#also i wasn't allowed to go into the yard at night anyway
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Forever And A Day (KTH x READER) series ♡ we always end up like this (chapter 8)
Summary: your lifelong friend is forced to face his true feelings for you once he breaks the number one rule of becoming friends with benefits: dont fall in love. He knows he loves you, but you on the other hand need more convincing of the most important thing: the right decision.
Genre: fwb. Roommates, friends to idiots to lovers, fluff, angst, smut, the whole 9 yards tbh.
Pairing: taehyung x female!reader
rating: 18+ (minors dni!!!)
word count- 5k !!
Chapter warnings- swearing, mentions of fights, emotional abuse, manipulation, relationship drama, confused feelings, mentions of depression, kind of a sad chapter, lots of deep emotions. oh and also smut. (guys you arent ready) - also excuse any spelling errors.
enjoy :)
You didnt end up falling asleep until around 4am that night, Taehyung stayed up with you the entire time, making sure you were okay.
"its okay, lets just stay in bed" he hushed when you protested something about getting up and ready for the day.
"I want to shower" you sat up and looked over at him, dark circles under his eys, he looked....rough.
"then shower" he finally sat up as well, his face turning to you when his eyes shot wide. "oh"
Tilting your head, you looked back at him, "what?"
"you have a bruise" he gestured to his own jaw while looking at yours. your hand flew to cup your cheek, hiding it. "yeah I figured I would probably have a mark. Good thing for makeup, right?" you joke and pull the covers back, feet meeting the cold floor.
"you know we still have to talk about everything, right?"
You tensed up and turned on the ball of your heel to face him. "yeah....just give me a few, okay?"
he nodded, taking a breath as you scurried into the bathroom, door shutting loudly.
He wasn't mad at you, he was upset in the same sense you were upset at him for hitting kaito. However, when something bothers Taehyung, it bothers him deeply and fully. It was something you observed from a young age, the complete mental shutdown whenever something didn't go right for him, or there was a situation that made him upset in anyway. You cant remember the last time he has been like this.
After your shower, the aroma of bacon infiltrated your nose, leading your footsteps out to the kitchen. "what are you doing?" you asked quietly, wet hair dripping onto the tile below you.
"Im making breakfast?" he made an obvious gesture to the stove and fridge, making you roll your eyes. His attention was on the lavender camisole you changed into, as well as the fact you had used your makeup to hide last nights evidence.
"why do you have a tone with me" you leaned against the counter and crossed your arms. "I dont" he shrugged
"youre being snippy"
he laughed and turned back to the food, throwing some onto a plate with fruit and shoving it your way.
you took the plate and met his eyes with your own. "thanks. why are you moody?" you quickly pressured once again
"are you serious?" he whipped around to you
"what?"
"have you completely forgotten what has happened in the past 24 hours? or do you want me to catch you up?" he scoffed
"im fully aware" you glared at the boy
"then why are you acting like I dont have a reason to be upset?"
"you dont-" you paused, setting down the plate of food and looking at it. You allowed yourself to take a breath before looking out the window. The shitty weather captivated the shitty aura of the kitchen. "lets just eat breakfast then talk"
he looked at you before slowly turning back to his food, you returning to your room and shutting the door.
Now you were alone with your own thoughts to gather before having to face the situation. It wasnt that you were afraid to talk to taehyung. It would never be that, no. It was you were afraid to be honest with yourself.
You so desperately wanted to just bathe in what felt like love, what felt like a chance at a happy easy-going relationship. You wanted it so, so badly.
So badly- that you told everyone things were good when they werent. You knew this ship would sink soon enough, but not like this, not like that. You thought the bliss would at least last a little longer. Now you sat like an open exposed wound for everyone to examine and tell you how to fix it, when you already knew the problem wasn't fixable.
stitches couldn't hold together what you felt.
-
Once you both silently took your collective times apart in seperate rooms, you agreed to sit in the living room. The rain pattering onto the glass quietly as his record player was faintly heard in the other bedroom created a semi-comfy environment to be in.
"So..." Taehyung sat on the floor, in front of the tiny table, watching you cross your legs to sit on the opposite side of him, body scrunched up defensively.
You chewed your lip and looked at your hands, avoiding contact with the boy in front of you. "I'm sorry, for everything" you quickly decide on ripping the bandaid off as soon as possible, his eyes flicker to yours.
"I lied about so much and, its not fair to you. Youve been my best friend for so long and I dont like keeping secrets, theres been a strain between us for quite a bit now, and I dont know what to do"
He nodded as you spoke calmly, part of him elated and relieved that he didn't have to pry you open to the conversation.
"Kaito was an asshole, he is an asshole. I don't even know what it was that I saw in him."
"I would assume...that it wasnt the first time he had done something like this, put his hands on you, that it?" tae added in
You sighed and finally looked up to him, shrugging helplessly. There it was, your heart on the table in front of you both, you mine as well be honest because theres no going back anymore.
"theres been a few times. not to that extent but yeah"
He exhaled and ran his hand over his face, "why didnt you tell someone?"
"I couldnt" your voice was shaky now, eyes trailing to your wrist that still had marks on it from just a few weeks ago. It was embarrassing.
"what do you mean you couldnt? you just sat and fucking suffered?" his voice was a bit louder, hands now gripping his arms as they crossed over his chest.
"Its not that easy, taehyung! fuck, I, I just couldnt come out and tell everyone that I was going through that, and then be questioned why I stayed, and then further have to fucking explain that im incapable of feeling loved without someone loving me romantically." you wipe a tear, slight anger and frustration evident. "that shit is fucking humiliating" you shook your head.
He swallowed harshly and looked at you, scrambling of something to say.
"you dont get how hard it is to be in college, and having all your friends hookup and shit....I dont want that, I never wanted that. I cant, I attach myself too easily and-"
"that wasnt love, y/n"
"what?"
"you said you needed someone to love you romantically in order to feel genuinely loved? That man never loved you" he spat, knowing it sounded harsh but hoping his point came across in the directed manor. It was obvious; any person who could hurt their so called significant other with no regret is not someone worth the label of loving. You knew that.
"i was lying to myself"
"and everyone around you, too" he sighed, folding his arms out in front of himself.
"im sorry" you breathe, watching as he looked around softly.
"I wish you hadnt kept it a secret for so long, y/n, I know that you wanted everyone to see this fake image of what you wanted to be perceived as, but you know...its okay for things to not go as we plan, right?"
you shrug
"we are young, and frankly, we are stupid. Do I think I should have hit Kaito last night? no, it was wrong of me. Do I think he deserved it? yes, but thats not the point, the point is that sometimes you have to forgive yourself and accept yourself."
"what do you mean?"
"you have to learn to accept yourself for how you are, stop trying to create some fake fucking image for the rest of the world. who cares? You have so much going for you, who gives a shit if you dont have a perfect relationship? there are many people we know who are probably doing much worse" he chuckled lightly, making you nod.
"just be easier on yourself, I would never judge you. Faking shit is not worth getting hurt over." he added on, emotion and sadness now showing through his voice.
You nod once more, eyes filling up again, "okay"
He stood to his feet and walked over to sit beside you, using the opportunity to pull you into his warm embrace, sighing contently when you returned the hug.
"you have to just...let some things go." he whispered, "nothing has to be perfect" his hand gently rubbed your back. "sometimes what we want isn't what we get"
you sniffled and hid your face in his neck, pulling back to look into his eyes. "and what is it that you want?"
He smiled softly as he examined your face, so much thought in your head as your hands fidgeted. you
"you to be happy" he emphasized, squeezing your palm
"I want you to be happy too, taehyung. I should have never dragged you into this shit."
"Im happy when you are, and hey, we cant change whats happened. we need to just...move forward and hope for the best"
You quickly hugged him again, face tight against his chest as his head rested atop yours.
"Do you ever miss Gwangju?" you asked
Tae smiled and got lost in thought for a minute, "yeah...yeah I do" he whispered.
"we should have never moved here, Busan is nothing but trouble" you giggle softly, a sound that lifts weight off of taehyungs chest.
"we had good times there, huh?"
"I miss it so much, I miss everything about it."
"like what?" he asked gently, hand playing with your hair.
"Just how we would always be at eachothers houses, eating home made meals and biking through the streets. Just living normally, just being kids" you sigh, leaning into him
"we still can do all those things now, here, at the apartment" he spoke up quietly. You two are used to spending time close together, but schedules have been clashing, creating a difficult distance between you both.
"we cant" you chuckle breathily, pulling away and wiping your nose with a tissue.
"why not?" he pouted, a slight, hopeful smile on his lips.
You gave him a knowing glare, pressing your back against the couch as your hands fell into your lap. "well....isnt it obvious?"
"No, guess not" he tilted his head, genuinely confused.
"I think....over the summer..." you trailed off, eyes lost in some random object across the room as the boy next to you tried to catch on. "I think we made some mistakes"
"oh" he looked down, immediately understanding what was coming.
"and we never have spoke about it, and I think we should" you turn your body to him.
"I dont think thats necessary" he shook his head, bouncing his knee.
"you told me to be honest with you"
"I told you to be honest with yourself" he clarified, scoffing slighting.
He never wanted to fully confront the whole issue you both fell into almost a year ago, it was something that just happened. You both agreed to sleep together for a little while, it was mutual, nothing more nothing less. He had a hard enough time getting over his feelings and hopes he had for you, and he isnt ready to have this conversation. Not here, and not now.
"what if this is being honest with myself?" you spoke calmly, making his head lift up to you.
"what are you talking about?"
You looked at him and back down at your hands, "I dont know why we did all that, I dont know why we agreed to sleep together. Youve always been my best friend and I worry if I maybe ruined something-"
"no, no, you didnt." he stopped you quickly, "we both decided to do it, it was very much mutual. please dont think like that"
"but everything has been so off between us since then...." you pick at the fabric of the carpet.
"Yeah, I agree, but I dont think it has anything to do with that stuff"
"I do"
He looked at you and chewed on the inside of his cheek, feeling cornered.
"It wasnt like what we did was exactly bad, we had fun, we made rules, set boundaries, we jus- I mean, do you regret it that much?" he murmured quickly.
you stared at him for a moment, watching his chest rise with anticipation for your next words.
"I dont regret it at all...thats the problem" you quietly admit
Taehyung looks up, unsure if he heard you right. "im-im sorry?"
You shake your head, "I don't regret any of it, tae. I feel like we approached it, all of it, wrongly. I messed up a lot of things for myself, I cant seem to look at you the same anymore." you add.
Taehyungs heart was in his stomach, he pinched his thumb to make sure he wasnt having some dream. "so, you mean that..you dont regret doing what we did?"
"do you?" you counter.
"absolutely not" he exhaled.
you both looked at eachother quietly for what felt like forever.
"I feel like ive already embarrassed myself enough today but i'll just add to it I suppose" you start, taking his hand and looking at it. "when I say I miss the old us, it means I miss the time before I pretty much set myself up to fail....I guess I developed some feelings for you, which is entirely cliche, i know, but Ive been programming myself to get over it because I know that you and I wouldnt work" you admit
His eyes widen quickly, not sure what to do other than laugh, which makes you confused.
"what?" you semi-smile as he stands and catches his breath
"y/n...oh y/n" he kneels down to you, "if only you knew" he sighed
"knew what?" you panicked
"Ive felt the same way about you for the past few months and its been fucking eating me alive!!!" he openly speaks, making your eyebrows rise.
"you have no clue how hard its been to see you with Kaito, wishing it was me. you have no clue what its been like to live with you and see you look like that every day, its painful!" he laughs, feeling free in finally admitting what has been eating him alive for so long.
You find yourself breaking out into a smile, small giggles as your stomach flipped at his words. You wouldnt have pictured this happening, but here you were.
"I dont care if I look like a fool right now, you just.... you just made everything so much easier" he took a breath, smiling like crazy
"did I?" you smile widely, feeling elated that the outcome to this wasnt an embarrassing one.
"how could you ever think we wouldnt work?" he asked, holding your hands as he spoke more quietly now
you shrug, "I just didnt think you saw me that way"
"ah...." he sighed, "we should have known, we arent hookup people." he joked, making you laugh as you started at each other.
"I didnt think it was gonna be this simple...." you giggle, squeezing his hand, still shocked at how easy the coming clean was.
"we are fucking idiots" he smiles before pulling you closer
"yeah, we are" you whisper before pushing your lips to his suddenly, pulling back to see his reaction.
He blushed, pulling you back down to him and returning the kiss once more. It wasnt rushed, it was sweet, slow and meaningful.
Once you pulled back to catch your breath, you cupped his face lovingly, feeling like right now, there is nothing more you could possibly do to make yourself happier. "you know we will still have to further discuss this whole thing, yeah?" you whisper, thumb grazing his cheek.
"I know, I know." his hand falls on top of yours, "I want you to know that I care about you and Im serious about this, but I also dont want to rush things..."
"same here" you add
"but as of right now...I really wanna kiss you again." he spoke, making you laugh as the blood rushed up to your face. "do it all you want" you breathe out, returning his lips to yours as you moved yourselves up onto the couch, your legs coming around to straddle him.
He nearly choked, pulling away to wrap his hands on your waist. "maybe we should move to a more comfy spot?" he chuckled
you looked around before realizing you were about to bang it out with your friend on the living room couch. "yeah, okay, bedroom?" you stood, grabbing his hand as you both ran into the hall, escaping into your room like 2 horny teenagers in love.
It was ironic, actually. The first few times you two had sex, it felt mature, it felt like there was more to it, but it wasn't genuine. After today, things felt like they didn't need to be as put together, it was okay to just be....
-
The bed dipped as you crawled onto it, turning over to lay on your back as you watching Taehyung join you, his figure hanging over yours. "whats so funny?" you smile, hands climbing up his arms, wrapping around his neck as you pulled him closer.
"nothing" he chuckled, lips moving from your jaw to your neck, making you gasp quietly. "just...think its funny how we always end up back here"
Your hand was tangled in his hair, "mhm...like I said, we are idiots" you smile, closing your eyes blissfully as his tongue swipes down to your clavicle. "dont tease, I think we both have waited long enough"
"okay, okay" he winked at you jokingly before gently moving his hands to your tank top, lifting it carefully. You sat up slightly, wrapping an arm around to unclip your bra and toss it to the side.
There was no shyness with him when it came to being naked, it was the feeling of comfort, like you know he would never judge you or your body, and he never did.
"mmm" he hummed against your neck, lips kissing down to your breasts as his tongue slid across your nipple. "ah-" your head gently fell against the pillows behind you, biting your lip to try to contain any noises that attempted to escape.
"youre okay with this, yeah?" he looked up a bit to catch your expression, making sure you were alright.
"yes, im okay with it" you smiled and watched as the boy carefully returned to pressing his lips against your chest, gently sucking the skin on the side of your breast so he would leave a mark.
The arousal between your legs was hidden under your shorts, thighs rubbing together beneath him as you tried your best to just let go and not be so tense.
"can we take these off?" he looked back at you, fingers lightly holding onto the hem of your shorts.
"I personally find it unfair that Im naked and you still have all of this on" you gestured to his hoodie and sweatpants, making him laugh. Usually when you two were in this position, there was very little talking, and very little time spent on taking clothes off. Taehyung wanted it to be different right now though, he wanted to take all the time in the world, there was no rush here.
You sat up and pulled down your shorts, kicking them off from around your feet before directly moving to take off Taehyungs hoodie, placing it somewhere off the bed. His lips attached to yours, pushing you back into the bed. Something about kissing Taehyung was just different, you couldnt put a reason as to why, exactly, it just was. The comfort that was felt, the way he was messy but also passionate as his tongue danced against yours.
His long fingers delicately ran across your chest, making its way ever so lightly down your stomach, and to your thigh, causing you to shiver a bit. "Youre so beautiful" he whispered, teeth grazing your ear lobe as his words spilled into your system.
He would beat himself up if he ruined this, if he hurt you, if he made you feel like you were anything less than what you had become; treating you as if your skin was nothing more than the thinnest glass. He didnt want to just compliment you, he wanted you to feel how much he has yearned for this, for you to understand his regret in not being 'a man' and openly expressing his feelings within the first go around. For someone who knew your body almost as well as his own, he was so worried about breaking it.
His index finger hooked into the hem of your underwear, beginning to lightly pull them down your legs. The exposure felt familiar, it wasn't nerve wracking for you. The man above you was one you trusted with your body more than anyone.
"taehyung" you breathed out, slightly parting both of your thighs apart, the feeling of his breathing against your skin as he slowly kissed down to your navel, stopping right before your center.
He took one last look up at you, perhaps it was a moment of pride, or an ego boost over, but seeing how red your face had become even in the dimly lit room gave him a sense of accomplishment- and he wasn't even rightfully touching you yet.
Once his tongue pressed flatly against your core, your hand shakily flew to grab onto his hair. If you hadnt been so aroused in the bliss, you would have opened your eyes and looked down at the boy sitting between your thighs. You woke up this morning with a sore jaw, headache, and a bone to pick, now here you were getting eaten out in your bedroom with the boy who put you in this position in the first place.
"mmmh" you used your other hand to press over your lips, knowing that if you were too loud, your neighbors might have a few words to share with you. His tongue continued to poke at your clit slowly, a little too slowly. His arm came up to press down one of your thighs, keeping your entrance open for his access.
"youre soaked, holy shit" he laughed softly, moving back and wiping your wetness off of his jaw as he began to use two of his fingers to trace along your vagina. "baby, please" you whispered, hand trailing down to find his hand, locking it into your own.
You gasped at the sudden intrusion of his long fingers, pushing deep into your cunt and retracting slowly, only to repeat over and over again. You couldnt tell if you were blushing at just the simple action, or the lewd sounds filling the room, either way you were left breathless and squirming under his touch.
"this okay?" he smiled, still feeling his chest tighten at the given fact you called him 'baby'.
"yea- oh my god..." you arch your back slightly when he presses his tongue back to your neglected clit, kitty licking it just barley.
"ride my fingers, cmon baby" he egged you on, unable to help the smirk stuck on his face as he searched around for that one spot.
You had to admit, you were surprised at Taehyungs dialogue- he was never one to speak during sex in general, despite the occasional pet name. It shocked you, but at the same time only turned you on more.
Your hips rocked gently against his hand as he added a 3rd finger, making you whine loudly. "I feel so full, fu-fuck" you clenched around his digits, catching his smug face as he watched you fall apart.
The ends of his fingers curled perfectly, making you moan aloud, hand slapping over your mouth once more as you tried to shut your thighs. He seemed proud of himself for being able to find your g-spot, recognizing your behaviors and hardening his actions even more.
"Taehyung, please," you plead, rocking your hips as a faint layer of sweat builds up on the creases of your legs. "cmon baby, cum for me, its okay just let go" he spoke so gently, in such a tone that didnt match the situation playing out in front of him.
His fingers continued to prod at your sweet spot before he returned his tongue to your bundle of nerves, watching your chest rise and fall frantically. "im right here" he whispered- and that was just what you needed to come apart.
"ohhh" you clenched around him once more, arching your back as your vision went white, you could have sworn you went blind for a moment. "you okay?" he asked, pulling his fingers out and crawling back up to you, kissing your forehead. Your eyes flutter open to see him, complete admiration in your face as you take him in. "yeah...yeah im okay...that was-"
"good?" he giggled shyly, his behavior completely switching from what it once was just a mere few seconds ago.
"yeah.." you sighed, smiling. You felt like you were on cloud 9, but you still wanted more. You, somewhere deep down, feared this was a dream, and he would leave if you stopped.
Your hands ran down the front of his chest and down his stomach, biting your lip as you looked back at him, noses touching a bit as he leaned to kiss you once more.
It started as slow kisses, but the eagerness you had for eachother quickly took over. Your hands led to the hem of his sweatpants as you untied them, his mouth attacking your neck roughly, panting.
"baby-" you whimpered, trying to push him back so you could take off his pants easier. He smiled at you and leaned back, untying them himself as he moved and slid them off along with his boxers.
You watched as his erection sprung out, eyes immediately drawn to the red tip leaking with pre-cum. You had to admit, you almost moaned just looking at it.
He caught your gaze as his hand began to stroke himself a few times, moving back above you. He blushed and tried to return to hiding his face as he kissed your jaw. "dont be shy now, its too late to be hiding" you teased, hands wrapping around him and gently grazing his back, pulling him down.
"you want this?" he asked once more, eyes looking into yours.
"I do, do you?"
"of course" he nodded, kissing you once more before bringing his dick to your center, sliding his tip up and down your folds slowly, making you lift your hips up in search of more friction.
You hid your face against his shoulder as he pressed himself into you, eyes checking and making sure you were okay while doing so. Once he bottomed out, he moved both of his forearms on either side of you, face against yours as he pressed his lips all over your face, peppering you in kisses. "are you okay, angel?"
You squeezed your eyes together until he was all the way in, it obviously wasn't your first time, but it definitely had been a long enough period of time since the last time you have had sex, so the feeling was a bit abnormal. You exhaled and opened your eyes faintly, "yeah im okay" you pressed your lips to his, feeling more comfortable as he made sure you felt okay enough before moving. "you can move now" you pushed his hair out of his face and cupped his cheeks, looking into his eyes as he began to move his hips, slowly pulling out only to push back in.
The first few strokes were not that pleasurable, so you wiggled your butt to allow him to access deeper into you, shifting the placement. He groaned quietly as he pushed back in, hands now gripping your hips.
"ahh, fuck" you whispered, pushing your head back into the pillow as you began to feel more pleasure between your legs, his dick reaching spots his or your fingers never could. "feel good?" he asked, fighting back his own moan as you clenched around him so deliciously, he had to go slow or he would cum right there and then.
"so fucking good" you grazed your hand down the side of his face as you whined, your arousal speaking for you as the wet sound became more audible the faster he pumped into you. "missed this, missed you" you admit, eyes squeezing shut once more
"missed you so fucking much" he groaned, crashing his lips against yours as he lifted himself carefully. "More please" you whisper shyly, feeling a tightness in your stomach that yearned to be released.
He sat back and gently gripped your thighs, spreading them further apart s you were exposed entirely. He took in your fucked out state before beginning to thrust into you once more, this time with a quickened pace.
He mumbled your name as he threw his head back, skin slapping against yours as your moans filled the room. "yes, yes" you encouraged him, bucking your hips up to meet him in between each time he pushed further into you.
He urged you to lift your hips as he put a pillow under your lower back, something he always did to ensure he reached your g-spot.
You gasped and clutched the blanket, whimpering as he continued to thrust into you. "right there!"
The headboard of your bed was clashing against the wall, creating a loud sound. You tried to reach over to hold it but couldnt, "tae, the neighbors, fuck, its too lou- oh!" you could barley finish a sentance, his dick fucking you just right as you felt yourself becoming dumb at his actions.
"I dont care, let them hear" he spoke forcefully, hands squeezing into your thighs as he held them up. "let them know how good you feel"
You clenched upon hearing his words, for someone who never did dirty talk, he sure fucking knew what to say.
You whined and gripped your chest as he pulled out, once again gliding his tip down your folds and to your clit. "so fucking perfect for me, baby" he whispered, pushing back in and making you moan louder at his sudden action.
"tell me-" Taehyung began, setting a pace as he thrusted into you, "did her ever touch you like this? did he ever make you feel this good?" he groaned, eyes trailing down your sweaty body squirming beneath him.
Your face grew red as you shook your head frantically, "no- no he didnt" you admit, whimpering as you began to feel a build up.
"good" he leaned forward, his dick angling just right as he got close to your face, "dont ever let anyone touch you like this" he warned, his possessiveness something entirely new to you.
"mhm, n-never" you manage to spit, nails digging into his shoulders and back. "baby im so close" you cried, sneaking a hand down to between your bodies, fingers rubbing at your clit as his mouth reached down to your breast, tongue prodding at your hardened nipple.
"me too" he breathed out, lifting your thigh higher as he fucked into you more, "fuck im gonna cum, where do you want it?" he exhaled
Your hands gripped him harder, barley managing to speak, "i-inside" you whimper, feeling your orgasm suddenly wash over you the same time his did. Your mouth fell open softly as you arched into the bed. You werent sure how loud you both were, but you knew that it was probably one of the best orgasms of your life.
"so good for me, y/n, always so fucking good" he gently pulled out, watching his semen spill out of you and onto the bedsheets. You pulled him back up to lay on top of you, the room silent, filled with heavy breathing. your hands delicately played with his hair, eyes shutting as his head rested on your chest.
You both werent sure how exactly this happened, or if it even should have happened, but it was something to worry about later. All of these months, harboring feelings and keeping secrets- it didnt mean anything anymore. You felt safe, comforted here with taehyung, and as you both silently spoke and praised eachother before drifting off to sleep, you hope he did too.
a/n- WELL THEN.
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Yesterday wasn't a very good day for me. I got woken up by a fox screaming in the yard again around 5am. I yelled out my window to scare it away and thankfully it worked. I don't like yelling at them because they are too cute. After that, I couldn't relax so I didn't go back to bed until about 6:30. I slept until noon which is unusual for me but I felt like I needed to do that.
My boss said that she was going to text me yesterday to let me know what is going on but she didn't. I didn't want to text her because I felt like I was annoying her about it on Thursday. I'm guessing she didn't get a chance to meet with the lady from HR either. I think it's so dumb that I have to jump through hoops to get time off. It wasn't this bad before I started specializing in eyes. They also switched to a new program for payroll a few years ago and it has gotten so much worse since then. My boss thinks I have a doctor's appointment on Wednesday because I didn't want to tell her what I was doing. I shouldn't have to explain myself. That shouldn't be the only thing I'm allowed to take time off for. I am just so upset about it and I probably won't know until Monday unfortunately. I'm not going to bother her over the weekend about that.
I also was not feeling good all day and I was in a bad mood. My allergies are kicking my ass and I think inhaling rust particles on Thursday contributed to my issues. I love spring but I hate sneezing constantly.
I feel slightly better today. I had to go pick up some allergy medicine this morning because I'm afraid it's going to get bad again. I think I sort of did this to myself because I want to have my window open. It's just so nice out.
I am a little concerned because my grandma texted me last night at 10:30 and told me to call her when I'm not busy. I didn't see it right away but I told her I would call her this afternoon. I wanted to get a couple things done this morning before I did that. I am afraid that she is going to have bad news for me. She usually doesn't text me late at night so I thought that was weird.
I was thinking about my mom a lot yesterday because I realized I haven't heard anything from her in a while. I don't think she has texted me since November. She used to blow up my phone all the time and it was really annoying but at least I knew she was still alive. My grandma is the only person that she is in contact with anymore. I am afraid something happened to her because I couldn't stop having thoughts about her getting hurt before I got that text from my grandma. I don't know where she is or what she is doing. She is not in good health and I'm worried. I can't go see her by myself and I don't think I am going to get another chance anyway. There's nothing I can do about it.
I know my grandma hasn't been doing very well either. She will be 79 this year. She has been having a lot of health problems for a long time and I know she falls all the time. She is so depressed. I wish I could help take care of her like I used to but she's too far away now. She wants to move back here but she can't do it on her own. I think she needs a caregiver and she spends too much time by herself. I know she would be in a better mood if she wasn't alone all the time. I try to talk to her as often as I can and I know my dad calls her sometimes too. She is upset that my brother and sister don't want to talk to her and I feel bad. There's nothing I can do about it because they don't talk to me either. Hopefully she doesn't have something serious going on because I worry a lot. I want to be there for her because she deserves that after taking care of everyone else her whole life.
I need to stop jumping to conclusions and being anxious. I just need to call her and find out what is going on. Maybe she just wants to talk and I'm getting myself worked up for nothing.
Anyway, I think I am going to do that soon. I'm sure I will be on the phone for a while because that's usually what happens when I talk to her. I don't know what I am going to do after that but I will try to enjoy the rest of my day.
I hope that everyone has a good day today. 💖💖💖
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Seeing as Jack's childhood is my Roman Empire, apparently, and piggybacking off our convo the other night about the icy tree, I'd love to hear some anecdotes from when Jack was a kiddo! I think about him jumping off the roof in an attempt to fly, like, every other day (and have even attempted to comic it), lmao. Plus young parents!Blinter have my whole heart. 😍😍😍
And I think about the anecdote from The Forgiven with the bird freezing probably JUST as much!
THANK YOU for diving into the ask box with distractions!! My day got even MORE a day (derogatory) in the HOUR I was home for before heading back out so this is appreciated!
Allow me to oblige you with some fun facts and the like from CS Jack's childhood lol
Icy tree: Winter made it for him to show him he could do lovely things with ice after yet another lament (bc we all be KNOW this guy laments) and kick started his artistic prowess
Winter's mantra was "when the season gives you dead citrus, chuck it at those who piss you off :)" and she 100% taught this to Jack
(Who later goes sure I could chuck dead citrus at annoying people. But what if. What if I threw a CHILD at them)
(Jacqueline, tiny, cackling, and ready to be launched: >:D)
I gotta write the flying off the roof thing lmao. It's funny bc it's when Winter teaches him how to defy gravity and it's done in the funniest way. My god. I should write it
young parents!Blinter were wildin lmao. They brought Jack to work with them quite frequently when he wasn't getting in trouble at school and y'know. doing shenanigans. he was a very amusing child and brought them endless hours of delight while on the job bc he did not gaf. He'd speak his mind whenever.
this one time Jack was at City Hall with Blaise and overherad one of the other governors planning a coup
he sat in and asked all about the coup and got the details of the plan, went back to Blaise and told him EVERYTHING
opened that one with "hey dad? what's a coup?"
One of Blaise's top ten days at work, to this day
Jack would sweet talk ANYONE to get a lil extra stuff while out and about with Winter lmao. The OG Market Day grouping!!! He was (and still is) a damn good schmoozer and Winter was always like "how far can this go".
You know that reel you sent me with the kid bargaining with the Dunkin' Donuts worker and coming back with more and more doughnuts? That's Jack
When Jacqueline was born, he was throwing down in the hospital with Spring
She INSISTED on being there and Winter went "absolutely fucking not" so Blinter, being the gr8 parents they are, went "you know what Jack would love. keeping Spring OUT" and they were right
(Spring thought she could manage to be there when the Twins came around but Jacqueline learned from the best and it SHOWED)
When Jack was born Blaise pulled double duty (support wifey, the love of his life, AND fight off SIL who worries too much) until Summer and Autumn intervened
This was on the day they had their wedding party so please picture the seasons and blaise in full wedding regalia. the whole nine yards. fancy dresses and suits and roach killer shoes. Spring deffs had a very froufrou hat
The people at the mat ward at CSG were like "if another Frost kid comes along it'll be too soon"
SHIFTING BACK TO FOCUS MODE
Blinter did their BEST before Jack hit two-thousand to curb his bad habits in healthy ways, which worked about 50% of the time
"What they don't know can't hurt them" Jack thought by the time he was 1700
He was dead wrong. They knew everything. He had no idea how. He still doesn't tbh. And they still seemingly know everything
ANYWAY they were pretty good at distracting him MOST days. It got harder the older they got and the older he got and when Santa started his whole thing it was all downhill from there baby
They both thought Jack would be GREAT at teaching Jacqueline. They did NOT just let him bc they'd hoped it would curb his bad streak. They hoped it WOULD, but they also genuinely saw how much he enjoyed it and went "oh good! another way to offset his energy into healthier things!"
Jack was the kinda kid that was like I WANT TO LEARN E V E R Y T H I N G
Blaise, coming from the royalty background of being forced to learn everything even if you didn't want to, was very supportive of Jack learning things he WANTED to learn and did his best to meet that need
They clashed a lot tho bc Jack was very not patient and patience goes a long way in learning a new skill
This is the first thing Jack learns ever lol
Blaise taught him the warlock stuff!! He was very hesitant to teach it all bc of his own experiences, and Jack was, of course, impatient lol.
Jack was also exceptionally good at picking stuff up just by watching. He soaked up concepts like a SPONGE as a kid
Teaching Jacqueline was like, challenge mode bc she was very hyperactive and couldn't sit still and extra goofy which made for a lot of long nights of a simple concept being like, drawn out for way too long
Oodles of fun tho, he loved how silly and goofy this gremlin of a sibling was (still does)
Was one of those kids. Who says like weirdly wise things that are also slightly spooky. Older castors would be enthralled with this random 12 year old about philosophical matters and questions beyond their understanding of the universe that they discussed to death
you know. the weird shit kids say that make you go UM ARE YOU OKAY? ARE YOU HAUNTED MAYBE? BY GHOSTS? IS IT GHOSTS?
When Jack was born Blaise was 100% the Dad who carried the baby around in a lil. Baby carrier thing on his chest all the time. Endless hours of delight when 3 and 4 came around and people would see Fino on his chest like CUTE BABY and he'd whip around and OH MY GOD THERE'S A SECOND ONE as Fiera looked at them like >:)
Okay this post is starting to LAG so that's all I've got for you for now, lol. Ty for the distraction and I hope you enjoyed these crystal springs FACTS: Jack's childhood edition ft. young blinter and baby sibs every so often ;)
#young blinter is such a wild concept to me#they were unhinged! well. winter was! blaise was just happy to NOT be one of the ding dang twin princes anymore#i've said it before and i'll say it again! winter is where the kids get their chaos#blaise is where they get their chillness from lmao#ask box shenanigans#dani answers#definitelyy-not-a-vampire#cs posting#crystal springs#crystal springs FACTS#young blinter#baby frosts#ty again k! this really helped me chill out about things today a LOT
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I was too tired to get worked up last night but now that Im awake again I am sooo fucking agitated rn. We HAVE to be at my parent's right now (car camping in the yard) bc I desperately need whatever help they can give me, my dad is getting the car checked and we've been here using the shower and the stove and whatnot. But my dad's bday was also this weekend so my WHOOOOOLE family was here, and Bel and I stayed inside specifically to avoid everyone, but then my fucking horrible grandpa (who was queerphobic and an asshole long before he had dementia) comes in and tries to make chit chat with us, and then my dad comes in laughing saying how grandpa went outside and announced to everyone that "there's two girls with mustaches in there," and dad just thought that was funny. And we had JUST come back from the store where some rando also fucking commented on Bel's mustache and I HAD a comeback but I was too fucking SLOW and I didn't fucking defend him
So anyway we like have absolutely no choice but to be here and Bel especially can't just leave and like it's weird bc yes they are letting us stay here, feeding us etc and I feel like I'm not allowed to explain why this is so hurtful bc if I do that's somehow going against all my dad is doing for me here. Like I'm being ungrateful spitting in his face and only focusing on what he's doing wrong.
Probably bc they spent my whole life reinforcing this idea that I only was allowed to need things if they agreed that I was lacking. When I became suicidal it wasn't "oh yeah you need help let's get you to a doctor." It was a litany of "here's all the things I did for you, I sacrificed my body for you, I ate healthy and quit smoking and I did everything right and I gave you a PERFECT body and brain, so no, you don't need help." And she stood by that until I was out of the house and went and got help myself, and she STILL tried to talk me out of it.
And especially with my mom being the terf-adjacent 2nd wave Michfest Feminist that she is, she only ever has shit to say about my gender when it's disparaging. The first time she saw me shirtless after top surgery she said "embrace the patriarchy" in this bitter fucking tone. She only ever calls me a guy if I'm acting so stupid that I need help or correction. But yeah it's so super funny and cute that my demented grandpa can't fucking tell I'm a guy and it's sooo funny and cute how he's disrespecting me and my boyfriend to my whole family and they're all just out there laughing. That's sooooo fucking funny and silly and ha ha and yeah people like my asshole grandpa, who was NEVER even part of my actual fucking life, is totally allowed to just walk into your home and talk about your loved ones like that, unchallenged, cus he's just such a silly little guy. Family is so fucking special am I right.
It's wild having the least normie and most functional family of all my friends bc when it comes to things like politics and gay rights and witchcraft and even topics like feminism and reproductive rights! my parents are always the most chill, understanding, easygoing, have the most reasonable responses out of anyone else's parents... But then they still have these very unchallenged ideals that come out at the worst time, and when i try to explain to them how they are hurting me and making me feel unsafe and making MY BOYFRIEND feel unsafe, and this is why I don't hang out with them, they pull the "dont make me feel bad when i do so much for you" card.
They also don't defend other trans ppl. They "love" Eddie Izzard, she is "their favorite comedian," but they can't gender her correctly to save their lives. One time my mom tried to show her cis gay friend one of Eddie's Dress to Kill bits and he started disparaging her outfit and calling her buffalo fucking bill and my mom just sat there and TOOK IT. I WAS HOME!!! I COULD HEAR HIM!!!!!!!!!
I also cannot threaten the help they're giving me w the car and the house bc my dad is currently still paying the insurance bc I can't even afford gas to go job hunting. So I did not sit my dad down and explain Why That Wasn't Funny. My stupid ass got up early and put the dishes away instead. Because if I criticize my dad, on his birthday, in his own home that we are staying at for free, AND Im leaving a mess (that I didn't make, but that I saw and walked away from regardless), they will kick us both out and never let us come back! Or maybe they won't! But they've kicked me out before and I can't let that happen to Bel again right now!!!
And unfortunately I need to stay connected to dementia grandpa too bc we may be living in his cabin part time this winter. I'm not super optimistic about finding housing before it gets cold. Especially not after yesterday. We were both already lamenting needing our names changed, but trying to do it while homeless and Looking Like Girls With Mustaches in Bumfuck Nowhere is gonna be even more fun!!!
#me#prsnl#my dad didnt used to say this to me directly#but when my parents got frustrated#they would Remind Me how my grandma on dads side used to threaten him with#'i brought you into this world i can take you out'#and it would be dangled over my head like see? i could talk to you this way. if i wanted. you're welcome.
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wanna go play in the woods but it's dark out >:(
very rude that i can't just fast-forward time like in animal crossing
i mean i COULD skip ahead to sunrise if i just went to bed now but my brain is a big ole buttface and won't let me go to sleep til at least 4 am (if i'm lucky, probably more like 6 or 7.)
#eliot posts#i gotta start making sticker charts for myself again#to remind me to eat 3 meals and brush teeth and shower and go to bed before 3 am and do a couple chores every day#also yeah 3 am bedtime because i can't fight my body THAT hard#but staying up til after sunrise is no good#even if that's the schedule my body likes to follow it's no good for me to lose all those sunlight hours#i love the night but i can't do much outside#i mean at least i live in town now so there's at least the option to take little walks if i gotta#we didn't have that back at my parents' house bc they lived in the woods#no lights and there were coyotes and stuff and i know they wouldn't attack a human but they still scared me#also i wasn't allowed to go into the yard at night anyway#but now i live alone and nobody can stop me! muahaha
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Guess who most likely just broke his fucking ankle! 🎉
#It's me! I'm that dumbass!#Last night my mom told me I had to repaint this table just out of the blue with no warning. I Had To Repaint This Table Right Now.#But here's the thing: Not only was it literally nighttime; even if it weren't I was *not allowed to do this outside*#Not because of the weather or anything like that but because she has turned this trailer into a nasty hoarder house and she didn't --#-- want to have to move any stuff to clear a path to the door to get this table outside. There's not enough maneuvering room to move --#-- any of these stacks of shit she didn't need to buy from junk stores and yard sales and she knows it.#So I have to paint a table; inside; in the middle of the night; in a room with...no ventilation! MY room. I had to do it in my fucking room.#Because it's a table to put a TV on. My mother has a spare TV she doesn't need! And instead of selling it or otherwise getting it out --#-- of her house; she says now it goes in MY room! I already have a fucking TV! I don't need this! I have NOWHERE to put this setup!#The table also came with a lamp on it that I...wasn't allowed to move! I had to paint this table; inside; Right Now; WITHOUT moving the lamp#Anyway long story short I got like halfway done and then the room was so full of paint fumes that my ass blacked out while navigating --#-- through piles of displaced crap and wires. I got distracted by trying to read a piece of old mail to decide whether it was something I --#-- could toss or not [it is] and my brain just forgot that I was walking on uneven surfaces and decided it was time for a nap.#I HEARD my fucking bones go Crunch though that shit woke me right back up. That was loud as fuck and hurt like a motherfucker [& still does]#Pretty sure that ankle is broken! Not sprained! I have no insurance and can't afford to pay medical bills!!#And my fucking room is still choked in paint fumes!#.It speaks#And anyone who knows me knows that I couldn't just tell my mom to fuck off or to even wait#I can't say anything but ''yes ma'am whatever you say 100%'' because I do not want to get shot. I also do not want her to hurt my pets.
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“ are you going to kiss me again, or do i have to do it myself?" + dealer's choice?
Do it yourself
Poe Dameron X G!N Reader
Rating: T
Wordcount :2600(ish)
Warnings: Fluff, teasing, general cutesy fun
Summary: Prompt request : "Are you going to kiss me again or do I have to do it myself?"
A/N - Part of the comment in this about Poe’s clothes being vintage was based on a tumblr post i saw here once that i can never find. Credits to whoever made the post because I think about that a lot. If anyone has it please link me to it so i can link it here.
Banner by the insanely talented @salome-c
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"What do you mean they are staring again? Who's they? There's only us here."
Part of you must register when he turns on the ladder to look down at you, but something doesn't click in your mind. No, you're too lost in the view of him to notice anything else.
There's smudges of black oil and dust striped across his shirt and pants, his hands are covered in grime and another black smudge across his cheek. His curls are messy, the obvious sign he's run his hands through them more than once, one eyebrow quirked as he watches you. Maker, he shouldn't be allowed to look such a mess and yet so good.
"Hey you," his lips up turn into an easy smile. "I was hoping I'd see you today. You sort of disappeared last night."
His comment makes your cheeks burn with embarrassment as you snap back into focus, dropping your eyes to the floor, the memories of last night assailing you.
It had been a momentary lapse in judgement. A split second in that you had a total and utter collapse of any semblance of restraint and under the canopy of bright stars you'd kissed him. In intricate detail you remember the way his eyes had gone wide in surprise, his cheeks tinged pink even in the dim lighting, the way he'd spluttered your name as you pulled away.
Then the reality of what you had done hit quickly, heat flaring across every inch of your skin. He’d stuttered your name a second time and reached for you, but you’d stepped back, shaking your head, an apology attempted and dying on your tongue. Eventually you'd managed to mumble something about remembering some unfinished work and all but run back across the yard, leaving him alone.
"Hey, Poe," his name comes out as barely a squeak which causes a frown from the pilot as he jumps down off the ladder, instead taking up position leaning against his ship, shoving his hands in his pockets as he regards you.
"Are you ok?"
You nod.
"Do you want to talk about the thing that happened last night?"
You shake your head, and it's his turn to nod, taking it in his stride as usual.
"Ok. Do you want to come help me clean the ship?" He gestures to the X-Wing he's been leaning against. You take one glance at the filthy Starfighter before you raise an eyebrow. Poe ran his ships hard and fast, and while he took absolute pride in them, the last mission had left the orange stripes hidden under a thick layer of grime that had been proving difficult to remove.
"Not really?" Finally, finding a more normal voice, you shake your head again, relaxing just a little when it seems that he has no further questions on your kiss.
"Alright, well, now I'm ordering you to help me. I still outrank you, so you still have to do what I say," he grins with a shrug, before giving you a playful wink that should not send your heart careening in your chest the way it does.
Stars, you need to get a grip on yourself. Last night was a mistake. You needed to put it behind you and stop imagining what wasn't ever going to be. The way he reacted said all it needed to. He hadn’t kissed you back and while it hurt, you understood. Some things weren't meant to be.
Poe seems to take your sudden silence as an offence at his words, and he rolls his eyes.
"Ok fine. I'm ordering you to help me clean my ship, please."
Technically, you know he can order you. He won't. You know he'd never pull rank like that. Not for something like this anyway. But if you don't help, you also know you will never hear the end of him complaining about it.
In the end the consequences outweigh the embarrassment and while spending any extended amount of time with the pilot makes you want to crawl into a hole of shame, you know there's no way to avoid it forever.
“Ok, fine, but you’re washing the dirt out of my clothes,” you warn him with a sigh. Poe grins and gives a nod in acknowledgement of your terms, gesturing to the table of tools and cleaning equipment he’s already laid out.
You’re two steps past him when his playful kick to your ass makes you stumble over your own feet.
"Faster minion. This ship isn’t going to cle-” He cuts himself off as you spin on your heel to face him with a growl.
"I swear, one of these days you are going to have a nasty accident with one of these X-Wings and nobody is going to be around to see exactly what happened!"
You try your very best to look threatening, or at least to show some semblance of anger, but when Poe takes a step forward, pointing a spanner at you, and his BB unit rolls between you, ready to defend his friend if it has to, it's hard to stop the smile forming on your lips.
"Did you seriously just threaten me?" He narrows his eyes as you try to glare back, but you can see him desperately trying not to let the smile twitching his lips take over. Finally, he cracks with a soft laugh, "Huh, that's oddly appealing."
Your heart jumps again, the heat creeping out across your skin with just one sentence and a sweet bout of laughter. You have to remind yourself that he doesn’t mean it like that.
Poe doesn't seem to notice your sudden change, or if he does, he thankfully makes no comment, and with the flash of a grin he disappears back up the ladder, getting straight back to work, leaving you with your careening heart and his droid.
BB-8 rolls into your shoes with an annoyed beep.
"What? He was being annoying. You know I wouldn't do that to him," you whisper quietly, kneeling down as the droid tilts its head with a whir.
BB gives another beep in question that makes you giggle and give a small nod.
"Yes,” Another set of beeps makes you smile shyly, “Yes BB, I think he's pretty."
There's a sudden clang of metal hitting the floor and a curse from above you, making you look up sharply to check on the pilot.
Poe's cheeks are tinged pink and his eyes are wide, staring down at you and the droid. It’s not unlike the look he gave you after you had kissed him, and you wonder if he heard your words. Stars, why did you have to make this situation worse?
"Can you two do some actual work?" He frowns after a moment, climbing down the ladder.
BB gives you a beep which earns him a glare.
“I heard that Beebs. You are not the boss and you," an oil covered rag flops over your head as Poe walks past to retrieve his fallen tool, "are supposed to be helping, not distracting my droid."
Rolling your eyes, you pull it off before leaning close to BB-8, whispering quietly enough that you're sure Poe won’t hear you this time.
“Personally, I think you should be the boss too.” The droid gives a pleased beep and your earlier threats against his master are forgiven and forgotten.
~
To Poe's credit, he doesn't push you. Not once does he ever make it seem like he's waiting for you to talk about what happened. Or even that he wants you to. He seems quite content to let the entire thing fade into memory.
But the guilt weighs in your stomach, and it makes it hard to continue joining in with his playful banter. And after a while he gives up, allowing you to lapse into silence, lost in your own thoughts.
After a long while you realise what you need to do. The only thing that will make it better. To allow you to move forward, or at least try.
Summoning all the courage you have, you interrupt the silence, your voice coming out louder than you mean in your embarrassment.
"I'm sorry," you blurt out suddenly.
Poe jumps at the sudden noise, banging his head on the ship with an audible clang that echoes out across the hangar, followed swiftly by curses you didn't know existed.
"Sorry for what?" He rubs his head with a groan as he turns to look at you, his eyebrows pulled together in genuine confusion about your sudden outburst apology.
"Last night. I'm sorry about last night." You can help but step forward towards him as he blinks a few times. "Are you ok? Maybe we should have a medic look you over?"
He frowns at you, one hand still holding the back of his head, ignoring your comments about getting him checked over.
"Which part are you sorry for? The part where you stole my hot chocolate? Or the part where you told me my wardrobe was classed as vintage?" He glares at you, evidently still not over your offhand comment about his clothing.
"Kinda is though," you mumble, unable to stop yourself.
"I am not having this argument with you again. Because you're wrong and jealous."
Despite the embarrassment clawing at your insides, you can't help but laugh, and for all his annoyance, he still allows a smile to tug at the corners of his lips. After you stop laughing he pauses, looking at you for a long moment before he sighs, putting his hands on his hips.
"Please tell me you're not apologising for the thing we aren't talking about. Because I don't think you're sorry. Not for any of it really, but least of all for that."
"No, I am. It's just been a long week and I got caught up in the moment and... I didn't… I didn’t mean to do that, " you try desperately to defend yourself as Poe shakes his head.
"Would it be so terrible to tell me the truth?" He asks, raising an eyebrow.
“I… I am.” You stutter quietly, but he continues to look at you expectantly, allowing the silence to stretch out before he turns and goes back to work. But the truth is you are sorry. Well, mostly sorry. Sort of sorry.
Ok you were definitely not sorry you kissed him. You were sorry however, that he hadn’t reacted the way you hoped. But that was entirely different and what would be the point in admitting it? What does it matter other than to make things more awkward?
His insistence that you admit to something gives you a spark of annoyance, and you fold your arms stubbornly, "You can accept my apology, or we can go back to working in silence."
"Alright, well, I'm not accepting your apology," he shrugs, simply climbing back up the ladder and disappearing into the cockpit.
He doesn't say another word and the silence drags out between you. The infuriating pilot makes no effort to fill it other than with the clanging of tools and the occasional whirr and beep of his BB unit, who nudges you from behind, purposely pushing you forwards towards the ladder.
"Stop that,” you sigh as BB gives you another nudge. The droid beeps sadly at you before he nudges you again. “Fine! Fine!"
Taking a deep breath, you lean against the ladder, half shouting up at him as he works.
"Hypothetically speaking, what if I wasn't sorry?"
At first, Poe doesn't make any indication he's even heard you, he continues finishing what he's working on before he finally turns around to lean over the side of the cockpit, giving you a toothy smile as he does.
"Well, hypothetically speaking, if you weren't sorry you kissed me, then maybe I'd tell you how bad I feel that I didn't kiss you back. Entirely hypothetical, but I might admit that for once — and I know this is unusual — I was taken by surprise," he admits, swinging his legs over to climb down the ladder.
You back up to give him space to get down and once he's on the ground he turns to face you, wiping his hands on his pants with a grimace. When they come out no cleaner he stops trying and instead takes the last few steps towards you.
Stopping in front of you, so close that you can smell his aftershave and the sharp tang of engine oil, it reminds you of the previous night. The warmth of his body chasing away the cold beside you, the lingering taste of chocolate on his lips, the soft teasing smile, the exact same smile he was wearing right before you decided to make the worst decision of the night.
The sound of his voice once again pulls you out of your thoughts and into the present.
"Hypothetically speaking, I would like you to do it again. But who knows what terrible things would happen if you admitted the truth for real?"
He playfully bops you on the nose and crossing your eyes, you can see the black mark his finger has left behind. Checking his hands for the cleanest spot he begins attempting to scrub the oil off your face. "You got a little something here."
His playful batting at your face makes you giggle, easing the tension and nerves you had felt building between you. Judging by the frown on his face he's only making the situation worse, and you gently swat his hand away with a laugh. Your mind is still reeling from his words, but he’s watching you with such a gentle openness, it gives you at least the bravery you need to confess the truth.
"The hot chocolate was worth stealing, your clothes are vintage and, I'm not sorry I kissed you. I’m just sorry you didn’t kiss me back." Everything comes out in a rushed jumble of words, desperate to break free and when it does, it doesn’t exactly get the reaction you expected.
As the seconds tick by, the pilot looks around the hangar silently, making you frown in worry, but before you can open your mouth he finally speaks.
"Huh, would you look at that? Nothing terrible happened. I guess admitting the truth isn't so bad?" He teases, making a smile tug at your lips. "I do really like you. Which is a good thing because if anyone else insulted my style the way you did it would be a different story." He pauses to give you a cheeky grin before he continues. "So, now that's out of the way, there's only one thing left to ask. Are you going to kiss me again, or do I have to do it myself?"
Of all the things you expected him to say, that was not one of them. And for a moment you're frozen. You know what you want to do, but your body won't cooperate to follow through, so you stand there, wide eyed in shock while he waits.
That is until there's a shove into the back of your legs, making your knees buckle and causing you to fall forward into Poe's chest. Laughing, he holds you up as his BB unit backs up, beeping away at you both.
Giggling, you give Poe a shrug, jolted out of your panic with all your earlier fears and embarrassment suddenly fading into the background.
“Like the boss says, do it yourself."
Another whir and beep makes you both laugh and Poe shakes his head, cupping your cheek and gently running his thumb over your bottom lip, his eyes steadily holding yours as he speaks.
“Yeah buddy, I think I can take it from here."
With a final soft smile, he brings his lips to yours.
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Beta: @mypedrom
Masterlist
Taglist: @fisforfulcrum ; @the-scandalorian ; @dailyreverie @userpoe ; @salome-c ; @pumpkin-stars : @lexloon ; @prettylilhalforc ; @lostinwonderland314 ; @fett-ching ; @mypedrom ; @mbpokemonrulez ; @one-hell-of-a-disappointment ; @reenadreams ; @mariesackler @jitterbugs927
#poe dameron x reader#poe dameron x you#poe dameron x gender neutral reader#poe dameron x gn!reader#poe dameron imagine#poe dameron fanfiction#poe dameron#poe dameron fluff
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Sherlock's younger sister. ONE SHOT
Plot summary: After a night out, you are found walking alone in the streets of London. Wonder what Sherlock, your incredibly overprotective brother, will say about this...
Warnings: Alcohol, swearing, cigarettes
Characters: Sherlock, John, Lestrade, Anderson, Jim Moriarty (mentioned)
Reader: Reader is the youngest Holmes sister and works with investigative journalism. Often works undercover. Might or might not be relevant, but fun to know!
Notes: As a gal that lives in London, I'm asking all of you that also live in London – how annoying isn't it that the tubes don't run during the night rn??? I'm so thankful its on during the weekend though!!
Being the youngest Holmes sister came with its struggles – the constant comparison to your brilliant brothers, the constant need to prove yourself, being afraid of failure because your brothers were so ridiculously successful…..but next to all of this really philosophical and emotional crap, you had also been cursed with incredibly – incredibly – overprotective siblings.
This had both its ups and downs. It was good in situations when you were truly in trouble. Both of your brothers had indeed saved you from some tricky situations in the past. However, it was really bad when you were just out, living life, and they would freak out over nothing.
You were a good deal younger than them – you were still in your 20’s and just figuring out life, like your twenties were for, right? Anyways, you had been out at a party and you might have had a few too many drinks.
And the tube was also not running at this time of night.. How typical wasn't that?
Your parents were well off and did offer to help you out every now and then, but after Sherlock solved the “study in pink” (as John called it), you had been reluctant to take cabs on your own. It just gave you the creeps.
You walked down a road which you did not know the name of. You had just been at a house party in central London, so.. not too far from home, right? It was a cold night, and luckily this guy at the party had seen you were freezing and offered you his scarf. You had it on loosely, afraid to stretch it out.
As you stumbled along the streets of London, a police car passed you – it did not have sirens on, nor any lights. It must've been headed back to Scotland Yard..?
＊*＊* ＊*＊* ＊*＊* ＊*＊* ＊*＊*
“Sherlock will know this, surely-” Detective inspector Greg Lestrade looked to his left side, seeing Philip Anderson – or just, Anderson – looking through his notepad. They were both dreadfully lost in this new case and Lestrade, despite Anderson’s refusal, had decided to go to Sherlock for help.
Lestrade then turned to his right, looking out of the window and to the London streets. There were barely anyone out in this area at this time of night. It was.. peaceful. A rest from the usually busy city.
This was a street with a low-speed limit, so it allowed Lestrade to see things in detail.
The car suddenly passed by a woman. You. You were stumbling around – drunk. Lestrade sighed as he watched the stranger sit down on a bench, pulling out a cigarette and a lighter. The flame illuminated your face, and Lestrade was met with a familiar sight.
“Is tha?-” Lestrade questioned out loud. It took him a second to process it, but he was quick to understand that you were indeed Sherlock’s younger sister, Y/n y/m/n Holmes.
“Stop the car-” Lestrade told the driver to stop, getting out of the car when it did and walking over to the Holmes sister.
You looked up as soon as you saw someone approaching you – and of course, you were quick to recognize who it was. “Greg! How are ya?! I hadn’t expected to see ya here at this time o´ night?” You slurred in what sounded like a less well-spoken English than what you usually had.
“I could say the same to you. Are you alone?” Lestrade asked, looking around to check if you were with anyone. It was safe to say that as a Holmes sister, you had gotten into trouble before – not all of your own fault. Sherlock had plenty of enemies – enemies that knew Sherlock cared for his dear sister,
“Just me and my cigarette I’m afraid. D´ya want one?” You asked, pulling out a cigarette and holding it out for him. Greg thought for a moment – not about taking the cigarette but about what to do. He couldn’t just leave you here alone, in the middle of London. “No I’m alright, thanks. I don’t smoke.” he replied, watching you as you put the cigarette back into the box and slipping it into your black coat. It was insanely similar to Sherlock’s coat.
It was funny because there was an ongoing debate over who got their black coat first. Sherlock insists it was him. You had always insisted it was you.
Nevertheless, both of you always wore that black coat.
“Come on, we’ll drive you home.” Lestrade gestured with his head towards the car, telling you to get up and come with him.
You tapped your cigarette to let some of the ash fall to the ground. “Is that a police order or a friendly order?” You asked, looking down to where the ash fell, your head swaying a bit from side to side as you tried to stabilize yourself. You weren’t stupid – you knew you were drunk. But in your mind, you felt completely sober.
Lestrade wasn’t quite sure what to answer. He didn’t even know how drunk you were.
“That’s a police order.” he told you. You looked up at him, staring for a few seconds – just like your older brothers did. You observed him, scanning his posture, his expression, his clothes. You were terribly obvious with it at the moment, which was unusual for you. Must be the alcohol.
“You’re hiding something from me.” you dropped your cigarette on the ground and stepped on it, pushing yourself off the bench and stumbling forwards just a tad. Lestrade caught you.
“Nope, just.. street patrol is not really my division.” Lestrade sighed as he took your arm and guided you to hold onto his shoulder, and he crouched down to support you as well.
“Wha…- What are you doing??” Anderson saw Lestrade bringing the girl into the car. Greg helped you get in, and you were now sat in the middle of Anderson and Lestrade.
Anderson looked at you. He hated you less than he hated your brother – but that was just because you were less of a nuisance to the police. Right now, however…
You leaned your head back on the headrest. Lord, were you tired. Not only had it been a long day at work, but you had also been invited out to a house party with your friends after work. It was Friday, you had no obligations the next day, so why the hell not? You turned your head to look back at Anderson. You smirked ever so slightly when you realized he was already looking at you. “Evening, Anderson.”
“How much have you been drinking?” there was a hint of judgment in his tone.
“Who says I’ve been drinking?” you laughed.
“Everything about you says you’ve been drinking.”
Rude.
Deserved.
“Touché” you simply responded with a giggle, turning your head back to look straight forwards. You just waited for this car ride to be over, closing your eyes.. All you wanted was to sleep-
“Right, we’re here.” Minutes later Lestrade broke you out of what could barely be called a nap. Your eyes flickered open and you turned to look out the window, not seeing the familiar and welcome sight of the neighbourhood you lived in.
“I don’t live here-” you spoke before then turning to your right, seeing the infamous black door with the golden “221B” written onto it.
Sherlock’s place. Of course.
Fuck! Your brother would kill you if he knew you were walking alone in London in this state. He knew you were an adult, but you sort of understood where he came from. He was constantly involved in murder cases, so obviously he’d feel a sense of nervousness for his younger sister taking on this city on her own.
Mycroft was even worse.
“Nononono- I’m not going up to my brother like this. He’ll kill me.” you slurred out overdramatically – a Holmes trait. “You’ll be fine– now get out of the car.”
You did not want to be forced out of the car, so you got out on your own, holding onto the railing of the stairs and walking behind the policemen as they were let into the flat and walked up the stairs to Sherlock and John’s living room.
“What.” Sherlock asked from where he sat by the table, face buried deep into his laptop screen as he was doing research for another case.
“Another case. Interested?” Lestrade was quick to the point.
Sherlock suddenly furrowed his eyebrows. “Someone has been drinking.” He spoke in his usual monotone voice – a tone he usually spoke in when he was deducing.
“Oh-! Right.” Lestrade stepped to the side and allowed you to walk in. As you were revealed to your brother, you gave him a tight lipped smile and a little wave – your stance swayed ever so slightly, but you did not fall to the ground.
Sherlock scanned you – deducing you. “Sherlock-” you tried to snap him out of it, not really in the mood to have your entire existence analysed at the moment.
John was also awake. He was in the armchair, also on his laptop. He looked your way. “I’m sorry- Is everything okay? Why are you here with the police?” John asked.
“Beats me.” you looked over to Lestrade so that he could explain himself. He sighed.
“Found her walking alone, thought it was better to bring ´er here than let her be.”
“Excellent decision thank you, Gary.” Sherlock spoke, standing up and ushering Lestrade and Anderson out of his flat. “Sherlock-! We need to talk about the case-” Lestrade tried to stop him. “No-” he started, very obviously faking a yawn. “Ahh so tired. Alright, see you tomorrow.” He shut the door to the hallway, leaving them outside.
He then walked back over to his computer, sitting down and continuing his work like nothing had happened.
You simply stood there, looking at him, swaying in your spot. You had expected Sherlock to lecture you, or to at least say something to you. But there he sat. Nothing. On your next sway, you stumbled to the side, and John was quick to get up and support you. He guided you over to the couch for you to sit down.
“How much have you been drinking?” John asked in his usual ´Doctor Watson´ behavior. “Why does everybody ask me that?” you slurred out.
“You do smell like a bottle of vodka.” John responded, and you laughed with the thought of the night you’d had. Lots of drinking games. Lots of drinking… You had also met a really sweet guy… He said his name was “Jim”. He had the sweetest Irish accent. You two were going on a date this upcoming weekend.
“Not a full bottle-” you merely responded with a laugh, leaning your head back on the couch.
John sighed and walked to the kitchen, finding you a glass of water.
As he was in the kitchen, you looked up at the ceiling. You could feel that Sherlock was displeased.
“Are you angry with me?” You asked.
“Why didn’t you just get a cab?” he responded, and you lifted your head to look at him. “You were the one who caught a serial killer cabbie, and you ask me why I didn’t get a cab?”
“Yes! Caught him. Caught. The chances of that happening again are low.” Sherlock expressed his frustration and you simply shook your head.
“You could have called me, you know.” Sherlock then spoke, after a moment of silence. “I assumed you were out catching thieves.” you responded.
“I don’t catch thi-” Sherlock stopped himself before he started quarrelling with a drunk person. He turned to look at you. “What’s his name?” He continued. John then walked up to you with a glass of water. You smiled at him as you accepted it, but you were quick to look back at Sherlock with a glare. You took a sip of the water. “what?” You asked.
Sure, you were smart, but not the same type of smart as Sherlock. “His name? I see you’ve met someone?”
“How can you possibly see that?”
“That is not your own scarf. I’ve seen your scarves and you usually wear women’s scarves- no, this is a man’s scarf. You have it on loose, you don’t fully know this person – if it were a boyfriend you’d put it on properly but the loose fit suggests that you’re scared to damage it, not comfortable enough with the person to risk ruining their belongings. Therefore, someone new. Now why would a stranger give you a scarf unless there was something more behind the action? Romantic interest.” he rambled on like he usually did. He then picked up his cup of tea and had a sip. “So, tell me, what’s his name?”
“...his name is Jim.”
“That’s nice.” John thought out loud, earning him a glare from Sherlock.
“...him borrowing you the scarf, I mean.” John corrected himself and cleared his throat. Sherlock rolled his eyes.
“Don’t forget that you mainly work with criminals, y/n. He might not be who he says he is.” Sherlock then turned back to his computer. “You can have my bed for the night, I’m not going to sleep any time soon.”
“Don’t be ridiculous, Sherlock.” You replied to his first statement. You then cleared your throat. “...Thanks.”
“Call me next time.” Sherlock then added.
He was sweet. Truly. Under all of that super smart, robot exterior.
“I will.”
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Timid Daredevil
Drabble
Pairing: skinny!1940s!Steve Rogers x reader (no mention of gender, body type or ethnicity)
Summary: You could barely get words out of your mouth when you were around him, but somehow you managed to ask out Steve Rogers.
Warnings: fluff fluff fluuuff and a lil awkwardness
Wc: 1.2k
a/n: ok so I saw a tiktok of Cevans talking about Steve Rogers on a date and I HAD to write about it!!! 🥺 (I wrote this on my phone so there might be a lot of grammatical errors) also I know grassing isn't an actual word but it felt funny/cute to leave it 🤭
likes, comments, and reblogs are deeply encouraged <3
You did something you never thought you could do, you asked someone out on a date... And that someone is Steve Rogers.
Falling in love with him was the easiest thing you ever did... He was kind, unbelievably strong despite his complexion, he always carried himself with a calm aura, with hope, even if the world kept kicking him and told him to stay down. Steve was a good man, and your heart ached for him.
You've been the Barnes' neighbor for as long as you could remember, you were their family as much as they yours, so you'd been a constant in little Stevie's world.
He could barely get out full sentences when you were around, which you would've found extremely endearing if you weren't the same. Communication wasn't your strong suit, always second guessing, afraid to speak up... Bucky would tease the hell outta the two of you, "You two knuckle heads are so in love with each other it's not even funny anymore", your face would go all red and Steve would seethe "cut it out jerk".
It was obvious that you loved liked each other but Steve couldn't even allow himself to think you'd ever say yes... he'd been burned too many times, made a fool out of himself, you were too good for him anyways, you deserved a man who could take you dancing without stepping on your toes.
When your feelings for Steve grew stronger, at first you thought you had no chance because Stevie and Bucky were in love, they protected each other fiercely, the way they saw each other! You were convinced they secretly loved each other, but after a drunken night of cheap whiskey, in a game of truth or dare you found out two things that gave you just the tiniest hope: 1. Steve and Bucky are just pals (thank you Becca) and 2. Stevie thought you were the most beautiful person he'd ever known (thank you Bucky).
Unlike you, you took matters into your own hands, walking out of your house and up to the Barnes' front yard where Steve was with Bucky.
You took a deep breath for courage.
Another one for optimism.
And a third one for confidence...
The first thing he did when you asked him out was to look behind him, unsure if you were talking to Bucky. Once he realized you were talking to him his eyes widened and he gave you a nervous laugh.
Feeling the heavy weight of his silence, you were about to say it was a joke but then you felt his presence a lot closer than he was, "Of course!" he blurted out, Bucky snorted, "I mean" he cleared his throat and scratched the back of his neck "Yes, I would like that", you blushed and refrained from throwing a rock at Barnes.
Moments later, standing still like a soldier Steve realized he was still staring at you, but he couldn't help it, you just looked so darn pretty... he quickly averted his gaze, with red cheeks he grabbed a single flower (to which Bucky complained for, "Ma's gonna be pissed" he mumbled) and awkwardly offered it to you, "I'll let your parents know I'll pick you up this Friday at 6" he said. Taking the flower you nodded and quickly walked away, feeling light as a feather...
He said yes!
Arriving to your house 10 minutes earlier, Steve offered you his best grin and handed you a bouquet of white gardenias, willing yourself not to drop them and smother him in kisses, you smelled them and let him step inside.
Few minutes later as you walked out the door feeling completely embarrassed that your father patted Steve's back so hard, his nose started bleeding... You felt horrible! With a sheepish smile she reassured you and your mom that he was ok. with his hand hovering over your shoulder he let your parents know he'd have you home by 10 and respectfully shook your father's hand.
Once seated in the cab, after an awkward silence, Stevie hesitantly leaned his hand on top of yours, butterflies and cramps inmediatelly overtook you and your whole body tensed, Steve quickly removed his hand and as he rambled an apology you took back his hand, holding it tightly, hopefully your smile would be enough to calm him.
"I have to be honest, I'm really nervous" he admitted with a shy grimace, you were nervous as he'll too so you refrained from saying anything, afraid you'd say something stupid, so instead your thumb caressed his knuckles and you nodded.
It was the best evening you'd had.
He took you to the movies where you hand-fed him popcorn, and when you got cold he placed his coat around your shoulders.
Then you went to your favorite diner and 'shared' a root beer float, Steve drank it so fast he got brain freeze "karma" you giggled.
Date almost at its end, you and Stevie found yourselves at the park, swinging the swings, sliding the slides, grassing the grass. Admiring the moon and stars through his eyes, enjoying the sound of his voice, that intoxicating low rumble against the serenity of the night, picking each other's brains like you'd done a thousand times before, but this time, it felt different, hell, if you two weren't in love before...
Arm in arm as Steve dropped you at your place, laughter dying down he cleared his throat and did a nervous jump "10:15... Hopefully your dad won't hit me again" he joked as his eyes danced with yours, you snorted and covered your mouth to stop a cackle from coming out "don't worry Stevie, I won't let him hurt you" you whispered.
Taking a piece of grass out of your hair Steve chuckled, his blue yes shined with adoration, you now realized it wasn't an unfamiliar look, he always looked at you that way... You were just too trapped in your own head to see it, it was perfectly clear now.
Tired of waiting for what you craved, you sighed "wow... You're making me look like a daredevil here, I'm usually the shy one" you chuckle as your hand flies to the back of his head and you pull him in for a kiss.
It wasn't perfect at first, Steve was so out of it his lips weren't even moving and his body was tense, but then your he allowed himself to enjoy the softness of your lips, your perfume filled his senses and he was done for, he only knew you and the only thing that mattered was you. Hands slowly embracing your lower back you felt yourself go weak, your lips were still moving in a soft and tender manner but you knew it meant so much more, it opened up the box of all your bottled up feelings you two never had the courage to unpack... Boy were you happy that box was out in the open now.
Pulling away to breathe you hung your arms around his neck, face to face (not even needing to look up) he had the biggest most ridiculous smile you'd ever seen, cutting the moment short he goes "I REALLY hope your dad didn't see that" he laughs as you roll your eyes and give him a quick kiss, fingers tracing the hair of his nape "just keep kissing me".
#carrot's harvest#mcu#marvel fanfiction#steve rogers fanfiction#Skinny!Steve x reader#1940s Steve Rogers#steve rogers x reader
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Kismet
Summary: Evie prepares a meal for the stranger who helped her and finds herself more than a little smitten.
Previous Part: Hope
Word Count: 5707
Warnings: Language
Tag List: @ramilicious, @txmel, @edteche2, @gloriousdarkangelsworld, @diasimar, @xmxisxforxmaybe
(Let me know if I missed you, or if you would like to be added to the tag list)
A/N: Okay, I almost didn't get this up today because I was up most of the night sewing kilts for Highland Weekend at the Ohio Renfiare. BUT I stayed awake and did my final read-through, so this should be mostly okay. I skipped a couple steps in my editing to get this up on time but I think, for the most part, it's okay. If you see a grammatical booboo, just ignore it, I'll get in here sometime this week with my other two editing steps and find it, then repost this. Capisce? Okay, cool...now. I hope you enjoy it, I also hope my trying to phonetically write Mer's accent doesn't get too annoying. I know you really shouldn't write accents, but I think it helps add to the characters. And I do try to keep it to a minimum so it doesn't get annoying. Thanks for the love the first part received last month! I know waiting so long between updates is a bit sad after weekly updates with LtR. But life is busy right now and once a month is all can guarantee.
Jonny did not know how to keep a house.
In fact, Jonny did not know how to do much more than drink, argue, and get into fights. He was nothing but a thorn in Evie's side—never mind how much she needed him for a place to lay her head. A necessary thorn was still a thorn. Given the opportunity, she would rip it out as soon as she could and dress the wound promptly so she was finally able to heal better. She stayed only because she had no other choice. And every time Jonny raised his voice or stumbled in reeking of alcohol and red-faced, Evie could hear her best friend's warning in her head. Cynthia had begged her not to go with him, but she hadn't listened.
Oh, how she wished she had.
Luckily, Jonny wasn't the kind of man who liked to stay home which eased the ache of the ever-present thorn in her side. Whatever money he did have, he spent out on the town—the town being New Orleans. Like Evie, Jonny had been born and raised in the Big Apple, the noise and the chaos was part of him. As such, he hadn't taken to the quiet suburban life Bridge City offered as well as Evie. She liked the quiet, easy flow of the sleepy town. Her housemate loathed his new home. He thrived in disarray, thus, he found a group of like-minded young men to run amok with in the neighboring metropolis every chance he got.
If Jonny had been any sort of amicable company, the notion of him leaving most every night to wreak havoc several miles away would have been upsetting. Thankfully, his penchant for city life meant a good portion of Evie's days were spent out from under Jonny's tyranny. The hours he was gone were blissful and calm, and she relished in them. Whether she was creating art or tending to chores around the old house, Evie didn't care as long as Jonny wasn't there—never mind how lonely the routine often was.
Evie had never gotten the chance to meet Jonny's maternal grandmother, though she suspected she would have liked to. Unlike her grandson, she seemed like any other sweet elderly woman judging by the furnishings she'd left behind. There were dozens of lace doilies, and table cloths with soft patterns, decretive china even, but it was the plethora of photos the old woman kept that told Evie she'd carried a kindly heart. All of them were kept in pristine albums or intricate frames; they were the only barbles that seemed to have been cleaned or dusted with any regularity which spoke of how much she must have treasured them. Evie loved those tiny trinkets and black and white memories. It didn't matter that they were not her legacy of family heirlooms to keep, she adored them anyway.
She couldn't count the number of times she'd replaced a broken frame that had fallen victim to Jonny's drunken belligerence or scrubbed tirelessly at a stain he'd left on the patterned tablecloths. It proved to be a hefty undertaking, but dwelling in the fantasies of someone else's history let her forget the grief of her own. She was willing to sacrifice a little elbow grease if it allowed her mind to roam away from the shadow that never really seemed to vanish.
For all the effort Evie put in on the interior, the cottage held little in the way of curb appeal. The porch was sunken in the middle, the paint was peeling off in chunks, and the yard was mostly weeds. Worst, however, was the screen door which squeaked so loudly, every dog in the neighborhood howled in protest every time someone crossed the threshold. The outside needed love that Evie simply didn't have the energy to lend. Despite the grit, however, the foundations were sturdy enough that she didn't worry. The cottage proved to be stronger than she looked—a feat Evie felt she had in common with the old house. And while it was a swell enough place to rest her head, it never truly felt like home. Home was somewhere safe, and as long as Jonny lived under that roof she wasn't safe. Not really.
Fortunately, Jonny wasn't home when Evie returned after her run-in with Mr. Shelton—Mer, she corrected herself with a hint of a giddy smile. Without her housemate there, her evening promised to be hopeful instead of lonely, and she wasted no time in figuring out what to make for dinner.
With her red pumps replaced by her worn-in slippers and her blue checkered apron secured around her waist, she set a pot of water to boil and dialed the phone conveniently located in the kitchen. Every evening she called her sister-in-law to pass the time and keep up on unimportant gossip back home; this time, however, Evie was excited to finally have some good news to share.
"You got the job, didn't you?" Cynthia Clarke asked on the other end, sounding hopeful. "I knew you would."
Evie grinned, still amazed how the sound of Cyn's voice always seemed to settle some of the ever-present anxieties buzzing in her head. She missed her friend so much.
"I didn't even say yes."
"Did you or did you not get the job?" Cynthia pressed.
"I did," Evie confirmed and her smile grew hearing her friend cheer on the other end of the phone.
"See! I knew it." Cynthia said. "My gut feeling is always right."
Evie rolled her eyes and shook her head fondly.
"I think I'm gonna like working there too, so that's good." she mused as she stood at the stove, eyeing the pot of water she’d set to boil.
"That's so great, Ev. I'm so proud of you." Cynthia paused before continuing. "So, what are you up to tonight? Avoiding Jonny?"
"Sorta," Evie nodded even though she knew her friend wouldn't see.
As she continued to watch her cooking pot of water she told Cynthia all about her trouble with Jonny's car and the man who'd been so kind to help her.
"Wait. You invited the stranger over who fixed the car?" Concern was heavy in Cyn's voice, and Evie half expected a lecture to follow.
Despite knowing each other since childhood, Cynthia had taken on the role of her protector since Evie's family was no longer in the picture. The war had claimed Evie's father, and brother—although they'd never found her brother, Jimmy after he disappeared behind enemy lines. Evie never lost hope that Jimmy would one day be found, Cynthia though, was certain her husband was never coming home. After Cyn’s brother, Charlie, died at Normandy Cynthia had difficulty believing anyone was going to make it home. As for Evie's mother, losing a child and her husband to the war was too much for her tender heart and she passed not long after. Ever since, Cynthia was overcome with the need to act as Evie's guardian.
"He wouldn't let me pay him," Evie explained. "So I'm making him dinner—it seemed like the least I could do."
"I suppose…." Cynthia didn't sound convinced, if anything she sounded slightly irritated there was no quick way for her to argue the logic. "Just be careful, Evie. You don't know this guy—he could be another Jonny Doyle. Or worse."
"He's not," Evie said quickly. She wanted nothing more than to tell her friend all about how benevolent Mer was, but she decided against it. Cynthia would only argue that point somehow.
A long pause followed, and Evie wedged the receiver between her ear and shoulder so her hands were free to work on the meal.
"So, what are you cooking?" This time, there was a hint of jest in her friend's tone when she spoke.
The art of cooking was one creative outlet that Evie struggled with, second only to music. In her youth, her mother did all the cooking—it was a passion of her mother's—thus Evie had done little more than watch in wonder as her mother whipped up meal after meal effortlessly. Breakfast she the meal she was probably best at, apple pies too, but anything beyond that Evie required a step by step guide to prepare. And even then she lacked confidence. Thankfully, when she'd fled south, she remembered to grab her mother's cookbook. It was a cumbersome tome with yellowed pages and notes scribbled into the margins: a piece of art itself cultivated over years of collecting recipe after recipe starting the moment her mother stepped off the boat that brought her from Ireland. And like a witch and her spellbook, Evie depended on it.
"Spaghetti with garlic bread," Evie admitted feeling as though the meal lacked a certain something.
Pasta was something she knew held a low degree of difficulty when it came to preparing. Surely she couldn't mess up pasta.
“Mmm, I can almost smell it,” Cynthia said.
“Shut up.”
“No, seriously,” Cyn replied. “You’re mom’s spaghetti recipe was always my favorite.”
A doleful smile pulled at the corners of her lips, thinking back to her mother happily cooking in the kitchen as she sang a Celtic tune. It seemed strange that those moments would never again play out, instead they’d become bittersweet memories Evie could only relive in her mind.
“Mine too,” she murmured, suddenly missing her family.
Neither of them said anything for a moment, and Evie’s mind roamed the dregs of her grief before blinking back into reality and the hope of something happy to come.
“I need to go, Cyn,” Evie told her friend with a sigh. “I don’t want to burn the garlic bread.”
Cynthia chuckled and said her goodbye, only after making Evie promise to call her in the morning to let her know how everything went.
With her second hand restored after hanging up, Evelyn reached for her mother’s cookbook to give the steps another look over to ensure she had done everything and added every herb and ingredient she was supposed to. She’d followed everything perfectly, even factoring in the little notes scribbled into the margins left there by her mother—those she smiled at fondly and traced the fading ink with her fingers. Everything was as it should be. Even so, without a taste, Evie knew the sauce she had prepared would never be as savory as what her mother made so effortlessly.
“You were the artist in the kitchen, Ma,” she said with a shrug. “I’ll stick to paper and canvas.”
For the smallest of a moment Evie thought she would hear the warmth of her mother’s laugh, and when it never came she sighed again, trying not to dwell on the shadows behind her. What mattered was the light ahead.
Despite her lack of confidence, the meal came together without any severe hiccups. The noodles were not overcooked, the sauce was a complementing mix of savory and sweet (though, as she had guessed after a tiny taste, was not nearly as good as her mother's) and the garlic bread was nicely golden. A small tingle of pride manifested in the form of a surprised, but satisfied, smile as she surveyed the dinner before her.
“Not bad, Ev,” she told herself, knowing her mother would have been delighted.
With the cooking done, Evie threw a glance over her shoulder to the clock mounted on the wall, triggering a surge of anxiety to bubble in her gut. Stranger, perhaps, was the amount of excitement coursing through her veins. It was as though all of her happiness was riding on whether or not she would see Merriell again. None of it made sense; the man was little more than a stranger. The coupling of nerves and delight was not a feeling that put her ill at ease, however. She trusted it. And it was that peculiar sensation that seemed to fuel her movements.
With a few minutes to spare, Evie wandered into the small bathroom to freshen up. She made sure her hair was still pinned the way she liked—up and pretty. Her make-up was holding up nicely despite the heat; all she needed was a fresh layer of lipstick to complete the illusion of a put-together young lady. It wasn't often she wore a dress with heels and a face of cosmetics—she liked to when the opportunity arose, but she was just as comfortable in a pair of old overalls and smudges of charcoal on her face.
Just as she wiggled back into her red pumps—discarding her worn-in house slippers with a couple of calculated kicks—a knock on the door signaled Merriells arrival. Immediately a grin curled onto Evie's lips and her heart began to pound an anxious-excited rhythm. A blush threatened to color her cheeks to give away the torrid muscle beating in her chest—her ever yearning heart already making leaps and bounds for a man she had known for mere hours.
Don't be ridiculous—she warned herself taking in a deep breath to curb the eagerness coursing in her veins. Untying her apron, she tossed it along with her discarded slippers and went to answer the door, taking one last deep breath to steady the fervor in her heart.
Merriell had changed and showered. The sweet bouquet of his shampoo coupled invitingly with the musk of the aftershave he'd chosen, making it difficult for Evie to keep from soaking in the scent he carried. His curls were still somewhat damp—too much moisture in the air to keep the heat from drying them on his way over—though they fought to spring back into their previous fluff. The grease-covered, jeans he'd been wearing had been replaced by a nice pair of tan slacks, and the buttoned shirt he wore was a soft shade of green that made his eyes glitter a deeper emerald as he stood under the glow of the porch light. All Evie could do was stare—utterly beguiled—every rational thought in her head lost to her.
Mer smirked, amused by her ogling. "Hiya."
Evie blinked, coming back to reality, suddenly feeling foolish, and uttered a nervous "hi" before swinging her arm to invite him inside.
"Come in."
Merriell's smile grew as he crossed the threshold, inhaling deeply. "Mm, smells tasty in here."
He gently forced a bottle into her hands as he passed on his way to investigate the savory smells in the kitchen.
"I wasn' sho what ya was makin', but I figured wine usually goes with anythin'."
"Oh, thank you." Evie glanced at the label, unable to read the French words printed there. "You didn't have to bring anything."
"I know," Mer shrugged, placing his hands in his pockets. "I just wanted to make a good impression."
There was something almost boyish when he smiled then—cheeks coloring pink ever-so-slightly—that made him even more of a mystery. One Evie was eager to solve.
"Well," she said placing the bottle on the kitchen table. "It should go perfectly with dinner."
His expression lost a hint of its boyish charm as it grew into a look of delight.
"Make yourself at home," Evie gestured vaguely between the table and the sofa in the living room as she ventured to the cabinet where the stemware was kept.
She placed two crystal glasses on the table along with the wine and retraced her steps to fetch some of the nicer china Jonny's grandmother had kept. Mer watched her, his gaze, gentle and attentive, and a little bit yearning as she methodically sat the table.
"Need help with anythin'?" he asked finally.
"Nope," She replied with a smile. "Everything is almost ready."
The hearty red sauce on the stove was beginning to boil again which told her it was hot enough to serve, and Evie eyed the pot with scrutiny, praying silently her attempt at cooking would go over well.
"I'll pour us a glass then," Mer announced.
"Great, lemme…" Evie spun to fish for the corkscrew in the drawer of misfit utensils, finding it, only to turn to see Merriell holding his lighter against the neck of the dark bottle just below the cork.
Before she could ask, a loud pop sounded, causing her to jump as the cork went flying.
"Oh my goodness!" she laughed, a little surprised, a little impressed. "Where did you learn to do that?"
Mer shrugged, a sly expression on his features, and left her question unanswered.
"How much ya want?" He held the open bottle over the top of her glass, waiting patiently.
"Enough," she said, tossing him a coy smirk without really meaning to.
He bit his lower lip as he smiled, chuckling under his breath when he poured a generous glass of red wine for each of them. She thanked him as he took his seat and grabbed his plate to dish out their dinner.
"How much pasta would you like?"
Mer's face lit with charm and mischief as he turned to face her.
"Enough," he grinned.
The expression on his face was playful, his smirk devious and amused by his own response and his cheekiness settled warmly in Evie's stomach. Not only did she revel in it, but she also played into his whimsy and scooped as much spaghetti into his plate as she could before coupling it with the savory sauce and a slice of bread.
Despite being only strangers, the atmosphere that bloomed that evening was not marked by any hint of bashfulness, instead, it was relaxed and amiable. Warmth that Evie had longed to dwell in again—that unrefutable kindness she'd lost with the passing of her family—flowed uninhibited from the man sitting adjacent to her. His conversation was cautious but still jovial and genuine. It was the first time since running south Evie could recall what life felt like without grief and fear weighing upon her. Merriell was a stranger, but she felt safe with him. Jonny had never made her feel that way.
"So," Evie spoke as she twirled the last bit of pasta with her fork. "What is it you do, Mr. Shelton?"
Mer cast her a look of disapproval—no doubt in retaliation to being addressed so formally—before his features softened back into a neutral, yet somehow still amused side smirk.
"Nothin' too excitin'," he stated vaguely. "The odd jobs are what I like ta do the most—like fixin' ya car this aftah noon."
Without really meaning to, Evie leaned forward, resting her elbow and chin on the table, utterly enchanted by the beautiful stranger at her table.
"You like to get your hands dirty, huh? Fixing things?" she was entirely too intrigued with the thought of what he could do with his hands.
He shrugged, suddenly modest after a foray of playfully arrogant smirks and glances. It made him abruptly twice as charming.
"I've always had a knack for it, I guess." Merriell finished the food on his plate with the help of his remaining garlic bread to mop up the sauce still left on his dish.
"What about you?" he asked after chewing. "Ya workin' anywhere?"
All at once, a proud smile lit up Evie's face. After all the excitement of seeing Merriell again, she'd almost forgotten about her good news.
"Actually, I just got a job today—the general store downtown, Southern Comfort."
Mer's face lit up too, "Birdie's place?"
"Yeah, you know it?" Of course, he knows it! She thought, Bridge City's population was slightly less than the number of people who lived in a single district back home in New York. Everyone knew everyone else.
"Sho do—I was practically raised there…ole Birdie's like a second mothah to me."
"Really?" Evie found a great deal of comfort in that notion. In fact the more she thought on it, the more she realized how similar the old woman and Mer were; they radiated the same magnetism and sincerity.
"Mmhm," he nodded, his eyes focusing elsewhere as the veil of memories danced across the contours of his features. "My mama used ta work there…once upon a time…"
"Does she still work there?"
Merriell's face lost a hit of its levity and he swallowed as though to fight off the onslaught of sudden emotion threatening to cast a shadow onto his expression.
"No…" he said softly. "She—uh—she died, about a year ago."
Shit!
Abruptly, sick knots twisted into Evie's stomach, feeling callous, but understanding of the quiet misery he hid under layers of charm and arrogance.
"Merriell, I'm…I'm sorry—I didn't mean…"
He met her eyes and cast her a quick smile—doleful, but enough to ease the awful feeling in the pit of her stomach.
"It's okay," he reassured her, reaching for his glass of wine and taking a good gulp before changing the subject. "Birdie's great—you'll enjoy workin' for her."
"I hope so…" Evie said softly, still too embarrassed to meet Mer's glance longer than a second or two.
For the first time all night the atmosphere they shared felt cumbersome—perhaps more melancholy—than she'd wanted it to get. Evie sat, worrying her bottom lip, her fingers toying with a loose thread in the table cloth as she stole quick glances through her lashes in Mer's direction.
He was nursing the alcohol in his glass with the same sadness she'd caught plaguing him as he sat at the bar hours ago. And while Evie was eager to know if his grief stemmed only from the loss of his mother, or perhaps more, Merriell was still too much of a stranger to warrant such questions. It didn't matter how easy it was to be near him, she had not earned the right to know his narrative.
A soft sigh broke past her lips as she fought to find a way to properly allay the gloom that was quickly ruining an otherwise wonderful evening. It wasn't until her eyes found their desert sitting on the counter, waiting to save the day, that she perked up.
"Got any room for apple pie?" Evie asked with a hesitant smile. She hoped he wanted to stay long enough to have a slice, though she would not have blamed him for wanting to leave.
Immediately Mer perked up too, the shadows on his features retreating with the promise of something sweet.
"I was countin' on it—seems as how you promised a slice earlier," he said with a boyish grin.
When she stood, he did too, helping clear away their dinner plates, and letting them soak in the sink to be washed later. Evie cut them each a slice of apple pie and the delight on Mer’s face made her smile too seeing him lick his lips as his grin continued to grow. Catching that flash of his tongue was like a bolt of hot lightning striking her without warning; a blush rose so quickly on her cheeks Evie had to look away to keep the blunder a secret. Thankfully, the pie was more than enough to hold Merriell’s attention away from her.
“Mmmm… Almost looks too good to eat,” he said ogling the desert in front of him.
When Evie chanced a look his way, the expression on his face caused her to chuckle, “‘oughta be, I made one for my pa every year for his birthday since I was nine. It’s probably the only thing I have any confidence in making in the kitchen.”
“Coulda fooled me,” Mer quipped as he loaded his fork with as much pie as he could.
The moment he took a bite, his brows creased, and eyes closed as he chewed painfully slow. Those few seconds were like agony. Evie’s heart was pounding in her chest with so much anticipation she feared she might faint as she watched him sample the only thing she could actually make that was worth a damn.
“Fuck me, if that ain’t the best apple pie I’ve evah had the pleasure of tasting.”
A somewhat nervous, but relieved chuckle sounded in the back of Evelyn’s throat as she watched Merriell shovel a larger bite of pie into his mouth.
“Mmm… Yep. God damn delightful.”
“Stop,” Evie said sheepishly, suddenly afraid he was overselling his reaction to keep from hurting her feelings.
“No,” he wiped his mouth and leaned across the table to meet her gaze with a sincere expression that stole away all the doubt writhing in her stomach.
“I mean it. If I wasn’t so full of pasta, I’d eat that whole damn pie right now.”
“Well,” Evie grinned softly, trying not to let her blush color her cheeks too obviously. “Thank you. And you’re welcome to take the rest of it when you go.”
Excitement took form on his face with a smirk that was sweet but roguish all at once—a sort of debonair charm that amplified his magnetism—as if his bright eyes dark curls and razor-sharp jaw did not make him alluring enough already. Again she had to look away knowing the pink in her cheeks would be too strong to combat.
“Imma have ta take ya up on that offah. An’ I’ll be thinkin’ ‘bout you every time I cut me a slice.”
That blush was unstoppable; her heart was suddenly so smitten, it felt as though butterflies were fluttering merrily in her stomach. She felt weightless with warmth and hope swelling in her bosom, fearing any slight breeze would carry her off. It was ridiculous how at ease Evie felt sitting there eating pie with a complete stranger. The conversation had been easy all night; even when it had delved into less savory topics he still made her feel comfortable. Evelyn had forgotten what it was like to be in the company of a man who wasn’t easy to anger, who was genuine and kind and wanted only to live in the moment.
For a time the whimsy of the atmosphere faded as the warmth in her heart ached, suddenly missing her brother James and Cynthia's brother Charlie. Both of them were good men, kind and genuine—like Merriell—but they had been swallowed by the rages of war. Brave young men were lost forever, while a man like Jonny Doyle was still alive How was that fair?
No matter how pleasant her thoughts could be, they always fell back to the grief that plagued her. She sighed, deeply, pushing those intrusive memories back into the depths of her mind so she could find joy once more in the moment with a kind stranger.
When Merrill finished his plate he made a beeline for the sink full of soaking dishes.
“Oh, no,” she said jumping to her feet. “I can do those.”
Merriell, however, shook his head. “Uh-uh, you did the cookin’, I can do the cleanin’.”
When Evie tried to argue, Mer simply shook his head, his grin amused but determined as he kept scrubbing the dirty dishes.
“Let me help at least,” she suggested. “I’ll dry and put them away.”
Before he could protest, she snatched the freshly rinsed dish from his hand and began wiping away the droplets of water clinging to the porcelain surface, throwing him a smug smirk that made him chuckle.
“Alright,“ he smirked.
She watched him for a moment not really paying attention to her task as he scrubbed the old plates clean, overcome with a blissful vision of peaceful domesticity. It made her stomach fill to the brim with whimsy and her heart was fluttering again; had this stranger bewitched her already? Or did what she feel bubbling lightly in her gut like a seltzer stem from an end to her loneliness—even if it was only for a few hours? Evelyn didn’t know. Nevertheless, she was intrigued with a profound feeling and she wanted to dwell in it for as long as she could.
Occasionally as he would hand a freshly washed dish her way, his calloused fingertips would brush against her skin, igniting a spark she didn’t know how to react to. It was more than an amicable tingle racing from the tips of her fingers right to her heart. And each time they touched, Merriell would cast her a gentle smile that held nothing more than his inherent charm and magnetism. She wondered if he felt it too, or if her need for companionship was playing a dirty trick on her.
When the dishes were all back in their usual places—the night drawing to a close—Evelyn realized she was not ready to say farewell to her Beautiful Stranger. She longed to stay up all night just chatting with him, she did not care about what, Evelyn only wanted to stay encompassed a while longer in the blissful warmth he brought into her life. Once he was gone, all she would be able to do was stay up and ponder the significance of those little touches and the sparks they brought.
Thankfully, Merriell lingered on the old rickety porch, one hand in his pocket, the other holding onto his plate of leftover pie, seeming to stall their inevitable departure.
“Well,” he said with a grin. “Thank you for invitin’ a stranger ovah for dinna.” He paused, glancing at the leftover pie in his hand. “Can’t recall ever having a better plate of pasta, an’ nothin’ evah gonna beat this pie.”
Evie quickly looked at her feet to hide another blush.
“It was the least I could do,” she told him before looking back to meet his eyes. “You have no idea how much of a savior you were this afternoon…”
A glint of concern flashed in his eye, his brows beginning to crease as his unspoken question lingered between them.
She thought about telling him—telling him how Jonny was nothing more than a throne in her side, and how much she cherished Merriells company—but Mer was still a stranger. It wasn’t right to unload so much onto someone she’d only known for a few hours.
Before Mer could offer any reply, the sound of screeching tires stole all their focus as an old wagon pulled along the curb—narrowly missing a collision with the mailbox. The rowdy passengers were laughing and shouting loud enough even before the door opened to let Jonny stumble out. He staggered on drunk feet and screamed a handful of profanities to his buddies in the car which made them all roar with laughter.
It was only after the wagon full of hooligans pulled away that Jonny began to stagger towards the house, and it was exactly then that Evie’s fluttering heart became consumed with panic.
She and Mer watched him cross the yard, unseen, both frozen: Evie in fear and Merriell in confusion. Jonny’s intoxication level inhibited him from taking notice of them until he was at the base of the steps leading onto the porch. Immediately, his eyes narrowed and he frowned.
“Who the hell are you?”
“Jonny, this is Mr. Merriell Shelton,” Evie said quickly, willing her voice not to shake.
The Doyle’s were not known for their hospitality, nor were they known to trust most people. Especially strangers.
“He helped me this afternoon with a bit of trouble I was having,” she explained vaguely, hoping to thwart any more suspicion. “I made him dinner to say thank you—he’s just about to leave.”
Jonny eyed Merriell, seizing him up as best he could through drunken lenses. Mer stood his ground, eyeing him back with a subtle intensity that never so much as cracked under Jonny’s scrutiny.
Finally, being the better man, Mer held out his hand in a friendly manner, “nice ta meet ya.”
Jonny cast a prolonged glare at Merriell's open hand, his brows furrowed and part of his lip hiked up in a sort of snarl. Instead of returning the kind gesture, Jonny made a show of spitting at his feet before tossing his heavy leer at Evelyn.
"Evie, do not invite any more strangers into my house. I don't care if they are dying." He shoved past them both, purposely bumping Mer's shoulder (most likely in hopes to start something) muttering as he went: "I don't trust any of these filthy southerners."
Shock sent Evie's jaw slack; this time the redness in her cheeks was a symptom of embarrassment instead of infatuation. She should have known Jonny would say something rude and uncouth. Without another thought, she grabbed Mer by his sleeve and pulled him across the lawn until they stood next to his truck parked along the curb.
"I am so sorry about him," she said, crossing her arms and glaring at Jonny's house, ashamed and angry.
Mer shrugged as he placed his partially eaten pie in the passenger seat through the open window before fixing his hands in his front pockets.
"Ya boyfriend's a bit of an asshole."
"He is not my boyfriend," Evie corrected vehemently. "I don't think he knows that though. I'm just staying here until I can figure some things out."
Merriell was quiet a moment, nodding silently. It seemed as though he was taking his time processing the whole situation. There was compassion on his face and behind his eyes, but it was guarded somehow. Evie caught it though and she was grateful when he didn't ask the questions plainly forming in his mind.
"Well," he said finally, his tone light as one corner of his mouth quirked into a grin. "Since he ain't ya othah half, I feel more inclined ta leave ya with this…"
Gently, Merriell caressed her upper arm as he leaned forward to plant a tender kiss on her cheek. He let his lips linger slightly longer than was common for such an act, that all at once wove a new hopefulness into her heart.
"Dinna was swell," he added as he pulled away, his smile somehow more charming than it had been all night. "Hope I see ya again, Evie."
"Me too," she murmured.
Evie watched as he got in his truck to leave, her hand held to the cheek he'd graced with his kiss. And when he drove away, it took everything inside of her to keep from running after him.
#Beautiful Stranger Series#Merriell Shelton x Original Character#Merriell Shelton#Snafu Shelton#HBO War#The Pacific#The Pacific Fanfiction#Rami Malek Fanfiction
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Queen live at Royal Dublin Society Simmonscourt in Dublin, Ireland - November 22, 1979 (Part-1)
(x)
Tonight is the opening night of the "Crazy Tour," the tour when Queen decided to go back and play the smaller, more intimate venues (especially the London ones). The lighting rig had to be scaled down to accommodate most of the venues. There used to be five rows of red and green lights and four rows of white, but the red and green have been cut back to four as well. Along with the change in the band's attire (particularly Freddie's pants with knee-pads) and Roger's bass drum head sporting a picture of himself, all these factors make pictures from this tour easy to distinguish from those taken earlier in the year.
Queen's old front of house sound technician returned to the job after a long illness (the Jazz album is dedicated to him for this reason).
The show now begins with an intense drone leading into the thunder and lightning. Combined with their lighting rig (even the scaled down version), this would be a very effective opening of their show. It has been said that people were often left breathless before the band even played a note.
Being their first gig in the UK since releasing Live Killers, the band decide to shake things up a bit by opening the show with Let Me Entertain You, followed by the fast We Will Rock You. The setlist is otherwise mostly similar to the live album and previous tour, with a couple new songs added to the repertoire (Mustapha made its first appearance in Saarbrucken in the summer).
Tonight would see the first performances of Save Me and Crazy Little Thing Called Love, which had been recently recorded. The latter has been released as a single and would fare quite well on the charts, becoming their first American #1. Save Me would be released as a single early next year, peaking at #11 in the UK. On stage, Brian May plays the piano on the ballad. Through 1981, he'd play the first two verses on piano and switch to guitar at the second chorus. The instrumentation would change slightly in 1982 with the addition of an auxiliary keyboardist. In the meantime, these 1979 versions would have the band finishing the song at the end of the last chorus, omitting the piano outro.
As for Crazy Little Thing Called Love, Brian would start on acoustic guitar, switch to a black Telecaster for the guitar solo, and to his beloved Red Special for the finale of the song. Unlike the 1950s-flavoured studio version, it would become a heavy rock song by the final verse. By 1982, the end of the song would often be a relatively long jam. Freddie would play a 12-string Ovation Pacemaker acoustic guitar for the song through 1982, and would switch to a cream-coloured Telecaster from 1984 to 1986. Throughout the years, he would often joke about how he knew how to play only a few chords on the guitar.
On stage, the band end Crazy Little Thing Called Love with a coda similar to the one in You're My Best Friend.
This is Queen's first of four shows they would play in Ireland, and so they perform a one-off version of Danny Boy in the encore. As told by someone who attended the show, almost no one in the audience knew the words of the second verse, while Freddie had done his homework.
During Now I'm Here, a fan manages to make his way on stage for a brief moment, and Freddie sings, "Now He's Here." An audience recording of the song was reportedly broadcast on the radio not long after the show, but no known copy has survived.
At the end of the show, instead of playing their version of Britain's national anthem as always, in Ireland the band use the outro from the A Day At The Races album - the only location where they would make a political gesture like this.
Here is a review of this show from the Dublin Evening Press, submitted by Rob Schoorl.
Photos 1-3 were taken by Eddie Mallin.
Fan Stories
“I couldn't believe it! Summer 1979 and I was reading a review of a gig in one of Dublin's evening newspapers. At the end of the review, added almost as an afterthought, was news that the promoter, Pat Egan, was planning to bring Queen to Dublin! I read and re-read it but still could not believe it. Queen, at last, would make their debut in front of an Irish audience! The Crazy Tour would begin in Dublin. Fast forward to the autumn and myself and a number of friends from school eagerly queued up to buy tickets to see our heroes. After buying the tickets, it was a long countdown to the show which would take place on Thursday November 22nd 1979. I still clearly remember the date even after all the years. Eventually the day arrived. That night Queen were on Top of the Pops with Crazy Little Thing Called Love but I didn't mind missing it. We were going to the real thing! After a long day in school we made our way to the RDS in Dublin. After a wait outside the gates we were allowed in to the venue and found a standing place near the front of the stage. I recall it got ever more crowded at the front of the stage and before the show, the tour manager (was it Gerry Stickells?) had to go on stage and appeal to people near the stage to relax and step back. Eventually the lights dimmed, there was a tremendous roar from the crowd, the Pizza Oven exploded into light and there were our heroes only yards away from us. I recall at the time being so overwhelmed by the amazing lights and the fact that we could almost touch Freddie, dressed all in black leather and sunglasses, that I barely registered that Let Me Entertain You was the opener. After that, it was into We Will Rock You and, largely the same songs and running order as the Live Killers album which I knew very well (!!) at that time and had almost worn out playing over the previous months. There were however some exceptions. Of most interest to Queen fans now and the biggest shock to me then was that Danny Boy was played live - a great version, from what I recall which received a terrific ovation from the audience. Also, If You Can't Beat Them was played which surprised me as it wasn't included on Live Killers and I wasn't even aware at that time that it was ever played live. The Dublin show was the first time that Save Me and Crazy Little Thing were played live. I remember being astounded at the power and range of Freddie's voice - even better than Live Killers. At that stage he was developing as a singer and over the next few years became recognised as one of the best rock singers and best frontmen in the business. (Am I the only one who was slightly disappointed with the quality and range of his voice during the final Magic Tour especially when compared to earlier tours?). The gig was a terrific show, especially to a young person attending his first major rock gig, and many of the songs are still memorable to me. During Now I'm Here one idiot actually got up on stage and Freddie sang "Now *he's* here" before he was removed from the stage. One girl also managed to get up on stage and plant a kiss on Freddie during the show. The following night, a couple of songs recorded during the show by someone in the audience were played on the Radio Dublin pirate radio station. These included Now I'm Here. A bootleg of the gig definitely exists *somewhere* but, try as I might, I cannot track it down. I would be grateful if anyone reading this comes across it or has it in their collection, that they get in touch with me!” - John Brogan
“The first night of the Crazy tour - amazing show. Seen some people on the web note that they played Danny Boy that night but for some reason I can only remember Brian playing it as part of his solo and us singing our heads off. Freddie handing out a champagne glass to a friend of mine who still has it. Anyway it was nearly 30 years ago and I find it hard to remember what I did last week never mind that long ago. They ended the show with the outro from A Day At The Races which took me a while to figure out what it actually was. The lighting rig was totally amazing - the pizza oven was aptly named - it was scorching and the intensity of the light when it turned around behind the band to face the audience was something else made a couple of friends that night (in the horse show bar opposite the venue) that I am still in contact with and we are all still crazy after all these years.” - Gary aka hoops
“A couple of notes on the Queen show in Dublin, 1979. Fred was in red trousers, not black as John Brogan has mentioned above. Small point but there you go. And when it came time for the audience to sing along to Danny Boy, almost no one knew the words of the second verse - I remember one chap shouting out to Freddie that he was doing a grand job all by himself. I saw them sixteen times in all and that show, the first, has a very special place in my memory. On the subject of bootlegs from that show, a chap in Aungier Street in Dublin used to have just about every show ever played in Dublin by anyone worth taping. I got a really bad and incomplete (C60) copy of the Queen show from him just as a record of having been there - his voice could be heard just before the start of the show, discussing bootlegging. The tape is somewhere in a box in my house and should I come across it, I'll let you know.” - Paul
Part-2
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Sorry... Pope Heyward
Summary • After a fight between the Kooks and the Pogues you go to your friends to apologise but Pope’s not having it.
Warnings • Swearing? Maybe but I can’t remember and I cba to go back through. Mentions of violence (in the fight). If there’s anything else let me know :) JJ smoking as usual.
Word Count • 1.7k (Imagine)
Masterlist
(GIF isn’t mine, let me know if it’s yours)
THE NOISES OF the cars engine knocked you out of your daze as you drove down the paved, sweltering streets of outer banks. The houses you passed a second ago were filled with perfectly trimmed bushes, the building decked in marble and stone with backyards for miles and a pool to finish it off. Whereas the houses you passed now were smaller and wooden, looking fragile almost. Lots of the yards were messier and lazier but they didn't have personal gardeners or the time nor money to do it themselves generally. It made your heart clench as you thought about how just a mile back you were living luxuriously while people over here slaved away to earn everything they owned. They weren't handed it like you were.
You were on your way to the cut to see your friends. But not for a casual hangout. You needed to see if they were okay. After the events of the night before you couldn't be sure what happened after you left.
Rafe has been involved in a fight between all the Pogues including you. No surprise there. He’d been the instigator of it all. It had broken out just you were all planning to leave and then the Cameron boy and the rest of his country club friends came over and joined in somehow finding fun in hitting and punching people due to the entitlement blinding their eyes from the truth that they were the same. Well maybe not personality wise in any way at all. But you were all human beings and yet you were pitted against each other from the day you were born. Only some succumbed to the amounting pressure of their kook or pogue parents to stay away from the other side others realised how petty and stupid it was.
It was always like a scene from west side story when the two groups were mixed and it never ended well. It usually left you to pick up the pieces of their messes. Or any mess of your brothers really. It had always been you. You taking responsibility for anything he did. Whilst he would go disappear and sniff a few lines before making his triumphant return you would be mending what he broke or taking the blame. Being younger than him didn't help with him manipulating you as a child. Rafe broke a vase and suddenly you broke the vase. Rafe stole money from dad since he blew his allowance on coke and alcohol and instead you stole the money. It had always been that way and by now you were used to being left in the wake of your brothers tyranny.
You always felt responsible no matter what happened. The events of last night where stuck in your mind like super glue and the guilt was filling up your lungs. It wasn't your fault. But at the same time it was. You didn't stop your brother, you let your friends get hurt by him. And they must hate you. Probably wish you'd never been let into their group.
The tires of your car screeched to a halt beside the Twinkie which occupied the space outside of the chateau. It was eerily quiet until you stepped out onto the grassy and muddy ground and heard muffled laughter from inside the wooden walls of the small fish shack. You could smell the after effects of a joint wafting through the air. No doubt it was JJ.
Once you entered the chateau the small creak of the screen door was enough to gain the attention of all the Pogues who glanced up at your presence. Only then did you see what was leftover from the fight last night. Kie looked at you with a small smile but you could see the light grazing on her cheeks and her hands that held the wooden neck of a ukulele. But yet she still seemed happy to see you. And then JJ who sent you a lazy smile as he inhaled more of the joint between his bruised knuckled fingers and the smoke covered his purple and yellow and green painted face but only for a second. Then John B who held a beer in his hands but you could see the blood surrounding his split lip and small cut above his black eye.
None noticed your small frown or look of quilt swarming you except from Pope who stared intensely and lingered on the downturning of your lips as you turned and caught his gaze. You could see the small cut beneath his chin and no doubt just like the John B and JJ he accumulated bruises on his stomach or arms. But he was wearing his shirt buttoned up whereas JJ laid shirtless and John B stood with his shirt open.
It hurt you the most seeing Pope. The multiple bruises and cuts adorning his normally smooth and unharmed skin. They were because of you. When Pope moved in front of you stopping you from receiving the backhand Rafe sent your way as you berated him to stop. He was the reason you weren't hurt. And you were the reason he was hurt.
Pope looked at you oddly as you just stood there letting out a sigh.
"Y/N?" He asked, his eyebrows furrowing in question. When you didn't answer again he stood up and walked over to you where you stood with your hands threaded together and rubbing in anticipation. "What's wrong?"
"I-I wanted to apologise to you last night."
The rest of the Pogues had turned their attention to you, JJ even stopped smoking for a second to listen. Your eyes were down trained on the wooden flooring as you spoke. Popes furrowed brows deepened as he looked at you slightly bewildered that you thought you needed to apologise.
"I'm sorry he hurt you guys. It was all my fault and I should have stopped him but I didn't." You let out a dry chuckle. "All of you got hurt and yet I'm perfectly fine." You shook you head and sighed. "But I'm really sorry."
Despite the nice welcoming from your friends you still had the deep rooted fear they would hate you after last night but the looks on their faces held sadness or confusion rather than anger or disdain.
Pope had seen you do this before with the group. Whether it be a Pogue and Kook fight or just a small thing when he'd been around your house, like accepting responsibility when Rafe forgot to pick Wheezie up from her ballet class or the time when you'd apologised profusely for Rafes mistreatment of JJ at his job at the country club. But most of those times he'd believed it to be a small courtesy of just being related to the problem or saying it like when you say you're sorry for someone's loss but it wasn’t like that with you. At least not this time.
You were apprehensive to look up to meet his but when you did you saw the boy let out a small scoff and you were ready for him to yell at you to leave and never come back.
"God! Stop apologising for other people! You're not the shitty one!" The Heyward boy exclaimed blowing a fuse which surprised everyone when Pope was normally the calm and collected one. Not all the time. But most.
And he wasn’t angry towards you but toward Rafe and even the smallest notion that what he did laid on your shoulders. You simply blinked in his direction not sure what to say at his outburst.
"Pope—" You started saying before you were cut off by the boy throwing his hands in the air.
"No I can't take it any longer. I can't watch you blame yourself and apologise for the punches Rafe throws or the shitty things he does. He's a bad person and you are not him. I don't give a damn if he's your brother, okay? Y/N you've never done anything wrong in your life and yet you keep apologising for everything he does. It's not your fault. I'll tell you a million—scratch that a billion times if I have to."
And once again you blinked but this time blinking away the glossy liquid in your eyes hoping to clear your vision. It was a different feeling having someone tell you it wasn't your fault for once. Popes eyes stared passionately towards you as you held his stare. You felt comforted just the the deep ebony colours of his eyes that focused on you.
"I still left you guys though after. I didn't stay and help." You told them and Kiara stood quickly, abandoning the instrument on the couch and placing a hand on your arm. You felt yourself sniffling. Pope moved his hand as well but lightly placed it in your own moving his fingers over your palm in circles soothingly. Letting you know he was there. Pope and you had definitely always been the closest in the group. If you ever needed someone Pope was always there. Whether it was someone to cry on or rant to, he was always there. And he definitely cared a lot about you as you did him.
"Hey, Y/N. You still tried to help us. That’s what counts. And we get it was overwhelming. We don't have to deal with psycho brothers. No offence." Kie spoke softly and you chuckled lightly at her comment through small tears that you were quick to wipe away.
"Yeah, Rafe is his own person and technically an adult he can take responsibility for his own shit." JJ spoke as he stood from his space on the couch joined by John B behind him.
"I still don't understand how the two of you are even related."
You shrugged a small smile growing on your lips that Pope noticed. "Me and Sarah both wonder that. A lot."
They all let out small laughs before Pope pulled you in for a hug and you nestled your head into his shoulder at his warm and enticing hold. He smelt of musk with small hints of aftershave and salt water. But most of all he smelt of home. Somewhere that would always be inviting and your one true solace from the world.
Note • Got my writing mojo back, kinda. And I used a prompt for this which helped a lot as well maybe too much. But uh so funny story I said it could make a cute blurb and one thing leads to another and I’ve written 1.7k words oopsies. I rambled too much and it’s trash and it’s also 2am so forgive me. But I need help I write too much unnecessary details in my fics and it makes it so long and probably boring. Anyway it’s✨trash✨but I hope maybe you enjoyed.
Join My Tag List Here • @starlightstarkey @rafecameron @starksweasleymain @jjsredhat @scandalousfemale @sguymon21 @bricksatanakinswindow @futuretaxcheat @wannabeslut @ad-infinitums @outrebanx @pit-zuh @pankowrudeth @jiaraendgame @outerbanksbro @copper-boom @alternativehp @brie-gr3y
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Matchup requests: CLOSED
Matchup request for: anonymous
Okie dokie. I match you with...
Undertaker!
You are absolutely fine, dear. My form is about thrice as long so I totally get it. Besides, This way I have more to go on. Anyways, I can already tell that we would get along so well, pffft.
It honestly took me all of 5 seconds of reading this to decide your ship, I hope you enjoy it.
Power couple right here
I mean, seriously
There is no hell you wouldn't raise
I hope you don't mind getting your hands dirty, though
But my goodness, no one is safe from the two of you
Your humour, dark and inappropriate as it may be, is right up Undertaker's ally. You can send him howling with laughter with a single offhand remark or retort.
Most of the time, I would ship someone with chaotic energy with someone who is more calm and level headed but honestly, Undertaker is the exception to this rule
He would genuinely get on the nerves or anyone who can't match his level of chaos
But ooooh boy would he be able to keep pace with you.
The constant playful bickering would be extremely amusing to watch, not that any of you would get any work done
The two of you would be too buzzed on caffeine and laughing until your guts hurt
Every night at his place is more like a sleepover
So many go there more sparingly. You both technically need sleep.
Also pet names!
You two would have the weirdest pet names for each other
"Undie"
"Death goddess" (Undertaker has a cruel sense of irony)
This is the only instance where the pet name "Boo" is acceptable
~
Undertaker would be able to see right through your dirty, airhead façade, if only because he puts on the same one.
It piques his interests. "What is she hiding?"
The first time you saw one of his "guests", he assumed that you would be off put by her presence as most were.
She was a young female, brutally mugged on the street, her corpse left to rot when the thief accidentally killed her. At least, that is what he thought.
You, on the other hand, did not seem even the slightest fazed.
He actually looked a little disappointed. "What? No screaming? I love the sound of my goddess mewling." Wink, wink. Nudge, nudge.
You kinda look at him incredulously. "It's a dead body. What is it going to do, get up and chase me?"
The smirk on his face was slightly alarming. "Maybe..."
Okay that was a little bit... worrisome.
Regardless, Undertaker concluded that she resisted her mugger and he slashed her throat, killing her before running off
Of course, you saw a completely different story and pointed out something that slipped his notice entirely. But of course, you would be grinning from ear to ear and speaking in a light-hearted and airy tone as you loom over a gruesome maimed corpse. "No, no, the multiple lacerations to the jugular could not have been the cause of death. Notice how there is little to no blood-clotting and the edges of the wound appear singed. The injury was cauterized and simultaneously inflicted. And since blood loss, not asphyxiation, is the primary COD on slitting one's throat, this could not have been the killing strike."
A little bit taken aback, an exuberant laugh bubbled from Undertaker's lips. He was impressed.
To use a heated knife meant the killer, whoever it may be, did so on purpose with the intent on keeping her alive long enough to torture her.
Hmm...
~
You two probably met in the weirdest fashion
You were in the city, heading to get a fitting for your newest corset when you heard someone shrieking.
It took you a few moments to register that it wasn't exactly shrieking that you heard- rather maniacal laughter.
Pausing, you noticed a group of individuals clustering around a shop labeled "undertakers". If their clothes were anything to go by, these people were nobles.
A woman dressed from head to toe in scarlet held a pale, unworked hand to her lips.
Beside her a kid slightly taller than you on the account of the wooden heels he wore on the back of his shoes looked quite ticked off.
It was quite an interesting collection of individuals. Besides. What would nobility be doing WAITING outside an Undertaker shop? They usually had other people waiting on them, rarely was it the other way around.
On second thought, who in the world had the guile and lack of self-preservation skills to make nobility wait?
The door creaked open as a raven haired man stepped outside, looking all too pleased with himself.
While you couldn't ignore the handsome curve of his face, his smug expression told you all you needed to know regarding the sheer levels of impudence and egotism surrounding this individual
Those wine russet eyes opened, directing a firey stare at you, boring into your own gaze.
You held his eye contact for a moment then turned on your heels and continued on your little errand.
The rest of the nobility seemed to finally be allowed in the shop
~
On your way back from the fitting, you decided to stop by this Undertaker's to try and find out the reason for the things you witnessed. Those nobles seemed to be long gone so you were safe as you stepped inside.
It was black. Pitch black. A peal of deranged laughter echoed from the abyssal chasm within.
You remained unnerved as you folded your arms and gazed across the room with steadfast resolve
Something nudged against your foot looking down, through the shaft of light that shone through the door frame, you were able to spot a literal skeleton hand on your foot
You quickly kicked it off and appeared even more incredulous
Whoever had been trying to scare you appeared to give up
The candles flickered back to life and you spotted a grey-haired man, swathed in a black coat, lackadaisically stretched across an examination table. His silver mane tapered into a thick fringe which completely obscured his features save for the cheshire grin that seemed to be a permanent fixture on his face. "My. It's not often that I get two customers in one day..." he purred ominously
"Yeah. About that. What was with those nobles earlier?"
He chuckled and pressed a clawed finger to his lips. "A gentleman never kisses and tells."
You just kinda looked at him like ???
It really wasn't your business what this Undertaker and that butler were doing in here alone as everyone else waited outside but wasn't that a bit-
The thunderous laughter that burst from Undertaker's chest told you that he was joking
How he managed to do so with a straight face was beyond comprehension. But perhaps he found your genuine consideration of his sentence to be amusing.
You two end up striking a deal. And it was a weird one. Undertaker would tell you what the nobles were doing and in return you would have to get a fitting for a coffin.
He lamented that it was not his usual payment but "The little Earl is being so stubborn, he refuses to let me fit him. You are just as tiny. I think you will do wonderfully."
Like "uhhh? Thank you?"
It's not every day you get a chance to be fitted for your future coffin.
So you allow him to take measurements
His fingers ghosting against your skin as he does so, sending goose-flesh pricking across your arm
Once he is finished, he divulges all he can, which only seems to confuse you more.
Nobles who solve murders? Isn't that the Yard's job. What are nobles doing getting involved. Half of them have never cleaned a single dish in their life, how can anyone expect them to catch a killer.
The Undertaker watched you with a smirk equal parts knowing and amused. He just loves seeing you think things through and figure them out.
Meanwhile, you caught on to his mannerisms. He knew more than he was letting on. But you doubted he would tell you more.
Thanking him for his service, you headed out.
You barely made it a block when you were jumped by someone.
A shadow
Strong arms pinned you to a wall, you tried to call for help but the soft leather of a gloved hand clamped over your mouth. You were left to stare into those same burning russet eyes for the second time that day.
The boy from earlier, taking a step out from behind his attack butler crossed his arms. You noticed the eyepatch he wore, but did not have the mind to question it. You were currently pinned to a wall, your mind was a bit preoccupied
"Why are you following us?" The kid demanded
You rolled your eyes and looked back at him before angrily gesturing to the mildly irritating hand over your mouth.
The kid looked just as irritated. "Sebastian."
The butler needed no further command. He removed his hand but kept you constrained in place.
You appraised the pair warily. 'So, the butler's name is Sebastian... heh. More like Sebastard'
You were also smart enough to know that if they were investigating such a high profile case like Jack the Ripper, they were probably into some pretty shady stuff. If they were speaking with Undertaker, then they had connections to the Underworld. After all, every dead body killed in the underworld usually makes its way to the Undertaker at some point or another. It was quite brilliant, actually.
The boy looked impatient so you answered truthfully. Albeit carefully. You were wondering what a bunch of nobles would be waiting for and wanted to meet the person who had the nerve to keep them waiting.
The kid seemed somewhat satisfied with your answer, if not entirely indignant towards it. You had a feeling that you chose your words well because he appeared to agree with what you were saying. He obviously did not like the Undertaker.
Sebastian- sorry, Sebastard, on the other hand, did not appear all too convinced. But he seemed to have gauged that you were not a threat and decided not to voice his concerns.
You were let off with a stern lecture about meddling in "Phantomhive" affairs.
Dodged a bullet on that one
Still. The revealment of his surname only brought more confusion upon you. Phantomhive was a KID'S toy company. Why is the head of a kid's brand investment murder?
The more you looked into it, the less it started making sense
And that sent you down a spiraling trail that eventually lead you back to the Undertaker
Whether or not you return to him as a friend or one of his "guests" is completely up to you and how careful you walk this dangerous tightrope
Oooh, ominous. Thank you for request, dear.
#kuroshitsuji#black butler#matchup#ship#undertaker#sebastian michaelis#black butler matchup#blackbutler ship#kuroshitsuji matchup#kuroshitsuji ship#undertaker x reader#Ciel Phamtonhive#madam red#request#ship request#matchup request#match up#match ups#ships#undertaker x you
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Private show (Cecil L'Ively x Reader) {Part 1}
(So I have changed my mind about doing individual oneshots for kinktober, but I hope you all still enjoy this and let me know what you think 😊.) I haven't really seen any Cecil stories on here so I wanted to write some.
Original gif imagine by @itoldyounottodoit. And can be found here
You can also find this on ao3 if you prefer that.
(Part 2)
Day 1. Voyeurism
Character: Cecil L'Ively (x files)
Warning: Smut (kind of a given...It's for kinktober) talk of a cheating boyfriend.
Word count:3,916
https://ko-fi.com/luv4fandoms
When your parents offered you a spot in the old house they had just bought in Maine, you didn't need to think twice before you agreed, needing time away from your town, and your headache of a relationship. Some mountain air was sure to do you some good, so you quickly packed and drove, watching the sunny beaches fade behind you. The drive was around fourteen hours, but it was well worth it when you saw the house. A white three storey beauty with a wrap around porch, how did they afford this?!
"What do you think?" Your mom asked as you stepped out of your car.
"How the hell did you score this?!" You replied, hugging her
"It had been on the market for over five years so the price was super low, needed a bit of work on the inside but our lovely neighbors pointed us to their house caretaker slash handyman and he worked his magic" she explained.
"Awesome neighbors" you laughed.
"Oh they are" she smiled and pointed behind you, you spun around to see a face you never thought you'd see again.
"Margerete!?" You exclaimed, meeting the young girl halfway as she bounded over to wrap you in her arms. Margerete was a young girl you had met when you were little, she came from England, and from very wealthy parents, almost aristocratic you could say. She had been staying with her aunt in Florida when you two met, her aunt had been estranged from the family, but when Margerete's parents had gotten into a bit of trouble they sent Margerete to her for safety. She had been sent back to England when you both were sixteen, and though you two tried to stay in contact, your lives had drifted apart.
"It is so amazing to see you!!" She smiled,
"You haven't changed a bit" you smiled back.
"Why would I? Perfect the way I am" she laughed.
"Have you moved here than?" She asked, her voice hopeful.
"I will be staying for a bit, unsure if I will move yet"
"Well then I'll just have to convince you!" You smiled, you returned her smile, happy that even though so many years had passed, you two could easily fall back into place...When something, or rather, someone, caught your eye. You noticed a man painting the balau swing that sat in the front garden, he didn't seem too concerned about the possibility of getting paint on him as he wore a dark blue coat over his plaid shirt. His hair was short and brown, and you wondered what he looked like from the front. Margerete noticed your stare and smirked, before turning to stand beside you.
"That's Cecil, the house caretaker, I can introduce you two if you want" she stated.
"What?" You asked, still looking at the man, almost willing him to turn around, what color eyes did he have? Did he have facial hair or was he clean shaven?
"I'll call him over" she stated, breaking you out of your trance.
"No! No that...that won't be necessary, I'm….in a relationship anyways" you told her, your voice falling near the end.
"You sure about that? You don't sound like you want to be" she replied a bit concerned.
"It's...it's complicated" you sighed.
"Right! Well how about you go and get unpack, and if you're not too tired, you come back and we can catch up over some tea yeah?" She smiled, causing you to smile as well, she always had that effect.
"I'd like that".
It didn't take you long to unpack, having only filled a couple of suitcases, so you quickly emptied them into the dressers in the small room near the back of the house and freshened up before heading back over to Margerete's. You'd be lying if you said you didn't spare a glance towards the garden on your way up the path, but Cecil was gone already, and for a moment you felt disappointed. Ringing the doorbell you waited for Margerete to answer, glancing around the beautifully landscaped yard, you only turned back towards the door when you heard it open, but it was not Margerete that greeted you. Clean shaven was the answer to your question earlier, and eyes that were the rare kind that seemed hard to describe, they seemed hazel, but more on the brown side. He wore a smile that made him seem friendly enough, but something flickering in his gaze made you think that something was smouldering just below the surface...Either way this man was far too attractive for his own good.
"Hello there" and he was British too?! Come on!
"You must be (y/n), Miss Margerete said she would be expecting you. I'm Cecil, the home's caretaker" he explain, stepping out of your way and gesturing for you to come in"
"It's a pleasure to meet you, my mother told me about how you helped them with repairs, I can't thank you enough for that" you smiled at him, he simply waved you off.
"Was no trouble at all, your parents are lovely folk, please right this way, Miss Margerete is on a call with her mother right now but she'll be down soon" he led you to the living room where a woman came in with a tray of tea and cookies.
"This is Kathrine, she's the maid here"
"Very nice to meet you dear" the older woman smiled.
"Very nice to meet you as well ma'am" you smiled, she nodded after setting the tray down and left.
"Your mother tells me that your family always wanted a house here?" He asked, sitting in the chair next to yours.
"Yes, ever since my brother moved here"
"But she seemed surprised when you agreed to come," he added, to which you let out a slight chuckle.
"I'm sorry, that is probably personal, it's just your mother talks," he tried to backtrack but you simply shook your head.
"It's fine, really...They were shocked because my boyfriend recently proposed," you stated.
"Oh, congratulations," he replied.
"Yeah" you said with another weak chuckle.
"Except I told him I'd have to think about it"
"Oh?"
"Not really sure if I can marry someone I've already had to forgive three times for cheating on me" you stated.
"Why did you forgive him at all?" He asked, looking up you noted his look of disgust toward your boyfriend's actions.
"Honestly...I thought I loved him...But now...I don't know" you sighed.
"From the sounds of it you need to throw that wanker to the curb" a female voice rang out, and you both turned towards the doorway, Cecil went to stand but Margerete simply pushed him back down by the shoulder.
"No need to get up Ce, you can join (y/n) and I, she seems to enjoy your company" she stated, sending a smirk your way.
Conversation flowed easily between the three of you while you drank your tea, you caught up with Margerete, both she and Cecil agreed your boyfriend should be your ex, you learned a little bit about Cecil, about how he has been a handyman, caretaker, gardener, in the past but that was as much as he would indulge, Margerete seemed fine with this, but his closed book made you want to know more. He showed off a few magic tricks that had the two of you girls laughing before it dissolved into another conversation. Before you knew it, it had gotten late and you needed to get back over to your house for dinner, you and Margerete agreed to a dinner another time. Cecil though, insisted on walking you back, even if it was only across the street, according to him, it wasn't safe at night. When you reached the door you turned to him, a smirk on your lips as you looked back at Margerete's house.
"But who will protect you against the dark now good sir? You have to walk back by yourself" You asked, feigning concern. He smirked at you.
"Worried about me? We just met" you couldn't help but smile when he did, your character breaking.
"Don't fret love, I'll be alright." He added, turning to leave.
"I hope we can hang out again..sometime" you stated, slightly feeling like a fool, he was right, you had just met, but there was something about him.
"I'd love to," he said, turning to give you one last look, a now lit cigarette hanging from his lips...odd..you hadn't seen him reach for a lighter.
"Until then love" and with that he made his way back across the street. That night you had gone to bed early, your body tired from the long drive, and as you drifted off you laid completely unaware of the eyes watching you from the window.
The rest of the week had pretty much flown past, when you weren't helping your parents around the house, or writing for your newspaper column back home, you were spending time with Cecil and Margerete. More so with Cecil as Margerete seemed to always be pushing the two of you together, not that you minded. Groaning you answered and ended the call quickly, having looked at the number to see your now ex boyfriend, you had told him you were through, having recently found out about yet another affair, but he hadn't seemed to grasp the concept and swore the two of you could work it out.
"Should I answer it next time? Kindly tell him to fuck off?" Cecil smirked as the two of you continued your walk through the park.
"No, that will just start him up worse"
"I still don't understand why you haven't told him off yet"
"Mainly because all my stuff is still in the apartment he and I shared back home."
"Why not just go get your things then love?" He asked, God you hoped he didn't notice the shiver that ran down your spine every time he called you love, you would be lying if you said you didn't find the man extremely attractive, had in fact, since you first met him, and having spent so much time with him this week was only making these feeling that had began to flutter around worse.
"I'm planning to, just have to figure out when" you sighed, coming to lean against a tree.
"Well, whenever you do, allow me to come along." He started, slowly stepping closer to you.
"That way if your ex is still too dumb to take the hint"he added, now right in front of you, so close the two of you were almost touching and you watched as he raised a hand to cup your cheek, turning your face up towards him.
"I can take care of him" he all but whispered, slowly leaning in, his lips so close as you felt yourself leaning in also, just an inch and the two of you would-
"Hello Ms.(l/n)!" A voice called out, causing the two of you to break apart, you looked over and saw Mr.Tucker, one of your other neighbors.
"Hello Mr.Tucker!" You waved.
"Tell your mother thank you for the pie will you? The wife and I loved it!" He smiled.
"Will do Mr.Tucker" you replied before the man turned and left, Cecil and you turned to look at each other before you both laughed.
"Let's get you home, it's starting to get dark" he stated, grabbing your hand and leading you back down the path. To say you were once again wired that night would be an understatement, this seemed to be your body's constant state of self whenever you were around Cecil too long. Like you were a bomb, just waiting for someone to light the fuse. You sighed as you tossed your sheets off, the room suddenly too hot as you thought back to the charming caretaker across the street. It wouldn't be the first time the thought of him has caused a fire in your belly, he seemed to be what kept you up at night.
'Sadly not in the best way' you thought, thinking about him, you wondered what kind of lover he would be, would he be gentle? Take his time and worship you? Or would he be rough? Take what he wanted, pleasing you both in the process? You had a feeling he would be a mixture, that sweet smile always seemed to try to disguise the twinkle of mischief in his eyes. You sighed as you thought back to today, how close you were to finally feeling his lips on yours, you wondered how they would feel slowly working down your body, teasing you with feather touches, making you squirm under him as he worked you up. You sighed again, one hand slowly sliding down to grasp your breast, your thin nightshirt doing little to hide your already peaked nipples, your other hand slowly slid down to lightly caress the front of your panties. You thought back to Cecil, thinking about him taking your nipple between his lips, lavishing it with his tongue before giving it a gentle nip, his hand giving ample attention to your other breast before he switched. Your breathing picked up as you pictured his hand slowly sliding down your front, your hand mimicking your thoughts as you slowly pushed up your top before taking it off completely, leaving you bare from the waist up. You settled back down and was about to return to your fantasy, when the feeling of being watched suddenly came over you and you opened your eyes to look around but didn't notice anything out of the ordinary. You had been having this feeling since you arrived but tonight it seemed stronger, but upon finding nothing you closed your eyes once more and returned to your fantasy. You grasped your breasts, giving them ample attention before the fire in your core became too much to ignore, quickly throwing your panties off you pictured Cecil running his hand along your stomach, gently teasing you right above where you needed him most.
"Please" you whispered.
"Please what love?" You heard him say in your head.
"Please..touch me" you begged into the night.
"As you wish" and with that you slid your finger into your slick core just as your fantasy Cecil did, you knew your fingers weren't as thick as his, but they would have to do. You let out a low mewl as you bagan pumping them, picture Cecil above, giving you that knee weakening smirk as he watched you writher under him.
"You like that love? Like it when I touch you?"
"Yes! Please don't stop" you panted, making sure to stay quiet.
"I wouldn't dream of it, not until you've come for me" he told you, pressing another finger into your core and causing you to cry out, your hips raised off the mattresses as you continued to fuck yourself, the fantasy of him so vivid that it had you calling out for the man.
"Cecil!" You gasped, your movements slowing a bit, you were unsure why you opened your eyes, but when you did you noticed something. The old mirror that sat in the room gave the perfect view of the window that sat diagonal to your bed, and from that view you realised where the feeling of being watched came from. From the window you could see that a slight ways away from the window, partially hidden by a tree was Cecil, one hand gripping onto the tree while the other was hidden in his pants, the movements making it known just what he was doing. Now maybe it would have startled you, or caused concern if your brain wasn't so focused on getting off, but the thought of him watching you fuck yourself sent a thrill down you spine and made you quicken your pace, your body stretching out so he could see more as you watched him through the mirror just as he watched you. You watched him bite down on his lip, his movements quickening along with yours, while his eyes roamed your body. You couldn't help the moan that escaped you as you focused on his movements, knowing he was getting just as much pleasure as you, and that thought seemed to be what drove you over as you came with a soft cry of his name. You slowed your breathing as you came down from your high, glancing at the mirror to see his head tilted down as he leaned against the tree for support, seeming having spent himself as well. You watched as he looked back up, eyes roaming your body once more before you decided to tease him a bit more and pull your blankets over you again. With a small smirk he turned around, pulled out a cigarette and left.
'So watching is his thing huh?' You thought, the slight thrill still running through you.
'Well then, maybe I should put on a private show'
Another week passed before you had an opportunity to put your plan into action, your parents were leaving for the weekend, so you had the whole house to yourself, you had gone shopping with Margerete recently and picked out a very sexy little black number, one she insisted you were going to wear for Cecil one day, she didn't know how soon 'one day' was. You had done your hair, donned your lingerie and hid it under a robe while you sat in bed reading. Truth be told you had reread the same sentence about five times and still couldn't say what it said, you were too wired, waiting to see some sort of movement in the old mirror, movement, that luckily didn't take that long. You had been flirting with Cecil a lot more this past week, not so much that one would think it was sudden, but enough to get him riled up, so when you saw the slight hint of him standing behind the same tree, you knew it was time to start. Closing your book you sat it on the dresser, slowly you went around and lit the candles that you had scattered around the room before switching off the light, bathing yourself in the soft orange glow the fire gave off. Sparing a sneaky glance towards the open curtain you saw him leaning against the tree, still slightly out of sight, but the orange glow of his cigarette gave away his position. Slowly making your way back to the bed you dropped the robe, giving him a full view of what lay beneath before climbing onto the mattress. First you sat in the middle of the bed facing the window, your hands running along your sides before stopping to cup your breasts, the thin lace only covering your nipples as they hardened under your caress. Your eyes closed while your head lulled back, the thoughts of him watching already had you dripping. Stopping, you slowly reached behind you and unclasped the bra, letting it fall off before tossing it aside, your breasts now on full view for your lone audience. Your hands ran along your thighs, before coming to gently rest on your panties, the wet spot clearly visible against the lace. Your legs spread wider as you slowly ran your finger along yourself, moaning at the feeling that wasn't giving you enough to dull the ache. Slowly standing, you took off the ruined lace before laying back down, your body angled as to give him the perfect view of your soaked core, while your head hung just off the other side, giving you the perfect view of the mirror. He was still out there, hand once again hidden inside his pants as he watched you, though when you spread your legs wider you watched him inhale sharply, before he quickly pulled his hand out and started to unbuckle his belt. Your hands wandered down to gently run along your folds as you watched him lower his pants just enough to free himself, the sight causing you to moan, he was definitely bigger than your ex. He slowly stroked himself as he watched you, his other hand holding his shirt up slightly to keep it out of his way, his eyes never leaving your form while you slowly pressed your finger in, noting how he stroked himself from tip to base at the same speed. You slowly began to pump your fingers, watching him take his own pleasure at the sight of you, his tongue darting out to lick his lips, almost as if he wished it was something else he was licking, and that thought caused you to moan out again, this time his name. Now you had left your window slightly open, enough so that sounds from inside could be heard, so when you called out for him, he heard it loud and clear, enough to make him cuss under his breath and speed up his movements. You quickly inserted another finger, matching his speed as you writhered on the bed, the feeling amazing and yet not enough. You added another finger, calling out his name once more as your eyes closed in bliss, upon opening them you noticed he had moved. Less hidden by the tree and now leaning against it, his back pressed against the bark while he took his pleasure in your form, his body now easily seen from the window.
"Fuck! Cecil please" you begged, hearing a groan come from outside. You knew this dance the two of you were doing needed to come to an end, helping yourself was satisfying, but God you needed him, and watching him jerk himself was not helping that need. You sped up, watching as he did the same, his hips coming away from the tree as he thrusted into his fist, another groan leaving his lips. You moaned as you bucked into your hand, matching his movements, you were close now, and by the look on his face so was he. You watched as his head lulled back, hips quicking as he groaned, before they stilled and you watched him empty himself, the sight enough to send you over the edge with a shout. When you finally drifted back down from your post orgasam high you sat up and looked at the window, watching as he began to walk away, a lit cigarette once again between his lips.
"Oh no you don't" you stated, quickly walking over to the window and pushing it open.
"Only come for the shows? I should start charging for tickets" you spoke into the chilly night air. You watched as he stopped, slowly turning to look at your still nude form as you leaned out of your window. He opened his mouth to explain but nothing came out, after all, he had never been caught before. Seeing his flustered state you couldn't help but smirk.
"So tell me, wouldn't you rather be part of the show? Instead of just watching it?" You asked, a smirk on your lips while you watched his flustered expression slowly morph into a smirk of his own.
"Are you offering a role?" He asked
"Well you see, I'm in need of the male lead, think you got what it takes?" You challenged, watching as he put out his cigarette and headed for your front door
'Oh this is going to be fun'
There it is! I hope you all enjoyed it, let me know what you think 😊 part 2 will be posted tomorrow
#kinktober#kinktober 2020#xfiles#x files#x files oneshot#x files imagine#x files smut#mark sheppard#Cecil L'Ively#x files x reader#x files drabble#Cecil L'Ively x reader#Cecil L'Ively oneshot#Cecil L'Ively smut#Cecil L'Ively drabble#Cecil L'Ively imagine#Cecil L'Ively xfiles#Cecil L'Ively x files
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Lately I've seen a lot of posts talking about the environmental impact pet cats can have. And while this is absolutely excellent that awareness is finally being brought, I have yet to see a single discussion about pet dogs. Many don't know but they can be just as destructive as cats if allowed to wander unchecked! I'd really appreciate if you could take the time to read this or share it please! So cheers, I'll try not to drag this out too long.
Dogs just like cats, massacre animals simply because of instincts, they're bored, or because it's just fun to kill. Despite it being illegal in Queensland, Australia where I live to allow a dog to leave its property unsupervised, it is common place to see it happen anyway. Local councils are slack with pet cats and dogs so even if their wandering is reported often no punishments are enforced upon owners. Majority know how harmful a single cat can be; my backyard population of Eastern Water Dragons (5 adults, estimated 13 babies) was slaughtered by my neighbours cat. That damage has never reversed and to this day, roughly 8 years after, I have never seen another Water Dragon in my yard. Yet mention a dog and people will bite your head off with "dogs are angels" and "my dog would never kill"
We don't often hear about dogs killing wildlife although it does happen, considering they don't drag the kills back home likes cats do. Often dead possums and kangaroos will be abandoned wherever the dog killed them, unbeknownst to the owners. However what we do hear about commonly, is livestock.
Ask any farmer in Australia and they will tell you that they've had stock massacred by dogs, occasionally feral but usually pets. Feral dogs don't like light and are usually smart enough not to jump into a paddock where they'll be trapped and prone to discovery by humans. Pet dogs don't have this fear, and are often found covered in blood and gore surrounded by bodies.
Here are some of the stories I was told just from last year. Warning I have included very graphic descriptions so if you don't want to read feel free to skip. I'll summarise at the very end of this post how many stock died for you without the details.
12+ sheep (he stopped counting it was too distressing for him but estimate is around the 20 mark) attacked by dogs. 5 were still alive when he found them, 2 passed away as he went to get his knife. He had to finish 3 off. He doesn't know what time they were attacked but considering most of the blood was dry it was likely many, many hours ago. The dog wasn't caught but it was likely a pet one considering none of the carcasses were consumed at all and the owner lives close to both a university and a town where there are many pet dogs.
23 sheep including lambs and pregnant ewes massacred by two pet dogs. 11 were still alive when found and most needed to be finished off. These dogs had obviously taken great joy in chasing the sheep since all injuries sustained were to the rear with absolutely no scratch on the front end of the sheep. It's likely they chased them, grabbed them and pulled them down, them let them back up and repeated until the sheep collapsed from blood loss and exhaustion. Several of the sheep were missing the tendons in their legs and these tendons were found flung across the paddocks. The two dogs responsible were found on the property, they were playing with a deceased lamb. Throwing it in the air and shaking it. When they caught sight of the farmer approaching them they ran over for pats. I'm unsure what happened to the dogs? I believe the farmer found their owner and gave them a serving but allowed the dogs to live.
3 calves attacked by dog/s. Culprits weren't caught so this one could have been feral, but considering nothing was eaten again doesn't seem likely. 2 of the calves were found deceased, one with chunks taken from both sides so big you could stick your fist inside apparently. The other one was missing her ears and tail but had no other visible injuries asides from tears at her heels. She likely died from shock. The 3rd calf was found still alive, lying on its side with its intestines hanging out. The dogs had crippled its back legs so it couldn't stand or run and then torn open its stomach. It appears that they may have been going to eat the organs but were disturbed or scared off? This calf was shot.
7 sheep killed, 3 pregnant ewes and 2 lambs. I wasn't given details of how they died, or if any were found still alive, however I was told something which is incredibly upsetting. The dog that did this was their own. She was their pet German shepherd who had previously chased sheep but never attacked them. They rehomed her somewhere without other animals.
37 chickens. Once again no details but it was the neighbours pet dogs.
An alpaca who was guarding his herd of sheep died valiantly defending them from two dogs.
Somebody's entire flock of 10 sheep. They'd not long gotten them and since they were pets they were obviously crushed. Dog wasn't caught but was likely another pet considering the lambs bodies appeared to have been shaken around like toys.
That was all during 2018, last year. Please note that if vet treatment was feasible, a lot of these animals would have received it. Their conditions were so poor that there would've been nothing a vet could do asides from euthanasia. Although vet euthanasia is more humane and nicer than a slit throat or bullet through the skull, rural vets often aren't nearby so can take several hours to arrive. Although some cases would come down to money (a vet callout fee is around 100-200 bucks) majority were because these people didn't want to leave their stock in pain while they waited for vets to arrive (they likely would have died before the vet arrived anyway). So please don't come at me about how them putting their stock out of their misery is abuse or anything like that because it's an awful thing to go through and was not a decision made lightly.
All of this I only know from talking directly to the farmers (I'm involved in agricultural shows particularly the sheep and poultry sectors). Two of those people I mentioned are friends of mine. I had SEEN that first examples sheep on the Friday. He'd taken me down and showed me all of them. By the Monday, I think it was? Over half of them were gone. There was one little girl I fell in love with and joked about taking home with me. It crushed me finding out she was one of the ones he had to finish off, left there god knows how long in agony. I'll attach a photo of her because she deserves remembering.
That's livestock, I dread to think what dogs are doing to our local wildlife. Here are a couple cases I've heard about this year for wildlife. Descriptions are brief and not gory.
Pet dog killed a blue tongue lizard found in their yard. She also maimed another one which they got off her and took to the vets (likely euthanised)
Pet dog jumped and pulled a Ringtail possum out of a tree on an early morning walk. Owner got the possum away from it but she was pretty maimed, she was euthanised at the vets.
Pet dog kills big Brushtail possum it found crossing through the yard at night.
Pet dog on a walk takes off on owner chasing a wallaby. Leash wasn't securely being held so is pulled from the owners hand and the dog runs off into bushland after the wallaby. He came back after 10-15 minutes of calling him, muzzle covered in blood. It's unknown what happened to the wallaby.
Oh so many snakes killed by dogs.... people like to brag about their dogs killing snakes so I've probably got 30 stories of this for you. "He was guarding his family like a good boy" "only good snake is a dead snake and (dogs name) here knows it!" "Better the snake than me" "one less snake! I think that's celebration. I hope he gets more"
That last one in particular makes me incredibly angry. Vast majority of snake bites are because people either try to catch or kill the snake, if left alone we wouldn't have as many 'vicious snake attacks' as we do. Many dogs die annually or require antivenon due to being bit while mauling snakes. It's not that hard to train a dog not to touch wildlife.
I think it's great we're becoming more aware of the environmental impact cats have, and are hopefully becoming more responsible cat owners. However education also needs to be raised on how destructive dogs can be. We need to ensure that we're responsible owners and do everything we can to minimise the impact our pets have on both wildlife, and other people's pets.
Livestock summary: 12+ sheep killed, 23 sheep killed, 3 calves killed, 7 sheep killed, 37 chickens killed, 1 alpaca killed, 10 sheep killed. And not a single one was eaten, simply killed for sport.
Here's that gorgeous girl I said I'd attach a photo of, may she rest easy now.
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Exploring India on a Royal Enfield motorcycle:
Well having decided to take a bit of a busmans holiday and explore the south western part of India we've been asked to give several presentations of our experience. Writing this blog will give us some reference points when we come to make our presentations and also give those that have travelled with us over the years a flavour of the journey that we are undertaking.
Day 1:
Paying the twenty pound per person for the Aspire lounge at Birmingham airport was well worth it with our seven hour flight to Dubai delayed by an hour. That meant we were able to enjoy breakfast and lunch all for the same price. We made sure that lunch was washed down with a few gins accompanied by what else other than some Indian tonic water.
The delay in the U.K. meant a quick hop off and on to the next plane at Dubai to continue our journey south east to Kochi on the south west coast of India, our intended destination for the start our excursion.
After a three and a half hour flight we arrive at Kochi or Cochin or however you spell it and welcome to the confusion and chaos of India. Despite our tour leader requesting a taxi big enough to cater for four adults and their luggage, trying to fit a quart into a pint pot, or in this instance four adults and their luggage in to a small saloon car, just didn't work, despite how much effort you put in to the task. Common sense prevailed eventually and we were transferred to a people carrier type vehicle and off we went into the chaos and mayhem of the traffic. After only about 200 yards of joining the main highway our taxi driver decided that he did not have the correct paperwork as the destination on the 'chitty' was not the same as our intended destination. A pull up at the side of the road to make a phone call was ok until he decided to reverse along the highway back to the roundabout. There's plenty beeping of horns but there's no road rage in India and everyone just puts up with whatever you're doing. We did go the correct way around the roundabout and that was a bonus in order to return to the taxi dispatchers desk at the airport. It would have been easier to change the paperwork but despite the bureaucracy ( a legacy of the British Empire) it was deemed far easier to change four people and their luggage from one car to exactly the same type and make of car that we were travelling in to another one, but this one did have better air conditioning.
Weaving our way through the city traffic it was obvious that anything goes. Beep your horn if you need to make others aware of your presence and then pass them on either side, depending where there is the most space. If you can buy an Indian Highway Code then you're a better person than me because there isn't one - I don't think anyway. If you can make four lanes when there are only two well do it. It all seems to work.
Day 2:
Arriving at the well appointed Gateway Hotel we were allowed entry after a quick search underneath the vehicle was made for any bombs that we may have been carrying. Perhaps it was something to do with those planes shot down last week on the Indian Pakistan border but that's thousands of miles away. Nothing was found so we arrived at the reception of the Gateway at about 1000hrs. The rest of the day was spent lazing around the pool and generally having a quiet day in the 30 degrees heat.
Day 3:
After a good nights sleep we were awoken by the 0800hrs alarm after sleeping like a log. Even the call to prayers at 0530hrs didn't stir us but we had missed a day's sleep somewhere along the journey. Today was a day of boats rather than bikes but our machines were going to be delivered today so that we can start our journey south tomorrow. Catching the public ferry across the inland waterway nearly broke the bank at the equivalent of 40 pence per person for the twenty minute crossing to Fort Cochi. Arriving at the island there was the usual chaos with tuc tucs fighting for whatever roadspace that was available with pedestrians, anything on two wheels, buses, lorries, taxis, goats, etc. Fishing was taking place using the ancient Chinese cantilever fishing nets and coracle type fishing boats.
Returning to our hotel the Royal Enfields have been delivered. A quick check over makes sure that they are all good to go. Another cruise around the bay courtesy of the hotel to watch the sinking sunset ends our day of boats.
Day 4:
Looking at the picture above and the picture below India still has a long way to go as far as dumping their rubbish. Adjacent to the jetty you can see the rubbish collecting. I think that they need Mr Attenborough to give them a few tips about saving the planet.
Bags packed and it's out on to those Indian roads to head south to Allepey and in to the backwaters. Let's hope that the waters will be cleaner than this!!
Our steed for the trip is a 350cc Royal Enfield Thunderbird. It may not seem a big bike but for India and the roads it has more than enough power for two. Speeds are generally quite low and despite the chaos there's no rushing about as such. Our first venture out into the Cochin traffic wasn't too bad and anything goes. If you're not too sure then put your feet down and come to a stop because everyone else will go around you. Great fun but you have to keep your wits about you. You won't find many or any 'lifesavers' but before you do anything just give a little toot on the horn to let others know you are there.
Today's journey was a relatively short bimble of about ninety kilometres down the Kerala coastline. The traffic thinned out the further south we travelled until we came to a railway crossing. Both sides just fill up either side of the crossing with vehicles so when we set of no one can go anywhere as both sides of the road are blocked, but in true Indian style and with a lot of beeping of horns it all sorts itself out.
With the sea on one side we passed paddy fields on the other side in places. We also passed an inlet with plenty of boats and some more of those Chinese fishing nets. A nice little spot to drop off for a welcome drink in the heat of the day.
An early afternoon finish at our eighteenth century hotel, a legacy of the British Empire, gave us time to relax by the pool and do whatever. With an evening temperature of twenty three degrees it was good to see plenty of people on the sandy beach alongside the Arabian Sea enjoying themselves with their families - it wasn't quite like Barry Island. A few beers and dinner was enjoyed amongst the continual break in power. Power restored and we continued to eat until the next break in power. This is India!!
The grand entrance to our room in Alleppey and some beautiful vegetation around the hotel.
To be continued.
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