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jeromesxreader16 · 3 years

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Such a Joker (50)

Part 49 Here

~o0o~

Jim POV:

As I come out of my office I see a large number of cops watching Jeremiah sitting calming in the holding cell. "Don't you all have work you should be doing?" I yell towards them as they scatter.

"Pardon me, Jim."

I walk over to Jeremiah raising my brows. "What is it?" "I'd like to press charges against Bruce Wayne's butler. I mean, just look at my face. I can't have my wife seeing me like this."

I scoff smirking with pure anger, "I think you look great."

"And I'd like to speak to Bruce again. We couldn't really talk before what with his girlfriend bleeding out all over him."

"You tried to prove you're better than your brother. But I'm still here. I'm searching for (Y/n), and the city's still here. You're a failure, Jeremiah. Enjoy Arkham. Your brother did. I'll be the one to make sure (Y/n)'s visiting hours will be less than none."

"Bring me, Bruce Wayne... I'll let you speak with (y/n), and I'll tell you where the other bombs are." I walk closer engaging. "We have all your bombs."

Jeremiah nods with an underlying smirk, "The maze bombs, yes. I mean the other ones. Jim, as an engineer, you expect systems to fail. So, you build in redundancies. And I am a very good engineer."

"You're bluffing."

"Am I?" He smirks at me waiting for a reaction.

"You're right, you know. I did fail. I didn't yet understand the vision I was servicing, but, I do now. My eyes are open as will yours be. When you realize I'm not bluffing, bring me, Bruce Wayne. And I'd like a coffee. Black. Two sugars."

"How many bombs are there? Where are they?" I challenge him again. "I want to talk to Bruce Wayne."

"Tell me where they are, you son of a bitch. Who's helping you?"

"Bruce Wayne."

I grunt, shaking my head in frustration, "You are never gonna talk to Bruce Wayne. You hear me?"

Jeremiah shrugs smirking, "Then more people will die and you will never see (Y/n) or meet your grandchildren." I look up meeting his icy eyes with cold blood. "What? You're lying." Jeremiah sighs, "My wallet, right sleeve, forth slot, a sonogram photo of my two twins. I don't bluff, Jim. Why do you think I ask for your blessing? Wouldn't want your daughter unwed and knocked up, huh? But once again you resented her happiness, and she ran right into my arms. You never were good at holding on to what you care about, were you, James?"

Bruce finally walks in as I'm strapped to the dolly awaiting transportation to Arkham. "Hello, Bruce. It's great to see you."

"Where are the bombs, Jeremiah? Where is (Y/n) Gordon?"

"Closer, please."

As Bruce teds near I speak again. "Tell me. How is the young lady doing?" Of course no reaction. I smile switching subjects, "You know why we're destined to be best friends? Because we're very much alike. You are as I used to be. At war with your true nature. You must truly embrace it if you ever want to be free. I'm just trying to help you."

"Trying to help me? By torturing Alfred? Trying to destroy Gotham?

By shooting Selina? You think we're alike because there's a darkness inside both of us. But the difference is, I know how to control mine."

I scoff smirking, "I think you could be so strong. I see it. He sees it too." Bruce looks at me confused walking closer. "What do you mean, "he"?"

"Where are the other bombs?"

I roll my eyes looking up at the camera playing the game, "What bombs?" "Bombs you planted around the city. You blew up the Mayor."

"Ah, that bomb. Yes, that was the only one. But it did what it had to do. It got you here."

"You said, "he." Who do you mean?"

I smile gasping at Bruce. "The one who opened up my eyes. Who showed me that everything I was doing, was not to create a Gotham of my own for (y/n), and I, But yours, Bruce. The Gotham you need. Your dark island. And it will come to be, Bruce. Tonight."

"Tell me his name," Bruce demands empty-handed.

"What did the doctors say? Will the little bitch ever walk again? What vertebrae did I sever? I was hoping for the lumbar..." "TELL ME HIS NAME!" I laugh at his anger. "You already know his name. You're his heir."

Bruce gasps letting my suit wings go. "Ra's al Ghul... No, it can't..."

"Shh." The lights flicker as the room goes dark and I am freed from this hold.

Enter the building I see (Y/n) waiting with Ra's, overlooking the old city. "Jeremiah! Ra's was just telling me he could marry us!" I grin walking over as the men get Bruce ready for the arrival.

"Could you?" Ra's nods smirking, "Just say when my boy. I can-" "Now." I pull out two solid gold bands passing mine to (Y/n). "You're prepared." She giggles. "I've been waiting."

Ra's chuckles offering off a quick blessing to us as a couple. "Do you Jeremiah Valeska take (Y/n) Gordon as your lawfully wedded wife?" "I certainly do." I grin watching my love. "And do you, (Y/n)-" "Yes." Ra's gestures between us chuckling. "Wonderful, you may kiss your bride, Mr. Valeska."

I scoop her in my arms kissing her deeply. I pull away as the men waltz a masked Bruce into the room. "Ah, hate you missed the ceremony, friend." I walk over pulling the bag off of his head.

"How did you two..." "Find each other?" Ra's finishes, "I'd like to think it was you, Bruce. You brought us together."

Ra's turns to me and (Y/n) as we look at the city. "I trust things went smoothly?" "Like clockwork. Did your men retrieve my bombs?" "They are en route to their positions as we speak. From here, we can take in the full majesty of Gotham's destruction."

"You're both insane!"

Ra's shakes his head in disappointment, "I know it's difficult to fathom, Bruce. But Jeremiah and I are doing this for your benefit."

"How is destroying Gotham supposed to help me?"

"Because I had a vision. That out of this crucible of blood and fire will rise the Dark Knight that your city needs. That I need."

I scoff pulling away from (y/n) and joining Bruce and Ra's. "To be honest, Bruce. Prophecies, visions. Not really my cup of tea. But our friend revealed something to me. That my twin obsessions, rebuilding Gotham and rebuilding you, are one and the same. You're the brother I never had. The one Jerome never could be. We will create a legacy in this city. Gotham falls. We rise. Together."

Barbara walks in passing each of us towards Ra's. "Oh, hey, Bruce. Freak. (Y/n), looking beautiful!"

"Hello, Barbara. I'm really glad you came." She sighs shrugging. "Bad news, baby. I'm not leaving. Gotham's in my blood. And I don't think I can let you leave either. You see, you say you're leaving. But I've got a feeling you're gonna be back. And I don't like looking over my shoulder."

"Need I remind you, Barbara. You've already tried using that knife. And also, you're outnumbered."

She hums smiling "Hmm. That Demon's Head is really not working out for you, huh?" Suddenly Oswald yells striking us and the fight breaks out quickly.

Tabith tackles me to the ground as I search for (Y/n) in a blind panic. She holds her knife to my neck sneering, "So you know, this is for Selina." I flip her overtaking the blade from her and pressing it to her skin. "In that case, it must be very disappointing for you to be dying like this." She smirks and moves her arm. "I'm not talking about you." She pulls her trigger making me search where the bullet traveled.

The bombs go off destroying the city as my wife falls bleeding from the bullet that pierced her. "No!" I growl rushing over. She cries holding her chest. "Jer-" "No, no, don't speak. You're going to be fine." The city burns down as my love's life source lowers.

"You're going to be fine, love. We're all going to be safe. Tomorrow is a new day,"

Staying by her bedside the entire night as the doctors work to remove the bullet, and stabilize her and the babies. "She should wake soon, Sir. The children are healthy. She's lucky it wasn't any closer to her heart." I nod boring my eyes into her face.

"Thank you, Doctor."

(y/n) mumbles and opens her eyes slowly. I smile leaning over, "Rise and shine, beautiful." She looks up at me confused, then looks down at her chest gasping, "That bitch." she sneers growling and trying to sit up. "No, no, don't try that." She gasps, putting a hand on her belly. "Jer-" "They're alright, doll. You're very lucky. All four of us are."

She looks over to me putting a hand on my cheek. "What do we do now, Jeremiah?" I smile rubbing my hands on her stomach. "Now, my love, we enjoy our marriage, and wait for our children." Her cheeks glow as I speak of our children. "I love you, Jeremiah." "I love you too, Mrs. Valeska. Always."

~ Day 87~

I sit at the radio discussing yet another call on the state of Gotham to the officials over the bridge. "Your people have decided to ignore evacuation orders." "No, no, no, no. It is clear you don't understand." "What's to understand, Mr. Gordon? I'm afraid you're making your-" "For the last time... after the bridges blew and the government declared Gotham off-limits, the city was up for grabs. Given over to criminals and murderers. New territory is controlled by whoever has enough power to hold it. I mean, we have Penguins in City Hall, for God's sake. Barbara and the Sirens control an area around their club. It's the only place in Gotham not suffering for food or booze. Barabra trades mostly for information. It's women only, but men can buy windows of time. To the west Jonathan Crane, the Scarecrow. Victor Freeze is further north warring with Firefly. And to date, there have been no confirmed sightings of Jeremiah Valeska, or my Daughter, (y/n). Then there is us. The GCPD controls a ten-block area around the precinct, where we feed and protect 150 civilians. That number could grow as who knows how many others are trapped around the city. These are innocent people who couldn't get out. The Government has a duty to protect them. You have a duty to help them." I finish waiting for the response.

"We've been over this time and time again. No one is allowed in or out of Gotham."

"People we are protecting are not criminals." "And anyone who stayed after the evacuation order is no longer the government's responsibility." "We're surrounded by hostile forces. We are running out of food, ammunition. There are children here. You need to evacuate them." "A committee is being formed regarding the situation in Gotham."

I huff shaking my head. "At least let us resupply ourselves."

"We understand the situation."

"You DON'T understand. If you did you would do something. Just say we're on our own." The radio waves stay silent as no response comes through. I nod gruffly and turn off the communication.

I look to the corner of the desk seeing a photo of (Y/n), along with the photo of the unborn twins. I sigh holding them to my heart. "Please be okay."

"I like Jeremy," Jeremiah says as we relax on the couch together. "And for a girl?" He hums thinking. "What if we stuck with the J name? I kinda like Juliet." Jeremiah looks at me smiling. "I think that's lovely."

I stroke my small belly with love. "I just want them here already." Jeremiah laughs kissing the top of my head. "They'll be perfect."

Months pass of us hiding, gaining followers, and then finally start to dig under the city for our escape. Fully 6 months pregnant and things are just seeming harder. "You're sad," Ecco says frowning. She scoots over massaging my shoulders. "Tell me what's wrong." I sigh stroking my stomach feeling a wash of sadness. "I miss my dad. I hate to say it, but I do. These kids won't have a Grandpa." Ecco nods sighing dramatically. "I am so sorry, (Y/n). I wish I could help." I smile leaning my head on her shoulder. "How's that bullet feeling in there?" I tease as she giggles. "It's still rolling around in here!" She shakes her head, knocking the loose pieces in her brain. "I still can't believe you did it." She shrugs giggling, "Anything to help you, (Y/n)."

"Come on, let's see how the boss is. It's been a while since I've seen the progress."

Ecco helps me down the steps into the area where they're digging the large tunnel. "Wow! Looks, good everyone!" I yell, making the workers greet me with forced smiles. "Darling." Jeremiah clams walking to me, placing hands over my stomach with a grin. "Ecco, you're not supposed to bring her down here. It's dangerous." He glares at her. "Jer, I wanted to, she was obeying me." He reluctantly nods waving her away.

I switch the radio station finding a slow song and smiling. "Dance we me, Jer." I grasp his hand swaying with him to the music. "We're close aren't we?" I nod laughing. "Just three more months, Jeremiah." He shutters with a smile. "I can't wait."

#jerome #jerome x reader #jerome valeska #jerome valeska x reader #jerome valeska imagine #jeremiah valeska imagine #jeremiah valeska x reader #jerome valeska smut #Gotham #Gotham City #gotham cast

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hunnywrites · 4 years

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Growing Pains: Chapter Two

Summary: Life is hard when you’re about to turn 18. It’s even harder when you realize you might be completely out of love with your long time boyfriend, and you can’t stop thinking about the new boy in town.

Pairing: Billy Hargrove/OFC, Steve Harrington/OFC

It was almost two in the afternoon. Any minute now Teddi’s shift at the Hawkins’ public pool would be over, and she wouldn’t have to hear a second more of the Robert Palmer album one of the moms had been playing on repeat on her tiny little boombox while her kids splashed around in the shallow end of the pool. Teddi pushed her white, star shaped sunglasses further up her nose and let out a tired puff of air, sinking in the lifeguard’s chair.

“Hey, Teddi!” Heather called, waving at her best friend as she made her way over. “I’m headed out, you need a ride?” she asked.

“Please,” Teddi said, climbing down from her seat and sliding her red flip flops on. “I’m about this close from shoving Mrs. Branson into the pool.” she muttered, glaring over at Mrs. Branson who was humming along to Addicted to Love and flipping through an issue of Cosmo. Teddi and Heather both broke into a fit of giggles as they hurried past her and to the locker room.

Hopper had dropped Teddi off at the pool that morning on his way to work. She thought it would just be easier hitching a ride over to Starcourt since she’d be going on a date with Steve that night. “So, what are you gonna see with Steve?” Heather asked, plopping down on a bench near the lockers as Teddi pulled the curtain to one of the showers shut.

“I think Day of the Dead? I’m not sure. He’s been trying to get me to go with him all week but I’ve been busy.” of course Heather saw right through that.

Heather smiled, raising her eyebrows. “Busy or avoiding?” Teddi was silent. “Trouble in paradise? You and Steve have never had any issues.”

Teddi chewed on her bottom lip as she shut the shower off, reaching her hand out. Heather handed her her change of clothes. “I think...I sorta think that that’s what the problem is,” she said finally. “I mean, I probably sound totally insane, but things have always been so...pleasant.” and they had. Steve and Teddi had never really fought. And Teddi knew that was a silly reason to be questioning her relationship, but she couldn’t really help it.

“So you’re bored.” Heather said matter of factly.

“I’m bored,” Teddi repeated with a sigh. She stepped out of the shower, now dressed in a red, ribbed tank top and jeans. She sat next to Heather, rolling the cuffs of her jeans twice before slipping on her boots. “He brought up marriage yesterday morning.” she said with a groan.

Heather’s eyes widened. “Oh god...oh god,” she groaned. “That’s insane, Teddi. We have like...our entire lives ahead of us. It’s not like our parents, you know? We totally don’t have to settle down when we’re like nineteen anymore. Plus you shouldn’t marry someone that bores you. Then you’ll end up like my parents.” she grumbled, rolling her eyes.

It was a relief to hear. Teddi was worried that maybe she was overreacting. The pair made their way out of the locker room, waving to Freddy as they headed out to Heather’s car. “That’s what I thought too! But then he said his mom’s expecting grandkids. Grandkids, Heather. Can you imagine me as a mom?” she asked, sliding into the passenger's seat.

Heather laughed. “I don’t know...I can sorta see it. Cute little blonde kid sitting in a car seat in the van. Probably wearing a band tee,” she teased. Teddi rolled her eyes but smiled. “I don’t know, Teddi...maybe you and Steve should take a break or something. If you take some time apart maybe you’ll realize that you miss him. Or maybe you’ll meet someone else.”

“Oh, please. Who else am I gonna meet in this town? Everyone in Hawkins knows each other.” Teddi crossed her arms and sank down in her seat.

Heather pursed her lips. “I don’t know...maybe there’ll be somewhere you can be in a big room with lots of people...mingling...drinking…”

“Are you talking about my surprise party that you’re totally not planning?” Tedd asked with a smile.

Heather scoffed. “I don’t know what you’re talking about,” it happened every single year since they had been in the sixth grade. Heather would suggest some low key hang out for the two of them on Teddi’s birthday, and every time Heather would surprise her with a big party. This year would be an especially momentous occasion since Teddi would officially be eighteen. “Anyways, I think you should go on this date with Steve tonight, try and have as much fun as possible and then put some thought into what you wanna do. I mean, it could just be a slump, you know? That kinda thing happens like...all the time. Maybe you two need to try something kinky.” she said, wriggling her eyebrows.

The two girls erupted into laughter. “Yeah, sure. Let me just go pick something up in Lovelace Lingerie for a night of some light BDSM.” Teddi laughed. Heather laughed so loudly she let out a snort, slapping a hand over her face.

“God,” Heather giggled. “Okay, bad joke. But seriously, Ted. Just go to the movies and take it from there. It’s not the end of the world if you don’t live happily ever with Steve.” Teddi knew she was right. But Teddi didn’t want to hurt Steve. She also didn’t want him out of her life completely. He’d been one of her best friends for nearly half of her life.

“Okay, okay. I’ll go to the movies. I’ll call you when I get home, okay? Thanks for the ride.” the two girls reached out and met hands in the secret handshake they had made up in the sixth grade before Teddi hopped out of the car.

“I want all the kinky details!” Heather called after Teddi, grinning widely. Teddi stuck her tongue out at her best friend, hurrying towards the doors of the Starcourt Mall. Ever since it had opened at the beginning of the summer, the mall had been absolutely packed with kids and teens alike. Teddi loved the mall. It was like a tiny little piece of New York right there in Hawkins. All of the trendy stores that she had missed, the bright neon lights and colorful paint jobs everywhere she looked. There was even an aerobics studio. The Starcourt mall was something that Hawkins had desperately needed.

Teddi weaved her way through the crowds of people, headed for Scoops Ahoy, which sat directly across from the food court (admittedly probably her favorite part of Starcourt). Robin Buckley was at the register, flicking sprinkles off of the counter and looking like she’d rather die than be there one minute longer. Teddi and Robin had grown pretty friendly since Steve had gotten his job at Scoops Ahoy about a month before. They both liked teasing Steve endlessly, and Robin was one of the few people in Hawkins that was into the same stuff as her. El and her friends were great, but sometimes Teddi wanted to hang around people her own age.

“Ahoy!” Teddi greeted her cheerfully, jumping out in front of Robin. Robin jumped, smiling when she realized it was Teddi. “I’m here to see about setting sail on an ocean of flavor. Seen my captain anywhere?”

Robin let out a snort. “He should be coming back from his break any minute now. You know, sometimes I can’t believe that you still go out with him after hearing him say shit like that.” she joked.

“Ditto.” Teddi laughed.

Steve came wandering in a few moments later, a Burger King bag clutched in his hand. He flashed a lopsided grin at Teddi when he saw her. “Hey! What’re you doing here?” he asked, pressing a kiss to the top of Teddi’s head and heading behind the counter.

“I’m here for the movie rain check, remember?” Robin groaned softly, making a face and heading to the back room. Teddi raised an eyebrow, and Steve’s mouth open and shut a few times, his eyes going wide.

“Right! The movie...listen, Ted…” Teddi looked at him with narrowed eyes. “I kinda have to work a double shift tonight. It was a last minute thing. I forgot we had the movie plans tonight. I’m really sorry, I totally should’ve called you.”

Teddi was honestly more annoyed that she didn’t have a ride home now than anything. And that made her feel like an asshole. “Oh...well, that’s okay. We’ll just do it later,” she shrugged. This definitely threw a wrench in Heather’s suggestion. “Call me when you get home then and we can figure something out.”

Steve was scooping up some strawberry ice cream, packing it into a cone before reaching down for another scoop. “Definitely. I’m really sorry, Teddi,” he held out the double scoop of strawberry ice cream to her. “You forgive me, right?” he asked with a small smile.

Teddi smiled back, taking the ice cream. “It’s hard to say no when you bribe me with free food,” she joked. “I’ll see you later okay?” she leaned across the counter, kissing him. “Tell Robin I said bye.”

“Bye, Teddi!” Robin called from the back room. Steve rolled his eyes. Teddi let out a small laugh, throwing a wave over her shoulder as she walked off. If anything she could just call Hopper from one of the payphones and he’d pick her up. He’d probably be practically giddy at the chance to talk shit about Steve for cancelling on her.

Teddi headed across the courtyard of the mall, slipping into Sam Goody. She picked up a basket, eating her ice cream as she made her way down the aisles, occasionally tossing a cassette or two into her basket.

She reached forward for the new Theater of Pain album when her hand brushed against someone else’s. “Oh! Sorry, I didn’t-...oh. It’s you.” she rolled her eyes when she saw it was Billy that had tried to grab the same cassette.

“Nice to see you again too, Barbie.” he said with a short laugh.

“That’s not my name.” Teddi huffed.

Billy snatched up the cassette. “Well how should I know? You didn’t really introduce yourself when you were calling me a douchebag and threatening to shove your foot up my ass last night,” he leaned against the shelves, flashing that charming smile again. “Name’s Billy, by the way.”

Teddi shifted uncomfortably, not really meeting Billy’s eyes. She could feel her cheeks burn from the look he was giving her. “Teddi…” she huffed out. Teddi grabbed a Motley Crue cassette, turning on her heels and walking off. Billy followed her.

“Where’s Skipper?” he asked, falling into step beside her. Teddi glared up at him. “You know, the scrawny sailor?”

“He’s not scrawny,” she argued. “And his name is Steve.” Billy wasn’t listening anymore. It was obvious he hadn’t cared in the first place. He reached forward, grabbing one of the cassettes from Teddi’s basket and flipping it over in his hand.

He rolled his eyes. “Kate Bush? That shit’s for chicks.” he scoffed.

“You’re very astute.” Teddi snatched the tape back, tossing it into her basket and walking off once again. Billy chuckled behind her.

“Jesus, what’s got your panties in a twist, Princess? ” he asked.

Teddi made a face “What?” she spat, turning sharply. Her chest met Billy’s harshly, almost knocking her off her feet. Billy caught her by the shoulders, holding her steady. The smell of his woody cologne and spearmint hit her like a brick. Teddi swallowed thickly, quickly taking a step back from him and fixing a glare in his direction. “...Are you always this annoying? Or am I just special?”

“What? I can’t be friendly?” Billy asked, smirking down at her.

Teddi scoffed. “This is you being friendly?” she turned and took off again towards the register.

“I asked about Shawn, didn’t I?”

“Steve.”

“Whatever.”

Teddi let out a loud, irritated sigh out as she placed her basket on the counter. “He’s working. Happy now?” it had come out with a little more venom than she had intended.

Billy grinned, leaning against the counter. “Oooh, someone doesn’t sound happy.” he teased.

Teddi’s jaw clenched tightly as she looked away from Billy, fully planning on ignoring him until he got bored and left. Something told her that that probably wasn’t going to happen. “If you must know, we were supposed to go to the movies. But now he’s working a double shift and I’m out of a ride home.”

“I can give you a ride.” his tone made her cheeks grow hot again.

“That’s really not necessary-”

“C’mon, Teddi. I’m trying to be friendly, remember?” his wolf like grin told her that that was the exact opposite of what he really meant. She felt a twinge of guilt at the excited little flip her stomach did at the thought. She should really just say no and call Hopper.

“...Fine,” she found herself saying. After Billy paid for his new music, the two of them headed back out into the crowds filling the mall and out into the hot summer afternoon. Teddi followed him through the parking lot and to the dark blue Camaro he’d been driving the night before. “Where’s Max?” she asked, sliding in next to him.

He looked almost surprised by the question. “You know Max?”

“I met her at the arcade last night. Is she your sister?”

“Step sister. I dropped her off at the arcade about an hour ago. That’s about all there is to do in this hick ass town.” he muttered. Teddi couldn’t argue with him there.

“How come you moved here then? I mean, you’re old enough to have stayed behind.” Billy backed out of the parking spot with a jerk before speeding off. He popped the new Motley Crue cassette in the deck, his fingers immediately drumming against his steering wheel.

“Don’t have enough cash. I’m gonna save up this summer and then I’m headed right back to California,” Teddi was a little jealous. She sure as hell didn’t have any plans like that. She barely knew what she was going to have for breakfast the next morning. “So, you and Steve going steady?” he asked, a teasing tone to the question.

Teddi had to admit, she sort of liked how brazen Billy was. He didn’t shy away from much. She let out a small laugh. “Steady? Uh, yeah I guess you could say that.”

“I wouldn’t really picture you two togther.” he confessed. There was a smug look on his face, like he was in on some secret Teddi didn’t know.

She crossed her arms, turning towards him. “And why’s that?”

Billy shrugged, leaning forward and pulling a pack of cigarettes and his lighter from the back pocket of his jeans. He clamped one between his lips, hesitating a little before offering one to Teddi. She hesitated herself before taking one. Billy lit his own cigarette before lighting Teddi’s. “You two don’t really match.” he explained.

Teddi shot him an amused smile. “We don’t match?”

“Yeah,” he huffed, like he was annoyed she wasn’t understanding him. “Like, my mom and my old man didn’t match. She was into all that hippie shit and he’s the most boring bastard on the planet,” he said with a short laugh. “My step mom, Susan, she matches with him. She’s even more boring than he is.”

Teddi laughed. If she thought back, she supposed her parents had matched. She had just never really thought about her and Steve that way. They were sort of an odd pair. Teddi took a drag of her cigarette, looking over at Billy thoughtfully. “And who would you say I match with then?”

Billy smirked. “Not a guy that’s dressed like a sailor.”

Teddi looked away, hoping that he hadn’t noticed how her cheeks were turning a deep pink again for what felt like the millionth time that afternoon. She decided to change the subject before she got herself into any more trouble. They spent the rest of the drive talking about music, which mostly meant Teddi would tell Billy what bands she liked and he would tell her how shitty they were. They got into a pretty heated argument about whether Van Halen was shit or not. Billy liked them. Teddi thought David Lee Roth was annoying.

When Billy pulled up to her place, Teddi was surprised at how long the car ride had felt. And not necessarily in a bad way. “So, thanks for the ride.”

Billy didn’t say anything. He leaned forward, reaching down in front of her and popping the glove compartment open. She was met with the smell of spearmint and his cologne again. Teddi swallowed loudly. Billy pulled out a sharpie, taking Teddi by the wrist and scrawling what she realized was a phone number on the inside of her forearm. “Just in case Steve ditches you again.”

Teddi let out a sound of disbelief. “Did you just hit on me and insult my boyfriend in one breath?”

Billy smirked. “Just being friendly.” they sat there for a moment, neither of them saying anything. He was still smirking at her, and Teddi was trying her hardest not to smile back.

“...I’m going inside now.” she announced, not moving.

“No one’s stopping you.”

A few more moments passed. Teddi finally smiled, letting out another short laugh and grabbing her bag. She could feel his eyes on her as she climbed out of the Camaro and walked up to her porch. She forced herself not to look back.

“Who was that?” Teddi jumped at the sound of her sister’s voice. El was sitting on the couch with Mike. They were watching Ghostbusters. Teddi placed a hand on her chest, glaring down at El.

“...Billy.” she said, not meeting her eyes.

Mike turned around, taking her arm and tilting his head to look at the phone number that was written there. “Is that his phone number? Aren’t you like...dating Steve?” he asked with a shockingly disapproving tone.

Teddi yanked her hand away. “How about you two mind your business and I won’t tell dad that you were home alone with Mike?”

Eleven and Mike looked at each other before looking back at Teddi, both of them nodding. “Deal.” El said.

Teddi let out an annoyed huff, moving around the couch and heading to her room. She shut the door firmly behind her, letting out another loud huff. She looked down at Billy’s phone number. Before she could really process what she was doing, Teddi headed over to her desk, quickly jotting the number down on a notepad. She shoved the notebook in her drawer, shutting it harshly. Teddi hated how guilty she felt.

She looked down at the number again, licking the back of her thumb and wiping roughly at the ink. “Such an asshole…” she muttered. The marker wouldn’t come off completely, but now it was more of a large smudge than an incriminating phone number.

Teddi fell back onto her bed with a groan. This was all so stupid. Maybe Heather was right. Maybe she needed to take a break from Steve. And not to go out with Billy. Maybe Teddi just needed to write men off for awhile. “Like that’ll happen…” she muttered. She let out another groan. It felt like the ink on her arm was burning. A constant reminder of her afternoon with Billy.

If it was all so innocent then why did she feel so guilty?

#billy hargrove #billy hargrove fic #billy hargrove x oc

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bonnie-and-cloud · 5 years

Text

How not to be a dumbass by Vann

Or how to correct your absolute fuck up in the event you are a dumbass and clog your bathtub drain like a goober

I'm on mobile so no read more I'm sorry

So a little back story so maybe you can avoid being a shit for brains neanderthal like me. I was cleaning bun cages and every now and then they need to soak because buns. Any bun owner knows why. They get gross. Especially ours because they're territorial so there is literally 0 point to a tiny litterbox in their cages. We're working on getting them fixed but that's another story. So I'd soaked this cage and dumped the water full of sawdust, hay, etc without thinking

See, we do cages and litter boxes as follows: puppy pee pad(s), newspaper, wood shavings because they love to chew on them, then hay. This keeps them relatively clean but we haven't been able to find newspaper recently or had the money for pee pads. So you do what you can, thus the sawdust. This leaves for especially gross cages for obvious reasons. We had to invest in a kitty litter scoop awhile back

Point being, find a big like storage bin (usually cheap and can be used for all kinds of things) and empty whatever you can carry into there. Then dump it in your yard. If you're an apartment dweller/without a yard, you're just going to have to perish I guess. If you're a homeowner, just wash these outside to spare the trouble. We're apartment dwellers with a small yard but no house and idk if there's hook up frankly

THAT SAID, let's say you were a buffoon and clogged your drain like I did, go to your local hardware store ie Menards, Home Depot, Lowe's, etc and look for SULFURIC ACID. Your regular drain-o won't do shit because it's bleach. And while bleach will eat through like wads of hair (most clogs) you're screwed for bigger things especially organic materials like sawdust, bun poop, and hay. You DO NOT WANT LYE as the lye will react to the organic material and expand and then you've got a bigger mess and need to shell out money for a professional to fix your mess

These WILL NOT be in the cleaning section by the way. Don't even look there and skip it altogether. Instead, look by sink fixtures and if you can't find it, ask someone where the lye products are because these heavy duty items are shelved together. Triple check every bottle you pick up because out of like 15 or so products, one was acid

You'll want goggles that secure to your head like from high school chemistry NOT glasses as those can slip off. You need to protect your eyes from fumes and splash back since this shit eats through bone. You're going to want at LEAST a dust mask but I'd recommend a fumes mask. This is because sulfuric acid is fucking strong as hell and you do not wanna inhale that shit. And while a dust mask is cheap and works, you're going to want to be able to breathe thus why I suggested the fumes mask. It also helps protect your face from splash back. Then you're going to want rubber gloves like the thick yellow kind you see on TV. Not thin latex cause it'll eat through that shit so fast if you get any acid on them anywhere. Shell out a little extra because I promise you WILL get acid on your hands and you DO NOT want to do that shit more than once or to suffer from an actual spill instead of a drop like I did

I'd also recommend clothing protection but MINIMUM this is what you want. Also get like a little bucket for like a dollar to put upside down over the drain just in case your drain decides to regurgitate and there's acid in that nastiness. I don't know why that's important but the instructions said so. Designate this bucket as The Acid Bucket just in case

Now, when you've busted past the plastic containing the sulfuric acid and popped open the top, you'll notice a metal covering. This is not nearly as thin as it looks. I was thinking yogurt top and grabbed a leftover screw from work my husband didn't need to poke it. Long story short. I got acid on my hand and it hurt like a bitch. Thank god it was just a drop honestly. So I stuck my hand under the coldest water I could stand for 15 minutes because you DO NOT want that shit anywhere near your eyes no matter how small. It's like if onions had literal knives instead of just making you cry

Oh and the part of the screw that touched acid? Fucking melted the latex paint and the screw threading down to a part of the metal that was white, entirely eating off the tip. And that wasn't even a quarter inch submerged in acid or for very long. So get like a utility knife. My husband grabbed his from work he uses to open chemicals. Frankly, if I had a redo, I'd get disposable rubber gloves so I had protection but also movement unlike the thick PVC coated rubber ones I had on hand. The cold water was more painful than the acid frankly and I haven't warmed back up over 12 hours later

DO NOT USE HOT WATER IF YOU HAVE TO RINSE SULFURIC ACID OFF ANYTHING. YOU WILL ABSOLUTELY HAVE A HORRIFYING REACTION YOU DO NOT WANT. USE THE COLDEST WATER POSSIBLE TO AVOID THIS REACTION

All of that said, you'll want to remove your drain before you start because this shit WILL om nom nom through that chrome worse than the cookie monster on a binge. Like our chrome is black now. You'll have to look up on YouTube to find out how yours unscrews. Ours needs a specific wrench and screwdriver we don't own so I said well since I've already fucked up what's another? Well that's the price. Fucked up chrome

Flip the vent on so fumes don't build up. If you've ever been to a place with sulfur water like camping in Yellowstone, it's that smell but like x10. It is beyond strong and you'll want some ventilation. Make sure no bunnies, human children, or the otherwise vulnerable can access the bathroom while you're doing this or for 15 minutes after each pour for the acid to feast (we only needed one) and another 15 once your drain is clear to run the shower at icy for 15 minutes to wash anything left down the drain. Don't want acid burns when you shower and you do not want to put others on danger

So you have the vent on and the drain open. Suit up minus your gloves so you can free the sulfuric acid of its top hat. Immediately din your gloves. Pour sir eats everything down your drain. There should be a chart on the label to tell you how much you need. You might need more if it's a particularly awful clog but I doubt you'll need less. Flip your bucket over top of the drain, cap your bottle, and hit start on your clock's stopwatch feature. Be sure when you pour not to have your face directly over the drain just in case. Mask is also great because holding your breath sucks a lot

After 15 minutes, turn on the faucet to check how well your tub drains. Remember the cold water. If it's not going, do another round of acid though I doubt you'd need a repeat. If things are all good, rinse out the tub as best you can if there's backup or buildup like ours had. Then turn on the shower and aim the spray directly over the drain if the drain isn't directly below the faucet. Let that go for 15 minutes to ensure all the acid is down the drain. Leave the vent on until the smell goes away just in case

So that's how you fix a colossal fuckup because Google only said "acid cleaner" and I had to piece everything else together on my own. A lot of this information is on the label, but I would've liked to have known beforehand too just what I was dealing with. I feel like I would've avoided getting acid on my hand and I would've made triple sure I had a mask on hand. I couldn't find the dust mask so I skipped it which just made things harder for me. I mean I knew it was Serious Shit but until I felt it, I hadn't had a clue. My husband had to tell me some things because he works with dangerous materials as a roofer. I also would've liked to have known about the drain mechanism itself because I would've preferred to open that sucker up

Thanks for coming to my TED Talk and please reblog this around for anybody who might need it. I'd like if other people didn't go in without Knowing unlike me because while nothing awful happened, it could have

#mod vann #idk how to tag this #long post

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itsblissfuloblivion · 6 years

Text

Kindle - Chapter 5

What's a Monday without Harry and Ginny fussing over Teddy? Welcome to the Hinniest chapter yet and please tell us what you think!

Now also on FFnet and AO3

Love,

gryffindormischief&

fightfortherightsofhouseelves

Somehow, Harry manages to work on his research with minimal freaking out for almost three hours before Teddy wakes, which is pretty adult and mature and responsible. And definitely not because Harry woke up at an unnatural hour with that blasted headache and couldn't fall back asleep because his heart was pounding at the thought of Ginny being in his flat in less than ten hours.

So by the time Teddy pads into Harry's office, rosy cheeked and bleary eyed, Harry's feeling pretty good about himself, professionally speaking. And considering his tendency to overthink, Harry decides to keep things busy, mostly by giving Teddy the most overfull and overly planned day he can manage. Enough so that by two hours before Ginny's set to arrive, Teddy's in desperate need of a nap otherwise Ginny will definitely not take the job or whatever it is when you ask your best mate's sister on whom you have a crush to help you watch your half-adopted godson while you work on a research paper for a grant that he wants and now half thinks he can get -

Anyway, Teddy drifts off for a short nap that will hopefully not destroy Harry's chances of getting to sleep at a reasonable hour tonight, and Harry putters around the house, trying not to obsessively clean the flat. Though he does do that little 'chop' thing on top of all the throw pillows Mum had said made him look civilized.

At about quarter 'til four, Harry's changed his t-shirt to a button up to another t-shirt and finally ends up wandering about topless and hopeless with messy hair, bare feet, and a lingering hangover.

He's staring uselessly at the kettle as it fills with water from the tap when Teddy pads out from his bedroom and wraps his little arms around Harry's thigh tiredly. "Is Ginny comin' still?"

Harry turns off the tap and twists to run his free hand over Teddy's flyaways. "She is. You be on your best behavior, yeah? We want her to like being here."

Teddy scratches his nose a bit clumsily. "Sure," he looks thoughtful, "She's pretty."

Biting back a smile, Harry sets the kettle to heat and pulls out a mug for himself, and another for the milk Teddy's sure to request. "Yes, but that's not why we'll be behaving around her, Ted."

Eyes rolling in a manner that has Harry dreading the teen years, Teddy uselessly grabs for the tea biscuits that rest in a jar at the back of the counter. "I know. Do I have to wear a shirt?"

Fingers straightening his glasses, Harry blinks down at Teddy, "Er- yes?"

"But you don't."

"I- I was about to put one on," Harry answers, hoping that will satisfy Teddy's curiosity.

In vain, apparently, because Teddy prods further. "Why'd you take yours off?"

"Because - " Harry falters, not quite sure why he doesn't want to admit his sudden inability to dress himself, until he settles on, "I didn't want to end up with spilt tea or biscuits all over it. Bad impression."

Teddy nods knowingly, "So I should take mine off too."

Which is how Harry and Teddy end up crowded around the eternally cluttered kitchenette table shirtless, giggling, and covered in varying amounts of crumbs. Perhaps the no shirt idea is a good one - just hose off after meals. Or if that gets too chilly, they could just wear raincoats.

Together, they demolish a bit more of the biscuit package than is strictly healthy, but Harry's feeling too light to care. And anything that gets Teddy's face flush with happiness and eyes crinkling like Tonks' - it's difficult to say no.

Once they've both brushed the crummy bits from their chests, Harry grabs the tea towel from the bartop and begins scooping the little mounds into his hand while Teddy slowly moves each dish into the kitchen, one at a time.

Harry's setting the suds rising in the sink when he hears the front door slam against the wall with a dull thud, followed by the blood rushing from his face and his heart slamming in his chest because Teddy's not at the table anymore -

With clumsy, rushed feet, Harry stumbles into the entryway halfway through shouting Teddy's name in a panic when he comes chest to face - she's really quite short - with Ginny Weasley. Sucking in a breath when her hand presses to his sternum, Harry tries to grind his brain back into gear enough to convey his concern about his missing godson.

Who luckily, chooses that moment to reappear at Harry's hip, grinning widely. "I gotted the door."

Ginny suddenly becomes fascinated with the wallpaper pattern and pulls her hand away - much to Harry's regret - giving the little family a moment for a tete-a-tete. As she pushes the door shut and slides the lock home, Harry squats and holds Teddy, who is beginning to look like he's catching on that Harry's less than happy, still in front of him. "Teddy, what's the rule about answering the door?"

Ducking his head, Teddy murmurs something into his clenched hand, shuffling his feet nervously. Harry gently tugs the fist away and taps Teddy's chin with soft fingers, "Sorry mate, I didn't quite catch that."

"Y' said not t' do it unless I ask you first."

"Got it in one, little man," Harry says, firm as he brushes Teddy's hair back from his forehead, "And why?"

Teddy frowns, "So I stay safe."

Harry presses a kiss to his sweat clammy forehead and shoos him toward the bedrooms. "Now how about you go put a t-shirt on, eh?"

Nodding, Teddy vaults off to his room, likely about to make a mess of his bureau while he searches for the perfect shirt. After watching him go, Harry rises from his squat to find Ginny watching him thoughtfully, gaze never leaving his form. And though there's a flush on his cheeks, she doesn't balk when she notes he's charted her mapping of his bare chest. "If I'd known dress was so casual, I'd've left my blouse in the car."

Before he can ponder about just how wildly inappropriate it would be to suggest it wasn't too late, Teddy jogs back into the room and tugs at Harry's trouser leg, "I brought yours too."

Harry thanks Teddy and pulls the tee back over his head, eyes reemerging just in time to see Ginny watch a bit mournfully as his midriff disappears beneath the fabric. But they both seem to simultaneously recall this is hardly the time for ogling and flirting and - whatever else - and refocus their attention on Teddy, following as he babbles and leads them toward the den.

For nearly three quarters of an hour, Teddy conducts a seemingly endless parade of his 'favorite' toys which Ginny reacts to with the required 'oohs' and 'aahs', sharing teasing glances with Harry when Teddy's distracted. Eventually, Teddy does tire of the impromptu show and tell session and plops on the couch and lets his head droop into Harry's lap and blinks up at him, as if to say 'Well, you're up."

Tickling at Teddy's belly, Harry steals a glance at Ginny. Her smile is as soft as her fiery locks appear, drifting from Teddy's grinning face to Harry's. "What next, sir?"

"We've got a favorite park nearby - lots of grass to play in."

Teddy nods. "Plus we get ice lollies."

Ginny chuckles and claps her hands on her knees, "Well that settles things. Take me to this grassy land of ice lollies."

Like they've done it a million times before, the trio preps for their jaunt - pausing for Teddy to show off his light-up trainers - and soon spill onto the sidewalk. While Teddy swings their hands happily, Harry tries to subtly take a deep breath before turning to Ginny. "Thank you."

Her gaze shifts toward him. "Whatever for?"

"I - well for coming over and for entertaining the idea of whatever harebrained scheme I pitched to you in a drunken haze."

She snorts. "Ron was well and truly pissed - and he's got an iron liver - so I'm shocked you were as lucid as you were."

They stop at the crosswalk, Teddy staring pointedly at the red hand delaying his trip to the park, and Harry murmurs so little ears can't hear. "I'd not had a night off in - too long. At least a night off that didn't involve copious edits and a depressingly low amount of alcohol."

"Don't drink and edit, Potter."

Foot traffic begins moving again and they silently agree to lift Teddy over a sizeable puddle glistening ominously in the middle of the street, which earns gleeful squeals and sickly sweet looks from a couple of ancient looking ladies who Harry assumes believe they're a family.

Which, Harry will admit in the privacy of his own mind, doesn't sound all that hideous. But he's fairly certain no one in their right mind would take a statement even close to that sentiment well after knowing each other less than a fortnight. So he settles for continuing their conversation. "If I didn't drink when I was editing, I wouldn't have touched anything alcoholic since uni."

Ginny's laugh is loud and boisterous, her brown eyes twinkling at him in the late afternoon sun before she turns her attention to Teddy, "Your godfather is a bit dramatic, eh?"

Flushing, Teddy giggles and presses his forehead into Harry's leg, but nods. Traitor.

"Oi! I am not," Harry shoots back, though a smile is tugging at his lips, "Perhaps this wasn't such a good idea. I'm supposed to be your favorite, Ted."

"Rookie mistake there, Harry, I always win."

And Harry doesn't think he's imagining the way her voice goes a little warm as his name passes over her lips, and he really doesn't think he's reading into the way her lips quirk flirtatiously as she boasts. But he also knows he can't be that creepy bloke who assumes the potential nanny is also a potential - something else. It's been so long, he's likely to confuse most standard adult interactions with flirtation. So he lets the conversation drop, turning his attention to Teddy as he outlines each and every thing they will show and do with Ginny - which would take at least a fortnight of trips to the park if they followed through - and guides them toward a particularly beautiful section of the green space, complete with a duck pond.

To clear his head, and also give the duo some time together to click without him present, Harry distances himself a few paces away, watching as Teddy gently removes each treasured toy from his pack. After some debate, Teddy and Ginny settle on a simple game of catch, tossing the soft ball back and forth to mixed results, only stopping when a runaway football careens straight for Teddy's small head.

But instead of making impact and leading to a trip to hospital or at least much crying - from Teddy and Harry - Ginny darts forward in a blur of red and sends the ball flying with a swift strike of her foot. And at that point, he's not sure which of the two of them is more starry-eyed, but Teddy manages to get himself under control first and throws himself into Ginny's arms.

"You're the best," he turns to Harry, "Isn't she? Better than you."

Scoffing, Harry trots over and gracefully drops to the ground beside them, wild clumsy limbs cooperating for once. "I didn't take you for such a little traitor, Ted, but I guess I know better now."

Teddy giggles and buries his face in Ginny's neck as Harry's fingers tickle at his sides while Ginny playfully bats Harry's attacks away. "Don't listen to that spoilsport, Teddy. He's just jealous because I'm loads more qualified to train you to be a world class striker before you're out of primary."

Complying when Teddy tugs him down into the grass, Harry props his head on one hand and narrows his eyes at Ginny, "Everyone knows winger's the best position."

Ginny presses her hand to her chest with an affronted gasp. "You speak blasphemy."

And as Harry watches Teddy slowly twirling a lock of Ginny's bright hair around his little finger, he knows she's the one well on her way to having one Potter and one Lupin wrapped around her own.

Which is how Harry ends up wandering through the little grocery shop a couple blocks over, strolling through the aisles for the ingredients to make a pizza - because ordering it would be much less healthy. And more importantly, less fun.

So while Ginny guides Teddy through the process of searching the shelves, Harry trails close behind with the trolley, trying and failing not to enjoy just how disgustingly domestic this whole thing is. And if he had a simple schoolyard infatuation before, he's well and truly on the way to fancying Ginny Weasley's socks off.

All in all, a state of affairs that makes their amazing, off without a hitch evening a fantastic mixture of pleasure and torture that ends with a mutual agreement that Ginny'll report for duty relatively bright and early the following morning. Which in academic 'I'm not teaching any classes' speak means around ten.

It's lucky she's returning so soon, since Harry's fairly certain that promise and a demonstrative kiss from the woman herself are the only things that keep Teddy from a very loud and melodramatic protest when Ginny is slipping out the door just a handful of minutes before Teddy's normal bedtime.

The remaining half hour before Teddy's asleep is mostly spent ushering him through the usual routine - washing up, teeth brushed, pajamas on - while he recounts his favorite parts of their day with Ginny. Which, as it turns out, ends up being mostly everything.

Eventually, Harry does manage to get Teddy to drift off, tucked snugly into his bed save his left foot which forever droops over the side no matter what Harry tries. And once he putters around tidying the living areas as best he can, stripping down to his t-shirt and pants, and finally preparing a relaxing mug of tea, Harry collapses onto the couch and lets the tiredness seep into his bones.

Until his phone nearly buzzes itself off the table and Harry grabs it just before it tips over the edge. After taking in the photo of Sirius with his face squished close between Snuffles when he was still a puppy and Harry, all three pulling their own version of a grin, he sighs and mentally prepares himself for the drama forever implied by a conversation with his godfather.

Swiping his thumb across the screen, Harry brings the phone to his ear and collapses back against the seat cushions. "'Lo?"

"How's my favorite godson?"

"Only godson."

"Semantics."

Harry snorts and drags himself into a seated position so he can sip his tea. "To what do I owe the pleasure of this call?"

"Can't I just want to say hello?"

"In theory, sure," Harry laughs around the rim of his mug.

Sirius sighs. "I'm too old for this. I may or may not have come into some interesting information."

"Which is - "

"You've been entertaining a woman this evening."

After making a mental note to give Ron the cold shoulder 'til he gets at least a half dozen freshly made doughnuts free, Harry takes a long draw of his tea and rubs his eyes tiredly. "Yes, I had a wild evening of passionate romance while Teddy never sat more than two paces away. I suppose Ron failed to mention that his sister was coming over for a babysitting test run."

"I have no idea who you're talking about. But if I did, I would say this Ron fellow and I agreed that there were more than a few sparks flying between you and the young Miss Weasley."

Harry rolls his eyes and slumps further into the couch. "I'm not quite sure where to even begin."

"Skip the longing looks and get straight to the snogging."

"We didn't snog."

Sirius lets out a long-suffering groan, "I know, that was advice."

"Goodnight, Sirius."

"Goodnight, my ungrateful godson."

___

The next week and a half pass with surprisingly little drama, considering the general state of upheaval that is Harry Potter's life. Family dinners are a slightly more common occurrence as everyone seems to feel the weight of their impending division, Harry doubles down on his research at the expense of sleep and occasionally hygiene - if Teddy's feeling particularly difficult.

But it's all made better by a certain red head's presence at the flat four times a week, at the cost of her own thesis writing process, Harry reckons dejectedly. And that's only in part because of the lightness she brings to Harry's disposition just by being around. Ginny's fallen into place in their little family so quickly Harry almost can't recall what it was like before she was around, and he dreads the idea of her leaving.

Though it seems, at the moment, the only people destined to leave his daily life are two Potters and a Black. Which is still painful and a little scary, but light years less daunting of a thought now that Harry's secure in the idea that he won't be facing his new life alone - alone. A development that couldn't have come too soon, since James, Lily, and Sirius' moving day has manage to sneak up on them.

Luckily, Lily's knack for planning has outstripped James and Sirius' favor for utter and complete procrastination, which means they're entirely packed the day before they're set to fly to the States. They - meaning Lily - had also managed to get their larger items shipped ahead of time so it's simply a matter of sorting through the last of their necessities, getting the last few boxes shipped off, and packing for the flight itself.

It's Saturday, which is one of Ginny's usual days, so Harry'd offered her the morning off since they'd all be together. But she'd rolled her eyes and said she'd see him at eight.

Which was a lie, because Ginny arrived at quarter 'til with two coffees and entirely too much spunk for such a disgustingly early hour, particularly since Harry's normal state at any time pre-nine in the morning is bleary eyed and utterly riddled with bed head.

But she seems unperturbed, handing him his steaming cup with a wink before striding into Teddy's room to help him get ready for the day.

They take the Tube to James and Lily's - Sirius had moved in earlier that week for ease - and by the time they arrive, Ginny's got both boys in stitches with a riveting tale of her team effort with Ron and George to prank their rather swotty brother the Christmas before last.

Around eleven, Teddy starts getting stir crazy so Ginny herds him out to play footie - or some version of it - in the yard while Harry and the others collapse in chairs around the table. James is making himself busy searching for something to snack on when Lily turns to Harry. "She's lovely."

Harry meets her emerald gaze with his own and drawls, "Yes. Lovely."

James claims a seat and passes out bottles of water, tossing one to Sirius as he re-enters after his visit to the loo. "Lovely? She's amazing. Did you hear that bit about playing football at uni?"

Sirius takes a healthy swig of his water and tips his chair back on two legs, "I heard she almost went pro."

"You three are the worst."

Lily pats Harry's hand placatingly. "I'm just saying she's rather unbelievable."

Something flowery rushes in on the breeze just before Ginny chuckles, "I hope that's a good thing."

And somehow, it's James that comes to the rescue as he swings Teddy onto his lap and offers Ginny a seat next to him, "We were just saying it's a shame you've shown up just as we're leaving - we'd like to get to know you."

She smiles, accepting the bottle LIly slides to her and glances at Harry so quickly he almost thinks he's imagined it, before she says, "Well I don't plan on leaving, so you've got time."

___

After family dinner crowded around a sticky table at a nearby sandwich shop, Harry calls an Uber to take them home. Ginny refuses his offer to get dropped off, nodding her head toward Teddy where he's draped across her shoulder, completely and utterly asleep. She confirms the address with the driver in a quiet tone and ushers Harry into the car before sliding in after him. The car pulls away from the curb and Harry lets out a deep sigh, blinking away the wetness in his eyes.

But apparently not before Ginny noticed, since she slips her hand across the seat between them and wraps her fingers around his. Harry squeezes her hand gently and figures she'll pull away, but neither does until the car stops in front of his flat.

Working with an easy tandem they get Teddy bundled off to bed, teeth brushed and decked out in fresh pajamas, and then quietly wander into the kitchen silently.

Ginny flicks the kettle on and leans against the countertop while Harry putters around needlessly after he retrieves two mugs from the cupboard. She watches him quietly until he finally breaks. "I've never really been alone before. Even when I was at uni, or whatever else - it was always temporary and Mum, Dad, Sirius - they were never more than a phone call away."

"They're still a phone call away, just - long distance," Ginny says softly, knocking her elbow against his.

Harry's lip ticks up in a smile. "I know - it's just. I've always had a safety net. Now there's just - me."

She snorts, "Well now you're just being a git. They're not going away forever. And you've got me and Ron. And Hermione. Ron would even agree to be attached at the hip to you, much to his girlfriend's chagrin," Ginny laughs as she pours the steaming water from the kettle, "You two are a bit codependent; it's nasty."

A laugh leaves Harry's lips for the first time since they waved goodbye to his parents. "Thanks, I think." Ginny rises up on her toes and presses a chaste kiss to his cheek. "You're welcome. Now let's go binge something funny. And bring those ginger biscuits you think no one knows about."

___

Harry'd always had his teary goodbyes, but since the flight was entirely too early for anything remotely emotionally draining...Still Sirius does call him from their gate. "Good morning, my child," there's a muffled discussion that Harry's too overtired to comprehend and then Sirius returns, "James says I'm not your father so I have to say my godchild."

"It's four in the morning," Harry murmurs into his pillow, "Is there a point coming around any time soon?"

"Allow me my dramatics, Harry," Sirius says with a sigh, "It's my one joy. Well that, and my dog. My beautiful, well behaved, house trained, loving dog. Who - I might add - once rescued you from a horrid head injury."

"It was a tennis ball."

"Your skull hadn't fully formed."

"I was twenty."

There's a loud announcement in the background and Sirius refocuses, "We're boarding - pick up Snuffles from his vet this afternoon. He's staying with you, love you, bye."

Harry groans and tosses his phone to the mattress, only to be met with an angry groan and a tumbleweed of fiery red hair. "Can you throw your tantrum somewhere I don't have to hear it? Or maybe after ten o'clock?"

Just to be sure, Harry rubs at his eyes and fumbles his glasses onto his face, "Why - "

"You got all melodramatic about me traveling alone at night and I sassed you but your bed looked really comfortable and I was super tired."

"And I'm here because - "

"First, we're adults and second, that couch is not good for your back because you're an old man."

Flopping onto his back, Harry somehow manages to repress the tension rising into his shoulders because Ginny is in arms distance and warm and soft and in his bed and - "I'm going back to sleep."

Only Ginny's snores answer.

___

The next month passes in a blur, Teddy basically the happiest he's ever been with Ginny around more than she's not and a dog living with them full time, while Harry fights the pull of a nervous breakdown when his research stalls and his computer decides to crap out.

Teddy's just gone down for the evening and Harry's balled up his upteenth failed handwritten - thanks for nothing Genius Bar - draft when Ginny wanders from Teddy's room to Harry's 'office'. "I was going to head out for an evening of mind-numbing study."

"I'm going to stare at a bottle of Scotch and pretend I'm drinking away my troubles."

Ginny chuckles and plops into the lumpy chair Harry bought from his old neighbors. It still smells of mothballs, but it's cozy and Harry's a little attached. "I'm sorry, your whining has become a dog whistle for me."

Harry sticks out his tongue and tosses a stray mess of a draft at Ginny with what he would call definitive accuracy. Or would have, before Ginny caught it with barely a glance and immediately pelted it at his forehead. "What seems to be the problem, sad PhD man?"

Running his hands through his hair, Harry droops back into his seat and lets out a groan. "I've got this bloody grant looming over my head, my department head is finally showing some confidence in me, and my thesis is shite."

Ginny throws one leg up over the arm of her chair and rolls her eyes. "You're just piling three problems together to make it sound bigger than it is. In fact, the middle one isn't even a problem. And really the first one isn't either. And I would bet the third, which is the only actual legitimate problem, I would remind you, is being caused by your fixation on the first two."

"Don't be smug."

"I'm only smug when I'm right."

"You are constantly smug," Harry snorts.

"I'm constantly right," Ginny teases, working her hair free of its braid with deft fingers, the lamplight catching the gold in her hair, "You've got to just do the work - forget about the deadlines and the pressure. God forbid you take a day and give your poor brain a rest. In the meantime, just talk at me whenever you get stuck."

"I don't think you know what you're signing up for," Harry laughs, already lighter.

As he pushes the detritus on his desk away from his chest, Harry props his legs on the corner and leans back in his chair. "I'm a right mess."

"Don't be so sure of yourself, I've got six brother's worth of angsty boy experience," Ginny shoots back, fiery as ever. Though Harry can see the way her eyes go a bit hazy when she stumbles over the six. It's not been that long since Fred, and with these things, Harry's not sure the wound will ever heal - at least not fully.

But he honors her apparent wish to brush past the topic and lets it drop. "My paper - you know the Atacama Desert?"

"Sure."

Harry chuckles. "Well that particular region in Chile was at one time inhabited by the Inca, and there are these infamous pillars scattered through the desert and up until recently, no one was quite sure what they were. But there've been a few research trips by international teams over the past year or so and they're fairly certain the arrangement was connected to the the stars, particularly on the Autumn Equinox."

Flushing, Harry pauses and ruffles his hair, "Sorry you don't want to hear all this."

Ginny flicks her hair tie at his chest, "Don't make me come over there and fight you. Just finish the story, Professor."

Ignoring the way his heart picks up at the term Professor coming from Ginny's lips, Harry takes the opportunity to have someone listen to him babble and plows ahead. "My theory is that it was more significant than a way to track the year - the sun god, Inti, was a huge deal and heavily associated with the Inca State."

Ginny nods and Harry continues, "So wouldn't it make sense that a place believed to be a seat of power for the patron of the state to also be where you'd bury the greatest leaders?"

"Sounds like a pretty solid theory to me," Ginny says, thoughtful, "Why not just, write down what you just said and all your ideas related to it for the moment? Almost word cloud it a little? Brainstorming helps get out the ideas, good and bad."

Harry's gaze catches Ginny's for a minute and holds, before she lets out a breath and rises, "Well, I've done my duty. See you day after tomorrow?"

"Ted's going to be beside himself without you," Harry answers, following her to the front door.

They linger for a moment, his hand resting on the doorknob and Ginny's warmth and fresh flowery scent filling his senses as her dark eyes find his. "So - I - don't work too hard."

Laughing softly, Harry musses his hair with his free hand, "Never. Don't die of boredom."

"Is that what happens when your brain leaks out your ears?" Ginny asks, smiling wryly.

"Wrong kind of doctor to ask," Harry jokes, and he'd almost swear Ginny swayed closer before clearing her throat and taking a definitive step back.

"I'll uh, see you when I see you?"

With a somewhat awkward nod, Harry pulls the door open and watches Ginny as she makes her way to the lift, raising his hand in a wave as she steps inside.

He wakes the next morning, beautifully rested and more relaxed than he's been in about a thousand years. Before he rolls from the bed to rouse Teddy, Harry grabs his mobile from the nightstand and taps the message notifications - a few unimportant meme type messages from Sirius, Mum's daily good morning message (which is timed to be for his mornings because that's just Lily Evans Potter), and then a simple, stark message from Ginny Weasley: We need to talk.

Just to be sure he hadn't missed any previous messages, Harry taps on the thread and finds absolutely no context, just that one simple text that sends terror through his entire body.

The less brave part of himself wants to ignore the message, while the slightly more damn the torpedoes Harry favors answering with another text, and finally, reasonable adult Harry figures a vague 'we need to talk' message really means 'call me.'

So, after taking a gulp from the glass on his bedside table, Harry taps Ginny's contact and raises the phone to his ear. He's half hoping to get sent to voicemail, but she answers on the third ring. "Alright, Potter?"

"Er, as of now, yes. But if you're about to quit, I'm probably going to go into heart failure, fair warning."

"I - what? No, I have an idea for your article, or how to get it going I suppose," Ginny says, "Why did you think I was quitting?"

"Your exact message was 'we should talk' - if we were dating, I would've thought you were breaking up with me."

"Well I am not, so point one for me, and I have a little fixer for your article, so point number two," Ginny counts off, "Which means you really owe me pizza."

#itsblissfuloblivion writes #hinny #hinny au #hinny au fic #modern au #harry x ginny #teddy lupin #jily #romione #sirius black #gryffindormischief #fightfortherightsofhouseelves #kindle #kindle chapter 5 #fab collab #share the hinny love #monday update

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turnertimeline · 6 years

Text

Boxing Day Tradition

Collection: Turner Family

Year: 1966

Characters: Patrick Turner and Timothy Turner, Annette Thompson, Daniel Thompson

Content Warnings: grief, loss of a parent

Rating: K+

Style: Prose

Summary: Tim and Patrick go to the cemetery every year on boxing day. It had started out as a tradition on Christmas, but it moved to Boxing Day so they weren’t rushing about with all the other festivities. This year, Tim has Daniel to bring.

They wake up leisurely on Boxing Day, there isn't much to do besides the cemetery. Annie wakes up when Danny does, and Tim wakes up soon after. His internal clock has set itself to when Danny usually wakes up. He goes upstairs to use the bathroom, and then knocks on Annie's door softly, just in case their son decided to sleep in.

"Come in." Annie calls. Tim opens the door and sees Annie sitting on the bed nursing Danny. He closes the door and goes over to her, nodding to be bed next to her. "May I?"

"Of course." Annie smiles at him. When Tim sits down he loops an arm over her shoulders and Annie settles against him. It's a familiar, comfortable arrangement. Something they've done a hundred times before. Tim will play with Danny's feet or hands while he eats. The only difference is when Danny's finished and Annie has replaced her shirt, she tilts her head up to look at Tim. "Give me a kiss?" Tim grins and leans down to give her a soft kiss. Annie kisses him back just as softly, grinning and giggling a little when she pulls back to see to Danny. Danny's watching them, his fist stuck firmly in his mouth. Tim laughs, "Looks like we're busted." Annie lifts Danny up so he's nearly standing, which usually causes him to start laughing and bouncing. "What do you think sweet boy? Mummy and Daddy kissing okay?" Danny bounces on his feet and reaches out for them both, babbling. "I'll take that as an agreement." Tim chuckles. "I think so, too," Annie says with a grin. She tilts her head back towards Tim and this time Tim kisses her without her prompting him to. Annie makes a soft noise into the kiss. Kissing him is quickly becoming her favourite thing. She wouldn't call him hesitant, but he is careful. And gentle.

They stay holed up for a bit, playing with Danny, kissing some more. It's not until they hear the rest of the household moving around that they get up. Angela and Teddy are busy re-discovering all their Christmas presents, Shelagh is making a pot of tea, and Patrick is going through his calendar for the next few days to see if there's anyone he absolutely must see that day. Shelagh turns to beam at them when they come downstairs, Tim carrying Danny. "Good morning, dears. Tea?"

Yes please." They say together, causing a ripple of giggles between them.

Shelagh shakes her head at them in mock disgust, her eyes twinkling. Tim hands Danny to Annie and goes to help Shelagh in the kitchen. There are many cups of tea to be made and breakfast to start now everyone is up. Annie wanders through to the living room.

"Hi Annie!" Angie calls from where she's playing with Teddy on the floor.

"Hello, Angie. Hello, Ted. Having a good time?" She sits down on the floor with them, back against the sofa and Danny on her lap. Teddy abandons his game with Angela to say hello to Danny, who is finally getting interesting enough to keep his attention. Danny reaches out to Teddy and babbles. "I think he wants to play with you." Annie says.

She moves Danny from her lap to sit him on the floor in front of Teddy. Teddy laughs happily and Danny shouts back at him, waving his hands around. Annie laughs watching the two boys play. Angie abandons her toys and comes over to join them. Annie keeps on eye on them, sometimes Danny gets so excited he tips himself over. Honestly, it's hilarious to watch happen, but she doesn't want him to get hurt. Danny is rarely bothered when it happens, but she's a little worried he might bash his head when he falls. Tim and Shelagh bring tea and breakfast to the table and Angie and Teddy run off to wash their hands. Annie positions Danny on his belly and puts a few toys in his reach before heading to the table and sitting so she can keep an eye on the baby.

Breakfast is relaxed, everyone taking what they want, conversation flowing easily. After breakfast has been cleaned up, Patrick asks Tim if he's ready to go to the cemetery. Tim had told Annie about their tradition last year, and this year he had asked her if it was okay if he took Danny.

Tim nods. "Just need to get changed.." He turns to look at Annie. "Can I still take Danny?"

Annie nods quickly. "Of course you can."

Tim gives Annie a small, grateful smile and leans over to kiss her on the cheek before heading upstairs to get dressed.

Annie smiles at Patrick and Shelagh. "I'll just go make sure Daniel will be warm enough."

Annie scoops Danny up off of the floor, despite is annoyed grunt as he was playing with the rug, and heads upstairs with him. Patrick and Shelagh exchange an amused look as Annie follows Tim upstairs.

It's not often Annie feels like she's intruding anymore, but sometimes these little moments - quiet rituals, especially the sad ones - she feels a little out of place. It's not so bad when Tim is there, but when it's just her with Patrick and Shelagh... she never knows what to do.

She gets Danny into his warmest clothes and bundled in a blanket, despite his protests. Even at five months old, Danny HATES being completely wrapped up. And mittens are his nemesis because he can't suck on his fist or grab things. After changing and cleaning up in the bathroom, Tim comes into his room to see Annie playing with the very bundled up Daniel. She looks up and gives him a small smile. "There. All ready to go." She stands up to pass him over to Tim. "Danny you feel more like a marshmallow than a little boy." Tim teases as kisses the baby's face, making him laugh.

"Don't want him to catch cold," Annie says with a smile. "Nor you, you hear me?" she adds to Tim quietly, stepping forward to flatten down the lapel of his jacket.

"I'll make sure to put my hat and scarf on when we leave." Tim tells her, wrapping his free arm around her waist. "Thank you for letting me take him with us."

"Of course," Annie replies quietly and kisses his cheek. "He's your son. He should meet his grandmother." Annie strokes a hand over Danny's head. Tim gives her a sad smile before leaning down to give her a proper kiss. Annie sighs into the kiss, cupping his face and stroking his cheek with her thumb.

A light knock on the door causes them to jump a part just as Patrick sticks his head in. "All ready?"

Tim nods. "All ready."

Annie follows them downstairs and makes sure that Tim does indeed put on his hat and scarf. Shelagh is also fussing over Patrick a little, making sure he has his scarf and hat and his coat. Usually Teddy and Angela would be clamoring to go along, but Shelagh had told them that Daddy and Tim were going to Tim's first Mummy's grave. Angela gives them both a hug around the legs as they leave. Shelagh puts an arm around Annie's shoulders and squeezes gently as they wave goodbye to the boys.

They end up walking to the cemetery. It's not far, and it's not bitterly cold outside. They make sure to pick up fresh flowers. Danny settles in Tim's arms as they walk, though still thoroughly unimpressed with his attire. And annoyed he can't grab the flowers Patrick is carrying.

Patrick leads the way to Marianne's grave, he's been there more than Tim. and has the way memorized.Tim follows behind him, careful not to trip while carrying Danny. Feeling his chest ache. Tim stands a little distance away to give his Dad a little bit of time alone first. He can't hear what his Dad is saying, but he can tell by his body language that he's crying a bit. Tim bounces Daniel in arms in an effort to keep himself calm. Tim finds this bit the worst. Watching his Dad quietly break down, just waiting in the quiet stillness of the cemetery.

After a while Patrick rubs at his eyes and then stands, patting the gravestone once or twice and then turning to Tim with a watery smile.Tim walks over to his Dad's side when Patrick turns towards him. His chest is still tight and can already feel tears burning behind his eyes.

Patrick puts a hand on his shoulder. "Shall I take Daniel?" Patrick's voice is rough from his own tears. Tim shakes his head. "No, I want him with me." He walks over to his Mum's grave and kneels down gently, shifting Daniel so that he's standing. Making sure to have Daniel secure against his body with on arm, Tim reaches out to trace his fingers over the name on the placard. Daniel bounces a little on his feet and then babbles a little, his hands reaching out towards the gravestone.

Tim lets out a little chuckle and wipes at his face. "Hi Mummy." He says quietly. "I brought someone to meet you." Danny tips his head back to look at Tim when he speaks and then back at the grave. Struggling a little against Tim, wanting to get on the floor. Tim has to take a few moments before he can speak again. "Mummy. This is your grandson. My son. His name is Daniel Timothy." Danny looks at Tim again when he says his name, before letting out a happy shriek and bouncing on his feet again. Tim laughs, but it comes out more like a sob. "He's very happy to meet you." He wipes at his face again before continuing. "I promise he'll know who you are, that he'll know his Grandma.” Danny kicks his feet again. "I miss you, Mum. So much. Merry Christmas. I love you." Tim stands back and balances Daniel on his hip. Patrick walks back over and places his hand on Tim's shoulder. Tim turns and presses his face against Patrick's shoulder and heaves a few ragged sobs into his coat before he manages to get control of his breathing.

Patrick fumbles in his pocket for a moment before pulling out a small velvet box. "At the risk of making this even more emotional, I brought this along." He hands the box to Tim. Tim stares down at it blindly for a few moments and then looks up at Patrick, automatically putting his hands over Danny's to stop him grabbing for it. "Dad - what...?" "It's the ring I gave Mummy when I asked her to marry me." Patrick fidgets with fingers a bit, not sure how this will go over.

Tim stares at him, "Dad? Why are you..."

"Oh come now son, I'm not so old that I don't recognize the look on your face when Annie walks in the room." Patrick teases him.

Tim blushes. "I had - thought about it," Tim admits quietly. "But Dad - its *yours*, Don't you want to keep it?"

The few things he has of his mother's TIm couldn't imagine giving to anyone. Even Danny. And he knows Patrick has kept both of their wedding rings.

"Tim, I know she'd want you to have it. She'd be so thrilled to have Annie in the family. They would have gotten on so well. I'll still have her wedding band, and mine. This should go to you, and Annie when the time comes."

"Dad," Tim says, whispers soft, and hugs Patrick as tightly as he can with Danny between them.

Danny lets out an annoyed grunt and grabs at Patrick's scarf. Patrick eases the hug back but keeps an arm around Tim's shoulders. "I'd be in trouble if I took that off, little man," Patrick tells Danny with a sideways grin. Danny pulls a face and tugs on it again, laughing when Patrick pulls on it in return. Tim smiles at his Dad and Danny playing and puts the ring box in his pocket, keeping his hand over it "Let's go home."

When Patrick turns to start walking, Danny lets out a cry at the scarf no longer being in his hands. "Oh hush Mr. Grabby Hands." Tim teases, he untucks the end of his own scarf to hand to Danny and the little boy tugs on it gleefully. "You'll be in trouble with two people when we get home," Patrick teases lightly.

Tim shrugs. "Technically, I've not taken it off."

"Oh, yes, I'm sure that will go down well," Patrick replies with a wink, opening the door for him. Tim takes his scarf off quickly before Annie or Shelagh see him, and he hangs it up, causing Patrick to laugh. "Well I'm glad to see you two are laughing." Shelagh says brightly from the sofa.

Tim grins at her and goes over to the sofa without taking his coat off, handing Danny over and giving her a quick hug. "Hi, Mum."

"Hello love." Shelagh says, hugging him back as she takes the baby.

She starts undoing his coat while Tim takes off his. When Danny finally can move his arms the way he wants he shouts happily and waves them around. Tim and Shelagh both laugh at him. Patrick comes over to retrieve Tim’s coat for him. Sometimes when they come back Tim wants to stay close to Shelagh for a little while.

Annie joins them, followed by Angie and Teddy. When Annie sits next to Tim, he automatically moves to grab her hand. Annie looks a little surprised but takes his hand back and squeezes, giving him a small smile.

#ctm #call the midwife #narrative: prose #narrative: tim and annie #narrative: turner family #1966

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