#scott being a good boy and helping her through the absolute chaos
Note
[ STEADY ] (from Scott)!
REUNION AFTER PHYSICAL TRAUMA
[ STEADY ] for sender to catch or steady receiver when receiver tries to stand up too early or to push their body past what it’s ready for
IT WAS OVER. blood was a slow expansion on the floor, becoming exposed from beneath the body it spilled from. it was a painting of horror as the monster’s face was still etched into an expression of rage and his limbs were splayed. within his hold, weapon was grasped firmly, and cat eyed it as though his finger would move to pull the trigger once again. inside her chest, her heart was THUDDING, each beat making her feel as though the entirety of haggard form was trembling at the movements. shaking, shuddering, arms started to feel as though they were turning to concrete, and they dropped, the rifle she had still held tight. her fingers were clenching. tighter and tighter and tighter. knuckles pale white, wrists aching, she couldn’t breathe, she couldn’t breathe couldn’t breathe couldn’t-
wobbly step backward, n e a r collapse, vision swimming yet somehow focused. copper’s entire being unmoving but coming at her. finally, with a gasp, one knee hit the floor, brain barely registering the jolt up her thigh. other leg fought to stay up, stay ready. shoulders pulled in close, muscles were burning. teeth gritted now despite the panic zipping in and out of her lungs. he couldn’t be dead, he was still alive, he was coming, he was coming. rifle was whipped back up. or so she thought.
the brunette’s arms tried to swing her firearm up to aim, but everything in her system protested. it ended up being released entirely, clattering a foot or so away, and darkness overcame her vision. she was floating, she was falling. all her strength left her, and cat was tumbling. victory, but unbelievable. a near cost of the lives of those she cared for. v i c t o r y. but at what price? copper dead, crackshot hurt, birdie fled… was there anyone else? what if there was? they’d be coming shortly, they’d slaughter. scott and amy and jon and casey and allen and laura- stay awake. it was too late.
she was crumpled. arms were supporting her, the soft encouragement of the word in her ear. steady. slow breathing, she was on fire. the oxygen fueled it. fire fire fire, get up. there’s more, there’s danger! an attempt to push against and stand, but the arms held her. eyelids fluttered, finally drawing in what was around her. scott. it was him holding her. HIM. head tried to tilt back… why did her whole body keep ignoring her? thud thud heart pounding, can’t think, can’t stop, can’t stop. copper was always there, was always going to hurt her.
“i… can’t. i need…” where’d the gun go, where’d her weapon-
STEADY.
finally, one arm managed to raise though like a half limp noodle. hand meagerly pushed against the strength of his chest. was he okay? was everyone okay? praying, hoping… then his own heart felt a drum against her touch. she stilled. he was scared. he was worried. he was telling her to calm. so breath was caught, snagged in her throat. eased. catch herself, catch the moment. ground her. it’s over, copper’s dead. copper’s dead. copper’s d e a d.
strength was a panful crawl of seeping back in to her, mind clearing, the panic passing. ebbing away, letting her come back together. she released everything stored in her lungs ( not having even been aware she was holding her breath ), the long exhale puffing her cheeks out before depths of green flickered back to the body. so real, but fading. the FLICKER of life and anger and rage and torment to him evaporated. it was real, this was real.
“...i did it…”
@storybounded
#storybounded#&&. verse ( homeward bound )#I DID A THING LOOK AT THAT#also this was a mess but honestly so is cat#scott being a good boy and helping her through the absolute chaos#&&. asks ( sometimes you gotta know )
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Fic: Untitled 1/?
This is going to be a one-shot, but since Ao3 is down, I figured why not offer what I have so far as a teaser. This'll then be posted in parts.
Summary: Sally knows when something is off with her boys. A growing up Tracy fic.
New POV for me :D
~*~
The oven was smoking again.
Why it always seemed to do that - and only for her - escaped her.
She was a doctor and a pilot, dammit, not a cook. Though, she’d never admit she struggled her way through a recipe. Sally Ruth Tracy was, if nothing else, persistent. What Grant used to always call “stubborn”. But her husband had always said it with a wry grin that told her he was more amused than anything else. The stubborn recognized their own, in Sally’s opinion. Her Jeff had inherited that trait. So had Scottybird. The perseverance, she knew, would service him well in university.
As she fished around Jeff’s kitchen for the potholders, she smiled at the memory of her late husband, one that she both kept close to her heart, and yet saw in her children and grandchildren every day. When she opened the oven, a black cloud escaped, and Sally waved a hand over back and forth across her face to clear it. Her glasses had fogged over from the heat, but once she could safely retrieve the cookie sheet, the char of the cinnamon rolls she had been trying to make for breakfast made themselves known.
“Oops.”
Salvageable? Unlikely, not this time. Not only had the bread crusted into char but something unknown had melted into a disastrous scar across the tray.
Sally opened a window to let in the fresh air and let the smoke clear, though unfortunately, the chaos of a school morning didn’t stop over burnt rolls. As the fog escaped, hurricane Tracy entered, seemingly unaffected by the smell in the kitchen. Scott was a month into his second semester, and Jeff was chatting future plans with his good friends Lee and Val. Even without them Sally felt fully capable of taking care of a herd of boys, even better equipped in some ways.
Alan, the youngest shuffled in first, which was always the way – the younger kids started school later than the older kids, even though the older kids needed to make sure they got a full night’s sleep. Alan wasn’t an early bird, per se, but in the mornings he was eager to jump right in where he left off in his games the night before. Alan gave her a toothless smile where Gordon had accidentally tumbled into the youngest’s baby teeth the other day, and Sally gave him permission to play on his holo-pad for half an hour only.
When Sally was younger she played Candy Crush. Games had come a long way since then, and Alan’s favorite was a VR resurgence of math blaster. A bit more advanced for his age, but the dear was a chip off his older brother’s shoulder, and he’d be following in John’s footsteps soon enough.
Speak of the devil, John eased in next, silent but impossible to miss behind the messy ginger of his unbrushed locks. He brushed by her as she scraped the mess of breakfast into the trashcan, wishing her dreary good morning. Every morning was too early for her John, being the absolute night owl he was. Probably up until 2 AM again. John pushed his glasses up to the center of his nose as he investigated the refrigerator for the cream cheese and selected the jug of apple juice beside it. With his help, Sally was able to get some bagels in the toaster oven for the kids, while she started on their bagged lunches for the day.
Gordon and Virgil entered together, the older practically nudging the pre-teen into the kitchen while his squiddy limbs wiggled back towards the bedrooms in rebellion.
“Found him reciting the beginning of Treasure Island to his beta fish,” Virgil told her. “Sorry for being late.” No doubt teaching the fish about his namesake, as Gordon had named him Hawkins after the protagonist. If he didn’t succeed at his goal of being an Olympic medalist, Gordon was well on his way to growing up to be a pirate. He was just as obsessed with sea stories and ocean legends as Jim.
At least he’d read it, she thought, and she said as much.
“It was the Muppet version.”
Ah, well, she’d learned about the Odyssey from that literature dog tv show back in the day.
Alan giggled, not really sure what he was laughing about, but he saw the amused expression on Virgil’s face and the indignant one on his partner in crime, and figured it was an appropriate reaction for Gordon being the topic of a joke.
Virgil pulled up the calendar on his phone. “Grandma, I’ve got practice for the spring musical until 6:00, Alan’s got scouts after school, and Gordon’s got Coach 5:30-7.”
“I can walk Alan over to scouts,” John offered, not looking up from his book. His remote college classes both kept him busy and made him more flexible to help out when needed. Lectures were recorded, reading could be done any time, and the important part of his courses were the dissertation due dates and finals.
“That means it’s just you and me this afternoon, kid,” Sally said, squeezing Gordon’s shoulders lightly. It only lasted a second, but she thought she saw his smile falter at the reminder of his swimming lesson. She may not be able to cook well for her family, but she knew how to recognize when shadows grasped their hearts.
She wouldn’t stand for it, determined to find out by the end of the day just what was troubling the ray of sunshine.
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How I deal with Roy Harper stuff is absolute chaos.
I ship him with Jason Todd. I don’t mind the idea of him dating Kori at some point.
I fucking hate RHATO. It’s so bad for all of their characters. It makes Kori the “born sexy yesterday” alien girl instead of the extremely emotional girl full of love and conviction that she is. It reverts Roy back so much and makes him just this side of a piece of shit. And Jason is made into Edgey Protagonist Boy. It’s awful for all of them. Also Scott Lobdel is a creep and he sucks.
Is that where nearly all canon JayRoy implications are? Yes. Do I ignore most of the details of that entire series and only apply it to my personal canon in vague broad strokes? Also yes.
Despite there being no implications of JayRoy before this, I love them together for the sheer potential.
This is not for one to be a morality pet for the other. Roy isn’t there to make Jason look smart. Sure, he’s a dumbass, but he’s also almost as much a genius as Jason is, Jason just had a million more teachers and way less chill. He’s not there just to make Jason feel better about himself. As much as Jason adores him, he still barely let him in, and kept trying to push him away because he was too good. Jason also isn’t there to be Roy’s sobriety crutch. Roy doesn’t need a goddamn sobriety crutch. And if he does, Jason can help (god he fucking should) but his sobriety crutches are Dinah and Waylon, and they just helped him through the worst of it. He can handle shit on his own.
I want Roy to say “fuck that, you’re not the bad guy” not because Roy is an “outlaw” for no rational reason (because he’s not, he’s a hero and never was he not). I want him to say it because he knew the bright bubbly kid who was there when he found out he was a father. The little boy who helped Donna (who Roy also loves) when she was carrying too much and not enough and needed that support. I want him to do it because he knows some of who Jason killed and why. I want him to express that he understands why Jason killed and doesn’t judge him even though he doesn’t kill people anymore (because I think he did as a government agent? and he sure af wanted to after Lian died). I want him to tell Jason just how awful he thinks he himself is, and that Jason is not some monster tainting him with his mere presence. I want him to force Jason to recognize that just because he’s close to Dick too doesn‘t mean he prefers one of them over the other, that the relationships are different and both precious to him and he doesn’t value Dick over Jason or vice versa (because Dick was Roy’s best friend sorta (I mean so were Wally and Donna but like...???) and they need to still be besties instead of trading out one Bat for another) because he feels like people are always choosing his siblings, Dick and Tim especially, over him.
I want Jason to have this unbelievable pride and admiration and fear and hope with Roy, seeing how he got over addiction and spent so much time trying to help others through it, when Jason lost his mother to it. I want him to be able to pull Roy away from the Titans when they stress him out so he’s just not alone (not because he needs someone, but Roy is inherently social and has always done better when people are there for him). I want Jason to help Roy find his daughter. I want Jason to know the child that has become a scrappy Gotham street kid and platonically fall in love with her, love her nearly as much as Roy does because he just can’t help it because Lian is just that wonderful and everyone who’s ever met her adores her and Jason has always had a soft spot for kids (who aren’t wearing Robin outfits). I want him to feel a connection with Lian over their similar and different childhoods, and how much they care about Roy. I want Jason to recognize just how brilliant both Roy and Lian are and actually say how impressed he is just because he can and Roy tbh probably needed the ego boost. I want Jason to have people he can rely on with relative fucking stability because fuck if he can get that from his family. Maybe the Batgirls, but they each prioritize other Robins over him (Babs for Dick, Steph for Tim, Cass also for Tim, or Steph if you wanna count her in this example).
Nearly everything I love about Roy Harper (mostly aside from his design, I like his new styles if you ignore the hat) comes from Pre-Flashpoint stuff. His volunteer work for people struggling with addiction. When he was in Ireland for a while and helped these kids who’d been recently orphaned and making sure they got to a good home when everything was resolved. That time he was essentially a temp PI and worked a case during the fucking AIDs crisis and showed fucking empathy for people and didn’t get bothered when that made people accuse him of being gay (in contrast to Titans Academy where he repeatedly misgenders a nonbinary student boy you are culturally Navajo were there no Two Spirit people there?). His intimately trusting friendship with Dick where they’d do almost anything for each other no questions asked. All of the things he did as a father because god, did the man love his daughter. Pre-Flashpoint Roy is the one I love, and I sprinkle his newer material in very sparingly and carefully.
Jason Todd was all over the fucking place even before Flashpoint so he’s just a mess.
But I see potential for them. Not for most of what’s already written, but what could be.
(Also this does not mean I want their other love interests brushed aside; I want them resolved and befriended. Donna for Roy and Artemis for Jason. Maybe also Kori and Isabel respectively. Fuck Cheshire tho didn’t even tell Roy Lian was alive. Bitch. But damn do I want Artemis back. Also Dog. Give Jason Dog back.)
#Roy Harper#Jason Todd#JayRoy#Koriand'r#Dick Grayson#Lian Harper#Donna Troy#Artemis Grace#Artemis Bana-Mighdall#Red Hood and the Outlaws#RHATO#Jade Nguyen#Arsenal#Red Hood#Starfire#Nightwing#Cheshire Cat#Cheshire
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PART 3
Say it first, please
Charles Xavier x reader
Set: Mansion, with his many adopted children lol. still has his legs though, and is obviously young Charles.
Warnings: light little reader, anxiety & depression, light swearing, intimate, age gap, ABO, light angst, daddy/soft dom
Previous Chapter <-
As morning came you did your daily routine before heading to help Storm. She gave you a soft greeting as you walked in and you smiled waving. You sat down at her desk looking through the days lesson.
“More weather” you said grinning.
“I’m best at it” she said writing something up on the board.
“That you are” you chuckled softly thinking back to last night.
“Ah there you are” you raised an eyebrow as Charles came in.
“Morning darling” he said to you and you flushed nodding.
“Storm” he said starting his conversation with her.
After he left you tried to centre yourself.
“You look like a tomato” Ororo teased.
“I am not, it’s just hot in here” you defended standing up as kids came in. She gave you a cheeky grin before greeting everyone who came.
You pretty much just followed along with her book she had on the table. You wrote a few notes, typed a few things before the lesson was over.
You stood up as the students left and frowned seeing Charles waiting by the door.
“Professor?” Storm called.
“I’m here for Y/n sorry” Charles smiled and you nodded grabbing your things and saying a quick goodbye.
“Is it that girl again?” You asked concerned.
“No” he chuckled shaking his head.
“I’m here to ask you to lunch” he said as you walked downstairs. You froze on the steps slightly before continuing.
“Lunch?” You said and he nodded.
“Where?” You asked.
“That’s a surprise” he grinned.
“Thats not fair” you grumbled softly.
“Let me pack up and I’ll be ready” you said agreeing.
“I’ll come find you in about half hour ok?” He said and you nodded. He smiled pressing a kiss to your cheek again before disappearing.
You blinked a few times before rushing to your office. You packed up and got ready, nerves running through you.
He found you like he said and you both went out leaving the school in the others hands.
He took you just outside the city, a more quiet place thankfully as he pulled up to the cafe looking place.
“I’m curious as to how you found this place” you said in the car as it stopped.
“This has been here since I was a boy” he said looking to it fondly.
“The woman in there is a great friend of my family’s, she bakes the best bread” he smiled. You nodded as he got out the car. You looked at the place he must have good memories. You went to open the door but it had already opened.
“Oh, thank you” you said stepping out as Charles smiled.
You walked in, it was like a cute cottage place, pastel cottage.
“Charles?” You heard an elderly voice.
“Hello Aunt Alya” and old woman came towards you both, short and plump with a big smile as she held her arms open. Charles embraced the woman as she sighed and let go.
“I haven’t seen you in years dear boy!” She said hitting him with her tea towel. You laughed as he winced slightly.
“Oh? Who is this lovely woman?” She looked to you and you smiled slightly.
“This is Y/n, Y/n Aunt Alya” Charles introduced you both.
“Oh you’re absolutely beautiful my dear” she cooed giving you a hug. You chuckled embarrassed but hugged her.
“Oh you two must be hungry, sit, sit!” She said walking to the register.
Charles smiled and you smiled back as he gestured to the small booth. You sat down as Aunt Alya came back over a waddle in her step.
“Now you tell Aunt Alya what you want and I’ll make it personally” she smiled handing you both menus.
“Trust me my grandsons cooking is horrible” she whispered loudly.
“Nan” you heard a man sigh. You looked to the kitchen entrance a smile on your lips.
“I didn’t say anything!” She said quickly and walked off. You laughed as the young man came over.
“What would you like to drink?” He asked smiling and you looked to Charles.
“I’ll have a tea please” he said and the man nodded.
“Just water thank you” you said and he nodded.
“I’ll be right back” the young man left, you could see the resemblance in generations by their noses.
“That’s Leo” Charles said and you nodded. There were only a few people here thankfully, mainly elderly having coffee or tea and cake.
“She seems lovely” you chuckled softly and he smiled.
“She is” he said a sadness on his eyes.
“What do you want to eat?” He asked quickly and you looked to the menu.
“Oh gosh” you muttered looking through. You picked one of your favourites and Charles picked his before he went up and ordered. You smiled a bit to yourself at your seat, you felt adored almost. Your drinks came back as did Charles and you took a small sip.
You drank silently looking at the vintage table, a few scratches from the tears but well kept.
“Something bothers you my dear, what is it?” You hummed at Charles words in answer in surprise and looked to him.
“Nothings wrong or bothering-“ you said confused and he raised an eyebrow.
“Was it wise to leave your students?” You muttered.
“They can live without me for half a day” he chuckled and you nodded uncertain.
“They can handle it ok?” He said softly making you sigh.
“Ok” you said as your meals came out.
You both ate in comfortable silence, though the nag of him being gone always tugged in your mind. You knew Jean, Scott, Ororo could handle it, but he was the professor. You thought a bit your mind always going to the bad things. How were you supposed to compare to a professor? Were you expected to join him in professering? Or what if he wanted a family of his own? His own kids? You didn’t want kids.
“Y/n” you looked up to Charles giving him your attention. He smiled slightly shaking his head as he laid his fork down.
“You’re over thinking again” he said and you wondered if he just read all your thoughts.
“Did you read my thoughts?” You whispered.
“No, of course not I would never without your permission” he said and you nodded.
“You get this look on your face and stare off like you’re on another planet” he chuckled and you flushed.
“It’s cute” he grinned but it didn’t help the embarrassment.
“I didn’t mean to go off on another planet” you muttered finishing your meal.
“It doesn’t bother me darling” he laughed.
“It’s just something you do when you’re deep in thought” he smiled gently.
“All done?” Aunt Alya spoke before you could, you both nodded and she smiled taking your dishes away.
“That was a good meal” you said satisfied and full.
“That it was” Charles agreed.
“I got a little gift for you both” you frowned as Aunt Alya laid down a large piece of cake between you two. Charles frowned neither of you ordered it.
“Couples gift” she winked and left. You blushed looking away.
“Couples gift?” You muttered looking at the one fork and one big piece of cake. Charles grinned at you and you frowned as he grabbed the fork and took a bit. He held it up for you and you froze.
“No- you really don’t have to feed me cake” you said rushed as he laughed and ate it instead. He moaned at the taste his eyes teasing as he looked to you.
“It’s delicious” he said taking another piece and holding it up. You cursed softly taking a bite, you closed your eyes at the delicious flavour filling your mouth. You hummed in satisfaction and sighed.
“It really is” you confirmed.
He fed you cake till it was gone, having some bites for himself before you were both full. You sighed finishing your water as well and leaning back.
“I’m full” you mumbled.
“I am too” Charles chuckled as he stood up. You stood too as he took the few items to Aunt Alya who was walking this way.
“I knew you’d like it” she grinned.
“Thank you” Charles gave her a side hug and kissed her on the head, she was so much shorter than him.
“Thank you Aunt Ayla” you smiled as she gave you a side hug also.
“You treat this one right” you frowned thinking she was talking to you.
“I will ma’am” Charles chuckled.
“Mmmm, she’s a gooden I can tell” she grinned at you and you blushed slightly.
“You both better come back other wise I’ll hunt you down son!” She called as she waved and left for the kitchen. You laughed at the threat as Charles sighed and shook his head.
“Shall we?” He asked holding out his elbow for you. You smiled taking it and heading back to the car.
He opened the door for you and closed it before getting into the drivers seat and heading back to the school.
As you went underground and Charles parked you sat a little bit.
“Thank you for today” you said softly as you both got out.
“It’s my pleasure” he smiled and you sighed softly a small smile on your face as you walked to the elevator.
“I really hope it isn’t chaos up there” you said glancing up.
“Everything’s fine” he said.
“Trust me” he added seeing your sceptical face. You nodded as he leant closer and pressed a kiss to your forehead. Your eyes closed again and you smiled as you both went into the elevator.
On the school ground everything was in fact alright, nothing on fire, or wild mutants running around.
“I have to go to my office and sought something out, I’ll see you later tonight” you turned to Charles as he spoke and you nodded.
“Ok” you said unsure of what to do. You wanted to give him a kiss. You grabbed his hand when he tried to leave and he frowned. You came closer and leant up pressing a kiss to his cheek. He was stunned and you flushed and laughed as you walked off back to your office.
Your tummy felt warm with butterfly’s and your heart raced excited. You couldn’t wipe the smile off your face as you went to your office and sat down.
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And now for some stucky fluff...
Read it here on ao3
Or part one, two, three, four on tumblr
Bucky’s sense has left him. It left him somewhere back on the dance floor. Maybe even before then.
It’s entirely possible that in fact he’s never had any.
He spent too long talking at Steve about particles… about soulmates… about whatever it is that's happening between them. And by some miracle, Steve is still listening, still looking at Bucky like he’s interesting, like his words mean something. And Bucky needs to harness that. Needs to grab at it before it slips through his fingers.
So he quits his yapping. He grabs Steve and he pulls at him again, marvels at the complete lack of resistance there, at the way Steve just follows him. When he dares to look back over his shoulder, Steve is still there, still staring at Bucky as if he is something wondrous. Somehow not tripping, or faltering, despite not watching at all where he’s going and or paying any kind of attention to the people or the noise or the chaos of the casino around them.
Steve’s eyes are only for Bucky.
Even as Bucky pulls them through the garishly painted doors. Even as Bucky leads him into madness.
Bucky turns away from Steve to face forward, to push clear of the doors and let them swing closed behind them.
It’s much quieter in the chapel.
Bucky sweeps his eyes from right to left and takes in the pastel pink walls, the blue ribbons along the pews, the couple chatting at the top of the aisle. One dressed as Elvis - white jumpsuit and cape, big hair, sunglasses, guitar flung over one shoulder, not slim, but filling out that jumpsuit nicely all the same - the other wearing a hot pink t-shirt that reads ‘we will wed you’ in white lettering across the chest and a fifties retro polka dot skirt.
They both look up as Steve and Bucky enter.
‘He-ey,’ the man dressed as Elvis says, smile and eyes widening as he looks past Bucky and up and up to Steve, then back down and up again. One eyebrow raising in slight disbelief, no doubt, at the existence of such a perfect being.
Bucky can’t blame him.
‘Welcome, welcome!’ the woman in hot pink says, coming forward, arms outstretched, ‘hello boys!’
‘Hello,’ Bucky says, smiling at her exuberance, and her very excellent blond bee-hive up-do, and slows to a stop about halfway down the aisle.
‘Ma’am,’ Steve says, affability dripping from the buttery smooth tone in his voice, coming to a stop on Bucky’s right.
‘Oh, you two look like a match made in heaven!’ the woman says, stopping a few feet from them, she holds up her hands and makes a frame with her fingers, placing Bucky and Steve in it and looking through at them with one narrowed eye. ‘Oh yes. Beautiful, beautiful.’
‘Uh…’ Bucky starts, and falters. At a loss for exactly how to proceed.
He looks up at Steve and Steve looks down at him with an encouraging smile, slides an arm around Bucky’s waist and squeezes him closer.
‘We umm… do we have to make an appointment?’
‘You two?’ the woman says, eyeing them both up and down, ‘no appointments necessary, come come come.’ She spins around and starts heading towards Elvis, checking back to make sure Bucky and Steve are following her, ‘Come with me, I’m going to take care of everything.’
‘Okay,’ Bucky says, looking up and Steve and shrugging his shoulders.
Steve laughs and squeezes Bucky tighter, walking them down the aisle together. ‘How do you make everybody fall in love with you like this, Buck?’
‘Me?’ Bucky says, laughing and shaking his head at Steve. As if Steve has no idea of the kind of magnetism he’s exuding. The uncanny resemblance he has to a greek god.
‘Yes, definitely you,’ Steve says, ‘People are never this easy with me.’
‘I am,’ Bucky says truthfully. Everything about Steve screams home to Bucky. Screams safety and happiness. Bucky couldn’t be anything but easy with him.
‘Yes you are,’ Steve says softly. Squeezing Bucky again. He’s going to have to stop doing that, it's so warm, his arm is so strong, his hand is so big, Bucky feels encased by him. It’s dangerously addictive. Bucky wants to lean into it and let himself go.
But, actually, why can't he? This is a chapel, they are about to leap into the craziest decision Bucky has ever made in his life... So Bucky does lean into it. Lets his side press into Steve, lets them fit together like a solved puzzle.
‘Okay boys, we have some forms, we have some catalogues,’ the woman says, gesturing them into a room off to the side of the chapel, ‘I need you to put your decision making hats on, okay? We have about thirty minutes before the next couple comes in and I want to slot you right in, yes?’
‘Okay,’ Bucky and Steve say together, nodding their heads.
‘Good, good. So take a look over these, sign them, pick your rings and I’ll charge them all to your room. You’re staying in the casino right?’
‘Yes,’ Steve says, moving forward before Bucky can answer, ‘Charge it to my room, please.’
Steve starts pulling out his wallet, shows his identification and takes the pen the lady offers him, and Bucky watches with a sort of fascination, as Steve becomes completely in control.
‘Steve Rogers,’ the woman says with a smile Bucky doesn’t understand. Knowing, familiar. ‘I’m Mavis, it’s so lovely to meet you.’
‘And you,’ Steve says. He opens his arm out to Bucky to gesture him forward, and slides it around Bucky’s shoulder when he gets close enough. ‘This is Bucky.’
‘James Buchanan Barnes,’ Bucky says, holding out a hand for Mavis to shake, ‘pleasure to meet you, Mavis.’
‘Oh well you are just the sweetest thing,’ Mavis says with a chuckle, her cheeks blushing, ‘absolutely adorable.’ She pushes a catalogue towards Bucky, ‘Find your rings, darlin’ while Steve here fills out the paperwork. I just need some signatures from both of you and I’ll set up everything with Larry over there,’ she points to Elvis who waves back at them from the altar, ‘while you pop out and find yourselves a witness.’
‘Can’t you be our witness, Mavis?’ Bucky asks. He doesn’t want to unpack the kind of recklessness that it takes to be getting married in a seedy casino wedding chapel and needing to nab random strangers to be their witnesses.
‘Oh of course I will, darlin’ boy, but you need two. And Larry is the officiator, he can’t be a witness I’m afraid.’
‘It’s no problem,’ Steve says, looking up from the paperwork and handing Bucky the pen, ‘You sign these and pick out the rings, Buck, I’ll go grab somebody.’
‘Ahh... sure,’ Bucky takes the pen and watches as Steve takes off on a mission, ‘I’ll just… pick out my wedding ring from this plastic catalogue…’
‘Okay,’ Mavis says, bustling about in the small room and not watching Bucky at all, ‘Here are your complimentary t-shirts,’ she pulls some material from a storage box under the counter, ‘here is your album,’ Mavis plonks a hot pink vinyl photo album right next to Bucky’s ring catalogue, ’and here’s your notepad.’
‘Notepad?’ Bucky looks at Mavis and then down at the small notepad, blue and pink and with a vegas sign as a watermark in the background.
‘You might want to jot some quick vows down, honey.’
‘Oh.’
It occurs to Bucky, as he looks down at his coloured notepad, at the ring catalogue on laminated sheets of pink paper, at the t-shirts Mavis has put down for them on the counter, that this is perhaps a terrible mistake.
And then he looks a little closer at one of the rings on the last page… plain white gold (plated, he’s guessing) flat bands with an inscription on the inside that reads, ‘For we are but two halves, together whole’ and wonders if in fact it's the opposite of a mistake.
What if this is fate?
‘Bucky, I found somebody,’ Steve comes tearing back into the chapel followed by a dazed looking man, wide eyed and smiling, looking up at Steve as if he just met the messiah. ‘This is Scott.’
‘Hi Scott,’ Bucky says, dragging the man’s attention away from Steve, ‘thank you so much for doing this.’
‘Are you kidding?’ Scott says, beaming back up at Steve, ‘for this guy? Anything.’
He looks starstruck - Bucky can totally understand where he’s coming from.
Scott is absolutely bouncing on the balls of his feet, ‘You are a lucky guy, Bucky.’
Bucky looks at Steve, who is looking worriedly between Scott and Bucky, reminding Bucky momentarily of a confused puppy, and has to wholeheartedly agree.
‘You still sure about this, Buck?’ Steve asks, puppy dog eyes kicking into full gear.
Bucky can’t help but smile. ‘I um… found these I sort of like,’ Bucky says in lieu of an answer, pointing to the picture of the rings on the laminated page, ‘what do you think?’
Steve looks down at them, at the inscription decsribed underneath the picture and looks back up at Bucky with the softest, sweetest smile. ‘They look perfect.’
‘Yeah? You think so?’
‘I do.’
And Bucky’s heart melts. He feels the warmth of it spread right through his chest.
‘Perfect!’ Mavis cries, swooping in to grab the catalogue and disappear into the chapel, yelling back ‘get yourselves to the altar boys!’
‘I guess we ah… head out there?’ Bucky gestures over his shoulder with his thumb, to the altar, ‘let me just um…’ he jots down a few lines and then rips the page off and hands the notepad to Steve, ‘for your vows.’
‘Ahh…’ Steve looks adorably terrified at the notepad Bucky has just handed him and looks over at Scott who is smiling at both of them now.
‘You guys look good together,’ Scott says, grabbing them both around their biceps and pushing them together, ‘this is really special. Thanks for letting me be a part of this, Cap.’
‘You’re welcome,’ Steve says, calm but bemused as Scott’s hands keep squeezing.
Bucky looks up at Steve and then back at Scott who almost seems to be tearing up.
‘You guys know each other?’
‘I wish,’ Scott says, shaking his head with a laugh, ‘what a dream this night has turned out to be.’
And Bucky can’t help but laugh. It’s just crazy enough to be perfect for this evening. ‘For you and me both,’ Bucky says. And Scott squeezes his arm a little tighter. ‘We even have this t-shirt for you.’
Scott takes the t-shirt Bucky offers him reverently. ‘Viva las witness,’ he says with awe. ‘This is amazing.’
‘And for you, sir,’ Bucky says, handing one to Steve.
‘Thank you, Buck’ Steve says, standing back from them both to pull off the button down he’s wearing.
Bucky can’t stop the gasp that escapes as Steve’s shirt slides down his arms to reveal the wide expanse of chiseled porcelain perfection underneath.
Steve smiles at Bucky’s no doubt slack jawed expression but Bucky can’t look away. It’s… a lot. IKt’s more muscle than Bucky has ever seen on a real live person. Toned and smooth and carved out of marble.
What is Bucky getting himself into?
Steve is pulling the pink ‘groom’ shirt over his chest and down over his washboard abs and Bucky has to hold his hand back from reaching out to touch him, to slip his fingers under the soft material of the t-shirt.
‘Your turn, Buck,’ Steve says, staring at Bucky with one eyebrow raised, handing him the blue shirt.
‘Uh-uh.’ Bucky shakes his head. 'Nope, not after that,' he waves his hand in the direction of Steve's chest, 'no thank you.'
'Buck?'
'I don't look anything like that.'
'Nobody looks anything like that,' Scott says, his eyebrows still at his hairline.
'Scott, could you give us five minutes?'
'Yeah, I'll just…' Scott backs out of the room and towards the altar, 'let me choose you some music. Be right back.'
'Bucky,' Steve steps closer as Scott disappears, 'you don't have to do anything you're not comfortable with.'
Bucky lets him closer, but doesn't move.
'But this,' Steve puts his hands to his giant pecs, nearly breaking through the t-shirt, 'this is not what makes me, me.'
'I know,' Bucky tucks his hair behind his ear, nodding his head 'I know that.' He does know that. But it’s hard to not be intimidated by his perfection.
'And as beautiful as you are,' Steve says, reaching out to take Bucky's hand and hold it, put it up against Bucky’s chest, 'this isn't what makes you, you.' Steve presses the finger of his free hand against Bucky’s forehead. 'This is, Buck. This is you, yes?'
'Yes.' And it’s true. He forgets that sometimes but it’s true.
'And it's amazing, you're amazing.'
'I am?' Is he? Bucky doesn’t feel amazing. He feels like he’s just scraping by most of the time.
'You are.'
Steve is looking down at him with so much affection, Bucky knows it’s not a line. It’s what Steve really thinks.
'You are too,' Bucky lifts his own free hand to touch Steve's forehead, 'you're so lovely.'
Steve leans in as Bucky traces his hand down to his cheek and rests his forehead against Bucky's. 'You don't have to wear the t-shirt, Bucky,' Steve says softly, running his hand through Bucky’s hair, 'You don't ever have to do anything you don't want to do.'
Steve's hands on him are like a balm. They radiate care and calm, and they speak Steve's truth.
Bucky’s insecurity washes away. He wants to be part of this. He wants to be all in. 'I do want to wear the t-shirt,' Bucky whispers, 'It's cute.'
Steve laughs and almost snorts. 'It's perfect for you.' Steve nods. 'Want me to give you some privacy?'
'No,’ Bucky doesn’t want Steve to go anywhere. ‘No I want you to help me.’
Bucky takes Steve’s hands in his own and places them gently at the hem of his t-shirt - faded and worn and washed too many times, all the more comfortable because of it.
Steve slides his hands up under the hem and over the bare skin above Bucky’s waistband, dragging the tips of his fingers across Bucky’s stomach. Bucky breaths in a sharp gasp of air as Steve’s thumb runs over his hip bone.
‘Gorgeous,’ Steve sighs the word, his breath on Bucky’s lips, he’s so close.
Bucky lifts his arms to let Steve run his fingers up further, taking the material of the shirt with him and lifting it slowly over Bucky’s head. He runs his hands back down Bucky’s chest, fingertips burning into Bucky’s skin, charged and electric.
They slow at Bucky’s stomach, sliding around the smooth, slightly rounded softness of Bucky’s waist to settle on his hips, rubbing circles over the bone with his thumbs.
‘Beautiful,’ Steve whispers, ‘you’re perfect, Bucky.’
‘Thank you,’ Bucky whispers back. Not because Steve has said it, but because he’s made Bucky believe it.
Steve’s nuzzles closer, reaching up to kiss his lips against Bucky’s forehead, Bucky settles his hands on Steve’s chest, up to Steve’s shoulders and around his neck-
‘Showtime boys!’ Mavis says, bursting into the room and then throwing a hand over her eyes as Steve and Bucky jump apart, ‘Oops! Sorry, but you need to get your sweet little butts out there, we’re running out of time.’
‘Yep, sorry, sorry,’ Bucky grabs for the blue t-shirt, ‘Elvis said we do’ plastered across the front in bright pink lettering, ‘coming right out.’
‘Better late than never,’ Mavis says with a wink to Steve and Bucky laughs at the blush that creeps into his cheeks.
‘Shit,’ Steve writes quickly in the notepad as they both hustle out to the altar, Scott off to the side pairing his phone with the sound system as ‘Fools rush in’ starts up over the speakers and Larry-Elvis smiles down at them as they move into position on either side of where he stands a step above them.
Steve tucks the notepad into his pocket and shuffles his feet. Bucky stands straight and reaches for his hands, pulls them into the space between them, holds them there, safe between Bucky’s own.
‘Welcome folks,’ Larry-Elvis drawls, ‘We’re gonna keep this short and sweet, I as a certified official in the state of Nevada, do preside over these two young men, to bring them together in holy matrimony-’
Steve catches Bucky’s eye and bites his lip. Bucky can only look back and try and keep from vibrating out of his skin.
‘-James Buchanan Barnes, did you have some words for Steve,’
‘Ah, yep…’ Bucky says, grabbing the torn out page from the pocket of his jeans, ‘Ah, Steven-’
‘-Grant,’ Steve says quietly.
‘Steven Grant Rogers, somehow it feels like I’ve known you forever. Somehow I feel like tonight I have met the kindest, most wonderful man in the world.’
‘It’s so true,’ Scott says quietly from behind them, and it makes Bucky smile.
‘Whatever brought us together, whatever force has drawn us to each other… It feels like fate, Steve. I think maybe you’re my person.’
Steve is nodding, smiling, he squeezes Bucky’s fingers.
‘And Steve?’ Larry-Elvis asks, ‘did you have words too, son?’
‘Yeah I…’ Steve doesn’t reach for his notepad, he looks at Bucky and squares his shoulders, lifts his chin, ‘James Buchanan Barnes, my heart knows you. However our particles have danced together through time, I found you here and now, and I’m going to hold on for as long as I can-’
‘Oh, god,’ Scott sobs behind them.
‘-I think you’re right about fate, Buck, and I can’t wait to spend the rest of my life, just being a part of yours.’
‘Beautiful!’ Mavis cries, running over with the rings, ‘Rings boys, time to wrap it up.’
Bucky has to smile at the chaos, at Steve’s face as he bites his cheek and tries not to laugh. He checks back at Scott to see him taking video of the ceremony and hopes that he can watch this in the morning, sober, and remember how light his heart is right now.
‘That was beautiful, Steve-Steve Rogers,’ Bucky says leaning in to whisper.
‘You’re beautiful,’ Steve says back and they smile at each other like idiots as Mavis hands them their rings and the song fades out on Elvis singing about falling in love. It couldn’t be more perfect.
‘You may kiss the groom, fellas,’ Larry says with a sweeping hand, ‘I now pronounce you husband and husband.’
And all of the noise fades away around them as Steve steps in, brings their joined hands up to their chests and reaches down to rest his lips against Bucky’s.
‘May I?’ he whispers against Bucky’s mouth.
‘Fuck yes,’ Bucky whispers back, and Steve laughs as he closes that last tiny distance, presses his warm lips softly to Bucky’s and opens them just enough to fit their mouths together.
The tenderness of it has Bucky in freefall.
He sighs into the taste of Steve’s lips, the luscious sweep of them against Bucky’s, and Steve has to let go of Bucky’s hands to reach around and grab him, take Bucky’s weight where he has dropped into Steve’s hold, pressing deeper into the kiss as he does, opening wider to it, gently nudging his tongue against Bucky’s and Bucky pushes back, licks softly into Steve’s mouth, sucks at the plumpness of his bottom lip, reaches his hands up around Steve’s neck and holds on.
The bang of the confetti canon has Steve snapping back up to standing, pulling Bucky with him and wrapping his arms around him, as if to shield him. Looking up and then back at Bucky as the coloured paper rains down on them.
Bucky can't help huffing a happy laugh at his husband. His husband.
‘Congratulations!’ Mavis and Larry-Elvis and Scott all cry from around them, but Bucky’s world is all and only Steve right now. The crystal clear blue of his eyes, the rose of his cheeks, the sharp nose and pink lips, and the look of absolute adoration on his face.
‘Wanna get out of here?’ Bucky asks.
Steve smiles even wider, ducks his head to kiss Bucky again, slow and soft and sweet and whispers into Bucky’s mouth, ‘I do.’
It’s perfect.
#stucky#stucky fluff#fluff#accidental husbands#stucky fic#steve/peggy#steve x darcy#bottom bucky#cap steve#shrunkyclunks#my writing
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Hi! You've mentioned on Discord that you read a lot of books, and I was wondering if you could rec some? Either your favourites, or ones that had a big impact on you/your writing 🥺
yes!!! all my favorite books generally affect my writing style, and often after ive finished reading a really good book, i'll write something and end up emulating that book's style (either on accident or on purpose haha). sometimes on my ao3 you'll find in my author's notes me saying what book i just finished, and if you read or know those books, you'll probably see me mimicking certain aspects of style
for other reccommendations/more in depth descriptions of book plots, i also have a reading list that i posted this past winter on my writing blog that you can check out, and im planning on posting another one at the end of the summer!! (in fact ive already started the list lmao)
the list will be structured as follows: book or series name, author, and a couple reasons why i like it. in addition to this, i will put stars by author's names if i have read other books by them and greatly enjoyed them.
without further ado:
The Grishaverse by Leigh Bardugo*
this has got to be my favorite series of all time. i love bardugo's capability to write complex characters and complicated plots, and i really like the way she structures her books. the series is just so artfully done and when i finished it i was so perfectly satisfied and so perfectly sad because i mourned the fact that it was over
I am the Messenger by Markus Zusak*
literally my favorite book. this is the book i tell people is my favorite if anyone asks. i love zusak's casual humor alongside his ability to write such heartbreaking and heavy moments in just little scraps of images. it's a romantic book without being about romance - it's about love and kindness and how powerful those things can be be, and that shit gets me every time. i have reread this book so many times - yearly since i got it, i think, and i got in middle school, i think. im in college now. and every time i reread it, i get something different out of it
The Chaos Walking Trilogy by Patrick Ness*
i think about these books constantly. these were the first books i read by patrick ness, and, now that ive read some of his other books, i know in classic patrick ness fashion, these books haunt me. patrick ness has this uncanny ability to take genres you think you know and twist and warp them until you're on the edge of your seat trying to figure out what will happen next without the safety net of genre supporting the story. in addition to that, his characters are always wonderfully flawed - he puts real people into fantastical situations, and it's fascinating and always an emotional and satisfying read
The Alex Crow by Andrew Smith*
dude i think about the alex crow so much. i said i normally call i am in the messenger my favorite book, but every so often i'll say this one is because i just love it so much. the alex crow is just so bafflingly weird but the teenage boy main characters are so real and gross and hilarious. andrew smith has the amazing knack for writing weird as hell plot lines and telling stories that are about everything, all at once, while still making it about one thing. that doesn't make sense, but if you read the alex crow (or his other book i've read called Grasshopper Jungle that is actually on my summer list) then you will know what i mean. the alex crow is so many things, and i love all of them
I'll Give You the Sun by Jandy Nelson*
i used to read a lot of ya romance and, to be honest, the stuff i used to read was not all great, but this book absolutely changed the game and probably made me raise my standards exponentially. the timeline of this book is so creative, and it's done in such a way that it leaves you wondering how the timelines will reconcile. in addition to this, both romances in the book are so interesting and loveable, and the relationship between the two main characters (who are twins) is an amazing thing to see unfold. this is a peak ya romance book, and i can't recommend it enough
Holding Up the Universe by Jennifer Niven*
another ya romance, and i have to say the romance in this book is so beautifully done. generally, this is just a really sweet book that gave me butterflies, to be quite honest. i think niven has a really good knack for writing characters that are diverse and a little strange but all have their own distinct personalities that mingle really interestingly with each other.
Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe By Benjamin Alire Sáenz
this one is an obvious choice, and for good reason. aristotle and dante is just a classic queer novel, and it's earned its place as such. it's a poetic sort of book, and i love the voices of the characters, as well as the pictures of the world we get through ari's voice. this is a visual book written in text - i think a lot about the steady, careful romance of the book and the way sáenz makes ari an unreliable narrator by artfully excluding his feelings from scene descriptions and dialogue tags. it's such a creative and heartbreaking technique that i often find myself wanting to do
The Leviathan Trilogy by Scott Westerfeld
oooohh this trilogy changed me. for starters its such a weird, creative concept - alternate history steampunk and biopunk world war I. like doesn't that sound so interesting?? and this trilogy's main characters are so easy to love - and watching their relationship unfold and develop is so endearing. also, my copies include these wonderful illustrations (which i think might be in all copies?) that really let you put images to the weird fantastical things westerfeld included into the world.
The 7 1/2 Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle by Stuart Turton
this book was actually on my winter book list, and i read it so fast and so obsessively because i wanted so badly to know what was going to happen. the plot absolutely pulled me in, and the first line - "I forgot everything between footsteps" - stuck with me because just look at the way that's written!! it's so artful and intriguing, i was just dying to know what would happen next. the timeline is this amazing maze that as i read i couldn't help but admire how long or how much turton had to plan in order to make everything line up in just the right way. it was a fascinating book with so much to say - im really looking forward to reading it again
The Starless Sea by Erin Morgenstern
this book was also on my winter book list, and it just absolutely enraptured me. its witty, quiet sort of voice was amazing to read, and the imagery instilled into every scene made it seem like everything was so real, just right there for me to touch or smell or taste. the plot of a secret huge magic library really roped me in, and i think this is a love story for people who read, people who love stories, people who love the magic of a library.
Meddling Kids by Edgar Cantero*
cantero's works are just so creatively written - not just by plot or character standards, but by style standards, too. meddling kids is great not just for its complex, loveable characters or for its fantastical, dark, and mysterious plot, but also for the weird and intriguing liberties cantero makes with style. in his other books, too, is the switch between snarkily written prose to stage directions to video or audio transcripts, and it makes for such a visual sort of book - i mean, i could easily see any of cantero's books being made into a film or series because all the material is right there. cantero's creativity with style is so intriguing to me, and because of him, i've become more familiar with playing around in style in an attempt to create something as interesting as his novels
and that's all i'll put down here now!
i mentioned it a little, but probably my biggest style references are leigh bardugo, markus zusak, edgar cantero, and andrew smith for various reasons that i am more than willing to talk more in depth about if anyone is wondering<3
thank you for asking im always willing to talk books :')
#ask#miabrown007#book rec list#book recs#long post#I ALWAYS TALK SO MUCH WHEN IT COMES TO BOOKS IM SO SORRY#someone: what are you favorite books? / me (vibrating at the speed of sound):#anyway if anyone is truly curious about my style references just send me an ask and i will answer!
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i just watched this video of chris drunk during an interview and omg he is the cutest bean ever😍 so here comes another request, chris is out, drinking with friends and he calls you because he is clingy with you more so when drunk and he is just spilling everything, how much he loves you and the whole wedding vows and promises and then he comes home but doesn’t recognize you and he is like ‘no, i don’t wike you, i have a girlfriend’😂 i know very specific but omg i’m so in love with him💕
Babes, he is the Sweetest cutest drunk man ever, if its the video where he goes on about how hes not a tap dancer, but lets lay claim to that fame, cause why the hell not. XD haha. I loved trying to picture what he would do. And absolutely he would get so gushy for his girl, needing to tell her how much he loved her. Awww. Love this one, thank you so much!
“God I need a break”
Chris’s arm slung over his eyes as he tipped his head back, taking a deep chest raising breath. You glanced up from your seat across the room, watching him from over your book. A frown playing on your lips at the sight of him being so tensed and stressed out. Everything about him right now was taunt and rigid. And with a sigh he moved back into a sit, leaning over his documents spread on the coffee table. Setting your book aside, you grabbed your phone and headed into the kitchen, pulling up a group chat with all of Chris’s closest friends.
‘Hey what you guys all doing tonight?’ You chewed your lip a bit waiting. They were rather quick though, sending you a quick fire replies.
‘Nothing!’
‘Staying home on the couch watching trash tv’
‘Suggestions?’
‘Whats up Buttercup?’ Last one came from Scott, he started giving you teasing nicknames simply cause you were practically his sister in law at this point.
‘Chris desperately needs a night out with all of you, and wont ask for it himself. Help him (and me) out?’
You peeked back out of the room, to see Dodger huffing at Chris with a ball in his mouth, shoving into his lap. Chris absently with a flick of the wrist tossed it across the room. The fact he wouldnt even look up, but the crease deepened in his forehead as his eyes scanned the words, rubbing his chin let you know he needed this. He kept up like that, his beard you adored so much was gonna be rubbed off. Come on guys, you thought. It was then you heard the ping, and it popped up on your screen.
‘Say no more, we will take care of it’
They were the best. Seconds later Chris’s phone started buzzing, rattling across the coffee table, jarring him at the noise. It was persistent, as he reached to grasp it, going through the ‘Buddy, Julios, 8 pm tonight!’ messages, Scott sending a private one later ‘Picking you up tonight’ Leaving it so Chris didnt have to worry about driving.
“Y/N, the guys want to go out tonight... “ He pushed off the sofa and went in search of you, finding you standing at the kitchen counter, selecting an apple out of the fruit bowl and start slicing it up. “Hmm, whats that Chris?” You ask while coring your fruit, asting as if you didnt know what he was gonna ask.
“Guys want to go out tonight, you want to come? They are apparently not taking im to busy as an answer. Scotts driving.”
You act surprised, and give a shake of the head. “No, Im gonna stay home tonight. Working on a work project, and I want to finish it up.” You gather your fruit in a bowl and come around to reach him. “But I will leave the porch light on for you Handsome.” You lean up as if to kiss him and when he went to meet you, you stuff an apple in his mouth, grinning as you pluck up another piece and snip of the tip of it.
“Just dont forget your keys cause I will be sleeping.” You smirk, after swallowing, moving to go around him. He wasnt about to let you get away though, catching you around your hips and pulling you in close, using his beard to tickle your neck. “Oh I know you had something to do with this Baby!”
You are laughing and squealing, denying your guilt as you try to escape. “No way! It wasnt--- CHRIS!” he was relentless though and chased you into the livingroom once you broke free, already he was starting to relax more.
That night, you did as you promised and left the porch light on, making sure the door was locked and headed into the bathroom to brush your teeth. Your phone sat nearby, and right in the middle of you scrubbing for those pearly whites, Chris’s ring tone popped up, the phone lighting up the picture of the three of you. Picking it up, you had to chuckle at the message.
‘Baby, I miss you so much. What are you doing? Do you miss me yet.(sad face sad face heart)’
You typed out ‘Brushing my teeth and heading to bed. Sounds like your having a good time. (wink)’
It wasnt even seconds before you got another one, this time it was ‘But do you MISS me?’ Yea he was tipsy, he always got a bit needy once he had some liquor in him.
‘Yes, course I do. Sleeping all alone is tough without you to cuddle up with.’ You knew that would make him smile. Snapping off the light, you go into the bedroom and turn down the bed, setting about doing the rest of your nightly routine when it pings again. This time there is a video, which you move to sit up against the headboard, hitting play.
It starts out all wonky, like Chris didnt have the camera still, and then it turns to him, at an odd angle, he must not be holding it high enough, and hes shouting over the music. “Y/N, I couldnt type anymore, the keys are to small.” he lifts it higher and you can see the others in the background, goofing off and shouting at him to return to the party, he waves them off and steps away further, away from the music, so you can hear him properly now. “I just wanted to tell you how much I fucking love you. Oh so much baby.” He rubs his face quickly, you can tell what hes saying is important to him, something that hes kept for a while, but finally had to get it out. Whenever he gets emotional, he rubs and touches his face. “I just need you always in my life, and I know you will tell me not to be silly, but listen. I love you so much, I just need to tell you. When we get married, im writing my own vows, your worth so much baby, I cant wait to make you all mine. I still need to go buy that ring though. How do I open up reminders?” His finger slammed down on the phone and its here he accidentally hit send, making you laugh hard enough that tears start streaming down your face.
It was no hidden fact that Chris wanted to tie the knot, he had mentioned it several times, so you couldnt wait to show this to him to see that flush rise up his cheeks and him shrugging as if he confessed some big secret. “Dont pay attention to that, I have to do it right!” Little did he know that you didnt even need the ring. If he just asked, you would in a heartbeat agree. But as he said, he wanted to do it right, and you were fine with waiting for him to be ready.
You send a message to Scott. ‘Please bring Chris home safe, hes so liquored!’ Which Scott just sent back a laughing emoji, clearly amused with his brother. It went quiet, and you pull the blankets up, falling asleep shortly after.
It was a couple hours later when you heard Dodger shuffle out of the bedroom and give a soft bark. Chris must be home, you thought as you rolled to get up, and wearing nothing but his oversized tee, you pad out to see where he was. Ahh, the kitchen. On the counter was several bags of what looked like taco bell, and he was rummaging for something. You lean in the doorway and say his name “Chris, honey, what are you looking for?”
From in the fridge he remarks “more cheese, I need more cheese” Between his legs, Dodger also has his head stuck in the fridge, the two of them quite the pair. You open a cupboard and take out some nacho cheese, unscrewing the top for Chris. In this state of mind, you didnt want him to try for himself. “Here Handsome, I got you a jar.” He turned suddenly, half tripping over Dodger as he went for the bag of tacos, and dumping out a pile of food. “Your the best... “ drizzling cheese all over his taco and taking a big bite, he gave what could only be described as a dirty moan, his eyes rolling back. “This is the best, besides Y/N’s tacos. I miss my baby”
“Im right here” You state, but he ignores you, going back to his taco. While hes eating, you go back to lock the door, pick up his shoes, and leave the rest of his chaos for the morning.
Getting back, you see hes left behind his meal, and with a roll of your eyes you pick that up to. He would make it up to you tomorrow. You would be sure of it. Heading towards the bedroom, you saw him collapsed on the bed, groaning. You bite your lip to keep from laughing, going to set on your side of the bed. “Chris, do you want to get undressed?”
His eyes slanted open as he looked up at you, and he groaned, turning away. “Go away, wheres Y/N?”
Well this was a first for you, your hand touches Chris’s back. “Baby, its me.”
He shifted once more to turn on his side facing away from you, muttering “I dont wike it, Stop, go away, your not Y/N”
“Chris?” You move to lean over him, your hand braced on his shoulder for leverage to glance over his half sleeping form, and he half slapped at your hand touching him, grumbling into his pillow. “Stop, I dont wike it. Wheres Y/N?” It wasnt often Chris resorted back to placing his W’s in place of the L’s.
You pull back and study him a moment, getting your phone and texting Scott.
‘How much did you guys give Chris?’
‘Oh honey, that boy is out of commission when I dropped him off at home. He should be passed out by now.’
No shit Scott, you think. Setting your phone aside. Chris has shifted again, to his back, and gives a smile seeing you and sighing. “Y/N is so beautiful, I cant wait till we have all the babies. Little Y/N all over the place.”
You pat his chest and lay down next to him. “Yes sir, all the babies, and Chris can change all the dirty diapers, and car pool them back and forth to soccer camp.”
He loped an arm around you and cuddled you in close to him, humming. “Yup. Tell Y/N that when she comes home that I miss her.”
“Oh of course, she will be very happy to see your home safe.”
That made him smile and he buried his face in your hair. Within minutes he started snoring softly, and you moved his arm from over your chest to settle at your waist. Finally you to drift off for the night.
The next morning came to you waking up first, bleary eyed, Chris came into focus, having moved during the night. Now he was on his back, head tipped back into the pillows, and mouth wide open. You were pretty tempted to take a picture, but before you could move, he slung an arm around you and twisted to his side, muttering against your shoulder.
“What Handsome?”
“I want... to die. Ugh” He lifted his head enough to rub the sleep out of his eyes and rubbed his chin against your neck, resettling himself against you. “How bad was I?”
Your hand comes up to card your fingers through his hair, light and gentle, he started humming softly at the soothing feeling.
“Well... You insisted on eating tacos, left a whirlwind of stuff in our livingroom, and you didnt remember who I was.” That shot his head up, in confusion.
“What?”
“Yea, you were convinced I was another woman and everytime I tried to like touch you to make sure you were okay, You brush me off and demand to know where I was.” You giggled softly at the memory, and he dropped his head groaning.
“Shit baby Im so sorry if I was an ass.”
“No no, you werent. It was more like you just wanted to see me, and you werent gonna accept another woman. It was kind of cute. You kept saying I dont wike it whenever i touched you. Oh and you um... sent me a video.”
He grumbled against your shoulder. “Course I did... I dont even want to know what was on it.”
You bring your hand to slide down the back of his neck, to his shoulders and rub along his upper back. “Well, it was all good stuff Chris. It was about how much you missed me, and loved me, then there was talks about a wedding ring.” Again he groaned against you, lifting his head up.
“Listen Y/N, when I said all that... “ He started and you cupped your hand over his mouth.
“Stop Babes, you were drunk. You really dont have to say anything. It was a cute video, and thats all I took it for.”
His eyes flashed in a touch of relief, another less sure woman might have been hurt at her mans relief, but you knew better. Chris was a man who ‘wanted to do it right’. You tilted your head up and nuzzled your nose against his. “How about you jump in the shower, and I will go make us a hangover cure?”
“And whats that?”
“Why more alcohol of course.”
He seemed to ponder a bit on your offer, and rolled to sit up, stretching. “Your on baby. Can you stay in my shirt though?” His blue eyes darkened in desire. “Cause your so fucken sexy in my clothes and I have plans for us later.”
You move to get off the bed, cupping his face once you stand and kiss his lips playfully. “Of course” As you turn to leave, his hand snaps playfully across your bare ass, and you smirk leaving the room.
Party is just getting started now.
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Rating Side’s Playlists: Janus
Aka I say Vibes 30 times, these aren’t in order
- Come Little Children by Erutan
Disney villain vibes
Evil motherly song, guiding through the dark
“It must be this way” MY FUCKING FEELINGS
Haunting, I love it
7/10, get’s kinda repetitive
- You’re a Cad by the bird and a bee
Oh boy I’ve been hearing this one is about Virgil
First lyric screams “betrayal”
JAZZ VIBES YESSSSSS
A sort of ‘they’ll see through your lies’
“I should be better, but I’m worse” JANUS MISSES VIRGIL MY HEART
“You’re reckless with my heart, still I wait by the fire, I won’t ever get smart”
10/10 I added it to my playlist
- Denial by the Vaccines
Oooo dark vibes
“I know the world is in your hands” Janus calling out someone’s power?
“Please do my turn the light out, oh I don’t think the conversations over” Major SvS Redux vibes
Chill beats
The song is like someone speaking from your head and saying you’re denying your head from information
“I know where you want to go, oh I do, but do you?”
9/10, meaningful
- Mandy Goes To Med School by the Dresden Dolls
OOOOO MORE JAZZ VIBES
I love the piano in this song
I don’t even know what this song is about, I just think it’s neat
Her voice gets a bit annoying but then it gets good
“I’ve been dying to find out the hard way” idk but this lyric SLAPS
“I’ll burn that bridge when I get to it” (KILLER PIANO ENTERS)
8/10 to my playlist thing song goes
- Razzle Dazzle from Chicago
I’ve never listened to Chicago so here we go
Janus loves Jazz TM
“How can they see with sequence in their eyes?” ooooo
“Razzle Dazzle them and they’ll beg ya for more”
why does this seem like Janus telling Virgil he’s tricking everyone else with a friendly disguise?
I’m pretty sure this song is about prostitution
I know this song is supposed to be about disguising bland things with stupid amounts of show, but it gives off the vibe Janus is horny
6/10 just because I thought the song was SUPER repetitive
- Into the Unknown by the Blasting Company
I see over the garden wall (but I never watched it)
Same vibes as Come Little Children
“All that is lost is revealed” OOOO
Singer has rich voice I love it
7/10 I wanted more
- Don’t Tell Mama from Cabaret
Why do I get poor unfortunate souls vibes?
Song about lying about where you are (What Janus thinks Virgil is thinking?)
“I'm breaking every promise that I gave her, so won't you kindly do a girl a great big favor?” Major betrayal vibes
Lying to eachother is a big theme in this song
9/10 TO MY PLAYLIST YOU GO
- It Seemed The Better Way by Leonard Cohen
Again: evil vibes
DEEP VOICES
“Sounded like the truth, seemed the better way. Sounded like tha truth, but it’s not the truth today.” DAMN
This is more on the lying side of Janus
Violins are GOD TIER
7/10 I love the OoooOOOoooo-ing
- Talking at the Same Time by Tom Waits
Jazz Boys Assemble
Subtle trumpets, good beat
Again: MAJOR SvS REDUX VIBES
Kind of silent drunk ranting vibes
“You got to build your nest high enough to ride out the flood”
8/10 voice is annoying at points but it works well
- Anywhere by the Scarring Party
MORE JAZZ!!!! (Kind of Hadestown vibes)
I can’t understand the singer but it’s fun
Lots of dramas and flair
5/10 I couldn’t understand, but the music slapped
- Change by Lana Del Rey
I’ve never listened to a single Lana Del Rey song so this will be fun
Angst-y
“I’ve been thinking it’s just someone else’s job to care, but who am I? To try?” JANUS STOP BREAKING MY HEART
“Change is a powerful thing, I feel a coming in me.”
Janus would most likely try learning this song on piano
ABSOLUTELY HEARTBREAKING HOLY SHIT
9/10 Haunting, and I love it
- As Far as I Can See by Phantogram
Jazz/Techo? Hell yeah.
I really can’t tell if my phone is glitching of if it’s this song
“As far as I can see, nobody loves me. As far as I can tell, nobody loves you either.” OOP
“As far as I can see, nobody’s listening. As far as I can tell, nobody’s listening to me” SvS VIBES
7/10 confusing but catchy
- I Put a Spell On You by Nina Simone
afsgafafsha JANUS IS A HOCAS POCUS FAN
Jazz Vibes, I love her voice
“You know I can’t stand it, you’re running around” VIRGIL ANGST
6/10 I NEED MORE
- All the Good Girls Go to Hell by Billie Ellish
Fun Fact: I thought Billie was a male white 33 year old country singer until I heard this song a couple of months ago
“Once you get inside em, got friends but can’t invite em.” JANUS AND REMUS BEING CAST AWAY BY EVERY OTHER SIDE
“When the water starts to rise, and heaven’s out of sight, she’ll want the devil on her team” SvS REDUX VIBESSSSSS
“You’re cover up, is caving in, man is such a fool why are we saving him? Poisioning themselves now. Begging for our help? Wow.” I JUST ASDFGHJKL
10/10 I love this song for Janus, and I just love this song in general
- Evil Night Together by Jill Tracy
Man Janus just loves those jazz songs
Evil voices? We love it
“Let sway away the hours, let’s spend an evil night together” Janus, I just- I- why is he horny
“Who’s gonna make you a hero? Who’s gonna blow you away?” BETRAYAL VIBES
I just LOVE HOW THE MUSIC BUILDS TENSION
7/10 gets repetitive at the end, but I love this song
- Bladk Hole Sun from Scott Brandlee’s Post Modern Jukebox
Oooo is this jazz or classical
It’s jazz
Her voice is so beautiful
“Black Hole Sun, won’t you come, and wash away the rain?”
More major keys then other songs
INSTRAMENTAL SLAPS
10/10 I have no criticisms
- When the Chips are Down from Hadestown
Asdfashdhahesksksk I KNEW HADESTOWN WOULD BE HERE
Very different from the broadway version in voices, but I think it works for Janus
PIANO BREAK (jams)
“Aim for the heart, shoot to kill, if you don’t do it then the other one will” VIRGIL
“The first shall be first, and the last shall be last. Cast your eyes to heaven: you get a knife in the BACK”
8/10 I love this song but the voices don’t do it for me
- Devil in the Details by Bright Eyes
The voice? SLAPS
“Now you have your cake, don’t hesitate. Come on just do it.”
“There’s no backing out. This is gonna be reality, you can never dream it down.” DAMN
The strings? SLAPS
Angst TM
The guitar? SLAPS
“If there’s still time to turn around, I’m going too” SvS REDUX!!! VIBES!!!
Another 10/10
- Criminal by Fiona Apple
Evil jazzzzzzzz
“When a girl will break a boy just because she can”
Her voice is amazing, and it works well with the tone
“I got a lot to loose, and I’m betting high, so I’m begging you.” SvS vibes!!! (Not redux tho)
I really think Thomas, Joan, and Tayln knew what the fuck they were doing with this song and causing chaos with the Janus and Virgil shippers (yes they exist)
7/10 the ending wanted to be a fade out but it didn’t really work
- Trust in Me from the Jungle Book
Oh Jesus
Ooo opening just BURSTS through the door
Scarlett Johansson didn’t have to go this smooth but she did and I love her for it
MORE EVIL JAZZ
I like this take on the song, gives it more evil mom energy
10/10 I just- amazing
And that’s the end, Janus’ playlist overall is a 8/10
#sanderssides#deciet sanders#janus sanders#janus sanders sides#deciet sanders sides#janus’ playlist#SvS#svs part two
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Black Sheep
envy adams x fem!reader
Warnings: kinda suggestive, not too heavy. (Sorry) ((kinda out of character for my kind of blog (((uwu horny sideblog))) but i just felt like writing this idk)). Swearing. A droplet of angst in the beginning but iT DOESN'T LAST TOO LONG I PROMISE.
Prompt: You've seemed to make it away from the heaviness of the group's troubles with Ramona's evil exes, and in an angered fit after getting in a brief argument with Scott due to his sheer recklessness, allowing not only himself to be put in danger, but everyone around him, you clasp Wallace's hand and race downtown to a local venue in high annoyance, only wanting to get away and enjoy the night away from all of this havoc in a flood of rock bands. Of course, everything starts out fine, as it always does, but as soon as an unexpected guest performer arrives onstage, you begin to receive more attention than expected.
Note: I'm aware that there is a shit ton of magical realism in this entire franchise, especially in the movie seeing as it was derived from a very vibrant comic series, so I'll try to incorporate as much of that in it as I can, promise. I'm not very good with magical realism/fantasy yet but I'll give it my all! Enjoy!
---
"You know what, Pilgrim? Fuck you." You let out an angry breath after his previous remark, tears flooding into your eyes.
You stood with nothing but sad anger running through your system, watching his face slowly cloud down into regret at his words, the room physically deflated at the broken atmosphere.
"I get that you want to be happy, and I am in full support of that, I just want you to be happy, Scott. But, when it comes at the cost of the people who want nothing but the best for you? Your friends? The people who have had it up to here with your shit but have always loved you too much to ever mind it because that's what pals are fucking for? You're too reckless. You always have been. Keep your head screwed on right for once and fucking look at what is in front of you, Pilgrim. Wake up." You ranted with a huff, fist clenched tight.
Scott made a move to step forward and take your hand, his own eyes teary, but you pulled back. Making a move for the door you grabbed your keys, and coat, without even taking the time to listen to his pleas. Your insides were boiling hot with rage but the exterior of your body stung cold with bitten ice that practically chilled the room below average temperature.
"Wallace. You want a ride or not, nerd." You asked, stepping outside and already finding yourself halfway to your car already as the wind kicking beneath your feet only accentuated your angry swiftness through the bitten evening.
With that, Wallace sprung up from his seat, grabbing his jacket, house key, and scarf. Ramona let out a quiet scoff of disbelief towards the brown haired boy, seeing as he was actually following you. Though, he gave nothing but a shrug to the group with a small, apologetic, look in return; then, he was out the door after sending one knowing look to Scott that said it all: When we get back, you're fixing this. All you, guy.
---
"Tickets please." The front attendee asked, his voice bellowing in your ears, breaking through the burning ice and sadness clouding your senses, chipping away at the practically frozen armor you guarded yourself with. Falling back into reality, you maintained your focus.
"Oh yeah, sorry, here you go." You refocused on his outstretched hand, placing both your ticket, and Wallace's into the presented palm. He tore off the stubs, grabbing two identification wristbands, and handed you both which you took with a small thank you.
Wallace took notice of your form, chilled and quiet. Soft and small and entirely too timid to be considered normal. You looked present but as if your brain was drifting far, far, away from the current scene. He nudged you with his elbow, sending a reassuring smile as you were cleared to enter the venue, being the lucky few to get there first at that. That alone chipped away at the frosted armor encasing your haunted form once again.
"Look, hun," he leaned against you reassuringly as you two snagged a spot near the front, his hands deep in his own pockets seeing how unusually cold the night was. His muscles tightened up to constrict any warmth in his body and keep it there, now feeling the bitter, unwavering, depressive, frost radiating from you.
"I think you were totally right back there. He's been really reckless as of lately, more so than usual, and yes, it has put a damper on things and, yeah, it has put his loved ones in danger. Also, yeah, its not really an ideal situation at all, completely unruly in fact. It is completely messy and depressing and unfair and it has put everyone he knows, we know, in harms way-" "Wallace is this supposed to be helping me? Because, I love and appreciate you and all, but you are absolutely shit at pep-talks-"
The two of you paused seeing the room already crowded with punk teens, adults, and misfits of the kind all murmuring and diving into their own conversations as the lights dimmed, one spotlight on the host of the venue who stood in the middle of the stage. He was all that could be seen, the light focused on his warm yellow jacket and his matching scarf. He was usually very peppy but seemed just as cold as everyone else on this frosted evening, legs visibly trembling as the ice chilled his scrawny form.
"Welcome everyone! Thanks for coming out tonight, we're real excited to show you what treats we have in store tonight because boy do we have a surprise." He grinned through his chattering teeth, tossing a thumbs up.
You watched intently, not as phased as all the screaming teens beside you had been. You toned him out. In fact, you toned everyone out. The host, Wallace, the screaming crowd of one hundred around you, all became muted. Your eyes honed in on the silhouettes that could not be identified in the shadows behind the current announcer. It seemed as though your concern for everything began to wear thinner and thinner as the cold night caressed your face to numbness, the fortress of ice around your body stilling the need to express, slowing you down and leaving you haunted.
You felt as though you could only bring your eyes to move, watching as the once obnoxious host started backing up off stage into the sidelines. You followed his mouth, watching every shaky trace of a pronunciation through chattering teeth mouthed something that visibly brightened the room and completely tore through your brain as the crowd began an uproar of excitement.
"Please welcome, The Clash at Demonhead!" His lips touched together slowly to form the words and you watched every second of it until he ran offstage, your eyes darting to the main portion of the venue to see the lights flicker on into a warm orange and red hue. Wallace, the crowd beside you, was long forgotten and you stood still among the chaos, relapsing the events that occured throughout the day. You shut your eyes to block it out, and reopened them to meet burning hazel. Your bitter, iced, armor suffered a severe blow at that, those hot eyes tearing right into your chest.
(Oh yeah)
(Oh yeah)
(Oh yeah)
Hello again
Friend of a friend
I knew you when
Your eyes were focused on one thing, the blonde who stood tall and confident in the middle of the stage, bright, pouty, red lips clouding your vision as she sung the opening words strictly, her own eyes on you.
Time moved faster and faster yet it felt like she was all you could see. A flame huddled in the cold dark, chipping further and further at you. You stood still, enjoying the music at that, but only standing to watch her while the excited chaos ensued around you as the music picked up.
She only broke your gaze to dance around the stage, completely strong in her movements and unwavering under the still present ice within the evening. She remained untouched.
During a small instrumental breakdown she strutted closer to the edge of the stage, right where you stood. You watched her, all of her. Her mouth and the way it moved as she sung intimately into the microphone, the way her warmth enveloped you and brushed across your paled face, completely melting any icy exterior you had left, any fight you had left.
Send you my love on a wire
Lift you up, every time,
everyone, ooh,
pulls away, ooh
From you
She was face to face with you now, on her knees in front of you like a panther while her aura burned into you unforgivingly. You gave in, sending a small smile and nodding your head along with the music which contrasted your haunted, frozen, stilled persona from before. You let go, and gave into the warmth. You were sure that there were tons of fans seething in jealousy and in simultaneous excitement seeing her so close to you, and of course they were probably screaming and jumping into chaos, but she was all you could see. With the next few lyrics, you mouthed the words along with her.
Send you my love on a wire
Lift you up, every time, everyone, ooh, pulls away, ooh
It's a mechanical bull, the number one
You'll take a ride from anyone
Everyone wants a ride, pulls away, ooh, from you
She smirked widely once the song slowed, then leaned forward and just managed to catch your mouth in a heated kiss as the lights faded into darkness. You melted completely, kissing back with fever at how overwhelmingly, comfortably, numbing the warmth was. She grabbed your collar, pulling you close so her mouth was at your ear.
"Meet me behind the venue in 20"
#envy adams#scott pilgrim#scott pilgram vs the world#lets go lesbians#gay#brie larson#brie larson imagine#brie#larson#love#lesbian#romance#ramona flowers
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At Tiana’s Place Grand Opening
Alternative title: “Totally not a date, we have no idea why anyone would think that” and “Just a couple of dudes being guys”
Dated: November 12- 15, 2020
Lachlann MacNab
Lachlann wasn't even sure if he was even welcomed at Tiana's Place after Chippamunka's fiasco and actually wondered if there'd be a moment in which she'd catch a glance of him and then kick his ass out of the place while screaming.
That scenario would be completely fair, really, but Lachlann would rather not get kicked around while his side still hurt like a bitch and felt still way too tired to deal with that too, like, seeing Mister Mac T after dissapearing on him for more than a couple of days was nerve-wrecking enough (and while Lachlann could argue that nothing about that had been something he had any kind of control over, well, he'd rather not tempt fate and have an angry Scott talking his ear off about not doing stupid things).
In that moment the only thing that Lachlann wasn't nervous about was the prospect of tasting some of Tiana's food and getting some extras to send Tito and Greg's way later, since that scenario didn't involve someone giving him angry or dissapointed looks.
He was slowly passing by the door, just waiting, before he finally spotted the other and gave him a little "hey, Mister Mac T"
Seamus MacTunnag
Seamus was...very hesitant to appear at the opening of Tiana's Place but, ultimately, his wanting to show his face and offer his support for the restaurant. Though he'd not personally met her, he thought Tiana had spunk, and he'd heard wonderful things about her from most everyone in town, social media and otherwise.
Still, there was still a touch of anxiety behind the appearance, though he did his best to swallow it down and put on a smile. He hadn't heard from Lachlann but that was fine. Despite what had happened shortly before the previous weekend, Seamus had been assured he was still alive thanks to social media (and Louie).
It was only mildly shocking when he turned and caught sight of the very man in question, slinking around like a dog with his tail tucked between his legs, offering a nervous little wave and a "hey, Mister MacT," like he hadn't just gone radio silent for days. Seamus just raised a brow, eyes sweeping across to Lachlann's side, noting the thick bandaging beneath the fabric, and said: "Lachlann. Feelin' better, I presume?"
Lachlann MacNab
'Lachlann', he said.
And, oh, the former pilot could tell, just with that one word, that the other wasn't happy -and, again, he couldn't blame him a bit.
"I feel like sleeping for three more days, actually" he said, trying to joke his way out of any potential trouble as he, tentatively, got a step closer to the other "but I couldn't possibly refuse the oportunity to get some good food or- well, you know"
'To see you again' were words left unspoken, but very much there.
"How about you?
Seamus MacTunnag
Well, now that that little snitt was out of the way, Seamus let his shoulders fall into a more relaxed position, still eyeing the other man as he edge closer, if ever so slightly. The Scotsman snorted at the joke, which probably wasn't really a joke if the look around his eyes was any indication, and nodded slightly.
"Aye, I can imagine, considerin' 'm sure ye pulled yer stitches already." He paused, briefly, to smile at someone walking by whom he recognized, another businessman who was intent on being seen for the opening.
When he turned back, there was an air of "kicked puppy dog" hanging around the younger man, and Seamus rolled his eyes. "Ie yer expectin' me tah chew ye out, yer shite outta luck. I ain't yer keeper. Ye disappeared, which I cannae say 'm pleased as punch about, but yer nah dead, so that's somethin'."
Lachlann MacNab
As Seamus' shoulders relaxed, so did Lachlann; It just seemed easier to approach the other when there wasn't an imaginary barrier between them (just a fancy-dressed man, but he quickly passed them by so it wasn't a big deal).
"Yeah" he admitted just because there was no use in denying something like that (the man had more experience with that kind of things and would realize sooner than later, anyways) "but I'm totally getting those fixed as soon as the hospital isn't full and the doctors aren't exhausted"
Swynlakers recovered from trauma considerably faster than normal people, so Lachlann figured it wouldn't take long for things to get back to kind-of-normal.
"And I don't mean to get all "it's complicated" on you, so I guess we're even, right?" he joked once more, giving the other a soft pat on the shoulder " 'sides, I'm sure Louie already told you 'bout the chaos. It just...seemed like the right thing to do"
Seamus MacTunnag
The corner of his mouth quirked up at the admission, glad he wasn't trying to wave it off. "Mm, ye need someone tah hold yer 'and while they fix 'em," he quipped, a cheeky grin passing over his face.
He had heard from Louie, who had done equally as stupid things while the town went to shite, that Lachlann had been saving a man's life. A man who, Seamus had heard through the grapevine, needed his medical bills paid off.
So guess what had happened.
"Sure, ye didna mean to. But ye did." Seamus shrugged. "An' it was. I did somethin' similar when we had zombies. Drove around on me motorcycle. It was jus' stupid tah do with yer side th' way it was. But...I get it."
Lachlann MacNab
Oh, how had Lachlann missed the man -just a couple of minutes and he was laughing once more and things just seemed to be way, way easier to deal with.
"My what noble offer, Mister Mac T" he joked back, letting his palm rest on the other's shoulder for a second before moving it to his upper arm "I'll keep it mind"
He'd made the previous pain more bearable, so it wasn't just a joke.
"...zombies" he echoed with a confused look "that sounds like...something. A little bit better than people attacking others and people burning buildings, I guess"
At least zombies weren't people.
" 's Donnie ok? I imagine he was worried out of him mind 'bout Louie playing the hero, even if he looked cool while doing so"
Seamus MacTunnag
"Aye?" The smile that cracked across his face was both a flash mischievous and that normal cheek. "Good."
Nodding, Seamus shrugged again, confirming. "Zombies, yes. And it...was, to a degree, but it was...a lot. Running 'em over was fun though."
Placing a hand at the small of Lachlann's back, Seamus steered them around another few people as they entered the entrance of the establishment, considering what the other man had asked of him. "Far as I know, yes. 'M sure he was worried. I know I was. An' I hope he chews his arse out, but I wasna gonna stop 'im."
Lachlann MacNab
Lachlann was very, very aware that laughing about running anything over while being an Uber driver was the biggest possible faux pas -but he couldn't help but chuckle anyways at the mere idea of Mister Mac T enjoying himself in such a way.
Granted, he was also happy about the physical contact, even leaning a little into the other as he guided him around.
" 's a very Donnie thing to do- worrying about 'em, I mean" and he wasn't complaining about it, just pointing it out. Saying the man loved his nephews was like pointing out that water was wet, it was just... natural "and a very Louie thing to do to do whatever he wants anyways"
He paused for a second, suddenly feeling as if he was being watched, then shrugging that feeling off.
"He kind of takes after you" he added, fondly, almost in a whisper
Seamus MacTunnag
It was nice to hear the other man laugh, even if it wasn't the, uh, best topic to laugh about. It was just good. Good to hear and good to cause. When Lachlann tilted into the arm that was curved at his back and waist, Seamus his the smile that came with that, too.
A bark of laughter escaped him at the thought of Louie doing what he wanted (because it was true) and Donald being a worry wart over things he couldn't necessarily control.
It was the Mallard way and the MacTunnag creed, as it were.
"Which one? The worry wart or th' reckless one?"
Lachlann MacNab
That was a valid question, but the answer was so very, very simple.
"Both" he said, not even stopping to think it over "Louie trying to save people while driving a moped is like a lighter version of you running zombies over"
(And it was. and actually quite funny to think about)
"And Donnie worrying about things that will be just fine" he added, just stopping on his tracks to carefully avoid bumping into someone, then getting a little bit closer to the other "of...what is kind of certain, I guess? I mean, the boys will cause some trouble for a while but will always come back and won't love him any less even if he was being a big worrywart"
'Just like me, I guess'
"Unrelated, but...do you fancy southern food? I've heard wonderful things about Tiana's cooking
Seamus MacTunnag
Well that wasn't entirely accurate at all.
"Both, huh?" Seamus scratched the side of his neck, behind his ear, with his free hand, the other one hooked somewhere near the closest loop on Lachlann's pants, thumb toying with the material as they waited for someone else to pass them by.
"Fast answer. Ye sound pretty confident, Lachie," he said, a touch teasing, but let it be. It was unflinchingly true. And Seamus hadn't really thought about it, how much parts of himself could be reflected in his nephews, until someone else mentioned it.
Still, something certain was that Seamus couldn't help worrying, and he said as much, quietly, as they maneuvered through the crowd. The other question was a distraction, and a welcome one, and Seamus answered it easily.
"Absolutely. Someone I was very close to, before everythin', used tah cook it often. If 's anythin' like th' food from her hometown, 'm sure it'll be good."
It also helped he had heard good things about Tiana herself.
Lachlann MacNab
How long had it been since Lachlann had enjoyed himself that much? The recent events had made the days feel like a blur and- well, there hadn't been much to feel good about, anyways.
Things without the other just seemed boring and thinking about it made Lachlann's head spin (because it seemed so silly, right? It had only been a couple of months since he'd arrived to Swynlake so saying something sentimental like "he makes my days worthwhile" seemed way too out there -true is it all might be-)
"I'm glad to hear that" he said with a nod "I'm sure that if anyone can capture the magic of that kind of cuisine, it's Tiana"
That was another thing that seemed so very natural -her posts were always so enthusiastic about that, she had a passion for what she did and he knew that would show on her food.
"I just hope she isn't mad at me. But maybe if we have a lot of food she'll forgive me, right?"
Seamus MacTunnag
There was a lot about the past few days that Seamus had realized had been...off, and he had just now recognized that it was because Lachlann had shown up, however many months ago that it was now, and hadn't left. Save for the times he was away crashing through town as an Uber driver and crashing at the apartment that needed to be condemned in Benbow, he was at the house in Besydus.
It had been strange not to have the younger man crashing through the front door with some story or another about his adventures in town, the people he's met, the "friends" he may or may not have made. It had become something very much like a routine, a constant, and it was weird when it wasn't around.
More than weird, in fact, though Seamus had no idea how to address it.
"'M sure she can though that's nah what 'm interested in." Seamus turned to look at him from the corner of his eye. "What'd ye do?"
Lachlann MacNab
"Well..." he said after thinking about it for a second and moving his arm so he could link it to the other's, even if the movement was kind of awkward at first thanks to the placement of the other's hand (but they got comfortable after a second and walking around that way seemed way more practical) "Where to begin...?"
And suddenly, he realized that he didn't need to give a long talk about it.
"Remember the other day when I told you about spending the day with a family? The Polleys?" he'd told him about that fiasco, before (that very same night, actually, since he'd arrived at Besydus with a head full of ketchup and Maeve had been thrilled about him smelling of bacon) "About the baby throwing a piece of bread then some teens starting a food fight in which I valiantly fought for the family's honour? Yeah, it was that. Tiana was the waitress"
How curious that he didn't have to elaborate even more. To know the other would understand.
"Maybe I can make it up to her by buying a lot of food -some for us, some for the boys, some for Tito and Greg"
Seamus MacTunnag
Shifting around a bit so Lachlann could link their arms without straining his shoulder, or Seamus's own, for that matter, the Scotsman hummed in interest.
"Aye, I remember. Took ye twenty minutes tah get th' bloody catsup outta yer hair." But, as he listened, Seamus inwardly cringed. That poor woman. "She deserves tah have 'er own place after dealin' with that."
A small laugh escaped him and he shrugged, fingers of the hand Lachlann had looped his arm through into the edge of the other man's pants pocket. "Or ye could just apologize, though I figure Mr. Eeyore could do with food that ain't from th' hospital." While he had never met Tito, he seemed like a decent sort, enough to join Lachlann on his quest to make sure Greg survived. "Maybe th' beignets?"
Lachlann MacNab
"It takes a special kind of teenage rebellion to start a food fight because of a literal toddler. I only joined in because of that, like...who attacks a family with a baby!?" and, sure, his actions hadn't made things any easier for Tiana and he was sorry for being part of what finally made her snap, but he wouldn't apologize for doing what he thought was the best thing for the Polleys "But...yeah, I guess-"
His hand moved, searching for the other's, partly because he needed something to ground himself with and because it seemed a better option that having the man grab him by the pants (not that he'd ever complain or that he, of all people, knew or cared about what was socially acceptable, but, hey)
"An apology 's good but it won't...change what happened, I guess? I think actions would be better than words" (which was a very relevant thought during that moment, in many ways) "And I'll have to be extra careful 'bout that, yerp! Tito says Greg 's vegan so we'll have to ask about the ingredients!"
He paused for a second.
"You remember the beignets!" he said, amazed. They'd seen them at Al's Potluck and had been such a little thing, mentioned in passing and yet...!
Seamus MacTunnag
"Teenagers," Seamus responded, voice dry, as he continued listening to the younger man defend his supposed defense of the Polley family who, quite frankly, should not have been where they were at that place and time if it had meant poor Tiana dealing with it as she had.
Still, the mental image of teenagers starting a food fight because of a baby was a funny one.
And, subtle as Lachlann was not, Seamus couldn't help but find it amusing that he’d joined in a food fight purely because he'd thought it was the thing to do. Also, that the man was now trying to wiggle his hand from his pocket. The Scotsman obliged with a huff, sliding their fingers together with an ease that bellied the actual action itself.
"Both, then. An' apology of ye see 'er an' buyin' the food, too. That's why yer here, anyway, ain't it?" It certainly wasn't because Seamus might have shown up or, at least, that was the thought anyway.
The amazement that crossed over Lachlann's face at Seamus's memory made him laugh outright, loud and long, and shake his head. "D'ye think I canna remember things, Lachie? 'M nae that feeble minded yet. But, course I did. They were good, fer one, and fer another they're all over social media."
Apparently they were one of the best desserts in town.
Lachlann MacNab
"Teenagers" Lachlann replied with a nod and a somehow-defeated expression. Thinking about it wouldn't do any difference now to them, the Polleys or Tiana, so he just accepted what had happened and his part on that whole fiasco.
Besides, he had more important things to worry about, like the other's laugh.
"Ah" he said, suddenly feeling specially stupid for forgetting about the existence of social media (of course! Those posts were nice reminders too!) "I didn't say that or, like, meant to imply it. It was, just, nice that you remembered"
He tried to cough the blush away.
"And the food's good and I'd like to, like, ask for forgiveness but there's other reasons too-" he shrugged just one shoulder "--you know?"
Seamus MacTunnag
Seamus snorted at the other man's defeated expression, the somber tone with which he foretold the destruction wrought by teenagers. It was a sincere understatement.
But it was good to see that Lachlann was trying to make ammends for the part he had played in the fiasco.
Tweaking the other's hand with his own, Seamus raised a brow at not only the cough, but the red tinge that colored his face and neck, as well. "Saw that," he teased, before smiling slightly, "but, aye, I do. 'M sure she'll appreciate it."
Lachlann MacNab
Swynlakers could be scary. Normal teens were scary. Ergo, Swynlake teens...
"I think the real surprise 's that you decided to come, Mister Mac T" he said, forgetting about the blush for a second "'s it because you heard The Robinsons were coming too? Or because of the Tritons? Or are you secretly a Jambalaya afficionado?"
(Which was a funny mental image)
"I heard Mrs. Robinson is playing some songs!" he added, taking a couple of steps to the right in order to now move away from the bar, knowing the thing might be a complicated topic for the other "you think it would be a faux pas if I were to dance? Like, I mean, my dancing 's almost criminal but I think it'd be fun"
Hey, if he was making a fool of himself he might as well go all out, right?
Seamus MacTunnag
"An' why wouldn't I? Figure, 've survived all o' this shite, a restaurant openin' couldna be too bad for me health."
He was only mostly kidding, too. There had been far too many things trying to kill him over the years; he'd begun to grow tired of hiding from them, from running.
"Heard all th' food's good, nah just the Jambalaya. However, I wouldna say no tah a good helpin' of it." They had somehow made their easy through the crowd by now, meandering through the building as they went. Seamus took the place in with a critical, but friendly, eye. The place looked good, to say the least.
He tuned back into the conversation somewhere around his cataloging of their location (the bar, regrettably, though he noted the subtle change in their course and was grateful for it) and nodded his head.
"'S prob'ly true, then. I doubt she'd miss this." He doubted Cornelius would, either, particularly if his wife was here.
When dancing was brought up, however, Seamus brightened up a bit. He hadn't danced seriously in years but he was still fairly good at it, if he had to say so, but he still glanced the other man over, a smirk on his face. "D'ye 'ave two left feet, MacNab? Or are ye actually worried 'bout yer side?" Or both, which was a distinct possibility, but doubtful.
Lachlann MacNab
Well, that was an unexpected reaction. Lachlann had expected for the other to chuckle at the idea of him dancing but he seemed to be legit thrilled by the concept.
"A little bit of both" he admitted, now stopping for a second to take a look at the big painting that decorated the place (and that seemed familiar, somehow) "I think it'd be dangerous for the furniture and my side if I were to try and dance. 'sides, the music will probably be jazzy or, like, swing or neo-swing, right?"
(And as much of a Big Bad Voodoo Daddy fan he was, he'd rather not cause extra trouble)
"I'd probably step on you anyways" the (former) pilot added, bumping the other's hips with the least damaged of his and grabbed the other's hand a little bit tighter (in case he lost his balance).
Seamus MacTunnag
Pausing as Lachlann did, Seamus tilted his head to look at the (weirdly familiar?) mural as well, wondering where he'd seen it before.
"Yer nae gonna run intah anythin'...well, ye shouldna," he clarified, but nodded his head in agreement. "Thas' what Franny does, aye."
And, suddenly, he missed the swing dancing when he was younger, probably around Lachlann's own age, when he'd tossed his younger sister up into the air and heard her laugh aloud.
While they certainly wouldn't be doing anything fancy, Seamus figured at least one dance wouldn't hurt. Just the one.
"Who said ye couldna? 'S how I taught Adelaide. Yer a mite bit heavier but I think we could make it work," he teased, nudging back. "'Course 's up tae you. Slow 's fine with me, too."
Lachlann MacNab
"It may come as a surprise, Mister Mac T, but I have some self-awareness" (just a little, really, but it was way better than nothing at all) "and being as accident prone as I am...that can only end it in tragedy for you and your shoes"
And yet, here he was, moving a little from side to side as he held the other's hand, not really minding the lounge-style music in the background at all and instead just moving a little for the sake of it.
"And I wouldn't want to ruin your squeaky clean image by doing something silly in front of everyone"
(Yup, the squeaky clean part was a joke)
Seamus MacTunnag
"Do ye, now?" The grin that crossed his face, then, was bordering on impish, but no one else would ever really see it. "I'd've never guessed ye were accident prone, Lachlann MacNab. Not after how we met."
No, he was never going to let him forget that.
Even with his words, though, Lachlann was swaying a bit from side-to-side, almost in time with the music but not quite, so Seamus let him, sliding a leg back a bit so he didn't take a tumble if he over corrected.
The bark of laughter that escaped when he caught the joke was surprised but, really, he didn't know why he was. He was far from squeaky clean and he shook is head, amused by the insinuation.
Lachlann MacNab
"Unbelievable, I know" Lachlann joked back (because at this point there was no use in pretending to be offended or that the other wasn't absolutely right) "but it happens"
Besides, his attention was now on the other's movements and laugh; He'd been honest with the 'I can't dance' comment, so even something as easy as swaying implied some effort and concentration he didn't quite have, partly because of his wounds and partly because of his...general self.
So he moved his free arm to surround the other's side and use his as a guide, even if the rythm wasn't a slow-dancing one (or anyone else was dancing, but he was ready to ignore the rest of the world for a couple of minutes).
" 's this like...one two three, onetwo three? or, like, one. twothree, onetwo. three?"
Seamus MacTunnag
"Absolutely unbelievable, mmhmm," he agreed, leaning into the joke for a moment more before he caught Lachlann looking at him and tilted his head, arching a brow in silent question.
Lachlann moved his free arm around his waist and, he thought, he had his answer. They continued swaying but now Lachlann was asking questions, too, and...really he must have been desperately hopeless at it all if he was asking about a simple three-step.
"'S more one two, three," he said, demonstrating with the side-step left, right, and a small backyard rock on his right heel. "Fer swing anwyay. Yer left foot would rock back, since it'd be th' opposite. But fer a slow dance 's nothin' that complicated."
As if to prove his point, Seamus nudged Lachlann around to face him using the arm he'd had slipped around his waist and the one he still clutched as a guide. "Jus' following along 's really all it is. Don' gotta worry about yer feet. Jus' follow."
Lachlann MacNab
Lachlann was desperately hopeless and the other's words weren't all that easy to follow anyways, so that was a bizarre situation all around (but at least it was a funny one).
"One two. Three" he mumbled, trying to mirror the other's movements and failing by a couple of beats before he tried again -and again and failed again -and again.
They were lucky that as silly as the whole thing was, it was also actually quite entertaining to be part of; They were quite literally 'dancing' (though the mileage might vary about the dancing part) to their own rythm and while Lachlann couldn't tell if the other was as focused as he was... well, at least he seemed to be enjoying himself.
'Jus' follow' the other said.
"To the end of the world" the (former) pilot replied "...but dancing wasn't in the contract, Mister Mac T"
Seamus MacTunnag
So engrossed was he in simultaneously making sure Lachlann didn't pitch over sideways and that they didn't run into any other people milling around, Seamus almost didn't hear what he said.
Almost.
Suddenly, he was the one making a misstep, grip tightening on Lachlann's good hip and hand to keep them both upright. He could feel the surprise cross his face, too, and he had no idea what to do about it.
"...s'pose it wasna. Ye don' mind alterin' th' contract a mite, do ye? 'Cause yer gonna learn, actually learn. Jus' so ye know what t'expect, an' all."
Lachlann MacNab
The sudden misstep almost made Lachlann trip, but he (almost miraculously) managed to regain his footing before he stared at the other, now a little bit closer and even more confused than he already was.
Had he said something wrong?
"I- buh" he tried to say, then tried again "that sounds like a plan, yerp, and I guess learning something new won't hurt"
He didn't know what he'd even needed to learn to dance for, or if that was a relevant talent to have, but whatever the other offered, he'd gladly take.
"But, are you ok? Or was that part of the dance? Should we take a seat, Mister Mac T?"
(A silly offer from someone that wasn't really planning to let go just yet)
Seamus MacTunnag
The confused look that passed over Lachlann's face after Seamus's misstep and recovery and Lachlann's own (miraculous) recovery was remarkably endearing. As was the apparent concern.
"Old dogs, new tricks, Lachie, old dogs an' new tricks," Seamus hummed, stepping back and out and giving a twist ofis wrist to (slowly) spin the other in a small circle.
When he came back to center, Seamus slid his arm around Lachlann's waist again and just...idled with a small grin on his face.
"'m fine. Jus' tripped. But if ye need tah sit we can find a table 'fore everyone else takes 'em."
Lachlann MacNab
"You sure? I-" Lachlann began, going so far as letting go from the other's waist with the intention to pat his (good) shoulder to make sure-
-but the next thing he knew was that he was being guided into a little spin he couldn't help but whisper a happy "weeee" at.
But soon enough he was back to facing the other, returning his grin with a smile of his own as he rested his palm on the older man's shoulder and not doing much for a second save for just watching him.
"Yeah, maybe we should stop now" he whispered, unaware that they had already done so.
Seamus MacTunnag
"We already 'ave," Seamus said, voice pitched lower so it didn't carry, didn't interrupt anyone else around them (whoever was close enough anyway). There was a slight smile that softened the edges of Seamus's mouth, crinkled the edges of his eyes, caused by the little noise he'd heard the other man make.
They stared at one another for a moment before someone cleared their throat behind him and Seamus snapped back to reality. He stepped to the side, an arm still resting around Lachlann's waist, and nodded his head as a man and woman passed.
"Come on," he said, using the hand he had curled around Lachlann's hip to nudge him toward the tables. "Find a seat."
Lachlann MacNab
The realization of having stopped before and his words being silly because of it didn't really bother Lachlann, nor did the other's words -because both of those things seemed completely irrelevant at the moment.
"I-" he whispered still, with the intention of pointing out how much he'd missed the other during the days that were still much of a blur on his mind (because of the fever and how the incident with Greg had shaken him way more than he cared to admit and the fact that without him around things just seemed senseless and so very forgettable).
And suddenly he was leaning a little closer to the other's face and-
-a couple distracted him -distracted them- because, well, they were still on the way. On a public event. So, yeah, those two being bothered by them being on the way was completely understandable. No biggie, not at all.
"Yeah, lets" he finally said, once again following the other.
Seamus MacTunnag
He hadn't known, rightfully, what he'd seen staring back at him from Lachlann's face, nor for certain that he'd been leaning in closer, closer than before anyway. That Lachlann'd been saying something and had lost it, had seemed distracted, by the couple.
In truth, Seamus had forgotten where they were for a few minutes, drowning out the sounds and focusing on the steps, not having to worry about thinking or doing but just being somewhere. But it was still no reason to feel like a stone had settled at the bottom of his gut at having to move out of the way. Yet, there it was, leaden and heavy.
Lachlann moved with him as he maneuvered his way through the oncoming throng of pairs and groupings of people, navigating them easily enough to a smaller table away from the main pathway, a place where Lachlann could stretch out his leg and not have to worry about tripping any one and where Seamus wouldn't feel swallowed in by the oncoming tide of people.
The privacy was an added afterthought, if a bonus
Lachlann MacNab
Things had just...happened, really (or, rather, hadn't really happened) and Lachlann was, once again, at a loss. Again, he couldn't blame the couple for wanting to make their way around, but they had rained on his parade and-
-aaand he was feeling specially stupid for even considering doing that while in public, but with the closeness and the sudden feeling of intimacy it (the dancing and the chat) brought...well, he hadn't really considered anything save the other for a brief moment.
That said, he felt very glad when they found an empty table and took a seat, since that brought a sense of stability he hadn't realized he needed.
"As I was, eh, trying to say..." he began, after taking a moment to make himself as comfortable as possible "I- wait, is that Huey?!"
Waitwait- was Huey really on a date just some tables away?!
Seamus MacTunnag
Seamus watched the other man out of the corner of his eye as they sat, both to gauge if Lachlann was able to sit without pain and if the almost...discontent he saw was actually there.
It was, but Seamus chose not to comment upon it. Rather, he sat in his own chair with a small sigh, glad to be off his feet for a short while. Though he enjoyed dancing, and would have continued if he could, he'd been up on his feet since well before the day had begun and a certain tiredness tugged at his bones now, though it didn't show on his face in the slightest.
His head turned to take in the other man, patiently waiting for him to continue before being surprised by his outburst. Straightening and turning to look where Lachlann was, Seamus chuckled quietly.
"Aye, so it is." A pause and then a mischievous smile. "Think he'd like tah be told hello?
Lachlann MacNab
Oh, what a delightfully devilish idea!
Buuut since the other was being the michievious one right now, Lachlann feel the moral obligation of being the voice of reason for now.
"Maybe later?" he joked, moving a palm to one of the other's legs, resting it there for a second "it'd be fun to say 'hi' and see what happens but they deserve to have a nice moment first, right?"
They, themselves, had been interrupted a second ago and he wouldn't wish that kind of anticlimatic feeling on the teens.
" 'sides, I'm having a lot of fun already, Mister Mac T! Maybe we should get something-" he now pointed at one of the menus "-and then, I don't know, maybe continue partying somewhere else?"
Seamus MacTunnag
He didn't pout nor did he frown, but there was a furrow between his brows and he sighed, slumping in his chair in mock dejection. "Fine, fine. Yer right, I s'pose."
And he was right, at that. Seamus made it a point to let the boys do whatever they thought best, to make their own mistakes and choices and be a voice of reason if Donald asked it of him or he was called to speak to them, but he was not inherently close to them, not truly. But Huey did deserve his date with....who looked to be the youngest Triton lass.
So they would stay put for the time being.
Dragging his gaze back to the table and the menus Lachlann pointed at, Seamus nodded and pulled one closer, pausing as the end of the thought caught up to him. "'ll keep that in mind. What d'ye reckon ye'll get?"
Seamus hadn't had the chance to decide but they had time to, he supposed
Lachlann MacNab
Well, Lachlann didn't know much about the Tritons (having only heard of Aquata thanks to the Elections and Alana thanks to Loppy's makeup) and, as such, he couldn't recognize the girl Huey was on a date with as one of them and, instead, just assumed she was the girlfriend he'd mentioned that time at Chapter Three.
"Well, I'll have to ask for their vegan options and if they aren't against me taking some food home..." he said, giving the menu a quick look "and, buh, I guess I- we-? should try Tiana's gumbo. I've heard it's a must"
Then again, everything Tiana cooked sounded amazing, so there wasn't a bad option.
"What do you think?" the (former) pilot trusted the other's tastes, so he wasn't against asking for the same thing as the other.
Seamus MacTunnag
Humming as he scanned over the menu himself, Seamus nodded his head absently at the other's words. "Mmhmm gumbo or the jambalaya. Take one home. 'M sure they'll letcha." It was a restaurant, after all.
Still, he scanned through the pages and looks everything over, bypassing the drinks and desserts pages, though he knew he'd be taking a container of beignets home for later.
"Pick whatcha want an' if there's more than one jus' take th' second one home."
Lachlann MacNab
Lachlann blinked a couple of times before he remembered that the other was loaded and, as such, didn't have to go through the whole 'discreetely eyeing the prices and deciding based on them' process everyone else had to.
"Ah, yeah" having both was technically, an option "I just don't want to impose or make my part of the tab way more expensive than yours or anythin', Mister Mac T"
Ah, the struggles of the non-billionares....!
"I guess I'll have Gumbo and ask for some to give Tito, then ask 'bout the vegan options for Greg" but that would had to wait until they were already done eating their parts" he paused before thinking out-loud "...you think we should buy Maeve something?"
Seamus MacTunnag
Glancing over at Lachlann, Seamus shook his head at the clear hesitancy to buy what he wanted on the menu versus how much the price was. "I know what yer doin', ye know. Sometimes I think people forget I didna always 'ave money. 'M tellin' ye tah get whatcha want 'cause it don' matter if ye do tah me."
And that was the truth. Seamus had worked hard for the money he had, had invested what he had in places that had been lucrative, had been downright lucky at other times, but there had been the times where he'd barely had enough to eat, too.
"'S fine by me," he hummed, and answer for the man's entire thought process summed up into a single sentence, closing the menu and sliding it across the table to sit with the other one. He draped his free arm across the back of Lachlann's chair. "Think I saw chicken an' rice we could get 'er"
Lachlann MacNab
"I don't know what you're talking about, Mister Mac T" he lied (even if he didn't even bother to make it a convincing lie), taking a moment before nodding and closing his own menu, placing it above the other's "and I'll insist on paying my part. Like, I still have the Gala's money so there's no need for you to worry about it"
Hey, Lachlann was kind of dim-witted but he wasn't completely oblivious and was very much aware that some people believed he was around only for the money (Boba's words hurt every now and then) and while he generally tried to not mind other's words a lot...
Yeah, he wasn't letting the other pay for his part of the tab.
"Can dogs eat rice, though?" that was a legit question, even if he was distracted with the return of the closeness
Seamus MacTunnag
A slight laugh broke out of him as he slanted a smile toward the other man. "Aye, that was very convincin' Lachlann. But if ye insist, I ain't gonna stop ye."
See, he knew what people said about anyone he was around for longer than a few days, particularly someone that he'd grown...close to. Seamus had heard it before and he would probably continue to. It didn't help matters that Lachlann was younger than him, too. He could only imagine what people said. If the gossip blog was anything to go by, of which he'd seen plenty thanks to Lachlann, the lads, and a few other random moments of fortune, it wasn't always nice.
As though to convince the other about the sincerity of his words, Seamus squeezed the hand that Lachlann had yet to move from his leg and nodding his head.
"She can if 's cooked white rice. Good carbohydrates an' protein if ye give 'er meat too. Cannae 'ave it often though."
Lachlann MacNab
"That's really appreciated, Mister Mac T" and it really, really was. The last thing he wanted to do was become yet another thing the other had to worry about (again. The whole Black Annis ordeal was a prime example of what could go wrong if he didn't think things twice) " 's not like I don't, eh, appreciate the idea of you paying but I'd rather pay my part, it's only fair and I really don't mean to impose"
Specially when they haven't seen eachother during the last couple of days -he didn't want the other to get the wrong idea.
(Gee, maybe he should stop reading The Spill. He loved Boba but they were far from unbiased when it came to some people)
"Then she can have some, as a treat" he joked, once again interwining his fingers with the other's, not thinking too much about it -that kind of proximity just...happened, really. "And I'll give her some peanut butter as dessert"
Seamus MacTunnag
Seamus nodded his acquiescence and his acknowledgment of what Lachlann said, offering up a small smile as he did. "Ye worry too much, ye know that," he said, voice leaning toward teasing to soften the words as he nudged him with the knuckles of the arm curled around his shoulders. "Startin' tah give me a run fer me money."
A moment later he dropped the teasing and became serious, leaning so he made sure Lachlann could see his face. "An' yer nah an imposition, ye ken? Ye can pay if ye wanna, I ain't ever gonna tell ye yah ain’t able tah, but it ain't about fair."
Fair was nice, sure, but that's not how anyone else would see it. And Lachlann, for whatever his reasoning, had decided to hitch his horse, so to speak, with Seamus's own for the time being. He wasn't going to make it any harder on the man.
The joke was one that hit center mass but all Seamus did was shake his head, thumb idly tapping the top of Lachlann's hand while they waited for the waitress. "She's spoilt, ye know that right?"
Lachlann MacNab
There were many ways in which Lachlann felt like replying to that: from the typical "I worry too little, actually" to the "I'm trying to dethrone you, you know?", some options a little bit more playful than the others, some a little more serious- but instead, he decided to be a little more direct about what was on his mind, since he hadn't had the chance to do it some minutes before.
"She kind of is" he began, then stirred the phrase into what really was on his mind "and I really missed her"
A beat.
"I missed you" (and that hadn't been his best segue ever, but at least he finally said the thing) "A lot"
Seamus MacTunnag
"An' yer mostly tah blame," he mumbled, knowing that was only half the truth. 60/40 at the very least. But he didn't say that.
Instead, he listened to the change in Lachlann's voice, a more serious tone than before. Saying he'd missed the dog and, then, him.
That he’d missed him a lot, and something about that twisted a bit in his chest, squirmed around and burrowed in between his ribs, a bit disarming but...not necessarily a bad thing.
The corner of his mouth curled upward, the edges of his eyes crinkling. Seamus decided to tell a bit of the truth, too. Fair was fair, after all.
"Tah tell ye th' truth, it was...strange. Th' house was quiet fer th' first time in months an' it--" It had been alien, is what it had been, and it suddenly dawned on him how easily it had been to get used to having someone in his space for longer periods of time than a few days every so often. "--aye. I missed ye, too."
Lachlann MacNab
Lachlann wasn't sure of what he had expected the other's reaction to be like-
-but this was way better than the best of any possible scenarios he could imagine. The other was smiling (genuinely smiling!), didn't answer his words with a comment about him being daft or being the one to blame for the brief separation to begin with and, most importantly, he was smiling.
His smile was contagious, and Lachlann was smiling back before he even knew it, all semblance of any previous nervousness completely gone.
"I didn't mean to dissapear and-" he paused, trying to get his ideas in order. He was a man of his word (because he'd learned from Darkwing's series, of course) and, as such, couldn't promise to not dissapear on the other ever again because things sometimes happened out of nowhere (just like the whole previous ordeal) "-I'll try to not do it again"
He couldn't promise because he couldn't control that sort of thing, but he could promise to do his best.
"I wouldn't want you to get too comfortable without me, you know?" he joked.
Seamus MacTunnag
Apparently, what he'd said had been the correct thing because Lachlann was smiling back at him, his entire face lighting up. It was nice to see, particularly after the last few days' ordeal, that the last time he'd seen him there had been tears and injuries to tend to.
Granted, the tears had been his own, first, but Lachlann had followed suit. Seamus still didn't quite understand why (though he was, maybe, beginning to shape up something like one).
Squeezing the hand still curled in his own, Seamus acknowledged what he was saying with a quiet murmur of his thanks, anything else he might have said sticking in his throat. Lachlann couldn't promise he wouldn't leave, just like no one else could, but the fact he had promised to try not to do it again well...that meant something.
And that something was good enough for Seamus.
Without really thinking about it, or making sure he couldn't, the Scotsman lifted the hand in his and pressed the back of it to his lips, dropping it just as swiftly back to where it had lain and turning to the waitress that came alongside their table with a well-practiced smile.
Lachlann MacNab
Ladies and Gentlemen (and those who identify as 'neither'), Lachlann MacNab's brain had just left the building.
And the planet.
And this side of the galaxy, probably.
Lachlann's current state of mind could be described with two memes: 'no thoughts, head empty' and with the blurry images full of colourful hearts -the red on his face (that was almost as dark as the one of his hair) did a good job expressing that last idea without any need for words.
His thoughts didn't return when the waitress finally appeared, nor when the older man started ordering food, nor with the casual 'customer service-like' jokes she made every now and then.
He had been reduced to a blushing, grinning idiot and he regretted absolutely nothing.
Seamus MacTunnag
The waitress was friendly, incredibly so, the small talk she made before taking their orders was casual, friendly, and professional. Seamus was pleased to see that she knew the menu expertly, answering the questions he had about certain dishes.
Out of the corner of his eye, Lachlann still hadn't stopped grinning. A self-satisfied smirk curled, briefly, around Seamus's mouth before it fell away, returning to something more pleasant. Their waitress caught it, nevertheless, and hid her own smile behind her notepad.
Seamus ordered everything they'd discussed, vegan option included, and merely asked for part of the order to be brought out to-go, along with the dessert (unless their minds were changed about that, later).
Then she left and the table had fallen silent again. Seamus turned to Lachlann and chuckled at the red flush that had spread across his face.
"Did we lose ye Lachie?"
Lachlann MacNab
'Did we lose ye Lachie?'
The answer was, of course, a dazed "buh" before any semblance of coherent thought returned to Lachlann's mind and he became, slowly but surely, capable of articulating words.
"Yeah, I- wha-? I- sure?" he obviously hadn't heard the other's words (but, hey, at least he was trying), cleared his throat, then tried again "I'm ok, I just- I- yeah. That was- really cute"
He then realized 'cute' wasn't necessarily the best word to convey his idea but at this point the fact that he hadn't fainted (like when he was sufficiently near Jim Starling) was practically a miracle in itself.
"Sorry, I just-" he laughed "-sorry, Mister Mac T, you have my attention now"
(As if he hadn't before)
"Would you believe me if I said that blood loss finally got the better of me? and, eh, thanks for ordering, by the by"
Seamus MacTunnag
The brunette waited patiently for the other man to be able to express emotions through words, but it was a bit if an amusing wait, if he was being honest. It was almost like watching a computer reboot, except the computer was Lachlann's brain and it had gone completely off-line.
"Cute, huh," he questioned, good-humor coloring his words, still a touch teasing as he shook his head and laughed, quietly, again before nudging a water towards the other man.
"Nope. Not in th' slightest." The grin that curled around his mouth was cheeky, now, as he motioned towards Lachlann's face, gently ribbing at him. "Seein' as yer face is th' color o' yer hair, I'd say 's fine. An' if it wasna, well, ye'd probably be goin' tah th' hospital."
He was, after all, proclaimed a worrier. Had to keep that intact, even if he was messing about.
"But yer welcome. Figured it wouldna hurt."
Lachlann MacNab
"You know what I meant" was the best argument Lachlann could offer (and he was sure the other indeedknew). 'Cute' wasn't the best of words to express the idea but it was close enough.
(And, again, the other's smile had disarmed him a long time ago and he regretted absolutely nothing)
"Maybe I should go to the hospital, but I'd prefer to get some food first" he joked back, just letting things be "I'm a man of priorities, Mister Mac T!"
It was almost surreal to think that he had been nervous at the beginning, specially now that things felt so ...natural, as if no time had passed or the town being in literal flames some days prior hadn't been that big of a deal
Seamus MacTunnag
"Do I though," he hummed, one side of his mouth still curled upward. He sipped at his own drink for a moment before Lachlann spoke again.
"Food first, then. Go tah th' hospital on a full stomach," he murmured, following along on the thread of the joke as his eyes roved over the other patrons. There were a great number of people clustered near the front still, many more seated at tables and booth seats. Tiana's Place seemed to be doing wonderfully well.
Lachlann MacNab
"Food first, everything else can wait" he nodded with a smile still on his face. The atmosphere was really, really enjoyable and they were in no hurry to do...well, anything -the previous interruption had been kind of rude but now that they had decided what to eat and had made themselves comfortable it seemed like such a trivial thing to think about.
Maybe they'd give dancing a second try, later, and maybe he'd manage to find Tiana and chat her up, maybe the other would find some of his acquaintances and have a good time with them, too-
-but that moment, that little moment, was perfect just like that.
Seamus MacTunnag
Nodding his head, Seamus agreed to Lachlann's words wordlessly. Instead, he returned the grin. He found himself continuing to do that.
Perhaps any other person would have been angry that Lachlann had disappeared, that he'd gone out and done something idiotic because he thought to help a friend. Perhaps, at one time, he would have been. But Seamus had learned in his irregularly long life not to hold a grudge. At this point, it would probably die with him, and he didn't want to hold grudges against the man next to him.
He hadn't promised not to leave again, but he'd said he would try, and trying counted in his book. They could dance later or they could not. They could sit and talk or they could walk back to the car and drive back through Besydus. But whatever they did, Seamus was alright with that.
It was the trying that counted, after all
#I like talking this way cause it makes everything sound important (Writings)#S: At Tiana's Place Grand Opening#c: Scrooge#/This is a recap for the non-group friends so they can kind of understand the chaos
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From @Scattergraph
To @avengedbiologist
Secret Santa doesn’t own this, full credit to author above!
Prologue
When the boys were little, Christmas had been all about family fun. Then later, after Lucy’s death, things had begun to lose their way a little. There was one really awful Christmas none of them liked to remember, much less talk about. Then there were a couple of mediocre ones where more effort was put in to try and bring things back to normality a little bit, but something just still wasn’t quite right. Aside from the obvious absence of their mother, of course.
After that, it had all gotten very commercialised – presents that grew with size, quantity and cost every year; shows and events in the calendar that had to be attended; professional engagements that couldn’t be missed. In fact, Jeff could barely remember even seeing his boys last Christmas. Maybe for an hour or so as they worked their way through the mountains of presents they neither needed nor really wanted (Jeff and Grandma with their own piles also), but even that was a bit of a hazy blur. Had they even had dinner that day? He really couldn’t recall it if they had. After the present opening, they had all pretty much gone their own separate ways; off to explore their new things, watch TV, visit friends etc. Thinking back now it was all a bit sad really, though at the time it had seemed like none of them had even noticed. Maybe that was how they had wound-up where they were today - Christmas Eve - with this year’s absolute and utter debacle. Later to become known as: ‘The day that saved the Tracy Christmas.’
1
It had all started three weeks before Christmas. So determined Jeff was to change things for the better this year that he had flat out refused to allow his boys access to anything other than $100 maximum of their allowance savings. Now that might seem like a lot, but in a family of five brothers, one Dad and a Grandma, that $100 had to be split across multiple presents and that was before you even factored in buying for friends and in Scott and Virgil’s case, girlfriends too. In a world where expensive jewellery and the latest technology were the norm for present buying and you were also expected to get people more than one thing each, that $100 to cover it all just wasn’t going to cut it. There had been arguments bordering on rows, whining, stomping, much moaning and sulking, but in the end, the boys had relented to their fates and Jeff was certain that despite the dark mood in the household, he had done the right thing.
The next day was a Saturday and Jeff slipped into his Christmas jumper and made his way down the stairs to breakfast, a smile on his face as he approached the kitchen as he fondly thought of the chaos that would surely meet him on the other side of the door.
“Morning Boys - …” he beamed in his cheeriest voice, determined to make up for the arguments of the previous night and get this year’s ‘family fun’ Christmas off to a good start.
Silence came his answer as he looked around the empty room before him, smile dropping and confusion taking its place.
“If you’re looking for the boys, you’re a half-hour too late, son,” Grandma supplied as she manoeuvred her way around the disappointed patriarch and over to the dishwasher, which appeared to be fully loaded with the remains of what looked like it would have been a pretty good breakfast.
“They left?”
“Sure did. Said something about needing to beat the crowds.”
Jeff sighed. Sounds like his boys were still more interested in hitting the shops than spending the day with him after all. He had hoped that having had a chance to sleep on things they would all come around to his way of thinking. The older ones at least. They were mature enough to understand his reasoning, right? Boy, he hoped so. Three weeks of arguments and hostility were not on his agenda. Despite his good intentions, maybe he had just gone and made things worse.
“You can stop that,” Grandma scolded without so much as a look at him as she loaded the last of the dishes into the washer and set it to begin.
“What?” Jeff replied.
“Blaming yourself. You did the right thing and they know it. They just haven’t fully realised it yet.”
“Hhm, well, fat lot of good it did me. Alone in an empty house while the boys are off gallivanting across town.”
“Alone? What am I, something the cat dragged in?”
“Well… “ Grown man or not, he couldn’t possibly let an opportunity like that go to waste.
“DON’T you answer that, boy!” the old lady snapped at her son’s menacing smile. “Now park your butt in that chair and get this down you.”
Depositing her forlorn son at the kitchen table, she proceeded to plonk the biggest plate of pancakes, bacon, eggs, toast and everything else but the kitchen sink down in front of him, fresh from the warmer where it had been hiding.
“You made me breakfast?” Jeff asked, grateful but surprised.
“The boys did. Well, Virgil mostly. The others can’t cook for toffee, but they meant well.”
Jeff looked up at her, amazed.
“Something of a peace offering, I think. Alone in deed.” The old woman muttered and rolled her eyes as she left the room, knowing the giant grin she would surely see returned to her son’s face if she were to look back.
Maybe things were looking up after all. Though how his mother had the gall to comment on anyone else’s cooking ability was beyond him. Lord knows Jeff never had the time to teach his boys those skills and with Grandma as their only remaining role model in that department, his poor boys never stood a chance.
***
Over on the other side of town and after dropping a protesting seven-year-old Alan off at a friend’s for the day, Virgil, John & Gordon all piled out of Scott’s battered old fixer-upper sad excuse for a car and stalked up to the front doors of the local mall. Though they had made sure to get there early, an over-excited gathering of Christmas shoppers had already started to assemble outside ready for opening. They had a mission, sure, but it was looking more and more hopeless by the minute.
“Gordo, I want you to look me in the eye and promise me - no fingers crossed, toes crossed, opposites day, or anything else for that matter - that you are going to stay with John.”
“Scotty, you worry too much.”
“Gordon.”
“Yeah, yeah, I know. Stick with John. Roger. I hear you. Now will you go already, time’s a wasting you know. Also, you might wana’ turn that frown upside down big brother, if the wind changes you’ll be stuck like that forever you know.”
It was wasn’t for John’s swift intervention as he wrenched a grinning Gordon behind him for protection, they may have been down one annoying little brother right there and then.
“Don’t worry Scott, I got him. You guys go, we’ll see you at home,” John supplied, ever the voice of reason and responsibility.
Scott eyed Gordon suspiciously, not liking how casually his little brother had switched from cocky grin to angelic innocence from his place behind John.
“You’re sure you’re okay to get the bus home? I don’t know how long this is going to take,” Scott asked warily.
“We’re fine. We’ve done it plenty of times before.”
Scott still wasn’t convinced he was doing the right thing. Being the eldest really sucked sometimes.
“Scott, they’re opening up, come on,” Virgil nudged.
“Yeah…ok. Just window shopping and then straight home, you got it? Like we agreed last night.”
“We know. Just go. And Scott, good luck, yeah?” John added.
“Yeah. Okay, thanks.”
With that, the older two made their way inside and off towards the mall’s management suite, leaving John and Gordon watching on patiently until they were finally out of sight.
“Are we safe yet?”
“Dunno,” John replied, “give it another minute. You know how Scott gets his Momma-Bear panties in a twist when he’s in charge. He might double back.”
Another minute ticked by.
“Now?” Gordon asked again.
“Okay, we’re good. Meet you at the bus stop in a couple hours?”
“You got it.”
“I mean it Gordon; you better be there. If you get us caught, we’ll be stuck going along with their plan and I for one am not happy with that.”
“What, taking handouts from Scott and Virge while we’re stuck at home like little kids? No thanks. I pay my own way.”
“Good, then we have a deal. Where are you going anyway? You know there aren’t any shops around here that will give jobs to an eleven-year-old. Exactly how do you plan on making any money?”
“You’re only two years older than me. What’s your plan?”
“Never you mind.”
“Right back at ya.”
John stared at Gordon. Gordon stared at John. More seconds ticked by.
“Okay, fine! Whatever. Let’s just do this.” John sighed in exasperation as his once again cocky-grinning little brother high-tailed it off into the crowd.
“Laters Johnny!” He called back over his shoulder and the redhead couldn’t help but laugh. Now all they had to do was stay hidden from the older two and all would be fine.
***
Back in the Management Suite, two dejected brothers waited their turn in what was the mall’s depressingly un-festive employment offices. If their Dad expected them to just sit back and do nothing after taking their allowances away, he had another thing coming. They had presents to buy and presents were expensive. Especially the designer boots Scott had been eyeing up for Lisa Tate and the new console he had been hoping to get for his younger brothers. Then there was the ridiculously expensive necklace Ellie Haskins had demanded from Virgil as ‘proof that he loved her.’ They had only been going out for a few weeks for flips sake and he sure as heck wasn’t about to go actually throwing the ‘L’ word around anytime soon, so if this bought him some more time then all the better. Plus, there was the agreement that the boys would share any money they made with the younger three to cover their shopping too. Of course they had wanted to come along and get jobs of their own but both Scott and Virgil knew the mall would never allow it so when they had made their plans the night previous, this had seemed like the best solution no matter how much the younger ones disliked it. Only problem was, it was three weeks before Christmas and all the jobs were already taken. Well, almost all.
“Hhm. Look, boys. I know you want to earn yourselves some extra Christmas money but there just isn’t anything left. All the positions were filled weeks ago.”
“Please, Marcy,” Scott tried again, clocking the woman’s name badge and ensuring he gave her his best sad smile and lost puppy dog stare. She was an older lady with a motherly vibe about her. Yes, it was shameless, but he could work with that. His own mother had gifted him dimples and he sure knew how to use them. “Virgil and I, well, we just want to be able to give our little brothers and Grandma the best Christmas we can,” an arm around Virgil for emphasis, “please, we’ll do anything. Whatever you have.” A swift stamp on Virgil’s foot below the counter to spur him into action.
“Yes, anything. Really. Please? Our Grandma, well she just loves Christmas and with Dad away at work so often…” It technically wasn’t a lie.
The woman surveyed the sad scene in front of her.
“Why don’t I just double check the system. Maybe something came in overnight.”
After a couple minutes of typing, frowning, hhhmmm-ing and lip biting, Marcy was suddenly looking a lot more hopeful.
“Well it looks like you boys may be in luck after all. We happen to have two positions just opened up – one looks like a new demand and I think the other is to replace someone who has just quit. The jobs though, -“
“Well take them, if you’ll have us that is? Like we said, we’re desperate, we’ll do anything,” Scott cut her off before she could talk herself out of it. They really needed the money if they were ever going to stand a chance at getting the presents they needed this close to Christmas.
“Okay then boys. Let me call the managers down here. If they like you, I don’t see why we couldn’t get you started tomorrow. You’ll just need to fill out the paperwork, then you’re all good to go.”
The smiles of relief that followed were genuine and enormous.
“Thank you so much. We really appreciate this.”
“You’re welcome sweetheart.”
A few minutes later and the boys had been separated into two offices after the managers they had been waiting on had arrived. There had been an awkward moment beforehand where they were both eyed-up like prize poodles on show, rather concerningly as they had not been expecting this kind of scrutiny, before it had been decided that Scott would be best placed with Mr Thompson of Thompson’s Sporting Goods and Virgil would go the other way with Mr Rafferty to work for his business, whatever that may be.
In Scott’s office, all the paperwork had been completed and he was essentially good to go, or so he thought. It seemed that Mr. Thompson had a few questions for him first. Fully prepared to launch into a download of all his academic achievements and the experience he had gained during his recent Summer placement at Tracy Industries, he was somewhat taken aback when Mr. Thompson opened with “How’s your dancing?”
“Excuse me, Sir?”
“Dancing? You’re a sportsman, yes? School football or the like?”
“Well, yes Sir, but – “
“Then you can follow instructions and follow a play. You’ll be fine. If not, well, I’ve no other option. Rest of my staff are all needed elsewhere - would take too long to train you up on the shop-floor now and we don’t have anyone available to do it anyways.”
“Excuse me for asking Sir, but then exactly what is it you need me to do?”
Scott’s stomach dropped as Mr. Thompson hauled a box up onto the table and proceeded to empty out its contents on to the desk in front of him.
“New initiative from head office, only problem is nobody seems to want it. Wrong time of year, you see. Everyone’s out buying Christmas presents and here we are trying to sell this stuff. Go figure. Fact is, profits are down this year. I don’t find a way to sell this, I’m finished. There’s fifty-seven schools in the catchment zone for this mall, what with all the bus-loads of out-of-state shoppers coming in this year. More if we can get sales up on the website too. What I need is a face to market them, and I think you’re my man.”
Scott would violently disagree, that was, if he hadn’t so gallantly promised his little brothers he would provide them with the money they needed to buy their Christmas presents.
“But Sir, those are Cheerleading uniforms. Diamante cheerleading uniforms.”
Mr. Thompson sighed.
“I know son, trust me. They’re not exactly my cup of tea either, but Head Office have taken a real liking to these things so we gotta’ move them. You’ll be working with Helena – girl’s been Cheering practically since she was born. She’ll teach you all the moves you need, nothing major, just a few arm signals, lifts, that sort of thing. There’s a daily showcase at the food-court and rest of the time you’ll be in the shop window. Living manakins, they call it.”
Scott’s throat had gone dry. “Showcase…” he choked out, brain not having caught-up as far as the ‘living window’ section yet. “In that?” he looked down at the male, baby blue, sparkly cheerleaders’ uniform in front of him.
“Afraid so, Son. All I got at the moment I’m afraid. So, can I count on ya’?”
Scott wasn’t so sure. His brothers had always teased that the term ‘Dad dancing’ had been coined just for their father and the apple certainly hadn’t fallen far from the tree there. Plus if his brothers ever found out about this… Still, the look in Mr Thompson’s eyes as he had told Scott of this being his last lifeline to save his store – how could he say no to that? The man clearly needed help and Scott needed a job, no matter how potentially disastrous and embarrassing.
“Yes Sir.”
“Good lad, glad to have you on board.”
***
Over on the other side of the Mall, Virgil sat in an equally daunting and potentially embarrassing situation, only he was surrounded by fake snow and candy canes.
“You want me to be an Elf???”
“Attrition rate for Elves his high around here. Workers get bored of the noise, the long hours, blah, blah, blah. Line’s halfway round the Mall every day and Santa needs his helpers. Turns out the real elves are kinda busy this time of year, up in that workshop and all, so I have to make do with the likes of you high-schoolers.”
“You do realise I’m nearly six-feet tall, Sir? Not exactly the usual Elf image.”
“Yeah, I know, not exactly ideal, but you’ll do me well for lugging the heavy presents and decorations around and you’re still shorter that that other guy you were with, so looks like it’s your lucky day. Turn up tomorrow, 6am sharp. Lockers are there, changing room’s there, wear this,” he handed Virgil a very bright, very small and way-too-jingly package in the most hideous shade of green he had possibly ever seen, “and bring your Christmas cheer. Uniform might be a bit tight; last guy was a lot smaller than you but we don’t have time to order in a new one so you’ll have to make do. Don’t worry, we’ll hide you in the back; no-one will ever know. Oh, and make sure you get this permission slip signed. All minors have to have them this year. Mall policy. No signature, no job. Any problems?”
“Erm…well…”
But Virgil didn’t get chance to finish that thought. Somewhere out front a small toddler had begun an epic meltdown, which Mr Rafferty had slunk off to, mumbling incoherently to himself and leaving Virgil staring forlornly at the package in his arms. Hide in the back he absolutely would, no question. If he weren’t so desperate and hadn’t promised the others he would help provide for them, not forgetting the Ellie issue on top of that, well…never mind that thought. It was what it was. Only one thing was certain in his mind – his brothers could never find out.
***
It was lunch-time when the boys arrived home, all near-enough at the same time and with Scott and Virgil having collected Alan on the way through. When they had dropped him off the boy had seemed down-right depressed at being left-out, but now it was as if someone had flipped a switch and he was back to being his over excitable self, constantly asking where John was and why he hadn’t come back with the other two. When questioned on why he was so keen to know, the littlest brother was giving nothing away but there was obviously something on his mind, that was for sure. The fact that Alan had apparently spent the morning helping his friend Jarod’s Nan with her online shopping gave no explanation whatsoever as to his sudden change in mood but whatever it was that had caused it, the others were grateful. A sulking Alan was not something any of them particularly wanted to deal with right now. However, it wasn’t Alan’s sudden mood swing that had them asking the most questions. It was the stinking blur that shot past them as they made their way through the hallway and into the kitchen.
“Erg, what’s that smell?” Alan asked, never one to sugar-coat things.
“I think it was Gordon.” Scott answered as he peered up the stairs to where his younger brother had now disappeared.
“Are we completely sure it isn’t Grandma’s Christmas cookies?” Virgil asked as they all suddenly came to a wary halt in front of the kitchen door.
“What was that, Virgil?” Grandma asked gruffly, appearing in front of them as if summoned.
“Erm, nothing Grandma.”
“Thought not. Now get in here before you catch cold. John, close that front door, you’re letting all the heat out.”
“Yes Grandma.” John replied, narrowly avoiding the little flying blonde tornado that suddenly launched itself at him.
“John, you’re back!!” Alan squawked, “I need to talk to you!”
“Can it wait? There’s something I need to do first.”
“But John, I’ve got this idea and – “
“John, what’s going on with Gordon and that smell? I thought you guys were supposed to be going shopping and then straight home?” Scott rounded on his brother, in a casual just-checking-in but also not-so-casual I’m-the-big-brother-in-charge-and-you-need-to-answer-me-or-else kind of way.
“Nothing Scott, that’s exactly what we did. He probably just stepped in something on the way home. Come on Alan, what did you want to talk to me about?”
And with that, John hurriedly steered his beaming little brother up the stairs and into his room before any further questions could be asked.
“Scott, forget about it. Everyone’s home and fine, that’s all that matters. Bigger fish to fry at the moment, remember?” Virgil reminded him.
“Hhhm. Yeah, I guess.” Though he certainly wasn’t done with the matter, that was for sure. Gordon was up to something. Heck, John was likely up to something too. Neither of those was ever a good scenario to just let slide, never mind if they were in on whatever it was together. But Virgil was right. Bigger fish and all…time to face the music.
***
“How did this happen Ma?” Jeff asked several hours later as he drained what he suddenly realised was his fifth Christmas Brandy of the night.
They had had a lovely afternoon, all the family together. Gordon had reappeared just as lunch was served, hair wet and smelling of way too much shower gel. Alan and John had eventually been pried out of John and Virgil’s room where they had been holed-up having hushed but very animated discussions involving John’s laptop, a flip chart and far too many whispers of ‘quiet, they’ll hear you!’ for Scott’s liking. Then there had been board games, fun, Christmas decorating and a few hours of exactly what Jeff had been hoping for this holiday season. So much so that he hadn’t even noticed that his two eldest had been plying him with booze all the way through it until he was good and merry and almost didn’t realise what he was signing when they both presented him with temporary employment slips for the local mall. The room had cleared pretty quickly after that with everyone slightly nervous at what Jeff’s reaction would be, and truth be told, he had been pretty saddened at first. Not mad per say, just disheartened that the fun they had had that afternoon would be coming to an abrupt end because of his own rules. Even so, he couldn’t fault them one bit. His boys were hard-working, good kids at the heart of it. And, as his mother had not so subtly pointed out, they were only doing exactly what Jeff himself would have done in that situation. The boys themselves were just happy the permission slips were all generic and didn’t go into any detail on what they would be doing or more importantly wearing; simply stating: ‘Christmas Retail Assistant’.
“You raised them well, that’s how.”
“But now they’re going to be working all hours of their Christmas break. I’ll probably see them even less than last year. Did you know that Gordon asked me if he could spend his time off over at Coach Ashford’s Winter training camp too? Said he needs to work on his swim technique over the break if he wants to make the team this year. And John - he’s having to hit the library every day and it’s all for that extra credit course I encouraged him to do. And now Alan too, little Alan, my Christmas cracker himself wants to follow in his brother’s footsteps and go with him to the library!! I mean, what the heck is that?! Of course, I couldn’t say no to any of them. What kind of parent would I be then? Is it me, Ma? Did I scare them away? Was this afternoon all an act to get me sloshed enough to agree to their plans so they can all just run off and do their own things?”
“Those boys are a lot of things Jefferson, but malicious isn’t one of them. If I were you, I’d be mighty proud and if Lucy were still here, bless her heart, I’d bet she’d be saying the same thing too. That is, after smacking you upside the head and telling you to stop being such a miserable old man. The boys had a fabulous time this afternoon, we all did, and if we have to wait until Christmas day to do it all again, then so be it. Now come on, help me clean up.”
Jeff smiled warmly at the mention of his late wife, raising his glass a little in her honour as he thought of her watching over him now. His mother was right, of course. She always was. “Yes Ma.”
2
It had been a week of early wake-ups and late home-comings, for Jeff also, who had taken the opportunity to dive back to the office and clear a few more things off his to-do list while the boys were all out. It was only Grandma who was left in the house during the day and the woman was now officially concerned, to put it mildly. By the time Monday night rolled around, she had just about had enough.
“Jefferson?! You need to do something about those boys!” the old lady demanded before her son had even managed to shed his coat or make it to the living room.
“Okay Mom,” the patriarch sighed, “who did what to who this time?”
“No-one did anything! That’s the problem. It’s just too damned quiet around here!”
“Excuse me?” His Mother never cursed. Whatever this was, it must be serious.
“It’s those jobs and that training camp and all that studying! Don’t you notice how peaceful it is around here? Everyone is pussyfooting around everyone else. And then there’s Gordon and that SMELL! Surely you must have noticed that.”
Oh. Well, yes, there was no denying that one. His boys were many things but subtle was not one of them and they certainly weren’t as sneaky and good at hiding things as they all seemed to think they were.
“And ANOTHER thing,” ah, of course, she wasn’t done yet, “you do realise John is walking around here with a limp, don’t you? And Virgil and Scott will barely look each other in the eye let alone hold a conversation. And I don’t know what exactly is going on with Virgil and my singing Santa ornament but three times this week I’ve found it hidden in the pantry or in the closet under the stairs and I know he’s responsible despite the fact he denies it! Do you know I found him yesterday just sitting outside in the fields in the snow all alone for no good reason? He said he was just ‘enjoying the peace and quiet’.”
“Maybe he was?”
“This is Kansas, Jefferson, it is twenty-four degrees Fahrenheit out there!”
“Look, Ma, I know you’re worried, but everything’s fine. Trust me. I’m on top of it.”
“On top of it?”
“Yes Ma.”
“Oh really?”
“One hundred percent.” Jeff took her by the arms, a pleading look in his eyes. Yes, truth be told, there were some mighty strange behaviours going on in his house right now. In fact, it was making for a great spectator sport from his perspective, knowing full well what was truly going on and why. Yes, he did have to admit that he’d forgotten to factor his Mother and her potential reaction into the equation, but he was having far too much fun watching it all unfold to let her in on the secret just yet.
Just as it looked as though the lady may have begun to relax, both the front and back doors burst open and the boys began to pile in.
At the front door were Scott and Virgil – Scott, whose normally expertly groomed hair was now spiked with silver and blue glitter and Virgil, looking nothing short of frazzled and harassed. At the back door was Gordon, covered from head to toe in thick, sticky mud and looking like something the cat dragged in. Then from behind him appeared John, with a black eye, and Alan talking a mile a minute so loud his squeaky, excitable voice echoed around the hallway. Virgil flinched wildly at the sound as all the boys froze in place on seeing each other arrive. Scott stared worryingly at John. Gordon stared in awe at Scott’s hair as if desperate to comment but for some reason unable. And once again, though it lay thick in the air for all to encounter, not one of them made mention of that absolutely awful smell. Not even Alan.
Silence filled the room in an awkward standoff as all the boys looked nervously towards Grandma and their Dad.
“Oh, for crying out loud!” Grandma shrieked as she spun her back on Jeff and stalked off to the kitchen, washing her hands of the entire situation.
As the door slammed shut behind her, the boys looked once again towards Jeff.
“Dad.” Scott ventured.
“Scott.”
“Erm, I think I’m going to go take a shower,” Scott continued when bizarrely, nothing more was said.
“Sounds like a good idea. Dinner’s at Eight.”
And with that, Jeff retired to his study, a slight smile creeping into his features as he left his children to their mischief, each making their own excuses before quickly darting away to their various hideouts for the night.
***
Later that night and after a truly awkward dinner where no-one seemed to want to talk about their day, despite Grandma’s best efforts to get more information, a still-worried Scott stood lurking outside of John and Virgil’s room with a glass pressed up to the door.
“You know it’s rude to eavesdrop, son.” Jeff spoke softly from behind, causing a startled Scott to jump. Come with me, I think it’s about time we had a little talk.”
“Yes Sir.”
Scott’s head hung in shame as he took the offered seat in his Father’s study.
“So, do you want to tell me why you thought it was okay to encroach on your brother’s privacy like that?”
“I know it was wrong.”
“Yes, it was, but you did it anyway. So, tell me what’s going on.”
“I was just concerned about John, that’s all. I mean, did you see him? He had a black eye, Dad! From going to the library. On top of that limp he had the other day…I just thought that maybe he was in trouble or something. And apparently, he has bruises on his back, too.”
“What makes you think that?”
“I just heard Virgil say it. He’s worried too.”
“And what did John say?”
“He told Virge not to worry; that he was fine.”
“No, what did John say to you?”
“Me?”
“Yes. Did you at least ask him what happened before you started spying on him?”
“Well…no, not exactly. I can’t.”
“You can’t?”
“No.”
“And why is that?”
“Because if I ask him about that, he’s going to ask me about…other things.”
“Things like your new job.”
“Yeah. Wait, no. Why would you say that?”
“Scott, I’m going to let you in on a secret.”
“Dad, no offence, but I can’t really handle any more secrets right now.”
“This one will help you out with that. Trust me.”
Scott looked at his father with interest. It had been a while since he had been summoned to the study and on previous occasions it had been more for lectures and meetings about grades and chores. He had gone in there tonight fully expecting to be on the receiving end of a long telling-off after what he had been caught doing, but this was…strange. Different. His Dad didn’t seem mad at all and whatever the man had to say had his interest piqued.
“Okay.”
A long, fond look passed from Father to Son as Jeff realised just how lucky he was to have such moments with his eldest; the chance to impart some wisdom, as it were.
“Scott, I know what your job is.”
“I’m working for Mr Thompson, selling sports kit. I help out on the shop floor…and other places.”
"Yes, I hear you’re working very hard. With Helena McKinley, as I understand it.”
“Yeah, with Hele-“ Scott suddenly stopped. This was not good. “How did you know that?” he asked cautiously.
“Did you know that Helena’s mother, Irene McKinley, works for Tracy Industries? In fact, she’s my regional Head of Marketing. Fabulous woman. Excellent at her job. Normally all she wants to talk about is work, but this past week, do you know what her number one topic of conversation has been?”
“I think I can guess,” Scott mumbled into the floor, cheeks suddenly flushing a wild shade of scarlet.
“Apparently the biggest thing going on this Christmas in the Marketing world is the new ad-campaign over at Thompson’s Sporting Goods. ‘Stroke of genius’, she called it. As I understand it, their goods are flying off the shelves now and all because of an idea her daughter put forward to the owner. Helena has big plans to follow in her Mother’s footsteps, it seems.”
“MmmHuh,” Scott mumbled again, fearing he knew exactly where this was leading, and boy was his Dad ever dragging this out to torture him.
“So anyway, there she is going on and on about this wonderful initiative and how her daughter just looks so beautiful and graceful modelling in the shop window and cheering for the crowds in the daily showcase. In fact, her only wish was that they could have paired Helena up with someone a bit more coordinated and who maybe knew a thing or two about cheerleading because apparently this mystery model they’d ‘lumbered’ her with has two left feet and all the grace of a drunken giraffe.
“A drunken giraffe?”
“A drunken giraffe. Now by this point, of course, I’ve heard so much about it that I had to go and check this whole thing out for myself. So down to the mall I went.”
Oh no.
“Want to guess what I saw when I got there, Scott?”
“Not really…”
“Well, let’s just say, it explained a few things that was for sure.” Jeff smiled warmly at his son, waiting to see what the reaction would be.
“And…?”
“And what?”
“That’s it? No other comments? Don’t you want to laugh at me like the others will when they find out?”
“Why would I laugh at you? You’re just doing your job.”
“But Dad, it’s embarrassing. So embarrassing, my own girlfriend dumped me when she found out.”
“Maybe it’s not what you hoped you’d be doing when you went over there. Maybe you didn’t intend for, and I quote: ‘#ScottieTheCheerleadingHottie’, to be trending all over social media right now.” Oh God, no. “But jobs can be that way sometimes. We do what we have to do for our families and for others. Do you know how much of a difference this ad-campaign is making to Mr. Thompson? His sales are through the roof because of you two and it’s only been a week. You’ve probably saved his business.”
“So, what’s your point?”
“My point is, stop being so hard on yourself and worrying about what everyone else is up to or thinking. It’s Christmas. Have a little faith in the others around you and just enjoy yourself.”
“But Dad, what about John? Something isn’t right and if I don’t- “
“John is fine.”
“But you saw the state of him, someone’s clearly hurting him. I mean, I know John can be pretty clumsy when he’s got his head stuck in a book or something, but there’s a limit Dad. No way did he accidentally do all that to himself in a week.”
“Or maybe he did and you just don’t know all the circumstances. Accidents do happen, you know, Scott.”
“Dad, no offense, but you’re being way too calm about all this. Unless…”
“Unless I know something you don’t?”
“Do you?”
“Scott, I’m your Farther. It’s my job to know everything and to do all the worrying so that you don’t have to and trust me when I tell you, that John is absolutely fine. Do you really think I wouldn’t have intervened by now if I thought he was in any danger?”
“Guess not.”
“Right. You boys mean more to me than anything else in the world and don’t you forget it.”
Scott couldn’t help but smile at how far his Father had come in the last few years. After their mother’s death, things had looked pretty bleak for them all and it had been a long and hard journey to get back to this point. To hear his Father now talking so open and lovingly and to know that he really did mean every word of it was something Scott didn’t take lightly.
“So, you’re really not going to tell me what’s going on or how he’s getting all those bruises?”
“Not my place to tell,” Jeff replied apologetically, “but if it puts your mind at ease, just look at it this way: You heard what John said to Virgil, yes?”
“That he’s fine and there’s nothing to worry about.”
“And do you really think Virgil is just going to go and let that drop?”
Scott smirked at the sly grin on his Dad’s face. “Not a chance.”
“Then your brother already has it covered; no need for you to get involved. Let Virgil take this one.”
“Yeah, okay. He probably has more time to handle it than I do right now anyway. Man, I wish I had Virgil’s job. He has it so easy.”
Jeff studied his son’s face carefully as Scott finally relaxed back into the comfy office chair.
“Scott, what exactly has Virgil told you about his job?”
“Not a whole lot. It’s my fault really. I’ve been avoiding him, too busy trying to keep my own little secret. I really thought I’d been busted this afternoon when I left work with all that glitter still all over me. Stupid stuff wouldn’t come off – another one of Helena’s ‘great’ ideas.”
“But Virgil didn’t say anything about it?”
“No…that was weird, actually. He never even mentioned it. Come to think of it, he never talks about work at all. Mine or his. All I know is he’s working stockroom over at that big new department store on the upper level.”
“Is that what he told you?”
“Sure. Why, is that not what he told you?”
“It’s exactly what he told me.”
“In the same way that I told you I was just working the shop floor?”
“All I’m going to say is that you two boys have a lot more in common that you think. All five of you, for that matter.”
Now Scott was more confused than ever. Just exactly what was going on around him that his Dad apparently knew so much about while he had managed to miss it all?
“Dad, if the aim of this talk was to stop me worrying, you’ve officially managed to achieve the exact opposite.”
Jeff sighed. His boy would make a wonderful father someday, he really would. But right now, he still had a few lessons to learn.
“Scott, listen to me. The point I’m trying to make is that there will always be things going on that are out of your control and no amount of eavesdropping or snooping around is going to fix that. Sometimes you just have to sit back and trust in others, like knowing that Virgil will look out for John. You don’t always have to be in control of or know everything.”
“Because you already do?”
“Sometimes. Usually, in fact and on this occasion most certainly. But that’s my job as your Dad. All I need for you to do, is relax and try to start enjoying yours because no matter how much you might hate it right now, you’re doing really well. You hear me?”
“I hear you. But…”
“What is it, son?”
“Dad, I know you said to just let it all go, and I’ll try, I really will. But I have to know – please – it’s driving us all mad… Exactly what the heck is going on with Gordon and that seriously disgusting SMELL?!”
“Hah!!” Jeff roared with laughter. Well, come to think of it, this one he could actually do with Scott’s help on. “Son, let me ask you this: If you were Gordon’s age and your older brothers sat you down and told you they were going to go out, get jobs and then just give you some of their money because you weren’t old enough to make any of your own and all you had to do was sit back and wait for it to appear, what would you have done?”
“I would have said no freaking way and found a way to go out and make my own money. Wait, are you saying…? Oh, that little - !! We had a deal! Are you telling me he’s completely ignored everything we agreed and gone out and found himself a job?? Is that even legal? Surely it can’t be safe? And what about his training camp?!”
“Oh, he still goes to that, for the three hours a morning it lasts. Then he catches a ride back to Coach Ashford’s family farm, where the Coach lets him work the stables for the afternoon.”
“Coach Ashford lives on a farm? But that’s great. Gords has never been into helping out with that side of things here.”
“And he still isn’t. In fact, I don’t think I’ve seen him this miserable in a long time. Maybe you could have a word with him - teach him why we do what we do and how important it all is, like your Grandfather did for you back when you were his age and just as uninterested in that side of our family business?”
“Yeah, I can do that. Might be fun actually. I used to love hanging out with Gramps while he taught me all that stuff. Just as soon as I give Gordon a piece of my mind for lying to me, that is!”
“You mean, like you’re lying to him about what you’re out doing all day?”
“Yeah, okay, point taken. I’ll go easy on the little squirt. I think being around all that livestock is probably punishment enough anyway, that can’t be easy work. But Dad, why is he lying? Farming isn’t embarrassing? Half the people we know are farmers.”
“Scott, put yourself in Gordon’s shoes again. If you were eleven and loved nothing more than pranking your brothers and then one day said brothers found out you were spending all your spare time literally shovelling…well, I’m sure you’ve smelled what he’s shovelling. We all have. Anyway, in Gordon’s mind, would you want your brother’s knowing that was what you were out doing?”
“But it’s just a job - you do what you have to do, it’s not embarrassing.”
“That sounds like some mighty good advice there, Scooter.”
Scott smirked. He had flat out walked right into that one.
“Right, yeah, I get it now. What exactly is the Coach farming, anyway?”
“Reindeer, of all things. Can you believe it? Every Christmas the Coach grooms a few of the heard up nice and presentable and loans them out to the mall to use in the Grotto on Christmas Eve – make things extra special for the children. I believe your brother has been helping him out with that.”
“Oh, yeah. I remember. We did that whole grotto thing once, with Mom, back when we were little. She took me and Virge over there on reindeer day to see Santa, but it didn’t go all that well and we never went back again. I think Virge has probably blocked it from his memory.”
“What do you mean, it didn’t go well?”
“You know, ‘cause of Virgil and his whole ‘big animal’ thing.”
Jeff blanched.
“Dad, what is it?”
“Oh, err…” he cleared his throat, suddenly a little more nervous than he would have liked to admit. “It’s nothing, I just…Virgil’s ‘big animal’ thing. I’d forgotten all about that…”
He suspected Virgil had, too.
3
It was 11am the next day and Virgil was in a candy-cane and fake-snow covered Hell. Despite Mr Rafferty’s assurance that he would remain firmly hidden in the back, Virgil was now working front-of-house present handling duty for the fifth time in as many days. No wander the last Elf to wear his costume had up and quit. So far today, Virgil had been sneezed on, laughed at, jumped on, sat on, yelled at, cried all-over and as of twenty minutes ago, firmly kicked in the Jingle Bells. The child’s mother had apologised, swearing over and over that her ‘little angel’ hadn’t meant to do it. Virgil wasn’t so sure.
As the next child came up to sit on Santa’s lap and claim their present, Virgil did what he could to rally and plaster a big grin back on his face. As worn-down as he was, he knew what this meant to the children. Christmas was supposed to be a magical time and it was his job to bring that magic. In stripy tights, tiny green shorts, curly-toed jingle-shoes, pointed ears and a silly hat, it seemed. All of which barely fit him. Then there was the rosy cheeks they painted on him every morning – the less said about that, the better. Still, he ploughed on, humming away to himself to try and block out the incessant tones of ‘We Wish you a Merry Christmas’ as it blared out across the speakers for the seventh time that morning. Once those songs got in your head, you just couldn’t get them out again.
Turning his back on Santa in order to reach into the sleigh and pick out the next present, he didn’t see the small gathering of teenage girls siphon in behind him until it was all too late. There were three of them all together, all too-much makeup and designer handbags and everything that Virgil usually didn’t care less about except for this time one of the girls who wore it was his very own girlfriend and he didn’t spot her until it was far too late. Spinning around with present in hand and fully expecting to be confronted with the next small child, his eyes went wide in horror as the grotto camera flashed, forever capturing the moment Ellie Haskins first saw her handsome, football playing boyfriend dressed as a giant green Elf. Worst of all, she wasn’t even there with a child. She was there with her friends, for a joke, and now that joke was him. Ellie hid her head in her hands in shame. Her friends stared and laughed. Virgil leapt three foot in the air clear across the sleigh and out the back door of the grotto in an attempt to get away, only to land face to face with…
“GORDON??! Oh, come on! Please tell me this is not happening!”
“Heya Virge. Erm, looking good there, big brother.”
Virgil just stood there, staring and panting - out of breath, angry, embarrassed and all together a broken man. Surely his day couldn’t get any worse.
The big beaming smile on Gordon’s face suggested otherwise.
Then there was the Coach. Wait, what?!
“Tracy! Looks like I get two for the price of one today. Nice legs,” Coach Ashford greeted him as the older man took a scrutinising look at his prize Line-backer before wandering off to talk with Mr Rafferty.
“Don’t worry Virge, I’m sure he won’t tell anyone,” Gordon offered, realising this was not the time for jokes after all as his big brother sunk down to sit on the floor in defeat. “And neither will I.”
“It’s not you guys I’m worried about,” Virgil muttered into his arms as he buried his head in his lap in dismay; the sounds of his thoroughly embarrassed girlfriend and her jeering friends trailing off into the distance on the other side of the door. “Gords, what are you even doing here? I thought you were supposed to be at training camp? You know Scott is going to kill you when he finds out, right?” he lifted his head to take a good look over his wayward younger sibling, surprised by the sincerity of his previous statement and amazed that nothing more had been said about his outfit.
Instead, Gordon clambered down to the floor to sit with him, pulling a pair of fake reindeer antlers out of his back pocket and sticking them on to his head as he sat.
“Training camp is mornings only and I’m still going - it finishes at the end of the week anyway. Plus, Scott’s a big-old pussycat on the inside, he’ll get over it.”
“That doesn’t answer my question of what you’re doing here?”
“Same as you I guess, earning my keep.”
“How?”
“Coach Ashford’s reindeer farm.”
Virgil looked his brother over. Yep, he really was here and it wasn’t a joke.
“You know Scott and I were going to share our earnings, right? Like we said we would.”
“Yeah, but that didn’t really seem fair to us.”
“Us?”
“Err, forget I said that.”
Virgil just laughed. He didn’t know why they hadn’t seen this coming.
“So where is John working? I’m guessing it’s not the library.”
“Doubt it, but honestly, really couldn’t tell you. Guy’s a mystery wrapped in a Rubik’s cube.”
They both smiled at that. That really was John to a tee.
“So seriously Gords, what the heck are you doing here at the grotto?”
“Oh, yeah, well, Coach Ashford is loaning out one of the reindeer to the big man in the red suit on Christmas Eve. I’m just here to help out with the practice run, you know, make sure Bessie behaves herself.”
“Bessie?”
“The Reindeer.”
Suddenly the smiles dropped and both boys’ eyes went wide.
“Bessie the REINDEER?? As in, there’s a real, live reindeer??! In here??!” Virgil almost screeched.
Gordon swallowed hard. Reindeers were big animals and it was a long and well-known fact in the Tracy family that Virgil just didn’t get on with big animals. Or more accurately, big animals just didn’t get on with him. As if on cue, an angry snort and stamping of hooves was heard from above them and as both boys looked up, there was Bessie – nostrils flared and raring for attack. Climbing slowly to their feet and trying not to startle her further, Virgil began to sidestep carefully to the right in an attempt to create some distance from his brother. He knew exactly where this was going and there would be no escaping it. He just hoped those horns weren’t as sharp as they looked.
“Easy girl,” Gordon cooed as Coach Ashford and Mr Rafferty stepped around to join him. The reindeer never took her eyes off of Virgil.
“Tracy, what the heck have you gone and done to Bessie?” the Coach asked as he took in the sight of the most docile and loving of all his heard gearing up for attack.
“Nothing Sir, I swear,” Virgil squeaked out, “big animals just kinda don’t like me…”
”Say what now?” the Coach asked as he tried and failed to grab hold of Bessie’s reins, stepping back carefully as the deer bucked and snorted hard in anger, throwing her head down and edging ever that bit closer to Virgil who was now firmly pinned to the grotto door by Bessie’s giant antlers.
“It’s true Sir,” Gordon supplied nervously, “always been a thing. Horses, big dogs, alpacas, Kangaroo…they all just go for Virge.”
“Kangaroo?”
“Yes Sir,” Virgil squeaked out again, face full of reindeer breath. “Gords, do you maybe wanna get you pal here to back down?”
“I’m trying, she just seems to really, really hate you V.”
“MmmHuh, I see that Gordon. What do I do about it?!”
“Errrm…”
“Here, try this.” The Coach pulled a large bag of reindeer feed out from his coat and launched it towards Gordon, who luckily managed to catch hold of the bag and began to lure the reindeer away.
It was a hard choice for Bessie. She was certainly torn between her pure, unprovoked hatred for the second eldest Tracy child and her want for her favourite snack and it was a tense minute for all those involved as she made her choice. Finally backing down, Bessie began to move away, retreating a few steps before coming to rest in front of Gordon where she proceeded to bury her snout inside the feed bag. Everyone relaxed as Virgil breathed a sigh of relief, but it seemed it was all a ploy on the reindeer’s part. Chugging back the contents of the feed bag in one swift movement, she suddenly spun, rounding back on Virgil and charging with all her might. Before he had even the time to react, a pair of front hooves slammed into his chest as the bucking reindeer launched him backwards, straight through the grotto door where he landed hard on his back on top of Santa’s sleigh to the chorus of a crowd of tiny screaming children. Bessie, satisfied she had made her point, wandered casually back towards Gordon and the Coach as if nothing had even happened.
As the Coach began the job of re-securing the deer and Mr Rafferty and Santa did their best to placate the visitors, Gordon climbed cautiously up onto the sleigh and looked down at his big brother who lay flat on his back, groaning in pain and surrounded by presents.
“Virgil, you okay?” he asked awkwardly as the Elf in question began to haul himself up, more presents scattering around him as he did so.
“Mmmmm,” his brother hummed as he clambered to his feet, clutching at his chest as he attempted to dismount the dishevelled Sleigh.
“You sure?” Gordon prodded as Virgil attempted to stretch out his back.
“Yeah…sure, why not. Nothing we haven’t dealt with before, right?” he mumbled miserably.
“Never a reindeer though, sooo, that’s something. Another one to add to your list, huh? You know, after the Kangaroo,” Gordon ventured, warily. His brother desperately looked like he needed some cheering up and thankfully after taking a second to think it over, Virgil gave in and smiled. “Hey, maybe they’ll even get you a new costume now that that one has muddy reindeer prints all up the front of it. You know, maybe one that actually fits…” Gordon made a face as he nodded towards Virgil’s way-too-short shorts.
And that was exactly what Virgil needed, a bit of light-hearted humour in an otherwise awful day. Besides, maybe his brother was right and he could barter a new outfit off of the back of this. He sure as heck wouldn’t be able to just give in and quit now. Given the embarrassment he had put Ellie through this morning, he sensed it was going to take a lot more than one necklace to get back in her good books and that would require a lot more earnings than he had currently managed to make. “Come here, squid,” he called out, playfully grabbing his little brother by the collar and ruffling his hair as Gordon fought to get away, dislodging the younger’s fake antlers in the process and subsequently causing himself to wince as his reindeer-battered chest protested the movement.
“Tracy Senior, unhand my Chief Deer wrangler and go get yourself checked over. Junior - harness her up, I think it’s time we got Bessie here back to the heard.”
“Yes Sir,” the boys chorused as Mr Rafferty approached, having temporarily closed the grotto.
“Sorry about all that Virgil. Look, I know you’re probably three steps away from walking out on me, but I’m already down to just two Elves and I really need you to come back tomorrow so what would you say to double time for this morning and same again all Christmas week?”
“Huh?” Virgil questioned, having not expected this development. An elbow in the ribs directed his attention downwards.
“He’s desperate, V,” Gordon mumbled, “go for the uniform.”
“Erm, that would be great, but it doesn’t really seem fair on Mel,” he ventured, remembering his equally hard-working and only remaining Elf colleague. “Maybe if I could just get a new uniform, you know, one that actually fits? And possibly ditch the face paint?”
“Deal. Absolutely. You got it. I’ll have it here first thing tomorrow. Now why don’t you head down to first aid, have them take a quick look – no arguments, mall policy and all - then take the rest of the day off. I’ll cover the remainder of the shift with Mel.”
“Thank you, Mr Rafferty.”
With that, Virgil headed for the changing rooms as his boss stalked off.
“You know you could have had both, right? The guy was practically begging you,” Gordon groaned at his big brother’s chivalrous nature.
“It’s not always about the money, kid,” Virgil schooled as he smiled at Gordon’s inevitable eye-roll. “Now don’t you have a reindeer to go catch?”
“Yeah, yeah.”
“Oh, and Gordon, could we maybe keep this as our little secret? You know, not tell the others?”
“I dunno V, what’s it worth to me…?”
With that Gordon ducked out the door and was gone, grinning wildly and narrowly missing the flying Elf shoe that was aimed towards his head. Despite all the jokes, they both knew he wouldn’t tell.
***
An hour or so later and Virgil, now back in his own clothes and having been given the all clear to leave by the Mall’s dedicated first aider, was making his way back to the little medical office after realising he had left his jacket behind. It had been a fight to convince the first aider not to ship him off to the hospital or even call in his Dad, but somehow he had managed it nonetheless and he was not looking forward at having to go back in there and risk the man changing his mind. Slinking around into the tiny and thankfully empty waiting area, he suddenly faltered as his ears latched on to a voice he had not been expecting to hear. Grabbing his jacket from the chair he had left it on earlier, he quickly dived back out and around the corner out of sight as the office door opened.
“You know you’ve nearly broken the record for most number of visits within a week? It’s a three-strike deal here, remember. I’m doing you a favour by letting this one slide as it isn’t so bad, but one more incident and that’s it I’m afraid. No more job. Mall policy.”
“I know. It won’t happen again. I’m sorry.”
“Not your fault kid, just get better at it. Fast.”
“I’ll try.”
And with that, the office door shut and the patient left, head down in defeat and without so much as a look back as he trailed back out into the mall and on his way. Vigil looked on with worry mounting on more worry as the sad figure of his next youngest brother retreated into the distance.
John.
4
“He’s not going to like that you followed him,” Alan ventured, causing Virgil to spin suddenly on the spot to where he now saw the youngest of all the brothers sat behind him at one of the canteen tables.
“Alan?? What are you doing here?” Virgil asked, shocked at seeing yet another of his brothers lurking around the mall where they shouldn’t have been.
“Well, duh. John’s pretending to be at the library and the only way I can get out of the house is to go with John, so I’m here pretending to be at the library too.”
Well that answered absolutely none of Virgil’s question.
“Okay Alan, let’s try that again.” Virgil walked over and took a seat next to his brother. “Why are you and John pretending to be at the library when you’re actually sat here in the ice-rink café? And what the heck does John think he’s doing out there?? He’s going to get himself killed at this rate.”
Both Virgil and Alan winced as a loud bang drew their attention to the large, plastic partition that separated the little café from the ice rink itself, watching on as their not-so-graceful middle brother was now smushed face on into the barrier behind a wall of equally unstable kids. Thankfully he didn’t appear to have seen them. Picking himself up, John attempted to straighten out his high-visibility vest and assist the others to their feet, only to bring himself crashing back down again next to them.
“Surely they’re not letting him work as a Marshal?! He can barely stand up in those things. How do they expect him to be able to help co-ordinate other people?”
“Well, it was the only place here that would take someone his age and you know, Jarod’s Dad runs the rink so he agreed to do Johnny a favour. I think he was hoping John would have given in and quit by now but, well, you know John.”
“Yeah, that’s the stubborn Tracy gene right there.”
Another crash and a bang and John was star-fished back on the ice again. Virgil made a pained face as he watched on in sympathy.
“Don’t worry, there’s only another five minutes to go. Rink closes in the afternoons. Plus, you learn to just sorta tune out the crashes after a while,” Alan supplied.
Virgil looked over his little brother with interest. Five more minutes of John getting his butt kicked when he could easily intervene and put a stop to it was not an easy thing to just sit back and take. He needed a distraction.
“So, tell me Ally. What exactly have you been doing here this whole time? You’re not taking turns out on the rink too, are you?”
“Nope, they don’t let kids my age do it. What if I were, though? At least I know how to skate.”
It was true. Alan could get around the rink as well as any of the rest of them, all except for John, that is. Poor boy had just always been that little bit too uncoordinated and overly clumsy to get on with skating and had subsequently found himself some other interests.
“So, what is all this then?” Virgil gestured to the laptop that sat on the table in front of them and the pile of paperwork beside it.
“Well, it’s kind of a side job, I guess. Since the rink is only open mornings and we’re both free in the afternoons, we joined this website where you get given a shopping list of stuff that’s been ordered online by one of the local people who can’t get out to get it themselves – you know, little old ladies mostly, but also people who work and don’t have time to shop, that sort of thing – and then me and John go and pick it up for them.”
“You’re doing other people’s shopping?”
“Yeah.”
“And you get paid to do it?”
“Well, just tips mostly, when we drop it off for them. But people are pretty generous this time of year so the money’s good and sometimes we stay and help them gift-wrap it too so then they give us extra.”
Virgil stared down at Alan, amazed.
“You guys do all that, every day? How do you get the presents over to their houses?”
“Well, that’s the hard part, ‘cause we only really have the bus and sometimes it takes us lots of trips if it’s like a big shop or something, or more than one order. A couple of times we had to take a cab but then that meant we had to pay more to get there so it ended up not being really worth it. Money-wise, that is. Is was still nice to help those people out, you know?”
Virgil smiled warmly at his little brother’s sincerity.
“Yeah, I know. That’s pretty amazing Ally. You know, if you wanted, Scott and I usually finish at six so we could always help you guys out with the deliveries if you wanted? That way you could take on more orders during the afternoon and just pile the stuff into Scott’s car and we could all drop it off on the way home?”
“Really?”
“Sure, why not? I’d rather that than have you guys sneaking around and getting in all sorts of busses and taxis to stranger’s houses.”
“You’re starting to sound way too much like Scott, you know that, Virge?”
“Hey, he just cares. And so do I. Although, you know this means I’ll have to tell him what’s going on, right? He might not be too happy you guys have been keeping secrets.”
“Meh, I think Scott has enough secrets of his own right now to worry about ours.”
“What does that mean?” Virgil asked, confused.
“Oh, nothing. Just, we spend the afternoons shopping, me and John. Sometimes we see things…”
Suddenly it wasn’t Scott that Virgil was concerned with.
“See things, like around the mall?”
“Like at Thompson’s Sporting Goods. Or, you know, that new department store upstairs with the Santa’s grotto on the front of it…” Alan trailed off, face the picture of sweet and innocent but implications anything but. Oh God.
You know, Ally, if you don’t want my help…”
“No! Wait, I didn’t say that!”
Virgil grinned. Problem solved.
“Don’t worry Sprout, I got your back. Although maybe let Gordon in on it too, yeah? His training camp finishes at the end of the week so he’ll have some time free in the mornings to help you out.”
“You mean before he goes off to that stinky old reindeer farm?” Alan asked, making a face as he said it.
“You know about that?”
“We share a room, Virge. It’s not like he could hide it. He’s Gordon. He’s messy. There are muddy clothes stuffed under, like, everything.”
“Well, I guess there is that.”
“You know he was bringing one of the reindeers here today?”
“Yeah…I know.”
“And I heard on the two-way in the kitchens that there was an animal attack earlier on.”
“Mmmhuhh…” Virgil did not like where this was going.
“So, I guess that’s a new one for your list then, huh?”
Virgil stared down at his younger sibling in awe.
“What makes you so sure it was me?”
“It’s a big animal, Virge. And, well, you know – it’s you.”
“So?”
“So, everyone knows they just look for you. It’s like they have some kind of a radar. You’re like, the personal punching bag of the big animal world.”
Great, what a reputation to have. Alan was right though. Thank God Dad had never had any great desires to take them on Safari.
“So, it really wasn’t you, after all?” Alan asked, shocked.
“No…” Virgil sighed, defeated. “It was.”
Alan laughed. “Sorry Virge.”
Virgil laughed too. “Nah, s’ok. Guess it is pretty funny.”
“So, it didn’t hurt you?”
“Well, I got two giant hoof prints in the front and a sleigh-shaped dent in the back, but nothing I can’t handle.”
“Hoof prints?”
“Hoof prints.”
“Wow.”
“Yeah.”
A moments silence, and then they were both laughing at the ridiculousness of it all. Before long the siren was blaring to mark the end of the session out on the ice.
“Hey, do me a favour?” Virgil asked. “Don’t tell John I was here? I think he’s had a pretty rough morning so last thing he probably wants is me here making it worse.”
“You’re not going to lecture him on the dangers of skating when you don’t know how to skate?”
“Nah, I have a better idea. But hey, what I said before still stands though. Meet us at the carpark just after six and we’ll give you a hand with your present drop.”
“Thanks Virgil. Oh and hey, if you have some time free, you should check out the new window display over where Scott’s working. It’s pretty…interesting.”
Hhhm. Okay. Well that sounded ominous. Maybe he would go and do just that.
“No worries kid.” He gave his brother an affectionate nudge before looking up to see John attempting to - very slowly - make his way off the ice. “Gotta’ run.”
And with that Virgil was off. Quick stop at the jewellery store to make his second down-payment on Ellie’s necklace, then off home for a few hours downtime with Grandma before he needed to be back to meet the others later on. But first, about that window…
5
Scott was lost for words. It didn’t happen often, but when it did, you could usually bank on it being down to a brother or two. This time it was two.
“Scotty. You okay there?” Virgil asked as they missed their next turning.
“I just…can’t believe they’ve been at it for over a week and neither one of us noticed.”
Virgil Scoffed. “Yeah, think we’ve lost our watchful big brother status.”
As luck had had it, Scott had been given the afternoon off also and had been making his way out of Mr Thompson’s store (thankfully after having changed back into his normal attire) just as Virgil had turned up to check out the window display Alan had been so keen for him to see. While Virgil didn’t entirely understand Alan’s reasons for sending him there, he did have to admit the teenage girl modelling the new Cheerleading range on the other side of the glass was pretty nice to look at. It was just a shame she only seemed to have eyes for Scott – a fact which was blatantly obvious for all to see, clearly reciprocal and which Virgil was not about to let Scott forget about any time soon. In fact, he had ribbed him about it all the way back to the car until they set off on their way home and the conversation inevitably moved on to the more pressing subject of just exactly what Alan and John had been getting themselves into this past week.
“But hey,” Virgil tried again as he realised his previous comment probably wouldn’t have done much to make Scott any happier, “at least now we don’t have to share any of our earnings with them, so you might not even need to go back to work next week. You must have made enough by now to cover your present shopping?”
Scott sighed. “Yeah…I guess you’re right. Although, you know, I think I might stick it out until Christmas anyway.”
“Ah, okay. This wouldn’t have anything to do with your little Cheerleading friend back there, would it?”
“No! Well, maybe a bit. I dunno. More to do with something Dad said, though.”
“Dad?”
“Yeah. We had a talk. He said some…things. About work. The other guys. You.”
“Me?”
“Yeah. Hey, Virge. You’d tell me if there was anything going on with you at work, right?”
“Going on? Like how?”
“Like if you were keeping any…secrets?”
Virgil swallowed nervously.
“You know what, forget I said anything. I think finding out about John and Alan has just made me paranoid.”
Virgil breathed a sigh of relief, though the guilt that came with it was surmountable. He hated lying to Scott. Normally they were a team. They told each other everything. But this? Scott was his role model, someone to look up to. Virgil couldn’t face the thought of his big brother finding out he was spending his days as a stocking-wearing, pointy-eared Christmas Elf. He just couldn’t. It was bad enough the others had found out.
In the next seat over, Scott was having similar thoughts. This was it, the perfect opportunity to come clean to Virgil and tell him just what it was he had been doing every day. Especially after having just asked Virgil outright if he was keeping any secrets. Scott felt like such a hypocrite. But even so. He was supposed to be the role model, the one they looked up to, listened to. Dad worked a lot and when Scott gave orders, he needed the others to respect him enough to listen and back him up and Virgil always did; his lifelong best friend and Second in Command. How could he possible let Virgil see him dancing around – and so, so badly – in that little sparkly outfit and still expect his brother to respect him after that? Even as the thoughts went through his head, he knew he was doing his brother a disservice. This was pure Scott Tracy paranoia at its best. Virgil wouldn’t care; of course he wouldn’t. At least two of his other brothers had been roaming the mall for a week and clearly already knew and they had said nothing, not a word. Maybe he should…
“So why have you taken the afternoon off?” Virgil asked, attempting to fill the long silence that had settled over the car as Scott thought things through.
“What? Oh, yeah. Something else Dad said – I need to go have a little talk with Gordon about something.”
“Err, you know, he might not be home. He has that training camp.”
“It’s fine, that’s early mornings only, he’ll be long finished by now.”
“Well, yeah, but I think maybe he had other plans this afternoon so he probably won’t be home.”
“It’s okay Virge, I know where he is.”
“You do?”
Scott thought for a moment. Virgil had told him about Alan and John. It was only fair he repaid the favour.
“Yes, look Virgil. It turns out Gordon has been lying to everyone as well. Gordon’s been working afternoons at Coach Ashford’s Reindeer Farm.”
“You know about that?” Virgil asked, surprised.
“Dad told me, he wants me to go spend some time with Gords, like Gramps did for me. Hold up. How did you know about that?”
“I swear Scott, I only found out today.”
“But you’ve been working all day, how could you possibly…wait – you said you left early because of an incident at work. Gordon was helping take one of the reindeer into the mall this morning. That animal attack!! That was you, wasn’t it?!”
“WHAT?” Virgil spun on his brother. How in the heck –
“They put an alert out to all the other businesses, just in case anything else happened. I’m right, aren’t I?”
“Oh, come ON!!!” Virgil vented as he buried his face into his arms on the dash, banging his head in an attempt to wipe out the events of the day. Scott could only laugh.
“Oh God, Virge, I’m sorry but it’s just so…I mean, I should have worked it out earlier. As soon as I found out Gordon was going to be taking that reindeer in, I should have known. What is it with you, it’s like they seek you out or something?”
“Scott, if I knew the answer to that, I wouldn’t have a reindeer shaped impression in my chest right now.” Scott’s expression immediately switched to concern. “Don’t worry, I’m fine, I got checked out and everything. You could have warned me he was coming in though.”
“Sorry Virge, it didn’t really occur to me that it would be an issue. I mean, you work in the stockroom – how did it even find you? You venture too close to the grotto or what?”
“Something like that.”
Scott laughed again, he just couldn’t help it, despite his brother’s misery. Virgil glared.
“Okay, okay, I’m sorry, and I’m guessing you don’t want to come with me to go Visit Gords so I’ll drop you off at home with Grandma and then come grab you later to pick up the other guys. We can help them with their present drop on the way home just like you said we would.”
“Really, you don’t mind? You’re not mad at them for lying.”
“Nah,” Scott really couldn’t blame them for that, not with his own behaviour recently, “it might even be fun.”
***
It was later that night and the boys were helping Grandma clear up after dinner when Jeff eventually made it home, having gotten stuck at work despite it being the supposedly quiet holiday wind-down.
Everything had gone as planned for the others prior to that. Scott had made it over to Ashford’s farm, having previously arranged it with the Coach. After Gordon’s initial shock at seeing his big brother turn up and slight anger that Scott had decided to interfere in the first place, they had both actually ended up having a pretty fun afternoon. Scott had enjoyed teaching Gordon about farming and the reasons behind what he was being asked to do; everything from how it affected the ecosystem and helped the environment right through to the more personal and business benefits. Meanwhile, Gordon had enjoyed putting Scott to work as he talked, sitting back and listening as his older brother took on his usual cleaning, grooming and shovelling duties. Scott had smiled away to himself as Gordon had mentioned this ‘friend’ of his that was having trouble getting along with the reindeer and needed some help. Without wanting to let on that he had a very good idea who this ‘friend’ might be, Scott had suggested that maybe Gordon used his new found passion to help said ‘friend’ find a way around it. Gordon would do just that.
Before long, they had been having such a good time just hanging out and talking – something Gordon and Scott never really got the chance to do anymore – that Gordon had joined back in with the work too. It was the first time that he had really begun to understand how important his job actually was to the Coach and the Farm and that he wasn’t just there to make money and clear up someone else’s mess. He was actually contributing to a much bigger picture. He liked that. In fact, he liked it so much that he was actually looking forward to going back again tomorrow and telling his other brothers all about it.
After that, the Coach had let them off slightly early so they had both had time to go home, shower, pick up Virgil and head back to the mall for John and Alan who were waiting by the carpark in anticipation with a pile of goods the size of a small mountain. It had been a pure feat of engineering to get all five of them and the shopping into the car but they had managed it and had successfully delivered everything, gaining more than enough tips to make it worth-while doing again and again, which they fully planned to do right up until Christmas. Only, from tomorrow onwards Scott had vowed to bring their Grandpa’s old truck so they would have more space for everything and John would keep the keys so that he and Alan could take on more orders and stack everything in the vehicle during the day, ready and waiting for when the others finished work. After all, as John put it, he would have much more time on his hands from tomorrow anyway, as the ice rink would surely be letting him go. There was no way he could make it through another shift without falling over and he was already on his final warning. Virgil had smiled at that – he had no intention of letting John be fired, not if he had anything to do with it.
Currently Virgil was off digging in the hallway closet, ploughing through load after load of old junk and boxes until he found…” Yes! There you are.”
“Find what you needed, son?” Jeff asked as he narrowly avoided a falling box of books, catching it just before it could spill out all over the ground.
“Oh, sorry Dad! Think I may have messed up your filing system,” Virgil grimaced as he looked about him at the chaos he had created during his search. “I didn’t realise how much stuff we had in here.”
“Tell me about it. Worst up, I think most of it hasn’t been touched since last Christmas when we piled the last load of unused presents in there.”
“Yeah, we do just keep throwing more things in here, I’m surprised it hasn’t collapsed on one of us before now,” Virgil commented as another box came toppling down from an overcrowded shelving unit overhead, Jeff managing to pull his son clear just in time. Seeing what was in Virgil’s hands, Jeff smiled.
“So, you found out what your brother’s been up to every day then?” Jeff gestured to the battered old hockey skates looped by the laces around Virgil’s neck and the slightly smaller, almost pristine pair still in the box in his hands.
“You know about that?”
“The mall calls me every time there’s a medical incident. John had tried to fake number them of course, just like he faked the signature on his permission slip to get that job in the first place, but even with the business still getting on its feet, the Tracy name is getting into circulation. The first aiders over there looked me up. I’ve been getting reports ever since he started, keeping an eye on him just in case things got too bad.”
“He faked your signature? Wow, weren’t you mad? I mean, does he know that you know?”
“No, he doesn’t. I thought about ringing him out, believe me. I even went down there, but after seeing him out there for myself I figured he was punishing himself enough sticking it out on that ice every day without me needing to give him another lecture. As long as he’s not in any serious trouble and he’s still looking out for Alan while he’s there, which he is, then I’m happy. Plus, I’ve got Jarod’s dad keeping an extra eye on the both of them. I don’t think Alan has even realised that’s why he gets brought a plate of free food and all the hot cocoa he wants while he sits in that café waiting for John every morning.”
Virgil had to laugh at that. Even when he was at work all day, their father still knew everything they were up to. Bur wait, if he knew about John getting hurt, then…
“Hey Dad? When you said they called you about John. Does that mean – “
“That they also called me to report that the second eldest of my apparently very accident-prone brood had just been kicked through a door by an angry Christmas reindeer?”
Virgil winced.
“Yes, they did. However, as they assured me you were okay, there was nothing to worry about, and that you were insisting I didn’t need to be contacted, I said thank you very much for the call and that was that.”
“And that’s why you’re here now, checking up on me?”
“Exactly.” Jeff smiled. “So?”
“So, I really am fine Dad. No major damage.”
Jeff frowned. “What about minor damage.”
“Just some weird shaped bruising, nothing more. It’s all good. I think it’s happened so often I’ve built up some kind of immunity to it. Didn’t hurt half as much as that Kangaroo.”
They both cringed at that memory.
“Ok son, well, if you’re sure. Just don’t go at it too hard,” Jeff nodded again at the skates in Virgil’s hand.
“We won’t.”
***
John was hot. Beyond hot. In fact, he was bordering on being an absolute sweaty mess under all the extra layers Virgil had bounded him up in. Outside all around them the air was near to freezing, their breaths steaming up in front of them through the darkness. Even so, under all these coats and trousers, pads, cushions and the oversized football helmet stuck on his head, John would never feel it.
They had been out on the ice for half an hour already, down on the frozen pond in the back field. The other Tracy’s had been skating there every Winter practically their whole lives; the pond deemed perfectly safe due to it being only about half a foot deep at the best of times. Still, John had never seen much of a need to venture out there before except for that one time his Father had insisted he try it, just to see if he liked it. He hadn’t. He still didn’t. Despite all that, he had taken on his new job – the only one available to him – determined to see it through to Christmas. That meant not getting fired and that meant taking up Virgil’s offer of nightly skating lessons from this point forward. Every evening after dinner, his big brother had insisted, out of not wanting to see him hurt again. He was still sporting a wrist guard from this morning’s disaster and didn’t want to add another one to the mix. He only wished he had gone to Virgil sooner, but he had been too embarrassed to ask. It had come almost as a relief when after dinner that night Virgil had rocked into their shared bedroom, plonked John’s once used skates down on the bed in front of him and told him he knew everything that had been going on. At the time, he had been unbelievably grateful for the offer of help, but now…
“Another lap, faster! The key is not to be scared of the ice, attack it! It can’t hurt you if you own it, just remember that. First step is attitude,” Virgil called as he zipped past John, almost twirling him around in his wake.
There was not going to be any easing into it, Virgil had made that very clear. There just wasn’t the time for that. John needed to get better at this and to do it quickly. He knew the younger had it in him and that he was not half as clumsy as he believed himself to be, he just needed to find a way to focus.
“It’s like math,” Virgil tried again, a little more relaxed this time as he sensed John was getting frustrated.
“Virgil, in what universe is ice skating ever like math?”
“Let me re-phrase that. Ice-skating, is like skiing, you know, technically – the way you stop, move your feet blah blah blah, and I know you can ski. So just do that.”
“’Just do that’ he says. You make it sound so simple.”
“It is simple, you’re just over thinking it because you’re scared of falling. But the ice can’t hurt you, not tonight, see,” Virgil poked at all the padding he had swaddled onto his little brother until the younger fell butt-first onto the ice. Credit to Virgil though, it didn’t hurt.
“But I won’t have all this on me tomorrow.”
“No, you won’t, but it won’t matter, because you’re just going skiing, like I said, which you already know how to do, right?”
“Virgil, I don’t get – “
“Visualise, John. Don’t think, just move your feet.”
Virgil pulled his brother up and John did just that, gliding along on the skates just as he would a pair of skis on the flat snow, exactly like they had when their mother had taught them. At some point, John didn’t know when, Virgil had let go of his arm, but John had kept going. Round the rink he went, getting faster and faster, strides closer and more graceful with each move. Forget the stupid padding! He wanted it gone, out of his way!
“Whoop! Yeah Johnny, you got this!” Came the shouts from the side-line, where Virgil was now leaning happily against an old fencepost which held back his three other brothers, all puffy coats and woolly hats, cheering away at his progress and boosting his confidence tenfold. He could do this. He really could. If only Virgil wasn’t now adding cones to his path. Remembering his snow-plough, he screeched to a sudden stop.
“Lesson two.” Virgil stated.
“Already?”
“No time to waste, little brother.” He stared at John, knowing he was moving things along ridiculously fast, but there was also zero doubt in his mind that John could hack it. And boy, did he need to.
“Lesson two.” John repeated, determined.
“Okay then,” Virgil grinned, “skating is like Math.”
Great, this again.
“Virgil, we already went past that one. Skating isn’t like Math, it’s like skiing, and that’s working for me so let’s stick with that.”
“No, technical skating is like skiing. Plotting your next move and working the crowds – that’s like Math. It’s all one big equation. Work out what the people are doing, where they’re going, where you need them to be, and find the way through. People are predictable, mostly, you just have to spot the patterns. Just like you do in class, it’s no different.”
“You said ‘mostly’.”
“Well, yeah, the ice can make things a bit difficult. Every now and then something will go wrong and someone will fall on their face – not you – and you have to watch out for that. Those are your variables. As long as you watch the crowd, see them coming and factor them in, you’re winning. It’s all just one big equation needing solving.”
“So the cones are – ?”
“In real life, people. In your head, whatever you need them to be. Numbers, building blocks, data – whatever your brain needs to process them, just work it out. Right?” Virgil asked, sincerely, hoping he was not barking up completely the wrong tree with this one.
“Right.” John replied, determined.
The others cheered. The lessons continued. John, no matter how much hard work it would take, would learn how to skate.
6
It was Christmas Eve. It should have been easy; one final morning of work, an afternoon of shopping with all of their hard-earned cash and then off home to enjoy Christmas with their Father and Grandmother. Yes, it should have been easy.
The last week and a half had been fun for them all. While Virgil and Scott were still going out of their way to hide what they were doing from each other, for no good reason whatsoever, they were both enjoying the fact that they no longer had to hide things from their other brothers. It had made work more fun and taken the pressure off of everything. Jeff had even given in and told Grandma what they were all up to, not being able to handle any more of her fretting and scrutinising looks.
Virgil had been alternating his nights between John and Gordon. Odds were skating lessons, evens were ‘getting to know you’ sessions with Bessie the reindeer ahead of her expected reappearance today at the mall’s annual Christmas Eve ‘Spectacular’, an event held out in the parking lot where families could enjoy a morning of fun with Santa while skating on the ice-rink and seeing what the stores had to showcase. Both the skating and the Bessie sessions were going exceptionally well. Virgil was now able to actually stand next to Bessie for a good amount of time with nothing more that the odd angry snort aimed in his direction. Gordon had done a good job in researching the best techniques to work with the animals and bringing them into his job.
Meanwhile, John’s skating skills had somehow surpassed all of the others’ combined. He was now zipping around the rink like he had been born in a pair of skates, ducking and diving with the grace of a seasoned dancer all while corralling and organising the crowds to wherever he needed them to be. The people he worked with could barely believe the change, let alone John himself, but he loved it.
After his training camp had come to an end, Gordon had joined Alan in spending his mornings at the mall, allowing the youngest Tracy to leave the confines of the Café and up his client list on the personal shopping business. By the time today had come around and with all the brothers helping out where they could, they had probably delivered the shopping for over half the population of their town, they were so busy. Word of this website and the good it was doing in helping people who couldn’t get out for themselves had spread fast and the tips were flowing in to match.
Then there was Scott. It had taken the whole three weeks - a long and hard process with many, many bruises and practices - but Helena had persevered with her training of him and by God, the boy had finally mastered the dancing. For the first time, just this morning, Scott Tracy had made it through an entire cheer routing without stepping one single foot out of line. So happy was he, that he no longer cared about their upcoming showcase performance at the Spectacular, which was due to start any minute now. He was proud of his achievement and happy to show it off, even in his little sparkly blue uniform and to a crowd which was expected to be a good thirty times bigger than any he had ‘performed’ in front of previously. Also, the hug Helena had given him as they had finished their practice was a very welcome addition and something he hoped to replicate again at the earliest opportunity.
Right now, as Scott and Helena were waiting on the side-lines of the marked-out performance area for their turn to be called, straight after the local children’s choir, what they weren’t aware of was the two new faces that had just joined the crowd.
“Are you sure the boys won’t mind us being here, Jeff? I’d hate for Scott to get nervous if he knew we were watching,” Grandma asked.
“He’ll be fine Mom. He doesn’t know Virgil is out here either so if anything, it will be spotting him that throws Scott off, not us.”
“And I assume Virgil doesn’t know that Scott is going to be out here, either?”
“I’d guess not. I don’t think Virgil is too happy at being outside amongst all these crowds in that outfit as it is. You know he hadn’t even realised the Spectacular had been moved outside this year until Gordon dropped the bombshell this morning.”
“Oh dear,” Grandma tutted.
“Hhm. Speaking of Deer,” Jeff nodded over to where a very large livestock container had just pulled up. “This doesn’t look good.”
“I thought Coach Ashford was loaning Bessie for this event? Gordon and Virgil have been working so hard with her all week to make sure we don’t have a repeat of last week’s ‘incident’.”
“That was the plan as I understood it. Come on, we have a couple of minutes until Scott’s up, let’s go check it out.”
Steering his mother through the hoards of people, Jeff and Grandma soon reached the area where the truck had pulled up, only to find a very angry Coach Ashford and Mr Rafferty arguing with some management type in an ill-fitting suit. Behind them, a team of mall staff were helping unload a heard of exactly nine, gigantic reindeer, none of whom looked pleased to be there. As the reindeer were strung together and harnessed on to the front of the Mall’s fake sleigh, Bessie and Gordon were not-so-delicately shoved aside.
“Gordon, everything okay?” Jeff asked, dropping an arm protectively onto his boy’s shoulder.
“Mall are saying that because of what happened with Virge that we’re not allowed to have Bessie here anymore. I told them that she’s fine now and that it was all just a misunderstanding before but they don’t believe me. They’re saying we have to take her away and that they’ve hired in some other reindeer for the Grotto to use, even though the Coach has been doing this gig, like, forever.”
It was true. Jeff had seen Virgil out here with Bessie not five minutes ago before his boy had disappeared off inside to help ready the presents for the children and everything had been fine. It was a sight he had never expected to see with his second eldest given his…history.
Behind them, the argument between the Coach, Rafferty and the mall management team was heating up and beginning to draw attention.
“Gordon, why don’t you run and secure Bessie in her trailer for a little while so she’s safe out of the way. I’ll see if there’s anything I can do.”
But there wasn’t. No amount of bartering would persuade the management team to risk using a reindeer that had a track record for violence, especially when they had a team of nine brand new ones all strung up and ready to go. No matter how rough-looking and untamed they appeared to be, pulling against their reins and reluctant to listen to their handlers.
“They’ll hurt the reindeer if they keep treating them like that,” Gordon commented angrily as he returned to the scene.
“I know Son,” the Coach said, “but there’s nothing we can do about it this time. Looks like it’s the end of the line for me and old Bessie.”
Nothing they could do about it? They obviously didn’t know Gordon Tracy very well. As another of the handlers slapped an angry hand down on one of the disobedient reindeer, Gordon decided enough was enough. Jumping up onto the sleigh, he proceeded to stand right on the front of it, blocking Santa’s view entirely and stopping them from going anywhere anytime soon. Behind Gordon, Santa looked towards Mr Rafferty for direction.
“I’m not moving until they unhook those reindeer. They’ve not been prepared for this. They’re dangerous and they shouldn’t be here,” Gordon proclaimed.
“He’s right!” the Coach called up in support. “You tell ’em, boy.”
Over on the far side of the parking lot, music began blaring out as Scott and Helena were announced into the performance zone and Thompson’s Sporting Goods began their Showcase.
“Jeff, the show’s starting,” Grandma called.
Jeff had no idea what to do by this point. Should he be proud of his boy for taking a stand or worried at the precariousness of his current situation? What he had failed to realise was that Gordon wasn’t the son he should have been concerned about at this point in time at all. No, because off in the distance and making his way back out into the parking lot along with Mel, his co-Elf, was the number one most hated man in the big-animal kingdom: Virgil Tracy.
“Oh heck.” Jeff declared as he watched his son suddenly freeze, spotting the animals from where he stood. Next to Jeff, he sensed the feeling was mutual as every single one of those nine raring reindeer began to stiffen and rise up to their full-height, ready for a showdown.
As Virgil slowly crouched to the ground, depositing the gifts he had been carrying into a safe space, he then began to – as delicately as possible without spooking the creatures any further – encourage Mel to begin stepping away from him. He knew she must have foreseen the danger too, as she didn’t even bother to put up a fight like she normally would have, instead listening carefully to Virgil’s every instruction and getting herself well out of his way. Coming back up to a stand, there was a brief moment where both sides took stock of their chances, as had happened previously with Bessie and all those that had sadly come before her. Then it was on.
“Virgil, run!!” Both Jeff and Gordon called out, but by this point it was too late and both reindeer and sleigh were already hurtling across the carpark toward the vulnerable Tracy, Gordon flying back from the force of their ignition and landing sprawled in Santa’s lap as they were both dragged along for the ride.
“Oh Sh - !” Virgil began, but didn’t get a chance to finish the thought as the pack of raging animals came charging towards him.
He tried to look for a safe escape route, he really did, but there was just nowhere to go. There were people literally everywhere. He couldn’t even see a way back into the building. To stand and face the pack would mean absolute and certain death by trampling. Not good. He would maybe save a few people in the process, if he was lucky, but given the speed the animals were coming there was no way they would be able to stop at just him and he was currently stood in front of a very, very big crowd. There was only one thing for it and Virgil did exactly what his Father and Brother had said: he ran.
Looking for the clearest route, Virgil took off in a sprint or as close to a sprint he could manage in those ridiculous Elf shoes. He leapt tables, dodged stalls and screamed out to people left and right to get out of the way but it was no good. Every way that Virgil went, the reindeer followed. Gordon did his best from the sleigh to grab the reins and help steer but the beasts were just too strong and he and Santa were thrown around on the ride of their lives. Dragged all the way around the back of the main crowds and behind the performance zone, all involved suddenly realised there was nowhere else to go but across into the marked-out staging area and hope the spectators on the other side had time to clear them a path before anyone got hurt.
Around them, the Spectacular was in utter chaos as Mall staff did their best to evacuate the wider area. John had heard the call over the radio and was desperately trying to help clear the ice rink. He didn’t know what the issue was, only that they needed to get everyone inside, and fast. So that’s just what he did. Jeff, Grandma, the Coach and Mr Rafferty watched from afar as the mayhem unfolded. The performers and spectators at the centre carried on, oblivious under the sounds of the music system until Virgil’s cry for them to GET OUT OF THE WAY finally made it through. The crowd screamed but made a hole. Scott and Helena spun mid-routine just in time for Virgil the Elf to come flying through the centre of them, both Scott and Virgil’s eyes going wide with the shock at seeing each other. Virgil didn’t have time to stop though. On he went, as fast as he possible could. He didn’t need to look back to know that the animals were gaining on him. Luckily for Scott, he managed to recover and pull himself together in just enough time to grab Helena and throw them both to the side to safety as nine charging reindeer, Gordon, Santa and their runaway sleigh came barrelling through at top speed and waiting for no-one. Picking themselves up, Scott grabbed Helena by the hand and ushered her towards him. “Come on,” he called as they left the bewildered crowd and took off in pursuit of the sleigh.
John was the last to see it coming. He and his team – yes, they were all working under his instruction now, despite his young age – had cleared the ice. There should have been nothing more to do except to clear themselves also, but the second John saw exactly what the problem was, he knew what he had to do. Surveying the remaining people around the parking lot, he found his pattern and mapped out the moves; the best way through. Then he called out to Virgil. As loud and hard as his voice could carry, he screeched down the ice rink’s PA system, calling his brother to him and hopefully to safety.
It was like a beacon from the heavens, his little brother’s voice. Just as Virgil was running out of steam, losing the fight and the will to keep going, there it was: John’s calming tones. He knew where he had to go now. John had by this point coordinated the rest of his team out into the parking lot to clear them a way through. Virgil saw it. He also saw John, out waiting for him on the ice. With one last burst of energy of the sort that could only come from a brother, or four, spurring you on; he ran.
Leaping the barrier at the last second, Virgil crashed straight into the arms of his waiting brother, who manoeuvred them both as carefully as he could at breakneck speed down onto the ice where they eventually slid to a stop in the centre. Thankfully taking so many falls in the early days had taught John how to do it right. On the other side of the barriers, the reindeer came to a screeching halt, unable to jump due to their tight harnesses and with no further place to go as their prize was now out of reach. As they veered off to the side in the final slow to a full stop, Santa’s sleigh followed suit, whipping around and crashing into the side of the rink where Gordon and Santa also leapt their way to safety. Behind that, two Cheerleaders joined them, Scott pausing only briefly to expertly propel his female ‘flyer’ companion up onto his hands where she could safely dismount herself on the other side, ice be damned. She had made Scott put up with a whole lot for her in these last few weeks, so she would absolutely stick by him now. It was a slipping, sliding mop of blonde that hurtled out of the café and straight across the ice to became the final member of the tiny and exhausted group, little Alan having watched the whole thing unfold from where John had shunted him to safety and determined to make sure he still had all four brothers at the end of it.
As a smiling Virgil starfished himself out on the ice to catch his breath and Scott did his rounds checking on the others, it wasn’t Jeff and Grandma that made it to them first. No, it was the Manager of the Mall himself. Oblivious to his duties of checking on the welfare of his staff and with limited knowledge of what had actually transpired other than the gawping crowds and trail of destruction that led right to the little Tracy pile, his one and only thought was to make sure someone took the blame and it sure wasn’t going to be him. With a roaring “YOU’RE ALL FIRED!!” which was followed just a few minutes later by a lifetime ban for a one ‘Mr Virgil Tracy’, the man was gone, off to work damage control before the press arrived. The boys just took one look at each other and laughed. No-one had gotten hurt, everyone was alive and they were all back together as one at last, no more secrets. Life was good, and that was how Jeff and Grandma found them all: one big Tracy hug, plus Helena the Cheerleader…and Santa.
7
A couple hours later in the sanctuary of the local diner and sat directly below a big-screen TV which seemed intent on replaying a multitude of mobile-phone-filmed coverage of the morning’s disaster, Grandma, Jeff and the boys all sat. A giant plate of nachos filled the centre of the table, surrounded by seven large milkshakes. The boys chatted away happily amongst themselves, commenting as the footage on the TV depicted every detail of what had happened from Bessie’s eviction and Gordon’s heroic stand-up for animal (and farmer’s) rights, to Scott’s mainstage performance to John’s expert clearance of a previously overcrowded ice rink. For Jeff and Grandma, it was a sight to behold. How his little pack could cause so much destruction in the space of only a couple minutes was mind blowing, but there it was in full-colour for all the world to see. Lord only knew the heights they could scale if they ever banded together in something planned and productive, if this was the impact they had by pure accident. He smiled to himself at that thought. In actual fact, he couldn’t wait to see it.
As the excitement eventually began to die down, the conversation turned to something much more sobering.
“So Coach Ashford lost his contract with the Mall, because of me?” Virgil asked.
“No, not because of you, son. Because establishments like that just can’t afford to take the risk. I know we all joke about it just being you that these things happen to, but before Gordon took the time to work with her, Bessie could have easily decided to attack any member of the public or to run wild, just like those others did.”
“Dad, she wouldn’t,” Gordon interjected, but was cut off by his Father.
“Maybe not Gordon, but you can’t possibly say for sure. All you can do is work with her, just like you have done, to minimise the risk.”
“Fat lot of good it did, the Coach still lost the work.”
“And we all got fired.”
“And Virge got banned for life.”
“And the Spectacular got ruined, so none of the kids got to enjoy the fun or see Santa.”
“And the Mall is shut for the rest of the day, so after all that saving, we didn’t even get to buy our presents.”
“That’s not quite true,” Virgil spoke up, “I went and picked up Ellie’s necklace on Wednesday to give it to her early.”
“And?”
“And she put it on, made some comment about how she made it look good, then dumped me for not spending any time with her for the last three weeks and for being an Elf.”
“But you were only doing it for her!” Scott cried out in his brother’s defence.
“Well, not quite, I was doing it for you guys too, but I guess that plan went out the window. Think I’m better off anyway. All she cared about was how she looked and what other people thought. If there’s one thing I’ve learned over the last three weeks, it’s that all that stuff doesn’t even matter.” Elf Virgil smiled over at Scott, still in full Cheerleader uniform, matching hair glitter and face gems to boot.
“I second that. Let’s never keep secrets like that again Virge. Man, that took so much effort, and for what?”
“Finally!” Grandma declared. “All that sneaking around and bravado – foolishness, the lot of it and no good for my health. I for one am just glad all you boys are back on the same side and talking to each other again.”
“But what about the presents? It’s Christmas tomorrow and we haven’t got each other anything?” Gordon asked.
“Boys, Christmas is not all about the presents. This is what I was trying to teach you all along,” Jeff explained, “somewhere along the way, after your mother passed…us Tracy’s lost our way. We lost sight of what was important. I want you to look back over the last three week’s and tell me what you’ve enjoyed the most.”
“I liked spending time with you again Dad,” Scott took the lead and began, seeing that the others needed that push to step forwards, “all that time we all thought we were being so clever, hiding things. But you knew everything. You were just so calm and in control and you taught me how to be like that too. I’ll really need that, next year, when I’m off at the academy. Then there was hanging out with Gords. It made me remember my time with Gramps, doing the same when I was Gordon’s age. Plus, it was nice to pass that knowledge on; to know that Gramp’s teachings are still going.”
“That was fun for me too,” Gordon replied. “I really like all that animal stuff now, it’s interesting. I don’t normally get to make a difference like that, but Bessie really listened to me.”
“Yeah, thankfully for me! I finally got to stand next to something bigger than a cat without it wanting to tear me to pieces! I really enjoyed our sessions too, Gords.” Virgil said. “Also, I know I was a bit of a misery to begin with about the whole Elf thing, but I really did like working with the kids, you know, making the magic real, seeing the smiles. That was nice. Despite the silly outfit.”
“It really isn’t all that bad,” Grandma offered.
“Don’t be so sure Grandma, you didn’t see the first one!”
A flying nacho made its way from Virgil to a grinning Gordon’s head.
“What about you, John?” Jeff asked before things could get too off-topic.
“Finally learning to skate after all these years. It will be fun to come out with you guys on the pond now, not just stay inside and watch or miss out completely like I used to. Thanks Virgil. The lessons were great. Plus, Coach Ashford saw the footage of me evacuating the rink and offered me a spot on the hockey team next season.”
“One of the cool kids now, hey Johnny? No more Math camp for you, huh?” Scott teased.
“There’s always time for Math, Scott. In fact, I hear that skating and Math go hand in hand.” John smiled at Virgil, who winked.
“And what about you, Alan?” Grandma asked, noting that the youngest Tracy had been unusually quiet so far.
Looking around at the happiness on his family’s faces, all the boy could do was smile. “I just liked us all hanging out and working together. Usually you guys are all off doing your own things and I get shunted away.” The others looked down at the table, dismayed and knowing there was a truth in that, something which from this point onwards would certainly change. “It was fun having everyone together again.”
The boys, Dad and Grandma all smiled at each other, knowingly, before sharing a few one-armed hugs and affectionate nudges.
“Plus, there’s this,” Alan declared as he then preceded to slap the biggest roll of cash the boys had ever seen in real-life down on the table in front of him, leaving the others speechless.
“Alan,” Jeff began, filling the stunned silence that surrounded him. “Where did you get all that money, son?”
“From the website. My website. John helped me build it.”
“YOUR website?!!” The boys all chorused at once. “You mean, the one we’ve been delivering orders for these last two weeks? You came up with that?” Virgil asked.
“Yeah, I got the idea that first day when I was stuck at Jarod’s, helping his Nan with her online shopping. Then John helped me build it and I worked out the orders while he was skating.”
“Hold up,” Gordon was not happy about this, “you mean that whole time we were running around shopping and delivering to people’s houses, we were actually working for YOU?!”
“Yeah, it was real fun, getting to be you guy’s Boss,” Alan beamed.
The boys had no more words. Grandma, however, did.
“Unbelievable! Jefferson, your boy’s an extortionist!”
“No, mother, he’s a businessman. And a damned good one from the looks of all that cash.” Jeff smiled at Alan as the boy grinned back in delight. The others laughed.
“But Ally, how did you get all that? I thought we were working for tips?”
“We were, mostly. But I also added a booking fee to the website, plus a couple other optional extras people could choose.”
“Genius.”
“I’ll say.”
“But what do I do with it now? The Mall is shut so I can’t but anything.”
“Well,” Scott began, “assuming we’re all happy not doing actual physical presents this year - or ever again for that matter - which after the last few minutes conversation I’m pretty sure we all are, then I might have an idea. It will need everyone willing to contribute though, and it will probably take a whole lot of hard work…”
But that was all it took. The trust was back and with their new-found Christmas spirit full to the brim, the boys had no issues whatsoever in pooling their earnings and jumping on board to follow their big brother in executing his next plan and the very next day, Christmas Day, the first ever Ashford farm Winter family festival was born. Bessie the reindeer met all the local children, supported by her favourite helper Gordon. Santa arrived in his newly-refurbished sleigh and helped by his two best Elves, one of whom was much too tall to be an Elf but loved the job so much he did it anyway, face paint and all. He was even rather starting to like that garish shade of Elf green. Ashford’s pond became the coolest new ice-rink around, marshalled by a team recently poached from the local mall and headed up by the best new skater around. Two rogue cheerleaders took selfies with anyone who wanted them, because apparently there were many, #ScottieTheCheerleadingHottie trending once again. At a suggested donation of $1 a go, the proceeds were all later donated to the local nursing home, expertly delivered by the youngest (and also most successful and popular amongst the residents) new entrepreneur in town. It was the most family fun Christmas the Tracy’s had had in years, along with a multitude of other families to boot, many of whom needed it just as much as they did. It was also the start of many, many more yet to come.
Epilogue
Ten years later on a little tropical Island far out in the middle of the Pacific Ocean, another family-fun Tracy Christmas is coming to a close.
Alan looks over the portraits of his brothers, one by one. They are his role models; his best friends. He is both the luckiest person in the world and the most privileged that he gets to work alongside them, doing what they do, bringing help to those who aren’t always able to help themselves. Sometimes he jokes that he misses the time, albeit brief, when his brothers all worked for him, but in reality – he wouldn’t have things any other way.
Gordon is over on the far side of the island, lovingly tending to the rockpool ecosystem he has been nurturing ever since their arrival, just as he does every other day, Christmas or not. He cares for his little habitat in the same loving and caring way he deals with every situation he comes across, because it matters, he matters and helping in any way you can, no matter how small or how hard the work; matters.
Virgil is back in his room looking over reports. There had still been a few rescues amongst all the usual Tracy Christmas fun. There always is. But it is the smiles of the children Virgil remembers as he thinks back over the events of the day; the ones who were scared for a moment that they might lose everything but then somehow got their Christmas miracle after all. Sometimes down to him and his big, green bird. He loves that he is able to give them that. Above him, on the wall, hangs a tinsel framed letter that he takes out with the decorations every year. A fond reminder of a time gone by: his official, written banning from the Kansas City Mall.
Scott smiles fondly as he thinks back on the day and runs a hand over the polished wooden surface of his father’s old desk. It is mostly his now, but it is also the place he feels most connected to the man who taught him everything he could possibly ever need to know. He is still in uniform, recently returned from a rescue himself, and into the desk draw he places the special sash he uses only on this one day every year; the one that he uses to remind himself what is truly important at the heart of it all: his family. The blue one with the little sparkly rhinestones on it.
John has returned to Thunderbird Five and glides gracefully around the holoprojections and equipment, spotting patterns and working the room like a pro, ensuring the world – his brothers included - is all sleeping peacefully, tucked in and safe.
Grandma is asleep in her bed in a haze of love and eggnog, content to be with her boys and that in ten years, not one of them has changed other than to grow more and more into the beautiful, strong, loving team she has always known them to be.
Jeff watches over them all collectively, the proudest Father in the world, the solar system, the universe, and all the space beyond...
And their mother, well, even though they may have lost their way without her for a short while. They all found their way back in the end and she will always be there, at the centre of it all, firmly in their hearts.
What matters most is family.
And occasionally, for some, not getting trampled by a heard of runaway reindeer.
Merry Christmas Everyone.
#thunderbirds are go#tag team secret santa#secret santa 2019#thunderbirds 2015#Scott Tracy#Gordon Tracy#Virgil Tracy#John Tracy#alan tracy#jeff tracy#grandma tracy
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A Supreme Family Christmas
Stephen stepped into chaos when he portaled back to the tower after checking in on the Sanctum and Kamar-Taj. The trip to Nepal was to check on the apprentices progress, and the Sanctum to check on the master that constantly filled in for him now that he lived at the tower. He checked on all three Sanctums but New York was a favorite for obvious reasons.
Now he wanted to go back.
Particularly because Scott and Sam were tossing a football in the house. At least Peter seemed to be keeping Clint's kids occupied. The archer was watching the other two with envy but he was trying to make a good impression on his kids. Stephen's respect for the man grew a little.
With a sigh, Stephen sends Levi to intercept the football flying toward Scott, the cloak catches it, chucks it at Scott's head (getting a loud 'ow! Hey') in annoyance, then calmly takes its spot in the corner of the living room. It was kind of nice that the cloak responded to his thoughts. It made handling the team so much easier.
"Mama Bear's home. We have to behave now." Sam cackles from the other side of the room.
Cassie looks up and then leaves the other kids to approach Stephen, and tilts her head farther back to study him. "So you're Spiderman's mommy?"
The doctor ignores Scott's facepalm behind him and smiles. "In a sense."
"Daddy has a crush on you." Cassie smirks when her father shouts, "I told you that in confidence Peanut!"
Peter snorts as he gets up. "It's not a secret." He walks over to Stephen and hugs him tightly. "Welcome home. How are the magical monks?"
"Boring. I never thought I would prefer the noise that comes with living with these assholes. Where's Tony?"
"Down in the lab. He had some last minute things to do for Christmas gifts."
"That would explain the ball throwing."
As Stephen walked into the kitchen, he took the time to take in the Christmas decorations quite literally covering the family floor. When he left yesterday morning, not a single piece of tinsel was to be seen. Now? It looked like Frosty the Snowman barfed.
Yes, there was fake snow. Apparently whatever was covering New York outside wasn't enough. A few weeks ago, Stephen would have chalked it up to Tony wanting to somehow making it up to Peter since the boy had trouble thermoregulating, but the sorcerer solved the little issue of the teen not being able to go outside and enjoy it. He made Peter dress warmly then conjured a heating spell just warm enough that he could still get cold but it wouldn't be fatal.
His son thanked him by throwing a snowball at the back if his head.
Peter soon realized his error when Stephen turned and multiple copies of his arms appeared.
Tony sensibly avoided that disaster. Bucky on the other hand jumped in to help Peter. The rest of the Avengers eventually following, creating the world's most intense snowball fight. It actually made the news.
"I would ask how you get the others to behave, but I've seen your powers. Both mystical and motherly." Loki smiles at Stephen from the table and the sorcerer joins him with a freshly conjured cup of tea. "It's about time one of you showed your face."
"I agreed to parent Peter...not the rest of the Avengers." Stephen thinks for a moment. "Nothing was broken right?"
"No. Not yet at least." Loki confirms.
Although nothing was broken, the trickster spoke too soon. Some of the Avengers, including Peter, started horsing around again and a few minutes into the chaos, a collective gasp reaches Stephen's ears. He stands from the table with a tired sigh, and Loki follows him around the corner to the living room to the Avengers frozen in place and looking up at the sorcerer in horror. It didn't take the man very long to notice the missing member.
Scott's eyes widen when anger slowly crawls onto Stephen's face. "Wait! He's okay! Just...nobody move! You might step on him."
Oh, Strange was livid now. "YOU SHRUNK MY CUB?!"
Bruce waves his hands wildly and attempts to shush the raging man. "Stephen! Peter is smaller which means we're louder!"
Mama Bear quieted instantly. Peter going through sensory overload was a worrying possibility. The teen was not accustomed to changing size like Scott was, and even if he was, his spider senses would be going haywire. Those absolutely would not be okay with the sudden change. Poor Peter was probably curled up and miserable.
Stephen points at Scott. "Find him. Now."
Scott uses one of his discs to shrink himself (as he did not have his suit handy) and five minutes slowly pass in absolute silence. Of course, Tony chose that time to show his face but everyone was thankfully able to keep him quiet. Loki, being the closest to the billionaire, whispers for him not to move, and Tony stops halfway to their position. He was very obviously confused at the silence, something even Clint's youngest son wasn't breaking, but probably gathered it was important.
Both Peter and Scott finally grow back to their original sizes behind one of the couches a couple minutes later, and Stephen dashes to the boy's side at the sight of hands over his ears and the sound of pained sobs. Steve pulls the ex-criminal away from the teen before Stephen can manage to run him over, and the sorcerer pulls Peter's head to his neck when he drops to his knees in front of him.
"Focus on me. Heartbeat. Smell." He notices Peter is holding back from touching him and remembers the boy saying Levi helped with his touch sense. The cloak was soft. "Do you need the cloak?"
Peter nods and Levi immediately floats over to curl around the teen.
"FRIDAY. Overload Protocol in the living room please." Tony says quietly as the Avengers (and their respective families) very slowly and quietly sit down around the living room.
The lights dim, shades cover the windows, and everyone waits patiently with bated breath as Stephen helps Peter through his sensory attack. A half hour passed before the teen finally stopped his miserable sobs and wrapped his arms around Stephen's neck, silently letting the man know he was feeling better. The sorcerer then turns his attention onto Scott once he was convinced Peter was well enough.
"Lang--"
"It wasn't his fault." Peter interrupts. "He threw the disc but I reached out and caught it by reflex. He was aiming for the tree."
"You would get yourself into trouble because of a reflex." Tony says from the other side of the couch.
Scott risks approaching the teen and gently rubs his back. "Sorry about that shortstack. You okay?"
Peter sniffs and rubs his eyes. "Y-Yeah. I'm okay now."
And just like that, everyone returned to their Christmas activities. Most of them actually just turned on a Christmas movie, and others gathered around the coffee table to play card games. Peter squishes himself in between Rhodey and Tony on the couch with Levi still wrapped around him since the cloak was being a little overprotective. Nobody was quite sure if it was the cloak itself or if it was acting on Stephen's thoughts, and some just assumed it was a little of both.
Dinner was had, both in the kitchen and in the living room since the dining table couldn't fit everyone there, and then gifts were exchanged much to the kids pleasure. Anything not safe for small eyes were either opened slyly, or was put to the side to be opened later, with only one incident that had parents and nearby Avengers covering kids eyes. In Peter's case, Levi smothered his face to block the view of Thor's gag gift from Natasha. The teen was not amused and definitely knew Stephen was responsible for the cloak suffocating him.
"I'm sixteen! I'm pretty sure whatever it is, I've seen worse on the internet."
Stephen coughs. "Sorry...habit."
Even though Levi moved away from Peter's face, the gift was already shoved away out if sight so he turned his attention back to his unopened gift. He had been buried in gifts. Granted, half of them were from his parents but the other half were from the team, Pepper, and Happy. All except the one in his lap.
It was from Aunt May.
Tony said she willed specific things to him and this was one of them. It was also one of the things he was putting finishing touches to that morning.
Peter cried for the second time that day (happy tears this time) when he ripped colorful wrapping away and found a leather bound photo album. It was filled with pictures of his biological parents, his aunt and uncle, and Peter. Baby pictures, rare pictures of a couple of vacations, birthdays...everything. The album was large and the pictures only filled about a third of it, leaving plenty of space to fill with more memories.
The last two pictures were a group photo with the Avengers, and the other, a picture of Peter, Tony, and Stephen curled up on the couch and dozing. It must have been from one of their movie nights.
Tony grins from beside him. "Platypus had to help me put that together. I kept getting distracted."
Rhodey hums around his forkful of pie in confirmation. "He was blubbering like an idiot over your baby pictures."
"You said you wouldn't tell!"
Peter smiles. "This...this is great. Thanks for taking the time to finish putting it together."
Tony smiles softly and throws his arm around the teen to pull him close and kiss the top of his head. "Of course kid."
A few more minutes pass until the last of the gifts are passed around and Tony stands. He maneuvers his way over to the tree and claps his hands together.
"Okay! So there's one more gift I need to give...at least hopefully it's seen as a gift..." He gets a bit of a collective laugh at that statement. "I wasn't going to give this but I got yelled at by at least four people so to avoid their wrath, and because I want to..." Tony plucks a small box hidden in the branches of the tree and turns towards Stephen, who at one point during the gift exchange managed to find an empty spot on one of the couches. The sorcerer looks at him curiously, and then his eyes widen when Tony drops to one knee and opens the box to reveal a beautifully customized but simple ring. "What do you say Mama Bear? Want to make it official?"
Stephen opens and closes his mouth in stunned silence until Happy elbows his ribs sharply. He then sighs with exasperation. It wouldn't do to show how happy he really was.
"You idiot. I thought you would never ask."
"Is that a yes? Please tell me that's a yes."
"Of course it's a yes."
Tony smiles as he stands back up and leans down to kiss Stephen, as he was still sitting, and everyone bursts into cheers and wolf whistles. Peter was the one to voice everyone's thoughts though.
"Oh my god! Finally!"
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Unforseen Chasm(Part 54)
Part 54 of Unforseen Chasm
Prompt: Two sisters fall for men that are absolute enemies. The love they have could tear all of them apart, or it could bring them together.
Word Count: 2821
Warnings: Language,
songs for this part: The afterglow, Look what you made me do- Taylor Swift, Falling Apart-Papa Roach
Note: This is by far the longest thing I’ve ever written (including my other fic series). first major Collab with my best friend @thorne93 what was first a simple “what if” moment turned into a two year writing session and I’ve never been more prouder of myself than when i started my first series. goes through most of the MCU plots there are some changes to accommodate for what we wanted and there is a bit of a crossover between the MCU and other characters. I hope you guys enjoy reading this just as much as I enjoyed writing it.
Once all of you returned home, Hank and Charles escorted you and Shannon to the med bay. They took a sample of Shannon’s blood and tissue and determined that after one session, she should be healed. They suggested you give her one more treatment and after that, they would anesthetize you and Shannon and remove your triggering, and remove her Red Room protocol.
Of course, you agreed eagerly and after two days you were released from the mansion. You had seen Remy once and he apologized for his actions and asked if you could stay friends. Without hesitation, you said you’d like nothing more.
Shannon returned to Stark tower with her husband, and you returned to your apartment with Loki.
Life went on… normally for a while. Loki continued his work with Stephen. In fact, most days, you met him at work when he was getting off and the three of you had tea. It was nice to have Stephen back in your life again. You worked where you could find it, whether it was with Jane, or Shannon, or even Bruce. Shannon and Tony had a blissfully happy marriage, running Stark Industries and helping to manage the Avengers.
From what you could tell, the storm had passed. Remy and you remained friends, acknowledging his feelings and he respected your wishes to stay with Loki. You still visited him, and he you. Loki wasn’t jealous any more, for he had you and he knew this. You and Tony had made complete amends. Since that night at Xavier’s mansion, you let bygones be bygones. You both loved Shannon, and you missed being friends. It wasn’t just Stephen and Remy either. You seemed to gravitate towards the Avengers compound quite a bit, and when Shannon was busy, you spent a lot of time with Wanda, Pietro, and if Clint was around, him too.
Shannon was completely healed at this point. She could exercise her powers at will and not be drained of them.
You and Loki visited Asgard, often. Most of the time you went for a week at the end of each month. It was nice to visit the motherland and return to a familiar home. Loki finally began to accept that Earth was his home and he started to feel…. Happy here. He didn’t really care if he was on Asgard, or Voromir, or Earth, so long as he was with you.
It seemed everyone was happy, moving on, building their lives back up from the chaos that had been the last five years.
Until Secretary Ross came in and said he was introducing a new plan for the Avengers -- The Sokovian Accords. Wanda had accidentally killed some citizens, and now the government was cracking down on the team.
“Steve’s right,” Shannon suddenly said, once the debate had broken out about the accords. Sides were being taken, quickly. So far, Sam and Steve were against signing this treaty, as it were. Natasha, Vision, and Rhodey leaned on the side of complying with the government.
“What?” Tony asked, shocked. He pulled up an image of a boy, a boy who was crushed by some of the destruction caused in Sokovia. You felt a pang of guilt. “You’re telling me you’re okay with that?” Tony demanded of his wife.
“I’m saying that the Avengers should be able to go out and save the people and clear the danger from becoming worse. We shouldn’t have to wait to be called upon to save the day. That’s not what we are, that’s not why we were formed.”
“Exactly. Tony, what if there’s somewhere we need to go, and we can’t because of this?”
“The Avengers were created to save the world from whatever threat is upon the Earth. So for us to be there like sitting ducks… it’s infuriating because I could be healing people while the rest of you are handling whatever’s left,” Shannon responded.
“Y/N is awfully quiet,” Natasha remarked.
“Look, I’m not an Avenger, not official, so I--”
“Right, her vote doesn’t count,” Tony interjected with a smile at you.
“But I agree with you, Tony,” you finished.
Tony did a double take. “What?”
“What?” Shannon scoffed. “Y/N/N, what--”
“Shannon, toying with forces unknown will result in bad outcomes. Maybe it’s good you--we-- don’t go running to every fight. Look where that got me. I became a slave because I thought I could help fight them.”
“You were forced to do something you didn’t want to, Y/N. But as the Avengers it’s our duty to defend the only home we have against whatever or whoever tries to come and take over.”
“No matter the cost?” you asked incredulously.
“How would you feel if everyone on this earth became a slave because we were told we couldn’t stop the threat from doing that to us? It would mean that everything we've done would be for nothing.”
“I understand that but look at New York, look at Sokovia, look at what just happened with Wanda. If Banner had been more under control, or if we’d had the government to help extract the citizens…. Maybe we wouldn’t have as many casualties.”
“You know we wouldn’t have any casualties from New York if you and your boy toy hadn’t come in storming the place,” Sam retorted and you shot him a look of frustration.
“We’re going to get nowhere arguing like this,” Tony stated. “The accords are being signed in a week, in Vienna. I suggest you all be there, if you don’t want to be considered criminals.”
With that, he left the room, Steve got a text message, and you and Shannon stared at each other.
----------------------
Loki said he was staying out of it, but supported your decision either way. You informed him you would sign as a symbol of good faith to the government and to show you could comply. Maybe order was a good thing.
A week later, you were in Vienna with Tony, Rhodey, Nat, and Vision. Vision complimented you for making a sound decision. Nat said she was glad to see you there. Tony was… still bitter about Shannon and didn’t talk much.
Until the next thing you knew was the signing had exploded.
From there, it was a whirlwind of fighting. Apparently, the Winter Soldier, the man who had trained Shannon, Steve’s old friend Bucky had blown the place up. Steve went after him, only to be arrested and all of them in captivity, until Bucky was reactivated.
Shannon, Steve, Bucky, and Sam were fugitives. They had escaped holding and you and Tony had figured out they were headed for the airport.
That’s when things got really hairy. When you ran into them, you were trying to stop them, just hoping they’d give themselves up. But Steve and Bucky were determined to chase down a phantom. For you, it wasn’t about the Accords or Bucky or any of it. You had made a promise to the UN, and now you had to bring the others in.
On one side, it was Steve, Sam, Bucky, Shannon, Wanda, Pietro, Scott, and Clint.
On your side, it was you, Tony, Rhodey, Vision, Nat, Peter, and T’Challa.
Utter hell broke loose between the two opposing sides. You mainly focused on fighting Wanda and Shannon, the two you could do the most damage against. Ultimately though, Steve and Bucky got away with the help of Shannon and Nat. Tony followed them.
When the fight ended though, you and Shannon made up, as did you and the rest of the group. You felt the accords were silly, and slightly unnecessary, but it seemed like a step in the right direction. You respected everyone’s choice on the matter though, and that’s what everyone said once the physical fighting was over. Everyone had civil discourse on what had happened. But ultimately, Rhodey had to make the call to Ross to ask that they all be arrested.
“No, Rhodey, you can’t do that,” you begged, turning to him. “Come on, they were just trying to help Bucky, you know this. Come on, it’s Steve. It’s Shannon,” you pleaded. “We can’t do this!”
He continued to stay on the phone as he talked to you. “It’s out of my hands, Y/N. You know as well as I do if we just let this go, we’ll all be as good felons too.”
“It’s okay,” Shannon assured. “He’s right, Y/N. It’s your duty to call this in.”
“No,” you argued. “I didn’t sign up for this shit. I signed up to stop threats. No one here is a threat,” you retorted, angry. “You didn’t get a chance to keep me from jail. You pulled strings to get me out early. I want to be better for you. You don’t belong in a jail cell. Vision, come on. You know as well as I do none of them belong in prison!” You were trying to plead with the people on your side, but their hands were tied.
“Y/N,” Shannon said softly, “it’s okay. It’ll be okay. Tony won’t let any of us stay in a cell too long. It’ll be a slap on the wrist. He’ll make sure everyone gets cut some slack and gets out. No civilians got hurt. It was just us. We’ll be alright.” She came up and rubbed your back.
You peered at her, glancing to all of your friends. “I don’t like it.”
“I know,” she agreed. “It’ll be fine.”
The government showed up and all of them stood still, not fighting as handcuffs were put on them. That part killed you.Meanwhile, you tears were hot on your face as Vision wrapped you in an embrace, trying to comfort you.
You never wanted anyone locked away, especially Shannon. She didn’t deserve the same fate you had after New York. Truthfully, none of them did. Tony could be stubborn, and you knew he thought they got what they deserved except for Shan, but you couldn’t bear to see them in that prison.
---------------------------------
Tony walked into the floating cell that held all of his friends, including his wife. He didn’t want her to be here, or any of them, really. But the law was the law. He walked up to her cell after he made a round to everyone else. Perhaps it was because he couldn’t bear to look at her just yet.
“Shan…” He started, his voice sounding broken. “What the hell, babe? You went against me on this? We fought? Physically. What the hell happened?”
“Tony, you know how I feel about this. As a team we were formed to save.” She turned her body to face him. She didn’t attempt to come closer to the cell wall. She didn’t want to get shocked again. “I’m sorry we fought but we needed to get Bucky out of there, you wouldn't really understand why I did it but I did and I don’t regret it.”
“I’m so glad you were concerned with getting Roger’s friend out of there,” he snapped, beyond angry and hurt. “Shannon, I needed you, beside me. I thought as my wife you’d support me, back me up. And then you just… You decided to go against not only me, but most of the global governments. Was this all to get back at me in some way or…? I gotta know.” He had that signature amused, irritated look. He was at his wits end.
“Tony, would you not make this about yourself for once? I’ve always stood by your side in everything!” she shouted and took a deep breath. “I was not about to sign something that makes me the government's pet going when they call. You would have done the same thing to save Rhodey if it had been you in Steve’s shoes.” She got up, walking a little bit close. “Just like I would have done for Y/N or you, not that it seems to matter to you.” she lowered her voice at the end.
“How can you say it doesn’t matter?” he asked, his voice low, hurt. “Shan, everything you do matters to me. That’s why it hurt so bad to know you fought me on this.” He sighed, running a hand down his face. He shook his head. “Shan, babe, I just wanted us to be on the same side. We’re not always on the same side, and it kills me when we aren’t. It surprised the hell out of me when you said you disagreed with me on this. When I found out that you weren’t going to sign, I freaked.”
She stepped as close as she could to the plexiglass. “All my life all I’ve know is following orders and being the assassin they want me to be and I finally got away from that when we created the Avengers and I met you,” the pain in her eyes was evident she hated that she hurt him like this but she didn’t want to live through another version of her past. “And now you ask me to do it all over again but as a soldier to the government? It took me years to feel comfortable in my own skin after all the atrocities I did back then I won’t start again from zero.” She wiped the few tears that had escaped. She couldn’t do this. She wouldn’t, not if she had the choice.
He sighed, rubbing his neck. He started nodding. “You know what? You’re right. I never thought of it that way. I saw it my way and that’s all I could see. All I saw and heard was that you weren't backing me up, and I freaked. But you’re absolutely right. You’ve never gotten autonomy and for the first time in your life, you got a chance to do that. I’m just sorry it ended in this. You gotta help me right now though. Where did they go?” he implored, staring at her. “I want to help them, but you gotta tell me where they went.”
“How do I know you're not just going to lock them in here with us?” She scrunched her eyebrows. “They should already be at the location, Tony. They need to end what Zemo started.”
He frowned. “Zemo… Where would he have gone?”
She looked at Sam who shook his head as if knowing what was going on. “ I can’t tell you Tony.” she points to the cameras with her eyes hoping he’d get why.
He sighed before pulling his watch up, running his finger over a few things. “There, audio is out. We have thirty seconds. If you ever trusted me for a moment in our life, you’ll tell me now. It’s either me or the government,” he challenged.
“It’s you Tony, it’s always. “ she stopped. “They’re in Siberia that's where all the other super soldiers are frozen.” she put her hand to the glass not caring that she’d get shocked. “I love you.”
“I love you too,” he vowed, kissing his fingers and pressing them against the glass. “Gimme some time. I’m gonna go help them, and I’ll be back to get you babe. I’m so sorry I wasn’t there for you or on your side.” He gave her an apologetic smile.
She winced at the pain of the shock. “Just please be careful...fuck!” she pulled her hand back from the glass. “Damn you Ross!” she glared at the camera and she looked down at her hand to see that it was bleeding.
“I’ll take care of that prick,” Tony promised. “Love you. Be back in a bit.” With that, he turned and was off. He needed to get to Steve and Bucky before the UN caught on.
--------------------
Tony arrived at the bunker, happy to help Bucky and Steve, only to have that idea shattered. The truth of his parents murder sent him reeling and he launched into a full on fight, ready to tear Bucky apart. Steve left him and his suit broken in the bunker as T’Challa had captured Zemo.
Steve and Bucky went off to God knows where, and T’Challa, Tony, and Zemo returned to the States. Tony got back and got Shannon a deal. He immediately got Shannon out of the prison as soon as possible, as he did with Clint and Scott, both who had kids. The rest stayed in the prison cell until Tony could maybe work something else out.
But by the time Tony started on the paperwork, Steve had busted everyone out of the floating prison. He sent Tony and Shannon a letter saying if anyone needed him, he’d be there for them.
As of that moment, everyone knew the Avengers were no more.
You kept in a bit of contact with Wanda, Pietro, and Steve, keeping the correspondence from Tony. Ultimately, you had to return to Asgard with Loki and Thor for Odin and you lost touch for around a year.
Unforseen Chasm Tag list-
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#loki x reader#loki fic#Loki Laufeyson#tony stark fic#tony stark#tony stark x ofc#unforeseen chasm#unforseen chasm#steve rogers#bucky barnes#t'challa#wanda#vision#pietro#bruce banner#rhodey#clint barton#peter parker#scott lang
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Stan Lee University (Part 10)
Prompt: What would the Avengers be like in college, more importantly, what would they be like if Y/N existed around them?
Word Count: 2605
Warnings: drama, language, betrayal, violence
Notes: This is based on a HC from @carryonmyswansong. They helped brainstorm and write part of this series. In this AU, no one will have powers, everyone is a normal human. Beta’d by @carryonmyswansong
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
You couldn’t sleep. Not now. Not knowing you’d been used and left. You just… This wasn’t you. You felt like whoever you slept with, they had to be worthy. Not just… Not just attractive, not just charming, not just witty. They had to be someone you could see yourself with.
Sure, after a few weeks, it was really fast for you, but you thought for sure that you and Loki clicked. That you two shared something, something other than the pages of a book, or sheets on a bed.
How could you have been so wrong?
You grabbed your clothes, threw them on hastily, and ran out of your room. Out of the lobby, across the lawn to the dorms that faced your building. You knocked on the door and Clint answered.
“What the hell? Y/N, it’s like… Jesus, what time is it?”
“It’s 5:30, can I come in?” you asked, no longer able to hold back the tears.
“Shit, what’s wrong? Get in here.” He gently grabbed your arm and pulled you in, shutting the door behind you. “What happened?”
“Loki happened,” you said, blubbering.
Clint’s face got dark. “What did that son of a bitch do to you?”
“He… We hooked up, and he left, okay?”
“Okay, okay, but why the waterworks?”
“Because I really liked him, Clint!” you all but shouted, angry that he didn’t get it. “You know I don’t do one night stands. How many guys have I dated since Bucky?”
“I don’t know… Like… three?”
“Five, since senior year of high school. And in that whole time, I’ve never been with anyone else, not sexually.”
Clint’s arms were crossed as he listened. He shrugged. “Okay, okay, sit, tell me what happened,” he ordered, pulling you over to the bed. The two of you sat down.
“We were in my room, reading, and it just happened. That’s not unusual for us, for things to get hot. But I’ve always stopped it. But last night, I don’t know, it felt right and I was ready to move on from Bucky and I didn’t want to stop and I just gave in. This isn’t like me. I don’t do that.”
“I know,” he agreed, nodding.
“But it felt different. I thought that I could let Loki in, I thought I was ready.”
“Right,” he said, still nodding his head, still listening.
“We had mind blowing sex. I felt happy. I was accepting that I was getting over Bucky and not thinking about Stephen, but then… Then I woke up and he was gone and I checked my phone.”
“What was on your phone?” he wondered, frowning.
You pulled your phone out and showed him the text. He read it, probably three times, then handed it back.
“What kind of a fuckwad sends that?” he asked, shaking his head.
“Him. How could I have been blind? Why didn’t you warn me about him? I mean, can’t guys see when another guy is just a jerk?”
“I’m not your dad, Y/N. I can’t tell you who to date and who not to.”
“Yeah, but you’re my best friend, I trust you to tell me when to run fast and run far.” You bumped his shoulder with yours.
He smiled. “He seemed good to you, nice to you, and you liked him. I wasn’t going to shit on that.”
You nodded. “I know, I know. It’s not up to you. But this hurts. I mean I wasn’t in love, I know that. But it still felt special, that’s why I was ready… And he ruined that.”
Clint bobbed his head, wrapping his arm around your shoulder. “I know. Men are pigs.”
This made you chuckle, and he joined you.
“I mean, did I do something wrong? Why… He seemed so into me, then we hook up and he wants me to forget about him?”
“You didn’t do anything wrong. He’s probably just that kind of guy.”
“I wish all guys were more like you,” you said with a sad smile.
“But then there would be chaos, so many women fighting over all the men.”
Again, you laughed and he offered to make you some of his famous coffee to help you feel better.
---------------------------------
A week went by and you didn’t leave your room. You kept up with your homework, but that was it. You didn’t go to classes. You barely ate. This wasn’t heartbreak over a guy, it was feeling like you couldn’t trust anyone. If he’d just said he wasn’t interested or was only after your body, it wouldn’t hurt as much as feeling like a guy truly cared, just to rip it away and make you feel like nothing.
That a guy could be that sweet, that sensual, and yet so cruel? How could you trust another guy?
You had asked Clint not to tell anyone, so no one knew why you weren’t in class or why they didn’t see you on campus. Bucky had texted you three times, but you ignored it. Tony and Bruce wondered why you weren’t in lab. Scott and Sam came by your dorm, knocking, but you didn’t answer. Stephen even texted you once, asking why you weren’t in class.
How could you face anyone after being a massive idiot?
--------------------------
“You should’ve seen the way she practically begged for it,” Steve overheard while he walked out of his art class.
A group of guys laughed.
“I tell you. I did everything I could to keep her back for the last week, but finally, I had to give her what she wanted. But before she could wake up, I fucking ran.”
Steve walked up to the group, he recognized Loki, and wondered who he was talking about. It couldn’t possibly be you.
“Well man, we owe you,” one guy said as he pulled out his wallet. All of them did actually, and began handing Loki cash.
“What’s all this?” Steve asked as he walked up.
“Ah, the All-American boy,” Loki teased, smiling at Steve. “Just a little wager between me and the club here.”
“Wager?”
The guy that got out his wallet earlier explained, “Yeah, we bet Loki couldn’t get Y/N to fuck him before a month.”
“Wait, you made Y/N a bet?”
“Absolutely. I didn’t think I’d get her. It took a lot in me to keep up that charade, if you know what I mean.” He winked and elbowed Steve.
“Yes, I’m sure pretending to be a decent human being was difficult for you.”
With that, he walked away and went back to his dorm. As you were stepping out of your dorm to grab a quick shower, Steve greeted you.
“Hey, uh, Y/N?” he said, stopping you.
You didn’t want to talk, but Steve had never been unkind to you, so you thought you’d repay the favor.
“Yeah?” you questioned lightly, your voice not hiding your melancholic mood.
“I wanted to see if you were okay? I kinda heard what happened.”
You pressed your lips together, looking away.
“Yeah. I mean, assholes will be assholes. I’ll be fine. I just… need some time to recoup.”
“Right, yeah. I can’t believe someone could do that, on top of using you.”
Immediately, your eyes narrowed as your brows furrowed. “Do… what? What else did he do?”
“Well… you know. I mean, he just kind of made you a notch in his belt, but he got paid for it.”
“He what?!” you all but shrieked.
“You didn’t know?” Steve asked, clearly confused.
“No. What… What exactly do you mean?”
Steve rubbed the back of his neck looking down. “Shit… Y/N… Loki was put up to hooking up with you on a bet. He got paid if he could get you in under a month.”
Your eyes went wide as the air left your lungs. It felt like someone just punched you in the gut.
“That lousy son of a bitch,” you growled. Your fists balled as you opened your dorm door back up before throwing your shower things back in. You were going to find that rat bastard and make him pay for ever even looking at you.
“Y/N?” Steve said, worry in his voice. “Hey, where are you going?”
“To give that fucker a piece of my mind.”
You stormed out and went and found Loki. It was Tuesday, he should be leaving Lit class. Just as you got to the building, he was walking out, laughing with two guys who looked at you like you were a piece of meat.
“I was a god damn bet?” you asked, your voice not holding back on the anger.
“I prefer the term conquest,” Loki replied, bobbing his head side to side in thought.
“You’re an ass.”
“Oh, don’t be so upset. You got a good lay out of it, I got money. Win win all around. Would it make you feel better if I gave you some of the winnings?” he offered with a stupid grin.
You balked at the offer. “I’m not your whore, Loki!” you shouted, not caring who heard.
“Oh, so you’ll put out for anyone, that easily, for free? Good to know, I’ll let some friends of mine know.”
Without a second thought, you slapped him hard across the face but he just laughed, the action making you cry. You turned to walk away and suddenly Clint was beside you, his arm around you.
“Hey, hey. You’re okay,” he assured. Then another set of arms were on you, Nat’s.
“He’s just an idiot,” she said, rubbing your arm.
Everyone was staring at you, making you feel even more like an idiot.
“Hey, Y/N, you okay?” Peter asked, bounding up to you three as they tried to get you to their dorm.
“Not now, kid,” Clint dismissed.
“No, Clint. It’s okay. I’m fine, Peter. I just…”
Peter made a face of sympathy at you. “Tony and Bruce said you hadn’t been to lab or lecture in a while and they were worried. I got worried too.”
“Thanks, dude. I’m just… having a rough week,” you said as all of you walked.
“Anything I can do to help?” he offered.
“Wanna kick someone’s ass for me?” you teased weakly.
“Just point me in the direction,” he said with a smile.
“Pete, if you wanna come back to our room, we’re gonna set up a movie night for Y/N,” Nat invited.
“A movie night?” you said, objecting. “I can’t do a movie night. I’ve got a paper due in a week and--”
“And nothing. Like it or not, you’re stuck with us tonight,” she ordered. “Pete, you comin’?”
“Sure, if Y/N’s okay with it.”
“I’m more than okay with it.”
-----------------------
They looked after you for the next few days. You talked mostly with Nat and Clint about how you felt, trying to work through the shit in your head so you could get back to classes, to continue your life. It seemed to be helping, and you went to class anyway, as it served as a distraction.
In Lit, you still sat where you always did, and even spoke to Loki. You weren’t above communicating like adults. Maybe he was still stuck in junior high, but not you. The friendliness was over, and Loki didn’t try to be overly friendly with you anyway, which you were thankful for.
News had pretty much gotten around to most everyone in your circle about what had happened between you and Loki. Tony was discreet and just sent a text that said, “Men are dicks. Trust me, I am one.” Bruce said if you ever needed to talk, to come find him. Scott gave you a hug when he saw you. Sam asked if he could kick Loki’s ass for you.
As you grabbed a coffee at the campus cafe, you were staring at your phone, playing on social media when someone cleared their throat.
“White chocolate mocha?” Bucky said, holding out your drink.
“Nothing but the best,” you murmured. “Thanks.”
He nodded as you took it from him and he held his coffee in the other hand.
“So what’s up?” he asked pointedly.
“What do you mean?” you wondered, curious why he was questioning you.
‘You only order that when you’re upset. So what’s up?”
“Haven’t you heard? I’m the campus prostitute,” you muttered.
Bucky frowned as he cocked his head. “Hadn’t heard that. What, uh, what exactly--”
You gestured to a table in the back corner, away from others. The two of you sat down and you sat there quietly for a moment, not sure you really wanted to tell Bucky, but he seemed concerned, so you indulged him.
“So, I don’t know if you knew or not, but Loki and I were dating,” you began.
“I’d seen you around, yeah,” he said nonchalantly.
“Well… We hooked up. About two weeks ago. I thought it was a step in making our relationship more stable, you know, like the next step.”
He nodded, not saying anything.
“But, when I woke up before dawn, he was gone. Not only was he gone, he sent me a shitty text.”
“I’m sure that sucked,” he said, sympathy in his face and voice.
“To make it worse…. I was also just a bet. A stupid bet between his drama club buddies. Can you believe that?”
For a moment, Bucky was quiet. He appeared to be thinking, recalling something. “Ah, shit. That’s right,” he suddenly said, a memory popping to the surface. “I did hear something like that. Shit, I’m sorry. I would’ve warned you about the bet but I didn’t really think you’d be into him. I thought you’d see through Loki’s bullshit. I also sort of forgot about it.”
“Wait, you knew?” you asked, instantly hurt. “Bucky, I know we broke up but I still have a right to know if I’m just being used.”
“It’s not my place to tell you who you can and can’t date.”
“This isn’t about that. This was about being turned into a joke.”
“I know, and I’m sorry. I just thought you… I don’t know. I didn’t think you’d really get serious with that jackass, that’s all.”
“I shouldn’t have ever gotten serious. I think I was just…. Desperate to move on from us. To prove that I was truly over you and that I could be with someone else. I ignored all the signs of him being a douche and just raced towards him because it felt… freeing.”
He bobbed his head, reaching across the table and holding your hand gently. “I get that. I’m sorry I didn’t tell you sooner. I honestly forgot and I didn’t think you’d let it get that far.”
You waved him off with your free hand. “It’s not up to you to watch out for me.”
“No, but I still want to. Together or not, I care about you, Y/N. I wish we could work things out but I know where you’re coming from. I know we aren’t compatible. I’m not stupid. I just wanted…. Security. A comfort zone. You were my comfort zone and I wasn’t ready to leave it. I know now that we both have to.”
You nodded.
“For what it’s worth, I never wanted you to get used or treated the way you did.”
“And I never wanted to hurt you, when you asked me out a while back.”
“No hard feelings. Someone had to cut ties eventually, right?”
“Right.”
The two of you eased into a comfortable conversation after that, making you feel a little better for the first time in a while.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Forever Tag List
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#stan lee university#loki x reader#bucky x reader#bucky barnes#bucky barnes x reader#loki fic#bucky fic#clint barton#natasha romanoff#peter parker
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Only You
Chapter 1
Duncan Shepherd x Female Reader
Word Count: +1700
A/n: This is my first Duncan fic. It’s been on my mind for months now. I absolutely love this character, so I hope I do him justice.
Summary: Vanessa Rivera is a no-nonsense girl from Texas. She moved to D.C to attend George Washington University Law School, where she takes evening classes and works at a nice restaurant during the day. Her life is boring, with the occasional fling with a guy named, Scott. Then Duncan Shepherd shows up one day at her restaurant and introduces a little bit of chaos into her life. The good and the bad.
---------------------------------------
“Vanessa, can you start table 5 for me? I’ve already gotten their drinks, so just take their orders. I’m swamped over here. Table 3 keeps sending their food back.”
She knew I was about to leave, she saw my backpack slung over my shoulder. “Dios mio, Lizzie, I have class in a little while. You know that.” She looked at me with pleading eyes, “Please, I’ll owe you one, I swear.” I sighed and put my bag back down, “You owe me 5 actually.” She gave me a hug as I picked up my pen and pad, “You really are such a good friend,” She sings as she walks away.
I plaster a fake smile on my face and walk over to table 5. It was a booth filled with the typical good-looking D.C elites, “Oh goody,” I say to myself sarcastically. “Good afternoon, gentlemen, what can I get for you.” They all ignore me, continuing their conversations amongst one another. I repeated my question and when I still received no response, I politely told them that I’d give them a minute to look over the menu, then I’d be back. As I turn to walk away, one of them grabs my hand and laughs, “Oh we’re ready honey”, he says.
“Vanessa, is it? I’m looking for something that’s not on the menu. Can you help me with that?” said the smarmy guy to my right. He wiggled his eyebrows at me and actually high-fived the guy next to him. I sigh, “Well, Sir, our Specials aren’t on the menu, but I can place an order for one of them if you like?” I smile sweetly at him. He thinks for a minute and stifles a comment, he orders a Caesar salad instead. The other guys ordered their food without an issue. But the last guy eyed me up and down and said, “Vanessa, I’m in the mood to have some spicy. What do you recommend?” his voice was so alluring it almost lulled me into a daze.
My breath hitched in my throat and I stammered, “The, uh, spicy tomato pasta is really good and has some heat to it.” He leaned forward and said, “I bet it does, Vanessa, I bet it does. I think I’ll have that if that’s what you like?” The way he purred my name made me slightly uncomfortable and slightly something else. I nodded quickly and added his order to my notepad. I whirl around on my heel and walk to the kiosk to input their orders. Secretly happy to get away from them. But I could feel someone staring at me, so I turned back just to confirm, and I was right. His friends had gone back to talking, but he kept his eyes on me. He even smiled at me.
I was so focused on typing in the order at the kiosk, that I didn’t notice that someone had walked up to me. “Um excuse me, but…” he paused. I was so startled that I nearly jumped out of my skin, “I didn’t mean to scare you, but um, I was… looking for the restroom.” It felt like there was something else he wanted to say, but instead, he took my directions and went down the hallway. “Oh my god, V, do you know who that is?” a voice from behind me called. I turned to see the new girl, Maisie, bouncing up and down. “That is THE Duncan Shepherd. He is so hot!! Every time he comes in, I secretly wish I get his table.”
Every time he comes in?
A lightbulb went off in my head, “Maisie, I have a great idea. I’ve got to leave and get to class so you can have that table if you want. I’ve already placed their orders, you just have to bring their food out. You can even have the tips.” She squealed with excitement, “Maybe he'll even ask me for my number!!!” I nodded and gave her a thumbs up. Once I had my things, and I see that he has already made it back to the table, I start to walk out of the back door. But then I remembered that there was no parking there this morning, and I had to park across the street from the restaurant. Meaning, if I wanted to leave, I’d have to walk right past their table and him to get to the exit.
I take a deep breath and begin my trek to the front door. “Aw Vanessa, did we scare you away?” one of them calls after me in a mocking tone. I turn to smile at them, but I see only him, and his blue eyes are locked onto mine. Is that a flash of disappointment I detect on his face? I shake my head and quickly walk out of the door. I felt like I had been holding my breath the entire time.
Amongst all the fancy cars on this side of the street, sat my little old red Volkswagen Beetle. I found relief as I got in and sat down. Before I pull off though, I just happen to look out of the window towards the restaurant and see that Duncan is staring right at me. His friends still consumed in their conversation, but he was watching me. I wave at him awkwardly and drive off. Cursing myself for being so foolish. Foolish enough to think that maybe we both felt a tiny connection. “Nope, just me and my unrealistic view of guys,” I say.
Class went by so slowly. My mother kept texting me. Wanting to make sure that I was eating right and sleeping right. Hoping that I had finally gotten rid of that pendejo Scott. “I know, ma. He’s no good. But we’re just having fun.” I text back to her. Deep down I know, it’s not really what I want. I’m caring and kind. I just want my guy to be the same, to take the time to care. Or even to remember my birthday, for that matter. Scott was the one piece of the puzzle that didn’t fit. I mean, we used to hook up a couple of times a week. Now? I barely even hear from him anymore. It definitely didn’t feel good. I wasn’t naïve enough to think that an ultra-rich guy like him, and his fancy family would ever really accept a poor Mexican girl, like me, from Texas. My family were immigrants, that came over from Culiacan in the 1980s. His family? They own half of Washington. “Mija, you’re a good girl. You need a good boy who will be nice to you.” I stare at that text until class is over. Damn, why does she always have to be right?
Hours later, as I was stepping out of the shower, I hear my phone ring. “It’s almost midnight, who’d be calling me this late”, I say to myself. I towel off quickly, throw on my bathrobe and run to it. “Lizzie, are you ok? What’s going on”, I ask. She laughs and tells me that she’s fine but that she needs to give me a heads up. I ask her if someone called in sick for tomorrow, she says no, but I can tell she’s nervous about something.
“Ok, V, don’t be mad at me. Promise you won’t get mad, please?” I shake my head as though she can see it, “I can’t make promises, but I’ll try to be understanding,” I say. “Ok, you remember that table you took for me? The rich guys?” "Yes”, I tell her, “I remember.” She clears her throat, “Well, one of the guys came up to me asking about you.” I say nothing, and she continues, “Well…he wanted your phone number and though I would never give it out, I did tell him that you’d be working tomorrow.” “What?” I yell into the phone, “Who Lizzie, which one was it.”
“Duncan Shepherd.”
After a moment or two of shock, I ask, “Why would you tell him anything about me? We don’t know him. He could be some crazy stalker or something”. She scoffs and said, “Honestly, I thought I was being a good friend. You need a nice guy, V. Whatever it is that you have with Scott isn’t working. Is it like a friends with benefits thing? Are y’all together?” She goes on and on and though I know she’s right about Scott, it still feels like a punch in the gut. I tell her it’s ok and thank her for looking out for me and I’ll see her tomorrow.
After we hang up, I sit on my bed, still in my bathrobe and I Google Mr. Duncan Shepherd. He’s very smart, graduated from an Ivy League university, top of his class, of course. A philanthropist and a talented writer. I can also see that he is developing an app for the Shepherd Freedom Foundation. Hmm…that’s impressive. But then I fall down the rabbit hole of images of him. Scrolling through dozens of pictures of beautiful blonde women on his arm for various Charity events. Holding his hand, kissing him on his cheek. I click on a link and it takes me to some girl’s Instagram page. He’s featured prominently on it. The two of them mid-embrace. There’s one of them in a pool, kissing. There’s even one of him with nothing on but a towel.
“Aargh”, I let out a strangled moan and throw my phone down. I flop backward onto my bed and stare at the ceiling. I don’t know what it is that’s drawn me to him. But, I can't stop thinking about he looked at me with those beautiful blue eyes. Or the way he smiled at me with those perfect pink lips. I can imagine how his hands would feel on the small of my back. I can't stop myself from thinking about his tongue would taste. I wonder what his beard feels like on the inside of my thigh. I audibly sigh and say to no one in particular, "I need to stay away from him. He's probably just like all those other guys. He's probably just like Scott" Right?
A text at 2 a.m. chimes on my phone and wakes me from my sleep. I roll over and fumble to turn on the light. Surprise sends shocks down my spine when I look at my lock screen.
“Looked up your number and wanted to see if I could take you out to dinner this weekend? Text me if you can. Text me even if you can’t. Just text me.”
-DS
It was him.
Duncan…Shepherd.
/Chapter 2/ /Chapter 3/ /Chapter 4/ /Chapter 5/Chapter 6/Chapter 7/Chapter 8/Chapter 9/Chapter 10
Taglist:
@lovelykhaleesiii @petersfern-fics @langdonsoceaneyes @katiekitty261 @xtheinevitableprophecyx @michael-langdon-appreciation @langdonsrapture @langdonsinferno @confettucini @queenie435 @kinlovecody @ghostiesbedroom @floweryshell @itschelseag @flowersirenreads @maso-xchrist @thelangdoncooperative @icylangdon @my-ahs-nightmare @americanhorrorstudies @the--queen-of-hell @trashisawayoflife @mytrash-mylife @ccodyfern @sojournmichael @michaellangdom @hisgirlwonder @winxfred @langdons-rep @langdonsdemon @sassylangdon @napping-is-my-favorite @stupidocupido @sloppy-little-witch-bitch26 @7-wonders @elangdon4 @michaellangdong @khaleesimel @snowandicicle @fanfictionrecommendations-com @disappointing-cheesecake @whoviancumberbunny @thedeviltohisangel @jimmlangdon @lvngdvns @lxngdonscoven @duncvn @marvelgal666 @heda-mikaelson @lovemesomeworlddomination @ritualmichael
#duncan shepherd#duncan shepherd smut#duncan x reader#houseofcards#fanfic#fanfiction#duncan shepherd fanfic#my writing
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Glad to Meet You Again
Alex Gaskarth x OC
‘A past relationship did not end up very well. Now it’s nearly six years later, and they meet again.’
Lena Conrad and Alex Gaskarth used to be the couple that everybody wanted to be. They were too cute for words, a perfect couple that seemed like they were soulmates. As you would say nowadays, they were #couplegoals. But that only lasted for three years. Some say they were too young to face the problems they were going through, resulting in their breakup, but others would say that even if they had been through it when older, they wouldn’t have made it. They hadn’t seen each other since that messy breakup, until now.
Six years later, Alex is still playing in a band and Lena is a stay at home mom taking care of her five-year-old son. Only one of them knew they’d cross paths again on this specific day.
Start
Lena didn’t often go to concerts, let alone did she ever take her five-year-old, Nick, along with her. There was a time she used to go to concerts on a daily basis, especially when she was on tour with her ex-boyfriend, Alex Gaskarth, lead singer and guitarist of All Time Low. It was a hectic life, but in her early twenties, she only enjoyed the traveling around and the unexpectedness. Going to one concert, however, was already way different than being on the road. This was just one evening of chaos and excitement, something she hadn’t experienced in years. The ironic thing, though, was that this happened to be an All Time Low concert again.
But that doesn’t explain why Lena was going in the first place. Well, it certainly wasn’t because it was an All Time Low concert. That just happened to be a coincidence. Luckily she knew, or it would have been a very unexpected and quite unpleasant surprise. But All Time Low was the headlining act, so there was no way she could have missed it. She wasn’t coming for them, though. She was coming for one of the supporting acts, whose lead singer happened to be one of her boyfriend’s very close friends, who over time had grown to be a great friend to her as well. So, she was there to support him, not to rekindle anything with Alex or the rest of the band.
Now, why was Nick coming along and where was Anthony, her boyfriend? Well, they were all going to go, but then something came up, leaving Lena to go alone with her son. Nick still wanted to see his ‘uncle’, and she wouldn’t take away that from him. He was like a role model to the boy and he always seemed to be the one that got along best with him. Even guys covered in tattoos and called Scott Schaffer knew how to deal with kids, something most people didn’t believe was possible. But he was living proof.
Despite the fact that her ex-boyfriend was definitely going to be there, Lena didn’t really mind. Their breakup might have been absolutely horrible, ending in a shouting match and a lot of tears, but that had been six years ago. She had long moved on since then, quickly having found somebody else, having had a son, and having a life she always wanted. Maybe seeing him wouldn’t do any bad. Maybe it was for the better, to show each other that they had moved on from what happened. It could possibly end up with them being friends again.
So, she confidently got out of the car with Nick and walked up to the back entrance. She acted like she knew exactly where she was going, ignoring the few stares she got from the young fans waiting out in the line to get inside the venue. There was a small fear that some of them would recognize her, but she also knew that it would be very unlikely since it had been so long ago. Many of the fans probably didn’t even know about All Time Low’s existence back when they were still dating. She just didn’t want rumors starting, turning it into an unnecessary messy situation.
Once at the door, she was greeted by a security guard. She knew exactly how the process went, having used to do this quite often, and already had her ID ready in her purse. As expected, all she had to do was give her name and show her ID. Nick got to pass through without any problem since it didn’t seem like a five-year-old would try to sneak in, especially with his mother on the guest list.
When they were let inside, Lena could feel Nick shaking with excitement. He got to see his uncle frequently, but he rarely got to see him in action live. This was something so special, and he couldn’t wait to see it. He wanted to be just like Scott when he was older. At five years old, Nick had already decided that he wanted to be in a band.
“Are you excited, buddy?” Lena smiled brightly, feeding off her son’s energy, her voice just as bubbly as it always had been.
“We get to see uncle Scott play!” Nick chirped back, doing a couple of jumps to show just how delighted he was.
She ruffled his floppy blondish-brown hair that was getting darker and darker as he got older, and pulled out her phone to text her boyfriend. He might have been busy with work, but of course he still wanted to know if Lena and Nick got to the venue safely and were let in. Lena kept hold of Nick’s hand while texting Anthony, simultaneously walking down the hallway that led to all the dressing rooms.
If only she hadn’t tried to multitask.
Just after hitting send, she slammed into another body, startling both her and the other person. She let go of Nick and looked up to the stranger to apologize profusely. As she held up her hands in protection and saw who is was, she felt even worse. This was not how she had wanted it to go at all. Right there, the man she walked into: Alex. He looked right back at her with widened eyes, questioning his sanity. He never expected to see his ex-girlfriend again, this couldn’t be real. Maybe the person who walked into him made him fall over and gave him a concussion.
But, no. She really was there.
“Lena?” Another voice from behind Alex said, Jack appearing from the door to the right. “What are you doing here?”
Nick carefully shuffled closer to his mother’s leg, not sure what to make of the two tall men in front of him. Lena put a reassuring hand on his head and gave the guys a smile. “What most people are here for: to watch the show.”
“How did you even get backstage?” Jack questioned next while Alex was speechless; he didn’t know what to do.
“By being on the guest list,” Lena joked back, running her fingers through her son’s hair. When she imagined introducing her son to her ex-boyfriend and his best friends, she had imagined it to go very differently. They would have already seen her with the support act, and then they could be reintroduced or something.
Before Jack could try to dig any further, Scott Schaffer came out of one of the other dressing rooms and saw the people he had invited to come see the show from side-stage. He looked at his favorite nephew and jogged up to them.
“There’s my favorite Brooks!” He picked up the boy and raised him to put him on his shoulders.
It was only then that Jack and Alex noticed that there was a five-year-old around. They were too focused on Lena to see that there was another person. It didn’t help that Nick was hiding a little behind his mother. But now he was easily seen, raised up above everybody else.
“Oh, I’m not your favorite?” Lena challenged, giving her friend a side hug and a kiss on the cheek.
“You see, you’re technically not a Brooks,” Scott returned with a mock serious face. “you’d have to get married for that.”
“I keep forgetting that.” She had been together with Anthony for so long that his family already felt like family to her. She was just as much a Brooks as he was. It just wasn’t registered legally.
“You are going to have to do something about it.” Scott continued to play along before looking up at the young boy on his shoulders. “How’s your screaming going?”
Nick shook his head and shrugged. “Not so good. I think I’m going to stay with singing.”
“You know, your father was always better at singing as well. Leave all the screaming to me.”
Nick nodded this time, a grin spread across his face. “He tired, but he said it ruined his voice, so he stopped. I don’t want to break mine either! It sounds like it would hurt.”
“Sounds like a good plan,” Scott agreed. While his music didn’t contain any screaming now, he could do it and had once made the mistake of telling Nick. Nick wanting to be just like his uncle, tried to copy it. But let’s just say it wasn’t the best thing to do.
“How about I show you around?” He suggested towards Nick next, who nodded furiously, and then turned back to Lena. “Too bad Anthony couldn’t be here, or I would have totally shown off what he’s missing now that he isn’t in a band with me anymore.”
When the two of them sprinted off, Jack and Alex were still staring at Lena with bewilderment. They still couldn’t process what was going on. Here was a girl they both knew, with a son and she had some relation to the guy they were touring with.
“Who’s Anthony?” Jack asked the question Alex was thinking as well. The latter just wouldn’t dare ask it out of fear that he would be accused of still having feelings.
“My boyfriend,” Lena clarified, actually happy that that was going to be brought out of the way early on, “he used to play in a band with Scott years ago. They’re still best friends now.”
“A band?” Alex blurted out, his filter not being able to stop him in time. He wanted to hit his head against the wall to tell his brain to not be so stupid and betray him like that.
Why was it such a big deal that he said that? Well, it was what broke up Lena and Alex. The band was unsigned after having released an album on Interscope, and it put a strain on their relationship. Alex was stressing out a lot about what to do next, and Lena accused him of only caring about the band and ignoring her. Of course, this didn’t sit right with Alex, and the fight started. Lena made him chose between the band and her, and it’s obvious how that ended. Ever since it happened, Lena had beaten herself up about it. She never wanted it to come out that way, but it’s how it went down. There was no way to change it. She had never wanted to force Alex to make a decision like that.
“Yeah,” Lena nodded, trying to keep up her smile to make it less awkward, “but he’s a producer now. He quit just after we met. It was his decision, I had nothing to do with it, in case you were wondering…”
Alex nodded, not really sure what to do with the information. For some reason, it surprised him that she went to a band guy right after having broken up with him for the sole reason of him being in a band. And it totally wasn’t fishy that said guy quit being in a band after meeting Lena. Maybe getting away hadn’t been such a bad idea that long ago.
“By the way, I want to apologize for that.” Lena decided to tell him, not knowing if the subject would ever arise again. “I shouldn’t have made you choose. I never meant for that to happen and I’m so glad you made the right decision. I’m not trying to make it all better now, but I just thought it would be a good idea to apologize now that we both moved on from it, you know?”
“Yeah, of course.” Alex gave her an awkward reassuring pat on the arm. He wasn’t sure if he had completely moved on from it. Yes, he had gotten over Lena, but how was he expected to move on from something that had affected him so much? The breakup had ruined him, and he was always so afraid that something was going to force him to make a decision like that again.
“Is that little dude your son?” Jack tried to change the subject a little, knowing that Alex always had some leftover feelings about how they had broken up.
Lena nodded, her mood elating almost immediately. “Yeah, his name’s Nick. He’s five years old,”
“Five years old?” Jack tried to seem neutral, but he couldn’t help but squint his eyes a little as he did the math.
“Yep. Anyway, I should probably go find him before Scott gets him into playing the drums or something.” Lena chuckled and rushed into the direction she had seen the two run off into before. It wasn’t that she was against Nick wanting to expand his creativity, but she wasn’t sure if she could stand the noise.
When Lena had turned around the corner, Jack looked right at Alex with worried eyes. No, not because he was afraid Alex would be upset about seeing his ex-girlfriend again, but for a whole other reason that was way more worrisome. Although his forte had never been math, he could figure this one out.
“Is it just me, or does that boy look like a miniature version of you?” Jack muttered so that only Alex would be able to hear.
Alex looked back at his best friend, his heart dropping. “I thought I was imagining it.”
“Umm, okay… but we can’t be sure, can we? I mean, sure he’s five and you guys broke up almost exactly six years ago. But anything could have happened right?” Jack tried to reassure his friend that it wasn’t what they were thinking. There was no way that their shared idea was right.
But then Rian came stumbling up, laughing about something he came from. “Dude, Alex, I swore I just saw a child that looked exactly like you!”
That was the last thing needed for Alex’s smile to drop completely. As much as he wanted to deny it, it was impossible. Nick looked just like he did as a kid. He gulped as he tried to steady his heart rate. “Lena’s here with her five-year-old son.”
Rian dropped the drumsticks he was holding and glanced between his two bandmates, hoping to see that either of them was joking. But Alex’s greenish-pale complexion and Jack’s static facial features said otherwise. They weren’t fucking around with him, this was actually happening. This wasn’t something they would joke about. Why would they even include Lena in it if they were lying?
A little later, when Scott’s band was playing, Lena and Nick were watching side-stage. Jack decided to watch along with them, Alex feeling too light headed to go as well, but they needed some answers. If Lena actually was there with Alex’s son, they needed to know. She couldn’t just hide it from him. The only problem was that Jack had no idea how to introduce to topic without weirding her out.
But then he heard Nick singing along loudly with his uncle’s music. He wasn’t half that bad, especially for a five-year-old. If he continued to work on it, he’d be able to sing like it was nobody’s business when he was older.
Jack, shuffled a bit closer to Lena and leaned in so they could talk over the loud music. He pointed at Nick. “He can sing pretty well. I’m impressed.”
“All the talent comes from his father’s side. There’s a reason he was a lead singer, not me.” Lena replied, knowing just as well that her son was unrealistically good, and not just because every mom wanted their child to be special and do really well at something. Nick really did have a talent.
“Oh, yeah, right. You said your boyfriend used to play in a band,” Jack nodded, waiting for Lena to tell him that her boyfriend wasn’t the father of the child.
“Exactly.” Lena nodded, not giving Jack the answer he wanted. “He would have been so good at it if he continued, but he always dreamed of producing music, so he took his chance. He’s pretty good at it, if I say so myself. Of course, he doesn’t produce music for pop acts, but he’s worked with many up-and-coming rock bands.”
“Maybe we should work with him sometime?” He wanted so bad for Lena to get uncomfortable and say no, just to give him a signal that something was off.
But, no. She was cool with it. “Oh, that would be so awesome. I’m pretty sure he would love to, and I could probably get you a cheaper rate. He’s open to so many things. If you want to make a record with some weird influences or if you want to do something you often do, he’ll be all up for it.”
“Really? I’ll talk to the others about it.” Jack gave her a thumbs up, still expecting her to suddenly change her mind now that he was actually considering it.
“Awesome, and no hard feelings if you decide not to.” She said as she swayed along with the music.
Jack took this as a sign and pushed a little. “You don’t want us to?”
“No, of course I want you to! I just don’t want you to feel bad or obliged to do something just because you don’t want to hurt me or something.”
“Oh, okay…” He tried a different approach by mentioning another feature about her son. “He’s got an interesting hair color.”
Although it was a weird thing to say, Lena shrugged it off as it just being Jack. He might have looked way more grown up, but maybe he was still as obscure as the Jack she used to know. “It used to be way more blonde. I feel like he’ll have brown hair before he’s a teenager. It only makes sense; I have brown hair, his dad has brown hair.”
“You know, I’d love to meet his dad or your boyfriend some day.” Jack tried to emphasize a little that he thought that they were too separate people, but Lena didn’t seem to notice. He even had some suspicions that Lena was lying about either the dad or the boyfriend. She was too off with everything going on.
“You totally should come over next time you’re in town. I’ll give you my address.”
“We actually have a day off tomorrow, so we could probably come by then.”
Lena quickly grabbed a pen and a small piece of paper out of the shoulder bag she was wearing and quickly wrote down the address, not really thinking about the fact that Jack could easily lose it with how unorganized he was. "You should."
“That actually doesn’t sound too bad.” Jack smiled with a nod, thinking it would be the perfect plan to get it out of her if she wasn’t going to tell them before she left. “Now, I’m going to get a beer, would you like one too?”
“Oh, no, I don’t drink.” Lena scrunched up her nose, a beer sounding like the worst possible thing that Jack could have suggested to her.
“No way, I don’t believe you!” He gasped loudly and let out a high-pitched noise when Lena shrugged to show she was being serious. “You used to be the queen of flip-cup! You could take on an entire time all by yourself.”
“I haven’t had a drop ever since I found out I was pregnant with Nick.”
Jack shrugged and decided to get a water bottle for his reacquainted friend. He didn’t just want to ask her if she wanted beer just to not give her anything else when she said she didn’t drink. So, he went back to his dressing room to get both the beverages. On the couch, Alex was sat twirling his hair around his finger and bouncing his leg up and down.
“You okay, dude?” Jack asked as he got the bottles out of the fridge provided by the venue.
Alex snapped his head towards the sound, not having noticed somebody walking in. He immediately stopped the movements he was making and acted like everything was fine. “Yeah, it’s just weird to see her again, ya know?”
“Yeah.” Jack nodded, feeling bad that Alex was so anxious. “By the way, I’m trying to get Lena to spill if he’s your son. So far, it’s not really working, but we might be able to do so tomorrow.”
“Tomorrow?”
----
The next day, Jack decided to take up on the thing Lena had offered. Everybody in All Time Low piled into a van and drove to the address scribbled on a note that Jack had received. When they had typed it into the map on their phones, they found out that it was only forty-five minutes away, which wasn’t such a long way for what they were used to. It was unusual to spend a day off like this. Normally, they’d explore the town they were in and go their separate ways, but as far as they knew, this time they were going to spend the entire day at the house of one of their ex-best friends.
“So…” Zack decided to break the uncomfortable silence that was hanging around for the first ten minutes. “What are you going to do if you find out the kid’s yours?”
Alex massaged his temples and took his eye off the window to look at his friend instead. “I don’t know, Zack. That’s what I’m trying to figure out now. For all we know, he isn’t even mine.”
“But he looks so much like you!” Rian intervened, knowing his words were probably not helping, but also not wanting Alex to build up… false hope? No, that wasn’t the right word. He just didn’t want Alex to deny that it could be a possibility only to be hit with it later.
“Everybody has look-a-likes. He might not look anything like me anymore in a few years! Maybe it’s just all a coincidence.” Alex raised an eyebrow as if he had just scientifically proven that it wasn’t possible.
“Oh my god, Alex,” Zack groaned, running a hand through his hair, “stop trying to deny it. There is quite a high chance he’s yours. Brace yourself for it.”
“Okay, alright.” Alex held up his hands in defense and rolled his eyes a little to show he was fed up with his bandmates constantly bugging him about it. “If I am, I don’t know what I’ll do. I mean, I don’t want to be that other guy who happens to be his biological father. Right now, it seems like that child really does believe Lena’s boyfriend is his father.”
“So, you’d try to get said boyfriend out of the picture?” Jack wondered out loud, bringing his hand to his chin to put on a thinking face.
“No,” Alex scoffed, almost appalled that somebody would even suggest something like that, “I mean, I don’t know, maybe.”
“You’d actually get back with your ex because she had your son?”
“Well, what the hell would you do?!”
“I’m just asking if you’d be happy with her. You guys did break up for a reason. She did make you choose between us and her,” Jack muttered, feeling personally attacked by Alex.
“And she apologized last night, saying she never meant to say anything like that. There’s no reason for me to resent her anymore.” Alex pointed out, trying to picture his life if he was with Lena again. He didn’t even care about how he was planning on getting there, but it didn’t seem all too bad. They had loved each other so much before, they could definitely get there again.
Rian sighed, feeling bad for his best friend. “Please don’t tell me you’re actually considering it.”
“I wouldn’t want it if it turns out he isn’t my son, but I could deal with it if he is.”
“Let’s just find out what is actually going on before we make dramatic decisions like that, ok?”
Alex nodded in agreement and went back to staring out of the window. Although he didn’t want to seem like he was in deep thought, he couldn’t help but think about what his life would have been like if he and Lena hadn’t broken up all those years ago. Considering that he believed that they wouldn’t have ever broken up otherwise, the only pictures Alex could imagine were happy things. They would have been a happy family. Nick would have idolized him, always asking him for singing and guitar lessons. Lena would watch them with a loving smile gracing her lips, feeding their baby girl. It was perfect, something any guy dreamed of having. Alex had to keep reminding himself that breaking up was the right thing to do, or he wouldn’t have been giving his son music lessons and there would have been no way that he was actually as happy as in his daydream. But then again, maybe they would have worked it out if they had pushed through. Lena did say she never meant for it to come out that way, so he could have found another solution.
“Bro, we’re here.” Jack hit his shoulder, making him snap out of the imagination. Everybody had already gotten out of the van and was standing in the sunny warm outside weather.
“Oh, sorry.” Alex rubbed his eyes and climbed over the seats to get to go out as well. When his eyes adjusted to the light, he had no idea what he was looking at. Well, he knew it was a house, but he had no idea Lena would ever live in a place like that.
The property was fenced, the gate open for anybody to go on the driveway. But that wasn’t what shook him. The house had a nice suburban feel to it, but it was twice as big as your usual house, and the white contrasting to the red bricks somehow made it fall into the modern category. Alex had expected to find Lena living in just a common house that looked identical to the ones around it. But she seemed to be doing really well for herself. Living in a house like this did not mean the income was coming from a usual job.
The boys entered the property and walked up to the front door. One of them rang the doorbell, and shortly after, the dark wooden door opened and the same girl from the night before was stood behind it. Her face lit up as she saw her old friends, ushering them all inside before they would get a sunburn or anything of the like.
“Sorry for the mess,” she chuckled, believing that the slightly shifted carpet already made the house look unordered, “Nick has a friend over and they’re running all over the place.”
“This is not a mess at all. I wish my house would occasionally look like this!” Jack looked around at the modern and simplistic interior.
“I’d probably have a panic attack if my house was ever as messy as yours, Jack,” Lena joked, but everybody knew it was probably also to truth, especially Alex. When they lived together, she’d also freak out over every little thing he left lying around. He used to think it was so annoying, but when she moved out, he was pretty glad he had been drilled. The first couple of days, or even weeks, hadn’t gone so well.
Lena made them follow her into the living room. Once again, the entire open space was as clean as could be. There were French doors with large matching windows facing the garden, the clear clue pool right in the middle. This place was a dream house for anybody, and here Lena was living in it. The guys were so amazed by it all, but she didn’t even make it seem like anything special.
The laughter of Nick and his friend could be heard while Lena asked the All Time Low guys if they wanted to have something to drink. She got herself some tea while returning with three beers and one water for the guys. While Lena herself didn’t drink any alcohol, and Anthony didn't drink much either, they always had some laying around for guests. No, they didn’t have frequent guests, but they always stocked up for family events and were left with some at the end.
The five of them were catching up when Lena’s boyfriend appeared. He was entering through the French doors, coming from outside, or more likely the studio in the pool house, wearing a white tank-top and black basketball shorts, his hair a complete mess. While eating a bowl of cereal, he saw the strangers in his living room and froze up. It looked like he had just woken up despite it already being the afternoon.
He looked down at his appearance and grimaced. “If I knew we had people over, I would have made myself look a little better.”
“And how would you have done that?” Lena laughed, her smile causing the skin around her eyes to wrinkle.
“Sneak in through the front door, obviously.” Anthony took another bite of his cereal and acted like his answer was the most logical solution.
Jack wasn’t sure what to think or how to feel. He was more busy with taking in the guy’s appearance and trying to remember what Nick looked like. Anthony had a slightly shorter haircut and a bit lighter hair than Alex, they both had bushy eyebrows and brown eyes, but their smiles were very different, and Anthony’s ears were more pointed. If Alex had been out of the picture, Jack would have totally believed that Lena’s boyfriend was Nick’s father, but it wasn’t that way. To him, Nick looked just a little more like Alex.
With the French doors still open, a dog that the All Time Low members hadn’t seen before suddenly came running in, knocking hard against Anthony’s legs. He managed to regain his balance quickly without trouble, barely moving an inch, but it meant the bowl of cereal had to be sacrificed and all the milk poured onto his shirt.
“Are you kidding me?” Anthony groaned, ignoring the dog that was now further into the living room.
Lena giggled, only showing how much she was in love with the man. “You should know by now that you shouldn’t stand at an open door like that.”
“Yeah, that’s the worst part, this isn’t the first time it’s happened. I’ve had that dog for seven years and I never learn.” He ran a hand through his knotted and borderline greasy hair and went to bring his now empty bowl to the kitchen. “Sofa, you’re supposed to be old and tired by now, not trying to make me fall over!”
“Sofa?” Rian inquired, believing he hadn’t heard the name right. There was no way they had a dog called Sofa, that was just strange.
“Yeah, well, she used to be called Sophia,” Lena explained during the few seconds that Anthony wasn’t around anymore, “but then Nick started to learn how to talk. He couldn’t pronounce it and kept calling her ‘Sofa’, so it kinda stuck.”
“Ah.” He nodded, now no longer thinking it was as weird. At least they had a good explanation behind it.
Anthony came back, his shirt now taken off, showing the tanned abs and chest with a few tattoos he had. If any girl had to choose between having a one-night-stand with Alex or Anthony based solely on their bodies and not any feelings, many would probably have chosen Lena’s boyfriend. He had claimed multiple times that he was going to work on his dad-bod, only to go back to the gym soon after. It was just a norm for him.
“At least it’s forcing me to take a shower, so it’s all good.” Anthony put on the grin that made Lena’s heart flutter when they had just started dating, and started making his way toward the stairs.
“You better before you start smelling like sour milk!” Lena shouted after him before turning back to the people she believed were her friends again. Little did she know they also had an alternate motive.
“So that’s the boyfriend that somehow led you back to us.” Zack whistled and nodded his head as if to show that he was impressed with what Lena was able to catch.
“Yep, six years strong.” Lena nodded, feeling some tension building in the room. She wanted them to meet her boyfriend, but them questioning her about him felt a little off. “He’s been working day and night to finish mixing an album, hence why he looked so homeless.”
“Six years?” Jack gaped. He couldn’t believe it. It hadn’t even been six years since she had broken up with Alex. Had she been cheating as well?”
Lena rolled her eyes, knowing what Jack was getting at. “Almost six years. I met him like a month or so after Alex and I ended things. It wasn’t supposed to be anything serious, but look where we are now.”
“Wow… Alex was probably at his worst after one month, I’m surprised to hear you were already dating other guys by then.” Rian added, trying to force the conversation in the direction they needed it to go.
Alex sighed and rubbed his eyes. “Thanks for embarrassing me guys, you’re doing great.”
“If it makes you feel any better, I was only looking for a rebound. Anthony knew and we had a no-strings-attached kind of deal, but it sort of turned into something more. I never intended to jump over to the next guy so quickly.” Lena told them the honest truth, hoping it would stop them from wanting to dig even deeper into the beginning of her relationship. But it only did the opposite.
Jack had to cut straight to the chase. “Because you found out you were pregnant with Nick.”
“Um, no.” Lena shook her head, taking offense from Jack’s comment. This was going too far. “I found out after we started seriously dating. I mean, I probably got pregnant early on in the whole relationship, but it’s not the reason why we decided to take a further step.”
“How early on in the relationship?” Jack pushed next.
“Jack,” Alex groaned to stop the other. He could sense that it was making Lena uncomfortable, but not because she was trying to hide something. To her, this was just him trying to find out every little detail about her relationship. This was not ok.
“What do you want me to tell you?” Lena glared at Jack, not understanding how her hyper friend from years ago had changed so much. “That Alex and I broke up, that I went out to find somebody as a rebound, that I met Anthony, that three weeks in we decided to start dating, that eventually I took a pregnancy test at the doctors and that they said one to two months pregnant? Do you also want to know all the details about the sex? Do you want me to tell you what it was like meeting each other’s parents for the first time? I can go on and tell you all the details, but I don’t think that all really matters.”
“One to two months?” Alex repeated in a hushed voice, needing to know when she had taken the test.
However, Alex wasn’t intending on asking any further questions, not wanting to make Lena get furious. But she heard his thought quite clearly. All she wanted was to rekindle her friendship with the All Time Low guys now that she had the opportunity, but all she was getting was how rude they were being. If she knew that this would have happened when she invited them over, she would have never done it.
“Yes, one to two months.” Lena nodded in an over exaggerated way, her voice showcasing her frustration. “Does it really matter? I don’t get why you’re so interested in how my relationship started and when Nick was-- oh my god…” Her eyes doubled in size when it hit her. She stood up from the couch and looked at the four boys in front of her before her gaze rested on Alex. Her head shook in disbelief. “No…”
“Wait, you didn’t know that this was a possibility?” Jack stiffened up, starting to feel guilty for interrogating her. He really thought that she was trying to keep it a secret even though they were right in front of her.
“No, no, it’s not possible,” Lena said, but it was more to reassure herself. “They said one to two months, not two to three.”
Rian decided to be the responsible one and try to guide her through the thoughts she was having. “Okay, well, how far into your relationship did you find out?”
“I’m not sure anymore… I’m guessing just over a month?” She ran her hands over her face, glad that she never wore too much makeup. “Which leaves enough time for it to possibly be… oh my god…”
Throughout it all, Alex had been staring out in front of him, only half hearing the conversation going on around him. He couldn’t comprehend what was going on anymore. Sure, he came here to find out whether or not he had a son, but now that it actually came to it, he didn’t know what to do. There was no certainty that Nick was his, but it made it all so real. Alex was a little mad that he maybe hadn’t had a chance to be there the first five years, confused because he never even thought it could have happened, happy because it would mean he had a child, sad because he wasn’t prepared. There were too many emotions to deal with for him to be able to act ok.
It was exactly the moment that Anthony decided to walk back in. He had Nick hanging off his neck and Nick’s friend hanging off his leg, carrying them forward with him. The two young boys were giggling, having too much fun for words, causing Anthony to have a great big grin on his face as well. His son’s happiness meant his happiness.
“I’m a human jungle gym!” Anthony exclaimed, not sensing the nature of the scene in front of him yet. But as soon as he saw his girlfriend bent over, her hands covering her mouth, her elbows resting on her legs, her eyes showing signs that she was about to cry, he knew something was up. He shook the boys off and told them to go play outside for the time being.
Before he could ask what was going on, he saw Alex’s gaze follow Nick as he ran outside, and Jack and Zack looking at Alex, Rian having a hand on Lena’s back to comfort her. It was like he didn’t even need to hear it. He could feel exactly what was going on and it made him sick to his stomach. As much as he wanted to deny it, he couldn’t walk away from the scene. If he walked away, everything was only going to get worse. He had to be the bigger man here and suck it up for everybody involved.
But still, he couldn’t help but let his first reaction get to him. Shaking his head, he took his time to individually look at the people in front of him. “No.”
Lena turned her head to finally look back at her boyfriend and tears started prickling her eyes. All this time, she hadn’t even thought of the possibility that Alex was the father of her child. Now she couldn’t help but feel guilty and as if she had betrayed Anthony. Ever since they found out she was pregnant, she made him believe that he definitely was the father. She didn’t know any better, but she couldn’t help but feel like a disappointment.
“Nobody’s going to tell me that it’s not what I’m thinking?” Anthony asked out in hidden desperation, sighing when nobody answered him. He never thought he would be in the situation of not being sure whether he was the father of a child or not.
It was obvious that nobody was going to fix what was going on or come up with any solution whatsoever, so Anthony decided to take it upon himself to come up with rational decisions and try to compensate what everybody wanted and needed. He joined the others, only sitting on the coffee table instead of the couch so he could look at everybody.
“I’m so sorry,” Lena whimpered, trying her best to make sure she didn’t break out in tears. She felt like she was hurting both Alex and Anthony with her actions. This wasn’t how she expected the day to go at all.
Anthony decided to ask one question before going any further and starting his reasoning. “Are you sure he’s the father?”
Alex snapped his head to look up at him, finally coming out of his trance. He expected Lena’s boyfriend to get furious and lash out somehow, but he looked like the only person that was in some sort of way composed. For some reason, Alex wanted both Nick to be his son and not. On one hand, he wasn’t sure if he could deal with it, but on the other, he couldn’t help but feel a little happy. He could only imagine what Anthony was going through.
Lena shook her head, telling him that she didn’t know anymore. Anthony held out his hand to hold hers and ran his thumb over her knuckles once their hands were interlocked. He pulled her a little bit and motioned for her to come sit in his lap, which she did. As soon as she was sat down and wrapped in his arms, one single tear ran down her cheek. She was so afraid of what was going to happen. It could lead to her losing both potential fathers. But all Anthony did was hold her and kissed the top of her head.
Alex felt like he needed to do something as well, maybe hold her hand as well and say some comforting words, but he couldn’t. Not because he didn’t want to, but because it was obvious that he wasn’t the one to do that anymore. She had Anthony to do all of the comforting, he had no part in that. He wasn’t as important. If it ever came between the two of them, he knew that Lena would always choose her boyfriend.
Anthony looked at Alex, mainly directing his words to him. “If you want to, we can get a paternity test done to see who’s the father.”
Lena cringed at the words, never having wanted to have it come down to this. She always thought she’d know who the father of her baby was. She wasn’t stupid enough to sleep around with multiple guys at once. The only mistake she made was trying to move on too quickly. She didn’t think she’d get pregnant so early on in her relationship with Anthony… or so late with Alex...
Alex nodded, but only to make Anthony continue with his plan. Only getting the test was going to leave even more questions unanswered. “And then?”
Anthony shrugged, not having thought that far ahead yet, but willing to come up with something on the spot. “If you turn out to be the father, you can be in his life. Nick will get to know as soon as possible, that’s just the right thing to do. But I will always also be a father figure to him, we can’t change that anymore. I’m always going to be around.”
“And if I’m not?” Alex asked next, a little of disappointment shown through his eyes, but not through his voice. Only Anthony could see it, making him feel for the guy he never met before but knew from many pictures.
“Then I’m going to be the only father in Nick’s life. I do, however, want to give you the possibility of being like an uncle to him. All of you guys, really. But if you want that, you’re going to have to be around. If you’re not friends with us or do anything to try and be really good friends and role models to Nick, you can forget about it. I understand that you’re on tour the entire time, but all it takes are simple things. Scott’s been able to do it, you guys can probably fit your way in as well.”
Lena stayed quiet the entire time, listening to the words of the guy she loved with all her heart. He was being so compassionate and he didn’t even have to be. Most guys would have gotten so mad, not only at the other guy but also at her. Although she couldn’t have done anything about it, she would have lost everything that meant so much to her. But here Anthony was, being way too good for her. She didn’t deserve him being so understanding, but it’s how he had always been. It’s what had caught her eye before they decided to start dating.
Alex also didn’t understand. He thought he would have come out of it all with a busted lip and a black eye, especially with how ripped the guy was. Maybe he did have Zack who would have protected him, but if a guy really was mad, he was going to do more damage than he seemed capable of. Not even Jack was attacked despite being such a douchebag.
“Okay,” Alex agreed.
The remainder of the time, they discussed a little while longer how everything was going to happen. They all exchanged phone numbers to be able to contact each other for when the test was actually going to take place. All Time Low first had to finish their tour, and they somehow had to get Nick to give a sample as well without giving him any false information. But after all that was done, they tried to fall back into a normal conversation. It started off difficult, but eventually it became more natural. With both the solutions Anthony had given, they were going to have to get along anyway. It was only a good idea to get a head start. Lena was the only one that was still quite distant, completely shaken up about what had just happened.
When it was time for the All Time Low guys to go back again, Lena and Anthony led them back to the front door and waved until they were out of sight. They couldn’t say that the meeting had been a good one, but it also hadn’t necessarily been a bad one. All they could do was move forward with what they had found out and hope that everything was going to be OK in the future. Hopefully, Alex would step up if he was the father, and Anthony promised to always be there, calming Lena’s heart for there was one more thing.
“I promise that our next baby is certainly yours,” she told Anthony as they stood in the hallway, her arms wrapped around his neck and his hands on her waist.
“Of course, and I know that.” Anthony nodded, giving her a smile to show that he wasn’t mad about anything that happened.
“No, really, I promise. I know for sure.”
“Yeah. I don’t expect anything else.”
Lena had to resist the urge to roll her eyes and bit back her grin. “You’re just going to have to wait six more months.”
Anthony frowned, his eyebrows furrowing as the grip on his girlfriend loosened. “Six more months?”
“Until we have another baby in this house.”
“No way! You’re lying!” He gasped, his eyes lighting up with excitement. He knew he always wanted more kids with Lena, he just didn’t know when. But now was the perfect timing.
She let her grin spread across her face and nodded to show him that she was being truthful. “I found out a week ago.”
Anthony firmly planted his lips on hers, not being able to wait for the next chapter to come. Whatever happened, he was still going to have his perfect family, whether Alex was included or not. Nick was always going to be his son, and now he had another child on the way.
The mood in the van, however, wasn’t as joyful. It was quite somber actually, even though the day hadn’t ended on a bad note. They all got along with each other, there was nothing to be upset about. But it didn’t feel that way.
“What wrong?” Jack asked Alex, noticing that they were all feeding off of his negative energy.
“I don’t know if I want to take that test…” Alex breathed out, not taking his eyes off what he could see flashing by the window. “He’s a good guy, nothing like I would ever be. I can’t just take this happiness away from them. They were doing just fine without us, why change that now?”
#all time low fanfiction#alex gaskarth fanficition#all time low#alex gaskarth#all time low imagine#alex gaskarth imagine#glad to meet you again
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