#characters by lumosinlove
Text
O'Knutzy Week! Prompt: gardening, smile
I'll be posting parts of the same story each day this week! It's a cubs au where Finn's spending the summer at his parent's house in the Hamptons and Leo is their private chef. Established LeLo. Characters by @lumosinlove, for @oknutzyweek2023
Part 1
Part 2
and now, Part 3
Finn looked up from his laptop, he had been sitting under the big umbrella at the side of the yard going over his latest edits. He noticed the sun had well crested through the sky since he last looked up. But it felt good to finish up those edits and send them back to the author. He took a breath and leaned back in his chair, stretching his back and arms overhead, looking around at the house in the distance and the green of the property all around him.
His eye caught movement straight across the lawn from him, a sunshine yellow hat at the raised garden beds. The soft yellow, wide brimmed hat sat on top Leo’s head, giving him the illusion of even more inches of height. He was wearing overalls, it looked like cotton ones. And thank god for that, a person was liable to melt in denim today. He had a big basket beside him, filling up with produce from the garden. But also a spade? Was he digging something? Finn watched as Leo stood up and used the spade to turn the earth in the garden bed, his arms flexing strongly even from this distance. He bent over to reach for something and Finn jumped up. He couldn’t admire Leo from over here like some sort of creep. Just go talk to him. And get out of the line of sight that makes staring far too easy.
He had found himself doing that, staring. Just gazing at Leo as he moved around the kitchen with such a graceful confidence that it could almost be a dance. Across the dinner table, Leo’s hand around a cup, damp with condensation, how he closed his eyes to fully enjoy the perfect bite of food. And, okaaay, that was enough of that train of thought, he reprimanded himself. He crossed the lawn in easy strides, hands in his pockets.
“Hey, Leo. Whatcha doin?”
Leo looked up from patting down the dirt with his gloved hands. He ran the back of one of his wrists over his cheek, smudging a bit of dirt there. Why did Finn want to reach out and brush it away? He clenched his hands tighter in his pockets.
“Oh hey, Finn. Just getting some stuff for dinner, doing some planting. How’s your work going?”
“Oh, great! Thanks! Ya, I've done what I need to for today.”
“That’s good to hear. You were sitting out here a long time.”
Finn laughed self consciously. He knew he tended to lose track of time.
“Yeah, it was an interesting project and I wanted to get the edits to them for Monday, you know? So I just kept going.”
“Well I’m sure glad you’re done. I was going to bring you a drink, but now you can come in and get one.”
Finn stared as Leo turned back to the garden, seemingly digging shallow rows in nice straight lines. Leo had noticed him? Was thinking about if he was drinking enough? How could he be so sweet? He coughed slightly.
“Whatcha planting there? Isn’t it kind of late in the season for planting?”
Leo kept working as he answered, shaking tiny seeds from a packet and placing them carefully. “For a lot of things it is, but there’s some things that you want to have consecutive crops of, every few weeks. So I’m doing a few more rows of beets and other greens, like arugula, spinach. This is probably the last row of carrots for the season too.”
Finn had never thought about gardening for two minutes straight in his life before, but there was a first time for everything.
“Beets and other greens?” Finn questioned, “how are beets green?”
Leo laughed, covering up the latest tiny seeds with a layer of dirt and patting them lovingly.
“You’re right, I said that in a confusing way. I just meant how you can eat beet greens - the leaves of beets - just like they’re lettuce. There were some in the mixed salad last night.”
“Those were beet greens in the salad last night? Who knew!” Finn reached out a hand to pluck a long, leafy stem from the neat row of beets in front of him. He could see the round curve of the beet starting to appear up through the dirt. Leo looked up from his planting, almost in time, “No! Not that –”
But, Finn had already brushed the leaf off and popped it in his mouth, chewing slowly. His relaxed face rapidly morphed into horror.
“–one,” Leo finished lamely. A smile quirked at the corner of his mouth and he scrunched his eyes shut, whether in laughter or distress … Finn couldn’t tell, given the rather large distraction of one of the worst tasting things he had ever put in his mouth and that was saying something ohmygod.
Finn coughed, spluttered, and looked around frantically, searching for salvation. He dashed to the tree line and spat out the bite as fully as he could.
“Leo, what in the fuck…” Finn said as he walked back, wiping his mouth, eyes wide.
Leo couldn’t help the burst of laughter that escaped his chest at the horrified look on Finn’s face. “It’s only the little ones we eat, Finn. Oh my God, your face.”
“That was so gross!”
“Yes, I imagine it was,” Leo chuckled, reaching for a plant at least a quarter of the size of the one Finn had chosen. “Try this one, maybe it will get rid of the taste.”
Finn reached out his hand, taking the small leaf. He paused, “Promise?”
Leo’s blue eyes locked onto Finn’s soft brown ones and the moment stretched.
“Promise.”
Finn popped the leaf into his mouth, a little relief softening his features.
“How the fuck can the same plant have two so different tastes?”
“Well I don’t know the chemistry of it, but yes, you only eat very new beet greens. Like I said, that’s why I’m planting more. The big ones are left to grow to eat the actual beet, but it’s nice to have another crop of fresh greens too.”
Finn nodded sagely, he wouldn’t forget that lesson any time soon. Rather effective learning technique.
“Do I even like beets?” Finn asked, and cringed, as if Leo would know.
“Well I know a lot of folks don’t, but I’ll try to make something good for you. I like them roasted and served cold with balsamic vinegar and feta cheese. Maybe we’ll do that as a side dish tomorrow. They make such a goddamn mess though, you won’t believe it.”
Finn laughed, “You must hate that.”
Leo looked up at him, and rose from his planting, clapping his hands together to brush off the dirt. “Yeah, I do. You caught onto that, did you? I’ll peel them outside with about a roll of paper towel handy.”
Finn shrugged, “I’ll help you. I don’t mind a mess.”
Leo paused in his gathering of gardening tools and looked at Finn, saw him full to the brim of sincerity.
“You don’t have to, Finn. You’re so sweet to offer, but it is my job. You’re supposed to be able to work, and relax … and not worry about cooking on the weekend.”
Finn cocked his head to the side, not loving the reminder of their power imbalance. He needed to fix that. Somehow. “I appreciate the amazing food you make so much, Leo. It’s more than a job, or like … a service. It’s been a gift. I’ll help you. If you want.”
Leo smiled his sunshine smile and the bitter taste still coating his mouth was worth that smile, that laugh. Being in Leo’s orbit only brought him joy. Finn helped gather up the last of the gardening tools and they walked back to the house across the soft grass.
Leo turned to FInn, “You need a good glass of water to get rid of that taste, and then a strong tasting drink. Maybe sweet tea to cut the bitter? Or maybe cover it up with a strong taste, like a mojito?”
“Afternoon mojitos?!” Finn practically bounced when he was excited, and was even bouncier to see that it made Leo smile.
“Mojitos it is.”
Finn tried to tamp down the silly grin he knew was all over his face, but he couldn’t stop the feeling of bubbles in his chest at the idea of spending the rest of the late afternoon with Leo. And, honestly, he was also quite looking forwards to getting this goddamn horrible taste out of his mouth. Beet greens, indeed. The things he’s do to see that sunshine smile.
#characters by lumosinlove#o’knutzy#oknutzy week 2023#LionFish bonding#prompt:gardening#prompt: smile#cw food#cw drink#definitely not based off personal experience nope couldn’t be me
50 notes
·
View notes
Text
Christmas Eve Will Find Me
(cw in tags if you wish)
Five: Sirius
Athens, Greece
Sirius wasn’t reckless. He thought before he did—probably too much sometimes. He kept himself in line. Maybe it was a product of a strict upbringing. A smack on the cheek or hand at one wrong move. He used to think it was what made him so good for the agency. Salazar liked strict. They liked obedient. James, therefore, hadn’t quite made sense to Sirius as a candidate, at least not in the beginning. Not until he showed Sirius that it wasn’t just about following orders. It was about heart, too. Camaraderie. Remus had shown him that, too. Still, Sirius couldn’t always shake that rule-following kid.
But if Remus was on the rooftops getting shot at by Jack Archer, who had just been holding a gun to Logan and Finn’s heads, all bets were off.
Jack was smart though. He took Sirius right through the now bustling Christmas market. Small children strapped the the chests of fathers. Women in groups laughing and catching up over coffee. Carolers by a central fountain. Sirius caught glimpses of alarmed eyes as he ran, always keeping the back of Jack’s head just in sight. He tried not to add to the mess on the street, narrowly avoiding the cart Jack had carelessly rolled into his path. He sprinted past the pissed vendor. He knew he should hide his gun. Lights blurred beside him and the sun came out from behind a cloud, then went again. His feet pounded the pavement. The streets narrowed. Jack stumbled on the stones in front of a cafe, sending cups shattering to the cobblestones and making a shop owner run out and shout at him. For a second, Sirius thought he was going to catch up. He swiped forward at the fabric of Jack’s shirt, but Jack rolled and then was up on his feet again. Sirius lunged. He didn’t care who was watching. He didn’t care if they saw his gun. His arms wrapped around Jack’s waist and they both hit the cobblestones hard, rolling into another table. Sirius felt something hot splash against his neck, something sharp dig into the skin of his wrist.
Jack was up again in a moment, using a hard kick to Sirius’ ribs to knock the wind out of him. Sirius gasped, coughing as he scrambled up from the ground and away from the alarmed onlookers. He yanked the shard of ceramic out of his arm. Jack slipped around a bend in the street—but this was one Sirius recognized. He’d chased Remus—or the ghost of Remus—right into this corner.
When he held his gun up on Jack, Jack’s hands were around the bars of the very gate Sirius had run into their first day here.
“Dead end, Archer,” Sirius said. “Now tell me why you’re here.”
Jack at least knew when he’d been caught. His shoulders moved quickly, breathing hard as he rested his forehead against the gate.
“Did you know?” Sirius could hardly say the words. “Did you know they were alive?”
“Sirius—”
“Get the fuck down,” Sirius said, striding closer until they were both hidden in the alleyway. He risked a glance behind him. “On your knees.”
Jack went, knocking the damp hair out of his face with a jerk of his head. Sirius could see both of their breath fogging between them. “We didn’t know. Not until Leo found Remus.”
“And you want them dead.”
Jack’s mouth formed a thin line.
Sirius didn’t have time for this. His mind kept skipping back, trying to figure out who had been shooting from the roof. RemusRemusRemus.
“Why?” Sirius asked. “Why do you want them dead? They’re our own, what changed? And I swear to God, answer me, or I’ll bring you to James.”
James was sweet. James was funny. James was relaxed and kind and easy-going.
James could also get information out of anyone. He was their top interrogator, had been since the academy. How do you do it? Sirius had once asked. Sirius had never liked seeing terrified faces up close. James had gotten a sad, faraway look on his face. I pretend they have Lily. And Harry. And then I don’t feel so guilty. I just want them to talk. I make them talk.
Jack seemed to have heard the rumors because he paled. “Listen. This is Salazar. You’re here to find them and bring them in. That’s all I’m here for, too.”
Sirius thought briefly of telling Jack about Logan’s memory, but Remus’ careful hazel eyes filled his mind. Unsure. Untrusting.
“Why pull the gun?”
Jack’s eyebrow arched. “Tremblay was holding a gun on his own husband. Who, by the way…” Jack made a scornful sound. “Should not be here.”
It was Sirius’ turn to stay silent. It was a sensible response, but that didn’t mean Sirius believed him.
“What,” Jack laughed a little. “You think we wouldn’t know?”
“I couldn’t stop him.”
“Liar.”
“That makes two of us, then,” Sirius said. “Why are you here?”
“Is he turned?” Jack asked in a hushed voice, eyes dark. “Is Lupin?”
“Turned where? By who?”
Jack shook his head slowly. “Liar.”
“I’m not.” Sirius swallowed over a dry throat. At least, not entirely. Pascal. Pascal, whoever he was.
“You don’t want to get on our bad side, Black,” Jack said. His hand twitched, maybe towards a knife, and Sirius stretched his gun forward. Jack’s smile was tight. “I think Tremblay’s enough proof of that.”
Sirius stared at him. “What the hell does that mean?”
Jack opened his mouth to answer, but stopped as though his words had frozen in his mouth. He snapped his lips shut, then a strained cough escaped. A twitch went through his body, almost like a pulse of electricity, and he sat back against his heels. Sirius hesitated, watching Jack blink fast at the cobblestones before raising his eyes to Sirius.
“Who the hell are you?” Jack asked, eyes darting between the two guns. He scrambled backwards, the gate rattling when it hit his back. “What the hell?”
Sirius froze. He clicked the safety off on his own gun. “Don’t bullshit me, Archer.”
Jack blinked at him, eyes unfocused. “I…”
Another twitch, a strange pulse through his body. Jack gasped. A thin trickle of blood ran from his nose. He swayed where he was, and his hands went to his head. “Ah—” Sirius watched his face screw up in pain. Jack stared up at him. “What’s wrong with me?”
“Jack—” Sirius began to say, but then Jack fell against the pavement, as suddenly as if someone had pushed him, with a harsh thud.
Sirius felt something cold squeeze around his throat. Dread, maybe. Adrenaline. Slowly, he lowered the guns, tucking one into his belt and swinging the other behind him, doing a quick scan of what little of the street he could see. He raised it up towards the roofs, then crouched in front of Jack.
His eyes were open, lips parted, blood quickly drying on his skin. He was dead.
“Jesus,” Sirius whispered. “Jesus, fuck—” His hand went for his radio, and then he paused. It was Salazar’s radio.
If anyone had told Sirius just a week ago that that would make him pause, he would have laughed.
Sirius checked Jack’s pulse—nothing—and then cursed as he heaved his body up against the wall as best he could. There was no point in trying to move him, not with the city waking up. Someone would have to find him like this. Sirius turned Jack’s collar up, closed his eyes, and took the wires off of him. He took his knives—all the ones he could feel anyway—and the second, small gun he found tucked into his boot.
He walked in the opposite direction of the cafes, towards the still mostly sleeping residential streets. There had been no blood, not that much anyway, but Sirius checked his hands and front before calling out to a man sweeping the steps in front of his house with a cigarette between his teeth.
The man didn’t put up much of a fight, just handed Sirius his cellphone before waving him off and going back to the chore.
The line picked up immediately.
“Lion den,” Sirius said into the tone. It was their secure line. If Salazar knew about it, they’d be dead, but Finn’s tracker wasn’t the first illegal backup Leo had set up. James hadn’t seen the point, hadn’t seen what they’d ever have to hide any comms, but Leo had insisted. Now, Sirius was glad. After Archer and Remus and Logan, he didn’t know who to trust. A headache was building at the back of his skull.
“We’re not at the house,” Leo said instead of hello. “After Archer, I didn’t think we should go back there.”
“He’s dead,” Sirius said.
He heard Leo’s sharp inhale. “Sirius—”
“It wasn’t me,” Sirius said. “We were running, I got him. And then he didn’t recognize me all of a sudden. A minute later, he was dead.”
Sirius’ heart was going so hard he had to press a hand there. The sweeping man didn’t even look up. The gray light hurt his eyes.
“Where are you?” Sirius asked. “Leo. Are you all together?”
“He’s dead?” Leo asked. “But—how? And what do you mean he didn’t recognize you?”
“I don’t know, I thought he was fucking with me, because maybe he knew Logan—but how would he know Logan couldn’t remember? I…” Sirius pressed at his eyes. It was as though someone was shining a spotlight right in his eyes. It ached. “I don’t know, Le. Where are you? Where are you?”
“Sirius,” Leo said. “I can’t find—I can’t find you.”
“What?”
“I can’t find you—Jesus, here, I’m dropping this number our coordinates—but Sirius, your tracker’s offline.”
Sirius felt the phone vibrate with the incoming text. He looked, memorizing quickly. It would disappear entirely in a minute, erasing itself.
“He didn’t recognize you?” Leo asked. “He didn’t…”
“Leo,” Sirius said, and then dropped to a knee. God, his very bones ached. His skull.
“Oh God,” Leo said faintly, and then, a little farther away from the phone, he shouted. “James!”
Sirius ducked away from the gray light. The cold wind. His head was killing him. “Fuck.”
“Eh!” The man stopped sweeping, looking at him. He said something fast in Greek, but Sirius was hopeless to translate just then.
“Sirius,” Leo said, voice closer now. “You’re tracker. Cut it out right now.”
“What?” Sirius asked.
“Cut out your tracker right now,” Leo shouted. “You said Jack forgot and then he was dead, there’s nothing that would cause that except—” Leo cut off with a short cry.
“Leo?” Sirius said.
He heard Finn’s voice in the background. Leo! Oh my God—
Then Leo’s. Cut it out, Finn. Right there, remember, feel it? Finn, stop fucking staring, do it, do it, it’s going to kill me and James—
“Finish?” the man asked him, alarmed. He was holding out his hand for his phone, but didn’t look like he wanted to get much closer to Sirius. “Hey, finish? Finish?”
“Help,” Sirius said. “Please—” He pulled the Greek out but he didn’t know how. Autopilot, maybe. “Sir, please may I use your bathroom? It’s life or death.”
The man began to shake his head, but Sirius didn’t have time—he shouldn’t have even asked. The man shouted as Sirius hauled himself up and stumbled past him. He shouldered through the small, wooden door and found himself in a living room—tidy and smelling of cinnamon and coffee. It connected right with the kitchen, not unlike their safe house. The dim lamp by the sofa stung his eyes, glaring as if it were a sun. Sirius blinked hard, looking for something sharp, anything.
“Hey!” The man tried to grab his shoulder, but Sirius shook him off easily. There was a knife, small, laying beside a sliced lemon. Sirius grabbed it and all but fell against the sink. A small vase on the window sill above slipped and shattered into the basin.
The man’s protests was no more than a ringing in Sirius’ ear as he groped at the back of his own neck. What the hell are you doing? Are you insane? Are you sick? Hey, my wife and children will be back soon, come on, brother, don’t scare them. Put the knife down, put the knife down—
There. Sirius felt the bump. Was he imagining that it was hot to the touch? It didn’t matter.
He didn’t even feel the pain of the blade. His adrenaline was so high that it felt like nothing at all. Butter. A slip. Only the red on his hands let him know that he had succeeded. That, and the small, pill-like chip clutched between his fingers.
The pain evaporated and Sirius drew in a ragged breath.
No sooner had he dropped the tracker into the sink than did it let out a high-pitched sound and crack itself in half.
His hearing returned. He blinked his vision back to normal. He worked the pressure out of his jaw. The tracker released a thin trail of smoke.
Sirius, he tested. Sirius Black. He knew himself. He knew the coordinates.
When he turned, breathing hard and sweating, he grabbed an old, dirty looking cloth and pressed it to his neck. It didn’t look like anyone would miss it. The man was simply staring at him, eyes darting between his face and the device in the sink.
“Thank you.” Sirius breathed the words out. Greek, or at least half way there. “I am sorry. I am sorry.”
Without another word, Sirius raced out the door.
+++
The coordinates were an abandoned building right on the coast. Sirius could smell the salt. The cold air was made colder by damp. He had stopped the bleeding of his neck and turned up his collar to keep the rag in place. Everything felt wet and slippery now. Recent rain on the rocks beneath his feet as he walked up an old pathway.
There was nothing inside, it was merely a somewhat reasonable roof of their heads. Shelter, nothing more. Just broken down boards and stone walls now.
To anyone else, it looked empty.
Sirius whistled two notes.
Two notes returned from his left where the sea and horizon bled into each other, framed by a still standing window. It could have been a painting. A TV.
James appeared in front of it, wild hair haloed by the light.
“Fuck,” James said, and then they were hugging. Sirius face ended up near a slightly pink bandage on James’ neck, and he sighed his relief all over again.
“Fuck me, we had a bomb in our head the whole time, Si.” James reached up and brushed the bandage with light fingers. “Just an average day on the job.” His eyes went to Sirius’ neck. “What did you do it with?”
“Fucking kitchen knife, man. You?”
James’ laugh was shaky. “One of my daggers on Leo and I. Finn did it. Think he’s a little freaked, but he did it.”
“Oh Jesus, I should have…” Sirius shook his head. He had his own and he had Jack’s. “Didn’t have to traumatize this…God, never mind. I fucking broke into someone’s house.”
James laughed again, but he looked pale. “It’ll be fine. I was so scared I didn’t even feel it.”
“Same.”
James raised his eyebrows. “Jack?”
“I left him,” Sirius said. “Took everything off him. People will think…I don’t know. But there’s nothing to lead back to Salazar or us.”
James nodded, taking that in. “Salazar’ll be looking for us now that they can’t find us.”
Sirius nodded. “I know… I know they will. We have to move.” They began walking towards the sea window. “How did you end up here? Where are the others?”
“Finn and Leo are with Logan.”
Logan. God, Sirius hadn’t forgotten, of course he hadn’t forgotten, but what a strange thing to hear. After all these months, just a simple Finn and Leo are with Logan.
No sooner had James said it than did the Leo appear. He had an identical bandage to James and held one out to Sirius, along with an alcohol packet.
“Clean that,” Leo said.
Sirius tossed the bloody rag away. “Did yours smoke, too?”
“Yeah,” Leo said. “The second I started to get a headache—Finn said that’s what happened to Logan, too. Said he fell down in pain. But…” Leo frowned in the way he did when he was thinking something over, when something was so entirely perplexing to him that he was sure to pull an all nighter. Sirius had seen him many times after those. Blond hair a mess, coffee mugs lined up besides the water and the electrolyte packets.
“Where…” Sirius began to say. He’d only gotten a glimpse of Logan and it was beginning to feel more like a dream. His slack face. There had been blood? Hadn’t there?
Leo moved aside, revealing a half-collapsed hallway. No, it was more like an nave. Sirius looked up and realized that the remnant of a vaulted ceiling remained, stone and precarious. This had been a church.
Wind whistled through, a high note off the sea, when Sirius saw them. Finn and Logan were at the other end, a corner mostly intact and protected from the cold. Finn was awake, staring down at Logan’s face like he couldn’t stand to look away, not even for a moment. Logan was—asleep?
“Knocked out.” Leo filled in his thoughts. “Finn said he remembered him in the alley, but he’s been out ever since.”
“And his tracker?”
“It’s gone,” Leo said. “I checked.”
“But if Salazar wanted him dead…”
Leo nodded, already there. “Then whoever took it out probably saved his life."
“But he can’t remember us,” Sirius said.
Leo rubbed a hand through his hair, then pressed his fingers to his mouth, thinking. There was blood beneath his nails still, a crust of red even smeared along his jaw. Sirius had the sudden urge to wipe it away for him.
“You said Jack forgot who you were a second before he was killed,” Leo said. “I’m guessing—and this is only a guess—that this is some sort of…kill code put into place in Salazar’s tracker hardware. A memory wipe in case we get captured, and then a kill switch if there’s no hope or if we might crack and tell all.”
“Jesus,” James whispered.
“I’m guessing whoever took out Logan’s didn’t do it in time to prevent the memory wipe. And that’s calling it real close, I don’t know…”
Remus. Sirius could hardly breathe. If he hadn’t seen that footage for himself, he’d be on his knees all over again, desperate and afraid.
“Can you reverse it?” James asked. He was chewing on a thumbnail, looking down the hall. “God, please say you can Leo.”
Leo let out a shaky breath. “I don’t know.” He looked down the stone archways towards Finn. As the three of them watched, Finn reached out a hand and brushed Logan’s hair back from his eyes gently. “I don’t know.”
#cw: minor character death#cw: blood/wound mention#Christmas Eve will find me Lumosinlove#winterfic lumosinlove 2023#wolfstar#sirius black#remus lupin#amnesia au#spy au#ficmas#Leo knut#finn o'hara#Logan tremblay#o'knutzy#finnlo#lelo#lionfish#sunfish
81 notes
·
View notes
Text
Day 3
Strategy -> Risk
CW: mentions of coming out, swearing
@oknutzyweek ‼️
---------------------------------------------------
Logan is quite literally shaking in his boots. Finn is on one side of him and Leo is on the other. They're visiting Logan's family for a week.
He was excited to see his parents and sisters but he was absolutely terrified because he was planning on coming out. He knew they had no problem with gay people but he was terrified they would judge him for having two boyfriends.
Leo gave his hand a reassuring squeeze that encouraged him to ring the doorbell. It was silent for a moment before he could hear thundering footsteps coming towards the door.
Noelle flung the door open and suddenly Logan's and were full of his sisters. He stumbled backwards a little and laughed. He relaxed slightly. These were his sisters, they love him. He can do this, he has a plan. They'll still love him.
He's planning on telling them at dinner tonight. He's gone through the plan with Leo and Finn about a million times but somehow it still doesn't feel like enough.
Leo made sure the car had enough gas to get them back home if this goes wrong. Logan thought through everything. The only part he doesn't know is their reaction and it's killing him.
He must have been too quiet because suddenly he has three concerned pairs of eyes on him. "You okay, Lo?" Sydney asks quietly. He smiles reassuringly and bumps his forehead against hers. "I'm okay. Glad to be home." They all smile as they turn their attention to his boys.
"Long time no see, Finny Boy." Aubrey says, messing his hair up. Finn stuck his tongue out but didn't hesitate to wrap his arms around him.
Sydney and Noelle reach up to give Leo hugs and grab some of the bags from him. They have about five. They overpack a little bit.
Eventually, after the girls have said hello to everyone, they walk inside.
"Maman! Lolo's here!" Logan blushed when Finn and Leo sent him funny looks at the nickname.
His mother comes in wearing an apron, her hair tied up in a messy bun on her head. She had a bright smile on her face and Logan was overwhelmed for a second. He missed seeing all of them whenever he wanted.
"Oh, my baby." She comes and throws her arms over his shoulders. He leans down and hugs her tightly for a good minute. "Tu m'as manqué." The arms around him tightened in response. "Mon aussi."
They pulled away only for him to be wrapped in his father's arms next. "It's good to see you again, Logan."
Logan smiled at them. It was good to be home.
Dinner started off well but it quickly turned tense. It didn't take long for the Tremblay's to catch on to Logan's inner turmoil.
Logan had a plan and he was ready. He was. He was just nervous
Finn grabbed his thigh under the table and Logan let out a breath he didn't know he was holding.
He was ready.
He set his silverware down and was a little surprised when everyone followed quickly, all eyes falling on him.
A wave of anxiety came over him and he reached for Leo's hand blindly. Once he was holding Leo's hand and felt the steady pressure of Finn's on his leg he began.
He explained in the easiest way he could how he realized a long time ago that he liked boys and tried to explain why he denied it for so long. He had to look away from Noelle and Sydney when both of their eyes started misting.
He felt a huge weight lift off his shoulders when his mother got up and hugged him tightly, promising she loved him no matter what. The sentiment was passed around the table.
When his heart rate settled and everyone was back in their seat he started again. "That's not all. I'm actually dating someone. Well, I mean- I guess- I-" Leo squeezed his hand and whispered a quiet, 'breathe.
Logan took a deep breathe. "I'm actually dating Finn." The noise rose before he could finish, his heart continued jack rabbiting.
"Oh my god!"
"I FUCKING KNEW IT! SYDNEY YOU OWE ME $50!"
"Congratulations, darling."
"LOGAN YOU FUCKING SCORED!"
Logan laughed nervously and swallowed thickly. Finn's hand tightened on his thigh as a reminder to keep breathing.
"I'malsodatingLeo." He said in a rush. It got quiet again. "Come again?" Aubrey said quietly, somehow it managed to come out encouragingly.
"Umm, I'm dating Finn and Leo."
It's silent for a moment and Logan holds his breath. It stays like that until Sydney broke the silence.
"How come I can't find one good guy but you somehow found and caught two?" Logan sputtered out a laugh and all of a sudden he was laughing so hard he was crying.
The group joined in until suddenly Logan wasn't laughing anymore he was simply crying. He wasn't sad or scared or hurt. He was just relieved.
There were arms around him but he couldn't focus enough to tell who's they were. It took a good five minutes to calm him down and when he finally refocused Noelle and Aubrey came into view.
"You're okay, Logan. We all love you and we love your boys. No matter what. Always." Logan didn't hesitate to throw his arms around his sisters again.
Leo and Finn were talking to his parents and Sydney. His mother was hugging Leo close to her chest, which was quite a sight as he was very tall and she was rather short. Finn was talking to his dad but they both had wide smiles on their faces.
The three Tremblay siblings join their parents and Logan snuggles into Finn's side. Finn's arm comes up to bring him closer and he drops a kiss to Logan's forehead.
Noelle groans. "You three are going to be the annoyingly cute and sappy couple- throuple?" Noelle thinks about it for a second before shrugging.
"Honestly, I don't even care they're going to be annoyingly cute. I'm just glad Finn and Logan worked out their shit. And you got fucking Nutty?"
The boys laugh and Leo smiles at them from where he's still standing with Logan's mom. "I frankly and glad they got together as well. God knows where we'd be if they hadn't." They all laughed again.
The night passed in a flurry of stories, embarrassing childhood moments, cuddles, and smiles.
When Logan headed up to his room his parents stopped him.
"We hope you know how insanely happy and proud we are. I cannot imagine going through that by yourself." His dad said softly. Logan felt his eyes beginning to water.
"We are so sorry if we ever, ever made you feel like we are not proud or we would not love this part of you as much as we love the rest. You are are son and there is nothing that you could ever do that would change that." His mom finished.
None of them would admit it but all of them had tears in their eyes.
"I love you both so much." He whispered, not trusting his voice to stay steady if he got any louder.
There was a big hug and it was the warmest he'd felt in a long time.
By the time he got into his bed with his boys he was so emotionally drained he was practically asleep on his feet.
His boys pulled him in close when he cuddled into the sheets. "We love you so much and we are so proud of you." Leo murmered as he pressed kissed to Logan's shoulder.
"You were so brave." Finn added, holding him tightly in his arms.
Logan let out a shuttering breath. "I love you both so much more than you'll ever know."
There were tears shared and kissed pressed to foreheads and cheeks in the dark of the night.
Out of all the ways Logan thought this might have gone, this was by far the best outcome he could have imagined.
#i didn’t go into his speech because everyone is different and i felt weird writing his coming out speech when he's not even my character#lumosinlove#logan tremblay#sweater weather#finn o'hara#leo knut#o'knutzy#o'knutzy week 2022#day 3#i got carried away#lol sorry
48 notes
·
View notes
Text
I have a hurt-comfort fic nearly finished but I cannot stand this fucking country right now so you all get teeth-rotting St. Tweedle fluff instead. Set some point in the future in the SW/Vaincre universe. No spoilers. Aside from the fact that Luke and Saint are characters that exist.
Also, those that sent in fic prompts I haven’t answered yet: I haven’t forgotten about them! I will get to them hopefully this weekend. Work is just being rude and kicking my butt.
characters belong to @lumosinlove
Warm light filtered through the windows of Luke’s bedroom, waking Saint early. He blinked blearily out the window, seeing only fuzzy shapes and warm light. Luke had an arm around his waist, warm and solid at Saint’s back. Saint craved mornings like this, when he was free to wake up naturally, not to some infernal alarm. Most of all, he liked waking up with Luke beside him. Sometimes it still felt like a dream.
Saint let his eyes slip shut again, enjoying the warmth and comfort, letting himself relax into Luke’s embrace. So rarely did he feel safe, but in that moment, in the safety of Luke’s house and embrace, it felt almost like nothing could touch him.
He felt before he heard Luke wake, hand sliding along Saint’s stomach and pulling him closer.
“Morning,” he murmured, lips by Saint’s ear. Luke’s voice was low and rough in the morning and Saint loved it. He thought he could listen to Luke talk forever.
“Morning,” Saint replied, tilting his head back until Luke pressed a kiss to his cheek. His skin was rough, in need of a shave, but Saint didn’t even mind.
“What time’s practice?” Luke asked, still slow and sleepy.
“It’s Sunday, Tweedle, we don’t have practice today.” Saint fought a smile. Of course he’d forgotten.
“Oh. Right.”
Luke fell silent again, pressing, soft, slow kisses to Saint’s neck and shoulders, lips gentle and dry. He tangled their feet together, and Saint let him, enjoying the feeling of being so completely wrapped up. He never would have guessed he liked the closeness so much.
“Want breakfast?” Luke asked eventually. Saint shook his head.
“Later. Just, stay here with me for a bit longer.” It came out as a question, a hesitant one, but Luke snuggled closer immediately without another word. Saint let his eyes close drowsily, falling somewhere between asleep and awake, aware only of Luke’s arms around him, Luke’s chest against his back, their ankles tangled together. The contact tethered him, kept him present, comforted him.
Eventually they got up, slowly, sunlight dappling across blanket-warmed skin, with soft smiles and gentle touches. Saint dragged Luke into the shower with him and washed his hair, kissing his neck even as he could taste the bitter chemicals of soap on his skin. Luke let him rinse the bubbles from his hair before he turned, kissing Saint with a hand in wet curls, tugging him closer. Saint let himself be kissed until the water turned cold and Luke finally let him go, running a hand over pink, smirking lips.
Luke made breakfast once they got out and dressed, Saint leaning against the counter and watching. He smirked when Luke nearly dropped a hot piece of toast, laughing at the glare it earned him. They ate at the kitchen counter with their feet tangled together, voices quiet as late morning sun filtered through the windows. Saint watched particles of dust float through the air and wondered faintly when this had become his life.
When they finished, dishes left in the sink for later, Luke collapsed onto the couch, nose buried in a book a mere five seconds later. Saint watched him amusedly for a moment before curling up across from him and switching the television on quietly. Luke didn’t even look up.
Saint had never been one for contentment. He ran far too often for that, to set down roots, get comfortable in a familiar place. He didn’t like letting people in, letting them get close. His secrets were just that, secrets. Others didn’t know about them and he liked it that way. But somehow, somehow Luke had learned them. Luke had taken apart his walls, one brick at a time, never flinching from what he found. Saint supposed that’s what he loved about him.
Maybe it should have felt more like a revelation. A surprise. Something life-changing. But that was the thing about life, it was always changing. And Luke had been changing his life for months now. Loving him wasn’t anything new. It felt, after all this time, like the easiest thing in the world.
Saint looked over at Luke, curled up on their sofa, tattered book in his lap. One of his father’s probably. Or maybe his well-loved copy of The Song of Achilles. He took him in, all tousled curls and soft edges, the faint flush of his cheeks and the tip of his tongue poking out as he concentrated.
“I love you,” Saint said to him, and it felt like the most natural thing in the world.
#fluff#very soft fluff#is this entirely in character#not really but i don't care#it's close enough#they can be domestic if they want#st. tweedle#vaincre#lumosinlove
38 notes
·
View notes
Text
Snoop of a new incoming Fic
“Merde! Okay, um demi stretch and big one, forward backwards, next position.” Logan pliés with panic. Emily walks by and tells him to turn out his feet. He gives her a quizzical look, she bends down and gently pushes his feet into the correct position. She walks by the stereo and grabs a tambourine.
“Keep your hips tucked in while doing a plié.”
Kasey is doing pliés feet turned out, his butt awkwardly sticking out behind him. Emily walks by and smacks it with the tambourine he fixes it and continues. James looks over and starts laughing.
“I’m never going to live this down ever am I?” Kasey asks shaking his head.
“GET SOME BLIZ!” Finn whoops.
“BET ALEX AND NAT LIKE THAT!” Talker calls out. Various other chirps from the team. Soon they finish pliés and work their way to tendues.
#snoop#o'knutzy#sweater weather lumosinlove#lumosinlove#logan tremblay#kasey winter#ballet#i love these characters with my whole heart especially kasey winter
5 notes
·
View notes
Text
In the Beginning
Going back to my roots this year with some pre-Coops PT fluff :) This is definitely going to turn into a short series (with exceptions for Leo's birthday, of course) and I'm really excited about it! Hoping for some more time to create this spring <3 Character credit goes to @lumosinlove
TW canon injury (Sirius' ankle)
“Sirius.” Despite the whiteboard with his name scrawled next to 11:00, Remus still managed to sound pleasantly surprised. “Hi, how are you?”
“Fine.”
God, he sounded like an asshole. Remus’ smile didn’t falter. “Glad to hear it. Come on in, take a seat wherever.”
Was this it? The first test? Sirius glanced between the chair by Remus’ desk and the exam table. Hell, maybe he was supposed to sit on the stool. Was he? Was that a ‘Remus spot’ everyone else was smart enough to not even consider?
He picked the chair. Lowered himself gingerly to the cushioned seat, crutches propped on the armrest next to him. A spot on his ankle itched under the Velcro of his stiff boot.
“Thanks for making the time today,” Remus continued, as if Sirius had been any sort of friendly or welcoming. “I really appreciate it. This’ll be quick and easy—just a check-in, figuring out what’s going on and where we want to be. Sound okay?”
“Yeah, sure.”
“Sick.” Remus dug around behind his desk for a moment; Sirius could hear papers riffling. Remus’ brow furrowed for a second before relaxing with satisfaction as he pulled a sheet free. “Alright. Sirius Black, meet your new best friend.”
Sirius blinked. “You?”
“Ha! No, I think Pots still has me beat,” Remus laughed, sliding a clipboard across the desk. He pulled his own chair around as well, even though Sirius could see him fold his knees out of the way of the desk. It couldn’t be comfortable. “I don’t like sitting back there when you guys are in here,” Remus said, as if he could read Sirius’ mind. The side of his nose scrunched. “Feels…bossy? I dunno. Can’t really write upside-down, either.”
“Ah. Ouais.”
“But that’s—” Remus waved a vague hand and picked a pen from the broken-handled mug tucked by his computer. “It’s not important. This, on the other hand, is your two-week chart. Decorate it, marry it, I don’t care. As long as you know it’s yours and can find it in that—” He pointed to a wire bin by the door. “—box. Capische?”
Sirius shrugged one shoulder and readjusted his ankle under the table. “Sure.”
“Shweet. There are some forms under the top sheet, if you can fill those out for me real quick.”
Remus stood as Sirius bent his head to write; he puttered in Sirius’ periphery, collecting tape and bandages and a handful of other things from the drawers lining the walls before moving to the exam table behind him. Something spritzed, filling the air with the faint scent of lemon. When he glanced back, Remus was wiping down the exam table with a washcloth.
The table. Of course. He should’ve known. “Do you want me to move?”
“You can if you like.” A lopsided smile found him over Remus’ shoulder. “I’m just cleaning, though. Take your time.”
Feels like I’m taking nothing but time, he thought with no small amount of bitterness. At least Remus meant well. Arthur kept telling him he could have all the recovery time he needed, but Sirius could tell he was getting impatient. He hadn’t even been allowed to think about physical therapy before the six-week mark was up. On some teams, that was long enough to justify rumors of a trade.
Ink smeared under the side of his hand. Sirius cursed under his breath and licked his thumb to smudge it off, but only succeeded in blurring it more. He gave up and scribbled it out, leaving the check mark next to the box instead. Remus’ handwriting was at the top of the page. Sirius Black, printed with a gentle slant to the right. Numbers looped, their tails snagging into one another. Sirius had never met someone who wrote their ‘2’s that way.
“Done?”
He jumped.
“Ope, sorry,” Remus half-laughed as he rolled behind his desk again. The wheels of his chair squeaked. “Didn’t mean to sneak up on you.”
Sirius shook his head. “You’re fine. And ouais, here.”
“Thanks.” Remus flipped through the clipboard with easy neutrality. Sirius had expected him to take this a little more…well, seriously. “Looks good. Like I said before, today is just getting the boring stuff out of the way. Forms, building your exercise plan, making sure you don’t run screaming from the room.”
Sirius frowned. “Why would I do that?”
“Hopefully, you won’t.” Remus gave him a look—a joke, he realized a second too late.
“Oh—yes, no, not at all.” Great recovery. It took everything he had not to roll his eyes at himself.
Again, Remus seemed unaffected by his awkwardness. Did he just not see it? Did he think Sirius was playing along? But Remus was always like that, with every one of them. Unflappable and infallible. The world was smooth and calm for him, like a lake on a windless day in the dead of summer. He was wearing a shirt of the same blue-gray as the pond in the park by Sirius’ house.
“How’s your ankle feeling today?”
Get out of your head. “It’s…fine.”
The side of Remus’ mouth pulled up. “Gotta give me something to work with here, Cap.”
“A little sore?”
The light caught his sandy hair as he tipped his head back and forth. “Sore how?”
“Just…” Sirius shrugged. “Sore. Like normal.”
“Stabby? Dull? Lightning-y? Can you feel your heartbeat in it?”
“Um.” The cool air of the PT room siphoned into the small gaps of his boot when he wiggled his toes. “Mostly dull. Sharper when I take the cast off.”
Remus nodded. “You haven’t been putting weight on it?”
“Non.”
“Good. That sounds about right for this point of recovery. Is it an ‘all the time’ kind of pain, or just when you do certain things?”
This was a lot more talking than Sirius had anticipated. He had assumed Remus would sit him on the exam table, poke around, and then send him off with some ice packs and stretches. More time, he said when Sirius had imagined it. You just have to give it another week or two, and you’ll be fine. A hopeful part of him figured they’d let him back on the ice as soon as the bone was healed.
“It’s sore a lot,” Sirius admitted. “The dull kind. It gets worse when I move around, I guess.”
“Even with crutches?”
“Ouais.”
“Do you sleep with it on?”
“…my crutches?”
“The boot,” Remus snorted, though it wasn’t mean. He was rocking slightly in his chair, back and forth. Sirius could see the armrests turn with each light push of his foot behind the desk. The tense thing in his belly eased. If Remus was this casual, maybe he was allowed to take some deeper breaths.
“They gave me a different one for the night,” he said. “It’s softer.”
“Are you more of a back sleeper, side sleeper…?” Remus trailed off, gaze darting across Sirius’ face, and gave a sheepish grin. “That sounds super invasive, wow, sorry. I promise I’m just trying to figure out if you’re sleeping on it weird.”
Sirius tried to school his expression. He didn’t want to know what face he had been making at Remus’ question—they knew each other well enough to not fix him with a media glare. “Uh, my back,” he answered. “Usually. The doctors said to put it up on a pillow until it healed.”
“Cool, cool, sounds good.” Remus nodded again, then drummed his hands on his thighs. “Alright. Those are all the questions I have. Any on your end? Concerns, preferences…?”
How fast can you get me out there? Something told him Remus wouldn’t have an answer he’d like. “No, I’m good.”
Remus had a dimple on his left cheek. It made a divot with his small smile. “Great. Ready to hop on the table so I can take a look?”
It took a moment for Sirius to get to his feet; he reached for his crutches, only to find Remus already holding them steady for him. He hobble-hopped the five or so feet from the desk to the exam table; six and a half weeks in, and the crutches still did their best to stymie him at every turn. Horrible fucking things. His underarms were rubbed raw after fifteen minutes. Clunky and awkward and—
“Hold on.”
Sirius paused.
Remus was frowning at his leg. “Those don’t look right.”
“Quoi?”
“You’re…what, six-three?”
“About.”
“Sit, sit.” Remus ushered him to the edge of the table, but took the crutches as soon as Sirius perched himself on the cushions. He pressed a small button near the base; aluminum squeaked as the foot shortened by a few notches. “That’s better,” Remus muttered, almost to himself. “These pads are all worn out, too. Did they give you towels?”
What the fuck? “Uh, no?”
A disgruntled exhale made Remus’ nostrils flare. He leaned the crutches against the wall with a similarly irritated tilt to his mouth. “Remind me to give you some before you go, or the tops are going to wear the hell out of your armpits. I reset the height, too. They were two inches too tall.”
“Oh,” Sirius said helpfully.
“It’s not, like, a huge deal or anything, but it’s uncomfortable.” Remus cocked his head. He regarding Sirius with a critical, but not harsh, eye. “Has your back been hurting?”
Sirius shifted in his seat. “…yes.”
“That’s probably from the height issue.” Remus’ nose twitched with clear displeasure. A pen turned between his fingers, glimmering in the pale light. Sirius hadn’t noticed the bandaid on his knuckle before. The pen stilled with a sigh, then vanished into Remus’ pocket. “Sorry, I just—Moody and I have been trying to get the guys to come in here sooner, because of shit like this. Crutches at the wrong height, no towels, not knowing you’re allowed to wash braces. You’re already uncomfortable, you know? No need to make it worse.”
“Sorry.”
“Oh, god, it’s not your fault,” Remus said immediately, pumping hand sanitizer into his palm. “Just sucks that we have to ask permission. It’s not like we’re going to do anything stupid while bones are still healing.”
Sirius swung his legs up on the table while Remus rolled a stool across the speckled linoleum; his ankle twinged, but he managed to keep his wince light.
It was no use. “What was that?”
“Hmm?”
“Face.” Remus pointed at him, arching a brow. “You’re in my rink now, bud. You made a face. You can either lie about it, or get out of here on time.”
Perhaps Sirius had been a bit overconfident in how well he could hide pain. “Just sore when I lift it.”
“Where?”
“Uh. My ankle.”
“Right, I—” Remus broke off with a short laugh. “Sorry. Is there pain in other places when you lift it?”
He let Remus wave him further onto the table before answering. “I can feel it in my calf and foot. A little into my knee.”
The plastic was sticky from cleaning solution, but the cushions were perfectly firm on his lower back. He let his head rest back against the wall with a slow breath and wiggled his toes again. It was nice, being able to do that without lancing pain. Remus tapped his thumb against the edge of the table a few times before moving to stand by Sirius’ feet. “Can I take your shoe off, or do you want to?”
“Oh. Um…” He sat up further, but his fingers just barely brushed the hem of his pants. With a grind of his back teeth and a quick flash of pain, he bent his opposite knee and pulled the shoelace free. His ankle began throbbing faintly as he nudged the shoe off—sock too, thanks—and a puff of air slipped out when he finally leaned back.
Remus was watching him with a sad sort of wariness. “Can I make a request?”
You could ask me to do literally anything. “Yeah, sure.”
“Please don’t ever do that again.”
If he didn’t look so sympathetic, Sirius would have bristled. “What?”
“That—” Remus gestured at him. “Looked painful as fuck. This is an anti-pain establishment. If you think something’s going to hurt, we’ll work around it. No judgement.”
The thing was, Sirius hadn’t actually done this before. He knew where the ice packs were kept, and that the big steel container in the corner held heat pads in boiling water. He knew where the support bandages were, where Remus kept extra stick tape, and that the set of small drawers next to the desk would each be labeled with the name of a teammate so they could find specific gear. Remus had given him stretches for his sore back and arms and legs and whatever, but this—the shoes, the touching, the gentleness—there was no rulebook. No captain’s log to rattle through when he needed guidance.
“Okay,” he finally said. “That’s cool.”
“Cool.” Remus gave him that half-smile again. “Can I take your boot off?”
“Ouais.”
Remus was a lot nicer to the Velcro than he was. The rip was quieter than Sirius thought it could be, peeled off by practiced hands. He felt the pressure on his skin release immediately and took a breath at the tender feeling. Not pain, but something close. It made his heart spike every time. “Hurting?”
“Non.”
“You sure?”
“Just—makes me nervous.”
“Makes sense,” Remus agreed. “You’ve had it all wrapped up. Feels safer in there, right?”
Right. Exactly right. Something tightened in the center of his chest. “Yeah,” he said. “Something like that.”
Remus nodded. “Is it okay if I take it the rest of the way off? I can do most of the exam like this if that’s better.”
“You’re asking me a lot of questions.” He tried to sound wry. He wasn’t sure it came out that way.
“Lot of people don’t like touching,” Remus answered easily. He hadn’t moved to touch the boot again, hands flat to the maroon plastic covering the table. “I’d rather you tell me to step off now than make something hurt more.” He gave Sirius an apologetic sort of grin. “Plus, you’re probably sick of people grabbing at you. Don’t really want to be one of them.”
Sirius was sick of it. Hands and fingers and grasping through slivers in plexiglass while he was trying to move, goddamnit, when he just wanted to go back down the tunnel and finally be able to catch his breath. People grabbing him on the ice, pushing. Snape’s body against his own—a shoulder in his sternum. Fingers digging into his skin. A tight grip on the back of his neck.
“You can take it off.”
Remus had a crooked canine tooth. Had he noticed that before? “Thanks.”
Sirius’ fists clenched at the touch of warm hands on his heel and calf. It was…fucking strange, but not painful. Not unpleasant, either. Remus had calluses in the bends of his knuckles and on his palm when he carefully transferred Sirius’ foot to one hand and set the boot up by his hip.
“I’m sweaty,” he blurted. “Sorry.”
Embarrassment flooded him before Remus laughed. “Dude, you have no idea how nasty your boys are when they roll up here. Did you know I had to send a reminder to shower before seeing me? And to wear clean clothes?”
Sirius wrinkled his nose. “Ugh.”
“They don’t cut their toenails, either.” Remus’ eyes flicked up to his face, bright and teasing. “I’m not telling you who, but if you can throw a little captain-y weight around…”
“I’ll try.” It almost came out a laugh. Surprise tingled in his lungs. “But seriously, you don’t need me. They listen to you like gospel.”
“Oh, please.”
“They do,” he insisted. Remus rolled his eyes. “Non, non, I’m serious—”
“Yes, I know.”
“—fuck off—you could tell them to brush their teeth four times a day and they’d be at it. They listen to you more than me.”
“I don’t believe that for a second,” Remus informed him. “And I also think you’re healing really well.”
“I—what?” Sirius looked down; his ankle was back on the cushion, cradled lightly between Remus’ palms. It jolted something in him. Had his skin always been that pale? He could see the line where the boot ended halfway up his calf. His foot looked ghostly in the light and everything else looked…thin. Skin and muscle, even bone.
He propped himself up on the heels of his hands. The angry, puckered scar from surgery had faded to a narrow line. When had that happened? Surely not overnight. It had looked so ugly in the shower yesterday, which was exactly why he tended to avoid looking at it. He glanced up at Remus’ patient face. Was he grossed out? That wasn’t how Sirius’ ankle was supposed to look. The knobbly bones on either side were practically gray in comparison; they stuck out, as if someone had stuck two marbles under his skin. His stomach turned.
“Sirius?”
He hummed.
“You okay?”
The joking tone had gone from Remus’ voice. The pit of Sirius’ stomach was heavy. His ankle looked weak; his calf, skinny all the way to the weird lump of his knee. “Mhm.”
“We can be done.” Slight movement caught his attention as Remus ducked to catch his eye. There was the solemnity he had expected. It was odd to see it now. “Any time. Just say the word.”
“The exam?”
“I’m not going to do anything you don’t want me to do.” Firmness had never sounded so kind. “These first steps are visual, anyway.”
Am I done? Sirius looked back at his foot, the strangeness of it, the sickly mirror of his healthy one. “Keep going.”
“Are you—”
“I’m okay.” He mustered a deep breath. “I’m good. Keep going.”
“Okay,” Remus said quietly.
They sat in relative silence, but it wasn’t bad. Sirius was glad for a break. It was easier to watch Remus work than hold a conversation. The tenderness faded somewhat under the gentle touches of Remus’ fingertips—a tap here and there, faint pressure in the soft spots. Murmurs of feeling alright? and tell me if this hurts filled the buzzing static in Sirius’ ears.
“Ow.”
“Here?” Remus’ first two fingers hovered at the arch of his foot. Sirius nodded. “Cool, thanks. Your swelling isn’t too bad. I think I’m going to hold off on big exercises until Monday, okay?”
Disappointment, bitter and tacky as molasses. “Yeah.” He couldn’t keep the sigh out of his voice.
“We’ll get there.” When he remained silent, Remus poked the peak of his kneecap. “Hey. We’ll get there, I promise. I want you to work on the rest of your flexibility this week. Keep the boot on, but stretch out your legs and back. Your other muscles have been compensating for this and I don’t want anything to get strained.”
“Okay.”
“I’m going to do everything I can to get you back on the ice.” Sirius could hear the but in his voice before he even finished speaking. “But I won’t rush through this and throw you out there just to get hurt again.”
Hurt again. Pain, cold and consuming, flashed in his memory. “Okay.”
“If anyone gives you shit, I want you to throw me under the bus, alright?” The last strap of Velcro fell into place. Remus was even careful with that part. The pressure on his skin was familiar and welcome. He felt a light pat to the table. “Tell them it’s all my fault. That I’m being overcautious and mean and keeping you here, whatever. If the coaches have a problem with your care, they can talk to me and Moody about it. Not you.”
“Okay.”
Remus let him get up unhindered. That was nice. Sirius was pretty sure he’d lose his mind at one more helping hand. He waddled back to the desk chair at an incline of Remus’ chin and was once again relegated to watching while Remus taped some small, folded towels to the tops of his crutches before joining him by the desk.
“You did great.”
Wasn’t that a thing to imagine. Could barely get my shoe off, but alright. “Merci.”
“It’s hard to get people to come in here and actually want to get better.” Remus scribbled a few things on the chart. His forehead crinkled in the middle with concentration. “Lotta guys think they’re fine as soon as the doctors’ visits end. But this is the part that’ll make a difference in the long run.”
The chart slid across the table, followed by a smaller, far more sparkly sheet. A smile pulled at Sirius’ mouth in spite of himself. “Gold stars?”
“Very serious stamps of completion, actually.” The corners of Remus’ mouth were tight with restrained amusement. He couldn’t keep the laughter out of his eyes. “You can pick a different theme if you want. Talkie’s got Lisa Frank, which was kind of a power move.”
Sirius snorted—it was over from there. It took a minute for them to collect themselves, and as much as he hated to admit it, he did feel better after peeling a star from the sheet and sticking it in the first box. “Regarde,” he said with a wave of his hand. “Success.”
“Perfect.” Laughter still lingered in Remus’ voice. It was a nice sound. It was nicer when he looked up and smiled, like Sirius had put one of those heating pads right in the valley of his ribs. “Alright, well, that’s all I need. We can do the same time tomorrow, or you can check out the schedule. We technically have office hours, but you can shoot me a text if we need to find a different one. Number’s on the board. Make sure you give your name in the first message.”
“Okay.” Those ‘2’s again, in green marker this time. That weird feeling in his chest was softening. “Yeah, okay. I think tomorrow works for me.”
“Awesome, see you then.”
“Awesome.” Why can’t I talk? Sirius stood and took his crutches back with a slight stumble. He hoped it passed off as broken-ankle unsteadiness, not—whatever else was going on. He breathed an audible sigh of relief when the tops didn’t immediately begin to chafe his inner arms. “Oh, wow, thanks. This is great.”
“Yeah?” He could hear Remus’ smile before he even turned. He looked pleased, fiddling with the edge of Sirius’ chart. “I’m glad. Sucks to not have what you need, and not even know it.”
“Lucky we’ve got you then, eh?”
Remus’ cheeks flushed. It was rather warm in the room. “Nah. I’m the lucky one. Best job in the world.”
“Got you beat, there.”
Another laugh made Sirius’ chest squeeze pleasantly. It was good to see Remus happy, with all he did for them. “Guess you do,” Remus admitted, then shooed at him with the chart. “Get outta here, your boys are waiting. And check the box by the door for this when you come in tomorrow, got it?”
“Très bien, Loops.”
Maybe it was the adjustments to his crutches, or the promise of something like progress on the horizon, but Sirius didn’t feel quite so awful as he made his way down the hall. He almost felt good, actually. Almost hopeful.
145 notes
·
View notes
Text
there's a scene in vaincre by lumosinlove, where these two characters (leo and finn) are talking about relationships they've been in where they've had to hide, and leo says something like "it wasn't his fault, he was just scared. we were all just scared." and finn says "still, there's a way to treat a person"
and this is how i know that i am deeply emotionally repressed.
because no mcd has ever made be sob as much as that line.
it's not even a particularly sad moment in that fic (like it is but it isn't)
but.
there's a way to treat a person.
we were all scared. but you didn't need to cut me open like that. you didn't need to shove me aside. you didn't need to look through me. we were all scared but you still could have been kind. surely. kinder, at least, than the things we were scared of.
there's a way to treat a person.
#idk how that moment can fuck me up as much as it does#but it does#vaincre#lumosinlove#sweater weather lumosinlove#i realize if you do not read sweater weather you will be like “who are finn and leo”#which is sad 4 u
91 notes
·
View notes
Text
(some of) my top favourite wolfstar fics
Alright listen. This list is subject to change (by change i mean grow). I've already forgotten to add about 7 that I can think of, but in the meantime. here are some of my absolute favourite wolfstar fanfics ever in life. ENJOY, if you ever wanna chat about them hit me up because I live for this sh*t.
Okay i'm gonna do a part 2 aslkdjalskdjalskdjalkdjs there's too many
All The Young Dudes, mskingbean89 https://archiveofourown.org/works/10057010/chapters/22409387M: THE FIC OF ALL FICS. This is possibly the best thing I've ever read. Grant Chapman is the love of my life I shant hear a word against him.
Blends, rvltn909 https://archiveofourown.org/works/7869079?view_full_work=true M: The banter in this is next level. the dialogue. SIRIUS BLOODY BLACK. This is why my relationship ended i swear to god, if it's not this i don't wannit
Sweater Weather, lumosinlove https://archiveofourown.org/works/20750912?view_full_work=true E: The ultimate comfort reread. I adore the side characters in this, James potter is SENSATIONAL. I love love love it. OH THERES SO MUCH FRENCH
Dear Your Holiness, mollymarymarie https://archiveofourown.org/works/35105491?view_full_work=true E: FATHER BLOODY LUPIN I AM ON MY KN..nvm. Anyway. The texting? the tension? oh holy god forgive me for the sins i have sinned
The Cadence of Part Time Poets, Motswolo https://archiveofourown.org/works/30652973/chapters/7562717M: I cannot tell you how much i love this. the writing is sensational, the characterisations, the OC's. I am so BESOTTED WITH THIS STORY. its such ATYD vibes but muggle. I haven't even finished and its gone straight to my top 3 ever in life
Honey if I'm not, BrigidFaye https://archiveofourown.org/works/35165827/chapters/87616873M: Part 1 - REMUS POV It's so beautiful. its the healing we all deserve, the healing THEY DESERVE. in my head? canon. I am forever besotted.
If You're Gonna, BrigidFaye https://archiveofourown.org/works/40008948/chapters/100193058 M: Part 2 - SIRIUS POV. This one might even be better than part 1. sirius pov is stunning. plus a lil spicy spice. Its just such a gorgeous read.
Currents, lunchbucket https://archiveofourown.org/works/19109890?view_full_work=true E: Olympic swimmers? golden boy remus? THE DOG? HOZIERRRR? Yes
Liebestrum, lunchbucket https://archiveofourown.org/works/19891189?view_full_work=true E: The most beautifully written love story. It's stunning from start to finish. I want to climb sirius black.
The Road Not Taken, mollymarymarie https://archiveofourown.org/works/32734837?view_full_work=true#main E: Such a good comfort read; 2nd chances, private concerts and lusty chocolates.
Ever Thus, WrappedUp https://archiveofourown.org/works/22331551?view_full_work=true E: I adore this. Their connection is beautiful. So blooooody well written. The love and care within this are just next level.
Just What the doctor ordered, WrappedUp https://archiveofourown.org/works/26677921?view_full_work=true E: This is soooo witty! I adored it. Sirius inner monologue is bloooody hilarious, honest and RAW. adore this one.
wading in waist-high water, colgatebluemintygel https://archiveofourown.org/works/36896740?view_full_work=true E: This is so sweet! Utterly a delicious read. Basically no angst, just happy vibes.
10 Reasons to go to Michigan, greyeyedmonster18 https://archiveofourown.org/works/35820094/chapters/89320903 M: The most lovely Sirius. Him & Harry dynamic is perfect. Teenage hilarious Harry. Grumpy Remus. Artsy Sirius
Not another band AU, thelovelyzee https://archiveofourown.org/works/34565698?view_full_work=true E: I LOVE THIS. The playlist is UNREAL. It was SUCH A JOURNEY. I never wanted it to end. Bought so many concert tickets after this.
A Black Mass Over Highway Ninety, Greenvlvetcouch https://archiveofourown.org/works/43038561/chapters/108147531 E: This changed my life. THIS CHANGED MY LIFE. the playlist. the love. the friendship. the side jily. the SMUT. oh my god. the most gorgeously written masterpiece i've CLAPPED EYES ON. i want to inject it into my EYEBALLS.
Solntse, lumosinlove https://archiveofourown.org/works/17186087?view_full_work=true E: Okay. it's giving pretty woman. but like, in a good way, i promise. the best way. like i adore sirius in this so much. so so so so much. its a beautiful little story - look out for the pet names muahahaha
#wolfstar#wolfstar fic recs#remus lupin#is the love of my life#the marauders#muggle au#wolfstar list#sirius black in blends is my man#also in solntse#and also in 10 reasons#babe#remus lupin in black mass changed me chemically we don't need to talk about it#babybird me#liebestraum#liebestraum doesn't get enough love its one of the best things I've ever read actually#lanas list#lanas crying again
159 notes
·
View notes
Text
Happy christmas everyone! I wanted to share my secret santa present for the lovely @peggyrose19
The cubs are having a New York, ugly sweater type of christmas ❤️🎄
Characters belong to the one and only @lumosinlove
#sweather weather#vaincre lumosinlove#lumosinlove#o’knutzy#finn o'hara#logan tremblay#leo knut#nootmas#nootfest
64 notes
·
View notes
Text
An ode to fanfic writers.
Regulus Black has saved my life.
A character that has not more that three lines in cannon has become my saving grace. When I became completely indifferent for the outside world and couldn’t find a reason to wake up everyday he was the only reason I tried. I’m not saying it’s healthy or a healthy coping mechanisms but he was the only reason.
I thank every day to the generous fanfic writers that gave me a reason to keep living (honorary mention to MesserMoon, MsKingBean89, Solmussa, chazzledazzlethem, wrongcaitlyn, zeppazariel, lumosinlove) for giving me a reason to keep going. To force my soul to appreciate life in a way I was unable to do for myself at the moment. I wish every fanfic writer knows how much love I have for them, for the simple act act of sharing their most true self.
I try to comment in every fanfic I read full of appreciation for your work but if it was untouched, even if I haven’t have pleasure I reading your work, THAK YOU, in name of every person’s life you’ve touched.
Genuinely, I love you.
#fanfic#harry potter#marauders#ao3#fandom#regulus black#james potter#sirius and regulus#sirius black#remus lupin#all the young dudes#crimson rivers#only the brave#fanfic writers deserve better#ily#thank you
34 notes
·
View notes
Text
Hamptons Cubs: Midnight
Prompt credit to @noots-fic-fests and character credit to @lumosinlove!
Today we're back to the Hamptons featuring some boys just trying to figure it out
Rated M, 1900 words, Read on ao3, if you prefer
Finn didn’t know what to do with his heart. It was 8 sizes too big and yet felt like it was in a vice. He wanted to pull it out and put it on ice and turn it fucking down .
Logan was in his house. With Leo. Going into Leo’s bedroom with him after an awkward evening of talking about careers and apartments and absolutely not college.
Leo must have made himself dizzy from all the darting around his eyes were doing, between the other two men, who were dancing on conversational thin ice. Finn didn’t blame Leo for yawning and pulling Logan into his bedroom with a kind goodnight. Finn had retreated to his own room and tried to force himself to sleep, hoping it would all make more sense in the morning.
But all Friday Logan had been with Leo in the kitchen like an adorable snarky shadow, and god, they were so cute together. Between frittatas and pasta salad and paninis Finn saw Logan cleaning up behind Leo like he was made for it. He saw Leo laughingly take a steak knife out of Logan’s hand (that he was trying to cut peppers with) and guide him to the sink full of dishes instead, with a kiss to the curve of his neck that forced himself to walk away from watching.
Friday, Saturday, Sunday passed with Finn trying to work, trying to not see the extra love that was cooked into their meals with the presence of Logan being around Leo. His parents loved having someone new there and at any meal they ate all together it was easy enough to stay polite but quiet. To only see the love shimmering between Leo and Logan out of the corner of his eyes because to look at it full on felt like it would burn his retinas like the sun.
Logan and Leo .
On Sunday after a dinner of grilled local sausages, a green salad from the garden, and smashed potatoes, Finn grew the courage to offer to help with dishes. Missing the time he usually had with Leo felt like a gaping opening in his heart and so he shuffled into the kitchen and settled in at the sink, aiming for casual.
“Oh hey Finn, thanks sugar. You might want to leave that pan soaking for a bit yet, the meat got nice and stuck on there.”
“Sounds good Leo, happy to help,” Finn said, holding his hands under the running water for just a breath.
“Busy weekend? Seems like you had a lot of work to do,” Leo asked.
“Hmm? Oh, oh, yeah. I didn’t get done what I wanted to this week, so I was trying to catch up. I got put on a new book recently. It’s a really great project, but I’ve just kind of … stuck on it lately, for some reason.”
Reasons including: it’s hard to focus on editing when his mind wasn’t sure what year it was, was time travelling every time he looked up and saw Logan.
Leo nodded in understanding as he finished bringing the dirty dishes to the sink. He put away the leftovers in silence as they worked together for a while. Finn took a deep breath as he scrubbed the extra dirty pan.
“I’m guessing Logan told you all about how he saved me in that history class, huh?”
Leo propped a hip against the counter near Finn, relaxed with his arms crossed.
“Well he was actually pretty sure you saved him, so I guess it sounds like you helped each other.”
Finn dropped the sponge and turned to Leo, his breath heaving.
“I’m sorry,” Finn blurted out.
Leo cocked his head to the side, eyes soft. “For what?”
“That I kissed your boyfriend,” Finn said in a rush, making it sound like all one word.
“Oh sugar, Finn, don’t apologise. It’s ok. It was ages ago, I didn’t even know him then.” He picked up a towel and started drying the cookware Finn had washed before continuing. “I’m actually really glad you had each other. It makes me happy to think about the two of you studying, helping each other out.”
Finn managed a half smile at the thought of his and Logan’s study session.
“Is it ok that we’re here, Finn? If it’s weird, it’s totally fine. We can head home for the week. You’ve been … quiet …. this weekend and we really aren’t trying to mess up your week.” Leo hesitated. “Not to get in the middle of it, but Logan did mention you might feel like he ghosted you. Or that maybe you feel some anger towards him?”
“No, no! Did he say that?” Finn ran both hands through his hair, getting it wet, and took a deep breath, shaking his head. “I don’t remember it that way. Please, stay. I was surprised, like shock and awe , like get me a fainting couch type surprised. And I think it made me seize up a bit. But I see the two of you are really happy, it’s so sweet. Please, stay. Have a fun week out of the city.” Finn turned and finished cleaning the last dish and dried his hands.
Leo smiled, towel moving slowly over the dish in his hand. “Thanks Finn. That means a lot to me.”
Finn nodded and turned, meaning to head upstairs. That was about as much of confronting this weirdness that he could handle for today. Logan might be back in from his conversation with his parents at any time.
“And Finn?” Leo called. He turned back, leaning against the wall, hip popped out, listening. “Don’t avoid us, okay? If you don’t want to? I promise there’s no hard feelings on our end.” Finn just gave a small smile and nod, but the worried look lifted, just a bit, before he turned to go upstairs.
~~~~~
Logan had been helping Leo and between frittatas and his pasta salad and peach pie they had been busy all weekend. Logan was so impressed by his boyfriend, was soaking up every moment of watching Leo in his element, and with a backdrop worthy of a postcard too. Leo had even let Logan peel the peaches and mix the salad, although mostly Logan cleaned and organised and prepared while Leo cooked.
But, Finn. Logan didn’t know what to think. The shock had faded somewhat in the past two days of helping Leo with meals. It was a busy gig, an easy distraction. But then he’d glance out the window and catch a glimpse of Finn’s red hair out the window, amidst the beautiful garden and sprawling lawn. And his heart would stutter and he’d forget where he was for a moment. He’d think of books and candles and highlighters until he looked at Leo. Then reality would spin itself around him again and he’d kiss his boyfriend on the cheek as he walked to the fridge to put something away and tried to live in the present.
Sunday night they sat outside to watch the sunset, it wasn’t fully dark until nearly 10, and they sipped their drinks and watched the colour fade from the garden and flowers and trees as colours bloomed across the sky instead. And then those faded too, and the stars started sparkling out of nothingness. They sat in loungers beside each other, gaze shifting from the horizon to the sky. Leo’s hand was still warm in his with blankets over both of them.
Logan turned his head from the stars to Leo, just as awed by the sight of his love, even in the dim light.
“So are we staying the week still?”
Leo hummed. “Yeah, Finn said he wants us to. You ok with it? It’s ok if you’re not.”
Logan took a moment to trace his eyes over Leo’s cupid bow as he collected his thoughts. “I still want to. It’s beautiful here, and I have some guilt about how I treated Finn, but really I have nothing but good memories of him.”
“Yeah? You ready to talk more about it?”
Logan took in the stars. Orion’s Belt, the Big Dipper, the sparkling dots that could tell any story, told them all. When he had gathered his thoughts from the spaces between the stars, he went on.
“It was just a few months. But it’s burned into my mind like when you close your eyes after looking at something too bright. Finn is … bright.”
Leo chuckled and nodded at that, Logan squeezed his hand three times.
“Really, we pretty much just studied. We were in the zone, essay writing and memorising,” Logan continued. “Then we went to a party, and we kissed.” He set his head back against the lounge chair. “And Le, it was such a good kiss. It was a long, beautiful, hot kiss.” Logan sighed. “And I think I said something like I’m not gay ? And then the semester was pretty much over, and I was scared, and I didn’t call for months. And when I did, his number had changed.”
Leo reached over and took Logan’s hand in both of his, running his thumb in circles.
“And I kissed boys after that, and slept with girls, and never felt a hint of the spark I had with him.” He turned his head towards Leo. “Until I met you, of course.” Logan turned onto his side and ran his fingertips down Leo’s cheek. “Remember? We talked, and ate, and when you kissed me, there were the sparks of sunshine filling every part of me.”
Leo smiled, and gripped his hand tighter. “I’m glad you had each other, love. That sounds lovely, and kind of really sad.”
Logan smiled a half smile. “I love you so much. Leo, you are the light of my life. I kissed Finn, one evening, years ago. Today, I’m with you and I want you .”
Leo smiled and they leaned across the small space between chairs to press their lips together.
“You want to stay?” Leo asked.
“Yeah, I do. Let’s have our little vacation, let’s relax, and eat, enjoy the scenery,” he said, waving a hand vaguely around at the dark.
Leo’s watch beeped, midnight.
They sat in the deep quiet for a minute, hands connected between the chairs.
“You told me once your first kiss with a guy had been in college. Was that Finn then?” Leo asked softly into the darkness.
“Oui, soleil, it was.” He made the move to forgo his chair in favour of joining Leo in his. He climbed on top of Leo, pressing them chest to chest. “You were my first everything else, though.”
He leaned down and pressed their lips together and Leo tilted his head up into the kiss.
“I tried with other people in college, but it was never right, never felt good, until it was you,” Logan peppered Leo’s face with kisses. The darkness hugged them as they kissed, making them feel like the only people in the world.
Logan pressed a deep kiss down to Leo's lips, leaving him breathless. Then he stood, one leg on either side of the chair, and pulled Leo’s body down the lounge chair until his hips were near the edge. His long legs sprawled off the end onto the soft grass. Logan backed up and dropped to his knees under the midnight bright stars. The grass was only darkness, but was soft under his knees, cool in contrast to the hard heat that was soon filling his mouth.
“I love this, I never get to make you come on Sundays,” Logan murmured against his skin.
Leo huffed a laugh, arching his back involuntarily. “I think it is Monday by now, baby, ahhh.”
Logan just hummed and swallowed in response.
Leo could hardly see Logan through the darkness, but the stars twinkling in the sky kept him company when stars sparked and exploded behind his eyes.
31 notes
·
View notes
Text
Fic-O-Ween 2023 Day 1: First Frost
Happy fest, y’all! Here’s some Harvard-era FinnLo pining to ring in day one. Huge thank-yous to @lumosinlove for the Sweater Weather characters and universe and to @noots-fic-fests for organizing the fest!
Title: Love at First Fright
Pairing: Finn O'Hara/Logan Tremblay
Rating: G
“Trick or treat!”
Finn smiled at the ghost-witch-robot trio looking up at him and dropped three handfuls of candy into the plastic pumpkin pails they held up expectantly.
“Hey, nice costumes! Happy Halloween!”
The kids barely stood still long enough to say it back before they were taking off in the opposite direction of the frat house, eager to get back to their parents and hit up more treat stops around campus before dark. It was a good day for it; classic autumn in New England, from the crispness in the air to the red, brown and yellow leaves drifting down off the trees to cover the manicured grass in a vibrant seasonal blanket. Even the deep red of Harvard’s brick buildings seemed more beautiful in October, like they were meant to exist in a state of perpetual fall.
Throngs of local kids—and some of their parents—were all decked out in their Halloween best, while Finn and the rest of the OKN guys wore school-branded clothes while taking turns manning the candy-laden folding table outside the house between classes. (Finn wasn’t sure any of them owned a costume they could wear outside in broad daylight.)
He laughed as Percy walked over, refill bag in hand, wearing the exact same gray sweatshirt with a crimson HARVARD across the chest as he was, the same black joggers—almost the same sneakers. “Fashion.”
Percy grinned back at him. “You know it, baby.” He turned the bag upside down, dumping the candy into any bowls that weren’t full and spilling some across the table as he went.
“Yo, you’re getting jolly ranchers all over the ground.”
“You’re a fuckin’ jolly rancher.”
“You’re a fuckin’ kit-kat.”
“You’re a—”
“Shut up, there’s kids,” Will warned, then passed some treats to a tiny ballerina with a kind smile and a compliment for her costume.
“Oh shit, my bad,” Percy said, and Finn snorted as Will cuffed him on the side of the head.
Finn unwrapped a watermelon jolly rancher and popped it into his mouth as he watched students and families pass by. Percy nudged him with an elbow, getting his attention. “Where’s Tremz? Thought you were surgically fused at this point.”
“Fu—” he cut off as Will leveled the captain stare at him. “Heck off. He’s in his medieval history class, he’ll be back soon.”
“Speak of the French-Canadian devil,” Percy shouted as Logan walked up the path to the house, backpack on his shoulders and snapback on his head—backwards, per usual. He looked good in the crimson Harvard Hockey hoodie he was wearing; Finn’s eyes caught the fraying at the cuffs and his stomach swooped as he realized it was his, that Logan must’ve swiped it this morning before heading out.
“Bonjour,” Logan said, oblivious to the state of Finn’s internal organs.
“Bone-joor,” Percy replied before Finn could say it. “Very French of you. And shorts in October. Very Canadian of you.”
“We haven’t even had first frost yet.” Logan looked from Percy to Finn. “How much candy did you let him eat?”
“Too much,” Will answered for him. “Don’t you have class next, Marshy?”
After a complicated handshake with Finn that neared 15 seconds long, Percy grabbed his bag and took off at a slow jog. Finn wasn’t happy that he left, exactly, but he was happy that Logan walked around the table to take his spot right beside him.
“How’s that black plague treatin’ ya?” he asked as Logan slid his backpack off and under the table.
Logan’s eyes crinkled as he laughed. “Better than it’s treating medieval Europeans. But the reading is a little…”
He looked away—embarrassed, maybe, or frustrated. Finn knew he hated that English still tripped him up sometimes, though the amount he’d improved in just a few semesters was damn impressive. Finn kicked his shin lightly. “I got you. Would’ve flunked out last spring if it weren’t for you, so. Bring on the plagues.”
Logan kicked him back and sent him a grateful smile. And just because he couldn’t help it, Finn plucked at the sleeve of his hoodie. “Nice sweatshirt.”
“You left it on my chair,” Logan said, but Finn saw a little bit of color in his cheeks that he was pretty sure the afternoon chill didn’t put there.
It was a shoddy excuse, but so was Finn teasing him about it being “a little tight in the shoulders, Tremz, you gym beast” just so he could put a hand on one of those broad shoulders and squeeze. Logan was warm and so solid even through the layers; his hand lingered just a second too long before he let it fall away.
The next half hour passed quickly as trick-or-treaters came and went. The sun had just started to sink lower in the sky when a girl who couldn’t have been older than five or six walked up to the table, her guardian hanging back a ways. She had a hockey jersey on and was carrying her helmet, probably tired of wearing it around.
She was closing in on Logan, who’d ended up on the opposite end of the long folding table as Finn at some point, when the big animatronic ghoul in front of the porch lurched and let out its tinny scream. The girl jumped, looking terrified, and tears filled her wide brown eyes.
“Oh,” Finn heard Logan say softly; his brow was knitted with concern as he walked quickly out from behind the table and crouched down in front of her. “I’m sorry. We didn’t mean to scare you.”
The girl didn’t say anything, just turned to look at her adult and then back at Logan. It seemed like she was trying not to run away.
Logan nodded at her jersey. “You play hockey?”
She nodded.
“Me too. All these guys are on my team. What’s your favorite position to play?”
That drew her out of her shell. “Goalie,” she said with a quiet confidence as she tucked her hair behind her ear.
“I see. You know what I know about goalies?” The girl shook her head, but clearly looked interested at whatever Logan was about to say. He leaned in like he was telling a secret, then said, “They’re the bravest ones. Also the craziest.”
Finn’s chest warmed at the way she laughed, at how Logan had gotten her from near-tears to happy and chatting in no time at all. He never got to see Logan with little kids; all their siblings were older. It was nice. It was sweet. It was doing things to Finn’s heart that he’d rather not think about.
In the end, the little girl—Harper, she told Logan as he filled her candy pail until it was overflowing, then filled her helmet, too—skipped away in a great mood. Logan was still smiling a little after they’d gone as Finn walked over to him.
“She was cute.”
Logan nodded. “Ouais.”
“You, too.” It was out of his mouth before he could shove it back in. Logan raised an eyebrow at him. “You were cute with her,” he explained—not that that really made it better.
But Logan looked pleased that he’d said so, even as he shrugged. “It’s not hard when they’re adorable. She said she’s a goalie.”
“Oh, so the skeleton thing should’ve been afraid of her.”
Logan laughed. “That’s kind of what I told her.”
Finn wanted to say so much. You’re cute all the time. You should only wear my hoodies. You’ll make a great dad someday. I want to share that someday with you.
Instead, he took Logan’s hat off and ruffled his hair. “Dinner?” he asked. “Burgers? Hog’s Head?”
Logan took his hat back and put it back on, but he wasn’t even pretending to be annoyed. “Ouais, let’s go now before they make us clean up.”
As they snuck off behind the house toward the pub, Finn took a handful of cherry jolly ranchers out of his pocket and put them in Logan’s. Logan laughed, then did the same for Finn with the watermelon ones.
“Happy Halloween, Tremz.”
“Happy Halloween, Harzy.”
#sweater weather lumosinlove#vaincre lumosinlove#coast to coast lumosinlove#breakaway lumosinlove#finnlo#o'knutzy#my fic#ficoween 2023
76 notes
·
View notes
Text
O'Knutzy week day 1
character credits to @lumosinlove, prompt credit to @oknutzyweek2023 . Also thanks to the wonderful beta @boredbook .
Prompts: Tomato Soup/Bucket hat/Mail/Gardening/Treat
“See, honey bug? That’s our first strawberries.”
“The ones from the plant?”
“The very ones.”
“How?”
Leo suppressed a laugh. Tristan was in full ‘why, how, who, when, and where’ phase. All the previous shyness that had made them think he was a quiet kid had disappeared but, Leo couldn’t bring himself to mind. He readjusted the bucket hat on the kid’s head, a sky-blue thing and with goldfish and carrots floating around. Just like Finn, one minute too long under the sun would have resulted in cute, but nevertheless tomato red, cheeks. Freckles were already spreading on his nose, and Leo had to restrain himself from scooping the kid in his arms and drown him in kisses. I’m a big boy now, Dada, he’d insisted that morning, as he tried to put on his shoes on his own. On the wrong feet. Leo limited himself to cleaning the little chin from soil -he didn’t know how it had ended there.
“Well, we planted the seeds, gave them some water and sunlight, and they grew into fruit.”
“Sunlight like you?”
It took a few moments for Leo to understand what the toddler said. He let a delighted laugh out. “Oh. Oh, my baby.” Tristan’s lower lip fell into a pout, looking away with blushed cheeks. Leo had to lean and kiss him on the head, right in the middle of the little hat. “Honey, sunshine is a name your Daddy calls me. The plants need the sunlight from the sun to grow.”
“Oh. But how?”
“Because sunlight gives them nutrients.”
“Says who?”
“The circle of life.”
“Like the movie with Simba?”
“Yes.”
“But we don’t have lions, or birds, or zebras, or…”
“I know, but-”
“No, Dada, lemme finish please.”
“Yeah, sorry. Go on.”
“Thank you. Lions, birds, zebras, elephants, antelopes, cheetahs, gnus…” Tristan continued to list all the animals from the movie, counting them on his little fingers in a focused frown. He’d been obsessed with the movie for weeks. Leo let him ramble as he finished covering the freshly transplanted herbs with new soil.
“Did I get them all?”
“I think you did, honey pie. Good job.”
“But how does the circle of life work?”
“Huh, everyone has a role to play and it doesn’t work if you don’t do your part.”
“Oh.” The answer seemed to satisfy Tristan, who nodded seriously, and leaned in to poke one of the small, newborn berries.
Leo thought he looked unbearably cute like that, crouched in front of the plants in his overalls. Leo could scream, cry, and sing of happiness while watching Tristan with his small fingers stroking the leaves with big, curious eyes. That was his kid, their kid, to love and raise and take care of. He wanted a picture of him like that. He’d send it to his mother for her birthday. Where was Finn with his camera?
Leo got back on his knees, cleaning his hands on his gardening jeans, and looked around for him. He’d been right there with them, videotaping everything for the memories, Peanut, just a second ago. Leo squinted his eyes in the sun, scanning their yard, and shook his head affectionately when he found his husband. Finn was leaning on the fence, some envelopes in hand and the old camera in the other. He was chatting with Ryan, the new neighbor- probably about golf again.
Leo nudged Tristan gently. “Are you gonna show our new strawberries to Daddy?”
That seemed to do the trick. The next second, the toddler was scrambling to his feet and sprinting. A series of Daddy, daddy, filled the yard, and Leo got to treasure the moment Finn turned around, already smiling radiantly at the name, and bent for the impact. Tristan jumped at full speed into open arms, which lifted him with a little hop, before he was eased on the redhead’s hip. Finn chuckled, adjusting the bucket hat again. He pointed at Ryan, and the kid politely said hi, before filling Finn in with the gardening news. Leo sat back down into the soft grass, taking a moment to look at them. He watched Finn lean down for Tristan to whisper something in his ear, watched the way he looked down at their son with that heart written all over his face. Leo should have taken the camera, he thought. If only he’d kept his own hands clean. Every interaction his husbands had with Tristan was a wonder. A treasure to behold, protect, and replay forever.
“I hear we have strawberries in our lands.”
Leo looked up at Finn, a shield in between him and the sun. He smiled.
“This way, Daddy!” Tristan took Finn’s finger to make him sit with them –which he did, without worrying about his good pants getting dirty. Finn looked the right amount of amazed and curious as their kid pointed at the little berries and explained to him his very own version of the circle of life. And when he turned to Leo for confirmation, the blond made sure to look serious enough while nodding.
Finn let out a low whistle. “Well, that’s impressive, little man. That was all you and Dada, hmm?”
“And the sunshine and the water and the circle of life,” Tristan clarified. “But not the sunshine like Dada. It’s a different kind of sunshine.”
“Oh, got it. Thanks, bud, I won’t get confused now.”
Finn glanced at Leo as the toddler threw himself into a conversation with the little strawberries. They shared a sun-warmed smile. And, damn, if in his twenties, Leo had thought that Heartthrob O’Hara couldn’t get any more charming, he hadn’t considered Finn as a dad. The light in his eyes every time their kid called for Daddy, and the energy he put to make Tristan feel listened to, loved, and to play with him until they got him a sibling. The more pronounced lines at the corner of his eyes, mixing with his lopsided smile, that Leo knew existed for the sole purpose of making him melt.
Finn nudged at the front door behind him. “Why don’t you go inside for a bit, baby? Drink some water, see what’s for lunch. I’ll stay here with our garden gnome.”
“Am not!” Tristan called out from his spot next to the plants.
“You sure?” Leo whispered. Finn nodded.
“I don’t wanna lose the third explanation of the circle of life. Or the fourth. Oh, here-” he added, leaning to push the envelopes into Leo’s jeans pocket. “Just bills. And the thing for the charity event.”
“Did you call Noelle to ask if they can babysit that night?”
Finn’s smile faltered for a second. “I…said I would.”
“You did.”
“I will.”
“I know. Possibly before the charity night, darling.”
Leo was welcomed by the chill air inside and low music coming from the kitchen. It was some old, French song about love and spring. Leo could relate. He wasn’t surprised to hear Logan singing along as he would’ve been fifteen years ago, but it was always a welcomed melody.
He quietly stepped into the open space that was their kitchen and first dining room and stopped for a moment to take it all in. Logan’s shoulders were still broad and strong, even years after his retirement. His edges were softer, both in his body and his temper. But the fire was always there, warming their home like he always had.
•••
Logan was busy stirring the pot, mumbling the song to himself, when long arms circled his waist and a head rested on his shoulder. He smiled as he added cream to the mix. For the next song, they didn’t move at all. Leo adjusted himself so his back wouldn’t be so crooked, and Logan fetched a spoon to taste the red, boiling soup.
“Ah, ouais,” he nodded, satisfied, lifting the spoon to let Leo take a sip. “You’re in for a treat, mon amour.”
Leo hummed. “Tomato soup, the fanciest lunch of them all.” He received a weak, affectionate slap on the shoulder, accompanied by a chuckling sound that vibrated against his chest.
“It’s made with love. Secret ingredient that makes it fancy. It’s a treat.”
“It’s always a treat if you’re making it.”
Logan had to tilt his head for the next kiss.
•••
Leo changed out of his gardening clothes to help Logan fix lunch. He’d taken a sense of pride, in the last few years, in preparing meals for Leo, Finn and now Tristan. He wouldn’t ask for help, so Leo always made sure to stick around. Just in case. But Logan, with his romantic music and the recipe book neatly displayed next to Leo’s spices, was doing a good job.
Once they were all sat down, Leo watched Logan’s satisfied smile being kissed by Finn, thanking him for lunch. Finn told them about the mail, and about Ryan inviting them to golf next weekend, and all the neighborhood’s gossip he’d heard. Then, Tristan decided it was time to go through the circle of life one more time. Papa still hadn’t heard it, after all. Leo nodded along as he placed peas in Tristan’s plate, which immediately summoned a pout capable of melting Logan. He intercepted it with a raised eyebrow.
“I don’t wanna hear it, young man. We need the peas to grow. Just like plants need sunlight.”
Tristan seemed to consider the idea. “Is sunlight the veggie for plants?”
“Sure is.”
“Then why isn’t it green?”
A few beats of silence followed. Finn, mouth full, lifted his spoon towards the kid, in a mock toast. “Valid point, kiddo.”
•••
“…And when your strawberries will be ready, we can pick them and make something yummy with them,” Leo explained.
Tristan gasped. “For dinner?”
Logan swiped off some tomato soup at the corner of his mouth. “They need to grow, mon ange.”
“Tomorrow’s dinner?”
“Maybe in a few weeks.”
“Aw, man.”
Logan turned fast enough to catch the pride in Finn’s eyes at the exclamation. He saw Leo do the same and smiled even more. It was the most wonderful thing to see little bits of them mixing in their child. Logan wanted more than a lifetime of this.
“But they’ll be so good, mon cœur,” he added. “Then we can use them for baking.”
“Yeah, there’s so much you can do,” Finn backed him up. “Jam, pie, cheesecake…”
“Strawberry shortcakes.”
Leo and Finn looked up at him. Logan smiled, involuntary and sweet. A flash of tangled, young bodies on a boat, and the golden sunset in the bayou surfaced. His smile matched theirs. Sweet and not quite nostalgic. Remembering. No matter how many times Leo had prepared that dessert over the years, they’d always associated it to their first night in New Orleans.
“Yeah,” Finn breathed. “That’s a good one.”
Looking up at the clear night sky, drunk on love and pleasure and adrenaline, the Finn from all those years ago would have never dared to imagine a future like this. Made of strawberries in the garden, a fourth chair at the table and wedding photos in the hallway. He remembered the first kisses, soft and hard, because they’d all needed kindness, but also a tangible proof of being wanted and needed. The utter wonder in seeing his hand tangled with the other two. But he hadn’t pictured this. Not back then.
“And you know what? Whatever you make, it’ll be extra good because it’ll come from you,” Leo added with a wink.
Tristan giggled, and Logan rubbed a hand through his soft curls. Finn was amazed to learn that his hair would turn lighter during summer. And a thousand other things, all about a little human being they were raising together. He watched Leo smile at them as he rested his chin on a fist. He had to blink fast a few times. Take a deep breath. Just to take it all in.
Sometimes he’d still get that lump in his throat from all the love and wonder he felt for his husbands. And the little fireworks in the eyes of his younger self at the word husbands. Oh, if twenty-five-year-old Finn could see how good they had it coming. How a rookie entering his frat house and another one in his big, empty apartment would end in this. Sometimes he wished he could talk to younger Finn. Just to let him know that the silence, the tears and the keeping it all inside would be worth it. As Logan had written in his vows, they’d met so many bumps along the way that could have split them out. Fights, trades, the intricate webs that were their minds. But they’d chosen each other over every single issue. And they’d continue to do so.
Finn leaned back on his chair, watching Tristan use Logan’s fingers to count all the animals again because he’d run out of his own. He felt a gentle thumb on his cheek. Leo’s smile warmed him like the sun in the garden.
“Where did you go just now, cher?”
“You’ll teach him how to make the shortcakes?”
Leo’s eyes softened, and the thumb on his cheek pressed a little harder. “Sure thing, strawberry.”
Finn noticed Logan glancing at them with a dopey smile, and had to nudge his feet under the table. He let Tristan pull his hand closer so he could continue his counting as he leaned to rest his head on Leo’s shoulder and exhaled.
“Cheers, sunshine.”
103 notes
·
View notes
Text
@lumosinlove sweather weather and vaincre characters as nhl clips... i could make a thousand of these... bet you can't tell who my favorite is
#sweather weather lumosinlove#vaincre lumosinlove#lumosinlove#oknutzy#kaseywinter#alexohara#sirius black#finn o'hara#logan tremblay#leo knut
58 notes
·
View notes
Text
O’Knutzy Week Day 1!!!!!
I’m not late because I said so also time is a concept. A huge thank you to @oknutzyweek2023 for organizing this fest and to the lovely @lumosinlove for the creation of these characters!!!
Day 1 Prompt: Smile
CW for mentions of food/drink and depictions of internalized homophobia/negative self talk
When Logan was four years old smiles were as simple as breathing. He was all scraped knees and grubby fingers, trailing behind his three (which comes after two and before five…he thinks) older sisters. All he knew was dress up and pirates and that was enough for him.
He had lost his first tooth last Tuesday, La Petite Souris had reimbursed him kindly with several shiny new coins. He had run down the stairs with them clasped in his hand and shouted “Look!” at his maman. His cheeks were round and rosy, indents from the pillowcase still stretching across them, and smiling so hard it almost hurt. There was still blue on his lips from where he had accidentally drawn on his mouth with a marker while rubbing his eye and his mouth made a faint whistling sound when he exhaled through his teeth. His maman smiled back. And that was how life worked at four.
Smiling was a language like French or English. On humid summer days in France, he and his sisters would sit on sticky hardwood floors and sound out vowels through box fans. The giggles and smiles were I love yous, just with fewer syllables. His sisters forced him into dresses and called him gross, but it was okay. They smiled at him like he was theirs forever and he trusted them enough to know it was true.
Smiles were opening presents on Christmas and jumping through the sprinkler outside. They were storytime and birthday cakes and good night kisses. They were stitched onto his favorite stuffed animals and frozen in time in pictures covering the wall on their stairway.
One time he snuck out of bed to sit on the stairs and watch TV through the railing over the backs of his parents’ heads. The man on the TV looked sad and said a lot of big words. He didn’t smile much, he said something about life not making sense. Logan didn’t understand that. Living was about love and love was where home was and home was where he smiled most.
There was a creak from behind him and when he turned around he saw Noelle smiling while holding her finger up to her mouth with a silent shh. Logan smiled back when she sat down next to him. Yeah, it all seemed pretty simple to him.
___
At thirteen years old the world was not simple. It was messy and confusing, it was like someone had paint splattered across walls and asked him what the shapes spelled out. Logan didn't know, and they would smile. But not the smiles that he was used to, no, smiles were different now.
Smiles could be sharp, pointed weapons. Looks shared between boys with letterman jackets across the halls, the ringing laughter after a slam against lockers. Dirty jokes, ego, us vs. them politics, mental gymnastics, I know you are but what am I?, thinly veiled insults, banter, and “locker room talk.”
There was a sense of panic building up inside Logan that he couldn’t pinpoint. He smiled along, though he could feel it not reaching his eyes. Did they see it not reaching his eyes? Is his hair weird? His shirt feels too small, why’d he wear this today? Purple is a stupid color. Stupid. This is stupid. He’s stupid.
He walked into his algebra class and sat down next to some boy he didn't recognize with a huff.
“Bad day?”
Logan’s head snapped to look at him. “Huh?”
“I was just wondering if you were okay. You seem…grumpy.”
And then the boy smiled at him. He smiled.
His eyes crinkled up at the corners and the freckles on his cheeks stretched out. There was a light that seemed to shine outwards from his irises, his hair looked soft and his jaw was somewhere between round and angular. Logan wanted to reach out and touch, and why did his stomach feel like-?
Oh.
Oh no.
Smiles always had teeth, but they had never bitten until then. Logan didn't smile back, he clenched the feeling between his fists and made it as small as it could be.
___
Finn was something impossible. He was a broken clock right three times a day, a city with no people, lightning in a bottle, a tsunami with no casualties, dressed in socks with Adidas slides and brown eyes that felt like a sacrament.
He gave smiles away like old furniture. Here, you’ll get more use out of this than I will. He was unguarded and open and free and if Logan was honest Finn terrified him. Finn was the sun. Logan could already feel his eyes burning, he really should look away, but oh, didn’t it feel so good to be warm?
Logan was cool green stares with walls miles high surrounding them. But, Finn was well equipped with inside jokes, memorized coffee orders, delirious late nights, no-look passes, adrenaline highs, and shared greasy breakfasts. Finn poked and prodded at the hard shell Logan had so carefully put together over four years. Slowly, piece by piece it wore down, floating like wilted flower petals to the floor. Logan could feel himself loosen, feel the tense muscles relax, his fists unclench.
At seventeen, inside a rundown frat house, in their messy, poorly decorated room, Logan couldn't help himself. He smiled, but he swore it didn't mean I love you. It didn’t.
___
Leo was simple. He was like thunder after lightning and the rainbow after a storm. He made sense, slotted into place like he always belonged. He was loud sort of quiet, he had a presence about him that you didn't realize how much room it encompassed until it wasn’t there.
Leo let Logan talk. Just talk. And the best part is he would listen. Logan felt heard when Leo was around, Finn listened too but sometimes he didn’t understand. Maybe it was because, for Logan, English never seemed to be a good medium for explanation, it always seemed one size too small. Leo understood, though, both in English and French. Leo could read between the lines, sometimes Logan didn't have to say anything at all. And that, that was ecstasy in itself. Logan could get so tired of explaining, sometimes he just wanted to be.
If Finn was the sun and Logan was the moon, then Leo was the night sky. Vast and all-consuming in a quiet sort of way, comforting like a blanket, pretty to look at. God, was he pretty to look at.
In a hotel room in a city that Logan had visited several times but never got to know, Leo answered a knock on the door and brought in a tray. He picked a mug up off of it and handed it to Logan.
“Here, I got you some mint tea.”
Logan smiled. He couldn’t lie to himself this time, he knew it meant I love you. And didn’t that just make it all the more tragic?
___
Smiles weren’t as simple as breathing, they were as simple as atoms. They made up everything around Logan and were everywhere. Logan would wake up and smile, eat breakfast and smile, pay taxes and smile. He would stay up late in the night with Leo, fighting with insomnia together and he would wake up sleep deprived and the happiest he's ever been. Finn would come home from a run sweaty and hug him and it would be gross, and disgusting, and really, Logan should be screaming in terror but, against all odds there he was smiling.
It was convoluted, but then again, it was the most understandable thing to ever happen. He was right when he was four, smiles meant I love you and there was so much love to give. In the dead of night, in the blazing afternoon, love was exchanged like playground, pinky-swear promises. Logan would keep every one.
He had been planning it for months, he nearly wore a hole in the rug from the pacing back and forth. He sat in front of them on a blanket in the middle of a field and pushed two small velvet boxes toward each of them, along with letters that bared his soul. He had opted for letters instead of some big speech, he was terrified of not getting the words out right and of switching to French halfway through. Words had always been Finn’s department anyway.
They both looked back up at him with tears in their eyes.
Logan smiled and said, “I love you.”
They knew, of course they knew. Logan said it out loud anyway.
___
The wedding was a summer affair, chairs were set outside by a big tree. Finn had put on sunscreen in preparation.
“This is a setup” he had said. Logan and Leo had laughed so hard that they almost fell off the bed.
“I don’t see what’s so funny about it.” It would have sounded serious if Finn wasn’t smiling, and he was smiling.
After a coughing fit Leo gathered himself enough to say, “You don’t want to marry us outside, Finn?”
Finn paused at that. He was still smiling but it changed into something soft yet sure, like faith.
“I’d marry you anywhere and nowhere at all.”
So it was settled. The wedding would be outside, and if Finn had more freckles on his nose during their honeymoon, it would be a burden Logan and Leo would gladly carry. However, the sunscreen turned out to be unnecessary. Dark clouds had rolled in and rain trickled down around them.
It was perfect, unexpected, but perfect. Like a child, they loved the moment anyway. There was no world where it could be bad, because it was theirs, and it was them, and they were together, and wouldn’t that always be beautiful?
They got married in the rain with wet hair in front of all of their friends and family. Their smiles said I do well before their mouths did, and though Leo and Logan would miss Finn’s extra freckles, it was a small sacrifice.
___
The hospital room was white and smelled sterile. It was much different from the shade of pink that the guest bedroom in their house had been painted.
Daughter.
You’re having a daughter.
Logan had been drowning in shades of pink for four months and he never wanted it to stop. He wanted tea parties, and race cars, and doll houses, and dress up, and pirates, and math homework, and sleepless nights, and play pretend. He wanted it all. He put all of his excited energy into planning the nursery and buying toys. Now, sitting between Finn and Leo in hospital room chairs, he didn’t know what to do with himself. He bounced his leg up and down and tapped his fingers on the armrest, Finn and Leo had grabbed his hands several times to get him to stop.
Time seemed to stop when the door opened. A nurse walked in holding a bundle of blankets.
“You ready to hold your baby girl?”
Before Logan could process, the baby was placed into his arms. She was the tiniest thing he’d ever seen, with a button nose and round cheeks. She fussed a bit, her arms wiggling and feet kicking, and for a moment her eyes opened the smallest amount.
Two pairs of green eyes met.
And Logan cried.
But mostly he just smiled.
#Leo knut#finn o'hara#logan tremblay#cubs#oknutzy#o'knutzy#lumosinlove#Coast To Coast#coast to coast fanfic#vaincre#vaincre fanfic#my fic#fanfic#oknutzy week 2023#o'knutzy week 2023#fluff#marriage proposal#marriage
70 notes
·
View notes
Note
You have some awesome friendship fics when Remus and Lily do manis and go shopping. Have you thought of one where Remus is there when Lily gets her wedding dress or she is there to get him fitted for his suit for his own wedding. Or the same with James/Sirius although I’m not sure how that would work with Reg.
Fic O'Ween Day 2: Candle Wax to continue the excellent friendship vibes from yesterday. Big fest thanks to @noots-fic-fests and character credit goes to @lumosinlove.
TW brief mention of alcohol
“Give it a spin.”
“…I don’t want to.”
“Then put it back.”
“What if it’s the one?”
Remus’ entire face scrunched with a frown in the mirror behind her. “Lily,” he began, with as much concern as if she had just told him the sky was actually emerald green. “Why would you buy a wedding dress you don’t want to spin in?”
“He’s right,” Natalie chimed in, swirling her rosé with a critical glance over Lily’s skirt. “You deserve better.”
“What if—”
“Literally your one requirement was to be able to spin, babygirl.”
Lily studied herself in the mirror again. The dress was pretty and creamy and light around her legs. The bow at the back wasn’t bad, perhaps a little oversized, but that could be fixed. It was already five o’clock, anyway. Two hours should be more than enough time to find a wedding dress.
“You don’t like it,” Remus said gently.
“No,” she sighed. “Not that much.”
“Then try a different one.”
Natalie brightened. “Yeah, what about that off-the-shoulder number? With the sweetheart neckline?”
Lily tipped her head back and forth. “My tits were falling out.”
“Exactly.”
“You do love when James makes a fool of himself,” Remus added.
The fabric slid in a smooth cascade beneath her palms. Probably damp palms. Was it alright for her to touch this fabric when she was nervous? Why was she nervous, anyway? It was her wedding. Her James. Natalie was right—she deserved the dress of her dreams. Lily knew her dreams better than anyone else and always had, through Petunia, through her Master’s, through a whole-ass baby. A dress should be the easiest thing in the world to choose.
“You liked the flowers, right?” Remus suggested, picking at the edge of his phone case. “On the…what was it, the third one?”
“The fourth.” Natalie nodded. “That’s the one with the sweetheart neckline.”
It was a nice dress. And she did like the florals. “Yeah, I guess.”
“Never mind.”
“What?”
“You’re not getting a ‘yeah, I guess’ dress,” Natalie said firmly. “Fuck that. You’re getting an ‘oh my god, I love this, I’m going to make every single guest cream their pants when they see me’ dress.”
“I—”
“What did you like about them?” Remus asked. “The other dresses.”
“I…” Lily trailed off. Her raw inner lip pinched when she nibbled at it. Jesus, her palms really did feel fucking soaked. “I don’t like this fabric. Or the bow. I liked the flowers from the other dress, but I want them smaller. The buttons on the bodice were nice.”
“Remind me what the bodice is?” she heard Remus whisper.
“The top,” Natalie whispered back before raising her voice again. “How about you take that thing off and we look together, hon? Three pairs of eyes are better than one.”
The surge of relief in her belly was a surprise, but not unwelcome. Lily examined the way it lay against her thighs for a moment longer before pursing her lips. “I don’t know, you guys have better things to—”
Immediate protests—far too loud for the pristine establishment—burst from both. “I’m not listening to that,” Remus warned. “Nuh-uh. This is a Lily day and I have the calendar invite to prove it.”
Natalie watched her in the mirror with a dangerous arch to her eyebrow. “You gave me rosé, my hot bestie, and pretty clothes to look at. Don’t take this from me. Now, tell us where to go and we will be your little wedding minions for as long as your heart desires.”
Lily loved her. Dearly. She glanced back once more and caught Remus’ eye, and his encouraging smile. “Calendar invite?”
“Midnight to midnight, Evans.”
“Florals, buttons, and something I can sweat in. Oh, and spin.” She shook her head. “Why did I pick a July wedding?”
Natalie stood and placed her hands on Lily’s shoulders, leaving them nearly eye-to-eye with the help of the pedestal beneath her. Her palms were pleasantly cool on Lily’s overheated skin. “Because you can’t fucking wait to marry James Potter, you utter legend.”
--
Two hours.
Fourteen more dresses.
Lily rolled a fine satin petal between her fingertips, dragged her palms up her waist, down over her belly, across the swell of her thighs. The pale green chiffon faded to blush and back in loose waves over the solid ivory beneath. She rested her weight on her other side and followed the tender shimmer where the light caught each movement. The straps were broad, yet elegant—fawn-colored buttons tracked from the valley of her chest to the top of the skirt, where small flowers had been stitched in rows that dripped through the folds like warm candle wax.
“She looks so fucking gorgeous, I’m gonna cry.”
“I know. Jesus. That’s gotta be it.”
“Did you find that one?”
“Mhmm.”
“Nice, Lupin. Hook it up.” A soft high-five interrupted their muttering. “Can you pick out my wedding dress?”
“Propose to Bliz first. Then we can talk.”
“What do you think?” Lily called over her shoulder. She didn’t bother looking away from the mirror; she looked too good for that.
“Stellar as always, Lils,” Remus answered with a firm thumbs-up.
“Creaming myself as we speak,” Natalie chimed in. “Honestly, babe, you’re beautiful beyond belief. The dress just makes it even clearer.”
She gave a little sway to watch it ripple around her ankles—Remus’ sharp whistle made her jump, though it soon turned to laughter. He drummed his hands on either side of the armchair. “Come on, come on, do the spin—oh, there she goes!”
Natalie whooped. “Throw that ass in a circle, baby! You and me are getting down at that reception.”
A blush heated Lily’s face and neck as she laughed, still spinning, but it looked—fuck, it looked so pretty when Lily caught herself in the mirror again. The dappled colors of the dress warmed her away from fire-engine red, highlighting the pinks of her skin and auburn of her hair where it fell over her shoulder. I want pictures of this, she thought. I want a photo album of pictures where I’m in this dress, and I want James Potter to cry when he sees me in it. “I look so hot right now.”
“You so do,” Remus agreed. They were both leaning forward in their chairs, hands clasped. Lily briefly imagined asking them to find her another dress, just to watch them goggle at her.
But she wasn’t sure she’d take this one off for a million dollars.
“Is it…” Natalie pressed her lips together, eyes gleaming. “Lily?”
She was nodding before the words even began to come out. “This is my wedding dress.”
“Yes!”
“This is my fucking Stanley Cup, oh my god.” Natalie held both hands to her cheeks and turned to Remus, bouncing on her toes. “Oh my god, oh my god, wedding dress—”
“Wedding, wedding, wedding, Lily don’t you dare make us celebrate without you—”
Lily laughed and gathered the skirt up off the floor; it was only a short step to the ground before they were on her with all the force of an ecstatic hurricane. Natalie’s arms were a vice around her waist while Remus held them both and pressed a smacking kiss to the top of her head. She hoped this bodice had proper boning, because her chest was simply going to explode with the light radiating inside her.
“I’m so happy for you,” Remus mumbled against the side of her head. “And I’m so excited, and you look so pretty, and I’m so proud of you.”
Natalie was there in half a second to brush her thumbs over Lily’s cheekbones and ease the lump in her throat. “Look at you,” she whispered, beaming. “Look at you!”
“I know.” She laughed again and it came out a bit choked. Natalie made a small, sympathetic sound as Remus pulled a pack of tissues from his back pocket, but Lily waved them off with a few fast blinks. “God, it’s—happy tears, I promise. I’m so happy. Can I get married tonight?”
“Yes,” they chorused.
Remus nodded, still offering the tissues. “Say the word, I’ll call James right now. I think he wanted to get married the night of the Cup.”
“Only took him eight years to ask,” Lily grumbled.
Their burst of laughter made several people across the store glance over, reducing them to hushed giggling in the best huddle Lily had ever been part of.
--
Soft, pastel thread bumped beneath James’ thumb as he ran it along the cuff on his suit. The pockets and lapels held much of the same—microscopic flowers, leaves, and patterns stitched into matte black fabric under Lily’s incredibly cryptic guidance.
“Looks damn good.”
“Ahblahablah!”
James tilted his shoulders this way and that. There had to be some square inch he was missing. Nothing in the world could possibly be this right. Then again, he was marrying Lily Evans, and that was pretty damn perfect. “D’you think her dress matches the suit?”
Sirius’ eyes flickered to the ground for a half-second. “…probably.”
“You’ve seen it?”
“Maybe.”
Something in James’ stomach gave a funny swoop. A Lily swoop. “How did she look?”
Sirius’ laugh made Harry squeal around the fistful of t-shirt (definitely Remus’) he had shoved in his mouth. “Dude,” Sirius said, shaking his head. “You’re going to lose your mind.”
#lily evans#lily potter#james potter#remus lupin#sirius black#natalie darcy#coops#jily#baby harry#sweater weather#lumosinlove#my fic#fanfic#fic o’ween 2023#fluff#wedding shopping
159 notes
·
View notes
Last Seen Blogs
shawolsos
eurotrash bitch
bjtitus
Blog
chiivsy
Chii likes Ghosts
yetanotherundertaleaufanboy
Yet Another Undertale/AU Ask Blog
canarinogiallo
esistenza a colori