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placeinthemiddleofnowhere · 1 year

Text

Keep Moving Forward

Pairing: König x Reader

Summary: You're determined to find out why everyone thinks König is so scary, afterall he's just some guy that's taller than most people right? He's probably harmless! Well, he's a little scary, but you still like him anyway.

(No use of y/n or mention of gender/race)

AN: Just want to say a massive thank you for everyones lovely comments on the last part, I can't believe how many notes that has now 😱 I've got a taglist so if you want to be added or removed (I just stuck down everyone that commented or reblogged the last one with tags/comments) lemme know! Also I've got my own version of what König looks like and I've been including details so hopefully you like my thoughts on him 🥰

Part 2 of A Rocky Start - Full Masterlist Here

-☠️-

A forbidden crush, a whole unit of men watching out for any missteps and a job that required you to be on your A game - it all sounded a bit like a bonkers netflix plot, but no this was your life now. You were desperately trying to hide your little (massive) König crush, while trying to get through your days and it was going horribly. The universe was working against you.

König kept appearing for one. Now that he knew you weren’t talking to him just to fuck with him, you’d been meeting more and more and talking for longer each time. In fact, you’d come to learn a lot about the man in the short amount of time you’d spent together and unfortunately for you, nothing about any of it turned you off. In fact, you were only falling harder for him.

Every touch, every grazed hand when you were reaching for mugs and brushed sides when you sat together on the couch - they were driving you crazy. Not to mention catching little details about him here and there, painting a mental picture that rivalled the mona lisa.

You’d caught a glimpse of a scar that snaked up from his lip and a few that marred his hands and arms, you’d noted bruises that carried back from missions and most of all you couldn’t help but think of the little birthmark on his left hip that he’d exposed when he’d been reaching for tea. You thought about running your fingers along them often, kissing them all better.

You’d learned that it was pretty much pointless to make movie references to König because he barely took time to watch them. He was much more of a doer, he didn’t like to sit still for long and most film runtimes were over an hour and a half, which was no good for him. And so you’d slowly gotten a peek into his more active hobbies. Hiking, rock climbing and skiing, only to name a few. The man was an athlete that rivalled most of the soldiers you knew.

“And this was the view from top!” he’d proudly said after he showed you another picture from one of his hikes.

“Woah, no wonder your legs are like tree trunks,” you’d murmured, raking your eyes over his thick thighs.

“What was that?”

“Oh! Just- you must get a good workout climbing all those hills.”

Just one of the many times you’d let your appreciation for him slip. You could barely help it most of the time, he had your words fizzling out like some kind of mentos and coke explosion. The highly trained soldier in you died the minute you were in a room with him.

It was when he grabbed you that you finally went stupid for him. König was - as Captain Price had described him - a mammoth in many regards. You’d already taken note of his verging on monstrous height, but you’d come to learn a lot more about his strength. He could lift you like you were little more than a lap dog.

How had you come to find this out? Well -

“Watch out!”

Your head had been completely in the clouds, busy catching up with messages from your family, when suddenly you were in the air. You gasped as you felt a pair of hulking arms pick you like an apple from a low hanging branch and squeaked when you looked down and came to notice the pile of vomit that lurked below your flailing feet. Gross.

Then you’d come to the slow realisation of exactly whose arms were wrapped around you. Suddenly the rising feeling of nausea was replaced by hordes of stirred up butterflies.

“Are you ok?”

You blinked, still shocked that König was holding you like you were nothing.

“Uh- ah- yeah! Yup! All good, big guy!”

You’d hurried out your reply, sputtering out your words like a leaky tap. You felt like an idiot. Then the feeling intensified when he put you down and turned you to face him. In fact, you felt like someone had placed a heat pad to your face after running a marathon.

If he could lift you that easy when you were limp, imagine how easy he could lift you up against the wall and-

“Are you sure you’re ok? You look…not so good?.”

You gulped and offered him what you hoped was a reassuring smile and then - to make matters worse - a double thumbs up (who did that???). You silently cursed in your mind, but covered up your embarrassment by staring back at the sick pile for a second and then facing König again.

“Ew…thanks for saving me from that! I would’ve been throwing up as well if I’d had to clean that outta my shoes.”

“Any time, friend!”

Friend.

It stung a little, but then you had to remind yourself you were both supposed to be acting professionally, this was a base afterall, and quickly righted yourself. Friend would do fine in a setting where Price would have your head for even looking at König a little flirtily. Especially when the resident gossips had continued to grass you in for any interactions they caught.

-☠️-

“That was some amount of whitey those new recruits left all over the hallways yesterday,” Soap had remarked after finishing a set of pull ups.

You hummed in agreement, remembering back to being lifted and growing quiet as you thought about Königs bulging arms. It had been a recurring thought for the whole twenty two hours since it had happened. Not that you were counting or anything, especially not being obsessive by any means. It was just that the electricity that had been sparked by that touch had been racing around your body and now you were stuck replaying the scene over and over in your head like an accursed rerun.

“English, Soap,” Ghost grunted, from a nearby bench.

“There was a lot of puke all over the place yesterday,” Soap sighed, rolling his eyes at the Lieutenant.

“Oh yeah, I heard about that. Did you hear sneaky almost stepped in it?”

“Ooft, that’d be a shite shift cleaning that off.”

“I know. Luckily little sneak got airlifted to safety,” Ghost said slyly, giving you a pointed look. “Got snatched away by a certain giant before they stepped right in it.”

You froze in your spot, just about to curl a weight upwards before letting it crash out of your hands and onto the floor. That fucking, no good old dear prick! How had he heard about that? You hadn’t thought anyone else had been around when it had happened.

“Careful, sneak. The German’s not here to stop that from stubbing your toe,” Ghost chuckled.

“He’s Austrian actually…And how did you know about that?”

“Oooh! Austrian,” Soap snickered.

“Well I do apologise. You should know by now that I hear about everything when it comes to our unit, sweetheart.”

You hated that. Whenever Ghost patronisingly called you sweetheart it made your blood boil and clouded your thoughts like a thick red mist. Though, there was nothing you could do about it. He wasn’t someone you could wage revenge on without being thoroughly outgunned in all respects. Plus, it would only make you look more guilty.

“Well, you didn’t even know what nationality König was so you don’t know everything,” you muttered.

“Well, now that you’ve filled me in, I can go tell Price you were getting lifted up by the big Austrian cunt that he told you to stay away from,” he countered smugly.

“What! I can’t help who snatches me out of the air from nowhere,” you hissed. “Have you seen the size of him? I can’t exactly stop him.”

He tisked.

“Well then, soldier. Sounds like you need more training. C’mere, we’ll practise getting out of holds!”

You yelped as Ghost had come crashing toward you and dove out of the way just in time to miss his outstretched arms. Even if he was smaller than your new companion, Ghost was still built like a tank - and he would pin you down like a mouse under the wheel of a 4x4 if he caught you.

“Stay away from me!” you’d squealed, running away from the gym.

“Oh now you’re suddenly averse to getting grabbed!”

-☠️-

Essentially, you were discovering a new level of hell every day. Your entire unit had cottoned on to your little thing with König and now there was no escape from the jokes they made. Well that is until Price came along and no one was quite enough of an asshole to mention your activities to him. You all knew the consequences of getting his back up and it wasn’t worth the stress for anyone.

Though, not everyone was aware of that - König himself for one. Unluckily for you, you’d found yourself in the kitchen with Price and Soap and just as the kettle was put to the boil, who should walk in but the Austrian giant himself.

“Evening,” he murmured, barely loud enough to be heard over the kettle.

Soap looked up from his phone as he noticed König and widened his eyes before searching you out and giving you a sly smile. Oh lord. You knew he was going to love watching you squirm.

Suddenly your heart was thudding like a samba drum and your mind was racing to find your self restraint. Don’t let Price see you turn into a nervous fucking wreck! You repeated that over and over like a mantra, turning it over in the sands of your mind as if you might find some calm that way.

“Evenin’” you smiled, feeling your voice lilt.

Oh god.

You smiled at König as he approached the counter and promptly scampered away to the table, hoping that by keeping some distance you wouldn’t be so transparent. Fat chance considering the stupid smirk that was all over Soap’s face as he pretended to batter his eye lashes behind Price’s back. Asshole!

You knew you looked guilty as hell, even if you were walking away from König. However, any chance of not being caught ogling by Price was worth taking. So you figured you’d stare at your phone instead and prayed to all the gods you knew of that König was busy and he’d have to leave again after getting himself something to drink.

Why didn’t he ever go out for food? There was a perfectly nice pub just over the road and he could easily go there instead of looking over you all the time - putting you in grievous danger of toilet duty. You’d have to tell him about it sometime, and hope that he’d ask to go with you.

“Anyone else want a brew?” Price offered, in the midst of pouring his own cup.

You looked up from your phone screen, darting your eyes over to the captain. Answer him! Speak normally!

“Oh! Yes, me please.”

Maybe that was a little more polite and nicey-nice than usual, but at least you were coherent. That was something, a small victory.

“Coffee for me, Price,” Soap grinned.

You breathed out a small sigh now that Price was distracted by Soap and let your eyes wander over to König, resting your chin in your hand. He was so big, he towered over the two other men by a few heads at least. He could pin you down like a lion and there’d be nothing you could do about it, nothing you’d want to do about it.

“That’s the wrong one.”

You jumped as König’s accented voice interrupted the thankful silence and widened your eyes as you watched him turn to Price. What was he doing? You sucked in a breath and watched as the two men became locked into an exchange and silently hoped a rogue sniper might take you out.

“Sorry, what was that?” Price asked, frowning deeply as he stared at the masked man.

“That’s the wrong tea,” König supplied helpfully. “Sneaky likes this one.”

As if correcting Price on his choice of tea wasn’t enough, König went to the lengths of picking a bag of your herbal stuff out. He dropped it into the mug and stuck the other bag back in the back, tilting his head as Price stared at him with a raised eyebrow.

“Well then…thanks for the advice,” he finally said, turning to stare you down. “It’s never nice when you expect one thing and get the other.”

You were in deep shit.

He was giving you the ‘I’ve killed before and I’ll do it again’ look. You gulped and slumped in your chair, feeling like a tiny child that was about to get reprimanded. Price was going to learn all about your involvement with König soon, the game was up.

“Oh yeah, no problem!” König said, sounding like he was smiling under his mask.

That idiot!

Though, in fairness to him he knew nothing about the toilet duty thing. He didn’t even have any idea that you weren’t supposed to be interacting with him, especially when you’d gone so out of your way to do it over the past month. It wasn’t his fault, but at the same time you could strangle his beautiful massive neck for what he’d done.

“Sneak, would you mind coming with me for a moment? I think we should have a little chat,” Price smiled. “I’ll bring your tea.”

He was probably omitting that he was going to dump it over your stupid head, you thought worriedly. This wasn’t good at all.

You gulped and nodded at him, slinking out of your chair like a dog about to take a beating. Though, you continued to follow behind him just as dutifully - Ignoring Soap as he gave you a little wave off and a snarky smile. You knew as soon as you’d left that he was messaging the group chat right then, and the whole 141 would know that you were getting pulled up for speaking to König.

He lead you down the hall and into an empty meeting room, setting the two mugs down on the table, they hit the wood like death knells, and pointed to the chair in front of him. It all felt very formal, like this was going to be one of the worst telling offs of your life.

“Don’t look so scared, kid.”

You bit your tongue and chanced a look in his eyes, seeing the glint that lingered within them. He didn’t look furious, but he didn’t look like he was going to offer you a cuddle and kind words either. It made you sweat a little less, but you weren’t dumb enough to completely untense your body yet.

“Y-you’re not annoyed that I’ve been speaking to König?” You asked, chancing your luck.

“Oh, I’m annoyed, but I’m not going to kill you for it,” he laughed humorlessly, leaning back in his chair. “You look like you’re going to shit yourself.”

“I think I might,” you said, biting your lip and fastening your shaky hands around your warm tea cup.

“See, that’s why I’m concerned about this…relationship you’re building with König. I worry about you.”

You frowned, thoroughly surprised by his reaction. He was being a damn sight more sympathetic than you were expecting. This wasn’t a bollocking, this was an intervention.

“You don’t have to worry. We’re just friends - strictly platonic! We talk and have tea together, nothing more than that,” you explain breathily, hoping it’ll appease the captain.

He strokes a hand through his beard and eyes you warily. He’s clearly unconvinced. His jaw is set into a worried line.

“Hmm.”

He doesn’t give much away.

“Really, I’m not trying to take things f-further.”

You stutter like a liar. Really, that is what you’re doing if you’re honest with yourself. You might not be asking König out on dates and braiding flowers into his gear, but you have been shamelessly flirting with him and getting into close proximity with him at the slightest chance. Plus, Price practically knows you better than your own parents, he’d be able to tell when you were acting differently, like you were in terminal stages of puppy love.

“Look, he’s not part of our unit, so really it’s none of my business, I can’t actually do anything about it - as much as I’d like to,” he says, glowering for a moment. “I just think that he’s dangerous and I don’t like the thought of you getting close to him. For all I know, he’s nice enough to you, but when he’s on the field that man’s an animal. There’s something wrong with him.”

You gasp a little as he says it, shocked that he’d say something like that to you. What did he mean there was something wrong with König? Sure, you thought, he was quiet and intimidating but he was so polite and cheerful when you’d gotten to know him more. It’s not like most people were their best selves on a battlefield - it was in your training to leave all that behind. It was hypocritical to judge Königs actions given your experience with the 141 out on missions.

“What do you mean there’s something wrong with him?” You finally asked, curious to know just what Price meant.

“He takes too much pleasure in the work he does. He’s sick when he’s out there- like letting a rabid dog out of its cage. I worry about you getting involved with him and being at the mercy of a man like that. You wouldn’t have any chance against him, Sneak. I’ve seen him crush bones like they’re twigs, he’d snap you like a toothpick.”

You can feel your pulse in your ears, can hear it working away like a jackhammer. You don’t know how to respond. The fact that Price is this worried for you really does concern you, but on the other hand König has never given you any reason to be scared of him beyond that first encounter you’d had with him. Then again, you reasoned that that surely wasn’t the real him - that was guarded walled up version of him. Right?

“I see,” you sighed, not able to come out with more.

“I know you won’t want to take my word for it, and you’re going to keep doing whatever it is you're actually doing. I just want to know that you’ve been warned and you’re going to be careful.”

You took a breath and looked away, roving your eyes over the assortment of chairs on the other side of the room. Sure, you could take his warning on. Though, it didn’t feel like it was going to stick, not when you thought back to his arms wrapped around you and making you feel like a precious gem.

“I’ll keep what you’ve said in mind,” you acquiesced.

“Good soldier,” Price smiled, leaning over and patting your shoulder.

You swallowed thickly and stood up, feeling your breathing return back to normal. Well that was it then. You weren’t going to be killed on sight and you didn’t have to worry about staring down the bowl of a toilet for the rest of your miserable life.

You both stepped out the doorway and into the light of the hall. You felt dizzy on your feet, but relieved that you were getting away without any punishment. Well, other than the fact that König might be someone to worry about rattling around in the back of your mind, that is. Then again, you had a sneaking suspicion that you’d forget all about it as soon as you were in his company again…

“Remember what I said, Sneaky! Otherwise I’ll let you think about it some more while you’re on your knees scrubbing toilets,” Price said over his shoulder, taking an indulgent sip of his coffee afterwards.

You stopped in your tracks and shared a look with Soap, who’d poked his head out of the kitchen to check on you. Well, maybe you weren’t going to completely forget Price’s warning. His lingering threat would keep you on your toes.

-☠️-

“It seems a little late for you to be out walking,” you noted.

You watched as König whirled around, and went wide eyed when he looked like he might hit you. His fist was drawn back and just when it looked like he was about to swing it - he stopped and let it fall flatly to his side. As soon as he’d scanned his eyes over your shrinking form he went limp immediately.

“Scheiße! Where the hell did you come from?” he cursed.

You took a moment to recover but eventually found your heartbeat returning to its regular rhythm and swallowed, relaxing your shoulders soon after. That was close. You assumed he’d have known you were sitting there on the wall, he always seemed to have a hyper awareness of you as if he was some kind of bat. Though his echolocation must have failed for once, you’d been too obscured by the untrimmed tree branches that had surrounded you, most likely.

“I-I come out and sit here sometimes, its nice to look at the stars.”

König regarded the wall you were sitting on, just a low down thing made of worn stone and his head followed where it stretched down the road. It cut off the pavement from the small scatty park inside. Then when he looked back at you with his twinkling azure eyes, those eyes that had you forgetting all about the near miss that just happened, you finally got to take him in properly. You watched him as he settled next to you on your makeshift seat.

Two things struck you all at once. Firstly, König was wearing a neck warmer instead of his usual sniper hood, probably so he wouldn’t scare any civilians more than a hulking giant like himself normally would, it was drawn way up to the bridge of his nose, but nevertheless you knew it was him under there. And next - the mess of shaggy dirty-blonde hair on top of his head. You had to fight the urge not to ask if you could run your hands through it. It was like putting a moth in front of a thousand watt bulb. You ached to feel the fuzz of his faded sides and get to rearrange the chaotic locks above that sprawled in every direction.

“You’re staring.”

You bit your lip as he said it, and looked away guiltily. Oh fuck. It’s not like it could be helped though, this was the most you’d gotten to see of him. He was always so covered up and burdened by gear you could barely make out the man from the material - and now you were getting to see what was basically a visual buffet of König. It wasn’t fair. You could look at every inch of him that he’d let you see all day.

“Sorry,” you finally breathed out. “I just- uh was surprised is all.”

“Why?” he smirked, eyes crinkling as he stared right back.

“Didn’t think you’d be blonde,” you say, thinking blessedly quickly.

“What is it they say? Blondes have more fun?” he chuckled, coming to sit on the wall next to you.

You snorted and looked away from him again. Even though you’d been talking for a while now, his silly humour could still surprise you, especially when you recalled the way everyone acted around him, as if he’d bite them if they got too close. It was like getting to see a tiger roll onto his stomach when no one else was around.

“How come you don’t wear that around the base?” you asked, tilting your head at him.

“Why would I? I can wear my hood there without getting questioned about it.”

“But isn’t it less stuffy with the neck warmer?” You ask, crinkling your nose at the thought of being trapped under that heavy material all day.

“Yes, but it’s as though I can physically feel people's eyes cutting into me when I wear this - or nothing. The staring is too much.”

You pause for a second and laugh at yourself, feeling a little more embarrassed.

“...Like I was just doing to you there.”

König laughs a little with you, but after a second he shakes his head and breaths out into the frigid night air. The skies had been dark for a little while by that point and the light of the moon was bright and shiny, reflecting in König’s eyes like a gleaming pearl. It was probably the first time you ever recalled admiring the moon that much.

“I didn't feel like I was being dissected by you, no.”

You felt a little tingle run rogue down your arm. So he didn’t mind you looking at him? You smiled a little wider to yourself and tried to conceal it with a scratch of your cheek.

“Really? Why’s that?” You asked, feeling a little brave.

“You stare at me all the time, I’m used to it.”

Instantly it felt as if the air had caught fire and was charring you into oblivion. He’d caught you? Why hadn’t he said anything before? You opened your mouth ready to come up with some kind of silly excuse, too flustered to think of something good. Though he interrupts you before you can get a sound out.

“I didn't mean to embarrass you, I find it endearing,” he soothed.

“What? Why?” you ask dumbly.

“The way you look - with your wide doe eyes…” he says trailing off.

Now he cant look at you. His head turns away. You can't speak either, so you're both left frozen in place.

“The way you’re looking at me now,” he finally says.

“Maybe I just can’t stop staring at your messy hair,” you chuckle, trying to awkwardly change the subject. “Someone should fix that for you.”

“Does someone want to?” he asks, his brows setting as he tilts his chin.

Oh no. You bite your lip feeling like your body’s going to astrally project onto another planet. Was this really happening? Did he actually just give you permission to touch him, no, run your hands through his hair?

Part of you wants to laugh him off and prevent any embarrassment when he turns around and says he was kidding, says you’re a weirdo for wanting to touch him like that. Your mind starts going down avenues of all the awful things he could say about the little freak that looks at him too much, but then the sane part of your mind kicks and acts as a buffer stop, halting the run away anxiety train. König would never do that to you.

You were far too used to dealing with Ghost and Soap, and all of their stupid teasing. But even then, not even they would do something so cruel.

“I do,” you murmur.

König nods and leans forward and closes his eyes, giving you what little advantage he can with the amount of height he has on you. At first, you’re incredulous that you’re in a real life scenario and not locked into a fantasy seven layers deep, but you quickly give up that idea and decide to tentatively reach out. You’re too excited not to take the opportunity.

Your hand shakes a little at first as you make contact with his soft hair, and immediately you think of the devil dog your neighbour used to have when you were a kid. It was a huge old thing that barked like a foghorn, but once it got to know you, it would roll over and present its downy fur and you could spend hours at a time running your hands through it. Now, though, it’s not the scary shepherd you’re taming, it’s König.

He sits perfectly still while you sort through all the strands, smoothing them back and fixing them into place. You swear you can hear soft groans coming from him, but they’re so quiet you could be mistaken. That, and you’re too mesmerised by the task at hand, forming his hood mussed hair into a style.

When you’re done and his hair is mostly settled - apart from a small cow lick you can’t seem to fix - you can’t help but run your fingers over the fuzz on the side of his head. Immediately he shivers like a harsh breeze has rolled in, surprising you, but when he snaps his eyes open they don’t look annoyed like you worry he is, instead he looks ready to pin you down and take you right there against the wall.

“That felt very nice,” he said softly, blown out pupils shifting away from you as he straightened.

You’re not sure what to say, you just smile and bite your lip, keeping your eyes fixed on him. You know rightly that your pupils are just as wide as his, you can practically feel the explosion that’s going on. You want him.

“König I… I uh-“

Footsteps sounding from nearby, crunching up the leaf littered pavement, interrupt all your thoughts and both of you turn your heads as someone walks up to you both. You hold in a breath, feeling like you’d scream otherwise and watch as a face comes into view from out of the shadows.

Mercifully it’s not Ghost or Soap that marches up to you, it’s Gaz.He’d been the only one not to completely batter the dead ‘Sneaky and König up a tree’ horse. He stops when he sees you both and his eyes widen as he spots König, probably just as shocked as you were when he realised he can see his face. Though, he quickly averts his eyes and looks at you instead, awkwardly shifting his hands in his hoodie pocket.

“Captain said to tell you we’ve got an early start tomorrow,” he says looking at you pointedly , “we’ve got a briefing at four. Said you best get all the sleep you can.”

“Oh…do you know anything about it?” You ask, still feeling a bit breathless from before.

“From what I gather, the 141 and KorTac are heading out together, but I don’t know much beyond that,” he shrugs.

You give a sideways glance to König and watch as he regards you the same way. That meant you’d be working together for the first time. You take a breath and look back at Gaz, finally nodding your head.

“Thanks for coming to let me know, I’ll head in in a minute,” you assure him.

Gaz nods back curtly and turns on his heel, retreating to the base again and leaving you alone in the only silence. You finally look back at König, only once you’re sure there’s no one lurking around and looking to catch you with him, and smile softly.

“Looks like we’ll be working together then,” you laugh awkwardly.

“Seems like it,” he replies, lowering his head. “Perhaps we should listen to the captain’s advice and head in.”

You feel a stab of disappointment tear through your heart immediately. You’d wanted to resume things from where you’d left off. You wanted to pull back the cloth from his face and kiss him under the stars as if they were watching and you were the only ones there. There were fireworks and sparklers going off in your mind, but now they were being snuffed out as you watched König stand up from your not so secret spot.

“Come on, you need your rest,” he insists, holding out his hand.

You raise your eyebrows, but put your hand in his and rise as he guides you up. Even with you standing, he towers above you. It’s especially noticeable as you stand so close to him, almost pressed to his big wide chest. There’s a snapping creature in your mind that distantly wishes to jump onto him and kiss him, but you beat the thought back and look away from König instead.

“Hey,” he says softly, tilting your head back with his rough gloved fingers. “I want to pick things back up too, but…not before a mission. We can do this again after all that. Yeah?”

You gulp, feeling your spine light on fire with tingles. Did he just acknowledge that things were about to go further there? So he definitely felt the same as you…

“Makes sense,” you murmur, feeling your desperation roll off you in waves.

He is speaking sense, but you don’t want him to be.

“You can fix my hair for me again when we get back,” he teases, rubbing his finger against your jaw again. “I’m sure it will be very messy.”

“Am I your stylist now?” You smirk, feeling your mood lift.

“Amongst other things,” he says, eyes showing the smile that was surely on his lips.

You raise your eyebrows and just as you’re about to ask what things, he silences you with what he does next. He leans down and brings his lips to your cheek, and through his mask, kisses you.

You freeze in place, your heart thudding like it’ll explode and close your eyes. You can’t believe what just happened. You laugh a little to yourself - letting loose a giggle and open your eyes, watching as he smiles back at you and gestures his hand back to base.

“To be continued,” you whisper to yourself.

-☠-

Next Part Here

#König #König x reader #könig fanfiction #modern warfare 2 #modern warfare fanfiction #mw2

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judeswhore · 2 years

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home is where the heart is; jude bellingham

summary: in which you and jude spend the first night in your new flat on a blow up mattress with pizza and horror films

requested: yes

notes: first jude fic in forever this is so real of me

"y'know, we probably should've bought proper furniture before we moved in." jude's voice dragged your attention from where you were laying the duvet down over the blow up mattress, pillows already settled at one end. he was hovering in the kitchen of the open plan flat, pouring coke into two plastic cups, your ordered box of pizza set beside him on the counter. "and like, actual cutlery and shit."

"i don't know, i think this set up is pretty cozy." you shrugged, sent him a half smile when he met your gaze and padded across the floor to grab the pizza box. jude watched you with his own adoring smile, one that made the corners of his eyes crinkle just slightly and sent a flood of warmth through your chest. he tilted his head almost curiously, screwed the cap back on the coke and made to follow you back towards the blow up mattress.

buying a flat with jude was something the two of you had talked about for a while now. what had started off as passing comments about how nice it would be to have your own space, to not be interrupted by people constantly, had turned into full blown planning. you'd looked for places together in the early hours of the morning, cuddled up beneath his sheets, pointing out which ones looked the nicest and after a few months of deliberating you finally found the perfect flat. you were still young and more than a little eager and so as soon as you'd been handed the keys you'd made the decision to move in, lack of furniture be damned.

the flat was already decorated, plain and simple but you had no issues with doing it up to your own taste but unfortunately for you it didn't come fully kitted out which meant you probably should have spent the next week or so at jude's old house until you bought everything you needed. but no, this place was yours and bed or not, you wanted to be in it. your afternoon had been spent buying an air mattress and a few paper plates and cups, plastic knives and forks, dragging bags of clothes and necessities from your car up to the flat. it was bare and a little cold but it was yours, and ridiculous as it was, you didn't care how long it took to furnish it as long as you did it together.

"so you're telling me you'd be happy to spend the rest of your life sleeping on an air bed with a laptop for a tv and nothing else?" jude set the two cups down on the floor, just slightly away from the mattress to avoid knocking them over and reached for the pizza box. you let him take it, flopped yourself down on one side of the bed as he lowered himself next to you, pizza box dropping into the centre of the duvet.

"it's not so bad." you sent him a teasing look. "you're here." he hummed softly, lips tilting into a matching grin and let his hand reach for your face, fingers tilting your chin upwards. his lips met yours, soft and light, a gentle brush that sent sparks through all of your nerves and made your head spin.

"you're a flirt." pressing one last, fleeting kiss to the corner of your mouth he pulled back, turned his attention to your opened laptop, netflix blinking from the screen. "what we watching? and if you say she's the man again i'm leaving and sleeping in the car."

"i don't know why you pretend to hate it so much, i've caught you grinning at the kissing booth scene." you reached for the laptop and set it on your knee, finger running along the mouse pad as you began to scroll through endless movies and shows. jude shuffled closer to you, pressed his body against yours, his hand propping himself up just behind you, his chin hooking over your shoulder.

"you're a liar."

"so are you. you think i can't see the stuff you watch when you're away. clueless? really?" jude huffed, pushed his face into your neck to hide his smile because you'd totally caught him out. his lips were soft over your skin when he spoke.

"in my defence, i'm a huge paul rudd fan." you only hummed, skin heating up when he turned to pressing kisses over your shoulder, fingers tugging the sleeve of your (his) shirt to give him more space to work with. his kisses were soft and adoring, quiet reminders that he loved you and they caused a riot of flutters in your tummy. he was still watching over your shoulder, gaze trailing over movie options.

he pointed at the screen suddenly. "why don't we watch a horror?"

"are you serious?"

"what? it's nearly halloween and they're better than your sappy romance ones."

"it's so not nearly halloween."

"hush, yes it is. gimme it here, i wanna choose." rolling your eyes you let him take the laptop, hid your smile when he kissed your cheek before shifting away slightly. you reached for the pizza box, pulled a slice free and brought it up to take a bite, holding it in front of jude’s lips only a second later. his eyes didn’t leave the screen as he bit into it but he mumbled a garbled “thanks”, head nodding at the screen.

“what about the purge?”

“if we’re gonna watch a horror you have to at least make it scary.”

“oh that’s how you want it? fine.” he finally glanced at you, or rather the pizza, and his eyebrows bent together. “still think we should have got pineapple.” you glared at him, pulled your slice back when he made to take another bite.

“i don’t like pineapple on pizza.”

“you’ve never even tried it.”

“so? i still know i don’t like it.”

“ridiculous.” he wrapped his fingers light around your wrist to tug your hand towards his face and took an unnecessarily large bite from the pizza, his eyes teasing when you pushed at his arm. “demons or murder?” you only shrugged, settling your head against his shoulder to see the screen a little better, curious what your options were.

“both.” his hum tickled the top of your head and for the next few minutes you were silent, jude searching for a good film while you shared your slices of pizza. your head and heart felt fuzzy when he took the last part of the crust into his hand and kissed the pads of your fingers and you didn’t have to look at him to know he was grinning. three slices in, he had settled on a film.

“you seen sinister?”

“no, i don’t think so.” you peered at the screen, pushing the pizza box on to the floor as you shrugged your shoulders. “looks good.”

“you won’t cry if it’s too scary, will you?”

“shut up, bellingham.” the kitchen light was still on, a little too bright considering there was a soft glow from the bathroom light and you flashed jude a sickly sweet smile. “can you turn that off?”

“can’t do it yourself?” despite his words he was already lifting off the mattress, sock clad feed sliding over the floor and it took all your willpower to keep your eyes on his face and not his bare chest. his joggers were low on his hips and one glance would have you stumbling over your words.

“don’t wanna.”

“scared the bogeyman’s gonna get you from in the cupboards?”

“have i ever told you how annoying you are?”

“he might grab your ankle when you go to the toilet.” he waggled his eyebrows, flicked off the light and made his way back over. you could only glare at him, lips turned into a slight pout because you knew he was trying to scare you and you also knew there would be no way you’d go to the bathroom on your own after watching the film. “maybe he’ll sneak out from under the sink.”

“jude.” your tone was whiney and it only made him laugh, his body bouncing lightly beside yours when he got back to the bed. you’d already pulled the duvet over yourself and settled back on one of the pillows and jude shuffled himself beside you, propped himself up on his elbow and tickled his other hand over your side.

“least nothing can hide under the bed.”

“i hate you.”

“awe baby, c’mon, y’know i’ll save you.” still grinning, he leant down and bumped his nose over yours, kissed the tip of it. “you’re too pretty to die.” your eye roll and shove to his chest brought out an unexpected laugh from him, one that sounded more like a snort and he rubbed his nose against your cheek, splattered kisses over your face. “m’sorry, if you give me a kiss i’ll shut up.”

“you don’t know how to do that.” jude looked at you through his lashes, rubbed a soothing thumb over your ribs, a back and forth motion that made goosebumps scatter over your skin. he stared at you until you huffed a soft laugh, one that tickled his cheek and then your arms were hooking around his neck, one hand flat against his head to pull him down, lips pressing warm over his. he made a soft noise of happiness, a content hum and tilted into you, lowered his elbow so he could brush his thumb over your cheek, trace the curve of your jaw.

you weren’t sure how long you laid there, jude’s fingers soft over your skin, his lips and tongue and teeth teasing and loving all at once but you were breathless and a little lightheaded when you finally managed to pull away from each other. your lips tingled and he brushed his thumb over the bottom one, swiped away the remnants of his kisses.

“the movie.”

“trying to distract me so you don’t have to watch it?”

“y’know, i’m kinda getting the feeling you don’t wanna watch it.”

“i suggested it.”

“can always un-suggest it. we haven’t watched bridget jones’ baby in forever.” jude only rolled his eyes and pushed back up on his elbow, nudged your side lightly.

“shut up and turn around.” your giggle had him fighting a smile as you did as he said, pulling the laptop closer and rolling on to your side. he was quick in settling behind you, chest flush against your back, his foot finding it’s way between yours, hands tugging the duvet up to your shoulders. he was warm and firm, comforting and familiar and you couldn’t stop yourself from nestling back into him, pulling his arm around your body.

“promise you’re not gonna chicken out on me.” you could feel the movement of his chin against the top of your head when he spoke, his breath fanning over your hair. instead of answering you pressed play, threaded your fingers through his and held his hand against your chest. he was quiet for a few minutes, scenes rolling over the screen, scenes that had both of your grimacing, jude’s nose pushing into the back of your head. a huff suddenly tore from him, made you jolt in his hold and then his hand left yours and reached for the laptop, fingers tapping over it.

“okay, no, i’m un-suggesting, this is awful. paul rudd or channing tatum?”

#jude bellingham #jude bellingham x reader #jude bellingham imagine #jude bellingham one shot #jude bellingham fluff #jude bellingham fic #jude bellingham blurb

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sailor-aviator · 2 months

Text

Hey, so...

This is going to be a LONG post, so please bare with me.

I've been doing a LOT of thinking the past week about what fics I'm doing and when. I've made some decisions that some people are probably not going to like, and I completely understand that, but at the end of the day, it's my blog and my time. I know there have been some fics that people have been very excited for, but unfortunately, things change.

As of right now, Til the Summer Comes Again is getting shelved until sometime in November. I love the fic, and I want to finish it, but I do think it'll be a lot more fun to do in the winter considering it's a Jack Frost fic. This past winter was really hectic for me considering I started a new job after being unemployed for a couple of months, and with the stress of all that and the pressure for other fics, it definitely fell by the wayside. The fic idea is something so special to me, which is why I'm shelving it instead of scrapping it altogether. We will see Jack Frost!Bob again in November!

I am also scrapping my Hadestown fic (In Spite of the Way). I'm doing this because it's such a specific story, and unfortunately, I just don't see myself being able to add anything new or interesting to the story at hand. It would just be a complete retelling of the story that's already there, and that's not something that I want to do.

I am also tabling my Studio Ghibli fics. I'm not sure if I'll ever come back to them, but they've been pushed to the side for so long that it just doesn't make sense to have them on my masterlist when it's becoming clear that other things are drawing my interests away. I'd love to re-explore them farther down the line, but for now, Our Hill of Stars and The Word of the Crooked are being taken off my masterlist. Whisper in the Wind I believe will be started come early September or so and be a part of the Autumn lineup.

Now that Meet Me at the Sea is done, my focus is going to be on finishing Fool's Fare and updating the Dagger Posse Universe here and there. Fool's Fare is most likely to be done sometime in April if I had to guess, which means...

It's time to talk the Sailor-Aviator Summer Cinematic Release schedule!

As we all know, I've just announced the MMATS stand-alone sequel: Down By the Bay featuring one Bradley Bradshaw. But what else is coming this summer? Let's talk about it!

There have been a few of you waiting for my Indiana Jones!Jake fic aka Fortune & Glory, and I'm so excited to announce that it is on the roster for this summer! Tune in to follow Jake and Bucket as they try to secure the legendary staff of Moses before the Nazis do!

Next up on the roster is the long-awaited Mafia fic! Titled after the age-old idiom, Two Birds follows the reader as they unwittingly catch the eye of not one, but two mafia bosses, both standing as the dual heads of the Dagger Syndicate. Two Birds is a M x F x M featuring Jake "Hangman" Seresin and Bradley "Rooster" Bradshaw (No Hangster).

I'm hoping to start these fics anywhere from Mid-May to early June, so stay tuned!!

Meanwhile, I will be dedicating some time to the DPU as well, trying to wrap up some fics within that to hopefully have it finished (or down to the last one) by the summer's end.

If you've stuck around this long, I just want to say thank you. Not only for reading this monster of a post, but for continuing to read my work and for following and supporting me through everything! You guys are the best! Until next time~

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acesofspadess · 2 months

Text

Rewind

I definitely published this a bit out of order but bare with me

“Hello Team Niall.” Niall introduced as they all waved and greeted him back. “Well, I've got a bit of news for you. Because of my concert schedule, I actually won't be in town for knockout rehearsals.” Everyone was shocked… and rightfully so. “Because I won't be there, I've chosen another coach to come in and mentor you guys for rehearsal.” Everyone started to freak out wondering who on earth it might be.

“And they have been in your place before so I think they’ve got exactly what you need.”

The scene changed to the all too familiar practice room with an empty directors chairs. The sounds of steps progressively got louder until the special person appeared.

“I'M BACK!”

But let's not get ahead of ourselves. Let's rewind a bit.

~~~~~~

A day or two after The Voice Finale

“Hi I’m Maia Quinn, and I'm the Season 23 winner of The Voice, and we're hanging out with Rob on Front Row Live.”

“Go with me.” Niall moaned into your mouth as you straddled him. “Where?” you question kissing down his neck. “Boston. I know it's last minute and we’d leave in the morning-” you shut him up with a kiss and a roll of your hips, his hands tightening against your thighs. “Just wake me up an hour before we leave.”

Sitting at the desk of you and Niall’s shared hotel room the morning of May 26th you had early interviews to get through before you were meant to go to the festival. You looked over the camera to see Niall already looking at you.

“Maia congratulations. What a night you had a few nights ago.” Rob praised and you smiled adjusting your airpod. “I am super excited for you and your career and your future. Especially because you're starting so young. You have enough time to kind of like, continue to evolve, and understand your voice; learn a lot more about yourself throughout this process. Talk to me about this process of your experience here on the voice and how you've evolved as a vocalist and a performer.” The interview was more than you could ever imagine.

“Now your relationship with Niall this season has had fans going crazy. From the after performance hugs to the duet, and the after party, what can you tell us about that?”

You saw Nialls face peak over the laptop screen and stayed neutral. “Niall has been the most supportive and very encouraging. He has become one of my best friends through this whole journey. I lost a lot of my confidence during the pandemic unfortunately. It made me think that I would never be able to do things that I certainly could do and Niall- all these years later- has been there to remind me that I probably can do them, and then make me do it. So our friendship and relationship has been so important to me. He is my best friend across the charts and he’d hate me for saying this, but I wouldn't be here without him.”

“Last question before we go. Is there anything we can look forward to seeing soon? Maybe another EP?”

You smiled glad you were able to share some information on what was coming next. “All I'll say now is, look for me on stage back home.” you winked dramatically knowing those who would get it would get it.”

“That's amazing, I'll definitely keep my eyes peeled. It was so great having you on. I hope to see you in person soon.”

“Bye!”

``````````````

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User10 i'm actually really happy she won

User2 wait…Slane is in Ireland…..

User6 I just learned she had an EP…. what?!?!?!?

Being at Boston Calling with him

“Boston, Massachusetts, how you doing?” he asked the crowd after he finished ‘Heaven’. The loud response made him smile excitedly. “Holy shit! This is crazy.” you face palmed knowing he was going to slip up sooner or later. “Thank you all so much for coming out to see me. I really appreciate it.” they cheered again as he sipped his water. You watched as he looked at the amount of people and a smile formed on your face.

“This is uhm- this is actually my first ever Festival.” he let out a breath at the realisation. “I've definitely been drunk at a few.” you laughed at him with the rest of the crowd. “But I've never played at any and for that reason I'm absolutely shitting myself.” he said looking at you knowing you would calm him, and him seeing you laugh did just the trick.

“But thank you for being here. I know some of you guys have been queuing for years.” he looked around at the signs “My girlfriend showed me this earlier ‘i travelled four thousand miles to be here from Brazil’ your eyes went wide at the declaration and the deafening screams were present. He subtly looked in your direction and saw your reaction, his worry diminished as he saw you smiling making him smile. “Makes you feel bad from coming just down the road doesn't it? ‘I came from round New York’.” he mocked, “awe who cares.” he laughed with them and you hid a big smile behind your hands.

~~~~

You walked the same route you came flashing your pass when you reached the gate and made your way in to see Niall. When you saw him you squealed and ran over to him. He turned when he heard you and caught you in his arms as you wrapped your legs around his waist and he spun you both around hands on the swell of your bum.

“I'm so proud of you!” you screamed and he laughed before he was kissing you passionately. It was quick as many more pecks through giggles followed. “I can not explain to you how happy i am.” he whispered in shock as you were sitting in the trailer behind the stage and he was getting changed. “You should be so happy, my love. That was incredible, and I am so so proud of you.” he smiled at you before grabbing your hand and kissing the ring on it. “You make me so happy, baby girl.” you melted at his words and stood up to kiss him softly. “And you make me the happiest girl, Ni.”

You surprising Niall at his Zane Lowe interview and him outing you

You knew Niall was disappointed when you told him you wouldn't be able to make it to his Zane Lowe interview today. He was really excited for this one and wanted you to be there. It was only a few days later that you flew from Boston down to LA for the interview. You were working on last minute stuff for the announcement today and you were nowhere close to done when he was getting ready to leave.

“I'm sorry love.” you kissed his pout away as you both stood by the door of his LA house. “I know, it’s okay. I know why you can’t make it, and for that I am so very proud.” he melted his lips against yours as your hands went to the curls on the back of his neck and he wrapped his went straight to your bum.

~~~

Niall was watching Zane play his songs and the guitar with a big smile a few hours after he left. “There are some pretty songs on this record bro.” Zane complimented as he switched playing from ‘The Show’ to ‘You could start a cult’. You who had just made it into the studio to surprise Niall were standing behind the glass watching him, waiting for him to notice.

“Thank you very much.'' He cut through Zanes music. “This one kills me.” Zane admitted as Niall caught on to what he was playing. “Yeah.” he cheered Zane on softly, finally noticing you. You saw his smile widened and you waved softly. “You Could Start A Cult.” he named distractedly, still looking at you as if he looked away you would disappear.

~~~

“Kingdoms fighting over you,” Niall continued. “I think that like they’re the ones- that could have very easily been, ‘ i like waking up beside you and you're my favourite person.” he joked easily. “But ‘you could start a war’.” you shook your head at his lyrical genius. “Do you ever crack yourself up with it?”

‘Yeah it was something silly at first but now everyone's obsessed with it. It started with me and my girlfriend now, when we met we would watch crime shows together over facetime,” he exposed and you chuckled at his laugh.

‘You say girlfriend now, sorry if i'm over stepping but..” zane trailed off

“No,” he shrugged off looking at you, who nodded, “she was not my girlfriend at the time, she is now, is what that meant.”

“So did she not know the song was for her?”

“She didn't know any song was for her- or about her I should say. The road from when we met to now has been a very dark windy tunnel, but we made it to the other end.”

“That's beautiful Niall, truly.” You smiled at him agreeing with Zane.

“This was the last song on the record that we wrote.” Niall confessed, and you wondered why. “Why, what was missing?” and without hesitation he pointed to you, “her.” Zane looked to where he was pointing and you waved happily at him. He waved back to you just as happy before turning to Niall with a face of shock. “No?” he gasped and Niall laughed, throwing his head back. “Yeah, I know. Way out of my league.” he watched you shake your head with an eye roll and he couldn't stop the smile from gracing his face.

“I could’ve gone and did what I did with the rest of the record and put BV’s all over it and strings and that was my plan - and John just said to me- because we we were not talking at the time…” he pointed between you and him, “...this is your message to,” he paused, ‘“ her’ keep it that way. Just you and your guitar and your feelings.”

And while there's much much more… you’ll see that soon

#nialler #cute niall #niall horan x reader #niall horan fluff #niall horan fanfiction #niall horan #niall horan smut #niall fanfic #niall one shot #one direction #solo niall #niall 1d #niall james horan #niall horan fic #niall the show #niall horan x y/n #niall imagine #niall horan x you #the show 2024

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swiftsdelucaa · 1 year

Note

I apologize in advance for the sadness of this request.......

Could I please have a fic where the reader and Andrew DeLuca we're together before he died. A few weeks after his death Carina notices that the reader is showing signs of being pregnant. So she asks her about her symptoms and tells her to take a test. The test is positive and both of them cry. Then Carina promises that she’ll help with her little niece or nephew. And tells her that Andrew would be happy.

❛ 𝑶𝒏 𝒚𝒐𝒖𝒓 𝒔𝒊𝒅𝒆 ❜

𝙋𝙖𝙧𝙞𝙣𝙜: Andrew DeLuca x pregnant!reader ♡

𝘼/𝙣: Okay- yes this was- 😭 But don't worry, here's :')

(I know 💔)

Everything is terrible. What you felt was terrible.

Your body could only shed tears continuously at all those moments where you thought about him, when you were together. You still couldn't understand anything, things were so good, everything was so beautiful. You and Andrew had even come to live together, having him with you every day all the day seemed like a dream. He did everything to make you the happiest girl in this world, it was enough for him to see you smile and everything became more pleasant for him. It was the same for you.

If you think back to the beginning of your relationship, you would never have imagined getting this far, let's say you weren't quite the each other's favorite people.

And now you couldn't imagine a life without him. You could barely be alone when he came home late from work, and now you had to get used to never seeing him again. He died trying to do what he loved the most, saving lives.

You spent the days lying on the bed, holding his pillow and still feeling his scent, as the tears kept coming down from your eyes. You just missed him too much.

The ringing of the bell managed to bring you back to reality. You tried to wipe away your tears and try to look presentable enough, climbed out of bed in one of his hoodies, and headed for the door.

You didn't want to deal with anyone at the moment, hearing another person comfort you or hearing about how amazing Andrew had been would only make your mood worse, but luckily when you opened the door you saw Carina. You got used to having her around by now, she came to see you every day.

"Come in" you told her as she set her purse down on the sofa, turning back to you for a better look. You weren't okay, at all, it was obvious.

"How are you feeling?" you sighed at her question, but you knew she was referring to your health. Yes, for a few days you were starting to feel nauseous, probably from stress or the shock of your body.

"Now I've just an annoying headache, I'm just..." you stopped, unable even to finish the sentence, feeling a strange sensation, your vision became blurred, you lost your balance letting you fall.

"Y/n!" Carina managed to catch you in her arms in time avoiding the impact on the floor. "Can you hear me? Y/n, please!" she laid you down on the sofa, seconds later you had already come to your senses.

"Oh God, you scared me to death" she sighed with relief to see you awake. "Y/n..."

"If you're going to say that it would be better to do tests in the hospital, no... I'm just tired-"

"I actually wanted to talk to you about something else, for a while now, but I didn't know how to tell you..." you stood up sitting up, you noticed a strange expression on her face.

“See, your symptoms exactly mirror those of a pregnancy…” she just wanted to try not to hurt you more as she said it.

"No, that's- I- I'm not" in your mind you were looking for all the possible proofs to deny it, but unfortunately, thinking about it deeply, it all seemed so frighteningly true.

"Nausea, breast enlargement, and now fainting, these are the classic initial symptoms that appear" you looked at her continuing to think deeply. This whole period had completely destroyed you that even pushed you to ignore everything, how is this possible?

Carina walked over to the purse she had set down, pulling something out of it. "That's why I think you need to take a test, at least we'll be sure" she handed it to you, but before taking it you stared at it for a few seconds. A big part of you kept repeating ʼI can'tʼ, but the other part deep down wanted to know, so you made up your mind without thinking twice, and headed for the bathroom.

Every second of waiting killed you more and more, then when the result finally came out you didn't move from there. Carina came in having noticed that you were taking longer than necessary, finding yourself in front of the mirror with a tear running down your cheek and falling near the point where the test with the positive result was placed. She couldn't help to not hold back the tears too, indeed it was her brother, and now it was his baby who would grow up without a father.

"Y/n... okay, look at me" you had no choice but to listen to her.

"You're pregnant. You're gonna have a baby. You have my nephew or niece in your womb, your and Andrew's baby!" her voice broke slightly at the end. You knew this was a wonderful thing, but it scared you so much, what if you weren't able to?

"Without him I can barely face a day, how could I raise his baby? I just want him with me back... I want him with our baby..." the tears kept coming out, but Carina wiped them from your face trying to reassure you.

"Listen to me, I know you miss him a lot, I miss him too, and I know this hurts. Yeah he's not here, but look, I have a beautiful girlfriend, and we'll get married, and now you'll have a baby! Knowing my brother I know he would have been the happiest person in this world, and certainly the best father" you laughed spontaneously at the thought, he loved kids, and kids loved him.

"And I will always be there for you, whenever you need me, I promise you" before you could begin to sob you hugged her tightly.

"You're not alone Y/n" she whispered to you as she wrapped her arms around you making you feel safe.

"Thank you" you said taking deep breaths.

This pregnancy has had its ups and downs, it was demanding, you made a lot of effort to be able to move forward in the best possible way. The beginning was the hardest part, but then when you felt that baby growing inside you and starting to move, you felt indescribable emotions, you couldn't wait to know him. Or her. Yes, you didn't want to know the sex.

Carina had kept her promise, she had been on your side every single second, in pregnancy, in moments of panic, when you felt bad, anything. Sometimes she told you some stories about when she and her brother were little, you liked listening to them, even if often she repeated how many tantrums Andrew threw, hoping your baby won't inherit, but you amused.

Then when the birth time came it seemed like you couldn't figure anything out anymore. When your waters broke you were in a restaurant with Carina, and, continuing to remain calm, she helped you get into the car, doing as soon as possible to get to the hospital, while you could only scream in pain excruciating that had taken over your whole body. You almost thought you couldn't make it, it hurt so much, and when they laid you on the bad you felt an enormous need to push. Carina told you over and over to wait, but this stupid baby was stubborn.

But when that moment comes, everything ceases to exist for you, there's only the sound of crying that marks the birth of a new life, and it literally melts your heart.

"It's a boy!" Carina exclaimed as she took him. She checked him for a moment and then finally placed him between your arms.

"He's... perfect" there were no right words, you kept looking at your son with a smile and shining eyes.

"Yes he is" Carina sat next to you.

"Damn. Look at him. It's a baby Andrew" you approached him to gently kiss his forehead, enveloping you in that perfume.

"He has his eyes" Carina added while you both you soften more and more at the sight of him. It could have lasted forever, today you would have promised to yourself that you'd done anything to give your son a wonderful life.

#andrew deluca #andrew deluca x reader #andrew deluca imagine #greys anatomy #grey's anatomy #greys anatomy x reader #greys anatomy imagine #y/n #fanfics #my writing #requests #this literally breaks you

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f1amboyant · 5 months

Note

engineer!carlos 👁️👁️👁️ AND PRINCE X THIEF HELLO ????????

HI bestie!! ❤️

Engineer!Carlos is my beloved, I've talked about it a bit here and here if you're interested. I have a plot, now I need to write it 🫣

As for the prince x thief 🫣 @drspleenmeister saw this and put that idea inside my head and now I can't get it out. So now we're working on a fic where prince of monaco!Charles hooks up on multiple occasions with philantropist!Carlos. Except Carlos is an art thief and Charles is about to find out his secret 🫢

Charles delicately picks up a flute of champagne and sips at it as he observes the reception hall. Conversations run smoothly, a comforting white noise in the background, as people dressed to the nines mingle all around the decorated room. Wealth glints all over the walls, pieces of art everywhere, and on the table with expensive and delicate food. Also very very expensive wines and champagnes. Charles should be used to it by now but it’s a little bit too much in his opinion. They are raising money for a great cause tonight. Flaunting their wealth shouldn’t be such an important part of the process.

He sighs. It is what it is, unfortunately.

He sips again at his champagne. He is such a lightweight. It’s barely his second glass (okay, maybe third he isn’t so sure anymore), and the bubbles already fizzle in his brain. Maybe it’s why his stomach swoops all of a sudden.

(It was absolutely nothing to do with the man he just noticed across the room.)

He spots the broad shoulders clad in a perfectly tailored suit and the perfectly coiffed hair that can only belong to one man.

Charles downs his glass, gives it back to a waiter just to pick two more from the tray, and makes his way across the room. He smoothly sidles up to the man, standing side by side with him and oh so casually handing him the second glass.

“Mr. Sainz,” Charles greets him, so so casually, sipping at his new glass to avoid looking over to Sainz. “Such a pleasure to see you here, again.”

“The pleasure is all mine, my prince,” Sainz answers smoothly, Spanish accent thick.

Charles will deny to his death what that accent does to him, what that little nickname does to his guts and heart. He hides the shiver that runs through him and rolls his eyes for good measure.

“It’s Your Serene Highness,” he corrects (for the hundredth time probably).

“But you’re a prince,” Sainz fires back, “why would I call you anything else?”

Charles can see the hint of a smile at the corner of his eyes. He rolls his eyes even more.

“You are so annoying, Carlos,” he sighs – it’s even more annoying that he can’t quite keep the fondness out of his voice and if it lasts longer, he might start to giggle, he is so pathetic. “We haven't been seeing you in the Principality for quite some time, no?”

Carlos finally turns toward him and Charles cannot help but look back.

Bad idea, bad bad idea.

A single eyebrow rises on Carlos’ forehead, almost tickling with the black strand of hair falling over his eyes. Perfect eyebrow, on a perfect face, all dark eyes and sharp jawbones and plush (and kissable) lips. Charles wants to roll his eyes again. Or kiss that perfect face.

He feels his cock swelling in his pants. Fuck.

“I had some business to take care of. Nothing to worry about,” Carlos says with an infuriatingly sexy wink.

That wink does something to Charles’ belly. The word ‘business’ too, but for an entirely different reason. His suspicions lurk at the back of his mind.

“What is your business exactly? Stealing art?” he can't help but ask. He hopes it sounds casual, like a joke.

(He is deathly afraid it's the truth).

“My oh my, stealing, that’s a wild accusation. Who said anything about stealing?”

Charles frowns.

“The first time we met, a painting got stolen.”

Carlos quirks an eyebrow. Charles keeps talking.

“The second time in Madrid, another painting got stolen. And it happened again in Milan and in Paris last year.”

“I didn’t know you remembered all our times together." Carlos smiles. "Because you realize we were together every time these art pieces got stolen, right?”

Charles tries not to blush. He fails. He remembers those nights vividly.

“It’s a lot of coincidences, don’t you think?”

“The world is full of coincidences, my prince.”

Charles drinks the rest of his flute to be brave.

“Yes, coincidences. But you know art. You knew that first painting was a fake. Even though it took the expert almost an hour to be sure, with a lot of instruments and tests.”

Carlos doesn’t say anything, just smiles wider and wider.

“I had a hunch.”

“Or maybe you knew something. Because you did steal the real one.”

Again, Carlos just smiles. Charles is both really turned on and pissed that he was right. Or maybe he’s wrong and Carlos is playing with him. He doesn’t know. It’s infuriating. It’s sexy and he wants to kiss Carlos so so badly.

“If it is true,” he says slowly, “please refrain from stealing anything tonight.”

“Oh I don’t know. All this shiny wealth all around. I might be tempted to do something. After all, according to his serene highness, I am a mastermind thief.”

Charles rolls his eyes.

“Maybe I need a distraction,” Carlos adds smoothly.

Charles feels something press into his palm and he instinctively closes his fingers around it. It’s a key. He knows exactly where it leads. He could walk to this particular apartment with his eyes closed.

His pants are getting impossibly tighter.

“Yes,” Charles says, all red, trying to hide the evidence of his arousal. “Maybe you do.”

He steps away before he does something stupid (like pop a boner in the middle of the big reception hall, or kiss Carlos). And worst of all, he can almost see Carlos smirk at his back, that smug bastard.

#charlos #wip #writing #prince charles x thief carlos

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pascaloverx · 5 months

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Invisible Bonds: The Power of Destiny

Author's Note: This fanfic contains possible strong language and explores themes of unconventional love. The relationship between the protagonists will be handled with sensitivity, without explicit scenes.

chapter five chapter seven

Chapter Six

"Finally, the rest of the group arrived. We were starting to think you guys had lost your way to Hoseok's house." Namjoon speaks as he sets the dining table; it seems like it wasn't just you and Jungkook who brought something to eat. You smile somewhat awkwardly, still thinking about how Taehyung spoke to you and Jungkook a few minutes ago.

"Y/N was the one responsible for our delay; she insisted that we should bring something to eat and made me change my clothes as if you all deserved to see me at my best." Jungkook jokes. You remove one of the hands that were holding the pie and playfully hit his arm. The others find it amusing, and you feel a bit embarrassed.

"So, where can I leave this pie? My arm is already sore." You say, trying to shift the focus to something else.

"You came with two people, and none of them offered to help you? How ungentlemanly of both of you." Haewon says, getting up from the sofa where she was sitting. She takes the pie from your hands, gives Taehyung a kiss, and heads to the kitchen.

"So, how has it been for you two being connected to each other? Fun? Horrible? Frustrating?" Jin asks as he sits in a chair facing you and Jungkook. Taehyung takes advantage of being out of the spotlight and sits on the sofa, leaving just you and Jungkook to be interrogated.

"It's been an adventure, good and different. Like now, I know you're making her rethink if it was a good idea to come here, and I don't even need to ask her that." Jungkook replies, giving a disapproving look to Jin.

"That doesn't prove anything; I know that too, and it doesn't make me her soulmate. I mean, who would want to spend the afternoon with six idiots and Haewon?" Yoongi speaks from the dining room, and you let out a light laugh.

"Sure, I have to work while you live a romance? Nothing against you, Y/N, but that's exactly why I gave up on my soulmate." Yoongi remarks.

"Stop talking nonsense; anyone can focus on work and have a soulmate. You gave up on yours because you were afraid of how you'd feel. Meanwhile, I'm here waiting for my soulmate to come and make my days happy." Hoseok responds. Unfortunately, Yoongi gave up on his soul connection, while Hoseok has been waiting for his for years. A soulmate shaman even told our poor Hoseok that his soulmate probably gave up on the connection.

"In that, I have to agree with Hoseok. I've already found my soulmate, and I continue working." Jin adds.

"It depends on whether you can stay away from your soulmate or not, which reminds me, I have to go find mine. To the newest couple, my blessings, and to the newlyweds…" Jimin was about to continue speaking but noticed that Haewon and Taehyung hadn't gotten married.

"I'll give you a ride; I need to buy more coffee. And don't destroy my house, have fun. While I'm away, Namjoon is in charge." Hoseok says as he leaves with Jimin.

"Speaking of Namjoon, I'll help him set the table. Jungkook, can you help me take off this coat?" You ask Jungkook as you try to remove the coat on your own. He quickly comes to assist you. His cold hand touches your back, sending shivers down your spine. You murmur a "ouch" as he takes off your coat, and he notices that it's because of the coldness of his hands.

"Stop being so sensitive; I barely touched you, love." Jungkook says, taking your coat off completely and placing it on the coat rack. Before you head to the dining room, Jungkook gives you a kiss on the cheek. You then head to the dining room. Helping Namjoon will clear your mind, not to mention that you feel the need to talk to someone with experience about soulmates.

"I feel like you didn't come to help me for nothing, so go ahead and open up." Namjoon says as soon as you enter the dining room. You're surprised, but you remember that he often knows things you didn't even think to question.

"When did you discover your soulmate, and how long did it take for you to know you felt something genuine for them?" You ask, curious and a bit apprehensive. Namjoon stops what he's doing and looks at you.

"Y/N, uncertainty about your feelings and their enormity will be with you all the time. Whether it's real or not doesn't really matter. Are you happy?" Namjoon asks. Before answering, you look at Jungkook, who is in the living room talking to Yoongi. He smiles so genuinely that you feel like your heart is going to burst.

"Possibly, I feel light. As if I could share my life with someone. Sharing my life with someone, especially someone like Jungkook, feels like a weight lifted off my shoulders. Despite the uncertainties, there's a warmth in my heart that makes every moment worthwhile." You speak so unexpectedly that even you surprise yourself. Perhaps you're letting your heart do more of the talking.

"So allow yourself to feel that, without overthinking if it's the connection or just you. In life, moments where we feel complete are rare. If you feel that way, savor this moment." Namjoon says, embracing you as if he wants to comfort you.

"Even if it means letting go of something that is very dear to me?" You ask genuinely, knowing that embracing your feelings for Jungkook means leaving behind your romantic feelings for Taehyung.

"I think you know the answer to that question, but I can tell you that sometimes life closes one door so that a better one can open. I trust that you will make the right choice." Namjoon says, gently patting your head, and you feel like he kind of understands what you're talking about. You and Namjoon then call everyone to eat, and you think that maybe Namjoon is right. Life is closing one opportunity to open up a better opportunity for my future happiness.

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korodere · 4 months

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new year new... idk

haven't made a proper new years post in a while. i think this year kinda earned one.

tw: death, suicide, and so on

so... 2023.

where do i start?

a lot of good. and way, way more bad. but i don't want to lose sight of all the good because of it.

for the first time after knowing these guys for over a decade, i met my best friends nate, kathy, and kai in real life. spent over a week together with them, went to a con, got to share a bed with them the whole time, and force nate to eat a bunch of american food.

but. a month later, kai killed herself. and i'm still dealing with that. probably will be for the rest of my life. she was my best friend, i would call her my soulmate, my sister. she meant the world to me. i wish i could've spent every day of the rest of our lives like we spent that week in DC. i regret all the things i didn't do yet with her. all the things i couldn't do for her, to help her.

i miss her. a lot. i've just gotten to point finally, after she passed on aug 28, where just the thought of her doesn't make me spiral into misery and cut myself. i still get the feeling sometimes---i travelled again for the first time since our trip to DC, to see my childhood best friend graduate, and the entire plane ride was miserable. i just thought of her the whole time, because the last time i'd been on a plane was to see her, and then to leave her. and i kept thinking about how much i fucking wished i could've taken her back to vegas with me. she joked about it, when they dropped me off the airport, got out of the car and pretended like she was leaving with me. i wish she could have.

she made the year really stressful. from her new relationship to the constant troubles that came with it, to her psych ward visit, and then her constant attempts. over and over. and i had to keep stopping her, fighting with her. found out her whole philosophy on suicide---that it's her body her choice, and therefore anyone not wanting her to kill herself is being selfish, and that it was just a difference in philosophy. it was difficult. the conversations i had with her, i didn't want anyone else to hear. unfortunately it all spilled out, and then she took her own life.

i would've dealt with that for the rest of our lives if i had to, though. if it meant i could still talk to her, to see her again. i would've foiled her suicide attempts and argued with her and fought with her about it until we both grew old if i had to. i wouldn't have had to, i hope. but it was hard to convince her that there was any life to live other than this, for her. that she wouldn't feel this way forever.

it was a difficult year, if not for that already, but on top of that i was still dealing with the aftermath of a bad, drawn out breakup. so while trying to help her, i was barely able to help myself cope and move on from that---the fights and the shitty words and feelings. i felt pretty close to trying to attempt myself, last year. i'm better now. back on my medication. and while my self-harm is still an issue, it hasn't been for a couple months. its still on my mind, though. not always but a lot of the time.

i've been struggling pretty badly with feeling like i don't have a place in the world. worsened by the obvious, you know. i place a lot of my self and identity on the people around me---so who am i if not his boyfriend, if not kai's best friend? so much of my self-perception revolved around them.

there was a good month or two where i sort of just like... didn't want to exist, or accomplish anything. it's hard to describe but i felt like---why bother with transitioning? why bother with top surgery? HRT? legal documents? all that? if she's not here. i was her best friend, and she was always so proud and happy for me when i made progress---when i started growing a stache, she'd point it out everytime we video called and say "ooh, you look like a man, so handsome", or the more common, "you look like a fag". when my voice started dropping a bit, she noticed. it dropped even more this past month. i wish she could hear it.

this is certainly nsfw, but it makes sense in the context of our relationship (she was always very openly sexual around me, and vice versa. it was just part of our dynamic), but when we met up in july, i let her do... a lot of things lol. including suck on my nipple. which, yea, sounds weird, but it made sense for us. i told her now she had to live long enough to see me get top surgery, so she could test out if i still had enough feeling in my nipples. she said she would. so, for a while after she died, i felt like... i can't? or, why should i? if she won't be there, for me. if she won't be there to see my results.

it's really hard, thinking things like that. i'm struggling to not start crying right now. which is a miracle, honestly, i haven't been able to cry as much since i started T and yet because of her i've cried more in the past few months than i have in the year and a half since i started T.

i really miss her. i wish we could've done more, together. the week i spent with her felt like what i'd wanted my life with her to be for years. nearly a decade. you know, you grow up a mentally ill teen on the internet with all your most important friendships being these long distance people you've never met irl, and you talk and talk about what your life could be if you all lived nearby. and then for one week, that's what my life was. and i've never been happier in my life, genuinely. i wanted that to be my life, forever. it felt so comfortable and easy; i've notoriously had some bad anxiety issues about meeting up irl with people for the first time, i sort of shut down and go non-verbal, struggle to socialize or talk. but with her, kathy, and nate---i felt none of that. none of it. everything was so easy. i wasn't anxious or scared or anything.

i loved being with them. i loved doing mundane things like shopping at walmart and target with them while they pushed me around in the shopping cart. loved going to hot topic and picking out clothes with them. loved seeing the barbie movie in theaters opening week with them. going to a convention with them, something id' wanted for so long, because conventions are such a big part of my life and all i'd ever wanted was to share it with them. we cosplayed together. i put kai in my mikan cosplay, it fit her so well. when we went to the danganronpa meetup at otakon, she fit the part so easily even though she was kinda nervous. i still look at the pictures.

she really was a perfect mikan. nate was junko, you can see him on the right there, i was komaeda, and kathy was chiaki. it fit us all so well. i wish we could do it again.

it's been hard to wear my mikan cosplay again, after that. knowing she wore it.

i miss her a lot. but i'd be remiss to not mention that despite how awful this year was, i am hoping for a lot better in the upcoming one, and i'm going to make it so. and i know last time ifelt this way, a pandemic suddenly happened and things got worse, but i'm really gonna try, lol.

so what do i hope for, this year?

i'm going to see kathy & nate again, mark my words. i already have plans to see kathy in february and i'm going to enjoy myself the best of my ability, even if it'll be hard to be in her house again, considering the last time i was was when kai was there, too.

i want to get my passion for art back, and i think i'm already on my way to it. i want to get back into painting, both digitally and physically. and to draw with emotion rather than the intention to just make something pretty people will like.

back to the gym. rather stereotypical, but i gained a lot of weight after kai passed, and i want to get back in shape now.

drawing more things im passionate about rather than making myself stuck fixated on one interest.

top surgery. i wanna figure it out. even if i cant get it this year, i want to figure out what i need to do it.

a job hopefully. of some kind. just want to feel more stable money-wise if i can.

im just going to do things that ive wanted to do for a long time. im gonna stop putting it off. and just do it. because the time will pass anyways. so i want to do it now.

happy new year, everyone.

#kota.txt

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achitka · 3 months

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Doors (Chapter 47) Meanwhile

Hello.

So as the title of this chapter says... meanwhile...

Just needed to catch up with a few folks I've lost track of... Anyway, Alma is tired. Bruno is just being Bruno. Mira just can't seem to shut out her intrusive thoughts. Bubo's Tío is not at all sure he's making the right decision and Isabela is a bit miffed, being the oldest is such a pain sometimes.

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

Meanwhile...

Alma was now sitting by herself as Rodrigo was speaking with José a few meters away. Julieta’s handling of the newcomers had been just about flawless. When she told her about Doris’s reaction to being unknowingly magically healed, Alma agreed with her daughter’s assessment that the Doctor should be there. Spending the entire day in the plaza handing out pieces of herself was something Alma never appreciated how wearing it was for her daughter. Though she doubted Julieta would ever deny anyone healing, it was a good thing that she was learning to better assess whether people truly needed her magical help.

Casita clattered some floor tiles near Julieta, and Alma looked toward her daughter. The house just said that Tuli had fainted and could she please come to Luisa’s room. Her daughter looked up toward the balcony as she put the photos she was holding back on the table, and she and Agustín headed toward the stairs. Tuli, Alma noted, had been very withdrawn during dinner. Hardly eating and barely taking her eyes off her Tío. Pepa was gone and Bruno had finished looking at the pictures and was now back in the chair he vacated earlier.

Bruno pulled his chair closer as he watched his sister leave and asked her quietly, “Something happen?”

Alma leaned closer and said, “Tuli has fainted, and Juli is going to check on her.”

Bruno nodded and said, ��Then she’s in good hands. Ummm, Mamá there’s a photo over there… ”

Alma thought she knew which one he was talking about and asked gently, “The one of the little boy?”

Bruno nodded and Alma said, “It is a picture of my hermanito. He unfortunately passed during an outbreak of cholera when he was almost two. He was the only boy, and my mother wanted at least one picture of him.”

Bruno sat back for a moment then nodded. Alma realized she’d never shared with her children why they were named the way they were. Because they had been forced to flee the night they were born, Alma had relied on the conversations she and Pedro had had before they were born to decide what she would call them. She noticed Bruno was pulling at the sleeve of his ruana. He obviously hadn’t quite gotten over his overuse of his Gift earlier in the day. He looked over at Rodrigo and José and asked, “So, did they say how long they will be in town?”

“Rodrigo said he plans to stay for several weeks. He wants to interview people about what he called the thousand-day war. I am not sure about José, though. Probably a few weeks at best.”

“You think he’ll let Tuli stay here. I don’t think she’d do well any place else.”

“I agree, however, he is her guardian, so we have to respect his decision.”

“I know, I’m just worried she’ll try something desperate.”

Alma nodded and looked past him when Agustín returned. He went over and spoke briefly with José. Rodrigo said something and took the photos José was holding, and left with Agustín in the direction of the stairs. Camilo’s door opened and he and Mirabel came out of his room. Alma got up as Pepa returned and Rodrigo came over as well. He handed the photos to Pepa, thanked them for dinner, then asked them to let José know he would wait for news about Tuli back at the camp. Rodrigo’s non-reaction to this made Alma think this was something that had happened more than once in the past. She noticed Luisa came out of her room at a normal speed, so was probably headed for the kitchen to fetch something for Julieta. Alma headed for the stairs and Pepa caught up after putting away the other photos and grabbing the box. Bruno had already gone somewhere else, that made Alma think that he was trying to ward off a vision, or maybe he just went to the kitchen.

Reaching the top, Alma felt exhausted and gripped the wall for support.

Pepa was now right next to her and asked, “You alright, Mamá? You look a little pale.”

Alma nodded, paused and then shook her head. “I am feeling a bit tired, Pepita.”

Since her illness, Alma was learning she needed to take the Doctor’s warnings about her health very seriously. She took the arm that her daughter offered, and after a moment, they headed toward Luisa’s room. Mirabel and Camilo were lingering there, so Pepa shooed them further down the hall as Luisa returned with a basin and some towels. She came out and joined them as the front door opened. Isa and Bubo came in and headed directly toward the back stairs. Luisa met them and had Bubo go into her room, then once Isabela joined them, they all went to Mirabel’s room to wait for Julieta. Some tiles shifted nearby, and Mirabel said, “The Doctor’s here.”

Dolores appeared in Mira’s room shortly after that, and went to the window where Isabela was standing. Alma hoped her nieta’s date went well, since she’d been so looking forward to it. Bubo Márquez was probably the furthest sort of person Alma would have thought Isa would be interested in, but Alma had to admit, she liked the young man. Isa leaned into Dolores and asked her prima a question, and Dolores replied something very softly. When Isa asked her another question, Dolores nodded, and Isa frowned before giving her prima’s arm a squeeze, then turned and plopped onto the sofa nearby. Dolores remained at the window and sat on the bench watching something outside. Probably Mariano. Alma had concluded that Dolores knew that neither Mariano nor Isabela had wanted the relationship she’d pushed them into, but was unable to say anything. The signs had been there, but Alma had been blind to the obvious for too long.

Luisa picked up a book off a shelf and draped herself over the arms of the overstuffed chair and started reading. Pepa left with Camilo to get the tray in his room and make a snack for Tuli. Pepa mentioned that she’d noticed Tuli had hardly touched her food and thought that could be a part of what had caused Tuli to faint. Mirabel was lingering near the door and Alma indicated she should come with her toward her room, and Mira reluctantly followed.

“This will only take a moment,” Alma said, “I just wanted to let you know that you are doing a wonderful job of looking after Tuli. I can see it was the right decision to put her in your care.” Mirabel’s worried expression faded, and she smiled. Alma gave Mirabel a hug as she added, “I’m going to bed now. I’m sure Tuli is alright, your Tía mentioned she thought Tuli was not eating enough, so she went to make her a snack. Did studying with Camilo go well?”

“Oh yeah, we got through all of it. So, he should do well for his testing tomorrow.”

“That is good news. Good night, Mirabel.”

“Good night, Abuela. So, you want the door shut?”

Alma nodded, so Mirabel left and closed the door behind her. Alma sat on her bed. She’d already decided whatever it was that was bothering her nieta was tied to the breaking, so when Valentina commented on that as she was measuring her for the new clothes, Alma paid attention. She told Alma about how Mira was blindly stacking cookies in her kitchen and was so focused on that task that she was oblivious to everything around her. Valentina was of the mind that after living with their nieta for almost a year, she did not think Mira had come to terms with Casita dying the way that it did. It wasn’t guilt that it had happened, though that was a small part of it, but more the guilt that she’d so ‘easily’ set aside that sorrow to help her family. Fear that it could happen again if she wasn’t hyper-vigilant. This was what was making Mirabel anxious and Casita somewhat unpredictable. Julieta had mentioned that Mira’s sleepwalking was always tied to her anxiety, and Alma could see that anxiety was very tied to herself. Her relationship with Julieta’s youngest child, since the breaking, she thought had been improving. But appearances could be deceiving, and Mirabel seemed reluctant to tell anyone what was bothering her.

Alma realized that Mira was dealing with her loss in a way not unlike what she had done. She’d pushed Pedro’s loss so far down that there was barely enough of her old self left to raise her three babies. She understood how hard it could be to control those parts of yourself. She’d only just gotten settled into her own routines when her children were given their Gifts. This, once again, threw her world into chaos. Alma realized she should have been more willing to ask for help dealing with that new reality, but instead she doubled down. Wanting, no needing, to control everything to keep her babies from harm. Valentina also told Alma in no uncertain terms that she needed to give Mira time and maybe help her find a way to grieve for the loss of her best friend. She was concerned for Mirabel and admonished Alma to not overwhelm the girl with petty day-to-day things.

Alma changed into her bed clothes and Casita turned down the lights as she sat with a blanket in the rocking chair near the window. She was still tired but knew she would not be able to sleep yet, so she looked out over the town as she rubbed the locket she was holding. She did not open it, doing so would only lead to that remembered sadness. Alma paused and thought, perhaps this was what people had been trying to tell her… she looked down at her hands and popped open the latch. Valentina was a very perceptive woman and also added that Alma, too, needed to deal with her own loss if she was going to be able to help Mirabel with hers. She stared at Pedro’s beautiful face and said, “Tomorrow, I will take our children through that yellow door and share the joy you gave me on that day.” In her mind, she saw her husband smile, and this made Alma smile too.

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

Mirabel closed her Abuela’s door and quickly went back to her own to see if anything was happening outside of Luisa’s room. She did not want to impose on Dolores just because she was curious. She was still getting used to being ‘in charge’ of anything and knew her prima would tell her if she’d heard something she really needed to know. Isa looked worried as she stared out the window. When they were washing dishes, her sister had said that she and Tuli had a good talk while they were working in the fields. Tuli, it seemed, wanted to learn French because she planned to go to France one day to learn ballet. Isa had offered to teach her what she knew since she learned some French from Abuela when she was younger. Mirabel had learned what Isa knew by lurking in the background during her lessons. Sometimes being invisible had its little perks.

Casita shuffled a tile nearby and Mirabel stepped further back into her room and then heard Luisa’s door open. The Doctor, her mother and Tuli’s Tío came into the hall. The door closed, so Bubo must still be in there. She couldn’t hear what they were saying, but what no one knew, except possibly Dolores, was that when Mirabel put a hand on any flat surface, Casita could and would talk to her. It was really just a series of thumps, and Mira always had to really concentrate to understand any of it. Tuli’s Tío, aside from looking mildly irritated, was listening closely to what the Doctor was telling him.

While Casita relayed what was being said, Mirabel knew this was totally eavesdropping, but she just had to know. When she’d given Tuli the Rosary earlier, she felt that disturbing wave of hopelessness she’d noticed before. Tuli needed something and Mirabel was very worried about her honorary hermanita. She needed to think of a way to help her, but she didn’t have a clue as to how she should go about that. She looked over at Luisa, who was watching her from over her book. Mirabel smiled, and her sister cocked an eyebrow at her. Luisa noticed so much more than anyone gave her credit for. She was a lot like their Mamá in that way.

The conversation in the hall had ended, and Dolores moved away from the window and pulled at Luisa’s sleeve. Her sister got up and followed their prima into the hall. As they passed her, Luisa gave her a look that told Mira she knew she was up to something. Mirabel watched them and saw her mother waving to her, so Mira came out of her room to join her sister. Dolores was headed back toward her room and smiled at Mira as she passed her. Mirabel reached her mother and sister and her Mamá said, “Mira, Tuli will be spending tonight in Luisa’s room, so can you head up to the tower and find a nightgown and some clothes for tomorrow?”

Mira nodded and started for the tower stairs. As she neared the top, she realized a light was already on and thought, that's weird. She came into the room to find her Tío Bruno perched atop a mess of once neatly folded clothes, holding a small bundle. He had his eyes closed but did not have his hood up, so probably not a sponty, but she was curious as to what he was doing there. Mirabel couldn’t see everything he had, but it all appeared to be folded neatly. Her Tío had been acting a bit odd since before supper, but maybe he would explain, so she asked tentatively, “Tío?”

Bruno’s eyes popped open, and he said, “Mira! Just the sobrina I was hoping to run into!” His tone sounded unusually restless.

“Okay… ”

He waved for her to come closer, so Mirabel did, and she asked, “You okay Tío?”

“Never better,” he said as if he were not sitting atop a table with clothing piled up beneath him. The silence stretched and Mira said, “Tío, I’m supposed to… ” she pointed to the clothes her uncle was sitting on, and he responded, “I know,” and held out the bundle.

Mirabel took it and asked, “What’s this?”

“Clothes… nightgown… Antonio picked them out,” his said earnestly.

Well, that was why she’d come up there, still… “Isn’t Antonio in bed?” Mirabel asked.

“Yes.”

He said nothing else, and it was still not an answer. Mirabel noticed his hands were twitching a bit as he pulled at the cuffs of his new ruana. He’d already pulled a few threads loose, and Mira resisted the urge to find a pair of scissors.

“Thanks, Tío,” Mirabel said as she started to turn but stopped and looked at him again and asked, “You're sure you’re doing okay?”

He didn’t move for a moment, just stared through her, then abruptly nodded. Mirabel tilted her head and was met with silence, so she headed toward the stairs. As she reached the bottom, she pulled up short to keep from running into her Papá who was carrying a somewhat large box.

“I see your mother has you running errands too, Corazón," he said as she fell into step with him.

Mirabel nodded and said, “Just went to get Tuli some clothes for tomorrow.” Mirabel was somewhat concerned for her Tío and said, "Ummm Pá … Tío Bruno was… ummm… you know, never mind.”

Her Father nodded, but it was clear he was curious. They reached Luisa’s room and Mira knocked, and waited until Casita opened the door for them. Her father looked around, and her mother shrugged at his unspoken question. He set the box inside the door, then left the room, closing the door behind him. Mira noticed then that only her mother, Tuli and Luisa were here, and Mira wondered where Isa, Bubo and his Tío went. She put down her bundle and leaned back into the door with her hands behind her. Casita started telling her something that caused Mirabel to involuntarily let out a bark of laughter. Everyone was now looking at her, so Mira quickly scrunched her hands in front of herself and smiled weakly. Luisa was again looking at her with suspicion, her mother just rolled her eyes, while Tuli just looked confused.

Her mother waved her over, and Mira retrieved the bundle as she stepped away from the door. Tuli got off the bed and Mira handed Tuli the package and said, “There’s a nightgown and some fresh clothes for tomorrow. Luisa usually gets up pretty early, so heads up for that.”

Her mother gave her a look and Mirabel resisted the urge to run into the hall, but her mother then turned to Tuli and said, “Get some rest, and we’ll see how you're feeling in the morning. The school will be reopening tomorrow and since you’ll be staying for a while, Mira will be going with you to get you registered.”

“Will Antonio be going?”

“Yes, but he is in a lower grade.”

“Oh,” Tuli replied and nodded.

“Get some sleep, you’ve had an exciting day, and tomorrow will be too,” her mother said, and to Luisa her mother added, “There are some extra pillows and blankets in the box.”

Luisa nodded and said, “Thanks, Mamá.”

Her mother nodded as she handed Luisa a small bottle, giving her instructions on how it should be used. She said goodnight, then gave them both a hug saying, “Buenas noches, dulces sueños, hijas.”

Tuli was clutching her stuffed rat and had a curious smile, as if she was remembering something pleasant. Mirabel started when her mother tugged at her shirt, and Mira left with her. She looked over the rail and saw Isa sitting in the courtyard with their father. He had his arms crossed and Isa was mirroring his position in the chair across from him. Her mother looked down at the pair and sighed. She turned to Mira, saying, “I think it’s time you headed for bed as well, Mira. We’ll discuss what’s needed to get Tuli registered tomorrow.” Mirabel reluctantly looked away and back at her mother, who added, “I am also going to ask you to not listen in on private conversations, Mira, however tempting it may be.”

Mirabel shrunk in on herself a little and nodded in reply. How did she know that? Mira thought. Her mother noticed her chagrin as she took Mira’s face in her hands and said after she kissed the top of her head, “I know you don’t mean any harm, Corazón. Good night, Mira. Dulces sueños.”

“Good night, Mamá,” Mirabel replied, then headed to her room. She’d been found out already. Though she wondered how her mother knew, she figured it was probably something the prior Casita was capable of. Which made her wonder if perhaps her mother had used that as well. She did tend to turn up at the most random times… usually when Mirabel and Camilo were planning something prankish. Well, she supposed, it really was just eavesdropping and being nosey would surely lead to trouble. Mirabel changed into her nightgown and pulled on her robe. Casita turned down the lights as she sat on the window seat and looked out at the town. For so many years, she’d been an outsider in her own community. Now she was smack in the middle of everything.

There was always the underlying feeling she just shouldn’t be in charge of anything. Mirabel really had forgiven her abuela for a lot of what happened after discovering the underlying cause of it all, and she just couldn’t find it within herself to hold a grudge. She was genuinely happy to see her family back together, with actual hope for their futures.

She pulled her robe tighter when an errant breeze blew in. She felt unusually calm, so decided it was probably for the best that Camilo had managed to get her to admit she was still having problems with the breaking. He let her ramble and blubber for a little bit, then had her laughing about the ways Casita would often aide and abet them with their shenanigans. She thought about what she wanted to do tomorrow. Breakfast, then getting Tuli ready to start school, go to her abuelos shop and help with the sewing, go see the twins, and thank them for their work on the costumes… there was something else she was forgetting. She concentrated on that, but it was not coming back to her, so she let her thoughts wander as she watched the lights in town going out one by one.

Mirabel’s eyes drifted up… she could just see the edge of the tower from here, and she thought about the doors up there. It was for certain that they were all tied to her abuela, none had existed prior to her going up there that first day. Maybe they were remnants of the first Casita and Mira thought, it would be wonderful if they were. A lot of the materials used to build this house came from the old, though, her Casita still insisted they did not know where they originated. When she thought about it, that made sense, since there were lots of things about her own mother she didn’t know, nor had she bothered to ask.

She watched some fireflies as they flitted in and out of sight. Mira decided she was going to need to figure out exactly how she and Tuli were related. She was curious what her Abuela’s sister was like. Bubo’s Tío called Rodrigo primo, but she was not sure if that was by marriage or what. She was going to need to talk to Bubo, or maybe she could get Isa to ask. She was also curious as to how Antonio had picked out Tuli’s clothes. She was pretty sure Antonio had been in bed the entire time Tuli had been with Luisa.

She smiled as she thought of Antonio’s enthusiasm to learn how to speak to the bugs of the Encanto. Bubo had shown him and Tuli the best way to catch them, and Antonio was a little disappointed he wasn’t able to understand them. He still wanted to talk to them but said it was just too hard. Mira wasn’t sure if that was because he hadn’t figured it out or if it was because he would need to practice… a lot. He commented that Tuli was a bit of a scaredy-cat but was getting braver all the time. That said a lot coming from her primo. He was quiet but tended to be a bit blunt.

“Casita?” The tiles near the window shuffled and Mira asked, “Do you think Tuli’s going to be okay? I’m really worried about her. Sometimes... I can feel a hopelessness, and I know her Tío said she can stay… I just hope nothing happens that would change his mind.” The house tiles moved again, and Mira sighed and added, “No, it wouldn’t be right, so please don’t do that.” More tiles moved and Mira said a little more forcefully, “Seriously, Casita, don’t do that. Promise?” there was a short silence, then another shift. “Thanks.”

Mirabel was tapping the sill and feeling really wide awake. She was tired earlier, but now… not so much. She looked back at her door. It glowed softly in the darkened room. She’d always dreamed of having a door like the rest of her family, and still did to a certain extent, but this door was different. It was a tangible connection between Casita, her Abuela and herself. The shimmering oak depicted made her think of that oak tree Isa had created earlier. Mira was fairly certain it was in the same area as the one she used to climb when she was a kid, and leaned out to get a better look. It really was too dark to see, but the outline was there. Mirabel stepped up onto the window seat, then climbed out onto the windowsill. She let her feet dangle for a few moments before she eased herself onto the roof.

Casita clattered a tile nearby and Mirabel responded, “I’ll be careful, and don’t go telling everyone what I’m up to.” There was another louder burst and Mirabel hissed, “Chitón, you’ll wake everybody up.” Casita waggled one of the shutters and Mira sighed and said, “Sorry, I don’t mean to snap, but I can take care of myself and if Mamá or Pá finds out, I’ll get yelled at.” Mira patted the sill again and said as she pulled her robe tight, “I’ll be back before you know it.”

Mirabel headed along the roof tiles toward a trellis that was at the side of the house. She ducked as she passed the windows along the way. Hopefully, everyone was asleep but why chance it? She quickly climbed down and ran toward the great tree that Isa had said named itself Anselmo.

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

Rodrigo Iguarán was writing quickly when the tip of his pencil snapped. He glared at the small hole the pencil created and sat back as he tried to remember where in his pack he’d put his pocketknife. He was absently tapping on his notebook but looked up when the tent flap opened, and José stepped in. José’s face held a deep frown as he sat down on the only chair and let out something akin to a growl.

“Something wrong, Gabi?”

“No.” His answer was abrupt, and after a moment added, “Maybe… ” he growled again then shook his head and said “No.” He took off his shoes, then carefully positioned them under his cot. Rodrigo watched him go about moving all the items in the tent that were not quite where he thought they should be. Something was bothering his primo enough that he was adjusting everything in eye shot. This was a habit he’d gotten from his Abuelo. Whenever his Abuela regaled them of the magical, and his Abuelo was there, he too would begin adjusting the physical world to suit himself.

“How is Tuli?” Rodrigo asked.

“Tuli is fine. The Doctor said they need to eat more and rest.”

“Well, that’s good news,” Rodrigo said cheerfully. José only grunted in reply, so Rodrigo asked, “For how long?”

José looked at his hands then said, “A minimum of six weeks, possibly longer.”

“Ooof, so will you be staying or were you planning to take Tuli and go anyway?”

José didn’t answer right away. Instead, he was busy adjusting a stack of clothing that he’d taken from his pack. Rodrigo watched as he matched up all the corners and thought he’s definitely not happy with this development. José moved back to the chair and said as he rubbed his knees, “I’ve agreed that Tuli can remain here as long as he stays with the Madrigals, so he’ll be staying when I leave.”

Rodrigo was taken aback, while it was true, they were all related, it was out of character that José would allow for something like this. He knew part of the problem was he still saw Bubo as a child. As Bubo said, he’d not been one for some time and even if he tended to be impulsive, he was not a fool. The other part was if he did leave Tuli behind, he would have failed in his purpose for this journey. If the Doctor was saying Tuli should stay, his primo would have to take that into his decision making. All during their journey, José had said that when (he never said ‘if’) they found Tuli, they would head back to Bogotá as soon as possible. José must have caught his look because he asked, “You think leaving Tuli a mistake?”

“Honestly?”

“Yes.”

“No.”

His cousin appeared to be hoping for a different answer because he frowned and asked, “Then you agree that Bubo would be a better guardian?”

Rodrigo took a deep breath before he replied cautiously, “In this instance… probably?”

“Probably?”

There was a hint of anger in his voice that made Rodrigo add, “Gabi, if you’ve suddenly changed your mind, or you’re looking for someone to shout at, then fine, shout away. But at least don’t lie to yourself. If you leave with Tuli, you’ll end up in the same cycle of nonsense that created the situation that caused her to run in the first place. I know it, Bubo knows it, and you know it too.”

“You said ‘her’.”

Rodrigo clenched his teeth and said sharply, “Quit saying that, I know what I said, Gabi, and so what? I know that it’s your decision, but perhaps you should be willing to see if he will do better than they have in the past. You must see how incredibly blessed you are that Tuli found their way to this place alive. I don’t even want to think about what that smuggler did to them.”

José deflated some as he let out a sigh and said, “I know. I’m sorry.”

Rodrigo took a deep breath, he was determined not to be angry, so asked, “What did the Doctor say?”

“He said, for the most part, Tuli’s physically alright but only just. Too thin and probably not sleeping. Fragile was the word he used.” José laid back on the cot, covering his eyes with his arm. He was quiet for a time, then added, “I’m not sure why I was under the delusion that Tuli…” he stopped as he uncovered his eyes and stared at his hands. “Maria’s been haunting my dreams of late. Telling me what a fool I’ve been and how could I have let this happen to her. Sometimes it feels like…” he trailed off as Rodrigo finished his primo’s thought in his head; Your sister guided Tuli here and away from you. Still, Rodrigo resisted the urge to mention he’d called Tuli ‘her’. Little by little, his primo was learning to accept Tuli’s reality, he just hadn’t realized it yet.

It was probably for the best. José’s own fiancé, Mercedes, had told Rodrigo privately that her husband-to-be should find a way to send Tuli back to their abuelos or ask another of his married brothers to take her in. Tuli was clearly withering in his care, and his refusal to see those effects was not helping. This included his not using Tuli’s given name, which she said was nothing more than him being spiteful. He needed to learn he couldn’t control everything, try though he may.

Rodrigo looked away and reached into his pack to locate his pocketknife. His thoughts turned to his own fiancé. Juana had admonished him to not stay away for too long chasing his stories. The lure of so many folks that had survived the thousand-day war was going to be difficult to resist, and he did need to get back to Cartagena. He wondered then where Bubo was, so asked, “Bubo back at the Aguilars?”

“Yes, we stopped there, and he showed me the tiny storeroom he’s been living in. Very spartan.”

“Tiny? Is he living in a closet?”

“No… actually, for one person, it’s not too bad.”

“You sound almost disappointed.”

“I would have thought he’d have his own place by now. He’s been here almost a year.”

“You did say he was patrolling the outskirts of the village for the past few months.”

“Yes, I suppose it wouldn’t have mattered.”

“You know, if I didn’t know better, Gabi, I would think you were looking for an excuse.”

“Excuse?”

“Yes, to justify taking Tuli when you go.”

“Tuli’s going to be staying with the Madrigals.” Rodrigo sighed, but his cousin was no longer looking at him as he said, “Rodrigo?”

“Yes Gabi?”

“Thank you.”

“For what?”

“Just keep reminding me that I’m not wrong to leave Tuli here.”

“Alright. Just try not to shout at anyone. Especially Bubo, he is a good man.”

“Right.” José said as he caught the ‘man’. He let out a small laugh and added, “He is a good man. Not gonna lie, Bubo being here did make my decision easier. I just wish they had some sort of mail service here. I understand them not having any phones but no electricity?”

“I’m sure we’ll find a way, Gabi. Maybe there is a magical answer.”

José gazed up and nodded and said, “Probably. I saw you were speaking with Señor Félix during dinner; did he mention how the smuggler died?”

“He said it was probably a heart attack.”

“A heart attack?”

“Yes, apparently his youngest son, Antonio, can speak to animals. They believe his son asked the jaguar that landed atop the smuggler to frighten him away, but he ended up scaring him to death.”

“How unusual.”

“Less than he deserved, if you ask me. And to think he traveled with us for almost three weeks. Thank goodness we never found the women and kids he was tracking. Did you know they are also here?”

“No, I hadn’t heard. I’ll need to thank them for looking after Tuli.”

“So, did Bubo happen to mention how his date went? He’s quite taken with the young lady he was sitting with at dinner. You should have seen his face when she walked into the dining room earlier.”

“I can imagine, she is quite beautiful. Still, right now, I am actually more concerned about Señora Vargas causing trouble. I have no illusions that she will, first chance she gets.”

“She is a challenging one. We’ll need to keep an eye on that brood of lackeys she’s collected on the trip here. I’m sure Miguel already told her that Paola was at dinner. That young man… I’ve forgotten his name.”

“The shapeshifter?”

Rodrigo nodded.

“Camilo.”

“Yes, such a remarkable Gift. I wonder if he can shape-shift into anyone. Do you have any plans for dealing with her?”

“Not yet, but... ” José paused and seemed to be working something out in his head. He chuckled to himself and said, “Right, I’m going to bed. Good night Rodrigo.”

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

Isabela sat on her bed, feeling foolish after her conversation with her father. The standoff was only broken when her mother appeared and hustled her off to her room. Seriously, what did he think she was going to do? Isa paused when a random thought answered that question, and she blushed. She almost laughed at the irony, since conversations like that one hadn’t been needed when she was dating Mariano. She was never actually alone with him, and went out of her way to not be. That, and Señorita Perfecta would never have even dared to do such things. Obviously, it was her level of interest in Bubo that had prompted her Papá to well… be her Papá. He at least waited until Bubo had left with his Tío.

Her thoughts drifted, and she picked up the potted plumeria rubra she planted, and was very pleased to see three small leaves had unfurled from the cutting. She knew what its flowers looked like and resisted the urge to make the cutting bloom. She took it to the balcony and opened the doors to set outside. The morning sun would definitely help green it up. She was adjusting it when something moving across the lawn caught her eye. Was that Mirabel? Was she sleepwalking? Normally, Isa would ignore this, but she thought she saw the shadow of someone else as she leaned over the rail. Maybe it was her imagination, but then again, Mirabel was now the focus of the magic of the Encanto. She sighed and asked, “Casita, did Mira ask you not to tell anyone she was sneaking out?”

The house clattered yes… then quickly clattered no.

Honestly, Isa thought. She looked at her shoes near the door and decided she didn’t have time for that. She poked her head out of her door, the house was quiet as so she slipped out of her room. She went down the stairs and to the back door. The door wasn’t budging and Casita clattered a tile or two and Isa said, “And you shouldn’t have let her wander off by herself, Casita. Now open the door.”

More tiles clattered angrily, but the back door popped open and Isabela headed in the direction she’d seen her little sister take.

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