#if Rachel looked at me i would cry and propose(in that order)
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Happy Pride Month to Rachel Morgan, wouldn’t have figured it out without you <3
#this is a joke#kinda#i think im soooooo funny#Gallagher Girls#Rachel Morgan#if Rachel looked at me i would cry and propose(in that order)#i am once again asking for Rachel's hand in marriage
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This is me forcing you to write solangelo wedding headcannons 😼✨
😂😂😂THANKS BRO I NEEDED U TO DO THAT OR I PROBABLY WOULDNT HAVE DONE THEM 😂😂😂😂🤣🤣🤣 Anyways these are in no particular order and I did not proof read, but I hope u enjoy mum 😊
They get married when they’re 17/18 cause they’re positive that they love each other and they’re excited to get married
Nico’s the one who proposed— Will was planning to propose too, but Nico beat him to it
They get married in Venice (specifically in the Basilica di San Marco)
It’s a fairly small ceremony (only close friends and family), there are only a few people there (Reyna, Thalia, Piper, Jason because screw canon, Shel, Leo, Percy, Annabeth, Grover, the Jackson-Blofis’, Tyson, Austin, Kayla, Hestia, Apollo, Hades, Persephone, Cecil, Lou Ellen, the Stoll’s, Meg, Rachel, Mitchell, Naomi Solace, Will’s mortal siblings, Bob, Damasan, Hazel, Frank, Dionysus, Zagreus, and Malcolm from Athena)
Their first dance as a married couple was to I Will Follow You Into The Dark by Death Cab for Cutie. Nico melted directly into Will’s arms, and Will buried his face in Nico’s hair. They swayed back and forth for a few minutes in each others arms and it was over way to soon
Will wants to have a friend officiate, so Jason gets ordained. Nico was iffy on it until he saw how excited his fiancé was at the idea of a friend marrying them, and then he was sold. They ended up renting out the church for the night so the priest left them alone ngl—
People were fighting over who would be the best men. The only ones not fighting over it were Bob and Damasan, so they were the ones chosen. Damasan for Will and Bob for Nico
ALRIGHT so this next part is a little tangent I decided to go on 😂 I did 2 hours of googling on Italian wedding traditions for this so pls enjoy
Nico insists that they follow every single Italian wedding tradition, because he’s been planning his wedding since he was a little kid and he can’t not follow the traditions Will it just doesn’t work like that
So before the wedding, they don’t get to see each other, and they don’t even look in the mirror unless they’ve already removed a glove or shoe
Nico has 2 outfits for the wedding as per a Venice tradition. He has a beautiful suit for the ceremony and most of the reception, and a fancy ass dress for their first dance
They both have a small piece of iron in their pockets, and since they both wore veils (because fuck you that’s why) they each ripped a small piece of it to welcome luck
They were not allowed to wear gold jewelry (other than their wedding rings)
Will had a bouquet that Nico was responsible for getting to the basilica
They had a strict DO NOT WEAR WHITE dress code at the wedding
And Nico made everyone learn how to dance the tarantella
They had been officially engaged for a year before the wedding, but they’d talked about their wedding for about a year before they got engaged. It made deciding how long the veils should be difficult (its supposed to be 1 metre per year engaged), since they’d been essentially engaged since they were 16. In the end they decided to make them 2 meters each (from when they were each 16 to their wedding date)
They got married on a Sunday you can fight me on this—
They broke the vase afterwards and got more glass shards than they cared to count, and took it as a good sign for their marriage
Nico and Will cut BOTH of their tied up and sold them to their guests and other people they knew to pay for the wedding
Nico walked around with a little bag at the reception for people to give him money (I love this tradition bro—)
At their first dance, they had streamers attached from their hands to all the guests— they got all tangled up to represent good wishes, love and luck for their future
They do the Tarantella (I’m pretty sure I already said this but idk and I’m too lazy to go double check 😂😂)
The Stoll’s, Percy and Leo get waayyyyy too into the practical joke tradition and put shaving cream in Will and Nico’s bed
TRADITION RANT OVER NOW. I googled a lot for that, I couldn’t leave them out😂
Hades, Persephone, Hestia, Dionysus, Zagreus and Apollo had a competition to see who could give the better gift (Hestia won by a landslide with the house she’d bought them in New Rome, filled with things they’d both always wanted. She’d made them a home!)
They had a fall wedding in September/October because they both love fall and have you seen Venice in the fall? Before aqua alta? Beautiful
They go on a world tour for their honeymoon. Hades and Persephone agreed to pay for their hotel rooms (as their gift to them)
Jason started crying part way through the service, cause his baby brothers all grown up—
Even Reyna was crying tho
Honestly the two of them didn’t take their eyes off each other the whole night and no one blamed them
The looks of pure loving adoration they shot one another made everyone melt—
All the parents danced with Nico and Will. Including Sally and Paul
Yeah that’s about it I think. Hope you enjoyed!
#pjo#hoo#nico di angelo#og post#will solace#jason grace#percy jackson#leo valdez#hazel lavesque#rachel elizabeth dare#reyna ramirez arellano#solangelo#solangelo wedding#toa#HoO#pjato
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Can No One Keep Their Nose In Their Own Business?
CHAPTER FOUR: Rescue and news
Thankfully the next few months offered little else of note, save everyone trying to convince the couple that birthing at the society was a good idea.
Robert and Henry did in fact manage to go home and stayed there when possible, but inevitably they would have to go to the society and deal with whatever chaos had ensued there.
Thankfully the now rapidly kicking baby proved to be a very good deterrent for nonsense.
Jasper was proving to be the only sane one out of the bunch as he had several siblings who had in fact, been born at home, but also knowing his mother would have immediately demanded a hospital if she felt anything off with any of her pregnancies and would not have put up with anyone trying to backseat drive when she was pregnant.
A particularly noisy cousin had gotten a swift boot to the face for suggesting she was gaining too much weight...
But it seemed Jekyll would be on the other end of that extreme...
"You are eight months pregnant and look six! You need to get some more protein into that chicken leg body of yours!" Victoria said as she tried to herd the squirming Henry towards the kitchen.
"I'm not hungry, thank you very much!" The chemist did his best to duck around Frankenstein who seemed determined to stuff him like a holiday turkey and as luck would have it for him, Robert had some business his father insisted he tend to today, leaving him at the society since irritation was apparently healthier than being left alone at the house since he was so far along.
"And that shirt is too thin! You need a thick wool sweater that will-"
If she sent him into labor early...
"Doctor Jekyll can you take a look at some notes I made?" Jasper asked smiling trying to help give the other a reason to get away from Frankenstein.
"Love to! See you a bit later Ms. Frankenstein!" Jekyll followed Jasper leaving a pouting Victoria behind.
Jasper was most certainly getting first dibs on holding the baby after Robert
Henry knew it was impolite to dash off as they did, but no more so than pretending to fall asleep so he did not have to talk to her...that little trick would not work after the baby was out...well maybe the first couple months.
He was starting to miss the time when she hated him
Though her almost maternal like concern was quite sweet when it was not making him want to scream, perhaps it was just hormones...one minute he was ready to burst into tears and next he wanted some of Rachels cookies ...and then cried over the cookies because she made them look cute.
He truly was a horrible mess sometimes
---
We can't keep that up the rest of the month!" Hyde complained
"she will just get crazier the closer we get to the end, she has it in her head that midwifery is easy and childbirth will be a cakewalk after she built new life" Part of Jekyll did wish to believe her but previous experience said he was in it for the long haul.
Not to mention she built creature huge, how would she handle something as tiny as a newborn baby? Her hands might not shake, but she was a fan of animated conversation...
"Yeah, I might like her but that does not mean I want her playing groundhog with my private area!"
"Oh, that reminds me, Robert picked out a cute bunny jumper for the baby when it comes and I need to order it..."
"How are you more scatterbrained than me?" Hyde droned out, glad he was not the one in control, as he was bearing witness to more and more moments of vomiting, putting keys in the fridge, crying over baby elephant cookies, and leaking every fluid imaginable as his 'good' halves stomach grew and made it all the harder to put on socks without the curly-haired chipmunk's help.
Oh right the werewolf pup was talking...
"I'm going to ask Rachel to be my mate"
Eh?
"Oh, Jasper that is fantastic news!" Henry exclaimed and held back the urge to hug the boy feeling like a proud parent despite the werewolf not being his own pup.
"I'm going to ask her on the rooftop, I just need a reason for us to go up there..." Jasper pouted, he wanted the night to be special...but omegas rarely 'proposed' to alpha's and he was unsure how to go about it.
"Just tell the truth, that you want a nice evening with her and then just out and say your true feelings, no need to try and be big and loud about it, she adores you and will appreciate anything you do for her," Jekyll said, putting a comforting hand on Jaspers shoulder, he understood how nerve-wracking it was to be unsure how to spit out words.
In more than one context
The werewolf smiled wide and nodded, he had to get to work!
I'm not a Jasper/henry shipper as you can tell...
I see them as having a father and son type of bond (since Jasper is a werewolf and Henry was in love with Morcant who was a werewolf I kind of see him as having a sort of "what could have been" moments in the webcomic despite his genuine love for Robert (or even a moment of "why couldn't I have followed that path?" as in having a straight (or as straight as a werewolf/human relationship can go ) relationship with Morcant and having "pups" with her instead of keeping on pining for Lanyon.
#mpreg#male pregnancy#tgs#the glass scientists#The glass scientists AU#omegaverse#jekyll and hyde#Jekyon#Robert Lanyon X Henry Jekyll
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miasswier’s ultimate glee ranking: no 10
10: A Wedding
Written by: Ross Maxwell
Directed by: Bradley Buecker
Overall Thoughts: When I first saw this episode, I probably would have ranked it a lot lower than it is now. It’s grown on me, a lot. Stuff that used to bother me no longer does, and I’ve come to accept it for what it is. There are still a few things I will forever hold onto, but for the most part, I find it a sweet, emotional, romantic episode.
What I Like:
I mean, Brittana and Klaine get married. We actually got to see that happening. I will be forever grateful that we got that.
The story of Brittany being born, and Santana’s mom being like “I can roll with this” and Brittany’s mom going “You better”
Brittany’s outfit during the barn setup.
Brittany’s freak out during the barn setup.
Kurt telling Walter he’s going to the wedding with Blaine, essentially breaking up with him, before he even asked Blaine to go to the wedding together. I don’t know if this was actually an inconsistency, but I love the idea that Kurt has gotten to the point of being so certain of his relationship with Blaine that he would rather go alone after being turned down by Blaine than go with Walter.
Kurt and Blaine getting back together before they get married.
Kurt literally running to Blaine.
Brittany and Santana’s wedding dress fashion show.
Brittany going to slaughter a chicken, and Santana going “hell no, this is ridiculous” and just fucking releasing the chicken into the hallways of McKinley like oh my god
Sue actually doing something nice for Santana in order to earn being invited to the wedding.
The way that the story with Santana’s grandmother is dealt with. I know some people disagreed with it, but I felt it was really touching. I know sometimes it’s tough to understand that people can love you without loving every single part of you, and it’s tough especially with such essential things like your sexuality, but when someone sets that aside to celebrate you and show they love you, it means everything. I recently had a friend tell me that he couldn’t wait to attend my “hipster lesbian wedding”, and like, he’s someone that I genuinely thought if I married a woman he would not attend my wedding. So to hear him say that was so touching I almost started crying. I’m not even dating anyone, but knowing that if I did date someone, and I decided to marry that someone, and that someone was a girl, that this ultra conservative, highkey homophobic dude would not only accept the invitation, but go with excitement, meant so damn much to me. Yeah, it’s nice when people accept you fully and completely for who you are. But it’s also nice when they are able to set aside things you disagree on because they love you.
Kurt and Blaine getting the scene with Burt and Carole. I think that scene has really helped me with my biggest issue with this episode (which I will address below).
We finally address the Finn aspect of Rachel’s relationship with Sam, even if barely.
Their vowssssss.
Burt marrying them.
Literally the whole reception is fantastic.
The fact that we get some closure on Mike and Tina’s relationship after all these years!
Artie and Tina agreeing to be each other’s back-ups (even better knowing that they end up together!)
Kurt and Blaine’s faces when Brittany and Santana reveal they get a whole month honeymoon when Kurt and Blaine got a weekend (which like, come on guys, they let you get in on their wedding at no cost to you. They deserve a nicer, longer honeymoon).
“Or Faberry, can’t get enough of the lesbians” oh Sue, you get me.
Kurt’s kitten shirt.
What I Don’t Like:
WHERE IS QUINN.
I still feel the whole double wedding is hella contrived. Especially considering that 1) Kurt interrupted Santana’s proposal and shat all over it and 2) that Sue wasn’t even supposed to be attending the wedding, so how was she so involved in this secret plot.
I also feel that a lot of agency was taken away from Kurt and Blaine. I read somewhere that the original concept for the episode was supposed to be that Kurt and Blaine had their own tuxes because they’d decided they were going to elope after the ceremony. I would have MUCH preferred that, as it would have shown that they were 100% on the same page, 100% on board, 100% ready for it. As it stands, even though I’ve grown to love the episode, I still feel that it was too impulsive, and that in the scene before the wedding Kurt looks too unsure (which I don’t know if that was Chris Colfer’s choice or the director’s choice but I really wish they had made him less freak-out-y and more conflicted, the way Blaine was). But, I digress.
That neither Kurt and Blaine or Brittany and Santana really get to dance together at their own wedding.
That Puck is shown being more touch-y with Blaine’s mom than he is with his literal girlfriend, Quinn.
Speaking of, why the hell was Blaine’s mom even invited to Brittana’s wedding in the first place?
Also, how is it that neither Brittana nor Klaine’s parents had met before this episode? When you date someone, especially seriously, your parents meet. What the heck.
Songs:
At Last: Perfect wedding song, perfect choice on singers, perfect duet. I love it.
Hey Ya: Kind of a weird choice, but I just roll with it.
I’m So Excited: A good song, but every time I watch I just get stuck on “where did they get those outfits from”
Our Day Will Come: I wish this had been a more equally sung double duet, instead of feeling like a double solo with Santana and Blaine, plus a bit of harmonizing with Brittany and Kurt. Still, I’m glad they got to sing a song at their own wedding, since they didn’t get to dance.
Final Thoughts: This episode grows on me more and more each time I watch it. The first time I watched it I was beyond disappointed that I’d invested in both these couples so much, only to get such a flippant wedding. But, the more I watch, the more I love it. And, really, at the end of the day, I’d take this contrived as hell wedding episode over no wedding episode. We actually got to see Brittana and Klaine tie the knot! That’s worth it to me.
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Glee fanfic, part two of two.
- -
Five minutes later, Puck was out of the shower and standing next to me eating a blueberry pancake for brunch. He wore his military uniform.
“Trying to brag that you’re in the military again?” I asked playfully.
“Maybe?” He smirked.
Suddenly, Kurt’s husband, Blaine, walked out in a checkered white and blue button up, a red bowtie, and blue skinny jeans.
“BLAINE!” I cheered, hugging him.
“Happy birthday! I’m sorry I missed the Coffeehouse yesterday.”
“You had to work-I get it.” I smiled.
Jessie, Rachel’s husband, walked out, also fully dressed. “Did I hear that it’s Quinnie’s birthday?”
“Hello to you too, Jesse.” I answered, hugging him.
“Hey Quinn,” Puck inturruped, knowing that everyone else needed to go and set up. “Would you like to go for some icecream?”
Momentarily, my eyes widendend in shock at the random invitation.
“Sure, just let me grab my shoes.”
-
The moment she left, everyone around me scrambled to their cars in the garage and out front.
“I’ll text you when we’re ready!” Rachel hissed.
“Please do!” I answered, and she was out the door.
Quinn came back out a moment later wearing simple yellow flats. “Where did everyone go?”
“They went off to visit their parents.” I lied quickly. “Do you know what Icecream you want to get? Or did you want something other than Icecream?”
“I think I want a strawberry sundae.” She said, a smile forming on her lips.
“That’s what you always get.” I teased as I opened her car door. She got in, and I began to drive away.
“It’s the best one!”
“Peanut butter chocolate Chip sundaes are better.” I countered playfully.
Quinn giggled. “You can believe that, just as you believe that pineapple belongs on pizza.
“It’s so juicy!”
“Yeah, but a pizza shouldn’t be juicy.” She argued playfully as I parked and opened her door.
“It’s the pineapple that’s juicy, not the pizza, Quinn.” I bantered back, giving her an amused grin.
“When you bite into it, the juice leaks onto the pizza!”
“I guess that could be true.” I said as we walked up to the counter.
“Hi, what can I get for you?” The girl behind the counter inquired.
“One strawberry sundae for the birthday princess, and a Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip sundae for me,”
The girl tapped some buttons on her computer.
“Perfect!” She chirped. “Happy birthday, miss, and we’ll bring that right out to you!
Quinn smiled shyly, and we went to go take our seats.
“So,” Quinn began. “What else have you drummed up for today?”
“That’s for me to know, and you to find out soon enough.” I quipped.
She laughed lightheartedly. “Yes, I suppose I will know soon enough!”
Just then, the girl who had taken their order brought out their icecreams. “Happy birthday again,” she’d said to Quinn, and she left the two alone, where they ate as they talked.
Just under an hour later, they’d finished their sundaes and had all kinds of witty banter. Rachel had finally just texted, informing me that the group was ready for us. I slowly began to rise, acting casual so I cause Quinn to get suspicious.
“Can I take you somewhere else?” I asked, offering her my hand.
She grabbed it and stood up. “Of course, where?”
“You’ll see.” I winked.
“Do I know this place?” She asked, as they threw away the trash.
I nodded.
“Do I know anyone there?”
Again, I nodded.
“....Won’t you just tell me where?” She begged.
I laughed. “Well....okay. Some friends from Mckinley want to see us while we’re here.”
“Mr. Schue.” She said matter-of-factly.
“And...others.” I winked again.
“Who?”
“You’ll see.”
“Oh, I see.” She grinned.
“You do, do you? And what do you “see”, exactly?
“Is this, perhaps, a trip down memory lane?”
I smiled. “Something like that.”
-
He pulled into the nearly empty parking lot, opening my car door once again and taking my hand.
As we walked up to the entrance, I could tell he was getting just a bit nervous.
Why is he nervous? We had these teachers in high school, he knows them.
Upon stepping beyond the doors, Coach Beiste stood there.
“Hi Quinn! Happy birthday, sweet pea.” She greeted, hugging me and handing me a rose.
“Thanks, Couch.” I grinned shyly.
“Hey, Puckerman. She smiled and then paused. “You kids best keep on goin. You have a lot of people to see.”
“What....?” I started, but shrugged and let Puck lead me forward.
We found Coach Sue, standing almost a foot and a half away.
“Quinn! My favorite Cheerio!” She said, handing me a Rose but usering us to keep going.
Next we found Artie, who, smiling widely, handed me a rose.
Sam was next. Then Brittney. After that, Santana. Nearly all of the origonal Glee club members were there, including the ones who had been at the house earlier. And they all held flowers.
I looked at my boyfriend in bewilderment and surprise. Puck just smiled.
Was this it? I wondered. Is he going to ask me?
I walked up to little Beth next, who knew that I was her birth mother, though it only seemed right for her to call Shelby mom, not me.
“HI Quinn.” She said shyly, handing me a rose.
I took it, barely succeeding in not crying. Then I hugged her and moved on. Shelby, of course, was after her, she too haded me rose, whispering a quiet, “Happy birthday.”
We weren’t far, then, from the old choir room when I saw Emma. She smiled, hugged me, handed me a rose and pushed me forward.
A foot and a half away, I saw Mr. Schue, the man who taught me to love music and performing, standing there with a warm smile and a rose.
That was when I lost it. I wasn’t full-on sobbing yet, but I was close.
No way...is this really happening?
Butterflies and exitement filled me.
“Hey Quinn!” Schue said when Puck and I made it over there.
“Hi, Mr Schue!” I answered through a waterfall of happy tears.
“Please, call me Will, now.” He said, handing me a rose. “I think you’ll want to see what’s in the choir room. Oh, and happy birthday!
“Thank you.” I said softly.
Puck led me in, and I looked at him lovingly. It wasn’t until I heard shouts of euporia and exitement that I realized the room was filled with the people who had been giving me flowers. I grinned happily as I saw the old glee crew together.
He led me to a stool in the center of the room where I sat, and music started to play. I rechonized the song immedietly as “Run Away” by Ben Platt.
They met at school, that's how it goes
Some drinks and then a rose
Then plans to meet again
He wrote her poems, songs, and prose
She knew that he'd propose
She only wondered when
One night, before they went to bed
He kneeled on both knees
And this is what he said
"I may not be wise
And I won't save the day
But look in my eyes
And know I'll always stay
And I won't run away
I won't run away"
Some years went by, they had a child
He was funny, strange, and mild
Their love for him ran deep
Some nights, his dreams would drive him wild
So into bed, she piled
To help him fall asleep
One night, he couldn't get to bed
So she kneeled on both knees
And this is what she said
"I may not be wise
And I won't save the day
But look in my eyes
And know I'll always stay
And I won't run away
I won't run away"
You say it's safer on your own
You'd rather sleep alone
Than grow to need me there
But I hope now you can see
What my mom and dad showed me
I'm not going anywhere
I love you more and more each day
To love is not to leave
So, hear me when I say
"I may not be wise
And I won't save the day
But look in my eyes
And know I'll always stay
And I won't run away
“I won’t run away.”
He finished singing, and I learned that I wasn’t the only one crying.
Puck, the love of my life, pulled out a square black box and knelt down on one knee.
“Quinn,” He began, and then paused because he was crying too now. “This was where we first met. And this was where we fell in love. This room was where we began, and where we’ll take the next step.”
“Quinn Fabray, will you marry me?”
I brought my hand to my mouth, sobbing openly now. I nodded, not trusting myself to speak, and then said, “Yes!”
Everyone cheered. Wine bottled were opened. Kirt poured glasses for everyone except for Rachel, Jesse, and Beth, who instead had Apple Cider.
We partied and celebrated for at least several hours. Kareoke was brought out, and my fiancee and I even sang a duet, “So Will I” by Ben Platt.
Five hours into the celebration, Rachel screamed, first in shock, then in excitement.
“m-MY WATER JUST BROKE!” This was a cause for a new wave of cheers, though this one was momentary. Rachel asked Puck, Kurt, Blaine, and I to accompany her and Jesse, who drove, to the hospital.
“Well, it looks like you might have to share your birthday and your anneversary with my little girl.” Kurt grinned sheepishly as we hopped in the car.
“I couldn’t think of a better birthday present, Kurt.”
I smiled.
#glee#glee fanfiction#fanfic#romance#falling in love#proposal#noah puckerman#quinn fabray#part two#fanfiction#fanfic writers
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stitch by stitch, tear apart .
WHO: Tina Cohen-Chang & Tanya Cohen-Chang with mentions of Ji-Hun Cohen-Chang, Santana Lopez, Sam Evans, Hunter Clarington & Rachel Berry.
WHAT: Happy Holidays???? ( Not in Castleport, my dudes ).
WHERE: Tanya Cohen-Chang & Ji-Hun Cohen-Chang’s home.
WHEN: Thanksgiving.
WARNINGS: Mentions of parental death & hints at depression.
“Mama?” Tina called out as she carefully stepped over the threshold and into to her old family home; a dark and barbed weight settling in her chest as it tended to do ever since his funeral.
Honestly, she didn’t know how her mother could stand to still live in a place where each room was now a crippling reminder of the sunshine presence that would never fill them again. Hell, it was only last week that she’d been able to put back up her favorite framed photo she had of her and her father ( her, sitting atop his shoulders at 6 years old with a missing front-toothed grin while he laughed and laughed and spun them around ) without collapsing into tears.
They’d both agreed weeks back that Thanksgiving wouldn’t be celebrated this year. The mere idea of it was just too hard to comprehend. Truthfully, there was nothing more Tina wanted than to just stay at home for the night, curled with Salem and a few mugs of generously spiked cider while she watched a mind-numbing series on Netflix. But her mother had asked her over the day before yesterday, and there was no way she could or would refuse.
However, the sight of the small, well-loved living room table filled with gimbap, kimchi, and soju all laid out neatly across its surface was pretty paramount in both startling and confusing the absolute hell out of her.
“What—?” but her voice cut off as soon as her mother appeared from down the short hall. For a long moment, Tina just watched her come closer, incredulous to what was happening, as a rush of blinding anger came to the forefront of her senses. Was this for real? Why in the hell would she do this? Why would she do anything that would make them remember him so soon? Too soon.
“His favorite foods from home that he liked to make,” was all Tanya offered after a tense silence, but it only made the emotions ricocheting inside of her that much worse. What was she thinking? Was she serious?! But just as she opened her mouth to shout and reprimand her mother with everything she had, she found herself beat to the punch yet again.
“Don’t. Please.” Another leaden pause thickened the air like a suffocating smog.
“You know he wouldn’t have wanted the house like this, Tina; filled with this awful silence and sorrow. You and I mourning. You know he would have hated it.”
The harsh words were loaded and like a violent shot to the chest — her breath hitching as she tried to fight back the hot press of tears that prickled at the corners of her eyes.
God, hadn’t she cried enough? Why couldn’t it just stop already? Why did she do this?
Tina opened her mouth once more — to say what, she wasn’t too sure — but the sudden and harsh bursts of fury, sorrow, and loneliness she’d felt coalescing to dangerous heights mere seconds before died out when she caught the open and earnest look reflected in her mother’s own watery eyes; something she hadn’t seen in months.
It reminded her of the days she and her mother and father spent during her youth; goofing around in the kitchen and dancing sporadically to old rock music, or camping out in the backyard as her dad made silly-voiced shadow puppets on the tent walls with a flashlight, and so, so much more. Each moment was filled with the same heartfelt and loving air that she’d always felt and cherished the most from her parents that surrounded practically everything they did. They were the memories ( and everything that came with them ) that she’d so desperately tried to shove down in the aftermath of her father’s death for fear of a complete and utter breakdown. But in that one, singular instance and whispered plea from her equally suffering mother in her old family home, she found that she now, more than ever, wanted desperately to cling to them like a stubborn, spoiled child.
And despite vaguely wishing she’d been talked to first about the whole set up; despite being ambushed and knowing she had the right to be upset in some form or fashion, Tina looked at her mother, over to the table of food that her father always swore by for the heaviest of hearts, and felt her tight, burning muscles lose all their fight and strain.
Fine. Fine. She was right, wasn’t she?
Wasn’t she . . .?
Nodding her head, Tina smiled a choppy, but somehow sincere smile of her own as she pushed down the niggling urge to run off and throw up.
“Yeah. Okay. . .”
&&. ___________
It was a mere few hours later, and she was on that pleasant precipice of tipsiness that came just before you fell straight into being drunk. There were only a few traces of food left in bits and pieces on the table as she watched from her place on the couch — whole body warm and uncontrollable giggles tumbling free — as her mother regaled a story about the utter disaster that was her father’s proposal. It was one that she’d heard about a million times before, and yet, it never got old.
The start to their rather unexpected evening had been difficult and somewhat stilted despite the mini intervention of sorts. But once they’d stared to eat and the more they talked and began to laugh and tentatively reminisce ( the more they drank ) the easier and more enjoyable it got. Hearing about her father like this: happy and silly and whole as he ever had been, and from the only other person who knew him so well and loved him just as much as she did was something she hadn’t realized she needed; something she didn’t think would be so cathartic after the endless sad of it all.
Tina had just poured two more glasses of peach soju for her and her mother once their mingled laughter finally died down, when Tanya slowly leaned back with a small, satisfied sigh and smiled in that seeking, motherly kind of way.
“. . . How are things with you, though, honey? You know, outside of work. You’ve had so much go on with that poor Rachel girl, and this town’s never-ending need for drama outside of themselves. I haven’t heard much from you about, well . . . any of it lately.”
Well, that was absolutely a conversation that didn’t need to be had.
“Yeah, it’s all fine. I mean, it’s been hard, of course, but I’m . . . you know, dealing. I have Hunter, my friends, and work, so I’m not lacking,” she replied airily as she waved the question off. But Tanya just stared at her daughter for a long, calculating moment, and Tina felt her stomach drop at what she hoped wasn’t coming.
Anything but that.
“You should know better than to try and lie to me like that, sweetheart.”
Fuck. Fuck. Of course, yet again, her mother had gone and disarmed her with only a sentence ( paired with the liquor in her system and slew of emotions and issues ) as the repressed realities of the past year came slithering like grotesque vines to grip at her heart. How exactly did one tell their mother that, besides an old schoolmate dying after months of being missing, she and her friends had also been dealing with some freak tormenting them with secrets and blackmail? How she’d been on a rollercoaster with Hunter from the second he’d gotten back into Castleport that finally seemed to be slowing down and in their favor for once, or the nasty fight she’d got into with Santana that left her feeling enormously guilty and murderously irate at the same time? And worst of all, that she’d gotten Sam’s father drunk, took him home, and took a picture of what she’d done in order to save Double C’s from being shut down ( or worse ) after a series of horrible threats?
. . . Then there was her father; the haunting, painful memory of how he’d smiled a ghost of her favorite smile at her as she held his hand tight in hers ( as though that was enough to tether him to life ) before closing his eyes for the final time.
How it felt that she was just a hollow shell — a husk of nothing important or worthy of anything, and maybe she always had been.
Tanya must have seen the clear crumbling wall of emotions falling across her daughter’s face; her own showing nothing but heartbreaking empathy as she gently reached the short distance across the couch they sat on and cupped Tina’s face in her gentle hand.
“내 작은 해바라기가 너무 슬퍼 보인다.”
That.
Hearing her mother speak so gently to her in Korean along with the nickname she’d had since birth was what broke the damn, and hard. There was no stopping it.
Tina let out an ugly, wrenched sob as she buckled forward and into her mother’s ready, protective, and comforting embrace. Her whole body shook as she cried — cried for everything that’d been her life as of late, and to the one person she knew would just let her, without judgement, without discomfort, without fear or phony reassurances, cry.
There, a daughter curled up with her mother in a heavy home filled with old, bittersweet memories and an emptiness that was felt achingly.
And there she stayed for a long time.
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Hello again! I'm still on a Prince Eugene kick and was wondering if I could request another story? Doc's still a prince but the princess he loves comes from a rival family, so it's very similar to Romeo and Juliet (sans everyone dying at the end tho) and only Spina and Babe know about the relationship? Hope you have a great day ahead! -Rachel 😊
I promise I didn’t forget about this blog. Things have been crazy the last couple of months.
Warning: Mention of minor character suicide
Eugene used to stick to himself. His only real friend was his cousin Ralf. Through Ralf, he gained a friend in a ginger-haired man called Babe. The twist with Gene’s friendship with Babe was that their families were in a feud.
The families had come to grudgingly accept the friendship. What the families didn’t know was they were sneaking each other into parties and feasts.
*****
Babe, Ralf, and Gene lounged on the balcony of Bab’s family mansion. Ralf and Babe happily gushed about their girlfriends. Gene listened and daydreamed a bit.
“We should find a girl for Gene,” Ralph proposed.
That got Gene’s attention. “No worries over me,” he tried to dismiss. “Love ain’t somethin’ to be rushed. I reckon I’ll meet the right girl when timin’s right.”
Babe suddenly grinned, his eyes lighting up. “I know just the girl. I’m sorry I hadn’t thought of her sooner.” Babe grabbed Gene’s wrist and pulled him up from his seat and into the great hall.
“Who’re you thinking of?” Ralf joyfully followed at Babe’s side.
“My cousin, Y/N. You’ll love her, Gene. I know you will. Just you wait.”
“You stupid, Heffron? She’s the daughter-”
“And I’m the nephew. That didn’t stop us.” Babe stopped and turned to face Gene, gripping his shoulders. “They’ve got to drop their bullshit. Sometimes, children need to teach their parents.”
“So we stop sneakin’ each other inta parties an’ jus’ walk in.”
Ralph chuckled. “You’re stressing too much, Cous’.”
Gene sighed, knowing he was outnumbered. “Fine. Introduce me to your cousin.”
Babe grinned and started leading Gene to where he knew his cousin was hiding.
“Y/N!” the ginger called out.
“Yes?” She looked up from her book and was shocked to see Babe all but charging toward her with a worried looking black-haired man being dragged at his heels. “Who’s your friend, Cousin?”
“This, Y/N, is my friend Eugene Roe. I thought you and he would get along.”
Y/N gently placed a hand on Babe’s forearm and Gene’s upper arm, leading them down the small hallway leading to the emergency exit.
“Eugene, it’s a pleasure to meet you, but-” she spun on her heel to face her still grinning cousin “-what are you thinking? Do you not understand what would happen if anyone other than you and Ralf saw us together?”
Babe’s smile faded slightly but not completely. “This feud’s been going on for generations, Y/N. It’s got to end somewhere. Why shouldn’t we be the ones to end it?”
Y/N looked between Gene and Babe with a sigh. “You’re right.” She flicked hair out of her eyes so she could get a better look at Gene. “He’s already kinder than the man Father wanted me to marry.”
*****
Eugene looked, constantly, where he was putting his and feet as he tried climbing up the tree outside Y/N’s window. Over the last could of months, they’d become lovebirds. They exchanged letters through Babe and spent as much time as possible together at the parties their families held. They always found somewhere to tuck away.
When Eugene got into Y/N’s room, she was seated on her bed, her back against the headboard, crying into her knees where her forehead rested.
“Y/N.” Gene rushed to her, kneeling beside her on the bed, and pulled her into a hug. “What happened?”
Y/N sniffled before trying to speak. “My father wants me to marry Paris.” The sobbing woman tightly gripped Gene’s sleeve, her knuckles going white. “I don’t- I love you. I can’t marry Paris, Gene.”
Eugene’s head spun and he had no idea on how to get them out of this.
“There has to be a way we can get out of this. There has to be…”
Y/N perked up. “We fake my death. Ralph’s uncle, he’s not a Roe but a Spina. He’s a herbalist, right? There’s got to be something he can brew to make me appear dead.”
“We fake your death, I leave a letter declaring my love for you and grief of your death-”
“You can’t bear to be in the same town and we leave this one behind.” Y/N was no longer crying. Her eyes lit up with hope and joy.
Eugene grinned and cupped Y/N’s face in his hands, pressing his lips to hers. “I’ll talk to Spina first thing tomorrow. How much time do we have?”
“The end of the week.”
Gene’s breathe caught in his throat for a moment and was immensely relieved he’d thought to step in and see how she was in person. Who knows what would have happened otherwise?
*****
The scream of Mrs. Y/L was heard nearly all over the block. Her pained scream and heart-wrenching sobs echoed through the home.
She stormed to Mr. Y/L with fire in her eyes. “You’re at fault with this! This damned feud! It’s killed children of your parents, grandparents, and now your own. You knew the rumours to be true. You’d rather hold your ludicrous pride than see your daughter happy and truly loved. And you have the audacity to call yourself a father.”
The cousins, aunts, nephews, and nieces who gathered at the news watched with awestruck faces. No-one had ever heard Mrs. Y/L yell with such ardour and hatred.
“Had I known she’d do this,” Mr. Y/L started through grit teeth, “I’d have permitted their union.” That having been growled, the man retreated to his study and locked the door behind him.
Mrs. Y/L did her best to find Babe. He was the closest thing to a brother Y/N had and the whole clan knew it fully well.
The ginger was sitting on the balcony, vacant eyes staring at nothing. He had the feeling, something deep in his heart, screaming for him to contact Eugene and demand what in the hell was going on. Mrs. Y/L sat across from Babe and gently rested her hand on his. His hand has long since fallen from his teacup; the tea now cold and lightly too strong because the bag was still in it.
“Edward?”
The ginger looked to his aunt with empty eyes. No tears lined the lids for his shock and remorse were too strong.
“Did she say anything to you?” The woman’s voice was gentle, saddened.
“I introduced them; I knew they’d fall in love. We thought--it was my idea--we could end this feud with love and friendship instead of hate and violence. I never imagined Y/N would…” Babe sniffled and fought back tears. “I killed her.”
Mrs. Y/L’s jaw dropped as tears finally fell from Babe’s eyes. “No, no, no. My boy, you’re so sweet. You were thinking of them. What was the boy’s name? Eugene?”
Babe nodded. “I’ll tell him about Y/N. After Rosalind… This’ll break him.”
The sound of a gunshot echoed through the house and everyone knew the master of the house was no more.
Mrs. Y/L’s eyes hardened. “I’m ending this feud. Tomorrow.”
*****
Mrs. Y/L sat in a chair beside the preparatory bed her daughter was seemingly sleeping on. The mother held her little girl’s hand. Her eyes were far away, practically non-seeing as her mind wondered. Footsteps, soft ones, came and drew her attention. A young man, no older than 25, stopped like a deer in the headlights. His light eyes widened and he just stared at the matriarch of the Y/L clan.
“You’re Eugene Roe, aren’t you?”
“Yes. I-”
“You’re welcome here, Son. Edward, my nephew, has told me of who you are and vouches for you.”
“Ma’am…” Gene trailed off, not really sure how to progress. “She’s...she’s not dead.”
“How couldn’t she be, Mr. Roe?” the woman was tired.
Eugene looked at his watch. “10 mi’utes. She’s gonna wake up.”
“Boy, if you’re playing with me-”
“I’m not. I swear it.” He filled her on their plan.
“Did you explain this to Edward?”
“When he came to tell me she died, yeah. Is...is your husband really-”
“Yes. He shot himself.” She sighed. “We didn’t love each other. Never did. Just an arranged marriage between a couple of kids following our parents’ orders.”
Y/N’s finger twitched, then she drew a deep breath, her eyes still closed in slumber.
Mrs. Y/L gasped, a grin etched on her face, her eyes lighting up. “You weren’t lying.”
“I’m not in the habit o’ doin’ so.”
“You can marry her, Eugene. God as my witness, I am ending this nonsense feud with my husband gone. No more lives will be lost in a feud we’ve all forgotten the origins of.”
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Love, I’m home - Chapter 2
Read chapter one
Pairing: Ben Hardy!Roger Taylor x reader
Summary: You have a great job at the BBC and you love writing scripts and shooting episodes. But one day, your boss asks you to go to France for 2 months to shoot a special reportage. You are excited, but also scared to leave Roger for so long…
Warnings: fluff, maybe angst, alcohol
Word count: 2718
A/N: Guys, this my very first fanfiction so don’t shoot me if it’s not 100% perfect yet. I hope you like it! Let me know when there is anything you want to tell me about the story. I would love it if you would like, reblog and share this! And react to tell me what you think. I would appreciate that! Love <3
Disclaimer: English is not my main language. There probably are some words that are used incorrectly and there will be some grammar mistakes in there too. Please forgive me for that.
When your plane landed at the main airport in Paris - you remembered that it was called Paris Charles de Gaulle - it was four o’clock. And by the time you arrived in the hotel, it was already an hour later. You sat down on one of the two big beds in the hotel room that you shared with Rachel. You were absolutely exhausted and you could use a short nap. Luckily, Rachel was your best friend and she saw immediately what you needed.
“Y/N, you look really tired. Take a nap for a few hours. I’m going to eat something with the rest of the crew, so you can be alone and rest. I’ll wake you when we need to leave for dinner. Alright?”, she asked you, while she was sitting next to you.
“Okay, but tell the crew that I’m sorry that I can’t come with them to eat something’, you replied, slightly guilty.
“I will, but now you need to take some rest now, because the next two months are going to be tough and we will need to work very hard on that reportage. And you have to look well rested to go to restaurant this evening,”, Rachel said while looking at you, a little worried about the way you looked. “I’ll be back in about two hours.”
Rachel left the room a minute later, but you decided to first unpack your things before going to bed. You tried to give everything a good place without taking too much space from your roommate, but Rachel was right, you were really sleepy, so you ended up going to bed after all. You walked over to the bed and lifted the covers to go underneath. When you finally were laying down under the blankets, you missed Roger’s warmth next to you. You wanted him to sing you to sleep, but he was in London and you were in Paris. It were going to be a long two months without your Roger.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Around two hours later, Rachel came back into the hotel room and she saw you laying in bed. You were in deep sleep, so she decided to take a quick shower before waking you up, but you woke up from the sound of the water falling down from the faucet. You looked on your watch and saw that is was already half past seven and the crew would be waiting for you in the restaurant in less than 45 minutes.
“Rachel, why didn’t you wake me?” You jumped out of your bed and ran into the bathroom. You hadn’t thought about the dress you were going to wear or what make-up you would put on.
“Y/N, don’t worry. We have still more than enough time left”, she answered while she let out a little sigh.
“But I still need to pick my dress and my shoes and my make-up and my-“ You started to go through everything you still had to figure out, but Rachel interrupted you.
“Y/N, I said not to worry. Or how they say it here: ne t’inquiète pas. Everything will be alright. Just stay calm, I’m here to help you. I’ll help you pick a dress and I will do your make-up.”
“Thanks, Rachel, I wouldn’t know what I had to do without you…”
“Then it’s a good thing that I am here with you.” She laughed and pulled you into a hug and she kissed you on your forehead. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
You walked into the restaurant and you and Rachel were perfectly on time. You were wearing a long red dress with long sleeves and a subtle belt around your waist. You had covered you neckline with a gold necklace that matched the earrings you once got from Roger.
“Bienvenue au restaurant Chez Louis et Marie. Suivez-moi à votre table. Les autres sont déjà là”, the waiter said when you arrived at the little counter in front of the restaurant that looked really expensive and it was weird being there without Roger by your side. But no Roger meant no paparazzi and you let a little sigh of relief disappear from your mouth.
You hung your coat on the coat rack and followed Rachel and the waiter to your table where the rest of the crew had already started the aperitif. The waiter pulled your chair a little back and you sat down while smiling at him and you said: “Merci beaucoup.” You had practiced your French when you where at home and this was the first time you could use it, although it was with a heavy English accent. He smiled back at you and handed you a menu before leaving to another table. You decided to go for a light salad and a glass of white wine, because you were not feeling very hungry.
You were not following the conversation that your colleagues were having, because you could only think of home, the boys and of course Roger. Rachel saw that you weren’t paying attention, so she poked you in your side. “You’re alright, Y/N? What are you thinking about?”
“Nothing special, just about home and the bo-“
“And about Roger?”
“Maybe a little…”
But what you did not know was that Roger was thinking about you exactly at the same time. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
LONDON
Roger spent the whole day in the studio since you had left for Paris. Together with Brian, John and Freddie, he tried to work on some new songs, but his thoughts just kept drifting towards you. Brian saw that Roger was not paying attention while they were rehearsing their latest song.
“Rog, are you alright? We’re trying to rehears a new song here.” He asked when he stopped playing the guitar. He walked over to Roger to get a better look at him. Freddie and Roger also stopped playing to hear and see what was wrong with Roger.
“I’m sorry. It’s nothing. I’m fine. I was just thinking about Y/N.” He answered, while he was trying not to break when he thought about you.
“Of course you were, darling,” Freddie answered immediately “and we miss her too and I’m sure she misses us too.” Freddie smiled and came closer to put a hand on Roger’s shoulder. “You know what… Let’s call it a day. Go home and get some rest. We’ll rehears the song tomorrow.”
“Are you serious, Fred? It isn’t even four o’clock yet. I can rehears the song right now if you guys want.” Roger replied. He looked around him to see how the other boys reacted, both surprised and pleased by Freddie’s proposal.
Now John reassured Roger: “Roger, it’s no big deal. Now, go home and call Y/N!” Roger hesitated at first, but John made himself clear again: “Now, Roger, go call her!”
When Roger came home, he forgot for a moment that you weren’t at home. He shouted out of habit “Love, I’m home”, but he interrupted himself when he realized that you weren’t there to recall anything. He put his coat on the coat rack and he fell in the couch. He sighed while he was thinking about you. Where would she be? What is she doing? What is she wearing? What is she eating? Does she think about me?
Does she miss me?
He really wanted to do what John told him to, but he wasn’t sure if it was the right time. Maybe you were doing something very important, maybe you weren’t even in your hotel room. So Roger decided not to call, but he wanted to start writing his first letter instead. He walked to the drawer where you had put the stationary and the envelopes before you had left. You had also left a little message in the drawer.
In case you would like to write me a letter. I already wrote the address on the envelopes. :) Love, Y/N
Roger almost started crying when he read your note. He took an envelope out of the drawer and indeed, the address of your hotel was already written down in the corner.
Roger also took a sheet of paper and a pen and he installed himself at the kitchen table to write his first letter.
Y/N, loveI miss you like crazy. It has only been a few hours, but it already feels like weeks.…
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
PARIS
After dinner was over and you said goodnight to the crew, you and Rachel went to the bar to have one last drink before you went to your hotel room. You ordered your fourth glass of wine of the evening and you first took a small sip of it, but then drank it all at once. Rachel looked up from her martini and looked at you with a concerned look. When you tried to order a new glass of wine, she stopped you.
“Y/N, haven’t you drank enough this evening? We should go to our room and go to bed”, she said, giving the waiter a sign not to give you your drink. “We need to be fresh to start working on the reportage and with a hangover, you will not be able to concentrate on your work tomorrow.”
“Rachel, I can decide for myself. Give me my wine. Or no, give me something stronger.” You were clearly drunk. You didn’t need much alcohol to get drunk, so four glasses of wine were more than enough and you would definitely have a hangover the next morning. “I don’t need you to act like my mother.”
“Y/N, I am just worried about you. Wouldn’t you be worried about me if I would be like this. I would at least expect that from my best friend.” She stood up from her stool and came closer to you. She took your head in her hands and looked you in the eyes. “Y/N, you’re my best friend and I love you and that’s why I am so worried about you. You changed since we left this morning. You started acting so weird when we got on the plane.” When you looked into her piercing gaze, you realized what you were doing. You weren’t like that. You weren’t even away for a day and you were already drinking too much. If you continued like this, you would not know what you might do in two months. You knew Roger’s heart would break if he saw you like this. You needed to control yourself and your behaviour. You had to stay strong for Roger and for yourself. You didn’t even realize you were crying until Rachel wiped your tears away of your cheeks. “Don’t cry. Everything will be okay.”
“I know, I just… I’m sorry… Roger…”, You tried to make a proper sentence, but it were rather single words that came from your mouth. “I am just really worried about Roger. We have never been away from each other for such a long time. And I know that he loves me, but when he starts drinking too much, he just doesn’t know what he is doing...” You sobbed and Rachel pulled you closer to lay you against her chest.
“Y/N, I told you already; Brian, Freddie and John are there to look after Roger. They love you too and they will make sure that nothing is going to happen to Roger or to you.” She gently took your hair out of your face. “It’s not necessary to worry. Everything will be alright. Let’s go to our room so you can call him. It’s only eleven o’clock in London, so he will still be awake now.”You stood up from your stool and left €20 before heading to the elevator.
When you arrived in your room, you threw your coat on the small seat and you searched for your pajamas in your half-unpacked suitcase. You walked to the bathroom to remove your make up and only then you saw how your make up was spread over your face. You quickly took a towel and rubbed under your eyes to wipe away the mascara. You quickly put your hair in a bun and you looked in the mirror for one last time. “Okay, Y/N, you can do this. You are not going to cry. It’s just a phone call to your boyfriend. That’s all.” You tried to convince yourself that everything would go well en that you wouldn’t cry. You were so excited to hear Roger’s voice again, but you were also scared to break when you would hear it. You had never left each other for so long. When he went on tour with Queen, you always went with Roger and the boys. The longest time you hadn’t been together was when you were spending the weekend with your parents, but that was only for two days. Today you had left for two months.
You were ready to call him. You had put on your pajamas and were sitting on the side of the bed with the phone on the bedside table next to you. You took the telephone receiver and you put it to your ear. Your hand was shaking while you dialed the number. You did not even have to look at the little note you had put in your handbag before leaving, because you knew the number by heart.
“Hello, this is Roger Taylor.”
“Hi, Rog. It’s me, Y/N.”
“Y/N? Is it really you? Oh, love, finally! I miss you so much!”
“I miss you too, Roger.” And what you had feared, happened. Tears began to run down your face when you heard his voice. “It has only been one day and I already want to come home to you.”
“I know, love. I wish you were here with me now. I missed your hugs and kisses when I came home. But let’s not get too sentimental or I will cry too.” You could hear him laugh through the telephone and you imagined the smile that you had fallen in love with. “Tell me about your day.”
“Well, we actually only went for dinner this evening. I slept most of the day after we arrived at the hotel.” You tried to think about any other things you did that day, but you couldn’t come up with anything else. “Tell me about yours.” “I went to studio with the boys and we tried to rehears some new songs, but Freddie saw that I wasn’t paying attention so he sent me home. And I, uh … Well, I don’t think I should tell you already.”
“Now I’m curious. Tell me!”
“All right then… I started writing my first letter after I came home from the studio.” You were surprised that he even had thought of writing a letter to you, but you were super excited at the thought that a letter from Roger was coming soon. “Are you serious? You remembered that I put the paper and the envelops in the drawer?”
“Of course I remembered. We made a promise!”
“Indeed, we did make a promise.” You were happy that he remembered that you had put all the things he would need in a drawer. And that meant that he had also read the little note that you had left with it. When you thought of that, you smiled and you saw Rachel coming out of the bathroom in her pajamas. She gave you a little sign that she wanted to go to sleep and you understood it immediately. “But, honey, I have to go. Rachel wants to go to bed because we need to get up early tomorrow.”
“Oh, all right.” You heard a little disappointment in his voice.
“I love you, Roger Taylor.”
“I love you, Y/N Y/L/N.”
You heard how Roger put the phone down on the other side, but before he did that, you thought you could hear a short sob. Your heart broke when you realized that Roger was crying and you weren’t there to take him into your arms.
You stood up from the bed and walked over to your suitcase. You opened a small zipper and you took out a sheet of paper, an envelope on which your address was written and a pen and you started writing your own letter addressed to Roger.
Dear Roger, love of my life…
Read chapter three
#ben hardy#ben hardy!roger taylor x reader#ben hardy!roger x reader#roger taylor imagine#ben hardy imagine#fanfiction#queen#bohemian rhapsody#roger taylor#brian may#john deacon#joe mazzello#gwilym lee#rami malek#freddie mercury#bohemian rhapsody boys#bohemian rapsody movie#i hope you like it
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Worst episode: I Kissed a Girl, the Rise and Fall of Sue Sylvester, All or Nothing, Shooting Star, On My Way
Oh man it’s funny because there’s only one episode that I know I hate. But sitting here looking at the list, I really don’t know which ones of those I like or dislike more…
So I’m gonna put them in reverse order, starting with the one I actually like and counting down to the one I hate most, okay? Let’s see…
5) All Or Nothing - Normally competition episodes don’t really do much for me, but out of the episodes you gave me, I think this is the one I have the least amount of problems with. The stuff with Brittany being a genius was silly, and during my latest rewatch, this Rachel solo was the only thing I skipped through. But Brittany’s goodbye was sweet and heartbreaking and done well, and the rest of the music was fun. The Klaine proposal story was rushed, but I liked the moments we got of Blaine talking to Sam and Tina about it, and the Klaine scenes we got. Plus we got a Blaine and Marley duet and they’re both adorable and I love them, so yeah. That all makes me like this episode
4) I Kissed A Girl - Okay so I know that realistically this episode doesn’t mean much. Like we’ve never seen Santana interact with her abuela before, and has only said bad things about her before. But now she has to come out and it’s this big emotional thing even though we don’t know her or anything about their relationship. But I can’t help it bc Naya acted the hell out of that coming out scene and I love it so whatever. Also I think I like the music in this episode the most. The Klaine duet, the fun girl number, Constant Craving. I even like the Puck number. The only one I hate is the Finn number that is apparently so moving it makes Santana cry and also makes up for, y’know, him outing her in the first place.
3) Shooting Star - If the whole episode was just like the second half, it’d be great. But it’s such a mood whiplash that it drives me crazy. I’ve talked about how repetitive Brittany’s “plots” got and this was just another repeat one. Someone even said “Didn’t we just go through this at Christmas?” when Britt says the world is ending. So the set up and the stuff with Lord Tubbington is. Stupid. And the part where Beiste had a crush on Will was just weird and unnecessary. But the serious parts are amazing. The scenes in the choir room and with Brittany and Tina are so heartbreaking and just kill me every time. I think everyone did a good job even if it was kind of a wham episode.
2) On My Way - Ugh I don’t know where to start with this one. Like Sebastian literally sent Blaine to the hospital but let’s all get angry because he photoshopped an embarrassing picture of Finn. Okay. Also a gay kid being forcibly outed and trying to kill himself is the catalyst that causes two dumb straight teens to realize life is short and they should get married asap? Cringe. And I hate this episode for my boo Kurt. Bc he’s such a shit to Quinn but then he also blames himself for what happened to Karofsky which, I mean, he couldn’t have known that would happen, and he didn’t owe that boy anything. And Quinn. I don’t even have to mention her stupid car wreck. Ugh. Also Cough Syrup was the only good song in this episode but it’s not like it was enough to save the whole thing.
1) Rise and Fall of Sue Sylvester - I literally don’t remember anything that happened in this episode. It was Sue-centric, and season six Sue-centric at that. That was the worst Sue. Like everyone was just over her and then she got even worse and weirder and it was awful. And then they spend a whole episode on her? Ok. And is this the episode where Sue and Schue sing Final Countdown? Yeah hard pass on that. But it also had Rise in it which Darren helped write so... It gets one little point for that
send me five!
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I watched Crazy Rich Asians with my Dad
And my sister. It’s actually been several weeks since the event now but I still want to write about it, because there was some personal significance in it for me, and also because, honestly, it was a fun movie.
Disclaimer: I’ve only seen the movie once, and as mentioned, that was a while ago now so apologies if my memory is a bit hazy. Also, I haven’t read the book.
So the story of how this came to be starts with dad seeing some commentary about the movie on Chinese TV or WeChat or wherever Asians get their info from these days. He thought Constance Wu looked a lot like an actress he was into when he was young so he wanted to watch it. Funnily enough, neither my youngest sister nor I had watched it yet and so we organised a bit of a family outing (though it was technically only half the family).
I really can’t remember the last time I was in a movie theatre with any one of my parents. It must have been way back in primary school (which is like, almost 20 years ago now). I remember dad taking us out to eat at the foodcourts before climbing the escalators all the way to the top of the shopping centre to get to the cinema. He would purchase the tickets on the spot though the line was never very long. We would always get popcorn because it was such a rare treat for us, even though we would never finish it.
Cut to today and I’ll pretty much have consumed half a large popcorn before the movie even starts (I swear the ads before the movie these days just get longer and longer). I am also a pretty frequent movie-goer, complete with a membership card. Poor dad must have had a bit of a shock when I just scanned my phone in the priority queue to get our tickets. Also that the shopping centre had been completely renovated since the last time he was there.
Admittedly though, some things do stay the same: the buttery smell of the popcorn, and the nostalgic, childlike excitement of wandering down the corridor to get to the cinemas.
Ok that’s enough self-indulgent reminiscing. Time for some analysis.
Overall I though the movie was pretty solid. It was simple with a straightforward plot, but its appeal for me was definitely it’s relatability. I think this movie has a little bit of something for everyone, whether East or West. Asians who don’t come from a traditional family background will likely relate to Rachel, while Asians who do will find the whole first half hilarious. Anyone who fits even just half the description of a Millennial will absolutely love the best friend Peik Lin. If you’ve fallen in love before, know someone who’s fallen in love, have a kid with a partner etc., there’s probably something for you in this movie. Even if you are none of the above, the sheer spectacle of the shit crazy rich Asians get up to should be enough to entertain.
Unfortunately I don’t think the story direction was as strong as the characters. The way I see it, there were a handful of really brilliant scenes, and then everything else was kind of meh (as in they weren’t bad, but they were just good. Standard).
Unsurprisingly, the scenes I enjoyed the most were ones that carried through thematic elements that were foreshadowed in the beginning (HSC kids call this ‘textual integrity’ btw). Surprisingly, my dad also enjoyed those scenes, although for slightly different reasons.
So as a tribute to that, in a slight twist on my usual formula, I am going to analyse my dad’s favourite scenes.
**Spoilers start here if it wasn’t obvious**
Big House
Rachel visits her friend from college Peik Lin, before going to Nick’s house. Peik Lin is an awesome, down to earth character, however her family is pretty over the top and the first instance we see this is in their huge house. It’s a mansion, complete with a friggin’ water fountain and even gold plating on the ceilings or something. Rachel definitely does not relate to this extravagance, which is exemplified when she mentions something dumb about the gold plating (I cant for the life of me remember exactly what she said but the idea is it made her look like a peasant).
However this is directly juxtaposed when they go to Nick’s, whose family owns so much land they can’t even find the house. There are also two threatening-looking foreign guards (which kind of borders on racism), but the exaggeration here is used to visually convey the fact Nick’s family is a pretty big deal.
Mahjong
This was definitely my favourite scene of the whole movie and I was very impressed with its execution. The brilliance of this scene lies in its visual storytelling. Case in point: dad could only understand half the script but was able to grasp the full meaning of the scene just by looking at how the game was played.
In this scene, Rachel has made up her mind to leave Nick on her own accord, however wants to make it clear to Eleanor it is not because she was bullied into it. The meeting spot is an area where a lot of elderly people gather to kill time by playing Mahjong, a far cry from the glamorous world we’ve seen for most of the movie.
However Eleanor knows how to play, because just like Rachel she was taught by her mother. This is a good reminder that Eleanor’s life was not always easy, and a key theme of respect and gratitude for the mother figure shines through.
As they play, Rachel explains her reason for leaving: if Nick is forced to choose between his girlfriend or his mother, he will be miserable. As they are talking we see Rachel pick up a tile. It is actually a winning tile for her, but she chooses to discard it. Eleanor then grabs it and wins. This was the part dad picked up on: in Mahjong speak it means “I let you win”, which is a beautiful complement to Rachel’s key message. If Nick ends up with a girl who Eleanor does approve of in the future, know that it was all possible because of the choice Rachel made today.
Game over, Rachel leaves with her mother, the back view of their walking figures leaving at once a powerfully supportive yet fragile image.
One other thing I noticed about this scene is how it reflects the game of poker Rachel played in her lecture at the start of the film. She bluffed her way to victory there in order to teach her class about Game Theory. This works because no matter how hard the odds are stacked against her, she stands her ground and puts on a show of bravery: she may have lost the game, but she’s still in the battle.
Proposal
This scene was pretty predictable but the way it is constructed leads to a great pay-off. Nick catches Rachel as soon as she boards her plane back to America. They are in two different aisles and Nick talks while walking to maintain the same pace with Rachel.
He narrates the way he had planned to propose to her: on a secret beach with the beauty of the sunset in the background. It’s a super idealistic image and kind of reminds me of Lenny’s American Dream scene in Of Mice and Men.
Of course, his speech is hilariously juxtaposed with the reality that they are on a plane and Nick has to get out of the way of other passengers, even stopping to help one with their luggage at one point.
The cramped economy cabin is also a sharp contrast to the luxurious First Class cabin they arrived in Singapore in.
Nick jumps to Rachel’s aisle to get on one knee and finally propose to her. I appreciated the totally random woman squealing in the background while hugging Rachel’s mum but I appreciated even more that the ring Nick presents to her is Eleanor’s. The story of the ring is that it was custom-made by her husband because his mother wouldn’t give them hers because she disapproved of Eleanor. It is very obvious symbolism but incredibly satisfying nonetheless.
I appreciate this movie so much more than I normally would because of the opportunity it gave for me to have a proper conversation with my dad. Since I started working full-time, I’ve realised just how much I’ve taken these family moments for granted.
I really hope movies like this, which bridge the gap between East and West, and between parent and child, will become more mainstream in the future.
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the bachelorette, season fourteen, episode two: let’s pretend i didn’t forget i didn’t post this recap, okay?
Thank god Queen Rachel showed up to save this episode, otherwise I don’t think I’d have much to say1.
We’re in Venice Beach, California, and it’s Becca’s first date as the Bachelorette and since Arie, which isn’t saying a lot considering she basically had an hour between their breakup and her crowning. The beeftestants are all ready for the competition to begin and to get their first date card. The Devil Incarnate Chris Harrison arrives for a solid 30 seconds to ask the guys about how they feel about Becca. We see David without the chicken suit for the first time and god, that venture capitalist does it for me. I hate myself for it too, but he honestly looks like if Scott Wolf and Matthew Fox got together on the set of Party of Five and made a baby, and I AM ABOUT IT. David probably drinks old fashioneds and wears boat shoes. My Mortal Enemy Chris Harrison talks about how serious Becca is about the entire experience, and tells them to relish in the time they get with her.
Remember, these people get, in total, around 48 hours with the person they’re going to marry if they make it that far, most of which is spent with an entire camera crew and production. I hate to say it, but Chris Harrison might be right.
Aside from a brief moment of correctness, what else does Chris Harrison have?
A DATE CARD!!!!!!!!!!
Clay, Nick, Chris / Perez Hilton, Venture Capitalist/Chicken David, Jean Blanc, Jordan, Connor, and Lincoln are on the first group date of the season.
The guys pull up and Becca’s there in a wedding dress, and Jordan’s feeling confident because he’s a model2 and beating good looking dudes is basically how he makes his bread and butter, so he’s not concerned. I love that Jordan’s entire personality is just being a Good Looking Guy. No one ever explained to Jordan that looks aren’t everything, and if they did, he wasn’t listening. Becca wants to “pamper” the men the way she was on her first date with Arby and I love that Becca thinks men’s idea of pampering is wearing tuxedos and drinking champagne. I mean, that’s my ideal man, but what do I know? I’m the kind of person who thinks Jack Donaghy was right here:
Becca pretends not to be ogling these men because I would be ogling these men. Without shame. I decided in 2018 I’m going to be as shameless about wanting to sleep with men as men are about wanting to sleep with me and it’s pretty great. I haven’t taken a full left turn into catcalling just yet, but I really have just embraced my inner Guy Checking Out A Girl Meme this year.
Jordan does his various modeling runway walks, and honestly, I so preferred this last week on the Vanderpump Rules Secrets Revealed episode when it was Tom Sandoval. Tom Sandoval actually had variation in his poses, where as Jordan is verging on the Zoolander “THESE ARE ALL THE SAME LOOK I FEEL LIKE I’M TAKING CRAZY PILLS” type of modeling. Jon Kortajarena is offended. Jordan is comfortable wearing clothes because he does it for a living. He tells Becca the best way to get dressed is to put her confidence on first. Becca invites the guys to go get rough and there we see
QUEEN RACHEL AND HER FIANCEE BRYAN.
This is a variation on the challenge we had last season that starred Mila Kunis and the Jar Of Douche she married, but instead of babies, it’s a wedding themed obstacle course. It’s a stretch, but it’s basically guys in tuxedos doing a Mud Run, something I can guarantee 85% of the men on this show have participated in. The first obstacle is strapping an ankle bracelet with a ball on it to the next obstacle.
Because ball and chains. Get it? Marriage? Women are carriers for men’s baggage?
Moving on.
The next is “Cold Feet”, which is basically dunking yourself into a vat of cold water3 for a period of time. The next is “slippery slope”, running up some slippery steps. Then “Get Over Your Exes” where they have to crawl on the ground to get a bouquet. The stretchiness is so real, it’s like a rubber band. They’re really trying this.
Finally, it’s “Cake Tasting”, which basically has the guys chomping through some cakes in order to find rings. This is all made worth it for Rachel telling the guys to “find out what that mouth do,” which I think should be a much better catchphrase than “do the damn thing”. The final two have to race to the altar to find Becca.
The obstacle course is kind of boring. Clay DGAF about the ice buckets, meanwhile Lincoln is miserable. All the guys notice that Lincoln got in the tub after them, but was out before them, and are pissed. Meanwhile, Lincoln is slipping and sliding all over the place4 and he gets a huge headstart. However, he misses the vase that bouquet of flowers is supposed to go in, so he must go back. By that point, David’s caught up and is face first in cake5 and they’re neck and neck until Lincoln nudges David, and he falls. Lincoln is the one to meet Becca at the aisle and “propose”, and the guys are all pissed.
There is a difference between competitiveness and playing dirty. Lincoln was playing dirty - leaving the tub before his time was up, knocking David over - that’s not a fair playing ground and yeah, Connor (I think?) is like, “wow, that says a lot about him as a person if he’ll cheat on a game like THIS.”
At the After-Party, Becca is wearing a red lace dress and Lincoln is being obnoxious. He keeps calling Becca his wife and the guys are barely in their chairs before Lincoln is taking Becca aside. Lincoln keeps saying “you bring out the best in me,” and Becca wants to know why. I love Becca’s line of questioning. These dudes can’t say empty, false platitudes because she’s gonna ask why. Becca gives him a portrtait of the two of them on their “wedding day” and Lincoln… kisses it. He’s gushing and all over her and they finally kiss in a manner that’s not covered in mud.
"Kissing Becca is like flying to the moon on the wings of a Pegasus while dancing with unicorns on a pot of gold.” - Lincoln actually says this. I have never hated anyone so much.
Back at the house, there’s a...
DATE CARD!!!!!!!!!
It goes to Blake, who honestly, if you replaced him mid-season with Miles Teller, I wouldn’t realize.
We see the montage of Becca connecting with the guys, of course. Meanwhile, Lincoln is literally talking to his “wedding portrait”, kissing it, all kinds of obnoxious behavior. The guys are annoyed because he keeps propping the picture up and rubbing it in their faces, and it’s not something any of them are cool with. I mean, same? Connor (I think?), who clearly is being manipulated by a producer, keeps moving the picture, even when Lincoln continues to display it. Connor (I think?) tosses the photo on the ground after Lincoln’s like “where would I put it?” Of course Lincoln is the type to get hyped up on semantics. Lincoln props up the frame one more time, and Connor (I think?) ’s completely normal, pratcial reaction is to fling the photo across the pool, shattering it.
This reaction is so over the top, and I hate Lincoln, so that’s saying a lot. Lincoln was wrong, but his incorrectness was basically harmless. Connor (I think?) ;has been there for one day at this point. It is entirely unacceptable that he reacted like this… after one day. It’s a red flag if I’ve ever seen one.
Meanwhile, Jean Blanc, my mom’s dream husband for me, is making Becca swoon. Honestly, he talks about needing love in his life and how he gives her butterflies. They kiss and it’s nice. I'm glad Becca is giving the black guys a real shot at this.
Meanwhile, Lincoln is lurking a stairwell waiting because he “needs a new picture”, and he’s crying. He’s “rattled” because Connor (I think?) broke his picture and tells Becca that it’s becuase he didn’t like the picture. All the guys are like “tattletale”. Lincoln calls Connor (I think?) aggressive6 and says he doesn’t know why Connor (I think?) destroyed the photo. Becca points out that yes, this is aggressive and extreme, and is frustrated that it’s this early in the season and this is already happening. Becca goes to talk to Connor (I think?) , and Connor (I think?) really doesn’t see anything wrong with how aggressive he got straight away, which is scary. Rightfully, Becca asks him if this happens often, because girl has right to know if this dude is going to slaughter her in her sleep. Becca admits that what Lincoln did wasn’t right, but she wants someone respectful. Becca’s frustrated because it’s already too soon for this drama to start.
Remember what Chris Harrison said about using your time wisely? This is what he meant, Connor (I think?). Your time with Bex was spent talking about another dude.
Back with the group, Jean Blanc gets the group date rose. Of course.
Back at the house, Lincoln is still upset about his picture and Garrett, Andrew Keegan and the rest of the 90s Villains are all telling him it’s okay for him to be upset about it. I mean, kind of? It’s not worth crying over. I bet production can get you another copy, they just need to go to Michaels and get a Michaels coupon for 50% off frames first. They go to Jordan, where he’s sititng with the same Andrew Keegan from before, and Andrew Keegan is like, “dude, why are you CRYING over a photo where you don’t even look good?!”
Andrew Keegan, asking the right questions. No wonder you started a cult. Jordan thinks Lincoln’s accent is fake, and normally I’d be like “pfft, who would fake an accent?” But then I remember the Emmy-worthy performance Lincoln is putting on and I remember... it’s guys like Lincoln who put on a fake accent. It’s like Emily Mortimer on 30 Rock, but instead of fragile bones, Lincoln has a fragile ego.
They make an entirely uneventful transition to Blake on his date with Becca. I went to high school with a billion dudes who look just like Blake, and that is probably the source of my tiny crush on Blake? I mean, Blake is likely as trash as the rest of these men but he’s trash in a sweater?7 Honestly, looking like Miles Teller and not having the personality of Miles Teller already is a win for Blake. It’s Blake’s first limo ride because last week, he rode in on an ox. And before that, a horse. Blake does not like enclosed spaces. Becca has no idea what’s happening on the date today, only that it’s been left in Chris Harrison’s hands.
A List of Chris Harrison’s Date Ideas:
Making you into a human candle
Slaughtering babies
Going to a Speculum Museum
Creating enemies
Drinking mimosas from human skulls
This is why they haven’t let this man plan a date on this show before.
They meet Chris Harrison at what only be described as a Murder Warehouse8 and he’s holding a sledgehammer. In case you’re wondering what my nightmares are like, it’s this. Chris Harrison in a button-down and jacket with no tie, holding a fucking sledgehammer. Basically, the entire premise is “Becca, you say you’re over Arby, but production isn’t quite yet, so why don’t you smash some of his shit with sledgehammers?” Y’all, did you know Arby and Becca broke up? There are TV monitors playing her proposal like some demented Truman Show, the couch he broke up with her on, and Arby’s racecar. We get it, production. The metaphor has been handed to us on a stick.
Also, this is a dream date of mine, but with just general shit. I want to smash stuff.
Then Lil’ Jon shows up and I yelled “GIVE HIM THE ROSE, BECCA!!!!!!!!!!!” I have no idea why Lil’ Jon is there other than to DJ the destruction. It’s perfectly scored to “Turn Down For What” because this show really is permanently in 2014. Regardless, Becca and Blake are getting along. Their arms are sore! Becca was nervous but not because of Blake. They already knew what they were in for and so they were relaxed. Becca points out that this show is a lot like dating in reverse - basically, you’ve already picked this person as your life partner, now get to know them - and how that created an environment where she fell for someone quicker than she thought possible. What a fascinating dynamic, honestly, and it’s amazing how simply summarized the concept of this show is. People always say “How do they do this so quickly, how can they say they’re in love after a few days?” When you’re isolated with nothing else to do but think about the possibility of a life with the only person in your vicinity, combined with someone coming into your room to talk to you only about that One Person and your relationship with them, you’d do the same. This is why distractions are good in love. When you first fall in love, keep yourself busy9.
Blake unleashes his trauma - he fell for a girl who said she loved him early on, and then everything changed and she broke up with him out of the blue not even a week later. Damn, that’s savagery. He can appreciate her being there and opening up again after her heartbreak, because he’s struggling with that. Blake gets the first one-on-one rose.
Back at the house, there’s a...
DATE CARD!!!!!!!!!
Garrett, Rickey, John, Ryan, Alex, Christon, Trent, Leo, Wills, and Colton are on the date card. Which means none for Andrew Keegan / Jason or Mike.
The guys on the group date head onto a school bus and head to a field, where Becca is waiting for them. Colton confirms his virgin status by talking about how good Becca smells - she looks good, but smells better? What? Shut up, Colton. Your facial hair isn’t enough for your chin.
They head into a gymnasium, where the men are immediately greeted by eight-year-olds throwing balls at them. The kids are there to show them dodgeball and make sure they know how to dodge a ball like Becca dodged Arby. My absolute favorite is these kids just reading these grown men to filth. One of the boys calls the men trash and asks if Becca wants trash, and I literally laughed for a solid hour.
The pink team takes the strategy to hide behind Becca because no one’s going to hit The Bachelorette, right? Wrong. Christon is just pelting her with balls. Dodgeball is a serious sport, despite what these people think. We get another occurrence of Fred Willard, who I really hope was adequately paid for this appearance because he looks like he’d rather be in bed. As quickly as the game starts it devolves into this year’s NBA finals - Leo vs. the Green Team, if Leo is Lebron James and the Green Team is the Golden State Warriors.
CAN I GET A MOMENT AND A PAT ON THE BACK FOR MY SPORTS KNOWLEDGE????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????? I’LL WAIT. I’LL WAIT. I know y’all are shocked.
Becca’s shocked Leo, who is a stuntman, is good at dodging injury in dodgeball. Becca. Come ON. But the audience is living for Leo, the Last Man Standing. Eventually he’s defeated and the Green Team is the victor, but Becca’s got her eyes on him, so that’s what matters.
At the After-After Party, the guys are all on top of the world. It’s the opposite vibe from the other group date, so of course someone’s gonna come in and fuck it all up. Garrett and Becca talk about whether it was weird to get the First Impression Rose and then be sequestered into Group Date category. Garrett talks a lot about himself and calls himself the male version of Becca. Wills has the best sense of fashion out of the house, full-stop. They do rapid-fire questions, my favorite form of getting to know someone. Becca wants a relationship like her parents, and Wills does too. Wills gets emotional talking about his parents and his family, and I love Wills!!!!!!!
Is Wills my new Wells?
Colton and Becca sit down and Colton’s got something big to reveal to Becca. He tells Garrett that before filming started he had a fling with Tia from Arby’s season. I love the underlying message here: I was dating the girl who probably would have been The Bachelorette if Arby hadn’t smashed Becca’s heart. Colton, without a doubt, is there because he thought Tia would be The Bachelorette.
We’ve had the dynamic of “they hung out before and came on the show to date this person”, namely in the case of Kaitlyn Bristowe and Nick Viall. There’s no doubt in my mind this was the intentions of everyone involved - Tia, Colton, and production. There were rumors of Luke Pell, when he was still a contender for The Bachelor, taking previous Bachelor contestants and various women that if they came on the show for him, he’d guarantee them a spot in the final four and they’d get the chance to “date” while on the show. This is what cost Luke the position as The Bachelor. Colton either a) went on the show for Tia and stayed along for the ride with the hopes of getting to Paradise and (likely) dating Tia or b) is there for the Instagram followers and the fame that comes with it. The timeline doesn’t make any sense.
Colton tells Becca that he dated her friend for a few months and that it fizzled out because it was getting too serious too quickly even though they had a connection. Which is why he proceeded to go on a show where the end goal is a quick engagement? Get the fuck out of here with that logic, Colton. You also dated Aly Raisman - you’re a starfucker. He takes a long pause when he says “I’m here…. To get to know you.” He’s not, he’s there for the Instagram ads. Becca doesn’t send him home immediately like I would. He’s basically admitting to not being there for The Right Reasons, Becca!!!!!! You already had one dude choose another girl over you, and you’re into the one who has a high likelihood of doing the same thing? It’s salting a wound that already exists. Becca feels sick to her stomach about it, but doens’t sent him home on the spot.
To me, that’s production intervention. But that’s just me.
My New Boyfriend Wills gets the group date rose, but it’s begrudging.
At the cocktail party, Becca arrives in this gorgeous cobalt blue sparkly dress that is easily on par with my favorite Bachelorette Look, Joelle from The Final Five Elimination form her season. She looks gorgeous. More of this, less of the red lace, blarg.
Clay takes Becca outside and teaches her the Art of the Celebration Dance. Sometimes Clay comes off a little robotic, and I wonder if he’s just got a lack of experience with women. Which isn’t a bad thing. For a professional football player, it’s a little shocking. He’s so smooth though, because he uses what would be a “helmet bump” with his teammates to parlay a little smooch in there.
Venmo wrote Becca a poem, and he is too good to last. Venmo, call me. Connor (I think?) gives Becca a picture of himself from the mud date and they both fling his picture across the pool in order to make peace. Meanwhile, Jordan is trying to set himself apart from the other guys. He really wants Becca to know his personality, so he decides the best way to show her that is to get naked and parade through the mansion.
I mean, thus far, Jordan has done a great job of teling us his personality is basically just Being Good Looking, so this is one way to show your personality. Jordan also thinks that nothing attracts women more than being comfortable next to a sexy man, which is a very simplistic way of thinking. I’ve been comfortable around sexy men, but barely. Also, they were fully clothed at the time.
He parades past the other men in his boxer briefs and interrupts Becca’s time with David, who immediately gets his feathers ruffled10. Becca is amused, but David feels disrespected. Jordan doesn’t want Becca to get the wrong idea of him - he likes to live life on the edge, he likes to be a classy gentleman, which is why he’s sitting next to her in his skivvies on the couch. Meanwhile, David’s rattled and is immedaitely questioning Jordan’s intentions. Jordan is the kind of guy who wants to pass his name along to his son and wants to call his son Jordi, which I’m pretty sure is the name of a porn star.
What David hasn’t realized, though, is that every season has a Jordan - the guy who pushes buttons just by having a personality - and every season there’s a guy whose skin he gets under and that becomes their main focus. I’m sad it’s my boyfriend David, but I also have Venmo, Wills, and Blake in my back corner for moments like this.mp3. Last season it was Whaboom and Blake. The season prior? Alex and Chad. David also got upset earlier in the episode when Lincoln cheated and didn’t feel the need to say anything then, even though he had a legitimate reason to. Be more assertive, dude. Don’t try to approach an irrational person with rationality like you do Jordan. He doesn’t care what you think, and clearly none of the other guys are as butthurt about Jordan’s annoying behavior as you are. Jordan knows what his purpose on the show is, and he’s not going to be shamed because he literally cannot feel shame.
Also, David - you came in wearing a chicken suit last week. You’re kinda the last guy who has a leg to stand on when it comes to this.
Becca sits down with Colton and they try to unpack their conversation from prior. He wants to make sure Becca knows the reason that he’s there - to get to know her / Instagram ads - and she can trust him.
BECCA NOOOOOOO GET AWAY.
Becca talks to Chris Harrison for the thirty seconds he’s allowed for himself to be on set that day and basically tells him it’s been a hard week, but he’s like “okay, it’s time to send someone home so I can go home!!!!”
The rose ceremony starts.
Chris, Andrew Keegan / Jason, Venmo John, Clay, Mike, Connor (I think?), Leo, Chicken Daddy Bae David, Garrett, Nick, Ryan (Who I think is Mystery Bae from last week, good GOD he is fine), Christon, Jordan - with a bonus struggle to pin the rose to his blanket because of course someone in production didn’t have him change, Lincoln, and Colton are all safe.
That means bye to my mom’s dream man, Rickey, Trent, and Alex, who gives us some drunken man tears on his way out that are unintentionally hilarious.
Next Week: We’re playing some football! Jason / Andrew Keegan and Chris get some private time! Tia, Sienne, Kendall, Bekah, and Caroline are all there from Arby’s season to help the guys, and of course that’s why Colton was allowed to stay for another week, because they want to show us the love triangle of Tia/Colton/Becca. Tia totally seems liek the kind of girl who would flirt with your man in front of you. David’s white knighting Becca about Jordan. And oooh, there’s an ambulance? Someone’s fucking hurt.
See you next week!
Random Assessments from the Desk of Amanda:
So many of these guys look the same. Oh my god. Someone tell me the difference between Connor and Garrett. I really think they put them on separate group dates so Becca would remember they’re not the same person.
My mom’s picks for men this season:
Jordan is trying to be this season’s Corinne and I am not about it. I wasn’t about her, either, though.
THE LIGHTING ON THIS SHOW IS SUCH A MESS.
I really don’t like the narrative that these guys are solely here so Becca can forget another guy. Why does she have to forget him? She doesn’t even have to forgive him. It’s a part of her story, of who she is as a person. You’re as much of a person because of the pain you’ve felt as the great parts of your life. Arby is rubbish, but we must at least acknowledge his place and impact on her life. Also, replacing one trash dude with another doesn’t help.
Of course Jordan describes himself as an alpha.
I really think the reason I don’t like Lincoln is because he really does act like one of those black guys whose entire idea of success is a white wife. Like, achieving whiteness is his ultimate goal. He’s so phony, so calculated, and I don’t trust him.
I’m really struggling with coming up with a nickname for Becca. Like, I tried Bex, but I feel like Bex is going to be better served for Bekah Martinez on Paradise and her disappearing ass. Gimme suggestions in the comments.
Becca looks like June Diane Raphael, fully confirming that The Bachelorette and Burning Love are the same show.
Chris looks like Perez Hilton, 90s-era Adam Goldberg, and Ben Stiller in Dodgeball all rolled up into one rat-like person. Like, his face is permanently in “I smelled something bad” mode.
Related: Ben Stiller should get some residuals considering this season is basically full of men based on characters he has played.
I do want to take back a lot of that harsh things I said about Bryan last season. Yes, he had too many fillers put in and I did just have a thing for Peter ripping off his sweater in his breakup with Rachel, but damn. Those two have stood the test of time (or at least a year, longer than a lot of these other relationships have) and here we are. Their Instagram stories are my favorite. He loves her so much. She got him to stop putting so much filler in his cheeks. It’s all good. Plus, damn. He was lookin FINE in this episode. Get it, Rachel. ↩︎
Between him and Christina from America’s Next Top Model 24, I never want to hear the phrase “I’m a model” again. PS: Have you heard my podcast yet? ↩︎
Connor calls this a “good little bathroom break” - dude, are you advocating peeing yourself on a date? DUDE. DUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUDE. ↩︎
I swear to god this show is trying to kill people. ↩︎
This is what Rihanna was singing about. ↩︎
Is this the first time anyone can think of where the black guy is calling the white guy aggressive and scary? This is refreshing. ↩︎
You know how my type is just Shoulders? Yeah, my type is definitely Shoulders in Sweaters. Yum. ↩︎
It’s an off-shoot of the Men’s Warehouse - you take the Toxic Masculinity Tunnel to get there. ↩︎
I actually just rewatched the episode of The Office where Michael thinks he has herpes and contacts all of his exes, only to realize he has a fantasy problem and a problem with romanticizing relationships with a revisionist history of what truly went on. Much like Michael, I understand wanting your life to be an epic story, including the Happily Ever After. But after thinking about this… I mean. If Michael had been more focused on his job like he should have been, maybe it wouldn’t have worked out for him that way? Then again, he might have married Jan. ↩︎
Come on, you know I had to. It’s an easy joke. ↩︎
#the bachelorette#the bachelorette recap#recap#reality tv recap#oh my god i had this done on time for once and i still was like never mind lololol#i am a demon
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Klaine Fic: 5 Times Kurt and Blaine Were Separated at Their Wedding + The 1 Time They Weren’t
Written for Day 1 of Klaine Advent 2017
Prompt: "Attachment"
Summary: Episode 6x08. It's the day of the wedding and Kurt and Blaine would love nothing more than to spend just a few minutes together. Okay... so maybe they have some attachment issues.
Word Count: 2500 - Read on AO3.
1. Sue Sylvester
With eyes like a hawk, Sue Sylvester was infamously adept at finding her target and going in for the kill – especially when said target was made up of soon-to-be Mr and Mrs Porcelain (her “OTP” according to a very confusing explanation from Santana). From across the wedding barn, Sue’s eyes locked on to her mark: Kurt and Blaine looking pristine as ever in their white groomsmen tuxes, practically glued to each other’s side and looking out across the sea of guests. They weren’t saying much to one another, but Blaine’s hand was placed delicately on a wooden post and Kurt’s hand was curled around his, thumb stroking the tender skin on the side of Blaine’s wrist.
Heart of stone notwithstanding, Sue wanted nothing more than to melt at the sight of her two favourite gays as their eyes twinkled when they looked at one another. But behind those looks, she could see another truth: the pain that both Kurt and Blaine were so clearly experiencing over the fact that the wrong couple were getting married today. Pushing emotion aside, she set her demeanour to harsh and blunt and frogmarched her way towards them – a woman clearly on a mission.
It wasn’t until Kurt and Blaine were following Sue’s orders to come with her that Kurt realised he’d been interrupted during the first bit of PDA he had actually been allowed to share with Blaine in a rather long time. The twitch in his hand made him want to do nothing more than reach over and grasp Blaine again. But for now, that could wait. After all, they could pick up where they left off after the ceremony.
2. Elliott Gilbert
It was difficult to believe that just 20 minutes ago, Santana was on cloud nine, standing on a stage in front of her friends and family, delivering her line of “I Do” and becoming Mrs. Lopez-Pierce. She’d passed that moment of elation five minutes ago, however, when she rapidly began crossing over into rage and frustration as she wrestled with her wedding dress, desperately trying to work the ties and zips in order to get it off without ripping anything. Her second outfit of the day (a beautiful white jumpsuit) laid mockingly on the chair nearby and she glared at it as she managed to stab herself with yet another safety pin she didn’t even know was holding her dress together. Just as she was about to go full Lima Heights on the zipper, the quiet of the changing area was interrupted by a nearby chiming.
Hobbling across to her bag, she rummaged around until she found her phone, suddenly aware of the numerous messages she would have to reply to from friends and family later. For now, the name that flashed across the screen was one she wasn’t particularly expecting to see: Starchild. Tucking her dress under her arms, she accepted the call and balanced the phone to her ear.
~
Kurt had long since given up on trying to offer any help as he found himself and Blaine pushed to the side of the barn and told that they didn’t have to lift a finger on their wedding day and to leave the new seating rearrangements to the guests. Instead, Kurt looked on at the crowd with the weight of a brand new wedding band on his finger and a brand new husband in his arms (‘MY HUSBAND!!!!!’ he wanted to scream internally). Kurt’s long limbs practically enveloped Blaine from behind as they held on to one another, unable to keep the smiles off their faces.
“Is it kind of weird that I still don’t really know what to say right now?” Blaine asked, not even bothering to turn around and look at Kurt as he said it, but with a smile evident from his tone.
“No… No, I’m exactly the same,” Kurt replied, a laugh bubbling in his chest.
This time Blaine did turn his head to look at his husband, shock still evident on his face.
“This just doesn’t feel real. I feel like any minute now I’m going to wake up and find out I fell asleep at my desk at school.”
Kurt couldn’t help but lean in and kiss the corner of Blaine’s mouth at that before pulling back again, not letting go.
“I sincerely hope not. This day is way better than anything I could dream up.”
Blaine’s eyes became pools of liquid honey, lined with creases, as his mouth split into a wide smile. This was quickly replaced with panic when they were interrupted by Santana’s hollering.
“HEY, HUMMEL!” she yelled as she came tottering over to them, her dress barely hanging on under her arms with the zip half undone. When she reached them, she thrust her phone in front of Kurt’s face.
“Look, I’m guessing you’re gonna have a lot of phone calls like this in the next few days but can you please just take this one first and talk to Elliott before he flies down here himself?”
Kurt looked puzzled for the briefest of moments before registering what was happening with a shock and quickly letting go of Blaine to take the phone as Santana tottered away again. Almost instantly, Blaine looked like a kicked puppy as Kurt held the phone to his ear and began a frantic conversation with Elliott in which it was clear Starchild didn’t know whether to be confused that Kurt and Blaine were even back together, annoyed at not being there, or purely elated for his friends.
“I’m so sorry sweetie,” Kurt said to Blaine, laying a hand on his arm and covering the mouthpiece on the phone. “I’m just going to go take this. I think I kind of owe Elliott an explanation.”
Quickly shaking himself out of his pout, Blaine stopped the jealous monster before it could even make a peep. He smiled softly, urging Kurt to go talk to his friend. Kurt smiled back and walked outside to get away from the noise to continue his conversation, leaving Blaine with his thoughts.
‘It’s totally fine. We have the whole of the rest of the day to spend time together. We can be separated for five minutes.’
3. Tina Cohen-Chang
Tina feels like she’s going to throw up. She’s built up and lost her courage about three times already and she just needs to get her head in the game and corner Mike. She has the engagement ring in her clutch and carrying it around has felt like a lead weight all day. She knows this is what she wants. She’s sure of it. And after seeing Brittany and Santana, and Kurt and Blaine, she pictured herself and Mike up there one day too.
‘So much for plans’ she thought to herself as her stomach did another flip and she took another swig of champagne to stop her hands from jittering. What she really needed right now was a friend – some help and encouragement; someone who had done this all before and knew just what to say.
“Blaine!”
~
As plates from dinner were being cleared and people were about to get up for the second round of dancing, Blaine was content to finally relax next to Kurt for two seconds. Without saying a word, Blaine scooted his chair closer to his husband, reached over to grab Kurt’s hand, and gently laid his head on Kurt’s shoulder. Kurt felt the weight on his neck and chuckled to himself as, without saying a word, he turned his face and kissed the top of Blaine’s head.
The moment was quickly ruined, however, when the weight on Kurt’s shoulder was suddenly gone and his own head fell painfully onto his shoulder. Turning to see what was happening, Blaine’s hand was the last bodily connection they had as Tina literally pulled Blaine out of his seat, away from Kurt and began hyperventilating as she talked at a hundred words a second. Quick to help, Blaine was instantly calming her down by making her breathe deeply and slow down. Once it was established that she was freaking out about the proposal, Blaine only had to glance at Kurt before Kurt was shooing him off to go save his best friend from a meltdown.
‘Ughh maybe I’ll actually get to see my new husband some time today. But hey, he has left his champagne here and mine’s all gone so… his loss, I guess!’
4. Rachel Berry
Now that things were finally a lot more settled, Kurt was content at being reunited with Blaine as they each chatted with Mercedes and Artie. Blaine had taken a seat to be eye level with Artie as Kurt stood by his chair, talking to Mercedes. What Kurt really appreciated was that, although they weren’t in conversation together, Blaine was entirely leaning his head on Kurt’s hip and his hand was subconsciously holding Kurt’s left hand and playing with his wedding ring. The feeling made Kurt all warm inside which was why, when a bawling Rachel came up to him with mascara tracks down her face, it was like being doused in a bucket of ice water.
If he’d thought about it sooner, Kurt really should have made sure someone was in charge of Rachel’s alcohol consumption today. It only took him a split second to connect the dots and he was immediately apologising to Mercedes for the interruption, knowing what Rachel needed was a moment to cry on his shoulder in the ladies’ bathroom. Being around two pairs of friends getting married can’t have been easy on her today.
Turning back to Blaine to quickly explain his plan and get Rachel away from the crowd of stares, Kurt didn’t have to say anything as Blaine just squeezed his hand and said, “Give her an extra big hug from me.”
‘I may be giving Rachel Blaine’s affection’, he thought as he walked her through the crowd, ‘but when am I going to get some of my own?’
5. Pam Anderson
“God bless the guy who invented cake!” Kurt cried, slightly tipsy at this point and brandishing a forkful of the sweet stuff in a twirl above his head.
“HERE, HERE!”
Sitting perched on his lap, an equally tipsy Blaine began giggling, almost dropping his own slice of cake off the edge of his plate. “OOPSY!” he sing-songed, tilting his plate back to a balance.
Kurt then brought the fork down from above his head and leant in to Blaine, gesturing for him to eat the cake clinging to the end. In a moment of daring, Blaine slowly took the forkful in his mouth, keeping eye contact with Kurt, as he carefully eased off the utensil, licking the buttercream off sensually as he went.
Kurt sat frozen, all the breath in his body having left him as Blaine jiggled about on his lap, grinning cheekily and licking the crumbs off his own fingers.
“Blaaaaaaaine,” Kurt whined. “You can’t- *hicc* can’t do that. Iss not fair!”
Blaine just giggled again and set his plate back on the table next to him, instead using his hands to frame Kurt’s face and lean in to give him a slightly less than PG kiss.
As Blaine pulled away, Kurt looked slightly more dishevelled than before and was quick to point out that, “Okay, I think you’re a little more drunk than I am,” with a laugh.
As if on cue before things got slightly more on the level of R-rated, Blaine found himself with a heavy weight on his shoulder (breaking him out of his mojo) caused by an equally giggly and loud third person.
“BLAINEY!” Pam cried, flinging her arms around her son. “My beautiful, sweet baby boy!”
At this she smacked a loud and sloppy kiss on Blaine’s cheek, all whilst he balanced himself in Kurt’s lap and tried not to fly off.
“AND KURT! My other amazing son!” Pam now looked horrified as the information caught up with her. “Oh my god, Blainey! I have three full-grown, adult sons. I’M SO OLD!”
Instead of the usual weeping and wailing Kurt had come to expect of the drunk women at this wedding, Pam instead broke in to raucous laughter. Then in an instant she seemed to gasp at herself.
“BLAINEY! If I’m old, d’ya know what that means? Pretty soon I’ll get to be a grandmother!”
At this, she threw her arms in the air and whooped so loudly, she got quite a few stares. Blaine, however, seemed to gain instant heart eyes as he grinned like the cat who got the cream in Kurt’s direction.
Still taking absolutely no notice that her tipsy son was practically grinding on his new husband when she came over, Pam grabbed Blaine by the forearm and heaved him up.
“OHH BABY, THEY’RE PLAYING MY SONG! Come dance with me, Buzzybee! I’m sure your man won’t mind!”
Kurt already knew he wasn’t going to win that battle, so instead he conceded with a smile and allowed Blaine to follow his mother to the dance floor – but not before Kurt grabbed his husband’s hand and placed a kiss on the back of it and letting him go.
‘I guess we’re not going to get that alone time tonight after all.”
+1. Burt Hummel
His feet were sore, his voice was almost gone, nearly all the guests had left, and Carole had fallen asleep next to him with her head balanced on her hand, but Burt Hummel could honestly never remember feeling this happy in his life.
His son was married.
Not only was he married – he was married to Blaine, a kid Burt had long since thought of as his own son for quite a while now.
Of course, as well as the sheer joy and elation he felt, there was also a weight on his chest at the thought of those people who weren’t with them to celebrate this day. But he knew that both his first wife, and Finn, would agree this was one of the best days of their lives too – to see Kurt so happy. To see Blaine happy too.
A few dozen feet away, Kurt and Blaine were swaying side to side on the dance floor, the only ones still moving to the music as chairs and tables were being stacked and removed around them. They were as closely moulded together as they could be, with Blaine’s face tucked squarely into Kurt’s neck and Kurt’s hands holding tightly to Blaine’s hips – both with their eyes closed, remembering this moment forever.
Burt was struck so emotional by the sight, he didn’t even notice when Carole stirred next to him.
“Honey?” she said quietly, placing her hand on Burt’s arm, “It’s getting kind of late. Do you think we should go and detach them from one another? Send them off to their hotel or something?”
Burt kept his watering eyes on his sons as they continued to sway in each other’s arms, a smile easily filling his face.
“Let’s just give them five more minutes.”
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Deep Love: Part One with Intro
Allow me to make an introduction to this fanfic. I had written this like around 5 or 6 years ago and decided that it was finally time I settled down and got all my fan fiction and some original stories out to print in Tumblrverse coz hey, better late than never.
Glee has long been gone and I decided, why not just throw my hat in the ring for some fan fiction action and so here we are.....
Click below to read this. You might actually stick around for more. Forgive me, the actual document when I made this included pictures, sadly they don’t work on mere copy paste and I dunno where to find the original files coz it’s been like forever years ago....
Let’s take a review shall we?
At the start of her senior year, Quinn has dyed her hair pink, pierced her nose, started smoking, become friends with a group of outcast girls called the Skanks, and quit New Directions. Rachel asks her to come back to the glee club and Quinn refuses, though she is later seen secretly watching the glee club perform in the auditorium.
When Shelby returns to Ohio with baby Beth, she offers Quinn and Puck the chance to become part of Beth's life, but insists that they both start acting more responsibly. Quinn goes back to being blonde and rejoins the glee club, but reveals to Puck that she's only doing it because she intends to win custody of Beth away from Shelby.
In the second song, Control, she performs the opening speech, and then does backup vocals. In the third song, Man In The Mirror, she does back up vocals. When all their performances end, she seeks out Puck and then she hugs him. When the judges announce that they win, she is very excited and happy. Quinn reveals to Rachel that she isn't going to tell on Shelby because she loves Beth and it isn't in her best interest. She and Rachel admit they are sort of friends and she tells Rachel that she wants to attend the Yale School of Drama. Rachel offers her help if she needs it. In the Girls Bathroom, Quinn talks with Mercedes, Santana, and Brittany, encouraging them to re-join New Directions, but they have their doubts at first, but Quinn states she talked Mr. Schue and Rachel into agreeing that the Troubletones would have at least one number whenever they perform at competitions. In We Are Young Quinn has solo lines, then Mercedes, Brittany, and Santana join the song accepting Quinn's offer. This episode marks the ending of Quinn's Season Three antagonistic storyline so far.
In Extraordinary Merry Christmas, Quinn is first seen performing back-up vocals during All I Want For Christmas Is You with Mercedes and the rest of New Directions as they decorate the Christmas tree in the choir room. Later, she is seen during Rory's performance of Blue Christmas and is later seated next to Kurt, while Rachel and Blaine sing their original song Extraordinary Merry Christmas. Later, however, we see that instead of being there for the filming of Glee Club's Christmas special, she is serving food
with Sam at the homeless shelter. He says she's gotten better since the previous weeks, and she agrees that she has gotten better and has stopped focusing on the things she doesn't have. Sam says he's glad Quinn turned her act around because she deserves good things, and she says she's trying her hardest to do so. Sue joins their conversation, telling them to be more greedy with their servings to the homeless, though Quinn says there isn't enough food. Later, when New Directions comes in the homeless shelter, she sings along with them to Do They Know It's Christmas? (Feed The World).
In Michael, Quinn appears dancing and doing back-up vocals in Bad. During the dance partner sequence of Bad, she is partnered with Jeff the Warbler. Later, Quinn is approached by Rachel in the girls bathroom where Rachel asks for advice on what to do regarding Finn's proposal to her, as Quinn is the only person who she trusts to give an honest and thought-provoking answer. Before giving advice, Quinn tells Rachel about her acceptance to Yale, and is extremely excited by it. She then tells Rachel that she should leave her past behind and look towards the future, something that Rachel does not like to hear. However, Quinn persists that in order for her to have a bright future, she has to break it off with Finn. Quinn begins her solo of Never Can Say Goodbye, which is a tribute to all of her ex-boyfriends. In the choir room, the New Directions congratulate Quinn on her acceptance to Yale. Almost in tears, Quinn gives a monologue about how the New Directions have helped her along the way. Then, Quinn (along with the rest of New Directions) perform Black or White to Sebastian and the Warblers.
In Heart, Quinn rejoins The God Squad (she seems to have left prior to Heart and after The Spanish Teacher à this is where the story arc between her relationship with Iain begins) In Heart, she meets Joe Hart and is singing "Cherish/Cherish" with him, along with Mercedes and Sam, to the club. Later, she is seen in the choir room listening to Rachel and Finn while they are saying that they will get married; she opposes them along with Kurt; this causes them to be uninvited from the wedding, though Rachel says that he would have 'loved to have seen (Quinn) in a bridesmaid's dress'. She later dedicates Stereo Hearts to Rachel, along with The God Squad, because Finn asked and paid them to perform a song for Rachel. After Santana watched them doing Stereo Hearts, she pays and ask them to sing a song for Brittany. This causes Joe's to doubt if they should do it. After that, she talks with The God Squad about singing to gay people, because Joe's religion causes him to have doubts about it. At Sugar's Valentine's party, they sing Cherish/Cherish for Brittany, in which Quinn has a major solo. Lastly, she is seen dancing (with Joe and others) to Love Shack along with the other invited people.
In On My Way Sue tells her that she is pregnant. Quinn then gives her some advice; then Quinn asks her if she can rejoin the Cheerios but Sue says no. She appears with The God Squad to talk about the attempted suicide of Dave Karofsky, and as she discusses it with Kurt she gets into an argument with him about it. Later, Quinn is seen with the other New Directions members talking about Dave's issue. She sings back-up vocals in Fly/I Believe I Can Fly and Here's To Us at Regionals. Later, she is seen with Sue again, and Sue tells her that at first she admired Quinn because she reminded her of what she was like when she was young; however, she then tells Quinn that the reason she admires her is because she is different from her. She then gives Quinn the cheerio's uniform. Subsequently, she sees Rachel and tells her that she supports her marriage to Finn, after asking if Rachel's performance of Here's To Us was directed towards 'Finn and only Finn', to which Rachel confirms that it was. At last, she is seen going to Rachel and Finn's wedding but she runs a stop sign, texting Rachel "On My Way" while driving, and is hit by a truck as the episode ends with "To Be Continued" rolling onto the screen.
In Big Brother, Quinn approaches Finn and Rachel saying that though she is in a wheel chair, she is just happy to be alive and proceeds to race with Artie to the Choir room singing I'm Still Standing with Artie. She then tells the rest of the Glee Club not to feel sorry for her because she is okay and is positive that she will be able to walk again, making a promise to be able to sing and dance with the rest of them at Nationals.
Later while everyone is planning what to do for senior skip day, Rachel starts crying about Quinn being in a wheel chair, partially blaming herself but Quinn reassures Rachel that it wasn't her fault and hugs her. She also then suggests that for senior skip day, the New Directions should go to Six Flags.
Later Quinn and Artie are seen with Artie encouraging Quinn to make it up a steep ramp on the school campus, cheering her on all the way and she accomplishes the task. Artie then comes up with an idea on how they should spend senior skip day together at a skate park where others like them like to go.
Quinn later catches Finn while he is texting and walking in the hallway and lectures him on how its not a good idea. She also tells him that she and Artie have plans for senior skip day so she is not able to make it to Six Flags.
At the skate park with Artie, Quinn is amazed at all the people there that are not letting their handicapped situations get in their way. She and Artie sing at the park. Near the end, Artie brings up that Quinn should maybe get used to being in a wheelchair to which Quinn says is temporary and that she will be able to walk again. Artie asks her what if she isn't able to walk anymore but Quinn is adamant on being able to walk again.
In an interesting twist to further add sting to her wounds, I inserted the scene where she meets Lily, Iain’s psychotic ex-girlfriend and confronts her. She does end up standing (err..bad choice of word) her ground, leaving Lily to confuse her that whatever transpired between her and Iain are ‘far from over’.
At school while Quinn is trying to get something out of her locker, some of her books fall out and Joe Hart helps her with them. He then walks with her to class and Quinn is grateful for his company. Joe than tells Quinn that he is praying for her, something she is thankful for until she finds out that he isn't praying for what she thought he was praying for and gets upset. She apologizes and invites Joe to New Direction's Booty Camp in the auditorium where he then joins New Directions.
In Dance With Somebody, Quinn is approached by Joe where he asks her if he could attend and help her with her physical therapy. They later sing Saving All My Love For You together which can be notably seen as them singing the song to each other. During this song, there are scenes where Joe is helping Quinn with her physical therapy and there is a moment between them. Later in the girls bathroom with the rest of the ND girls, the girls point out how intimate Joe's and Quinn's duet was to which she states that he is not into her like that because at her therapy session when it looked as if he would kiss her, he pulled away. Later in the episode during another scene where Joe was helping Quinn with her therapy sessions, Joe talks about how much he likes Quinn and would maybe give up on his religion just to be with her, something Quinn tells him not to do. They talk about what kind of relationship they have and they are unsure of what kind of relationship it is. She is later seen with the rest of New Directions towards the end singing, My Love Is Your Love happily.
In Prom-asaurus, Quinn is first seen at physical therapy with Joe, where she uses a parallel bar to assist her with walking. Joe cheers her on but she ends up slipping and falling causing Joe to rush to her side but she is fine because she is laughing. Joe talks to her about showing everyone that she can walk but she states that she wants to keep it quite for a bit to surprise everyone later when she can walk completely once again. As the episode progresses, Quinn is shown to be running for prom queen with Finn running for prom king along side her, something Rachel is not happy about at all. In the Choir room while Brittany explains the theme for senior prom, she announces that Quinn and Santana are in charge of counting the votes for prom king and queen because though they are both running for prom queen, they don't trust the other one so they will keep the other in check. Later on, while Finn is talking to Quinn about prom, a girl approaches Quinn saying that she finds her to be an inspiration, something that Quinn plays on. At prom, Finn walks into the girls' bathroom and sees Quinn standing, he is upset that she didn't tell anyone and accuses her of using her being in a wheelchair as an excuse to get more votes. Quinn begs Finn to stay and during Love You Like a Love Song, Finn gets tired of what he believes is an act and yells at Quinn to stand up and walk causing Joe to come to Quinn's defense. After pushing Joe away at one point Finn bends down to grab Quinn and, presumably, force her to stand. Finn storms off and Quinn has a worried expression on her face. Quinn and Rachel talk about how in the beginning Rachel viewed Quinn as this amazing and beautiful girl and how that veiw has stayed the same but with Quinn being more compassionate. When the time to count votes come, Quinn and Santana find out that Quinn beat her by one vote. Quinn voices that even though she had dreamed of this moment, she doesn't feel any different and the two come up with an idea to give the prom queen crown to Rachel. At the end of the episode, Santana and Quinn sing Take My Breath Away where Quinn stands up during the middle of the song, something everyone is surprised and elated about.
In Nationals, Quinn and Tina are asked to take over for Mercedes in the Trouble Tones after Mercedes gets sick from eating a bad burrito. This is something Quinn is unsure about but is encouraged by Mr. Shue to do it. Later while everyone is practicing, Quinn is seen to be having trouble with the steps to the dance numbers for the performance. When the competition is about to start and everyone is getting ready to perform, Mercedes comes in feeling a lot better and Quinn sees this as a chance to get out of taking over Mercedes' part but Mercedes insists that Quinn and Tina still perform with the Troubletones. Behind the curtains, Quinn, Santana, and Brittany, known as the Unholy Trinity, have a moment together. Quinn performs Edge of Glory with the Trouble Tones and Tina without trouble. Near the end of the episode, during We Are The Champions Quinn gives Mr. Shue a hug and kiss on the cheek. Quinn hugging Rachel in the season finale episode.
In Goodbye, she is seen performing the song the graduating members sign to the non graduating members, You Get What You Give and is sadden by the fact that she has to leave her friends. She enjoys the song the non graduates sing to the graduates, In My Life. She later has a voiceover of her high school experience where she sees Puck struggling to study. She talks to Rachel about their friendship in the girl's bathroom. At her house, she helps Puck study and gives him words of encouragement and tell him she loves him as well as a kiss. In Coach Sue's office, Quinn tries to return her cheerios uniform but Sue tells her to keep it. Sue and Quinn talk about how much Quinn has changed and grown up over the years and Quinn tearfully hugs Sue and says that she will miss her. She graduates and near the end is seen saying bye to Rachel while hugging Santana.
Quinn’s Personality:
When first introduced, Quinn was the ultimate snarky mean girl. Popular, beautiful, and a complete snob, and was admired by every single boy in the school (not to mention everyone else), Quinn made certain that everyone around her knew who was top dog She feels that being popular is the most important thing and as a cheerleader, she constantly went out of her way to demean those whom she didn't like, and was willing to do whatever she could to demonstrate her superiority. Furthermore, as president of the Celibacy Club, Quinn also revealed herself to be an extreme borderline Bible-thumper, preaching her faith at random periods. Aside from being cold and judgmental, Quinn was also extremely manipulative. She seemed to view anyone and everyone as a potential enemy or pawn to be used. Willing to lie and cheat, Quinn would do anything and everything she could to make sure things worked out in her favor, no matter how they affected others. She went so far as to convince Finn that he was the father of her baby. Quinn is also very petty and easily angered by jealousy, and would do what she could to exact revenge
At home, meanwhile, Quinn played the role of "Daddy's Little Girl", always being as sweet and polite as possible, and doing everything she could to hide from her WASP parents all the 'sinful' things she might be doing. After discovering that she was pregnant, however, Quinn began her transformation, thanks, in large part, to the support from the Glee Club.
Since the beginning, Quinn has had a habit of manipulating Finn. During most of their relationship, whenever the pair of them began to get physically intimate, Quinn would abruptly stop and ask that they pray instead. Although Finn very much wanted to sleep with Quinn, she always refused due to her religious beliefs. Ironically, Quinn ended up having sex with Noah Puckerman when he got her drunk (with wine coolers) and seduced her, resulting in her becoming pregnant. Rather than admit to the truth, Quinn lied to Finn and claimed the baby was his.
It is also shown that Quinn used to be the same type of person she regularly teases. Before eighth grade, she went by Lucy, was overweight, and a brunette. The other children called her Lucy Caboosey. Quinn took up ballet, gymnastics, and cheerleading to help lose weight. When her father was transferred to Lima and got a raise, Quinn asked her father for a nose job, and then dyed her hair blonde, and asked her parents to refer to her by her middle name; Quinn. She still seems to enjoy bullying Rachel, but she does not seem to go out of her way to bully anyone else.
In fact, she seems more empathic towards those who are bullied such as Sam, due to the fact she remembers vividly how it feels. She seems more intent on coming to terms with her prior life, and wants to rebuild herself. This has caused her to be reluctant to start a relationship with Sam, for fear for falling back into old habits regarding men. Quinn is also being forced to act more aggressive than before, due to her continued rivalry with Santana. Her personality has become meaner after her transformation. In the last episode of Season 2, Quinn had a breakdown, crying that she just wanted someone to love her.
Trivia:
· She is a Christian and almost always wears a gold cross necklace
· Usually wears baby-doll dresses. But after her car accident, she wears pants (Trousers)
· Says that texting while driving is the stupidest thing she's ever done, besides sleeping with Puck
· Quinn has lived with at least five people in her life. First her parents until Ballad, next Finn from Ballad through Sectionals, then Puck from Sectionals through Funk, then Mercedes from Funk through to Journey, but she lives with her mother from Journey onward
· Has had three boyfriends on the show and has cheated on two of them (Finn and Sam) with another one of her future or ex-boyfriends (Finn with Puck, and Sam with Finn).
· Her MySpace name is 'SkySplits'.
· She can play the piano!! (But of course not as well as Iain ^_^ )
· Her cold stare and raised eyebrow is said by both her portrayer, Dianna Agron and the show's creator, Ryan Murphy, to be a slight homage to Bette Davis' character, Margot Channing in "All About Eve".
· She gets angry when she is drunk
· She has been single for a whole season. (Season Three) à possibly Iain’s involvement J
· (Between On My Way and Big Brother), Quinn’s accident caused her to have leg paralysis. This is because a Spontaneous Spinal Epidural Hematoma was found in her routine MRI scan. Iain voluntarily covered for her immediate surgery by providing her the best team of Neurosurgeons; he personally paid for the doctors’ airfare, accommodations, professional fee with overtime pay. Despite being rejected by Quinn, he also hired a renowned Rehab doctor who has been keeping close tabs with her progress and reports regularly to him, thus he was able to make it to Prom-asaurus. Iain never tells her the extent of his contribution to her operation and her rehab sessions. All this is revealed when Quinn meets Iain’s great grandmother, Genevieve.
· Quinn speaks some French, hence she was able to partially understand some of the conversation between Iain and Chelsea.
· Because of her operation, Quinn’s tattoo of Ryan Seacrest was grossly disfigured. She had it removed as a graduation present from her parents.
· Iain stayed a total of 3 days with Quinn during her confinement. He barely slept as he watched over her. Amy, Quinn’s ICU nurse is the only person who is immune to Iain’s good looks and calls him a ‘bother’.
· Iain finds out about the accident from Quinn’s mother, Judy when she calls him during a business meeting where he abruptly leaves.
· The love story prologue is during the Season 2 Finale: New York.
· The storyline when Quinn is accepted to Yale and meets Iain is during Michael (Season 3 Episode 11). In Spanish Teacher (Episode 12 Season 3), Iain lives with her thus further complicating things. God Squad is also formed sometime before Spanish Teacher and after Michael, as Quinn uses this as an excuse to meet Neil, Iain’s younger brother. Iain leaves Ohio during the time of Heart, which explains why Neil is no longer present during the show,s first meeting with Joe and God Squad.
· Episode dates are as follows:
Michael (occurs late January), Spanish Teacher (February 7), Heart (Feb 14) Hence, spanning almost 2 weeks.
· On My Way (Feb 21) and Big Brother (April 10)
· Prom-asaurus happens during May (May 8 to be exact). Almost 3 months after Quinn’s accident when Iain returns to Ohio one last time to tell her how he really feels about her. He looks slightly disheveled because he had just left from a Global Trade Meeting, he found himself asking several times what he was doing, what compelled him to walk out during the event to leave several people who needed his opinion to take the first available flight to Ohio, how he managed to endure sitting in the only available seat where he was sandwiched between a grossly obese man who smells like salami and a woman with an irate baby who cried the entire flight, he also asked why he jerked the first person out of the backseat of a taxi because he was afraid he’d get there too late.
· The song Quinn and Iain dance to is called “Science & Faith” by the Script and was sung as an acoustic cover duet by Puck and Tina. Their story concludes at an actual concert of the Script in New York where the song is played again.
· Iain’s true identity is revealed when Quinn sees his cover featured story on Newsweek during her train ride to Connecticut where a girl passenger compares him to Christian Grey, the titular character of 50 Shades of Grey where the concept of Iain was roughly based from.
· That’s some serious Bling!: The bracelet “wrist corsage” Iain puts on Quinn’s arm during their dance is called the Osieaux de Paradis (Birds of Paradise) 2011 collection by the luxury brand Van Cleef & Arpels. It’s a craft bracelet set in white gold and features pink sapphires and a medley of diamonds weighing a total of 8.64cts and costs roughly US $148,000. Iain bought the bracelet while he was in London because the color of the stones reminded him of the nightgown Quinn wore while he watched her sleep.
· It is later revealed that he bought the entire Birds of Paradise by Van Cleef & Arpels set after Prom-asaurus.
· The third dumbest thing Quinn confesses to doing was almost letting Iain go.
· Since Prom-asaurus, Quinn and Joe’s relationship fizzled. We can then conclude that this was because Quinn also starts to admit to herself that she has feelings for Iain as well.
· During Graduation, Quinn tells Puck she loves him, this is because he is the father of Beth and he will always have some part in her life even if it means that they weren’t meant for each other in the end. When she kisses Puck to boost his morale, there’s a double ended meaning as this also signifies the conclusion of their tumultuous relationship. It also shows that Quinn has finally matured and moved on
· From the time that Iain and Quinn are to see each other since Prom-asaurus that’s a total of one year and a half. Iain does not contact Quinn as he wants her to admit that she loves him. They get their answer after in an accidental meeting in a concert in New York. This is long enough for Quinn to also get over the hurt she felt when she found out that Iain was a billionaire tycoon during her train ride to Connecticut in (Graduation Season 3 finale). She then meets Dean David Pendleton who told that she did not earn the Dramatic Arts scholarship but assured her that her tuition was paid in full by a ‘mysterious benefactor’ who auctioned off the sportscar he won in a silly bet a few years ago. (Iain sold his beloved McLaren sportscar and used the auction money). She forgives him after being confronted by Genevieve, Iain’s dragon scary great-grandmother and she learns the shocking truth about Iain’s financial involvement for her operation and recovery after her accident.
Songs used:
· In My Head, Jason Derülo
· High Heels, Ryuichi Sakamoto
· Liebesträume No 3 (Dreams of Love), Franz Lizt
· Polonaise in G minor, Frederic Chopin
· Polonaise in G Flat Major, Frederic Chopin
· Nocturne in C Minor, Frederic Chopin
· Piano Concerto No. 2 in C Minor Adagio Sostenuto, Sergei Rachmaninoff/ All by Myself, Eric Carmen feat. Celine Dion
· Silence is Easy, Starsailor
· Do You Realize?? , The Flaming Lips
· Beautiful (7” Inch Canny Mix), Mandalay
· Walking on a Dream (Kids at the Bar Remix), Empire of the Sun
· Famous, Scouting for Girls
· Science & Faith, the Script
· Eve, Apple of My Eye; Bell X1
· Deep Love, Mandalay
· Midnight City, M83
Note: Iain and Quinn’s storyline transpires somewhere after the Michael episode and ends before the valentine special, Heart (where Quinn was visibly absent and sans melodrama, thus creating the perfect scenario explaining her ‘missing scenes’.
I got inspired to write it around the time of the finale of Season 2 because I felt that she needed her own happy ending. And let’s face it, I’m a hopeless romantic, so I figured that perfect special guy for her wasn’t hanging around the halls of McKinley High. (Who doesn’t want a rich, handsome young billionaire?)
Anyway, I thought New York would be a great prologue to go with and I’m assuming this lovestory of theirs takes around a total of 3 weeks duration, which cuts short when Iain finds Neil and has left Lima during “On My Way”.
This scene (Season 2 Finale: New York) was what started it all and inspired me to write this story.
“Or maybe she’s just distracted by the awesomeness of New York.”—Rachel Berry
…I’d like to believe that guy on the left was what kept her distracted. I know I would be too if I were Quinn..
When Quinn gets into an accident, Iain returns only to be pushed away by an angry Quinn. Despite Quinn’s wishes for him to leave her alone, he comes back just in time to witness the progress of her therapy in Prom-asaurus and tells her he’s in love with her and that he’s willing to wait forever for her. The epilogue takes place when Quinn is in Yale.
Poor Quinny, you can stop crying because you’re about to have a very nice happy ending J
It’s funny because I started Iain off as a ridiculously rich tycoon businessman who was also a talented pianist that wanted to be a music composer. Fast forward some months later while I still in the middle of writing this fanfic, I came across the popular book called 50 Shades of Grey, and to my surprise, there were so many things that struck me because both male protagonists had shared a lot of qualities that I found delightful and great for this story....well except for the BDSM kinky part.
“Little Red Orange Coat girl” couldn’t stand staying in the hotel room longer listening to Brittany sing a jingle about a cup. She looked pretty rarin’ to leave and explore New York and I’m sure the men below who’ve inspired me to write Iain seems like a very, very legit reason.
I even would like to think of him as part Damon Salvatore (after all, Rachel Berry did mention him), Spanish male model Andres Velencoso, Josh Hartnett’s character from August, Christian Grey, and Younghusband brother. It’s a hard mix, I know, but I had so much fun figuring out how that was gonna work and I’m glad to think that I’ve done it successfully so. I have to admit that Iain’s name does sound like Christian’s even down to the surname but I swear that it’s purely coincidental!
“You can stop with the waterworks, girl. Have you seen the dreamy men that have inspired the author to create the man of your dreams?” – Auntie Santana.
(Scene taken when Quinn starts crying and wanting someone to love her………Wish granted in five…four….)
Project: Becoming Iain Hargreave
(tsk, tsk….Lucky Quinn)
I figured Iain is a much tamer, saner version but just as equally captivating that he doesn’t come off boring. Plus the story of a man who built a company around a website in these very uncertain economic times, really piqued my curiosity. Iain’s character was actually more centered around Josh Hartnett’s character in the Indie movie, August, where he plays Tom Sterling, the fast paced, smooth talking leader of the e-commerce revolution. Aside from the hard, party boy and shrewd businessman exterior, Hartnett manages to make Tom likable, vulnerable even that he has an Achilles heel for some unrequited relationship that never worked out because of the sacrifices he had to make in order to save his empire. I felt that Iain should share the same qualities, but with a far more complex depth that screams tortured society boy, self-made billionaire alpha male.
Iain Hargreave arrives at McKinley High initially as a substitute teacher, but is moved to teach at the Night School as his good looks serve more as a distraction to the female students. He temporarily replaces Brad the pianist for the Glee Club (yes, there is actually a guy who plays the piano for New Directions). Not much is known about the young, handsome and charismatic pianist except that he unwittingly becomes the object of most of the girls’ attention. Quinn Fabray is peeved because Iain is her supervised guardian/tutor for her ticket to a Yale Scholarship.
Though try as she might to do anything to push him away, their paths are inevitable. Not only does she have to see him at glee club practice she also sees Iain at home since he’s also living with her. Feeling as if both need to reconcile their differences before things turn ugly, they form a temporary truce, at least for appearances sake. Throughout the course of the first few episodes of the season, it can be shown that though they claim to dislike each other, they are very much attracted to each other. Other fellow Glee members are aware of this however refuse to mention it with the exception of Rachel, who points it out to Iain when she needed his help composing a song for sectionals . Finn also is annoyed with Iain, because he notices how mean he is with Quinn, but they form a truce as Finn becomes aware of the attraction between his ex-girlfriend. He then tells Iain to promise him that he wouldn’t hurt her because the last thing Quinn needs is a broken heart after what he did to her.
Little does everyone in McKinley know that Iain faces his own internal conflict. His sole purpose to arriving to McKinley was to look for his long, lost brother who was separated when their father divorced their mother. Despite his posing as a person of middle class, he is extremely wealthy, having come from a school that has Prince Charles as an alumnus and being raised in cities like London and New York. His great grandfather composed a hit Christmas song and the jingle of the Coke theme, he’s been receiving the royalties and used the money to invest in computers and batteries for cellular phones which the amount has quadrupled making him one of Forbes Richest People Under 21. He also studied Business Management in Harvard with a minor in Computer Sciences but dropped out a few months before his graduation as he saw that there was no point in doing so as this was never his interest and that he made off with more money than all what his professors made combined with life interest.
Iain is also very athletic, highly intelligent and is fluent in Mandarin, French, and Spanish. He had a girlfriend, Lilly, (who is part Chinese and Dutch, which explains why he can speak Mandarin) who became a model/actress and left him to pursue her career. He shows signs that he’s also capable of destructive behavior such as nearly getting himself expelled after “mooning” the Duchess of Cambridge during his school’s graduation, where he had graduated top of his class and came to school so stoned that he couldn’t remember getting onstage but knew that after he showed off his bum, Kate Middleton wasn’t offended and seemed to have enjoyed the show. In reality, Iain felt no remorse when his girlfriend left as he felt that he had nothing in common with her. He only did the things that at the time he thought was expected out of him. Apparently, Quinn Fabray isn’t the only one person who likes to create appearances for the sake to fool other people.
· * *
For the first time in a long time, he wasn’t bored. He couldn’t even remember the last time he ever had as much fun as the last two weeks that transpired. He had written off that finding his brother was going to be a challenge, and perhaps a tedious chore. Who knew he was going to end up enjoying himself and have an amazing time during the entire stint. It baffled him and didn’t make sense at all. It hit him suddenly that he hadn’t been bored.
There was something about Quinn that Iain couldn’t place. With her innocent sexiness, clear intelligence, wit, and vulnerability that’s got him hooked.
For the past twenty four years not to mention that he’s been working his ass off like a dog since he took over his own company, boredom was a part of his life that he had treated it like an occupational hazard. Some people got allergies, contact dermatitis, he suffered from inevitable amounts of ennui. He had been so used to it that these past few days have felt like a band-aid had finally been removed.
Of course, no one knew that he suffered from this problem. Iain had learned long and hard that whining was for losers. Genevieve Rolf-Stuart had taught him that, when she berated and publicly humiliated him for crying when he was had first moved to England when he was less than five years old because he missed his mother. She had done the same thing and worse when he was an angry preteen who had constantly gotten himself into fights and came home beaten and bloodied up. She sent him to Scotland in hopes that he would straighten up, which of course, he had.
He would never do that again, he shuddered. He had moved on, erased whatever painful memories transpired during his parents’ separation and their nasty divorce, he had gotten the chance to prove himself and succeeded. He done everything a man could only dream to achieve and he hadn’t even reached his 25th birthday.
Here he was, with everything he’d ever wanted. And if sometimes when it got to be too much of the same old, same old, Iain sucked it up and shut his mouth. Faking being on top of the world was pretty easy especially when people already accepted that fact in your life, he mused silently as he gazed intently at the huge window that had overlooked Manhattan in his large office.
He tried to remember when he had last laughed, like in really laughed out of the sheer heck of it? He couldn’t remember. Until that time when he and Quinn shared their time together in iHOP and her obvious jealousy with other women’s attentions to his looks had tickled something deep in his gut that he couldn’t stop himself from smiling like a simpleton.
Quinn was like a breath of fresh air. She was anything but boring, her reaction towards him were genuine. Most of the time he knew she had kept a mask to hide her vulnerability. He saw that when he walked in one of those night classes she stubbornly insisted to attend during his first week in Ohio. He also saw the regal, imposing way she carried herself when he accompanied her during Glee club practice. She’d put up this image of being a flighty, spoiled, manipulative queen bee, but Iain knew better. If he hadn’t seen her looking so sad in that lobby in New York at his hotel, if he hadn’t seen that vulnerable lonely girl who looked like she needed love or at least could use a hug, he probably wouldn’t have given her the time of day. But he did, and when she looked back at him, all wide-eyed like a child being told that Christmas had come early, it hit him like a thunderbolt and gave a jumpstart to his cold unfeeling heart. He’d seen the same looks women gave, but he could never recall any one of them who made him feel like as if he’d given her a gift.
He really should forget about her, he shook his head. He knew that she was too young and still had to experience life because that is what people her age do.
And here he was, sitting on his office, two weeks passed by since Ohio and he could think of little else but her. Hell, he couldn’t even stop thinking about her.
* * *
Prologue: Quinn
New York City a year before....
Everyone is excited for Nationals. The whole feel of New York City, the bright lights, the glamour, Broadway, and the fact that Rachel Berry was stupid enough to purchase tickets from a homeless guy just made my day.
This would have been easier if I didn’t get to see that dumb look on Finn’s face whenever he’s with Rachel. Sometimes, I do wonder what I ever did see in him.
But right now, I feel like something that had been rightfully mine has been taken away from me.
To tell you honestly, I think I’ve been feeling a lot like that for some time, though I refuse to analyze this part during this entire trip. New York definitely is my ticket out of Lima, Ohio. I scan the interior of the hotel we’re staying at, the Intercontinental. Not as grand as the Waldorf, but with the budget New Directions has I’m even pleased that we’re at least staying somewhere with a three star rating. Mr. Schuester is busy making the room arrangements and you can bet Kurt is going to be bunking with us tonight despite the Boys and Girls division line.
Everyone is busy and the mood is cheerful as we all try and settle in the lobby. I steal looks at Finn and Rachel and something uneasy settles. They’re happy, so together. Why can’t I for once have something like that? A few months before the whole teen-mom issue, I had it all. I was the untouchable head of the Cheerios Quinn Fabray, didn’t I deserve at least something after all I’ve been through?
I feel like the universe is telling me something.
Then it hits me. Like a tidal wave of tsunamic proportions, I see a tall dark-haired handsome young man sauntering in the lobby in a dark grey suit, white linen shirt and dark navy blue silk tie that contrasts his bronzed skin and dark, almost black brown hair. On his back, is a black expensive leather messenger bag that slings carelessly on his shoulder like it was meant to hang stylishly. His entire ensemble looks expensive, trendy age appropriate and custom-fit for a business executive with an edge. He also looks to be a lot older; I’m thinking he’s in his early to mid twenties. Then, as if the fates wheeled in my favor, he turns his head towards my direction.
It’s when our eyes meet I felt as if time stopped.
The intensity of our deadlock makes me only aware of the beating of my own heart and my breathing.
I am also aware that he has stopped in midstride and looks at me with an expression that borders between curiosity, intrigue, and something else indefinable at the moment.
I am faintly aware that I can also hear Jason Derülo’s “In My Head” blasting through the speakers of Mercedes’ headphones. I boldly keep staring as he resumes his stance and approaches towards the lobby. His dark hair matches the tanned, angular handsome face that is a bit flushed, as if he just jogged a block away to the hotel.
Suddenly at the back of my mind I start to wonder if the tan is a result from staying out in the sun for prolonged periods or is it slight hint of a mixed race somewhere distant down his family tree. Perhaps Spanish or Greek, judging by the shock of dark brown, almost black hair that compliments his tan. I focus on his eyes instead because the thought of him being tan all over is a dangerous distraction. Even from a distance I can tell you the color of his piercing almond-shaped eyes because that electric blue Carribean sea color is a striking contrast to his tanned, angular face. I can also tell you that he’s also physically fit because the suit he’s wearing shows off a body that women would love to know what’s underneath. My mouth suddenly feels dry as I think how those muscles ripple underneath that long, lean body. He then leans his head a little with a hint of a smile on his chiseled lips, almost as if he was thinking if we have ever met. Though I sincerely doubt this particular Adonis would ever be caught dead in a place like Lima, Ohio.
“Quinn!” Santana breaks the deadlock. “We have to go, Mr. Schue’s looking for us. What are you looking at?” She checks out the direction where I’m staring but doesn’t seem fazed like as if she doesn’t notice the gorgeous young dark haired man who made a beeline towards the reception lounge and is now talking to the concierge.
“Nothing.” I tell her as I grab my luggage and hull it. I wait as Schuester goes on and drones about forming a line. Is this guy for real? He treats us like a bunch of kindergarten kids.
I give myself a mental shake and scan the lobby again, but the guy I’m looking for is gone.
Chapter 1: Iain
Present day.
Where am I?
That was the first thought that crosses my mind the moment I open my eyes. I wait for the hangover, but when I realize that it isn’t there, I scan the room. It is a small, compact, neat space with dark blue curtains that complements the light blue gray carpet. I wake up in my boxers (though I don’t mind sleeping on my birthday suit) and find that the double bed is adorned with a matching navy, black and gray sheets.
I flick my wrist automatically to check for the time. When I see that I no longer possess my Rolex, the thought comes crashing back with a painful memory that is even worse than any bloody hangover I’ve had whether it be at a New York nightclub or a night out partying (with a D) in Chelsea, London.
I’m in Ohio.
My name is John Maximiliain Charles Sheridan Hargreave. I’m 24 years old and my life is a complete fucking mess.
As it were, it’s just me and the music.
Music has always been a big part of my life. When I was 3, my grandfather was a staunch believer in the Suzuki theory. He taught me how to play the piano by getting me a small Weinstein the size of a Shetland pony and in less than a week, I could play Solace from the Robert Redford movie the Sting. John William Hargreave, despite his billionaire status was a still regular bloke from North Carolina who had an uncanny talent in creating musical jigs. They’re what we Brits call theme songs. At the age of 20, he created the ever popular Christmas song “Santa’s Reindeer Rocket” which to this day still receives heavy airplay and not to mention heavy royalties. I’ve been to FAO Schwarz and they’ve played that bloody song like it was their Christmas anthem. Which I hate to brag, it is. On top of that, he also created the ditty used in the Coke commercials, which is still popular to this very day.
I was really close to Pop (a name I pegged out for my granddad). My parents married when they were too young and my mother had an affair with a social climbing horseman, while my father made millions off for mass producing defunct spy cameras for home use. I’ve been raised by almost anyone who bothered, so that left my grandfather who still enjoyed playing the piano despite his arthritis. He was a remarkable man with a keen sense and steady hands which he claimed he would’ve probably even had been a surgeon, if things were different.
In other words, apart from my obvious sheltered life, Pop was what the yanks called a blue collar sort. He grew up poor in a small town but after serving in the war and going to Yale to pursue a business course, where he met my rich, socialite heiress grandmother, Constance. He doubled the family fortune by investing in successful stocks which are still worth a lot to this present day.
In spite of the working-class stigma, my great-grandfather turned to music as his source of comfort and created the most memorable Christmas jig to exist during his time. He wasn’t dim-witted either, he patented the song and copyrighted everything before any producers could get their greedy hands on it. He dabbled in music by telling me stories of how he snuck in to Jazz bars when it was considered taboo for a white man to hang around blacks. He even helped the career of bigtime jazz artists of which I won’t mention as it’s a long list, but heckuva prominent one if I ever did recall. In other words, my grandfather was a firm believer in dreams.
“Iain, always believe in your dreams, no matter what people say. A man should never be dictated of his life, even despite circumstance.” he once told me when I was seven years of age, a year before my parents’ divorce. I didn’t realize it at the time, but that was the last time I ever saw of him. Pop was a chronic smoker and died of complications from emphysema. I had decided then that I was never going to smoke a fag. I also played a song by Ryuichi Sakamoto during his wake. Everyone was moved to tears by my talent. I almost imagined my great-grandmother Alice shed a tear at that time.
It was either my piano playing that did it or maybe it was because all the royalties that came from my grandad’s songs which he had placed in a trust fund was left entirely solely to me. Pop also invested largely in stock in a company called Apple electronics when he sold his old funds from Virgin records after a winning a legal dispute over mass producing the Coke theme without him getting any credit.
I have since then have the miracle of iPod to thank for since the worth has quadrupled along with the royalties that Pop receives annually. I even tried a hand in dabbling some of the money and invested in cellular phone batteries and developed a game software about running a business, so pretty much the business acumen and money foresight is something inherent to us Hargreaves.
By the time I had reached my 12th birthday, I was a billionaire. Add that with a couple of “good investments” I’ve suggested which my father’s good friend and my grandfather’s trusted advisor, Mark Wallace complied, my millions turned into easy billions. It all seems like a really good idea except that I don’t get to touch everything until I’m 21 years of age. Well, since then you’d think that I’m living in the lap of luxury.
Wrong.
I decide that I’m not going to be stupid and spend carelessly. Growing up in luxury and following a set of rules has always been something that I’ve been used to. For once, living in small town America where nobody gives a shit on whether you’ve gone to the finest schools in the world, drive a luxury car, and own anything that only people could dream of is for me one hell of an education. I don’t have to worry about watching my back for any pap that’s going to take my picture if I pick my nose and find it on cover of the New York Tattler the next day. I don’t even have to worry if some crazy person jumps at me and decides to use me for ransom.
For now, I can be just a normal guy named Iain.
At least I can relax and play the piano more often than I did for the past two years. Music had always been there, even on the sidelines as I scored my first goal at any match. It was also there when I had scored off-field with my girlfriend, Lily, who eventually broke up with me to become a globe-trotting fashion model. Last I heard was she was dating a photographer who looked to be twice our age. I wasn’t bitter. She did occasionally cheat on me. Not that I was the loyal boyfriend sort either. I was like a celebrity at my boarding school so it was no surprise that I got regular visits from other birds at the dormitory. Being at a co-ed boarding school during those trying times as a teenager definitely took the fun out of those rampages one sees at a stereotypical American university.
Once the thought of University comes, I think of Harvard and the time I spent there, thinking it was bollocks and a waste of time. What did I have to learn from a bunch of stodgy professors whose annual earnings is what I could roughly make in an hour? Only a few months more of dealing with this hellhole and I’m out of here, I tell myself as I still lie on bed and link my arms behind my head.
Then I think about the whirlwind of events that occurred these past few months that lead me here to Lima.
It started out as a regular day at work. I was in the office, considering the latest merger and preparing to attend an International Trade Conference where I was selected as one of the prime cabinet members. I was also the youngest chosen and there was no way in hell I was going to fuck up and make a mess out of my position. So I did my homework when I came across an article about the economic status of a factory in Ohio. One of the pictures included a young woman with pale blonde hair swept neatly in a ponytail. She looked dead familiar.
My mother had a twin.
I barely remember anything about my mother as I had blocked memories of her the day she walked out of our lives. I felt at that time, it was a lot easier doing so than having to deal with the melancholy, something that my dad carried until the day he died. But curiosity overcame my desire to just shut this information out, so I did my research.
I have to tell you, being a kid who comes from a family of computer and information technology investors, of course hacking and all the gizmo talents come naturally to me just as playing songs on the piano by wee do. So in a matter of a few hours, I located my aunt and found a bit of startling information.
When I heard that my mother had died a few years ago, I was told by my grandparents that it was from complications from lung cancer.
But what they didn’t tell me (perhaps they too were unaware like my father) was that my mother also had left a will to a boy named Neil.
Neil Jacob Sheridan Hargreave was born exactly 6 months after she left my father.
Somewhere in this town, I had a brother. A family whom even my own money hungry, socialite-elitist family have long kept a secret and were unwilling to open Pandora’s box for the fear of being scrutinized. If I had a conversation with my great grandmother Genevieve, she would have told me to drop it as looking for this teenager and raising him into a world he was never accustomed to would not only prove difficult, but futile.
Something inside me can’t just let this go. Somewhere, a few miles from this place, I have a younger kid brother unaware of this painful truth. If ever Luna told Neil anything about his father’s background, he would have probably heard horror stories about my snobby family, which was true except that I’m nothing like them. Judging from the information I’ve gotten so far, he and my aunt were living in one of the poorer sides of town and went to McKinley High.
I check the time on my alarm clock and swear a mouthful.
I’m late!
***
Chapter2: Quinn on her first day of school, senior year...
I check myself at the mirror before I leave.
It’s a force of habit. My entire life, I’ve been living out of everyone’s expectations. It was two years ago when my life was perfect. I was Captain of the Cheerios, I had the star quarterback as my boyfriend though he wasn’t the brightest bulb in Ohio, I downplayed the ultimate girl-next-door by joining the Celibacy Club. I was literally on top of the world.
Then I just had to get pregnant.
My boyfriend wasn’t the father, his then-best friend was.
Because of my predicament, I was forced out of my beloved Cheerios uniform.
I joined Glee Club and had to listen to Rachel Berry whine and moan about how much she deserved her solos. Though granted she’s talented, she still annoys the hell out of me.
Especially now that Finn chose her over me.
I mean, seriously what’s wrong with the world these days? It’s like suddenly the universe does a 360 degree Linda Blair and suddenly the geeks inherited the earth. If I could have a Do-Over Year this could have been the best time to ask for it.
I’m quoting clichés, great. I check the mirror again and find that my dark mascara is still perfectly applied. My lips are well glossed, as it helps keep away from the nicotine stains. It isn’t anything out of the ordinary though lately I’ve noticed myself to be wearing a lot more black outfits and have dark pink hair.
It’s a phase I’m going through. I just got dumped and took it out on my hair. Perfect female behaviour, I rationalized to my then hysterical mother. My mom is such a drama queen. Since Dad left her for a younger tattooed encrusted woman, I’m all she ever obsesses about when she’s sober. That was until my sister suffered a mental breakdown after she broke her engagement when she found out her beloved fiancée was a closeted bisexual. Lately she’s been bunking around the homestead so fortunately for me, I’ve been out of Mom’s radar.
But that doesn’t mean I’m out of the woods yet. In a few days, I’ll be back in the walls of McKinley High once again and I’m sure everyone is dying to find out whatever happened to Quinn Fabray after being dumped by the school’s football hero for a Barbara Streisand deadringer. Picking on the school’s gossip radar, I’m sure I’ll be the one topic on people’s mouths.
Though this year, I’m making a few changes.
I’ve decided not to return to Glee Club. Come on, I almost did try and sabotage the Regionals when I went A-wall in New York. Though I harbour no ill feelings towards other Glee members, the mere thought of hanging around just now seems pointless.
These days, I’m doing a Madonna and reinventing myself. The pink hair, the Ryan Seacrest tramp stamp tattoo and punk Material Girl-esque outfits are just the beginning. I head out and take my car and drive myself uptown to meet up with my new found friends. Since post-Regionals, I’ve found myself hanging with Sheila and and a group of meanest, nastiest girls in McKinley. They call themselves the Skanks. Santana has lost her edge, as to what reason I could honestly care less and I really don’t think I want to know either; I do miss having a minion. Brittany, on the other hand, has an IQ lower than that of a common flea. Sheila is the manipulative, don’t-mess-with-me sort that combined with the angst of a sophomore, adds to the perfect right hand man.
“Hey bitch!” Sheila waves her hand as I make my way to school and go under our usual spot underneath the bleachers to smoke. We rule in and out of school grounds.
I take a long exhale and pretend to look bored. I scan along the sea of familiar faces hurrying inside the school building and shrug when no one catches my interest. As much of a loser town Lima can be, nothing out of the ordinary ever happens. Even the local townies are the same old people I ran into since I was in diapers. I also pretend to listen to Mack go on about her typical day. A whiny, angry girl who makes out with almost anyone is the perfect diversion to let everyone know how interesting our lives and care less about anything. In reality, for me to care less about anything makes me feel numb.
And feeling numb is all I need about now.
***
Chapter 3: Iain
I park my motorcycle and look at my surroundings. So this is what it’s like to stuck in a John Hughes movie, I smirk as I take in the sight of high school kids scurrying about as they run inside the school premises. Unlike my old school in Britain, we wore stuffy uniforms and had a zero-tolerance policy which kept our uniforms, well, uniform.
On the outside, we may have all looked the same, but it’s really no different from any regular school. We had our own versions of the jocks, the nerds, the social outcasts. Though culturally, we were a bit more civilized compared to a public government-run highschool. I notice that one kid with messed afro hair being harassed by a group of males in lettermen jackets. The boy with the weird hair gets dumped in the garbage bin, as my eyes widen in horror. I look around to see if anyone interferes or calls out for attention. Sadly, no one notices, almost as if this were a common occurrence.
If this were at my former school in Scotland, those jocks would have definitely been expelled. No matter what circumstance, even if their mother was the bloody Queen of England, my school other than having a zero-tolerance uniform policy also advocated a very strict zero-tolerance in bullying. Which was probably the reason why most royals sent their kids to my alma matter. You have no idea what kind of rubbish the Sloane Rangers (see British derogatory slang term for someone with peerage living in the elitist part of London) take from the commoners. Given to the fact that history makes them wear ridiculously heavy crowns definitely is not the definition of cool where I come from.
I distract myself and notice a group of girls in their red and white cheerleader uniforms. One of them looks at me and gives me that saucy look before whispering to her friend who also checks me out. I shake my head and ignore them. The last thing you want is to be accused of statutory rape, I tell myself under my breath as I grab my sling bag and head off to the Principal’s office. I have a brief talk with the secretary who looks equally as flustered as the cheerleaders and find myself face to face with a middle-age, portly man of ostentatious Indian descent. I hand in my credentials. He reads them briefly and takes his time interviewing me.
“I’ve heard a lot about you,” Principal Figgins says. My body stiffens in defensive mode. Oh god, what did Dr. Heussaff, my old high school Headmaster say about me this time? My grades were bloody impeccable, my conduct (before my graduation incident where I flashed Kate and Pippa Middleton before accepting my diploma) was perfectly flawless, I was a Prefect at the top dormitory. I was a star pupil on the outside, but an apparent mess inside.
“Really, sir?” I answer slowly, expecting the drop of the shoe at any moment.
“Dr Heussaff spoke very highly of you. He says that it was your personal choice to teach Music to underprivileged children. I am just curious why you chose America, especially Ohio?”
Because Heussaff obviously was high with from smoking weed and possesses a sick sense of humor. Well, I don’t really tell him that, instead, I flash a sincere smile and prepare my soliloquy, which I had practiced dozens of times in front of the mirror.
“I was born in London but my parents are American so I carry with me dual citizenship. Unlike Britain, where our government supports the arts for public schools and grants scholarships with an estimated 30 million pound annual budget, I figured that my birth country could use someone of my talent. I’ve also done my research and found that Ohio is one of the states that holds the least priorities in the arts, so I’ve made it my personal mission to change at least a few minds.”
“We’re sadly in the middle of a recession, so you probably wouldn’t be limited to simply just teaching music. As it was, due to the suspicious behavior of our previous music teacher, Sandy Ryerson, we are having our own doubts so as to encourage the arts as part of the curriculum.”
Whoa, say what?
“But, sir.” I interject, slightly losing a bit of my cool for a brief moment. I place myself in check, hoping that I don’t lose it. Keep, calm Hargreave, remember that you’re here to look for your brother. “Does this mean, music as a class is out? Surely you have other extracurricular activities that doesn’t particularly involve having a student smash his brains out with a helmet?”
“We do, in fact, have a Glee club, but that’s already headed by William Schuester. The least I can do for you is have you teach History, since our last substitute teacher has left. You can also teach French, seeing that you have scored A* in your A levels of foreign languages. Perhaps, maybe also be an assistant to the football team with their coach, Shannon Beiste.”
“You mean football, sir like the ones with helmets and touch downs I presume? You do realize sir that the football I’ve participated in is World Cup material, not Super Bowl.”
“Well, it’s one and the same. We’re in budget and the annual teacher’s strike isn’t going to disappear so we really could use all the sources we can get at minimal cost. This is why I’m placing you in front and center. Besides, you seem like a confident young man who has it all figured out, I’m sure you can handle yourself perfectly well in a classroom setting. Welcome to McKinley High.” He gives a warm smile before he offers to give my dumbfounded self a handshake in order to seal my impending doom.
God, could this guy be a real tool or what?
Two days later I’m reassigned to teaching night school. Apparently, it had something to do about me serving as a distraction for the younger female students and the openly gay boys assigned to my classes. Though I may not have inspired the students to have better grades, but I did make them at least have a perfect attendance score. In fact, my attendance score still holds the record for not only achieving a perfect attendance, but an overpopulated one as well.
Also, I was no closer to finding Neil. Figgins had placed me to teaching the seniors class so I mostly spent my time dealing with the older kids. I also ended up signing myself into a Big Brother program where I became good friends with the sweetest kid who reminds me of my uncle. Her name is Becky and she has Down Syndrome like my uncle Chase. Though I did end up with a friend, it still didn’t help me deal with the obvious situation.
My plans weren’t working as well as I hoped.
I had to find them fast before I headed back to New York. For the past 4 years, I’ve been working myself like a dog barely taking any vacation leave. If I delay this, there would bound to be questions that the less anyone knew or asked, the better. So the only answer lay back to starting at square one.
I was going to have to find my mother’s twin sister on more desperate terms.
* * *
Chapter 4: Quinn
Present day: Blonde hair and change of outfits later...
I need to get a hold of my life.
I was through with the dyed pink hair job, the taking Beth from Shelby antics, and hooking up with almost anybody just to have another baby tragic performance.
The only drama I want in my life will be the ones I’m saving for Yale. It’s a miracle that my short outward lashing stint had only cost me a few notches down on my GPA, but I have to do much better and crunch my neurons harder.
Unfortunately, my ticket to getting into Yale was proving to be dismal. I had a long discussion with my parents about my future and it seems that staying there financially was my problem. With the recession at hand, my father admitted that he wasn’t sure if he could afford the expensive tuition and I was fully aware that spending a four year semester thing in an Ivy League institution did not come cheap.
I sought help from the school councilor, of which, I think asking her advice would seem ironic as she looks to be in need of a shrink because of her Obsessive Compulsive Disorder. After my talk with Miss Pillsbury, I have to raise my GPA and impress the Dean of admissions, who by the way seems like a real tough guy who bears no sympathy to anyone.
And right now, I’m really desperate.
Desperate to the point that I find myself sitting in night classes to make up for loss time. It isn’t so bad, most of the people who come here are adults. Most of my classmates are immigrants who have still to master their English. Others are those who never had the time to finish their academic ambitions due to circumstance. Take, for example the housewife, Jennifer, who married early in high school, but now has to find a job to support her kids after her good-for-nothing husband left her.
It’s my first time to be in night school, but right now I’m listening to Jennifer blab about the teaching assistant.
“You should have been here last week, because the guy who teaches English Literature is a hunk of a man.” she sighed as she tilts her head as if reveling back into the memory of a very pleasant dream. “He’s like a Hollywood superstar and a gorgeous male model rolled into one. Once he starts quoting Shakespeare, I die just a little.” The other women beside us nod in agreement.
“I heard that he went to some fancy school in college and dropped out because he wanted to pursue a career in music.” Iora, the small diminutive woman from El Salvador who reminds me of Snooki from Jersey Shore whispers as if she were divulging in some conspiracy secret.
“That would make so much sense, handsome on the outside, brilliant and sensitive on the inside. I hope he’s not gay.” Jennifer added and giggles like a schoolgirl. Her face drops suddenly and she settles in her seat as my gaze travels and I’m soon to find what the ruckus is about.
“Good evening, guys.” Iain Hargreave walks in cheerfully. He looks absolutely gorgeous wearing a black slim fit five button Hugo Boss furious sports coat that’s open revealing a white v-necked shirt that shows off the sleek column of his neck and dark brown pants. I can’t help but think that he looks fit to be in a Hugo Boss commercial with his hair mussed in a “I-still-manage-to-look-hot-after-rolling-off-the-bed” look and those piercing blue eyes as he enters the room. He slowly shuffles out of his jacket and a rushed adrenaline feeling starts making me want to move out of my chair and start handing him dollar bills.
I almost make the sign of the cross as an act of penance for possessing such lustful thoughts!
He throws the jacket on the seat and glares at me when he realizes that I’m in the room. We’re caught in a staring match, and I can almost hear him take a long breath of intake, almost as if the sight of me simply takes his breath away. His handsome features tighten as he frowns and turns his attention towards the rest of the class and begins his lessons. He spends the entire time completely ignoring my existence. Somehow, that knowledge alone makes me sad, almost like as if I could wish that he actually like me more than resented the very being that was Quinn Fabray, blonde, Christian to the core, and too perfect on the inside, an absolute horrid mess inside.
I never understood Iain’s disdain towards me. Usually, he comes along as charming and affable to everyone, including my own father who can’t seem to stop saying how great he is. My dad has always wanted a son and my sister Frannie, who had just recently gone through an ugly divorce, and I never filled that void.
My mother tolerates Iain with cool civility, but my sister is the worst. She shamelessly flirts with him whenever he’s around. I roll my eyes remembering how she coquettishly asks him how he pronounces his name. He replies it would sound like as how it would have been spelled as Ian because his nickname comes from his Scottish great grandfather or something. And though he throws that usual charming smile, which I know is fake because it never quite reaches his eyes, he’s been pretty firm in his actions in telling my sister that he has no interest in forming any relationship with her.
How Iain came into the Fabray household was my father’s brainchild idea. He told me that he had hired me a personal tutor who not only could help me with my SATs and GPA, but that he also had personal connections to Yale which could definitely help me get the scholarship I needed. Or at least a partial grant, my father reassures me that we could still manage the expenses. Not that I needed a tutor, I can handle myself academically fine. Prior to my tumultuous state in the past few months, I had been a straight A student and though I was a blonde cheerleader, I could also hold myself against even the nerdiest people in the academic world.
Except where Iain Hargreave is concerned. Every time I’m around him, my mind turns to mush and I can barely concentrate. The minute he walked in our house, I recognized him as the young man I saw that day on the hotel lobby in New York. I was hooked on him during those days because I couldn’t wait to get out of our room and seek him out. In fact, the only reason why I was able to convince the rest of the New Directions to get out of there and explore New York was because I wanted to find him and hope that I would run into him again at the lobby. Unfortunately, that never happened. So I consoled myself by being a bitch all over again.
And as if the Universe was going to do a Linda Blair 360 on me, I end up finding my dream man in our house. Somewhere also in that moment when he stepped in, I knew he also recognized me when a flicker of surprise shone for a brief moment before he mentally shuts down and his granite expression doesn’t reveal anything.
In fact, most of the time when we’re together, I’ve been dying to ask him that very same question. However, pride pulls me back. Most of the time, he’s formal and somehow being around me makes him tense and I myself become self-conscious. He is so not like those boys in William McKinley, they barely hold a candle to this guy’s high level octane of hotness.
Geez. I can’t believe I just said that.
It doesn’t help either knowing that he acts as if dealing with me was a painful chore that he has to endure five days a week. I hate to admit that it does kind of irk my feelings knowing that the only reason why he’s helping me out is because he’s in need of money, which my father would handsomely provide once I get into Yale. On the days that he’s at home, Iain gives me assignments and then would leave me to do them alone. My sister sees an opening salvo then whisks him away, talking animatedly as she pulls on all the moves. Iain pleasantly tolerates her, but somehow I get this feeling it’s because he does this out of spite rather than polite courtesy.
As Iain’s voice drones along with talks about World History, I tune into his voice. I know he speaks in an American slang, but there’s a hint of something foreign. My mother told me that he’s very smart and went on scholarship to a fancy boarding school in Scotland during his teen years and was accepted at Harvard with a business degree but dropped out because his scholarship grant went bankrupt. She didn’t divulge on any details as to what Iain was doing in Ohio because he doesn’t look like the type that grew up in Lima.
Actually, a lot about Iain baffles me.
Yet intrigues me and makes me yearn for more. This is an emotion I’m not so used to and gives me a queasy feeling of inadequacy. I’ve dated guys whose personalities ranged from naive, immature, boring and unworldly. Finn was inexperienced, Puck is a part little boy and drama queen, and Sam was pleasant as a day fishing. That is if you like long hours of boredom.
Everything that Iain isn’t.
Something about him doesn’t add up. He’s cultured, educated, recklessly dangerous, and ridiculously good-looking that it’s a distraction alone watching him in a simple white shirt that contrasts yet emphasizes his bronzed muscled body. As he turns around to write something on the board, I’m mesmerized by the easy, graceful movement of his biceps and his shoulder as he writes that I find myself wondering what it would be like to be caught in that embrace and looking into those deep cobalt blue eyes.
A woman behind me sighs lustfully, interrupting my thoughts. I respond by breathing out irritably in response. Iain turns slightly and I catch the smirk on his face, almost as if he heard my reaction to the woman.
An hour flies by and then class is over, as everyone starts packing their things, Iain ambles towards me. I can feel that the entire class too has noticed the tension and tries to tune into our conversation. Iain throws a rather annoyed look towards their direction and they hurry out of the room leaving me alone to deal with him.
“Is this some kind of joke?” He asks eyeing me suspiciously. “I’m gone for a few days and you start doing night school behind my back? “
“Joke? No, a joke is something that involves having a laugh and I don’t find this humorous at all.” I reply tartly as I lean my head to look at him. He’s so tall that I start feeling the tension roll towards my neck.
His eyes scan my face then slowly rove around my body. Being Captain of the Cheerios at some point of my life, I’m used to this typical kind of male behavior of being checked out. Except this guy does it so blatantly to the point that it feels intimate even though he’s standing an arm’s length away from me.
Noah Puckerman does the same thing all the time too, but it comes off as offensive. This one makes me feel all warm and tingled inside and at the same time I want to run far away, scream my head off and pray to Jesus for having sinful thoughts involving this dark-haired angry young man with electric blue eyes. I can feel a rush of blood shooting up towards my face thinking of things that I really don’t want to discuss if I were still in the Celibacy Club.
Right now, he looks too darn sexy for words. Don’t even get me started on those lips. I could have probably been imagining things because for a slight second he seems a bit amused by my own reaction. Almost like he can read my thoughts and that he was thinking the exact same thing.
Not that he can help that. I’ll be he probably gets this sort of attention all the time, I remark bitterly. My thoughts suddenly turn to thinking of the scores of women who have fallen rock hard for him. Or how many had their hearts broken just simply by being around him? Looking at him is like a drug that gives one the warm fuzzies.
I remind myself that I don’t like warm and fuzzy feelings. Not a good place to be in considering my bad history. I throw him a cool smile as if he doesn’t affect me in anyway even though I’m torn between running away and rushing towards those strong arms around that 6 foot tall frame and handsome face who smells like a combination of bergamot, sandalwood and Iain. I’ve never been a fan of men’s fragrances before but since I’ve met Iain, whatever expensive aftershave or bodywash he uses gets me hooked every single time. That’s a lie, I tell myself, Iain Hargreave is addictive.
“You shouldn’t be here. It’s late and it’s way past your bedtime.”
“You didn’t give me a choice. I mean, the whole assignment thing wasn’t working out for me. Besides, the added attendance also makes up for the classes that I skipped before and for your information, it’s only ten o clock.”
“Did you drive here by yourself?” he quickly changes the topic. It’s a habit of his, distracting me with one thing and then saying something that’s completely different.
“No. My sister will pick me up later.”
“Forget it, I’m taking you home.” He reaches out and takes my arm. I try to ignore those warm fuzzy feelings again as he firmly, but gently drags me along with him. I wasn’t sure if what started it was when he mentioned the part of taking me home or when he took my arm or maybe it could have been both. People look around and I could hear Jennifer mumble something about me being so lucky and I roll my eyes in response.
We amble our way out of the parking lot and Iain hands me a motorcycle helmet for me to wear. Before I protest, he climbs on top and looks at me, expecting me to hop in.
“What? Motorcycle rides not good enough for you, Princess?” he asks sardonically, though I can hear him chuckle under his helmet. It’s the first time he’s laughed or shown any other emotion other than annoyance, irritation, or indifference.
“I’ve ridden motorcycles before,” I retort as I wear the helmet and climb behind him. I was actually glad that I chose not to wear a dress at this particular time as that would have been awkward. I wrap my arms around his waist and feel his rock-hard abs underneath his jacket. I tremble a little in response and he reaches out to warm my hands and forearms as if he was thinking I was cold. His fingers linger a little longer than necessary as he tells me to hang on. I hear the engine roar and I grab on tight and lean on his back and rub the side of my face against his jacket. He smells clean, like laundry soap with a hint of male masculine sexiness. Kind of like what an Irish Spring commercial would have been like if they ever invested in fabric conditioners. I’m not sure if it’s because I missed him or I missed the smell of mixed bergamot, sandalwood, and him as I lean closer and continue to inhale his scent as if it were the only thing I needed.
Perhaps I may not like warm fuzzies. But I could get used to this.
* * *
Chapter 5: Iain
From the very beginning, I swore to myself that I was going to be detached and I wasn’t going to get emotionally involved.
And from the very beginning, I failed.
I don’t know what it is about her that gets me, but Quinn has a way of pushing my buttons like no other. Truth is, in a similarly sadomasochistic way, I enjoy ruffling her feathers. It’s fun watching her getting pissed because unlike most girls who usually either ignore me or pout prettily to deviate me, she actually cares.
How I came about becoming her tutor was purely accidental. When I discovered my mother’s twin was working in a UPS chain store owned by some guy named Russell Fabray, I knew I had to find some way to earn the man’s trust. I wasn’t going to just drop in and give Aunt Luna a coronary, the last time my father tried to do that, she threatened to call the police and told him to stay the hell away from my mother.
God help me if I ended up doing the same stupid thing my old man did back then. So I needed more information and some way to get close to her, without giving myself away and the only answer to that was to work there. I should have dumbed down my credentials but it was a bit too late to argue and change anything since the local database would check out eventually. So I walked in Fabray’s office with my CV and handed it to him, saying that I was an out-of-college business major from Stanford looking for a job.
After a brief interview, Russell Fabray turns out that he was in need of making amends to his daughter after what he put his family through. I listen intently as the man started bawling out that he didn’t mean to leave his wife and children for a woman who had more tattoos than skin on her body. I didn’t blame him. The guy was a staunch Christian fellow whom I had this impression was the type who enjoyed spending his weekends on some boring Bible thumping activity.
I don’t have anything against it, it was never my cup of tea. Anyway, he showed me a picture of his “precious daughter”, whom at the time was photograph of a rather plain dowdy girl with auburn brown hair and thick plastic glasses. He went on about how his daughter was interested in getting into Yale but with the tuition rates, he doubted they could afford such a luxury. I agreed to help in return that I spend time at the shop, with hopes of running into Luna without her recognizing me.
I had long avoided being photographed in public due to constant threats of kidnapping; I have paid the paparazzi and every media available to keep my profile low key. So chances that I would be recognized are pretty slim.
Besides, I didn’t feel the need to tell him that my family is a legacy in Yale. My dad, my granddad, his father, and the one before that all went to Yale. I rebelled and went to Harvard, mainly just to stay away from my family who lived in the Upper East Side of Manhattan. I actually preferred the quiet charm Boston offered for a while before I quit my final year there. My life was like an episode of Gossip Girl gone to life where I played a cross between Nathan Archibald and Chuck Bass but was more of a Dan Humphries.
Lately, my life was filled with a set of rules. The sheer predictability of it all, including everyone in it, was beginning to grate on me. Whether it was doing business deals, being in bed with a model from a well-known lingerie brand or a glamour spread magazine, evoking a relationship with a diva starlet, or even as mundane as playing golf with business acquaintances, I automatically did and said all that was proper….and improper at the appropriate time. Being associated with people who were like me in my own class (or thought to belong there) was becoming anemic by the hour. I felt like my world was like a mapped out story minus a climax or lackluster anticlimax.
This time, I wanted to play the field and pretend I was just a normal, average twenty something man wanting to live the American dream. I promised Russell that I’d get Quinn into admissions and help her get a scholarship.
He agreed and he arranges a family dinner the next day where I was to meet his ex-wife, who reminds me of a Real Housewife from some Midwest area. The eldest daughter, Fran, spelled trouble and was not in any way my type despite her slim figure and silver platinum blonde hair. She had deep blue eyes and her hair color reminded me too much of my mother. As it was, I’ve always had an aversion effect from blondes. Probably because I’ve witnessed my dad get his heart trampled by one and refused to go the same way.
And finally, my eyes settle on Quinn. She was exactly how I remembered from that time I saw her at the Intercontinental lobby. She now looked so adorably cute in sexy Lolita way rocking that white baby doll dress that showed a tiny waistline, ample sized breasts and slim legs encased in mid boots. A simple gold cross adorns her slim lovely white neck and I’m given a reminder by God to watch where I lay my eyes on. I remember her clad in something similar when I was on my way to visit my grandmother, Constance. Grandma liked to frequent the bar lounge because she claimed that they made the best Singaporean Slings. I’m more convinced she says that because we own the hotel and she’s too stingy to go elsewhere.
The minute I laid eyes on Quinn on that hotel lobby, it was as if time had stopped. She had long wavy light sandy blonde hair that reached the back of her shoulders that gave me this distracting urge to run them through my fingers and feel if they’re as silky smooth as they look. She wasn’t a classic beauty like the models I frequently dated, but there was something wholesome and sweet about her that reminded me of ice cream, cotton candy, and amusement parks.
I assumed, given the Harajuku cuteness, she was working as a part-time Nanny and art student from Tisch University at NYU because most of the girls there look like ingénues anyway. She looked like Little Red Riding hood wearing that floral blue dress and a bright red orange jacket and I felt like the horny Big Bad wolf, thinking how she would give Mr Happy a full rush even if she wore a sack. My thoughts began to stray, wondering what she’d look like underneath that shapeless jacket that hid her figure. I imagined she’d look smoking hot if she wore one of those sheath dresses from Hervé Leger and strappy Manolo Blahniks stilettos wrapped around those fair, nimble limbs. I could tell she’s dancer with those legs even when they’re wrapped in those white stockings that reminds me of the stuff nurses wear. Put me in the ICU, and give me intensive care stat! I think with an inward grin as I stare a little longer at those gorgeous legs of hers. She definitely used to be a cheerleader in high school, I muse thinking back on how many times I’ve had sexual fantasies involving cheerleaders dressed up in those freakishly short skirts and holding out pom-poms with legs high up in the air. I give myself a mental shake from my wayward thoughts and focus again on the gorgeous woman ahead of me.
From this distance, I couldn’t exactly tell what color her eyes were, but they looked to be hazel and it matched her pretty features. But her lips, dear God, those things were the stuff porn dreams were made of because they were lush, naturally pinkish red that was slightly parted and moist from freshly applied lip gloss. The sight of those juicy chops actually made me stop dead in my tracks. I was so engrossed by that damn sexy mouth. I know what I said when I mentioned about having an aversion to blondes, but that doesn’t mean I don’t find them attractive. Not especially with a mouth like that. I give her one of my seductive half smiles, thinking all the while of the things I could do to that bouche all night long
Wow.
Who was this girl?
She was looking at me the same way most women do whenever they first see me. I smile sardonically and think that this girl needs to relax and I just know how to ease her fears. As I make my way toward her, I realize that there’s also a longing on that beautiful yet vulnerable angel face. Now, that really got my full attention.
As I saunter thoughtfully towards her, I start making mental notes; analyzing her bizarre behavior as to why someone that pretty would look so forlorn and vulnerable. Like she had been lost for a while and needed someone to rescue her from whatever it was that trapped her. I can’t really describe why I had been drawn to that, but all I could tell you was that when she looked at me, it was as if Santa had come early and brought her a present that she couldn’t believe belonged to her. I’m used to women ogling me and sometimes found it annoying, but oddly this time, I took exception to this particular female.
In fact, I like it. It’s almost as if I want her to have that expression for me, and only for me, even though I have no idea who the she hell was. I wanted to make her mine. We were probably staring at each other for a mere five seconds, but that short amount of time had planted a great wave of emotions that rushed through which was indescribable and totally beyond words. It was like this sheer force that the cosmos placed between two strangers who were meant to meet at that particular moment and when they do, boom! You’re shocked, paralyzed, and before you know that moment is gone.
Her friend in the bright yellow cardigan and tight green striped dress disrupts our deadlock. She’s pretty in a tough, dark way; she reminds me way too much of my ex Lily, who has in avertedly put me off brunettes much more than my own mother did with blondes. At this rate, my limitations would be with the redheads and the ones with light brown hair. Or sandy blonde.
Little Red Orange Coat with her lovely locks that reminds me of honey, butter, and vanilla malt.
A man can get addicted, I wonder blithely if she tastes as good as what I’m picturing from her hair. No way, I correct myself, she probably tastes even better. I can see from my peripheral vision that she is distracted and cranes her head as if looking for me, but I’ve already made a beeline and chat with a tall beanpole of a man with wire-rimmed glasses and a huge beak nose. Looking at Claude the concierge always makes me think of Abraham Lincoln.
Already, in my mind, a plan was formed and I’ve made my decision. Oh no you don’t get away from me that easily, you adorable beautiful minx. I grin in anticipation, excited to see her again once I get all the details.
I had already thought of surprising her hotel room with flowers. Red roses scattered all over with the works, and an expensive champagne bottle like Bollinger Grande Année Rosé or maybe Dom Pérignon care of the friendly welcoming committee that composes of well, me, myself and I.
Then after I’ve charmed her off that sweet little behind, I’d ask her out to dinner and take her on my helicopter for a night ride around the Empire State Building; I figured that was always a hit with the ladies from my previous rendezvous. Then take her clubbing to one of the bars that I’ve acquired and when we’re all sweaty and bothered, I’ll bring her home and do everything that I’ve been dying to do with that sexy pink mouth, undress her and make love to that delectable body all night until we’re both too tired to move.
Then, like when all good things come to an end, I’ll firmly tell her that I have to leave for a prolonged business trip and never bother with her ever again. She’ll probably frown and pout, and given those lips, I’d probably take her shopping as a ‘goodbye and thanks for playing’ parting gift, thinking that she could also use sexy underwear. I’m thinking some Agent Provocateur corset bras and La Perla satin slips would do the trick. Then I’d fuck her again when she’s wearing them, both in the dressing room and in her hotel room before I finally go on my ‘business trip’. I start to feel a strange stirring down my groin and I chuckle to myself wondering at how far my imagination has gone when I haven’t even met her yet.
What if she’s got a horrible voice and sounds like a frog?
Or worse, what if she doesn’t even speak English? Impossible, I shake my head and sigh with relief, she looks all American even though with those striking features, she could pass as an English girl from Chelsea.
Stop daydreaming and get with the program Hargreave!
I chat with Claude, asking my Grandmother’s whereabouts, I then mildly inquire about Little Red Orange Coat and her friends. I play things cool, merely asking what all the fuss was about as I note that there are a lot of young people filing in the hotel this week. Claude informs me that they’re a bunch of high school kids from some small town in Ohio competing in a National Chorale competition. Two suite rooms were registered to a William Schuester. He then hands me the list of names of teenagers who accompanied him.
Hold up, my eyes bug out for a split second. High school kids? I earlier assumed Little Red was in college renting out a hotel room to celebrate her 21st bday or was here to meet a friend who was visiting the city like that dark Latina friend of hers, but a high school teenager?
Suddenly, I feel sick to the stomach for lusting over a child. It was then that I decided I wasn’t really interested of going through the entire list thinking that my dream girl could be named Rachel Berry or Mercedes Jones. She could be a Brittany, most cute girls these days go by that name, I shrug as I rhythmically tap the list as if to block any thought I had earlier.
Give it up Hargreave, it’s a moot point and you know it, I console myself as I glance over again the registration list. She’d only be in New York for a couple of days and then go back home to some hick town where her football player boyfriend was probably waiting for her with sad, puppy dog eyes. For a minute, I thought she was Brittany S. Pierce, but after dealing with the real Brittany when I substituted in an English literature class those hopes were dashed.
I’m brought back again to present day where in that awkward moment in the foyer when Russell introduced us, I knew she recognized me. I pretended I knew nothing and downplayed. If her father found out that I had been in New York, I was pretty certain questions would arise that I might not be able to fully conceal everything about myself. Luckily, Quinn didn’t give anything away.
I took a few stolen glances at dinner time and noticed that she had cut her hair. It wasn’t that bad, it was still long enough to have my hands run through them. The minute I thought of that, I started scowling and nearly kicked myself for my own weak urges. Don’t even get me started because even at this distance, I’m highly aware that she smells like a combination of Green Tea, lemons and jasmines. Her lips are freshly glossed and I can trace a hint of vanilla.
Those elements combined are a very, tantalizing and highly fucking dangerous mix.
I take a step away from her so I don’t distract myself further and pay attention to her sister, who’s giving me that admiring ‘oh my gosh, you’re so hot’ look. Oh yeah, baby. Look all you want sweetheart, the beauty’s only skin deep, I smile sardonically glad that the odd stirring in my groin has ceased. Her sister smells like expensive Bulgarian Rose perfume, and from this distance I can tell that she’s put way too much and it instantly turns me off.
Most girls I’ve been with either smell like roses or expensive musky French perfume, or something with a rose-smelling component. I’ve also been with women who smelled like cookies which by the way made me feel diabetic.
But to me, Quinn smells clean and relaxing; her scent reminds me of those calming teas Pop used to make as we sat together and played the piano.
I turn my attention towards those expressive green eyes, which look at me as if wondering what the hell I was doing sitting on their table. From this distance, I realize that her eyes have brown flecks in them, giving them the appearance of hazel, which I had presumed then were the color of her eyes. It’s a dangerous combination because I can feel that if she’s really riled those sea-foam jewels could turn into stormy amber.
Why the heck have I suddenly turned poetic describing eye color?
This is disgusting, I tell myself obviously disappointed with my own behavior. If that Fabray guy finds out how much I’m worth that self-righteous bastard would gladly throw his daughters and have one of them, if not both, marry me off.
Somehow, I’m suddenly afraid of the idea of marrying Fran who keeps eyeing me like I’m the main course.
I don’t dare let my thoughts wander off to what I REALLY wanted to do to Fabray’s young, teenage daughter on our ‘wedding night’ or what my first intentions were when I saw her at the hotel lobby in New York.
If ever Russell Fabray knew that I had almost seduced his youngest daughter, I would surely leave this house a eunuch minus anesthesia.
I distract myself the entire evening by giving her an overview of what Yale expected from an applicant. I didn’t have the heart to tell Quinn that I was personally connected to the Dean of Admissions, David Sanders-Pendleton, as he is currently my grandmother’s fourth husband. I didn’t want Dean Dave (I never called him Grandfather) to think I was using him.
So in a Machiavellian approach, I decide to fill in Quinn on the details that I knew my step-grand dad looked for in a candidate.
“So what are you thinking of majoring?” I ask pleasantly. Dinner was over and Quinn and I were still seated at the dinner table corroborating on her admissions. Russell had left early on, and I could see Judy hovering around the background, as if she didn’t completely trust me. Fran was watching me closely, thinking of some way to distract me and I barely pay her any mind.
“Dramatic Arts,” her voice said steadily. It’s the first time I’ve heard her speak. Hmm, strangely enough, it’s actually pleasant to listen to I think to myself as an afterthought.
“I heard you went to Harvard.” She then says, still not looking into my eyes. This is a relief because they’re damn distracting.
“Yes,” I say littlest words possible. The less she knows, the better off I’ll be.
“What was your major?”
“Economics and Computer Science,” I answer hastily. “But enough about me, let’s talk about you. So you want to be like Meryl Streep?” I throw her a lopsided grin which she initially responds with a surprise, but smothers it immediately when she realizes that I’m mocking her. Her sea foam green eyes light off and I was right about them turning into a flash of amber brown matches.
This girl is fun to rile, I chuckle. When I find myself wondering if she shares that same passion for other matters, I give myself a mental kick thinking that not only am I a weakling but a bloody lecher. Shame on you, Hargreave, for hankering after a sweet, innocent high school senior from a small town. Shame!
“Yes, like Meryl Streep.” She replies.
“You do realize that it took Meryl a while before she entered Yale.” I shook my head. “It’s a tough course to get into, what are your current credentials? “
Quinn paled at my question and it was clearly obvious that she hadn’t thought her brilliant plan through enough.
“I’m in the school glee club.”
“Being in the chorale is an extracurricular activity. Anybody can be in a show choir as long as there are a few talented singers. As far as I’m concerned, the rest can mouth watermelon all day.”
I notice a few of Quinn’s habits during our conversation. One of which where she mercilessly bites her lower lip when she’s pissed or flustered. She pouts when she’s wrapped deep in thought and I personally think it’s the sexiest duck face I’ve ever seen. Her lips quiver when she’s nervous too. Forgive me for sounding like a horny toad, but they’re all a real turn on.
“I was captain of the Cheerios.”
“Is that a cereal?” I witnessed yet again those lovely amber green eyes turn its wrath toward my direction. Her lips are quiver I’m still amazed that despite the fury underneath, she remains collected and fully composed. Judy and Fran have probably gone off somewhere, but I’m guessing that we’re not completely alone either.
“If you must know, it’s a cheering squad. We’ve won nationals 5 consecutive times. Our coach even ran for congress.”
“Ah, Sue Sylvester.” I clucked my tongue as an ominous sign that Quinn was doing badly at her faux interview. “Her Sarah Palin-esque slash Napolean Bonaparte sentiments against the Arts is an epic fail for the board review. You won’t be winning favours from the Dean just by the mention of her name.”
“She’s a Republican.”
“Yes, but you also forget that Dean Pendleton is the descendant of Lord Alfred Tennyson. Their family is a staunch advocate for promoting literacy. They hold an annual scholarship fund for the Academy of Dramatic Arts at Yale and Cambridge, so being a part of something that discourages their lifelong mission isn’t going to be getting you brownie points.” I look at Quinn and notice that she’s biting mercilessly at those lovely lips that I doubt she even notices that her lower lip quivers when she’s nervous or when she’s really pissed.
Seeing her chew mercilessly at her luscious freshly glossed lips that smells like vanilla mixed with green tea and jasmines once again gives me a hard-on. Shit, what the hell is this girl doing to me? I shift sideways and slightly adjust my seating before anyone notices the growing erection between my legs. I focus instead on our conversation.
“Look, I’ll tell you what. Why don’t we just focus first on getting the guns to Yale? Your father has already filled me on your GPA. Even though your first few weeks this year have been dismal, I think we’ve got enough time to repair the damage. I can probably help you study to improve your SAT scores, though you probably won’t need my help judging by the results of your pre-test scores. Have you thought about what to write for your essay?”
I switch topics while resisting an urge to touch her hand and pull her towards me, wrapping my arms around her then doing Lord knows what. Judy would give my huevos a good kick first then gladly throw me out of the house. Luckily, the thought of Judy doing just that easily deflates Mr Happy.
Quinn nods silently. I run my fingers through my hair and draw out a few assignments I’ve made. I quickly go over the details and she follows through me, nodding as if she understood every word, but she refuses to look at me. I shrug and push the papers towards her and let her get to work.
I amble across the kitchen to keep some distance from her because being around her is one helluva distraction.
Easy as pie, I grumbled sarcastically as I recalled those very words I thought when I was still at her father’s office looking at her then preadolescent picture.
I’m dragged to the present moment having brought Quinn home from night class. How her own parents allow her to do things on her own remains a complete mystery to me. When I was her age, my family threw me straight to boarding school so they never had to deal with me going through my tumultuous teenaged years. When I arrived to New York during the summer breaks there were parties to go to, and then there were ‘those’ parties you just had to attend because well, everyone who was anyone was there.
My family was pretty lenient with me, because I knew how to handle myself publicly, but I’m pretty sure their faith in me was solely because I was male.
Things might have been different if I wasn’t. I remember my cousin Fiona from Greece who was recently cited as one of Forbes richest teenagers, but can barely go out to shop or have an ice cream sundae without an array of bodyguards to watch over her. I had a personal bodyguard, Lenny whom I’ve considered as family, but since I left for Stanford he was reassigned to Air Force One.
It didn’t seem right that Judy and Russell allowed their daughter to go through night school. Trust me, if I thought McKinley was dangerous after seeing that Jewish kid with the weird hair get thrown in the dumpster I reassessed my thoughts the minute I was reassigned to night school. What people weren’t aware of was that McKinley High at night was not only abandoned save for a few night watchmen, but there were drug deals made by the bleachers. Some of the students at night school “posed” as honest people making a living but were doing the deals undercover by taking recess breaks selling them to a bunch of moronic jocks looking for a cheap high.
When Quinn mentioned her flea-brained sister was going to pick her up it left me unsettled. In the days that I’ve been living with the Fabrays, I’ve known that not only does Fran look like a younger version of Judy, but also they also share the same petulance for being dumped by their good-for-nothing husbands and possess an alcohol addiction that even rivals my own grandmother. At least, I never worried about Constance’s blood levels going beyond the intoxicated limit as she doesn’t drive. There were times that I was glad we had chauffeurs and vigilant bartenders for those moments.
I noticed most of the time that Judy also spent her time working or attending a Jesus Booze festival, Fran is usually busy making out with some loser guy or the latest hired gardener that Quinn ends up alone in their house without any supervision. Not unless you count her helping her drunken mother upstairs and tucking her to bed after. The mere mention of a religious figure and alcohol is blasphemous and I’m not even Catholic. I’ve been told by a famous American author whom I’ve met at the Met after party last year, that Christians were the most fucked up individuals. Hanging around the Fabrays has had me convinced of that on a daily basis.
Except for Quinn. I’m drawn back once again into that moment at the lobby in New York where she looked so lonely as if looking for someone to love her and care for her.
I’m not really volunteering or anything, but somehow I feel this ridiculous protective urge whenever I’m around her. Like a guy with a fly swatter guarding a piece of delectable pie just waiting for the insects to come by.
I’m pulled back again where my pie tart gives me the most scathing look. I wasn’t going to admit either that from the past three days that I’ve been gone, I actually miss her.
In fact I’m fighting the urge not to touch her.....and strangle some sense in her. It’s infuriating, frustrating, and absolutely fucking hilarious and depressing at the same time. I have never felt this frustrated with anyone except for this girl with the honey blonde hair and sea foam green eyes who’s smart mouth I just want to slam against my own.
“You got me home, thanks a lot.” Says the angry blonde with the smart mouth. Oh yeah, she sure didn’t miss you, Hargreave. Based from that response, which wasn’t “gee Iain, thanks for the ride”, she obviously didn’t miss me at all.
“I’m going to have a talk with Russell. Under no circumstances are you doing night school.”
“I’m not doing another round of your assignments. You’re never around anyway, so what’s the use of getting a tutor who keeps giving me a bunch of paperwork?”
“And here I thought you wouldn’t miss me,” I grinned at her and raised an eyebrow. I look at her lower lip and yep, it’s quivering again right on schedule. Uh-oh, I notice she isn’t using lip gloss on those babies. Instead it’s a tinted lip balm that smells like strawberries mixed with a hint of champagne. I’m beginning to like this more than the Vanilla gloss she regularly uses, but who the hell am I to care what kind of fucking gloss or lip balm she uses.
I frown at her instead.
“I don’t. “ She’s obviously lying because her lip is still quivering and she turns, avoiding my gaze. This is a relief because making eye contact with her has this double come-hither effect on me. In fact, it’s the only thing now that’s separating me from not grabbing her and molesting that goddamn mouth of hers. I dig my hands further down my pockets in order to ease my tension and avoid a Mr Happy episode.
“Do you know why I make you do those assignments?” I pay my attention to the semi-average decorations of Chateau de Fabray. It’s a typical suburban American home that gives off this noveau riche approach that never ceases to irritate me because it comes off looking cheap and pretentious. I am duly grateful for the distraction.
“Yes, to punish me and make my life miserable.”
“Quinn, those paper work assignments are what you call home-school grading papers. I’ve already sent your work and those alone already cover those days during your first few weeks as a senior when you went MIA. Again, with that said, your idea of attending night classes are now pointless.”
She looks at me disbelieving every word I said. I run my hand through my hair and lean back with my hands behind my head as I tilt my head forward and regard her in silence.
“So you weren’t doing this to avoid me.”
“Avoid you? Why would I do that?”
“I thought you hated me.”
“I don’t hate you,” I answer a bit puzzled as to why she would assume something so absurd.
I wasn’t going to admit my own actions to her either. I avoid her is because she distracts me and it makes me nervous since the last thing I want to do is take advantage of a situation that I know is going to come with disastrous consequences. Besides, she’s a wide-eyed teenager who has the whole world ahead of her and I’m a disillusioned multi-billionaire in his twenties fast approaching a midlife crisis.
If things were different on that day at New York, I would have left her heartbroken. After seeing a glimpse of her life and given her history, what she’s been through, I’ve come to realize that this girl’s way too good for me and the least I could do is give her the future that she deserves.
The only nagging feeling that I refuse to ask myself is would I still be involved in her future? Do you really wanna go there now, Hargreave? I don’t have to tell her the whole truth, just some partial stuff. I owe her that least much anyway.
“Truth is, Quinn,” I add softly knowing that this probably won’t come as a surprise for her. “This isn’t the job I had in mind when I went to your father’s office. When Russell saw my credentials, he thought it would be befitting for me to stand in as your tutor. The longer I spent time with you and your family, I’ve come to realize you probably need more than that.”
Her eyes widened in shock. “Wh-what do you mean?” she asked nervously taking a step back from me. I shook my head as she misinterpreted what I meant. She was giving me this look that I was going to grab her and physically assault her.
“You obviously need someone to look out for you,” I say softly, enunciating each syllable to calm her, for some damn reason, I’m used to scaring the living daylights of grown, established men twice my age and here I am trying to soothe her fears like a patient parent. If only my business rivals could see me now, they would be laughing like loons at my pitiable attempt.
“I’ve seen how your mom and sister go around leaving you to fend for yourself at home. I know your dad isn’t exactly been a running candidate for Father of the year. Also, for the record, I doubt any of your family’s praying combined is any consolation to your plight.”
She stifled a giggle. It’s good to hear her laugh because I doubt Quinn does it very often. I may not get to see what she’s like at her school, but I’m pretty sure she keeps a mask on and wears it so well that nobody really sees her own insecurities. I should know, I invented the same impermeable mask. The heartless business tycoon, Max Hargreave, CEO of Global Merchant Enterprises & Holdings, a multibillion dollar company that just recently hit the roof after the success of the digital banking service called Loan Shark which recently is now available in either iPhone, Blackberry or Android.
“I can take care of myself, but thanks for offering.”
“I wasn’t offering. Look, I don’t want to argue with you. I don’t like the idea of seeing you being in a place that isn’t safe. This really should be your parents concern –“
“Why do you care so much?”
Crap. I wasn’t going answer that now. Instead I tilt my head to look at her and run my hands through my hair and sigh.
“I’m not supposed to,” I admit. That sounds safe enough. “But considering the options that I’m probably the only person of legal age who does, I think we should put our differences aside and be........friends. How about that?”
TO BE CONTINUED
#glee#glee fanfiction#quinn fabray#rachel berry#noah puckerman#kurt hummel#mercedes jones#oc#oc rp#fanfic#fan fiction#romance
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Board Meetings
open arms
The elevator dinged and announced that Hyo-Shin had arrived and Rachel walked right up to him. He hugged her the moment she got close and he didn’t say anything when she started crying against his chest. She clung to him and everything felt so much better as they stood there.
After several minutes, Hyo-Shin kissed the top of her head and pulled back. “Go change into your sweats. There will be less temptation for both of us that way.”
Rachel could feel that he was hard and her throat closed up. He was right. She didn’t want to compromise her relationship with Young-Do. She just didn’t want to be lonely. He thumbed away her tears and then kissed her, once, briefly, and she curled her fingers in his shirt.
“I’m sorry I freaked out at you,” she said as she pulled back. “This is the hardest thing I’ve ever done but it’s becoming too much and I don’t know how to handle it.”
He gently cupped her cheeks and smiled down at her. “I love you. I can forgive anything. I ordered us dinner. I know you haven’t eaten yet. Change and we’ll talk.”
She hugged him tightly again before she went to her bedroom and put on something less...like lingerie. She put on her sweatpants and looked around for a shapeless shirt. She settled on one of Young-Do’s undershirts so she could remind herself to behave. When she returned to the living room, Hyo-Shin already had dinner spread out on the coffee table. They were still alone and that was a relief.
She didn’t want the staff filling Young-Do’s head with rumors of something that wasn’t going to happen. Rachel sat down and started to eat. “My mother wants to have breakfast with me tomorrow.”
“I saw the picture. It’s a lovely shot. I’m going to steal the concept for my drama. Is your step-mother freaking out yet?”
Rachel sighed and closed her eyes before nearly downing all of her wine. “Of course she is. She wants to have the future president of RS International. If only my father bothered to agree with her.”
“Vasectomy?” Hyo-Shin really was so smart. He winced when she nodded. “She doesn’t know?”
“He gets off watching her spin herself up. It’s really gross. He would do that to my mother, too. He tries with me. I don’t let him. At least not in front of him, anyway.”
“Good.” He placed several pieces of beef on her rice bowl. He watched her eat them and replaced them with a few more pieces. “How are things with your mother?”
Rachel closed her eyes and leaned back against the couch. This next bite was harder to swallow. “We still don’t really talk. It’s been nearly fifteen years and...It still hurts that she raised some other man’s child--a son. She didn’t take me with her. She gave me the company and just expected me to keep it afloat. Just because I did doesn’t mean...and that son married Lee Bo-Na. My mother doesn’t need me to give her anything. She already had three adorable granddaughters. My father wasn’t a great husband. I know that. But she still just left.”
“Do you think that’s why you don’t want to get married?”
“I don’t know. My therapist thinks it’s a contributing factor at least. I just...why does something have to be wrong with me if I don’t want to get married? Men hate getting married and no one tells them they’re broken. Young-Do is the weird one.”
“He proposed?” Hyo-Shin’s eyebrows shot up and he sounded faintly alarmed. Rachel quickly shook her head.
“No. He said he wanted to marry me. It’s different.” She looked down into her half eaten rice bowl and felt her heart hurt. “I love him. Just being with him feels nicer than anything I’ve ever experienced. I can talk to him about business and he understands coming into power too young. We make the same jokes about art. We like going to restaurants and just talking. He’s amazing in bed even if it isn’t the kinds of things I’m used to. I know I love him. I’m not nearly as comfortable with him as I am with you and Michael but we’re getting there. I just feel like I’m shaving off important pieces of myself so I don’t lose him but I’m too afraid to really talk to him about any of it. I can’t marry him and that might be a deal breaker.”
“What has he compromised for you?” Rachel shook her head at the question. Her anxiety was a huge sacrifice on his part. He never acted annoyed or pained during one of her attacks. She’d hurt him asking for hate sex. That was a sacrifice he made, for her, and found it too much. She respected that.
“I can’t ask him to open the relationship.”
“Why not?”
“Open relationships only work if both people are willing to share the other. I’m not willing to share him. Not even if it means I can be with Ji-Sun. Not even if it means I can be with you. I’m...it’s hard. I’ve never had to deny myself like this before. You, Michael, even Ji-Sun, all understood and were comfortable with my hopping around. Maybe love changes people like this. I know you haven’t been with anyone since Michael started dating Cha Eun-Sang. I know you haven’t been with anyone since I started dating Young-Do. You can’t tell me that love didn’t change you.”
“I suppose I can’t,” he agreed. “Michael and I weren’t in love.”
“Maybe not romantically,” she conceded. “But you cared about him deeply. You got very snarky when he left us for her.”
He gave a pained laugh into his soup and she wished the act of talking about her feelings didn’t make her feel like she was bleeding from the gut. At least her hands weren’t shaking. “I think you’re just struggling with the balance. And we’re struggling because we aren’t used to controlling ourselves with the other. We’ll get better at it until it’s easy. I’ll give up my feelings at some point.”
Hyo-Shin was probably right. He’d been doing therapy longer than she had. He was better at articulating his emotions but that also meant he was better at hiding them. “I miss him. I hate the Thailand project.”
“Then go to him. Find some excuse and go. Just like you did with me.” Rachel didn’t question the advice. She picked up her phone and called Yoo-Ra.
“I want a reason to be in Bangkok by tomorrow night. Find me one. Send me the ticket confirmation and itinerary you set up so I’m not going blind. Schedule anything I need to handle for tomorrow morning.”
“Yes, President Yoo.” She sounded positively giddy and Rachel rolled her eyes. She caught Hyo-Shin smiling at her and she was relieved that they fell back into their friendship. She asked him to stay the night and he agreed. At least she didn’t have to sleep alone.
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oooooo I wanna know more about the Puerto Rico AU or the Pie Shop AU. You pick
You know what, you’re the best so you get both! Again, so much credit to @sassy-laffy she’s wonderful
Puerto Rico AU
When she was a little thing, Theo used to collect all kinds of nick nacks, feathers and stones and snail shells and such. So one time Alex brought her some nice smooth beach pebbles he’d kept from Puerto Rico. He also taught her to salsa dance at one of the fancy lawyer parties he and Aaron always had to drag their little ones to. So since she was tiny, there has been a solemn promise between them that whenever the Hamiltons went on vacation to Puerto Rico (as Alex kept insisting he was going to), Theo would come too.
They eventually go when Theo and Philip are sixteen and they have so much fun. Theo falls in love with the place, all the colours and noise and just being in a new place. During the day they all go to the beach and play in the water and mess around and in the evenings they can hear the music from nearby bars and its just like magic for Theo. Alex finds her one evening sat on the windowsill of her room, dangling her legs out and just listening to the sounds. They chat for a little while and Theo kind of realises how much she needed to just get away for a while.
Everything’s not perfect however, this is when Theo and Philip are kind of dancing around each other in a hormone fuelled, mutual crush, neither one of them admitting it kind of thing. And one morning they’re having breakfast at this place and the waitress and Philip are non-too-subtly flirting, to the point where Philip leaves with a napkin with her phone number on it. Theo is understandably crushed and Philip is oblivious, wondering why she suddenly won’t walk with him or talk to him or even look at him.
Alex and Eliza of course see this plain as day and kind of try and steer the two kids into situations where they have to sort this out, eventually just sending them on a walk up the beach together. Theo and Philip eventually break through this fog of sexual tension and are honest with each other, culminating in their first, kind of rushed, kind of shy kiss. And its lovely.
They are a little drunk on love and each other after that, so on the last night of the vacation they take a walk together in the evening and its so romantic and calm and peaceful. They have their first time together that night, on the beach and its really good. They come back with the goofiest, satisfied smiles on their faces and Alex and Eliza roll their eyes and feign complete innocence.
Happily ever after!
Pie Shop AU- or The Result of My Girlfriend Finally Giving in to Me and Listening to Waitress
Theo is in law school and having an utterly miserable time, she’s stressed to hell and working herself into the ground, staying up too late and not eating, drinking or sleeping. Her boyfriend Philip is seriously worried about her, he’s never seen her this bad since her mother died. So after one night when she accidentally lets slip that she’s been having suicidal thoughts and they both cry for hours, Philip puts his foot down and helps her decide to quit.
So Theo is at a bit of a loose end with what to do. Fortunately Aaron is supportive but she doesn’t know what to do with her life now. Fortunately, Pip has been asked by the college he’s a junior professor at to write a textbook. They say the money he earns is going to be for starting their lives together, maybe having a kid, stuff like that. But Philip wants his love to be happy so on her birthday he wakes her up with a present- a set of keys. He buys a run down old diner in the city and he’s going to help her open her own pie shop. Baking was always her favourite thing and her way of calming down, now she can make it her life. Theo is so overwhelmed, she can’t believe he did this for her, but she’s so happy.
After a lot of work, Theo opens her place and it is Amazing. Both of their families help with the fixing and the decorating (Eliza makes her so many cute little odds and ends for her shop, its adorable). She comes up with all these weird and cool flavours with cool names, the whole family hangs out there. Alex is always there working (Theo makes him decaf coffee and swears blind its not), the little ones are always running around the place, Pip helps out, Jamie works there on weekends cos he’s an amazing baker. Its all just so cute and lovely and Theo is the happiest she’s ever been.
One day Philip is helping her clean up after hours, just tidying away. And he says oh, they’ve got an order in for a job- Theo caters parties and stuff. He says its an engagement party and Theo asks, oh whose? And Philip answers “Ours,” and promptly pulls a ring out of his pocked and gets down on one knee and thats how he proposes. Its very cute.
(Combining with the Theatre Kids AU) One day Angie and Eliza are sat at the counter while Theo works and they notice that she’s not looking well at all and she keeps running to the bathroom, obviously to be sick, even though she insists she’s fine. Angie and Eliza share a look and Angie starts singing The Negative in a non subtle ‘yeah, right’ kind of way. Theo glares at her and tells her to shut up…but yeah, she is pregnant. She tells Philip by making him a pie and scratching Congratulations, Daddy into a pie crust and giving it to him because she’s better with pastry than she is with words. Philip happy sobs.
Theo comes up with a pie flavour for each one of her children and she lets them name it and keeps it on the chalkboard. Like, Al has a berry pie (because when she had the idea, he kept sneaking berries from the kitchen when she wasn’t looking) called the ‘I love my mama Pie’ because Al is a complete sweetheart. Ronnie has a mostly chocolate pie because that’s what he was always trying to get his hands on as a baby and its called the ‘I love chocolate but not as much as I love mama, I guess’ Pie. Ronnie is less of a sweetheart but he tries. Rachel has a lemon meringue pie because she legit came out of the womb frowning like the adorable little raincloud she is. Ellie has a super sweet kind of marshmallow pie because she is the smiliest little baby ever and could only be represented by something as sweet as she is.
Basically this is the fluffiest and happiest AU ever and I love it
#these are two really good ones I cant lie#I love them#Puerto Rico au#pie shop au#philtheo#phildosia#aus#babyyy add stuff I've forgotten
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The Union of Two Worlds
It is so important to know the reality of who we are ‘in Christ’ as our identity links us to two worlds - the spiritual realm and the natural world - in which we have the ability to function. It is this divine ability to function in both worlds that is the defining mark of our true identity. Man in the naturall lives his life completely in the material physical world, being subject to the limitations of that world. But it was our Heavenly Fathers intention that we would also function in the spiritial realm according to the eternal purpose that He gave us in creation. While we know that this is the truth, unless we step into that reality, the demonstration of that truth will be lacking...it is a huge step to leave behind the sense of our mortality and look beyond our birth into this world, to see our true identity in the spirit on the other side of the cross of Jesus Christ and the tomb.
When we study the story of Jacob, we see interesting parallels in Jacobs life of the reconciling power of God to bring us into our true identity.
Jacobs name means ‘deceiver’ and as his name suggests, Jacob manages to steal his fathers patriarchal birthright from his brother, Esau. Upon stealing the birthright he runs in fear of his angry brother, escaping to his uncle Labans household. Jacob’s marriage was next on God’s agenda...God had purposed that Jacob’s children would become a great nation; marrying the right wife was therefore crucial. After working seven years as payment for Rachel to be his wife, Jacob wakes up the morning after the wedding to discover that his uncle had deceived him and had given him the older daughter Leah instead.He realized that he had done his share of deception with his own family, so he simply makes a deal to work for another seven years for Rachael, because Jacob loved Rachael much more that Leah.
After his marriage to both Leah and Rachael and the birth of his 12 children Jacob said to Laban, "Send me away, that I may go to my own place and to my country.” But Laban replied "Please stay, if I have found favor in your eyes, for I have learned by experience that the LORD has blessed me for your sake." And he said, “Appoint me your wages and I will give it.” So Jacob saw his chance to make up for the fact that Laban had already changed his wages ten times. Jacob made a deal with Laban, "Let me pass through all your flock today, removing from there all the speckled and spotted sheep, and all the brown ones among the lambs, and the spotted and speckled among the goats; and these shall be my wages.”Laban agreed to Jacob’s proposal because he considered speckled and spotted sheep, brown lambs and speckled goats to be worthless. But these seemingly worthless animals became the beginning of Jacob’s wealth. They multiplied and grew into a great and valuable flock after Jacob had received divine assistance in a dream.
“And it happened, at the time when the flocks conceived, that I lifted my eyes and saw in a dream, and behold, the rams which leaped upon the flocks were streaked, speckled, and gray-spotted.” (Genesis 31:10)
God blessed Jacob’s flock and it became bigger and healthier than all of Laban’s flocks. This angered Laban and his sons who accused Jacob of building his flocks and wealth at the expense of their father Laban.
Jacob now understands that God has become involved in his life and it is not his cunning or personal ability that is producing the results he now sees in his experiences. Many Christians today see the hand of the Lord evidenced in their every day circumstances. Jacob reveals to us all that mankind comes into this world with a plan specific for each individual’s life. Once we acknowledge that God is our Father, He begins to reveal His plan for our life, supernaturally blessing us through His divine favor and involvement.
Jacob needed to return home in order to fulfill the next step in his destiny: reconciliation with his past, and particularly with his brother Esau. The apostle Paul instructs us in this matter saying,
‘Now all things are of God, who has reconciled us to Himself through Jesus Christ, and has given us the ministry of reconciliation.’ (2 Corinthians 5:18)
A NEW DAY
Jacob is on his way home, and in his mind he is contemplating the meeting that he must have with his brotherEsau. He remembers Esau’s intent to kill him after he had cheated Esau out of the father’s patriarchal blessing. Is this still Esau’s intent? Since that time, Jacob had seen the mighty hand of the Lord working on his behalf, especially in making sure that Laban was not going to send him away empty handed after his many years of faithful work. God intervened in Jacob’s arrangements with Laban over his wages and made Jacob’s flock bigger and more valuable than Laban’s flock. God had blessed and prospered Jacob; no one was more aware of this than Jacob Himself.In their first encounter, God revealed to Jacob truth and knowledge about Himself that Jacob was yet to discover and comprehend. He is on his way home now and his mind is preoccupied with his upcoming encounter with Esau. Jacob had already seen the mighty hand of God working on his behalf in making him rich with much cattle.However, his conflict concerning his brother is troubling his mind, and his confidence in the Lord is not yet sufficiently established. Jacob had yet to understand the divine benefits attached to receiving the birthright and the patriarchal blessing from his father. Jacob is at a point in his life experience where so many Christians find themselves today, where they can talk the talk, but can not yet walk the walk.
The dreaded meeting with his brother preoccupies Jacob’s mind and robs him of his peace. Jacob takes matters into his own hands, planning to send gifts to his brother who is on the way to meet him. Jacob sends his servants to Esau with many gifts of cattle as a gesture of good will. Jacob’s servants return with a word from Esau that he does not need Jacob’s cattle and that he on his way with 400 of his men to meet Jacob.This news terrorized Jacob, who feared that Esau would kill him along with his wives and children. Jacob decided to send his wives and children over the brook Jabbok, which means, “to empty.” In reality, God was in the midst of all this: God wanted Jacob to encounter God alone so that He could do a work in Jacob’s heart in preparation for his encounter with his brother.There would not be much sleep this night as Jacob finds himself in a struggle with an unknown stranger who seemed determined to wrestle with Jacob and win. Jacob mistakenly thought that this stranger represented his brother, and so for Jacob it was a fight for survival. He seemed convinced that if he lost the battle that he would die. Little did Jacob know that he was struggling with God, who was trying to rid Jacob of poor self esteem and a false sense of identity in order to establish a totally new identity, in keeping with God’s purposes for his future life.For so many Christians today, this battle is still being played out as our Father attempts to equip each one of us with the identity that would fulfill the divine will in our life. So many Christians are working for ‘God Incorporated’ with the idea that we as mortal human beings can do whatever God needs us to do. Paul makes it very clear in 1 Corinthians 3:9 that,“We are laborers together with God”...and not for God. It is Christ in you that is the hope of God being glorified.
As the new day dawned for Jacob, the stranger finished the struggle by touching the hollow of his thigh thereby ending the contest. The stranger asked Jacob to let him go. But Jacob said, “No I will not let you go until you bless me.” Jacob knew by now that this was not Esau his brother; rather, this stranger must be connected with God. The stranger asks Jacob a question, “What is your name?” And in the Hebrew it says he answered with a whisper, “Jacob. [Yes I am the cheat and the liar and the deceiver.]”Jacob must have expected to hear the judgment of God upon him, but instead the stranger said to him,
“Thy name shall be called no more Jacob, but Israel: for as a prince you have power with God and with men, and you have prevailed.” (Genesis 32:28)
Jacob called the name of the place Peniel, for he said, “I have seen God face to face, and my life is preserved.” Beloved, as you read these exciting words, is there not a cry coming from deep within your being asking Father to let this day be your PENIEL, to experience the transformation that Jacob experienced that night?
This was the end of Jacob’s night time experience, as he stepped out that day into the dawning of a most wonderful new day, in which God was now a reality, and not some spiritual icon up in an ethereal heaven.
From that time, Israel experienced the merging of those two worlds - the spiritual and the material - where we now can see God’s involvement in our world as it has always been in the world of spirit.Now Jacob is confronted with his brother’s arrival and is still not sure of the outcome. But his reconciliation to his brother is a very important issue that must be settled before any further progress can take place in the fulfillment of God’s will in Jacob’s life. Everything must be reconciled in God and Jacob is about to see the first miracle in his new sphere of activity. Jacob lifted up his eyes and saw Esau approaching with 400 men. He had already divided the children among Leah, among Rachel, and their two handmaids. And he put the handmaids and their children first, followed by Leah and her children, and finally Rachel and Joseph last. And he passed over before them, and bowed himself to the ground seven times, until he came near his brother. That was all he needed to do because at that point,Esau ran forward to meet him and embraced him, and fell on his neck and kissed him, and they wept. (Genesis 33:1-4)
All of Jacob’s concerns about Esau were over, and it was like nothing had ever happened. But the highlight of this whole reconciliation was recorded in Genesis 33:10 when the new Jacob - now called Israel - said to his brother Esau,
“Please receive my present from my hand, because of the fact that I have seen thy face as though I was looking at the face of God, and you were pleased with me.”
In this, Israel was not only reconciled to his brother, but also to God Himself. This brought Israel great peace, so that on his way home he bought a parcel of land in Shechem, erected an altar in it and called it EL-ELOHE-ISRAEL, meaning, “The mighty God of Israel.“ (Genesis 33:20)
Just ponder the wisdom of God to use the face of Esau through which to reflect his own image. The relevance of this certainly registered with Israel (Jacob). In that union, there was nothing that ever made Jacob afraid of God again or made him consider that God’s love for him was not total and absolute. That smiling image of God in the face of Esau wiped away any thought that God was in any way holding anything from the past against him.
The transformation that occurred in Jacobs life belongs to us as Christians.
The apostle says;
‘Romans 12:2‘Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of the mind’ that 'old things are passed away’, so that we may step into the ‘new creation life of Christ’....the dawning of a new day!
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