds an interesting book.

69. The Caretaker by TheStraggletag

Non-magical AU, 23093 words, E

Sugar Daddy AU.

70. the course of our fate by bayloriffic

Non-magical AU, 53445 words, E, Graphic Depictions Of Violence

Belle is a prostitute, Gold is a cop, Gaston is the worst.

71. The Cradle Will Rock by Bad_Faery

Non-magical AU, 4251 words, E

All Gold wanted was a child, not to fall in love with the surrogate mother.

72. The Enchanted Florists by B_does_the_write_thing

Non-magical AU, 4339 words, T

Belle asks her boss Gold to go to her ex’s wedding with her.

73. The Essence of Life by Bad_Faery

Enchanted Forest AU, 8727 words, E

Belle is unhappily married to Gaston and wants a child. The Dark One can help.

74. The Finfolk's Bride series by chippedcupwrites

Creature AU, 3397 words, G, T

Rumple is a merman.

75. The Future's So Bright by ThatRavenclawBitch

Storybrooke, 46183 words, E

Belle and Rumple got divorced after s6. Three years later Belle wants another baby.

76. The Gods of Our Shores by Lady_Therion

Creature AU, 9054 words, E

Belle makes a deal with Rumplestiltskin. Who lives in the sea and has tentacles.

77. The Nanny by ThatRavenclawBitch

Storybrooke, 16511 words, E

Belle and Rumple are divorced, and Belle is looking for a nanny for their daughter. Rumple sees an opportunity.

78. The One Where Belle is a Real Estate Agent and Gold is a Ghost by RosexKnight

Ghost AU, 2901 words (2/? chapters), G

Belle, a real estate agent, tries to sell Mr. Gold’s house, but it’s hard because Mr. Gold is still kinda there.

79. The Pages In Between by ThatRavenclawBitch

Non-magical AU, 30395 words, E

Gold has a crush on his new tenant. Finding a lingerie magazine with her half-naked photos doesn't make it easier.

80. The Queen's Request by B_does_the_write_thing

Enchanted Forest AU, 8550 words, E

Queen Belle has witnessed an act of oral sex between her handmaidens and wants to experience that herself. Her useless husband Gaston sends to her a peasant from a local village.

81. The Rare Books Crises by tinytorso

Non-magical AU, 3731 words, E

Books help Belle attract Mr. Gold’s attention.

82. The Safest Place by TheStraggletag

Dark Castle, 5184 words, T

Due to some timey-wimey baby Gideon appears in the Dark Castle.

83. The Spirit of the Trees by woodelf

Creature AU, 7320 words, E

Rumple is a tree spirit, and Belle is a curious woman.

84. To Have and to Hold by ThatRavenclawBitch

Non-magical AU, 36632 words, E

Belle and Gold want to divorce but have to pretend to be together for the sake of Neal’s wedding.

85. Travelling Light by francoeurs

Enchanted Forest, 12847 words, E

During her adventures Belle meets Rumple again, and they continue the journey together.

86. True Scotsman by WorryinglyInnocent

Non-magical AU, 1559 words, E

Wearing a kilt has certain advantages.

87. Virgin's Blood by lizandletdie

Dark Castle, 5542 words, E

Belle finding an interesting book is the best premise for PWP (with BDSM).

88. Waiting Game by Emospritelet

Non-magical AU, 29842 words, E

Lacey offers Gold (her college friend Neal’s father) to wait for Neal in her room.

89. you owe me. I own you. series by SerenaLyon

Storybrooke s6, 7052 words, E

Jealous Belle decides that Rumple owes her 42 orgasms.

90. Your Mileage May Vary by Endangered_Slug

Non-magical AU, 3557 words, T

At Neal’s wedding Milah is annoyed by a loud couple in the hotel room next door.

ANYEMS

(I definitely need to read more of that lol😅)

1. Beast!Rush series by Bad_Faery

SGU, 40325 words, E

Rush has pricked himself with some alien bush and starts acting like an animal.

2. Breaking Cycles by DeliriumsDelight7

California Solo, 154826 words, E

Lachlan returns to Scotland and meets a pretty librarian (who turns out to have a lot of inner demons too).

3. Fragile by Emospritelet

SGU, 6689 words, E, Underage

Rush goes to a bar before starting a new job at a school and meets Belle. Nothing can go wrong, right?

4. How Do You Sleep? 'Verse series by ifishouldvanish

California Solo, 56286 words, M

Threatened with deportation, Lachlan contacts his estranged wife Lacey he married some years ago.

5. If Only for a Moment by ifishouldvanish

Hamish MacBeth, 5320 words, E

Cockblock brigades exist everywhere including Lochdubh, and Belle has to fabricate a crime to get some time alone with Hamish.

6. Let's Spend the Night Together by ifishouldvanish

SGU, 10334 words, E

Lacey is Rush’s roommate. Rush can repair stargates but can't repair heaters, so they have to find a way to keep warm.

7. The Books That Bind by TheScholarlyStrumpet (equipoise)

Hamish MacBeth, 3525 words, T

Belle, a new librarian, and Hamish find a shared interest in books.

8. The Fractures Within Us by Lady_Therion

Summer, 4880 words, M

Shaun is prescribed physical therapy. Belle is his therapist, and she is mute.

9. The Oldest Profession by orphan_account

The Legend of Barney Thomson, 10067 words, E

Belle is a prostitute who needs a haircut.

10. The Sweetest of Sins by snafumoofins

Operation: Endgame, The Tournament, 3220 words, E, Graphic Depictions Of Violence

Hiero has a crush on a local priest.

#rumbelle #rumbelle fic rec #anyem #anyelle #will probably make another part (who knew a tumblr post can only fit 100 links lol)#I know most of these are very popular and obvious and everyone has already read everything and the fandom is barely alive but whatever #I tried to put everything in the alphabetical order (mostly)#not sure about everyone's tumblr urls so not adding any

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her-storybooks · 7 months

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Just finished possibly my 100th rewatch of Hamish Macbeth and the anyelle shipper in me is reignited! But no one writes for Bellish anymore :( I've got some time to write, send me your prompts for Hamish and Belle?

#anyelle #bellish #robert carlyle #rumbelle #hamish macbeth #Belle OUAT #Emilie De Ravin

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abovethemists · 8 months

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The Worst That Could Happen - Chapter 5

AO3 Link

Summary: Nicholas Rush has been told to lighten up or face repercussions in his professional career. Lacey French is in desperate need of a wedding date. A blind date provides them both with an opportunity. From the prompt “Rushacey blind date”.

[Chapter 1] [Chapter 2] [Chapter 3] [Chapter 4]

In the end, Rush took a half-day on Thursday, heading north on the I-95 around two in the afternoon. It was just under a four hour drive to Storybrooke, most of the way straight highway. He only had to look at directions on his phone once he exited, taking a twisting forest path through dense green trees. After twenty minutes he was worried he was lost, certain there was no town up ahead, only more greenery. But, before he could fret too much, he saw a sign to the side of the road. “Welcome to Storybrooke”.

The forest finally gave way to small wood framed houses, increasing in frequency as he approached the center of town. It was late afternoon and the sun was starting to set, casting white clapboard and red brick in shades of gold. The houses soon started to be joined by businesses, a fishing supply store here and a convenience store there. Soon he had turned on to Main Street, a quaint little downtown that looked plucked from another era entirely. Main Street seemed to lead down to a wide bay dotted by boats in the harbor, their colorful flags fluttering in the evening breeze.

It was a far cry from Boston, even further from Berkley, Glasgow, anywhere he’d ever lived. It was like something from a story where a plucky female detective investigated murders that rocked the small, closed community.

Rush shook his head. What was supposed to be so great about small towns anyway? No wonder Lacey hadn’t expanded her business. She needed to be somewhere with clients if she wanted to design clothing.

Lacey had given him an address for where to meet her and he’d assumed it was her home. That soon proved incorrect as he turned off Main Street to find 910 Maple.

He stopped the car, parking on the curb and climbing out to look around. Rather than the house or apartment building he’d been expecting, he was faced with a two-story shingle style cottage, its gray paint starting to fleck away in places. Hanging above the small porch was a wooden sign bearing the name Granny’s Bed and Breakfast. He’d noticed a Granny’s Diner on Main Street and the two businesses seemed to back into each other, connected by a late addition to the original buildings.

Rush sighed, walking around to the trunk of his car and pulling out his suitcase. Well, it was Gold’s, in actual fact. He hadn’t owned anything he could hang his borrowed suits in and Gold had insisted his beloved clothing make the trip in style. He hoisted the garment bag over his shoulder and slammed the trunk shut, shuffling up the cement steps that led from the curb up to the B&B.

So Lacey had booked him a room, he supposed. It was just as well, considering he and Lacey barely knew each other. She’d hardly want a strange man sleeping on her sofa no matter how harmless he seemed.

The entrance to the inn was small and slightly musty. He couldn’t imagine there was much use for a hotel in a town as small as Storybrooke, but he’d expect there to be other guests with a wedding in town. From what he’d gathered, the bride was far from local.

There was a small desk nestled under the stairs, a row of recessed key cubbies set into the wall beside it, each bearing a key attached to a shiny brass fob. Rush wasn’t sure he’d ever stayed at a hotel with an actual key rather than a plastic card.

The desk was currently empty and the little bell set atop it made barely a sound when he tapped it, certainly not enough to summon anyone to his aid.

Rush stepped away from the desk, looking around and straining his ears for any sign of life. Perhaps the eponymous Granny was busy in her diner.

He thought he could just make out a mumbling of voices proving he wasn’t alone in the inn when it was punctuated by a loud laugh, well a guffaw really, and he immediately recognized it as Lacey’s. He wasn’t sure how he could recognize the laugh of a woman he’d only known for two short weeks, but he could picture her accompanying smile, her head thrown back, eyes filled with mirth. Rush smiled in spite of himself, following the sound down the hall and into a cozy lounge.

Lacey was seated on a red damask sofa, sagging a little in the middle from use. She had a china tea cup balanced on her knee and a wide smile on her face. Across from her in a high wingback chair was a plump old woman with a graying bun piled up on her head. She had a pair of bifocals hanging around her neck and a thick khaki cardigan wrapped around herself for warmth. Granny, he presumed.

“And speak of the devil, here he is!” Lacey cried, motioning at Rush with both arms spread wide, her tea nearly sloshing out of its cup. “You made it!”

“Uh, I did,” he said, dumbly, nervous as always when faced with Lacey’s full attention. She was smiling at him as if she was genuinely happy to see him and though he knew it was most likely an act, he couldn’t quite stop his own smile at the sight of her.

“So you’re the one who swept in and stole our Lacey,” the old woman said, leveling him with a hard look. Rush turned to face her.

“I haven’t stolen anything,” he returned. “I’m just here for as long as Lacey will have me.”

Granny regarded him for a long moment, before giving a curt nod and standing up.

“Let’s get you checked in, shall we?”

It was the work of moments to get Rush checked in, one of those shiny brass key fobs in hand, even with Granny leveling mild threats at him if he treated Lacey badly.

“She’s mildly terrifying,” Rush said once they were headed up the stairs and out of ear shot.

“Who, Granny?” Lacey asked. Without waiting for an answer she gave a flippant wave of her hand. “She’s harmless. Unless you insult her cooking, that is.”

“Is she your grandmother?”

“No,” Lacey said with a shrug. “Everyone just calls her that since she runs Granny’s Inn and Diner. I don’t think she was the original Granny though. It may have been her mother? Or grandmother? I don’t know. She’s my friend Ruby’s biological grandmother but she fills the role for most people in town. Ruby’s mum split when she was six and Granny raised her. Me and Belle’s mum died when we were 13 and she kind of took it upon herself to mother us too.”

“I didn’t realize you lost your mother so young,” he said. “That must have been difficult.”

“Oh,” Lacey said with a shrug. “I mean sure, it sucked, but it is what it is, right? And we still have dad.”

The last was said with a little eye roll that belied her words. Rush could well understand complicated feelings about fathers.

“And here we are,” Lacey said once they’d reached the end of the upstairs hallway, motioning at the door with a brass number 3 on it. Rush used his key to unlock the door, having to force it slightly with the side of his foot.

The room was small but clean, a little too floral for his tastes. There was a double bed in the middle of the room, a small antique desk beneath the window that looked out toward the forest, and an armchair in the corner next to a lace doily covered rickety side table with a rotary phone on top.

But the thing that most arrested Rush’s attention was the presence of a small duffle bag sitting in the middle of the bed.

“I think Granny gave me the wrong room,” he said, turning to Lacey as she followed him inside.

“What are you talking about?” she asked, stepping around him to throw herself bodily onto the bed, the springs creaking loudly beneath even her slight weight.

He motioned to the suitcase next to where Lacey was sprawled across the bed.

Lacey followed his gaze.

“Oh, that’s mine.”

Rush blinked.

“What?”

Lacey pushed herself up on the heels of her hands, giving him a look like he was somehow stupid. Rush was not stupid.

“It’s our room,” she said slowly.

“Why are we sharing a room?” he returned, just as slowly.

Lacey shrugged. “Because we’re dating, silly. It’d be weird if we didn’t sleep together.”

“I apologize,” Rush said with a little shake of his head. “But I’m a little confused. I assumed I was staying here at the inn because having a strange man in your home was an issue. Why are we both staying here?”

“Oh!” Lacey exclaimed, sitting forward. “Sorry. I figured you didn’t want to stay at my dad’s place. That’d be…awkward.”

“You don’t have your own place?” he asked, before realizing how that sounded. “Sorry, no judgment. I’ve heard it’s hard out there for…millenials.”

Lacey snorted a laugh and Rush winced at how terribly old he must sound.

“No, I had my own apartment,” Lacey said with a nod. “But I’m back with my dad for a bit. Once Will left town I couldn’t afford rent by myself so…” she trailed off.

“You lived together?” he asked. It seemed every time he got more of a glimpse of Lacey’s previous relationship, the more involved it was.

“Yeah, well we were together almost four years. At some point you move in together or you split up.”

“F--four years?” he stuttered out. “You never told me that.”

Lacey blinked.

“Look, Lacey, I need to know what I’m getting into here. You and Will were together for four years? You lived together for some of that time? What, were you ever engaged?”

“No!” Lacey exclaimed. “It was never that serious.”

“Four years and a shared apartment isn’t serious?”

“We were never gonna get married,” she countered. “It was fun and easy, but not earth shattering. We were…glorified roommates. With benefits. Not even great benefits, in case you were wondering.”

He wasn’t.

“Regardless,” Rush continued. “You were together a long time and now, only a few months after your split, you’re attending his wedding. Have you thought this through?”

“Yes!” Lacey exclaimed, hopping up from the bed, the creaky springs bouncing wildly. “Yes, we were together for a while. Yes, he dumped me. Yes, he’s getting married to someone else in an infuriatingly short time span. But I don’t love the guy, okay? If I ever did, those feelings ended long ago, before the relationship did. Right now what I need is a nice, stable boyfriend so I don’t look pathetic and Ana doesn’t get weirdly jealous and decide not to wear my dress last minute. If you don’t feel comfortable with that, well, you can go.”

She pointed to the door of the room, her chest heaving and blue eyes flashing.

“I just want to know what I’m getting into,” he repeated.

Lacey took a deep breath, her arm dropping to her side.

“I’m sorry,” she said with a little nod. “I didn’t mean to snap. I’m just so fucking tired of people asking me if I’m okay. I’m great.”

“Okay,” he said, unconvinced. He crossed the room to where a small wardrobe stood, and hung up his garment bag inside. “What now?”

Lacey gave him a big smile. “Free booze and crab cakes, baby. Who doesn’t love a wedding? We’re gonna have a blast.”

Rush just grunted in response. He’d never been keen on weddings, but at least there’d be an open bar.

“Oh shit,” Lacey said, glancing down at her watch. “I need to get dressed for tonight.”

“What’s tonight?” Rush asked.

Lacey’s eyes widened.

“Did I forget to tell you? There’s a little party at the diner for the out of town guests.”

“You told me about the rehearsal dinner and you told me about the wedding, that’s all I packed for. I didn’t bring any extra clothes,” Rush said, glancing down at his jeans.

“What you’re wearing is fine,” Lacey assured him. “It’s just Granny’s. It’s a diner.”

“Then why are you changing?” he asked with a pointed look at her leggings and sweater.

“Because I’m a fashion designer,” Lacey crooned. “And people expect me to make a spectacle of myself. I’ll just be a minute!”

She grabbed her bag off the bed, heading into the en suite bathroom and Rush sat back against the rickety bed, the mattress groaning beneath his weight. He tested it a bit, bouncing himself up and down.

It was a good thing he and Lacey weren’t an actual couple. If they tried to get up to anything on this bed, the whole bloody town would know.

It took Lacey twenty minutes in the bathroom with her makeup bag to be ready for the evening’s events. Her dress was store bought, but heavily altered. A fitted black mini dress, she’d opened up the back, using ribbon to criss cross across her back and ending in a bow right above her backside. Paired with her signature heels, it was, perhaps, a little dressy for the gathering at Granny’s. But then again, Lacey had never shied from attention of any sort. Everyone would be looking at the happy couple in any case.

Her stomach churned at the thought, and Lacey squashed down the feeling, smiling at herself in the bathroom mirror instead. There, that was almost how she usually looked.

When she came back out to the bedroom, Rush was seated on the bed, scrolling on his phone. He’d changed his shirt, she noticed. The rumpled blue one he’d been wearing was replaced with a crisp white button down that stood out beautifully against his tanned skin. He looked up at her as she entered, stuffing his phone into his jeans pocket.

“Wow,” he said, his eyes widening slightly. Lacey smiled, pleased by his reaction.

“Not too much?” she asked, twirling to show off the back of the dress she’d worked so hard on.

Rush stood up from the bed, grabbing the brown suede blazer beside him and shrugging it on.

“You, um,” he cleared his throat. “You look nice.”

“Oh Nick, you’ll make me blush,” she said with a wink at him. He shuffled awkwardly, glancing away from her, and Lacey took pity on him.

“Come on,” she said, grabbing him by the elbow and steering him out the door of their rented room. “Adventure awaits!”

Granny’s Diner was, predictably, packed, and Lacey could feel Rush tense up beside her as she opened the door, laughter and the smell of sizzling meat spilling out into the chilly evening. She looped her arm through his, trying to feel confident enough for the both of them.

She whispered names and tidbits of information to Nick as they maneuvered their way through the crowd.

“That tall one with the red streaks in her hair is Ruby,” she whispered into his ear while feigning a flirtatious moment. “Granny’s granddaughter and my oldest friend. The blonde next to her is Ashley. Don’t get stuck in a conversation with her unless you want to be bored to death.”

“Thanks for the warning,” he mumbled back.

“Oh, and here comes the bride,” she intoned, stepping back from Nick to welcome the approaching Anastasia.

“Lacey!” Ana called, her voice a little too loud. There’d been a lot of that in the last week, smiles just a little too wide, excitement just a little on edge. Lacey could have excused it as pre wedding jitters if she didn’t know the truth. Ana was trying desperately to be okay with her presence.

“Hi, Ana,” she said, before being pulled into an awkward hug. She patted the taller woman’s back twice before stepping away. “You look beautiful, as always.”

Ana glanced down at her cream colored shift dress. It was chic and simple but rather than looking plain, Ana sparkled in comparison.

“Thank you!” she exclaimed, grabbing hold of Lacey’s hand. Her eyes slid across to Nick and she gave him one of those overly sincere smiles. “And you must be the professor!”

“And you’re Mary Anne?” he joked. Lacey snorted.

Ana looked confused. “No, I’m Anastasia,” she said, pumping Nick’s hand for all he was worth. “The bride. I’m marrying Will, I believe you’ve met.”

She gestured over her shoulder to where Will was chatting with a few of his mates.

“Of course,” Nick said smoothly. “My apologies.”

“Oh no,” Ana said with a wave of her hand. “I’m so glad you could make it. Please come in, eat something, have a drink. This weekend is all about me, but tonight is about you, the guests!”

“Oh, thank you,” Nick said, looking slightly startled, as though he was staring into the sun and having a hard time not looking away.

“Ana!” someone called from behind them and she grabbed both their hands. “Excuse me,” she said with a brilliant smile and then swanned away with a slight wave in their direction.

“Wow, she is…”

“Gorgeous?” Lacey interrupted, interpreting Nick’s thoughts. Every head in the room swiveled to follow Anastasia. She didn’t have to dress in over the top frocks or towering heels to get attention. She was one of those rare creatures who entered a room and immediately commanded it. Of course Nick had noticed. He wasn’t blind. She wasn’t sure why it annoyed her so much.

Nick looked down at her. “I was going to say chipper,” Rush said with a wry twist of his lips. “Do you think if she keeps smiling like that her face will get stuck?”

Lacey let out a startled laugh, squeezing Rush’s arm before steering him toward a friendlier face.

Ruby was leaning back against the diner counter with a glass of champagne in one hand and a bored expression on her face that split into a relieved smile when she spotted Lacey.

“Oh thank God you’re finally here,” Ruby said, pulling Lacey into a side hug. “I’m supposed to be a guest at this thing but Granny keeps making me hand out hors d'oeuvres. Let’s grab a bottle of champagne and split.”

“No can do,” Lacey said, grabbing Rush’s hand and pulling him to her side.

“Nick, this is my friend Ruby, Rubes, this is Dr. Nicholas Rush. My boyfriend.”

“Pleasure,” Ruby said, holding a red nailed hand to shake his. Her eyes cut across at Lacey, her eyebrows raised in a question.

“Nice to meet you, Ruby,” Rush said, drawing her attention back to him. “I haven’t had the pleasure of meeting any of Lacey’s friends yet.”

“Oh really?” Ruby asked. “I didn’t even realize Lacey was dating anyone.”

“It’s still a new thing,” Rush said with a shrug. “And you know Lacey, doesn’t want to make a big thing of it.”

“Yeah,” Ruby said, unconvinced. “Lacey is so understated.”

Lacey grinned widely, wrapping her arms around Rush and leaning her head against his shoulder.

“I just wanted to keep him all to myself for a bit.”

“Oh, hey, Lacey,” came a voice from beside them. “I didn’t realize you were coming tonight.”

Lacey spun to see Ashley Boyd, holding a tray of beef and caramelized onion canapés. She grabbed one, stuffing it into her mouth and speaking around it.

“Why wouldn’t I?”

Ashley’s eyes darted to where Will was standing and back to Lacey.

“Well…” she began.

“This is my boyfriend,” Lacey cut across her. “Nick Rush.”

“Oh,” Ashley said, looking at Rush with startled blue eyes. “Hello.”

Nick graciously shook her hand.

“So, how did you two meet?” Ashley asked, setting the tray of canapés down on the counter next to Ruby.

“Nick works with Mr. Gold at the University,” Lacey supplied. “Gold and Belle set us up on a blind date about three months ago and, well, fireworks.”

“Oh I don’t think there were any fireworks on your side, sweetheart,” Rush said self-deprecatingly. “But I was certainly awestruck to be on a date with you. Still not sure how I got so lucky.”

Lacey could feel herself blushing at the compliment and worked with it, giving him a soppy little smile.

“That’s so sweet!” Ashley said, before Granny barked at her from behind the bar to pass the canapés again.

“Excuse me, guys, work calls.”

Ruby took a long sip of her champagne, her eyes never leaving Lacey as though she was trying to read her mind.

“Hey, Lace, can I talk to you for a minute?” Ruby asked, her smile strained. “Alone? Excuse us, Dr. Nicholas Rush.”

Ruby grabbed her hand, lugging her toward the back of the diner by the jukebox.

“What are you doing?” Lacey asked.

“Who the hell is that guy?” Ruby returned, motioning toward Rush.

“Dr. Nicholas Rush,” Lacey said with a shrug. “My boyfriend.”

Ruby narrowed her eyes.

“You said you’ve been dating him for three months,” Ruby pointed out. “So how come I distinctly remember you telling me about a one night stand you had with some twenty-two year old three weeks ago?”

Lacey swallowed, buying herself a moment.

“We weren’t exclusive then,” she said.

“Oh bullshit,” Ruby cried. “Where did you find that guy?”

“I told you, he’s friends with Gold,” Lacey said truthfully. “Belle set us up.”

“You’ve never dated an older guy before.”

“Well I’m twenty-eight years old,” Lacey pointed out. “Maybe I’m sick of slumming it with pathetic boys. Maybe I want a real man for once. It seems to be working out for Belle.”

Ruby raised an eyebrow. “And the two of you have been known to want the same things,” she said, sarcastically.

At Lacey’s silence, Ruby gave an exaggerated huff.

“Fine. He’s your boyfriend,” she said, making air quotes around the word. “I’ll go along with it if it’s what you need right now. But you do owe me an explanation at some point.”

“Can’t wait,” she deadpanned at Ruby’s retreating back.

She stood there for a moment, feeling like she’d been knocked off her groove. She hadn’t expected anyone to see through her ruse quite so quickly. She knew Ruby wouldn’t tell anyone or try to embarrass her, but the more people who knew her secret, the higher the chance she’d end up looking like an idiot.

At least Will and Ana didn’t seem to suspect anything. The bride-to-be was sipping a glass of white wine with a gaggle of adoring buffoons circled around her. Will was on the opposite side of the diner with his own crowd of well wishers. He looked happy. Happier than she’d seen him in a long time.

She wished that didn’t make her want to shatter something.

Instead she opted for a drink, grabbing a glass of champagne off a tray at the bar and swallowing down half of it in one gulp. Then she stood up a little straighter and headed for Will's group. She needed to say hello at the very least.

Rush was standing awkwardly next to Will, surrounded by a few of his friends. He had a beer clenched in his fist and looked at her rather hopelessly as she approached.

"Lacey," he said, and she didn't think she imagined the relief in his voice. She wondered how he'd been drawn into conversation with Will in the first place. She could only hope he wasn't so annoyed with Will and his friends that he abandoned this whole scheme.

“Dr. Rush was just telling us all about academic life,” Will said with a slight twist to his lips. “Never knew you to go for the brainy types, Lace.”

“I didn’t go to college,” boomed Will’s friend John, a giant of a man they all had to crane their necks to see. “Yeah, just wasn’t for me.”

“I think finishing high school is a prerequisite for getting into university, mate,” Will said, slapping his friend on the back.

“Oh and where did you go to school?” Lacey cut across Will. “If I remember correctly, your Facebook profile says you attended the “School of Hard Knocks”. Where is that located? Seattle?”

Will opened his mouth with an undoubtedly witless retort, but was saved the embarrassment by Rush.

“Academia is just another job,” he said. “No better or worse than any other. My father was a dock worker in Glasgow and I did my fair share of manual labor in my youth. I’ve nothing but respect for honest work. Frequently it pays better than teaching too.”

That earned a round of agreement from Will’s friends.

“You know how much underwater welders rake in?” Will’s friend Robin asked. “A guy I used to work with went to diving school and now he’s making six figures.”

The other men all gave suitably impressed grunts of approval and Lacey resisted rolling her eyes.

“Thrilling conversation, lads,” she said, stifling a fake yawn.

“Oh, I apologize,” Will said sarcastically. “Are we boring you?”

“You?” Lacey shot back. “Always.”

Will snorted a laugh. “Well let's get some tequila in you and you can end the night giving half the diner a lap dance.”

“That was one time, you asshole,” Lacey laughed, giving Will a playful shove at the memory of her 24th birthday. “And it wasn’t a lap dance, it was a table dance. Get it right. Granny had me banned for a full 6 weeks.”

Will’s friends all laughed at the memory and for a split second, it felt like life had gone back to normal, to six months ago when everything still made sense. Until they were interrupted.

“Hey, you, I thought I’d lost you,” Ana said, walking up and placing a hand on Will’s shoulder.

“Never,” Will said with gusto, wrapping his arm around Ana’s slim waist and kissing her cheek.

Lacey felt the smile on her face freezing like she was in rictus.

“What’s so funny over here?” Ana asked, glancing around at them all.

Will swallowed uncomfortably. “Oh nothing, just remembering a time Lacey made a fool of herself.”

Ana glanced at Lacey with raised eyebrows.

“That’s me,” Lacey said, raising her champagne glass in salute.

“Hmm,” Ana said, turning back to Will with a pretty little pout. “I’m heading back to the house. I have an early morning tomorrow and I need my beauty sleep.”

“Aw, babe, it’s so early still,” Will groused.

“I have yogalates at 6 and I will look dreadful if I don’t get seven hours sleep before then.”

“Not possible for you to be anything but perfect,” Will said, nuzzling his nose against Ana’s.

Lacey had to clamp her lips together to keep from chucking up her champagne and canapés.

Ana let out a tinkling little laugh, pecking Will on the lips.

“Oh, stop, darling,” she said, lightly slapping him on the chest. “You need to get your sleep too. The last thing we need is you showing up to the wedding completely sleep deprived because you’ve stayed up until the wee hours all weekend, you night owl. Lacey, I’m sure you remember what he’s like.”

Suddenly all eyes swiveled from the happy couple to Lacey. It was Ana’s first public acknowledgment of Lacey’s status as Will’s ex.

“Um, yeah,” Lacey said, unsure of where the conversation was headed.

“But of course that was ages ago. I’m sure his habits may have changed as he matured.”

Next to Ana, Will’s eyes widened, his head dipping almost imperceptibly into a nod. A clear sign she was meant to agree with Ana’s misconception.

“Ages,” she repeated flatly.

Will gave her another little nod.

So, he still wasn’t being honest with his fiance. Lacey felt a bubble of anger rising up in her stomach to be in this position yet again. But never mind all that. She just had to get through the next couple of days. Then she could never see Will or Ana again. Then she could forget this whole horrid thing and, hopefully, move on to bigger and better commissions. Enough to get her own place. Enough to leave Storybrooke entirely.

“Not so sure about matured, though,” Lacey couldn’t help the barb. “There’s something to be said for experience, after all, and Will is certainly lacking in that regard.”

She turned to Rush still standing silently at her side, cupping his cheek with her hand before pulling him down for a kiss. His beard was scratchy beneath her palm, his lips parting in shock as she dipped her tongue into his mouth. His hand came up to cradle her waist, giving her a firm squeeze that also served to push her away slightly.

Lacey stepped back, breaking the kiss as the other assembled guests looked around awkwardly.

“Anyway,” Ana continued brightly, “beauty sleep and all that. I’ll see you tomorrow at the luncheon, Lacey?”

“Of course,” Lacey said, still wrong-footed from Rush’s reaction to her kiss.

Ana gave them all one last brilliant smile as Will walked her to the door.

“I think that’s our cue, too,” Lacey said, downing the remnants of her champagne. Rush was tense beside her, and she needed to free him from this charade as soon as possible before he blew their whole cover. “Goodnight, everyone.”

Rush followed her silently out of the diner and back out into the chilly spring evening.

Rush was quiet on the short walk back to the B&B and Lacey was desperate for something to say to break the tension. Rush had been selling their fake relationship so well up until the end when he’d almost physically recoiled from her. It couldn’t just be the kiss. She’d kissed him before and while surprised, he’d seemed to enjoy it.

They trudged up the stairs and to their shared room at the inn and Lacey couldn’t stand the idea of spending the night with someone who wasn’t speaking to her.

Rush’s shoulders were hunched, his hands buried in his jeans pockets, his face inscrutable. He looked like that miserable man she’d first met in the bar in Boston weeks ago.

“What’s the matter?” she blurted out once they were in their room. “I get the feeling I did something to upset you and I’d rather just know what it is.”

Rush half turned to glance at her, not giving her the benefit of looking her full in the face.

“It’s nothing,” he said, his hands still stuffed in his pockets.

“Please don’t do that,” Lacey said with a sigh. “Something you should know about me, I’m a frank person. I don’t play games and I don’t make you guess what I’m feeling. I’d prefer the same courtesy.”

“Fine,” he said, spinning on his heel. “You made me uncomfortable tonight, are you happy?”

Lacey just blinked.

“I’m sorry,” she said after a moment.

Rush shook his head. “Look, I know it’s technically what I’m here for, but having you stuff your tongue down my throat to upset your ex boyfriend’s new fiance at her wedding party felt ever so slightly morally reprehensible.”

“So this is about Ana,” Lacey said, crossing her arms against her chest. “I suppose she’s got you in her thrall too already. And you’ve only just met her. I suppose it’s no surprise Will is ready to marry her after only a few months.”

“This isn’t about Ana,” Rush countered. “Though she seems like a perfectly nice person and I'm unsure what she’s done to piss you off so badly.”

Lacey didn’t have an answer for that. It wasn’t Ana’s fault. She hadn’t known of Lacey’s existence when she met and fell for Will. She hadn’t even known they’d ever dated until recently and she still didn’t know the extent of their past relationship. None of this was Ana’s fault. But she was just so bloody perfect. Lacey was used to being desired, to men finding her attractive. She’d never felt ugly until she stood next to Anastasia. She��d never been a jealous person until that striking blonde had showed up. She was wildly jealous of Anastasia, for everything she was and everything Lacey wasn’t.

“I dated Will for four years,” she said. “And he broke out in hives at the hint of any sort of commitment whatsoever. He didn’t even go to Belle and Gold’s wedding with me because he was so freaked out by marriage as an institution. But he’s willing to marry her? Some girl he barely knows?”

“You wanted to marry him,” Rush accused.

“No!” Lacey shot back. “I never even thought about it. If he’d ever asked I’d have laughed in his face. But having someone so soundly reject you stings. Forgive me if I think I’m owed the right to be a little salty about all this.”

Rush took a deep breath before nodding.

“Could you just not spring any more surprise kisses on me?” he asked, tentatively. “We can hold hands and dance and flirt, but no more of that. You made me feel…” he trailed off, seemingly unable to find an appropriate word.

Lacey felt suddenly small, like the tiniest most insignificant person in the world.

“Yeah,” she agreed. “No more kissing. I’ve got it.”

Rush gave her another stiff nod before going to the wardrobe and shrugging off his blazer to hang it there.

That was the end of that, then. No kissing. No rubbing her “relationship” in Will’s face. Suddenly the weekend didn’t seem so fun.

After a quick trip to the bathroom to clean up and change into her pajamas, Lacey found herself lying in bed beside Rush, the awkwardness between them almost unbearable. She wasn’t sure how to approach him now. She’d played too fast and loose and made him uncomfortable. He was a good man doing her a massive favor and she’d alienated him after an afternoon. She was a completely shit person.

“I’m sorry,” she said aloud, unsure if Rush was even still awake on the other side of the bed with his back to her. “I really am.”

“I know,” he returned, his voice sleepy. “It’s alright.”

It wasn’t though. And she didn’t know how to make it so.

“You’re an excellent kisser, by the way,” he said into the darkened room. “That’s not what this is about.”

She stared at his back in the gloom, wondering where he was going with this.

“Thanks?” she said, her statement sounding like a question.

Rush snorted a laugh.

“I just didn’t want you getting the wrong idea,” he continued. “Under other circumstances…” he trailed off, letting the statement hang in the air.

“Yeah,” Lacey agreed.

She rolled over on the creaky mattress, putting her back to Rush. Maybe if Gold had set them up when they’d had no ulterior motives. Maybe if she’d been a fully functioning adult. Maybe…

Lacey drifted off to sleep on the thoughts of what might have been.

#anyelle #raven's fic #rushacey #fic: the worst that could happen #rumbelle fic

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phoenixwrites · 8 months

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All these Joe fans simping over his character in Hoard and his relationship with the main girl character... He's playing a 30 year old and the girl is 17/18. THE IRONY IS KILLING ME. These are most likely the same fans who get all bent out of shape over Chrissy/Eddie, but somehow this age gap is different because the girl is 'of age'. How is 12 (ish) years power imbalance between an adult and a barely adult better than 2 years between two teenagers ??? Make it make sense.

To be honest with you, I think the majority of them don't honestly believe Hellcheer is PROBLEMATIC. They're just looking for a MORAL RIGHTEOUS EXCUSE to shit on it because it's not their white MLM ship. If Steve was Chrissy's age, there would still be plenty of Steddie shippers. If it was Steve buying drugs from Eddie, the Steddies would never shut up about the forest scene.

And of course, for the few younger folks who are still caught in purity culture--not the Evangelical culture I shied away from, but FANDOM purity culture, which is honestly a lot more annoying--life will get so much more fun for these jokers when they stop trying to try and make these characters UNPROBLEMATIC JESUS and just enjoy trash as trash. I love cheddar jalapeno cheetos, but I'm not gonna pretend it's a salad, my dears. (Also even funnier is that my PARENTS are twelve years apart--my dad met my mom when she was 19, so...)

One of my favorite legacies of Rumbelle was the concept of "Anyelle"--where we would pair Belle with different characters of Robert Carlyle. (Occasionally, we would use Hiero, one of Emile's characters, because she was like a serial killer and worked really well with Bobby's Ives, who was a cannibal.)

The only ones we avoided were Bobby's character in "Human Trafficking--he led a sex trafficking ring"--and Hitler. Yes, really. In fact, I remember a crack fic where all of the Bobby characters actually killed Hitler...I swear I remember one where Ives was complaining about how nasty Hitler tasted...

Anyway, I LOVE that Hellcheerers are now using this concept and pairing Michael from Hoard with Anna from Roost and HOPEFULLY we do even more cracked out shit, maybe Joseph Quinn's two-lined guard character from Game of Thrones and Grace's princess character, from the film her dad directed?

Stop trying to make everything morally pure and join us in doing weird crack ship stuff!

#Hellcheer #Rumbelle #Anyelle #the Anyelle days were PEAK #my favorite fanfic of all time was Anyelle

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deliriumsdelight7 · 1 year

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Breaking Cycles - Chapter 21

Lachlan fidgeted with the thick links of his silver bracelet as he watched passengers pouring onto the airport terminal from the jetway. All of them had the same tired eyes and stiff postures he’d had when he made the long, uncomfortable trip from L.A. to here.

Anxiously, his eyes darted back and forth, searching for the forms of his daughter and ex-wife. No sign of them. He tried not to consider the idea that they’d just said “fuck it” and stayed home. Which meant that of course he was dwelling on it.

A warm, reassuring hand wrapped around his forearm. Looking to his side, he saw Belle’s clear blue eyes and warm, reassuring smile.

“They’ll be here,” she murmured.

Read on AO3

#breaking cycles fic #anyelle

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herstorybrooks · 1 year

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1000 word Prompts!

This is my attempt to get back into the Rumbelle Fanfic writing world.

It’s late, my neighbours are keeping me up and I’ve got the need to write! Send me your prompts and I’ll write a 1000 word fic for it! Anyelle! (I’ve got a need for Rushbelle but I’ll write for any)

#anyelle #rumbelle #rushbelle #bellish #Belle French #Rumplestiltskin #Nicholas Rush #Hamish McBeth #Rumbelle fanfiction #Rushbelle fanfiction #Anyelle fanfiction #Once upon a Time #Stargate Universe #AU #Cannon #OUAT

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meat-loving-meat · 1 month

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Does anyone know a website for making fake MySpace or Something Awful screenshots? I can do it in GIMP if I have to but it’s so much easier on those sketchy fake screenshot websites

#or if anyone has period-accurate MySpace or Something Awful screenshots that they wouldn’t mind me editing the hell out of #I want to include some in my fic for Flavor™️ since some of it happens in the equivalent of the early 2000s #and I’m trying to avoid having to digging around the wayback machine for MySpace pages that I think fit the vibe #Something Awful won’t be too bad since it was just a forum (and therefore had no custom HTML themes/pages AFAIK)#but the MySpace screenshot spoofing intimidates me.#anyway I might start a tag for my V*anyel/St*fen nuclear weapons AU at this point. hmmmm #gay herald in a squirrel suit

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beeeinyourbonnet · 8 days

Text

Covetous | Chapter 3

Rating: M

Pairing: Macelle (Father MacAvoy x Belle) or Nostelle (Nosty x Belle), who is to say which

Summary: Father Joseph MacAvoy wakes up in a library across town with no idea of how he got there. When the kind librarian doesn’t kick him out immediately, he considers that maybe there’s more to life than alcohol.

[chapter 1] [chapter 2]

Notes: I’m setting this as though The Tournament never took place and MacAvoy just contined on his downward spiral. This will not have spoilers for The Tournament but it will have spoilers for Safe, kind of. Also, I’m sorry for my poor geography. Pretend anything geographic that doesn’t make sense makes sense :’)

tws: alcoholism, homelessness. If I missed a warning, I’m so sorry–please let me know and I will add it ASAP!

------------------------

In the light of a new day, some of Belle’s fever had abated. She was acting like a silly schoolgirl instead of an adult with her dream job to fulfill her.

After unlocking the library door, she turned to wave at the man in his wheelchair who always sat outside the convenience store across the way.

“Morning!” she called.

“Morning!”

“I’m about to make some coffee, do you want some?”

He raised what she knew to be his change cup in agreement, and she turned back into the library. That’s how it should be—Belle should just help people as best she could and then not dwell on them forever.

It was hard, though, when the person you couldn’t stop thinking about had been coming into your library for six months now and always made you laugh and treated you better than anyone else ever had.

“Except,” Belle muttered to herself, almost dropping the coffee filters in her agitation, “Except it’s not very kind to say you’ll be somewhere and then never show up. One might argue that that’s a dealbreaker.”

One might. She scooped coffee grounds into the urn. One might also argue that Nosty showing up at all was a good thing, and she should be worried instead of angry that he hadn’t last night.

Belle didn’t need to have that argument with herself though because no matter what, she began worrying about Nosty the second he left her field of vision and didn’t stop until he returned, whole and unbloodied.

She paused in her scooping, staring at the pile of grounds. In all of her internal dialoguing, she’d lost count. It was looking the way it usually looked, so she added two more scoops for good measure and then set it to brew.

She should think about Father MacAvoy. The chances that he hadn’t gone home and immediately had a drink were low, but she hoped he’d at least considered getting help. Perhaps if she’d known him better, she’d have volunteered to sit vigil by his bedside for the first few nights, but she barely knew him at all.

What would her father say if he knew about the company she kept? “Belle’s always been happy with her books,” he used to say to his friends. “My odd little girl.”

Her heart panged. She missed her father. But maybe she hadn’t always been happy with her books. Maybe she’d always needed more, and now she’d passed all the stages in life where people made friends. What would Nosty say? That she was filling the void with strays.

The coffee finished and she made a cup for her friend across the street, grabbing a banana and packet of biscuits she knew he liked as well.

She headed back to her office, forcing herself not to scan her surroundings constantly on the hunt for Nosty. He would come back eventually. He always did.

Apparently, he already had. The food she’d left for him, labeled with his name, was missing from the fridge, and the bottle of fabric spray she kept for him was on her desk instead of in the cabinet. Was he lurking around somewhere, or had he come in the night and left before she arrived?

She ignored the sting of that thought. Nosty could have been in the building still—he may have been loud and brash, but if he didn’t want to be found, he wouldn’t be.

With a groan, Belle flung herself into her chair. If only she’d made friends with reliable schedules in grad school, then maybe she could just do good deeds and go home without getting attached to anyone.

An echoing groan answered her from the closed bathroom and Belle yelped, feet carrying her from the chair before she had the conscious thought. Maybe Nosty was here, lying injured on the bathroom floor.

When she pushed the door open, though, she almost wasn’t surprised to find Father MacAvoy curled up by the trashcan, barely conscious.

****

Of course, she had no way of knowing what either man had been thinking last night. Had Father MacAvoy come and eaten Nosty’s food, then collapsed on her bathroom floor? Somehow, she doubted that. Perhaps Nosty had come with the intention of waiting for her, seen Father MacAvoy, and left.

Who knew?

All Belle could say was that there was an unconscious priest on her bathroom floor and food gone from her fridge. Sitting at the empty circulation desk and pretending to work was easier than untangling whatever she was feeling, so she busied herself with filling an online cart with dresses she could never afford so she could pretend that someday, she’d do more than live paycheck to paycheck.

She felt like she might be within her rights to be angry with both of them—Nosty for his disappearing act and Father MacAvoy for, well, the exact opposite. All she felt was confused.

After about half an hour, she filled a paper cup with water from the cooler and headed back to the bathroom. Father MacAvoy sat against the wall now, head tilted back and eyes closed.

“Father?” she whispered, and he startled awake.

“Belle.” He looked all around, finally settling on the water in her hand. “I didn’t expect—”

Belle waited for him to finish and, when he didn’t, she handed him the water.

“You’re welcome here any time, Father.”

He mumbled something, accepting the water with a quick nod of thanks. She didn’t have the energy to ask him to repeat himself.

“Are you hungry?”

He shook his head. She wasn’t surprised.

“I’ll be out front,” she said. “You can come find me when you feel better.”

He nodded, not meeting her eyes, and she ruffled his hair to show she wasn’t mad before heading back out.

****

She could have sworn that hours passed before she looked at the clock again, but it had somehow only been another thirty minutes. A few retirees had wandered in and checked out some books, but this early in the morning on a weekday meant that there was little to distract Belle from her own thoughts.

Every time the door moved, she perked up, but of course it was never Nosty. She still wasn’t fully certain he wasn’t somewhere in the building.

A few minutes later, she turned at a shuffling sound and found Father MacAvoy shambling toward her, hand shielding his eyes from the overhead lights.

“Good morning!” she said much more cheerfully than she felt.

“Morning.” He leaned on the front of the desk like it was the only thing holding him up. “I’m so sorry, Belle. I thought I passed out in bed.”

“It’s fine.”

He tilted his head, eyes narrowing, and she plastered her bright smile on. “What’s wrong?”

And just like that, the floodgates she’d been holding in all morning—so stupid, what was there even to cry about?—broke, and her eyes filled. She bit her cheek to keep it at that, but soon Father MacAvoy was stumbling around the desk to pat her clumsily on the shoulder.

“There, there,” he said, and she had to laugh. This was what a priest was supposed to do, and yet it felt so awkward and unnatural.

She reached for a tissue and found that Father MacAvoy was already holding one out to her. After dabbing at her eyes with care for her mascara, she tossed it in the bin and swiveled to face him. “I’m sorry, Father, that wasn’t about you at all.”

“What was it about?” he asked gently.

She shook her head. “I’m just tired. Do you want to sit up here with me?”

He nodded, so she found him a chair and pulled it up behind the desk with her, bringing a water bottle as well.

He leaned back in his chair, and she didn’t have the energy to pretend that she hadn’t been clothes shopping, so she went back to it.

“That one’s nice,” he said when she’d scrolled past a page of evening gowns. She opened it in a new window and tried not to grimace. It was floor-length and full-sleeved purple satin. In theory, it wasn’t bad, but Belle couldn’t imagine ever wanting to wear it.

“Very priestly of you,” she said, closing out of it.

“What’s that supposed to mean?”

“It’s dark and all-covering.”

He snorted. “Fine. What would you pick out?”

Belle hadn’t been intrigued by anything on that page, so she clicked through a few more and then stopped, bringing up a sleeveless golden a-line with lace paneling.

“If I was rich and got invited to benefits that cost more than my rent, I’d wear this.”

Father MacAvoy didn’t speak, and when she turned to him, he cleared his throat.

“It’s lovely,” he said. “Elegant.”

She smiled. “I think so.”

“Are you looking for anything in particular?” He pointed his chin at the screen. “All these dresses cost at least a month’s rent.”

She shook her head. “Just trying to take my mind off of things.”

“I am a priest, you know,” he said. “You can talk to me, even if I am disgraced.”

She clicked through a few more pages, not even looking at anything, then closed the window. It would be nice to have someone to talk to. Though she was friendly with some of her coworkers, it wasn’t like she could tell any of them about Nosty. Besides, she was their boss.

“I’m worried,” she said. She glanced over her shoulder at him, so he gestured for her to continue. “About Nosty.”

“Ah.”

She swallowed, having nothing to fiddle with now that she’d closed the window.

“Why are you worried?” he prompted.

She folded her arms, hugging them to her chest. “I never know when he’ll show up or what he does when he’s gone. Is he not here because he just isn’t, or is he not here because he’s hurt? Or worse?”

“It’s tough,” he said. “Caring about someone who’s never safe.”

“I wish—” She paused, not sure what she wanted to say yet.

“You wish?”

“I don’t know.” She shook her head. “He has a hard life. It’s not fair for me to put my feelings on him.”

“It’s okay. You can have feelings.” He leaned toward her, lowering his voice. “I won’t tell anyone.”

It was almost comforting to talk to him without being able to see his face. Was this what confession was like?

“I just wish I knew if he cared about me, I guess,” she said. “If he knows that it bothers me when I don’t know where he is, or if that’s just who he is.”

“I’m sure he cares about you,” Father MacAvoy said. “Who wouldn’t?”

Belle chuckled without humor. “That’s very kind of you to say, Father, but I’ve always been odd, and it’s only once I grew into being conventionally attractive that anyone ever gave me the time of day. So, to answer your rhetorical question, most people wouldn’t.”

“Well, from where I’m sitting, being conventionally attractive isn’t even close to your best quality,” Father MacAvoy said.

Belle’s cheeks pinked, and she looked down at her lap. “Thank you, Father,” she said. “That’s very kind of you.”

“Please,” he said. “Call me Joseph. I feel like an imposter when you call me Father.”

The pink flush in her cheeks deepened, guilt creeping along the back of her neck. She wasn’t Catholic—or even religious—but she felt like she’d be committing a sin to use his name. Still, he’d asked her directly. It would be rude to call him “Father” now.

“Okay,” she said. “Joseph.”

She glanced at him, thinking he’d been watching her, but his eyes were unfocused, staring off into space.

“What is it?” she asked.

He shook his head, settling back into the present. “Nothing. I just—haven’t been called by my own name in a long time.”

****

Father MacAvoy—Joseph—was good company, even during the after school rush, even when he got sick again in withdrawal. Belle felt less alone just having him sitting there. Maybe what she’d needed all along was companionship, not Nosty specifically. Maybe, when she went home tonight, she’d worry about him a normal amount that a person would worry for a friend.

A hot, anxious pit settled in her stomach. It was Friday. Belle didn’t work weekends. That meant she wouldn’t even have a chance of seeing Nosty until Monday. Even if she came in her off time, sat in a chair for every open hour, he wouldn’t be there. He knew when she worked, and even though the weekend staff knew about the snack cart, they wouldn’t have taken kindly to him entering from the back door, taking over Belle’s office, making himself a sandwich.

“Belle?” Joseph poked his head into her office. She realized she’d stopped packing up her bag and was just standing there, frozen with worry over Nosty.

“Sorry, sorry, I’ll just be a minute.” Maybe, to keep her mind off things this weekend, she could lock herself in Joseph’s church and scrub it from top to bottom. There was enough dust and grime to keep her mind off of everything.

“I’ll be outside, unless you need help?”

She shook her head. “No, no, you go.”

He eyed her like he didn’t quite believe her, but she slapped her bright smile on and he left. Just to make sure Nosty hadn’t been hiding in her office this whole time, she shoved everything into her purse and did a sweep of every possible hiding spot—closet, cabinet, shower, toilet. Nosty was nowhere.

She turned out the lights and stood in the dark for a few seconds, thinking maybe he’d appear from the shadows. When nothing happened, she sighed, locking up her office when she left.

As she walked out, she shut lights off. When she’d first started, closing the library had scared her, but now she relished the quiet, loved the way it felt like tucking her home in for bed. Some low lights stayed on all the time, and the gentle dim light centered her, made her feel a little more like she could survive the weekend.

Then, a hand snaked out from between two shelves and grabbed her, and she yelped as Nosty yanked her into his chest.

****

For a second, all she could do was stare up at him, one wrist caught in his hand while the other rested on his shirt pocket.

“Nosty,” she said, because she didn’t know what else to say. It wasn’t like he never disappeared. It wasn’t like it was even unusual for her to not see him for a day and a half. The only unusual part was that she’d pined for him like he’d been lost at sea.

“Evening, sweetheart,” he growled. She didn’t give her knees permission to turn to jelly at the sound of his voice, but they did it anyway.

“What are you doing here?”

He lowered her hand to his chest and then slipped both arms around her, holding her against him. “Didn’t you miss me?”

“You said you’d come last night.” That was it, wasn’t it? For the first time, he’d said something definite, and it had been a lie.

He pulled her closer, and she curled into him. How could she ever explain to anyone that Nosty’s arms were the safest place she’d ever known, even as she wanted to rip herself away from them and scream?

“You were busy,” he said.

She didn’t understand why he was so jealous of a priest. He should have been proof that Joseph was not her type.

“Have you been here all day?” she asked. “Or did you just come in?”

He ducked his head to kiss her on the temple, soft, the way his first kiss always was. She stiffened her traitorous jelly knees.

“I’m here now.” He kissed below her eye. “What’s it matter?”

She pushed against his arms, holding herself away from his chest. “You’ve been here all day, haven’t you? I’ve been losing my mind wondering where you were, and you were just punishing me.”

“Don’t be stupid.” He tightened his arms, pulling her closer. “I wouldn’t punish you.”

“Then what?” She pulled his arms apart, stepping away from him. “There was no one here worth hiding from. No other employees, no huge groups of kids. Just me.”

He raised both hands, and she noticed a new cut on the heel of his palm. It didn’t look like a knife wound, but she wondered how he got it anyway.

“If I’d known this was the fucking welcome I’d get, I wouldn’t have bothered, hey?”

“Oh my god.” Belle pressed her hands over her eyes because if she continued to look at him, she’d let him talk her out of being angry. “Oh my god, I’m going crazy.”

“Aye, fucking mad.”

She shook her head, squeezing her eyes shut harder. “I can’t do this, Nosty. I can’t spend every minute you’re not here out of my mind with worry, pining after you, wondering when you’ll bother to throw me a crumb, I can’t.”

Rough hands—hands she knew wielded knives, became fists, bruised, beat, battered—closed around hers, easing her palms off her eyes.

She watched Nosty as he pulled her hands to him, pressing one to his heart and the other to his lips.

“I have to go,” she said. “Father MacAvoy needs a ride home.”

She didn’t move as he kissed her knuckles one at a time. He held her hands so gently, she could have gotten away with no effort.

“Don’t go,” he murmured into her fingers.

“Nosty—”

“I was jealous.” He switched to her other hand, this time pressing his lips to the inside of her wrist. Something loosened in her chest.

“And?” she said.

“I didn’t want to fuck it all up.”

It was the most honest thing he’d ever said with words. She wanted to fall into him.

“I was worried about you,” she said.

“Don’t go,” he said again. “Belle, don’t go.”

He kissed up her arm and she wanted to stay. God, did she want to stay. But she’d already left Joseph outside for too long. He would worry.

“I have to,” she said.

“Fuck him,” Nosty growled, scraping his teeth along her wrist. Her knees would never be the same again. “Stay with me.”

“Come to my flat.” The words were out before she could stop them, and then she couldn’t take them back. She didn’t want to anyway—if Nosty was at her flat, she wouldn’t have to worry about him.

“Your flat, eh?” He wrapped her arms around his neck, cradling her around the waist again. “Don’t you know it’s dangerous to invite a monster over the threshold?”

“Then come to the cinema with me.” A horrible, desperate feeling dwelled in her chest, but she met his bright eyes anyway. “Spend time with me.”

“The cinema?” He glanced around the dark library. “In public?”

“Tonight.”

He narrowed his eyes, searching her face for who knew what. She didn’t know whether he found it or not when he closed his eyes and touched his forehead to hers.

“Why?”

Wrapping her finger around one of his locks, she took the opportunity to kiss the corner of his mouth while his eyes were closed. It always felt like Nosty had her at his mercy, that she was helpless to do anything but follow where he led. Relishing this moment of being the one leading, she kissed the other corner. He opened his eyes.

“I want to go on a date with you,” she said.

“You’re mad,” he said, then snorted when she tugged on his hair.

“You’re the one who kissed me first.”

“Aye.”

He kissed her then, one hand clutching the back of her head, fingers tangled in her curls. When he pulled away, the only thing holding her upright was his other arm around her waist.

“Stay with me here,” he hissed into her lips.

“Go on a date with me.”

He pulled back just enough to search her face again, and she tried to mimic the grin he gave her when he was pretending to be mean. He must have recognized it because he snorted.

“Fine,” he said. “A date it is.”

“Really?” she asked before she could stop herself. She didn’t want him to change his mind.

“Really, love.” He brought his mouth to her neck and pressed a tiny, fluttering kiss to her pulse. “But you’ll owe me.”

He bit down, and her knees buckled, but even her trembling limbs couldn’t stop her happy laugh.

****

MacAvoy hadn’t actually seen Nosty, but he’d seen what he thought was the edge of his kilt, and even though he didn’t relish the idea of sharing Belle with him right now, he’d spent all day watching her wilt. How could he do anything other than give them a minute alone?

The minute turned into five, ten, and MacAvoy realized he should have brought a water bottle with him. His head pounded and the soup he’d forced down at lunch was starting to speak to him from beyond the grave.

Then Belle scurried out of the library, flushed and happy, and his stomach calmed a fraction.

“I’m so sorry.” She rushed around in her heels, unlocking the Ford as she did, and MacAvoy collapsed into the passenger seat.

“No need,” he said. “You look happy.”

She beamed at him as she threw herself into the driver’s side, but didn’t say anything more. He was glad that Nosty had turned her mood around, though he hoped he wasn’t just stringing her along. She deserved someone who would actually be there for her.

Someone like you, you sot? the mean little voice in his head sneered. He clenched his teeth, watching her back out of the little parking lot.

“You know,” Belle said as she checked behind her. “I’m not happy the circumstances, but I’m so grateful you were here today.”

He stared at her, taken aback. No one had been grateful for his presence since the last time he officiated a wedding, and who knew what year that was? They probably weren’t even that grateful because he was surely tipsy, if not wasted.

“Why?”

She shrugged. “I really needed a friend.”

He didn’t know which was more unbelievable—that a good samaritan like Belle considered him a friend, or that he’d somehow managed to make a friend simply by blacking out drunk in her place of work. God, if it was that easy to befriend someone, why was he so fucking lonely?

“Me too,” he said.

“So,” she said. “Are you going to drink tonight?”

Cutting right to the chase then. MacAvoy swallowed. “I don’t know.”

“You seemed better today.”

He shrugged. “I didn’t drink as much last night. That’s why I really thought I passed out in bed, I swear.”

“It’s okay.” She reached over the console and squeezed his shoulder. He wondered vaguely if it was possible to evaporate.

“It won’t happen again.”

“I’d rather find you in my library than read your obituary in the paper.”

“Well,” he looked out the window to hide the redness in his cheeks, “Doubt you’d find my obituary in your paper. I’m on the other side of London.”

“I’d find out.”

They sat in silence, still comfortable, but MacAvoy felt more tense. Of course he would ruin the atmosphere.

“Just so you know, I don’t work weekends,” she said. “So try not to show up in the library until Monday, okay?”

He paled. What if his drunk brain forgot and someone else found him there? What if that person called the police?

“Are you holding mass on Sunday?” she asked.

That startled a humorless laugh out of him. “This Sunday? Doubt it.”

Belle turned the radio on, and he couldn’t have felt guiltier if she’d flogged him. She was doing him such a kindness and he couldn’t even answer her nicely?

“No one would come,” he said.

“How do you know if you don’t hold it?”

He watched London go by out the window, considering. If he was honest, he didn’t want to hold mass. He was so out of practice, what would he even say?

“I’m not ready yet,” he said.

One hand still on the wheel, she reached over and squeezed his hand. He swallowed, and he was sure she could hear his throat open and close.

The whole drive to the church, even when they talked about mass or drink, Belle all but glowed. A sudden, horrible thought appeared—what if she and Nosty had been ten minutes because they’d been—

He shook his head to clear the thought, regretting it when everything inside of him sloshed angrily. He refused to even imagine that Belle’s mood would be so turned around by a quick hookup hiding out in the middle of the library. His training told him to insist that she not even entertain thoughts of sex until marriage, and he knew that wasn’t modern, but he could at least hope for Belle’s intimate moments to be in a comfortable bed with someone who loved her and didn’t just string her along like a rag doll.

She pulled into the parking lot but again didn’t get out of the car. “What will you do all weekend?”

Surprised, he shrugged. “I don’t know. Why?”

She dug through her purse, coming up with a piece of receipt and a pen, and then scribbled something on it before handing it to him. “If you get bored or need a friend, please call me. I promise I don’t have a social life you’ll be interrupting. Well—” She flushed, beaming again. He wished he could make her look like that. “Don’t call me tonight.”

“Big plans?” he asked, shoving away thoughts of Belle screaming Nosty’s name. He needed a drink. Maybe a vomit.

“I hope so.”

To his surprise, Belle pecked him on the cheek before he got out of the car. Was that a common thing for her, or was it just because of her good mood?

“Oh, Joseph!” she called, rolling down her window.

“Aye?”

“On Monday, maybe come to the library when it’s open instead of in the dead of night?”

Feeling both appreciated and chastised, he nodded his assent, then waved as she pulled out and zipped off.

As he shuffled his way into the barren church, he could no longer run from his own thoughts. He saw Belle pressed against the shelves, clothes torn by Nosty’s rough, violent hands. He couldn’t jog to his room fast enough to escape the vision of Belle’s bare leg hiked up on Nosty’s waist, breasts pressed to him, head thrown back in ecstasy.

Why? He’d been plagued by his demons for years, why were they coming for him now, like this? He’d always preferred the temptation of vice to the temptation of sex. Sex involved other people, but drink? He could ruin himself with alcohol all on his own, and he had. Couldn’t the devil just leave it at that?

He whispered a mantra of vodka, whiskey, gin over and over, but even that couldn’t quash the reel playing out in his mind, and as he shook off the day’s clothes and flopped onto bed, he imagined Nosty readying his cock, twice the size of Joseph’s own and ready to plunder.

What did it say about him that he didn’t even feature in his own sexual fantasies? Was this even a fantasy, or just a horrible waking nightmare?

The bottle of backup-vodka lay on the nightstand where he’d left it, still two-thirds full. He gulped it down, the burn in his throat finally clearing his mind.

The truth was he was happy for Belle that she had someone who made her happy, even if it was Nosty. At least, he wished that was the truth.

With a groan, he set the bottle back on his nightstand. He’d need to ration it, or he might be seeing Nosty’s ever-growing cock all weekend.

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