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shina913 · 1 year

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Scions, Ch.7 | Kim Line + JHS

Scions, 7

sci·on | \ ˈsī-ən \ Definition:(1)a descendant(2) a shoot or twig, especially one cut for grafting or planting

✼Scions Masterlist✼

Pairing: Fem!Reader Sister + Kim Brothers; JHS x Fem!Reader

Rating: M (🔞)

Genre: Siblings!AU; Marriage!AU; FWB!AU; exes to ?; Mom!Reader; Brother’s Best Friend; drama; angst; smut; fluff

Warnings: ANGST!!!; DRAMA!!!; multiple POV switches; character death; ots of crying–like, A LOT; parenting frustrations; parenting fears; vulnerable confessions; cussing; pining; marriage troubles; mentions of divorce/separation; emotional outbursts; mourning; soft sibling moments

Word count: 7,715 words

Summary: Four grown siblings return to their childhood hometown after their father is declared to be terminal. They are forced to live under the same roof for days, along with their overbearing mother, to say their final goodbyes. It starts off nostalgic until some unresolved family issues along with an assortment of spouses, exes, and might-have-beens make things even more interesting.

A/N: Happy 2023 and sorry this took so long! I had a long-ass note and somehow it got deleted 😂 Woops! Anyway, I wanted to thank all of those who have just recently discovered this story. I love reading all of your notes and thoughts on it as this story is very special to me. It's not an easy read nor is it easy to write (as I've said many times) because it's just...super heavy angst and drama! But I am happy that some of you are enjoying it and looking forward to the next installments!

A/N2: Joon's eulogy was taken from one of his insta stories from May 2022--yes, I have been holding onto this for that long! Translation was taken (verbatim) from @/eternalhyyh on Twt.

A/N3: There are some references to scenes from the two one-offs that were previously posted (Sunshine and Joon & Jooni). One scene in particular picks up right after the end of J&J but it's not super essential that you read those. They just contribute to the story and provide additional context.

After the funeral directors came by to pick up his dad’s body to bring him to the mortuary for cremation, Taehyung retreated to his childhood bedroom. He’d been sitting on the floor for who knows how long. The tears would come and go, especially when he would catch glimpses of old family photos that were displayed on his walls and his bookshelf.

Out of his siblings, he was taking it the hardest. His hero was gone and there was nothing he could do to remedy that.

His nephew and niece tried to coax him out of his room but he couldn’t face them…not like this. He was a mess.

Taehyung took pride in being the ‘fun’ uncle. Always playing games and putting smiles on their faces. The kids were also innately introspective so if they saw any hint that he was upset, they would ask questions about it.

And he wasn’t in the right headspace to talk about any of it yet.

He overheard Namjoon’s voice on the other side of the door, murmuring something about taking the kids to the park. Seconds later, the shadows between the gap of the floor and door moved away, much to his relief.

Sniffling, he reached for his phone by his bedside. He wasn’t sure why but he felt like he needed to confide in somebody…somebody who wasn’t family. Somebody who was emotionally removed from the situation.

“Hi,” he said shakily when the other line picked up. “Do you have a minute?”

******

Eunhae does one final sweep of her hotel room, checking to make sure that she didn’t leave anything. And if she did, it was unlikely that she’d ever come back to this area anyway.

She’d been gone from the office for a few days. And while the nature of her job allowed her to work remotely, it wasn’t like Taehyung was necessarily welcoming her with open arms.

For years, she happily relished in her independence. She didn’t like the idea of ‘belonging’ to someone. The idea of not being tied down to anybody was important to her. She was content with only having to worry about herself, for the most part since her family already worried her enough.

When she first met Taehyung, he was someone that she was instantly physically attracted to. The fact that he offered to carry her giant boxes from the moving truck and into her apartment was a bonus.

He agreed to a no-strings arrangement but she could tell that he didn’t typically go for relationships like that. He was a gentle soul, always thinking about his family and friends.

Even after they’d slept together, he always offered that she stay the night, get something to eat, or just hang out for a bit. 9 times out of 10, she would decline. Spending time together after doing the deed almost always led to some type of attachment. But the times that she would agree, he considered it as a privilege.

He always treated her with respect even though her promiscuity would have other people looking at her differently. He was never the type to just leave right after he got what he wanted. And it was those times that made Eunhae reconsider how she felt about relationships.

After years of living around the city and several casual encounters, she realized that she’d never met anybody like him. It was just unfortunate that she had gone into self-preservation mode right when Taehyung needed somebody.

She’d spent enough time kicking herself for being such an idiot about it. It was what brought her out here to begin with. Unfortunately, Taehyung would have none of it.

While she searches for the TV remote to check herself out of the room, her phone rings loudly from her purse.

It was probably the office again, she thought.

As soon as she retrieves it, the caller ID catches her off-guard.

“H-hey,” she answered. “You know what, I’m still in town. Do you want me to come over?”

******

When Namjoon returned from the park with the kids, his mom immediately greets him by the door asking if he had his suit laid out for tomorrow.

“How could I not bring a suit? I can’t believe…” he muttered to himself.

“Don’t even worry about it, darling!” His mom’s voice echoed through the bedroom from her walk-in closet.

“I was in such a hurry, it didn’t even cross my mind,” he says again, ignoring her comments.

“That’s alright, Namjoonah. You know, you and your dad are pretty much the same size? I mean, right before he got sick.” He turned around to find his mom holding a jacket open for him. It gave him pause, but she remained in that position, waiting to put it on him.

He glances at her for a moment, her expression was soft–one that he rarely saw. Growing up, he made life difficult for her every time she was on a break from filming or if she was in-between projects. Every time he defied her, he would see this hardened look on her face–one of frustration and disappointment.

Namjoon wasn’t always as compliant as his siblings were. He always went against the grain–which caused some constant conflict between him and his mother.

When he left for university, it was one of the best times of his life. He missed his siblings and his old friends but he also felt some relief to not feel obligated to spend time with his mom whenever she was home. He either had to study for exams, attend a workshop, or wanted to save on the bus fare home.

Come to think of it, this is the most time he has spent with her, in the same space, after over a decade.

He swallowed the emotions that bubbled up inside him. He took a step towards her then turned around to stretch his arms backwards. Once he slipped his hands through the armholes, his mom pulled the jacket up his arms and onto his shoulders. He felt her small hands do a quick sweep over his shoulder blades to smooth the material.

Afterwards, she moved around him. His eyes shifted downward while he watched her straighten out the lapels and brush off some errant traces of lint.

“Ma, you don’t have to do that, I can–”

“Shush and just let me do this, adeul.”

He released a long, exasperated breath…and let her be.

“You know, this was one of your dad’s favorites. I had it custom-made for him,” she muses.

Namjoon gets a whiff of his dad’s scent on the jacket and a calm washes over him. It smelled of citrus-mint bar soap…one that he used for as long as Namjoon can remember. His dad was but a creature of habit. He could have gone and used all of those artisanal bath oils and scents that his mom brought from her travels but he always stuck to the same one.

His dad once said that it was the same soap that they carried at the resort where they had honeymooned as newlyweds.

He happened to find the manufacturer and ordered copious amounts of them. To this day, he kept a small stock in a waterproof, air-tight container in the basement. Namjoon chuckled at the memory.

A few more seconds of fussing with his collar, his mom stepped back and cocked her head to the side, admiring her handiwork. “There. So handsome,” she smiled appreciatively.

Namjoon snorts at the remark. “Mom…please,” he says, cheeks slightly flushed from embarrassment.

“What? I’m not allowed to compliment my son? My smart, successful, handsome son? Whom I’m very proud of, by the way,” she added.

Namjoon’s eyes shift downward.

She cocked her head to the side and touched his cheek. “Hey–what’s with the long face?”

“Proud?” His lips quirked morosely. “I’m not sure if I deserve your pride. I’m…I don’t even know if I would be proud of myself.”

She scoffed. “And why not?”

“My marriage is ending because my wife cheated on me right under my nose, my life is in shambles…and now I’m bringing a baby into the world?”

“Is that why you haven’t talked to him in the last few weeks? Is that why you tried to keep this from us? You think we’d think less of you?”

“Ma, even I think less of me right now. I…” he opened his mouth to say something, but struggled to find the right words. “I usually know what my next move would be…but…for some reason, I just feel…” he sighed, “...lost.”

She hummed, understanding his predicament. “A baby, huh? You must be terrified.”

He scoffed. “I am.”

“Well–not sure if it’s any consolation, but that feeling never goes away.”

“That’s reassuring,” Namjoon says sarcastically.

“Why don’t you tell me what you’re afraid of, darling?”

“Uhh…everything! I don’t even know where or how to start raising another human. I can’t even figure out my life right now.” He runs both hands through his hair, suddenly feeling a cold sweat break through his scalp. “What would I teach this kid?”

“Why don’t you sit down, before you give yourself an aneurysm, Namjoonie?”

He sits on his parents’ old bed, which was most recently moved back into the master bedroom after hospice staff picked up the hospital bed and other medical equipment following his dad’s passing.

His mom sits right next to him.

“Sweetheart, do you remember when Jooni was born?”

Namjoon smiles nostalgically at the memory. “Like it was yesterday.”

“Do you remember how you felt when you first held her?”

He laughed. “I was…very scared! She was so small and…I was so nervous, I thought I would drop her.”

“And did you?” She asked quietly.

He shook his head gently. “YN said that, if you loved something that precious, even the clumsiest person would hang on to it as if their life depended on it.”

“And you held her so carefully and so close to you.”

“I did…for over an hour! I didn’t even care that my arm fell asleep,” He laughed softly. “It felt nice.”

His mom smiled. “That’s what being a parent is, Namjoon. It’s terrifying at first because there are so many things that you don’t know. You can plan things out in advance in anticipation for the worst possible scenario but…that’s just not how it works. You learn as you go”

Then she turned and looked at him lovingly. “You just need to love them and do the best you can for them. You hang on to them tightly until they’re ready to let go and set off on their own.”

Namjoon hung his head and stared at the floorboards. “Do you think Vee and I have already screwed this kid up with this divorce?”

His mom rests her arm on his shoulder and squeezes it gently, her expression unyielding but reassuring. “Honey, I think that if you stayed in an unhappy marriage, that would not be healthy for your child either. Most people think that you need to prioritize your child’s happiness before yours–but I disagree. Self-sacrifice is a given when you decide to have children but at the end of the day, you need to take care of yourself, too. It’s an absolute necessity…so that you can take care of others.”

Namjoon nods, allowing his mom’s words to sink in. He knew that his family was unconventional. His parents’ generation was all about doing things for the benefit of the whole family. You didn’t take care of yourself, you didn’t do things for yourself–that was selfish.

Somehow, his parents found a balance to defy all that. They found a way to make their dreams come true and love their children at the same time. While self-sacrifice was evident in all of the decisions they made for their family, self-love also took precedence. It was how his parents reinforced their marriage.

She rubs the back of his neck softly, which he finds comforting. After that, she gives him a kiss on his temple. “You’ll be okay, Namjoonie. We’re here to help you get through this.”

Namjoon lets out a wry chuckle. “You’re way more optimistic than I am. I probably have the worst parental instincts!”

“‘Worst parental instincts’?” She laughed at how ridiculous he was being. “Who was it who volunteered to take the children out to the park for a bit of playtime?”

“That was coincidental. Everyone was busy with stuff and I didn’t want the kids to get bored or get in the way.”

She rolled her eyes. “Give yourself a bit more credit, Namjoon. I see how you are with Joobin and Jooni.”

He continues to wave her off. “That’s different. I play with them for a bit, keep them company…At the end of the day, I get to give them back to YN. It’s kind of like library books.”

Mouth falling open, she gasps and clutches her chest in disbelief. “Kim Namjoon! You did not just compare your niece and nephew to library books?!”

He chuckled in return. “I love books—and I love Joobin and Jooni.” His face falters for a second, turning more serious. “…but they’re not mine. It’s…I don’t know how to explain it.” He sucked in a breath, trying to make out the words. After a few beats, he continued, “I just feel like…I’ll have less room for error when it’s my kid.”

His mom frowned. “Why would you think that?”

Her question was met with silence. She put her hand on his cheek and gently urged him again. “Joonie, tell me.”

He sighed heavily, looking up at her with sad eyes. “I just feel like, after all those years that I treated you badly, maybe this is the universe’s way of getting payback…you know, because I was a bad son to you.”

The words pierced her chest like a barb. They didn’t have the easiest relationship and Namjoon always seemed intent on keeping a rebellious streak but her love for him never wavered.

“Oh, honey…no. No, no, no,” she desperately wrapped her arms around his too-large-frame. “Whatever stuff we were going through…you shouldn’t think of it as some generational thing. Me being away all the time was tough not just on you but on me, too.”

Namjoon sniffled. Regretting all those years that he punished his mom for being absent during his formative years. She did what she needed to…and it was never without his dad’s blessing. He realized that now.

“I’m sorry for not giving you a break, ma,” Namjoon mumbled.

“It’s all water under the bridge.” She pulls away from him and gives his forehead a lingering kiss. “I love you and I just want what’s best for you…always.”

Namjoon stared back into his mom’s eyes. All those years of animosity that he put between them–she just waved it all away with a kiss.

“I love you, mom.”

“I love you, too, darling,” she smiled. “And not that you need to hear this from me but I think you’ll be a great father. You care a great deal about your family–and I think that matters a lot when you’re raising children.”

******

You weren’t the only one on autopilot. Almost everyone in this house was trying to keep themselves busy.

When Namjoon and the kids returned from the park, you handed them off to Sam. Thankfully, he canceled all of his calls and meetings since the funeral was scheduled for tomorrow.

“Where are the kids?” Jin had just emerged from the study. He’d been on the phone with the minister confirming details on the memorial and coordinating with his staff at the restaurant for the reception.

His staff. It was a strange thought. Only days ago, they were your dad’s staff. Even though he relinquished that role to Jin ever since he decided to ‘retire,’ they still considered him as their boss.

“With Sam,” you say, looking up from the soup you were stirring.

He snorted. “At least he’s being useful. I think I’ve only seen him a total of two hours since he arrived. Even in those two hours, he always had that fucking earpiece on,” he says, referring to Sam’s bluetooth headset.

You sighed heavily at Jin’s grumblings about your husband. He didn’t dislike Sam…at least not at the outset. When you brought him home to meet your family, Jin had resigned himself to the fact that this man was going to be in your life, and in turn, his life.

Unlike Namjoon, there was no benefit to wishing that someone else was in his place instead.

But as time went on, Jin grew tired of Sam being away so much, leaving you to deal with the kids and manage your home.

“He’s been busy, oppa. Unfortunately, some foreign clients don’t really care about personal stuff. They just want to know how and when they’re going to get their money.”

Jin wanted to argue that point but he didn’t have the energy. Thankfully, when Namjoon got back from the park, he handed him the list of family members and friends whom he hadn't called yet.

“Where’s Yoojung?” He asks instead.

You were thankful for the change in subject. “Unnie wasn’t feeling well. I told her to go lie down so I offered to finish this up for her.”

“She’s been doing a lot in the last few days,” he says, leaning against the kitchen counter.

“I know. Do you want to go upstairs and keep her company? I’ll let you guys know when dinner’s ready.”

Jin nods and starts to walk off to check on his wife upstairs but turns back around.

“Hey,” he says cautiously.

You look up at him.

He hesitates for a beat, hoping that he wasn’t speaking out of turn. But he was the eldest and he knew that you always respected any advice he gave. He moistens his lips. “Whatever it is you and Sam are going through…just know that whatever you decide, we’ll support you.”

Your breath caught in your throat. For nearly four years, you tried to cover up your marital issues. You and Sam have gone through counseling and after a few sessions, it seemed like things were going to work out.

This time, though? It was becoming more evident that your marriage was beyond repair. Even after your conversation with your dad, you hadn’t made up your mind yet. You thought you could revisit all of that after the memorial, when you and Sam got back to the city.

Although, it seemed as if Jin was as intuitive as your dad was.

“Oppa, I…” Your shaky voice betrayed your resolve.

“I know that if dad were still here, he would say the same thing,” he says softly.

Your nose stung and you felt the tears well up in your eyes. At the first sob you let out, Jin instantly wraps you in his arms tightly.

“Hey…it’s gonna be okay, YN.” He rubbed your back soothingly.

“Please don’t tell Joon yet,” you whimpered.

“Is it because you’re afraid that he can finally kick Sam’s ass?”

You pulled away, chuckling while wiping your tears. “No,” you answer. “He’s just got a lot to deal with right now. I’ll tell him eventually.”

Jin nodded. “I hear you. I will say though, nothing good ever comes out of keeping secrets. Not saying that you were doing it maliciously but…you think you’re protecting people’s feelings when you could be making things worse by not trusting them enough to be understanding about it.”

He wiped the tears that dripped from your cheeks. “At some point, you have to choose whether trying to be strong in front of your kids is worth sacrificing your own happiness.”

He pulls you close for another brief hug and plants a kiss on the crown of your head. “You know that I love you, right?”

You nodded wordlessly.

“Good.”

Before he walks away, the doorbell rings. “I’ll get it,” he says. “Just finish up with the soup.”

“Thank you, oppa.”

******

Jin is surprised to see Eunhae at their front door. She bows to him, giving her condolences.

“Thank you,” he replies sullenly. “If you’re here for Taehyung…he’s…” He scratches the back of his head uncomfortably, unsure how to tell her that his little brother had barricaded himself in his bedroom. ”I’m not sure if he’s up to seeing anyone.”

Eunhae nodded. “I understand.” She omits telling Jin that Taehyung called her and that she offered to come over. She figured that none of his family members have been able to coax him out. “I’d like to try? Uhm…you know, talking to him?”

Jin sighed. At this point, he’d try anything to get Taehyung out of his room. The memorial was tomorrow and he hoped that the whole family would pull it together to send off their dad properly.

He was worried sick about Taehyung. He hadn’t spoken or eaten in the last two days. Yoojung and YN would leave bowls of food by the door and they would remain untouched hours later. The only activity that came out of his room were sounds of old jazz and soul music–songs from their father’s playlist.

“Sure,” Jin invites her in. He offers her some refreshments but she respectfully declines. He then walks her up the steps towards Taehyung’s room. Jin knocked at the door to let him know that Eunhae was here. As expected, there was no response.

He shrugged at her. “Good luck, I guess?” She gave him a polite, grateful smile before he excused himself to check on Yoojung.

Eunhae knocks on the door again and calls to him. “Taehyung? Can I come in?” A few seconds of silence, and she’s about to give up but the door clicks and a disheveled Taehyung stands in front of her.

******

The house felt suffocating so Taehyung asked if Eunhae could drive out by the lake. He needed some fresh air.

“I hope you don’t mind. I called Jungkook and told him about the memorial.” She says, after turning the car engine off.

Taehyung nodded absentmindedly in acknowledgement.

“I just asked him to spread the word–and let your other friends or coworkers know.”

“Thanks,” he replies quietly. “Sorry, I’ve just been…out of it.”

“You don’t have to apologize. You’re going through a lot,” she says understandingly.

“I…I don’t even know what to do with myself,” he mumbled, before rubbing his bloodshot eyes.

She could tell that he wanted to spill his guts out to her but he was holding back. This was something personal…deeply so. And this was never part of their agreement.

But she knew, from the moment she picked up his call and offered to come over, all of those boundaries that she set up to keep him within arm’s reach were out the door.

“I’m here to listen.”

Taehyung turned his head away from the window to face her. She was staring back at him, unmoved. Her eyes drift down to his hand and without hesitation, she reached out to rest her hand over his and gave it an assuring squeeze.

“I’m here for you,” she says.

His eyes flicked down to their clasped hands. When Taehyung called her, he thought that he only needed a sounding board. In reality, he needed her.

And so he talked. He talked about his dad and how much he loved him…and how sad he was that he wasn’t going to be around anymore.

And she listened while he got it all out. She watched him cry and whimper. She saw him surrender to the grief that he was feeling. She wasn’t sure why he felt as if he had to hide this from his siblings. They all seemed very supportive and loving.

After an hour, he got himself together and asked if she could drive him back to the house.

When they returned, they were greeted by his sister. She insisted that Eunhae stay for dinner.

While they sat and ate, his brothers discussed other things that needed to be done before tomorrow’s memorial. She watched him nod obediently, volunteering for tasks, even if they weren’t asked of him.

Eunhae realized that Taehyung was struggling to find his footing in his family. He’s spent so much time trying to come off as someone who was carefree…when in fact, he cared a lot. It must be difficult to be overshadowed by three older siblings who already had their paths laid out.

Discussions then led to the events happening the next day. The memorial was supposed to start early in the morning in their home. A florist would come by to set up an arrangement in the middle of the living room with their father’s portrait, followed by mourners bowing and paying their respects.

The memorial would then be followed by a brief reception at the family’s restaurant.

“Eunhae, you don’t have to rush back, do you?” His mom asks.

“M-ma, let’s not impose on Eunhae. She might need to get back–”

“What Taehyung means is that, I’d be honored to stay, Mrs. Kim,” Eunhae cuts Taehyung off.

His mom smiled warmly. “Very good.”

*******

“Hey, listen–I just want you to know that if you have other stuff going on back in the city, you don’t need to stick around.” Taehyung said as he walked Eunhae out to her car.

Her eyebrows knitted. “I really don’t mind. I want to be able to pay my respects, too.”

He nodded. “I know but…I just don’t want you to feel that my mom’s lured you into something you feel like you can’t back out of.”

She chuckled. “Your mom is a lovely person. I’m happy to be wherever she welcomes me.”

They both exchange awkward smiles before Eunhae gives a small wave, leaving him standing on the curb while she rounds her car to get to open the driver side door.

Taehyung cleared his throat. “T-thanks again…” he blurts out.

“What for?”

He dug his hands in his pockets and shrugged. “For being someone whom I needed.”

“And that is?”

After a brief pause, he sighed. “A good friend.”

With a small nod and smile, she says, “Of course. I’ll see you tomorrow.”

*******

The funeral goes as planned. Even with barely a 2-day notice, the community showed up. As with tradition, the family lined up beside the funeral altar–spouse first, followed by their children, according to birth order: Jin, Namjoon, YN, and Taehyung. Mourners were welcomed by Yoojung and Victoria at the door, and afterwards made their offerings to the dead, then paid their respects to the family.

Afterwards, everyone was invited to gather at the family’s restaurant for a brief reception.

Yoojung, who was feeling much better today, pulled it together to manage the whole event, as was her duty as the eldest son’s wife. Sam was on kid-duty while Vee made small-talk with other guests.

Hobi volunteered his time and one of his staff, Yoongi, to help with the reception. After he paid his respects earlier that morning, he went straight from the family home and into the restaurant to get everything set up before guests arrived for the reception. He was following Yoojung’s lead in terms of food and service, while he left Yoongi in charge to manage beverages.

When Jin arrived, he walked through the kitchen, thanking the staff for their hard work. He spotted Hobi walking through with an emptied chafing dish.

“Hobah?”

“Yes, hyung?” He puts the dish in the sink to soak. “Everything ok? Do you need anything?”

“No, everything’s great. I just wanted to thank you for keeping everything going and helping Yoojung.”

Hobi gives Jin a warm smile. “It’s the least I could do, hyung. Everybody’s here to celebrate appa. He’s touched their lives one way or the other.”

Jin gives a small nod, trying to keep his emotions in check. They may not have been related by blood or marriage–but he was always part of the family. “In any case, our family really, really appreciates it.”

Unprompted, Hobi moves in to give Jin a hug. He shakily accepts it, patting Hobi on the shoulder. “Thank you, brother,” Jin whispers before pulling away and walking off to check on Yoojung.

******

Eunhae steps into the kitchen in search of more napkins in the supply closet when she sees the backdoor ajar. She went to close it but stopped short when she saw Taehyung crouched on the stoop.

“Tae?”

His head jerks up at the sound of his name. “Oh…h-hey.”

“What are you doing here?” She asks. “Jungkook has been looking for you.”

He sighed. “I just wanted a little quiet before everyone got here,” he answers quietly then quickly gets up when sees her with the box of napkins in her hand.

“Hey–I can just get that,” he says, reaching for the napkins. “Why don’t you just chill out and get some food–”

“I don’t mind helping,” she smiled. “Yoojung-unnie needed an extra pair of hands so I offered.”

“I just don’t want you to think that we’re trying to put you to work or–”

She lays her hand on his wrist assuringly. “Taehyung,” she says firmly, “It’s alright. It’s like I said earlier when you called–I’m here for you.”

“I just…I feel really bad about all the stuff I said to you back at the hotel,” he says with regret.

That made the dull ache in Eunhae’s chest begin to move to the forefront but she’s able to push it back to the corner. Even though she wanted to talk to him about it too, this wasn’t the time nor the place. “Listen, why don’t we just get through today and if you’re feeling up to it, we can talk tomorrow? I was planning on driving back to the city tomorrow night.” Although Eunhae was allowed to do her work remotely, she still had to check into the office from time to time.

Taehyung gives a slight bob of his head. Eunhae gives him a polite smile in return. “C’mon, your noona’s asking for you.”

“Sure, I’ll be there in a sec,” he replies.

She turns to walk away but he calls out to her again. She turns around to face him.

“Thank you, Eunhae…for…” he sighed, seemingly at a loss for words. “...For everything.”

“You’re welcome.”

******

An hour-and-a-half into the reception, Namjoon steps to the front of the house to say a few words.

“Thank you, everyone, for coming. I think I speak on behalf of my mom, my siblings, and our respective partners and families,” he glances at Vee, who sat in one corner of the room, “...when I say that, my dad would have been touched knowing that you were all here to celebrate him.”

Then he chuckled. “I think he also would have found it funny that everyone would be fussing over him like this. He would have been the first to get up and tell everyone that we should just all go home, kick our shoes off and have a beer on the porch.”

There was a collective laugh that rang throughout the room.

He paused for a moment, eyes flicking downward to collect himself. Afterwards, he cleared his throat to continue. “It’s not traditional for us to do eulogies but…I’ve always thought that our family was never traditional in that sense anyway so, I don’t think the elders would mind if I read something.”

He opened the book that he clutched in his hand, where a passage was bookmarked. “This was one of the last things that I read to my dad. He and I loved to read together and have long conversations about whatever it was we just read. We’ve had some impassioned discussions and even epic debates that we settled by agreeing to disagree” he says with a chuckle. “But one thing’s for sure…” He paused again, feeling the tears creeping up. But he manages to hold back with a sniffle.

“Anyway, this passage is from ‘I Want to Write, But I Don’t Want to Write:’

A cynical attitude extorts all creations. It would've been better if I was only cynical, but because I'm both warm and cynical, I either burn hot or shiver in cold or lose my energy while going back and forth between the cold and heat.

Because the words and movies I loved were colossal, the closer I get to them, the more limitlessly small and shabby I feel.

You eventually happen to avoid people that make you feel small. Be it your lover, friends or even parents. And then you will have to change your true self.

Just like how you have to acknowledge and get rid of your fantasies about love in order to keep loving. Because no existence or values can be absolutely beautiful.

If the set of values that kept my current self synchronized was in full effect, I have to dispose of those values and keep going by forming a new set of them. Otherwise I have to quit everything boldly and find something else to do.

But sadly, my ordinary self is just standing still, unable to do either of them. In the end, I find myself meaninglessly romantic and contradictory for being unable to give up what I have to give up and gave up on myself instead.

Even if it may not be reachable, I currently don't know any other way than just heading towards that place.

Namjoon shut the book and tucked it between his palms, then hugged it to his chest. His eyes roamed the room, finding that there wasn't a dry eye in the house.

He lets out a shaky breath, finishing with, “I know my dad would have thought it was far-fetched that anybody would miss him,” he paused, “But you all being here proves him wrong. The fact is that we miss you, dad…a lot.”

His mom rose from her seat, walked towards him to kiss him on the cheek.

******

“Are you driving back tonight?” Namjoon asks Vee while he walks her to her car.

“Hmm…I was thinking about it,” she replies..

Namjoon’s expression became uneasy. “The weather reports say it’s supposed to rain tonight.” Vee drove a Porsche 911 Turbo. It was a death trap for Namjoon but she loved her little speed demon.

“Would you mind staying another night? I’ll pay for the hotel,” he offered while eyeing her car worriedly.

She smiled warmly and appreciated his concern. He may not love her anymore but it was good to know that he still had love for her.

“If it makes you feel better, I’ll stay another night and leave in the morning. You don’t need to pay for it.”

He nodded in gratitude. “Thanks for being here and…you know, doing all that…” He referred to her acting like a dutiful wife, talking to relatives and neighbors as if everything was normal.

She nodded politely. “You’re welcome. You gave a beautiful sendoff.”

He chuckled. “I’m glad you thought so.”

“You’ve always had a way with words.” She smiled at him before stepping into her car.

He lingered there for a bit, watching while she plugged her keys into the ignition. Then, he stepped off the curb, knocking on the passenger window. “Vee?”

She rolls it down to hear him better.

“When I get settled in my new place…we should talk.”

Her jaw nearly drops with his offer. “Uhm…yes…yeah…” she stuttered. “That would be great.”

He nodded. “For the baby.”

She nods in return. “Of course.” On that hopeful note, she pulls out of her parking spot to drive back to the hotel.

Namjoon turned on his heel to walk back to the restaurant to help clean up. On the path there, he comes across Sam, who looked like he was on a very terse phone call.

Sam gave a quick head bob upon eye contact. Namjoon acknowledges him before he ducks indoors.

******

After the memorial, everyone returns to the house. Everything had been such a blur in the last few hours–it’s hard to believe that it wasn’t even dinner time yet. Everybody looked exhausted and parked themselves as far as their bodies would take them. Jin and Yoojung sat in the dining room, making coffee, while Namjoon made himself a pot of instant jjajangmyeon.

Taehyung was sprawled on the family room’s floor, with his best friend Jungkook, while both kids horsed around them.

Your mom, mostly stoic in the last two days, carefully trudged back upstairs to nurse a headache.

“YN, you want some?” Namjoon offered.

You decline absentmindedly, trying to search for Sam. He may have gone straight upstairs to lay down.

Just then, Joobin comes running towards you with his iPad. “Mommy, my iPad is dead,” he complains.

“Why don’t you plug it in by the corner, bud?” You point towards the little table where you’ve set up a device charging station for the kids.

“I tried but it won’t work. I think the wire is broken.” You let out an exasperated sigh. It didn’t matter which ‘braided’ or ‘angled’ charging cable you bought to make your life easier when it came to the kids’ devices. They always found new ways to break whatever was touted as the most durable material on the market.

“Okay, why don’t you stay here and play with Uncle Tae and Jungkookie and I’ll check to see if daddy will let you borrow his. Sound good?”

With a big smile, he runs off and jumps into Jungkook’s arms.

When you round the corner from the stairs’ landing, you call out to Sam.

“Hey, can I borrow a charging cable–

Sam looks startled when you come to view.

“What’s all this?” You ask, gesturing at his luggage.

He sighed uncomfortably. “I…I have to leave.”

“Leave? Now?” You ask through gritted teeth.

“Uh…soon,” he replies.

You turn your head away so quickly to take a breath, calming yourself so as not to completely lash out at him while in a full house.

You quietly shut the door behind you before hissing at him. “You’ve got to be fucking kidding me, right? When were you going to tell me?”

“I–” he stuttered. “Look, I just got the call earlier, a little after the reception ended. I was going to tell you once everyone was settled in.”

You pinch the bridge of your nose, reining in your annoyance. You were exhausted and weren’t in the mood for an argument but he was really making it difficult to make this into a reasonable discussion.

“My UK deal is falling apart and I have to fly over there to save it.” It was as if he hadn’t even considered what you and your family had just gone through. Your dad was dead and Sam was ready for ‘business as usual.’ As if he actually tried to pause while your dad slowly faded away.

You scoffed. “And you didn’t tell them that you were in mourning? Are your bosses so self-absorbed that a death in the family is a non-factor?”

“They didn’t force me, YN. I made the call.”

Your jaw drops. You knew Sam valued his work but you didn’t think he would choose it over family.

“My dad just fucking died and you’re leaving? Were you just counting down the hours?”

He let out an exasperated groan. “Of course not. I didn’t come to this decision lightly.”

“Bullshit,” you spat out. “I am barely hanging on here and all I need is a little bit of support from my husband! Is that too much to ask?”

“I was here for you…I…I am! I left a fucking business deal on the table so I could be here for you!”

“You mean locking yourself in a room to be on the phone for hours on end is what you call ‘being there for me’? Entertaining the kids a couple hours at a time before your next conference call is your way of supporting me?”

“I’m doing the best I can, YN. We’ve been here for over a week already–”

“When you asked me to marry you…you said you would be a provider of this family. I…I honestly didn’t expect you to go above and beyond that promise, but you did. And for that, I will be forever grateful. In return, I wanted you to be able to live out your ambitions. You were great at what you do. So, I made a home for you and our children…tried to make the best of this marriage. And you can’t say that I didn’t try…because I fucking did.”

You met Sam during a rough period in your life. You were just getting over Hobi, adjusting to your new job, and living with Namjoon until you found a place of your own. It was a scary, transition period and suddenly, here was this nice, handsome man, handing you your transit card that you just dropped.

You weren’t looking for anything serious. He was a good distraction at the time…until you fell pregnant.

It was such an inopportune time and you contemplated not going through with it but Sam convinced you otherwise. He confessed his love for you and promised to take good care of you.

He said as much when you took him back here to face your parents and your brothers. He asked your dad for permission to marry you, to which he agreed, appreciating the gesture.

Namjoon was less than thrilled.

It wasn’t the dream wedding your mom had envisioned for you when you were a little girl but it was intimate and lovely. Everyone who mattered in your life was there.

It was touch-and-go at first and Sam was very patient. Somehow, he managed to juggle a new wife, a new baby, and a demanding job without breaking a sweat. It was what made you love him even more.

And it was good for the first two years…until problems started cropping up. You don’t get your dream job without sacrificing a few things along the way.

It started with little fights about why dinner wasn’t ready yet, or why that vacation was getting canceled again. You stopped communicating because he was at work all the time and you’d be tired from working and caring for Joobin.

But you didn’t want this marriage to fail. You sought counseling for a few months and it actually helped. Things seemed better. In fact, things felt so much better, that you decided to have a second child.

Unfortunately, it wasn’t long after Jooni was born that the same cracks in your marriage became evident once more. At that point, you had your hands full with managing your household and two children. You didn’t have the bandwidth to manage your husband.

“And now? I’m tired, Sam.” Your shoulders slumped while you stared at him.

Sam’s eyes stayed glued to you. He opens his mouth to try to argue but he snaps it shut instead. It was pointless. It was a valiant effort on both your parts but this decision was a long-time coming. It seemed as though you were just waiting for the other to pull the trigger.

He put his hands on his waist and sighed in defeat. “Can I at least say goodbye to the kids?”

You nodded softly. “Of course.”

You eyed each other silently from across the room. Knees feeling weak, you feel the need to sit yourself down on the mattress. You sighed with your head in your hands.

You feel the side of the mattress dip while he takes a seat beside you. “We had a good run, didn’t we?”

“Yeah,” you sniffled. “Damn,” you shook your head warily.

******

After Sam left, you went into the backyard, tidying up the kids’ toys. You weren’t quite ready to explain all of the details to them yet, even as he hugged them goodbye. You and Sam agreed to sit them down when you were both back in the city and all legalities have been set in motion.

You were in the midst of picking up Joobin’s dinosaurs when you heard Taehyung offer to help.

“Oh, I’m fine,” you replied.

He took two strides closer to you. “You don’t sound like you’re fine.”

You gave him the most genuine smile you could muster. “Tae, I’m fine.”

“C’mon, noona. I know you.”

You scoffed, shaking your head and continued to pick up action figures, tossing them into a bucket. “You say that as if you’re some expert.”

“I’m an expert in you.”

You laughed as you walked away from him. “Really?”

“Of course. I mean…you practically raised me.” That stopped you dead in your tracks until he caught up to you.

“When I’m confused or lost or struggling with a decision, I think about what noona would do.” Then he smiled broadly. “And I do it and…things turn out fine.”

Each of you had your own style of ‘lecturing’ Taehyung. Your approach wasn’t nagging but you always left room for him to make his own decisions. You didn’t realize that he would take those to heart.

You bit into your lip to stop it from quivering. “Tae…”

“Would you be mad if I tried to give you some advice?”

You laughed softly and shook your head emphatically.

He leaned in and rested his hands on your shoulders. “I want you to know that it’s okay to be fine. And you deserve to be fine,” he says firmly.

Your eyes welled up at your little brother’s words of comfort. Even in the moment when you feel the whole weight of the world on your shoulders, your family was here to remind you that they were here to share the load.

“Now, c’mon. Hobi-hyung just invited the whole family to drinks at Hangsang!”

“W-wait–but my kids?”

Taehyung grinned. “Mom says she’s got it. She says you deserve a drink or two.”

You nodded then began to walk back up the porch and into the house.

You paused at the threshold. “So…what about you? Are you…fine?” You hadn’t really had a conversation after he locked himself up in his room for nearly a day. You were understandably worried.

Taehyung’s mouth curved into a smile. “I’m on my way there.”

You cupped his cheek and gave it a little pinch. “Is Eunhae coming to Hangsang?”

He laughed softly. “Yeah, she is. She…volunteered to be designated driver.”

You chuckled and lifted a shoulder. “Maybe you’ll get to ‘fine’ quicker than you think.”

◤Previous | Part 8◥ | Main Fic Masterlist

Thank you for reading!

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1dmonthlyficroundup · 2 years

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1D Monthly Fic Roundup

Hi, and welcome to the 1D Monthly Fic Roundup for September 2022! Below you’ll find 1D fics that were all published this month in the order they were submitted to the blog. We hope you’ll check out these new fics! If you would like to submit your own fic, please check this post on how to submit or visit our blog @1dmonthlyficroundup. You can find all our other posts here. Due to the large number of fics submitted this month, author names are listed only once regardless of number of fics submitted because of tag limitations on tumblr. Fics are therefore grouped together by writer.

Happy reading!

🔹i swear i could give you everything by @alwaysxlarrie [Louis/Harry, T, 5k]

Louis Tomlinson was not a morning person, so he really should have known better than to start leaving secret notes on coworker Harry Styles' desk before he arrived at the office at 7:30 in the morning. But he had to admit that hearing Harry's reaction everyday was definitely worth it. Not being a morning person might be his downfall in this situation, though.

🔹gimme everything you got [Louis/Harry, E, 7k]

"Harry tried to convince herself that the only reason she’d agreed to considering Louis’ help was because she was sick of never being able to orgasm, and it was partially true. But she also knew that the other part of the reason was because Louis talked a lot of big game. She talked about being able to make herself come, being able to make others come, and being good at it. Harry didn’t want to fail her mission, but she couldn’t say that she wasn’t at least a little bit interested in seeing how Louis would help her out if given the chance." OR, Harry's success rate with being able to orgasm from masturbation was abysmally low, but she was determined to get there. She tried to actively avoid thinking about the fact that her best friend, Louis, had offered to help her if need be. Key words: tried to.

🔹When All Is Said And Done by lovelarry10 / @chloehl10 [Harry/Louis, E, 76k]

“You must be thinking of another of your ex-husbands,” Louis snapped back, and Harry stilled, slowly turning to face him. There was something almost dangerous in Harry's look then but Louis stayed firm, not cowering away.

“Thankfully, I only have the misfortune of one ex-husband,” Harry said darkly, snatching up the plates and slamming them onto the table.

Louis and Harry were married, but things fell apart, ending in divorce, broken hearts and separate lives. Years later, their paths cross once more, and time together forces old feelings to resurface. But is it too little, too late?

🔹Puppy Love by @neondiamond [Liam/Louis, G, 5k]

Louis is a dog trainer and Liam just got a puppy for the first time. Dogs are sometimes smarter than one might think.

🔹Waiting by the Tire Swing [Harry/Louis, G, 1k]

For as long as Louis can remember, there has always been a tire swing hung up in the backyard.

🔹Head in the Clouds [Louis/Harry, G, 1k]

Harry needs a distraction, and Louis is always a big softie for his baby.

🔹On Thin Ice [Harry/Louis, E, 16k]

As the goaltender for one of the best hockey teams in the world, Harry never expected participating in his second winter Olympics would be so eventful. His hidden long-term relationship with the captain of their biggest rival team may have something to do with it.

🔹Rain Check? [Louis/Harry, G, 2k]

After a great first date with Louis, Harry is really looking forward to going on a second date. Things go wrong a few times before they go right.

🔹there's a piece of you in how I dress by we_are_the_same / @so-why-let-your-voice-be-tamed [Harry/Louis, T, 3k]

Taking a sip from his water, Louis shifts the mic a little closer to his face, presses the hotkey on his keyboard to continue the recording. “I recently heard someone say there’s a piece of you in how I dress, and it got me thinking. We all subconsciously pick up habits from our loved ones. Whether it’s a particular turn of phrase, or something that we got into because someone we care about loved it. I’ve asked this question on my Instagram – shutupandlistenpodcast – and we’ve had a few wonderful replies to that, so I’ll be reading some of those out shortly, but first I wanted to talk about the people that have become part of me, simply by being part of my life.”

🔹just see those hometown lights [Liam/Louis, T, 12k]

It was always their plan to move to New York together. Or so Louis thought. Alone, in a small apartment, having lost the love of his life, he takes advice from his sister Lottie and starts writing letters to the fire.

🔹you and I love like it's a secret [Louis/Harry, T, 4k]

Louis swallows, looking at Harry, who grins at him as though nothing’s wrong. He’s leaning against the door of a wardrobe, his long hair having lost some of its curls due to the amount of times he’s run his fingers through it. Louis is still where he was the moment the door got closed behind them, all but pressed up against the wood, trying to keep as much distance between him and Harry as possible.

His heart stutters in his chest as he looks up at his best friend. He’s known Harry since he was barely out of diapers, and Harry gets him in a way that few people ever have – or have tried to. He knows him, to the point where sometimes Louis worries that he’s able to read his mind.

Or: It's Seven minutes in Heaven, but Louis sort of feels like he's ended up in Hell instead when he's forced into a small bedroom with his childhood best friend slash long time crush.

🔹I see the midnight on your lips [Zayn/Liam, M, 3k]

It’s not like his descent into addiction has been anything less than extremely public. It’s not like people won’t have expected it. His fans certainly have, he knows that much. He knows that they might even be happy that he’s here. Liam wishes that he could say he did it because of them. Because of the people that have followed his career, made his career. In a way, maybe he is. Because he wouldn’t be here if it weren’t for them, if he’d simply been Liam Payne of Wolverhampton, as opposed to Liam Payne, 1/5th of One Direction.

But he’s not here for them.

🔹serve me up a little hope on the rocks [Louis/Harry, M, 10k]

He’s just finished making a drink for another customer when a literal angel walks towards him. It’s not an exaggeration to say that the crowd almost seems to part for him, and for a moment Louis wonders if there’s a literal halo around him or if it’s just the lights in the bar, and then he notices the way the man trips over nothing, and the illusion wanes somewhat.

He’s still fucking gorgeous though, even on bambi legs, and Louis resists the urge to paste on his tried-and-ever-undefeated flirty smile. Instead he just grins, appraising this newest customer and trying to remain professional. He might be demiromantic, or whatever the fuck Zayn had called it, but that doesn’t mean he can’t appreciate this man’s good looks. After all, his romantic identity had nothing to do with his sexual identity, much as people assumed it did. For a brief moment Louis laments his decision to stop sleeping with people, especially when the boy pops a dimple when he smiles back at him.

Or: Louis is a bartender who doesn't take drink orders, but just makes drinks based on what he thinks his customers will like. Harry is just another customer. Or is he?

🔹Battle Of The Balls by bluegreenish / @greenblueish [Harry/Louis, M, 5k]

“Rim of the hole, Haz, really?” he gazes at the camera again. “This is getting demonetised and honestly, rightfully so. How are we still allowed to make videos? YouTube, why don’t you just do yourself the favour and delete our channels?”

“After everyone sees that I win this game though,” Harry winks, dimples still showing.

or, the one where YouTubers Harry and Louis play Golf With Friends, go to the pub with Niall and return home six hours after posting the video.

🔹The Referral by @disgruntledkittenface [Louis/Harry, E, 5k]

Louis has noticed that since he turned fifty, his sex drive has started to slow down. Unfortunately, that’s not the case for his younger boyfriend Harry. A problem solver by nature, Louis wants to do something special for Harry, to show him how much he appreciates him even after ten years together. When he suggests getting a referral for a sex worker to give Harry what he hasn’t been lately, it doesn’t take long for Harry to agree.

And then they meet Tom.

🔹Eight Days by LadyAJ_13 / @ladyaj-13 [Liam/Louis, T, 22k]

“Eight days,” Louis says decisively. “If the paperwork takes three weeks that means you have eight days before you have to file it. Give me those eight days.” “Wait, what?” “To show you what you’re missing, being married to me,” Louis says with a ghost of his old cheekiness. “You want to end this marriage, well. I want to experience it first.”

Or: Louis and Liam got hitched in Vegas, completely forgot about it for more than a decade, and it comes back to bite them. Sort of.

🔹Particular [Louis/Nick Grimshaw, M, 2k]

Nick is very particular about the upkeep of his hallway's Brazilian hardwood floor. He is very particular about the cleaning of his kitchen's fine Wedgewood china. He is less particular in his bedroom.

🔹Common Interest [Niall/Greg James, T, 3k]

Louis hums, swirling his potato to form a gravy puddle in the middle. He dunks a sausage in it. “Not that I don’t love our little daily ritual, but when are you going to go get your boy, you big hunky slab of man meat, you?” Niall looks at Louis in horror.

🔹Tall, Dark and... wait, what?! [Harry/Louis/Nick Grimshaw, G, 3k]

Liam just wants Louis and Harry to admit they're seeing each other. To feel comfortable being themselves within the band and know that they're supported. So, he sets up a little game.

🔹Check the Body [Zayn & Nick Grimshaw, G, 869 words]

“Check the body!” Zayn yelps, and Nick nearly jumps out of his skin.

🔹A Matter of Pride by Lhhome / @lh-home [Niall, G, 100 words]

Not at the game Niall takes pride in being the best at.

🔹Just Me [Liam, G, 156 words, poem]

Liam has a great support system but sometimes it can get too much and writing things out in secret helps.

🔹Mirrors [Harry, G, 100 words}

Mirrors are for her not for him.

🔹Ready Or Not by cherrylarry / @beelou [Liam/Louis, G, 4k]

Louis claps his hands. “Right, enough of this. Who wants to play hide and seek?”

Everyone groans.

“Hide and seek, really? Again?” Zayn says.

“What? It’s a classic game!”

“We just played like last week though. At my place,” Niall says with a shake of his head.

“Exactly. We haven’t played here yet,” Louis insists.

Or, five times 1D play hide and seek over the years

🔹just come on up with me by fearsparks / @onlythebravest [Louis/Harry, G, 1k]

“At least I’m not doing anything illegal,” Harry hissed.

“It’s not illegal, pretty.”

“Climbing on strangers’ roofs? Pretty sure it is, mate.”

“It’s fine.” Louis sighed. “Just c’mon up.”

(Louis climbs up on a roof to take a shortcut, but Harry is reluctant to join him.)

🔹Oh, That's What I Want by @lululawrence [Louis/Harry, NR, 38k]

“Oh my god, does that mean we get to go dancing?” Liam asked, clapping her hands.

“I’m 42 years old, Liam,” Louis said, her voice flat. “I don’t think the place to pick up men my age is at a club downtown.”

“Where do you want to pick them up, then?” Zayn asked gently. “Wanna go to a classy bar? We can get all dressed up, show off the tits we didn’t have at 18, and see who we can find.”

Louis pursed her lips. “That sounds a lot more my speed, but I was serious when I said I don’t have anything sexy. I haven’t felt sexy in at least a decade, I don’t think.” That made her pause. “Fuck. Our marriage really has been going downhill for a long time, hasn’t it? We had no idea that we’d somehow switched from romantic partners to roommates.”

“All the more reason to go out and get you laid,” Zayn said, nodding to herself.

Louis is 42 and newly divorced with her four daughters off to college when she realizes all the plans she used to have for her life no longer fit. Just as she's starting to figure things out, she meets Harry Styles who proves sometimes starting over turns out so much better than sticking with the original plan.

🔹Too Sexy (for the BBC) [Louis/Greg James, NR, 2k]

“Did you know 200 people complained to the BBC officially to say that Olly Alexander’s performance at New Year’s Eve was,” Greg paused to allow the viewers to take in the most provocative part of the dance that had been performed that night for a moment before using air quotes and saying, “too sexy?”

Frowning a bit in a concerned and yet also disappointed way, Greg then continued.

“I actually felt a bit left out. I had an idea.”

🔹I Can Go With The Flow [Greg James/Gemma Styles, Louis/Nick Grimshaw, Louis/Harry/Nick Grimshaw, NR, 4k]

“You know how we said Gem’s brother is moving down to London, yeah?” Greg asked as they were sitting around Louis and Grimmy’s table, munching on the vegetables Gemma had insisted they bring whilst they waited for whatever casserole Grimmy had decided to experiment with this week.

“Yeah, yeah,” Louis said, getting up from the table and heading into the kitchen. “He’s staying with you until he finds a place, isn’t he?”

When Greg comes up with the brilliant plan to introduce Harry to their best friends Grimmy and Louis, Gemma isn't entirely pleased. Then again, she never could have imagined the outcome either.

🔹I Remember (The Distances We Covered)[Louis/Harry, NR, 5k]

@ColleenisStylish: @LouisTomlinson my dad thinks he’s sat next to you on a train from Edinburgh right now, so if you could confirm that would be amazing. His name is Harry and he’s just had white wine and says you’re on red x

Louis glanced at the glass of red wine in his hand before taking a quick look around those nearest him on the train. Just across the aisle in a seat facing him was a man with graying, curly hair falling into his face yet somehow staying above his glasses. He was reading a book as he tapped his foot, seemingly oblivious to everything around him, and there sitting on the table in front of him was a half glass of white wine.

🔹Somebody Get Me Through This Nightmare [Harry/Louis, NR, 11k]

“I am not subjecting you to my poor dog in his moment of vulnerability!” Louis cried. “That would be cruel to you, but also to Clifford.” Louis got up and started pacing again like he had been before. “He is so cuddly and honestly is also quite spoiled, and now he probably thinks I’ve abandoned him over this. And I essentially have! I’m serious, Harry, I close my eyes and the visuals of his bald head haunt me. God, how am I going to sleep tonight? I can’t even bring myself to walk back into the house.”

“You are always welcome to sleep on my couch if you need,” Harry offered immediately. “I still don’t think it’s quite as bad as you seem to believe it is, but I’d much rather you be next door than fifteen or twenty minutes away at someone else’s house.”

Louis was flooded with relief. “God, if you really don’t mind, I would really appreciate that.”

🔹Should Have Known by @allwaswell16 [Liam/Louis, NR, 2k]

Liam returns from his internship abroad ready to tell his best friend that he wants to be more than friends. But when Louis starts avoiding him, he's no longer sure the timing is right.

🔹Love On Air by jacaranda_bloom / @jacaranda-bloom [Harry/Louis, E, 18k]

Louis loves music. He loves to listen to music, to promote musicians on his radio show, and more than anything, he loves to talk about music. What he hadn't expected was to be sitting trapped, on air, in his studio with a stranger who it turns out is just as passionate about music as Louis is.

Or the one where Louis doesn't have a type, no matter what Niall says, but if he did, it'd probably be the guy currently trapped in his radio studio and grinning back at him from across the desk.

🔹We're Getting Better With Time by @haztobegood [Louis/Harry, T, 5k]

Hello Harry, this may seem out of the blue, and even weirder if you don’t remember me. We hung out for a few weeks back in the summer of 82. A picture of you showed up on my facebook tonight, I think because we have a few mutual friends on here. I know we haven’t spoken in forty years, but I thought I’d just shoot you a message. I hope you’re doing well. L

Or, the one where Louis is single, Harry is recently divorced, and they reconnect on Facebook forty years after they first met.

🔹For My Lovers (series) by Kikiberoski16 / @larrysballetslippers [Louis/Harry/OMC, E, 19k]

He kissed Harry’s lips, soft and fleeting. Louis didn’t waste any time and went down, kissing Harry’s neck, chest, abs and lower abdomen. Harry panted quietly, but he was sure he could come right away. He hasn’t been touched for such a long time that any physical contact was now feeling magnified.

“Can I have a kiss too?” Andrew whimpered in the background.

Or Harry had a crush on Andrew, his co-worker, for a few months, but when he meets Louis, the handsome BDSM club owner, everything changes.

🔹Your Heart Is the Biggest Gift You Can Give Anyone by @fallinglikethis [Louis/Harry, G, 1k]

This Christmas, Louis decides to take a chance in order to get what he really wants.

🔹One to Grow On by yeah_alright / @uhoh-but-yeah-alright [Liam/Louis, E, 3k]

Liam’s booked himself a private session for his birthday to finally properly explore his interest in spanking. After all the months of build up, a simple 29 spankings for 29 years would probably be celebration enough. But he and Louis might each have a surprise in store, too. Part 7 of Glory Hole-idays

🔹Softly and Sincere[Zayn/Harry, T, 1k]

A tiny slice of Girl!Zarry fluff inspired by the Chuck Berry song, "No Particular Place to Go."

🔹Swings Said[Harry/Louis, T, 500 words]

A love story told by five swings who each were there to see a piece of it unfold.

🔹Too Hard to Describe [Louis/Harry, E, 1k]

Harry's agreed to let someone else fuck Louis. As long as Louis describes it all to him as it's happening.

🔹Gratuitous [Niall/Shawn Mendes, M, 500 words]

Niall taking care of the bill has always turned Shawn on. Sometimes he feels the need to thank him immediately.

🔹Breathe me in, breathe me out by @lunarheslwt [Louis/Harry, G, 14k]

Louis was just passing the autumn collection, when an unfamiliar but addicting scent tickled his nose. Cinnamon. He turned as he realised something. He felt calm. Relaxed. The permanent agitation that he carried was melting away the more he breathed in the scent, as faint as it was. Consumed by the crazed desire to seek out the specific candle, Louis began picking up candles and sniffing them madly, when a deep voice piped up, startling him. “Uh, sir, we don’t allow candle fetishists in here.” Louis froze mid sniff in mortification. Willing himself to not blush, he turned, a retort at the tip of his tongue. Except, it died in his throat as he took in the man before him. “I uh,” Louis blurted out accidentally, temporarily rendered speechless by the frankly unfairly beautiful man before him. Only at the man’s grin widening did he regain his wits. “You’re gonna kink shame me?”

Or, Louis is drawn into a quaint candle shop in his desire to find ways to soothe himself while struggling with touch depri. It takes him two more run-ins and with the lovely alpha sales assistant, and a drop, to figure out the source of the scent that imprints upon him and calms his omega. Idiots to lovers

🔹Skate Fast, Eat Ass by stretchmybones / @harryslonecurl [Harry/Louis, E, 7k]

Skaterboi Louis meets Gardener Harry who has just moved in down the street. A bit of love at first sight, lots of smut, fluff and pasta eating ensue.

🔹but for the right person [Louis/Harry, E, 1k]

“You’ve been bad, daddy.”

🔹neither wanting more, neither asking why (series) by @justanothershadeofblue [OT5, M/T/E, 40k]

For Louis Tomlinson, there's nothing that compares with getting his soulmark and meeting his soulmate. Nothing that he could imagine that ever could.

🔹strawberry daiquiri [Louis/Harry, E, 3k]

Louis likes to watch Harry lose control.

🔹The Hawthorne Country Club by amomentoflove / @daggerandrose [Louis/Harry, M, 1k]

“Hey, have you seen the new golf instructor?” Niall Horan asks Louis Tomlinson one day. He’s leaning against a locker room door. The Irishman smells a bit like freshly mowed grass. He’s clearly been out on the golf course to get it ready for opening this morning.

Louis glances up at his friend from where he’s tying his shiny work shoes on the bench. “No, but he’s been all Amanda can talk about. She wouldn’t stop going on and on about his curly hair and his dimples.”

or the one where Harry is the new hire at the country club who everyone raves about. Louis isn't impressed.

🔹The Hellebore Theatre [Louis/Harry, M, 2k]

Harry is scared shitless. For months, he’s been on edge, waiting for the moment when he’ll hear the words he’s been longing to hear and now he finally has. But now, they come with a great weight hanging over his head.

“You’re on,” the director tells him only minutes before the curtain is supposed to rise.

or the one where Harry is a swing and has to perform the leading role of King Louis Tomlinson in front of King Louis Tomlinson

🔹The Hazel Woods [Harry/Louis, M, 3k]

There, just a few feet away across the clearing, a person is leaning against an aging tree, looking very dapper in a tailored suit. Even in the dim light, his eyes are a bright, bold blue. As he softly laughs to whomever he’s conversing with, Harry can swear he sees a flash of fang. Well, that’s enough to convince him that everything he’d experienced in Romania hadn’t been a wild figment of his imagination. or the one where Harry attends the funeral for a distant family member and sees a familiar face. Part 2 of The Honeycomb B&B

🔹The Hidden Hills Restaurant [Harry/Louis, E, 4k]

“Are you sure you want to hear about this? Wouldn’t you rather hear about what I’ll do to you? How often? How long? How many fin—“

“I like to get to know my potential clients before agreeing to anything,” Louis says and lays down the menu. He’s thinking of steak. Something meaty, juicy, and hearty.

Harry’s arched eyebrow at the word ‘potential’ doesn’t escape Louis’ notice.

or the one where Louis is a personal feeder and Harry is the vampire to be his next client

🔹Don't Worry, Darling [Harry/Louis, E, 27k]

Frank and Shelley Harper are the founders of the Victory Project-- a place for his employees and their spouses to live, to work, and to enjoy themselves while keeping safe from the outside world.

Louis and Harry Styles are the newest inhabitants of Victory, but when Louis begins to question his reality, he has to rely on himself and his husband to find out the truth.

🔹Good Boys Go to Hell by larry_hiatus / @larry-hiatus [Louis/Harry, E, 8k]

Harry's a good boy, he really is. He strives to be the best pup for his master Louis, so when Louis says Harry must wait until after the footie game for Louis to play with him, Harry is determined to be patient. His bladder, however, has other plans...

🔹the fake zarry au (series) by zita17 / @louisandtheaquarian , zmmf / @zaynmaliksmiddlefinger [Louis/Harry, E/M, 13k]

When Louis Tomlinson gets a directing gig that's layered in more NDA's than he's ever seen, the last person he expects to work for is famous pop star (and his best friend Liam's celebrity crush), ZAYN. But what he expects even less is Zayn's Very! Enthusiastic! Fashion Influencer! boyfriend Harry Styles, who seems to want to make Louis’ life a living hell with his very existence.

When Harry signed on to become Zayn's fake boyfriend, he expected 12 months of good press and a generous paycheck to help launch his makeup/skincare line—he didn't expect to fall in love at first sight with the man who'll apparently be following Zayn around all. the. damn. time. for the same year.

A fake dating with a twist famous/not-famous enemies to friends to secret lovers where Larry and Ziam fall in love behind the scenes while Zarry bicker in public. Featuring popstar!Zayn, Harry as influencer and founder of, yep, Pleasing, Louis as Zayn's Charlie, DJ Payno, and Niall as the man who brings them all together.

🔹Aqueous Transmission by @littleroverlouis [Louis/Harry, E, 2k]

Louis offers some relief to her pregnant wife, Harry. Then suggests something new.

🔹Just the Start [Harry/Louis, M, 9k]

Louis is a fifty-two year old divorcé who has fallen into rut. He never anticipated a forced day of self care, and a chance meeting with a charming salon owner would shake him out of his comfort zone.

-Fic Fests-

🔹 @1dwatersportsficfest / 1D Watersports Fest / masterpost

🔹 @wordplayfics / Wordplay Fic Challenge / masterpost

#28th appreciation #1dficvillage #ficsfor4am #tracksintheam #trackinghome #trackinghappily #1dsource

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poonamranius · 2 years

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Post Office Kisan Vikas Patra: मोदी सरकार की नई योजना में 5 लाख बन जाएंगे सीधे 10 लाख, कुछ ही महीनों में दोगुना हो जाएगा आपका पैसा

Post Office Kisan Vikas Patra : डाकघर किसान विकास पत्र: डाकघर की योजनाएं निश्चित रूप से एक दीर्घकालिक निवेश हैं, लेकिन इसमें कोई जोखिम कारक नहीं है क्योंकि इसमें सरकारी गारंटी उपलब्ध है। ये योजनाएं उन लोगों के लिए हैं जो पारंपरिक निवेश पसंद करते हैं और लंबी अवधि का नजरिया रखते हैं। Post Office Kisan Vikas Patra डाकघर किसान विकास पत्र: डाकघर योजनाएं उनके लिए हैं जो पारंपरिक निवेश पसंद करते हैं…

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#how to invest in kisan vikas patra #Kisan Vikas Patra #kisan vikas patra in hindi #kisan vikas patra interest rate #kisan vikas patra kya hai #kisan vikas patra post office #kisan vikas patra post office scheme #kisan vikas patra post office scheme 2022 #kisan vikas patra scheme #kisan vikas patra tax benefit #kisan vikas patra yojana #post office kisan vikas patra #Post Office Kisan Vikas Patra Scheme #Post Office KVP Scheme #post office scheme kisan vikas patra

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takapoysanews · 2 years

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পোস্ট অফিস ইন্টারেস্ট রেট 2023। Post Office Interest Rates 2023 - TAKAPOYSANEWS

#post office interest rates #post office interest rate 2023 #post office interest rate in fd #পোস্ট অফিসের বিভিন্ন স্কিম 2022 #পোস্ট অফিস ইন্টারেস্ট রেট টেবিল

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outlikethat · 9 months

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fic stats game

Rules: Give us the links to your fics with the most hits, second most kudos, third most bookmarks, fourth most comments, fifth most words, and your fic with the least amount of words.

Open tag accepted from @runawaymarbles

Being as I’m primarily a podficcer, I’ll arbitrarily use slightly different metrics for some of these.

Most hits: The MOST most hits (not counting Crown of Thorns, which I won’t, because it’s a multivoice juggernaut) is tentacular Good Omens fx-fest Pale Tendrils, by Anonymous. Understandable — come for the tentacles, stay for the witty writing and my unabashedly gleeful porn-formance. However, the secondmost hits is more interesting, because what the fuck. The hits on Only the Third Story in this Forsaken Fandom Whose Title Does Not Begin With If, by seekingferret, have been steadily climbing since I posted it — without at all a corresponding number of kudos, and no comments. It’s a highly meta If on a Winter’s Night a Traveler / 1/0 / 2666 by Robert Bolano Yuletide story, and while I like it a lot, I do not know what this unprecedented click rate means, at all. At first I thought it was bots, but I locked it down and the steady hits — sometimes ten or more per day — continued. Yeah, I dunno. Couldn’t happen to a more apt bunch of fandoms though.

Second-most kudos: What a Way to Make a Living, by attheborder, a Good Omens story in which Crowley, at a loss without his hellish assignments from Downstairs, becomes an Uber driver. Or, what if Crowley had ADHD? Includes “freelance chickens”, one of the most difficult phrases I’ve ever tried to record coherently.

Third-most words: Well, I thought I could go for “third longest,” and then realised that (because, unlike some podficcers, I don’t keep a detailed spreadsheet of my creations with word count, finished length, and a whole lot of other fascinating statistics, and AO3 doesn’t helpfully sort by podfic length tag) this was more work than I was willing to go to, especially on my phone, since I don’t feel like crossing the room and sitting in my office chair again to use the real computer.

So, third longest, ish, maybe, since Sansûkh isn’t finished yet (and anyway, I’m only counting multivoice and group projects when I feel like it, but also this is one of the times, kind of) is Once There Was, Once There Wasn’t, 2022’s Pod Together project from The Sentient Hive. This is a queer playable interactive game inspired by fairytales from around the world, with four different interlinked storylines. Hive projects are some of my favourite things to work on; most of what I did for this one was art, but I also read the Witch. This is approximately 6-7 hours of content. You can read the stories and listen to the audio on AO3, or play the complete, gamified Twine version with interactive puzzles on itch.io.

Fourth-most comments: Good Omens again (surprise surprise), equestrianstatue’s A Kind of Magic. Another very funny piece, because I have a Brand, with some of my personal favourite cover art — the idea for it made me laugh out loud when it occurred to me, and I still think it’s very funny. In a graphic design kind of way.

Fifth-most words: Hm. The sort-by-length thing just isn’t on, is it? Howbout first thing from the bottom with five comments? That might get us into some of the more obscure delights at the bottom of my catalogue… oh. ahahahaha! Not a podfic! This ancient and breathless little number, A Gamble in Darkness, is the backgrounder I wrote for my Toreador character back when I played in a vampire LARP. Well, it does have a few nice turns of phrase floating in the sea of purple prose.

The first-from-the-bottom podfic with five comments is He Who Is Made of Iron, a gently atmospheric Queen’s Thief piece mostly about tea by EternalLibrary. I recorded this very quickly during a rainstorm; it’s an unadorned and simple reading of a nice little story.

Fewest words: An obvious one — it has no words at all. (🌚🦋) 🧑🏫 is the all-emoji translation of Don Marquis’ the lesson of the moth, in collaboration with @olive2read. Includes text-to-speech audio for the full absurdist experience! This one is another personal favourite.

I’ll continue with tagging anyone who wants to do it. heck, if you do have a spreadsheet, use different stats!

#tag memes #fic stats #good omens #the queen's thief #vampire the masquerade #the sentient hive #fairy tales #tentacles #if on a winter’s night a traveller #that one podfic with all the hits; what the fuck continued #don marquis #archy and mehitabel #let me read you a story!#reccing my own podfic

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mariacallous · 6 months

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ABOARD HMS PRINCE OF WALES, IN THE ATLANTIC—The flight deck of Britain’s second aircraft carrier of the Queen Elizabeth class is now scorched from the burn marks left by the vertical landings made by U.S. F-35B Lightnings, the very type of planes that will one day, in their dozens, become the air wing of what Britain hopes will be a second punch to its strike force.

The jets and pilots from VX-23, the U.S. Navy’s premier test flight squadron at nearby Naval Air Station Patuxent River, Maryland, have spent a month making more than 115 landings of every variety to put the new carrier through its paces. They have landed in wet weather. They have landed facing backward. They have even eschewed the vertical landing ability altogether and rolled to a stop—a nifty trick if you want to land with a full underbelly of expensive armaments. The carrier also tested a Mojave drone, a 3-ton, 56-foot beast that can stay aloft all day and can carry four Hellfire missiles.

Britain’s navy may be diminished. Post-Brexit, its ambitions are not. With a couple of carriers, a handful of frigates and nuclear-powered subs (both attack and ballistic), and the odd patrol boat, Britain wants to be a player—if not in Europe, then on the far side of the world. Even relatively new superpowers must concede that aircraft carriers are the calling card of a serious blue-water navy, valued as much for their prestige or symbolism as for their ability to project force over great distance. There was a time when the young and smallish U.S. Navy came to the assistance of the Royal Navy; now it is the other way around.

Prince of Wales is spending more than three months on the east coast of the United States, testing a dozen types of aircraft, including three unmanned drones. What doesn’t need so much testing is the breadth and depth of the special relationship that links these two navies. “Westlant 23,” as this deployment is dubbed, is less an operation than a chance for highly professional allies to spend quality time together, including exchanges, training, and technology sharing. Some U.S. pilots and instructors have been re-qualified for carrier landings on the U.K. flattop. Unusually, the British ship is home-ported at Norfolk for the duration.

Prince of Wales is getting worked up in the Atlantic, as its sister ship did. But all eyes are on a far-off, different set of seas. Post-Brexit Britain—itself an enormous aircraft carrier—is slowly being turned in the direction of Asia. Britain may be later than others to both the strategy and the nomenclature, but “Indo-Pacific” was bandied about in conversations with everyone from the carrier’s commanding officer down to a 17-year-old junior rate. It’s indicative of a concrete shift in British foreign policy, the so-called tilt toward Asia, and the behind-the-scenes strength of U.S. influence and persuasion.

For years, Britain had steered away from hawkish American views, wanting to keep a steady flow of Chinese tourist and university student dollars coming into the country, along with other investments. Almost a decade ago, Britain’s then-prime minister, David Cameron, proclaimed a “golden era” in China-U.K. ties. In 2022, Prime Minister Rishi Sunak’s first major foreign-policy speech said that era was over and that Beijing posed a “systemic challenge to our values and interests.” Awkwardly, Britain’s new foreign secretary is that same David Cameron.

Britain is still not where the United States is on defending Taiwan (though, to be fair, often the Biden White House is not where the United States is on Taiwan), but the U.K. is coming around. Britain’s 2021 Integrated Review of Security, Defense, Development, and Foreign Policy, refreshed in 2023, highlighted Britain’s economic, diplomatic, and security partnerships and presence in the Indo-Pacific. Some of the big items are a nuclear sub deal, known as AUKUS, inked between the U.K., the United States, and Australia, and the forward deployment of some surface ships to the region. To date, the British naval presence in the region is limited to a couple of patrol vessels showing the flag more than teeth.

The British government keeps touting its tilt to the Pacific and its resumption of a “Global Britain” security stance, even though most of the defense commitments so far are small scale. Last month, Parliament essentially said that Britain needed to go big or go home when it comes to defense in the Indo-Pacific. But Britain is not alone.

There is a prologue here: In the mid-1930s, U.S. Navy planners were faced with an insoluble problem in the Pacific. Japan, now unfettered by treaty limits on shipbuilding, threatened to surpass the U.S. Navy’s ability to defend American interests in the Far East. Unless, planners concluded, an informal deal with Britain to share the burden could tilt the balance once again. Today, Beijing is outbuilding the American navy and again threatening to push it out of the Western Pacific; so allied and friendly navies are cleaving together like in old times, in clear opposition to China.

For instance: While aboard Prince of Wales, a lot of time and more than 200 landings were spent integrating the V-22 Osprey tiltrotor into the British carrier’s flight operations. They spotted it on different parts of the flight deck. They practiced folding its wings, fitting it in the hangar below, and explored whether Royal Navy crew members could maintain it. The fastidiousness with which these trials were being undertaken was not for a photo-op: The Royal Navy does not operate its own Ospreys.

Prince of Wales is one of two newish big-deck aircraft carriers operated by the British, alongside Queen Elizabeth, the largest ships ever built for the Royal Navy, which the U.K. deploys in carrier strike groups. To American eyes, they aren’t fleet carriers at all, like the multibillion-dollar Gerald R. Ford class, but more like big-deck amphibious ships. They have ski lifts, not fancy catapults. Their F-35Bs are the vertical takeoff-and-landing type, not the conventional tail hook F-35Cs that are starting to populate U.S. carrier air wings. Reinforcing the similarity with U.S. amphibious ships, Prince of Wales is also equipped to land ashore Royal Marines or British Army troops from its own troop-carrying helicopters.

But a flattop by any name would smell just as sweet for a U.S. Navy that could use all the flight decks it can get in the sprawling Indo-Pacific region. Its own carrier force is overworked and under-serviced after delays to get the Ford into commission, with new amphibious ships arriving slowly and an overall U.S. fleet that will shrink before it starts to grow again.

Meanwhile, China can count on three aircraft carriers in its fleet, with one other on the way—at least. And China’s carriers are getting better: They started out with ski jumps, not unlike Eddie the Eagle, and are now onto custom-built proper ships, vessels approaching the size of the Gerald Ford, with catapults and arrestor wires—and with proper planes, too, and deadly ones at that. And China has allies. Recently, the Chinese and Russian navies have conducted a number of joint exercises, including near Alaska and around Japan.

It’s not hard to see how Prince of Wales helps fix the math. And that applies as well to the Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force, which is busy converting a pair of helicopter carriers, Izumo and Kaga, into actual aircraft carriers (the first Japan has built since World War II) capable of operating the F-35B.

Pentagon and Indo-Pacific planners are looking at the new British carrier, and its cohorts, as something that can be trained up to become a valuable cross-deck asset. It’s hard to view Westlant 23 as anything but “AUKUS for carriers.” Prince of Wales will become the U.K.’s on-call strike carrier in 2024, take on its own air group, including F-35Bs, and deploy to the Indo-Pacific in 2025.

To U.S. eyes, it may all be far from the 6,000-ship U.S. Navy that finished World War II, or the 600-ship navy that finished the Cold War. But Britain’s navy turned to Japan for help in the early 1900s covering the Pacific when it was under strain; Americans stepped in to help Britain in World War I, and they helped each other in the second. It is time, it seems, to get the band back together again.

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beardedmrbean · 4 months

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1.'This exploitation cannot continue': EU urged to ban unpaid internships

In 2023, nearly half of interns (45%) were unpaid and 67% didn't have full access to social protection, according to the latest data. Unions are now pushing for a law banning unpaid internships across the EU, before the upcoming elections "shake everything up again". Read more.

2. Farmer protests: Several key roads, including to Brussels, still blocked by tractors

Farmers' protests continued on Tuesday, with tractors blocking major roads up and down the country, which is disrupting another morning rush hour. Read more.

3. Belgium records higher rate of medical mistakes during hospital stays

French-speaking Belgians are significantly more likely to experience a negative incident during a hospital stay than patients in 15 other countries surveyed under the same OECD model. Read more.

4. ‘Utterly appalling’: Belgian prisons reach record number of inmates

The number of people detained in Belgian prisons reached 12,012 on Monday, a new record. Trade unionist Eddy De Smedt (VSOA) says overcrowded conditions are "utterly appalling" for inmates and staff alike. Read more.

5. Paris less popular among Belgians for summer break due to Olympic Games

The French capital is usually a top destination among Belgians booking a short trip, but due to the high costs of hotels as a result of the Olympic Games, their interest has shifted to other cities. Read more.

6. Dutch confectioner Tony's Chocolonely posts record sales

Dutch confectioner Tony's Chocolonely saw a record turnover of €150 million for the financial year 2022-2023, nearly a quarter higher than the previous year 23.2%. Read more.

7. Hidden Belgium: La Grande Poste

The central post office in Liège was a sad sight for 20 years. Known as La Grande Poste, the Neo-Gothic building was completed at a time when Liège was one of the world’s great industrial cities. Read more.

#nunyas news

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looney-just-like-her-tunes · 1 year

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I posted 848 times in 2022

That's 472 more posts than 2021!

89 posts created (10%)

759 posts reblogged (90%)

Blogs I reblogged the most:

@hcrogasm

@valkilmerr

@thewolveswithin

@thistableforone

@pohjanneito

I tagged 807 of my posts in 2022

Only 5% of my posts had no tags

#pete maverick mitchell - 295 posts

#top gun: maverick - 280 posts

#icemav - 221 posts

#top gun - 218 posts

#tom cruise - 184 posts

#tom iceman kazansky - 176 posts

#top gun 1986 - 117 posts

#pete mitchell - 59 posts

#val kilmer - 59 posts

#tom kazansky - 54 posts

Longest Tag: 139 characters

#when he yeeted himself out of penny's window two things happened: his knees cracked and his soul vacanted his body the second he saw amelia

My Top Posts in 2022:

maverick seems like the type that would moan outloud when the food he's eating is really good and then be surprised when all the tops in his near vicinity stop eating to stare at him.

ice just wants one breakfast. one. where he doesn't have to consider throwing his coffee cup at a person.

1,023 notes - Posted August 27, 2022

Maverick: mansplain, manipulate, manwhore

Iceman: godspeed, godbless, godforbid

1,408 notes - Posted August 14, 2022

A shiny new Admiral: *ranting about how pete 'maverick' mitchell should be grounded*

Tom 'Iceman' Kazansky, known Maverick enthusiast and professional MavEnabler™: how interesting-

1,509 notes - Posted August 4, 2022

the moment cyclone realized he as an admiral inherited maverick from iceman, he lost 10 years of his lifespan and his headaches have multiplied at an alarming rate since then

1,613 notes - Posted August 2, 2022

My #1 post of 2022

An Admiral, kicking down the door to Ice's office: YOUR SUGAR BABY IS AT IT AGAIN AND I HAVE HAD ENOUGH-

Ice, about to dig into the lunch his husband packed for him:

1,932 notes - Posted September 6, 2022

Get your Tumblr 2022 Year in Review →

#year in review #everything in here tells a lot about me as a person #I TAGGED MAV 295 TIMES THE FUCK?!#never in my life did i imagine seeing tom cruise tagged in there but now he's my rotten soldier my sweet babygirl my good time boy

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dewitty1 · 1 year

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I posted 6,413 times in 2022

368 posts created (6%)

6,045 posts reblogged (94%)

Blogs I reblogged the most:

@dewitty1

@noir-renard

@spongebobssquarepants

@ihopeyoubothstaysafefromharm

@stargazing-enby

I tagged 6,363 of my posts in 2022

Only 1% of my posts had no tags

#hp - 1,753 posts

#hp fanart - 1,603 posts

#draco malfoy - 1,297 posts

#harry potter - 1,284 posts

#drarry - 1,228 posts

#love it - 705 posts

#drarry fanart - 654 posts

#hp fanfiction - 239 posts

#fic rec - 238 posts

#drarry fanfiction - 237 posts

Longest Tag: 139 characters

#senior citizens. quilts. hello kitty. vikings. horse lesbians. legal consequences. finnish auctioneers. one realtor’s gay awakening. corgis

My Top Posts in 2022:

Ketanji Brown Jackson secures votes to win US supreme court confirmation

229 notes - Posted April 7, 2022

Currency

blythely, circetigana

Chapters: 4/4 Fandom: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling Rating: Explicit Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply Relationships: Draco Malfoy/Harry Potter Characters: Harry Potter, Draco Malfoy, Gregory Goyle, Ron Weasley, Petunia Evans, Original Characters, Hedwig Additional Tags: Wands, Wandmaking, London, Merchant Bankers, Future Fic, alternative careers, Harry Potter Epilogue What Epilogue | EWE

Summary:

Harry wasn't at school any more, nor was he fifteen. He was a successful merchant banker with a flat to die for and an owl who loved him. And he wasn't going to get into a pissing match with a stick-fiddler who'd always driven him mental.

Excerpt:

Draco was sitting in Harry's chair, bare feet propped up on the July trading analysis as he nursed a cup of tea with obvious satisfaction.

Eyes widening, Harry glanced back at Seb, but he'd already back into his own office.

Very carefully, Harry stepped inside and shut the door behind him. "Hi," he managed in greeting, feeling as though the planet was off its axis by at least a few degrees.

"I hate mornings," Draco announced. "But today's seemed particularly nice."

"Not bad," Harry agreed and thought again of the night before. "But it would be nicer if you took your feet off my desk."

"All these gadgets," Draco observed, picking up the telephone headset and examining it with clinical interest. "How do you ever get any work done?"

"I don't, generally. I have minions."

Draco snorted and swung his legs down. "You're so full of it. You're a total workaholic. Look at all these filing cabinets, they're all stuffed with your report thingies. Yes, yes," he held up a hand to forestall Harry's protests, "I know you say it's very competitive and unpredictable, but it looks like tedious twaddle to me." He sniffed, flicking through the papers on Harry's desk with pursed lips. "Ooh, crossword. Did you finish it?"

"Seven across, but I thought of it yester—"

"Aplomb. No wonder it took you a while."

Harry took his suit jacket from the hanger on the back of the door, shrugging it on. He had three meetings during the day, all clients, all requiring maximum first impressions and none needing Draco Malfoy. Not when Draco was already the sum total of what was on Harry's mind anyway. "Hurry up and drink your tea so you can piss off out from under my feet."

Draco laced his fingers together and cracked the joints. He rose from Harry's chair with a showy bit of reluctance. "To tell you the truth, I'm hiding from Poppy. I'd promised her the day off, but with school beginning in a few weeks business is mad."

"Then shouldn't you be there?"

"Absolutely, but there's only so many pushy mothers a man can handle. It's not like a first year can master anything more advanced than swish-and-flick anyway — a twig would be of as much use. Oh, stop fretting, I'll be off shortly. By the by, this half-naked thing. It's getting to be a habit of yours."

Harry took a tie off the hanger and slung it around his neck. He didn't even try to fight off the smirk. "I'm told that the weight of anecdote is not data."

"Let me," Draco murmured, stepping forward, his eyes flashing dark for a second as he wound the silk into a windsor.

He was more deft with a tie than any wizard ought to be, Harry thought, watching Draco's fingers create the knot, tighten it and settle it at the base of Harry's throat. The sheer intimacy of the gesture rendered Harry jittery and speechless, his skin prickling at Draco's proximity.

"Very smart," said Draco, stepping back and slipping a hand to Harry's waist. His expression was inviting.

"You are short," was all Harry managed.

"I'm not wearing shoes." Draco scowled, tightening his hand on Harry's hip and pulling him incrementally closer. Harry had to close his eyes in frustration.

"Can't," he said shortly, "not here." The prickle of his skin was now heat, flooding tension and want across him.

Draco bristled. Irritation at the interruption evident, he waved his hand over Harry's shoulder and the door closed properly and clicked locked. Wandless.

Harry's lust hit him in full force, literally staggering him forward until he was pressed tight against Draco, driving him back against the wall.

He looked dazed, and Harry could only imagine how utterly fucking fantastic a compliant and scratchy Draco Malfoy would be in bed. Harry kissed him, all wet heat and addictive. That bit of throat. Right there.

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229 notes - Posted May 12, 2022

Fic Recs Wrap Up -April 2022

you’ve got the antidote for me by Kandakicksass

When Harry Potter unintentionally severs their soulbond before it can fully form, Draco Malfoy resigns himself to a slow death and decides not to burden Harry with a soulmate he’s made it very clear he doesn’t want. He’s never been selfless before, but for Harry, he can try. Rec Post

Dress Me Up In My Finest Silk by Hatsonhamburgers @hatsonhamburgers

Draco has a secret. It's soft and lacy, and it hugs his body in a way that makes him feel so sexy.

Harry may have accidentally seen Draco's secret, and now it's all he can think about. Rec Post

Lessons in Grace and Decorum by GallaPlacidia

In Azkaban, Narcissa Malfoy gives Draco lessons in how to manipulate people into loving him. When Draco is released on the condition that he is bonded to Harry as his prisoner, he finally has a chance to put his newfound skills into practice. Forced bonding, eighth year (eventually), a Draco driven slightly mad by grief, a furious, self-destructive Harry, a whole lot of angst and a proportionate amount of comfort. Rec Post

Fast Forward, Two Steps Back by emmagrant01

Everyone knows that Draco Malfoy died in the Room of Requirement ten years ago. So when he suddenly reappears at Hogwarts ten years later, still seventeen years old, Professor Harry Potter’s life gets very complicated. Rec Post

Stupid Love by The_Sinking_Ship @the-sinking-ship

Harry Potter, how does Draco Malfoy hate thee? Let me count the ways. Rec Post

I Want to be With You (I’m Good at It) by punk_rock_yuppie @punk-rock-yuppie

Draco was banned from the wizarding world after the events of the war; he reintegrates himself slowly, with unexpected results. Rec Post

Accidental Magic by vivi1138 @penguinanimagus

After the war, Draco left the magical world. He doesn’t lead the easiest life, doesn’t sleep enough and has another mouth to feed. He doesn’t expect to be forced to go back early, but when his son’s accidental magic threatens the Statute of Secrecy, there’s only one person who can help.

Expectant by loveglowsinthedark @l0vegl0wsinthedark

After he accidentally gets Malfoy pregnant on a drunken fuck at a club, Harry doesn't anticipate that it'd be just as easy to fall in love with him. Rec Post 1, 2

Here are a few more fics I've read recently that y'all might like to check out as well! (ﾉ^ヮ^)ﾉ*:・ﾟ✧

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273 notes - Posted April 30, 2022

Out of sight: how Flowers in the Attic mirrored its author’s captivity

When VC Andrews’s debut novel, Flowers in the Attic, was published in 1979, it was not well received by all critics: one described it as “possibly the worst book I have ever read”.

However, her gothic horror-romance about four children who are locked in an attic for three years by their beautiful, conniving mother – who seems loving but actually starves and poisons them – went on to sell more than 40 million copies, was on the New York Times bestseller list for 14 weeks and is still in print more than 40 years later.

Now, startling parallels between the lives of the children imprisoned in the attic and Virginia Andrews’s own life as a severely disabled woman are to be laid bare for the first time in a forthcoming biography, The Woman Beyond the Attic.

The book claims that when Andrews – who spent most of her adult life housebound in a wheelchair – was disobedient, her “controlling” mother would imprison her in her bedroom and deprive her of a meal as a punishment.

“Her mother would lock her in her room and not give her dinner, if she got angry at her,” said Andrew Neiderman, author of the new biography, which will be published on Thursday. “She controlled who Virginia could see, what she could do and punished her for not doing what she wanted.”

Andrews suffered from rheumatoid arthritis but lived a relatively independent life before a surgical treatment in her late teens left her unable to walk and move her neck without pain. By the time Flowers in the Attic was published, Andrews was 56 and had been dependent on her mother, Lillian, for decades.

“She was trapped,” said Neiderman. Like the children in Flowers in the Attic, “her mother kept her under lock and key. Firstly, because she was ashamed of her for being disabled, and secondly, because she couldn’t handle it [Andrews’s disability].”

Andrews always maintained that the plot of Flowers in the Attic was “a fictionalised version of a true story” that a hospital doctor had told her when she was a teenager. But as an isolated disabled woman, reliant on her mother’s care, “she felt so trapped by her illness – and was so incarcerated by her mother sometimes – that she could understand how children would feel locked up in an attic,” believes Neiderman.

314 notes - Posted January 30, 2022

My #1 post of 2022

Young Harry and Draco have an ice cream celebration with Godfather/Cousin Sirius & Uncle Remus after a playdate.

Art comission by @fictional ʚ♡⃛ɞ(ू•ᴗ•ू❁) Thank you!

Happy 1500 followers to me! (ﾉ^ヮ^)ﾉ*:・ﾟ✧💜💙💚💛❤💕💖

It has been a long journey to get here. Both on [tumblr] (2010) and through Fandom (2014). I really appreciate all of you who have been here with me. Thank you so much!

2,068 notes - Posted June 3, 2022

Get your Tumblr 2022 Year in Review →

#tumblr2022 #year in review #my 2022 tumblr year in review #your tumblr year in review #long post #i love that i reblog from myself the most lolololololol

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