#so like. was she that hung up over a relationship from a decade ago that she wrote a response to tht song this long latwr | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

livinginshambles · 8 months

Text

But what about me | James Potter

Pairing: James Potter x Fem!Reader

Word Count: 5.1k

Summary: Established relationship - You're jealous of the new girl but are mature about it, James is oblivious, and he also forgets your birthday and anniversary.

Notes: So here it is, a new version. I'm not going to continue the taglist, because it is kind of a hassle to take care of. Lily is our friend. OC Rosalie sucks. James is stupid. Spelling mistakes, grammar mistakes, probably a happy ending, you know the drill.

Masterlist

“What’s on your mind?”

_________________________

You stared at James from a distance.

You shot up, your eyes widened in an alarmed manner before your posture relaxed when you saw it was Annabelle. She was a Hufflepuff ghost, a student who had tragically died during a Triwizard tournament, a few decades ago.

You shook your head in reassurance. “Nothing’s on my mind-“

“-So, the usual then?” Sirius’ voice popped up behind you and you wasted no time in elbowing him in the ribs, causing him to let out an “oomph”. You quickly waved at Annabelle who floated off.

“Watch it Padfoot,” you sternly told him, and you tried your best to give him a reprimanding look. By the laughing sound of his reaction, you failed in appearing intimidating.

“So,” Sirius began. “Big day tomorrow ey?” He wiggled his eyes suggestively. You laughed and rolled your eyes. “Yeah, my birthday. Stop making it sound weird,” you huffed, and you shook your head.

“Totally worth it, Annika just walked past us with a beet red face,” Sirius defended with a mischievous grin.

“You should stop your inappropriate comments, I mean you are literally my cousin,” you stated loudly, and Sirius earned a disgusted look from another student passing by.

Sirius’ mouth hung open and then he scrambled to defend himself. “So, we’re not related at all, she was kidding!” His voice and pitch raised by the end of the sentence as he called out to the student who’d given him a not-so-subtle side eye.

You gave him a smug look. “Fine,” Sirius relented. “Truce?” You two shook hands.

“You’re not trying to steal my girl, are you Pads?” Two arms found their way around your waist, followed by a kiss to your cheek.

Sirius let go of your hand to hold them up in surrender. “I wouldn’t dare, Prongs, just chatting because she seemed lonely,” he shrugged. You shot him a glare.

“Lonely?” James’ attention immediately zoned in on you.

“He’s just talking out of his ass, Jamie,” you waved it off.

Sirius raised his eyebrows. “Oh, because you were definitely not longingly looking at Prongs here, talking to that gir-“ This time, you kicked his shins.

“Nah, I’m just pranking you, mate,” Sirius nonchalantly changed course and patted James on the shoulder while he passed him. James ignored him and focused on you.

He spun you around by one arm, held above your head like you were doing a ballroom dance. His hands quickly settled on your sides when you faced him, and he leaned over to pepper your face full of pecks. You grinned up at him and he fondly looked back before pulling you in again for a deeper kiss.

“Really?” A portrait next to you spoke up snorted. “Right in front of my salad?” He gestured to the painted salad on the dinner table in front of him.

James pointedly ignored him and instead tried to pull you a little bit closer. Not that that was possible.

“Oh, now you’re just doing it on purpose,” The man in the painting complained, and you would imagine the grimace on his face if you weren’t too preoccupied with James, who was leaving small pecks against your lips.

“Don’t like what you see, look away,” James murmured against you.

“Disrespectful cretin these days. I would look away, but you are right in my sight,” The portrait huffed dramatically. You softly pushed James away to offer the poor man a sheepish look but found that he’d already escaped to a neighboring painting.

“So tomorrow,” James started, and you couldn’t help but get excited at the prospect of a date with James. That giddy feeling sank very quickly when James finished his sentence.

“I’ll be training our newest Chaser for the day. That’s the girl I was talking to before,” he explained. “Her name’s Rosalie James, isn’t that funny? Like her last name is James, it confused me a lot during today’s practice,” James continued, not noticing that your mind had wandered of the brunette girl.

“She even joked that if we’d get married, I could change my name to James James,” he laughed. You didn’t particularly see the humor in that.

“Anyway,” he continued, “I know I said that we would study together in the library tomorrow, but I think we should move that to Sunday.”

You frowned, “can we not just move it to the evening then?” you asked, wondering if James was really planning on spending the entirety of your birthday with someone else.

“Well, it’s from 9 o’clock until 7 o’clock in the evening, and we have a Quidditch party thing afterwards, but it’s more of a teambuilding thing. I can ask them if you can join though?” James offered.

You blinked at him in confusion before offering him a smile in return. “What, no- I wouldn’t want to intrude,” you denied. You assumed that he’d find some time to squeeze in a birthday celebration.

James shrugged. “Suit it yourself, love.”

You didn’t actually think James would forget your birthday. After all, James was literally the perfect boyfriend. He was proud to show you off to people, always ready to lend an ear when you needed to, and most of all showering you with love, any chance he gets.

But we’re all still humans after all, today was very busy so it probably just slipped his mind. That’s completely okay, you told yourself. And so, you tried to push away your thoughts, wanting to enjoy the cake that you and the girls had snuck from the kitchen as a late-night snack.

“Red velvet is the best, I swear,” Lily laughed with a sigh as she let herself fall flat on her back in satisfaction. Marlene agreed wordlessly, preoccupied with stuffing more cake in her mouth.

“Happy birthday again,” Alice smiled kindly at you, and you beamed at her. “Thank you, guys, for today, you shouldn’t have bought me the expensive painting equipment,” you said as you motioned towards the brand-new canvasses, brushes, primer, and oil paint.

“Nonsense,” Marlene replied in mock offense. “But you will paint me one day, right?” She batted her eyelashes at you. You pretended to think about it. “I mean, for 15 galleons?” you joked and then had to rush to take your words back when Marlene agreed without hesitance.

“I was only joking,” you laughed and swatted her lightly.

“Eh, leave the joking to your boyfriend and the other marauders,” Lily teased you. “Speaking of them,” she started, and you looked down, knowing the follow up question. “What did they get you for your birthday?

“Well,” you recalled your day so far. “Peter, Remus and Sirius gifted me an expandable suitcase, so I can put all my collectables in there.”

“Damn,” Alice whispered. You sheepishly scratched your head. “Yeah, it took me by surprise too. Last I checked, it cost way too much. I sure hope they acquired it in a legal manner,” you joked.

“I mean, both Sirius and James are well off, so maybe they could afford it and actually bought it,” Alice joked along.

You shrugged. “Oh, James didn’t pitch in for the suitcase. Remus said that he’d told them he was getting something more personal for me,” you said.

“Ugh, what a sap,” Lily commented lightheartedly, and you agreed with a chuckle. “So, what did he get you then?” Lily asked exasperatedly, already expecting something ridiculously grand.

There was a beat of silence.

“Uh, I’m not sure, we didn’t get around to celebrating my birthday together,” you settled on answering.

“What?” Marlene, Lily, and Alice asked in chorus.

“He was busy,” you defended James.

“The entire day?” Marlene squinted her eyes, absolutely seeing through your bullshit excuse. You shrugged in response but nodded your head. “The entire day?” She repeated in disbelief. “Like he couldn’t pop in in the morning or during breakfast?” You shrugged again.

“I guess he forgot,” you mumbled, starting to feel down again. Alice quickly caught on to that and decided to change the subject, trying to cheer you up. “Anyway, should we picnic tomorrow by the lake?”

You exhaled in relief. “I would love that.”

Sirius and James entered their dorms and greeted the other two marauders. “And? Did she like the suitcase?” Sirius immediately asked while he made himself at home on the foot end of Remus’ bed.

“Definitely, like she couldn’t believe it. She even did the happy wiggly dance,” Peter and Remus laughed at the memory. Sirius held his hand up to high five them and grinned in victory. “I told you guys, she needed someplace to put all that stuff she collects.”

James had been utterly confused since he stepped into the room and was not at all following the conversation. It was definitely about you, he figured that much from the wiggly happy dance. But what on earth were they buying you stuff for?

“You guys gave Y/N a suitcase?” He asked cluelessly.

“Yeah, why?” Remus inquired, eyebrows raised. “Is that not up to standard to the great James Potter?” He sarcastically asked, already expecting James to start gloating about whatever he got as a present for you.

“Well, if you guys have that much money in abundance to spend, save some for great pranks too,” James complained jokingly.

Sirius stared at James in confusion. “Huh?”

Peter tilted his head while examining James’ facial expression of confusion and then hesitantly asked. “James, did you forget about Y/N’s birthday?”

Time stopped for James, and he could hear his heart beat loudly, blood rushing to his ears as realization dawned on him, entirely to slowly.

“Merlin!” he loudly cursed, wide-eyed.

At his confession, Remus and Sirius’ jaws slacked. “You forgot!?” They shouted in unison.

Peter covered his ears at their yelling.

“Y/N!”

You turned your head, trying to find the source and halted in your step when your eyes landed on James who was frantically making his way through the hordes of students, crowding the corridor. He had been trying to find you since breakfast.

“Yes?”

James stopped in front of you, out of breath, a little flushed in the face and an apologetic expression adorned his face. You already knew what he was going to say and held up your hand to stop him in advance.

“I don’t need your apology,” you sighed out. James words died in his throat, and it took a moment for him to break out of it. “Love, I’m a right twit, I know.” He unintentionally shot you a defeated look with puppy eyes that you couldn’t help but melt for.

“How was your day yesterday?” was all you ended up asking as you continued making your way towards the library. You motioned with your head for him to follow you.

“I missed you,” James sincerely answered. He still pouted, seemingly upset, but all directed at himself of course. “I can’t believe I forgot,” he frowned. “I’ll work to be the greatest boyfriend again, I promise.” His eyes sparkled with determination, and you couldn’t suppress your amusement anymore, a smile lifting the corners of your lips.

“Well, you’re not off the hook yet, Potter.”

“Not the last name,” James whined. You shot him an unimpressed look that had him accept defeat.

“So, no kisses for you anymore,” you huffed for extra measure, in retaliation to his complaint.

“Wait what? You can’t do that, that’s so mean,” James immediately protested.

“For a week,” you added. “Forgetting about me yesterday was mean to me too.”

James’ hand made its way to intertwine with yours. “Fine,” he grumbled. “But this is still okay, right?”

You squeezed his hand. “It’s twelve o’clock right now. Do you want to have lunch first or study a little bit in the library?”

James gave you a bright smile. “Whatever you want.”

“I want you to choose,” you retorted.

“Lunch, please.”

James spent the following week almost draped over you. His entire body leaned into you, your hands always together, and every time he came in for a kiss, he reminded himself to respect your wishes, which left him burying his face in your neck instead.

It was Sunday and you hummed peacefully to yourself while you were sketching in the boys’ dorms, on James’ bed. You sat in the middle of his crossed legs, his arms were wrapped around your middle. His chin was rested on your shoulder which left him with the perfect view on your drawing in progress.

“I love you,” he quietly mumbled.

“I know, Jamie. I love you too,” you nudged him. James’ arms slipped away, and he moved away from you, you frowned at the loss of contact and warmth, leaning into the pillows behind you instead. “What are you-?”

James moved in front of you and nestled himself between your own crossed legs, back to your stomach, exchanging the position you had previously been in. He slouched a bit until his head leaned against your chest.

“My, you’re putty today, love,” you teased him softly. You closed your sketchbook and started untangling his curly hair.

“I’m really sorry I missed your birthday,” James whispered. You melted.

You chuckled and shrugged. “Sometimes things slip our mind. It just made me feel a little bummed out, that’s all.”

James hummed. “Well, I can promise you that I won’t forget about our anniversary though,” he said, voice filled with determination. You laughed. “That’s still a long time from now Jamie,” you mused.

“I’m already counting down the days so that there’s absolutely no way that I’ll forget it.”

“Hey James?”

James looked up at you.

“It’s twelve o’clock.”

James blinked twice and then a wolfish grin appeared as he practically jumped up and turned to face you, tackling you to bring you in for a kiss.

You groaned at the impact of your head against the wall behind you and James grinned sheepishly in apology before grabbing your hips and pulling you further down the bed to make space so he could finally press his lips to yours, all while completely melting into you and sighing in relief at the feeling.

And for two weeks, everything seemed to be perfectly fine. Until Rosalie joined the picture again, that is.

Dorcas sat next to you in class and elbowed you softly. “What’s up with James and that girl?” she whispered. You looked up from your notes and glanced at James who was nodding enthusiastically at a drawing that Rosalie was showing James. It was a portrait of him, and you couldn’t help but feel a pit in your stomach at how well she drew him.

Features that were so on point, up to the little details like the three tiny birthmarks that seem to disappear amidst his freckles and that one freckle on his upper lip that you often pressed an extra peck to. You knew that for such a detailed, accurate and hyper realistic drawing, Rosalie had probably spent a lot of time studying him up close.

You averted your attention back to Dorcas and forced a smile. “She’s their new Chaser,” was all you replied.

Dorcas sent another skeptical look in James and Rosalie’s direction but didn’t comment on it any further.

“Guess what, love?!” James burst into the common room where you and Remus were calmly reading. James skipped over to the couch you were sitting on and pressed a kiss to your temple.

“What?” you entertained him.

“I just made a deal with the kitchen elves and they’re going to cook us a candle lit dinner for our anniversary,” James triumphantly grinned from ear to ear as if he had just won the Quidditch cup.

Your eyes widened and you jumped up in excitement and disbelief. “How did you manage to do that?” You curiously pondered.

James puffed his chest. “A magician never reveals his secrets,” he secretively replied, and you huffed and swatted him with a laugh. “We’re all magicians here, James,” you pointed out with a pout.

James leaned down to press a kiss to your pouted lips. “Just enjoy dinner with me. It’s in three weeks.” He was not about to tell you that he made a deal with the elves to go and clean the kitchen every day after supper for three weeks.

“Thank you, James,” you said, voice muffled because you had your face buried in his neck, arms around him in a tight hug.

You were incredibly excited for your anniversary, having a surprise for him as well, as you managed to get him tickets to the Quidditch world cup.

You waited for James in the changing rooms, Gryffindor had just lost an important match to Slytherin, and you knew that James would be feeling down. The Gryffindor team walked in, and you got up from the bench you were seated on. When you found James, he immediately came in for a hug.

“You did great out there, love. I’m proud of you,” you whispered.

“But it wasn’t enough,” James frowned. “They’re just always better than us, it doesn’t even matter how much we practice, because in the end, we can’t beat them.”

You stroked his hair in a consoling manner.

“And what’s the point if we can’t bloody beat Slytherin,” James spat out in frustration. You threw Sirius a look over James’ shoulder.

“Don’t say that, Jamie. You’ve won the last two games, and you don’t have to win against them,” you tried. Apparently, that was not what James wanted to hear and you would later beat yourself up for seeming to discard his feelings.

James pulled away with a frown. “But it’s not enough!” You flinched at his loud tone. “I just want-, It’s,” he let out an aggravated sound. “You don’t understand, okay. The feeling of constantly losing to the same opponent, its-“ James was struggling to find the words and you tried to apologize, alarmed, and feeling guilty.

Rosalie showed up behind James and put a hand on his shoulder. “Hey, we’ll get them next time, James. She just doesn’t get it because she’s not on the team.”

You felt hurt by her dismissive statement and wanted to retort when James agreed with her. “Exactly, Y/N, you don’t even play Quidditch, you don’t know what this feels like.”

Your heart sank in embarrassment and hurt, and your mouth formed an inaudible ‘oh’.

“Come on, Prongs. It’s not her fault we lost, don’t take it out on her,” Sirius moved to stand next to James and swatted him lightly. James sighed, closed his eyes, and pinched his nose.

“’m sorry, love. That was totally uncalled for,” he admitted, and he reached his arm for you to pull you back in for a hug. You subtly evaded his arm and swiftly moved yourself to the door.

“No, no. I actually need to go meet up with Peter, so uh. You guys have fun. And yeah,” you awkwardly did a mini wave with your hand towards the team and fled.

Sirius leaned in towards James. “Good job, mate.”

“Sod off.” You didn’t leave his mind at all for the rest of the night.

You were about to scream bloody murder when you were shaken awake in the middle of the night, but a hand covered your mouth and when your eyes adjusted to the darkness, you could vaguely make out your boyfriend.

“James?” you incredulously whispered. “What in Merlin’s name are you doing here?”

James motioned to his invisibility cloak. “Sleep with me?” He asked and gave you a pleading look. You folded and so you tripled to the boy’s dorms under the cloak and then nestled yourself in his arms. A leg draped over his while you two fell into a peaceful slumber.

James was once again looking everywhere for you. This time with a slight sense of dread instead of the usual excitement.

When he finally found you and saw that you were laughing along with Sirius, he hesitated. He was halfway through changing his mind on addressing the issue with you when you called out to him.

“Morning!” you said, and you slid a sandwich in his direction. “You missed breakfast today, everything okay?" You asked.

James glanced at Sirius, and he excused himself and then left.

“I know we were going to go to Hogsmeade for our anniversary, but Rosalie managed to get tickets to a Quidditch game of our favourite team, and we even get to meet them afterwards. Like I can ask them for tips on playing, it’s just such an opportunity…” He trailed off when he noticed your fallen expression, which you quickly tried to cover up.

“Hey, that sounds like an amazing opportunity,” you assured him because it was true.

“We’re still on for that candle lit dinner, though?” You tried to joke, but it came off more as an insecure question.

James immediately enveloped you in a big hug. “Of course we are, 10 o’clock in the evening and I promise I’ll make it up to you afterwards.”

You laughed quietly. “You better.”

Your eyes crinkled in laughter as the kitchen elves tried their best to cheer you up and keep you occupied while James was hopefully simply running late. But by the time it was one o’clock in the morning, you decided to call it a night and thanked the elves for teaching you two new dishes and chess.

On your way to the dorms, you heard hushed whispers around the corner. When you turned it, however, you saw it was empty, but you knew better. You closed your eyes and took a deep breath, contemplating if you wanted to do this now or tomorrow.

“James,” you called out.

There was a beat of silence and then the invisibility cloak slid off to reveal James and Rosalie, sneaking back inside the castle.

“Love? What are you doing up at this hour-“ he stopped halfway through his sentence with a curse.

“Wait, Y/N, this is my fault, not James’,” Rosalie piped up, but you were done with her.

“Go.”

Rosalie shot James one last glance and when he didn’t look back at her, instead still frozen, attention focused on you, she scurried away.

“I lost track of time. We went to have drinks with the players and time flashed by so quickly and then I completely forgot. And then Rosalie got sick, so -“

“Stop talking about her for a moment.” James looked at you, confused.

“Every single time, it is always you and Rosalie. It’s always her.” You didn’t bother hiding your hurt feelings anymore.

“But what about me,” you whispered defeatedly.

James shook his head. “No, it’s not her. I swear it’s not. It’s bad timing.” he firmly stated. “This isn’t even her fault, it was me and my enthusiasm to go to the game, I-“

“Why do you keep defending her?” You cut him off, allowing tears to well up in your eyes. James bit his lower lip. “I’m sorry,’ he eventually admitted.

“Yeah,” you breathed out exhaustedly. “You always are, aren’t you? Just like you always promise to make it up to me.”

“I will,” he weakly defended. “We can go back to the kitchen right now, eat food, celebrate our anniversary,” his eyes desperately searched yours for forgiveness, but in the darkness of the castle, he couldn’t find any.

“I spent three hours in the kitchen already, I’ve eaten the great food that the elves prepared for me, and our anniversary has already passed,” you coldly stated.

James’ eyes averted to his own feet, ashamed.

You tightly shut your eyes for a moment. And basked in the silence. When you opened your eyes again, you took in James’ posture. He seemed so very small all of a sudden.

Then you walked straight past him, while he was still frozen in place. When you passed him, you halted next to him and turned your head towards him. “I really hope she’s worth it, James.”

This seemed to snap him out of it, and he turned around in a flash. “Wait!” he called out in panic and immediately lowered his voice. “You’re not breaking up with me, right?” His eyes were pleading, and he looked distraught.

You scoffed softly to yourself. “I don’t want to talk to you right now. I’m tired, so I’m going to bed, or else I actually will,” you replied shortly and retreated to your dorm.

Sirius whistled when James entered the room and unknowingly started to rub salt right in James’ well-deserved wound. “One o’clock in the morning, damn Prongs. You two must’ve had fun in the kitchen. How was the food? Did you like the present? I helped her with that,” he boasted.

James shook his head, “I messed it up again, Padfoot.”

Sirius eyes squinted ever so slightly at James. “No way,” he ended up asking in disbelief.

James didn’t answer right away, and Sirius got up out of bed and approached James. Then he shoved him. “Tell me you showed up for your anniversary, Prongs.”

James who had been looking at the ground finally met Sirius eye to eye, tears pooling in his own eyes. “We just lost track of the time, and then Ro-“

“If you finish that sentence and it’s about Rosalie, I will hurt you, James Potter.”

James helplessly looked at Sirius. “But you guys have it all wrong. It’s not her fault-“

Sirius grabbed James by the collar and shook him for good measure. “Prongs, mate. Wake the bloody hell up, would you.” His eyes bore straight through James’.

“Rosalie fancies you. It’s as clear as day. She demands your attention at all times. Asks for Quidditch practice, specifically with you, for an entire day. She diminishes our Y/N’s value in front of everyone, is pretentious and makes it seem as if you two are more compatible. She tries so hard to have so many common things with you like her last name, and she literally has a sketchbook full of portraits of you, which is rather creepy. Besides, she fully knew you were supposed to be back by ten o’clock for your date. I get it man, it’s subtle, but you’re smarter than that.”

Sirius released James and sighed. “And worst of all, Prongs, is that you let it happen. And every time you do, she wins a little more until Y/N will stop playing this stupid game for you.”

James let Sirius’ words sink in and the more he thought about it, the more he realized how right Sirius was.

“I don’t do it on purpose, Pads. Believe me. I know everything looks terrible, but I didn’t realize it.” James took off his glasses, rubbed his eyes tiredly, and pulled a hand through his locks.

“I forgot her birthday, but it was just a busy day, and I don’t really have a choice as captain but to train the new players. A-and I immediately apologized to Y/N when I realized what a twat I was in the locker room. And I didn’t miss my anniversary for a date with another girl or anything, there was a once in a lifetime opportunity to meet people I’ve looked up to, and I know it looks bad together because Rosalie was involved in all those instances, but I never meant to hurt Y/N. You know I’m in love with her.”

James started pacing through the room. It was a miracle that the others hadn’t woken up yet.

“Okay, I believe you,” Sirius decided after consideration. “But maybe try properly explaining and apologizing to Y/N. And then confront Rosalie and tell her to sod off.”

James nodded. “Yeah, yeah okay. I’ll do that.” Sirius looked a little skeptically at James and then patted his shoulder before climbing back in bed, while James did the same.

He had almost fallen back asleep when James asked, “Do you think she’d forgive me?”

Sirius was quiet. He’d seen the hurt look on your face multiple times and had instead tried to keep your mind off of James whenever he saw you stare at James and Rosalie.

“I think she might break up with me, Sirius,” James whispered in a small voice. He couldn’t sleep, his mind was filled with guilt, distress and you.

“Go sleep James, we’ll figure it out in the morning.”

You took a deep breath before pushing through the grand doors of the Great Hall. You spotted the empty seat amongst the marauders and let your eyes slide across the Gryffindor table to look for James.

You found him talking with Rosalie, and you almost wanted to turn around and leave, when you spotted her sour face when he finally walked back to his seat. James wore a relieved expression and was greeted by the marauders with pats on the back in congratulations.

Sirius spotted you and waved you over, scooting over himself so you could squeeze in.

“Good morning,” you gratefully smiled at the boys and sat down. James absentmindedly loaded your favourite food on your plate out of habit and then hesitated. He hadn’t really dared look you in the eyes yet, still ashamed after lying awake all night, thinking of all the things he’d done.

When your stretched out hand appeared in his sight, he looked up and saw a kind expression on your face. He handed you the plate and relaxed a little.

“Sirius tells me you want to explain some things to me, so unless you have a date with Rosalie over there,” you gestured to the girl who was not looking happy. “We could talk after breakfast?”

James nodded eagerly, eyes wide. “Yes, please.” He stared at you, and almost frowned, wondering why you didn’t seem as angry as you did last night, or rather this early morning.

You noticed his stare and knew what he was thinking. “I told you; I was tired, upset and couldn’t deal with it then. But I’ve had a good night’s sleep. I have thought about everything and decided that I’m not going to rashly throw away two years of unconditional love and friendship between us, for things that I feel like you want to explain to me. It’s not so black and white in decisions when it comes to love and my love isn’t that fragile.”

“Thank you,” James breathed out, already feeling like crying.

“Don’t thank me, thank Pads, he is vouching for you,” you hummed. “But your explanation better be worth it. And that’ll be at least two weeks without kisses.”

Taglist:

@elsie-bells @charlie-weasley-is-underrated @dreamingofmarauders @moonyslibrary98 @wildernessflora @hollandweather @queerqueenlynn @locklyebrainrot @thisrandombitch @grac3aph3lion @earfquak3 @venomsvl @shrekscrustybudassy @middle-of-the-earth @sirene-noir @bettytaylorversion @littlepoisonmushroom @faumpje @iloveutwice @katelebate @moonysupremacy01 @marina468 @fangirl-kimora @bellesowl @badasswlthafatass @sjprongs @armydrcamers @its-a-ittle-bit-cold @ireallywannasleep127 @sayukoi @jsjcue @cashtons-wife @idllyastuff @severegiantjudgefriend @ivy-34 @loudflowerss @moonyunebi @caspianobsessed @laraoverthinks @starsanddream @btsw1fe @larahatesbeinghere @kquil @moonys-luvr @consumingwaters @mindflay3r @magpiesworld @my-beloved-fandoms @dreamsygirl @papichulo120627 @btsw1fe @nokkoongie @sbrewer21 @helloitsmeeeeeee @magical-spit @clumsyassbitch @lovelyteenagebeard @thewiselionessfantasy @joeytribbiani18 @littlemisslovestoread

@hoshi-is-ult-bbg @dimitrampl @princesskittycatofmeowland @haitaniheux @moonys0chocolate @queenanababy @ponkaniee @starsval

@lizzxoxo @empath-bunny

@quackitysdrugdealer @frxcless @notasadgirlipromise @potter-head-phanatic @anyasthoughts @starswholistenanddreamsanswered @imnikki

#james potter x reader #james potter x fem!reader #james potter x y/n #james potter x you #james potter angst #james potter fluff #james potter imagine #james potter fic #james potter fanfic #james potter fanfiction #marauders era #marauder x reader

4K notes · View notes

trickphotography2 · 4 months

Text

'tis the damn season | Chapter 6

Pairing: Jake "Hangman" Seresin x Julie/Cece (OC, no physical description)

Word count: 5.8K

Synopsis: After six years away from home, Jake ‘Hangman’ Seresin was finally going to make his parents happy and surprise his family by spending Christmas in Magnolia, Texas. Introducing his pregnant fiancee to his family is a culture clash, with rural Texas meeting California influencer. Though unhappy in his relationship, Jake knows he has to buckle down and do the right thing with a baby on the way.

The last person he expected to run into was his high school sweetheart and the one that got away, Julie.

The holidays are already going to be hard enough for Julie. Her home baking business, which had started as a fun side project, exploded after a few TikToks went viral. Just when she was getting the hang of juggling her job and business, tragedy struck. Facing her first Christmas as an orphan, the last thing Julie expected was to hear that once familiar nickname - Cece.

After almost a decade apart, Jake and Julie can't help but feel that old familiar spark. Even with the realities of their lives pressing in, they can't help but wonder what might have happened if just one of them had fought for their relationship all those years ago.

Chapter 5 | Master List | Ao3

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

Chapter 6

Drew’s hands gripped Julie’s waist as she straddled him on the couch, his hips lifting and grinding deliciously against her.

“Just go out and have fun. Hot, sexy, sweaty fun with the fuckin’ fire captain.”

Lucy’s words echoed through her head as he drove Julie home from Mikey’s, continuing to feel the eyes of the town on her. And if they wanted a show, she would give them a damn show. For two years, she’s been the dedicated daughter - sweet Julie, who had to move back from the city to take care of her daddy. Poor, sweet Julie, who was orphaned so young.

Poor, sweet, naive Julie who thought that she could keep Jake Seresin.

But no. Tonight, Magnolia got to see exactly who Julie was when she wanted to be. They got to see her flirt with a man and take him home. And she… she got to feel desired and free and sexy enough to sleep with the fire captain. So when he walked her to the door and kissed her goodnight, an offer to go up to Oklahoma to his folks for Christmas of his lips, she pulled him inside.

Smiling against his mouth, she felt his hands slide down her body to her thighs, then slowly make their way back up under her dress. His warm fingers curled into the top of her tights, dipping inside to stroke her skin. She could feel his hard cock, the fly of his jeans rubbing just -

“Fuck,” he gasped, startled at the sudden pounding on the front door. “Who - ”

“Ignore it,” Julie ordered, trailing kisses down his throat. But when it continued, his hands slid from under her dress and back to her hips, lifting her off his lap. Gently depositing her onto the cushions, he stood and adjusted himself. “Drew - ”

“Wait there, honey.” Groaning, she let her head fall back against the couch and put a hand over her eyes. The first time she was even close to having sex since coming back, and it was interrupted by some inconsiderate asshole. It was like a giant cosmic joke. Hopefully, Drew could turn away whoever it was fast, and they could pick up - “Seresin? What happened?”

The concern in his voice catapulted Julie off the couch and across the living room. Putting one hand on Drew’s back, she nudged him aside to see Jake on her front porch. Her heart plummeted at the sight of his tear-stained face, bloodshot green eyes shifting from Drew to her. He looked so… devastated. “Jake? What happened? Is everyone okay?” Her mind went to Ally and the baby. If Will was hurt. Were his parents okay?

“Sorry,” he said, voice hoarse. “This was a mistake.” Turning to go, he hung his head, raising a bloody hand to brush the snow from his hair, fingers curling and tugging hard.

“Jake!” Pushing past Drew, Julie stepped onto the porch and grabbed Jake’s arm. The cold hit her, and she shivered, damp soaked into her tight-clad feet and goosebumps erupting on her bare arms. “Is everyone okay?”

“They’re fine, Cece.”

“Are you okay?” He was silent for a long moment, eyes trained on the ground.

“Go back inside. It’s cold. I’m sorry I bothered you.” She glanced at Drew, who was frowning at Jake’s back. His gaze shifted to her, and he raised an eyebrow. Taking a deep breath, she let it out slowly, watching it mist before her. And, against her better judgment, she slid her hand down his arm to take his wrist.

“Come inside, Jake.”

“‘M fine.”

“I’m not asking.” It only took a light tug to have Jake turn, eyes still on the ground, as he walked the few steps back to the house. Drew stepped back to let them in, and the three stood awkwardly in the doorway. “Take off your jacket and boots, and I’ll be there in a second.” Wordlessly, Jake did as he was told and retreated to the living room. Julie watched him collapse onto the couch, head in his hands.

“Cece?” Drew sighed, glancing at the other man and then back at her. The nickname sounded wrong when he said it. Only one person ever called her that.

“It’s… it doesn’t matter,” she replied, rubbing her forehead. Shaking his head, Drew wrapped his hand around the back of her neck and pulled her in for a hug, kissing her temple.

“I know you don’t like people talkin’ about the two of you, but this… stuff like this doesn’t help.”

“So what, I’m supposed to just let him leave?” she asked, pushing away from him.

“Yes.” Julie could hear the kindness and attempt at the reasoning behind Drew’s tone, but it raised her hackles. “Honey, he - ”

“Please don’t,” she cut him off, lifting her chin and crossing her arms. “I understand where you’re coming from, but even before Jake and I were anything, we were friends. And I can’t in good conscience let him get back on the road when he’s like that.”

“I’ll leave,” Jake said, pushing to his feet. “I don’t want - ”

“Sit your ass back down, Jacob Thomas,” Julie snapped. “You and I will talk in a minute.” Turning her gaze back to Drew, she let out a slow breath. “Drew, I - ”

“I get it, Jules. Just… Merry Christmas.” Without another word, he reached past her to grab his coat and slipped on his shoes. There was a blast of cold when he opened the door, and she tensed, waiting for the slam that never came. Instead, Drew quietly closed the door, and once she heard his truck start, she let her shoulders fall. Tears pricked her eyes, but she forced them away.

Whatever was going on with Jake was temporary. Ally told her he was planning on leaving the day after Christmas, so she only had two more days to deal with him being in Magnolia before he disappeared from her life again. And then she could fix things with Drew.

With a steeling breath, she turned toward Jake and scrunched her nose at the feeling of melted snow on her feet. Reaching under the back of her skirt, she shimmied the tights down her legs, rolling them into a ball and tossing the black material onto the coffee table before sitting beside him on the couch. Jake’s wet pant leg brushed her skin, making goosebumps rise on her leg as she shivered. Cold radiated off of him when he turned to look at him, tears in his eyes. “‘M sorry, Cece. I shouldn’ta come here. I-I hope I didn’t screw things up with you and the firefighter.”

“I’ll deal with that later,” she sighed, grabbing the blanket off the back of the couch and draping it over his shoulders. When he lifted a hand to tug the blanket closer, she caught it, intending to examine his bloody knuckles, and hissed at how cold his skin was. “What happened?” she asked, lightly probing his skin. She could see bits of bark embedded and sighed. It had to be bad if he went out and punched a tree - many a night growing up, he’d gotten mad at one thing or another and turned up back at school with a bandage wrapped around a busted hand.

Pressing his lips into a thin line, she caught the way his chin wobbled before he looked down at the floor again. “I’m such a fuckin’ idiot.” She stayed silent when Jake sniffled. “Shayla’s not pregnant.”

“Oh,” Cece breathed, feeling her heart break for him. “I’m so sorry. She…?”

“Lied.

“What?” He shifted, reaching into the pocket of his jeans to retrieve his phone. His lip curled at something on the screen before he tapped it, handing it to her. With elbows on his knees, he hung his head and buried his bloody hands in his hair. Cece read the text screenshots, a hand rising to cover her mouth at the wave of nausea that hit her. “Jake…I…”

“I’m such an idiot.” The couch dipped, and Jake saw Cece setting the phone on the coffee table before shifting closer. Their eyes met briefly before she swept her fingers through his hair, damp with melting snow, nails lightly teasing his scalp and neck in a way he hadn’t felt in so long. Leaning into her touch, his tired eyes drifted closed.

“You’re not an idiot,” she said softly.

“I took her at her word when I knew her word wasn’t shit.” At that, she was silent.

“That’s not…something… people lie about. And if you were…sleeping together, it could have been true,” Cece said after a long moment. “You weren’t an idiot for wanting to do the right thing.”

“I didn’t want to marry her,” he confessed. “But she told me she’d make it hard for me to see my baby if I didn’t.” His tone turned bitter when he scoffed, “And there was never a baby.”

His voice broke on the last word, and Jake cleared his throat. Cece let out a soft hum, wrapping her arms around his shoulders and kissing his cheek. His reddened eyes watched as she laid back, an unspoken invitation in her soft gaze. Turning slightly, he followed her, lying on his stomach with his head resting on her chest. The chill from his jeans made goosebumps rise on her legs when he settled between them, unintentionally pulling her dress higher. His fingers slipped under the sleeve of her dress as he inhaled the lingering remnants of her perfume, his body relaxing against her at the familiar scent.

Cece’s words of comfort died on her tongue when Jake tucked his head under her chin, and she felt him shaking with suppressed tears. So she stayed quiet, carding her fingers through his hair. His eyes fluttered closed when she held him, silent tears slipping down his face.

“I wanted the baby,” Jake said so softly she almost missed it.

“I’m so sorry,” she whispered, kissing the crown of his head as her heart shattered for him. His arm slid under her, and he held her so tightly it was hard to breathe, but she didn’t say a word.

Time seemed to slow and narrow to that moment. Jake’s breath on her skin and his weight soothed her. The feeling of Cece’s fingers in his hair and her steady heartbeat calmed him. The click of the heating turning on was the only indication of time slipping past them.

And then there was a buzzing sound, interrupting their peaceful bubble.

“Your mama’s calling,” Cece said softly, her voice rough with fatigue as she forced an eye open.

“Ignore it,” Jake replied, tightening his hold on her and burying his face into her breasts.

“She’ll be worried.” When he made no move to get the phone, she sighed and stretched for it, her fingertips making it spin. Jake huffed when she jostled him, holding tight to the cushion to pin her in place. “Jacob.”

“I…I can’t…” Shaking her head, she ignored his muffled groan of protest when she stretched for it again, hand closing over the rectangle as the screen dimmed. Tapping it, she saw that he’d set the device to silent, the screen covered with notifications. Cece suppressed an angry sound at seeing how many times Shayla had called and texted him, begging him to call her back. Will and Ally had also tried to reach him, and so had his father. Apparently, his mama had called enough times to bypass the setting.

The phone lit up again with another incoming call.

“Jake?” Mama Serein’s voice was frantic when she answered. Cece knew that he heard it from how he nuzzled into her chest.

“No, it’s me - Julie.” There was a moment of silence before the older woman let out a heavy breath.

“Is Jake there with you? Is he okay?”

“He got here a little while ago. He’s…” she looked down at the man lying on her, tears drying on his cheeks and brows furrowed, “upset, to put it lightly.” His hands flexed around her, and she traced the shape of his ear, feeling him relax again. After a long beat, the older woman sighed.

“Did he tell you what happened?” When she hummed, Mama sighed again. “Bill didn’t want to kick the… woman out in the snow since she doesn’t know how to drive in it. She’s leaving at first light. Will and Ally said that Jake’s welcome to stay with them tonight.”

“I’ll let him know,” Cece said, glancing down at him. “I don’t… if he wants to go there, I’ll drive him. I don’t think he’s safe on the road.”

Mama Seresin’s voice was sad when she said, “We can come get him.” Jake’s head lifted, eyes meeting hers with a wordless plea. They stared at one another for a long moment before she shook her head.

“No, it’s fine,” she said, cupping his cheek and brushing away a tear. He turned, his lips caressing the inside of her wrist. “I…he’s…fine to stay here. If he wants some distance.” There was silence on the other side of the line and a cautious ‘Julie.’ “It’s just one night,” she added quickly as Jake resettled on her chest.

I can survive one night, she told herself.

He was such an idiot. A fucking, stupid, trusting idiot.

He should have pushed harder to go to the doctor’s appointments. Should have paid more attention to the fact that Shayla never felt sick. Shouldn’t have accepted her word that she was pregnant when her word meant shit. But he’d always wanted to be a dad, and who the fuck would lie about that?

And now…tonight, Jake had come to the one place in town where he felt safe - other than his own home - and ruined Cece’s night. He shouldn’t have come here. Shouldn’t have dragged her into this.

“I know. I’ll…yes, ma’am. I understand.” Cece’s voice was soft, and he heard his mama’s worried tone. “I will.” The call ended, and she set the phone on the back of the couch, taking as deep a breath as possible with him on top of her. Her fingers lightly traced the length of his neck and slipped under the collar of his shirt. “Your mama wanted me to tell you that she loves you.” He grunted, eyes closing again. “Come on, Farm Boy. Let’s get you cleaned up.”

The corner of his mouth twitched at the nickname he hadn’t heard in forever. Cece had hated it when he started calling her Cupcake in eighth grade and had started calling him that in retaliation. And, while he’d persisted in calling her Cece until she grew to tolerate and then embrace the nickname, his had fallen away to moments she was especially annoyed or quiet moments just for the two of them. “Don’t wanna move. ‘M comfortable.”

“Too bad.” Lightly pushing at his shoulders, she tried to wiggle out from under him. Jake had to bite the inside of his cheek to keep from making a sound as she sat up, his head falling into her lap and his nose brushing her upper thigh as her dress rode up more. Pink tinged her cheeks when he finally moved enough for her to stand. After tugging her dress down, she walked down the hallway toward the back of the house, glancing over her shoulder at him and raising an eyebrow.

Groaning, he stood and followed when she stopped outside of the bathroom. She pointed to the sink wordlessly before continuing down the hall to her bedroom. Blood and bits of bark swirled in the sink as he scrubbed away his stupidity, the hot water making his hands throb with pain. He’d just reached for a towel to dry them when Cece stopped him.

“Here,” she said, pulling a rag from over her shoulder. After depositing clothes onto the toilet tank, she set a first aid kit on the counter and nudged him out of the way. Bracing her hands on the counter, she lifted herself up and put on a pair of latex gloves before holding out her hands. “Lemme see.”

“I can - ”

“Let me see.” Biting back a sigh, he held them out. Cece let out a soft tutting sound, taking his right hand and gently probing his knuckles. With his nerves finally thawing, he could feel the throbbing of his broken skin and the pain of embedded splinters. He hissed through his teeth, left hand falling to her knee and squeezing lightly. Her eyes darted down to it, and he quickly moved it away. “Does it feel broken?”

“No.” She nodded, guiding his hand to her knee before opening the first aid kit and rummaging through it. After retrieving a pair of tweezers and cleaning them with an antiseptic wipe, she took his hand again and lifted it to her eyeline.

“I thought you would have learned your lesson about punching trees by now,” Cece said, using her thumb to manipulate his bloody hand before teasing out a splinter.

“I - ow - don’t do it that often.” These days, punching the weight bag was more his speed.

“Good. Wouldn’t want any more reasons for you to go to the hospital again.” Her eyes darted up to meet his before refocusing on her work. Jake’s stomach swooped as he shifted, wondering if she’d heard about his trip to the emergency room for an x-ray the last time he was home. Pops hadn’t been thrilled, filling out his paperwork while Jake iced his hand after taking his anger and frustration at Cece ignoring him in the grocery store out on a tree on the far end of the property.

The fractured knuckles had been a pain in the ass to deal with when he was on the ground and even worse in the air. His XO had debated grounding him, but thankfully, Jake got one of the flight surgeons to clear him to fly. After it healed, his buddy had taken him to a boxing gym and told him to work out on one of the bags. There, he finally learned how to throw a punch and not break a finger and worked out his frustration. After moving to Lemoore, he'd continued that but hadn’t found a gym in San Diego yet.

“You, uh… heard about that?” Jake asked, grimacing when she wiped an antiseptic pad over his hand.

“Hard not to when everyone said I was the reason for it,” she shrugged. Her eyes darted up to meet his, seeing the unspoken confirmation in his expression.

“I forgot how much everyone talks here.” A wry smile crossed her lips.

“You should have seen it when I first got home. Couldn’t go anywhere without people asking why I was back.” Jake could see right through her forced nonchalance and felt a surge of guilt. He’d had some questions from his buddies on base when she left, but Cece… fuck, she faced all of Magnolia’s busybodies.

“Cece…I…” She shrugged.

“Maybe if we give it another decade, they’ll stop talking about us.” There was a sinking feeling in his stomach, and he forced away the image of Cece in the firefighter’s arms. The kids he’d imagined looking like her running to another man.

“A lot can happen in a decade,” he said softly. When she lifted her head to meet his gaze, his eyes dropped to her lips before darting away. They were silent as she started to work on his other hand, her touch gentle as she cleaned him up. “I’m…uh… the firefighter - ”

“Drew.”

“Drew,” he nodded, “said people will talk about me being here. I… I can leave.” Cece didn’t meet his gaze when she nodded.

“Did you hear what your mama said about your daddy letting… her… stay at the house tonight?” He nodded, and she paused long enough to look up at him. “Do you want me to take you to Will’s?”

“Won’t people talk if I stay? I don’t want to make it harder for you here.” Cece was quiet momentarily before setting his hand down on the counter and stripping off her gloves. Tipping her chin up, he could see the conflict in her eyes.

“I don’t care. People are going to talk no matter what. And I… no matter what happened between us, I’m always gonna care about you. So I’m glad that you came here. And if you want to stay, I wouldn’t be upset about the company.”

Jake studied her for a long moment before asking, “You sure?”

“I wouldn’t have offered if I wasn’t.” Gently, she pushed against his shoulders until he took a step back, and she hopped off the sink. “Take a shower and warm up. I’ll bandage your hands after and drive you to Will’s if that’s where you want to go.”

When she turned to leave, Jake caught her hand. “Thank you, Cupcake.”

The corner of her mouth lifted as she lightly squeezed his fingers. “You’re welcome, Farm Boy.”

YOU WENT HOME WITH HOT AS FUCK DREW PINE?! I need details. All the details.

Julie stared at her phone, debating whether to answer Lucy’s text. An ‘it’s complicated’ could lead to a phone call, and leaving it unanswered would make her think that they were doing… well, precisely what she’d intended when she brought him home.

After liking the message - a happy medium - and glancing at the red notification bubble on TikTok showing that she had over 2,000 interactions with the video she’d posted about the clusterfuck of getting the Mayor’s order together, she plucked the tea bag from the steaming mug. She tossed it into the trash, adding a drizzle of honey to the tea. Turning around and pressing her back against the counter, she stared at her broken oven and tried not to feel a crush of sadness.

She could almost hear her daddy’s voice encouraging her to write her letter to Santa. Hear his laugh when her childish attempts at cookie decorating resulted in her and Mama being covered in frosting. Mama loved baking and made her infamous rum cake and egg nog bread pudding on Christmas Eve. After she passed, Julie did her best to make the orange cranberry scones they’d always had Christmas morning, her parents savoring the biscuits with coffee while she quickly ate it, eyeing her stocking and the pile of presents Santa left.

It was the one recipe she’d never mastered. When she’d decided not to make them last year, too tired from another day of helping Daddy with getting around the house, he’d pushed himself out of the recliner and shuffled to the front door. Only after she agreed to run to the store while he took a nap did he agree to sit back down.

With the perspective of time, Julie appreciated what Daddy was trying to do. Still, at that moment, she’d been so angry. She was tired and hurting, and the last thing she wanted to do was spend more time baking her mother’s specialty in the kitchen, which she had always failed to perfect. But now… now she appreciated him trying to maintain some sense of normalcy for her. He wanted to ensure that the Ryan family traditions continued, even in the hard times. Julie had ducked into the bathroom when she’d woken on Christmas morning to see presents under the tree and her stocking full. She cried in the shower, wondering how Daddy had managed to do it when he had trouble getting out of bed by himself.

And, as much as it hurt to think about doing it now, all the things she needed to make those damn scones were in her pantry. She’d planned on keeping up with the traditions tonight, but life had other plans. Between her broken oven, nearly sleeping with Drew, and her ex-fiancé showing up, Julie’s night certainly hadn’t gone according to plan.

“Hey.” Julie turned to see Jake standing in the doorway, blonde hair damp and sticking up in all different directions. His expression shifted to one of concern when he saw her blink away tears. “You okay?”

“Fine. How’s your hands?”

“I can feel them now,” he shrugged, setting the first aid kit on the counter and holding them up for her inspection. The t-shirt she’d given him was stretched tight across his chest, and the baggy sweats she’d pulled from the back of her drawers stopped at his ankles. “Not sure if that’s good or not.”

“I’ll wrap them, and then you can ice them.” He nodded when she set her mug down and walked closer. She made quick work of it, spreading an antibiotic ointment over his knuckles before quickly looping the bandages over his hands. Jake clocked the familiar t-shirt she’d changed into - a threadbare one she’d bought on one of their Spring Break trips - and shoved away the urge to say something about it.

After declining a cup of tea and grabbing a glass of water, they retreated to the couch. Cece claimed the corner, tugging the blanket over her lap. Jake watched, unsure if she’d welcome him into her arms again, then sat beside her and pulled the blanket over his lap. “You wanna talk about it?” she asked softly.

“No. You?”

“There’s nothing to talk about,” she replied, picking up the remote and turning on the television. Jake recognized the walls she’d put back up and hated them. After flipping through the channels, she found one playing the original Miracle on 34th Street. She rolled her lips together while tossing the remote onto the coffee table. Her eyes strayed from the screen to her daddy’s recliner, picturing him there. This was her mama’s favorite Christmas movie, and he would try to hide his tears from her every time they watched it.

This year, it was her turn. For all her planning, she’d never expected to spend Christmas Eve with anyone else. Her plan to distract herself throughout Christmas had always ended with spending the evening drunk and lying under the tree. Alone. Allowing herself to think about Mama and Daddy and all those years she’d taken their presence for granted, always assuming that they had more time.

The distraction of the mayor’s party, a night at the bar, Drew’s touch, and Jake’s… being there had forced her into the present, but now, as she watched the movie, those thoughts of how much she missed her parents crept in. Hot tears trailed down her cheeks as she sipped her tea. This was one of the worst things about grief, she’d realized over the last year - how quickly it could sneak up on you. How you could go from feeling fine one moment to wanting to rage and cry about how unfair life - and death - was the next.

Unable to stop herself, Cece sniffled, drawing Jake’s attention. “Hey - ” he said but stopped when she shoved the blanket off her lap and stood. Without another word, she retreated to the kitchen, pouring the rest of her tea down the drain, rinsing the mug, and setting it in the sink. Her shoulders tensed when she heard Jake’s footsteps follow her.

“What’s wrong?”

“Nothing.”

Jake sighed heavily. “Don’t do this.”

“Do what?” She turned, startled to see him standing so close. Concern was etched on his face as he looked down at her. Forcing her chin up, she leaned back onto the sink counter and crossed her arms.

“This. What you always do - pretend there’s nothing wrong until it’s too late, and then blow up or walk away.” When she opened her mouth to say something, he raised an eyebrow. Taking a step closer, he settled his hands on the counter, boxing her in. “Talk to me. Please.”

“You’ve already had a rough night. Losing a fiancée and a baby isn’t - ” Pain flashed in his sad eyes, but he shook his head.

“Don’t do that, Julie. Don’t… just talk to me.” His hands slid closer until his thumbs brushed her sides. He watched a tear slip down her cheek and fall to her shirt, chest rising and falling with the effort to contain her sobs. His right thumb rose to gently stroke the soft fabric he’d peeled from her body numerous times. “Please, baby.”

Cece gasped, bringing her hands up to cover her face, and shook her head. “I m-miss my parents,” she whispered.

Hell was seeing her cry and knowing he couldn’t do anything to fix it. Jake felt his heart breaking as he pulled her into his arms, kissing her temple. “‘M sorry,” he murmured. “‘M so sorry, sweetheart.” He could feel her trembling and held her tighter, lips pressed to the crown of her head. When she dropped her hands and buried her face in his chest, Cece’s fingers dug into his back. “I’ve gotcha, honey.”

Jake knew he should have been here sooner. Shouldn’t have waited so long to return home and do this. As soon as he stepped foot back in the US, he should have asked for leave to come back to Magnolia. He shouldn’t have let his hurt feelings get in the way of being there for her when she lost the last of her family.

He should have been there for the girl he’d been in love with since he understood what the word meant.

If he’d done that, who knew what would have happened. Maybe Cece would have ignored him or told him to leave. Or maybe… maybe they would have ended up like this, where she finally let down her guard enough to allow him to take care of her. To be the man he’d promised to be all those years ago when Jake thought girls were gross, but Julie was the exception. When they were naive kids, best friends, pinky-promising to always be there for each other.

And above all, Jake hated that it took them both being in pain to be able to touch her like this. To be able to hold her and be held by her. Because once upon a time, being with Cece had been as easy as breathing, and it had been so long since he’d felt that with anyone.

When she started to pull away, Jake reluctantly loosened his hold. A shaking hand rose to wipe at the wet spot on his shirt, unwilling to look at him while mumbling an apology. “Don’t worry about it,” he said. With a finger under her chin, he tipped her face up and sighed at the sight of her bloodshot eyes. Reaching behind her for a paper towel, he held it up for her. Cece ducked her head again while blowing her nose, forehead resting on his chest. “Better?” he asked.

“Not really,” she shrugged, crumpling the makeshift tissue and looking up at him through tear-spiked lashes. He raised a bandaged hand and tucked a strand of hair behind her ear, kissing her forehead as his fingers trailed down to cup her cheek. When he pulled away, Cece swayed into him, her eyes slowly opening to meet his gaze. They stared at one another for a long moment. “Thank you, Farm Boy.”

“You’re welcome, Cupcake. And thank you.”

“You’re welcome.” Jake watched her eyes dip to his lips, lowering his head almost automatically. He caught himself as his nose brushed hers, her soft inhale making him pause. Neither moved, waiting for the other to make the first move or pull away.

Heart pounding, Cece rose onto her toes and kissed him. A soft, closed-mouth kiss that conveyed comfort rather than lust. When their eyes met again, hundreds of unspoken words and feelings passed between them.

Jake tasted the cinnamon and honey from her tea and the salty remnants of her tears when he kissed her. His hands slid under the hem of her shirt, but he resisted the urge to remap her curves, content to feel the heat of her skin against his palms. Her body pressed to his when she stepped closer.

Cece smiled against his slightly chapped lips, feeling the scratch of his stubble against her skin. His heart beat against her palm when her hands rose to his chest. No matter how much time passed, that was one thing that never changed. She knew she held a special piece of his heart and had staked her claim decades ago, just as he’d done with her own.

“I’m sorry I wasn’t here for you,” Jake whispered against her lips. “Shoulda come home when you needed me.”

“I’m glad you came here tonight,” she breathed. “I hate why, but I’m glad you’re not stuck with that - ” He cut her off with a kiss, not wanting to ruin this moment by thinking about his ex.

Those three words were on the tip of his tongue when Cece’s hand trailed down to catch his own. After tossing her tissue in the trash, she led him to her childhood bedroom, pausing long enough to turn off the television and Christmas tree lights. “Baby,” he sighed as she pulled back the covers. “I don’t think…”

“No,” she agreed, sitting in the middle of the bed. “Just to sleep.” Their eyes met for a long moment before he reached for the back of his shirt and tugged it over his head, dropping it onto the floor. She scooted closer to the wall, giving him plenty of space as he sat beside her and pulled the covers up to his chest.

Jake reached for her, his hand sliding over her hip as he shifted closer. In the darkness, time seemed to slow as they traded unhurried kisses. For a moment, Jake felt like he was thirteen again, stealing kisses and keeping an ear out for one of their parents to appear. Back when kissing was new, and every time, it felt like his heart would beat out of his chest. Cece felt like she was eighteen again, finding pieces of the boy she’d sent to the Naval Academy in the man who had returned, but secure in the knowledge that he was her Farm Boy.

“Goodnight, Jake,” she said softly, eyes fluttering closed as his fingers slipped under her shirt and drew on her lower back.

“Night, Cece.” He kept tracing those eight letters, his unspoken promise, onto Cece’s skin until she fell asleep.

And, as much as his heart was shattered for the future he’d lost, Jake couldn’t help but feel as though a corner of it was already rebuilding.

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

Author's Note: I'm very torn on how I feel about this chapter, but I can't look at it anymore. I had a hard time balancing them both experiencing their grief and wanting to comfort one another, and pushing their relationship forward. Them kissing and sleeping together was more about comforting one another rather than sex, if that makes sense?

Anyway, thank you to @mamachasesmayhem for letting me vent to her about it!

Read Chapter 7

Taglist: @mamachasesmayhem; @buckysteveloki-me; @fanficfandomlove; @maeleeme; @djs8891; @kmc1989; @justenoughmadness; @shanimallina87; @lynnevanss; @dempy; @emilyoflanternhill; @midnightmagpiemama; @sordidfairytale; @vivalas-vega; @eloquentdreamer; @roosterforme; @mizzzpink; @memoriesat30; @dizzybee03; @itsdesiree86; @yuckosworld; @sorchathered; @boisewaffles; @blue-aconite; @fudge13; @wretchedmo; @redbarn1995; @the-shy-type

If you would like to be added to the tag list, please comment below. I do check that readers are 18+

#top gun fic #top gun maverick #jake seresin #Hangman top gun #soft!Jake Seresin #hangman fic #jake hangman seresin #jake seresin x oc #hangman x oc #'tis the damn season fic

121 notes · View notes

that-basic-simp · 9 months

Text

Down By The River

Karlach X Fem! Reader CW:Some mature language is used! WC:3.4k+ Slowly rising from my soft bed, I stretched and let out a yawn, letting the sun's warm rays shine down on me through the small window. My mother was outside by the well washing some clothes. As for my father, he was out on the hunt with some of his friends to get some food for dinner tonight. Throwing on what I normally wear, I step out of my room, pass through the kitchen, and to where my mother was outside. "Nice to see you're finally awake," my mother chuckled. "Sorry I was out partying with some friends," I stretched a little better now. "I have you know, you were the one who wanted me to get out in the first place." "I know, but I wasn't expecting you to be sleeping so long." "Kind of hung over, if you ask me. Do you need any help?" "If you're able to go down by the river, can you get some fresh water?"

"The well water isn't good?" "I've been using it to wash clothes, Y/N." "Alright," I said and grabbed the wooden bucket nearby. Heading down into the woods, I slowly made my way down the hill as I was humming a song my mother sang to me when I was young. It was passed down to our family through the decades and it was always sung whenever a baby was being put to sleep. So whenever I had a child, I would be singing it to them as they fall asleep. I don't know where it came from, but it's a tradition now. Reaching the river, I knelt down and stuck the bucket into the water, catching the flowing water. Carefully pulling it up, I set it on the ground. Since I was here alone in the woods, might as well look around. Wandering around, I took in how the grass rose to my knees and the trees towered over me like the village gates that we lived outside of. There were so many vines hanging down to where I could grab onto them and swing to my heart's content. I would occasionally do that if I was out in the woods here by myself. But my father was usually with me, telling me I need to be more lady like. That I can't wander alone in the woods as much as I please and that I need to think about finding someone soon. He and my mother want a grandchild as soon as I am able, but I do not want to get into a relationship so quickly at the moment. Especially since I haven't come out to either of them. While I was in my own thoughts, I heard some footsteps coming in my general direction. Peeking around the tree I was standing behind, I saw someone running down the hill, their head looking over their shoulder numerous times before they directed their attention to me. Taking in a deep breath, they rushed towards me. I was about to run back to the house, but something about the way they were running told me that they were fleeing. I heard shouts and yells as a crowd of people were running after this person. I had to help them. I motioned for them to follow me and they ran faster. I took off running in a direction to where I knew we could hide. Once the person caught up to me, I ducked behind a large set of bushes and they slid beside me. Grabbing their arm, I pulled them under the foilage and we tried to settle our breathing. "Where the hells did she go?" "She had to have gone this way, right?" "If she did, the entire woods would be burned down." "I am surprised she ran in here. Considering her infernal engine and such." "Come on," a familiar voice spoke. Poking my head out carefully, I saw my father was walking with some people I didn't recognize. Once they were out of the woods, I stood up carefully before turning to face the person who I just saved. Their red skin gave them away. Actually, it was the one broken horn and one intact that gave them away. "K-Karlach Cliffgate," I said. She stood up and brushed the dirt off of the leather straps she was wearing. "Yep, that's my name," she said, sighing. "How do you know me?" "Someone named Wyll was talking to my father a week ago about running after a Tiefling who fled Avernus. That she fought in the Blood Wars and Zariel put an engine where her heart used to be."

"You seem to know a lot about me," she narrowed her eyes. "I-It's just that, my father agreed to hunt you down with Wyll." "Well, seems like you're not like you're father at all." "Why would I want to hunt down someone who wants to live?" It looked like she wanted to cry right then and there. She shifted a bit awkwardly, trying to find a comfortable way to show her gratitude towards me. "Y-Yes. I-I want that more than anything! I want to be free and to be alive! I don't know how long this infernal engine will keep running with me no longer being in Avernus. I-I thought I would never find someone who would understand." "Well, I kind of understand what it's like to fear for your life." "Why's that?" she asked. I took a cautious step away from Karlach, but she seemed to read myself better than I could. She nodded her head, backing away as well. "Sorry, didn't mean to get personal when we barely know one another." "I-It's alright. I-I'll just start with my name first, since I know yours. I'm Y/N," I said, sticking my hand out to shake hers. She shook her head, "I-I can't really touch people. When you pulled me into the bush, while you were able to touch me very briefly, it was exactly that. It was brief. But it is nice to meet you, Y/N." "If you ever need help, follow me," I walked over to the river, picking up the bucket that I left there.

"What if you don't come when I do?" "Keep coming until I am there. I will do the same with you." She smiled, "See you around then." "I will look out for Wyll and my father." "Thank you, Y/N." We went our separate ways for now. I returned to my mother with the water, which she directed me to our small kitchen so my father could use it to get lunch ready. He was moaning and groaning about how the Tiefling he was after had gotten away due to someone helping her. Thankfully he didn't recognize it was me who helped said Tiefling. I had to tread carefully down by the river now. A couple of days had passed and I was wandering down by the river, watching the water flow and some of the crawfish swim up and down the stream. There were even some toads hopping around as well as newts and other amphibians. Some birds were flying high in the sky and some landed on the tree branches for a rest. As I was admiring the environment above, I didn't pay attention to the ground below. "FUCK!" I looked down to find Karlach was resting against a tree and I had just stepped on her tail, as she was holding it tightly in her hands. "I-I am so sorry, Karlach," I said.

"Gotta watch where you're going around in these parts," she released her tail, standing up. "Kind of hard to miss a long, red tail mixed in with this green shit." "It could have been a snake." "I doubt a snake will be entirely red." "You never know. They could be." "Sure," she said, nodding her head. "I'm surprised to find you here so soon." "I've been a bit busy with things, such as trying to hide from Wyll and your father." "They're still after you." "They won't rest until I am dead or I am back in Avernus. I am never going back there." "I don't blame you. Fighting for ten years and having an engine for a heart," I said. "Are you able to fix it?" "Fix it as in fine tune it to where I don't burn as much as I do." "Is there a way where we can do that?" "There is a possible way of doing it, but it requires infernal iron." "I think I know someone who can help with that." "Who?" "Dammon. I have known him due to my father and he's a blacksmith. He may have some infernal iron on hand." "Where is he?" "In the village just west of the river," I said, pointing in the direction of the village. "Y/N! Where are you, Y/N?!" my father called.

"Shit, I-I have to go," I said. "W-Will I see you again?" Karlach asked. "I-I can't promise it," I said. "But I will be waiting by the river." Running back towards my house, I found my father at the edge of the house before it lead into the woods. "There you are," he said, placing his hand in the middle of my back. "Where did you run off to in the woods?" "Just by the river," I said. "Find anything good?" "No. Nothing out of the ordinary, if that's what you're asking." "I just want to make sure you're safe. There is a rampaging Tiefling on the loose and I am determined to capture it." "It's not like a Tiefling can walk in the woods without burning it down." "Sometimes yes, sometimes no. The Tiefling we're after has an engine as a heart. That is what makes it dangerous." "What makes it so dangerous?" "This Tiefling fought in the Blood Wars with Zariel. They are a force to be reckoned with. Until we capture and kill this Tiefling, you are no longer allowed in the woods." "Dad, I am not a child anymore!" "I know, but you never know what could go on in there." "You let me in those woods when I was a child a long time ago without any supervision. Don't you think it's a bit ridiculous with what you want from me?" "No." I shook my head, "I am an adult, dad. I can do what I want." "Not while you live under my roof," he said. "Can we at least talk about it?" "No, we cannot." I let out a sigh and I begrudgingly walked into the house with my father following behind me. He kept a close eye on me every time I walked around the house. Whenever he wasn't around, my mother was watching me, even though she knew how much it pained me to not leave the area of the house. She wanted to let me leave, but my father held a lot of power over the two of us, which worried me with how Karlach would go down by the river and find me never there. She'd think I'd abandoned her. Weeks passed and my father would return with nothing. No sign of Karlach and no leads on where she went. She was smart, even though we met a couple times, her hot headed nature was not interferring with her instincts on surviving. Maybe it was a good thing she had ten years of fighting experience. She could definitely hold her own against my father and Wyll, but for how long before her engine gives out? How long does she have before it combusts? Those thoughts were swimming inside my head that my mother knew something was wrong. "Go," was all she said as we were sitting outside together. "B-But dad?" "I'll tell him I sent you to the market to get things. He'll be fine with that." "Are you sure?" "Yes. Something seems to be bothering you." I nodded my head and got up, heading into the woods and running towards the river. When I reached the water, I wandered around, looking at the ground in case I stepped on her tail again. I wanted to avoid that. As I was wandering, I was trying to silence those thoughts as they were coming back. While I had met her about a month ago, there was something about her that I never knew was there to begin with. Letting out a sigh, I sat down on the side of the river, watching the small fish swimming around. About to stick my finger into the water, a stick behind me snapped. I briskly turned and found the fiery Tiefling behind me. There was a wide smile on her face as we were face to face with one another. "Y-You're alright!" she smiled, taking a step towards me. I stood up and walked towards her, "Y-You're ok." "Your father is really after me, isn't he?" "He's not going to stop," I sighed. "What about you? You were gone for about three weeks and I came here to give you the good news, but you never came. But I didn't give up on you." "My father didn't allow me to leave the house because of you." "Because of me?" "Saying you were a force to be reckoned with." "While I do have ten years of experience of fighting in Avernus, I am not as a brute as they lead me to be." "I can see," I smiled. "You're sweet, caring to those who deserve it." She nodded her head, "You seem to read me like a book."

"I just figured it out since I helped you that day." "Wouldn't be the first time someone has helped me." "Did you get your engine tuned?" "I did," a wide smile appearing. "Haven't really rested it yet. But I know I got some work done on it." "Do you mind if I test it out?" I asked. "Of course." Taking a step towards her, I hugged her tightly. She let out a sigh as she placed her head on my shoulder. "It's been so long since I've been able to hold someone. To touch someone." "You're very warm," I said. "I like it." "I could get used to this." Pulling away, I looked into her fire like eyes. "I-I'm going to have to go soon. I can't be away for too long." "You know where to find me," she said, not wanting to let go just yet, but she did. We went our separate ways and for the next few days, my father started to become lenient on me going out into the woods as he came up with nothing on Karlach's location. However, that meant he was going to keep a close eye on me, but in a different way. Every time I tried to go into the woods, he would linger around me. He was going to use me to see if I could be of use to him. I had to do something about him before I give away our meeting place. Early in the morning I headed out of the house and made my way down to the river. As soon as I reached the water, Karlach was sitting there, patiently waiting for me. Walking towards her, I sat beside her. She turned and smiled, placing her hand on my leg, greeting me. "Morning, Y/N," she said. "Morning, Karlach." "Something wrong?" "Y-Yeah," I said. "I-It's my father. He is now keeping a close eye on me, but in a different sense." "You're a grown adult. He doesn't think you'll be able to handle yourself?" "No. I think he's suspicious about me." "About what?" "I've been coming into the woods a lot more than I used to. So I think he's trying to follow me to see if I know anything about you." She shook her head, "I don't want to fight your father, but if he doesn't get the message of me wanting my freedom, I'll have to show it to him." "I don't blame you for wanting to do that. I might let you." She chuckled, playfully shoving me, "I do owe you for saving my life." "You don't need to owe me anything. I was just helping someone live." "Even then, I do need to pay you back for what you've done. I can't live with myself knowing that I didn't pay off a great debt."

"It was nothing, Karlach." "It was everything to me, Y/N." I nodded my head, "Alright. I'll let this one slide." She smiled, "So, what do I owe you?" I stood there, tapping my chin as I was thinking of what she could do to repay this debt. I really didn't want anything other than to be beside her longer. I don't know how much time I would have before we were either caught or her engine ran out. I guess that was the only thing she could do. "I want to spend more time with you." "That's all?" "Yeah." "Usually people ask for me to kill someone for them as their debt. Or to burn someone alive. But never getting to know someone on a more personal level." "Ever since I saved you that day, you never really left my head." "I could say the same thing about you, Y/N." "Why don't we walk and talk?" I asked standing up to take her hand, leading her further up the river. For the entire morning and into the afternoon, it was just the two of us. Nothing in the world mattered in that moment. It felt genuine to be with her. She was a genuine person to be around. Karlach gave off this positive energy despite being used for war for ten years. I really commend her for having such a bright personality. She was just so bubbly that I don't know why my father and Wyll are after her. She really just wanted to enjoy her time right here and right now. The sun started to set and we soon found ourselves sitting against a tree that was far up stream, far past my house and heading towards the mountain range. We were laughing as we sat beside one another, as Karlach told a joke that was absolutely terrible that I only laughed due to her infectious laugh. "You really are a good person, Karlach." "There are better, believe me, Y/N." "To me though, you're a good person." She smiled, "Thank you, Y/N. That means a lot to me." Stretching her arms, she yawned, her sharp teeth being bared to the air. They looked like they could hurt and rip into flesh if she tried. "Your teeth," I said. "What about them?" she turned in my direction. "They look sharp." "They kind of are. Want a first hand experience?" she smirked, one of her eyebrows perking upwards. I leaned towards her, placing my hand on her cheek. She leaned towards me and our lips brushed against one anothers before they pressed up against each other. Her lips were warm, as to be expected. My lips curled upwards as I smiled against her lips. Her mouth slightly opened and her teeth pinched at my bottom lip as she bit down on it. They were sharp, but she wasn't biting with enough force to make my lip bleed. Pulling away, her eyes and aura had changed. Instead of the bright, red flames they were, her engine was now blue and her eyes matched. The flames illuminating her hands were the same color. "W-Whoa," I smiled, admiring her blue flames. "Blue flames are the hottest of all flames," she said. "I got you heated, didn't I?" I chuckled. "Only you can do that, Y/N." I smiled and pulled her into a hug. Once she pulled away, she found her way in between my legs, resting her head on my lap. I giggled as I ran my hand through her red and black hair. Some parts of it felt like they were singed. My hand ran up the horn on the left side of her head while I tapped the broken horn on the right side. She closed her eyes and melted into my touch as I'd occasionally run my hand through her hair and down her arm. Her tail came around and wrapped loosely around my ankle. "Can we stay like this forever?" she asked. "Always, Karlach. Always," I said and leaned down, placing a kiss to her forehead.

#karlach #baldur's gate 3 #karlach x reader

120 notes · View notes

jerzwriter · 1 year

Text

Almost home...

Book: Open Heart (Late Book 3 Timeline)

Pairing: Ethan Ramsey x F!MC (Kaycee)

Rating: Teen

Words: 1272

Summary: Kaycee is away at a conference, while back in Boston, Ethan realizes just how much life has changed.

A/N: This fic is based on this ask. Thank you for sending it in, Nonny! Participating in @choicesmonthlychallenge Prompt: All the Fluff. Also sending to @openheartappreciationweek for Day 4 "Relationship Meter"

The last remnants of sunshine were losing their battle to stay in the sky as Ethan strolled down Charles Street. He was only a few blocks from home but wasn’t in as much of a hurry to get there as he’d normally be.

Boston was like any other big city; people always rushing by. Getting from point a to point b was more important than the trip along the way for most, and Ethan was no exception. But when the occasional stranger passing made eye contact or perhaps offered a quick smile, he found himself returning the gesture. He was halfway home before he noticed, and a crooked smile settled on his lips. Apparently, life could change.

A portly gentleman with a kind grin jumped to attention as Ethan approached. He tugged at the hem of his well-adorned uniform before reaching over to open the door.

“Good Evening, Dr. Ramsey! A bit early today!”

Ethan nodded before glancing at his watch.

“Seven-thirty,” he confirmed. “It’s about right for me these days, George.”

“Well, you’ll forgive me,” the older gentleman laughed. “I’m still used to you crawling in just in time to change and return to the hospital. I forget I’m dealing with a new man.”

“That’s OK,” Ethan chuckled. “Sometimes I forget it, too.”

His eyes were fixed on the elevator door as he patiently waited for the bell to announce its arrival. Though not technically home until he reached the 33rd floor, Ethan always felt the outside world slip away as soon as the doors slid open, and he found himself surrounded by the rich, mahogany walls, especially on a day like today when he had the ride to himself.

He took a deep breath and closed his eyes as he ascended to the sky, a gentle snort escaping him. Small talk with the doorman? With George? He had been the doorman as long as Ethan lived there, coming up on a decade now. While he had always been polite to him, Ethan couldn’t recall engaging in conversation before… he certainly didn’t know the man’s name. Life could definitely change.

The hallway was quiet, eerily so. It wasn’t always that way… eerie, that is. His was one of only two condos on the floor, the other belonging to a foreign dignitary who only used it when he traveled to Boston. That had been about five times in as many years by Ethan's calculations. The seclusion and solitude, things he once loved most about his home, were rarities now.

He opened the door without hurry, allowing it to close slowly behind him… just like the old days. No rush to get inside. He hung his coat in the closet, gingerly walked to a side table to pour a glass of Scotch, then sunk into his favorite chair. He took a generous sip, allowing the cool liquid to turn warm in his mouth, waiting for the firey sensation to shift toward the pleasant sweetness that always followed. That’s when he used to know he was home.

His mind rushed back to the office, just thirty minutes ago, and he let out a gentle laugh as he recalled Tobias’s words when he left.

“Heading out so early, boss? With the Mrs. out of town, I thought you’d be back to your old habits of working around the clock,” the sugary smirk on his friend and colleague’s face told him his words were in jest. “But hey, I get it… you have a bachelor pad again for one night! I’d be rushing home, too!”

“She’s not the Mrs. yet, Carrick! And, since your place is a perpetual bachelor pad, I assume you won’t ever need to leave early?” He had shot back.

“Hey… you do happiness your way, I’ll do it mine,” Tobias laughed. “But who knows? You were once an eternal bachelor too… stranger things have happened.”

Stranger things, indeed.

A bit of time had passed when Ethan checked his watch again: 8:00 PM Boston. That meant it was five o’clock in Los Angeles. Kaycee would be leaving the seminar any moment now, and he couldn’t wait for her call. Only then did it dawn on him how peculiar it felt to go without hearing her voice for so long. In this case, long could be defined as ten hours. Not so long in the scheme of things, but definitely out of the norm for him.

Not everyone was lucky enough to share an office… a home… a bed with the love of their lives, and even for those who did, no one was blessed to share those things with Kaycee. That pleasure… that joy… belonged to him and only him. She officially moved in six months before, and already her presence was missed. His hand reached over and mindlessly stroked the chenille blanket she normally wrapped herself in. Then she’d nuzzle her head on his lap as he read, or maybe sit on it, throwing her arms around his neck to discuss their day. If he closed his eyes, he almost felt her there.

Ring…..

His phone ringing broke him from his reverie, but he didn’t mind a bit.

“Hello.”

“Hello, gorgeous!” He could feel the smile in her melodic tone, and it warmed him more than his Scotch could ever dream to. “Do you miss me?”

“Miss you?” Ethan asked. “I’m counting the hours until you’re back home. Speaking of which, any luck getting an earlier flight out?”

“I’m still trying, but it looks like we have another thirteen hours before I’m back in your arms.”

��Thirteen? Who do I have to call a favor into for an earlier flight?”

“Mmmmm… God?” She giggled. “Problem is there are some storms here, and they’ve backed things up. But the weatherman says they’ll be passing shortly, so my flight shouldn’t be delayed.”

“Good! Because I don’t want to wait a minute longer than needed to see you again.”

“I know, baby. I feel the same way.”

“But the conference, the seminar… did everything go well?”

“Better than well! I’ll tell you about it after you get home from work tomorrow.”

“No, you won’t. You’ll tell me after I pick you up at the airport and we both come home. Tobias insisted he’d cover our workload so I could take the day off.”

“Tobias Carrick? A romantic at heart? Who knew,” Kaycee laughed.

“Mmmmm… either that or he’s about to ask for a favor.”

“Yeah… I did see him eyeing Jessica when she visited me last week. Little does he know she lives in Denver… or that she’s my ex-girlfriend and he doesn’t have… uhm… the equipment needed to be of interest to her.”

Ethan’s hearty laughter filled the empty room. “Well, can we keep that information from him until you’ve returned? Just on the off chance that it’s the only reason he was being kind.”

“I don’t think it was the only reason,” Kaycee giggled. “But, yeah, mum’s the word until my feet are on the ground at Logan. I’m not taking any risks… not when you’ve already got me picturing myself tangled up in the sheets with you all day tomorrow.”

“Sounds like perfection.”

“It sure does,” Kaycee cooed. “Well, I’m at the hotel. Can I call you when I get to my room?”

“Please do,” Ethan grinned. “This place isn’t home without you.”

“Just thirteen hours until we fix that, hon. I love you.”

“I love you, too.”

He placed the phone on the table, then shut his eyes. Just thirteen hours, and he’d finally be home again.

Life had absolutely changed for Ethan Ramsey… and he couldn’t be happier.

Perma tags: @a-crepusculo @animesuck3r @annoyingmillenialnewbie @crazy-loca-blog @doriopenheart @differenttyphoonwerewolf @fayeswiftie @gryffindordaughterofathena @genevievemd @inlocusmads @jamespotterthefirst @jennieausten @kingliam2019 @liaromancewriter @lucy-268 @onikalover @openheartforeverinmyheart @potionsprefect @quixoticdreamer16 @rookiemartin @secretaryunpaid @socalwriterbee @tessa-liam @trappedinfanfiction @jerzwriter-reblogs-asks @choicesficwriterscreations @openheartfanfics

Additional tags on reblog.

#choices fanfic #open heart fanfic #open heart choices #ethan ramsey #ethan ramsey x mc #ethan x mc #playchoices fanfic #choices fic writers creations #cfwc fics of the week #choices monthly challenge #open heart appreciation week

71 notes · View notes

the12thnightproject · 10 months

Text

Chapter 51: Past Perfect -The gang's all back together again.

Shingen x OC; Kenshin x MC (Mai)

Previous Chapter: Here

Logline - Disguised as a boy, Katsuko finds herself working for Shingen, but her dangerous masquerade becomes difficult to sustain when she falls for the man with a fatal secret.

“The wormhole is manifesting.” Sasuke’s announcement was unnecessary. By this time, we all had been through a wormhole at least once. Even if we hadn’t seen the cloying grey fog, we couldn’t miss the thunder and lightning, let alone the rain that was pelting us.

Shingen tightened his grip around my waist. I had one hand hooked to the back of Sasuke’s kimono. None of us wanted to be separated. None of us wanted to be surprised by a bandit attack either, so our free hands were on our weapons. I wasn’t scared, exactly, but given what had happened the last time, I was apprehensive. Would we end up in the correct timeline? Would we end up in the correct decade?

Would there be dinosaurs?

None of these fears came to pass. The fog swept through us as unpleasantly as always, but the trip was mercifully fast. We stumbled out of the wormhole into a fresh pine-scented breeze. No bandits or dinosaurs attacked us. Instead, there was a welcoming shout from Yukimura, as he rushed to greet us.

“Yo! Bestie!” Sasuke yanked Yuki into a hug before either Shingen or I could react. Well, Sasuke had been the third wheel often these past couple months. I imagined he was relieved to have his bro back for company.

Once Sasuke let go, Yuki approached Shingen, and bowed. “My lord, you’re looking wel-” was as far as he got before Shingen also hugged him.

“Don’t be so formal, Yuki. It’s good to see you.” He punctuated that by ruffling Yuki’s hair in all directions.

Yuki stepped back, sputtering, but before he could recover, I grabbed him for yet another hug. Iekane’s actions had meant I had not been able to say goodbye or thank Yuki for traveling with me to Ikuno. He and Sasuke might be ‘besties,’ but in some ways, Yuki was as much a friend and brother to me as Toshiie. A hug was not adequate, but the only way I could say all that.

He embraced me briefly but fiercely, then stepped away. “So, you got eaten by the whole worm. Dummy, you have to be different, don’t you?”

“Yuki. Thank you for -.” I stopped. He knew why I was thanking him, and he never had been a words person anyway. “I’m sorry I made you worry… and glad that you survived those bandits.”

“Of course, I did.” He lightly punched my shoulder. “There weren’t that many of them, and once Iekane and you disappeared, they all turned tail and ran.”

“Oh! You brought our horses!” I rushed over to Moonlight, who promptly showed her displeasure at being left alone for over a year by trying to bite me. I jumped out of the way of her teeth, then turned back to Yuki. “Have you brought them to greet every wormhole?” I knew Sasuke had given him a list of potential dates.

“Eh.” He rubbed the back of his head, further ruffling his hair. “It was only a couple times here and once in Kyoto, so it wasn’t that bad. Besides, it got me away from Kenshin for a bit.”

Shingen mounted Good Horse, who as usual, was a lot better behaved than Moonlight. “Alright boys. Move ‘em out. If we hurry, we can be back before sunset.”

Once we were on our way, I hung back with Sasuke to let Yuki catch up with Shingen. It looked like their relationship had picked up where it left off a year and a half ago – and I knew that Yuki had been as worried as I was about being forgiven for sending Shingen through the wormhole. A long separation can make these things seem unimportant anyway.

I tuned back into their conversation when Yuki gave him a status report on the Oda. “He’s been kept busy with the Mouri – apparently Motonari came back from the dead, along with a heavily armed navy.”

“There’s a lot of back from the dead going around.” I elbowed Sasuke, wondering if he would make a zombie joke about that. “I’m really glad I’m not in charge of keeping the timelines str…”

As I trailed off, Sasuke and I looked at each other with probably the same thought. “Is that what Professor Yamaoka is doing?”

“I just got an image of the multiverse as one giant game of cat’s cradle and Aki with a big ball of wool.” He always had loved pulling strings. I glanced over at the mountain in the distance, where Aki made his home. Detouring there was tempting. But… I wanted to go home. Somewhere along the line, I had begun to think of Kasugayama as my home.

“That’s another thing we ought to ask him once we locate him.” Sasuke sounded like he was all in on this. Of course, Aki wouldn’t be his primary responsibility - Kenshin would likely have some things for him to do once he killed Sasuke a few times for leaving.

Shingen and Yuki continued to strategize. “If Oda is occupied with the Mouri, perhaps it would be worth pressuring him to cede Kai back to me in exchange for avoiding a war on two fronts.” He was clearly content to be back in his tactical element – and I was happy to see him so intent on his plotting.

“Kenshin’s not going to be pleased if you avoid a war,” Yuki pointed out, then immediately contradicted himself. “Although I know Mai doesn’t want him to attack her friends in Azuchi, so maybe he’ll be ok.”

“Thanks to Mai, he’s become more mellow?” I brought my horse alongside theirs to join in the conversation. “Does that mean we’re less likely to be killed on a daily basis?”

Yuki sighed and rolled his eyes. “No, he’ll still do that, and he’s been talking about how much he’s looking forward to killing Shingen, if he’s healthy.”

Shingen muttered something under his breath.

“You know, I would pay to watch that,” I told him. “Try to last more than ten seconds.”

He gave me a look… I was going to pay for that too. “You didn’t have any complaints last night.”

Yuki made a disgusted noise, then continued as if we hadn’t interrupted. “Thanks to Mai, he’s also learned more um, creative ways to punish people he’s unhappy with.”

“Please don’t tell me he’s picked up the habit of practical jokes.” Sasuke looked ready to take the next wormhole back to the future. “I imagine the fatality rate at Kasugayama has increased exponentially if that is the case.”

“No. He let Yoshimoto redecorate your rooms.” Yuki laughed at the look on Sasuke’s face. Then he turned to me. “There’s a good surprise waiting for you, too.”

Kenshin lurked outside the gates of Kasugayama, sword in hand. Mai and Yoshimoto were ranged behind him, and they both appeared to be trying to reason with him. Suffice it to say, that did not look like a good surprise. “Who gave you permission to stay away for so long?” He might have been carved out of a block of ice.

I glanced at Sasuke. “Did you not visit him when you came through last year?”

“You ought to know by now that Kenshin doesn’t keep conventional time. As soon as anyone is gone long enough to be missed, it becomes too long. Usually that’s … a week, depending on the person.” He pushed his glasses up on the bridge of his nose, cracked his knuckles, and said out of the side of his mouth, “I’m going in. Cover me, Porkins.”

“I’m right with you Red Three.”

He got off his horse and bowed deeply before Kenshin. (I personally, would not have presented such an easy target for Himezuru Ichimonji.) “I am happy to have returned to you, my lord.”

“Hmph.” Sasuke began to get to his feet. Kenshin poked him with the sword. “Did I give you permission to move?” Sasuke stopped moving.

Kenshin stepped over him and approached Shingen. “Are you well?”

Shingen inclined his head. “I am.”

“Good. I look forward to killing you tomorrow.” He paused and shot a glance at me. “Do not think that I will forget to kill you too.”

Well, won’t that make for an exciting wake-up call. “Looking forward to it.”

“Katsuko!”

I whipped my head around at the sound of Toshiie’s voice.

My brother hurried up to the castle, followed closely by Hana – who was carrying an infant – and Nao…. who blew right past my open arms and attached himself to Yuki’s leg. “Uki!”

Sigh.

Toshiie pulled me into a hug. “As soon as we found each other, you disappeared again! What happened?”

As if it had been my fault. But brothers gotta brother. “It’s a long sto-.”