#bella reads cot | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

sickficideas · 4 months

Text

bella notte || akutagawa sickfic + atsushi and dazai

ao3! 6.5k - please refer to the tags and notes in the link for content + warnings!

Dazai knows it's not a good sign when Atsushi calls him an hour before midnight.

Truthfully, he's not doing anything particularly fulfilling or important. He had actually just finished an undisclosed amount of time staring at the ceiling without any intention of sleeping, like he does most nights, occasionally interrupted by his cell phone - so, really, it's good timing. Someone is giving him something to do.

He reaches for his cell phone, already knowing from the kitten ringtone he chose for Atsushi that it's him. He's not too worried. Atsushi doesn't have very good sleep habits himself, and he's called late for pointless questions and such before, so that's what he's expecting.

However, the shaky tone of voice he answers with immediately puts Dazai on edge.

"Are - are you still awake?" Atsushi stammers nervously almost as soon as Dazai picks up, without any room for him to say anything.

"I answered your call, didn't I?" Dazai asks as he sits up.

Atsushi pauses for a second. "Well - I know, but I don't want to disturb you if you're trying to sleep, I -"

"I wasn't," Dazai assures him. He really wasn't. He never sleeps before midnight, willingly or unwillingly, and even if he was, Atsushi sounds incredibly distressed. He wouldn’t favor sleep right now anyway. "What's going on?"

"Can you come to the agency?" Atsushi murmurs quietly, too quickly.

"The agency?" Dazai repeats.

"I couldn't take him to a hospital. I don't know what to do," Atsushi mumbles frantically. Dazai is slowly putting the pieces together. Whoever this is, is someone who should never be at the Agency to begin with.

"Take who?" he confirms, just to keep Atsushi honest.

"A -" Atsushi stops, like he's not sure he should be having this conversation, but Dazai has already connected the dots. And Atsushi probably knows that, too, because he's whispering now. Like he thinks he's in trouble. "Akutagawa."

"Atsushi," Dazai huffs. Now it's real, and not just a theory, so he actually has to deal with it. "You brought Akutagawa to the agency?"

"I know, I - I just, he's really sick, Dazai, and I couldn't…I couldn't -"

"I'll be there soon. I'm leaving now," Dazai tells him, rubbing both hands over his face as he sets his phone back down. "Do what you can until I get there."

Atsushi mumbles something resembling a confirmation before he hangs up reluctantly.

Maybe he should have just continued his very important activity.

…

"I'm here. Where are you two? The infirmary?" Dazai says as soon as Atsushi picks up the phone. He lets himself in with the keycard and starts to head that direction anyway. Normally, he wouldn't let something like this bother him, but he has a lot of unanswered questions right now. He doesn't have time to play around.

"Um - yeah, infirmary," Atsushi mumbles, but Dazai can already hear his voice in person as he approaches the infirmary door, which has been left slightly ajar.

Atsushi looks beyond relieved to see Dazai. His eyes shine and he looks like he's about to completely unravel all of his thoughts and feelings about all of this, but Dazai prioritizes the situation, and Atsushi seems to realize that.

Akutagawa is lying on his side on the cot furthest from the door, miraculously, without his signature coat. That's interesting, Dazai used to have to pry it off him in these situations.

Akutagawa doesn't look good at all, but this isn't the first time Dazai has seen him like this. In fact, it's probably not even the tenth, or twentieth.

He's frozen, for a second, feeling like he's sixteen again - hovering over a collapsed fourteen-year-old version of Akutagawa with a temperature so high the dingy thermometer he managed to get ahold of without Mori’s knowledge wouldn't read it correctly. He's holding his breath. Remembering the feeling of hoping to not get caught, because whatever Mori would do to Akutagawa upon finding out would be his responsibility to carry.

He shakes his head to try and dissolve the memories he’d long forgotten.

"What happened?" Dazai starts, his hands on his hips. He can tell a few things right off the bat. He's got a bad fever, that's for sure - he's incredibly pale and Dazai can see how the sweat has started to form along his hairline too, parts of his bangs plastered to his forehead and other parts sticking up. Atsushi is frozen in place, looking completely unsure of what to do, where his hands should be, where to look. He’s worried. Interesting.

He pays close attention to the way Akutagawa breathes, because his lungs are always his biggest concern. The number of times he had contracted pneumonia while under Dazai's care was truly astounding, and he'd hate for that to be the case again, but he doesn't hear that rattle in his chest he’s gotten so used to.

"Akutagawa," he starts, tilting his head to the side.

"He's - I…I found him like this, I don't know how long he's been this way for," Atsushi stammers in Akutagawa's place as Dazai leans down to get closer to him. He's out of it, that's for sure, but he's not unconscious or beyond reach.

"Akutagawa," he says again with a sigh, kneeling down just a bit. He watches the latter's eyes focus as soon as the sound hits his ears.

"Dazai," he breathes out in return, not sounding particularly delighted to see him, but not against it, either. He's desperately trying to hold his focus, and Dazai decides he would rather not waste his limited energy trying to find out how he got here, and instead try to fix what's right in front of him.

Akutagawa subconsciously seems to tell him that's the right choice, too - his eyes suddenly screw shut and he groans, obviously in some sort of major discomfort. Atsushi scurries around to the other side of the cot, like he's concerned that he's in the way of whatever Dazai is trying to do.

"What hurts? Your chest or your stomach?" Dazai asks him. He's familiar enough with the way his face twists up to know that it's one of the two.

"Both," he breathes out. Atsushi looks surprised at the fact that he's willingly given up that answer. Dazai thinks Akutagawa knows very well that he won't get far at all trying to withhold information from Dazai.

"Have you thrown up today?" Dazai asks him. Akutagawa has the most sensitive stomach out of anyone he's met, so he really should just start forgoing that question in favor of the next. Akutagawa nods, though. Barely. "How many times?"

He just barely makes a four with his hand before he's hit with another wave of pain, it seems like, and he curls in on himself.

"Okay. Then we'll need to get some fluids in you. You’re definitely dehydrated," he says with a puff as he stands up straight.

Dammit. He hates doing this. He hates needles, he hates them on himself and he hates using them on other people, but he doesn't have any other choice. At least now, Mori isn't breathing down his neck and watching him like a hawk, but it'll always feel that way.

"I can do it, Dazai," Atsushi tells him. Dazai snaps his head up a little too quickly, wondering for a second if he said all of that out loud by accident. "Yosano showed me how when Kyoka was sick."

Dazai almost wants to brush him off, but the idea of someone else doing this sounds too wonderful to pass up. He trusts Atsushi. He's not the type to offer to do something like this if he's not confident he can do it correctly.

Akutagawa curls in on himself a little tighter, forcing his eyes shut tight too once Atsushi walks off to get what he needs. Atsushi talks to himself as he gathers the supplies, reminding himself the steps Yosano gave him and the order or what he needs. Dazai just keeps an eye on Akutagawa, who is still aside from the occasional cough and shiver.

“Does this look right?” Atsushi asks, showing Dazai everything he's collected on the tray. Dazai scans everything and nods, that looks right to him.

Atsushi sets the tray down on the nightstand and takes Yosano's stool, looking afraid to bark any orders at Akutagawa.

"Lay on your back, Akutagawa," Dazai tells him sternly, because he knows he won't listen if Atsushi asks him to. Akutagawa does as he's told without any deliberation aside from a pained groan. Dazai knows it's uncomfortable to lay that way with the way he's feeling, but he needs him to right now.

Atsushi takes Akuatgawa’s arm hesitantly. Akutagawa seems to pick up on that with how tense he holds his arm, fighting back on purpose, but Atsushi squeezes his arm in retaliation with a glare that's only mean to Atsushi himself, and adorable to everyone else.

Maybe not to Akutagawa, but it does enough to get him to give up.

"Don't…don't destroy my veins," Akutagawa murmurs as his arm goes limp and he turns his head away from Atsushi.

"You better shut the hell up, 'cause I could just toss you back out in the alley if I wanted to," Atsushi huffs, a far cry from how nervous he seemed to be doing this just a second ago. He seems to have remembered that Akutagawa is just as much of a coward as he is.

"Do it," Akutagawa grumbles. He's so sick and weak, and still has the gall to bicker back at him. Dazai huffs through his nose. It's a too-familiar sight. It always feels strange when Akutagawa reminds him of himself. The two bicker with each other like a ragged street dog and a house cat fighting over food.

"I won't," Atsushi grumbles back. "I'm not some heartless bastard."

That seems to quiet Akutagawa, for some reason. Maybe he agrees and refuses to admit it. Dazai isn't sure.

He watches Atsushi work, impressed to see he does this relatively well for only having been taught one time. Dazai looks away as soon as the needle becomes involved, and decides instead to make sure that he locked the door to the infirmary.

When he wanders back, Atsushi seems to have finished placing the IV and is now busy preparing the fluids on the IV pole, and Dazai's eyes drop back down to Akutagawa.

Dazai realized a little too late that Akutagawa likely only dropped his squabble with Atsushi because he's trying to will away intense nausea, but it seems like he's lost the battle. He tries to push himself up onto his elbows, and Dazai is certain that he's about to vomit, and Atsushi hasn't caught on. He takes the bin that was tucked away under the cot on the other side of Atsushi and holds it up under Akutagawa’s chin, figuring they can at least avoid him throwing up on the floor, just in time for him to choke up a few mouthfuls of stomach acid and bile. Of course he doesn’t have much at all to bring up.

Atsushi's frozen, eyes wide, clearly uncertain of what to do. Dazai isn't sure either. Akutagawa used to not let a soul touch him when he was throwing up. Something about his vulnerability complex, and he doubts much of that has changed, but Atsushi doesn't know that. He lays a hand on his shoulder.

Dazai freezes for a second, fully expecting Akutagawa to whip around and curse him out at best, and maybe decapitate him at worst, but all he does is flinch. Maybe he's distracted by the next unproductive gag his body forces, Dazai isn't sure. Dazai's now distracted himself, painfully aware of how much he's shaking, how painful the retching sounds.

"Stop holding your breath like that, it doesn’t help," Dazai tells him, and Akutagawa immediately takes in a shaky breath, like he had forgotten. He's not sure where that habit of his comes from, but it's resulted in him passing out before, so he has to make sure to get him to stop before that can happen. "When was the last time you had something to eat?"

Akutagawa doesn't answer, even though he very clearly heard the question. He just breathes shaky and heavy over the bin and spits up whatever is left in his mouth. Dazai will guess at least yesterday. Akutagawa has another habit of refusing to eat when he's nauseous, and Dazai knows for certain that's a habit he picked up from living in the slums.

He starts to slowly lay back into the cot with a shaky sigh, his head turned away from Atsushi, and Atsushi quietly takes his hand back, visibly a little concerned by what just happened.

"You know it hurts more when there's nothing in your stomach," Dazai says with a disapproving sigh. He's told Akutagawa this on multiple occasions. He knows the reason. Vomiting was simply another waste of food in the circumstances he had to live through before, in the slums. If he had any of the group's food and threw up, it would mean precious resources were wasted.

"I know," Akutagawa breathes out. Dazai imagines he'd roll his eyes too, if he had the energy.

“You should say something if you think you might throw up next time,” Atsushi chides with a nervous sigh. He connects the fluids line to Akutagawa’s IV.

“Stop telling me what to do. I’m not a child,” Akutagawa grumbles.

“Maybe if you quit acting like one, I wouldn’t have to treat you like one,” Atsushi grumbles and huffs through his nose back at him like an exasperated mother. He’s horribly stubborn, it really goes against Atsushi’s vibe, but he still puts up with it for some reason. Dazai almost smiles.

“Enough,” Akutagawa murmurs, sounding noticeably more tired than before. Arguing for no reason takes a lot of his energy, evidently. He shifts his arm from the discomfort of the IV. “I’m older than you, Weretiger.”

“Yeah, yeah. Like that’s ever mattered to you before,” Atsushi grumbles to himself. Akutagawa is certainly not one to consider seniority for any reason.

Atsushi finishes situating everything as Akutagawa shuts his eyes. Dazai doubts he’s truly trying to sleep, but he’s sure he’s been awake for much longer than necessary. Resting his eyes at the very least isn’t a bad idea.

Atsushi is doing a pretty good job looking after him, considering how much he’s been bickering.

Dazai stays where he’s at but sits back down on the cot beside Akutagawa’s, carefully watching his form.

“What should I do to bring his fever down?” Atsushi asks after turning around once, like he’s not sure what else to do, hands awkwardly floating in front of him.

“Cold rags or something. I’m pretty sure there’s some under the sink,” Dazai answers, and Atsushi nods, heading that direction right away. When Dazai’s gaze drifts back down to Akutagawa, he thinks he might have actually fallen asleep. He’ll see how long that lasts for, he’s not a heavy sleeper at all, but it might help Atsushi for the moment.

Atsushi comes back with a damp, cold washcloth, nervously reaching down for his forehead.

"Lay it over his stomach instead. It'll cool him down faster," Dazai insists. Back in the Port Mafia, he was in this situation so many times that he started testing to see what worked better. Akutagawa is so prone to random fevers. "Usually helps his nausea a little too."

Atsushi looks unsure. Dazai moves to the stool beside the cot and lays a hand over Akutagawa’s wrist to show Atsushi he doesn't need to worry about Akutagawa attacking him, even while unconscious.

"Are you sure? Don’t these usually go on foreheads?" Atsushi asks.

"He moves his head too much. A cooling patch would be better for that," Dazai says with a shrug, "but he'll complain. He doesn't like the adhesive."

"Well, he needs it, so he can shove it," Atsushi huffs. He really sounds like an annoyed mother. It's amusing, Dazai can't help but smile.

He keeps a hand over Akutagawa’s wrist, the other carefully lifting his shirt. Akutagawa flinches, likely not expecting that, but he relaxes after Atsushi slides the washcloth to lay over his tummy. He’s used to that. Dazai hopes it gives him some relief.

"Should we give him medicine?" Atsushi asks, sitting back down on the stool, unsure what to do from here.

"He won't be able to keep it down,” Dazai reminds him. When he’s sick like this, even if he cooperates, he usually can’t even keep sips of water down. They always come back up.

Atsushi frowns.

"Doesn't she keep injectable stuff here?" Atsushi suggests after a few seconds. It’s a good idea, in theory. “We could put it in his IV line.”

"She logs it. She'd notice it was missing," Dazai says. He knows enough to be able to figure out what to give him, but he doesn’t have any clue what kind of medications and treatments Akuatagawa is currently on.

Atsushi nods dejectedly, trying to think of another option, it seems. If there was one, Dazai would have already thought of it.

"Normally you wouldn't care," Atsushi points out, almost like it’s a test. A measure of keeping him honest, maybe.

“About what?” Dazai asks with a tilt of his head. Innocently. Atsushi doesn’t take the bait.

“Yosano catching you,” Atsushi says, his gaze narrowed, arms crossing over his chest.

Dazai’s surprised that he caught onto that, because he really hadn’t considered that himself, but soon enough, he realizes why. "Yeah…yeah, I know."

Dazai wouldn’t care if it was Kunikida. It wouldn’t matter if it was Atsushi, or even Ranpo, really. Not even Fukuzawa. But it’s Yosano.

He’s not sure why the idea of being caught by her sends a shiver up his spine. She wouldn’t do anything to him, no realistically. Is it because she’s a doctor? Dazai’s never liked doctors. He hates hospitals and needles and anything related, but Yosano has never hurt him. He’s imagining her. She’s at her desk, filing away some papers, but she turns around and it’s Mori’s face.

He remembers to breathe. Atsushi tilts his head. Dazai smiles at him.

He doesn’t really have anything to say back to Atsushi. That’s a first.

Atsushi drops it, though. He heads over to the supply closet after a few moments of silence to get a blanket for Akutagawa - a kind gesture - and lays it over him carefully, not wanting to wake him, if he’s truly still asleep.

Dazai’s still stuck in his own head, though, staring off into the corner, staring Mori right in the face.

…

Thankfully, Akutagawa is one of the easiest people to read when it comes to sleeping. His breathing is quiet and relaxed when he’s asleep, but it’s erratic and irregular when he’s awake, especially when he’s trying to pretend he’s sleeping.

And really, it sounds much worse than it should. Worse than before.

"I know you're awake," Dazai says.

He’s sitting on the stool, now. He and Atsushi switched spots at some point, and somehow, Atsushi ended up curling up on top of the sheets of the second cot and falling asleep. Dazai’s not cruel enough to wake him. He’s not going to sleep himself, either way.

"Why won't you leave," Akutagawa mumbles, his eyes opening, staring up at the ceiling. His voice has become hoarse, his eyes are still glassy, too. He hasn’t improved much. Dazai took his temperature about an hour prior, and it’s still sitting at one hundred and two.

"I'm not leaving you in my place of employment unattended,” Dazai scoffs. He’s teasing him, but Akutagawa never recognizes the difference.

"Do you think -" he coughs as he attempts to sit up, "do you really think I -"

He breaks into a coughing fit, because of course he does. He covers his mouth with his forearm, nearly choking on his breaths from how difficult it is for him to breathe.

Dazai just waits, because there's nothing else he can do. Chuuya's called him cruel for it before, but he'd rather not waste Akutagawa's time by patting his back or offering him water when neither will help him.

He’s faced with the image of a fourteen-year-old curled up in front of him and coughing so hard he can’t breathe, and suddenly, he remembers Atsushi’s hand on Akutagawa’s shoulder, just a few hours ago.

Was Dazai really in the right for that?

"Have you seen a doctor recently?" Dazai asks once Akutagawa’s coughing has died down, but it’s exhausted him so much that he lays back down with a frustrated huff. He doesn’t look good. His eyes tell more than Akutagawa would like them to, he’s sure. "About your lungs?"

"I don't want to discuss this in front of the Weretiger," Akutagawa grumbles, his eyes shifting to the latter’s sleeping form on the other cot.

"He's asleep. Don't avoid my question," Dazai tells him. Atsushi isn’t the type to fake being asleep to listen in on a conversation. He’s a bad liar. Akutagawa turns his head away from Dazai. "It's not good, is it?"

"No," Akutagawa admits. He won't look at Dazai.

"A year?" Dazai asks after a brief moment of silence. He can hear himself breathe.

"Less," Akutagawa says quietly.

Dazai wishes he could explain the way his heart feels. He doesn't fully understand it.

He's known for a long time that something was wrong. He initially assumed it was asthma. He personally dealt with that for a long time too, but when Akutagawa started fainting from getting so out of breath, and coughing up blood after coughing fits, Dazai slowly started to realize Akutagawa must be very sick.

Mori would know a way to fix it. Mori would know someone or something that could give Akutagawa more time, but alerting Mori of his condition could be dangerous. Not could be, it would be. There is no avoiding that fact.

Dazai would never want to put him through the horrors he went through, the things Mori did to him under the guise of trying to get the sight in his right eye back. He doesn't want to imagine the things he'd do to Akutagawa considering it's his lungs, not just an eye. He feels sick, suddenly sucked into a memory of Mori with a pair of hemostats and -

He shivers. He's so unbelievably torn.

"Does anyone know?" Dazai asks. He hates the shake in his tone. He does his best to hide it, but thankfully Akutagawa isn't one to pick up on subtleties like that.

"I haven't told anyone," Ryuunosuke manages with a shaky sigh, "I'm sure some have guessed."

Gin must know. While they've been separated for most of their time in the Port Mafia, Akutagawa was showing signs of his lung disease even before then. But even so, it says a lot to Dazai that Akutagawa refuses to tell someone as important to him as his sister. Gin knows things about him that even Dazai doesn’t know.

"You should tell someone," he says quietly, his gaze dropping down to the hands he’s stuffed into his pockets. "People who care about you. Your friends, at least."

"I don't have any friends," Akutagawa scoffs, as if it's ridiculous to assume such a thing. That’s the only brief moment he actually looks at him, like he’s trying to decide whether or not Dazai is joking.

"Really?" Dazai says, a brow raised. "Because Atsushi wouldn't call me in the middle of the night and beg me to help him take care of his enemy."

Akutagawa's eyes widen at the implication he's making there, clearly thinking

"He would do that. Because he's foolish. And his actions are entirely incomprehensible," Akutagawa murmurs, his voice getting quieter with each word he speaks. He coughs a few times, but no fits follow right after, thankfully. "I don't understand him, Dazai."

He sounds far away, in that moment, like the sentiment whisked him away into thought. His eyes even unfocus.

Dazai almost says something, but Akutagawa is whisked into a coughing fit before Dazai can finish any thoughts he might be having. It’s not as bad as the first one, at least.

“So you’re just determined to die without anyone around to even say goodbye, huh? Not even your sister.”

Akutagawa is quiet for a moment, and Dazai recognizes the irony in his words before Akutagawa calls him out on it. Not even the mention of his dear sister riles him up, and that tells Dazai he’s firm in his decision. “I don’t recall your plans being any different.”

Dazai just smiles.

"Close your eyes and get some rest. We need to get you out of here before everyone starts arriving in the morning," he reminds him, hands shoved into his pockets. He thinks he sounds a bit like Kunikida right now. "Take better care of yourself to make sure this doesn't happen again."

"You would laugh if anyone ever said that to you," Akutagawa scoffs.

Dazai almost smiles at the accusation. “I don’t like how self-aware you are, these days.”

“Hm.”

…

Only an hour later, when Dazai checks his temperature again, does he realize he needs to get Akutagawa home. They’re getting dangerously close to the time when others would start to arrive at the Agency.

Akutagawa hasn’t gotten any better, but the fever he has is steady at a hundred and two. Even so, he’s completely devoid of energy, with little to no reaction as Dazai takes his temperature and changes out the washcloth Atsushi placed.

Dazai lays a hand over Akutagawa’s forehead at one point, pushing his hair from his face, and even though his temperature hasn’t climbed, his skin feels worse - unbelievably hot. Akutagawa’s eyes even roll up to look at Dazai, but he doesn’t say or do anything. He can’t. He looks miserable.

“Dazai,” Atsushi says sleepily from behind him, shifting to sit up from where he is on the cot. He still sounds half asleep, but driven by a need for his question to be answered. “How is he…?”

“We need to get him home. I think he’ll do better if he’s somewhere he can let his guard down,” Dazai says quietly, hoping to be out of earshot of Akutagawa’s fever-riddled brain. Akutagawa’s still so tense, he can see it in his shoulders, the way his hands haven't flattened. He’d never relax in a place like this.

Atsushi is quiet for a moment, likely trying to wake himself up. He rubs his eyes and swings his legs over the side of the cot. “I still have…I still have the number of that woman he works with.”

“Higuchi,” Dazai recalls. Higuchi wasn’t in the organization during Dazai’s time. He doesn’t know much about her. Gin would be a better option, simply in getting Akutagawa to cooperate, Dazai’s seen him shut down around her too. Gin’s not an option regardless, he has no contact with her.

Atsushi scrambles for his phone and manages to find an old saved photo of Higuchi’s business card, given to him that first week he met her and Akutagawa. Dazai only gets a glance at the number before he dials it into his phone, and he steps off the stool and wanders to the other side of the room just in time for Higuchi to answer.

She’s silent for a second, like she’s suspicious of who’s calling her. He’s surprised to have an answer, although, it isn’t unusual at all for a Port Mafia member to be up at this ungodly hour.

"You're -" she starts to hiss, but Dazai doesn’t let her finish. He doesn’t have the time.

"Akutagawa is at the Armed Detective Agency and needs to be brought somewhere he can rest. Can you take care of that?" Dazai asks sternly, a chill traveling up his spine, thinking he sounds a little too much like he did four years ago.

“What? That’s…that’s where he is?” Higuchi stammers, her tone suddenly much softer. “Is he hurt? You-”

“Hurry or I’ll find somewhere else to put him,” Dazai huffs, and hangs up before the woman can get in a response.

He doesn’t have any doubts that Higuchi will be here as soon as possible. As far as he’s aware, she’s incredibly loyal to Akutagawa, beyond that of what most subordinates are.

Atsushi has moved to the stool beside Akutagawa’s cot, carefully leaned over him with a tense, uncertain expression coming over his face. He turns his head to give Dazai that same uncertain look.

“He looks worse,” Atsushi murmurs quietly. “You think he’ll be okay?”

Dazai just nods. Akutagawa has gotten sick and recovered hundreds of times at this point, and there’s no way he would let it finally bring him down here of all places, despite the help of his so-called enemy. He certainly understands Atsushi’s concern. He isn’t used to seeing him like this.

Thankfully, it’s not long at all until Higuchi arrives, calling Dazai’s cell phone back to alert them that she’s here.

Akutagawa isn’t able to move, much less walk downstairs with them to make it to her car. Dazai looks around for some kind of temporary wheelchair they can use for him, he’s almost certain he’s seen one in Yosano’s office, but before he can, Atsushi offers to help.

“I think he’s too out of it to try anything,” Atsushi says, looking over Akutagawa. “I’ll carry him. That’d be the fastest.”

Dazai nods, surprised Atsushi is suddenly offering to do something like that, despite all of his hesitancy to touch him earlier, but Dazai agrees. Akutagawa hasn’t even spoken a word since their conversation while Atsushi was asleep. Even though his fever hasn’t climbed, hopefully because of the fluids and the washcloths, he certainly feels much worse. And for Akutagawa, it takes quite a bit to truly silence him.

So, Atsushi slides his arm under Akutagawa’s neck and knees, looking a little surprised by how light he is, and brings him to the door. Dazai picks up Akutagawa’s coat, knowing they won’t hear the end of it if he doesn’t get that back.

Higuchi’s car is parked right outside the agency. She stands outside of her car with a sour expression, ready to tear into whoever speaks to her first, but it slides off like water to show a deep concern - horror, almost, like she thinks Atsushi is carrying a corpse. She doesn’t waste any time in opening the passenger car door and laying back the seat for Atsushi to lay Akutagawa onto. Her body language has changed completely, now aware her superior is in fact alive, but confused and scared all the same.

“Be careful that his fever doesn’t get any higher. It’s at a hundred and two,” Dazai tells her as soon as she looks to him, silently begging for some sort of explanation. He hands her Akutagawa’s coat. “He’s not injured, but very sick. Don’t let him get worse.”

“I - I won’t,” she says, nodding fervently. He thinks she’s deciding whether or not to say thank you, watching Atsushi click in Akuatgawa’s seat buckle with zero retaliation from the latter. He backs away before Higuchi carefully closes the car door, and Atsushi doesn’t look any less concerned than he did before. “You…found him, Weretiger?”

Atsushi nods.

“We haven’t been able to reach him for several days,” she says quietly, and Dazai realizes he must have been hiding on purpose. Atsushi is lucky to have found him. “I don’t understand why you would go out of your way to help him, but…thank you…”

Atsushi looks like he wants to say something, even though he’s unsure of his response, but Dazai turns and starts to walk back to the Agency door. Atsushi pauses for a second before he turns on his heel to follow Dazai, not able to gather the courage to say whatever it is he wanted her to hear.

Dazai hears her car’s engine start up before they close the building door behind them, and he trails back up the stairs, with about half an hour to spare until their Agency members’ arrivals.

"Dazai," Atsushi starts as they ascend the stairs, him trailing closely behind Dazai. "You're used to taking care of him."

“You could say that,” Dazai answers vaguely. He’s trying to decide if the two of them should go back to the dorms for ten minutes of sleep, but he knows he won’t catch any himself anyway. Might as well stay at the Agency.

"Was he sick a lot?" Atsushi asks as they make it to their floor.

"He was. Bad immune system, awful at taking care of himself," Dazai says, opening the Agency front door to let them into their office. He turns on the light, squinting as his eyes re-adjust. "Nothing's changed, seems like."

“He told me something,” Atsushi murmurs after a brief pause, like it’s not something he’s sure he can say. “About his health.”

Dazai’s shoulders drop an inch or two.

He’s told Atsushi. No one but Atsushi.

Dazai almost wants to laugh. What are the odds, that he would choose to tell Atsushi, of all people? Akutagawa says he doesn’t understand Atsushi, but Dazai is having a difficult time comprehending Akutagawa’s actions, at the moment.

“I don’t know if he thought he was gonna die, or…or why he’d want hide from all of them,” Atsushi says quietly, gaze averted when Dazai turns around to look at him. Dazai understands it. Akutagawa hates how delicately he’s treated on account of his health. He can’t stand others worrying about him. He can certainly imagine Akutagawa hiding away once he truly thinks he’s at the end of his life, like a stray dog looking for a hole to die in.

“You didn’t find him,” Dazai realizes, taking note of the change in body language, the subtle hints he’s given through his words, “he came to you.”

The street dog going to the house cat for help.

Atsushi has nothing to say to that, it seems.

Atsushi situates himself at his desk, straightening it out from the day before, quietly and to himself, still not quite focused and obviously tired, but Dazai’s glad he got a little bit of sleep, at least. He can feel his own eyelids start to feel heavy, but he needs to make sure the infirmary is clear of anything that might arouse their resident doctor’s suspicion.

So, he gets to work. Cleaning up any sign of Akutagawa’s presence. The cot, the IV pole, the IV catheter supplies. Atsushi peeks in and asks what he can do to help, but Dazai assures it won’t take him long at all, and Atsushi’s head disappears.

He’s rolling the IV pole back to his original place when he sees another form appear in the doorway, but it’s not Atsushi. Dazai holds his breath.

Yosano stands in the doorway with a huff.

"Do I even want to know?" she starts.

"Hm…probably not," he answers with a nervous half-smile, meeting her gaze just as he closes the closet supply door. She’s arrives just a second too early. Their doctor is a detective as well, he remembers, and likely would have figured it out no matter what.

He wishes Atsushi would have kept Akutagawa at his apartment, but it’s too late now. He would have had to sneak out supplies from here either way.

"Are you and Atsushi safe?" she asks, heels clicking against the cold floor as she enters the room. She’s closed the door behind herself, and Dazai leans against the supply closet door, feigning nonchalance.

Dazai nods.

"I don't like you betraying my trust,” Yosano says. He's not used to this tone in her voice. It's dark and it reminds him of someone he doesn't want to think about. He doesn’t see Agency Yosano right now. It’s ex-mafia Yosano, ex-military Yosano. Ever since she’s learned Dazai’s history, she’s been on edge with him, but she was never entirely comfortable with him before then.

"Won't do it again,” he says. He's trying to sound as casual as he can, but he's sure she can see right through him. He feels Mori staring at him. Not necessarily through Yosano’s eyes, but somewhere, here in this space. He needs to sleep.

Yosano raises a brow. "How do I know that?"

"I don't think you're heartless enough to want to send even your enemies to Mori for medical treatment, Yosano," Dazai tells her, more than aware she’s already figured out exactly who was in her infirmary.

"Surely it wasn't serious enough for Mori to need to intervene if you took him here," Yosano says. “You knew what you were doing. He taught you just as he taught me.”

He feels sick, hearing that.

"His doctor is in Kyoto and refuses to come treat him here. And tonight he needed help sooner than he could make it there," Dazai says. His chest tightens.

“You’re lying,” Yosano says. “Atsushi is here. He called you and asked you to help.”

Yes, she’s still a detective.

“I don’t know how long he has left to live. He has a terminal lung disease he won’t give me any information on,” Dazai huffs. “I don't want his last few months to be at the mercy of Mori's unlicensed experimentation when I can easily help him myself with what we have here. Maybe you'll agree."

Yosano’s expression changes completely. Like he’s told her something that he couldn’t possibly know about, unless -

“Dazai, did he…were you - ”

“Are we done?” he asks, already kicking himself for the shake in his tone. He just smiles. Smile and pretend nothing about this makes him want to bolt through the door and jump out of the window.

She pauses for a second. Dazai is begging and praying she doesn’t finish that question, because he doesn’t want to answer, but he thinks his reaction has probably been answer enough.

“Yes. I’m sorry,” Yosano says, her gaze dropping the floor, looking conflicted, angry with herself. “You can go.”

And, he does.

He manages to keep himself together long enough to avoid some sort of breakdown, manages to push away any thoughts or awful memories when he walks into their locker room, face to face with Kunikida, who looks concerned, but more confused.

"Dazai," Kunikida starts.

He really doesn't have the energy for an act right now. Even thinking about it hurts the muscles in his cheeks.

"Can I go home?" he asks quietly. He's exhausted. He wants to at least try to sleep, even though he’s certain he’ll get very little of that.

"I was about to ask you to," Kunikida says, closing his locker. "What happened?"

"Long story," Dazai answers. Kunikida gets the memo, and doesn't seem to want to continue questioning. Dazai’s beyond thankful for it. He doesn’t want to recount any of that. He’s far more content with coming in the next day and pretending he and Yosano are best friends with absolutely no shared history, that they don’t know a thing about what the other went through.

“I’ll bring you lunch later,” Kunikida says, thumbing through a notebook he had pulled from his locker.

It’s really a terrible time for a tear to slip from his eye. He didn’t have any idea he was close to crying. He must be ridiculously sleep-deprived.

“Dazai,” Kunikida says again, this time, with a tight grip on his wrist. “I’ll take you home. Okay?”

Dazai can only nod.

43 notes · View notes

thrxughthenxght · 9 months

Note

You said to give you requests so here I am!

"Are we flirting?" "That's up to you." For gracetopher??

Lock & Key

Prompt: "Are we flirting?" "That's up to you."

Words: 1568

Thank you so much for this Bella!! I really like how this turned out and it's just in time for gracetopher week day 7 🤗 Thank you!

Also I haven't read CoT at all so forgive me if this isn't canon compliant. I did my best to be semi-canon. Let me know if you'd like to be on my taglist!

If Christopher wasn’t with his family or his friends he was with Grace. They were walking outside or reading in the library, but most of the time they were in Christopher’s lab, Grace preferring his home to the Fairchild household. Christopher missed the supplies Henry had but he had decent enough items in his lab, and he preferred Grace comfortable. Grace was often tense around other people, even if he tried to assure her all was well. She was quick to jump and fidget and twice she had been the first to exit a room if something startled her, always ready to exit. Now, in the light of the candles on the walls, he noticed the change in her edge.

Her shoulders were relaxed as she measured, and her knees were bent in front of her, her feet resting on the highest run of the stool she sat on. She lacked a corset so could slouch, when usually she was rigid like a log. Her hair was tied upon her head, a few bright strands falling from the hastily done updo. She wore the smallest pair of goggles he could find, and they framed her icy eyes, letting the light illuminate the iris'. Her lips were pressed in a hard line, a slight squint to her features in the thinning of her eyes and wrinkles of her nose. She was deep in thought with that face, and Christopher was both shocked and mortified when she suddenly looked up.

She raised an eyebrow at his staring, and he turned away. "Apol-apologies," he murmured softly, trying to focus on his notes. "You were very focused."

The goggles made a soft noise when the leather scraped the wood. She walked over to him, peering over his arm at the notes. "You're allowed to look at me," she said. "You're not the type to hurt a woman because you find her attractive."

"I wouldn't- I, um-" he sputtered for a moment, tripping over words as he did his own feet when he stepped backwards. He fell on all fours, his rear hitting the stone floor and a grunt flying from his mouth, cutting off his scramble for a response. They stared at each other for a few long moments, then Grace quickly turned away and covered her mouth. Christopher shot up, dusting himself off in the few steps it took him to get over to her. His hand hovered over her shoulder. "Did I startle you? I'm sorry-" Her shoulders started to shake gently and when she looked up he saw the crinkle by her eyes, but no tears. He furrowed his brow. "Are you... Are you laughing or crying? Because I'm not quite sure."

She let her hand fall, and a wide grin was on her face as she laughed gently. He started to lower his hand, relieved he hadn't upset her. He knew she was sensitive to sudden things, whether it be words or movements or memories. He smiled when her laugh got louder, and simply stood and watched her attempt to compose herself. "You fell," she giggled. "Am I truly that frightening?"

He crossed his arms and tried to further straighten his spine. "Grace Blackthorn, you are terrifying."

She smiled. "I'm just a woman."

"And a brilliant one at that."

She shifted to lean on the desk, smiling softer now, but it was close to something mischievous. "Am I not seductive enough for you?"

"That is not a part of your danger."

"No?"

"No. Some people can be seduced. Everyone can be outsmarted."

She smiled. "Well, then I guess we're very dangerous people."

"Indeed." For a moment it was silent, and Christopher cleared his throat. He shifted and broke his stance, looking down before meeting her soft, thunderous eyes. "Is this flirting?"

She shrugged and crossed her arms, tilting her head at him. More of her hair fell to the side. "It could be."

"Are we flirting?"

"That's up to you."

He stood still, trying to understand what she wanted him to do. It occurred to him that many times she had stated she trusted him, but he didn't want to break that trust. Grace was also a person he could spend him time with that involved his primary joys and interests. He loved his friends but he felt best alone with Grace in his lab, their lab. He wanted Grace to be... something, anything. Not to be his but to be theirs. He wanted everything to be theirs. His heart, her strength, his intelligence, her brilliance. He wanted them to be something beyond a friendship but he'd simply never had that before and it was frightening for him. All of Grace's experiences with such things were part of the reason she did not believe in herself or other people, and that scared Christopher most of all. He couldn't bear to be another man on the list of those who wanted her only to hurt her in some way.

"I think-" he snapped his mouth shut, correcting himself. He said he "thought" things far too often when he did in fact know things. "I would like us to be flirting."

She grinned. "So would I."

He lifted his hands gently, as though she could hand him answers. It would be much simpler that way. "What happens now?"

"Well," she said softly, pushing herself off the desk and walking to him until their chests were barely an inch apart. "I would be alright if you wanted to kiss me. Or... touch me, I suppose."

He shook his head. "You want me to do something?"

"Do you not want to?"

"I am frightened to."

She nodded, but her smile was never gone, just a little flicker of light to guide his lips to hers. It was gentle, just a small peck on each other's lips, but it was enough to make Christopher's face warm. She drew back by falling off her toes to her heels and opened her eyes. He blinked for a moment, then started to pull at his sleeve.

"Kiss me again?" She nodded, and he saw a light pink pulling at the snowy complexion of her face.

With another push to her toes she connected their lips again, but this time it was longer. His heart thumped, and another part of his anatomy wanted to join in but he wouldn't allow anything to ruin this; This rush of emotion and immense joy he felt now that he knew Grace wanted him in what was hopefully a similar sort of affection. He could only trust his brain and Grace at the moment, and when his brain slowed that trust fell to solely Grace, but he was quick to trust her to lead him wherever his heart desired. Sometimes it seemed she knew him better than he did. He had seen Matthew kiss girls before, had seen James kiss Cordelia, but he didn't want to do anything James might have done and he didn't fully trust Matthew to be his romantic guide. Instead of wrapping his arms around her he simply rested his hands on her arms, pulling her gently to him and leaning his head down so she didn't have to reach for his lips. Their chests pressed together, and she wrapped her arms around his forearms in return, much like a lock and key clicking into place.

They drew away from each other, and Grace relaxed against him, placing her head on his chest. He stiffened, but took a deep breath when she placed a hand over his heart. "Are you alright?"

She asked, turning her head and looking up at him. He frowned. "Me? I'm fine. Are you?"

She smiled gently. "More than fine, Christopher. I'm very happy."

His smile was quick and light, and he put a gentle kiss to her head, making sure to lean slowly in the event she wasn't happy with the action."I'm glad. I am not one for romance, but," he shook his head, "I have never met someone so wonderful."

She ran her other hand along his arm in soothing lines. "And I have never wanted to love someone so much."

"You could love me?"

"Anyone could love you."

He adjusted his glasses. "I'm not quite sure."

She shook her head. "I know it."

"Then love me."

She laughed gently. "It's not so simple."

"Do you understand love, then?"

"Not in the slightest. Though," she glanced down at the hand that ran the length of his arm. "I'm sure it's like an equation. You need multiple components and some time, then everything will fall into place."

He smiled. "That sounds quite nice."

"Then maybe we should work on it," she looked back up, her gaze so gentle he wanted to hold her closer. "Together."

Together was all it would take, just like many of their experiments. They could go through everything step by step, hand in hand, double checking and erasing their mistakes to make it right. They would figure out how to love, how to be together, as one. That seemed the perfect thing to him, two parts of a whole. One mind and one heart split into two people. That was how they could love, in small pieces they would eventually pick up and fit back together. It was as simple as a lock and a key, with the same hidden depths and perfect unison.

He nodded. "Together."

••••••••••••••••••••••

@iammadeofmemoriesforlife @grace-lightwoodd

18 notes · View notes

nobody7102 · 1 year

Note

Bella, the Rhett x cottagecore!wifey!reader thoughts have just started to bite and I think I have a good one (lol).

Rhett loves walking with you on the property, seeing the skirts of your homemade dresses brushing against your knees. He loves seeing the way your face scrunches up in a laugh when you walk in the grass or the mud.

There's an old tree on the property that his great-great grandfather planted when the land was first settled in the 1880s. The big, huge oak is your favorite reading spot because in the summer it's nice and shady.

Sometimes he'll come to you while your near the pasture with a baby lamb, goat or piglet who was the runt of the litter and just desperately wants to snuggle. You even taught him how to feed baby rabbits, chipmunks, squirrels and birds if the nests have been abandoned.

There's tons of watercolor paintings you've done of the plants and animals on the property that are hanging up in the halls. You even added them into your herbal medicine book down in the kitchen. Rhett's also been known to go foraging with you on his downtime to look for wild berries, edible plants and mushrooms. Sometimes he'll come into the kitchen when you're making stuff for medicine and he'll just take in the scent as the sunshine's pouring in through the kitchen windows.

One night you're laying asleep with the windows open, just listening to the peepers outside while the warm breeze is blowing in through the windows. You make your way down the hall to the room at the end to find Rhett sitting in the creaky old rocker that Royal's grandfather made in the 1920s, your new baby boy snuggled against him under the blue and white knit blanket. Rhett's singing your son back to sleep after he woke in the middle of the night, just gently rocking him in his arms before the two of you finally go back to your shared room.

The very next day, Rhett wakes up to the sun spilling through the windows and the birds singing outside. Your son is asleep in the cot next to the bed while you wake with your fingers gently trailing along his jaw.

It's the weekend Bella and the yearning is in full swing (lol).

MARY AHHHHH THIS IS SUCH A MOOD!!!!

#lewis pullman #lewis pullman imagine #lewis pullman x reader #rhett abbott #rhett abbott imagine #rhett abbott x reader #outer range x reader #outer range imagine #outer range

23 notes · View notes

suituuup · 2 years

Note

Hi. If you fancy a prompt… bechloe are reminiscing about their first kiss (the leaked kiss) years after it happened. They both tell (or remember) their version of the kiss very differently. Their audience could be their kids, the Bellas, or Beca’s success leads to memoir (tshoeh vibe). Perhaps the Bellas add their own memories /conjectures of the aftermath.

“One more.” Bright blue eyes looked up at Beca. “Please?”

Their daughter knew damn well Beca was weak to those eyes, unlike Chloe.

“Fine. Which one, baby?”

The five-year-old positively beamed. “Your first kiss with mommy.”

Out of all the requests Beca could have imagined, this wasn’t one of them. “Oh, uh…” she cleared her throat, smiling as her mind went down memory lane. “Well. It was right after we finished the USO tour. I had just performed by myself and your mom was standing there looking really pretty and we just… kissed.”

Allison let out a little huff that was scarily similar to Chloe’s. “But who kissed who?”

“Oh, um, I think I did?” Beca said, suddenly unsure.

“What was it like?”

Beca felt a little awkward talking about that with her daughter, even if a fond smile spread over her lips with the memory. “It felt like… two pieces of a puzzle finally fit together, you know? I had been waiting for that for so long and it sort of felt like I was coming home.”

“Did you love Mommy already?”

Beca hummed. “Yeah, I did. Very much.” She kissed the top of Allison’s head. “K. Bedtime munchkin. I love you.”

Chloe was reading in bed when she came back into the bedroom, Jacob was sound asleep in the cot on Beca’s side. She lovingly gazed at her son for a moment before sliding in beside her wife.

“So,” Chloe started as soon as Beca had settled down. “You were the one to make the move?”

Beca chuckled, not surprised at all that Chloe had eavesdropped on that conversation. “Wasn’t I?”

“No!” Chloe whisper-shouted. “I was the one to kiss you.”

“You were?”

“Wow, I love how memorable our first kiss is for you,” Chloe mumbled, glancing back at her book.

Beca shuffled closer. “I’m sorry I don’t remember the details. What I remember though is how amazing it was and how good it felt to finally be able to do that.”

“Nice save,” Chloe said, still wearing the trace of a pout on her lips.

Beca nuzzled her cheek. “Want to refresh my memory?”

#bechloe

77 notes · View notes

ao3feed-dramione · 2 years

Text

Mother's Wish

read it on the AO3 at https://ift.tt/vD37GIp

by LemonsAreFun

For his own reasons Draco Malfoy wasn’t much concerned with his mother’s desire for him to wed. Or at least marry in the social event of the year. Narcissa had very little to do with Draco’s life by and large. After Lucius’s death Narcissa claimed the role of house regent and held it over Draco’s head as if she had the actual ability to force her wishes on him. And so when Draco turned seventeen he assumed the role and removed Narcissa’s authority.

All Narcissa’s plans seemed to fade into the mist and she didn’t understand why. When the Prophet’s front page story indicated her son would soon be married, Narcissa was ready to press the issue. On the other hand, Draco knew the time arrived. He and those closest to him long cultivated a plan to ensure his life would be his.

Words: 5380, Chapters: 1/1, Language: English

Fandoms: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling

Rating: Teen And Up Audiences

Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply

Categories: Multi

Characters: Hermione Granger, Draco Malfoy, Harry Potter, Sirius Black, Remus Lupin, Regulus Black, Narcissa Black Malfoy, Kingsley Shacklebolt, Pansy Parkinson, Scorpius Malfoy

Relationships: Hermione Granger/Draco Malfoy, Sirius Black/Remus Lupin

Additional Tags: Established Hermione and Draco, Secret Relationship, Kinda, their friends know, Narcissa isn't as sneaky as she thinks, Lucius is dead, Make up your own story, Can anyone tell the difference between black suits, Draco can, Hermione cannot, neither can anyone else, Except Pansy, Narcissa claims to be an only child, No for real, Her sisters are not amused, No real house rivalry, Snakes and Lions still battle for dominance, Irrational hatred for red is genetic, As is celebrating victories internally, Silent cheers are a real thing, Skeeter hates Hermione, No Change There, Hermione still wins, Brunette Devil, Alternate Universe - No Voldemort, So pre-canon deaths didn’t happen, Jily Alive, Harry is a mini James, Fast and loose with family trees, Euphemia is a Black, Some distant cousin or whatever, Bella Riddle, Tom Riddle motivational speaker, Self help more influential than a crucio, Play along, Regulus is alive and Head of the Black House, House elves put up with a lot, Remus and Hermione sigh a lot, Remus and Hermione love their dramatic partner, But their men are a LOT of work, wolfstar, But not a focus, Remus tries to keep Sirius in the background, he fails, No one keeps Sirius in the corner, Shakespeare Quotations, Sirius takes liberty with quotes, The Blacks are dramatic, So are the Malfoys, Can some Granger overcome two Ancient and Noble Houses, spoiler - Freeform, No she cannot, Scorpius is truly a Black and Malfoy, He's too small to swan yet, but he will, Needs to walk first, Cuddles, Cots equal solitary, Is Scorpius escaping or exploring?, His parents have differing opinions, Scorpius for Minister, Who needs all their teeth to run a government?

read it on the AO3 at https://ift.tt/vD37GIp

#IFTTT #ao3feed #fanfic #dramione #draco x hermione #dramione fanfic

12 notes · View notes

amberthefantasy · 4 months

Text

Starlight

Chapter Two: Violet

My first class after lunch was Art. Apparently art wasn’t exactly her thing, she preferred the more sporty side and was taking Gym instead. The art teacher, a flighty pale woman with bright red hair named Ms. Molina, had taken me by the arms and exclaimed how excited she was that I was here. I’d smiled back and taken the seat furthest away from the front of the class.

Later in the lesson, I was staring blankly at the sketch that I was drawing. The task Ms. Molina had given us was simple, draw a portrait. With no other instructions my hand had moved unconsciously and drawn a simple sketch, myself and Bella. But it wasn’t very… great. My mind was on the five people from the cafeteria, the Cullens. The way they moved, so gracefully and with such ease. And, most importantly, the headache that I’d got the moment I looked at them and that hadn’t ebbed since.

It wasn’t like I’d never got headaches before. They came and went, a doctor in California said it was probably caused by some minor bump on the head when I was a child and not to worry. They’d never stuck around for long so my mother and I took the doctor at his word. This headache though, didn’t seem to be waning, in fact it had gotten stronger over the last hour since lunch. I put the pencil I was holding down and placed a hand on my head. “Ms. Swan?” Ms. Molina called in a worried voice.

“Mhm?” I muttered, glancing up.

“Are you alright dear?” she asked, stopping in front of my table.

“Just a headache, I’ll be fine.”

The teacher looked me up and down, shook her head and walked back to the desk to grab a piece of paper, “I’m sending you to the nurse,” she explained as she came to a stop before me. “Take this to her, and be careful.”

“I really don’t-”

“Nonsense,” Ms. Molina waved her hand before bending down to help put my things back in my backpack, “you look terrible deary.”

I smiled softly, took my newly refilled backpack and the note before standing slowly. “You’ll be alright to walk alone?”

“Yes, thank you,” I smiled once more before slowly leaving the room.

---

Thankfully, the journey to the nurses office was short and the rain had subsided to a drizzle so it wasn’t any trouble to walk through it. The inside of the nurses office was warm and bright. The walls were painted a warm orange that matched the flecked carpet. A cot with a brown vinyl mattress on top covered in paper. “Oh dear!” the nurse, an older woman with greying hair who had been reading a book, jumped up to take my arm as I blinked my eyes to try and keep the light out of them.

“I umm… might need to lay down,” I said, trying to joke but struggling to keep the breathiness out of my voice.

“Yes, you might,” the nurse said softly. She guided me over to the cot and helped me sit down on the crinkly paper. “You rest my dear, I’ll get you some water.”

I smiled at the nurse before laying back and closing my eyes. The pounding in my head kept increasing, sharp stabs of pain hitting my temples as the light began to flicker in through the windows as the clouds cleared. The nurse returned a moment later and handed me a cup of cold water, which I took a few sips from before closing my eyes and laying down again.

---

I don’t know when I fell asleep, but I was awoken by the sound of Bella calling my name. My older sister was standing over me, her eyes shining with worry. “Lizzie? Hey, are you okay?” her voice was tight with worry.

“Hi Bells, I’ll be okay. Just one of those headaches,” I explained. “Hey, can you grab the signature slip and hand it in to the office?” Bella nodded with a smile and went over to my bag to take the slip out. I closed my eyes again as she left and sighed. The headache had lessened while I slept and now I just wanted the cold air and gentle breeze.

“It’s time to go Lizzie,” Bella said softly, reaching out to help me stand. I took her hand with a smile and leant on her slightly as he walked out of the building.

As soon as I stepped into the breeze the headache lessened and I smiled. “Bella, I think-” I paused so full away from her- “I’m gonna walk back.”

Bella’s eyes snapped to me, “are you sure?”

“Yeah, I just need some fresh air and since the rain has stopped I won’t get wet” I opened the pocket on my backpack and pulled out my phone. “Don’t worry I’ll text you if I need you to pick me up.” I added when Bella pursed her lips.

“Okay… if you’re sure,” Bella didn’t sound like it was okay but she let me go, muttering a goodbye, and headed to her car.

I rolled my neck and waved as she pulled out of the parking lot. Most other cars had already cleared out, only a single red BMW still sat parked in a spot near the exit. The clear Washington breeze was already helping to lessen the remains of the headache that still punched at the temples. With another neck roll and a shoulder roll I set off across the lot toward the sidewalk.

I was so focused on the cleansing breeze and putting one foot in front of the other that I didn’t see the other person until it was too late. I slammed into his chest, but it felt more like hitting a brick wall. Cold hands caught me as I fell and the last thing I saw was his eyes. As gold locked on shining violet.

---

At first it was darkness. Not the bad kind, but the gentle darkness, the pure moments before you wake. Then my senses began to return to me. First smell, the tang of antiseptic and the smell of cooking bacon. Second hearing, the chirping of birds, the distant sound of hoofbeats on grass, footsteps on wood and soft voices.

Finally, I blinked open my eyes and saw a dark wood ceiling above me. Wood? That was odd. The antiseptic smell had made me believe that I was in a hospital, but a glance around the room told me that it was more likely to be an office. A matching dark wood desk was placed to the left of the makeshift cot I’d been placed on.

The sound of footsteps and a door opening stopped me from analysing the room anymore. A pale man with blonde hair that fell down to his shoulders was standing in the doorway. “Hello Elizabeth, it’s good to see you awake,” he said in a soft melodic voice.

“Where am I?” I asked, though my throat was dry my voice came out clear and soft.

“My home,” the man responded, walking closer and picking up a glass of water to hand to me. I took the glass with surprisingly steady hands and took a sip.

“Why?” I asked after I downed half the glass, “and who are you?”

The man smiled, “I’m Carlisle Cullen. You’re here because you stumbled into my son and he brought you to me.”

So this must be the Dr. Cullen Jessica had talked about at lunch. The father of the five beautiful people that had captured my attention. “Why here? Why not a hospital?” I asked.

Dr. Cullen winced slightly, “well, that is a difficult question to answer I am afraid.” Dr. Cullen moved one of the chairs near the desk closer to my makeshift cot and sat down. “What do you know about vampires?”

Vampires? “Umm… I mean, I’ve read Dracula and Anne Rice,” I said with a shrug.

Dr. Cullen chucked slightly, “and do you believe in vampires?”

“What!? No, my voice came out louder than I intended and I felt blood rush to my cheeks.

“Okay, Elizabeth—”

“—Lizzie,” I corrected instinctually.

Dr. Cullen smiled slightly. “Lizzie. I… my family and I,” he took a breath, “are vampires.”

There was silence as I stared at him. Then I began to laugh, watching his face for any sign of humour. But his expression remained completely serious and my laughter slowly died. Oh… so he was crazy. For a second I wondered how someone who believed he was a vampire could become a doctor. Then I stood and began to walk away from him slowly. “I think I’m gonna go home.”

As I turned to the door, Dr. Cullen was suddenly in front of me, his hands raised. I jumped back, a yelp spilling from my lips. “What the fuck?” I almost yelled.

“I’m sorry, but it isn’t safe for you to leave yet,” Dr. Cullen said, his voice soft as though he was speaking to a startled deer.

“How? How… did you?” I pointed behind me to where the chair he was in before was still sitting and then to him.

Dr. Cullen didn’t respond, he just gave me a small smile. Oh my god. He was a vampire! He had superspeed. “Jesus H. Christ.”

“Do you believe in vampires now?” he asked, his voice tinged with humour.

“Yeah… I think I do,” I muttered. “But that doesn’t explain why I’m here… Unless—”

“—You’re not a vampire,” Dr. Cullen cut me off before I could even say it. I let out a breath of relief.

“So why am I here?”

“You aren’t a vampire. You’re a siren,” Dr. Cullen explained.

My mouth opened and closed for a moment before I stumbled back to the cot and sat down. “A siren? Like the half-bird things from the Odyssey?”

Dr. Cullen had followed me back slowly and shook his head as he sat down again. “Not quite. Siren’s are guardians. Protectors of the supernatural world.”

My head cocked to the side in question. “For a long time sirens served as guardians of both the supernatural creatures, keeping us safe from exposure, and the humans, keeping them safe from destruction.” Dr. Cullen began to explain, his voice becoming stronger as he began to retell the story. “Sirens were the most powerful and numerous of the guardians and their gifts made them invaluable.”

“What happened?”I asked, noticing that the vampire was speaking in the past tense.

“I don’t know. No one does,” he confessed, “all we know is that a thousand years ago, the siren queen, Thessamara, disappeared and the Volturi began to hunt all the guardians.”

“The Volturi?” I asked.

“The Volturi are the largest and most powerful of the vampire covens. They serve as the law of the vampire world, keeping us from exposure,” Dr. Cullen explained.

“Huh… won’t the guardians the ones who kept you from exposure?”

“They were,” he nodded, “but after they disappeared the Volturi took the task upon themselves.”

I hummed. So they hunt the guardians and steal their job. Bastards. “What happened to them? The guardians?”

“Many were killed,” Dr. Cullen said, his voice becoming soft again. “Some are presumed to be in hiding, Queen Thessamara and her daughter among them.”

I paused to absorb the information. I was a siren. And every other known siren was either dead or in hiding. “I… how do you know?”

“When you ran into Jasper, your eyes turned purple.”

“Purple?” I asked.

“Yes,” Dr. Cullen nodded, “a sign of a siren transformation is the eye colour changing. And your power materialised quite quickly afterwards.”

“Power? And the eyes, will they stay purple?”

“No, your eyes have already changed back to brown and will remain so until you use your powers again.” I let out a relieved sigh. “And your power. When a siren uses their magic a sort of.., mist appears around their hands. While you were transforming you were unconsciously using your magic and we saw the mist.”

I looked down at my hands. “What kinds of magic?”

“Many types,” Dr. Cullen stood, “and I will be happy to explain more after you eat something.”

I stood as well. My stomach was beginning to ache with hunger and I wasn’t opposed to the smokey bacon I’d smelt cooking earlier. As we headed towards the door I paused as a thought came to mind. “Wait, my father? Does he know?”

“He knows you are here,” Dr. Cullen said, “when Jasper brought you to me, I called your father and told him you’d hit your head and that Jasper had seen you and brought you to me in a panic. I told him it would be safer not to move you and that I had found you a place to rest while I did some tests.” I let out another relieved sigh at that, my father wouldn’t think I’d been kidnapped or murdered or something. “He will be coming by after he ends his shift.”

I smiled at Dr. Cullen who returned it. “Well, Ms. Swan. Ready to meet my family?”

I nodded and he smiled wider, opening the door and leading me out into the large house.

masterlist

#twilight #fanfic #the twilight saga

0 notes

ketamineharry · 3 years

Text

Hush Little Baby ~ Harry Lewis Requested: Yes ~ Hello, idk if you’re doing requests rn but your writing is honestly amazing!! Could you do a Harry imagine where he and reader have been together forever and reader gets accidentally pregnant and it’s just baso the journey if ygm? Like telling him, his friends family fans and then baby being born kinda like a time line typa thing ? If not dw I love you so much !!!! And ~ Please could you write a Harry imagine where he has a daughter Tags: Fluff Word Count: 1.5k

It had been a full hour. A full hour of babysitting Rex Minter, Simon and Talia’s first-born child. They had wanted a date night and it was Harry’s turn to look after the little one. Yet, the whole time you had felt a sickness in the pits of your stomach, you were absolutely sure it would fade when you had eaten something. Here you were, a full large domino's pizza down, and the sickness had not faded. Going against your better judgement, you left Harry with the toddler and made your way to the bathroom.

You were acutely aware of the fact that Simon and Talia were planning on having another little one, so you knew that they would be well stocked on at home pregnancy kits. You carefully took one out of the glass bathroom cabinet, and walked over to the toilet. Deep down, you were hoping that you were wrong. That you were not pregnant. You knew for a fact that you were not ready for a baby and if you were completely honest, you knew that Harry wasn’t either. He was a brilliant uncle and loved having the boys’ children around, babysitting for them so they could have date nights, but he was always able to give them back at the end of a long night. You weren’t so sure how he would feel about not being able to do that. Not having the freedom to do what he wanted anymore, because he had to put this tiny life first. It just didn’t seem like the Harry you knew and loved.

The alarm of your phone pulled you out of the deep thought that you had found yourself in. In no world did you think that having a quiet night in babysitting for some friends would lead you into something so life changing. You carefully picked up the little stick from in front of you, taking a deep inhale of breath. Two lines. Positive. Fuck. As you cleared away the rubbish of the box, you slipped the pregnancy test into your pocket.

As you made your way back to Harry and Rex, all you could hear were joyous screams. Harry really was the fun uncle he had promised to be in a Sidemen Reacts video, many moons ago.

“Y/N!” Rex beamed as he ran up to you. “Uncle Harry was saying that I could have a chocolate for pudding. Usually mummy and daddy say no, and I have to have yogurt or a piece of fruit.”

“Oh that’s great buddy!” You reply, trying to force enthusiasm through the nerves and worry. Although you had no confidence in the fact that you were very successful in that. Harry sent you a glance that confirmed your thoughts. He hadn’t bought it for a second.

As you took Rex’s tiny hand in yours, and made your way to the kitchen, you slipped the pregnancy test to Harry, hoping beyond hope that his reaction was a good one. ‘We need to talk later’ he mouthed, increasing your anxiety tenfold.

The ‘talk’ Harry had referenced that night, didn’t amount to the negative that you had convinced yourself it would. You had agreed to keep the baby. Surprisingly, Harry was all for keeping the little one. He hadn’t expressed to you how much he had wanted a child, because he didn’t want to pressure you into anything. The fact that it had happened was such an unexpected surprise. A good surprise though!

You had been to a few scans together, watching your belly swell and get bigger as the months progressed. When it came to finding out the gender though, you chose not to find out. So, you had taken to calling the baby ‘Peanut’. Telling the other boys was an experience to say the very least. These were the men that had watched Harry grow up, from a reserved teenager to the extroverted man he had become. You had both agreed on telling them all at the same time.

The plan had been to get the children that had already been born into mini Sidemen FC t-shirts, starting with the oldest and ending with the youngest, your bump. Which would be painted black, with the number five as your little one would be the fifth addition to the Sidemen extended family. As it stood, the line was as follows: Ethan’s twins Oscar and Olivia who he shared with his wife Kayleigh, JJ’s son Morphius who he shared with his fiance Bella and little Rex. Nervously you went and stood next to Rex. Thankfully, with baggy clothes you had managed to hide the fact that you were pregnant. You took a hold of Rex’s hand, more for your own comfort than anything else. As if the reactions of your friends were wrapped up in the little hand of a toddler.

Slowly, you lifted your jumper up to reveal the paint that was on your stomach. Showing the number five that was painted on top of it. Suddenly, there was an eruption of cheers. The girls became overly emotional, which was expected. They had just found out that one of their best friends was carrying a new member of their extended family. The boys crowded around Harry, patting him on the shoulder and taking him in for hugs. The love being experienced in the room was tangible and you just knew that no matter what happened, your child would be growing up in such a loving environment.

Telling each of your respective families had been a totally different kettle of fish, however. This is where most of the nerves were mounting from for you. Your parents had become parents at a very young age, and had made a lot of mistakes, you were terrified of having history repeated. Having a baby in your early 20s, wasn’t the plan. You felt like you needed to learn more about yourself first, and one of your deepest fears was to have this confirmed by your own parents. Instead, the reaction that you received was nothing but positive. Your dad had warned Harry that he couldn’t drink as much beer, whilst your mum had warned you about the severe lack of sleep you were about to get. Overall though, they were beyond excited to have their family expanding. Harry’s parents had cried when you revealed the news to them. His sister, Rosie had got Peanut a little stuffed giraffe which she aptly named Gina.

Setting up the nursery was probably the most enjoyable part of the ordeal. Partly because you loved unleashing your creative side; and partly because decorating the nursery came at the latest point of your pregnancy. You had opted for a pale yellow paint for three of the walls, opting for a feature wall which was decorated in a safari print wallpaper.

You were helping Harry with the final touches of the room, you placed Gina giraffe in the corner of the cot, next to the pillow so that your baby always had comfort. Thinking about it, you were sure that you had a ragdoll from when you were a baby at your parents house. It’s funny how it’s the little things that you remember in the biggest moments.

As you turned around to admire your handy work, you felt an immense pressure, causing you to grip onto the cot and double over. You had never experienced anything like this before and you were pretty sure you knew what it was. Your baby was arriving and it was arriving fast.

“Harry,” You screamed, trying your best to stay calm as you knew this was a pivotal moment for the both of you. He was definitely as nervous as you, as he didn’t understand the mood changes, or the pain that you felt. Despite having attended every pregnancy class and read upteen pregnancy books. He had put a lot of opportunities that had presented themself to him on hold for the sake of you and your child as he wanted to be as supportive as possible. Which a meer nine months ago, you would have never imagined Harry doing.

You heard pounding up the stairs, Harry’s usual cheery disposition changing as soon as he saw the immense panic that had taken over your face. “I’ll grab the pregnancy bag, make your way to the car, it's already unlocked.” He informed me, as he grabbed the pregnancy bag from the other side of the room, helping me down the stairs as it had become near impossible to do the simplest of tasks, now that I was carrying our baby.

---

Labour was without a doubt the most painful thing you had ever experienced. It was a quick birth, having arrived at the hospital at seven, and giving birth to your daughter at exactly fifteen minutes past seven. Harry had fallen asleep in the chair in the corner of your room.

Your daughter, however, was screaming blue murder. Despite this, Harry still wouldn’t wake. So, with all your might, you scooped your little one into your arms. “Hush little baby, don’t you cry. We swear that we’ll never leave your side and if we do, remember this love like ours never dies.” You whisper, rocking her into a soft slumber as you placed a soft kiss to the top of her head. Your little family was already complete.

#harry lewis #harry lewis imagine #w2s imagine #w2s x reader #w2s #harry lewis x reader #'sidemen imagine #sidemen x reader

231 notes · View notes

alreadyblondenow · 3 years

Photo

COLLAB CALL!

On the 6th of April, year 2018, I decided to stan NCT and support Lee Taeyong with everything. And I can’t remember my life before that. So to celebrate my love for Lee Bubu and for NCT in general, I just had to do something.

So because of my love for ‘FLY ART’ and Lee Taeyong, this writing collaboration or exhibit for NCT’s leader Lee Taeyong will focus on famous romantic paintings.

RULES

This may be a Taeyong exhibit, but if you wish to write for another member and join this collab you’re 100% welcome. But let’s prioritize Taeyong please.

DEADLINE will be during the month of JULY.

If you’re a kind of person who’s prone to backing out last minute instead of finishing what you’ve signed up for, do it now.

There are no slots for members, but I will accept 10 writers only. And also no repeating of paintings.

All fics should include SMUT but if you don’t want to, you don’t have to. But as the host of this exhibit, that is my main request.

If you’re underage and you wish to write smut, the answer is no sweetie.

Minimum of 1k words and no word limit.

No topics about BULLYING, HARASSMENT, INC3ST, HOMOPHOBIA, SUICIDE, etc. Please be mindful of your ideas.

No sci-fi, let’s stick to the real world.

HOW TO JOIN

Choose a painting in GALLERY A below. Read the descriptions carefully.

Go to my blog and submit a post to me with this format:

*Attach a photo of your chosen painting, just to make sure that we are on the same page* Keyword: Chosen painting: Chosen member: Genres & AUs: A short description of what you’re planning to write:

After submitting, please wait for me to confirm your slot and wait for me to tag you officially under the post before reblogging it.

Questions will be entertained through private message.

GALLERY A

Please choose the painting that you wish to write for. All are personally handpicked by me, has different stories and theories and are different visually (obviously).

The lover by Rene Magritte - The masterpiece that was painted on the canvas in 1928, beautifully captures the essence of any typical relationship. We come across a couple, with hidden faces. Even with their hidden faces, Magritte claims that ‘nothing is concealed in the painting’. Both of the individuals are embracing each other’s presence in their life. Taken by @moonctzeny

Dance on the country by Pierre-Auguste Renoir - Celebrating the love between a man and a woman, this painting appears to be a joyous reflection of them. Both figures appear too different from each other, yet choose to be together. Impression style is used to draw the intimacy between two people. Taken by @yutasgalaxy

The Honeysuckle Bower by Peter Paul Rubens - A gentle touch of their hands portrays intimacy and warmth. The painter deserves appreciation for his ability to use brilliant skills to paint dramatic and high-class clothing. The dressing plays a crucial role in letting us know that the couple is a high society couple. It also has the theme of gender and love. While the man hardly smiles, his wife seems cheerful and happy, implying the different approaches towards the love between the two genders.

The Jewish Bride by Rembrandt - Both of the subjects are dressed richly. A beautiful portrayal of emotions can be noticed in the painting. While both of them are physically close, they do not look into each other’s eyes. We see them lost alone at the moment. They are so mesmerized by their intimacy that they even forget to look at each other. Almost nothing can move them. Taken by @prettyjaems

La Surprise by Antoine Watteau - The lady is carefree and submits herself completely to the arms of her lover. Both of them embrace each other while kissing. However, the third figure is not so much in love. He is holding his guitar. Even though he is trying to play the guitar, his focus is on the passionate couple. On the other hand, a couple is unaware and carefree of his presence. They just can’t notice him playing guitar. The guy sitting alone realizes that even his music can’t reach the lovers’ ears. He is there with his tunes alone.

The Kiss Gustave by Klimt - Intimacy is shown by the way the individuals are locked with each other. The resemblance seems spiritual. A man kisses the woman’s cheek, she shies away. The romantic painting is still present in Vienna’s Museum. With thousands of admirers flocking every year, its fame only increases. The painting doesn’t let us see the face of the dominant man but gives the spotlight completely to that of the lady. They embrace each other as if they have seized. Their embrace seems to have become eternal. Taken by @bl--ankhaeji

The Birthday by Mark Chagall - This was the painting that he painted just before their marriage and thus holds a significant value in his life. This sets out to be a wonderful self-portrait of the artist and his lover, Bella. While Bella is given full spotlight, an artist himself doesn’t really show much of himself. We can reflect on his love for his muse and how much she mattered in his life through the stage sharing in the painting.

Self-portrait as a Tehuana by Frida Kahlo - The positioning of Diego at the forehead of Frida is vital. Frida does this to depict how she can only think of her lover and ex-husband. He was a womanizer and didn’t ever commit to their marriage. Even after getting cheated on, her love for Diego didn’t reduce at all. She has painted a spider web around her head probably to signify that only Diego resides inside her body and mind. The use of Tehuana, a traditional dress worn by her in the portrait, contrasts with her emotional state. Despite her sadness, she produces various romantic paintings that earned her reputation among admirers and also critics. Taken by @jeontaeil

Le Printemps (Springtime) by Pierre Auguste Cot - It captures young love and its beauty. Young lady’s hands are wrapped around her lover’s neck, while he admires her pretty face. Her white dress signifies the purity of love. It is also the depiction of love itself is the most spiritual experience. The most unique feature of the painting can be the sunlight falling behind the couple. It is painted beautifully and is almost unreal. Taken by @alreadyblondenow

A Romance by Santiago Rusignal - This portrait shows a woman playing the piano while a man stands by her. The painting can be seen as a simple one with its domesticated setting. The woman is lost in the moment as she plays the piano while the man is lost as he listens to her tunes. Both have a calm and also composed face which shows a very relaxed environment. The love between them is music. His paintings are so moving that we can even imagine the music in a painting.

The Farewell of Telemachus and Eucharis by Jacques Louis David - Telemachus keeps his hand on the thigh of Eucharis, while she hugs him with sadness on her face. Telemachus is the son of Odysseus, who loves Eucharis. Both are passionate lovers. However, Telemachus has to leave the comfort of his town and lover to fulfill the responsibility of being a son. He has to go on a search for his missing father. Colors are used to draw the contrast element. The red and blue dresses strike majorly with the flesh colors of the subjects. The sad but passionate romance makes us love the artistic skills of Jacques. Taken by @yutahoes

keyword: sweet potatoes

Link to my submission post: HERE

#nct #nct taeyong #nct collab call #taeyong #nct smut #nct fluff #nct angst #nct dream #nct 127 #nct 2020 #nct imagines #nct scenario #nct collab #collab call #nct writers

58 notes · View notes

layla-carstairs · 1 year

Text

I knew this was going to happen. I knew it and it still doesn't hurt any less. i knew this scene was coming

#cc count your fucking days #you will never see heaven im telling you rn #also the whole point of tatiana being poetic #& the fact she kill Barbara and Christopher; Gideon's first child & Gabriel's second #oh she is so sick and twisted for that #and the fact nobody else is there... with Barbara they were all there but who's going to tell everyone in idris #who's gonna tell gabriel and cecily their son is dead oh my God #saw someone on twitter say Thomas and Christopher should've been parabatai & that's making it worse I fear #christopher lightwood #:(#thomas lightwood #also you know what I'm not done #the fact Thomas wasn't there. he was with Alastair when kit died & he had no idea #he wasn't there to help just like how he couldn't help babs #im never going to recover from this #chain of thorns spoilers #cot spoilers #chot spoilers #chain of thorns #bella reads cot

167 notes · View notes

jobrookekarev · 3 years

Text

Little Moon Chapter 4

Chapter: 4/?

Words: 4724

Summary: Jo spends the evening with Luna in her room on the Ped floor and Hayes announces that Luna is ready to go home. After Luna passes the car seat test with flying colors, Jo and Luna go to their new home at Meredith's house.

Fandom: Grey’s Anatomy.

Relationship: Jo Wilson/Alex Karev (Mentioned).

Characters: Jo Wilson, Luna Ashton, Cormac Hayes, Meredith Grey, Atticus Lincoln, Levi Schmitt, Zola Grey-Shepherd, Derek Bailey Grey-Shepherd, and Ellis Grey-Shepherd.

Rating: General Audiences.

Additional Tags: Fluff, All the Fluff, Parenting, Babies, NICU Baby, Foster Care, Going Home, Nursery, Infant Care, Jo being a Mom!

Read at AO3

Read at FFN

AN: After Thursday's episode, we all need some good Jo and Luna fluff where they're both happy and together! I swear if Krista doesn't make this right I'm going to cry a river and then riot on twitter!

……………………………………………………………………

Jo sighed yet, all of her exhaustion faded away as she walked into Luna's room on the Ped’s floor. Luna had graduated to her own room a month ago after her bout of Aspiration Pneumonia. She had been taken off the ventilator, although she was still on supplemental oxygen. Since then, she had also gained a pound and a half and now weighed 6 pounds. Her preemie was now a little baby, still small, but absolutely perfect. Luna was doing so well and Jo couldn't be more proud of her little fighter.

“Hello, my Little Moon,” Jo said as she went over to Luna's crib and looked down to see her swaddled in the white and blue star blanket that Jo had hung over her incubator since she was four weeks old.

Luna woke up and let out the most adorable yawn, but immediately her face contorted into a grimace as she let out a cry. Jo cooed as she carefully lifted Luna out of the crib and was careful with her oxygen and other monitors as she moved over to sit in the rocking chair. The move from the crib to the rocking chair without disturbing any of the monitors or oxygen tubes was a delicate dance that Jo had become an expert at.

Luna’s fussing continued, but the second Jo picked her up, she started to calm. By the time they settled in the rocking chair, Luna had calmed down and was staring up at her with big blue eyes. Jo smiled down at Luna as they rocked back and forth and held her baby.

“Mama had such a hard day today. I don't remember my first year of residency being this hard, but Auntie Carina is kicking Mama's butt. And she speaks in Italian at a hundred words a minute, so I can barely keep up. I think I'm going to have to learn Italian if I want to keep studying with her. Can you help your Mama learn Italian, mia bella luna?” Jo said as she trailed her finger down Luna's cheek.

“But how was your day, Luna? Were you good for Dr. Hayes and your nurse Jackie?” Jo asked as Luna just stared up at her before Jo reached for the tablet and looked at Luna's chart. “Oh, I see you ate a lot today, and you were able to burp, but you peed on the nurse again. I thought we agreed we liked nurse Moria? And then you got some playtime and a good nap, no poopy diapers. I guess you’re saving that for Mama, but let's try not to poop in the tub again?”

Jo continued to talk to Luna and tell her all about her day as she stared up at her. Luna became fussy again, and Jo got her a bottle, then burped her, and changed her diaper. Sure enough, she was saving the poop for Jo, but thankfully she didn't ruin her onesie. Jo got her cleaned up and then pulled out the spaced themed play mat and set it on the floor, gently placing Luna in the middle for a bit of tummy time. She also put on some soft music and dangled the little rocket ship in front of her as it seemed to be Luna’s favorite, or at least she stared at it more than the other toys. Luna usually didn’t like tummy time, and after a few minutes, she began to fuss, so Jo moved her onto her back where she wiggled her arms and legs and stared up at the little rocket ship that Jo clipped to the overhead bar.

Luna wasn't too active as she was still technically a newborn despite being three months old. They had to subtract from her due date, and so technically, Luna was three weeks old. Yet, she seemed so big to Jo, despite the fact that she was only 6 lb. She couldn't help but remember how tiny she was when she was in the incubator, and here she was, moving around and turning her head. She just seemed to have grown so much in such a short time. Luna wiggled around for a while until she decided she was done and began to cry. Jo swept her up into her arms and held her close, enjoying their snuggle time.

As it got dark, Jo ordered food from the cafeteria and ate dinner one handed as she held Luna. After dinner, Jo got Luna set up for a bath. Because of her sensitive skin, she only got one every few days, but they were Jo's favorite days as she got to play with her in the water, and Luna loved the water. Jo filled up the bath in the adjoined bathroom, and nurse Jackie came in to help Jo unhook Luna from all of her monitors and the oxygen tubes. Finally, Jo completely undressed her and wrapped her in a fresh swaddle blanket before going into the bathroom and setting Luna in the baby tub. Jo sat down on the ground next to the tub and grabbed a cup as she gently poured warm water over Luna’s stomach in the swaddle. Luna’s eyes immediately fluttered close as she seemed content in the bath.

“Yeah, you like the warm bath, don't you, Little Moon,” Jo said with a smile as she poured the water over her body again.

After a few minutes, Jo began to unswaddle one of Luna’s arms one at a time so she can gently wash them with a washcloth and a little bit of soap. She made sure to get in between her fingers and toes before Jo finally opened the blanket, and she rubbed the washcloth over her little tummy, gentle of the scars from her Bronchogenic cyst and the Nissen fundoplication a few weeks ago. They were just hairline scars now and Jo knew that by the time she was an adult, they would just be finger-length long. When she grew up and asked about the scars, Jo would tell Luna that her scars were nothing to be ashamed of because she was a fighter and her scars were a symbol of her survival. Jo finished washing her body and swaddled Luna back up before she gently rubbed the washcloth over Luna's cheek.

“Oh I know, I know. We don't like this part, do we?” Jo said to Luna as she fussed and turned her head away.

Jo tried to be as quick as possible, gently scrubbing away the stickiness leftover from the tape to her oxygen tubes and being as gentle with her baby's skin as she could. Jo finished up and grabbed the grey elephant baby towel as Luna cried. She unswaddled her from the wet blanket and picked her up, putting Luna in her lap with the towel as she quickly wrapped it around her. Jo held Luna close and cuddled her gently, rocking back and forth until Luna calmed down again before she drained the bath and went back into the room. Jo gently laid her down on the fresh crib sheets that Jackie had changed.

“Alright, diaper first and then, lotion, bottle, book, songs, and bed, sound good, my Little Moon?” Jo asked as she wiggled her fingers over Luna’s tummy.

Jo hooked Luna back up to all of her monitors and got the oxygen tubes placed as she kicked. Jo grabbed the lotion and massaged Luna’s gentle skin as she looked up at Jo with her big blue eyes. Jo picked out a fresh onesie, this one was a light blue with white outlines of little leaves all over it, before grabbing the matching blanket that Jo gently wrapped around her, but not yet swaddling her. The room had a little sink and countertop where Jo was able to make up a bottle before she chose a book from the shelf. Tonight’s book was called ‘My Little Brave Girl’ and was one of the many gifts that Jo had received since she began the process of adopting Luna. The books had been her favorite as she settled in the rocking chair with the bottle and the book as she read to her Little Moon.

As Jo finished the book, she looked down at Luna, who was still working on the bottle. “You know, for someone who only drinks about 4 oz, you sure do take a while,” Jo said as she smiled down at her and continued to stare at her as she ate.

These were her favorite moments of the day. The calm, quiet moments that she got to spend with Luna, just holding her and taking care of her. Jo transitioned into the role of Luna's mom faster than she could have ever imagined, although there were some hiccups here and there. Jo felt lucky that she still had lots of nurses and other staff at the hospital to take care of Luna while she was at work, yet she still felt every bit Luna's mom. She tried to be there when she woke up in the morning, she spent all her breaks there, and she was there to put Luna to bed at night. These days she practically lived in the room with Luna, and Hayes didn't have the heart to kick her out when she fell asleep in the rocking chair. At least it was better than the crowded Loft with Helm and Levi still crashing there. It was rough though, Jo couldn’t take off her mask or ventilator helmet for very long, and she couldn’t officially set up a cot, so she occasionally slept in the on-call room down the hall. Yet Jo made it work because she would rather sleep in a rocking chair than be away from Luna.

Jo heard a knock on the glass and looked up to see Bailey and Webber smiling at her as they waved. “Look, Auntie Bailey and Uncle Richard are here to see you.”

Luna had finished her bottle, and Jo placed it on the shelf before she got up and walked over to stand in front of the window so Bailey and Weber could see her.

“Well, hello Luna, aren't you getting big and you look so happy in your Mama's arms,” Bailey said as she waved and smiled at Luna.

“She's getting big, isn't she Wilson,” Webber asked, looking down at little Luna and giving her a wave.

“She is, she ate a whole 4 ½ ounces tonight, and now she weighs 6 lb, she’s getting so big,” Jo said, smiling down at Luna with pride.

“Oh well, you gotta get big and strong so that you can keep your Mama on her toes, isn’t that right, little missy,” Bailey said as she cooed at Luna, who was fixated on her.

Luna had so many aunties and uncles who came by and visited her every day at the hospital. Even Meredith had managed to stop by and visit. Although they weren’t allowed in Luna's room, they waved and smiled at her through the glass. Bailey and Weber talked to her for a little while before Luna grew fussy and tired, and they left so Jo could put her down.

Jo pulled the curtain across the glass and turned off the overhead lights before turning on the moon shaped light. She turned on the sound machine that she had gotten to play the quiet sounds of the rain. She put Luna back down on the crib to swaddle her before she picked her back up again and returned to the rocking chair.

“La la lu, La la lu,

Oh, my little star sweeper,

I'll sweep the stardust for you,

La la lu, La la lu,

Little soft, fluffy sleeper,

Here comes a pink cloud for you.”

Jo had to admit she didn't have the best singing voice, but Luna’s eyes fluttered close, and she settled in her arms, and quietly drifted off. Over the past few weeks, Jo had learned all the Disney lullabies, and the Little Star Sweeper song from Lady and the Tramp had quickly become Luna and Jo’s favorite.

Even after Luna fell asleep, Jo kept singing the lullaby once more, and she continued to rock and hold Luna. She never felt like she got enough time with her, in between her residency and her studies, and Luna being in the hospital, being rounded on and checked over. Jo could hold Luna forever and some nights she did. As soon as she was sure she could move without waking her up, Jo grabbed her OB/GYN books and the TV remote and settled in to study with Luna in one arm. Although it was hard to concentrate with the sleeping little girl in her arms captured her attention every time Jo looked at her. She didn't even notice Hayes and Schmitt coming into the room with the interns for the night rounds until he pulled back the curtain and turned on the lights.

“What the hell are you doing? Turn off the lights!” Jo hissed at them as she pulled the blanket up over Luna’s head.

“Our apologies Wilson,” Hayes said as he glared at the interns until Dr. Khan turned off the lights.

“Young Ortiz, presen.”

“Luna Ashton,” Ortiz said in a normal tone as Luna stirred in Jo’s arms.

“Shhh!” Jo shushed her along with a glare as Ortiz shrank back.

“Ummm Luna Ashton, 4 ½ months old, born at 26 weeks, surgery at four weeks old for a Bronchogenic cyst, and another at 4 months for Nissen fundoplication, is now breathing on her own and her gastroesophageal reflux is under control. She has had no episodes of apnea or bradycardia for the last two weeks, is able to maintain her temperature, is taking donated breast milk by bottle, and weighed 6lb and 1oz at this morning’s weight check.”

As Ortiz presented, Hayes came over, and Jo reluctantly let him hold Luna and move her over to lay in the crib as he checked her lungs. Luna slept through the whole thing. It was the touch of a good pediatric surgeon. Arizona had that touch and so did Alex. Jo took a deep breath as she ignored the thought of her ex-husband and focused on the baby in front of her.

“Conclusion?” Hayes asked as he finished his exam and gave Luna back to Jo.

“Discharge with continued supplemental oxygen at home?” Ortiz said, unsure as she read the chart.

“What?” Jo asked, looking between Ortiz and Hayes.

Hayes just smiled as Jo just stared at him in shock. “Carry on to the next patient and wait for me there.”

“Levi can stay,” Jo said, looking at him.

The interns filtered out and closed the door as Jo just started at Hayes. “Luna can go home with me?”

“Yes, she is doing well even on supplemental oxygen, and we’ll get you set up with a CPAP machine and an apnea monitor, but with a doctor for a mum, I’m sure Luna will be in good hands,” Hayes said as he crossed his arms with a smile. “Get your maternity leave sorted and anything else you need from the courts, and we will schedule a date for the car seat test, and then the two of you can go home.”

“She can come home with me. Luna can come home?” Jo asked, still in disbelief.

“Yes,” Hayes said with a smile.

“Jo this is amazing! Luna gets to go home!” Levi said, getting excited. “I’ll help you get the medical equipment tonight, and you can talk to Bailey and Carina tomorrow, and she can be home by this weekend.”

“Home,” Jo whispered, looking down at Luna.

Home had been the hospital for Luna’s entire life and this room had become Jo’s home too for the last few weeks. The thought of bringing her baby home to the Loft was both exciting and terrifying. Here at the hospital, Luna had round-the-clock medical care and a number of nurses who helped Jo take care of Luna’s day-to-day needs as well as all of her medical needs. Going home meant that Jo would have to do all of this on her own and although she knew how to do it, it was different because Luna was her baby. She had taken care of a number of babies when she was a resident in Ped, but this was her own kid, and there were no breaks, no shift ends. It was only her.

“Jo. Hey Jo,” Levi said, putting his hand on her shoulder as Jo finally came out of her head and looked up at him. “Don't worry, it's a good thing, and you're more than ready for it.”

“I know,” Jo said, taking a deep breath before she looked down at Luna. “We're going to be going home, my Little Moon, home.”

The day of the car seat test came, and from the moment they set Luna into the little black car seat, Jo became a nervous wreck. They got Luna settled, set up the monitor, and then they started the clock. Jo spent the hour pacing the length of Luna's room as she watched the monitor for any signs of a drop in heart rate. Jo was an anxious parent whenever it came to anything regarding Luna. Each time she so much as hiccup wronged, Jo instantly tensed up. She became just another mom on the NICU ward, and all of her logic and medical training went out the window as she worried for her daughter. Luna just watched Jo as she paced before she decided that her Mama was boring and slept through the rest of the car seat test.

The hour was over before she knew it and Luna was officially a graduate of the NICU. There was a little bit of excitement and celebration in the room as everyone started clapping. Jo got Luna out of the car seat as she smiled down at her Little Moon. One of the nurses presented her with a tiny graduation cap that had the number of days Luna was in the NICU, along with a tiny little onesie that said NICU graduate. They were finally going home and Jo could hardly believe it.

They all got packed up to leave, and all of the nurses and staff who had come to know and love Luna just as much as she did, came to see them off. They presented her with so many gifts that Jo could barely fit them all in her car. When they walked out of the hospital, everybody was there to see them off, including Bailey, Webber, Levi, Helm, Maggie, Winston, Hayes, Teddy, Owen, and Amelia as they all wished her congratulations. Finally, Link was waiting for them next to her car.

“Your chariot awaits m’ladies,” Link said, opening the back door for her.

“Thank you for doing this,” Jo said as she put Luna’s car seat in the car and reached out to pull Link in for a hug.

She felt so lucky that she had such amazing friends and family who stepped up to be there for her and Luna. She would have never succeeded in becoming Luna's guardian or becoming her Mama if it weren't for her friends encouraging and supporting her.

“Ready?” Link asked as he turned around in the front seat as Jo got Luna’s car seat settled and sat next to her.

“Yes,” Jo said as she looked down at Luna, who she suckled on her pacifier, still looking ever so small in her car seat. “Let's go home.”

Jo looked down at Luna for the beginning of the ride home, cooing to her and talking to her about the outside world and the parks and other places they would go to. Link made sure to try and distract her with small talk, excitedly talking about how they could have playdates now with Scout and he can meet Luna. As well as a few tricks and things he had learned in the past few months with Scout. It was weird seeing her best friend be a parent and even weirder to think that she was now a mom to her own little girl.

She was so focused on Luna that she didn't even notice when he finally pulled up to Meredith's. It was bittersweet, pulling up to the house. Jo had originally wanted to take Luna home to the Loft as it had been her home for years, but when she did the first walk through with her lawyer, she said it was unlikely that she would get approved to live in such a place as it was hardly baby-friendly. Meredith’s house had been approved for foster care before, and all they had to do was update the license and redo the background checks. Meredith had graciously and excitedly offered to let Jo and Luna move back into the house. Still, it wouldn't be home, but then again, the Loft hadn't felt like home since Alex had left. Jo felt like she was just shuffling between the hospital and the Loft the way she did when she was in foster care. She hoped that with time and with a little decorating, their room at the house could become their home.

Link quickly came around to help her out of the car. He grabbed Luna’s oxygen tank, and Jo held the car seat as they walked into the house. As soon as they walked in, they saw the huge banner across the staircase that said ‘Welcome home Auntie Jo and Luna.’ As they looked into the living room Meredith and the kids were all there waiting for them. As soon as they noticed her, they all jumped up to run and greet her.

“Auntie Jo, you're here!” Zola said, getting to her first and wrapping her arms around Jo’s waist.

“We missed you!” Ellis said as she and Bailey bombarded Jo with hugs before they all pulled back and crouched down in front of the car seat that Jo had set on the floor.

“Is this her? Is this our new cousin?” Zola said, smiling down at her. “Hi, baby Luna.”

“She's so tiny,” Bailey said as they all stared down at Luna. “Scout was much bigger when you brought him home from the hospital, Uncle Link.”

Luna stared up at her new cousins with wide eyes taking them in as they watched her. Jo knew she shouldn't be, but she couldn't help but feel anxious, especially as Ellis reached out to touch her.

“Ellis, you need to ask Auntie Jo first before you touch Luna, and you need to wash your hands too,” Meredith said, coming up behind Ellis and putting her hands on her shoulders. “Why don't the three of you go put the finishing touches on Auntie Jo's room, and we’ll be up in a second.”

“Yeah, come on guys,” Bailey said, leading the charge up the stairs.

“I'm really glad you're here, Auntie Jo. We’ve missed you, especially since Uncle Alex left,” Zola said, giving her another hug before she disappeared up the stairs.

Jo smiled as they left, she had missed them too. They were her nieces and nephew despite how they weren't blood-related. She knew that they loved her, but going to Meredith's house just wasn't the same without Alex. And she hadn't seen the kids since the pandemic started.

Meredith came over and pulled her in for a hug before she looked back at Luna. “How does it feel to finally be home with her?”

“I am excited and a little terrified,” Jo said as she reached down and got Luna out of her car seat.

“I was too when we first brought Zola home, but you'll get the hang of it soon enough,” Meredith said, giving her shoulder a squeeze before she looked back at the living room. “We've got a second oxygen machine set up down here, as well as a pack and play, a high chair, and anything else you and Luna could need.”

“Thank you,” Jo said, looking around the room and smiling. She recognized the pack and play and some of the toys from when Meredith’s kids were babies, and it was nice that Luna was able to inherit these things from family.

“Well, let's go upstairs, and you can start unpacking,” Meredith said as she walked over to the stairs.

“I'll stick around and help you out,” Link said as he picked up the oxygen tank again and the three of them headed up.

Having lived there once before, Jo was familiar with the house and wasn't surprised when they led her into Cristina/Maggie's former room. She could hear all the kids giggling behind the door, and Bailey peeked out before Zola pulled him back in. Finally, they opened the door to her room. Jo gasped as she looked around her room. It was all set up and ready for her and Luna. The walls had been painted the same light red color as the door to the loft, and her bed had been made up with the same comforter, and even her macrame tapestry hung on the wall. Alex’s nightstand was on the right and hers on the left. There were their shelves and her woven laundry basket. Her TV was set up across from the bed, even her plants hung in the window. It was like they had simply picked up everything from her room in the Loft and put it exactly how it was in the room before her.

In the corner of the room, there was a galaxy tapestry with hanging lights at the differentiation of the little space for the nursery. Luna's white crib with her little rocket shelf was next to it with the rocker, and the little mobile with all the planets, stars, and the little moon were hung above it. Jo took everything in with wide eyed as she looked around the room and a smile stretched across her face.

“Being a new mom is hard,” Meredith said as Jo turned around to look at her and Link. “It's exhausting and never ending, and it can be very lonely, especially if you're doing it as a single parent. It's good to have a support system, and since I'm only back at work part-time, I’m able to help you whenever you need it.”

“And since Amelia and I are switching off shifts for now and Scout is here whenever one of us isn't, I can help you to, and we can figure out how to raise our kids together,” Link said with a smile, it was something that they had once dreamed about doing and now they finally could.

“I can help you out too,” Zola chimed in, hopping off the bed and coming over to them. “I can play with her and keep her entertained, and I can give her a bottle or put her down for a nap, too.”

“Me too, except that I don't do diapers,” Bailey said as everyone laughed.

“Don't worry guys, I'll do all the diaper changes,” Jo assured him as she reached out to ruffle his long blonde hair.

“Can I sleep in here with you, Auntie Jo?” Ellis asked, she had already crawled up on Jo's bed and was happily lying against the pillows.

She had always crawled up on their bed whenever Jo and Alex babysat her at the Loft. Jo had no doubt that Ellis would do exactly as her mom used to do and slip into Jo’s bed in the middle of the night.

“We’ll see Ellie-Belly,” Jo said, giving her a wink before she looked around the room again. “Thank you for doing this. It means a lot to me, to both of us.”

She looked over at her two best friends who were like her family and they would be Luna’s family too. She smiled down at Luna, who was eagerly looking around, and walked over to the crib, she gave the mobile a light spin, turning the stars and planets, and it quickly got her attention. Luna stared at it for a second before she caught Jo’s eye and stared up at her, and opened her mouth as if she was smiling and Jo smiled too.

“Welcome home, my Little Moon.”

#jo wilson #grey's anatomy #grey's anatomy fanfic #meredith grey #cormac hayes #atticus lincoln #zola grey shepherd #derek bailey shepherd #ellis shepherd #luna ashton #jo and luna #my fanfiction #my work #my writing #luna wilson

18 notes · View notes

superspookywombat · 4 years

Text

falling {j.h} chapter eleven

Warnings: a few swear words I think, theyre not too bad though, i didn’t proof read i was too excited to post lol

Taglist: i’m moving it to the comments (or at least I’m going to try to so i’d appreciate it if you could let me know if it works :)

A/n: this chapter’s a bit longer than usual. I’m not totally in love with it but i know i’ve kept you all waiting long enough (oops) hope you enjoy!!

Everything was still. You laid in a sterile room, your torn and bloody clothes dried to a vinyl cot in the middle of the room. Jasper wouldn’t let Alice change your clothes, he wouldn’t even let anyone near you. He sat at your side, never taking his eyes off of you once. The venom was taking longer than usual to take over, leaving Carlisle intrigued. Jasper was worried that his venom didn’t work, but was instantly reassured by Alice that you would wake up.

It was three nights after you’d been bitten that you began the early stages of transformation. You weren’t awake just yet, but every so often your heart would stutter and slow. Jasper listened closely, and tried his best to radiate calmness for you even though he was feeling everything but. He couldn’t feel anything around you, which was something he wasn’t used to. The rest of the Cullens gave him as much space as possible, almost as if he was grieving. He was grieving, though, because he knew this was the end of an era. This officially ended things between him and Alice. He felt guilty for leaving her by herself, but he knew she was a strong woman and would be better off without him.

“You don’t have to be sorry, you know.” Alice said, approaching him a few weeks ago. He didn’t understand what she was referring to.

“You’re in love with her, Jasper. And that’s okay.” She said softly, reassuring the conflicted cowboy.

“We were supposed to be together for the rest of our lives.” Jasper had responded, his heart dropping at the sight of Alice’s sad smile. She cupped his cheek in her small hand and he leaned into her touch.

“I know. But this is the start of a new life.” She said. He paused, unsure how to respond. Eventually, he knew.

“Thank you, Alice.” He said, his voice no more than a whisper. He was sure if vampires could cry that tears would be running down his scarred cheeks. She never responded, they just sat in silence while she held him, their love still as strong as the day they met, just displaced.

Five days after being bitten you started visually reacting to the venom. Sometimes your hand would flinch, or your eyelids would twitch. Mostly, whimpers escaped through your clenched jaw. Your body was changing dramatically, you got slimmer in sections but filled out in others, your lips got plumper and your hair got thicker and shinier. Your clothes barely fit you anymore, not that you’d do anything but throw away the outfit you had on. Jasper finally started to calm a little, but was still on edge because he knew the upcoming part was arguably the hardest.

Eleven days after you were bitten you had the ability to be conscious, though most of the time you weren’t from the unbearable pain. Your screams were heard throughout the house, including a small part of the surrounding forest causing the Cullens to have a new-found appreciation for the seclusiveness of their house. Bella had visited you multiple times, but Edward wouldn’t let her get too close in case you suddenly awoke and decided that she was going to be your first meal. Being right next to you while you suffered hurt Jasper too. He could feel your anguish, your confusion. When you’d cry out, he’d groan; when you’d squeeze his hand, his other one would crush the armrest of his chair.

Fourteen days after you were bitten, the pain finally died down. You were unconscious again as the final stage of transforming took place, making major changes in your body- including your heart. Jasper could hear your heart straining to keep up with the venom, but eventually it gave in and stopped altogether. Jasper sat still, waiting anxiously for the next step. A thump at the large glass window had made him jump, which was unusual for a vampire because they were rarely startled. Another thump made him stand, and after another he called for Esme. Birds ran into the windows a lot because of how clean she kept them, and if they were injured either her or Carlisle would aid it. Esme had rushed to his side immediately, most of the Cullens were sat just outside of the room incase of an update on your condition. As soon as she entered, Jasper watched as her eyebrows knitted together. She strode forward and reached to open the window, and almost immediately the room was invaded by multiple birds. Jasper jumped to hover over your body protectively while Esme yelled at the birds to get out. Hearing all of the commotion, Rosalie and Emmett entered the room. Rose helped Esme shoo the birds while Emmett walked over to the window.

“Oh hell yeah!” Emmett laughs, clapping his hands. Once the window was closed, leaving the birds to sit on the balcony, Jasper felt it was safe enough to leave you unprotected. He walks over to see what Emmett was talking about, only to see a bear standing on its hind legs, pawing in the direction of the window.

“Good God.” Jasper says, his jaw ajar. Esme walks over, her expression just as shocked as the boys’.

“It’s like a pizza delivery!” Emmett exclaimes. He places two of his huge hands on Rosalie’s shoulders. “But instead of pizza- it’s a bear!”

“Em, why is there a bear waving at you?” Rosalie asks him. Alice entered the room so quietly that no one had noticed she was there.

“It’s here for y/n.” She says. Jasper whirls around, his eyebrows pulling down to frame his scowl.

“What are you talking about?” He asks. Her eyes glaze over as she stares into the distance, and Jasper rushes to her side and holds her upright.

“I can see it.. She’s calling them..” Alice says. Jasper glances at your unmoving body. A squirrel leaps from a tree that hangs over the balcony, and scratches at the glass.

“Calling them how?” Esme asks softly. Alice snaps out of her vision, blinking a few times until she sees clearly again. Carlisle walks into the room, followed by Edward and Bella.

“They can sense her pain, she’s reaching out for help and she doesn’t even realize it.” Alice says. A creak from the bed diverts everyone’s eyes to you.

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

After feeling nothing but unbearable pain for what seemed like forever, it was almost instantaneously that it went away. As if a bucket of water was poured onto your burning body, the flames were extinguished. You could hear before you could see; you could hear so many different things at once. The flutter of a bird’s wings, the rhythmic beat of a heart- who’s heart? Then you heard him. It sounded like him, but clearer. As if someone had flipped a switch to turn his voice into HD. You could hear Emmett and Esme too, along with a melodic unfamiliar voice. Then Alice’s voice. Everyone spoke in worried, hush tones. Worry ran through you, what was wrong? Did something happen? Then, your eyes flutter open.

You sit up with a gasp, your hand instinctively reaching for your throat. It felt so dry that you were sure that if you tried to speak, nothing would come out. The first thing you saw was Esme, a worried expression plastered on her face. You turn your head to find Jasper, but the speed at which you turn takes you by surprise. You lift your hand from your throat, holding it in front of your face. The paleness of your skin shocks you. Actually, everything about your hand does. The room is silent as you place your other hand next to the first one, staring at both in confusion. You don’t recognize them, the only similar factor being the red nail polish you applied the night before. You pull up your sleeve, and you flinch when a loud ripping noise bounces off of the walls. Pinched between your thumb and first finger is bloody fabric. You’re too bothered by your sudden strength to notice that your arms, like your hands, have no freckles or moles. You twist your arm to look at your elbow, surprised to see that the huge scar you got when you were eight is no longer there.

“Y/n?” You hear Jasper say. You over at him, his beauty leaving you wordless. Sunlight from the window streams through the mop of his blond hair, leaving it looking like pure gold. His pale skin glitters- wait, glitters? You stand up, looking down at your bare feet and bloody pants.

“Jasper?” You ask. Your brain swirls as you think about what happened the night before, but as soon as you smell the dried blood on your clothes you shudder. “I.. I died.”

“We’ll let you two talk alone.” Esme says softly, walking over to Jasper like she’s balancing on eggshells. She leans to say something in his ear. “We’ll be right outside if you need us.”

Jasper approaches you slowly as Esme, Emmett, and the blonde girl exit the room. He keeps his distance, but reaches out to hesitantly take your hand. You let him, and his skin no longer feels cold.

“What’s going on?” You ask, your voice not even sounding like it belongs to you. He glances over your shoulder, and you turn to see what he’s looking at. Three deer stand underneath the trees outside of the window, seemingly watching you two.

“Y/n.. I had no choice.” Jasper says, his voice sounding unusually stressed. You look down once more at your bloody clothes.

“Had no choice about what?” You ask. He opens his mouth like he’s about to say something, but then closes it again. “Jasper what’s going on? I feel like I’m going crazy. I could have sworn I.. died. I thought I died. But you saved me? And I’m okay now? Did you tell Dr Cullen to do some sort of risky procedure and bring me back to life?”

“You did.” He says. You furrow your eyebrows, unsure of which thing you said he’s responding to. “Die, I mean.”

“Very funny. Just tell me what happened, I probably won’t be mad. Charlie might be though.” You reply, wishing he’d just blurt it out.

“My family and I.. we aren’t normal.” He says. Okay..?

“Well one look at Edward and that becomes pretty obvious. Not sure what it has to do with what’s going on here though.” You say sarcastically.

“I’m serious. We aren’t like anyone you’ve ever met before.” He says. You sit and wait for him to finish monologuing- which is what he clearly wants. “I’m not as old as you think I am.. I was born as Jasper Whitlock in 1844. My family and I are immortal.”

You wait for him to say more- for him to laugh and tell you Bella put him up to a prank or something. He stays silent.

“You’re serious? Like, immortal as in you were born in 1844 and you haven’t aged a day and you can’t die and you’ve been through highschool like a million times and-” You ramble, still waiting for him to come clean about the joke. “And.. you’re a vampire?”

“Yes.” He answers shortly. You scoff.

“Bullshit.” You say, anger coursing through your veins. He looks taken aback as you gesture wildly. “I’m not as gullible as my sister thinks, okay? So you can go and run to her and tell her that her stupid prank isn’t funny.”

“Y/n, I-” He starts.

“No! I don’t like being made fun of.” You growl. You turn to walk towards the balcony. As much as you’d like to leave, he still needs to explain what happened the night before, unless that was somehow a part of the sick joke. As you go to step forward, Jasper places a hand on your upper arm. You shake off his hand and he falls forward a little, making your mind swirl. You step forward and instantly you’re zooming through the air and through the glass doors. You try to catch yourself on the metal railing of the balcony, only for it to bend, letting you fall two stories to the ground.

“What the hell?” You exclaim. You look at your body, which looks and feels unscathed. Jasper runs out of the you-sized hole in the door, jumping off of the balcony and landing on his feet next to you with a ‘thud’. Soon, undoubtedly drawn by the noise, Emmett and Dr Cullen ran- teleported (?) over to you guys. “So.. Uh.. You were saying?”

“Two weeks ago, you were attacked by another immortal. They were here for your sister and while we were fighting a flock of newborn vampires, one broke off from the rest of them and came to your house. He.. he killed you. I made the decision to bite you.” Jasper says, his voice seemingly shaking. Your mind swims as you try to piece together what he just said. Two weeks? But it was just last night. He bit me? Am I an immortal- or vampire now?

“So.. you decided my fate? Whether to let me die or make me a vampire? I am a vampire, right?” You ask slowly, still trying to figure it out. You hear a rapid heartbeat thumping behind you, and you turn to see those three deer watching you a few yards away. You want them to come closer, something about them drawing you to them. As if you had asked them, they slowly trot closer, until they are about an arm’s reach away. You can hear a whooshing sound- the blood running through their veins? Your mouth could water as you deeply inhale, a delicious scent filling your nostrils. You can sense their trance-like state almost radiating off of them as they walk closer. Jasper gets closer to you, as do Emmett and the Doctor. You almost unconsciously lunge at the unsuspecting animal, until another scent hits you. Why was I about to attack that animal? To.. drink it’s blood? The scent is much sweeter than the deers’, it smells more appetizing than anything you’ve ever smelled before. You want it more than anything you’ve ever wanted before. You rush to your feet and sprint around the corner of the house and down the driveway, only to see Bella being rushed into Edward’s car. Your hands shake and your throat burns as her scent surrounds you. Before you even know what you’re doing, you’re crouched in an offensive position. Someone wraps their arms around you before you can lunge, and the scent lets you know it’s Jasper.

“Y/n.. y/n, stop!” Jasper commands as you struggle against his grip, and soon Emmett is there to help him. Your throat feels like it’s going to catch fire and burn into a crisp. You groan as you try to claw out of their grip, but they don’t let up. You sink to your knees, Jasper and Emmett following you to the ground, and anguish rushes through you. Birds caw as they circle around in the air. A bear dazedly walks out of the forest, his eyes glazed over. The deer from earlier walk towards you, not affected by the loud noises. Squirrels run down from trees and snakes slither out from the forest floor coverings. A fat racoon waddles out from behind a pile of logs while two elk walk out of the woods. Alice, Esme, and the other girl come outside. Everyone is silent as they look around in amazement, creatures from all over surround the front of the house where you kneel.

Alice is the first to speak, a small smile on her lips as she utters the words, “She’s a Thiriokinetic.”

#edward cullen #alice cullen #jasper hale #jasper hale x reader #Emmett Cullen #carlisle cullen #esme cullen #fanfic #fanfiction #twilight #twilight x reader #chapter 11

264 notes · View notes

bonjour-rainycity · 4 years

Text

The Long Way Around ~ Chapter 1

Link to previous part: https://bonjour-rainycity.tumblr.com/post/622920888239767552/the-long-way-around

Pairing: Jasper/Reader

Word count: 1092

Warnings: None

Jasper’s POV

Esme smiles, contentedly knocking over one of my pawns. I furrow my eyebrows, pretending to think. I don’t want to obliterate my adopted mother, but it’s no secret that I’m better than her at chess. I’d had longer to practice, for one thing, and two, strategy is kind of my thing. If Edward and Alice didn’t have their abilities, then I have no doubt I would be the best in the house.

But I don’t want to deter Esme from future games with me nor hurt her feelings, so I make a move that, in about five moves, could expose my queen.

From her, I feel initial excitement. Then, two moves later when I still haven’t adequately protected the all-important piece, I feel her suspicion. She eyes me, and I pretend to stare at the board and contemplate my next move.

“Jasper,” she says, her admonishing voice lined with amusement. “I don’t play with you to win, I play with you because I enjoy the quality time.”

From further in the living room, Emmett snorts. “Yeah, but if he played like he could, that quality time would be over in about two minutes.”

Reading a book at his side, Alice smacks him lightly over his head. I feel nothing but teasing between the two, no actual animosity. “Oh hush.”

But Esme chuckles, knowing it to be true. I close my eyes, enjoying the maternal love radiating from her.

I’m about to invite Alice to a game and try my luck against a psychic, but before I can, she gasps, her eyes staring at something far away. The three of us wait for her to exit the vision. Her eyes move slightly, taking it all in. Getting frustrated with not knowing, I pay closer attention to her emotions.

Shock, confusion, pity, temptation, and, finally, vivid excitement.

The vision releases her, and she refocuses. I raise an eyebrow at her questioningly. In the next second, Edward is standing at the bottom of the stairs, having a silent conversation of questioning looks and slight nods with Alice.

“Uh, care to clue us in?” Emmett voices what we all wish to say.

Alice stands, moving quickly. “Carlisle, come here please.” She doesn’t have to raise her voice much. Even all the way in the back of the house, he hears her voice clearly and is quick to obey.

“Yes?”

“Three humans will be here soon, one bleeding severely.” Alice doesn’t pause long enough to let us react verbally, but I feel the raw responses ripple through the room. I’m uneasy, knowing my personal limits with human blood. ‘Bleeding severely’ in such close proximity to me sounds like a bad situation, so I make the decision to leave. Both Edward and Alice nod in my direction, agreeing. I try to brush off the tiny pang of hurt that causes. It’s understandable, really, the lack of trust, but it still makes me feel bad.

“I don’t know what happened to her,” Alice admits, a note of frustration in her voice. Alice doesn’t like not knowing. “But…” She hesitates. I feel her trepidation and anxiously await her next words. “We’re not going to be able to save her. By the time she arrives, she’s lost too much blood and is too far gone.” Sadness, from Esme and Carlisle especially, envelopes me. I look at the floor. “So you’ll have to change her.”

Five heads snap to attention.

Carlisle sighs, feeling reluctant. “Alice, it’s not like it was when I changed Edward, or Esme, or Rosalie, or Emmett. Our coven is becoming increasingly large, and I worry of the attention that will attract from the Volturi. There’s no reason to take away a human life like this. I will do what I can to help her pass peacefully.”

Alice sighs, imploring him. “Carlisle, trust me on this. We’re going to need her.”

The slight burst of pride from my tiny sister surprises me. It doesn’t fit in with the nature of this conversation.

“She’s special,” Alice insists.

“Can you tell us why,” Carlisle implores. Like us, he wants more information.

But Alice is firm when she shakes her head. “Telling you would mess with the future, I think. It’s best if I leave it at this.”

Now it’s Carlisle’s turn to sigh, and I feel him mull it over, obviously against it.

But Alice has asked, and we all trust Alice with our lives and our future. So it’s no surprise to anyone when Carlisle agrees, albeit reluctantly.

“Edward, prepare some morphine lines. We’ll try the same tricks we did with Bella. Anyone who will be tempted by the blood, please leave. Don’t torture yourselves.”

Edward flits off to his task, while the rest of us consider. I squirm under the shame I feel from my fellow family members, as well as myself. In the end, only Carlisle and Edward decide to stay. Emmett calls Rosalie, Bella, and Arthur, who are away for the weekend hunting, and advises them to extend their trip by about three days. He gets an earful from Rosalie, who is of course completely against Carlisle changing the girl possibly against her will. On her behalf, Emmett implores Carlisle to wait to change her until Rose can get here to plead the girl’s case. But Alice insists that there isn’t enough time to wait and that hesitation would mean the girl’s death. I grimace, already dreading the tension that will engulf the house for the next few months.

On the way out, I see Carlisle rolling a cot into his study. I wince, knowing the horrific pain the poor girl has ahead of her. And to make matters worse, there’s no reason I can give to justify it. The fact that she’s dying doesn’t matter; humans die every day. But the pain we’re about to put her through...the heartbreak that lies ahead of her...in a way, it just seems cruel. But Alice usually knows best, so we will trust her on this and do what we can to help.

And in my case, that’s staying as far away from her as possible, at least while she’s still bleeding. I mull over the idea of coming back about halfway through to help prepare for the ravenous newborn we’re about to have on our hands.

Edward appears by my side, nodding. “That’s a good idea. I’ll call you when the blood is gone.”

I nod, grateful to be able to put my shameful past to good use, and quickly follow most of my family out of the house.

Link to next part: https://bonjour-rainycity.tumblr.com/post/623036690414649344/the-long-way-around-chapter-2

Tag list: @puer-de-infinitate @charliestuff

#jasper hale #jasper cullen #jasper hale fanfiction #jasper x reader #jasper x y/n #jasper x yn #jasper twilight #jasper cullen x reader #jasper hale x reader #twilight fanfiction #reader insert #slow burn

167 notes · View notes

pixie88 · 3 years

Text

Last Night of Freedom

Chapter 12 - Together - Adam & Ellie.

A/N: This chapter I wrote at 2 AM this morning my little one had a bad night but I’m glad I wrote this. I hope it makes sense I hope I got all the mistake. I didn’t plan this chapter it just kinda happened. There are quite a few of my own stories in this chapter but I won’t give away what! I hope you laugh as much as I did! I hope you like it! 😘

I am only tagging those who have asked to be tagged in this series from now on as I don’t want to annoying people with tags. So Let me know if you would like to be tagged or untagged and if I missed anyone sorry just let me know!

Find previous chapters HERE under Together - Adam & Ellie.

Word count: 1676

WARNINGS: ⚠️ Fluffy fluff, Talk of male and female body parts & Mild NSFW

Pairings: Adam x Ellie.

Enjoy!

3 Months later.

I found my wedding dress, now I know what brides mean when they say once they find THE DRESS they know! You really do know! It's now 5 months before the wedding, and we decided to do the Hen and Stag do's now because Nina can't take anymore holiday off until the wedding.

We pull up to mum's club, Nina, Elaine, Amy and Kerry have already gone through 4 bottles of Prosecco in the limo ride over here, but we did get stuck in traffic thanks to road works.

"Ready for your last night of freedom El's?" Tom asks.

"Why do people say that? It's not like once you're married you're locked away forever, never to be seen again?"

"OK, I was just asking!" he pulls an awkward face.

I shove him "I know, I'm messing with ya! Looks like we are here finally"

We pile out of the limo and into mum's club "Ellie!! Ready for your big night?"

I roll my eye "Yeah, because I always wanted L plates on my chest and in my hair!"

"Don't forget the tutu and feather boa, El's" Tom laughs.

"Right, because how could I forget them, they are bright pink!" I laugh.

"I really don't get the whole L plate thing? She knows how to drive I thought?" Elaine looks confused.

"Well, she must do she's already taken Adam out for a test drive!" Amy winks.

"Oi, you! Stop it! I won't have my husband spoken about like that!" I giggle.

"Who wants cocktails?" Mum asks.

"Mum, Nina loves a blue lagoon. Don't you Nina?"

She gags but laughs.

"El's you choose!" Mum says.

"Nah, I can't drink too much I've only expressed enough for 3 days..."

"Argh, El's can we not talk about your tits please" Tom protests.

I laugh, "Mum, make these guys anything I'll just stick with soft drinks and a couple of Prosecco's"

~*~*~*~

Yup that didn't go to plan.....I'm currently struggling to get a jelly shot out of plastic shot glass and I have Nina shouting "SUCK IT" at me...that's not something you hear your mother in-law shout at you everyday.

I finally got it out "I did it!" I shout!

"El's, here!" Tom passes me something green in a shot glass.

"Tom, I can't..."

"Oh, come on El's 1 more! It's only Apple Sourz. We all have one!" Tom pleads.

"Actually, I think I'm with Ellie on this one" Elaine says. So, Tom reaches to take the shot glass off her, but she turns away, so he can't as she takes tiny sips.

I laugh, "Fine! But no more after this!"

He winks "Pinky promise," he hands one to Nina who has just come back from the toilets.

"Ewww, who got Hulk to piss in a cup!" Nina looks at the shot glass in horror!

We knock back the Sourz "Oh, that was actually quite nice! Can I get a pint of that?" Nina asks.

A little while later I'm at the bar with Elaine, "How do you feel about having the same penis forever?"

I choke on my water "Excuse me? Elaine you did not just say that!"

"I..."

I feel a tap on my shoulder I turn expecting to see one of the other Hen's but I'm greeted by a man with jet black hair and a toothy smile "Last night of freedom ay? Your husband to be is a lucky man. Can I buy you a drink?" he winks as he looks me up and down.

I roll my eyes! There's that saying AGAIN! "Actually, no I'm already married and no I wouldn't like a drink thank you and also you aren't my Adam, so I will not be wasting my last night of freedom with anyone other than my Adam thank you" I usher Elaine away and we join Nina and Mum

"The nerve of that guy" Elaine hisses "Anyway Ellie...hiccup you didn't answer my question!"

"Huh?" I ask her.

"How do you feel about having the same penis forever?" she asks.

"MUM!!!" a tipsy Nina laughs "She clearly enjoys my Adam's pen...."

"OK!! Can we stop talking about my husbands genitals, please?!" I shout.

"Genitals? Who's talking about genitals and why wasn't I invited to this conversation?" Tom asks as he joins us.

"No one was!" I hiss.

"Well, actually we were talking about Adam's..." Nina laughs.

"Argh, OK maybe I don't want to be a part of this conversation" Tom says.

"Well, El's you were the one that brought up the word genitals.." Mum chimes.

"Yes, because I didn't want to say the word..."

"Penis?!" Elaine cuts me off.

Tom Howls.

"Yes!" I shook my head.

"So, Ellie...." Elaine says.

I give in and answer her question "Yes, Ellie I would like to have Adam's same penis forever!"

"Well, it's clear you enjoy it! Mel and I have seen and heard proof of it" Nina laughs.

"She sits on it enough" Tom jokes.

"Yeah, and you aren't the only ones that have heard and seen it!" Elaine chips in.

I look at her in shock "What? When?"

She blushes as she takes a sip of her drink "It was just after you moved in together...you hadn't got the curtains for the living room yet. I was upstairs in my bedroom about to close my curtains..well, obviously you guys are opposite and you did have that hedge but I could see into your living room from there. Adam was in his boxers dancing on your lap I turned away as soon as I realized what he was doing. I phoned him to tell him that you two could be seen. He answered, but I think he did it by mistakes as all I heard was moaning. I think you may have given the whole street a show"

Oh god that was the night he gave me a strip tease,and we burst one of the blow up sofas.

"Oh, El's you exhibitionist!" Tom chuckles.

"I'm not! I didn't know!" I hiss at him.

"Nothing wrong with being an exhibitionist. The times me and your dad got caught in Bella!" she laughs.

"Wait...Bella? My car Bella?" I ask, hoping she means a different Bella.

She laughs, "El's, she was your dad's car first! We did clean the seats, bonnet and the boot. Like you haven't done it in that car!"

I gag at the thought of my parents having sex in my car "No! Actually, I haven't"

"But you and Adam christened your new car!" Tom winks.

"TOM!" I shoot at him.

"What? You never said I had to keep it a secret!" he laughs.

"I remember Al and I getting caught once. It was on his Nan's sofa, they came back from their holiday early. We were living with them at the time I think I fell pregnant with Adam on that sofa...Not that time, another" Nina tells us.

I look to Tom for help "El's lets go and see Amy and Kerry," he pulls me with him.

"Thank you!" I kiss his cheek.

"That's what big brothers are for," he smiles.

~*~*~*

It's nearly 2:30 AM when I sneak in, I get to the top of the stairs and our bedroom light is on. I quietly open the door just incase Adam has Charlie in there.

When I get through the door, it's just Adam with the TV on, he smiles when he spots me "There's my beautiful already wife! Did you have a good night?"

"What are you still doing up?" I ask.

"I can't sleep without you," he winks.

I flop on to the bed "Aww, you fluff ball. Has Charlie been OK?" I ask.

"As good as gold! He went down in his cot at 7 PM and woke for a feed at 11 PM" he smirks.

"I have a confession to make" I give him my best pout.

He smirks " What have you done?"

I bite my lip "I kinda had more to drink than I planned too"

He chuckles "Is that it?"

"I wasn't supposed to have that much, but then there were shots and jelly shots and your mum was shouting at me to suck it..."

He looks confused "Wait? What?" he's laughing.

"I couldn't get the jelly shot out the plastic shot glass so she started shouting suck it at me" I laugh.

"God! What else happened?" he asks.

"Nan kept asking how I felt about having the same penis forever, then I found out my parents christened every part of Bella and did you know you were conceived on your dad's parents' sofa? Wait, that's not the best part Nan saw your strip tease and heard the after show. Also, some guy tried to buy me a drink but I told him I only wanted my Adam"

He looks half shocked and half amused "First question first what was your answer?"

"To the penis question? Yes, I am very happy to only have yours" I blush.

"Second question, how did parent sex even come up?" he asks.

"This was after Nan had explained she saw us from her bedroom window after we moved, then you pressed accept instead of decline when she phoned you and she heard us"

"Last question, your Adam?" he smirks as he pulls me on top of him, so I'm straddling him.

"Yes, my Adam" I wink "I bet on your stag do, you'll have all the girls falling at your feet"

He chuckles "They can fall all they want there is only one woman that gets my heart racing and my dick pulsing! She is the mother to my child, my beautiful wife and my sassenach!" he smirks.

Pulling me tightly to him, claiming my lips before rolling us, so he's on top "Adam, Charlie will wake up soon!" I giggle as he trails kisses from my lips to my chest.

"We better be quick then," he whispers against my inner thigh.

"Fuck!"

@lem-20 @aussieez @shewillreadyou @khoicesbyk @txemrn @irisofpurple

He pulls down my skirt with my underwear and continue his trail up to my core...

Continue reading this story here - Chapter 13.

#adam x mc

17 notes · View notes

suituuup · 3 years

Photo

pieces - chapter twelve

Five years ago, Chloe dropped off the face of the Earth. Beca didn’t expect to see her again dancing in a strip club, out of all places.

rated: E (drug use and emotional abuse in early chapters)

ao3 link

Chloe was surprised to hear music drifting through the apartment when she got home from her late-afternoon NA meeting that Thursday evening.

It had been four days since they had come back from Oregon, and Beca had spent most of her time at the label, often coming home after Chloe was down for the night and leaving before she was up. She always left a note and texted Chloe throughout the day to check on her, but Chloe could tell something was off.

She rounded the corner to find Beca cooking at the stove, and smiled. “Hi.”

“Hey you,” Beca greeted with a matching smile. “You hungry? Making a stir-fry.”

“Starving. This baby is making me eat for three,” Chloe mumbled as she walked past Beca to pluck a bottle of sparkling water from the fridge. She uncapped it and took a sip, leaning against the counter. “Are you alright? I couldn’t help but notice you’ve seemed off since we got back.”

Beca nodded. “Yeah, I’m fine. I uh,” she cleared her throat as she reached for two plates in the cupboard over her head. “I broke up with Sarah the other night.”

Chloe’s eyes popped wider in shock. “Oh.”

Beca set both plates on the island, then opened the cutlery drawer. “Yeah… and I kinda threw myself into work, because that’s what I do to cope with my emotions.” She grimaced again, meeting Chloe’s eyes. “I’m sorry I haven’t been around much.”

Chloe shook her head. “No, no, it’s okay. I’m sorry, Bec.” She wondered what the reason for the break-up was, but she doubted Beca wanted to get into that. “Are you sure you’re okay?”

“Thanks. Yeah. It’s, um, life, right?” She shrugged a little as she turned off the stove. “We just weren’t looking for the same thing.”

Chloe nodded slowly, then pushed off the counter. “Okay. I’m here if you wanna talk, alright?” She hitched her thumb over her shoulder. “I’m just going to freshen up, I’ll be back in a couple of minutes.”

Beca had scooped food into each plate and poured water into two glasses when she got back clad in comfier clothes, and Chloe perched herself on the stool across from Beca.

“Thanks for making dinner,” she murmured as she dug in.

“No problem. Did your NA meeting go okay?” Beca asked as she stabbed a couple of vegetables with her fork.

Chloe chewed and swallowed, then took a sip of her water. “Yeah, it went fine. My sponsor is amazing. We’re meeting for coffee tomorrow morning. Well, tea for me.” Decaf just wasn’t the same.

“Cool.” Beca smiled. “I was thinking we could get a start on the nursery soon? Have you thought of a color for the walls?”

“You wanna paint the walls?” Chloe asked in surprise. “We don’t have to do that, you know. I don’t want you to be stuck with a nursery-looking room once Bean and I move out.”

Beca shrugged. “I have another guest room, and I kinda want Bean to have their own room whenever you guys come to visit.”

Chloe’s heart swelled against her ribs. She wasn’t sure what she had done to deserve someone like Beca back in her life, but she wasn’t going to screw it up this time around. And she had thought about what she wanted Bean’s nursery to look like, but didn’t allow herself to daydream about it until now. “I like those beige walls the way they are, but I was thinking of a woodland theme? Something gender-neutral, for sure. A few animal frames, maybe an animal mobile above the crib?”

“That sounds nice,” Beca said, smiling. “Are you going to find out the sex at your next appointment?”

“I think so, yeah.”

“That’s the 26th at 3, right?” Beca asked, surprising Chloe once more. Upon catching her look, Beca added, “I wrote it down in my planner.”

It was one thing to have written down, another to remember it off the bat like that, but Chloe didn’t even know why she was surprised. Beca had been nothing short of amazing since Chloe decided to keep the baby, between keeping track of the baby’s growth on her app or making sure to pick up ginger ale every time she went grocery shopping.

“Oh. Yeah, the 26th at 3.”

As Chloe further settled into her second trimester, her constant exhaustion gradually faded away. She felt more energized from the start of her fifteenth week, which felt like a breath of fresh air. As her OBGYN saw nothing against it, she started each day with a morning fitness walk followed by a yoga session, then settled down to have some breakfast as she read her book. After lunch, she either had a therapy session or an NA meeting, except for Wednesdays and over the weekend.

The cravings were still there, sitting somewhere at the back of her mind, but she continued pushing through, for the baby’s sake first and foremost, but also because she didn’t want to disappoint her support system and risk losing them forever if she did fall back into old habits. The taunting was strong, every time she walked in front of the liquor store or a familiar street corner where she would get the good stuff, but she resisted, and never hesitated to call Aubrey or her parents when her resolve wobbled a bit too much for her liking.

“Shit,” Chloe muttered as she tried buttoning her pants up, her more than noticeable belly getting in the way. She had just reached 17 weeks, and her bump seemed to have popped a little more overnight. So had her boobs. She could also start to feel some movement going on in there, which was absolutely mind-blowing.

Not ready to accept defeat yet, Chloe grunted at the effort of bringing these two stupid pieces of fabric closer together, exhaling with a sigh when they didn’t budge.

“Chlo?” Beca called out, a knock on Chloe’s bedroom door following. “We should get going.”

“I know, I just-- can’t get my pants to button,” Chloe muttered with a huff.

A pause. “Can I come in?”

“Yeah.”

The door was pushed open, and Beca appeared, leaning against the frame.

She Beca looked amused, causing Chloe to glare at her. “Maybe wear a dress?”

Chloe’s nose wrinkled. “I only have stripper dresses.” That she should definitely donate, or get rid of.

Beca hummed. “Mesh shorts?”

“I guess, yeah.”

“We can go buy some stuff after your appointment if you want?” Beca suggested as Chloe wrestled out of her jeans and slid on a pair of shorts Beca lent her.

“Yeah, definitely.” She needed bras, too. “Okay, I’m ready.”

As her last ultrasound at 13 weeks, Chloe didn’t have to change when they got there, and she laid down on the cot as they waited for the tech to come in. Beca stood by her side, scrolling through her phone.

“So the Bellas’ results are in: 6 say boy, 4 say girl. I said girl.”

Chloe had broken the news to the girls when they came back from Oregon and had once again received nothing but support. Bets started coming in over the gender, the due date, and whether Bean was going to come out with ginger hair.

Chloe chuckled as she rubbed her bump with her palm. “You only said girl because I told you I felt like it was a girl.”

Beca smirked. “They don’t have to know that.” Her expression softened as she pocketed her phone. “You excited to find out?”

“Yeah,” Chloe breathed out. She was more anxious to hear about how Bean was doing and braced herself for bad news.

“Hi there,” the tech greeted as she came in. “How are you doing, Chloe?”

“Good. Hungry all the time.”

The other woman laughed as she rolled the ultrasound machine closer. “Let’s take a look at that baby. Can you lift your top up for me and lower your shorts a little bit?”

Chloe did so, reaching for Beca’s hand as the tech squirted some of that cold gel onto her tummy.

“Alright, let’s see…” the woman drawled out as she moved the wand until she got the perspective she wanted. “Here we go.”

“Oh, they got so big,” Chloe murmured in awe.

“They’re moving around quite a bit,” the tech observed with a smile, pointing at the baby’s kicking legs.

Beca gasped and tore her eyes away from the screen to glance at Chloe. “Can you feel that?”

“Yeah,” Chloe confirmed, blinking back the tears pricking behind her eyes. “Feels like butterflies taking off in my belly.”

“Strong heartbeat,” the tech continued. “Baby’s in the perfect position to tell their gender if you want to know?”

“Yes, please,” Chloe said with a nod.

“Looks like you’re having a baby girl, Chloe.”

“A girl?” Chloe croaked out, a lump rising to her throat. The gender didn’t matter to her but knowing made it feel a thousand percent more real. She felt a squeeze to her hand and found Beca smiling down at her. “We’re in trouble. I was a handful as a kid.”

Beca chuckled. “If she has your eyes, I definitely am in trouble. Won’t be able to say no to anything she asks for, I’m warning you now.”

The way they talked, it almost sounded like they were going to raise Bean together, and Chloe’s heart did another funny thing. Over the last couple of weeks, she had been experiencing weird feelings for Beca that went beyond the friendship line, but she was convinced it was just her hormones acting up like they did with her libido. Chloe felt aroused pretty much all the time, it was getting ridiculous. She also cried in front of a Budweiser commercial because the puppies were cute, so her body and emotions were definitely out of whack.

The doctor came in shortly after, easing Chloe’s worries when she assured her the baby looked healthy, with normal measurements all around. They scheduled another ultrasound four weeks from now, and she and Beca were on their way with three copies of the ultrasound, one for Chloe, one to put on the fridge, and one Beca requested to store in her wallet.

Beca drove them to Target next, and instead of heading to the maternity clothing section, Chloe went straight for the baby stuff, pulling a chuckle from Beca as she pushed the cart alongside.

“Okay, I wanna buy everything,” Chloe mused aloud as she put a onesie back on the rack, even though she found it adorable.

“I know you’re still uncomfortable with it, but please don’t restrain yourself because it’s my money,” Beca said, as though reading Chloe’s thoughts. “I haven’t really had anyone to spend it on, so it’s my pleasure to get Bean whatever they need. Crib, car seat, changing table, stroller, clothes… you name it.” She smirked, nodding towards the rack. “So get that rainbow onesie, because it’s the cutest fucking thing I’ve ever seen.”

Chloe giggled and nodded, her eyes shining with unspoken gratitude before she reached for the onesie. It was scary to think of how small her baby girl was going to be as a newborn, and Chloe was so glad she wasn’t doing this on her own.

She selected five more, all animal-themed ones, then moved onto shirts and pants, showing Beca what she thought was cute to get her avail. She kept in mind that the Bellas and her parents were probably going to go overboard with gifts and paced herself on the quantity of stuff she dropped into the cart.

“I feel like we should get the crib, stroller, and car seat from like, a special store?” Beca chimed in as they strolled through the blankets/swaddles section. She scrunched up her nose. “I don’t think I trust Target brands when it comes to sturdiness. I actually strumbled across a car seat that looks amazing, it goes from that to a stroller in just a few folds and clicks.”

Chloe cast her an amused look. “How did you stumble across that, exactly?”

Beca’s cheeks reddened. “By looking up the best strollers on the market.” She cleared her throat when Chloe giggled. “I just have a lot of time to kill on the subway.” Another grimace. “Is that too invasive?”

Chloe shook her head, reaching out to rest her hand on Beca’s forearm. The contact of her skin under her fingertips made Chloe swallow as her body immediately reacted. Freaking hormones. “Not at all. I promise.”

Chloe managed to walk away from the baby part of the store before she bought the whole thing, and headed to the maternity wear, buying a couple of jeans with an elastic waistband, a belly band, a few bras, and a pregnancy pillow.

“Your total is $843,50,” the cashier announced once he had rung everything up, and Chloe swallowed thickly, glancing at Beca with slightly wider eyes.

“It’s fine, Chlo,” Beca insisted as she swiped her credit card through the device. She thanked the cashier and grabbed most of the bags, letting Chloe carry the two lighter ones. Everything easily fit into Beca’s large trunk, and Chloe slid in the passenger seat, buckling up. “Any particular craving for dinner? We can stop for take-out on the way home,” Beca said as she slid her sunglasses over her nose before pulling out of their parking spot.

“I could go for a burger and fries. And a milkshake.”

Beca grinned. “Cool, I’ll stop at Shake Shack.”

Once they got home, they hauled everything upstairs and stored it in the nursery for now, and Chloe changed into sweatpants and Beca’s Bellas hoodie which she had never given back, picking an episode of The Office for them to watch.

“Oh, I forgot,” Beca said after they were done eating, pushing to her feet. “Stay put.”

Chloe did as she was told, giving Beca a curious look when she walked back to the couch with a package. Setting her milkshake on the coffee table, Chloe plucked it from her hands. “What’s this?”

“A little something for Bean,” Beca murmured as she sat back down beside her, folding one leg underneath and hugging the other to her chest. “I ordered it when we got back from Oregon and forgot to give it to you.”

Chloe ripped the tape over the opening and peered inside, fishing the box out. “Belly headphones?” She asked even though that’s what it said on it, her voice wavering slightly as emotions once again rose to her throat. She could blame that on the hormones too, right?

Beca nodded. “I read that babies can hear from 18 weeks on, and I thought it would be cool if Bean listened to music before she’s born. And you know nobody takes picking out a pair of headphones as seriously as I do, so I thought I was the right guy for the job.”

A watery chuckle burst past Chloe’s lips. “This is amazing. Thank you.” She leaned forward to hug Beca, holding her tight. Her scent did another number on Chloe, and she inhaled sharply, willing her body to chill out as she backed away. “For this, and for today…” She couldn’t remember the last time she had smiled so much. “I really don’t know what to say besides thank you.”

“You’re welcome, Chlo,” Beca said, a soft smile curving her lips. “I’m just happy you’re finding your way back step by step.”

Chloe nodded, exhaling. The light at the end of the tunnel was just in sight, and while it was another long way to reach it, she felt like she could, and that on its own felt like a victory.

#bechloe #bechloe fic #pieces

80 notes · View notes