#i want all the best things for you and your boyfriend/hopefully husband eventually
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AITA for refusing to propose to my boyfriend?
We both wanna get married and our families & friends are cool and everything (honestly he's my mom's favorite child at this point), but he says I should have to do the actual proposal and I say he should.
He thinks since I hate every restaurant he takes me to (I work in food service I know what I'm about he picks BAD places) I should just be in charge of it, I think since he makes way more and he's stupid picky about jewellery (he knows what the different gemstone cuts are. He has OPINIONS on gemstone cuts. I am marrying a monster) he should have to buy the ring, and we both need it to be a special romantic surprise enough that we're not about to co-propose or some shit. We're also both guys, so there's not really any traditional rules to fall back on here, either.
It's been mostly fine, but his 30th birthday was the week before last and he's LEGIT mad I didn't propose then. We took a whole trip and had dinner with his entire family (we live a 2 1/2 hour flight away) and shit, so if I were gonna do it, that would've been the time. I told him I've already said I wasn't proposing, and that he can do it himself or we can be boyfriends for his 70th birthday too, and he said "If we're not married by the time I'm 70 you will be LUCKY to still be boyfriends" and stormed off to our room, and now he says he's fine but I'm 90% sure he's been training the cat to bite my hands? It's happened every single time I try to pet her and he looks very smug about it.
So did I fuck up here or what?
PS If I'm not the asshole how do I talk him into proposing already I am DYING over here I wanna marry him so BAD. He BRIBED the CAT to BITE me I NEED this man to be my husband N O W .
What are these acronyms?
#mod opinion: op i have no idea but i N E E D to know how this turns out#i want all the best things for you and your boyfriend/hopefully husband eventually#aita#am i the asshole#reddit#the saga of proposal anon
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Bad Decisions
A/n: anon requested! Sorry it took me so long, hope it was worth the wait.
Warning: smut
You were a rule follower. Rules were good. They guide us and keep us in line and hopefully prevent us from making detrimental mistakes. And you didn’t want to deal with the consequences of making mistakes so you tried your best to let life take its course. You and Chris dated three years and were engaged for one before you got married. He worked for a private equity firm, had graduated at the top of his class and provided you with a life that most people could only dream of. And your work-from-home job provided you extra security because your mom had always warned you to have your own bank account so you weren’t solely relying on your husband, having money of your own. Chris was a great boyfriend when you met. He was fun and adventurous and kind, who shared all of your hopes and dreams for the future. It felt like you had met your perfect match. But then you got married and he got complacent. There were no more surprise date nights or trips to the Bahamas. Your nights were occupied by stuffy rich-guy dinners, impressing CEOs of various companies and rubbing elbows with trophy wives who hated their husbands. Over time, you eventually became one of them. It wasn’t that Chris was a bad man, he just loved his job more than he would ever love you. And after five years of essentially being ignored, you had hit an emotional wall.
Until you met him.
Chris had dragged you to the Chargers Invitational, a golf tournament that doubled as a fundraiser for the Chargers Impact Fund. Of course, his firm was a big donor and your husband would never miss an opportunity for a photo op and to parade you around like the trophy you’d become. It was humiliating. After shaking hands with countless players, other donors and random people whose names you couldn’t remember, you went inside for a moment of peace. You were nursing your second “Sex on the Beach” cocktail when he grabbed a seat next to you.
“I see you’ve found my hiding spot.” His voice was so soothing, like a warm hug.
It took everything in you not to look up from your drink. “How does the face of the franchise even manage to hide at team events? Don’t you have treaties to sign and babies to kiss?”
He laughed and placed his drink on the table. “You make me sound like European royalty, which I am very much not.” He holds a hand out for you to shake, a wide smile plastered on his face when you finally decide to meet his gaze. “I’m Justin by the way, it’s a pleasure to meet you.”
“I know who you are, golden boy,” you utter softly, your heart beating in your ears. “I’m y/n.”
From the first day, you felt it. That spark, that unspoken tension in the room that was obvious to both of you. But then you looked down at your left hand and were reminded of the commitment you made and you couldn’t do it. But of course the universe wanted to punish you anyway. Chris’ firm had partnered with the Chargers during the offseason which included a few appearances at Sofi stadium. Chris was in New York for a conference during one of these appearances and begged you to go. The donors were to be partnering with a player and collecting donations for a non-profit benefiting the Los Angeles inner city area. Of course, you were partnered up with Justin. He was clad in a black suit that fit him perfectly and the two of you made your rounds, collecting a total of $15,000 in donations by the end of the night. You were getting ready to order your Uber when Justin offered to take you home.
“Can we make a quick stop on the way?” You asked and he nodded, laughing to himself when you told him where you wanted to go.
The two of you sat in the parking lot of Dairy Queen, thoroughly enjoying your blizzards. “When I was in college, my parents used to get these for us all the time, this reminds me of home a little bit.”
“I’m a sucker for ice cream. Very much into the whole dessert before dinner thing. Also an advocate for dessert after dinner. It’s nice to have someone to share it with for a change.” You whisper sadly.
He looks at you with an equally dejected expression. “I don’t mean to pry but, do you and your husband not eat together?”
“Oh it’s fine.” You wave him off. “Um, we don’t do anything together. Not anymore. I am basically married to myself most of the time and he makes a cameo appearance when it’s a money making opportunity.” You laugh sadly, disappointed at how your life has gone.
“I don’t know, it’s like he only married me because it looks good to have a wife on your arm when it comes to talking to investors. Being a husband makes you look more trustworthy with people’s money in a sense.”
“That is…terrible.” He exclaims. “You should be with someone who makes you happy and cherishes every waking moment because they get to wake up next to you. And of course, someone to enjoy blizzards with.”
“You deserve more.”
When he said that, something in you broke. You reached over to cup his face in your hands and kissed him like you’ve never kissed anyone before. There was so much fire and desire in the kiss, until he pulled away.
“Y/n, I don’t know if we should do this. If we start, I don’t know if I’ll be able to stop.”
“Then don’t.” You said simply.
He connected your lips again, his tongue gaining access to the inside of your mouth with a muffled moan as you smiled into the kiss. It had been so long since you’d been kissed this way that it sent shivers down every inch of your body. When he dropped you off at home, you couldn’t wait to do it again.
So you did…for the next three months.
You spent every waking moment you could together. You surprised him one weekend by renting out a place in Oregon when he went home. And you spent countless nights in his house watching movies and bonding with his cat. As much as you had prided yourself in following the rules before, you couldn’t help but feel the most alive you’d ever felt when you were with Justin. He was kind and dedicated to his job but when he was with you it wasn’t about football, it was about life and the endless possibilities of the world. A world that had gone gray for you during your marriage. A world that was now full of vibrant colors because you were definitely falling in love with the Chargers quarterback. You needed to have a talk with your husband when he came home from his latest work trip.
“Well…Chris just texted to let me know that he’s not coming home until Monday so, we have the place to ourselves for the next two days. What do you wanna do?” You beamed at him, wrapping your arms around his waist.
The look on his face didn’t match your excitement. “What are we doing here? I mean, I thought this was just going to be a short fling where we have a little fun and then pretend it never happened. But I don’t think I can do that anymore. I can’t do this anymore.”
Your face drops, “Justin what—what do you mean you can’t do this anymore?”
“I mean that I’m in love with a married woman and if I keep doing this I’m just going to end up looking like an idiot when you inevitably choose him over me. Not sure I can handle that.” He sighs, your foreheads touching before he takes a step back. “I should go, I’m so sor—”
“Justin, I love you.” You state honestly, stopping him in his tracks. “I love you, not Chris. And you’re right it’s not fair to you. I’m going to talk to him when he gets home and ask for a divorce. Someone reminded me that I deserve more. And I think I’ve found it. It’s you.”
The way he tipped your chin up to kiss you spoke louder than any words he could say. Both of his hands tenderly held your face, allowing the two of you to melt into the kiss as you grabbed onto his shirt to pull him in even closer. “I love you too,” he mumbled against your lips when you broke apart for a breath. He led you upstairs, taking his time with you, his fingers finding your sweet spot and talking you through your first orgasm. His movements were slow and meticulous, taking his time with you as he felt his own arousal increase by the second at your sounds of pleasure. You watched in anticipation as he rolled the condom on and made his way back to you in bed. Your arms were lazily placed around his neck as your stomachs were pressed against each other and his lips placed chaste kisses along your neck and shoulder. Allowing yourself to fully relax at the feeling of his pillowy lips, Justin lined himself up against your entrance and pushed in slowly, waves of ecstasy flooding the room. He maintained a steady rhythm with his thrusts, holding one of your hands against the bed while his other hand held your hips steady, your moans matching his strength for strength like you were perfectly made for each other. You squeezed his fingers in the hand that was firmly holding yours, eyes falling shut. It had been so long since you felt wanted, loved and cared for. This was the first time in a long time that you felt beautiful. And then he abruptly stopped.
“Are you okay? Should—should we stop?” He sounded breathless as he pulled out and you opened your eyes to see a slight glimmer on his skin.
“Yeah I’m fine,” you barely got out, “more than fine.” Justin ran his thumb under your eye to wipe a tear that you hadn’t even felt coming down your face. “This is just so much better than I could imagine and I guess it just got me emotional.” You let out a wet laugh and he joined in, wrapping his arms around you and holding you until you fell asleep.
You woke up to the sound of the front door opening and Chris walked up the stairs to find you and Justin in bed.
“I came home early to surprise you but I guess I’m the one who’s surprised.” He bit out.
Your life as a rule follower has definitely just become a lot more interesting.
#justin herbert#justin herbert imagine#justin herbert smut#nfl imagine#Justin Herbert x reader#Justin Herbert fanfic
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"Scavenger Hunt" Jegulus Oneshot
Prompt by @jegulus-microfic (prompt: ring)
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Regulus walked downstairs, the note in hand, barely even awake.
He had just woken up, found a note on his bedside table, and no James in bed with him. All the note said was:
'Good morning, love, and happy four year anniversary. I have a lot planned for us both, but first, a scavenger hunt!
Your first clue is this:
You will find your next clue in the place where your wonderful cooking is made.
Right inside place where me and my friends raid.
-JFP'
It was seven in the morning, and instead of getting to kiss and sleep in with his boyfriend, he was stuck going to god knows where to find clues.
Regulus walked into the kitchen, and opened the pantry door, hoping that this wouldn't take long, he just wanted to wish James a happy anniversary, and go back to sleep with him. And possibly go to dinner later.
There was a small bunch of balloons of all different colours and a note tied to the end of one of the green balloons.
Regulus sighed, but grabbed the note; he probably still wouldn't be the most thrilled to be on a scavenger hunt even if he had slept well and gotten a full nights rest, but he definitely wasn't feeling it when he had barely slept last night, probably from the lack of James in bed with him.
. . .
Twelve notes later, twelve different locations, and five hours later, Regulus finally stood at the (hopefully) final location.
A fancy French restaurant that Regulus and James had only been to once before and that was the date they went on for James's birthday.
Regulus walked into the restaurant, wearing his nice suit (as asked by the last note / clue) and was able to find the table they were assigned fairly quickly after talking with the waiter.
"Hey, darling, happy anniversary," James says with a bright smile as Regulus approaches the table.
"Happy anniversary," Regulus replies, smiling back at his wonderful boyfriend.
He had to admit, the whole ordeal was very sweet, just not really his thing, but still very sweet and thoughtful of James to put together.
"Have a seat," James offered the spot across from him for Regulus to sit.
Regulus sat down.
"So, did you like all your surprises?" James asked, still smiling.
"Yeah, I did, thank you so much, Jamie."
James's smile got even brighter at that.
"I have one last gift for you, Reggie," James says, but Regulus stops him before he is able to continue.
"Me first, Jamie. Close your eyes."
James looks at Regulus curiously, but closes his eyes like he is told.
A few moments later Regulus says, "You can open them now."
James opens his eyes to see Regulus on one knee, a ring box in hand.
"James Fleamont Potter, my sun, my love. I know it was you who fell first, but god did I fall hard. I have loved you since before our first date; you taught me how to love, how to live, not just survive, and I will forever be grateful for that. I would ask for nothing more than to be yours for a life time and many others. Jamie, will you do me the great honor of being my husband?"
By the time Regulus was done, James was weeping and nodding yes.
"You dick I was going to do that! Of course I'll marry you!" James says, his voice cracking from tears as he pulls out his own ring box.
Regulus smiles the biggest smile James had ever seen Regulus smile and pulls him into a kiss.
"Oh my god I love you. This could not have been a better day, Reggie, thank you."
"I love you too, James. I can't believe you were going to do it too. Thank you for an amazing day, and for saying yes."
They both eventually got off each other and put their rings on; both still practically crying the happiest of tears.
This was hands down the best day of both of their lives.
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[Word count: 647]
#jegulus#jegulus microfic#james x regulus#regulus x james#james loves regulus#regulus loves james#regulus black#james potter
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How Gawain Dubhán Byrne, Gavin Ciarán Byrne, Eun-jeong Yoo, Ryuunosuke Yamamoto, Ryouta Watanabe react to a reader who has suffered a lot of abuse who distrusts people does not trust people only yanderes.
a/n: so i feel like i didn't really understand this request well! if i wrote this wrong, please send another request and clarify and id love to rewrite it for you!
as for this post, i wrote it as if the reader doesn't trust anyone other than obsessive people (aka yanderes)! hopefully that's what you meant! and, if not, like i said, my inbox is open! please clarify and id love to rewrite it for you!
english isnt my first language loool so sometimes i get stuff mixed up a lot
warning: implied child physical and emotional abuse
gawain dubhán byrne ★ profile
i think, first meeting you, you'd be really distrusting of him becos gawain seems just like any regular guy and gawain would be really intrigued by you becos you'd seem a lot like someone who'd need his help and his protection
it would be a lot of cat-and-mouse chasing, i think, where you don't trust gawain in the slightest but he can just sense that he needs to protect you, he just knows it and, if you let him, he'll keep you safe
this entire time he's trying to get you to trust him, he tries to still seem like a normal person (which is kind of his downfall loool but he doesn't know that)
eventually, something has to give lol and som,ething snaps probably and he probably feels forced to kidnap you and keep you in his apartment
don't you see? lovelock isn't safe! and you keep running away from him when all he wants to do is protect you from the scary world out there! it's so dangerous and you're so defenseless!
and now that the jig is up, you trust him! you can see that he's... dedicated to you, he won't hurt you. he'll keep you safe, just like he promised
once all of that is sorted, you'll probably open up to him about why you were running away from him and why you won't run away anymore
gawain didn't exactly grow up in an unstable home. in fact, his parents weren't perfect but they were always trying their best and that was honestly all gawain could ask for
so honestly speaking, that meant he didn't understand exactly what you had gone through at all
still, he'll take care of you. not before taking care of your family first. he won't tell you the details, of course, your precious ears shouldn't be tainted like that. but he'll drop a few hints
and then you won't have to worry your pretty about anything else cus he'll be here for you now!
gavin ciarán byrne ★ profile
first meeting gavin, you might not be as cautious as you are with other people becos gavin just normally has an unhinged nature about him
but gavin has an unnaturally good talent at spotting broken people and his radar pinged when he saw you
so, when he decided that he'd take you under his wing and take care of you, that you were his darling now, that normal unhinged nature might be way more noticeable than normal
either way, he's very open about what he wants from you and what he's happy to give so i don't thing there's much of a chase here
he wants to take care of you for the rest of your life! in exchange, all he wants is to belong to you, wholly and entirely, and for you to belong to him wholly and entirely!
that's not a lot to ask for, is it?
after it's established that he's obsessed with you and unwilling to hurt you in any way, you probably open up to him and he's understandably furious
for him, his parents were pretty much perfect so he never really had any complaints about his childhood. they could be pretty strict at times but what kid never complained about that?
he didn't think that all parents were like his but to think yours hit you and scarred you that much? that your family all participated in this torture of you? it disgusted him
would totally be the type of boyfriend husband (becos that's what he is to you now, right? since the two of you are getting right to it?) to try to meet your family right away and instigate shit loool
like he shakes your dad's hand and then breaks it and then like secretly threatens them and shit
absolutely causes drama
basically he wants revenge for you in the most telenovela way possible lmaooo
eun-jeong yoo ★ profile
it's been drilled into his head for a long time that he needs to conform to society's standards so you'd probably be super weary of him cus he'd come of as super normal
it won't be a cat-and-mouse chase like gawain becos he wouldn't wanna do anything to upset you
it would more be like you live your normal life and he just stalks you to make sure you're safe lmao
and that's how the two of you live your life forever until he either snaps and kidnaps you becos you're not taking care of yourself or you find out he's stalking you becos you find one of the cameras
once he's kidnapped you and trapped you, you realise that he's obsessed with you and that he just wants to take care of you and that he won't hurt you so you trust him now!
you'll probably explain to him why you didn't trust him before and then he'll realise
same hat? same hat!
he let go of his grudges with his family but it was a very long process for him becos the abuse he went through went on for years and years
he'd have to go thru that process again to forgive your family again lol and he's not even sure he'd want to go thru that
if you'll allow him, he'll exact revenge on your family. if you won't. he'll try to help you process your trauma the same way he processed his and the two of you can heal together! very nice and wholesome!
and he'll take care of you for the rest of your lives! he'll make sure nobody, especially your family, would be able to hurt you ever again!
ryuunosuke yamamoto ★ profile
japanese weeb absolutely comes off as a weird obsessed stalker fan so the two of you probably hit it of pretty well almost immediately
and, if not, he's so delusional that he thinks the two of you do loool and his delusional ass convinces you of his obsession with you which turns his delusion into reality? wildt
neway, the two of you would get together pretty fast and he'd swear to love you with all of his heart and that he'd protect you with everything he has
the two of you are also same hat? same hat! becos his parents were pretty shitty with him too! except he never got over it and exacted the revenge he wanted! and now one of them was in jail and the other was scattered somewhere in the ocean somewhere!
would you like him to do that with your family? he'd love to do that with your family? anything for you, baby!
and, if that's not what you want him to do, that's fine too becos he'll do it anyway just to make sure that they'll never have anything to do with you ever again
just know that everything he does is for you because he loves you!
ryouta watanabe ★ profile
tries to be normal at first but, if you try to run away from him because he seems too normal (so you don't trust him), he doesn't even give chase and like just kidnaps you
which, of course, confirms his obsession with you. he'll rant to you about how sorry he is, that he just wants to take care of you, that he knows how dangerous lovelock is and that he just wants to prevent the city from taking advantage of you
then, of course, you'd open up to him, and he'll realise that it's too late, that he wasn't able to stop the city from 'corrupting' you
unlike everyone on this list except ryuu you wont be able to stop him from absolutely decimating everyone who's ever hit you, insulted you or participated in abusing you
he'll ask his brother, his boss and all his coworkers to help. he'll make sure that nobody ever finds out what the hell happened to your family. they'll just become another missing person's report, another cold case, another mystery never to be solved
it's what they deserve for doing this to someone like you
and that'll solidify his dedication to you. it'll show to you how much he loves you, how much he cares for you, that he'll do anything for you
he'll burn this entire city down for you, he swears. he loves you
the two of you can live in his apartment and he'll provide for you and you can do whatever you want, as long as you follow his rules so you can stay safe, so that nothing bad ever happens to you
the two of you can life happy forever! together! just the two of you!
and your family will never bother you ever again
#yandere oc x reader#yandere x reader#male yandere#yandere#oc x reader#male oc#gavin#gawain#ryouta#ryuu#eunjeong#bulleted
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𝑀𝑜𝑣𝑖𝑒𝑠 𝑎𝑛𝑑 𝑀𝑦 𝐵𝑒𝑙𝑜𝑣𝑒𝑑
This is part of my holiday challenge where I do prompts! Today's is: Festive Movies. To be honest, I ended up making this much more subtle hurt comfort than I intended, but Artem..he's just husband.
[[Cuddles, Fluff, Small Mentions of Aurora's Past, Established Relationship]]
Aurora and Artem had a rare holiday from work after finishing an especially tough case, which was refreshing in its own right. As much as Aurora adored her job, she was realizing that she was allowed to not think about it outside of the office.
“You can relax, my darling,” She recalled Artem saying not long ago over a cup of coffee. “You’re allowed to take time for yourself. If it makes it easier for you, you need to be well rested in order to keep working so hard.”
And now, she would like to think she’s come very far. She let herself silence the notifications on her phone as she climbed onto Artem’s plush couch in his home theater. She sunk into the cushions contently, it was way more comfortable than her couch at home.
“Comfy?” Artem walked up behind the couch and pressed a warm kiss to her cheek.
“Mhm,I always forget how cozy it is in here.” Aurora grins as she sits up straight, her mismatched eyes fixed on her loving boyfriend. Her loving boyfriend, who had a basket of things in his arms. “What’s in there, Artem?”
“This?” Artem smiles gently, putting it down. “Well first, I put pajamas in the dryer so they’ll be nice and toasty, I even grabbed your favorite pair.”
“Oh my gosh, the ones with the cinnamon buns on them?” She giggles as she’s handed the soft and warm pair of fuzzy pajama pants. “Oh they are!”
“Then, I also brought some snacks, something to keep my best girl and I hydrated..”
Auroria takes the basket from Artem’s hands gently and sets it on the nearby side table, taking around the couch to meet him halfway. She grins as she stares up at him before standing on her toes and pressing a chaste kiss to his cheek.
When Artem’s face turned pink Aurora’s grin got bigger, he was sure to place a well intended kiss under her eye as revenge.
“I-I’m going to change into these really quick..! Do you have a movie picked out?”
“Hurry back,” He said softly, voice laden with yearning.
…
By the time Aurora walks back into the room, she feels a bit cozier but not quite cozy enough. One glance at her boyfriend, dressed down in his own loungewear made it abundantly clear why she wasn’t as cozy as she could be. She hops onto the couch, on the same cushion as him. Her head leans on his shoulder as he is fiddling with the different options on the projector.
“So, you didn’t tell me what we were watching first,” Aura whispers. It was as if she was worried about shattering the soft and warm atmosphere.
If you’d told her a few years ago she would be cozied up to Senior Attorney, Artem Wing, she wouldn’t have believed you. In fact even now, despite being not only his partner and lover, she still found herself feeling like it was all a dream she would eventually wake up from.
Hopefully, she wouldn’t.
Artem’s sigh of relief breaks her out of her thoughts. On the screen a very familiar movie title was displayed: Santa Buddies.
“I remembered, around when we started dating, you used to watch this with your mom every year. How you didn’t have the heart to watch it alone, so I thought you might want to watch it now. Are you okay with that?”
“Artem, love, oh my god,” Aurora loops her arms around his neck and presses kisses all across his face. “I’m touched you even remembered. I-I mean I told you that once and it was three in the morning. God, I love you.”
As soon as she ceased her attack of kisses, Artem smiled sweetly at her. If everything sweet in the entire world could be wrapped up in one thing, it was definitely Artem’s smile.
“Of course I remembered, sweetheart. Everything you tell me, every bit about you, has me enamored, I can never have enough. Even if it’s three in the morning.”
The movie on the projector started playing and the subtle holiday music started playing.
Just now, Aurora noticed Artem had arranged some fruit and popcorn on the nearest table, along with some warm tea. It felt right, and she felt so grateful. She never imagined she could be cared for so tenderly and gently. She felt so fortunate.
“Aurora? Did you hear me?”
“Huh? No, I’m sorry. I’m listening, I swear.”
“I asked what you were thinking about, are you okay? Your mind looks like it’s somewhere else.”
“Oh, I’m sorry,” Aurora laughs awkwardly. “I was just thinking, that I never imagined that I could get so lucky, with you.”
“I ask myself that sometimes too,” Artem shifts and draws Aurora in closer to him, so that she’s on his lap now, her legs dangle off the edge of the couch. “But being there for each other, it reminds me that it’s all real.”
Aurora tucks her head into his shoulder, a bit bashfully. “I’m sorry I’ve ruined movie night with my sad thoughts.”
“Not at all, you haven’t ruined anything.”
“You swear?”
“I swear.” Artem chuckles, pressing a kiss to her hair, since he can’t reach her beautiful face. “Do you want me to rewind your movie?”
“Yes, please!”
And just like when she was watching it as a child, she fell asleep in the arms of the person she loves before the ending. Artem didn’t mind, he’ll always carry her to bed.
And besides, they have twelve more holiday movies to watch this month. They have nothing but time.
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𝑀𝑜𝑣𝑖𝑒𝑠 𝑎𝑛𝑑 𝑀𝑦 𝐵𝑒𝑙𝑜𝑣𝑒𝑑
This is part of my holiday challenge where I do prompts! Today's is: Festive Movies. To be honest, I ended up making this much more subtle hurt comfort than I intended, but Artem..he's just husband.
[[Cuddles, Fluff, Small Mentions of Aurora's Past, Established Relationship]]
Aurora and Artem had a rare holiday from work after finishing an especially tough case, which was refreshing in its own right. As much as Aurora adored her job, she was realizing that she was allowed to not think about it outside of the office.
“You can relax, my darling,” She recalled Artem saying not long ago over a cup of coffee. “You’re allowed to take time for yourself. If it makes it easier for you, you need to be well rested in order to keep working so hard.”
And now, she would like to think she’s come very far. She let herself silence the notifications on her phone as she climbed onto Artem’s plush couch in his home theater. She sunk into the cushions contently, it was way more comfortable than her couch at home.
“Comfy?” Artem walked up behind the couch and pressed a warm kiss to her cheek.
“Mhm,I always forget how cozy it is in here.” Aurora grins as she sits up straight, her mismatched eyes fixed on her loving boyfriend. Her loving boyfriend, who had a basket of things in his arms. “What’s in there, Artem?”
“This?” Artem smiles gently, putting it down. “Well first, I put pajamas in the dryer so they’ll be nice and toasty, I even grabbed your favorite pair.”
“Oh my gosh, the ones with the cinnamon buns on them?” She giggles as she’s handed the soft and warm pair of fuzzy pajama pants. “Oh they are!”
“Then, I also brought some snacks, something to keep my best girl and I hydrated..”
Auroria takes the basket from Artem’s hands gently and sets it on the nearby side table, taking around the couch to meet him halfway. She grins as she stares up at him before standing on her toes and pressing a chaste kiss to his cheek.
When Artem’s face turned pink Aurora’s grin got bigger, he was sure to place a well intended kiss under her eye as revenge.
“I-I’m going to change into these really quick..! Do you have a movie picked out?”
“Hurry back,” He said softly, voice laden with yearning.
…
By the time Aurora walks back into the room, she feels a bit cozier but not quite cozy enough. One glance at her boyfriend, dressed down in his own loungewear made it abundantly clear why she wasn’t as cozy as she could be. She hops onto the couch, on the same cushion as him. Her head leans on his shoulder as he is fiddling with the different options on the projector.
“So, you didn’t tell me what we were watching first,” Aura whispers. It was as if she was worried about shattering the soft and warm atmosphere.
If you’d told her a few years ago she would be cozied up to Senior Attorney, Artem Wing, she wouldn’t have believed you. In fact even now, despite being not only his partner and lover, she still found herself feeling like it was all a dream she would eventually wake up from.
Hopefully, she wouldn’t.
Artem’s sigh of relief breaks her out of her thoughts. On the screen a very familiar movie title was displayed: Santa Buddies.
“I remembered, around when we started dating, you used to watch this with your mom every year. How you didn’t have the heart to watch it alone, so I thought you might want to watch it now. Are you okay with that?”
“Artem, love, oh my god,” Aurora loops her arms around his neck and presses kisses all across his face. “I’m touched you even remembered. I-I mean I told you that once and it was three in the morning. God, I love you.”
As soon as she ceased her attack of kisses, Artem smiled sweetly at her. If everything sweet in the entire world could be wrapped up in one thing, it was definitely Artem’s smile.
“Of course I remembered, sweetheart. Everything you tell me, every bit about you, has me enamored, I can never have enough. Even if it’s three in the morning.”
The movie on the projector started playing and the subtle holiday music started playing.
Just now, Aurora noticed Artem had arranged some fruit and popcorn on the nearest table, along with some warm tea. It felt right, and she felt so grateful. She never imagined she could be cared for so tenderly and gently. She felt so fortunate.
“Aurora? Did you hear me?”
“Huh? No, I’m sorry. I’m listening, I swear.”
“I asked what you were thinking about, are you okay? Your mind looks like it’s somewhere else.”
“Oh, I’m sorry,” Aurora laughs awkwardly. “I was just thinking, that I never imagined that I could get so lucky, with you.”
“I ask myself that sometimes too,” Artem shifts and draws Aurora in closer to him, so that she’s on his lap now, her legs dangle off the edge of the couch. “But being there for each other, it reminds me that it’s all real.”
Aurora tucks her head into his shoulder, a bit bashfully. “I’m sorry I’ve ruined movie night with my sad thoughts.”
“Not at all, you haven’t ruined anything.”
“You swear?”
“I swear.” Artem chuckles, pressing a kiss to her hair, since he can’t reach her beautiful face. “Do you want me to rewind your movie?”
“Yes, please!”
And just like when she was watching it as a child, she fell asleep in the arms of the person she loves before the ending. Artem didn’t mind, he’ll always carry her to bed.
And besides, they have twelve more holiday movies to watch this month. They have nothing but time.
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My situation feels a little weird because I can’t find anyone else posting about this online. My husband and I have always been open about being polyamorous and have been in triads before with one Vee with my boyfriend that has happened simultaneously through a good chunk of our relationship. Recently, he found an online community he’s been really loving. He’s made some friends and some possible other partners. This is about his one specific official partner, L. L and my husband get on like a house on fire, and I am beyond happy for them. I am not jealous at all; on the contrary, I feel boundless compersion for them! L and I are friends, too! We get along really well as metamours and friends, which I had a hunch we would. I’d even started learning L’s native language before we started talking ourselves (he’s from Europe) so that he wouldn’t feel pressured to speak solely English. The specific thing I came here to ask for advice is that I’ve developed a crush on L myself. My husband and I have talked about it, and he’s excited for us if something comes out of it. I’m positive that L doesn’t feel the same way for me, but my husband says to give it time and that he’s pretty sure L will develop feelings for me. As soon as I realized I had a crush, I was hit so hard by the (in my eyes) most likely impending heartbreak because L has only expressed interest in my husband romantically. I would love to hear from other polyamorous people. Have you ever fallen for your metamour? What happened? What should I do in this situation to keep a healthy metamour relationship if he doesn’t return my feelings? I haven’t confessed because I don’t want to put that on him with the holidays coming up and because I’m scared of the rejection and loss of a friendship. - N
Thanks for the ask, N!
I've been in a similar situation, and I liked to joke that I stole my gf from my partner because my partner was the middle of the V for a while, I developed a crush on their gf, and eventually we became such close friends that things got flirty, we had The Talk and decided to date too, and then a few weeks later my parter and gf decided to just be friends. It's so strange how these things pan out!
It's hard to give advice in situations like this because of course you can't make anyone develop feelings. It's awesome that your husband is so supportive, and hopefully that means he'll work as your wingman sometimes! In the meantime it's okay to let things be what they are - no need to rush a love confession if you're afraid it will hurt things. It sounds like the relationship as it is now is pretty wholesome either way.
Best of luck, N, and keep us updated! <3
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Do you like kissing in public? i like pecks and small kisses in public bc they’re cute but i’d be a little uncomfy making out in public.
How often do you listen to music? definitely every day but i want more songs to listen to bc i feel like i listen to the same 20 songs and it gets old.
What’s something you could see yourself going to jail for? definitely tax fraud bc idk how to do taxes.
Have you ever made out in the backseat of a car? no but shit it might be fun.
Who was the person you lost your virginity to? i lost my virginity to my boyfriend and even if we end up breaking up i don’t regret it. i was comfortable with and trusted him and that’s what i wanted out of my first time.
Do you know anyone that sells weed? not anymore.
Do you know anyone that sells drugs? again not anymore
Will you cry at your wedding? i feel like i definitely will bc i’m emotional but also i want us to write our own vows and there’s no way i’ll be able to keep it together for that.
Do you know anyone who is bisexual? several
[TW: RAPE] Do you know anyone that was raped/molested? my best friend was raped when she was little.
Has anyone ever cheated on their significant other for you? not that i know of but hopefully not
Did anyone see you kiss the last person you kissed on the lips? no bc we were standing on my porch at night.
Have you ever slapped someone? never seriously, i slap my friends and boyfriend as a joke tho. one time i had to get legit slapped in the face for a school play which was pretty funny.
When was the last time you actually hugged your mother? probably pretty recently we’re a pretty touchy/affectionate family
Have you ever been in the back of a police car? nope
Have you ever kissed someone of the same sex? yes but she kissed everyone and we were all DRUNK
Who’s the biggest whore you know? i don’t like the use of whore unless its in a joking manner with my friends
If you died today would the last person you kissed even care? he would care a LOT
Would you ever date someone who is blind or deaf? of course. something like that would never keep me from liking someone
Do you still talk to the person you last made out with? every day
What would your parents say if you got/got someone pregnant? Honestly? if i got pregnant right now idk if i would even tell my parents tbh. probably my mom but i would def tell my sister and boyfriend bc it would be his baby. i’d most likely get an abortion bc me and my boyf are just not ready to be parents rn and i hope my mom wouldn’t judge me for that.
Have you ever talked to someone when they were high? yep
Has anybody ever told you that you have pretty eyes? yep
When was the last time you wanted to punch someone in their face? i can’t even remember
Would you ever consider piercing your lip? no, i don’t want any piercings besides 1 MAYBE 2 on my ears
Have you ever been to Tennessee, USA? no but one of my best friends growing up lives there now with her husband and son plus one of my friends from hs is going to college there for songwriting so maybe i’ll get to go there eventually
Do you prefer more mellow music or loud? idk i like both
Have you ever worn a wig? no
Do you know anyone who is a great drummer? no one i know personally
Do you have a certain brand you are very loyal to? i mean not really i typically just buy whatever i like. does apple count?
What are some thing that fascinate you? outer space 100% i just think the pictures and everything about it are just so cool. i also really like the enneagram, mbti, psychology, communication, really just anything that shows how we shape our personalities and how we interact with others. OH ALSO analyzing english literature and just the plethora of things that can be said and interpreted and discovered thru writing
Have you ever broken a bed? no but my mom’s roommate in college broke their bunk bed doing the devil’s tango with her bf
What's the strangest food combination you've seen someone eat? my dad eats the strangest shit. he’ll put minute rice, chicken, and french salad dressing in a bowl and call it sweet and sour chicken. he also dipped his fritos in peanut butter one time. also my best friend puts strawberry syrup on her eggs at ihop which is heinous.
Are you good at keeping secrets? unless ur gonna hurt yourself or someone else, my lips are sealed.
If you could see a concert of any celebrity who has passed away... who would you like to see? probably whitney houston bc she’s an icon and i know her concert would be lit
What was your favorite food as a child? i loooved chicken nuggets
What's the main thing you use the internet for? social media
Have you ever burned yourself on a candle? no
What is one of your toxic traits? the way i let my anxiety get in the way of being happy and feeling true love. i tend to freak out over every little thing and people think that i don’t believe them or trust them when they express their love to me.
Have you ever found a skeleton while outside? ummm no
Do you listen to Johnny Cash? i’ve listened to a few songs here and there but not too much
Is there anyone you can honestly say you trust with your life? my sister, my best friend, and my boyfriend
Have you ever seen a sinkhole in person? no but they sound scary
What has been your most memorable embarrassing moment? oh god i’ve had so many, probably just everything i did to try to impress my crush freshman year of college lol.
Have you ever purchased something off of a mannequin? yes lmao i remember one time i really wanted a sweater but the only one left in my size was on the mannequin so the employee took it off the mannequin for me so i could buy it
Have you ever stolen a street sign or traffic cone? no but i’ve seen many in frat basements
Do you always smile for pictures? yeah normally i do
Have you had a grey cat as a pet before? yes, from high school to sophomore year of college i had a grey cat named smokey. he really bonded to me and was always attached at the hip to me whenever i was home. he had heart disease and he died unexpectedly when he was 4 years old. his death absolutely devastated me and i still miss him everyday.
Do you like croc shoes? no they’re so uncomfortable
Do you mind if people pray for you? not at all. i was raised religious so i believe as long as it’s coming from a genuine place someone asking to pray for you is a huge act of kindness and compassion so i always appreciate it from that standpoint.
What is your safe place? my bed or as cheesy as it sounds in my boyfriend’s arms
Have you ever had a buzz cut? noooo
List five names you like that start with A. alice, abigail, ayla, alora, asher
What is your favorite book series? idek maybe harry potter
Do you like to create? 1000%.
Do you like cranberry sauce? absolutely not
How many cruises have you been on? none bc my mom hates cruises so we never went on any as kids. plus idk the thought of being stuck at sea with a bunch of strangers scares me a little.
Which type of fries do you like better: McDonald’s French fries or Arby’s curly fries? i don’t think i’ve ever been to arby’s but their fries are good.
Which of these names do you like best: Harmony, Hope, Harlow, Harper, or Harvest? harmony
List ten things that make you happy. 1) snuggles from my cats or dog 2) belly laughs with my friends 3) sitting outside in nice weather 4) cuddling or any sort of physical contact with my boyfriend 5) reading a book that just absorbs you 6) being praised for something i worked hard on 7) corny reality tv 8) MUSIC 9) the endorphin rush from stepping off the treadmill 10) warm clothes fresh from the dryer
Do you believe in Heaven and Hell? i believe in heaven but not hell
Do you know anyone named Ivy? one of my friends from high school has a niece named ivy
Favorite boy’s name out of these: Jasper, Jaxon, Jason, Jedidiah, or Jamison? jaxon
Do you find kite-flying entertaining or boring? i didn’t really have an opinion
Do you own anything that says “Live Laugh Love” on it? absolutely not
Do you call your grandma "Nana" or something else? What do you call her? i call my maternal grandmother “gigi” and my paternal grandmas i call “grammie” and “nana.” my one living great grandma i call “granny”
List five words to describe your dream wedding. traditional, romantic, fun, elegant, family-oriented
Do you have a crazy ex? i don’t have an ex at all lol
Do you have a Yahoo account? no gmail for life
Do you say “y'all”? oh i grew up in rural virginia 100% i say yall.
Zombies or vampires? vampires
Do you think guys look good in pink? YES especially when they own and embrace it. one of my boyfriend’s favorite colors is pink and he wears it all the time and it looks SOOO good on him
Do you have a hormone imbalance? babe i have severe anxiety and am on hormonal birth control so uh definitely
Has a medication ever made you gain weight? see again: hormonal birth control
Do you think your mom is pretty? yes, she’s beautiful even if she doesn’t think it.
Do you think cops should be held accountable for their actions? of course they should, they’re citizens just like everyone else.
Has a cop ever committed a crime against you? nope
Have you ever had a doctor or nurse be rude to you? not really, my doctor is my bestie
Have you ever been under anesthesia? several times. going under made me realize for a second why people do drugs lmao
Do you read magazines? i used to have a subscription to tiger beat in middle school LMAO but other than that no
Do you have a criminal record? no
Do you drink enough water? absolutely not, i really need to drink more
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Black Sands and theories.
It's been a minutes since the last time I sit and pour my clouds of thoughts in here. Life 's been in so many flavor to taste, but the best yet, in literal meaning, I found my love on Bali's brewery with their ultimate Black Sand IPA. Its bitter, fresh, airy, and from the moment I tried it with my friend, Indira, its the benchmark of the good kind of beer that I could actually appreciate it, not just liquid with spark pops in the middle. Around our many tall glass of IPA, me and Indira toying around the idea of being women in our generations. For the longest time, I didn't have a older figure to look up too because newsflash, I always being in the middle of younger crowds (don't ask why) so when I met Indira through his husband which is my senior at Youth Exchange Programme I feel that instant click!
She's a Leo, the same side of the element I was born into. Our conversation always lively and we jokes about taboo or old norms that we think its more than outdated. I remember when She sat next to me on a BBQ night in front of the bar. It was our third time move the seating because maybe we too comfortable. She look comfortable of course, wear blazers and sneakers, hair down, with pack of confident that makes people dart on her presence- very Laura Dern vibes Marriage Story version, while me, on my tennis uniform unbothered to change into something cute like what I initially planned to, digging the peanuts on the second bowl refill. The beauty standard and women presence always be the foundations of our starter talks, how I single woman like me put my self on work place and dating life nowadays, how She-the one who already married since she was teenager help me to straighten the ideas of being independent but also sexy in mind not just body. I often circling in my own ideas of idealism at any subject on my life, and most of the time I caught up on my own web of thinking, thats why having somebody more mature help me to lay out the urgencies of every idea that I'm eager to pour it in my life.
That night ended with some guy hitting on me (?) but I couldn't careless because I'm in the mood of being in my own presence. Something that for a long time I consider as a selfish trait, but hell, when your on your 30's the most important thing in this life is: you. Many weeks before that night, I always try to entertain someone else but not myself. When I go places always because of someone not because I want to. That thing ended when I already believe that in this track of life I chose, it is me myself, that I need to support, protect, and carry. I born to big things, bigger than my body, Ad Maiora Natus Sum. Those things that I spoke about during my drinks, during my speech to myself, maybe only the littlest thing that I need to be worry about. The bigger things is better. It will eventually elevate me as a person in all level of aspect in my life. I remember me and Indira joking about to make a podcast that hopefully will reach to the younger audience or whomever needed new perspectives about small things in life.
One time, I was sitting at my living room just need to wind down after work, and numbly browsing through movies on the Netflix catalog. It was boring but just before I fixated my mind, my pointer show me this "The Year I start Masturbating". A very provoking-but not really-title. It's a Swedish movie about 40yo woman who keen to have the second child before its too late, but apparently her boyfriend whom he share her first born with, didn't seem that eager, after that her almost perfect life went downhill in a snap. This is the kind of movie that accidentally suck up your attention because you feel relatable to the notions. I caught myself full attention to the next one and half hours grasping every nook and turn of the story. It is a quite simple story, but when life gets you to places of trial and errors this is the one you needed too, almost like when the main character Hannah get her shit together again, I feel like somehow, I will get the same trophy as she is after those rocky wonky life event. See, sometimes we need just somebody else to convince or introduce us to the theories, maybe also with nice pint of good beers.
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🔫🧑🏻🦰
Watching Ian beat the shit out of Lip was something Mickey thought made him a lot more turned on than it should have.
It really was a long time coming—those little, seemingly inconsequential things Ian constantly complained about were piling up, and all it would take was one wrong word from Lip about something—or someone—and Ian was bound to explode.
Mickey never thought it would be him whom that wrong word was said about.
Ian had been on the edge of his seat the entire day. Mickey knew it was partially his doctor's appointment stress. That combined with some asshole at work who was bothering him, and on top of that, Lip with his whining—Ian really wasn't having a good day.
So when they all met at the Gallagher house and immediately upon stepping across the threshold, Ian was enveloped into talk about selling the house and Debbie and Tami, Mickey knew that the desperate eye roll meant he wanted to get away.
Mickey couldn't do shit to help him, though, Franny looped around his knees, smiling up at him widely.
Ian was unfortunately on his own.
Was it s surprise when not even five minutes later Mickey heard a crash from the living room where Ian and Lip where?
No.
Was it a surprise to witness it all and feel incredibly turned on by the way Ian was punching at him brother as Tami yelled at them to stop?
Yes.
He couldn't help it—his husband was angry and there were beads of sweat dripping down his forehead, and his muscles were flexing as he pummeled his fists into Lip's gut.
Fucking hell.
He should probably stop this, right?
Ian was unrelentless and pissed off, fists flying down and head tilting away from Lip's punches. He seemed to be getting in a few, but overall, Ian was winning.
Tami shook him by the shoulder. "Uh, how about you help me!?"
He suppressed an eye roll but eventually did move from his spot, making sure Franny wasn't following him into the fucking battlefield.
He grabbed Ian by the shoulders, and lightly—because he knew there was no way in hell he'd actually be able to pull an angry Ian off of anyone—he nudged him back, whispering into his ear that it was enough and that he should step away.
Ian listened, pushing Lip away from him and wiping at the blood on his lower lip.
Tami was the one to ask, "What is wrong with you two? Why are you fighting?"
Mickey turned to Ian, waiting for him to explain. He held a hand on the small of his back, trying to steady him. He felt a pang in his chest at the obvious bruises forming on his cheeks—not to say the rough look did anything to diminish the barely hidden tightness in his pants.
"Well, Tami, your boyfriend here," Ian shot daggers at his brother. "Thought it was a good idea to insult my husband in front of me."
Mickey, on impulse, whipped his head to look at Lip and then proceeded to give him the bird. It really didn't bother him—whatever he said, it really couldn't have been that bad. Ian was just angry and needed an excuse, and Lip 'insulting' Mickey was right there at his disposal. That shit happened every night. It really wasn't that big of a deal.
Lip shrugged. "Fuck you both."
With a scoff, Ian turned around on his heel and sped-walk upstairs, the floor thudding as he did. Mickey watched as he left—for their old bedroom probably—and he once again faced Lip, who was being silently scolded by Tami whose it was now turn to walk away herself, exasperated.
Lip checked for blood in his nose. "What do you want?"
"I know that he's your brother," And that this is a simple tussle, and that it really isn't that big of a deal. He knew all of that, yet he schooled his expression into true Milkovich charm—a dead stare that really nobody could rival. "But you hit him again, I'll make sure you're buried where nobody will ever be able to find you."
Lip seemed to wince at that. He nodded.
"Good."
And with that he was stalking up the stairs to get to Ian who was hopefully cooled down, at least a little.
Mickey's threat was true.
As much as he loved seeing Ian dominant in a fight and as much as he loved seeing Lip's ugly mug get pummelled in—Ian's face was going to hurt like a motherfucker and his lip would bleed at the slightest of touch, so Mickey wouldn't even be able to kiss him properly.
Out of selfish, yet completely unselfish reasons, he felt really fucking angry.
Ian was pacing in their old, now empty, room.
If this were a cartoon, smoke would've been coming out of his ears.
"He kept saying how you were trash!" Was the first thing Ian greeted him with. "How 'scum like you' should fuck up the neighborhood more." He let out a humorless laugh. "I should have hit him fucking harder."
There was no way Lip said that. And if he did—Mickey had to keep in a laugh because that was genuinely funny.
And seeing Ian angry over Lip offending Mickey... Well, it was definitely not the time.
"Did he really say that?"
Ian sputtered, turning to look at him. "Y-yes!"
"Why don't you seem sure?"
"I..."
"You?"
Ian's eyes hardened again. "Well, fuck you too Mickey."
Shit. That wasn't what he wanted to do.
Ian was passing by him, careful not to knock into Mickey, and Mickey reached out, placing a hand on top of his shoulder, attempting to stop him from getting far.
It was maybe the worst, and best decision he ever made because Ian was suddenly gripping him by that hand and pinning him against the wall at lightning speed.
His tall-ass husband was pinning him against the wall, hands above his head, a knee between his thighs, face unbelievably close to Mickey's, their breaths mingling in together.
And as much as Mickey didn't want to get Ian's lip even more busted up, he definitely didn't stop Ian from shoving his tongue down Mickey's throat.
Mickey licked the blood off of Ian's tongue as they pulled away. Ian's hair was all over the place. Mickey must've been gripping onto it.
"Fuck, Gallagher, first the fight, now the manhandling; you're really tryna' get your dick sucked, aren't you?"
Ian smiled, the wide grin gracing his face, despite it all. He said, "Maybe I just wanna suck yours." And then he went lower.
This was truly everything Mickey ever wanted in life.
---
"What did Lip actually say?"
They would've probably been cuddling in bed had the room not been completely empty. Instead, all they did was get dressed, and Mickey missed that little bit of warmth.
As he buckled his belt—it was truly as if Ian could read his mind—his husband pulled him in, arms going around his back. Mickey leaned into the hug, clutching Ian's waist.
He heard him exhale.
"He said Milkoviches, not you."
"Huh?"
"He said," He cleared his throat. "Scum like the Milkoviches should make the Southside what it was again."
"And you got angry at that?"
He felt Ian shrug against him. He didn't need to explain. Mickey understood.
"Well, it was hot."
"Hot?"
It was Mickey's turn to shrug. "You getting all angry and shit. It was hot."
Mickey felt his dick twitch at the memory.
Ian must have felt it because, "Are you already ready to go again?" He huffed out a laugh.
He was, but...
"You should apologize to Lip first."
Ian pulled away so he could look him straight in the eye. He searched his face for the hint of a mocking joke, but when he found none, he asked, "You serious?"
Unfortunately.
"As much as I love seeing you defend me... I don't think he deserved it from you."
"So if it were you...?"
Mickey grinned against Ian's lips. "Your level of damage wouldn't be nearly as big as my level of damage."
He pressed a kiss to Ian's lips.
"Okay, I'll apologize."
A pause. Ian's fingers were undoing Mickey's belt again.
"After I fuck you again, because you being this sweet is turning me the fuck on."
Mickey laughed so loud, he was sure the entire neighborhood heard him.
#gallavich#ian gallagher#mickey milkovich#ian and mickey#shameless#shameless us#fanfic#ian x mickey#drabbles#ficlet#this was just really quick#*ficlet
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Let The Bells Ring (A Stricklake Wedding)
Good news everyone! I was finally able to motivate myself to finish this fanfic, which took me weeks due to work and weak motivation lol. Since I’ve been sick this week with not much to do, I was able to motivate myself to power through!
So this is a continuation of my Making Things Right fic, which is an alternate ROTT ending where the timeline is NOT reset and everyone lives and gets to attend the Stricklake wedding! This in general is how I imagine a Stricklake wedding going, regardless of the overall plot of ROTT. I got so much inspiration for this from throughout the fandom, including @bklily & @undeadchestnut <3 Enjoy!
~~~
In the weeks to come, the people of Arcadia and perhaps, the whole world would continue to recover from what would’ve been a large-scale apocalypse. To celebrate the end of this war and help everyone with healing, Barbara and Strickler felt that they should get married as soon as possible. Barbara nearly lost Strickler in his attempt to save Jim and stop the ice titan, and she was never more determined to tie the knot and be with him for the rest of her life. It was thanks to her excellent medical skills that both him and Nomura were able to recover from their life-threatening injuries, even though his wings were permanently damaged from the blast.
The day of the wedding arrived on a bright spring as the flowers began to bloom in the trees across Arcadia. Everyone was busy and super pumped getting ready for the big day. Claire, along with Aja, Darci, and Mary were all getting ready in her room. With Papa Skull music playing, they did their hair, nails, and makeup while also fooling around quite a bit. Aja sat right in front of the mirror back in her human form after a very long time.
“I’ve never been to a human marriage party before!” She squealed in excitement as her girlfriends did her hair and makeup.
“We’re so glad you can be with us, Aj,” Darci responded wholeheartedly as she pulled Aja’s light blonde hair into a beautiful, flowery updo with some loose hairs falling to the side. Claire and Mary both focused on getting her makeup done and when they were finally done, Aja gazed into the mirror in awe.
“Wow! I look.. I look soo..”
“Lively!” The girls cheerfully finished the sentence for her.
“Hey Claire Bear, Darc and I are gonna grab a few things from my car. You and Aja finish getting ready, ok?” Said Mary as she and Darci left the room. Claire helped Aja get into her hot pink strapless dress, and Aja couldn’t help but squeal in excitement and twirl around in her high-low skirt. Aja quickly enveloped Claire into a tight hug.
“Oh thank you so much Claire! This is amazing!”
Both girls chuckled and smiled at each other.
“Also,” Aja started. “It’s so nice to have another girl to fight side by side with, I don’t get to do that a lot. And your shadows of magic are so lively!”
“Thanks! And yeah same. Boys clubs can get pretty annoying, haha,” Claire joked. "We should definitely hang out more," Aja nodded in agreement and they both smiled warmly at each other.
“We’re back!” Mary said as she and Darci finally came back with more accessories. After they all finished getting ready, Mary took out her phone and they all posed for a selfie.
“Aw C-Bomb! It’s so good to have you back! We missed you like crazy when you left Arcadia! You and Aja!” She squealed cheerfully, squeezing Claire into a tight hug. Darci joined in and grabbed Aja as well. “Yeah girl! Don’t ever leave us out of nowhere like that again,” Darci said with a frown as she hugged Claire tighter. Claire chuckled and took both of their hands. “Don’t worry, I don’t plan on leaving anytime soon. It would be nice to take a break once in a while, hopefully,” She assured her girlfriends and hugged them again.
Moments later, the girls rode in Mary's car to Jim's house. When Aja got out from the back seat, the front door suddenly flew open and Steve ran out to her.
"My royal, ninja-kicking angel is here!" He yelled.
Without any hesitation, he swung Aja up from her feet and spun her around as she screamed joyously. He kissed her so passionately that Aja eventually started pushing him.
"Steve!" She chuckled. "My makeup! You're going to mess it up!" Steve laughed and then they both pressed their foreheads together and smiled lovingly as they held each other.
Jim stood at the front door watching and shaking his head while the remaining girls chuckled and let out some "awws" from the car. Claire eventually opened the door and walked out from the front seat, and Jim couldn't help but let out a "woah."
Claire stepped out in glimmering heels and wore a beautiful, midnight dress with a slit to the side. She smiled at Jim and her smoky eyeshadow made her beautiful, brown eyes glow even more. She walked up to him and he gently took her hands in his.
"You ready to be the greatest best man?" She asked.
"Ready as I can get," Jim chuckled awkwardly and scratched the back of his head. Claire smiled, then cupped his cheeks in her hands and leaned forward to press her lips against his. When she finally pulled back, she carefully stroked his hair and tucked it behind his ear.
"Good luck, I know you got this,"
Jim smiled and put his hand on hers, letting out a sigh of relief.
Toby and Aaarrrgghh walked out of the front door beside them and the three trollhunters smiled at one another. It's good they were all back together. And actually happy this time! Toby walked over to Jim and Claire for an affectionate group hug while Darci and Mary walked over.
"Toby!" Darci screamed as she ran over to hug her boyfriend. With a massive smile on his face, Toby hugged her back and held her tight.
"Oh TP! It's so good to have you back! I missed you so so much!" She started, her eyes tearing up. Toby on the other hand, after everything he went through, just wanted to revel in this moment
"It's good to be back, Darc," he responded softly.
Darci smiled at him and was totally digging his wedding look. "Looking good in a tux, TP,"
Aaarrrgghh nodded in agreement. "Mmm, Fancy,"
Toby put his hands on his hips and smirked. "Oh, well, yeah I do gotta look awesome-sauce for Dr. L's wedding, am I right?"
The gang laughed and finally went inside the house. Everyone headed towards the backyard except for Jim, who waited by the stairs. Toby and Claire looked back at him and gave him a nod of good luck before walking out the door.
Later that evening, more guests arrived and filled the seats in the backyard and Strickler waited for his bride at the altar. Blinky stood behind the stand mic with a piece of heartstone in his hand. Nomura stood by where Barbara soon would be. After all the help she's gotten and the time they spent together, Nomura became so close to Barbara that she gladly accepted her request to be her maid of honor. They were surrounded by a magical, embellished flower arch made by none other than Nari. Bright lights twinkled all around the place and soft, mellow tunes filled the atmosphere, played by both Krel on his keyboard and Douxie on his guitar. They high-fived each other for successfully setting a romantic mood.
Jim stood inside his house and then suddenly, he heard click-clacking from the stairs. It was his mother, so beautiful in her lace white dress. He couldn't help but tear up at the sight of his mom finally being happy again. She made it down the stairs and wrapped Jim in a warm hug.
"I love you so much, kiddo," Barbara told her son as her voice began to break. "I'm so proud of how far you've come and couldn't be any happier to be walked down the aisle by my beautiful boy,"
Jim held her even tighter as he chuckled lightly, tears falling down his cheeks. Barbara then looked at him lovingly as she wiped his tears. She leaned forward to kiss his forehead, then put her arms in his as they began heading towards the back door.
The guests looked around as the beautiful bride made her way down the aisle. Strickler couldn't stop gazing and smiling at his soon-to-be wife as she walked towards him, returning his smile. Barbara finally stood looking towards him and Jim stood by Strickler's side as his best man. Blinky finally cleared his throat and approached the mic.
"Greetings everyone. We are gathered here today to join our dearly beloved Barbara Lake and Walter Strickler in holy matrimony. After everything that has transpired in Arcadia over the past few years, what a blessing it is for all of us to congregate here to cherish and celebrate this union. Despite all the trials and tribulations that have been faced by this lovely pair, well of course the unusual beginning they’ve had..."
Strickler cleared his throat, interrupting Blinky’s speech. Jim couldn’t resist letting out a little chuckle. “Uh, Mr Blinky,” Barbara whispered. “We don’t need to go into all the details. What’s in the past can stay in the past. What’s most important is the here and now,”
“Right, right, right,” Blinky continued clumsily. “These two warriors have persevered through it all, the thick and the thin leading up to this very special moment. From this day forth, they will continue to strive and triumph together for the rest of their lives. Now may I have the rings?”
The audience clapped while Blinky signaled for Archie to fly over and bring the cushion that bore the rings.
“Now both of you place your hands on this heartstone as you say your vows. Do you, Walter Strickler, take Barbara Lake to be your lawfully wedded wife?”
Strickler took a deep breath, then smiled wholeheartedly and answered. “Yes, I do,” Followed by the clapping in the audience, Blinky turned to face Barbara.
“Do you, Barbara Lake, take Walter Strickler to be your lawfully wedded husband?”
“I do” Barbara responded softly, with light tears in her eyes as she smiled brightly at her soon-to-be husband. They let go of the glowing heartstone, then took their rings and gently placed them on each of their left ring fingers. They finally held hands tightly in excitement and couldn’t take their eyes off of each other.
“I now pronounce you husband and wife, you may now kiss,”
Strickler pulled Barbara closer to him and they finally leaned in for a warm kiss. Loud cheers spread throughout the audience with some sniffles of joy. Jim stood by wiping tears off his cheeks. Finally! Nothing brought more happiness into his heart than to see his own mother finally again, just as she deserved. And never did he expect that someone he once resented would eventually become someone so dear to both him and his mother.
Claire looked towards Douxie across the front row and they both nodded. Absorbing shadows from around her, she released a couple of black and purple shimmering doves into the sky and in turn, Douxie cast out beautiful blue sparkles to light up the scene even more. A round of oohs and aahs echoed was followed by a standing ovation.
A few moments later, Barbara turned around and was ready to throw the bouquet to a competitive crowd of single ladies of all ages and… Varvatos, who’s made it his quest to be the next in line for Nancy. As the bouquet suddenly flew into the air and was falling back down, out of nowhere, a shadow portal opened and swallowed it up. The audience gasped and looked around in confusion as another portal opened and the bouquet was caught by Claire. She glanced over at Jim whose eyes widened and cheeks turned pure red. In response, she winked at him as he sheepishly smiled back and waved. All the other ladies grunted and Mary and Darci approached her.
“Claire Bear! You’re not supposed to do that here! That’s cheating!” Darci told her with her arms crossed while Mary nodded in agreement. Claire chuckled and held the bouquet victoriously as she went to sit back down. “Um, I don’t remember there being a rule book for bouquet tosses as far as I’m concerned,”
“Preposterous!” Exclaimed Varvatos. “It should’ve been I who won this battle for Nancy!” He heard Nancy walk up to him giggling and grabbing his arm. “Oh Varvatos, you don’t need a bouquet to marry me! I’m way past that!” Varvatos’s eyes glew up and he let out a big smile. “Glorious!” He yelled. laughing maniacally.
Later that night, everyone got up and slow-danced to the sweet, charming tunes that Krel played. Douxie danced with Zoe, who he finally caught up with and they got to hunt niffins and grab burgers together as promised. Toby and Darci danced together and enjoyed their well-needed reunion, sharing a few kisses here and there. While Steve and Aja danced, they discussed their future plans and whether they would be together on Akiridion-5 or remain long distance.
“Well now, since we got wormholes and stuff, maybe I could come to you more often on Akiridion-5 while finishing college and who knows what will happen next?” Steve started as he held Aja and slightly dipped her. She smiled back at him and pushed her hair behind her ear. “You know, I really miss this mudball and seeing you more. I think maybe I too, should come visit and go on more Earth dates,”
Jim shared a short and sweet dance with mother then hugged her so tightly, before Strickler walked over to them and asked if could borrow his wife for another dance. Jim went over to Krel’s turntable and whispered something in his ears. Suddenly the music stopped as Krel plugged Jim’s phone to his turntable and pressed play.
Claire sat and chatted with Mary and a couple of friends when she suddenly froze. It was a familiar melody that took her back to the night of Spring Fling, her first ever dance with Jim. The guitar strings of Eres Tu played as she turned around and saw Jim hold out his hands to her. She looked up at him smiling and grabbed his hand. She got up and walked with him further away from the crowd until they were almost alone but could still hear the song. They started dancing as the Spanish lyrics began to be sung, while Jim sang along parts of the song, just like last time.
“Nice little trick you did back there with the flowers,” Jim joked as he spun her around. Claire chuckled and blushed a little. “Oh I bet you wanted me to be the one to catch it. But don’t worry, there’s no rushing into this. We just enjoy every moment together and take this all little by little, ok?” She assured him. He smiled back at her and stroked her cheek. It was so good that they finally got to enjoy this moment of peace without needing to defeat gumm-gumms or evil wizards trying to destroy the world. For both of them, it was a relief that neither of them felt the need to dread any upcoming battles hopefully for years to come. Without any further talking, they just danced together slowly reminiscing their beautiful memories they’ve had throughout their relationship, putting a warm smile on each of their faces. Jim spun Claire, then hugged her from behind and kissed her cheek, while Claire’s smile only got bigger and brighter.
From a distance, Barbara and Walter watched Jim dance with Claire while they too danced. “You’ve raised an amazing son, Barbara. Young Atlas has come so far in life and he wouldn’t have become the man he did without an amazing mother like you,”
“He’s also had a wonderful person like you come into his life and help him grow a lot. I couldn’t be more thankful he had you and Mr. Blinky help him become a strong trollhunter,”
The stars continued glimmering in the night sky as everyone enjoyed the rest of the wedding. A cool breeze blew through and the petals on the flowers and the twinkling lights slowly flowed along. The heroes of Arcadia have truly found an adventure worth telling for generations to come, whether it was on Earth, the caverns below, or on Akiridion-5. It was a one of a kind adventure that each hero will continue to remember and hold onto no matter what comes next. Despite all the trauma and heartbreak they all went through, they have also gained so much strength and wisdom, along with many great allies that will always stay together whatever comes next.
~~~
Thank you so much for reading this fic! I know this was super long but I definitely put in a lot of stuff that I wanted to see in the TOA series, including Aja and Claire bonding and a happy ending with a Stricklake wedding! I know this isn’t the best I’ve written and that I wasn’t able to give each character but I’m glad I was able to get it done! Stay tuned for more and hopefully more focus on other characters!
#stricklake wedding#stricklake#waltolomew stricklander#walter strickler#barbara lake#Jim lake jr#jim lake junior#jim lake#claire nuñez#claire nunez#jim x claire#claire and jim#jlaire#steve palchuk#aja tarron#aja and steve#staja#darci scott#Toby/Darci#Toby Domzalki#tobias domzalski#aarghaumont#aaarrrgghh#blinky galadrigal#blinkous galadrigal#mary wang#nancy domzalski#varvatos vex#douxie casperan#hiserdoux casperan
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Bird Set Free | Ben Florian x Male Reader
Fandom: Descendants
Pairing: Ben Florian x Male Reader
Summary: A jealous Audrey comes after Ben’s boyfriend.
A/N: Another co write with my amazingly talented friend @inhumanshadows. If you haven’t checked them out what are you waiting for!?
…
Ben had caught your eye the moment you stepped out of the limbo from the isle.
You were one of the first vk's to arrive in Auradon.
At the time Ben was dating Audrey so you didn't think you had any chance.
That changed after the big turney game when he asked you privately if you wanted to go on a date with him.
That shocked you first off because he was a prince/future king and you were a villain kid.
Secondly you were a guy. You hadn't expected Ben to be into guys.
You said yes of course. Who wouldn't want to go on a date with Ben.
The date went great and you enjoyed it.
During the whole coronation debacle, you helped Mal and them stop Maleficent.
Once everyone was unfrozen, Ben pulled you into a kiss in front of everyone.
That was a surprise to everyone, but who was going to challenge the king and his boyfriend who just stopped maleficent? No one that's who.
While Adam was shocked he wasn't disappointed and Belle was really supportive of you two.
Ben's parents were your biggest supporters. "Love is love."
While the kingdom had accepted you two relatively easy, one person did not. Audrey.
You had a feeling Audrey wouldn’t like it.
But you figured she wouldn’t be too mad for long.
At least that’s how it seemed. Especially when she left school for a little “wellness retreat.”
Then the mess with Uma happened.
You knew she spelled Ben and that any actions he made weren’t consciously his own.
The entire cotillion was...intense.
You didn't let Uma use Ben any more than she had.
You quickly pulled Ben in for a kiss and pressed your lips to his.
There was a spark and energy there that you felt every time you kissed.
Pulling back, Ben smiled at you and you could tell it had worked. He wasn't spelled anymore.
Uma and Mal then got into a fight over her spell book.
After everything settled down the two of you enjoyed the rest of your night.
However there was still a part of you that was hurt seeing Ben with someone else even if it wasn't his doing.
Luckily, Ben quickly made sure that YOU were the one for him.
That led to him proposing to you with a promise ring a week later.
...
You said yes to that right away. No way were you letting that pass by you.
Of course, Audrey wasn't happy with that. But who cares, what could she do?
-You didn’t care. You were engaged and had much more pressing matters to attend to.
-Now the whole kingdom was just in your face about really anything and everything.
“when’s the wedding?!”
“How are you adjusting to life as the prince’s boyfriend??”
It was that constantly and it gets old quickly.
So you just focused on Ben and your friends.
Evie insisted on designing yours and Ben’s wedding outfits.
“I mean I won’t tell you no Evie.”
You had to remind everyone that it was only a promise ring and not an actual engagement ring. No one seemed to care.
Honestly with you two, it really was more of an engagement ring.
But that was for another day. Today was Jane's birthday.
Ben had some last minute work to finish so you went ahead of him.
"(M/N)! It's good to see you."
"Ben's on his way. He just had to finish something first. He's sorry for being late."
She waved you off. "No worries."
Then someone you hadn't expected showed up.
Audrey.
She was dressed differently and had maleficent staff.
That wasn't good.
Audrey laid her eyes on you and a wicked smile came over her face.
That REALLY wasn't good.
"Jane, go. Run!"
Jane nods and hightails it out of there.
Audrey starts to sing “Happy birthday” as waves of green smoke wash over the party area, all the guests falling into a cursed sleep.
You brace for an inevitable sleep... but it never comes.
Audrey stands before you, smile on her face.
“A sleeping curse is too good and too easy for you. I have other plans.”
She bangs the bottom of the staff on the ground and you’re surrounded by smoke.
Magic flows over you and when it clears... everything is bigger.
“Well aren’t you a pretty bird...” Audrey says before vanishing.
You run to the edge of the lake and see that she turned you into a raven.
A raven. Of course she turned you into a raven, just like diaval.
Your first instinct is to panic. You're currently a bird when just five seconds ago you were human.
After calming down a bit you realize the next best thing to do is go after Ben.
Ben! If this is what Audrey did to you what would she have done to Ben!?
Without another thought you flap your new wings and try your best to fly.
It's not pretty at first but you figure it out and soon are flying to your future husband.
When you do reach Ben...it's not fun.
Audrey had changed him as well, but instead of a bird he was a beast. Just like his dad.
When you tried talking with him you hoped he would be like how his dad was as a beast...or at least as you had been told.
You figured you'd get to talk with him and figure out a way to stop Audrey.
Ben tried to eat you.
Apparently Audrey's curse made Ben an actual full beast and not just looking like one.
There was only one thing left to do...find help!
Finding help wasn't easy. Everyone was either asleep or turned to stone!
Fairy godmother? Stone. Belle and Adam? Asleep.
Luckily you found Mal and them, along with Uma, Gil and Harry.
Unluckily, they just thought you were a raven.
Harry kept shooing you and threatening to hit you with the hook.
Gil wanted to pet you. So that wasn’t too bad.
And the others either thought you were gross or just a dumb bird.
Gil proves to have the braincell for the group when he suggested giving whatever made Dude the dog talk to you.
Mal did it to “make the conversation change”
"Finally! I've been trying to get your attention forever!"
They all go wide eyed when you're voice comes out of the bird.
"Yes it's me. (M/N). Audrey turned me into a raven and I went to find Ben but she changed him into a beast! You gotta help me save Ben!"
Of course, even though you were a bird, Ben is a king, your boyfriend and a beast right now. You were helping him first.
"Oh and Gil...can you scratch my head again?"
What? It felt good.
Then Jay, Harry, Gil and Carlos went with you to find your boyfriend.
You guys find beast ben and slowly try to get his attention.
He turns and stalks towards you all.
He looks as if he’s about to pounce when Jane pops out of the trees and sprays him with water.
Ben roars and stumbles back rubbing his face. He drops his hands and looks relatively normal.
“What did you hit him with, Jane?” Jay asks.
“Enchanted lake water. Breaks most enchantments. Figured it couldn't hurt.”
You let out a breath you hadn't realized you were holding.
"Oh thank gods. I was so worried babe."
Ben froze in place as he saw you talking.
"(M/N)?"
You flew over and landed on his shoulder.
"Hey Ben. Audrey got to me first. Thanks for not eating me earlier."
Ben would then pet you.
"I'm glad I didn't. That would be awkward...now how do we change you back? Jane?"
"I kind of used the last of the water."
You look Ben up and down and he smiles at you.
“Gotta say Ben, I like the fangs and beard. Could be cleaner but...”
“Oh really?” Ben asks.
That when Harry whistles. “Sorry to break up that tender moment... but we have an angry Audrey to pursue...”
"Right! We'll have to figure something out later. I promise! I'll make sure to get you back" Ben said.
You knew he would. Ben always did.
Returning to Evie's cottage, Uma seemed to be leaving in a mood.
Doug who had been asleep was now awake.
"Wait? How is he awake?"
"True love’s kiss."
You looked at Ben who looked back at you.
"Why didn't we think of that?!" you said.
Ben rubbed the back of his head with a nervous look.
"Sorry."
“it’s alright. Lots happening. We’ll try later. First we deal with Audrey!”
Cue Audrey sealing you all in the cottage.
Then mal and Uma break you guys out with some awesome cooperative magic.
You: “Aww you guys are friends again!”
Mal: “I’ll pluck your feathers...”
“Alright! Geez...”
Then everything with Mal came out.
It made your heart break. Ben,Your boyfriend, your future husband, made a decision with Mal to not bring over any more VK's.
You couldn't believe it. You didn't want to accept it.
"So...you didn't even want to talk to me about this?" You said to him.
"I'm a VK Ben! You're wanting to stop any one else from getting the chance that I did? That's so wrong!"
Now you really wish you had gotten that kiss earlier...cause this love didn't feel true anymore.
Uma, Harry and Gil left...and so did you.
"I need to think."
"(M/N) wait!"
Did you leave on Gil’s shoulder, slumped against him? Yes yes you did.
It was all very confusing and pretty shocking.
While you understood where they were coming from... it... it just hurt.
You all were back at the cottage, checking up on Dizzy and the twins.
You were glad they weren’t awake to hear about all that. They had enough on their plates.
“So what do we do now?” You ask, walking on a table, everyone seated around it.
Uma: “Nothing. Let Mal and Ben figure it out... they don’t deserve our help after that stunt.”
"I can't just sit by Uma. I'm mad...but not let Audrey go kind of mad. If anything I want just a bit of revenge."
Uma smirked at that.
"Good to know there's still a VK in there."
You extended your wings and fake bowed.
Eventually you all began heading back to the isle before Mal stopped you begging you all to help her.
"They were turned to stone. (M/N),Ben was turned to stone."
It didn't matter how hurt you were, you still loved Ben.
Without hesitation you hopped off Gil's shoulder and began flying back.
Arriving back at the cottage you saw them, Evie, Dude,Carlos, Jay and Ben...all statues.
You landed on Ben's out stretched stone arm.
"Oh Ben...What do I do?"
You sat there perched on Ben's arm, looking at his frozen face.
You regretted that the last thing you two did was fight.
Hopefully this would be fixed soon and you can apologize.
As if your wishes were answered. Ben and the rest were unfrozen and the people began waking up.
"Ben! Oh gods you're back! I'm sorry! I'm so sorry about how I left."
"(M/N). No I'm sorry. I should have asked you. I'm sorry I didn't."
With that Ben lifted his arm with you on it up and kissed your head.
In an instant you felt yourself changing and growing and soon you were back to being human.
You smiled and pulled Ben into a tight up.
"Forget waiting. Ben, I have no idea what's going to happen but I know I want to be with you. Let's get married."
He didn't disagree and your promise ring was now that engagement ring.
After making sure everyone was alright after everything that transpired you, Ben and Mal got to talking and came to a unanimous decision.
You all agreed it was time to take the barrier down and stop making the children of villains pay for their parents misdeeds.
You worked with the other VKs to make the process as fair and efficient as possible.
Ben pulled you away for a minute to hug you.
“I know we’re still working on the rest of the VKs but I was thinking we could meet with Evie to talk about wedding stuff?”
“of course... we have a lot to plan... together.”
Evie was excited when you told her.
Ben and you also enjoyed the planning, especially the cake.
Your wedding was going to be amazing.
#descendants#disney's descendants#disneys descendants#descendants ben#descendants ben florian#ben florian#ben florian x male reader#ben florian x male!reader#ben florian x reader
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After the Flood (a.k.a. bicci fic)
Hello friends! Some of you may remember that back in... er, who knows, I was writing a Bicci Proposal Fanfic. However, school and lack of motivation got in the way, and essentially, I forgot it existed. Until now. It's done, it's ready, it's here for you to read in whole! (I posted half of it before, but I can't find the thing.)
Characters: Jimmy Kaga-Ricci, Lister Bird, Rowan Omondi, OC (Abby Omondi), Angel Rahimi
Themes: older Ark, marriage proposal, coming out, grand gestures, The Ark Revival Tour, and peak Bicci romance (hopefully)
TWs: mentions of recovery from addiction, anxiety, food
Word count: 9k
JIMMY
It’s often impossible to pinpoint what exactly set off an event – or perhaps multiple – that changed your life as you knew it.
That was not Jimmy’s case, however. He remembered that Barbecue Saturday very well.
This time, it was Rowan and his spouse Abby who hosted. The two couples took turns and Jimmy was oh so grateful for it; the idea of managing Lister’s chaotic culinary experiments more than twice in one summer filled him with dread.
On Saturday morning, Jimmy and Lister packed up and drove all the way to the suburbs of London where Rowan and Abby lived. The sun was bright, everything gleamed buttery yellow, and Jimmy managed to talk Abby into letting him set the table and carry in all the food instead of her, which was quite an accomplishment. She was about as stubborn as her husband.
They rarely invited more than three extra people though. Being in the public eye in your formative years made you appreciate small gatherings of trustworthy people. And one of those proved to be Angel. Or, you know, Feresteh, but her nickname really stuck with them. From that time Jimmy nearly quit the band and Lister impaled himself and almost drowned in mud… yeah, call that a wild youth.
Over ten years later, they were hardly the same people.
After they decided to quit being The Ark for their own wellbeing and safety, Rowan kept his place in the music industry as a songwriter, producer and a solo artist. He went with the name Le Monde, a play on his surname as well as French for “the world”. It suited him. He was the world, never small, never just one thing.
Lister stopped being involved in music after a few collabs. While he was figuring out what to do next, he took a few modelling jobs, acted in music videos and got a small part in a sitcom. Jimmy used that time to get a college degree, but found he just wouldn’t be able to get the usual “college experience” he yearned for, and only got his diploma after doing classes long-distance.
Jimmy and Lister also got together. After many failed attempts at courtship and pretending being friends with benefits was enough… they got together. To Jimmy, it felt like it was inevitable; they have acted like partners long before it was official, they just needed to clean up their own messes before they could be a couple. It wouldn’t have felt right back then, but it did now.
Rowan was already at the grill preparing meat and wrapping camembert in shiny aluminium foil when Angel marched in, tall, elegant, beaming. Jimmy loved to see her again. Each time, she seemed a little more confident, more expressive, more… just more. She really did find her calling in the music industry, just as much as he found his tucked away in rural England with his boyfriend.
Yet, he was to be “tucked away” no longer.
At a certain point, their group fell momentarily silent; everyone was chewing their meal and soaking in the sun. Then Angel said, in an unfamiliar, cautious tone: “You see, I was talking to a couple of people…”
Rowan exchanged a quick look with Jimmy. “Go on,” he said.
“It’s gonna be ten years since you guys disbanded, you know.”
“I know,” Jimmy echoed.
“So. I was thinking. Hear me out, even if you think it’s bollocks…” Angel shot them a look, and then made a motion with her hand as if she was presenting them with something. “Have you ever thought of doing a revival concert?”
As Rowan did a theatrical “errrm”, Jimmy saw straight through his best friend’s bullshit: the two of them rehearsed this conversation. He knew Ro for most of his life, who did he think he was fooling?
His mind offered the answer quickly: Abby, perhaps. He wants to see how she would react, doesn’t he? Rowan would love to do a revival show like that, no doubt, but he valued his wife’s opinion too much to make a decision without her.
He felt movement on his left, and looked Lister in the eyes.
“Well,” said Lister, looking at him. “Wow, okay,” said Jimmy. Both were considering.
Angel swiftly picked up, “Just wanted to run this idea by you. Not because it’s me who would love to see you play once more – I mean, of course I would – but it’s expected to have an amazing turn-out.”
“Obviously, they’re The Ark,” Abby commented matter-of-factly.
“You’re right, Abby. So, guys? How are we feeling about this?”
It was bizzare. Normally, Jimmy would have expected to say he wasn’t at all interested – the boyband life was not for him anymore, tough luck – but recently, he felt a strong sense of nostalgia surge through him as the ten year mark got closer. He found himself reaching for his old guitar way more often, strumming at it, looking for something between the strings he could not reach.
Maybe he could do it just once.
What eventually came out of his mouth was… “I haven’t sung like that for a long time though.”
“You sing to me,” Lister contradicted him, his fingers intertwining with his. “All the time.”
Jimmy felt his face get hotter. “That’s hardly… Are you thousands of people?” He turned to Angel. “How many are we talking, anyway?”
She smiled a kind smile. “I don’t know, Jimmy, that depends on whether you three are up to it or not.”
Rowan cleared his throat. “Personally speaking, I think I wouldn’t mind, as long as we are just doing it once, and not trying for a comeback. I wouldn’t go there.”
“Same,” Lister nodded. “I love you guys, but I’m fine the way things are.”
“Right,” said Rowan firmly. “But… just this once, I mean, why not? We could use some extra money.” With this, he gently let his palm rest on Abby’s belly that swelled under her summer dress like a balloon. (Jimmy fought the urge to aww at them.)
Abby immediately assured him they were more than fine financially, but Rowan barely listened, clearly waiting for his former bandmates to say something. Jimmy felt Lister looking at him, unwavering. So he turned to him and asked, “What do you think? Cool or not?”
“I’m waiting for you to say.”
“Why?”
“Don’t want you to feel pressured or anything.”
“You shouldn’t… Just say what your opinion is!”
“You express your opinion,” Lister retorted, pretending to square his shoulders as a threat. Jimmy lovingly nudged him, and to stop being annoying to the remaining three people at the table, he shrugged, “It doesn’t sound so bad. One concert. I mean, we are still friends after all this time, so why not?”
“In that case, I would love to be the centre of attention again!” Lister exclaimed and gave Jimmy a boyish grin. “The crowd was deprived of my looks for too long.”
“Buddy, you were the drummer,” Rowan said. “Bold of you to assume anyone even looked at you with me and Jimmy jumping at the front.”
Jimmy snorted with laughter, but Lister was quick to defend himself. “Google all Lister Bird slash Reader fanfic and then we can talk about who got noticed, buddy.”
“Oi, you’re not even properly revived yet, stop fighting!” Angel called out, but laughter started bubbling from every direction before she even finished the sentence.
They had a proper business meeting about it in two weeks. And then another and another. When they announced the first date, the sales went through the roof. Jimmy had to get off of social media because the internet exploded with their names and faces. But he sort of found it a bit sweet, that so many people stuck around for them, like old friends that he never had the chance to talk to. One concert became three and then five, which was, honestly, more like a small tour at that point. Jimmy fought to call it After the Flood and won.
LISTER
“You really shouldn’t do that, you know. This bitch is hard to get rid of.”
Rowan tried to hide a small cough and put out his cigarette on the metal window sill next to him. “Hey,” he greeted Lister. “Didn’t expect you to come out here.”
“Yeah.” Lister found it hard to hang around smokers, and unfortunately, he met quite the number of them while they were in the process of rehearsing. “I wanted to talk to you.”
“What’s up?”
“Can we walk, like, over there? So… nobody can hear us through the door?”
Rowan eyed him suspiciously, but he followed him to the railing on the edge of the roof. There, he turned to him, seeming to fight himself.
“I’m really looking for a less shitty way to ask this,” he admitted eventually. “But… What have you done now, Lister?”
Lister felt a sort of numbed cramp seize his stomach for a second. It took a lot not to let anger overcome him. They were well over thirty, how the hell was Rowan still treating him like a fuck up?
But no. This was more important than old grudges.
“Nothing! As of yet,” he assured his bandmate.
“Okay…?”
“Right. So. Erm. Nobody is here, right? Fine. I had this idea… you know, Jimmy and I have been together for a long time and I obviously care about him a lot, I always have, you kind of know that…”
“Yes, go on,” he pushed on gently.
“Fuck it. I want to fucking propose!”
A giant weight fell off his shoulders when he spoke those words aloud. It was like coming out all over again, god.
Rowan’s eyes twinkled. “Oooh,” he almost whispered, “and you need my help with that? I’m your man, tell me the plan!”
“There is none right now.”
“Oh, okay. I can still help if you want.”
This was another part Lister dreaded discussing.
“I… okay, so, I was thinking of… doing it on stage?”
His friend’s face changed rapidly.
Lister’s dream of a grand proposal to the love of his life in brilliant stage lights and the roars of the audience faded away. “That’s a no? That’s a no. Shit, forget it then.” He felt sick.
“Lister, I’m absolutely positive you mean well,” Rowan started. “But Jimmy would-“
Speak of the devil.
The door opened and out of it peaked Jimmy’s unshaven face. “Oh! There you both are.”
Rowan froze for a second. Lister was ready to improvise. “Alright, so how about I come by yours after practice and you transfer the files to me?” He smiled, but impaled Rowan with a meaningful look.
Fortunately, he caught on. “Oh yeah, yeah, that could work.”
“What files?” Jimmy inquired as he joined them, oblivious.
“Rowan has some of our old drafts still saved. I was thinking of squeezing in a drum solo somewhere, maybe with spoken word over it?”
“Sounds cool,” Jimmy smiled at him and slightly brushed the back of his hand with Lister’s. “Anyway, Dick the Sound Guy wants us all in there immediately.”
“Stop calling him that or I’ll have a Freudian slip at some point,” Lister laughed and guided Jimmy back into the building. Him and Rowan managed to exchange a subtle nod over the shorter man’s head.
JIMMY
As they were packing up that day, Jimmy tried incredibly hard to catch Rowan alone. Just like the old times when he needed to discuss something personal. And yet again, it involved Lister. Jimmy felt young and stupid again, but not really in a good way.
Finally, he managed to stop him while he was putting away the equipment. Lister was meanwhile in the office of their temporary new manager. “Ro, I need advice!” he whispered to his best friend.
“What about?”
“It’s Lister.”
“Oh dear Jesus, I’m having flashbacks.”
“Don’t be a dick, it’s important.”
“Okay then, tell me.”
“It kind of involves you too. Just… tell me if it’s a good idea.”
“Go on!”
“I want to, uh… I want to tell people Lister and I are a couple…” He took a breath. “Which means I would be coming out as gay as well, probably. I know that’s, like, a huge pile of drama, so if you don’t want me to complicate the tour, just say it, it’s honestly kind of irresponsible when I’m thinking about it now…”
“Jimbob. Easy.” Rowan waited for a second for Jimmy to wind down, leaning on a stack of five chairs, and then asked, “Are you really sure about it? Do you want people to know?”
Jimmy felt his thoughts humming in his head. He forced himself to say exactly how he felt.
“I know it’s gonna sound super dramatic, but I don’t want to die not saying it,” he explained slowly. “It became really important to me… I don’t know when. But it did. Talking about this part of me, too. I’m just worried about what Lister might say.”
“So I take it that you didn’t discuss this?”
“No way. I don’t even know how to start!” Jimmy exploded in loud whispering. “I should have talked to him a long time ago, but I just didn’t have the balls.”
“I get that, but… just bring it up. Like, theoretically. What if. I think he’s going to support you through it.”
“How could he?”
“What are you even saying at this point?
“You think he would like people sticking their nose in our personal business? I feel like it’s so unfair to him and his privacy… And I feel terrible about still wanting to do it… even though it’s inconsiderate. It’s all a fucking mess.”
“Okay, okay.” Rowan massaged his nose. He looked like he was trying incredibly hard not to snap at Jimmy and be at least somewhat encouraging. “Look, no spoilers, but I am going to say this. Lister absolutely will notbe mad and he will want to talk about the two of you if you give him the chance. That is all.”
“Wait, what? Ro, did he tell you something?”
“I am not talking!”
“Is that how you treat your best friend in a life crisis?!”
“You’re putting me in a life crisis, don’t you dare play the pity card! I swear, the two of you are a nightmare.”
“Rowan! Come back!”
LISTER
His visit to Rowan’s place was very brief, but it was enough for him to understand Rowan’s concerns. Eventually.
Lister explained that it didn’t feel appropriate for him to just whip out a ring in a restaurant: Jimmy was his love, his dream boy, as cliché as it sounded, and he wanted to do something that would measure up to all he was feeling. Which was… well, a whole lot. Like a “get down on one knee in front of thousands of people” lot.
And yet.
“It’s all great, and I’m sure there are people in the world that would love it, but we are talking about Jimmy.”
“Come on. I know, he’s private about… well, everything, but…”
“That, yes,” Rowan pointed at him while holding a can of coke, “but don’t you think this proposal on stage would be an anxiety-inducing situation? Because to me, that sounds like a lot of pressure and nerves.”
“He hasn’t had attacks since we moved and he went on those meds.”
“That doesn’t really –“
“Matter. Yeah. Yeah, I get your point, mate, he would die of shock. And everybody watching him. Fuck, I’m stupid.”
“No, you’re not,” Rowan grinned. “The two of you are just different… in some aspects. I’m sure you’ll figure something out.”
Will I? Lister asked himself as he was driving back to the hotel that Jimmy and him were staying at for the time being. This was the only thing I came up with, like, ever.
When he swept his key card over the sensor and the door to their suite opened, he was greeted by the smell of dinner. He took a look into their little kitchen and found his boyfriend sitting at the table with his laptop. He didn’t notice him for a second, so Lister came up behind him and hugged him tightly.
Jimmy yelped.
“Where’s the food?!” Lister shook him a little, imitating Batman.
“Your hands are so cold!” Jimmy protested, but there was a trace of laughter in his voice. “On the stove, you bully!”
Lister almost flew over there, looking under the lid on the pot.
“Pasta,” Jimmy shrugged. “I needed my comfort food, so that’s that for you.” Lister smiled and thanked him, because yes, he was starving. Pasta was Jimmy’s go-to meal to cook, as it was quick to make and he was a pasta-sauce prodigy.
While his dinner was heating up in the microwave, Jimmy made small-talk about the supposed unused lyrics Rowan and him exchanged. Lister found it hard to lie to him, so he just turned to playful teasing, telling Jimmy to stop sniffing around, he’ll hear it when the time comes.
“Oh come on,” Jimmy huffed. “I’m just asking! And it’s my show, too. Spill it.”
“Sorry. Totally gonna steal your spotlight.”
“Lister, just tell me what it is.”
“A song.”
“What song?”
“A song that you have to wait for.”
“Babe, what song?!”
Lister took him by the waist and pulled him against his body. “Are you trying to ‘babe’ me into telling you right now? Is that what’s happening? Right in front of my pasta?” He went in for a kiss, and Jimmy tried to murmur something against his lips… but then he gave up. They leaned into each other and kept kissing until Lister pulled away to open the microwave. He got himself a fork and went to sit down after the long day, but Jimmy stayed there, right next to the sink. Looking a bit like he was going to hurl.
Before Lister could ask if he’s okay, Jimmy sat down on the other chair with a determined look on his face.
“There is something I need to discuss!” he blurted out.
Lister cautiously dropped the fork back into the bowl. “Okay…? And it’s something to do with me, yeah?”
“Yep. A lot to do with you.” He was visibly nervous. He clasped his hands together, as if Lister would have not noticed. “I… I was thinking about this one thing, and I need your opinion about it.”
“Cool. Go for it.”
“It’s about our relationship.”
“Are you aware you sound very sinister right now?”
He wildly shook his hands as if he wanted to dry them off. “Sorry, didn’t mean to,” he apologized in a strained voice. Then he cleared his throat, sharply lifted his eyes towards Lister’s and exclaimed, “I would like to reveal that we’re together.”
Lister felt everything about his face go lax in shock. He opened his eyes round and wide, his mouth followed, and Jimmy looked like he would faint.
“I, er. I just. I thought about it and I think it’s a decent idea and – please say something, Lister, before I get a fucking heart attack right now.”
It must have been so hard for him to speak up. Lister thought of his proposal plans and felt his mouth slowly form a smile. “I think it’s… brilliant! Yes, I would really like to do that!”
“Wait, really?”
“This is – I didn’t think you would want to, when did you change your mind?”
Jimmy shrugged, grinning in a sheepish way that made him look much younger. And cuter. “I thought I just… wanted to be open about this part of my life. Figured it’s time to say we are together. But if you, like, don’t feel like it, then…”
Lister beamed. “I feel like it. If you do, I do, trust me.” He walked around the table and lifted Jimmy into a hug. He laughed, relieved.
This was when it dawned on Lister… it was not such an easy matter. Exciting, yes, but it would gather all kinds of attention. He leaned onto the table, grabbed his dinner and him and Jimmy started talking about the situation it would put them in. If both are truly okay with it, how much would they reveal, when is the best time to do it. They kept talking through the bathroom door and while they were changing into pajamas in their bedroom.
As they were laying down and Lister gestured Jimmy to crawl into his arms, they became quieter. “You know why I also want to say it?” Jimmy mumbled, lying on the soft linen with one eye open.
“I’m all ears.”
“If I have to see one more article about which model or actress you’re screwing, I’m gonna lose the remaining marbles that I have.” Lister started chuckling as Jimmy awkwardly added, “Which is, admittedly, not many. Most have been lost in my youth.”
“Oh no,” Lister laughed and turned Jimmy’s face upwards to his. “So this just in: my boyfriend is possessive. Fancy that.”
“I’m not, it’s… I am… Oh, you hated Jowan, stop being smug.”
“I know I did, we both know. But jealous Jimmy? That’s a rare sight.”
“It’s just super uncomfortable. It’s all women, as well.”
“Heteronormativity is a bitch,” Lister nodded. He snuggled closer and let out a breath, “Don’t worry though. I am exclusively your problem.”
Jimmy kissed him, smiling. Lister felt lightheaded. He closed his eyes and pressed his forehead against Jimmy’s. He loved this – he loved how much he felt for him after so long they have been together. It never ceased or faded away… because it was Jimmy.
Lister was pretty sure he would love him until his last day on Earth.
It was time to start looking for a ring.
JIMMY
Not much later, they had a team meeting scheduled with all the important people at their recording company that were involved with their tour. Jimmy and Lister announced their intention to come out during the tour, and with Rowan’s full support, it wasn’t too hard to win the producers over. Jimmy had anticipated the PR people would deem it overly risky to their image, but they were fairly chill. As Rowan had put it, “As if anything about The Ark was ever about pandering to conservatives.”
They agreed that their demographic is absolutely different, and before they knew it, they were being ignored while people were exchanging speculations about how it all could help them promote the tour.
“If they do it on, like, the second show…”
“…we could sell some extra tickets after… another wave…”
“…that would probably be a good time to release a single, something related to…”
Jimmy felt something in his chest sink. This is why they left. These people took something good, something from their hearts and souls, and wanted to turn it into money. Some part of him understood, that’s how business works, but mostly, he just felt really sad for them.
“Oi!” Lister exploded over the chatter. “Sorry, but we are still here, and – Could you maybe not act like this coming out is a marketing tactic?!”
The room went briefly silent.
Jimmy squeezed his hand under the table to say a silent thanks. Then he choked out, “That’s not why we’re doing it!”
Their producer looked at them over the top of her reading glasses.
“Of course it’s not, love,” she cooed. “But to say it bluntly, I think you need all the help you can get.”
After many weeks and many briefings, they had agreed on making the announcement on the third show. Right in the middle of tour. Everybody was nervous, expectant, but there was this air of hopefulness when Jimmy and Lister ended up alone together. The glimmer in his partner’s eye when their eyes met promised something… no, it was not living absolutely openly, they still wanted privacy. But it felt like they were sealing something.
This was not an easy coming out.
But they were in for it. Together.
LISTER
“Just so I know,” Rowan said as Lister was trying to take off his Doc Martens with all his might, “what did you tell Jimmy this time?”
“We’re still working on music.”
“We should really make something then, before you go. I am not gonna lie to my childhood best friend, y’know.”
Finally, the boot came off, and Lister got off the little cabinet in Rowan’s hall. Abby was already making tea, and when she saw him walk by the kitchen door, she just nodded at him. Lister smirked at her; she loved pretending to still be mad at him for taking Rowan to a strip club on his stag night. (Or was it dancing on the table at the wedding reception? Anyhow.)
Rowan sat him down in the lounge and started the conversation with: “So. The big reveal is getting closer. How are we feeling?”
“I – great, good. I’m fine, and Jimmy seems to be fine, so yeah, we’re fine.”
“But I assume that’s not what you need help with?”
“You assume right. I will need you to bear with me, though.”
“That sounds interesting,” Rowan retorted and flashed a smile at Abby who was bringing them two steaming mugs of earl gray. “And when I say interesting I mean impending doom, why thank you, Abby!”
“No problem.” She slowly leaned over, careful not to lose balance with her belly, and kissed him on the forehead. “I’ll be off for my swimming class then. You two behave, will you.”
As she was making her way to the hall, Lister jokingly remarked, “No goodbye kiss for me?”
She stopped in the middle of the room and exchanged a glance with Rowan. Rowan, stirring his tea with a teaspoon, said, “Please don’t kill him, I need him for the concert.”
“Come on, you guys, I was fully kidding. Goodbye, Abby,” he waved to her with a bright smile. “Enjoy your swimming stuff!”
“Thank you, will do.” She disappeared.
“Just a question!” he called after her. She came back with an eyeroll. “Is it, like, harder to swim when you are pregnant? Like, I don’t mean to insult you or anything, I’m just genuinely wondering.”
She, too, put aside her snarky façade for a second. “Actually, I go there because it’s relieving. The water makes you float, so the weight of the baby is taken off my back and legs for a little while.”
“Oh! That’s clever.”
“Thank you. The more you know, am I right?”
“You know what I was just thinking of?”
“Yeah? I really have to go.”
“When you’re swimming, you’re a human submarine for the baby.”
It seemed to take Abby a minute to realize what he was saying. Very slowly, she brought her palm to her forehead.
Rowan then didn’t make it much better by adding, “Since when does a submarine have water inside? That would defeat the purpose.”
Lister thought about it and then gasped. “So… right now, you are a reverse human submarine!”
Abby looked at them both, clearly lost for words. “I’ll just go…” She closed the lounge door behind her.
After a good ten minutes of Rowan half laughing and half chastising Lister for saying the things he says, Lister threw his hands up in the air and claimed they seem to have “traded their sense of humour for a marriage certificate” two years ago.
Rowan immediately followed: “Speaking of marriage, any updates on that? You and…?”
“Well, my friend, that is precisely what we need to talk about today.”
“Okay. The meeting is officially in session, go.”
“First: am I the only one that was really surprised by Jimmy wanting to make us public? Because I really didn’t expect that at all.”
“Yeah, I guess he’s still full of surprises, huh?”
“That he is. However, Ro, I was thinking, and I still want to do a proposal. No – let me finish, it’s not that straightforward. I spent a lot of time talking to Jimmy about what he wants and how he sees the future, and you were super right in saying that I should never put him on the spot like that. Being so exposed to the public when we were kids messed with us in a big way, all of us.”
Rowan snapped his fingers in agreement.
“The idea is… It would be a proposal before a proposal. Like… I don’t know, announcing that I have the intention of proposing to him soon. And asking him if he is okay with that, you know? If he’s okay with the idea of saying yes. That way,” Lister gesticulated with his hands, “he’s not forced right there to say yes, the eventual real proposal can be sort of expected, which would calm him down a bit, but still a surprise, because when is it going to happen? I’m not saying.”
Rowan stared at him for about three seconds. “That was… a whole thing, buddy.”
“Thoughts?”
“I’m just trying to wrap my head around this. Wait. You want to do a proposal before the actual proposal.”
“Yes.”
“On stage. At the same time you are announcing that the two of you are together?”
“No! I mean, I don’t think so. I thought like, more at the end, maybe.”
“Proposal before a proposal…”
“It’s clever, if you think about it.”
“To me, it just seems very extra, Lister. Which I know is your trademark, but –”
“No, but listen. I want to propose to Jimmy. He wouldn’t survive a big flashy proposal, but I still want to make it a big deal, because it is. Ergo, I announce that I want to spend the rest of my stupid little life with him and ask him if it is okay to propose to him one day, likely soon.”
Rowan’ expression changed. “That does make sense,” he said. “For the two of you, especially.”
“Okay then: dear dad, do I have your blessing?”
“Never call me that again. But yes.”
“You are the closest to being a father out of all of us.”
“That is not what it sounds like and you know it.”
JIMMY
The first show was an explosion of feeling and memories. Nauseous with anxiety, burdened with expectation and weak in the knees, Jimmy ran into his first appearance on the stage the same way he would run into the middle of the highway. The lights and screams and colours almost blew him to pieces and then glued him back together. His first words addressed to the crowd and the earth-shattering screams that came in answer woke something in him, a force of nature. The gig was rather small compared to those they ended on ten years ago, but the crowd loved them to pieces and oh, he felt so alive.
The second show was slightly bigger, yes, and their fans didn’t disappoint. Plenty of pride flags were chucked at him, and he waved them and gave them to his mates and it made him even more excited about what him and Lister were going to do the next time round. These people stayed with them for so long, this sea of faces that looked toward him… for many of them, he would be the representation they need, again.
He remembered being a young trans boy, questioning if there is a life, a future, for him. Where were all the queer adults? The trans adults? How could he imagine adult life if he had never seen someone like him live it?
There he was, now. Adult. Gay. Transgender. A lot of time, he still knew very little about what he was doing, but he had a boyfriend who knew equally little, and together, they might be just what some queer kid in the crowd yearns to see.
LISTER
It was D-Day. Christ and Mary, it was, and they were going to say it. Finally. The staff have been informed, the security has been strengthened, they did everything so that some fan wouldn’t try and knock them the fuck out…, but he was still incredibly nervous. Minutes before the show, among all the rush and flourish, he caught Jimmy and pulled him to the side, apologizing to a couple of sound guys securing some cables on the ground.
“How are you doing?” he blurted out.
“I’ll die, but maybe in a good way. You?”
“Same. Or I’ll throw up, in a bad way.”
“Wait really?”
“No, I’m sick, but not the vomiting kind.”
“Anxiety! Welcome to the club!” Jimmy shouted as he was being ushered away under the stage so he could come up on a platform.
More pushing, more ushering, and he stood next to Rowan.
Their intro – a dramatic organ solo as light flashed through the artificial fog like sunbeams – was rumbling all around them. The crowd was losing their minds. He didn’t know how, but he still heard Rowan whisper:
“Lister, promise me you won’t do the other thing today!”
“Told you I won’t, stop being patronizing!” he snapped back, but then it was their time, and they were on a stage, coming up from behind Jimmy, each on every side, acting astonished as they supposedly came down from Noah’s Ark onto new land.
Listed dared to put his hand on Jimmy’s shoulder as they did so.
The show was on.
Here we go.
JIMMY
During the concert, he used every opportunity to interact with the audience that he had. It felt a bit manipulative at first – he wanted them to be up for a bit of talking, eventually – but then the feeling of guilt faded away. However complicated his relationship with the fans used to be, these people were the fans. They stayed loyal to them, they kept their music in their hearts, and came to this revival gig…
It would be okay, okay, okay.
When the last accords of the last song whizzed away into the night and he was thanking the crowd that stomped and cheered and waved signs in hope of an encore… he stopped at the front of the stage. Rowan strummed a few last cords on the guitar and fell silent.
He wished he had somewhere to sit down. His legs were shaking.
But he was not afraid. Not really.
“Now, you guys, these shows are very special for us. Because every single one of you, as we’re standing here and looking at each other, you have been waiting for so long…” His voice was drowned out by cheers. “For so long, you have not forgotten us, you came to our shows, you have been amazingly supportive, and I want to thank you, from the bottom of my heart!” He shouted the last few words as the sea of faces roared in joy.
When they calmed down again, he continued. “And because you are the ones that stuck with us… because of that, I would like to say a few things to you.
If you know about the days of my youth…” Pause as people laughed and shouted affirmations at him. “…you would probably remember that I was presumed to be in a relationship with a person that is standing on the stage with me, right now.”
It was good that only a few people cheered. But it made him sick to the stomach, still.
“Okay, no,” Rowan came in, and people applauded, and he pointed at them with a not-so-fake scolding look, “no, no, don’t you woo at me, young lady. This is so utterly not a thing! Jimmy has never left the friendzone!”
“Same here,” Jimmy laughed and patted Rowan across the back, maybe a little too hard, overcompensating. “Did you all, like, miss that Rowan came out as straight all those years ago?”
People were laughing. Nobody really cared, they just found it funny. Rowan claimed he was leaving it to Jimmy before “the PR team has me taken out”, and retreated a few steps, leaving Jimmy to face the crowd again.
Deep breaths, he told himself.
“What I wanted to say was that there was one thing that those people back then got right.” Breathe in, breathe out. “I am gay.”
Two seconds of silence and then an absolute thunderstorm of an applause. A rainbow pride flag landed at his feet and Jimmy took it, with meek laughter, and put it around his shoulders. He heard Rowan cheer and clap too, and for what felt like years, he couldn’t get a word in. He wished the whole world could be like this.
“I – gosh, thank you all, I’m not sure whether it was a surprise,” he finally managed to say, his voice breaking a little from surprise, “but yeah. I am a trans, gay man…” The hall exploded with joyous noise. “…and it’s not all that there is to me, but I’m here. And queer. Hello.”
He thought he was going to pass out. He had a clever segway prepared, but he couldn’t remember a word of it. This was the moment. He wanted to say it, but at the same time… How could he? It was so hard, why do things have to be so hard?
“The other… the second thing,” he said, gripping the pride flag. “It is that… wow, it’s hard. It’s that I am…” He felt himself turn around, and like a lost child call: “Lister?”
Lister climbed out from behind the drum set instantly. Nobody cheered, there were only confused whispers. Jimmy looked at him, asking for help without words, and he knew, as he always did. Jimmy found a place to look, above the crowd, beyond everything, as Lister stepped in and slowly took his hand.
“The second thing is that we are together,” Lister said, his voice steady.
And the crowd lost it.
There were people wailing in happy tears. Screaming at the top of their lungs. A dissonance of chanting their names, all at a different rhythm, before Rowan ran up to them and hugged them and spurred the crowd on, and they stood there wrapped in a pride flag, and Jimmy was kind of crying and leaning on Lister, and it was another half an hour of a pure mess, before they really left the stage with their ears buzzing and eyes wide.
Jimmy and Lister tumbled into a corner somewhere, and Jimmy had happy tears streaming down his cheeks and they were kissing and holding each other and shaking.
“Oh, I’m such a mess,” Jimmy laughed as he was smearing tears and foundation on his sleeve.
“And I love you so much,” Lister blurted out in a moment of raw honesty.
“Me too,” Jimmy took one of his hands and kissed the palm. “I love you so fucking much it’s unreal sometimes.”
LISTER
This was, hands down, the most jittery Lister got before a show. Ever.
Currently, he found himself sat at an old sofa in the dressing room, hands clasped and both legs involuntarily jumping up and down. Was it annoying? Likely. But he had to let his knees jump in such a vigorous way because if he hadn’t, his teeth might start clattering.
He hated that he couldn’t just be pumped and excited. He had to feel this unsettling, buzzing mess of an emotion. Anxiety, as Jimmy informed him. This is what it’s like for an anxious person, he said… except make it all the time and often for no real reason.
Lister shook his head a little.
His reason, too, was basically nothing. He knew. As if Jimmy would actually reject him or something…
Or would he?
Maybe he could? Oh God, maybe he could…
“Hey! You’re actually scaring me, what’s up with you?!”
Lister blinked in confusion. He saw Jimmy as he was making his way over. A half scolding, half worried look decorated his face.
He lowered his voice when he added: “The last time I saw you like this was when you had withdrawal symptoms. You can tell me if that’s what it is.”
“It’s not that. I’m fine,” Lister insisted. Crap, he was panicking too hard to actually come up with anything convincing. Come on, Bird, focus… He’s onto you…
“Actually,” Rowan’s voice travelled to them from the corner, “I just think we had weird coffee.”
“What? But you’re fine.”
“Yeah, well,” Rowan continued to make up a story, “we both got one, but I didn’t like the taste, it was too strong. Lister felt bad for throwing them out so he finished both of them, didn’t you?”
“Ye-Yes,” he finally caught on. Had to admit, Ro was impressive at this. Lister started to believe what their friend used to say: that he can lie very well, he just chooses not to. “I didn’t want to waste it. The coffee.”
“Lister,” Jimmy grunted in disbelief, hands on his hips. “That was a brilliant idea, you walnut! Look at yourself, you’re gonna be sick now!”
“I’m not.”
“You look it.”
“I’m just…” He rubbed his clammy hands together. “I’m just anxious I guess.”
“Well, no shit. Why do you think I avoid caffeine?” Jimmy sighed and dropped into a squat in front of Lister. He took Lister’s hands in his. “Seriously, are you okay? You’re not gonna have a heart attack, are you?”
“No, babe. I’m alright.” The last thing he wanted was for his boyfriend to be anxious too.
He looked down at Jimmy. The realization dawned on him, as he noticed that his partner dropped onto one of his knees to be more comfortable; very soon, the roles will be reversed. It will be Lister down on one knee, only Jimmy would be standing up in that case…
Okay.
Wow.
This is what true internal screaming felt like.
“You need water, as in now,” Jimmy decided and jumped up. “I’ll need you to drink at least three glasses before we start, that should help.”
He rushed out of the room to get hands on some water. Rowan and Lister looked at each other, the pretence gone.
“Alright?” Rowan nodded.
“I’m fucking choking, dude,” Lister replied.
It almost looked as if his friend was going to give him advice, or maybe say something generic and calming… but instead, Rowan let out a small laugh. Lister’s lips started twisting without him giving the command.
And then the two collapsed laughing. The pressure of this being the very last show and the knowledge of what Lister was about to do at the end of it were just the right recipe for hysterics.
Jimmy didn’t bother to ask twice what the joke was, as long as they promised they weren’t laughing at him.
-----------------------------------
As the concert was coming to an end and the crowd was cheering and chanting for an encore, Rowan seized the opportunity and called: “Alright, friends, we would like to indulge you in a little experiment! Can you join me at the front, Lister?”
Lister got out from behind the drum set and jogged to meet the rest of the group. Jimmy smiled, but his eyes studied both of them suspiciously. “What is this?”
Lister lazily raised his arms with the palms of his hands towards the crowd. “I have to admit, we kind of didn’t tell Jimmy what this is about. Sorry, my guy.” People laughed. Rowan signalled someone backstage, as Lister added: “But just so you don’t feel left out, you can have this triangle.” A nervous assistant handed Jimmy the instrument and ran off again.
Everybody was jeering and whistling, but there was an air of anticipation in the air.
“Oh wow, that’s generous of you,” Jimmy grimaced.
“I know, right? Anyhow.” Lister took a step forward, trying to calm himself. He could do this. He had acting jobs, he could absolutely pull this off.
He was Lister freaking Bird! He was the fan favourite!
“Dear audience, allow me to tell you a tale,” he addressed the crowd in his best narrator voice. A couple of screams rose from the crowd, but everyone else was listening intently. Behind him, Rowan started strumming a little melody on his guitar – one they created especially as a backdrop to Lister’s talk.
“I know this is a little unusual,” Lister admitted to the sea of people, “I know that you’re used to stories coming to you via this man’s voice,” he pointed at Jimmy, “and this man’s lyrics.” Rowan. “I know that I am just a simple drummer in this arrangement. But today, I will do the voice and the words. Because, well… Talking all the time is the one thing I am actually good at.”
That made the crowd laugh. Good. Great.
“But now, on with the story!” he exclaimed and made a motion with his hands as if he was showing them a canvas.
“Picture this. We are all fifteen, stuffed into a tiny studio in London,” he smiled, as if nostalgic. His voice flowed out of him in a steady melody, like the hum of a river. “We all had that awkward long hair phase – yes, I see some true veterans in the audience today. Good,” he smiled at a couple of girls in the front who seemed to know exactly which haircuts he meant. He raised his hands again. “I am sitting outside the recording room, behind the glass. On the other side, there’s Jimmy. I can see him clearly, I hope you can too,” he said, keeping his dreamy smile. “The giant black hoodie. The fringe almost hiding his eyes. Jimmy waits for the cue, bouncing up and down,” he chuckled as he swayed up and down on his toes, “and then starts singing the interlude in our first album. It’s only about two lines that we need to record, but I remember wishing it lasted longer. Obviously. Because his voice is amazing.”
The audience started yelling and swooning at once. Lister was honestly more okay looking at them than if he had to look at Jimmy and see what his reaction is.
Now, here comes the real cliché.
“But then,” he paused with real embarrassment in his voice, “then he looked up from under his hair… at me, with those big brown eyes… and asked me, if he was okay.”
Breathe in, and:
“My friends, that was the moment I have fallen for Jimmy Kaga-Ricci.”
A roar of screams started rising from the audience, when Rowan strummed dramatically on the guitar, as if something tragic had happened. Lister shot a look at Jimmy and found him laughing. Surprised, but amused.
Thank fuck. I’ve never told him that before.
On the outside, he theatrically turned to Rowan and scolded him: “I was just getting sentimental here?”
Rowan shrugged and strummed a more positive jingle. Everyone laughed and clapped. Lister was starting to enjoy this, actually. He sighed and walked forward onto a prolonged platform where Jimmy was usually stood on.
“Well, maybe my trusty assistant was right with the sound effects,” he admitted jovially. “Because my crush absolutely did not like me back for years. Hey, but that’s not to throw shade at the guy,” he added quickly to prevent any pitiful reaction that would make Jimmy feel bad. “Because you have to consider that I was and still am a bloody mess of a person.” That amused the listeners. Lister turned round, as he exclaimed. “I am the creator of problems, the maker of terrible decisions. We can all agree that Jimmy is a lovely lad…” He had to pause for the overwhelming reaction in support of that statement. “Yes, he is, but inflicting my teenage self upon him, that would just not be right.”
Jimmy suddenly clanked the metal stick against the triangle in an absolute cacophony to draw attention to himself. “Excuse me,” he called to Lister, “could you stop insulting yourself? I would enjoy that.”
A girl somewhere below them screamed as if she was getting murdered. They exchanged a quick glance, as if to say a little yikes, but then Lister laughed it off.
“Sorry, sorry,” he continued. “Through it all, Jimmy was always here for me. He was one of my first real friends. He was understanding when I needed it most, and ready to kick my ass when I needed it most.” He smiled at his boyfriend and hoped his voice is not shaking. “Look at you, Jimmy! I’m being embarrassing in front of hundreds of people and you still haven’t walked off stage.”
Jimmy laughed and lightly hit the triangle. He was ever the professional, but his eyes glimmered in curiosity. Expectation.
Lister kept looking at him. Rowan was strumming a slightly different melody now, and if Lister did say so himself, the atmosphere was fucking perfect.
“What I want to say is…, I feel that we were together before we got together. We were always partners. A great team. Maybe you wouldn’t think the same,” he admitted to Jimmy, “but a girl can dream. Oh! A rhyme!” He exclaimed to a symphony of awwws and ooohs. People were laughing again, clapping here and there. “That will be the only time!” Lister made a face of feigned shock. “Or not? Wow, I’m unpredictable!”
“You’re hot,” Jimmy rhymed with unexpected confidence.
The crowd was screaming their heads off at this interaction. Even Lister was a little flustered. He came back to his bandmates and gestured toward Jimmy, who was still smirking a little. “And he can improv, what’s not to like, honestly!”
Now, there came the challenge. Lister took a deep breath and prayed to all deities that were listening for this to come off as more sweet than cringy.
His voice fell into a different rhythm. One he kept studying every possible minute from any good slam poetry or original poem reading he could find online.
“But now, if our audience permits,” he put one hand on his chest, turning directly to Jimmy, “I would like to address you. Because, dear Jimmy, although I love each face in the crowd, my friends, my family, those that are both… I can state loud and proud that the biggest part of my heart goes to you.” He grinned sheepishly at Jimmy’s stunned expression, when he added: “If not all of it.”
“I can only guess what goes on in that mind, whether you think this is suspicious or kind… I can’t know these things. But there is one thing I do know. That no matter how much we grow, what we lose and what we gain, through all the smiles and all the pain, I will love you. It’s as big and as small as this. And today was an opportunity I couldn’t miss. So, nobody panic, stay in your seats. It’s not what it looks like.”
He got down on one knee in front of his boyfriend.
Jimmy gasped in sync with the audience: “Lister!” He backed away.
“Oh no, mister, don’t panic,” Lister retorted. That managed to amuse Jimmy a little – that he would know this would be the reaction. The audience was still going absolutely wild. Another pride flag just about missed Lister’s left ear.
“As I said, it’s not what it looks like. And I’m sick of rhyming by now, so…” He reached for Jimmy’s hand. Pulled it down to his by the triangle and encouragingly pressed a thumb into his palm. “I wanted to tell you – in a way that means something – that I don’t see myself living my life with anyone but you. So I have a question. Can you imagine me proposing in the near future?”
Jimmy looked like he suddenly couldn’t speak any human language. The only thing that came from his open lips was: “Huh?”
He was trying not to panic. To explain it well. Better than he had to Rowan.
“I would like to start talking about marriage. With you. I’m asking your permission to… go pick out a ring, perhaps. And propose to you. One day.”
“You want to…” He was trying so hard to make sense of this situation. Lister could almost hear the wheels in his brain clanking and whirring. After a second, Jimmy blurted out about the last thing Lister expected. “You really want to marry me?”
He had to laugh. That sounded so bizarre! You have the wrong number, I don’t think you want to marry me, of all people. As if.
Covering Jimmy’s hand with both of his own, he answered: “Who else, Jimmy?”
As there was no instant reply, Lister felt the audience grow impatient.
This was the time to smooth things out. Make it amusing.
“Okay, I don’t want to stress you out. You can just think about it,” he ensured his partner. But I just wanted to let you know my, er, intentions.” Wow, great choice of words, Bird. But was there any better? He decided to make fun of himself a little when he sarcastically added: “Because this is the regency era, apparently.”
People were losing it. However, Lister was only looking at Jimmy now… and realized that the eyes of his boyfriend were welling up with tears as he looked down. Were they happy or sad tears? Shit.
“Oh…” Lister managed to say, when Jimmy dropped the triangle on the floor with a thud and shakily took Lister’s face into his soft palms.
His voice was trembling with emotion, as he answered:
“Allister Bird, I would love to marry you. I don’t think you even need to propose again.”
Before Lister could even register what he meant, Jimmy leaned down and gently pressed a kiss at his forehead. This was probably as close to kissing in public as Jimmy would ever allow.
Lister finally realized. He realized.
At the same time, Jimmy dropped down and Lister shot up. They embraced each other tightly, a mess of crumpled clothes and limbs and teary laughing, and Lister almost lifted Jimmy off the ground as he was happy-crying into the shorter man’s shoulder.
They heard Rowan screaming at the top of his lungs: “HE SAID YES, PEOPLE!” His voice was drowned out by the massive storm of excited screams that wouldn’t seize for good twenty minutes after.
But Lister and Jimmy didn’t really pay attention.
Paradoxically, although everyone could see them – and everyone would see them, as the news probably already travelled through the internet at the speed of light – it felt like this moment was theirs alone.
#osemanverse#osemanverse fanfic#alice oseman#jimmy kaga ricci#lister bird#bicci#rowan omondi#angel rahimi#oc#bicci proposal#i was born for this#iwbft#the ark#older ark#older au#proposal#engagement#grand gesture#fanfiction
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Fake It... Till You Make It | Epilogue/Prologue
Fake It | The Masterlist
Warnings | 3.1k // 18+ SMUT , mature themes, fake relationships, secret relationships, love, sex, drama, angst, fluff
Summary // Fred Weasley has been set up to publicly date Y/N, London’s best Quidditch Seeker in order to drum up some publicity. Y/N however has a different ginger man on her mind; George Weasley.
A/N // This is the epilogue of Fake It and the Prologue to Till You make it. This should hopefully set up the story of Till You Make It perfectly; tying the two series together. If you haven’t yet read Fake It, the masterlist for the series is linked above for ease <333 Thank you to everyone who has supported this little adventure of mine <3
It had been two weeks since you'd left the house. Now living permanently with George in the house you were yet to fill with all the things that made it you. Lying in bed as your thoughts raced, taking you back to that pain over and over every time you shut your eyes. George had been perfect, he was there for you every night as you curled into his side, trying to push back all of the negative feelings as you sobbed into his chest.
Every time George looked at you, guilt washed over him. It wasn't just once but twice now that he was not there to protect you when you needed him the most, his childhood promise to you falling just short of the mark because he let you down. Part of him felt like a failure until he remembered that he was the one who helped you heal the first time and he would be the one to make you feel like yourself again this time.
"I'm sorry I couldn't protect you. I promised to and I let you down again."
"What do you think you're doing now, Silly? You protect me every day."
It killed George to see you as the shell of who you once were, seeing that vulnerable, glazed over gaze into nothingness once again. He knew that your healing would take time and that all you needed from him was his presence, his hold and his kisses. He didn't dare push you or bring anything up that was too much to handle - he simply cared for you as best he could. George however, did a fantastic job at juggling his time, between looking after you and taking full control of the shop while Fred healed too, he began to grow stressed. It was something you noticed in the way his back muscles tensed and in the way he walked like he was carrying the weight of the world on his shoulders.
You pulled yourself from bed, knowing that he was due home soon, taking your initiative for the first time since the incident, to do something nice for him. You walked into your bathroom, putting the plug in the bathtub before beginning to fill it. You stared at your reflection in the mirror, seeing sunken eyes, dishevelled hair and a broken smile staring back at you - How could George continue to love you when you looked like this? Tears threatened to fall as your eyes welled up, you tried your best to hold them back but now you were choking back sobs as you stared at your reflection.
When George arrived home all he heard were cracking sobs and the sound of running water, he noticed you weren't in the bed and ran into the bathroom to see you hunched over the counter as you cried. He turned the tap off for you before standing behind you.
"Hey, hey… No tears, Princess, I'm here now." George had pulled you into his arms, your head buried in his chest as you continued to sob, your arms weakly hanging around his hips as you felt your heart squeeze again.
"I don't know how you could still love me when I look like this." You were looking up at him now, his eyes were warm and comforting as his hand ran up and down your back to soothe you. His lips pressed a gentle kiss to your forehead to comfort you as he spoke.
"Jesus, Y/N, you're the most beautiful woman I've ever had the pleasure of knowing, you are my slice of heaven on earth and I'll love you every single day of my life." His hand reached up to tuck your hair behind your ear before leaning down to capture your lips in a slow, tender kiss. His kiss leaving you breathless. This was the first time that your kiss had been more than just a peck goodbye in what feels like forever. Being Intimate with George was a feeling that you both craved and missed but it wasn't something he wanted to push you into doing, not until you were ready to let him back in.
You had convinced George that you were ready to head back out into the world. It was a foreign feeling for the both of you as you walked hand in hand through Diagon Alley. You were proud to be holding on to him, finally able to tell everyone that you were his girl. The press had caught sight of you as you arrived together at the Joke shop, snapping away as you noticed that a new shop was opening on the street as people helped cart in huge boxes and beautiful ornate decorative items into the empty space. George caught your gaze and filled you in on the latest gossip among shop owners.
"It's a new dress Boutique, she's moved back down to London - Lee's friend… I can't remember her name but she was the Hufflepuff Prefect in our year, you know who I mean?" You nodded, looking over your shoulder to see the girl in question her hair pulled back by a piece of ribbon and you immediately remembered her.
"That shop has been vacant for ages, It'll be nice seeing a new business here." You responded, with a smile spreading across your lips, stopping the boy before he went to open the door, pulling him in for a kiss. The report on Cherry's death and the inquest into her fixation on ruining your life had hit the Daily Prophet the week prior - leaving you free to explore the more public aspects of your relationship with George. With there now being no worry about being caught or recognised, all you wanted to do was kiss your boyfriend out in the open, so you did.
You slowly got back into Quidditch, attending more practices and eventually friendly games. The papers, the fans and your team were all grateful to have you back, and frankly you were glad to be back. You used quidditch as a way of channelling your aggression and anger; you were at your peak performance and had absolutely smashed the record for the fastest snitch capture in history.
You had just sort of felt like maybe life was getting back to normal and you started visiting George's family home more often. You were sat in the burrow's kitchen with Molly, talking about the stupid things your boyfriend does, and as you found out, in fact has been doing since his childhood, as if his ears were hot, he came running in, smirk plastered on his face.
"Fancy joining us for a quidditch game?" You smiled at your boyfriend who was leaning with both hands on the table next to you. You reached up to place your hand on his jaw, thumb running over the apple of his cheek.
"Come on then, I want to be your team though Georgie." Your boyfriend blushed at your words and actions combined, even though you had been together for so long, the public aspect of being so openly affectionate with each other felt like new, bringing a whole new honeymoon period into your relationship once more.
The teams were simple. You, George and Fred on one team and Harry, Ginny and Ron on the other while Hermione and Lee watched on from the side-lines.
"Ladies and Gentlemen, I present; the golden snitch." George beams, holding it up for all to see.
"We only have teams of three, George, having a Seeker won't work." Ron chimed, only to receive a glare and elbow to the ribs from Ginny who nodded towards the snitch.
"Y/N and Gin are the seekers for today, no beaters just chasers and keepers." You smiled up at your boyfriend, who sent you a wink. Being able to catch the snitch should be a walk in the park for you, even after your months away from the game. The six person game was intense, Ginny did put up a fight for the snitch and you weren't even keeping track of the score. The moment your fingertips wrapped around the flitting snitch, you were flying back to the ground, Cheering as George joined you, picking you up and spinning around.
You hadn't even noticed the mechanical openings of the snitch until you looked back down at it in your hands. You noticed that inside lay a beautiful princess cut diamond ring, when you pulled it from the hold turning around to question George, he was already on one knee. You felt all of the butterflies in your stomach threaten to spill out, the feeling of being surrounded by your closest friends in that moment filled you with joy.
"Y/N, without you I wouldn't be half the man I am today. You have taught me to be strong, to push through when times are tough and more importantly you taught me how love feels - how it's scary and messy but pure. I've never known that I've wanted to do something so quickly as knowing that I wanted to marry you. This is my promise of forever to you, no matter what. So my love, will you marry me?"
You were nodding before the words ‘yes’ could leave your lips, his hands found the ring to slip it on your left ring finger, before smiling up at you. This was the most romantic way George could have proposed, doing something you love and in front of your closest friends and family. The way he kissed you after that was so full of passion and pure unmovable love that you weren't sure how you got so lucky.
When you arrived home that evening you truly felt the ache between your thighs for the man you would soon be calling your Husband. You practically jumped into his arms the minute you were in your shared home, legs wrapped around his hips and lips pressed firmly against his as your hands tangled into his hair. The fire of nearly seven years of love was roaring wild inside of you, the high of the engagement making you more confident than ever before.
"I'm ready, George." The simple words made any of his inhibitions melt away. He swore blind to you that he wouldn't even push intimacy until you were truly ready again. He was a gentleman about it, not even faltering when you pushed him away some months ago; too soon for you. He always made sure that when he kissed you that he didn't get carried away and kept it within himself to check and make sure you were comfortable.
It wasn't long until you were pressed between your comfortable sheets and your Fiancé's strong body. His hair hanging in his eyes, prompting you to run your fingers through his soft locks and push it out of his face before pulling him in for another kiss, mumbling small soft breaths of 'i love you' every time your lips parted. George took his time in undressing you, making sure that he kissed every inch of exposed skin as he explored the body he knew all too well. This was far from the sex with George that you had grown accustomed to; desperate and fast in fear of getting caught, but now with nobody to catch you or disturb you, you already felt in heaven.
George's lips travelled down your body, fingers tugging down your underwear in the process until his lips met where you craved them most. The second his tongue was lapping at your clit, pleasure rushed all through you, hand immediately finding his hair once again, only this time you gave it a tug. The way he hummed against your cunt as his tongue darted in and out of you had you on the edge of your release in minutes. His words of encouragement pushed you over, coming undone with just his tongue.
"That's it, good girl, I've got you." His fingers found your clit, circling over the sensitive bud as you came for him, your eyes were locked together as you reached to pull his shirt over his head, showing you his toned chest with a smirk. You were going to sit up and pull him free, but his hand on your shoulder held you to the bed.
"I won't break, George, I can touch you without breaking." He nodded, pulling himself down to kiss you again, your hands found his cock quickly, pulling him from the confines of his joggers without enough time for him to protest, your hand wrapping around his length as you used your hands to get him off. You pushed him up and off the bed so that he was standing before sinking to your knees before him. You took as much of him as you could, even down your throat as you gagged for him, knowing it's a sound that sets off something inside him. He was restraining himself from fucking your mouth like he loved to do and despite your eyes begging him to, he pulled himself away, pulling you up by the chin to press your lips together.
Being completely naked together with George didn’t happen often, but now as your two naked bodies were pressed skin to skin with each other, you had never felt more intimate. He had sheathed himself fully inside you, the tip of his cock pressed right to the back of you, each slow thrust had you moaning out long chants of his name. Your hands were interlaced and foreheads pressed together as he showed you just how much you meant to him; love pouring from every deep thrust as he fucked you slowly into the sheets. You didn't think he could get any deeper until you felt him in your stomach, reaching every intimate area.
"Can you feel how deep I am, Princess? Does it feel good?" you were nodding quickly, a moaning mess beneath him. The only words you managed to stutter out were his name and please, begging for more of him. You loved hearing him moan, hell, it was such a godly sound you were sure that you were the luckiest girl in the world to be able to hear them.
His hips hit a different angle, stretching you out perfectly as he filled you to the hilt once again, completely bottomed out as your thrust met each others. You weren't sure how many times he'd made you cum but you were ready to release for him all over again. Your lips found his ear, pressing delicate kisses to the lobe as you begged him, moaning breathlessly into his ear.
"Please George, I need it." Your hands were guiding his to press against your throat, he gulped, unsure if you were ready but when he met your pleading eyes, he gave in, his deep sloppy thrusts turned to a quick, needy fuck like you were both used to. Leaving you a moaning mess for him as he fucked you senseless into your sheets, until you were squeezing around him and your nails were raking down his back. George would give you everything you wanted if you gave him the opportunity. You felt another orgasm build from the way his hand alone would control your breathing, let alone how deep he was hitting with every quick thrust.
"You want me to fuck a baby into you, Princess?" his gentle words sent you over the edge as you felt him twitching inside of you. He didn't care that you were on birth control, it was the notion of releasing his load deep inside you alone that made his heart swell. His persuasive words had you begging for it, you needed him to cum.
You were both breathing heavily as you lay side by side, your head on his chest as you studied the rise and fall, tracing circles on the exposed skin when you noticed the shiny diamond gleaming on your finger; a smile immediately finding your lips. Solace found you in that moment, there was no more hiding the love that you had with George, no more faking a love you didn’t feel with Fred, no Cherry - finally happy in a moment shared between you and the man you loved. Your Forever.
Fred through all this time had been watching George plan the proposal from the background, painting a fake smile across his face for every social appearance. The older twin did a brilliant job at convincing everyone around him that he was fine, simply shaken up by the trial, but nevertheless fine. Every day he would wake up with salty tears dried to his cheeks, his throat dry and hoarse, trying his best to smile and get on with his day. Fred has been consumed to a shell of who he used to be, with nobody to help him deal with his emotions.
Every now and again he’d show up at the burrow, his mother taking him into her arms as he choked down tears. He felt like a child that couldn’t be consoled, not even a hug or the greatest food could fill the hole in his heart he felt watching the woman he loved be proposed to by his twin brother; to see you so infatuated with one another that every touch and look he would observe tugged at his heart strings, the pain only becoming less and less severe as he dove into a pit of his own despair.
Nobody had seen the older twin in weeks; therapy sessions missed, calls and messages went nowhere, George would come up to check on him every day after the store closed, he noticed things would go untouched for days on end as he locked himself in his room. Behind the door Fred would be curled up under the covers, realising what he’d done couldn’t ever leave him. He had killed Cherry and she was no longer here, so why did she still continue to plague his every thought?
“Freddie nobody has seen you since we went to mum’s, I- we’re worried.” George was pleading with his brother from behind the door, he heard the hurt in his twin’s voice and immediately felt as if he had let his family down, that sinking feeling in his heart growing stronger.
“It’s Mine and Y/N’s engagement party this weekend, you don’t have to come but… It’ll be good to see you Fred. I miss you, Lee misses you, Y/N misses you. We all do. Just think about it.” Fred heard his brother’s footsteps grow quieter and the front door slam shut. The word engagement singed his heart, like whatever cord was wrapped around the organ had been pulled tighter. He knew that If he didn’t go he would be missing a massive part of George’s life and that feeling hurt him way more than any broken heart could. He was going, even if it broke his heart.
taglist // @starlightweasley @slytherinsunrise @gcdric @theweasleysredhair @whiz-bangs78 @pansydaisy @vogueweasley @minty-malfoy @vivianweasley @feetoffthetablee @thisismynerdyself @rip-us @witch-and-a-half @sarcasticallywitty15 @pandaxnienke @loony-loopy-lupinn @pigwidgexn @mackaywhore @softlyqoos @colorfulprofessornickelangel @fandomscombine @satellitespidey @txtdreamss @aaannabbanana @starkidpotty @mollydarling-hphm @amwithers2001 @mrmoonyy @asthmax
#Fake It Fic#george weasley fic#george weasley x reader#george weasley#gred and forge#fred and george#george weasley smut#george weasley fluff#fred weasley fluff#fred weasley fic#fred weasley#fred weasley x reader#harry potter#harry potter fic#harry potter writing#harry potter smut#ginger hair
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(gemma chan, 37, cis female, she/her) NATALIE “NAT” WONG! i heard you’re working as a SENIOR SUPERVISOR at CONVENTION HALL & PARAMOUNT THEATRE - do you like it? it’s pretty rad that you’re from EDISON, NEW JERSEY and that you’ve been here for EIGHTEEN YEARS, now. damn, time flies! i can tell that you’re a bit DILIGENT, PRACTICAL, and HARSH, which means you’re probably fitting in around here just fine. you got that whole FULLY WRITTEN BUT UNSENT POSTCARDS, DARK RED LIPSTICK, EMPTYING YOUR POCKETS AT THE END OF THE DAY AND FINDING FIVE ASSORTED PENS, WORN OUT PIANO KEYS thing going on and it sorta reminds me of HAPPIER THAN EVER by BILLIE EILISH. i hope i’ll be seeing you more down the shore! (kat, pst, 23, she/her)
another muse from yours truly hehe... as always, feel free to like this and i’ll bother you for plots in dm’s!
life before asbury.
the wongs moved to edison, new jersey when nat was 10. she has some fond memories from her original home in hong kong. humid summers, running down narrow streets, looking up at the massive skyscrapers––it all instilled an innocent passion for adventure in her.
big believers of the american dream, her parents always told nat she could be anything she wanted to be, as long as she worked hard for it. they never pressured her to go in any which direction as they themselves had explored a variety of career paths as she was growing up. by the time she got to high school, they were both in the obscure craft of scent making for perfumes, candles, etc.
in eighth grade, nat took her first acting class. she immediately fell in love with it. a naturally restless kid, theater gave her the chance to focus her energy towards people and stories that were different than her own. from there, she knew she wanted to perform for the rest of her life.
of course, things would eventually get in the way. in her senior year of high school, her serious boyfriend of two years got her pregnant. it didn’t seem like the worst thing in the world at the time––her parents were way more supportive than she could’ve anticipated, and her boyfriend promised to marry her to best support the baby. after all, she could still live out her dream of acting in new york, now just with a husband and a (hopefully) adorable child by her side. the dream was alive and strong... that was, until she got left at the alter. her boyfriend effectively ghosted her from then on, and, well, she never got the closure she needed from the situation.
once she had her daughter, pauline, the following year took a lot of rerouting. she tried staying with her parents, only to realize staying in edison, with everything reminding her of him, was just too painful. she even tried living in the city and auditioning for roles, but it was much too hard while taking care of pauline.
nat settled on asbury, a town that wasn’t too far from edison, so she could visit her folks, and was also close to new york, so she could return once pauline got older.
current life & headcanons.
nat ended up working at convention hall & paramount theater because she thought it’d be a good resume item for when she’d start acting again. despite pauline being eighteen now, nat has continued to put her previous dream on hold.
truth be told, she loves asbury (even despite her constant complaining about the town). it’s become home for her, and it’s more comfortable than any potential failures that could be waiting for her elsewhere.
nat basically grew up alongside pauline. the two are very close and have a rather unconventional mother-daughter relationship. they act more often like close, bickering friends than anything else. with pauline graduating high school this year and aspiring to attend college, nat’s preparing herself for a more lonely existence.
nat can come off pretty cold most of the time. subconsciously, it may be because she’s an overworked single mom, or because she lost out on her acting career, but regardless, she can be hard to bond with and get to know. that being said, she’s trying to get better at letting people in, especially since she won’t have pauline at home anymore.
she’s tried dating here and there, but it’s hard for her. pauline’s father drops into her life at bad times and, well, drops back out at even worse times. no matter how hard she tries to cut off the rather toxic relationship, it seems to be a cycle she can’t break.
loosely inspired by rosa from brooklyn nine nine, roy from ted lasso, sae-byeok from squid game, ron from parks and rec, luke from gilmore girls
wanted connections.
click here for some ideas. really open to everything and anything, so don’t hesitate to lmk what you’re interested in!!
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A Suna Rintarou series
Summary: Suna was the best boyfriend you could ask for, after fighting with your inner demons that screamed you were ugly, worthless, and annoying. You finally decided to go the next step with your boyfriend, only to find out it was all a game.
A/N: PART 20 all I’m gonna say is that I’m posting three more chapters after this and then Your Everything will be finished and I can start bullshitting the sequel 🤠
Warnings: underaged drinking, smut, guys talking badly about women, heartbreak, messed up shit that you shouldn’t do and a bit of fluff if you squint
Disc ten-slide two: Kageyama Y/N 🤍
“Do you Miya Atsumu take Kageyama Y/N as your lawfully wedded wife? Stand by her side in sickness and in health?” The priest asked. “I do.” He answered and you looked down to see your hands holding his. You had laced white sleeves that covered your arms and chest and they connected to your laced wedding dress. You raised a brow and looked up to see Atsumu looking at you with a soft smile.
What the fuck is going on?
“Do you Kageyama Y/N take Miya Atsumu to be your lawfully wedded husband? Stand by his side in sickness and in health?” The priest asked you and you felt a chill down your spine.
Fuck no
“I do.”
You answered and immediately covered your mouth.
No say no.
“Does anyone object?” The priest asked.
I do!
I do not want to marry this fucker!
“I do!” A voice raised and you turned to see Suna walk to the altar. “She’s mine.” He answered. “Dude we’re about to get married. You had your chance.” Atsumu deadpanned.
“You both suck.” Osamu sighed from his seat.
“Don’t trust him it’s a bet. Suna managed to get into your pants but Atsumu will label you with his last name and parade you around.” You heard a whisper and you let go of Atsumu’s hand.
“I don’t want to be here. I don’t want to get married. Especially to you.” You said and Suna smiled. “Come on princess, let’s go.” He said hopefully but you shook your head. “Get away. I want nothing to do with you guys.” You said and took a few steps back.
“But I love you..” Atsumu said innocently as he neared you but he had a look in his eyes that didn’t look so innocent. “You can’t leave me, princess. Remember we wanted children together?” Suna asked as he made his way up he had the same look as Atsumu. You protested and moved back as far as you can until you fell back on your butt. You tried scooting back but the thick dress turned into rope and you were stuck. The chapel turned into a basement and Suna and Atsumu hovered over you.
“We love you why can’t you understand that?” They asked in sync.
You were only in your underwear and wearing an oversized Inarizaki volleyball jersey. You gulped and looked down, the number was 107 and you started tearing up and shaking.
“Y/N.” They called.
“Y/N.”
“Y/N.”
“Y/N!”
You gasped and woke up. And hand was on your shoulder and you immediately smacked it off. “Oww. I’m sorry. But everyone is off the bus, Y/N.” Akagi said and you looked up. “I’m sorry Akagi. I just had a nightmare.” You sighed and covered your face. “It’s fine. I’m surprised you fell asleep, the bus ride from the arena to the hotel is less than ten minutes. You must have been really tired huh?” He asked and you nodded. “Haven’t gotten much sleep lately..” you mumbled. “I understand. I don’t think you have anything else to do so I think you should just go to your room and rest..” he said lowly and you nodded. “Yeah I’ll do that.”
You made your way out of the bus and you smelled a banana. One of the boys were eating a banana and talking. The smell became very strong and you felt nauseous, it made your stomach hurt. Before you knew it you felt acid coming up your throat and you threw up outside on the side of the bus. You didn’t eat anything earlier because you weren’t hungry so the only thing that came out was pure acid. “Y/N are you okay? Here’s some water.” Omimi came cautiously. You wiped your mouth with the sleeve of your jacket and you drank the whole entire water bottle.
“Ugh I don’t feel so good.” You whimpered and you squatted down. Your head rested between your legs and you fanned yourself with your hand. “Y/N—you’re probably stressed. Go shower and rest.” Kita-senpai said and you groaned with a nod. You slowly made your way to the hotel and you did exactly as Kita asked, you showered and went to bed.
You woke up in the morning by having that nausea in your stomach and acid coming out once again. You cried by yourself in the bathroom and you couldn’t go to sleep anymore. After brushing your teeth you made your way out to the hall and you walked a bit to get fresh air. The hotel was small and cozy, not big and fancy. The whole team shared a large room and you got a smaller room with a bathroom connected. Why was your stomach in acting so weird? It was ridiculous. Maybe it’s a stomach bug? Did you eat something bad?
The discomfort stopped close to 12 when the boys were going to have their first match. You were on the opposite side of the court from Tobio and he was giving the stink eye to the second years.
He doesn’t know who but he knew that 3 out of the 4 boys on the team fucked up and hurt you and he was going to destroy them to defend your honor. You held a wrapped onigiri and a box of milk and made your way to Tobio. “Here you go. I’m not sure if you’ve eaten but I want you on your A game so we can kick your ass.” You smirked and he smirked back. “Just watch Y/N. I’m going to crush those second years.” He sipped his milk angrily and you smiled softly. “When did you get so cool!” You yelled and you wrapped your arm on the back of his neck and you pulled him down. You started ruffling his hair and he flailed his arms.
“You’re the meanest cousin ever!” He yelled and you eventually let him go. “Well I need to establish dominance.” You rested your hands on your hips.
“Tobio-kun.” Atsumu smiled and made his way over. You frowned and made some shitty excuse to leave. Tobio genuinely thought Atsumu was innocent. He met him at the training camp and he was so cool. Surely he’s not capable of hurting anyone like that. Although he was teased by him with the nickname Goody Two Shoes. He just shrugged it off.
During the game both sides were playing so well and you couldn’t help but notice that Suna seemed even more serious. He was so focused. Yesterday you saw the infamous quick attack but to see it only a few feet in front of you made your eyes sparkle. You could appreciate a good player when you see one. You stayed silent and seated with the clip board hugged close to your chest and you leg was bouncing. You loved your team so much and you made so many memories with them but Tobio and Sho-chan were amazing. Everyone in Karasuno was. They were the underdogs and you didn’t know who you were rooting for.
The ball came flying your way so you covered your face with the clipboard but you didn’t feel anything. You looked down to see Suna on the floor. He just received it to protect you. Or maybe to get a point. You honestly didn’t know. He quickly stood up and he looked at you and your heart clenched when you made eye contact. He looked like a kicked puppy.
His eyes were so sad.
You wondered if you truly made the right decision leaving Suna. But everytime you tried to think about what happened you get depressed and disgusted. He was honestly a big jerk and you knew that letting him go was the right thing.
Before you knew it the whistle blew and Karasuno proceeds to round three.
Previously
Up next
Masterlist
A/N: to Y/N it’s a nightmare but to me it’ll be a dream 👁👄👁
🏷: @therealwalmartjesus @differentballooncollection @aaesuki @atsunflower @dope-squish @prettysetterboiss @june-phantom @tomo-uwu @austriasmariazelle @xrnia @katsulia @aprettyfruit t @shut-your-eyes-kiss-me-goodbye @tvbiio @sun-daddy-yoriichi @kamenoyaki @ppangiiroo @loeyprivvv @kmskj92 @lovinnoya @tris-does-stuff @mokkeguts @sunaluvr6969 @bara-rose-would @sempiternal-amour @volleybloop @leykyuu @bokutoichigo @stfucanunot @tpwkatsumu @ohshirabu @shoutosimp @mqrinqcele @bokutosdivineass @anngelllla @toworuu @hidden-otaku-stuff @seijohiselite @caxsthetic @aquariarose @hhwanggu @bakuhoetoedoroki @yoozuku @osamus-onigiri @akaashi-todorki
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