#and sneaking kisses when the store clerk isn’t looking
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Eddie dating Steve Harrington and being so stupidly in love from the very first moment that no one has to tell him he’s being mean for always ragging on Steve’s taste in music, films, hobbies, and that he should try giving Steve’s interests a go.
Eddie getting home from their first date (a lunch date a the newly reopened Benny’s diner) and immediately turning the TV onto whatever baseball game he can get to first.
Wayne watching him from the table where he’s drinking coffee and now ignoring the newspaper with a gobsmacked expression until Eddie very quietly asks him what the fuck is going on, and Wayne thinks he’s the one that should be asking that question. But Wayne slowly goes over the rules, who the players are and what all the jargon is; then turns the channel over to watch Chicago instead.
When Steve starts coming around it suddenly starts to make a bit more sense. But Wayne doesn’t say anything because he’s enjoying the time with Eddie where they get to share an enjoyment of something, and they haven’t been able to do that since Eddie was being navigated through adolescence by the Union music Wayne liked to listen to.
Eddie spending hours on end in the listening booth at the record store with Tears for Fears, Wham! and ABBA until he knows the records back to front and can start trying to remember the cords long enough so he can write them down at home. He can’t afford to buy all the albums he wants to learn, so he annoys (and confuses) the store clerk until he’s banned from the listening booth for a week.
Eddie answering Steve’s questions about DnD and his guitar and Dio’s discography with such a big smile on his face that his cheeks hurt. Then being so worried when Steve gets cagey about answering Eddie’s questions about his interests.
Eddie doing everything in his power to show Steve that no he’s not trying to tease him, that he would never do that because he thinks Steve has great taste. Sure it’s not what Eddie would pick himself, but Steve picked Eddie and Eddie thinks that Steve’s taste can’t be all bad if it landed him multiple dates and a smoking hot boyfriend.
Steve slowly starting to allow himself to enjoy the things he enjoys in front of Eddie. Rambling tristes on why Steve thinks The Breakfast Club was one of the greatest films ever made even though it doesn’t really have a plot, and launching into tangents about whatever his brain jumps to next.
Eddie choosing cheesy romcoms to watch for their film nights because he knows it’ll make Steve smile and Steve choosing camp slasher horrors because he knows they’re Eddie’s favourite.
Just Eddie doing things for Steve before anyone has to tell him to because he’s so in love with Steve and wants to see him smile all the time, wants him to know he’s loved.
Eddie having grown up knowing he was gay and thinking he’d never get to have a relationship like this, thinking he was destined for nothing but hookups in dirty club bathrooms. He’s not so self-centred to think Steve will be with him forever (even though he desperately hopes for it) so he has to make the most of this relationship while he has it.
Their friends being shocked when they catch Eddie humming The Winner Takes It All under his breath or when he name drops a basketball player he shouldn’t otherwise know, and Eddie just shrugging and casually saying stuff like “Steve likes it” or “Steve was talking about him the other day”.
The Hellfire guys very seriously asking Eddie if Steve had him under a spell because the Eddie they knew would never be interested in pop culture or sports. And Eddie laughing, saying “He’s definitely cast a spell on me but nothing malicious. I’m just in love.”
And the party knowing not to bash Steve’s interests when Eddie was around because he’d threaten their DND characters lives and their backup characters lives until they got the hint.
Eddie apologising to Lucas because he didn’t get it before but he does now.
Eddie and Steve being obnoxiously in love and utterly unbearable sometimes but no one could say anything because they all just wanted the best for each other in the end.
#steddie#steve harrington#eddie munson#my fic#kinda#Steve and Eddie cramming themselves in the listening booth together to listen to whatever new album either of them is excited about#and sneaking kisses when the store clerk isn’t looking
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I'm sending them in now, but you can save them for later too lol SethKate prompts: camera and/or bubbles! 💖💖💖
Okay, so I did like a pretty long one-shot for "camera." I couldn't think of one for "bubbles" or how to include it, but it'll probably come to me in the future, who knows lol. Sorry that it took so long for me to write it (since it was supposed to be for the July prompt, but it's still summer, so I'm not entirely too late on this ask!!!), but I hope you like it 😅 and thank you so much for sending these!!! 🤗💖💕💖
5. Camera
"So, what's this doohickey?" Kate asks while fiddling with the black gadget that's no bigger than her palm.
"That would be a Polaroid camera," Seth answers as he waltzes through the antique store to stand beside her.
"Oh, I've heard about these! I think I used it once when I was a kid, but it was so long ago that I forgot what it looked like. I wonder if there's any film left in this."
"Actually, we carry film for that camera if you're looking to purchase it," the young clerk behind the desk replies, finally turning away from the comic book his eyes were glued to.
"Oh, perfect! Yes, I am thinking of purchasing this," Kate smirks and raises her brows at Seth, and he's shaking his head. "Oh, Seth, come on! It'll be fun to use for our trip to the beach."
"Oh no, your idea of ‘fun’ will be taking a bunch of snapshots before we even make it to the beach."
Kate glares at him and says, "No, I won’t. Okay, I promise to snap only a few shots just to put your mind at ease.”
"You can do whatever you want with it, sweetheart, but you don't need my permission to buy it. If you wanna buy the camera, go ahead."
She buys the Polaroid camera, along with a pack of film, and they zip out of the small shop that sits alone on the side of the desert road, heading toward their destination. Further down the road, she takes the camera out of the flimsy plastic bag, and she thinks of testing it out. She could take photos of the few cactus or power lines Seth drives past, but it would only end up blurry on film. She pinches her lips to the side and looks at Seth, and the bright yellow Hawaiian shirt he's buttoned up in. Even though Kate bought it as a joke—since Seth's wardrobe comprises the color black—it surprises her that he's still wearing it, and hasn't taken it off yet. She switches the flash off and aims the camera at him, and he’s not budging. He doesn’t even budge when the sound of the shutter goes off.
“And so it begins,” Seth mumbles, following a heavy sigh, and Kate rolls her eyes while shaking the photo in her hand.
***
Kate sneaks in a selfie, posing for the camera while Seth is busy swimming in the vast ocean. She quickly shakes the photo, hoping Seth wouldn’t notice when he comes out of the water; and after the photo is in full color, she tosses it in her beach bag—with the rest of her pile of photos she took behind Seth's back when they were on the road—and hides the camera in the bag just in time as he’s walking back to their spot, wiping the saltwater away from his eyes.
“Did you have a good swim?��� Kate asks, looking up from the magazine she pretends to read. She glances at Seth laying next to her under the shade of his umbrella, not bothering to dry himself off as he lets the water beads glisten on his legs.
"It was just what I needed. Surprised you didn't stay out there long, since this was your idea."
"I just wanted a quick break."
"To do what? Read this?" He snatches the magazine from her lap and reads the page out loud. "'Twenty-five steamy ideas to do with a naked man?' Well, getting naked with me, that's already happened. 'Take a shower together,' been there, done that. The hands-off policy sounds like a challenge." His eyes grow bigger as he looks closer at the page. "'Ask him to do yoga?'"
Kate quickly snatches the magazine back and slaps his leg with it while she says, "I was not reading that!"
"But it wouldn't hurt to look; those looked like some great ideas, babe. Not sure about the yoga bit, but if you want me to do that for you I can start practicing." Kate grimaces at the idea and he asks, "What's wrong? Don't feel like getting a little creative in our relationship?" She looks at him as he waits for her to answer, flashing his thick eyebrows and smirking at her; but she knows his games and does not want to feed into his amusement.
"I think we're creative enough." After flipping a couple pages, she closes the magazine. "Besides, I didn't see you staying in the water long enough, either."
"I wanted a break."
"Yeah? And to do what, exactly?"
"See if you're okay."
It has been six months since Amaru's defeat, and six months of healing for Kate. It's been a slow and steady process and she still has a long way to go, but at least she's not alone in the fight with Seth promising to help her as much as he can; both taking each day one step at a time. And even as she finds it a little annoying for Seth to keep checking up on her practically every day, she loves him for it.
"I'm okay," she answers.
"Yeah?" he says, and she reassures him. "Shocked that you didn't bring your camera out here. Could've gotten a nice shot of this view."
"No. I promised I wouldn't take a bunch of pictures and I'm not gonna break that promise."
The corners of his mouth curl up as he laughs to himself. He looks at her once again. His eyes wander around her face down to her body that's covered in a turquoise-colored two-piece bikini; his view isn't of the ocean right now, it's of her. He tugs at the yellow towel she's sitting on, pulling her so close to him she's underneath his umbrella now. Already taking the hint, she pecks him on the lips and holds the back of his head as he kisses her back. In the middle of their embrace, as they’re lip-locking each other, Kate frees her right hand and roams around the sand, searching for her bag. Feeling the bag behind her and feeling the camera inside, she pulls it out, and with one eye open, tries to get it at a good angle where both of them can be in the photo. Now, with both of her eyes closed and feeling the weight of Seth pressing against her stomach as he moves on top of her, she presses the button and the sound of the shutter goes off, and he stops moving altogether and breaks the kiss.
"Really?" he asks rhetorically.
"You know, this could really be useful in spicing up our relationship," Kate comments, taking the photo with her as she stands up to leave him by his lonesome, "As a matter of fact, this photo is so cute, I think I'll keep it and put it in a scrapbook to show to our kids in the future."
"Seriously, hand it here."
"Nope!"
"Look, don't make me chase after you."
"I guess you're just going to have to chase me for it, then." Kate dangles the picture above her head, grinning, and Seth gets up and starts running.
Kate runs across the beach, the sand sticking between her toes as she picks up speed, but she yelps when she feels Seth seize her from behind, grabbing her around the waist and lifting her up. She yells as he swings her around the shore, and she laughs as if she hasn't in years. After the spin, he lands on top of her, smiling as he gazes into her eyes.
"What?" she asks while stroking her finger along the side of his face.
"What you said before, about how that girl you once were was long gone. I don't think that's entirely true."
"What made you think that?"
"Because I'm looking at her right now."
Her eyes begin to well up and she tries to fight back the tears, but Seth dries them before they have a chance to spill. He lowers himself down to kiss her, and they hold each other as the ocean waves collide against their bodies. They're left standing, and the photo Kate accidentally dropped—when Seth tackled her—sweeps away, drifting off to sea.
#yossariandawn#questions and mentions#sethkate#fdtd#it's been a while but I finally finished it this morning#I wasn't in the right headspace for a couple of weeks to write it#so it's probably why it looks so bad lol#but when I thought about seth saying that last line I almost cried and added it in there#these two make me so emotional lmfao#the yellow hawaiian shirt makes an appearance#and there's no way kate wouldn't take a photo of him wearing it#and keep it as evidence to show to richie when they get back from their trip lol
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Centerfold 4- Memory’s Been Sold
Centerfold Masterlist
Author’s Note: Written for Meghan who requested some fluffy A/B/O smut and then I came up with an idea and ran with it. Smut will start after the plot is established. Also, this is gonna go toward my @spnabobingo squares. This chapter fills my Slutty Omega square and is rated E for Explicit.
Summary: Dean is living the normal-boring life with Lisa. When he opens the newest Playboy, he gets the shock of his life.
Pairing: Alpha!Dean x Beta!Lisa, Alpha!Dean x Reader (memory)
Word count: 2083
Story Warnings: A/B/O dynamics, 18+! HERE BE SEX!! DON’T READ IF YOU’RE A YOUNG’UN!!! , masturbation, pornography, mentions of multiple partners, mentions of fem-fem porn
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Dean pulled his pickup into the gas station down the street from Lisa’s house...his house. He had a house. He had a home, a family, an 8-5 job on a construction crew. He had...a real life. A real boring life. He was bored, but he supposed it was normal to feel bored, right?
“Hey, Jerry. The coffee fresh?” Dean asked as he walked into the convenience store.
“Half hour old,” the clerk, Jerry, answered with a smile. “And, uh, it’s Tuesday!”
Dean chuckled as he grabbed a thick paper cup and poured dark, bitter liquid into it. “New mags came in, huh?”
“Yeah. The Penthouse center is hot as hell, man. Oh, and the Playmate of the Month is the hottest omega I’ve ever fuckin’ seen!”
Dean laughed as he fitted the top on the cup. “Well, bring ‘em out, man. You know I’m gonna buy ‘em.” He took a drink as he walked up to the counter. Jerry had a Penthouse and a Playboy on the counter already. “They’re that good, huh?”
“Dude...especially the omega Playmate, man. She is smoking hot.”
Dean set the coffee on the counter and picked up the Playboy, slipping it out of the sleeve and looking at the cover. The cover was a woman, Taffy Rose according to the tiny script on the bottom next to the photographer credit, in a strawberry-print bikini and bunny mask. Hot, but nothing special. Nothing different or new. But he flipped the magazine open to the center and gasped.
“Holy shit.” The bunny mask was gone, her body on full display except the bits of skin hidden by the pink feather boa. His throat went dry. His cock got hard in jeans. His head felt like it might explode.
“I know, right?!” Jerry exclaimed, happily. “Isn’t she the hottest thing you’ve ever seen?”
“Yeah. She’s the hottest thing I’ve ever…” Dean’s voice trailed off as he focused on her neck. No mark. He hoped they hadn’t photoshopped one out. She was the hottest thing he’d ever touched, tasted, the best thing he’d ever missed out on...Taffy Rose, Y/n Y/l/n...his omega. Dean cleared his throat and tried to close the magazine, but he couldn’t. She’d grown up so beautiful and he couldn’t take his eyes off of her. “She, uh...she been in anything I might’ve seen?��
“I don’t know, Dean. I’m Googling her name as soon as I get home. I suggest you do the same, man.”
“Yeah. Uh...I’m just gonna...I’m just gonna take the Playboy. I’ll get the Penthouse next time, Jer.” Dean threw a ten on the counter and walked out with the magazine, leaving his coffee behind and not even caring. He sat in his truck cab for a few minutes, staring at her photo. Y/n went into porn. Whoever would have thought that sweet little innocent young woman with the overprotective parents would- “Actually, no, that makes sense.”
He rubbed his hand over his erection as he looked at the ‘fuck me’ look in her eyes. It didn’t take long for his mind to drift back to her under him, holding him, letting out gasping cries as he fucked her, that look in her eyes as she dug her nails into his shoulders.
His cock softened as he remembered getting on the phone with her to tell her he was leaving.
He felt like he was going to cry when the line clicked. “Y/l/n Residence!”
“Y/n, it’s Dean.”
“Oh, hey! I just got finished washing every surface you touched,” she said, giggling. That giggle tugged at his heart. “I can’t wait to see you again, though. It was so worth the cleaning time.”
“Yeah, uh...it was awesome, baby, but...my, uh, my dad called.”
“Oh?” Dean could almost hear the heartbreak in her voice.
“Yeah. He...got word of a job in Connecticut. He’s pickin’ us up tomorrow.” There was silence on the line for a minute. “Y/n?”
“You’re leaving?” she squeaked.
“Yeah.” Dean had to fight the tears. “Yeah, we’re leaving.”
“But...what about...I...am I gonna get to see you again at all?”
“Not unless you can sneak out tonight. Dad’ll be here in the morning. We’ll be gone before noon.”
“Oh God.”
Dean took a deep breath and started the truck, driving home with a pit in his stomach. He immediately hid the magazine in his desk and sat in the rolling desk chair. He looked around to make sure Lisa and Ben were both out of the den area, hoping they were out of the house, before pulling up Google and searching for ‘Taffy Rose omega xxx’. Several thousand results popped up, so Dean went to the first. A video on Pornhub labeled ‘Sweet omega Taffy seduces her best friend Kat at a sleepover’. Dean swallowed and licked his lips, turning his volume down almost all the way and clicking on the video. She looked fairly innocent, without looking fake, which was a feat of its own considering he knew he was watching porn. The other actress wasn’t pulling it off anywhere near as well, especially the overacted reaction to ‘Taffy’ kissing her.
Dean could remember making out with her when she was just a little younger than the 18 year old she was pretending to be on his screen and it filled him with yearning to see her wrap her arms around this other woman’s neck and pull her in for a passionate kiss. He watched a little longer before hitting the back button and started searching through more and more results.
‘Omega Taffy Rose and her hot omega stepmom’ ‘Taffy Rose fucks her best friends’ ‘Sunny Sweets and Taffy Rose Turth or dare’ ‘Batgirl and Supergirl caught by Poison Ivy’
“Holy shit, she’s the hottest Supergirl,” Dean whispered, as he pulled his dick out of his jeans and started pumping it. It occurred to him, as he lazily jacked off and clicked through the ‘Taffy Rose’ tag on XNXX .com, that she was always with other women, usually other omegas. It took him forty minutes of clicking to find ‘Beta Brad Bull wants to know what omega tastes like’.
Not a single alpha in any of her videos, and not a mark on her neck, despite the fact that so many of her omega co-stars had marks that they had failed to cover no matter the makeup they used. And Brad and Taffy didn't go further than oral.
"That's weird," Dean whispered, tucking his dick back into his boxers but leaving the jeans open in a V. "Usually 'mega actresses are getting knotted every other scene."
He clicked off of the porn site and went back to Google, searching 'Taffy Rose alpha'. He found several blogs asking why a porn actress was unmated, some wondering how she could be in this business without fear of being taken by force, and some judging her for doing porn in the first place, but eventually he found an interview with her. He turned up the volume a bit and started it.
"Taffy, you have just burst on the scene and you've been staring in so many films this past year, it's crazy how popular you are all of a sudden!"
"Yeah, it is. I mean, I just started this as a fun way to make some money and now it's a full-on career!" Dean gasped at her voice. It was deeper than he remembered, seasoned with age, but that giggle at the end was exactly the same. That giggle made his heart hurt.
"Well, as long as you're having fun, right?"
"Exactly!"
"Now, I've noticed, and I'm not the only one, that you seem to favor lesbian scenes. Is that a personal preference, a reference to your actual sexuality, or-"
"Oh, no! I love guys. I live for cock, but…” Dean’s dick twitched at that. Why did her voice sound so musical...especially saying something so filthy? “I don't fuck alphas and there's a lot more work for an omega willing to fuck another omega than an omega willing to fuck a beta."
"Now, why don't you fuck alphas? It would seem a natural thing for you, right?"
She looked down, a bit of the bashful teen girl showing on her face. "Um...I just...it's dangerous, since I'm not mated...and it's special, ya know?” She bit her bottom lip and looked back up and Dean’s jaw dropped. “I may be a slut, but I can't fuck some random alpha and take his knot. I've never taken a knot and...probably never will."
"Fuck, I'd give anything to have you on my knot, Y/n," Dean whispered as the door opened and Lisa and Ben entered. Dean scrambled to exit out of the browser and cover the open jeans with his t-shirt. Reality crashed down on him. There was his family. There was his beta girlfriend and her son...his boy whether by blood or not. “H-hey, honey. How was work?”
“It was good. How was your day, Dean?” she asked, walking over to the desk in the den.
“It was-it was a day,” he answered, tilting his head to allow her to kiss his cheek.
“What’s this?” Lisa asked, pulling open the half-closed desk drawer. She gasped and slammed the drawer closed when she saw the magazine. “I cannot believe you!” she snapped.
“Come on, Lees, it’s just a Playboy,” Dean defended.
“‘Just a Playboy’? Dean, you’re living with a teen boy now! You can’t have this stuff! You can’t expose him to-”
Dean scoffed and stood, looking down into her eyes. “Lisa, I promise you that boy knows about porn and knows how to find the good stuff online. My Playboy is probably too tame for him.”
“How dare you? Ben would never-”
“Yeah? Check his browser history.” Dean rolled his eyes and stepped around her, walking out of the house and to the garage. He grabbed the cover and pulled it up just enough to open the door and climb into the front seat of the Impala. He took a minute to let a wave of nostalgia roll over him at the feel and smell of his baby before he settled back, legs kicked out and jeans shimmied down enough to pull his cock out.
He closed his eyes and wrapped his fingers around his base. He could see Y/n in his mind. He could hear her laugh. He could see her smile, the way her eyes lit up when he said her name. He started moving his hand up and down his length as he remembered the way Y/n looked at him the first time he sunk his dick into her.
He ran his thumb across the head and gasped as he remembered her digging her nails into his shoulder muscles, how innocent she sounded when she said ‘I think you can go faster’, the way she whimpered with every thrust, the way she wrapped her legs around his waist and babbled his name, the way she whispered ‘harder’ and thanked him when he grabbed her white wood headboard and started pounding into her like the alpha he was. He wanted nothing more than to knot her, but she couldn’t take it.
She could take it now. He wanted to fill her and knot her and make her scream. He wanted to hear her moan and giggle and gasp and-
His breath caught as cum shot out of his cock, splashing over his hand. He gasped in a breath before another stream of semen left him. “Fuck.” Dean fucked himself through his climax until there was absolutely nothing left for him to give and then he slumped into the leather.
He was suddenly filled with despair. He found her. His omega, the one that got away, the one woman his mind returned to in quiet moments. He found her, but she was in the San Fernando Valley in California and he was in Cicero...with Lisa and her boring, normal life. Lisa and her son that she coddled. Beta Lisa that sent him away when he went into rut, who would never be able to take a knot. He loved that Lisa took him in, nursed him back from the brink of breakdown, but the yearning he had pushed down since he was sixteen years old was now back with a burning vengeance.
And there was nothing he could do about it.
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The Kitchen Sink - @emoryhemsworth @flamencodiva @wasabiwitteks @rainbowkisses31 @rissbennett @mariekoukie6661 @officiallyunofficialperson @dolphincliffs @mrs-meghan-winchester @gayspacenerd @foxyjwls007 @ilovefanfic86 @marvelfansworld @f-yeahfandoms @wonderlandfandomkingdom @hhiggs @sev3nruby @hobby27 @paintballkid711 @divadinag @thewhiterabbit42 @fantasymyth-1 @queenoftheunderdark @cosicas-cuquis @superfanficnatural @letsby @supernatural-bellawinchester @onethirstyunicorn @swinchester27 @chalicia @sunnyroadtrips @screechingartisancashbailiff @death-unbecomes-you
Hunter Tags - @atc74 @sandlee44 @spnbaby-67 @kalesrebellion @tumbler-tidbits @hoboal87 @stoneyggirl @kbl1313 @cookiechipdough @mrswhozeewhatsis @winchesterxfamilybusiness @holylulusworld @pretty-fortune @screechingartisancashbailiff @we-are-all-a-bunch-of-idjits @imperiusimpala
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#cassie writes stuff#spn fanfic#reader-insert#a/b/o dynamics#alpha!dean#omega!reader#lisa braeden#pining#pornstar!reader
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Bewitching Hour
Summary: October has been a blissfully busy month. With Halloween around the corner, Arthur and Y/N have some planning to do.
Warnings: Swearing
Words: 4,665
A/N: Special thanks to @hhandley80 for this request! You've been so supportive and sweet. I truly appreciate you and hope you enjoy it!
On a side note, my oneshots will be more sporadic. I'm still writing but life has been life. Also, I've finished the first draft of another multi-chapter featuring Arthur and Y/N. It's going to take time to rewrite the subsequent drafts and edit, edit, edit. The chapters will go up once the story is ready. Thanks for your patience and support! 🙂 I heart you all!
If you have any thoughts or questions, please comment, feel free to message me, or send me an ask!
Arthur's suggestion that they make plans to celebrate Halloween should not have been a surprise. He loved starting traditions with Y/N, and she prized adopting them with him. "It's been awhile," he'd said as they'd walked arm-in-arm to the laundromat. "I think it'd be nice."
Holidays had been a source of merriment most of her life. The beauty of red and green decorations at Christmas. Turkey and mashed potatoes at Thanksgiving. An egg hunt and chocolate rabbit at Easter. The togetherness of family during them all.
Halloween, though, wasn't a favorite.
As a child, she'd had fun trick-or-treating, riding her bike from house to far-flung house. And she hadn't minded escorting her little sister as a teenager. Y/N's homemade witch costume had been passed down. She could still recall the sleekness of the ribbon between her fingers as she'd secured the pointed hat under Mabel's chin.
But the magic had fallen away. When married to Jeff, she'd had to attend his boss's annual party. After receiving an apologetic shrug and kiss, she'd be relegated to hanging out with the other wives. They'd included her in their recipe swaps, in their exchanges of mild gossip. Her natural friendliness made chit-chat easy, far easier than having a good time. Those evenings had been spent nursing a glass of wine and willing the clock to go faster.
During the period she'd cared for her father, she'd tried to hand out candy. She liked being a good neighbor and imparting kindness in the form of bite-sized sweets. As his health had declined, the porch light had gone dark. Random rings of the doorbell would result in shouting and swearing. Repeated attempts to explain the door's lock wasn't broken. Festivity would transform into drudgery. It hadn't been worth the trouble. Instead, she'd watched terrible TV specials while her thoughts wandered to a future far from Boonville. A future she'd doubted would ever be.
"I don't know if it's your thing," Arthur had continued, bringing her back to the present. "But you might enjoy it with me." The response he longed for was evident in the worrying of his pocket, outlines of his knuckles visible through the tan cloth.
Everything they'd experienced together had soothed the sting of those wasted years. The hesitancy lurking in her was silly. Unwelcome. Less than either of them deserved. She'd met his keen eyes and half-smile. The sudden mental image of him dressed as a cowboy or pirate, eyepatch and all, prompted a laugh. Convinced her as she dug out her dry-cleaning stub. "It isn't my thing," she'd said. "But you are."
Relief had relaxed his wrinkles, save for his crows feet, which had deepened as he'd returned her happy expression. A slender arm wrapped around her waist, drew her against his solid frame. Once the clerk disappeared through the swinging doors to retrieve their clothes, Arthur grasped her chin and kissed her. The tender explorations were soon sloppy, and she'd giggled, his enthusiasm becoming her own. Their noses had met, his lashes resting on his wide cheekbones. "I think you're the sweetest treat, Mrs. Fleck."
Currently, Donahue's Department Store, Gotham's number one retail emporium (if the ads were to be believed), was bustling with last-minute shoppers. Weary mothers escorted their babbling children through the aisles. Clerks swapped out displays for the changing blue light specials. Lines went for yards. Patricia and Y/N sought refuge at a corner table in the café on the top floor. The warm glow from the pendant lamps provided a relaxed ambience, one that matched the hot cider and pumpkin spice cake they were savoring.
"I've got my grandson on Sunday," Patricia said between bites. "My daughter's going to a party with a medical records tech from Gotham General. Met him when she missed the bus. They split a cab and hit it off." Chuckling, she lifted her mug. "Speaking of, how's married life been so far?"
Memories of the past week quickened Y/N's heart, until she thought it might stop. How Arthur had gripped her replacement Social Security card, just to read her new name. The way he'd grab her for a twirl whenever they were in the kitchen. The reverence in his gaze when they'd lay together after sex, a look that both thrilled and made her blush. "The bills for his medication and appointments will no longer make us cringe," she deadpanned. She lowered her fork. "When we met, I was kind of blindsided - I'm not the type to fall in love quickly." The corners of her lips tugged up. "Being married to Arthur feels like a habit. A habit I should have learned twenty years ago."
"I'm glad you found each other." Patricia reached across the light brown table and covered Y/N's hand, gave it a squeeze. Then she wiped frosting from her mouth and nodded in the direction of the escalator. "Now let's find a costume that'll drive him nuts."
Beyond the colorful cosmetics and pungent perfume counters, they sorted through racks of vinyl smocks and plastic masks. Pop culture icons and princesses. Vampires and spooks. Knockoffs of classic movie monsters. Most were poorly made and decidedly uninteresting. Y/N pawed through accessories in a nearby basket, a cigar here, a patched hat there. "How about a hobo? I could steal Arthur's tie."
"This was his idea. Give him something a little exciting." After a roll of Y/N's eyes, Patricia held out a plastic display bag. "Found it."
The white font on its blue label declared she should "Create a unique look!" A woman in a leopard-print leotard and bow-tie wore black cat ears and a tail, the only two items included in the set. Y/N's nose wrinkled. "I don't think so, Patricia." She rummaged through another bin and examined a hockey mask. "I don't show a lot of skin."
"You show Arthur." Patricia ignored Y/N's glare, continuing to shove it at her. "Every man loves a woman dressed as a cat. Our next lunch is on me if I'm wrong."
Patricia could be relentless, but Y/N had to admit she was usually right. She arched a brow as she eyed the costume. Maybe she could find a solid body suit instead of animal print. The kit was only $2.98. And her friend had made it a challenge. "You're on. But I'm not wearing a bow-tie." She crossed her arms across her chest and tapped her mouth. "Your turn. Would Robert like you as a French maid or a go-go dancer?"
~~~~~
It was a busy season for performers. Arthur remembered HaHa's talent agency being booked solid for October by the end of August. Myriad functions at nursing homes, parties, and children's organizations took place throughout the city. Amusement Mile had a series of special events, allowing Arthur to work extra hours before the slowness of winter dragged in. Once the holiday was over, he'd buy make-up and props on clearance.
He'd always assumed he would like Halloween - if he'd had the chance to celebrate it properly. It was about connection, something he'd never managed. The customs gave him a pretense, a template to meet people, rather than leaving him wondering how to go about it. Provided a hiding place for his seeming inability to act normal.
Recollections of the day were few but vivid. When he'd been around eight, there'd been a party at school. The teacher had made brownies and given the students a half-hour respite from lessons. (A welcome relief, since he wasn't very good at most of them.) But he hadn't had a costume. Hadn't known how to reply when the other kids asked where it was. Not wanting to be left out, he'd pocketed a watercolor pallet and sneaked to the bathroom.
The teacher (he wished he could remember her name) had walked in as he'd smeared green and blue on his face, a pathetic attempt at a turtle. Fear of punishment had caused his laughter. But her kindness as she knelt, wiped away tears and pigment with a scratchy, brown paper towel, had calmed him. "Wait here," she'd instructed. It had taken all his courage not to run home.
After some minutes, she'd returned, an old white sheet in one hand, black marker and pair of scissors in the other. "The nurse won't miss this." She'd traced eyeholes, helped him cut them out. She'd asked questions. About his mother and what it was like at home. Questions he was at a loss for how to answer. Finally, she'd draped the cloth over his head. "There," she'd declared. "Gotham Elementary has its own ghost."
Even as he'd gotten taller and the sheet no longer went beyond his knees, that costume had remained his go-to. He'd venture out to the rest of his building, knocking on paint-chipped doors and pushing broken buzzers. Having learned to stay away from doors that yelling or funny smells emanated from, he hadn't gotten a lot of candy. What he had collected he'd shared with Penny. The wax lips became a free toy. He wasn't sure his memory of startling his mother and being tickled until he couldn't breathe was real or imagined.
At twelve, he was told he was too old to go trick-or-treating. He'd starting scrounging for change to buy hard candies at Helm's Pharmacy. They weren't particularly appetizing, but they'd been what he could afford. Only a few kids rang, a number that dwindled further every year. Most neighbors kept their distance, likely aware he was troubled. Cinnamon discs and butterscotch drops had loitered around the apartment for months. He'd sucked on them in an attempt to cut down on his smoking, just to save money. It hadn't worked.
Y/N hadn't spoken about the holiday, not the way she had other special occasions. At first, he'd thought it had slipped her mind. Work, planning their honeymoon, completing the red tape required to meld all aspects of their lives had taken up much of their time. But, given her reluctance to talk in detail about her past heartache, he'd come to assume her Halloweens had been unpleasant. He was certain he could change that.
Sitting on the dingy, dark green plastic seat of the train car, he giggled to himself, chest puffing up as he straightened. They'd been man and wife for eight whole days. Movies and songs said love was supposed to be somewhere between serendipitous and fated. A happy accident that was meant to be. Lying awake at night, he would find himself wondering where they were on that scale. If the emotions swirling through him - the excitement of belonging, the fear of fucking up - were what every newlywed felt. Then Y/N would snuggle closer in her sleep, murmur nonsense into his skin, and for a few minutes he'd be at peace.
Years had been spent trying to figure out who he was. Trying to find an identity, his role within the world. While he was still searching, it had been far easier to become accustomed to the role of "husband" than he'd dreamed.
Teaching his wife about events across the city had been a delight. Gotham Village's Annual Costume Extravaganza was a parade that went all the way to Gotham Square. He'd participated a couple of times, never formally registering but slipping into the clown section. It had been exhilarating. Had allowed him to pretend, for a little while, that he was being seen. That the crowds lining the sidewalks were cheering for him. Signs for extravagant balls were plastered on billboards and lampposts throughout the streets; he'd have gladly attended and shown her off. A haunted house was being held in a building in his old neighborhood, a fundraiser for the orphanage. He hadn't brought that up.
In the end, once he'd explained trick-or-treaters went from apartment to apartment, they'd decided on a cozy evening at home. The details had been left to her. Whatever she'd plan, he'd love it. He wondered what she'd disguise herself as. Would she be a sexy devil or nurse, like he'd seen on a sit-com? The notion sparked a fire in his cheeks.
Given how busy he'd be, he'd stay dressed as plain, old Carnival. Part of him regretted accepting two gigs, especially on a Sunday. He would have preferred her company. But he wanted to put the money towards the wedding band he'd put on layaway. (Even though they had one account, he wasn't going to let her chip in for it.) He should already be wearing it for all of Gotham to see.
The lurch of the subway prompted him to rise and grasp the pole grip. His stance widened as it came to a halt, knees bending with the instinct of a man who'd ridden public transportation since he was a boy. As soon as the graffiti-covered doors parted, he stepped out onto the platform and ascended the stairs, eager to share his new insurance information with Dr. Ludlow.
~~~~~
Scratchy violins and the hum of a theremin. Shrill shrieks and cracks of thunder. A cackle resounded, then a pipe organ, playing a melody in a minor key.
There was no doubt about it. Halloween spirit had saturated 4A.
NCB's Movie Marathon Mayhem had begun at 10:00 AM. Y/N had had it on since getting out of the shower, hoping to catch a horror classic while she decorated the apartment and prepared Bloody Mary mix. As she hung cotton batting between the television's rabbit ears, creating a long, narrow spider-web, she realized they were only playing cheesy B-movies. Giant insects threatening buildings. Science experiments gone wrong. Alien invasions. Oh well. At least she wouldn't have to pay much attention to get the gist of the plots.
The orange plastic platter, black bats along its edges, had been an impulse buy. She thought its array of sugary skeletons, candy bracelets, and Jolly Jack chocolate bars would be well received. But having seen only one or two kids in the lobby, she had no idea how many children lived in their building. She hoped she'd bought enough.
The cardstock window decorations she'd found were festive and matched Arthur's sweet nature. One portrayed a warted, green witch flying on a broom past a full moon. On the other, a ghost and mouse shared a pillowcase of candy and wished a "Happy Halloween." She held the tape dispenser between her teeth as she stuck them to their white front door.
Just then, the elevator dinged. Glancing to her left, she saw Arthur stroll down the cheerfully lit hallway. Buoyant expression on him, despite his white, blue, and red make-up being streaked from sweat. Striped prop bag on his shoulder and carved pumpkin cradled in his arms. "The store owner was going to throw it out," he explained with a half hug. "But he let me have it as a tip."
Classic, triangular eyes evoked the annual carving contest her parents had taken part of back home. Her father had been well-known in the community, being the town's only doctor. Entering the competition had been expected. They'd never won but enjoyed it all the same. Y/N had picked out the patterns and scooped out the squash's slimy innards. Her mother had baked the seeds. Peals of their laughter echoed in her ears, and a lump formed in her throat.
She swallowed hard against it. Dammit, Y/N. Get it together. This was supposed to be a special night for Arthur and her. She needed to distract herself. One of his curls peeked out from under his bald-cap and green wig. She twirled a strand around her finger. "With that toothy grin, it just might be your twin," she said. He pecked her temple, the kiss sticky from greasepaint. She lit the half-melted candles using his red lighter and put the jack-o-lantern just outside their door.
While he freshened his paint in the bedroom, she slinked into the bathroom to change. Arthur's and her routines were closely aligned; keeping her costume hidden had not been easy. The headband holding the furry cat ears was quite stiff, its teeth a tad sharp on her scalp. Once it was in place, she hid it under her hair. The lint on her form-fitting stretch top and leggings reminded her why she rarely wore all black. She retrieved her brown eyeliner from the nearby shelf and started in on her whiskers.
Arthur's footsteps neared, heavy due to his clown shoes, and Y/N turned to lean back on the sink. His thin lips parted as he scanned her body, forehead furrowed in pleasant surprise. His reaction planted a seed of bliss in her belly, one that bloomed every second they regarded each other. The lunch she'd have to spring for was well worth the pink shells of his ears. Eventually, she held out the fluffy, wired tail and a safety pin. "Would you pin this just below my waistband?"
Fingers grazing hers, he took it and sat on the toilet lid. He cupped her hips and pulled her closer, positioned her until the dampness of his breath hit a bare sliver of her back. "Hold still," he murmured, his voice sending a tingle through her. At his gentle ministrations, the spandex of her leggings felt snugger. "Did you- Did you read my journal?"
A faint click of metal as the pin closed. "No." She colored the tip of her nose, frowned at how lackluster the shade was. "I'd never do that. Even if I'm dying for a preview of your material. Why?"
"No reason." A soft huff, his shy smile clear in his answer. "I have an idea." He handed her a washcloth and hurried out of the room. She was patting her face dry when he returned, a fine tipped brush and pot of black greasepaint in his hand. "This'll look better."
Her brow arched. She'd only had her make-up done once; Patricia had invited her when they'd first met. Such an outing was not her preference, but Y/N had accepted, being new in town and wanting to learn about her colleague. There'd been champagne at the counter, which she'd sipped until she'd spent too much on eyeshadow and apricot scrub. The next morning, she'd put the products and a note on Patricia's desk: "I'll never forgive you. Thanks!"
The heat radiating from Arthur prompted her to close the gap between them. She craned her neck towards him, slid her palms to his yellow vest until she held him just below his ribs. His forefinger curled under her chin, lifted it slightly and angled it to the right. The cool, wet brush met her fevered skin. The dusty smell of the greasepaint blended with a whiff of stale cigarette smoke and traces of his sweat. She licked her lips.
The vibration of his chuckle was felt before heard. "I really like your costume," he said lowly. Two more ticklish caresses of the bristles on the apple of her cheek. "If you're not careful, I might werewolf and go wild."
She stretched closer to him, the fervor in his tone going straight to her center. Though he'd been growing bolder, his cocky side wasn't often revealed. She wanted it, thirsted to see more of the wild horse kicking inside him. Her touch ran over his chest, until she dipped under his black suspenders and pulled. "Are you going to gobble me up?"
Teasing strokes on her nose. "Maybe." Then his thumb whispered along her jaw and guided her face upwards. His kiss was supple, slow, a drag of his mouth as his tongue sought entry. She yielded, the simmer of anticipation bringing her to her toes. He groaned deeply and palmed her thigh, then fondled the curve of her rear-
The ding-dong of the doorbell halted them. He lifted his head and laughed, gaze sparkling. "I got paint on you."
She twisted in his arms and looked in the mirror. The whiskers caught her eye, embellished at the ends with dainty curlicues - his skill never ceased to impress her. Red brightened her lips and streaks of white were on her cheek. "It's all right. They'll just know I've been necking with a clown."
~~~~~
The sound of the bell continued. Over and over and over. More than it ever had in Otisburg. There were mummies, ghosts, a couple of skeletons. A superhero proudly displayed his red cape and blue tights, and a kid in her karate robe went on about her yellow belt. A tiny clown, too young to walk, was brought by her sister. As Arthur made funny faces, the baby cooed and tried to take his red, foam nose. Arthur parted with it gladly.
Only one member of the Wayne family appeared, slicked back hair and pompous pout making the disguise complete. The man accompanying the boy introduced himself as their upstairs neighbor and shook their hands. After one look at Y/N, he nudged Arthur's bicep. "So, she's the one keeping half the building up at night. Good on you, pal." Arthur blinked in confusion as she ushered the guy away, red-faced and muttering about his nerve.
Arthur was overly generous, giving out fistfuls of sweets while taking a few extra seconds to gather his nerves and compliment the costumes he liked best. It felt good to interact with strangers without constantly second guessing himself. Y/N would rub his arm or kiss his shoulder and tell him what a great job he was doing. "Kids are easy," he said, refilling the candy dish. But he reveled in her praises, anyway. And the knowledge that meeting the neighbors was going well.
Clean-up required little effort. The jack-o-lantern sat on their kitchen table, flames flickering as the wicks burned away. The door decor was packed safely for use next year. His plaid blazer was slung over the back of a dining chair and his wig was off. Y/N's decision to leave her whiskers on pleased him - she made a damn sexy cat. He pocketed the last few pieces of candy to snack on during the remainder of the evening.
The Sunday Night Special Presentation she'd picked out, a made-for-TV horror movie, began at 9:00 PM on GBC. Most of its airtime was punctuated by her tipsy snickers and legal wisecracks, which was typical when they watched something stupid. Yet, as the show went on, she grew quieter, barely speaking between sips of her third cocktail. As they sat on the sofa, her posture stiffened. Forearms crossed over her breasts. Her nails dug into her upper arm.
The change started two-thirds of the way into the show, when the plot about a doll running amok twisted into a story about a professional woman trying to assert herself against the demands of her mother. Against the expectations of availability. To fight for the simplicity of having dinner and peace and quiet. It resonated with him, which felt weird. Especially when the film cut to black, the implication being the mother would meet a violent end at the hands of her possessed daughter.
A cheerful jingle came on. Puerto Rico was a direct flight from Gotham Airport, it advertised, a flight that lasted "two hours and fifteen tropical minutes." They should get out while the weather was still good. The juxtaposition of mood broke him out of his ponderings. He flicked off the blaring television with the remote. Then he heard Y/N sniffling.
She set her glass on the coffee table, a slight tremble in her hand. "I need some air," she whispered as she rose, then went out onto the fire escape.
Arthur rubbed his thigh and pressed his lips together. He wasn't used to seeing her cry. Not from sadness. Should he follow her? Give her time? Both had worked previously, depending on the situation. But he wasn't sure what had upset her, what situation they were in now.
Exhaling sharply, he grabbed her glass and dumped the rest of the drink down the kitchen sink. Rinsed their dinner plates and put the slow cooker in the fridge. When he'd finished making decaf coffee ten minutes later, she still hadn't returned. He ambled towards the ajar glass door and stepped out.
Moonlight outlined her shapely figure and reflected off her hair, the silver a contrast to the orange glow of the streetlamps illuminating her face. Her stare seemed fixated on the street below. He followed it to see a group of ghouls and goblins spraying shaving cream on a shop window. A couple, one he'd see occasionally when out for a cigarette, walked down the sidewalk. A woman was half-carrying a drunk man towards a bus stop.
Upon clearing her throat, Y/N spoke. "I may not look like it, but I had a great time with you tonight. The movie just got to me." Relieved, Arthur sidled next to her, wrapped his arm about her back. Her head fell to his shoulder and she smoothed her hand over his stomach. "I don't mean to hide from you. Someday you'll know the details of my earlier life." She scoffed. "When I'm ready to think about them." He entwined their fingers and kissed her hairline, avoiding the wired tips of her cat ears.
Shivering, she took a shaky breath. "There are no skeletons in my closet. Only disappointments." Her voice cracked as she beamed at him, cupped his cheek, and pressed her face to his. "Knowing I'd get to have you would have made those years so much easier."
He held her tightly, massaging between her shoulders. She'd been speaking about herself, but he couldn't help thinking it was about him, too. His years with Penny. His stints in Arkham. The loneliness, the isolation, the endless anger and yearning to be more than a speck of dirt no one cared for. His journal was full of questions about where the hell his one and only was. If he'd known she'd be real, tangible instead of a figment, would existence have hurt less?
Wincing, he tried to push through those thoughts. To focus on her instead of himself. What mattered was that Y/N needed him. Perhaps a joke would cheer her. "I was thinking the other night of how easy it is to smile around you," he said. "You tickle my funny bone." Amusement bubbled in her throat, music to his ears. She released a contented sigh and nuzzled the crook of his neck.
Peaceful stillness ensued as the minutes passed. Though the breeze was chill, goosebumps forming on his pale skin, her affection kept his heart warm. His fingertips rubbed circles into her lower back, and she offered a pleasured hum. Across the way, footsteps pounded. He glanced to see a kid darting up the street, plastic pumpkin pail in tow. The boy's scream was filled with boundless energy: "Happy Halloween, Gotham!"
Snorting, Y/N took Arthur's hand and led him inside. The cheap tail she wore bounced with every exaggerated swivel of her hips. "I've behaved all evening, which your werewolf comment made extraordinarily difficult." She looped her arms around him and flashed a come-hither stare. "May I have a goodie?"
The scrape of her nails on his scalp coiled a knot in his abdomen. "Aren't you supposed to say 'trick-or-treat?'" he asked huskily.
"Your pussycat needs a petting or two." She closed the bedroom door behind them. "Maybe even a mauling."
His brows shot up on a hitched giggle. Then he palmed her hip while she started in on his buttons. Before she got too far, he traced a whisker with the pad of his thumb. Let their foreheads meet and pecked her eyelids. "Only if you give me something good to eat." He pressed into her, his enjoyment relentless, not waiting for her reply before devouring her mouth.
~~~~~
Tag list (Let me know if you want to be added!): @harmonioussolve, @howdylilflower, @sweet-nothings04, @stephieraptorr, @rommies, @fallenstarsabyss, @gruffle1, @octopus-plasma, @tsukiakarinobara, @arthur-flecks-lovely-smile, @another-day-in-chuckletown, @hhandley80, @jokerownsmysoul, @mrscarnival
#arthur fleck#arthur fleck fanfic#arthur fleck x reader#arthur fleck x ofc#arthur fleck x female reader#joker 2019#watchwhathappens
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LGBTQIA+ Historical Romance Novels for Winter, Hanukkah, Solstice, and Christmas 2019 - Updated Dec 17th!
A Very Surrey SFS Christmas by Nicola Davidson (m/f, m/m, f/f, bisexual, and poly)
- Welcome to the Surrey Sexual Freedom Society - where unconventional and uninhibited ladies and gentlemen discuss all matters erotic…
It’s Christmastide in Surrey, and the Society members have gathered at Lady Portia and Denham’s estate to host a magnificent masked ball. Alas, not everything is going quite to plan, as a curmudgeonly duke, England’s naughtiest cat, a viscount with writer’s block, two newborns, and some colorful local residents conspire to turn order into chaos. But with those you love all things are possible, and it wouldn’t be A Very Surrey SFS Christmas without madcap mischief, banter, and a whole lot of wicked fun…
This series of extended epilogues include Beatrice and Amelia, Madeline and Ethan, Clayton, Susanna, and Joseph, Lady Portia and Denham, and Fairfield.
Please note this book contains explicit language and sexual content.
Peter Cratchit’s Christmas by Drew Marvin Fraye
- Peter Cratchit, a young lad preparing to make his way in the world, is the eldest son of Scrooge’s lowly clerk Bob Cratchit. Peter flourishes under the tutelage of his “Uncle” Scrooge and seeks to make his mark as a man of business, like his uncle before him.
One Christmas Eve, as Scrooge lays dying, Peter embarks on a risky ocean voyage that he believes will secure the future for his family. Onboard, Peter finds love, happiness, and success, only to lose it all by the voyage’s end. Returning to London, Peter shuns his family and instead finds himself living on the streets, haunted by his failures and his dead lover, selling his body just to survive while he waits for the winter cold to claim him once and for all.
But winter snows also mean Christmas is coming, and for the Cratchit family, Christmas is a time of miracles. Can a visit from three familiar spirits change Peter’s life again? Is there one more miracle in store for the lost son of one of Dickens’ most enduring families?
Yuletide Treasure by Eliot Grayson
- There’s not enough Yuletide spirit in the world to fix this holiday disaster…
Eben Sypeman’s world is falling apart. It’s two days before Yule and his business partner is dead, leaving behind empty accounts and looming bankruptcy. And if that isn’t bad enough, his patron goddess is irritated with him. It seems she’s tired of his tendency to mince words and avoid conflict. She’s insisting—quite forcefully—that he start being totally honest with everyone, including himself. Divinely enforced honesty couldn’t have come at a less opportune time, especially when his clerk’s tall, dark and distractingly handsome son enters the picture.
The last thing on Tim Pratchett’s mind is romance. All the former soldier wants is to fill in for his sick father at work and recover from his war wounds in peace. But there’s something about the grumpy Eben that confounds and entices him in equal measure. Their timing couldn’t be worse. They’re complete opposites. And yet … none of that matters when he’s with Eben.
But if Eben and Tim have any hope of finding their very own happily ever after, they’ll have to survive a dickens of a truth curse and the machinations of a trickster goddess—all while searching for enough yuletide treasure to save them all.
A joyous, relaxing Yule indeed. Bah, humbug.
This is an M/M romance with explicit scenes, a voyeuristic pagan goddess, and an odious nephew. Despite any other possible similarities to A Christmas Carol, there are neither ghosts nor geese, but readers can expect a happy ending and at least one use of the word “dickens.”
The Stonecutter Earl’s First Christmas by Adella Harris
- Nathan Fitzroy hates the holidays. Estranged from his family for refusing to marry, he’s still expected to keep up appearances, which means attending their holiday celebrations. And that means that, from the beginning of December until the middle of January, he needs to find work that will let him take off almost as many days as he works there. For him, that means working at a molly house called the Goat’s Horn.
Owen Landon was quite content to be a stone cutter. It was what he’d trained for, and it earned him enough money to pay his brother’s school fees and still live comfortably enough in a cottage in their village. He’d always been told his father was distantly related to nobility, but he’d never thought much of it, until a solicitor came to tell him he was the new Earl of Morebrook, a position he has no idea how to fill.
One night in December, when Owen can’t stand his new role another moment, he sneaks away to the seediest molly house he can find, the Goat’s Horn, for a distraction. And find one he does, a beautiful fellow with just the accent and bearing he’s supposed to be learning. When he sees the man again away from the molly house, he comes up with a plan to both spend more time with him and learn to be an earl. Owen offers him a position tutoring him before the start of the Christmas parties he’s supposed to attend.
Nathan’s worst nightmare comes true when one of the clients of the Goat’s Horn recognizes him outside of the molly house. But the man offers him a position that will allow him to earn money away from the Goat’s Horn until Christmas. If only he can remember he’s supposed to be tutoring the fellow, not bedding him, and certainly not falling in love with him.
A steamy Christmas romance with hints of Pygmalion.
Approx. 50,000 words, 200 pages
Tinsel and Spruce Needles holiday series by Elna Holst (f/f and f/non binary MCs, MCs with disabilities !!!!!)
Candlelight Kisses
- Malmö, Sweden, 1994
Erika Stolt is a feminist activist, and not one of the slick, lipstick lesbian variety. She’s the kind who trashes beauty contests, who graffitis her own subversive messages over commercial billboards, and who fucks people mainly as a political statement. But then a community service sentence lands her a spot as the unlikely new assistant of one of the candidates for the Malmö Lucia contest, and the world as she knows it is promptly turned on its head.
Little X
- Malmö, Sweden, 1996
Sofie Andersson is a dyslectic born under the star sign Aries, who drives the local buses for a living. Her hobbies include knitting terrible hats and intermittent lesbianism. This December she is on the point of moving into her first flat of her own, figuring out her place in the world, when an instant attraction to a handsome stranger leads her to question everything she’s taken for granted.
Wild Bells
- Lund, Sweden, 1998
Mia Andersson is not a nice person. She is a sharp, sensational-looking, aloof lawyer-to-be, and the busiest sapphic player in town. Mia Andersson takes no prisoners, tells no tales, and if you gave her your number, chances are she won’t call. But this holiday season, at age twenty-seven, wheels that are out of her control have been set in motion, and it looks like she might just get caught in the spin.
February and December: Dominus Calendar Series I (Volume 1) by JP Kenwood
- As a lifelong passion continues to fade, another love deepens… two stand-alone m/m stories of love, lust, and friendship in ancient Rome featuring characters from JP Kenwood's Dominus series. February: Home from the first war against the kingdom of Dacia, Gaius Fabius ignores his obligations in Rome and returns to his secluded seaside villa in southern Italy. Under the pretense of a holiday trip, his best friend and secret lover, Lucius Petronius, surprises him with an unexpected visit. Later that evening, the lusty masters share the delights of Gaius’s blond pleasure slave, Nicomedes. December: With whispers of an embezzlement scandal floating through the capital, Lucius Petronius and his beloved concubine, Bryaxis, celebrate the raucous winter solstice festival of the Saturnalia with Luc’s family. After a joy-filled evening of food, gifts, and stories, Lucius and Bryaxis reverse roles in the master chamber. Warnings for explicit language, filthy loving, and daft shenanigans.
Christmas for a Vampire by Ruby Moone
- Because even Vampires deserve a second chance.
Companion story to The Christmas Curse.
Recently turned vampire Ellis Davenport faces another dismal Christmas. His new life is filled with riches but is cold, lonely, and empty. Refusing to acknowledge his vampire self or to participate in any kind of vampire society, he skirts the edges of that world and has done so since the man he loved chose death rather than spend eternity with him.
As far as Ellis is concerned, Quinn Fordham died on the battlefield in Badajoz. But, as he circulates at yet another tedious Christmas party, he hears piano music, someone playing the Moonlight Sonata like Quinn used to play for him. Entranced, he finds his lover but just as their lips touch, Quinn disappears.
Before Ellis has time to resolve this odd hallucination, he and his friend Trent sense the approach of Lord Heath, their vampire sire. Yet, before their sire arrives, Ellis is stunned to find Quinn not only alive, but a vampire, and furiously angry with him. Can they move beyond the lie that separated them and find each other again?
Dances Long Forgotten by Ruby Moone - Coming December 19th!
Per Ruby:
Ghosts of past romance
Second chance love
Gentlemen dancing with gentlemen
Long buried family secrets
On Christmas Eve, Dylan, the man of James Pell-Charnley’s dreams, is on the point of walking out. Then they hear the faint strains of a waltz in the library of the empty abbey. The music is said to be heard only by those truly in love, and it gives James the courage to tell Dylan the story.
In December 1841, Lord Hugo Pell-Charnley is in a terrible mess. The youngest son of the late Marquis, youngest brother of the incumbent, never felt to fit. When his life comes crashing down, and his life and his family are threatened, he is forced to face his elder brother and confess his deepest secret. When he arrives at Winsford Abbey he finds he must also confront the shame from his past in the form of Lyndon Cross. The boy he’d loved but betrayed in school.
As they clear the ghosts from the past, they dance in each other’s arms in the library to the soft strains of the waltz, but long buried secrets threaten to destroy their happiness.
Two hundred years later, can those dances long forgotten give James and Dylan the courage to hold on to love?
Hither, Page by Cat Sebastian
- A jaded spy and a shell shocked country doctor team up to solve a murder in postwar England.
James Sommers returned from the war with his nerves in tatters. All he wants is to retreat to the quiet village of his childhood and enjoy the boring, predictable life of a country doctor. The last thing in the world he needs is a handsome stranger who seems to be mixed up with the first violent death the village has seen in years. It certainly doesn’t help that this stranger is the first person James has wanted to touch since before the war.
The war may be over for the rest of the world, but Leo Page is still busy doing the dirty work for one of the more disreputable branches of the intelligence service. When his boss orders him to cover up a murder, Leo isn’t expecting to be sent to a sleepy village. After a week of helping old ladies wind balls of yarn and flirting with a handsome doctor, Leo is in danger of forgetting what he really is and why he’s there. He’s in danger of feeling things he has no business feeling. A person who burns his identity after every job can’t set down roots.
As he starts to untangle the mess of secrets and lies that lurk behind the lace curtains of even the most peaceful-seeming of villages, Leo realizes that the truths he’s about to uncover will affect his future and those of the man he’s growing to care about.
If anything else becomes available, this list will be updated, and the date listed at the top–after the post title.
A Christmas Cotillion by Ellie Thomas
- England, 1820. Bachelor Jonathan Cavendish has become reclusive in the years following a failed romance with the love of his life. In the years following their split, he has thrown all his energy into restoring the small estate he inherited from a great uncle and has put aside any thoughts of romance.
Although he’d rather remain at home alone for the festive season, this year he’s accompanying his cousin Freddy to a Christmas country house party. Freddie seems to be constantly falling in love and, on this occasion, he is infatuated with a young lady called Belinda. Jonathan is asked by Freddy’s anxious mother to accompany him to the house party to keep an eye on the situation, in case the young lady turns out to be an unsuitable choice.
Despite this inauspicious beginning, Jonathan catches the eye of Nick, the handsome son of a local well-to-do farmer, who is a constant presence at the holiday entertainments. Nick is intrigued by Jonathan’s kindness and also by the sadness he hides from public view.
The initial attraction between the men seems to be mutual, but can Nick break through Jonathan’s defences and teach him to love again?
2018′s More Extensive List
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Daffodil for Sith/Pirate!
This is new beginnings for Andronikos and Denravi! This got long, so it’s partially behind a cut. :D
#
“Think we should pick their pockets?” Revel says, looking down at the dead idiots who called themselves the Veil. Why would anyone challenge his girl and think they could live to tell the tale?
“You’re welcome to,” Devravi says, rolling her shoulders. “But I will pass.”
Revel lets out a chuckle as he holsters his blasters. Denravi killed all three of the Veil members without him even needing to take a shot. He’s just about to compliment her when he sees her staring glassy-eyed into the distance.
His stomach clenches; that look means a ghost or two is currently badgering her. Fucking frustrating how he can’t kill a ghost. Or even see the bastards. All he needs is one shot…
“Sith?” he says, trying to bring her back from wherever she just went.
Denravi shakes her head and looks over at him. She really does look so much healthier after Belsavis. Until she stepped out of that machine, he didn’t realize just how bad things had gotten. Now hopefully their upcoming trip to Voss will help just as much.
“Sorry about that,” Denravi says as she looks down at the bodies, wrinkling her nose. “Should we tell someone?”
“Nah, just tell your cult. They might want to strip the cybernetics. Those might be worth something,” Revel says, reaching for her hand. “Now let’s get out of here. I promised you a night out, and I keep my promises.”
The smile that crosses her face is the one that always makes his knees feel like jelly, not that he will ever tell her that. It’s the smile that made him ask if she wanted to get married not too long ago.
Part of him is still a little amazed she said yes.
But the other part knows that the two of them are destined to be together, no matter what the damn galaxy decides to throw at them. And so far, the galaxy has decided to throw them a lot.
They walk out of the cargo room, his arm around her shoulders, her arm around his waist. Now he’s got to rack his brain, because he’s not exactly sure where they should go.
As they enter the promenade, Revel’s eyes dart around, always looking for trouble. When no one seems to be paying attention to them, he says, “What do you say we head to the casino and pretend to be high-rollers for a couple of hours?”
He does a damn good job of keeping Denravi’s finances in good shape, if he says so himself. They can afford to blow some credits on a gaming table if they want to. Might be fun to get a private booth and see what sort of trouble they can get into.
His girl, it seems, has different ideas.
Denravi stops walking. It takes a step or two before Revel realizes she’s no longer holding his hand. She’s staring again, but not the one where ghosts are talking to her.
He follows her gaze to the Nar Shaddaa’s Clerk Office. The office is more like a store-front, with big glass windows and a ridiculous list of services. Not sure why she’d be looking there. “What, you want to finally register your cult?” he asks.
“Not exactly what I was thinking,” Denravi says as she walks up to one of the lists. She points at one, that damn smile of hers sneaking up on him again.
Marriage licenses/ceremonies
Revel doesn’t hesitate. He’s not an idiot. With those ghosts in her head, she could die any day. But fuck it, if she does, she’ll die being married to him, not just engaged.
“Should have known you wouldn’t want a big, fancy wedding,” Revei says, walking up to her. Even though they’re in the middle of the promenade, he puts his arms around her, resting his brow against hers. “You sure about this, Sith?”
He’s not sure why he’s asking. He knows she’s all in, just like him. But even a space pirate needs a little bit of reassurance now and then.
“As sure as I breathe,” she whispers and that’s enough for him.
“Then let’s get married,” Revel says, trying to keep the smile off his face. He does have a reputation to protect, after all.
A bored looking Nautolan sits behind the counter. “Can I help you?”
“How quickly can you get us hitched?” Revel says, squeezing Denravi’s hand.
She looks Denravi then looks at Revel. “Depends on how quickly you can fill out the datawork,” she says, sliding a datapad across the counter.
Revel picks up the pad and together, he and Denravi have it filled out within two minutes. “Done,” Denravi says, handing the datapad back.
“You want the pomp and circumstances?” the clerk asks. She nods at a room to their left. “I’ve got fake flowers and a veil, if you want them. Might still be a couple of rings.”
“I think we’ll pass,” Denravi says. She looks up at him. “I don’t think I need to deal with another veil right now.”
Revel huffs out a laugh. Now he knows she’s feeling better if she’s making dumb jokes. “So what’s next?” he asks the clerk.
The clerk looks at him. “Do you want to marry her?”
“Yeah, I do,” Revel says, looking at Denravi. Only person in the world he’ll ever want to marry.
“And do you want to marry him?” the clerk asks Denravi.
“I do,” Denravi says, her voice soft.
“Then the terms of bonding are now complete. You may now kiss.”
Well, Revel doesn’t need to be told twice. He brings Denravi into his arms and kisses her like they have all the time in the world. Which they don’t, but tonight he’ll let himself believe it.
“That’ll be one thousand credits,” the clerk says.
Denravi starts to laugh and Revel can’t help but join in a bit. Just seeing Denravi happy and healthy and now his wife is a little more than even he can handle.
Revel finds a spare credit chit in his pocket and puts in the amount, with even a tip for the service. “Thanks for the assist,” he tells the clerk. Then he looks at his wife. His wife. “Let’s get out of here, huh?”
Once they’re back on the promenade, Denravi asks, “Do you feel any different? I can’t quite tell.”
“Nah,” Revel says, taking her hand. A couple of spoken words and a form on a datapad isn’t going to really change things. He thinks. “However, we need to change our plans for tonight.”
“Oh really?” Denravi asks, amusement on her face.
Revel starts to lead them to one of the nicer parts of Nar Shaddaa. “We need to find ourselves a hotel,” he says, walking just a bit faster. “Time to celebrate our wedding night.”
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ornaments. [Trixya] - meggie
A/N: It seems only fitting that I sneak a Trixya fic in here considering my very first Drag Race piece was a Trixya Christmas bit I wrote last year.
This drabble comes from a Baker!Trixie/CollegeProfessor!Katya AU that I’m working on and hope to have out sometime in the spring (life permitting). There have been a few snippets for SSS and other things like that, but this is an outtake from way post the end of that story (spoiler alert: it’s a happy ending).
Thank you to beanie (Trixya queen) for being the literal best and reading it over for me (and volunteering to help me with Trixya in general; I’m basically dying of excitement; you don’t even know). You da real MVP and I adore you.
It’s their first tree in their first apartment together.
Of course Trixie just wants to use the three-foot Pepto Bismol pink tinsel tree she’s had since college, but Katya thinks they should buy a new one, a better one, one they can make their own, in a totally gay way.
Katya’s never cared much for Christmas, could honestly take it or leave it most years, but Trixie loves it and she’s been talking about their first Christmas together in their apartment for months, so maybe Katya wants to make it special. She may not feel strongly about Christmas, but she does feel strongly about Trixie and that’s enough to make her want to make it a special holiday.
Katya decides she can live with the pink monstrosity in their bedroom (tucked into the corner where it will make Trixie smile when she wakes up and goes to sleep every night). On the first weekend after Halloween, though, they go to the craft store together and pick out a six-foot, pre-lit white tree and three boxes or ornaments (one box of pink because it’s Trixie’s favorite color; one box of red because it’s Katya’s favorite color; and one box of silver because they feel like it will tie it all together).
It looks a little bit like gay Valentine’s Day threw up on their tree with the multicolored strands of light and all the pink and red, but Katya loves it because it’s something she shares with Trixie, and they sit together on the couch in the glow of the tree every night, pressing kisses into one another’s foreheads.
It’s December 11th and Katya has had just about all she can handle of retail holiday hell when she sees the ornament hanging in the window of the Hallmark store.
She hadn’t even planned to stop at the mall, but there was an amazing sale on Trixie’s favorite makeup brand at Sephora, and Katya knew she could get three times the product if she just sucked it up and stopped by after her last class of the day.
The ornament is blown glass, a delicate pink cupcake base decorate with heaps of even lighter pink icing sparkling with extra fine glitter. It looks almost exactly like the thousands of pink velvet cupcakes that Trixie has placed in the display cases in the year and a half Katya has known (and loved) her. It looks almost good enough to eat.
Katya’s breath catches in her throat and she immediately walks into the store and buys the ornament. She says yes when the clerk asks her if she wants it gift wrapped even though there’s no way she’s waiting until Christmas to give this to Trixie.
*
That night, when they’re snuggled together on the couch, Dolly Parton singing about a “Hard Candy Christmas” in the background, Katya clears her throat and sits up.
“I bought you something today.”
Trixie’s nose crinkles in confusion and she brushes her hair out of her face. “It’s not Christmas for another two weeks.”
“It doesn’t have to be Christmas for me to buy you a present,” Katya says, crossing from her place on the couch and grabbing the small box from her work bag on the entry table.
Trixie blushes a little and smiles as she sits up because Katya knows that she does like being spoiled even though she’ll never admit it.
Katya watches in anticipation as Trixie opens the gift, making short work of the expertly gift wrapped box. She’s gentle, but she’s impatient, so it isn’t long before the box with the ornament placed safely inside is sitting in her palm, and Trixie is gazing at it, her mouth open in a tiny ‘O’ of surprise, her eyes bright.
“Babe…” she whispers in the tree-lit room. “I love it.”
Katya bites back a smile. “I bought myself one too.” She pulls another, unwrapped, box from behind her back. “Yours is a cupcake, mine’s a paint palette. Get it? ‘Cause art. And you’re a baker.”
“I get it.” Trixie nods and looks up from the ornament for the first time. Tears glisten in her wide brown eyes. “Ornaments for the tree that represent us. Because it’s our first Christmas together.”
Katya nods. “I thought we could make sort of a tradition out of it… If you wanted. Like maybe each year we exchange ornaments when we put up the tree? If you want?”
It had seemed like such a good idea in the Hallmark store, with the rows and rows of ornaments spread out in front of her; Katya could have chosen at least ten that perfectly represented Trixie. That’s how she had come up with the idea in the first place. But now that she’s actual said it out loud to her, brought up the idea… She’s doubting everything.
Trixie extends her arms, wraps them tightly around Katya’s neck and pulls her close for a kiss. “That’s the sweetest, most romantic thing I’ve ever heard in my miserable life. I can’t believe a wretched old hag like you thought of something that pure.”
Katya lets out a laugh, chaotic and unbridled, one that only Trixie can bring out of her because she spent so many years hiding that part of herself away.
They kiss again, then Katya takes Trixie’s hand and escorts her to the tree where together they hang their ornaments amidst the amalgamation of red and pink.
“I thought you hated Christmas,” Trixie breathes against Katya’s mouth as they embrace in front of the tree.
Katya shrugs. “I love you. And you know what they say: love changes people. I guess that means even old Grinches like me.”
Trixie smiles. “Did your heart grow three sizes today?”
“Oh, that happened when I met you, baby. Christmas had nothing to do with it. I love you.”
“Love you too.”
#rpdr fanfiction#trixya#trixie mattel#katya zamolodchikova#meggie#lesbian au#fluff#ficmas#day 11: ornaments#submission
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I Just Can't Remember Why We Said Goodbye
Written by: @butrfac14
Rated E for the following triggers: explicit sexual conduct, canon-typical death, infertility, divorce, depression and if you squint real hard suicidal thoughts (thoughts only)
Length: Just under 10,000 words
This submission is based on the following prompt submitted by @sunflowerslyf: prompt 31- Everlark on the brink of a divorce, but then they remember all of the things they’ve gone through, the sacrifices they made for each other, that they can’t live withouth the other and end up not getting the divorce.
A tremendous thank you to @creamytinydays for her beta work on parts one and three of this story, and to @567inpanem for her beta work on parts one and two. These ladies helped me to craft this story into something that I’m really proud to put my name on. Thank you!
Thank you to @sunflowerslyf for the great prompt, and to @javistg and @xerxia31 for putting on another Everlark Fic Exchange. This is my first year to participate, and it’s been a wonderful experience.
Part 1.
She shuts the door to her hotel room before hoisting the backpack over her shoulder and turning to walk across the parking lot. Her destination is only a hundred yards away.
Katniss had arrived at the Oceanside Motel at three o’clock that afternoon for check-in. After collecting the key to room 12 from Mags, the front desk clerk whose deeply lined face bore evidence to the fact that she had spent a lifetime in the sunshine, Katniss had let herself into the room.
Katniss shook her head once she’d set her bag down on the floor. From the faded floral wallpaper down to the worn green carpet, the place looked exactly the same as it had ten years ago, and the irony doesn’t escape her.
It’s good to know that there are some things that haven’t changed.
When she reaches the edge of the parking lot and looks out at the sandy beach, she slips her water bottle out to take a quick drink while surveying the waterfront. To the left is the boardwalk with its weather worn planks. It runs in front of a strip of shops, and there’s an old fashioned arcade on one corner with an open air pavilion anchoring the opposite end.
It sneaks up on her- the memories that come crashing down to engulf her like the riptide, dragging her under until she’s drowning in remembrance.
But all things said, it would be a pleasant way to go, to feel her body flood to capacity with memories of the past, when she was happy.
She wraps her arms around her waist tightly and stares out at the water.
They’d spent their honeymoon in this little beach town. They didn’t have a lot of money when they first were married, and it was close enough to get here by car from the little one-bedroom apartment they were renting in the city.
“I’m sorry,” Peeta told her that night, after shutting the door behind him. It was a small hotel, and there wasn’t anything wrong with the room exactly, it just looked a little dated. Plain. “This place looked a lot nicer online.”
Katniss stepped into him, hugging him tight. “It’s fine, Peeta. We’re here together, and that’s enough. I love it.” Her chest tightened with the need to show him that her words were true. And they were, simply because the two of them were here together. “We can do nicer another time. We’ve got our whole lives.” Smiling broadly, she stood up on her toes to kiss him.
Peeta was one of a select few recipients of her smiles and affections. As a reserved person, it had always been hard for her to open up to people. Her world had mostly consisted of her parents and her sister. But then he came along, and he was so easy to love. His shy smiles and dry humor, his unassuming persona. She’d never met another man like him, always happy to sit back and let her take the lead.
“Hmm, feel free to do that anytime you like.” His eyes scanned her face, seemed to memorize the details of the moment.
“I will.” She teased him, and reached around to squeeze his ass. “You’re all mine now, mister.”
And there were other trips in the following years as they settled into life together. A vacation to Fiji for their eight year anniversary. Cocktails on the beach, white sand and gorgeous views. It had been beautiful in the tropics, but it couldn’t compare to this place. This unassuming little hotel room where they had felt so connected, fresh faced and full of nothing but hope for their future.
The cracks in their marriage had really begun to form after Fiji. The two of them had decided to start trying for a baby once they got home from the luxury vacation. The trip was supposed to symbolize one last hurrah for them before they started a family.
It hadn’t exactly worked out that way.
Maybe that’s why she remembers this place so fondly, as it was a time when the only expectations they had revolved around each other.
A time before negative pregnancy tests and thousands of dollars wasted on fertility treatments.
But she isn’t here to think about that today. Now that it’s almost over, she wants to remember the time that they spent here together, happy and carefree.
It seems important, now that it’s almost over.
With a shrug she releases her burden, and the bag slides off of her shoulders, landing without a sound. Its contents aren’t much, just a stack of papers. But it’s the key to her new life.
A few strokes of the pen and she’s a free woman. The whole process had been easier than it should have been for them. The division of goods accumulated over fifteen years of marriage turned out to be as simple as Katniss taking enough furniture to outfit her new apartment. The only thing that she cared about at that point was getting away from the clusterfuck they’d created together.
They had no savings left, and they both had similarly paying jobs so there was no need for discussions of alimony payments.
Peeta had been so despondent at that point that he barely said a word to her.
The thought of that long-awaited freedom should fill her with relief, but strangely it doesn’t. There is no sense of resolution.
Her only focus has been on getting it over with it, just putting it behind her, since the day the divorce proceedings began. She needs to move on with her life. And that’s why Katniss came here today, to put the last fifteen years of her life behind her.
But not yet.
She isn’t quite ready to move on yet.
Katniss has more to think about before she can sever the tie.
She sinks down onto her knees by the water and closes her eyes, the rush of the water and the feel of the breeze off of the ocean lulling her into a tranquil state. It helps her to block out the hell that is today and the last few years where they slowly fucked everything up.
But right here- her time here with Peeta is still untouched.
Pristine.
The two of them had spent those blissful days exploring the area. Mom and pop stores peddling seashell trinkets and postcards, overpriced sunglasses, and ugly hats. Breakfast at the diner with the old red vinyl seats. The small art gallery that was around the corner from their hotel, the one where they’d picked out the dandelion painting. The simple piece of artwork had reminded her of her new husband, of the hope and renewal that Peeta had brought into her life.
As far as she knows, it still hangs in the living room of their house.
No, not their house. Her heart twinges. Peeta’s house.
Katniss squeezes her eyes shut tighter, like a toddler in the midst of a tantrum. No, no, no. Don’t go there yet.
Everything with Peeta is past fixing, but she can still remember. She can still hold on to a little bit of the happiness, can’t she?
The last appointment at the fertility clinic comes to the forefront of her mind unbidden, the day that the doctor had finally confirmed Katniss’s suspicion that her body didn’t seem to be capable of carrying a baby.
And it had been so stupid of Peeta in that moment to bring up adoption. She was hurting, feeling like a complete failure to him. Her body felt like a worthless sack of flesh that she was stuck with for the rest of her days, and all she wanted to do was go home and find a quiet corner where she could be alone with her misery.
Katniss didn’t want to start a whole new kind of heartache, she just couldn’t do it. Adoption was such a long and difficult process, and there was no guarantee of having a child placed with them in the end. Not only that, there simply wasn’t any money left.
She couldn’t seem to make him understand though, because he wasn’t the problem. There was nothing wrong with him. Peeta had no idea what the tests and treatments had been like for her.
He later admitted that he never should have brought up the idea of adoption to her on the way home from that horrible last appointment at the fertility clinic.
In fact he begged her to forgive him for it after the big fight. But she was just done with it. With everything. Her worst fears had been confirmed, and she was ready to try and put it out of her mind.
But that isn’t what happened. They had screamed at each other that day, vile things that make her die a little inside when she thinks of it now. She told Peeta that she hated him, while his exact words to her were: “Leave if you don’t love me enough to give me what I want.”
Peeta tried like hell in the following days to take it all back. He implored Katniss to talk to him. He tried to tell her that she was enough and that he didn’t need anyone but her.
The worst part was that she believed him. The man that lashed out at her that day wasn’t her Peeta, it was entirely out of character for him to be so cruel. But she was tired of hurting him. Tired of hurting, period.
Tired of what they had done to each other.
The all-consuming drive to conceive had taken over their love life, turning sex into a scheduled task that revolved around her ovulation cycle. In the months leading up to the final prognosis, Katniss found herself steadily putting more and more distance between them in an effort to curb her mounting anxiety. Peeta responded by acting clingy one day and moody the next, alternately smothering her with his presence or being verbally combative.
So two weeks after that last office visit, Katniss told him that she was done. She wanted a divorce.
Peeta begged and pleaded with her. The sight of the tears streaming down his face is burned into her memory and Katniss couldn’t forget it now if she tried. “Don’t you understand that I’m nothing without you? You are woven so deeply into my life… the man I am now doesn’t even exist without you! Please don’t do this.”
But she’d made up her mind. He’d tried to hold her but she moved away, crossing her arms and stepping back, knowing that she wouldn’t be able to walk out the door if he touched her.
This isn’t what I came here to think about.
Katniss opens her eyes and stands up, grasping her backpack as she heads in the direction of the boardwalk. The waterfront is beginning to fill up with a mix of humanity, but one little group catches her eye: a father and mother with two little girls, an older dark haired one and a younger blond. Prepared for a day in the sun, mom carries a bag over her shoulder while dad totes a large blanket, and she hears him tell the girls, “Wait for us, don’t go near the water!”
As they disappear from her line of sight, Katniss feels herself stumble, her head spinning. The sight of that young family, so similar to the one from her childhood memories, brings her back to what had been the worst time of her life. Back to memories that she’d buried deep inside that seem determined to resurface today in one fell swoop, intent on drowning Katniss in her own emotions.
She still can see herself standing outside of Peeta’s apartment on that day she received the terrible news in the gathering darkness, pounding on the door and sobbing, practically clawing at the wood by the time that he answered it. “Katniss…” He trailed off as she collapsed into him. “Baby, what’s wrong?”
“My… my father. My father is gone. Peeta, please.” She couldn’t get out another word as she wrapped her arms around his neck and sobbed. Peeta scooped her up then as if she’d weighed nothing, kicking the door shut with his foot. He cradled her body in his strong arms through the longest night of her life as Katniss cried over the loss of the first man who’d mattered in her life. Her Dad.
Now they were both gone.
One dead.
The other one might as well be.
She sighs deeply. Is there a single thing that she can recall from the last fifteen years that isn’t tied to Peeta?
“The man I am now doesn’t exist without you.”
Katniss realizes exactly what Peeta meant with those words- every detail of her adult life is tied up with his, and she’ll never escape it. The good and the bad.
The love they had should have been worth so much more to her, and she’d simply thrown all of that away like last week’s garbage. How had things become so awful between them that they couldn’t be fixed?
It hits her how much she misses Peeta, how much she misses being happy. Of course she still loves him, she’s never stopped, but it goes even deeper than that. Katniss is staring ahead into the abyss of her future, and she simply can’t see it without him beside her.
Why am I doing this? Katniss had been so sure, so stubborn in her belief that it was for the best, that they could each go back to who they were before. Now she realizes that isn’t even a possibility, because that girl no longer exists.
A sudden, terrifying panic hits her. She hadn’t heard from him in months (Peeta had honored her wishes by leaving her alone)…had he had begun to move on without her? Just the idea of Peeta with someone else made her sick. Katniss would have to shoulder the blame for that one, because she’d vowed to stay with him through the good times and the bad, but ended up pushing him away when things were at their worst.
She’d felt so broken and used up and empty that the only thing she wanted was to get away from him, because she was tired of feeling anything. Period.
Could I fix this?
Katniss takes the short step up onto the walkway. She meanders down the boardwalk, past the pavilion where she’d sat with Peeta on their second night here, listening to a band play covers of 1960’s surf songs. He had taken her hand and pulled her to her feet halfway through the show, and they’d danced under the stars in the balmy night air.
Katniss had laughed and protested,“I can’t dance!” But, he’d ignored her and wrapped one strong arm around her waist, clasping his free hand in hers before tucking her in to his warm body. She gave up fighting him. He’d bent his head down and hummed in her ear as they swayed back and forth to “In My Room.”
She reaches the diner, letting out a quiet laugh as she pulls open the door and walks in. Nothing about this place has really changed, either. Its worn red seats and peeling formica table tops add another layer to the sense that some kind of a time warp has settled over the whole town.
It isn’t a bad thing.
Katniss is lead to one of the empty booths by a smiling girl with corkscrew curls and wide brown eyes. “Hi, I’m Rue.” Her voice is soft, and she grins at Katniss. Katniss feels herself smiling back at her, and despite the fact that she doesn’t look any older than 16 or 17, there is a depth there that belies her youth. “You can look at the menu for a minute if you want, I can just come back. What would you like to drink? We have great iced tea.”
“That sounds good, thank you.” Katniss replies, and watches Rue walk away. There is something about the waitress that reminds her of Prim, despite the fact that her sister is now 30 and in her second year of medical residency.
Katniss just got off the phone with her sister this morning before making the drive, sharing with Prim her plans for this little overnight stay.
Prim had been completely devastated when she heard the news of their pending divorce months ago. While she’d been supportive of Katniss’s decision and understood the feelings behind it, Prim also didn’t hesitate to try convincing her older sister to get in touch with her estranged husband.
Maybe Prim was right. Maybe it shouldn’t have gone this far. Katniss glances over at the backpack tossed onto the seat beside her with a sigh.
What a fucking mess.
She finishes her meal and stays to chat with Rue for a bit. The diner is quiet, and Katniss wants to get to know the girl better because she does remind her so much of Prim.
Rue shares with Katniss the fact that she just graduated from high school, so the two of them have been talking about her plans for college in the fall. “I’m so nervous,” Rue confesses with a giggle, biting at the corner of one thumbnail, “I’ve never really been away from home before.”
“I bet that you’ll really like it,” Katniss takes another sip from her iced tea. The glass is almost empty but she turns down Rue’s offer of a refill. “Just give yourself a chance to settle in. You’re so friendly that I bet your roommates will love you- I don’t think they could help it.”
Rue seems reassured by the advice, and as Katniss leaves the diner she can’t help but feel buoyed up by her time with the younger woman. And, walking further down the beach, she finds a spot that affords her some privacy because she has made her mind up at last.
She’s going to call him. It might be too little too late, Peeta might hate her now, or even just feel ambivalent (that seems even worse). But Katniss has to try at least once before she goes back to her quiet hotel room to sign the divorce papers and drop them in the mail on her way out of town tomorrow, her original plan.
She hits the call button, and there’s no answer. Katniss isn’t exactly sure how she feels as it goes to voicemail. She rubs her hand across her face, listening to the sound of his voice telling her to leave a message. When the phone beeps, Katniss hears herself blurt out the words, “Peeta, it’s me. I don’t know why I called, except that I want to hear your voice. If you want to talk, please call me back. I’m ready.” She ends the call, and drops her forehead down into the palms of her hands. Now what? She can’t move, paralyzed by the very real fear that she could be too late.
The phone rings a minute later, and it startles her so much that she almost drops it before answering the call. “Peeta?” she chokes out his name.
“Katniss?” he says, quietly and with the disbelief that she actually reached out to him evident in his voice. “Are you okay? Is something wrong?”
“Everything is wrong,” her voice breaks, and she feels herself begin to panic. Why did she try to do this over the phone?
Because she’s impulsive and couldn’t wait another minute to speak with him. She struggles to come up with the rest of her words. “I…”
“Katniss.” She closes her mouth and listens to him take a moment to compose himself. “Katniss, please come home. I’m miserable without you.” His voice cracks, and Katniss wishes she was there to see his face. “It’s killing me to stay away from you, and I’m sorry if you don’t want to hear this right now, but I have to tell you…”
“No, Peeta- it’s okay. It’s more than okay. I’m sorry,” she sobs out, and the realization that he’s been missing her as well causes her to crumple with relief, completely wiped out.
“Baby, I’m sorry too. I’m so sorry. But right now I don’t care about any of it. Katniss…” His voice drops again, and his next words are shaky. “All I want to do is hold you. Where are you? Just tell me and I’ll be there. I need to see you.”
They are silent for a minute before she tells him, truly laughing for the first time in months. “Peeta, you’ll never guess where I am.”
It’s nighttime when he finally arrives. She’s been watching from the motel room window, and when the headlights of his car appear Katniss quickly grabs her room key and heads out the door.
After getting off the phone with Peeta that afternoon, Katniss went back to the room to change into her bathing suit and grab a towel. A dip in the water might be the thing to calm her nerves- she’d always loved the ocean. As she closed her eyes and plunged into the water, Katniss felt small, insignificant, realizing that at any moment she could simply let go and be swept away by the current. It wouldn’t be long until she’d be completely forgotten, her body reduced to nothing but a speck on the ocean floor.
Instead of depressing her, the realization is liberating. It makes her feel strangely as if her problems aren’t so insurmountable after all- because what is life but a fleeting moment? She is still here, and Peeta’s still here, so there has to be a chance that they can make it work.
She climbed out of the ocean, some of the underlying tension now gone due to the physical exertion. The rough towel got wrapped around her torso once she’d dried off and had rung the water out of her hair. As the sun sank lower in the sky, she passed the families who were packing up for the day. The lifeguards all climbing down from their stands, gone off duty for the evening after a day in the blistering sun.
She’d even scanned the beach for a sign of the young family that’d reminded her so much of her own childhood, but there was no sign of them. Katniss couldn’t help but wonder where they were staying as she unlocked the door to her room.
Once inside, Katniss picked up the cheap bottle of wine she’d bought at the convenience store that day and poured some into an Oceanside Motel paper cup. She set the it down on the side of the tub to run a bath for herself. Once the tub was filled with warm water, she eased down into it before taking a sip of the wine.
Katniss leaned her head back, struggling to think of something to say to him when he arrived. She wracked her brain for a way to tell him all of the reasons she’s so sorry for the way things turned out.
But the only thing that she can really think of are his last words to her. Peeta had sounded rushed- she’d heard the jingle of keys and the sound of a car door slamming. “I’m coming right now,” he said over the sound of his car ignition turning over. “I’ll text you when I’m almost there. I love you.”
She set the empty cup down on the floor and slid down under the water. Her hair fanned out around her as she closed her eyes to think.
Was it really that simple? Could he really still love her after what she’d done?
She washed up after soaking for an indeterminate amount of time in the tub and climbed out. Katniss grabbed the thin motel towel and walked out into the room to decide on what to wear, and a quick and disappointing perusal of her overnight bag was made. She settled on a thin cotton sundress, surprised by her desire to look pretty for Peeta. It had been a long time since this giddy anticipation welled up inside of her because of him. She bit her lip. What was the dress code for reconciling with your estranged husband, anyway?
After getting dressed and braiding her damp hair, she sat to wait. She flipped on the television but the noise just made her feel even jumpier, so it was quickly turned back off and instead she periodically got up to peer out at the darkening sky. Katniss was trying desperately to get a handle on her nerves but nothing was working. Time slowed to a crawl.
But now he is here. Finally. Katniss can actually feel the blood pounding in her ears. She is that keyed up, and her breath will not come as she watches him step out of the car.
Peeta. The stress of the previous months shows on his face - he looks tired and frazzled- but it doesn’t detract from his looks. Katniss swears that he gets handsomer every year. His blond hair is just beginning to show a few threads of silver, but still lays across his head in thick waves.
Finally though, she can see his beautiful blue eyes light up with recognition as he glances over and spots her waiting beside the motel door.
“Peeta!”
And then she is running to him, leaping into his open arms. She sags against him with the relief of being held by him again. He wraps his arms around her desperately, and she can feel his body shaking. She can’t tell whether he is laughing or crying.
“Katniss, Katniss.” His embrace is practically suffocating her but she doesn’t mind; it’s the only way she’d want to go. Peeta lifts her further up, and she has to wrap her legs around him to hold on. She never wants him to put her down again.
Katniss winds herself around him like a vine on a tree. “I can’t believe you’re here.” She buries her face in the crook of his neck and slumps against him, her body sapped of energy after the adrenaline rush has passed.
“I’m here.” He tells her softly, rocking back and forth. Of course Peeta is comforting her. She’d like to go on this way forever because it feels so good, but she has to say something now or she never will.
He has to understand.
“Peeta,” Katniss lifts her head finally to look up at him. “I’m sorry. I- I can’t believe that you came. You could have just told me to go to hell.”
“No. Are you kidding? I’ve spent every day without you in hell.” He laughs, a beautiful deep sound that warms her body like hot chocolate. “Honestly, I’m a mess on my own.”
“Peeta, I’m sorry.” Her voice catches, and once again she damns herself for her inability to verbalize a complete thought. Why can’t she just say the words?
“I know, baby. I’m sorry too.” Peeta sets her back down on her feet. Katniss staggers a bit, coltish after being held up by him for so long. She places her hands on his chest to steady herself and feels the drum of his heartbeat beneath her palms.
They both take a moment to drink each other in, eyes searching each other closely for any visible changes that might have occurred during their months apart. Peeta shakes his head as if coming out of a daze. “I’m a mess, but you’re still just as beautiful.”
Katniss feels the worth she still has to him in that moment, because he’s staring at her the same way that he used to when they first met all those years ago. The bakery around the corner from her new apartment had just become her new favorite place, and Katniss told herself that the delicious baked goods they sold were the reason that she had begun to stop in everyday. It couldn’t be the handsome blond owner whose eyes, the most beautiful shade of blue, lit up every time she walked in. A shy smile would cross his face, and the sight of it would stop her in her tracks every time.
That had all went out the window on the day that they kissed, she had pushed him up against the cash register and just went for it.
That was the best decision I ever made.
The memory makes her smile. “I think you’re right-you are kind of a mess now. Your hair is too long, and your eyebrows have gone insane.” She teases, running a hand through his blond waves, before trailing her fingers down to smooth over his brow. It’s impossible to miss the way that he shudders at her touch, but Peeta doesn’t say a word.
“And I think you’re starting to get crow’s feet.” She slides her thumbs down to the delicate skin around his eyes, feeling his long lashes tickle her fingers, reveling in being able to touch him again.
“And you haven’t shaved in awhile either- are you finally taking my advice and growing a beard?” Her hands cup his firm jaw that is covered with soft hair. “But, that’s okay. I think I like you this way.”
He pulls Katniss close to kiss her suddenly, as though he can’t bear to wait another minute. While the initial movement is fast, they kiss slowly- a gentle reconnection of lips lightly pressing before his mouth opens over hers. Peeta groans when their tongues touch, and the whole experience feels new to her again after such a long time away from him. New, but still familiar- like coming home.
I am home, she thinks as Peeta pulls back to lean his forehead against hers.
“Why don’t we walk,” he says, stepping away from her after a moment of just breathing each other in. He indicates the waterfront with a nod of his head. “I could really stand to stretch my legs after the drive.” Peeta takes her hand and they head down towards the mostly deserted beach. The sounds of the waves crashing stir something inside her as they draw closer, making her feel more alive and vibrant.
“I went to some of our old haunts today, and they pretty much all look the same,” she says to help bridge the slight awkwardness that has settled between them as they walk. Neither one of them seems to know quite what to say to the other yet.
Katniss pulls him to a stop so they can kick off their shoes, leaving them under a bench to continue across the cool sand. “Nothing has changed.”
“I can’t wait to see it in the light of day.” Peeta hesitates, shakes his head. “I guess I shouldn’t assume that you want me to stay with you tonight. I don’t want to push you.”
Katniss sighs. When they stop at the waterfront, she reaches for both of his hands, turning toward him in the near darkness. The lights of the boardwalk make it possible to still see his face in the gloom. He’s looking over her shoulder, giving her the chance to decide for herself.
Just like always.
“I want you to stay.” She squeezes his hands, and he makes eye contact with her, finally allowing Katniss to see the emotions warring in their depths. “I don’t want to spend another second away from you.”
“Okay,” Peeta says quietly. It’s quiet save for the crashing of the waves and the distant noises floating down to them from the boardwalk. Katniss wishes that she knew what to say, but she simply doesn’t. More a woman of actions, she pulls him along to walk further down the beach.
Maybe it’s enough to just be together again for now. The words will come later.
“I love it here at night,” Peeta finally breaks the silence. “It seems kind of fitting, being back.” His face is broody, and he opens and closes his mouth a few times before simply saying, “I just wish that the last few years had never happened.”
Katniss looks up at him. “Peeta, don’t blame yourself. We both wanted a baby.” She takes a shuddering breath. “Please don’t. I’m the one who left.” The seal that had been keeping her composure intact finally disintegrates and she begins to sob.
She cries for the months of loneliness and for what they have done to each other.
Most of all she cries for the love she threw aside like garbage in the name of self-preservation.
“Katniss, it’s okay,” he says, pulling her into his arms. “I’m here.”
She realizes that Peeta is crying with her when she feels dampness on the top of her head. Katniss buries her face in his shirt, and the tears fall freely from both of their eyes.
“You look exhausted.” Katniss scans his face from her place beside him on the damp sand. “Do you want to go back to the room?” Even in the darkness, there are visible circles under his eyes. He nods, stepping away from her and wiping his face with the back of his hand.
They both are a mess. They’d stayed out for so long that the boardwalk lights have shut off for the night, and she can only see his face by the light of the moon. Her own eyes feel swollen and gritty enough to know that she must look like hell.
But it doesn’t really matter, they’ve seen each other worse than this.
When they arrive at the room, Katniss shuts the door behind them. Now that they are here she feels unsure of herself- maybe it would have been better for him to sleep in another room, because the space suddenly feels very full of him.
No, she realizes- she wants him here. Katniss just doesn’t know what to do with herself yet.
Peeta rubs his hand across the back of his neck. He seems nervous too, and that helps calm her growing anxiety. “I don’t have any other clothes with me, but I really need a shower- I came straight from the bakery.”
“That’s ok, go ahead. I’ll just use the bathroom when you get done.” She sits on the edge of the bed and pulls off her shoes, rubbing the soles of her feet. “I can throw your clothes in to wash tomorrow morning if you want.”
He looks up and gives her a little half-smile that makes her heart melt. “Thanks, Katniss.”
I’m so glad that he’s here, nerves or not, she thinks.
Peeta looks down and begins unbuttoning his shirt, while Katniss watches him out of the corner of her eye, trying not to be obvious about the way that her eyes sweep over the familiar planes of his body. She wonders what the night will bring.
She knows that sex couldn’t just fix everything, no matter how much she finds herself responding to the sight of him undressing. The space between her thighs clench as she takes in his broad shoulders and strong biceps, his firm chest and stomach. His body is as familiar to Katniss as her own, and she finds herself craving him. She wants the reconnection that physical intimacy brings, but there isn’t a magic switch she can flip to make the last months disappear. Honestly, she doesn’t know if they’re ready for that step yet.
I don’t even know what’s going through his mind right now, she tells herself with a little shake of her head.
Peeta had never been interested in mindless sex- he always wanted it to mean something when they were together, so throwing herself at him right now didn’t seem like the way to go. If he didn’t want to push her, than she definitely didn’t want to push him. They both needed time to see what they were.
But then her mouth goes dry when Peeta pulls his shirt off. “Do you have an extra towel?” He’s standing there in only his pants and seems completely oblivious to what he’s doing to her right now.
Katniss swallows hard. Calm down, she tells herself. “Yeah.” She points toward the bathroom, her voice sounding strange to her own ears. “There’s an extra towel and washcloth hanging up in there.”
“Okay, I won’t be too long.” He walks in the bathroom and shuts the door behind him, and Katniss expels the breath she was was holding. She puts her head in her hands and tries to calm her lust-addled brain. Now what? She gets up and digs through her bag for her nightgown, and then paces the room until the shower shuts off.
Peeta comes out a minute later with a towel slung over his shoulder, gesturing toward the black black boxer briefs he’s wearing. “I figured these are better than nothing.”
Better for who? Stop it, Katniss tells herself.
He sits on the edge of the bed and rubs the towel over his hair, before tossing it to the floor. “I’ll get that in the morning,” he tells her, laying back on the bed with a sigh. “I’m so tired, Katniss. I don’t think that I can move.”
Katniss eyes him critically. He does look tired- but the same could be said for her, honestly. She hasn’t been sleeping worth a damn, either.
“I wouldn’t lay on top of that blanket if I were you.” She chides him gently. “Why don’t you get under the covers while I get ready for bed?” She crosses the room and gives him a little peck on the lips, her previous thoughts put to bed as other instincts to take care of him kick in. No matter what happens, Katniss is just glad that he’s here. The details of what they do now seem inconsequential.
“Okay,” Peeta says, opening one eye to look up at her. He smiles at her and grasps her hip lightly with one hand to keep her in place. “I’m so glad you called- I know that wasn’t easy to do. And I’m sorry to say this,” he squeezes her hip and yawns loudly, “But I don’t know how much longer I can stay awake- I can’t seem to keep my eyes open.”
“That’s alright, I don’t mind.” Katniss tells him, caressing his forehead. “Go to sleep now, Peeta, and I’ll be right back out.”
After making sure that he actually gets in between the sheets, she flips on the bathroom light to wash her face and change into her nightgown.
“What the…?” she grabs her toothbrush once she’s completed the rest of her nighttime routine. It’s already wet? Why is it wet?
Katniss laughs out loud when it dawns on her. “That butthole.”
Peeta actually used her toothbrush. It’s such a gross thing but all she can do is smile. Strangely it helps to allay her fears.
Maybe this is going to be easier than I thought, Katniss shrugs, rinsing the brush off to use herself.
When she walks out of the bathroom, Peeta is already fast asleep. Without preamble, she pulls the blankets back and climbs in, settling down beside him. Peeta stirs when she stretches out, rolling towards her and pulling her into his side. He does it all without really waking up, an instinct that never went away.
Hope blooms inside her again. After all, a person couldn’t be irreparably angry with you if they are currently spooning you after brushing their teeth with your toothbrush.
Peeta, for his part, seems to be picking back up where they left off.
No, that’s not right- not where they left off.
Tonight goes farther back, tonight is nothing like the last few years. This connection is old but still brand new.
Katniss looks around the motel room and smiles, thinking that time warps are definitely not a bad thing. She closes her eyes and turns in his arms, snuggling closer to her husband as she feels the tendrils of sleep pull her under.
It’s hours later when Katniss opens her eyes. She’d apparently moved on to her back in the middle of the night and Peeta has one arm draped over her middle. Feeling the movement of his hand at her waist, she turns to see that he is awake.
They lay watching each other, the glow from the nightlight reflecting off his eyes.
“Hi,” he whispers. A little smile turns up the corner of his mouth, and she can’t help but smile back at him.
“Hey, you.” Katniss can’t remember the last time that they were like this, laying in the dark snuggled up under a blanket. It’s so intimate. Their separation had gone on for months, but they had drifted apart long before then- so much so that they’d begun to sleep facing away from each other in their king-size bed.
But not tonight. Her bare arm is tucked against his warm chest, and he has one leg curled over hers- the two of them almost completely intertwined.
She’ll happily take every inch of her pressed against every inch of him. His touch is healing her, breathing new life in.
“You used my toothbrush,” she says with a laugh, breaking the silence that’s settled over them. Katniss pinches his arm lightly, but he he just snickers.
“Husband’s privilege.” Peeta lifts one hand up and runs his fingers through the loose hair at her forehead, before skimming the tips of his fingers across her face and down her neck. “I didn’t think you’d mind.”
Her heart clenches at his gentle touch. “I don’t mind.” He kisses her temple before pulling back. “Peeta?”
“Hmm?” He grasps her hand in his and kisses the back of it. She’s starting to feel overwhelmed in this warm bed with him. His body is pressed against her so deliciously, filling her with a liquidy heat that makes it hard to focus, but she needs to ask him something before she loses the ability to think.
She lets out a shaky breath. “Are you okay with all of this? I mean, are we going to be okay? Please be honest with me.” Katniss holds her breath as he sets her hand back down and stares at the wedding band she’s wearing, caressing it with his thumb. She notices that he is still wearing his as well.
“Honestly?” Peeta asks, pausing to thread his fingers through hers. “I’m more than okay. I feel like I can breathe again.” He looks up at her, scanning her eyes for signs of what’s going on behind them. “I know there are things we’re going to have to talk about and work on, but I feel like we’re ready to do it now, you know? And Katniss- I just want whatever you want. I meant it when I told you that you are enough.” Peeta leans over and kisses her then. Slow. Deep. It feels like she’s freefalling. “What about you, Katniss- what do you want?” He whispers, pulling back enough to look into her eyes.
The haze in his eyes makes it obvious what he wants. The heavy breaths. The way his eyes dart down to her lips occasionally.
Is this really happening? Katniss wonders. It’s a very dream-like moment, lying in the dark with him, half-awake with his body hovering over her the way that he is.
She can feel his breath on her lips, and it steals hers away. “I just want you.” Katniss answers him honestly, amazed that she’s able to speak at all. “I want to be happy again. I’m tired of missing you.”
“You don’t have to miss me anymore. I’m right here.” He tells her, his eyes crinkling up in the corners again. “Now that you’ve got me, what are you going to do with me?”
“I’m going to keep you right here with me, where you’ll be safe.” She leans up to meet his mouth with her own.
Part 2.
“Peeta?” She asks, searching his eyes for confirmation that he wants this as much as she does. The answer is the naked desire reflected back at her in the flash of his blue eyes. She leans up to catch his mouth in a searing kiss, pouring everything into it that she hasn’t the words to say.
Peeta groans into her mouth and slides his hand up from where it rested at her waist, moving agonizingly slow across her soft curves and between her dips and valleys. He tilts her head to find just the right angle of penetration, and her lips part for him. Peeta dips his tongue into her mouth so far that their teeth almost graze. But it’s still not enough because he’s like a man possessed. He’s trying to consume her but is unable to get his fill.
Peeta breaks away from her mouth, sliding the straps of her nightgown down to reveal the swell of her breasts. “This needs to go,” he growls, and the bossy tone makes her heart pound. Katniss can’t remember a time when he was like this, impatient and out of his mind with desire.
“Yes, please,” she begs, as she bites at his lips until Peeta pulls back and wrestles the nightgown over her head.
“You’re so fucking beautiful,” Peeta mutters into her ear as he caresses her breast simultaneously grinding his hard cock between her thighs. He’s trying to press every inch of his body against hers and there is little space between them. Katniss can’t remember a time that she’s ever been so aroused. “I’ve missed you so much. I spent so many nights alone thinking about you like this. Your beautiful tits, the way they fill my hand perfectly. And your hard little nipples… I want to feel them under my tongue.”
Katniss lets out a choked sob because the emotions are now running so high between them that she can’t keep it in. It leaves her feeling raw and exposed.
An expression of concern crosses his face when he notices her distress. “Hey, none of that. Shh. That isn’t why I told you.” They regard each other silently for a moment before he quietly continues, “I just want you to know that I never stopped thinking about you.”
It feels like he is staring into her soul, and the longing to reconnect with him just grows stronger. How is it possible to still be this way with him after everything they’ve been through? The anger, the hurt, the distance that grew between them? How are they together in this bed again?
Maybe it’s because of everything that makes it feel like this with him, this all-consuming, out of control passion. It’s a reclaiming of life and hope after the hell of the last two years. Here with him in this warm bed, every part of her is on fire and sparking to life. Through the flames Peeta is there, his eyes deep and fathomless as he gazes at her with the familiar love in his eyes.
She aches to burn with him.
Peeta kisses her temple and murmurs against her skin. “I’m more in love with you now than I’ve ever been. I’ve missed everything about you, Katniss.” He pulls back to give her a teasing smirk. “And I don’t want to tear myself away from your face, but I really want your tits in my mouth.” It’s just the right thing to say, dirty and funny at the same time. His words help to ease the pressure of the moment. She snorts a little and shakes her head as he starts to trail kisses downward, and can feel the upturn of his lips as he smiles against her throat.
But she isn’t laughing for long.
Peeta makes his way down across her sternum. He takes one pebbled bud in his mouth, and she feels his tongue dart out and swirl against her flesh. He sighs loudly and closes his eyes as he applies harder suction there. She squirms and wriggles until he pops the nipple back out, only to begin his assault all over again.
Katniss pushes her pelvis up against his thigh to relieve the growing pressure behind her clit. The intense pleasure and the rapid build-up are new, despite the fact that he hasn’t even touched her yet, she already feels her orgasm building.
He keeps his focus on her breasts, his lips and tongue and teeth working her into a frenzy. “Peeta, Peeta.” Katniss squirms underneath him. Her brain is in a fog, and she feels as if she’s been drugged. Her limbs are heavy, but every nerve ending under her skin is getting ready to light up.
He looks up then and his eyes are wide, manic with lust. Katniss feels like she’s sinking, and Peeta is pulling her into the deep where they will drown together.
With one last suck, Peeta sits up enough to grab her panties and rip them off without a thought. He doesn’t hesitate, his fingers going straight to her core. At the first touch of the soaking heat waiting for him, his eyes roll back in his head. “You’ve missed me too, I see.” He says in a low voice, rubbing his thumb across her clit and inserting two thick fingers deep inside of her.
Katniss nearly shoots up off the bed from the pleasurable sensation that he’s giving her with the firm swipes of his thumb and the feel of his fingers thrusting deep inside of her walls. Peeta leans over to capture her mouth in a deep kiss and the dual assault of his tongue in her mouth and fingers in her pussy become too much for her. She crests quickly, the nerve endings in her body igniting as her walls clench around him. On it goes as Peeta coaxes more and more from her. His tongue commands her mouth and his hand her pleasure.
She comes down from her high to the feel of Peeta grinding himself against her hip. She sits up, though still feeling a little lightheaded pushing him onto his back. Her fingers slip into the waistband of his shorts and she lets her thumbs drag across his pelvic bones. He whimpers at the contact and moans when Katniss leans over to whisper in his ear, “My turn.”
She pulls the shorts down his legs, and her vision goes a little blurry at the sight of his hard cock bouncing out to meet her. He’s rock hard and weeping at the tip.
“Please,” he pants, and the smile on her face is wide. Katniss smirks at the realization that she’s not the only one begging tonight. She wraps her hand around the base of his shaft and he gasps out loud, a sound that she doesn’t have any tactile memories of him making before. She would very much like to hear it again. Katniss rubs her hand up and down his cock, reacquainting herself with his hot, hard flesh. He’s incredibly aroused and thrusting his hips with her every upward tug. She goes slowly using a loose grip to keep him from finishing in her hands.
She has bigger plans for him than that.
Her mouth waters at the sight of him desperate and handsome writhing on the bed. Her Peeta who is so selfless and still in love with her after everything they’ve been through. She’s never wanted to make him feel good as badly as she does tonight.
Katniss bends over to run her tongue up the length of his shaft in a long slow lick, and he nearly shoots off the bed. “Fuck!” he shouts, and she quickly engulfs his cock in her mouth, deep and slow.
His curses and moans were driving her mad enough but now Peeta is actually whimpering. He runs his fingers into her her hair and pulls hard. The pleasure that she is giving him is making her so excited that she can feel her pussy flutter.
When she stops for a breath he sits up. “That’s too much,” Peeta pants and drags her up his body by her shoulders. He rolls her onto her back while kissing her desperately. “I don’t know how long I’m going to last inside you. It’s been so long, and I want to make you come again.”
He slides down her body and comes to a stop when he gets between her thighs. Peeta wraps one of her legs around his shoulder. “Mmm,” he nuzzles her wet slit with the tip of his nose before placing a kiss to her outer lips. “You smell so good.” His tongue darts out and gives her a little experimental lick before spreading her apart with his fingers. He runs his tongue from her pussy to clit in a long, slow pass.
Katniss distantly hears herself making all sorts of desperate noises as he gets down to business. He thrusts his tongue deep inside of her and probes her walls, moaning as he drinks up her wetness. Peeta pulls his tongue out of her pussy to focus on her clit, swirling and sucking until he moves back down. Over and over again, back and forth, driving her mad with the steady building, building, building…
She throws her head back as the blinding light flashes behind her eyes. Peeta releases her clit from between his lips and quickly moves down to her opening. He drink up her release as fast as he can but is unable to catch it all as her cum runs between her thighs and between the cleft of her ass. Peeta moves down and runs the flat of his tongue there as well, not wanting to let one drop escape from him.
Katniss is a quivering mess when he comes back up to her and buries his tongue in her mouth. She tastes her tangy release on him while they kiss desperately. Peeta is rubbing his length across her wetness and thrusting against her. “I need you.” He shifts until the blunt head of his cock is ready to part her folds.
“Yes, yes. Please.” And then he’s there, his hard cock diving into her wet depths. He meets no resistance because she’s so ready for him. Peeta’s eyes close. He looks like he’s trying hard to concentrate and not let it end too soon. Katniss knows that he wants to make this good for her. He slips his hands under her hips and lifts them up as he grinds his pubic bone against her in a figure-eight motion.
Unbelievably, she feels the swell of desire forming again. The friction from the base of his penis rubbing against her clit and the blunt tip of his cock hitting a spot deep inside of her are making her climb again as he hits everything just right. Everything feels so overwhelming and decadent. “Yes, yes, yes…” Katniss chants as he thrusts in and out. Peeta dips his head down to give her a sloppy kiss.
“Are you close again?” He asks her when he comes up for air and gives her a deep grind against her clit. Peeta’s eyes are rolling back in his head and she knows he can’t hold on much longer.
“I, oh..” Katniss trails off as her body jolts from the friction. She feels out of her mind from the pleasure. “I think so… ungh, yes. Just like that, there!”
Peeta looks down to where they are connected. He watches his cock plunge in and out of her before looking back up into her eyes again. “Come with me, please.” He says with a groan as she clenches around him.
“Yes, yes,yes… Peeta!” The orgasm barrels down over her then and it makes every joint in her body seize up. Her walls lock his impossibly hard cock in a vise grip that tugs and pulls him deeper. He is so deep, and it feels like heaven as his hot cum spills inside her. Peeta grinds hard against her, and his face is slack with the force of his release. An inhuman groan escapes from his lips. His body shudders as her walls continue to milk him while his pulsing cock draws her pleasure out until she feels like she’s never going to stop climaxing.
Finally it recedes, and Peeta slumps against her, sapped of all strength. He stays where he is but is careful not to rest his full weight on her. Katniss moves to find his mouth, sharing a deep and emotional kiss with him. Their lips slide and their tongues caress.
Peeta pulls back and gazes down into her eyes while he runs his fingers through her hair. “I love you, you know that right?” She nods and he continues. “I know you’re scared, but we’re going to be fine. We’ll figure this out together.” He runs the tip of his nose across her cheek, over to her ear where he plants a little kiss. “Okay?”
“Okay.” Katniss answers him as she strokes her thumbs across his cheeks. She kisses him again and knows that he’s right.
Part 3.
“Good morning,” Katniss greets her new friend with a wide smile as Rue hands her a breakfast menu.
The girl gives her an inquisitive smile, before nodding at Peeta. “Who is this?” she asks with an appraising look as her brown eyes run up and down his frame. She winks at Katniss while Peeta peruses the menu, oblivious to the silent communication between the two of them.
Katniss smirks, and reaches across the table to grab his hand. “This is Peeta, my husband.” At the mention of his name, he glances up at their waitress and flashes her a smile.
“It’s nice to meet you, Peeta,” Rue places one hand on her hip, her face scrunched up in puzzlement. “But why weren’t you here yesterday? Your girl seemed awfully lonely.”
Katniss catches his eye. “He couldn’t make it until today. But he’s here now, and we’re going to stay for the week.”
They gaze across the table at each other for far too long, until Rue eventually has to make a very pointed coughing noise to get their attention again.
Peeta flushes bright red and turns towards the teenage girl. “Rue, did you know that we honeymooned here?”
Rue laughs and shakes her head, “Hmm. You know, I hear that more often than you’d think. Couples seem to come back here a lot, too. Like you guys!”
“There is something about this place,” Katniss agrees, biting her lip to keep the too-wide smile in check.
Eventually they order, and eat their late breakfast at a leisurely pace. They had understandably woken up late this morning; and after first laundering Peeta’s clothes and then getting distracted by a quick romp in the shower, it was almost eleven before they left the room.
They walk out hand in hand after saying goodbye to Rue and paying their bill. “Next stop, clothes for me?” Peeta asks, after stepping out on to the boardwalk.
“Yeah, but wait just a minute.” Katniss lifts the backpack up with one hand and indicates the back of the diner with the opposite thumb. “I just have to take care of something real quickly. You go on ahead and start looking.”
Peeta leans over and kisses her cheek before walking towards the first t-shirt shop. When he’s out of sight, Katniss darts behind the restaurant. She crosses the parking lot, and when she reaches the dumpster it’s lid gets tossed back. With a mighty heave the backpack and all of its contents go flying in, hitting the bottom with a loud thud.
“Good riddance!” Katniss tells herself, and turns around to catch back up with Peeta.
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Partners For Life: The Past
Summary: So I wrote this bc there was a question on my Quiz in my criminal justice class and what were the odds that their names were going to be Harry and Joey? Don't believe me?
Anyways, this is the first chapter of this story, meaning Harry and Joe are both in their early twenties. There's no Flash, there's no Iris, there's no Eobard, this is literally all mine.
Warnings:Mild profanity
Primary pair: Harry Wells x Joe West
Canon/Head:Headcanon
*if you see any mistakes please let me know*
Harry threw his cigarette to the ground, crushing under the black sole of his boot as his tongue picked up the taste of freshly burnt tobacco from his tongue. He let out a heavy sigh. He leaned his head back against the brick wall behind him.
“You’re late.” He said, lifting his sleeve and looking down to his watch as a dark shadow jumped down onto the dumpster, a metallic sound echoed through the alley.
“It’s not really easy to sneak out of the house when your parents want to know what you’re doing every second of the day.” Joe said, jumping down and landing gracefully onto the wet asphalt.
“Well then, I’m glad I’m important.” Harry smirked. Joe wiped his hands off as he approached the other male. “How was dinner?” He asked, his blue eyes meeting Joe’s.
“Would’ve been better if you came.” Joe said with a smile.
“That’s what she said.” Harry joked. Joe shook his head at the stupid joke before removing the bag he had on his back. “I brought you some.” He said, taking out a container filled with lasagna.
“Awh, you do care.” Harry said. Joe rolled his eyes. He waved his hand. “Hold onto it for now, please."
“What did you make this time?” Joe asked, putting the food back into the bag.
“Let’s go to our spot, and we’ll discuss it there, but I think you’ll like it.” Harry smiled. He placed an arm around Joe as they walked over to his truck.
“Harry, how do you have such an expensive car?” Joe asked curiously as they both got into the vehicle. Harry simply shrugged.
“I have my ways of acquiring the things I need.” Harry responded.
The drive to their ‘spot’ was fairly long, being that it was across the city. Harry had an arm out the window, another cigarette in his hand. Joe was playing with the radio until he found a station that fit his mood.
“How are your parents?” Joe asked.
“Still alive.” Harry said. “Harry, I don’t understand why you don’t ju-”
“Joe, we’re not talking about this agai-"
“They still love you.”
“No.” Harry said.
"I love you." Joe said, although it sounded more like a question. The smile that on Harry's face made Joe feel at ease. To himself, Joe tried to guess the infinite possibilities of what Harry had in store. What could he possibly be hiding back at the place that Harry couldn't simply tell him on the way in the car. Joe chewed on his bottom lip as his hand reached for Harry's. "It'll be okay." Joe said. "I'm sure it will be." A chuckle that sounded more like a scoff left Harry's lips.
"We'll see." Harry said. Joe's head turned to the window, watching all the people and buildings as they drove by.
"I love you too." He said.
Their hangout place was an abandoned building in the middle of the city. At 10 stories high, an open area with small offices and bathrooms scattered about every level this building was perfect for them. Harry, being very tech savvy and Joe with his creative ideas cleared out one of the higher floors of the building and did as they pleased with it. It was kind of like a studio apartment, but with many rooms. The kitchen was fully operable, the both of them had installed a dryer and washing machine in the bathroom. Harry had everything he needed here. He had no reason to go home.
"Here.” Harry said, tossing over a device towards Joe. Quick with his hands, Joe caught it right before it could slip through his fingers.
"What’s this?” Joe asked, looking down at it.
“That, my good sir, is an earbud.” Harry said, putting one of his own into his own ear. “Put it in.” He said. Joe did as told as he put the food he had brought into the microwave for Harry. “Can you hear me?” He asked.
“Yeah, crystal clear.” Joe said, amazed by how tiny the earbud was. “How did you-”
“Not important.” Harry said as he took a seat at his desk.
“What are we going to do with these?” Joe asked, walking over to Harry. Joe placed his hands on the older male’s shoulders and squeezed them as he caught a glimpse at the screen in front of them.
“We are going to commit what police call theft .” Harry said with a grin. He took off his glasses and chewed on the end of one of his temples. “I have it all planned out, and if I’m quite certain, it’s not really a robbery, just petty theft.” He corrected himself.
“We?” Joe asked. “You know my father is a cop.” He reminded Harry. Harry nodded, his devilish grin growing wider.
“I’m well aware of your father’s occupation.” Harry responded. Joe shook his head, letting out a sigh of disapproval. “And since when has that ever stopped you before? This isn’t our first time.” He said.
“I’m assuming these,” Joe said, holding the earpiece in his hand, “are going to help us communicate.” Joe said. Harry nodded.
“Exactly. I will be in your ear, and at the same time I will be the one snatching what we need while you keep the store clerk occupied.” Harry said.
“That’s larceny, Harry.” He put an emphasis on his partner’s name.
“That’s not the point, Joe.” Harry copied Joe's tone before turning his chair around. “We’re going to do this,” he said standing up, putting a hand on Joe’s face, “and you’re going to help me.” Harry leaned forward and placed a kiss on Joe’s lips before walking over to the beeping microwave.
“Harry, how exactly are we going to pull this off?” Joe asked. His eyes scanned the computer screen that was full of blueprints of the building and Harry’s notes. “What if we get caught?”
“I have it all under control, Joe. There’s nothing to worry about.” He said.
“No." Joe shook his head. "What if we get caught?" Joe repeated, turning to catch a glimpse of Harry with a mouthful of lasagna in his mouth.
“We won’t.” Harry managed to say as he chewed, “if we do,” he swallowed before running his tongue over his lips, “we shoot.”
“We shoot?” Joe’s eyes widened. “No the hell we’re not."
"Uhm, yes the fuck we are." Harry nodded.
"Har-"
"Listen," Harry said, placing the food down on the desk once he had stepped closer to Joe. "I'm well aware that your father is a cop, but I have this under control. I promise. I just need you to trust me on this." The two looked into each other's eyes. Harry saw fear while Joe saw a sense of uncertainty. The younger male sighed before running a thumb across the corner of Harry's lips.
"No killing." Joe said. Harry put his hands on his hips as he knew those words were going to come out of his mouth. "No weapons either." He said, and Harry's head shot up.
"That's not safe at all." Harry responded. “If we get caught-"
“You said we wouldn’t.”
“Joseph!” Harry took in a deep breath before exhaling. “Fine. Fine, no weapons.”
“Promise?”
“I promise.” Harry pulled Joe into his arms. The two held each other tight. Joe sighed before resting his forehead on Harry’s. “It’s going to be okay.” Harry kissed the side of Joe’s head. “I won’t let anything happen to you.”
Just hours before leaving, Harry explained his plan thoroughly to Joe, multiple times. Joe had easily picked up everything that Harry had put down. Repeatedly, he went step by step. He only had one concern: the weapons. Harry having a stash as big as he did for a 21 year-old, it was obvious to Joe where all of Harry’s money was going. Aside from going through their plan, Harry had also made Joe memorize the layout of the convenience store.
“I’m going to have the truck out, at pump number fou-” Harry stared at Joe who was staring at Harry’s wall of weapons. He rolled his eyes before throwing a pencil at the younger male.“Joe-”
“Babe, I heard you the first time you said it. I heard it the fifth time you said it, and now I’m hearing it again.” He responded. “How about you and I go there together, hm?” He recommended. “That way, I’ll have a feel of the store, and you can get a better idea of what you need.” Joe said.
“We don’t need to go there, Joe. We’ve been there hundreds of times. If you know it, then explain it to me.” Harry said. Joe groaned as he stood up and walked over to Harry’s planning board.
“So, I’m going to walk in when it seems the most empty, correct?” Joe asked. Harry nodded. “Then, I’m gonna ask where the bathroom is, once I'm there, I’m gonna clog the toilets and bring him in. That gives us at least 2 minutes for you to get what we need and leave.” Joe said.
“And..?” Harry asked, crossing his arms against his chest.
“And what?”
“Precautions, you have to talk about precautions.” Harry said.
“Fine. We both have to be wearing our gloves at all times. Can’t leave any footprints behind, meaning no dirty shoes, uhm...I have to stall the clerk as long as possible to keep him away from the cash register, and no guns.” Joe said, mumbling the last bit of information.
“What was the last part?” Harry asked.
“Keep clerk from the register.” Joe lied. “Oh also- if they corner us, split up and meet back up at the old flour mill on the edge of town.
“Alright.” Harry nodded. Joe clicked his tongue against his teeth before returning to his seat.
“How exactly are you going to break into the register?” Joe asked. Harry walked over to his desk before throwing a makeshift key into Joe’s lap.
“With that.” Harry said. “This key, isn’t like other keys. The front of the key is made of what people call, memory metal, when heated, it’ll change shape, but once back in the right temperature it’ll be back to it’s normal form.” Harry explained. “I’m going to torch it for long enough that it’s malleable, but not melting. Once the consistency is where I want it. I’m going to put it in this,” he said as he held up a tiny tin can that was the size of a tic tac box. Joe held his hand out, returning the key to Harry who placed it into the box and back on his desk. “It should, fit right in, take the shape of the lock and then unlock the register.” He said.
“What if it doesn’t work?” Joe asked, his leg shaking.
“I’ll just break open the cash register. I’ll have my backpack with me.” Harry assured him, knowing his backpack literally had anything you could ever possibly need inside of it. Joe nodded silently. Harry squatted down in front of Joe and put his hands on his shoulders. “Look at me.”
“Yes, Harry?”
“It’s going to be okay.” He said.
“Something just feel off.” Joe responded. Harry handed Joe keys to the truck.
“Don’t worry. I already covered our license plates. Go start up the car, I just have to grab a few things and I’ll be down soon, alright? You go on your motorcycle, we’ll meet up there.” Harry watched as Joe grabbed his bag and his helmet before leaving the office floor. He hung his head as he let out a sigh before standing up. Harry walked over to his desk and took the M9 from his desk drawer and tucked it under his shirt against his back. To accompany the pistol, he placed two sets of magazines inside his jacket then grabbed the key, a mask and headed downstairs.
Joe had taken his motorcycle, whereas Harry took a different vehicle, a much older model sedan. They met up a couple of blocks down before deciding to go to the store. Joe kept his helmet on until he had entered the Harry’s run-down car.
“What are you-” Joe asked as he saw a flame torch. He sighed, before remembering. “The key?”
“Yes, sir.”
“Do you have the earpiece in?” Harry asked looking over to Joe.
“I do.” Joe turned his head to the side and tapped on it gently with his finger. He let out a sigh before turning towards Harry. “So, do you really think this is going to work?” Joe asked, tucking the helmet in his side.
“Of course,” Harry said staring at the flames, “why wouldn’t it?”
“I’m telling you, Harry. Something feels off.”
“Joe, since we were in high school, we have done this what- 37 times? It’s been 3 years. How is this any different than the time from before?” Harry asked. Joe’s attention would switch back and forth between Harry and the flame. His head tilted a little, watching as the older was so captivated by it. Once he saw a grin pull at Harry’s lips, he knew he was caught. “Stop staring.” Harry said. Joe shook his head as he laughed. “I can’t help it, you look so concentrated.”
“I’m not trying to burn my fingers.”
“You’ve never worried about getting hurt before.”
“Burns and cuts are two different types of pain, Joe. There’s a reason why God made hell with fire, not with razor blades and lemon juice.” Harry said. Joe opened his mouth to speak, but kept quiet. “Go to the gas station, I’ll follow soon.”
“See you there.” Joe put his helmet back on before hopping on to his bike and driving away.
Once entering the gas station, Joe had simply lifted the visor of his helmet and nothing more. He glanced around the store before walking up to the checkout counter. He eyed down the cashier, who couldn’t be older than 25. Name, Martin. Not much shorter than Joe, but his build was rather lean. Martin’s hazel eyes greeted Joe’s as his lips were forced into a smile.
“Hey, is there anything I can help you with?” He asked. Martin’s attention had quickly shifted over to the helmet and the rest of Joe’s attire. “Motorcycle? Seems like a good night to drive one. Mine is actually out back. ” He said as he leaned forward onto the counter, using his elbows for support.
“This kid talks too much.” Harry said into Joe’s ear.
“It is actually.” Joe nodded, returning the kind tone before patting on his helmet to ignore Harry. “Not too bad to feel the summer night breeze.” He said, holding onto the straps of his backpack.
“I just might after closing shop.” Martin responded. “It’s never too late for a nice long drive.”
“Joseph,” Harry said into his ear, “get your ass into that bathroom right now.” Joe ignored him. “We can’t risk anyone else approaching the store, Joe.”
“You should. It’s a great way to clear your head after a long day.” Joe said, smiling behind the helmet, but that smiley quickly changed into a pout when he realized he would be the reason for that long ride.
“I swear to God, Joe, if you mess this up.” Harry huffed.
“Yup, fifteen hours.” Martin nodded, his forced smile had grown rather soft.
“Joe, are you really making conversation with the boy whose running the store we’re about to rob?” Harry sighed. “Hurry up and ask for the bathroom.” Harry’s jealousy could be felt from where Joe was standing. Joe let out a slight scoff, rolling his eyes under the helmet.
“Uhm,” Joe said, remembering the task at hand, “can I use the bathroom?” He asked.
“Sure,” Martin said. “In the far left corner.”
“Thanks.” Joe said.
“Thanks.” Harry mocked. Joe let out a heavy sigh as he followed the instructions to the bathroom. Martin watched as Joe disappeared behind the white door. “Do you have the tools?” Harry asked.
“You know I do.” Joe said, quickly taking off his backpack and getting to work. Instead of clogging the toilet Joe simply lied saying there was a major leak. Harry burned the key for a little longer as he was parked outside the store. His eyes peered through the glass, seeing what was going on inside. He watched as Joe brought Martin into the bathroom.
“Babe, I need you to keep him occupied.” Harry said as he placed the key into the tin can, put on his mask, and exited the car. Harry had taken this extra time to fill up fuel in both of their vehicles. He also, drenched a trail from one pump to the next, just in case things got hasty.
“Already taken care of.” Joe grumbled as he held Martin’s unconscious body in his arms.
“Where is he?” Harry asked as he entered the store, his breathing becoming heavier because of the mask. His eyes rolled at the sound of the bell that rang whenever someone stepped in. Harry was quick to make his way to the safe behind the register. Harry could hear some rustling and grunts on Joe’s end, then he heard a loud thud. “Joe?”
“Unconscious.” Joe said as he stared down at Martin’s body. He picked him up and sat him down into a stall. Joe had made sure that Martin was in fact completely unconscious before exiting the bathroom and walking around the store. Joe took whatever looked appetizing to him and stuffed it in his backpack.
“There we go.” Harry said as he inserted his key into the cash register. His ocean eyes grinned happily at the cash in front of him, and he wasted no time in retrieving it. Once the register was empty, Harry had turned his attention to the safe. He used a decoder to figure out the code for the safe. He smiled as the safe practically invited Harry’s desperate hands into the safe. He stuffed all he could into his bag before closing it up. And just as Joe was going to open up a bag of chips, he saw a couple of police cars pull up to the front of the store.
“Fuck.” Joe quickly put back the bag of chips and ran for the bathroom. “Harry, we’re in trouble.”
“Why what’s the problem, Joe?”
“T-There’s…” Joe stammered.
“There’s what?”
“There’s cops outside.”
“Joseph, if you’re fucking with me, I swear to Go-” The sound of the door opening cut him off. Harry could hear the metal cuffs hit against their belts. “How many?” He asked. Joe had switched the light off in the bathroom before pushing the door slowly, his eyes scanning the store. “Usually there’s 2 a car.”
“I didn’t fucking ask for an estimate. I asked how many.” Harry scolded as he inched closer to the end of the register.
“There’s 4, okay?” Joe watched as each one walked by. “I think I know them.”
“Names?” Harry asked.
“U-Uhm...Lee, Robinson, Michaels, and-” Joe’s heart dropped when he saw the last officer. “Dad…”
“Dad?” Harry grumbled and rolled his eyes. “That’s fucking great.”
“Yoohoo…” Officer Michaels said. “Anyone here?” He asked. The other three began to walk around, see if anything was out of the ordinary.
“You think they forgot to close shop?” Officer West asked, looking in the direction of the bathroom. Joe’s eyes went wide immediately.
“Oh shit. Oh fuck, H, we gotta go. We gotta go. We have to fucking-” Joe started to panic. "I think one of them saw me.” Joe immediately closed the door, he wasn’t going to risk getting caught by his father. His erratic breathing fogged up the helmet, forcing him to lift his visor. Harry listened to his hysterical partner as he tried to find the quickest and quietest way to get out of the store. With his back against the register, he used the glass walls of the store as his eyes. The police officers roamed the aisles in a pattern, gathering their desired carbs and fats for the night like sharks seeking for prey as they waited for the proper help.
“I’m gonna go to the bathroom.” Officer Lee said as they stood outside of the bathroom door. Joe felt as if he was as good as dead.
“Joe.” Harry warned.
“I f-fucking heard!” He said as he stuffed himself into the same stall as Martin. Hearing the footsteps come closer to the door, Joe was not taking any chances. He had picked up Martin’s body and cradled him in his arms as he squatted upon the toilet. He kept a hand over Martin’s mouth as if it were his breathing that wasn’t meant to be heard. He was agitated by the way Officer Lee had taken his precious time around the bathroom. Joe’s jaw clenched when the lights were switched on.
“It’ll be okay, just stay quiet.” Harry said, his eyes continuing to follow the officers around. Harry slowly reached for his gun as he watched the one officer enter the bathroom. Joe took in a deep breath and squeezed his eyes shut like he was in a bad dream. Successfully retrieving the gun from his belt, Harry had it cocked and ready to shoot, he just needed the perfect moment of when. “You might hear a loud bang, Joe.” Harry whispered, “don’t yell.” He said, aiming the barrel of the pistol at the reflection of one of the officers.
“Screw this,” Officer West shook his head in irritation, “I’ll just leave a $20 and we’ll go.” He said, pulling out his wallet. Meanwhile, Joe was eager to gasp for air the moment he heard the door close behind Lee.
“What are you talking about, Harry?” Joe asked.
“We done here, West?” Officer Michaels managed to ask passed the two twinkies inside of his mouth.
“Michaels,” West sighed. “What the hell did I just say? Get your shit and let’s go.” He said. Harry was eager for their presence to be gone. Harry pushed himself against the counter as he heard Joe’s father step towards his direction. He heard him put place the bill down then walk away. This was perfect. Harry didn’t have to shoot his gun, and there wouldn’t have to be any interaction with the cops, right?
“Hey, about those two vehicles outside? Who do you think they belong to?” Officer Robinson asked.
“We’ll just run them in the cars.” West said. “Not an issue.” Both vehicles being under Harry parents’ name, he wasn’t taking any chances.
“Get ready to run.” Harry whispered.
“Run? Are you fucking crazy?” Joe asked as he gently put down Martin.
“Keep your fucking helmet on and listen to me.” He said. Harry waited until all four officers were outside the shop.
“Slowly come out the bathroom, Joe.” Harry said. He secured his hand around the duffel and tightened the straps around them. Joe obeyed without a second thought. He crouched as he exited the bathroom, making his way over to Harry. “Listen, we got to be fast when we do this, okay?” Harry said.
“Harry, what’s in your hand?” Joe asked, staring at the pistol.
“Joe-”
“We said no guns.” He said, his eyes still fixated on the pistol.
“Joseph! We don’t have time. They’re going to try to search our plates. We have to go.”
“Harry, we said no guns.” Joe repeated.
“We’ll talk about it later, babe.” Harry said. “Please, Joe?” He begged. Joe looked between Harry and the pistol.”
“We said no guns.” Joe repeated once again.
“Fuck this.” Harry said. He grabbed Joe’s arm before he aimed at the windows and shot both of them. Harry moved fast, regardless of having to drag Joe over to his bike. The cops, already in their vehicles were taken by surprise at the sound of the gun shots, not to mention the two bodies that darted out of the building. Joe was the first to jump onto his bike and drive off whereas Harry threw the bag of money into the car. All four officers got out of their cars, their weapons drawn in Harry’s direction.
“Drop the weapon, and come out with your hands up.” Officer Lee shouted.
“Such a cliche line.” Harry scoffed. He shot at one of their tires, inflating it instantly, but with the one shot to them, four came right back at him. One piercing through the skin of his upper left arm.
“Fuck!” Harry yelled as he hid behind the gas pump next to his car. He bit his lip
“Harry, what happened?” Joe asked, listening to the commotion. “Get in the fucking car and drive.”
“I know what I’m doing." Harry said. He clenched his jaw and took a quick look at his arm before over to the cops.
“Don’t do something you might regret, son.” Officer West called out.
“Too late.” Harry said. “I’d suggest you all leave.” He said before removing the nozzle and spraying the gasoline God knows where. The moment the officers saw him grab a hold of the pump they all retreated to the one operable car they had left. Harry rushed into his car and shot at the trail that he made earlier. Both cars left the store in time before the flames reached the gas pumps, causing both to be set up in flames. The tires of his vehicle screeched as he came to a quick stop, catching sight of the fire with his own eyes.
“Harry!” Joe yelled. “What did you do?”
“I took care of it.”
“Is anyone-”
“N-No. No one is hurt.”
“What about the kid inside?” Joe asked.
“You’re really concerned about the fuc-...I’ll go back later.” Harry said as he tried to outrun the cops.
“No. I will.”
“Are you mad? You won’t be able to get-”
“I’m sure there’s a back door.”
“Joe, we’ll get the kid later. For now we have to-”
“No, Harry. You get rid of the cops. I’m going back for the kid.” Joe said. Being a man of his word Joe turned his vehicle around. He looked into both cars as he drove by them. The flames he drove towards matched the frustration in all of their eyes. Following the plan he created in his head, Joe had entered the building from the back of the store. He didn’t hesitate to make to the bathroom, just to find a semi-conscious Martin on the bathroom floor. “All right, let’s go.” Joe said, picking Martin up.
“You found him?” Harry asked
“Yes I found him.” Joe replied.
“Huh?” Martin mumbled. Joe took no time in returning to his motorcycle.
"You're finally getting that drive after work." Joe said driving off.
“When you’re in the clear come back to the building.”
“Fine.”
Joe had taken Martin immediately home, acquiring the needed information from his license before returning to their little hideaway in the city. Harry didn’t arrive until 3 hours later, returning to an unsteady Joe West.
“Where the hell have you been, Harry!?” Joe said.
“Running from your father?” Harry responded.
“Don’t get smart with me, Harrison. We had a fucking agreement.” Joe said, taking off his boots and throwing them at Harry, both hitting him in the abdomen before Harry took a seat in his chair.
“Do you mind?” Harry hissed at the pain in his arm he took off his jacket. The blood had drenched the rest of his arm. Joe’s attitude had quickly washed itself away with a wave of concern for Harry’s arm.
“When did this-”
“Before I blew up the damn gas station. Can you please get this damn thing out of my arm?” Harry asked as he looked down at the wound. Joe had retrieved all the tools necessary before pulling up a chair beside Harry.
“You’re lucky it’s just a flesh wound.” Joe said, he handed Harry a wood spoon. “Bite.” Harry did as told before feeling the sting of alcohol touch his skin. Harry’s bite on the spoon had grown stronger as Joe went step by step to tend to his arm. From removing the bullet to stitching his skin back together. After wrapping his arm up, though he really shouldn’t have, Harry drowned himself in some alcohol to help with the pain.
“I-I didn’t know you were a doctor…” Harry said. Joe raised an eyebrow and shook his head at him.
“I think you’ve had enough.” Joe said, taking the beer bottle out of Harry’s hand. “Let’s get you to bed, Harry.” Joe said as he walked Harry into his bedroom, which was really an emptied out office with a bed. The both of them laid silently next to one another.
“I fucked up big time, didn’t I?” Harry asked, turning towards Joe.
“Very much I’m afraid.” Joe responded coldly.
“Babe.”
“Don’t fucking ‘babe’ me, you asshole. Someone could’ve gotten killed.”
“But no one-”
“I don’t care.” Joe said, crossing his arms as he looked up at the ceiling. “Disobey me again, I swear I’ll be the one to put a bullet in you.”
“Whatever you say, Joe.” He said, fixing the blanket on top of him. “Whatever you say.”
#the flash#the flash headcanon#cw the flash#the flash cw#harry wells#mine*#joe west#the flash fanfiction#charlie and the chocolate factory#earth 2 harrison wells#tom cavanagh#jesse l. martin#the flah au#im sorry i took so long with this#the ending seems very rushed as well#oh well
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The path to Isolation pt.1
-now-
"They sat on and threw trash at me again..." Anri mumbled burying her head into her hands as Mayuki patted her back while texting her other friends. "Like I said before An-Chan. they'll never notice you, if you don't assert yourself!" the raven haired girl let out a frustrated sight "How the hell would I do that, when I've put so much work into..this?" She sighed gesturing to herself as her friend frowned trying to come up with something.
"Stop dressing like a grandma for one, and Lose those dumb glasses, I don't think I ever seen you without them." the blonde hummed reaching for the the round frames, only for Anri lean away just out of her reach, causing the blond to pout.
"Boo! you always do that!" Mayuki whined as Anri readjusted her glasses. "How about I just color my hair or something, then I'll think about it?" the ravenette cringed as her friend let this glass shattering squeal, causing a few students to gawk at them Genji's group included.
The green haired boy brows furrowed bemused trying to piece together what the chick..uh, he banged her once, whats her name?...Mizu..no Erm?? Mayuki! that's it! was saying to Anri, but the bottle blonde was talking a mile a minute and pretty much carried the shorter girl out the door. "W-Wait my bag! Mayu!!!"
She quickly walked back for her things as The blonde rushed her out "Hurry, Hurry!!" surprising the class that Goose girl was ditching class, with a cheerleader who yelling a about salons and colors? Were they getting their nails done, Was Anri actually into that kind of stuff??
"I always did like the color..." Anri's voice got distant Genji's gaze then shifted to the window along with rest of the class, it faced the back courtyard, a few minutes later he saw Anri and Mayuki sneak out back; via hole in the fence just missing the gym teacher who was out for a midday smoke.
"Wow..The nerd actually did it." A girl with too much make up on said then turn to her friend. "We can use this! Let's make that nerd do our homework." She suggested a of her friends agreed even throwing in a few ridiculous demands one guy even asked if Anri 'puts out' that caused the girls to laugh before the green haired ninja intervened.
"So, she ditched class once? Whoopee! like we haven't done that before, And you don't see us doing other people work." The makeup girl gaped at Genji like a fish then began to stammer" B..but-" the young Shimada cut her off with sharp look. "Leave it." He said in a deadly tone causing chill to go down the groups spines,they nodded knowing that crossing Genji would be a very unhealthy choice...
on the street with Anri and Mayu!
"So, where do we star?" Mayuki asked Anri who smiled at her friends energy, then noticed something in peripherals thinking fast, the twin braided girl grabbed her blond friend and ducked behind a dumpster, just as a patrol car drove by.
"Well, first let's change our clothes, we stand out like sore thumbs" the honey eyed girl suggested knowing they probably get away better with without looking like a couple of escaped high school schoolgirls, they walked for a few blocks before Anri pointed at a thrift-store across the street.
Causing Mayuki to sweat dropped she's never been in a thrift-store before...and was little wary, [Yes she's from a well off family.] She changed her mind once she found a cute black sleeveless top with a black skirt with a pink floral pattern, that she just had to have.
she changed into those and waited for Anri to come out of the changing room, when she emerged the ravenette was wearing a brown turtle neck under a dip dye sundress that started out white then faded into a pretty leaf green and little grey paper boy's cap.
"Oh you look cute Mayu!" The blond smiled at her friend about to say the same thing but felt something was missing, spying an orange belt Mayuki grabbed it and put it around Anri's waist surprised at how thin the short girl actually was, the ravenette always wore baggy cardigans and slouched a lot walked or sat down it gave everyone the impression that Anri was pudgy! "And now you look like a girl!" the blond chirped as the her honey eyed friend went to pay.
It's a good thing Mayuki was distracted by some of the old toys lining the shop walls, otherwise Anri would have a tough time explaining why her debit-card said: Shimada Anri instead of Townsend. Only Takumi knows about her relationship with the Shimada clan; Mayuki and Mikoto think she's working for them as maid that why she and Genji know each other.
The clerk thanked them for their patronage and the two girls went on with their ditch day, stopping at a restaurant that Mayuki's family owned it took a moment for the hostess to recognize the bottle blonde "Oh miss Sonohara, Table for you and your friend?" the old woman asked leading Anri and Mayuki to the VIP section they were seated in a small booth they ordered some drinks and got down to what Anri was looking for style wise?
"I was thinking red,maybe? nothing too flashy to get get me into trou-" The ravenette was interrupted by someone tapping her shoulder both teens looked up and saw annoyed ginger haired woman around college age wearing very provocatively short purple dress standing behind them. Anri squirmed in her seat knowing exactly what was coming.
"Why hasn't Genjikins been returning my calls." She whined close to stomping her foot the short girl cringed as Mayuki mouthed out "Genjikins?!" in disbelief and snorted as the ginger waited for Anri tell her why Genjikins has been avoiding her. The ravenette though for a second and looked the annoyed woman.
"Ever hear the saying; A critic never pays to eat the same meal twice?"
"What do you mean?"
"What I'm saying Ko-ne-ko~...Is that your Genjikins menu isn't just exclusive to yours...he likes to eat around." Anri's voice dropped to a sultry tone as she watched the woman face drop in recognition after all Anri just called her: Koneko. That was the pet name Ginger's darling Genjikins called her by, and no else!
There's no way her handsome Genjikins was playing around! this little brat was just jealous of their love! Ginger's mind tried reasoned "You're lying! you don't know him you don't know us!" the ginger haired woman hissed as her face was turning a lovely shade of purple almost matching her dress.
Anri feigned innocence, the honey eyed girl pulled her glasses down a tick and winked as she gently took the distraught woman's hand in hers and smirked up at her flirtatiously.
"Why so mad Koneko?~ Oh, I get it...you don't like that name anymore? Well the how about my Dove, Angel or princess,... my dawn?" The ravenette purred before kissing the girl's hand mimicking how Genji would do it, the girl recoiled in disgust than ran off in tears. "Well at least this one didn't slap me." Anri said apathetically recalling the last couple girls who came around asking about Genji.
Mayuki cocked a brow at her; Damn this shorty can one mean Mama Trucker, She then noticed how quiet the ravenette had gotten. Anri seemed to be in pretty deep thought...she almost looked lonely.
"Genjikins, She seriously called him Genjikins?" Mayuki snickered breaking the tense silence between them as Anri snorted "I've heard worst, trust me!" the bespectacled girl giggled before returning to their original conversation, After lunch they set up an appointment at the hair salon just down the block from the restaurant.
They got there and the stylist was a bit hesitant on touching Anri's hair because it was so pretty and well taken care of. he had to ask her several times if she was sure about him taking her hair's virginity, Anri although a bit creeped out by the guys question was totally fine with it, after she pick out a color called chocolate cosmos. the stylist got to work...
it was almost dark by the time he was done, Anri had her newly dyed hair up in a bun and stuffed under her hat for safe keeping as she walked Mayuki home. "Are you sure you don't want to sleepover? My parents wouldn't mind." The bottle blond said as they split a Popsicle on the way.
the former ravenette shook her head; she was pushing it today by skipping school; Hanzo was surly having an aneurysm wondering where she was; her bodyguards were probably out looking for her right now. "Maybe next weekend, I think I'll be grounded for next three days but it was worth it," Anri said awkwardly while rubbing the back of her head, she bid farewell to her friend began the trek home...
Then Anri stopped in her tracks and calmly took off her glasses off almost as if she were cleaning them, not noticing the man behind her ready to grab-. "Y'know..." the man retracted his hand and stood still in the shadows as Anri continued taking "..stalking is a very complicated affair..." She hummed calmly as she tucked her glasses away. "You watch and learn thinking it'll be easy once they're alone."
The former ravenette began to walk again; leading the man deeper into an alley." And just when you think have your target... " She slipped into the shadows that led to dead end the man had a baton ready he reeled it back ready to swing as he rounded the corner only to find...Nothing? but he saw her come this way!
a cold sweat formed on the mans brow as he felt presence behind him. " You find out your target had you from the start.~" The man could only gasp in horror a hand covered his mouth, Needless to say the police were confused when they received a call about a pervert terrorizing a high school girl! only to find said pervert in his underwear hogtied with his own rope with a baton sticking out of his ass.
Anri resisted the urge to laugh as she got home to find Hanzo sitting on the front steps and he looked livid. "And just were where you today?" the elder Shimada brother demanded as the bespectacled girl shifted uncomfortably under his gaze.
"O-Out with a friend?" She stammered as his brown eyes narrowed at her. "Oh, and was time with this friend more important then school?" He hissed Anri swore she saw a flash blue in his eyes as Hazo held back his wrath. "Honestly, I expected better from you Anri." and with that Hanzo went to train leaving the girl to wallow in her now soured mood.
"Now I wish I hadn't gone easy on that creep..." She mumbled taking her shoes off mentally picturing herself beating snot out of the perv. "What creep?" She jumped hearing Genji's voice glanced around before looking up and finding him hiding out in the rafters, staring down at her curiously. "A pervert tried grabbing me on way home I-" the green haired boy suddenly bristled he jumped from rafters and landed in front of her with a heated looked "Why didn't you say anything when Hanzo was yelling at you?!" Genji hissed as Anri dismissed his anger.
"It wasn't a big deal I handled it." Genji's eyes seemed flashed green the bespectacled girl jumped when he punched the wall just above her head the sound seemed to echo through the halls as Genji glowered at the short girl.
"Not a big deal..." He snarled grabbing her front of her shirt, Anri looked at him in fear before Genji caught himself and pulled away from her; a pregnant silence filled the entryway, the frontdoors suddenly looked interesting to stare at, he glanced back at Anri and saw her hands were shaking...
All because he couldn't keep his stupid instincts in check. "Did he touch you?" He asked hoarsely before biting the inside of his cheek as tiny voice managed to stammer out.
"n..no."
Genji's shoulders relaxed a he let out breath he hadn't realized he was holding as he heard Anri's footsteps hurry away, leaving him alone. "Dammit, I screwed up again." he berated himself before he heard Hanzo yelling for him from the training room, At least he'll have something to take his anger out on...
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i want the k!!! but u can choose who are the lucky ones to get it asdfgjklds
it’s a k... that’s all that matters
“this is quite nice, isn’t it, mckinney?” cards are dealt, matthew picking up his own as the other men do the same, “nice little family getaway up north? duck hunting, singing by the fire, quite posh.” darrow always seemed to talk in a mocking tone. matthew had never figured if that was the way he spoke, or just the way he spoke to matthew.
“i suppose,” he says plainly, glancing at his cards.
the royal family had taken a trip north to gather in their second home. the king liked to hunt with his son as the ladies went horseback riding. they were watched, but security detail was much smaller, leaving matthew and some of his work companions, left to linger in the home. hence the cards.
“have you had another slumber party with the little princess? paint her toes let her braid your hair?” darrow earns a few snickers from around the table but matthew has never allowed any of the comments to come across his face.
“well last night victoria wanted to paint my toes chartreuse. it is a very flatting color on me i must say. you on the other hand, darrow, could never pull it off.” he looks up, laying his cards down to throw in a couple chips. there’s a few more snickers and matthew lets out a shallow, and rather unamused breath. “i hope mocking my work makes you feel better because i see no point to it otherwise.”
“i don’t understand you, mckinney.” darrow chuckles, “you’re so far up her ass you can’t even see that siding with her takes away your humanity. she abandoned us. she abandoned you.”
“i’m quite aware.” he watches as his fellow coworkers start throwing their chips in. “yet people are redeemable. i would think it’s just as pathetic that you’re not willing to accept that many of us now take care of children.” he meets darrow’s eyes. “no one knows what the fuck they’re doing, and none of those children understood the choices of their parents.”
“we lost everything because of this family.”
“yet you kiss their ass and protect their lives. you are the one worth mocking, darrow. no one is forcing you to stick your nose in their shit.” he sighs. “excuse me, gentlemen, i’m rather hungry.” he pushes all of his chips into the middle, getting up and leaving the table. “i will see you at supper.”
“oh, this smells lovely, ladies,” matthew grins, placing a hand on the shoulder of one of the cooks. “what does a man have to do to get a plate?” he bats his lashes, his teeth sparkling.
“a face like that, i would think you spoiled, babe.” one of the women pats his cheeks and he chuckles. “it’s impossible to say no.”
“you are all wonderful.” he watches as the scoop him small helpings, giving him a fork. “truly beautiful, cherished women. i would marry you all if i could.”
“would you like a pardon to?” he hears victoria from the doorway, and he straightens, fork already in his mouth. she strolls in, smirk across her face. “my father could work something out for you all.”
the ladies straighten their back but keep their heads tucked. matthew looked back to one of them and leans, “would you be able to share me properly?”
they giggle, and he grins, looking back at victoria, who now stands fully in the kitchen. “what can i do for you, princess?” he holds his smile, watching at her shoulders fall. rather than point it out, or take too heavy of notice, he takes another bite of his food.
“there’s a bookstore just on the outskirt of town. father gave me permission to go. they’re very familiar with me, it isn’t a threat to us, i promise.” her lips press together, as if waiting for his denial.
matthew takes another bite, contemplating just what she’s saying. he’s not aware of this bookstore. for all he knows, she could be lying so he takes her there. but he knows that this is far more remote than anywhere else they’ve been. far more remote than italy. it’s entirely possible that the bookstore is there mainly for the family, and they alone keep it in business.
“alright.” he says after finishing his plate and turning around to the cooks. “sorry i couldn’t chat ladies.” hands rest on their backs again and they all share their own coos towards him. he retreats back to victoria, a hand resting on her back as he leads her out of the kitchen. “got bored with horses?”
“yes,” she smiles, looking up at him, “but more so wanted a change in company.”
“that so?” he can’t help but smile.
she nods, and his hand falls from her back when they reach the main entrance. she is helped into her light jacket, and handed her bag. matthew nods as he takes the keys and the door opens for the both of them.
their drive was longer than matthew had expected, but it was quiet. not silent, but it wasn’t filled with words until the moment they pulled into the gravel parking spot. something about victoria had settled into something meek and he wasn’t sure if it was the small enclosure of being together. he knew that not long before the family trip, he’d sneaked her off to attend a close friend’s birthday. a celebration of life and happiness in a way she’d never lived before.
maybe she thought about his hands the way he did her’s. he was left rather speechless too, the way they’d danced and laughed and he whispered in her ear until she giggled in return. how he could parade her around and she followed him for once. maybe she thought a lot about how close they were. he’d held her close, dancing to the somber songs he loved, their clutched hands held so close to his heartbeat and he’d tell her that she fit well into this life. maybe he should have said how well she fit into his life.
but unlike darrow, his comrades of the war could see her dazzling personality. his comrades, who had always supported the difficult place he’d been put in, and respected his work, and cheered for his emotional success, took note of their very nature. while it was said in a much more crass way, he knew their tones were genuine. it wasn’t until one had finally said that nothing heals unless it’s dealt with, and nothing good can come of avoiding anything, that he really took it in.
he’d thought about it a lot. almost every day.
matthew had lead victoria in the store, but had asked her to remain by the door until he’d made sure there was no one else other than the clerk. the store was tremendously small, and cluttered with books. he’d looped aorund with ease in a matter of seconds. the clerk, being over the age of seventy no doubt, had recognized victoria immediately and bowed his head, giving her a tender smile. “would you care for a tour of new arrivals you might like? or if your grace going to wander herself.”
“i think i’ll take looking upon myself this time, edward, thank you.” she nods, starting to move, to which matthew followed.
even if it was small, it was tremendously private. she’d ducked around smaller corners and nooks leading into more narrow paths her fingers trace along the spine of books and she stops, picking one form it’s tight hold in it’s spot. “matthew,” she says quietly.
“yes, princess.” he says, standing behind her as she flips to the back of the book.
“i have something to tell you.” her voices is becoming a whisper and his eyebrows pull together. he watches her eyes scan the back and then put the book back, moving a few feet to pick out a new book. “my parents brought the family here because there’s been some news. they’ve been in arrangement for months with another country.” her fingers are delicate, running over the words on the back. she clutches it to her chest. “i’m going to be married.”
at first, he hadn’t processed the words completely, then they sunk in and he wasn’t quite sure how to emote. “wait, that still happens?”
“yes,” she sighs, moving to the other shelf across from them, but matthew doesn’t move. “i had a choice, of course, but i decided yes.”
“why would you do that?” he’s frowning, but more so confused than anything else.
he just sees her shrug, her face turned form his as she takes a second book from the shelf.
“a shrug isn’t an answer, victoria.”
“what else am i good for, matthew?” she sighs. “what else is there for me?”
he presses his lips together, hanging his head low. she’s given him opportunity upon opportunity. she’s laid herself out for him, willing and open. this he knows. but he has turned her away each time. rejected her flat out and wanted nothing to do with that part of her. he made this bed and he must lie in it.
“i think you deserve better.”
“what if better doesn’t want me?” she snaps her head, looking directly at him. he can see that her eyes are a bit red. he can’t imagine the night she’d found out, the night she agreed. was he there that night? had he said goodnight without even knows what she’d agreed to. when he was thinking about her blissful eyes and the way her hand resting against his heartbeat, she was thinking about giving herself away to a stranger.
those lingering silences in the car were not for him but a sorrow towards someone else.
he wants to apologize. wants to tell her not to punish herself. she’s young, she’s beautiful, this doesn’t have to be the life she lives. but he understands that he knows nothing. matthew serves best when his mouth is closed and this is a moment to practice that. so his eyes fall and he hears her shaky breath escape, too weak to be a scoff but the displeasure in his reaction is there.
he remains still when she finally moves. just to the next nook. he stands. he lets her have her own space before she comes back to him minutes later, a third book in her arms. he wonders if this was the purpose of the trip. she wanted a solace moment to tell him the truth. to hear it from her rather from whispers. but why not in her chambers? did she want something more intimate? did she hope that trapped within these bookcases he would sweep her off her feet and confess?
did she plan for him to kiss here between the pages of her favorite romantics?
she should know better that he’s too much of a coward for that.
“i’m ready.” she says quietly, brushing a strand of hair behind her ear. he gestures a hand forward, and moves behind her as she goes to check out. she talks fondly with the clerk and he takes out a fourth book for her, delicately. it’s beautiful, kept in a plastic bag, and he knows that it’s beautifully old and priceless. she thanks him, and adds it to her pile.
matthew glances outside the door, seeing that it’s begun to rain. it’s pouring, in fact. the evening sky has set in and the clouds only appear to make it darker. lighting strikes across them and the thunder shakes the old bookshop, including the old clerk.
“i didn’t think to grab an umbrella.” matthew thinks out loud, looking out the window as victoria turns to him.
“it’s fine.” she wraps her jacket around her bulky bag of new old books. matthew opens the door for her, and she quickly runs out into the open. matthew is quick to follow, jogging across the now muggy dirt and gravel parking lot. he runs around to quickly open the door for victoria, shutting it behind her and running to the other side himself. with a long exhale, he brushes the rain from his face and glances over to her. she reveals the books to be dry, but her hair now lays in flat waves on her face. the mud has ruined her heels and her breath his shaky. matthew turns on the car and turns up the heat.
beginning his drive, he can’t help but keep looking over to her. she’s shivering, leaning her head against the window and clutching herself tightly. after a while, and probably after a long time of her noticing him constantly looking over to her, she huffs, “you’re a dumb man, matthew.”
“i know that.”
“so dumb.”
“i’m aware.”
“it’s infuriating most of the time.”
“i think your opinion is valid.”
“why couldn’t you have just made this easy on me? why couldn’t this just be what it should be.”
“i think it’s because i’m a dumb man.”
“you really are.”
“i’m sorry about that.”
“are you though?” she sits up, but he has to keep his eyes on the road, the rain creating a symphony to her anger. “i hardly know anything when it comes to you so how can i be so sure?”
“you know more about me than most people, victoria.” his eyebrows furrow together. “there’s nothing more i would hope for than you to trust me.”
“you’re supposed to protect me but you can’t even protect me from yourself, you prick!” she shouts.
it startles him a bit, not expecting her to raise her voice in the car. “i’m… i’m sorry.” he runs a hand through his hair. he should have know. he knew as simple as it was that she wanted him, but it was naive of him not to see to the degree she wanted him. even in the bookstore, he hadn’t had a full grasp of just how much this had meant to her. in some way, he still doesn’t.
“you’ve said that.” she grumbles, sitting back in her seat. “can we just… stop talking?”
“sure.” he nods, and that’s the end of that.
matthew, feeling the pouring rain hit his skin, his clothes, being to run down his back and every creavice as he stood, holding the door open for victoria. she climbed out, and the two of them began quickly for the rear door, knwoing that tracking mud into the main entrance would be less than desirable.
“matthew.” victoria stops, clutching her books under her coat, letting the rain fall onto her.
he stops, turning to look at her. it’s almost dark now. he can still see her face but it’s dim, and he can still see her shivering. “there’s going to be celebration of my engagement in a few weeks. i think you should have that day off.”
he stands before her, shocked, his head back. he didn’t know what to make of all of what she’d just said. he knew she meant it. she’d never say it without meaning it. but it hurt. it hurt more than anything she’s ever said or done. was this punishment? did she so badly not want to be around him that she was going to tell him to leave the very celebration of her own big moment?
he wasn’t going to hide the hurt expression, but why would he put up the fight. instead he stared at her. what if they hadn’t gotten here? what would it take for her to say no to all of this? asking seemed like too much abuse of his own power.
“we need to go inside.” he finally said, and he placed a hand on her back, ushering her in, but she was quick to move away from his fingers.
when they got inside, the women in the kitchen celebrated their entrance. both were silent. they marched up the narrow stairs and matthew trailed behind her. he could go to his own chambers. instead he followed her. he closed the door behind them, and watched as she took the books from under the jacket, setting the wet bag onto her dresser and sighing. “matthew, this isn’t the palace, you don’t need to stand in my chambers to protect me.”
“i know,” he sighs, hand still on the doorknob, as if to make a quick getaway if he decides. but he sees her turn, and he sees her wet clothes clinging to her body, and the way her hair sticks to her skin and the way the dim, brooding light from the windows is catching her skin and he wishes this had never happens.
“why are you doing this, then?” she throws her arms in defeat, her body completely deflated.
his hand starts to lose it’s grip on the doorknob. he takes a step forward, looking over her again. he thinks about how she laughed when he made jokes and the way she sang in his car coming back from that party. wiping salsa from his lip and whispering things back and forth so no one could hear that they were talking about others at the party.
“i don’t know,” he confessed.
what he knew was that his body carried him across the room. he was quick, and moved with certainty. talking long, wet strides, he was met with her, and he could feel her shaky breath against him. it was only a second of lingering looks, but he took hold of her face, his fingers wrapped around her jaw, the pads of his fingers pressing into her skin as he brought his lips to her’s. there was no hesitation. nothing about the way he kissed her was delicate. it was everything he couldn’t be. her lips were cold and he imagined his own were too but he kissed her more. their lips parted and filled with gasps and his grip wouldn’t loosen.
her hands were frantic, tugging onto him tightly. his arm wrapped around her waist and pulled her flush against his chest. his hand finally let go of her jaw to tangle in her soaked hair. every thought. every dream. every whisper of desire he had to kiss her, and touch her, flowed out of him and it felt out of control. her lips were everything he wanted and feeling her tongue set his skin ablaze. he hadn’t noticed her working the buttons of his shirt until her hands slid onto the skin of his chest, back over his shoulders, and tangling in his hair.
he pushed her back, quickly lifting her to sit on the dresser. he heard her whimper, but his heavy pants covered it up as his lips moved over her neck, kissing and biting and sucking. she purred his name just like he’d always dreamed of and it was sweeter than he’d imagined. sweet enough to bring his hand back to her jaw, holding onto her tightly and bringing their lips together as he did before. her breaths escaped between kisses and she nipped and tugged on his lip, earning a groan.
his hands pressed to the exposed skin of her thighs, her skirt already starting to ride up her skin. her looked down for a brief moment, watching as his hand pushed the wet fabric back, slowly, but with intent. he looked up to meet her eyes, be it just for a moment. she nodded, and he sighed, moving in to kiss her again.
his fingers moved quickly, sliding under her skirt to tug her panties from her hips, letting them slide off her ankles onto the floor. he hadn’t much to say, but he kept kissing her. he couldn’t find a way to stop. not when she was working the buckle of his belt, or pulling down his trousers, his hands felt her body, in all the ways he wanted to. a hand running up her calve, like he did that night at the gala. gently grazing the back of her knee, feeling her shiver against his chest. he felt the soft skin of her thigh, and in a quick pull, moved her against the edge of the dresser.
he adjusted himself, and within moments, heard her moan as he was inside her. his hand braced the mirror of the dresser, giving him a bit of leverage. her hands cupped his face, kissing him over and over again as her moans and cries filler her chest. his thrusts here quick. his mind was not concerned with giving the most satisfaction experience victoria had ever had. but her skin was addictive and he needed to feel what it was like to be with her. having her legs wrap around his waist, tugging him in, whispering pleas in his ears, meant something. but he pressed his lips onto her shoulder, letting out muffled moans.
she felt good.
better than he imagined
she clung to him like everything depended on it and whispered in his ear for more.
it wasn’t a stunt of longevity. in fact, he knew the moment he was inside of her it wouldn’t be long. his hand gripped her thigh, moving her leg higher on his waist and closing his eyes tight. he moved faster just as she begged, and felt her fingers tighten on his shoulder. within moments, he was holding a bit too tight and heard victoria gasp as he let out a final groan, his thrusts growing shaky, until he finally stopped.
both of their breaths were fast, uneven, yet riddled with passion.
still inside her, he pulled back to look in her face. for the first time since kissing her, he truly took in the entirety of her face. she was glowing, her eyes sparkling, her hands running over his cheeks and leaning up to kiss him, soft this time. he kissed her back, hands pressing into her back.
“matthew,” she says, still breathless. “you’re making my life difficult.”
a knock pulls them from their moment. in the most literal sense. matthew leaps off of her and begins to shuffles for his clothes back on.
“just a moment!” she calls out. moving to her feet, she kicks her discarded panties under the dresser and fixes her shirt. matthew contemplates keeping himself in the open to be seen, and pretending they were having a discussion, or to hide and pretend her wasn’t there. he left the choice up to victora, and ducked out of direct view. she opened the door partially, leaning against it. “what can i do for you?”
“supper is ready.” the woman smiles.
“you know? i don’t think i’ll come to supper this evening. matthew and i just got back from the bookstore and we got caught in the rain. i need a hot shower now or i fear i’ll catch a cold.” she gives her a polite smile. “maybe i will join later.”
she smiles and nods, moving away from the door, and victoria closes it gently, pressing her head against the wood and letting out a sigh.
“victoria.” he says softly.
“matthew.” she whispers.
“i don’t really know what to do now.” he confesses.
“me either.”
“i don’t... think i can stay.” he starts to move closer to her, a bit uneasy with it all.
“no, that probably wouldn’t be wise.”
at least she understands that spending the night unseen together would raise questions. questions that lead to answers he fears everyone has been much closer to gathering than he himself was.
“maybe tomorrow this will be easy to figure out.”
“maybe tomorrow,” she repeats, nodding her head.
he stands behind her, his hand moving to her waist to turn her around. “victoria, i want nothing more than for this to be easy.” he brushed some of her wet hair away, looking down as her eyes grew wide and he feared they might fill with tears. “i wish i could make you understand me.”
“sometimes i feel you don’t try.” she shrugs helplessly, “you’re not alone. you’re not stranded on an island, i’m right here. help me understand.”
he presses his lips together. “i’m sorry it took me so long. i’m sorry i caught up when it was too late.” he sighs, leaning down and kissing her cheek. “sleep well.”
“i don’t want you to go.” she begs.
his thumb traces her cheek in the spot that he kissed. instead, he moves her away from the door, and slides out. moving quickly down the hall, to his own chambers, he slides in and closes the door, letting out a long exhale, placing his head between his knees before he could become far too overwhelmed with all that he’d just done.
#mazerparchive#* otp: matthew & victoria.#no gif bc i was lazy but the content is there#¯\_( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)_/¯#is it good ?#i'm not sure#would anything be good enough for the slow burn we've had ?#survey's still out on that one
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Red Dead Miraculous: A Miraculous AU
Also posted to AO3 here, if you prefer.
The sun sank slowly in the west as the day drew to a close in the town of Strawberry, painting the buildings an orange-red. The residents had already began ending the day, packing up things and returning to their houses deep in the town itself when a black horse galloped down the dirt of Main Street. None seemed to notice the man on his dark steed sneak his way into the sleepy city, making his way to the row of businesses that stretched the length of the populated area.
“Whoa, Cataclysm!” he whispered harshly to his horse as he pulled next to the general store. A black bandana covered his face up to his nose as he hitched Cataclysm and strode in through the door. The cashier was already counting his til, preparing to leave for the night.
“Beg your pardon, sir, but we’re closed. Reckon you’ll have to come back in the morning.”
The masked figure made no acknowledgement, continuing to slowly approach the register at the back of the small store.
“I said I can’t hel-”
The clerk was stopped short by a dark revolver pistol pointed right at his face.
“I believe that you can help me, partner.” the figure spoke with an accent that he hoped did not sound as fake to his hostage as it did to his own ears. “Give me what you have there, and some cans of food, and no one has to get harmed.”
The clerk looked positively terrified, and produced a burlap sack which he stuffed first with the contents of the register. Following that, he picked about ten cans of various foods and stuffed them in the bag as well. After taking hold of the goods for himself, the masked robber pointed his gun a little harder at the store owner.
“Now, you never saw me here. I would hate for this to have to end in blood.” The manager only shook his head in response. Satisfied, the man in the mask walked out with purpose and tied the bag to Cataclysm’s right side.
“Hyah!” he called out for his horse to move after unhitching him from the post of the general store. The animal took a slow gallop out of town and down into the forest of the surrounding area.
Adrien pulled the bandana off his face and stowed it away, taking a shaky breath of relief. No law, good. The landscape had shifted to a light blue of twilight, the familiar trees of his path home becoming silhouettes in front of his eyes. He patted his faithful horse as they rode along.
“Great job, boy. You made that so super easy. Now hopefully we can just get back home without anyone being the wiser.”
Before long, the young man came along a barn that was most certainly not where he lived. A friendly face was lost in the darkness, but he saw him wave anyway. He followed the figure into the barn, the man closing the barn doors behind him.
“Well you don’t look dead, so I’d say that went well.” His friend quipped as Adrien lead Cataclysm into one of the stables inside.
“You know I’m a professional, Nino!” Adrien said in a half laugh. He grabbed the bag from his horse, giving a portion of his bills to his friend. “Guy looked at me like he’s never been robbed in his life.”
“He probably hasn’t,” Nino said in response. “Those folks in Strawberry don’t see much action at all. Especially not from the Black Cat.” He said Adrien’s outlaw name with a mocking flourish, causing the blonde to roll his eyes.
“Make fun all you want, but it keeps us fed. If our damn crops would just produce a little bit, I wouldn’t have to rob general stores in the dead of night just to make it through the month.” Nino stepped out as Adrien ranted, knowing he had to change out of his Black Cat attire. “It’s just...so hard to make it out here. I’d love an honest living so I didn’t have to lie to Mary, but…” He seemed to stop short of what he wanted to say, but he figured Nino understood. He stuffed his previous outfit into one of Cataclysm’s bags, which now hung in the stable next to the horse. He exited the barn wearing much lighter colors, more usual for Adrien, and a tan hat.
“Why don’t you tell her about it? It’s not like she doesn’t know we’re struggling here. Why tell her you’re doing...whatever you told her you’re doing that isn’t stealing at gunpoint?” Adrien whistled for Ladybug, the horse that he and Marinette shared. She came running, her white skin shining in the moonlight and accented by the dark brown saddle that rested on her.
“I just would hate for her to want me to stop, to feel like she had to go out and work so that the two of us together could maybe survive.”
“Mary is absolutely capable of working, she’s no skill-less housewife Adrien.” Nino had a concerned look on his face.
“No I know that, I just think this is for the best for now. I don’t plan to become a career outlaw or anything, I’m just getting us a little extra so we can take the hit from the farm this year.”
Nino seemed unconvinced, but didn’t offer further protest. He counted the money in his hand, twenty dollars, before putting it in his pocket.
“Thanks, by the way.” Adrien finally said after a few miles of silence. “I couldn’t do this without you.”
“Any time, bud. Just don’t ask me to come robbing with you, I get enough people wanting to shoot me for the crime of being black.”
Adrien nodded solemnly, not really knowing anything to add that wouldn’t sound stupid.
It wasn’t long before their familiar homestead came into view, bathed in the complete darkness that had overtaken the night. Alya was out on the front porch waiting for them as they hitched up the horses.
“How did it go, lover boy?” The question was pointed at Adrien, but Nino answered silently by showing their cut of the money.
“Hot damn!” Alya whisper-yelled. “That’ll help us out a lot. Thank you, Adrien. Just don’t go making a habit of it.”
“I won’t. I got some cans of food too, if y’all need some.” Alya looked in the bag, and decided to take a single can of peaches.
“Well thank you again. We’re mostly doing fine, but I love these things. Now, get that stuff put away and get to bed before your lady starts getting to wondering.”
Adrien nodded and turned to open the door to their shared house.
“Oh, and Adrien?”
His hand stopped on the handle as his head turned to look back at her.
“If this does become more than a few times, Mary has to know.” Her eyes pierced him with a preview of the hell that was a scorned woman.
“You have my word.” he offered in reply with a similarly serious look.
The trio went on inside, Adrien putting the food and money away in the cabinets and a lockbox, respectively. Not long after that, he crept into bed next to his dark-haired lover.
“Babe?” Marinette said, stirring.
“Hello, dear. I had hoped not to disturb you.” he started getting undressed to sleep as he spoke.
“How was town? I hope you made it to town before they closed up.”
“Oh yeah, just barely but I did. Ladybug seemed to know I was in a rush, she got me in there before it got too dark.”
“Oh good, you both make me so proud.” she leaned over as he got into bed, giving him a loving kiss before laying back down.
“How are things looking out in the field?” Adrien changed the subject, feeling a bit of guilt for his dishonesty. He felt an uncomfortable pause before she spoke in reply.
“It’s gonna be our worst year since we moved out here.” Her voice sounded disappointed, as if it was personally her fault that it was that way. “But there will be things to sell when harvest comes. We’ll survive, we all will.”
“We absolutely will, Mary. Don’t worry yourself too much. My new job working on that ranch is gonna give us enough to get through the winter, and then after that we’ll have the best year next crop cycle.” he spoke this absolutely, as if it were certainty. He had to believe that it was, so his lying to the love of his life could be kept to an absolute minimum.
She smiled at him, hope seeming to return to her eyes. “I love you, Adrien. Good night.”
“Good night, love. I love you too.” He replied, getting into bed to shut his tired eyes, and he meant every word.
#adrinette#fanfiction#miraculous ladybug#DJWifi#AUs#tw: threats of violence#tw: guns#tw: mild language#this is a drabble but i might continue it who knows#cross-posted to ao3
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Movie Night
Hey Everyone! So this is the first oneshot of my new series. Its all based on an au where The Losers Club and The Party are childhood friends. Its going to be sweet and sappy, and explore the hilarity that would come from having all thirteen of these teens living in one town (and more or less all living at the Byers house).
Hope you Enjoy! And Check out @losers-party for headcanons based on this verse.
(Read on AO3)
“Are you sure we can trust you with this?” Stan crosses his arms, looking down his nose at Richie.
When the prospect of a movie night was suggested, the entire Byers home excitedly debated potential films and genres. After much bickering, Richie ‘graciously’ offered to walk to the blockbuster himself. It seemed like a good idea, but Stan was unconvinced of his motives being pure.
“Aw come now Stanley! I'll make sure to pick something brilliant.” Richie, chuckling through his famous british guy and winking.
“Ugh I'll go with him.” Max groaned, rolling off of the couch.
“So that you can get some cheesy gore fest? No thanks. I'll go.” Mike W sighed, rising from the floor next to El and Will.
“Why don't you all just go.” Joyce offered, emerging from the kitchen with a smile that said ‘its not an option’. Mike and Max shrugged, and joined Richie on the lawn.
It was the perfect day for a walk, so no one bothered to grab their wheels. Even Max left her board at home. The blockbuster hadn't been open long, but the kids frequented it enough to know the best shortcut, and for the bored store clerk to know them by name. Mike debated between The Goonies, and The Breakfast Club for awhile before getting both. Max slipped in line behind him and cleverly hid the title of the undoubtedly horrifying movie she picked. The two of them waited outside, taking in the afternoon sun, waiting for a suspiciously long time for Richie to finish finding his movie. It probably was for the best that he didn't go alone, because when asked, he only smirked in reply and clutched the black plastic bag tighter to his chest.
Back at the house, Dustin and Ben were back from their own trip to the supermarket for snacks. Dozens of boxes of candy, bottles of soda, and cookies from the bakery lined almost the entirety of the Byers kitchen counters. The smell of burnt popcorn seeped out from the open windows and filled the yard at they walked up the dirt driveway.
After some bickering over who got which box of candy, who got to take the couch, and who got to sit where, it was almost sunset. Max and Richie whispered and giggled with one another as they hid there vhs tapes, and squeezed into the weathered armchair.
Mike W ignored them and decided to play The Goonies first. It was one they had rented before, but the magic of the film, and the inspiring group of kid characters was all too familiar. It felt like a life each of them had lived.
Mike W, El, and Will crowded the couch next to Joyce. Dustin emerged from the kitchen with the last of the bowls of popcorn and found an open place on the floor next to Lucas and Ben. The coffee table had been pushed against the far wall long ago, leaving room for the tangle of blankets and pillows that seemed to permanently litter the living room floor. Thirteen teenagers crammed together, eyes transfixed by the movie on screen, laughing at jokes they had heard dozens of times before.
Stan and Mike H held hands under a warm blanket. Bill doodled absentmindedly in a sketchbook while Bev leaned her head on his shoulder. Dustin and Lucas tossed popcorn back and forth before Hoppers booming voice filled the room.
“Hey, if you are going to have a food fight then you need to actually clean it up.” The police chief got home just as the credits began to role for the first movie, and an inky blue night sky settled outside.
“Oh like you didn't start the last one.” Bev teased, turning to look up at him.
“And I won too.” Jim winked, leaning over the back of the couch to kiss Joyce's head and ruffle El’s. All he had to do was snap at the giggling kids in his chair to send them to the floor. “What’s playing next?”
“I grabbed The Breakfast Club.” Mike stood to change the tape, stepping in between the unoccupied spots on the floor.
“Actually, now that it's dark, I thought we could watch something a bit more... thrilling.” Max smirked, unearthing her secret movie pick. Dr. Terrors House of Horrors. A horribly dated looking and well loved box cover depicting the classic style of 1960’s horror.
“God Max! I knew you would pick something messed up!” Mike sighed, but reluctantly let her play the movie. He could see where this was going, so he pulled Will’s hand and dragged the smaller boy into the dining room. Neither being a big fan of horror, whenever Max got her way they would settle for finding something else to occupy their time.
As the sounds of sweeping orchestral music played from the tv set, Mike grabbed the scrabble set from the shelf. Everytime a shriek from on screen made the smaller boy flinch, Mike would grab his hand or make him laugh by placing down a ridiculous word. Mike was no scrabble champ, at least not compared to Stan or Max, but he was good enough to keep Will’s attention away from the gore on screen.
After the first act, Stan and Mike H joined them at the table. Stan looked practically woozy from scenes that were making Max and Richie cackle with delight. It didn't take long for him to get in the zone however. Playing words like ‘Foliage’, ‘Oxazepam’, and ‘Philanthropist’. They had an unspoken rule to not even bother keeping score if Stan was playing (although he kept his own score in his head). One round turned to three, and then five, and then they lost count. Giggling and sipping sodas and ignoring whatever was happening in the living room.
Eventually the numbers in the living room dwindled. Ben and Bev decided to leave to one of the back rooms when they had been aggressively shushed for the last time. Bev thumbed through a magazine while Ben put his New Kids on the Block tape in Jonathan’s old boombox.
Eventually Lucas joined them too. Not even lying shoulder to shoulder in between Max and Dustin could save him from the headache all the screaming was causing. Lucas really enjoyed spending time with this quiet couple. Lucas curls up at the foot of the bed and flips through a stack of comic books, making sure to share his favorite panels with the other two. Ben has his nose buried in a journal. He keeps sneaking glances up at the other two on the bed, and Bev takes notice. Part of her wonders if he is writing another poem, and the way he curls the edge of the journal up to block her view, she thinks he might be. She blushes at the thought.
Some point later they can hear the stomping of a sleepy Hopper make his way to bed. As well as the giddy laughter of the board game turning into more of a ‘lets see how ridiculous of a sentence i can make’ game when Bill and Dustin join the table.
That leaves only Richie, Eddie, El, Max, and Joyce in the living room. Eddie fell asleep some time during the beginning of the movie. Richie runs a lazy hand through his hair while his eyes stay glued on the screen. Joyce smiles out at the group of kids in the dining room, and silently wishes Jonathan could be here too, as well as those two terrific partners of his.
Stan and Mike H get up to get ready for bed after Stan realizes his nightly routines have run a few minutes behind. Not long after, a sleepy Will shuffles back to his room as well, followed slowly by the others one by one. Mike W collects El from the couch and walks with her to Will’s room that has more or less become a community slumber party room.
Mike H comes back out and scoops up Eddie, carrying him to his sleeping bag with a smile. The chatter in the house quiets to only a few hushed whispers as one by one the kids drift off to sleep.
Once the movie ends, Max drags herself to curl up in between Bev and Lucas on the small bed, certainly only meant for one person.
“Are you tired?” Joyce smiles down at Richie, the only person left on the mass of blankets in the darkened room.
“Not really. You up for one more movie?” He swaps out Max’s tape for his own and Joyce nods.
“What do you have in store?” Joyce smirks. It has become a secret tradition between the two near-insomniacs. Richie makes a game out of finding the strangest movies in the ‘foreign’ section. Whatever has the most interesting box art, or the most obscure description.
“It's called ‘The Holy Mountain’. Its spanish, from 72, but the back said that it isn't for the faint of heart. I figured we could handle it.” Richie took his seat next to Joyce on the couch and let the film play.
Usually Richie feels the need to make jokes during movie night (much to everyone's chagrin), but that need is never present with Joyce. Her unceasing understanding and patience. It's like she just gets him, no strings attached.
Inevitably, the droll of spanish lulls him to sleep. Slumping against the arm of the couch with his glasses falling crooked. He never remembers it, but he always wakes up in his sleeping bag next to Eddie.
Movie nights don't get to happen as often as they all might like. Given their various schedules and after school activities, but it's always a reminder of what they are. A family. Strange and often chaotic, but full of love and acceptance.
#allie#mine#the losers club#the party#mike wheeler#will byers#byler#mileven#el hopper#lumax#henclair#richie tozier#max mayfield#lucas sinclair#byclair#eddie kaspbrak#stenbrough#ben hanscom#bill denbrough#stan uris#beverly marsh#benverly#mike hanlon
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Rodeo and Juliet
Here is my play by play reaction to this movie.
1. So there is a girl named Juliet and she is moving to her grandfather’s ranch with her mom after his death.
2. She is pissed that she has to move, but then she meets this horse, Rodeo, apparently she had riding lessons in NYC but can’t saddle a horse.
3. Seriously, she just like throws it in the air with the strength of a 9 month old infant.
4. She makes friends with Nan, like who the fuck names their kid Nan? Anyway, she is the only black person in the whole town so far.
5. Nan takes her to a barn dance and introduces her little brother, so two black people so far. (this movie does not seem to accurately represent the beautiful diversity of our nation)
6. Some mean girls approach Nan and Juliet. They claim that Juliet’s outfit looks like, “a clearance rack at Chicos”.
7. Juliet is wearing like a black leather jacket and black jeans and black heels, I mean they aren’t Prada but the outfit isn’t bad.
8. Anyway, Juliet comes back with “I’ll let Lana del Rey know you said that next time I’m backstage at one of her concerts like last weekend” and, “Oh my mom’s friend Calvin designed this outfit, Calvin Klein.”
9. Super cringey so far and way too detailed for a comeback.
10. Some country boy approaches Juliet and she dips out of the way for another cowboy and pretends he is her date, this movie is so cliche so obviously they fall for each other. Not actually sure what his name is.
11. Meanwhile, Mom is at judge’s office looking for a will or statement entitling her to the ranch meanwhile some Billy Ray knock off comes in saying he has paper that entitles him to half of the ranch. Judge said it was never official.
12. We find out his name is Hugh and he was the grandpa’s right hand man.
13. A lot has happened and I cannot really follow but I guess the mom is now employed at the Judge’s office and is helping look for a will.
14. Juliet’s mom says to stay away from Loverboy since he is Hugh’s nephew and therefore the enemy.
15. Oh and btw Mom tells Juliet they have to sell the horse.
16. Juliet throws a fit and then learns of a barrel racing competition and thinks that if she and Rodeo win that she can’t sell him or the ranch.
17. Loverboy offers to teach her and says that she knows he’ll do anything for her, so their relationship is going hella fast, like it has only been 2 days.
18. Since Juliet is supposed to stay away from them she convinces her mom to let her ride Rodeo at Nan’s ranch
19. I suspect she’ll be riding Loverboy too, if ya catch my drift ;)
20. Training montage and searching for document montage begins.
21. Hugh and Loverboy have the same haircut and hat, little freaky.
22. Loverboy has a really pointy chin
23. Also horse is pretty little/scrawny for being a barrel racing horse
24. I have been informed by Ari (roommate) that Loverboy’s name is Monty.
25. So Juliet has been practicing for like 2 days and she’s already a god at the game
26. Definitely a hallmark movie due to the nature and quick, hard to follow plot and lack of diversity.
27. Wait! There are two more black people, a receptionist at the county clerks office and a dude in line. Ari: “still no asian people!”
28. Everyone drives really big, really shiny trucks
29. So some random dude with a weird beard shows up while mom is sweeping the driveway.
30. His name is bill Atterbury and he is looking for the grandpa, mom says he is not here and fails to mention that he is dead.
31. Okay now she mentions it all dramatic like.
32. Anyway, homeboy wants to buy the horse.
33. Oh and apparently mom is trying to get him to buy the land too.
34. This convo is going down like the opening to a cheesy 80′s porno (at least I am assuming so)
35. Ooh she invited him in for some lemonade..... and probably some sex too.
36. JK it is just really cheesy to invite a stranger in for lemonade.
37. The low visual quality and cheesy movie tropes make me honestly question if this is a hallmark movie or a bad 80′s porn.
38. Juliet is wearing some black off the shoulder shirt with big white lettering that says NYC with neon paint splatters.
39. It looks like it was purchased anywhere but NY, probably the juniors section of a SEARS department store.
40. Her hair keeps changing colors from dark brown to auburn, now she has a blonde streak in it.
41. Okay mom is now explaining her childhood in this small town.
42. Her mom died when she was 10 and her dad attached to her really hard, which seems normal since she is his only family left.
43. She was once in love with Hugh, engaged even, she liked the idea of being a rancher’s wife.
44. Then she fell in love with writing and ran off to New York, her dad and Hugh obviously did not approve.
45. Whatever she had with Hugh ended when she left and then she met Juliet’s dad and so on.
46. She admits that she really loved Hugh. Something tells me she still does and that they may get together again.
47. This entire movie I thought that Juliet took WRITING lessons in NYC but she was taking RIDING lessons in NYC, and apparently her grandpa paid for them.
48. This explains why she is so good at barrel racing, doesn’t explain why she can’t put a saddle on a horse.
49. Another off the shoulder top, what is up with this chick?!
50. Nan is always wearing a Canadian tuxedo ( Denim Jeans, Denim shirt, and Denim jacket)
51. Nan and Juliet are having girl talk and Nan is teasing Juliet for having a crush on Monty but like she’s already been on a date with him and kissed him so this shouldn’t really be a shock for Nan.
52. Monty takes Juliet to a tree grove on their horses and claims he has never taken anyone there before.
53. They kiss on horseback, as if this movie weren’t cliche enough
54. Why is Juliet always whispering in the horse’s ear like it understands english, it doesn’t.
55. WTF Nan is eating out of a feed bag with her hands, I don’t think it’s feed but that is still weird.
56. Mom shows up while everyone is practicing and Monty hides in the worst hiding spot imaginable, I expect nothing less from this movie.
57. Apparently it’s Christmas time??!?!?!?!
58. Nan pulls the whole flattery trope with the Mom to distract her and of course it works because this movie is cliche AF
59. Hugh drops off a wreath for someone.
60. Ohhh is it the mom, I wonder if he still has feels for her.
61. Ari : “It’s for Juliet” me: ewww gross.
62. Okay mom appears outside wearing some sort of hoodie/jean jacket that 2011 Justin Bieber would wear.
63. I was right. Hugh says some BS about how he always hoped she would come back.
64. Now he tries to convince her that the grandpa always wanted them to share the ranch.
65. Now they are calling each other out on their issues.
66. Alright back to Juliet and Rodeo, just brushing.
67. Mom has decorated a small office tree that doesn’t light up on top.
68. Oh mom has found a will saying that Mom and Hugh have to split the land. Something tells me she won’t mind as much.
69. Wait, mom finds out about Juliet and Monty and now she says she has to withdrawal from the competition because she lied. daughter says she lied too, about her past in this town.
70. Uh oh mom is selling the horse to Hugh.
71. obviously this isn’t the end of Juliet’s racing career.
72. Oh shoot Hugh is ranting about how the ranch and horse should go to someone who loves it as much as the grandpa did.
73. Mom spills the beans about the will.
74. Now they feel guilty for dragging the kids in when really they were just confused about themselves but really it isn’t that hard because they found the document so move on already.
75. Whoa, Hugh confesses that he went to NYC to find the mom when he heard she was getting married.
76. Cue the “ I never stopped loving you cliche”
77. They both talk about memories rushing back and all that jazz.
78. Of course, Hugh tips his hat back and they start making out.
79. EW! If they get married that would make Monty and Juliet Step-cousins that make-out.
80. Okay so it is competition day and mom and Hugh show up.
81. I don’t know why she is competing anymore because mom is probably not going to sell Rodeo and the ranch now that she and Hugh are together.
82. Monty and Juliet apologize for sneaking around but mom supports the relationship which is gross if they end up being step-cousins.
83. Wait, apparently the current champion is back when they thought she wasn’t competing.
84. Juliet rocks the first round. Cue competition montage. The announcer has a wicked mustache and then Juliet progresses to the finals. This horse is wildin’ and going fast now.
85. Nan is walking away and some slow-mo scene makes me think something bad is about to happen.
86. OMG! OMG! WAIT! I just noticed Monty is Hugh’s nephew, Monty-Hugh. Like Montague and then Juliet! Just like the Montague and Capulet family rivalry in Verona. I CAN’T BELIEVE I DIDN’T NOTICE THIS SOONER!!!
87. I forget that the mom is a writer, she apparently knows what to write about now. Ari: “so she’s going to write about a fucking horse girl?!?”
88. She sets the record. Wait! she doesn’t win. she loses by .2 seconds against the resident champion.
89. I mean she still is keeping the horse and they do not need money for the ranch anymore since Hugh and mom are a thing, so nothing is at stake anymore.
90. Okay so Bill Atterbury from earlier comes up and offers Juliet and Rodeo $4000 and wants them to ride pro and wants Monty as a pro circuit trainer.
91. “ Y’all have a Merry Christmas”
92. All of a sudden it cuts to the ranch house where the mom is typing her paper in some bouji heels while Hugh attempts to light a fire.
93. The Judge has randomly shows up and asks if they have come to an agreement about the ranch.
94. They tell him they have, an agreement to be husband and wife.
95. I CALLED IT!!!
96. This relationship escalated really fast over the course of like 3 days
97. Monty and Juliet are back at the grove, which isn’t really a grove because there are only like 2 scrawny trees, but they just call it a grove.
98. Ewwww they are step-cousins now.
99. Now they are racing their horses at sunset.
100. Ari thinks the movie will fade out..... oh! oh! she is exactly right!
Overall, pretty odd movie. It was definitely a Hallmark movie. It was very hard to follow and a lot happened really fast. I’m still not sure if the central plot was the land dispute, horse racing, or forbidden love. The commentary that Ari and I provided was highly entertaining though.
#humor#funny#satire#review#movie#movie review#horse movie#horse girl#forbidden love#cheesy movies#cliche#cliche movie#hallmark movie#romeo and juliet#Rodeo and Juliet
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"I THINK SV ROBERTS & TRISHA PAYTAS RUINED MY LIFE”
There’s this place I used to go to in my teenage years of mischievous boners and sad boy playlists on my iPod classic. It was tucked behind the railroad tracks that wound around the neighborhood I lived in. The neighborhood being a once proud jewel of the new housing development to the Arvada foothills. Sometimes I’d go there instead of school. I didn’t do drugs or drink booze there - just liked to go and sit. Sometimes I’d bring a book, or some paper to write on - I thought of myself Ralston Valley’s own JD Salinger.
To get there you needed to sneak out of my basement room, which was easy if you knew how to fo it. Every 30 minutes, either the fan or heater would blow a loud grinding sound through the house, masking any sound like rain on footprints. Then it was up the drain ladder and into the surreal echoless rows of patterned homes in this little village of women with nice hair, and husbands with plaid shorts. Every night I would sneak out of this house. I would meet some girl, other times I would go by myself. I would reach the edge of the homes to a park. There, a tall and mighty high lamp-post stood. Spreading a spotlight presence across everywhere. Someone could see every feature on my dumb little face and could report the authorities that a minor was out past his bed time. But for some reason, I would reach the edge, and that light would shut off. As if this place wanted me to enter.
And just like that, I would cross the train tracks. And venture into this unknown. And no one would ever know where I was. The only friends I would ever need at this time would be the people on my iPod. And it was mine. It was all mine for the taking. A fort of paradise and no one ever knew it existed out there beyond the border of my bubble.
I brought my first love to this spot. My one and only S.V. Roberts. The one who I was supposed to spend the rest of my life with. And it was her that I made this spot home with. We would climb trees, put gum under desks, and it felt like we could smoke batteries - we’d be just fine. Because we were invincible. Being with her was like living the lyrics of a white stripes song. We made fun of jocks, and liked to make-out under the big oak tree in our own little home near those railroad tracks. And on prom night, the cliche’s of all cliche’s, I lost my virginity with her in the back of a student driver car. I was 16 and the world felt like it was mine. And then she was gone. And I haven’t really kept in touch.
I don’t exactly remember it very well. One day we just stopped holding hands. And I would spend an entire summer going to that spot. Sitting under the trees. Thinking of S.V. Roberts. One day I didn’t go. And then I didn’t go for a week; and then a month. And since then I have never been back. I found a pack of lucky strike cigarettes and started seeing someone who I didn’t really like, or want to be with. She was cute. And mean. And not really the person I wanted. And one day I got her pregnant. And another day she got an abortion and then we stopped talking. And I never have really spoken to her since.
From there I think I just wanted someone next to me. A blur of faces and hair. Some lasted longer than others. Some were funny. Some were just one tear away from sobbing. Some were lonely like me, and others were just using me to get back at their boyfriends. Some I lived with. Others I just saw on the weekends. But I made sure to never bring them back to that place. That special place that I kept really far away.
But one day that changed. It was about a week from Valentines day and I was with some mistake, and that’s when I saw her. Hidden under some scarf - she had the bangs of a record store clerk and the nose ring of a band groupie. She had bright blue eyes. And no matter how hard I made sure not to look at her, I could feel her looking at me. And in that moment, I let her into that place behind those railroad tracks.
To even write down the feelings I had for this stupid woman, would honestly take too long, and it wouldn’t really do very good justice. She wasn’t perfect. She was a trashy mess at times. She liked to hit stuff when she was angry and would have me dying of laughter. Was she the one? Is she the one? I don’t know. Anyway, one day we sorta fell out of love. And decided to stay together to see if we could fix it. But we couldn’t. And now she isn’t exactly in my life. I think what I miss most is her company. The way she smells. The way my hand fell perfectly on her waist when we laid next to each other. Her racist and sexist memes. Her stupid youtube videos. But these are all just materialistic things to love about someone. The only real reason I could give you is that she just did it. What it is, and how she did it is something for me to know.
Well, I ran into S.V. Roberts on Cinco De Mayo - she was at a bar I like to go to with her friend, I just watched her enter and sit in the corner. She saw me. I know she did. But there was no hello. She was just another stranger. No feelings of teenage dreams. And then the moment left and I sat listening to my friends argue, and I started thinking about someone else. I don’t know how long it takes for the wounds I have to heal. And I don’t know if Miss Blue eyes is ever going to send me memes, or kiss my neck, force me to watch trash TV again, eat pizza and let her talk about Trisha Paytas again. But I will miss it.
I found out about a year ago that my spot was eventually bulldozed. And there’s some houses built there now. And the light switched off because, like the heater and air conditioner, it was set on a timer. And I know that we all have to except the reality of the situation. And maybe the reality is that the time I spent with Blue was just a sliver in the vast cosmic fate of humanity. But it was a lot of fun. And I had a really good time. And when I see her again, I’ll make sure to make her smile, and smile wide. She likes it when I smile. And I’ll make sure to hug her tight. And if she’s with someone I’ll be polite. Maybe it will be in New York in five years. Maybe it will be in Tokyo in twenty. Maybe it will be in Denver tomorrow. I think the point is that she’ll know. And I’ll know, and in that way, we did it.
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birth ;
as far as parties goes , it’s pretty standard . guests , snacks , alcohol , good music . smiles and laughter , the occasional awkward bump of two bodies on the makeshift dance floor . his usual crowd isn’t there——— but it’s fine , he keeps sneaking glances and stealing kisses every time prompto runs by before dashing out to greet someone else . hands stay intertwined for minutes at a time before a song picks up , an excited shout and like water , he goes with the flow , moving along like a loose shadow . time moves at a pace , slow when there are lips against his own , fast when his heartbeat speeds up to match the quick tempo of some song he’s definitely heard too many times on the radio .
eventually , they’re all alone . the place is a mess——— that’s a problem for tomorrow , he thinks , pulling the blond along until they’re both in the bedroom . wandering hands give way to amusement , curved lips and low chuckles ; he makes sure prompto drinks some water before the blond face plants the pillow , before arms tangle around each other . the warmth is nice , comforting even , despite the very strong smell of alcohol still radiating from the gunslinger . a soft murmur against a golden crown of hair , a kiss against a temple and then , darkness .
he leaves a present , forgotten in the excitement of the previous day , next to prompto’s head , near the pillow . colored paper and a glossy bow ; little chocobos on the paper , bright yellow , with tinier feathers in little bursts like confetti . it’s not much .. to be honest , nyx isn’t even sure prompto will like it—— he’s not an expert on photography . he barely takes photos on his phone , more used to seeing the printed pictures of gathered intel than the smiling faces of his friends in digital form , but the clerk at the store said it was a good piece of equipment and in cases like this , he defers to the experts ( who supposedly know what they’re talking about ) .
prompto’s still out and based on the amount of alcohol he had the previous night , he’ll be out for a while longer . nyx takes one long , hard look at the living room , the kitchen , the bathroom——— he inhales sharply , exhales . it’s a mess , but it’s not the worst mess he’s ever seen in his life . his phone stays on the counter , low music playing , and he gets to work . little by little he gets rid of all evidence of disaster until the apartment is spotless . hell , it’s so clean he’s sure his mom would be proud . by then , it’s early afternoon . prompto’s still sleeping . no use waking him up just yet .
he finds a drawer of aprons . goes through them until he finds one that makes him laugh . yeah , that’ll do . over time things fade from memory , and he expects gaps in the recipe but there are none . it should be harder to remember . he’s been living in insomnia for almost ten years , if not more , and this isn’t something he cooks often . nowadays , he leaves the cooking to libertus .. but there’s something almost therapeutic about the motion of washing vegetables , cutting them up , stirring . everything sizzles inside the pot , juicy and heavy in smell . it must be a sign then , because not long after , prompto shuffles into the kitchen . “ morning , ” he greets , a small smile , no amount of pity at what must be one hell of a hangover——— he’s been there , done that before . he pours coffee into a mug , walks over to the blond to offer it , kissing the top of his head . “ happy birthday , blondie . ”
Awakening with a groan -- arm reached out to find Nyx, but alas -- instead hand found a gift, catching his half lidded attention. The colours would eventually have eyelashes flutter to an open. He smiles soft. He assumes who it’s from, knowing Nyx was the only one to stay after everyone had left. His thoughts giddy, attempting to remember the night. There was a lot of alcohol, a lot of nyx, more alcohol, and another side order of nyx. He pushes himself to sit upright -- exaggerating his groan the entire stretch. Taking gift in hand, an excited -- child on christmas feeling washed over him. He truly didn’t expect anything, and by looks of how it was wrapped alone, he knew Prompto rather well. He sighs soft, smiling as he opens. He knew Nyx was no photography expert -- but how did he get it so right? He assumed with help, but nonetheless he clutches it to his chest -- almost sobbing over how sweet it was.
He now with sudden energy to leave comfort, swings his legs to side of bed, feet to meet with carpet -- a first step into being awake in the world. Next, he decides to throw on one of Nyx’s shirts from a previous stay [ when he had to leave for work , but Prompto went to the effort of washing it regardless ] and boxers -- Leaving the gift on his bed, not wishing to break it after he was just given it. It is only now as he returns upright that he feels a throb in his head. Ugh. He certainly had no regrets at the time… now ? Perhaps. Hand stretches over his face, barely looking where he was walking. He didn’t want to see the aftermath of the evening. But notes of something much needed attacks his senses, the smell truly WONDERFUL and not at all overpowering considering he to be rather fragile.
“ Mmm… Mornin’ babe.. “ He sighs soft. He was still here, spending his birthday with him. He gladly reaches for the coffee, smiling rather sweet and a slight hum as he a d o r e s the affection given to him. It is now he notices the bright yellow apron, one he brought from a market -- designed to look like a chocobo. A small laugh that builds into something more, -- he looked too cute, but equally it was hilarious. He reaches for it, tugging light. “ Suits you.. “ A smirk in corner of lips. “ I’m just gonna .. Crash over here for a minute… “ He adds but not before placing a soft kiss to his cheek, glad to take his mug of coffee and become ALIVE in this world once again.
Instantly holding his head, he mumbles. “ I don’t wanna know what shit I hafta clean up… “ And a sip of his coffee. Perhaps if he ignored it long enough, it would all d i s a p p e a r. Another sip. And another. Alright Prom, lets face it now -- head on. And begrudgingly he raises line of sight. 'pon doing so, jaw drops, nearly dropping coffee. Everything was SPOTLESS -- maybe even cleaner than before he began setting up. A moment of -- did my wishing it away, really work? Still unable to find words, he glances to Nyx -- busy cooking -- huh.. So he sits in silence, observing certain things -- drinking his coffee; going straight to his soul. He was unaware, but he was smiling. He didn’t ask, nor expect all of this. This would’ve been a Monday job.
And so he walks over with empty mug in hand, placing it in the sink. He then to turn to the other, leaning against the sink, a knowing look on his face, arms folded -- “ You didn’t have to do all of this, babe.. Really… But gods, do I appreciate it… “ And as he notices Nyx stood waiting on something for a moment, he uses this to step in close, arms wrap around his chest, hands resting on upper back; holding close. “ I appreciate you.. “ He speaks soft, head turned sideways so the taller male could hear him. Knowing Nyx probably didn’t want the food to be left unattended, he pulls back and places a kiss to his nose, then his lips -- a little light hearted giggle escapes him. “ Thank you.. “
#warpedge#𝙸𝚝'𝚜 𝚖𝚢 𝚋𝚒𝚛𝚝𝚑𝚍𝚊𝚢 -- 𝚒'𝚖𝚊 𝚍𝚘 𝚠𝚑𝚊𝚝 𝚒 𝚕𝚒𝚔𝚎 [ 𝐏𝐑𝐎𝐌𝐏𝐓𝐎'𝐒 𝐁𝐈𝐑𝐓𝐇𝐃𝐀𝐘 ]#[ ty bitch i loved this -- plz note his tone of him appreciating him at the end -- he's being real soft c: bby's ]#submission
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