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#swarm marcus
blueberrypancakesworld · 11 months
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~Rory Culkin's Character - Masterlist~
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Scream 4-Charlie Walker
°Forced move -> fem reader, dark themes, obsession, kissing, making out, yandere behaviour
°Perv!Charlie Walker headcanon->fem reader, perverted behavior, yandere, obsession, clueless reader
°Perv!Charlie Walker headcanon 2->fem reader, obsession, touching without consent, drugging, kidnapping
°Perv!Charlie Walker headcanon 3->fem reader, somnophilia, masturabtion, obsession
°Perv!Charlie Walker headcanon4->fem reader, angst, hurt/comfort, knife play, touching without consent, obsession
°7-Minutes in Heaven with Charlie Walker->fem reader, fluff, kissing, friends to lovers, making out
°Tear you apart->gn reader, murder, blood, obsession, mutual love, kissing, angst
°Heady biscuits->fem reader, weed, fluff, comfort, implied smut
°Charlie Walker in a relationship->fem reader, sfw/nsfw
°Unspoken words->fem reader, angst, emotional, hurt/comfort, kiss, blood, wounds
°NSFW Alphabet-Charlie Walker
°Fluff Alphabet-Charlie Walker
°In Love with you->fem reader, smut, sub Charlie
°Charlie Walker - Sinner in the store->fem reader, heavy smutish, kissing, handjob
°Charlie Walker - Something new to wear->fem reader, fluff
°The nurse and the nerd->fem reader, smut (handjob), some fluff
I'm gonna miss this place->fem reader, fluff, comfort, kiss
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Lords of Chaos 2018-Euronymous
°Flower in hell->fem reader, fluff, tiny hurt, comfort, no use of Y/n
°Music, beer and touch->fem reader, fluff, kissing, making out
°NSFW Alphabet-Euronymous
°Princess and the Vampire->fem reader, big fluff
°Fluff Alphabet - Euronymous
°All the best in pink (sequel to Princess and the Vanpire)->fem reader, fluff
°Eyes on you in the short skirt->fem reader, tiny fluff, making out, kissing
°Guitar and bands->fem reader, fluff
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Under The Banner of Heaven-Samuel Lafferty
°His will->fem reader, fluff, smutish, making out
°His doings->fem reader, smut, fluff
°Strawberry field->fem reader, fluff
°Baking without god->male reader, fluff, cuddling
°I'm your god->fem reader, hurt, smut, non-con, religion, abuse
°Broken will->fem reader, hurt, emotional, smut
°It was his will->fem reader, smutish, religion abuse
°Rough Samuel Lafferty->afab, smut, kinda public
°Hidden relationship->smut
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Black mirror - Kappa
°My flower->fem reader, flirting, fluff, kiss
°My natural drug (Sequel to My flower)->fem reader, smut, fluff, shibari
°My Goddess->fem reader, smut, sub!Kappa/dom!femreader, bondage, humiliation, mommy kink, handcuffs, sm
°Brighten up the flowers->prequel to My Goddess (but can be read as a stand alone), sub!Kappa/dom!femreader, smut, chocking, mommy kink
°Wake Up-> fem reader (afab), smut, somnophilia, kissing, knife play, blood kink, druged sex, dark theme
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Bullet Head - Gage
°My broken Angel - fem!reader, smutish, kissing, blood, hurt/comfort, emotional, use of drugs (heroin)
°From now on you are mine - Part.1
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Swarm - Marcus
°Pervert Marcus
°Stalker Marcus
°Valentine's Day with Marcus
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greenxgloss · 1 month
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Marcus HCs (Swarm) NSFW
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A/N: so i noticed a lot of what people were saying about Marcus honestly didn't make sense to me. like a lot of them I can definitely agree with but idk I thought i'd put my two cents
okay, so i can't decide if marcus gets hookups often or if he's a once-a-year-get-down type of incel but regardless he's good at what he does.
he always wants more than a one-night stand
he's a total sex god. like the only thing he doesn't do is let you peg him but he's a switch and an experimentalist so he'll let you dom
he's not insecure in his size or height for this reason he knows he can make you cum with his mouth, hands and toys. he's sex-positive and educated in the world of sex toys.
he is amazing at aftercare. he'll clean you up and cuddle you. he'll only fall asleep after you and make sure you're okay. the next morning makes you breakfast and if it is your first time meeting he'll make conversation to get to know you and even drive you home or to work
hes an ass man 100% (this pains me to say because I don't have an ass but its so true)
he loves all body types and all types of men and women but has a strong preference for poc people. thinks they're absolutely beautiful
he loves walking around naked and goes to nude beaches but this specifically isn't sexual he just likes being naked and feeling free that way
he loves philosophy but in a good way and reads a whole lot of philosophical books and practices existentialism
he loves spirituality and manifesting
he's usually very clean, doesn't even get into bed with outside clothes
this man is romantic and corny as fuck oh yeah candles and rose pedals oh yeah and the dim lighting and classical music
he loved school as a kid and participated in all the sports and school events
loves his mom and buys her flowers on all holidays
loves baking more than cooking but hopes he can meet someone that will cook for him so he can bake for them
loves parties and going to the club just wishes he could dance better.
lana del rey and taylor swift are his guilty pleasures as a cis man
other than that loves rock music like kiss and the rolling stones
loves going all out on Halloween
loves being part of girl talk with his girl-friends and also calls them his girl-friends to other people
he loves nature
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icarus-star · 6 months
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dont question me
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444rockstargf · 4 months
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rory characters as lana del rey albums!
explained :))
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ollie sway - born to die
longing for a certain relationship
love, freedom, sacrifice
daddy issues
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kappa - paradise
wealth and idolization
illusion of perfection
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jack thurlow - ultraviolence
ahh my favourite album!
i could go on a fucking rant abt this one
glamourized toxicity
pain
being misunderstood
drugs drugs drugs
lana's sexiest album and rory's best character idcidc
loving him was never enough
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charlie walker - honeymoon
desperation
themes of failed romance
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(crispy ass photo)
marcus - lust for life
not necessarily happy, but positive
youth
falling in "love"
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clyde - norman fucking rockwell!
omfg yall i could talk abt this one too
finding happiness!
being fun and wild
literally not giving a fuck about anything
partying late at night
again: drugs!!
cinnamon girl reminds me of clyde sm
the lowkey nostagic, record vibe of the album
my 2nd favourite album and my favourite rory character
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dan cooper - chemtrails over the country club
finding people who understand you
trusting others
"healthy" relationships
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chris kenton - blue banisters
a need to be loved
the longing for genuine people in your life
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euronymous - did you know that there's a tunnel under ocean blvd?
mental health
dealing with grief
lust, desire, longing
consideration of suicide
change of spirit.
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author's note: just made a little smth while I'm waiting in the doctor's office 😁 (it stinks in here.)
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nightpixxie · 12 days
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everything is just purrfecttttt . his shoulders . his arms . his abs . his hair . just everything omg 🍓
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miikdromeda · 10 months
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Controversial take but all I’m gonna to say is I’m going to eat a lot of Strawberries tonight.
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.
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iiheartsai · 2 months
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sai posting about marcus … unheard of … but
i can’t stop thinking about the club scene specifically with pyramids by frank ocean playing 😵‍💫😵‍💫
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tori-torisblog · 2 months
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🍓 Sweet Strawberries 🍓
fluff+smut, fem!oral, fem!dry humping, Marcuse from swarm
It’s early in the morning, 5:30 to be exact you were laying in Marcus‘s bed when you saw him washing off some strawberries he turned back and saw you awake ‘hey did you sleep good?’
You nodded in response you were wearing a shirt he had lent you it was a bit to big you blushes slightly seeing he was still naked as he walked over to you, he jumped onto the bed making a small sound ‘strawberry”? He asked you looked down seeing her flaccid cock against the glass bowl
‘There really sweet this time of year I get them from the farmers market’ he handed you one it was a vibrant, red and slightly soft you took a bite he was right they are very sweet ‘so how are you feeling? Dose anything hurt?’ You explained that your legs were sore and you breasts were sensitive ‘I could make you some tea’ you excepted his offer ‘I have green tea, earl grey, black tea’ you picked one and he handed you a blue mug ‘there you go it should cool down in a minute’ you saw his cock twitch slightly, you went for a semi bold move you kissed him his hands gently went on the back of your neck, ‘you didn’t get enough last night?’ He chuckled a little bit, he gently lifted the shirt and suckled on your breasts you moaned softly ‘that feel good?’ You nodded he gently started rubbing your clit through your panties he moved you to his thigh you grinded against his thigh, as he Sucked on your nipples massaging your other breast ‘such a good girl’ you grinded harder your puffy cunt dripping with slick already you whimpered and moaned begging him to let you cum ‘not yet baby’ he laid you down moving your panties out of the way kitten licking your clit and kissing your slick entrance as you squeeze around nothing he inserts two of his veiny long fingers curling them still kitten licking your clit ‘are you going to be good and cum as I count down’ you nodded rapidly your clit swollen and begging for release ‘5…4….3…2..’ your cunt clenched and your clit started twitching ‘..1’ you came a familiar clear substance came from you ‘did you just?’ You profusely apologized. ‘It’s ok’ he smiled slightly before he kissed you ‘your tea is getting cold’
OMGGGGGG I love this man he’s my man omg I hope you enjoyed this I haven’t written a fic in a hot minute 
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smudgemark · 1 year
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Chlöe Bailey for the first ever digital cover of Cosmopolitan Magazine. Photography by Marcus Cooper.
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manuvstheworld · 1 year
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Rory Culkin as Marcus in Swarm s01e01 (2023)
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volturissideslut · 5 months
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Lmk if you want a part 2 where they take you to see things and show you their hobbies
Yes Please
𝖁𝖔𝖑𝖙𝖚𝖗𝖎 𝕶𝖎𝖓𝖌𝖘 (𝕻𝖔𝖑𝖞)
Part 1
"This way, Cara Mia" Aro's arm is linked with yours as he gives you a tour of your home. You had spent many days like this, being choeffered around by your mates as they helped you navigate the maze of hallways they lived it, but this time was different.
This time, they could show you. You could see the marble details that run throughout,you could see the historic relics they had collected and put on show, and you could see the many portraits of the members, your mates and you.
"This one os my favourite" Caius whispers, chin resting on your shoulder as he shows you the newest one he put up. It was you, in a swarm on blues pinks and greens - a distinct redness to your eyes as you stood side by side with Marcus in the gardens.
"When did you have time to make this?" you turn to kiss his cheek, only for him to face you and make you miss and kiss his lips instead.
"this morning" his voice is smug from the affection and the adoring look you give his work.
"You said you paint a lot... Can I see your studio?" there's an excitement on your face that makes him feel alive again, only to leave him pouting when Marcus answers for him.
"Of course you can, Tesoro. But first, it's my turn to show you something, " his smile of warm, a contrast to Caius' blank stare at having the moment interrupted. "would you like to go and see a play? It's something I think you'd enjoy, given your love of stories"
Aro, stealing the thunder, claps and gasps in the background "Oh, Cara Mia! You'll just love what we've picked!"
Somehow, it's becomes twisted and turned into a competition between the three men, Marcus offering to show you all the flowers in the world, Caius offering a global expadition, and Aro insisting he take you to see the stars and tell you about them all.
And though your heart is dead and unbeating, it has never felt so warm.
(you take their bickering as an opportunity to sneak away and put face to name with the guard, sneaking back in just in time for them to tell you the curriculum they've come up with for you. It's great, really, but you may need to convince them that you don't need to see everything in a day. You have all of eternity together)
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Pervert Marcus
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She was his neighbor a flower seller just down the street and he would see her.
If he saw her in her work outfit, the dark green blouse pressed against her upper body, he would see the slight imprint of her lacy bra under the apron on top. The dark apron that called out her body shape, the laces tied around her haunted his imagination.
He wanted to be her, he wanted to be the one to hold her close and caress her. The sweet smile, the friendly look, she was unbelievable. He had to suppress an excited gasp every time he visited her in the store. She watched him in the little cafe in the same store and the bulge in his pants. ,,I'll be with you in a few minutes," she had said to him as she turned back to the flowers and seeds. But before she got back, Marcus had already disappeared into the store's restroom.
His one hand on his mouth, trying to stifle the sounds of pleasure. His other hand around his hard cock, jerking off as he had done almost every night since he had met his strawberry. A few drops of cum were already dripping onto the flowing floor. He was addicted to her, to her sweetness, it was only natural that he reacted to her like this.
With a moan of her name suppressed as best he could, he let himself pour into his hand, trying not to leave everything too dirty. His fingers covered in spit and semen, he cleaned them with paper and washed his hands at the sink.
But no sweet pastry could get to her, he was sure of that when he returned to his table and she was waiting for him with a small bag. ,,Marcus, here's a little something for looking after my cat," she said and gave him the bag, which contained an earth plant.
A plant that resembled her sweetness, his favorite for her and at that moment a source of inspiration. ,,Oh, you have no idea how well I'm going to use that," he said with a broad smile and looked in the cake rack at the strawberry cream cake and knew exactly what he was going to do. ,,Say, are you free tomorrow night for a little coffee, cake and strawberry talk?" he asked, knowing with her nod that he had everything he needed to make it perfect. To give her her own sweetness.
In the apartment you could hear the whirring of the mixer, the cracking of eggs, the pouring of milk and the muffled sound of flour being poured into a bowl together with the crunching of sugar.
His blue eyes kept darting back and forth to his cell phone on which he saw the recipe for the strawberry cream cake. It took longer than expected, but when he saw the cake with a satisfied look on his face, he knew that the last thing missing was the cream and the strawberries. With the washed berries ready, he took a bowl and started on his special cream.
Knowing that when the door to her apartment opened he smelled the awakening scent of coffee and her sweetness met him. ,,Marcus, come in," her sweet voice rang out as she took him in her arms and pulled him into the apartment.
Handing her the cake, he sat down at the table and poured them coffee as she came to them with the cake on plates. ,,The cake looks wonderful, the ripe strawberries," she began, taking a slice with her cake fork and tasting his cake. His wide smile, a knowing look in his eyes and her sigh of conviction and the delicious cake let him know that he had done everything right.
,,I don't know what kind of mixture it is, but my god...you have to give me that recipe, especially the cream is incredible," she insisted after swallowing the slice of cake. ,,Let's just say I used my body to make this perfect cake," he told his beloved as he tasted the cake himself and watched with pleasure as she licked away the bit of cream sticking to her lips. Oh, he would make this cake very often if they could share it like this. He had finally found his perfect sweetie.
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@icarus-star , @roryculkinsgf, @angelsanarchy
masterlist
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greenxgloss · 1 month
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i’m glad you guys think i’m funny lmao i woke up this morning to two of my fav rory accs laughing at my marcus joke😭
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icarus-star · 3 months
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look what i found on pinterest
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444rockstargf · 9 months
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⊹ ࣪ ˖ 𝐥𝐢𝐯'𝐬 𝐥𝐢𝐛𝐫𝐚𝐫𝐲. ‎‎₊˚⊹ 𐦍༘⋆₊ ⊹
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#RULES!
what i will write.
i will primarily write rory culkin content on this blog, but i am now writing for miguel o'hara, spencer reid and the outsiders. i try my best to answer all requests that i get, unless they go against things that i write. i write 18+ content.
what i won't write.
incest, pedophilia, scat play, & watersports.
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#MASTERLIST!
kinktober masterlist.
be my valentine. ₊˚⊹♡: masterlist
☆ = nsfw
charlie walker.
if i cant have you, no one can. you & charlie stalking eachother. getting down with charlie. ☆ charlie's personal camgirl. ☆ pretty when he cries. ☆ subby charlie giving you head. ☆ trashy tutor session. ☆ trashier study session. ☆ prettiest girl he's ever seen. best friend. childhood crush.
euronymous.
dating euronymous hcs. giving euronymous head after a show. ☆ euronymous' fucktoy. ☆ meeting euronymous at a party. meeting euronymous at a party (part 2). ☆ admiring from afar. taking his virginity. ☆ bimbo and the beast. ☆ first time doing anal. ☆ little black bimbo. ☆ rough sex. ☆ throatfucking. ☆ gonna play with myself. ☆ ps girlfriend hcs. ☆ the shape of my body. ☆ threesome with dead. ☆ i'm the boss. ☆ friday night fight. grinding in the pale moonlight. ☆ cheater. ☆ loving you is hard, being here is harder. blessed with beauty and rage. private session. ☆ brother's best friend. ☆ sweetest melodies.
clyde.
dating clyde hcs. making edibles on a stormy night. crying on his shoulder. bathtime with clyde. ☆ intoxicated sex. ☆ sloppy sex. ☆ meet me at the diner. dating clyde hcs (again.) shotgun. ☆ taking his virginity. ☆ tired n sickly. ☆ fingerbanging at coachella. ☆ kissing behind the skate structure. do you want me or do you not? the bad girl next door. ☆ forever wild. ☆
jack thurlow.
having sex with jack. ☆ jack's worst addiction. jack's keepsake. ☆ your first time. ☆ your wife won't mind. ☆ hold me, love me, touch me. ☆ i need you. ☆ guided masturbation. ☆ sun & moon, december & june. let's ride. ☆ sad girl. a little party never hurt no one. dom x dom. ☆ somnophilia. ☆
ollie sway.
giving ollie a striptease. ☆ public sex. ☆ first orgasm. ☆ attempt to be dominant. ☆ watching me get undressed. ☆
kappa.
one night stand with kappa. ☆ a friendly visitor. caught masturbation. ☆ jealous girl. ☆ softcore babyface. (ft. dan cooper) ☆ don't forget me. ☆ got a knife in my shirt. ☆ my cult leader. ☆
dan cooper.
dan's first time using a toy. ☆ dry humping. ☆ two little bunnies. ☆ pegging danny. ☆ dan cockwarming. ☆ world's biggest whore. ☆ danny dom. ☆ feminization. ☆ softcore babyface. (ft. kappa) ☆ daisy chains. ☆
chris kenton.
friends with benefits. ☆ private dancer. ☆ truth or dare. ☆ blowjob. ☆ got me feeling so much. ☆
marcus (swarm).
putting him into subspace. ☆ that damn bowl of strawberries.
spencer reid. (criminal minds)
you wanna make the switch? ☆ heard that you like the bad girls.
more characters to be added.
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credits to ©444rockstargf.
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wardenparker · 2 months
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Hummingbird Has Landed, ch 4
Marcus Pike x female reader Co-written with @absurdthirst
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After the debacle of his failed engagement and relocating to Washington to take charge of his task force, newly minted Special Agent Marcus Pike is ready to get back out into the dating pool once more. A slew of bad dates has him feeling a little down, and he takes an old friend up on an invitation to get away and get his head on straight. Imagine his surprise when he finds not only fresh air, but his soulmate as well - hiding in plain sight but in the unlikeliest of places.
Rating: Mature, but this blog is always 18+ Word Count: 10.5k Warnings: *Blanket warnings for this series: occasional mention of American politics, pregnant character, food/alcohol consumption, mentions of clothing/regulated dressing for occasions, mentions of therapy because we believe in self care here, reader is in a previous relationship, love triangle, reader is mentioned as turning 30 during the course of the story* Family dynamics that contain debating as a method of communication, heavy familial expectations, changing relationships, talk of pregnancy and childbirth. Summary: A family dinner at the White House, a meddling best friend, and the mysterious case of the missing Congressman. Notes: Shout out to Keri for making me unexpectedly bawl about three-quarters of the way into this chapter. Thanks for that, babe. As usual, sorry for an errors I might have missed and thanks for reading!
Ch1 ~ Ch 2 ~ Ch 3
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It isn’t unusual for a family to sit down to dinner together during the week. If you’re a busy family, living scattered about in different places, even a once-a-week dinner is worth scheduling. But when you’re the First Family, it gets a little complicated. The food is always amazing. That isn’t up for debate. And it is nice to actually see your mother when she isn’t surrounded by a swarm of staff or on a television screen. Alex and June are great too, when they aren’t being absolute pains in the asses. The only thing you’re hoping is that no one asks you about Sam at dinner tonight.
Family dinners always occur in the residence, around the long wooden table that is a substitute for the one you had grown up sitting around. No press, no phones at the table and the only interruptions that are allowed during this time is a matter of national crisis. Everything else can wait. It's why your mother is a successful politician while balancing her family, she gives everything its proper time. "So a little birdy told me that your inn is booked solid for the next few weeks." She looks over at you with a proud smile, aware that you work incredibly hard to make your vision, your dream, a success.
“Through April.” You nod, finishing a bite of food. The White House chef takes his chicken Marsala very seriously and it’s so good that you can’t get enough of it. “It never fails. People are always excited to see the cherry blossoms.”
“Will you still be able to attend the State dinner?” Although it was more a mandatory invitation, she would understand if you couldn’t break away. After all, she has a very demanding job as well.
“Of course.” Not aware that you had had any choice in the matter, you get smirked half-glances from your siblings that tell you they would try to get out too, if they could. “Although…I do have a question about that.”
She looks up from cutting her chicken, your father looking up from his glass of wine curiously. “What is that?”
“I know that it’s only a week away, so I am not asking for anything besides clarification.” Something about your parents’ reaction makes you feel like you need to say that out loud. Otherwise you might be up for one of your family’s famously endless debates. “Has the seating arrangement already been done so that all of us,” you motion to yourself and your two younger siblings. “Have a plus one?”
“Of course.” Your father has been the one handling the details of the State dinner and has meticulously planned the family seating arrangement. “Why?”
“Just double-checking. It’s the first State dinner, after all. I just want to make sure it goes smoothly.” It doesn’t matter that you were desperately hoping he would say no, or instantly offer to rearrange the seating chart if needed, or literally anything else that would get you out of having to have an uncomfortable conversation with Sam after barely talking to him at all the last few days. Maybe you could ask Juan to…Nope. There’s a rehearsal dinner at the inn that night. Shit.
“Good.” He smiles and gives you a knowing look. “I did not place Sam and you near too many political adversaries.” He snorts. “He won’t spend the entire night in a debate.”
“That’s thoughtful of you, Dad. Thanks.” There is a solid chance Sam would prefer that over the stony silence between the two of you, but you can’t say that. Not with your mother at the table. It will turn into a full-blown debate over what has gone wrong in your relationship and how to fix it, and you don’t need your meddling siblings to have that kind of ammunition on you. “So,” you turn to them instead. “Alex? Junie? You guys have dates?”
Alex rolls his eyes. “I’m bringing Dave, since he wants to go into law school.” He huffs. “He wants to intern with one of the senators.” Junie just shrugs. “Not yet.” She murmurs, bored by the idea of the dinner at all.
“Dave gets to come to a State dinner?” Your brother and his boyfriend generally keep things under wraps, and it works well since they’ve been best friends since they were kids. Like the gay male version of you and Sydney except they became a couple. “That’s sweet, Al. Maybe he’ll actually get you to behave yourself.”
“Never.” He flashes you a grin, making your mother huff in exasperation and amusement.
“No potential guest on the horizon for you, Junebug?” Your father asks, looking to his youngest child on the other end of the table.
“I’m either going to have someone want to go so they can rub elbows with politicians and brag they went to the State dinner, or be completely bored out of their minds.” She shrugs. “So I don’t know if I want to ask anyone.”
“Is that even an option?” You’re really trying not to make it sounds like you’re hoping for a yes, but you are. To be told you can go solo would solve every single one of your problems at the moment.
“We cannot have empty chairs.” Your father shakes his head. “Junie, if you don’t pick someone, we will have to find a filler.”
“Do you want me to ask Dave to bring his brother?” Alex offers, always only helpful to the baby of the family. “Noah can dance, doesn’t care about politics, and you can bitch about college the whole time of you want.”
“Please?” Her eyes turn hopeful and she knows that will be better than some filler guest.
“You got it.” Alex grins and flashes that thousand watt smile at your parents. “See? Problem solved.”
“Thank you.” Your father looks relieved and your mother gives him a smile before cutting into her chicken again. “Happy to have that settled.” She hums.
Settled. Ugh. If you weren’t about to turn thirty, you would be pouting at the table. Instead you let discussion float by, as your father double checks that all three of you have your White House approved outfits for the night and you’ve managed to memorize all the facts and statistics on the Spanish royal family that were handed out by your mother’s staff.
The dinner moves on to dinner dessert and the dinner plates are changed for wonderful pots of chocolate lava cake, a back up dessert for the State dinner for anyone with a gluten intolerance or nut allergy.
“This is amaaazing.” June groans, ever the chocolate fanatic.
“It is delicious.” Your mother agrees. “Rich.” She looks over at your father. “You said this was gluten free?”
“Hard to believe isn’t it?” He laughed like he’s got some trick up his sleeve but he’s really just pleased. “Apparently this is one of the easier cakes to do with alternative flours.”
“Perfect.” She might be President of the United States, but she and your father were a team. “You did wonderful finding an alternative, honey.”
“You like the orange sauce with it?” Everyone’s anxieties are high for this first occasion and your father wants everything to be perfect.
“Perhaps offer a raspberry or strawberry?” She suggests, looking around the table for everyone’s opinions. “What do you all think? In addition?”
“It’s a little sweet,” you admit, hating to ever disappoint your father. But there is a reason you all have so many round table discussions in your family. “Maybe blood orange would offset the sweetness a little? And be a little more luxurious?”
“Ohhhh blood orange would be amazing.” Alex chimes in, nodding in agreement. “Balance the sweetness of the chocolate.”
“Oh my god yes,” June groans, already having mostly inhaled her lava cake and furtively peaking to see if either you or Alex is going to be willing to give yours up.
Alex snorts when he sees that beseeching look on his younger sister’s face and slides his lava cake towards her.
“This is what you should have for your birthday.” Junie tells you emphatically, digging in to what’s left of your brother’s dessert. “No question.”
“Why? So you can eat all of it?” Your brother snorts. “But-“ he looks back over at you. “What are you having at your party?”
"I honestly haven't thought about it." There's still a month left until your birthday so it hadn't even crossed your mind yet. "Maybe I'll just go to a Nationals game if I can get away from work. Who knows?"
“Oh honey, you shouldn’t do that.” Your mother huffs slightly and shakes her head. “Go to a Nationals game, sure. But you need to have a party.”
"Why?" It sort of feels like whining this time, but you have to wonder what her logic is. "Because I'm one of the First Kids? Because I'm turning 30?"
“Because you deserve a party where others cater to your wants and is about you? Celebrating my oldest baby’s birthday.” She implores, expression soft and loving.
If there is one thing your mother is annoyingly good at it, it's showering love on her children despite being busy. No birthday ever went by without acknowledgement. No success uncelebrated. No set back unconquered. "So does that mean you and Dad are going to throw it and all I have to do is show up?" It's highly unlikely considering how busy they are, but you have to try, right?
“Absolutely.” Her grin is positively smug, like you have fallen into her trap, which - you have. “Of course, we are not going to have it at the White House.” She rolls her eyes slightly. “But you just pretend it will be a surprise. I’ll let Sam know where to bring you.”
"I can't know where to go myself?" Since there's a chance Sam won't even be in the picture in a few weeks, you would rather just have her tell you. "And please don't make it some big, formal thing? If I get told to wear an evening gown to my birthday, I'm not showing up."
“Nothing formal.” She promises. “No ballgown, but a nice dress.” She compromises, tilting her head. “For pictures? Not official ones, of course.”
Regular negotiations with the President should make you eligible for some kind of ambassador position even as her daughter, and you tilt your head at your mother before making a full agreement. "Cocktail attire maximum, the music cannot be described as orchestral anything, and the fancier the venue is, the lower class the food has to be. Those are my conditions."
“Finger foods inside of an upscale tavern?” She poses, smirking slightly at the way you negotiate with her. Out of all the children, you are the closest to her personality, even if you don’t see it. “With specially crafted cocktails to celebrate your birthday? And a playlist composed of your favorites songs from each year?”
"I'll build a core list for the music. Because I don't trust Alex not to sneak Cotton Eye Joe or something into the mix." Like any good wheeling-and-dealing adult child, you have to get just one more compromise in there before sealing the deal. "And I will provide you with a list of friends I'd like invited outside of the normal group. Obviously I know you'll give the information to Sydney, Anna Leigh, and Issy."
“Deal.” She nods and looks very pleased with the situation. “Honey, I will plan this.” She promises, reaching out and patting the back of your father’s hand. “I want to plan it.”
"Along with running the free world, she's also a party planner." Your brother snorts, always ready to tease. "You know you can just hire Juan to do it, Mom."
“No.” She snorts and blows a raspberry at your brother. “It’s my baby’s birthday. I want to plan the perfect party to ring in thirty.”
"And somehow Birdie still doesn't get that she's the favorite." June laughs, throwing you a smirk before she rolls her eyes playfully at Alex.
“Now you know that is not true.” Your mother protests, rolling her eyes. “I love all of you equally.”
"Yes, Mother." Alex and June chime in unison, making all of you break into laughter at the same time around the table.
“Managing you kids is almost harder than running the country.” She grumbles, even though she’s grinning.
"We just wanted you to have a lot of practice before you got to the White House." You assure her, still laughing with your siblings. "Because being Governor of Pennsylvania was definitely not enough. Your children are the real test."
“Yes they are.” She agrees, laughing with all of you and your father. The truth was, she has incredible children that she’s proud of beyond measure. Often she tells the world that her best accomplishment has been raising the three of you and it’s not line to appeal to her core voters, she truly believes that.
"So, I have a logistical question." Satisfied temporarily with the amount of chocolate consumed in one dinner, June sits back in her chair with her glass of iced tea and proves once more than kids take more corralling than countries. "If the State dinner is next Saturday, does that count as family dinner?
Your father rolls his eyes and sighs while your mom narrows her eyes in thought and looks towards her husband for his thoughts. “What do you think, honey?”
"The purpose of Friday night dinners is to have a chance to sit down together as a family and catch up. Enjoy each other's company. Celebrate the week's small wins." It's what they had agreed on years ago when this tradition had been born. "So by that logic, I would say no. Since we won't be sitting around enjoying each other's company while the king and queen of Spain are visiting." He narrows his eyes though, in a way that definitely speaks to how long your parents have been together. They have identical expressions right now. "Why, Junebug? Did you make other plans?"
“I—” she falters for a moment and then shrugs. “There’s a party I wanted to go to, but I don’t have to go if my presence is required.”
Your parents exchange a glance, that decades-long nonverbal communication at work for not the first time today. "Why don't we have dinner a little earlier?" You father offers. Compromise is always the name of the game in the First Family. "If we have dinner at six instead of seven that night, will that give you enough time, kiddo?"
A partial victory counts, so she nods. "That would work. It would give me plenty of time to be annoyed at my security detail."
"Sounds like a plan." Your mother smirks, relieved to see that none of her children have tried to give their agents the slip yet. She had expected it from June, if she's honest. She's definitely the most independent and the most rebellious.
"Wish we didn't have to have them." She pout slightly, even though she had known this was part of the deal. She hadn't expected it to chafe so much though, if she was honest. She have been very innocent in believing they would just a vague shadow.
"I'd rather have you annoyed by their presence and be safe, than let you go without them and have something happen to any of you." It's non-negotiable, you all know that, and your mother is frankly very glad that it comes with the office. Trying to make sure all three of you are safe without the Secret Service? No way.
"I know." She doesn't have to be happy about it though. "I just— wish the world didn't suck so badly sometimes." She murmurs quietly.
"Here here." Alex nods, knowing that all the different ways the world sucks have affected him in ways the rest of the family hasn't experienced on their own. Everyone may tout their belief in soulmates loudly, but he can't even go out and hold his soulmate's hand without risk. If anything, he's grateful for the Secret Service agents that have been assigned to make sure he stays safe.
"I know that you are disappointed that I haven't been able to push through the soulmate resolution yet." Your mother is addressing Alex, but she shoots him a reassuring look. "But I know that it is close." She looks towards you. "Sam has been a strong voice in the fight to approving the resolution." She praises. "You should be very proud of him."
Mom, you’ve only been in office a month. No one at this table expects you to work miracles.” You steadily ignore the remark about Sam, feeling like your blood pressure is rising a little every time he gets mentioned tonight. “The Resolution is a really good piece of legislation and it’s only a matter of time before it gets passed.” Looking to your brother, though, you offer him the proudest smile you can manage. “And then this pain in the ass can have the White House’s first ever gay wedding. One for the history books.”
Alex snorts and shakes his head. “Hell no.” He huffs. “I don’t want a stuffy White House wedding where I have to invite every dignitary I know. I’ll leave that to you.” He hums with a smirk.
“I’m not getting married anytime soon so what does it matter?” An awful lot of people have been very invested in your future lately and it’s grinding on you to the point where you shoot back a reply without even thinking of it.
Your father’s brow shoots up, surprised at the tone you had used and he glances at your mother, a silent look passing between them.
The silence at the table is ringing, and you put down your wine glass as delicately as you can manage. “What?” You ask, looking around the table but not willing to apologize for being cranky. “I’m not engaged, am I? It could be years before I settle down.”
"Nothing." Your mother shakes her head and smiles at you. "Things will happen in their own time." She councils softly. "You don't have to adhere to anyone's timeline but your own."
“Right.” The best you can do is sit back and have the decency to look a little sheepish, but you can feel the question marks in the eyes of your family members all watching you. It is massively uncomfortable at best.
"Okay." Alex senses something is wrong with you, that you want the subject to change so he claps his hands. "So, I have a question." He recaptures his parents attention. "Do we have to dance at the State dinner?" He asks seriously. "Because you know Dave has two left feet and I can't be embarrassed like that."
“You can dance with your sisters,” your father offers, sensing the same thing as his son. “Or with your mother, or the queen? Or any of the young men there, if you want to end up above the fold of the Washington Post.” It’s purely teasing, of course, since anyone who knows Alex knows he is only in the closet publicly.
He rolls his eyes and scoffs. "Nahhhhhh." He waves away the idea. "I don't want to have to hire a PR manager this early in my life." He jokes. "It would drain my savings."
"I guess we'll all behave ourselves." June observes with a wry smile.
"That would be extremely appreciated." Your mother hums, smiling at all of you. "I know you all have busy schedules, but I am so glad we can still get together."
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It's Sunday before the dress arrives at the inn for the State dinner, and you and Sydney were enjoying a rare afternoon off together when Malachi lead the worried-looking White House staffer around to the back porch of the inn to let them hand it over to you in person. Sending them off again with your thanks, you push out a sigh. "I haven't heard from Sam in almost a week," you admit when your best friend fixes you with an inquisitive expression.
"Have you reached out to him?" Sydney asks, frowning as she holds the passion fruit tea she has been obsessed with over the last few days. "He might be embarrassed and unsure of how he will be received?"
"I sent him a text yesterday asking if we were still on for our plans tonight, but...nothing so far." Making plans ahead of time had been a definite strength for the two of you before now. But since Valentine's Day? Communication has been non-existent.
"Have you tried his office?" It's not like Sam to just blow you off, so she wonders if he's been caught up in meetings.
"I—" You blow out another breath. One that feels like defeat. "I'm afraid of calling and having Vanessa pick up," you admit. It feels stupid but you can't help it. "The idea that she could be feeling chatty and say something about Marcus just...I know that's stupid."
"Have you tried to text Marcus?" That's the next question is the most obvious one to take the conversation. If you aren't in contact with Marcus or he hasn't responded to you, that could be why you are feeling like a duck out of water.
"No." That idea makes you shake your head sternly and reach for your drink. The covered porch and little space heater is nice for sitting in the sunniest hours of the day, but you still made yourself a cup of hot coffee to sip while you sat with Sydney. "No...I mean...he probably hates me by now."
"I don't think he would hate you." She's already making an note to have Juan reach out to Pike himself. Maybe take him out for a beer and feel him out on the situation. "You cancelled a causal invite to dinner, you didn't cancel taking him to the State dinner."
"I can't even think about the dinner." Your fingers drum on the box beside you, knowing the dress inside is beautiful but not wanting to face the reality of how uncomfortable the night will be. "If I don't have a date I have to tell my father as soon as possible and I'll get stuck with a million questions and a seat filler."
"Then you need to call Sam." She huffs. "Even if he's fuming at you, I doubt he would miss the State dinner."
"I know, I know, I know you're right." But you don't really want to call him. If it's been almost a week and he's effectively ghosted you? That seems like a pretty clear signal to you.
"Babe....you need closure." The bags under your eyes aren't doing you any good, despite the sleepy time tea that she had been sending to you. "If you are ending things with him, you need to be an adult about it."
"Ugh." You groan, letting your head tip back so the sound drags out dramatically. "Stop making sense and giving good advice, it's interfering with my denial and the reconstruction of my emotional walls."
She laughs, although it's not really funny. She knows where you and it's a shitty place to be. Sighing softly, she picks up your phone and holds it out to you.
"I hate you." Even muttered good naturedly, you still snag your phone from her hand and clutch your coffee mug like a security blanket. Sam's office number is programed into your phone and you squeak with combined fear and frustration as the call connects and begins to ring.
"Congressman Chase's office." Vanessa's voice comes over the line cheerfully and professionally. "How may I be of assistance today?"
Don't be a coward, you remind yourself sternly, as soon as you hear her voice. "Hi Vanessa." Saying your name clearly eliminates any assumption that his staff might recognize your voice, even though you know a few people absolutely do. Some of his staffers like to chat to you while you wait for Sam to come to the phone when you call his office. "Is Sam available?"
Her use of your last name is merely one of respect, choosing to keep things professional with the Congressman's girlfriend. Slightly confused because you are calling for him at the office. "Did he not tell you?" She asks, her voice lower than the usual chipper tone.
"Apparently not." There is no way you're going to fess up that Sam hasn't spoken to you in days, or returned even so much as a text message. Now you're concerned something might be going on.
"The Congressman has been sick all week." She only knows how bad it is because he had spend the first few days trying to work through it. "He has pneumonia." She huffs quietly. "He's been barely reachable but I had though the would have at least let you know."
He's sick. You barely manage to swallow a sigh of relief at that news, and only because you know how inappropriate that would sound to his aide. "I hadn't heard the official diagnosis." It's as smooth a lie as you can muster at the moment, and you cling to your warm mug all the harder. He's sick. That's why he hasn't called. "Thank you, Vanessa."
"Of course." She's confused, but she also knows that the medication the doctor had prescribed him was to help him rest since he had been trying to push himself. "Anytime."
The groan of relief comes only after you disconnect the call, and you deflate into yourself in your chair. "He's sick," you tell Sydney with a groan. The heel of one hand digs into your closed eye like you're trying to banish a headache but it's really just that you feel the pressure releasing from your mind. "He has pneumonia. He's been out since the beginning of the week."
"Okaaaaay." Surprising, but honestly, it's not? Considering it's Sam and he's pretty direct about things. It's one of those traits that Sydney admires about him. "That's a very valid reason for not texting or calling." She admits. "That's a good thing, right?"
"I'm not thrilled that he's sick, but I'm very relieved that he didn't just ghost me. He sleeps like a rock around the clock when he's sick, so he's probably just passed out at home." The one other time you had seen him with a cold was several months ago, and it seemed like he had slept for three days straight before springing back up on his feet like nothing had happened.
"He didn't just ghost you." She grins at you, even though you are still conflicted about Sam, the fact that you are relieved by this means there's something there. "Do you want me to whip him up some chicken noodle soup to drop at his doorstep?"
"Do you want to go upstairs?" When the two of you actually get the chance to cook together it's always fun, and this sounds like the perfect opportunity. You didn't have a dinner plan anyway. Chicken noodle soup for two is easy enough. "I did my grocery shopping this morning so I know I have everything. And..." you pat the dress box beside you. "I should hang this up. I don't think velvet wrinkles but I still don't want to take a chance."
"Absolutely." She sends you a smile, happy that you look relieved and like a weight has been lifted off your chest. "We will have Congressman Chase cured with our famous chicken noodle soup in no time."
Juan had taken the afternoon to go for a ride around the Virginia backroads so it's just you girls right now and that sounds pretty perfect. You gather up your things and nab Agent Bailey, heading upstairs to get to work and try to ease your mind a little. "I do still have a problem," you point out, when the elevator hits the top floor.
"What's that?" Sydney frowns, looking at the screen that shows the floor you are on. She really hates elevators, but this helps her mitigate that fear that the damn thing would plunge into the basement like all those action movies she had watched as a kid.
The doors slide open and you let her out first, stepping up behind her to unlock the door and let the three of you inside. "Now I definitely need to find a new date for the State dinner."
"Oh shit." Sam can't attend the State dinner with pneumonia, it would be too great of a risk. "Well, I can have Juan escort you." She had plans to have dinner with her parents and reveal the name they had chosen, but this was important and she could reschedule.
"Honey, no." She's been excited about the dinner with her parents for a week already and it wouldn't be fair to take Juan away from that. "You guys have family plans and I'm not going to ruin that. I'll just...think of someone else."
"Malachi?" She offers. "He would look good in a tuxedo."
For a split second you get excited about the idea, but you sink again as you readjust the dress box on your hip. "I need him here that night." You tell her, groaning about it. "We have that six-person reservation that needs a translator. Malachi is the only one on staff who speaks Hindi fluently."
"Fuck." The fact is there aren't a lot of men that can just be called up last minute to look good in a suit and be cleared to be in a roomful of the world's top dignitaries. Unless... "I have an idea and you're going to hate it." She promises as you open the door to your apartment. "Give me your phone."
"I trust you with my life but I do not like that tone in your voice." Still, you hand over your phone with confusion on your face and start to unpack the burgundy velvet evening gown that was altered to fit you perfectly. "Please don't call any of my exes."
"I am not calling any of your exes." She promises you, opening the phone with a code and opening your phone book. It's easy to find the number that she is looking for, because you are a stickler for putting numbers in properly and hits call, changing the phone to speaker so you can hear it ring.
The call rings three times before it connects, and even if Sydney hadn't been angling the phone away from you so that you couldn't see the name, you're pulling the dress out of the box when you hear the unmistakable "Hello?" on the other end.
Suddenly you're standing straight up and glaring at your best friend – your former best friend – for this ultimate betrayal. "Marcus." Your voice cracks when you say his name and you just want the floor to open and swallow you up. "Hi. How— how are you?"
"Oh, hi." It's obvious that he's confused as to why you are calling him on a Sunday, but he doesn't hang up the phone. "I'm good, how are you?" He asks politely, actually sounding like he is interested in the answer.
"I..." You sink down on your bed, letting Sydney continue to hold your phone, and hug the dress to your chest. "I'm calling for a couple of reasons," you decide. Now that you've been confronted with this phone call, it all sort of comes tumbling out. "I wanted to apologize, first. For being vague on rescheduling our Indian dinner last weekend, and then taking off like the Wicked Witch was after me when I saw you the other morning. I've...it's been a weird week. And that was rude of me. So I apologize."
“I understand.” Marcus gives a rueful chuckle. “I’ve had a bit of a weird one myself. My phone has been broken three different times in the past week alone.” He snorts. “And half my contacts and messages have been unrecoverable according to the techs at the store.” He sighs. “So if you send me a message or something and I didn’t answer, I promise I wasn’t ignoring you.”
The I told you so look on Syd's face causes you to throw a pillow at her and you shake your head as though he was in the room with you instead of over the phone. "I texted you once about rescheduling dinner,' you admit. "But...I have a slightly different suggestion, if...if you want to hear it? And I would consider it an enormous favor."
It’s on the tip of his tongue to decline, but he is curious to hear what this favor is. “Hit me.” He tells you with a slight chuckle. “But not too hard. I have to work tomorrow.”
"I promise I'm not capable of punching through a cell phone." It's easy to talk to him. So easy. And it lulls you into a momentary false sense of security as you sit back on your bed. "But...I have a plus one to a State dinner for the Spanish royal family on Saturday night and I was wondering if you wanted to come to a party at the White House?" It's such an insane thing to ask a person that you almost feel like it's an out of body experience, but there it is. It's out in the open. There's no taking it back now.
“I-“ Of all the questions he tries to anticipate, that was not it. He frowns slightly, wondering about the congressman, until he remember that Vanessa had said he was sick with pneumonia. It’s likely him being sick has put you into a frenzy to find someone to go. Not the reason he would like to have dinner with you, but he wants to view you as a friend and this will be a friendly, public event. “Sounds like I need to get my tuxedo to the cleaners.”
"Oh my god, you're a lifesaver." The air whooshes out of you all at once and you fall back onto your bed with a gigantic sigh. "I will come and pick you up myself, the food is going to be amazing, and you can rag on me with my pain-in-the-ass siblings all night. I can't say how grateful I am, Marcus. Really. Thank you so much."
“It’s a honor that you even considered me to escort you” Marcus tells you truthfully. “I’ll be exited to go and I promise to keep the ragging to a minimum.”
"You've earned the right, I promise." You blow out another breath and manage to sit up but solidly ignore the smug look on your best friend's face. "I'll text you the details, if that's okay? Is your phone situation all worked out?"
He laughs quietly. “Hopefully so. All I know is that it is never a good idea to set your phone on the roof of the car when the rookie is driving.” Marcus snorts. “If I don’t get a message by tomorrow, I’ll call you. Sound good?”
"Sounds perfect." Quiet for a second, you take your phone out of Sydney's hand and smile, the smallest twitch of the thing in the corners of your mouth. "Thank you, Marcus. I owe you, but I promise we'll have fun."
“Don’t even worry about it.” He promises. “Well, I hope you have a great rest of your weekend, okay?” He asks. “And tell Sam to feel better.”
"I will." Passing that message along might be slightly strained, but it's the thought that counts. Thanking him again, you press the red button on your phone screen to end the call and groan so loudly that Agent Bailey sticks her head into the room just to make sure you didn't hurt yourself. "I can't believe you did that!" You squawk, throwing a second pillow at Sydney. This one hits her square in the shoulder where the first one missed.
��But tell me it wasn’t worth it?” She challenges, throwing the pillow back at you. “You have a date for the State dinner and you learned that he wasn’t ignoring you either.” She folds her arms over her chest and looks at you with a smug smile. “Come on, what other problems do we need to solve? World hunger?”
"Go to Friday night dinner in my place if you want to work on global issues." You snark playfully. The fact is, you know she's right. Annoyingly so, actually, and right now you're still processing.
“Maybe now you will get some sleep.” She huffs, still smug that everything was working out. “You’ve got a dress, a date and I’ll even have one of the wedding stylists that owes me a favor come do your hair and makeup.” She hums. “I made a special dinner for her and her boyfriend for Valentine’s.” She explains.
"What are you, the Romance Fairy?" Dragging yourself off the bed, you carry the dress over to your closet and carefully hang it up where nothing bad could ever touch it. The garment bag that it's in will help make sure of that. "Come on, we have soup to make."
She doesn’t mention that the State dinner isn’t supposed to be romantic. She just grins and follows you. “Yes ma’am, Hummingbird, ma’am.”
"Oh god, don't call me that around him." This, in particular, is an incredibly stern warning. At this point you're just grateful that the Secret Service use your callsign quietly enough that they're not overheard when they say it. "I'll die of embarrassment."
“I won’t.” She promises, aware that you aren’t quite ready to address that particular issue.
“I just don’t even want to think about that.” You don’t want to, but you have been. Rather constantly, which is a growing issue.
“Let’s just get you through the State dinner and your birthday.” Syd suggests. “Then you can let that big brain of yours work overtime on non-issues.”
Throwing Sydney a look of dismay over the last of your coffee, you pout animatedly. “I debated terms of my birthday with my mother at the last dinner.”
“And?” Sydney almost laughs at your look and turns away to start rummaging through your fridge for the ingredients for the soup. “What was negotiated?”
“Cocktail. High end pub, finger foods and a DJ.” You shake your head and huff a sigh. “I said I should just go to a ball game, but that was unacceptable.”
“It’s hard to run security for the president at a stadium.” She reminds you. “And your mom would want to be there.”
“I just…” Looking back at Sydney, you cross your arms and shrug. “I don’t think I have all that much to celebrate this year, I guess.”
“You have a lot to celebrate.” Your friend will always hype you up and she does so now. “You have your health, a successful business with your best friend.” She cheeses playfully at you. “Your mother is the president of the United States and….” She shrugs. “You’ve hit your dirty thirties. We have to celebrate.”
“I can’t exactly have dirty thirties when my mother is the president.” You throw your arms around her again and squeeze her shoulders, grateful for every second you have Sydney by your side. You’ve been each other’s ride or die since first grade and that will never change. “And you’re pregnant, so you already got dirty.”
“I did.” She snorts with a wicked grin. “And I enjoyed every second of it, too.”
“Perv.” You really can’t help but tease her, but it’s purely out of affection. “It’s just because you’ve got your super sexy soulmate. The Triple S is undeniable.”
“He is sexy.” She can’t deny that, grinning wickedly as she rubs her stomach. “And getting sexier. Did I tell you he’s starting to get sympathy cravings? Dad bod mode is close.”
“Your wildest dreams are all about to come true.” The two of you giggle together as you start to pull ingredients out of the fridge, getting started on cooking that batch of soup.
“So, do you feel better now?” Sydney asks, organizing the vegetables and opening the drawer for the carrot peeler. She had helped you set up the kitchen to her specifications so she could easily find what she wanted when she cooked here.
“A little.” It’s relief more than anything, as you start to peel fresh ginger. It’s the secret ingredient to your best ever chicken noodle soup. “And then I feel guilty for it, which is fucked up. Like I think Marcus might actually enjoy himself on Saturday just for the bragging rights and then I immediately feel bad for thinking that.”
“Why do you feel bad?” She cocks her head as she peels the outer layer off the crisp, orange carrots. “I think most people will enjoy themselves just for bragging rights, it’s brag worthy.”
“Promise you won’t judge me and promise you won’t tell anyone. Not even Juan.” Holding your pinky finger out to her is the most solemn promise you can possibly as of your friend, and neither one of you has ever refused it.
“Of course.” Juan knows everything you are comfortable with, but she would never betray your trust like that. She hooks her finger around yours and looks at you for an explanation.
“I…” Glancing around, you see that Agent Bailey has dutifully slipped out of earshot and is sitting on your couch with a crossword book firmly in hand. “I feel guilty because now that it’s set…I can’t help wishing it was a date,” you admit quietly, hanging your head turn.
“It kind of is a date.” Syd admits, looking at you with a sense of regret for teasing you. “A platonic on, but a date nonetheless.” She hums. “Just like you and I have dates. Friend dates.”
“That…regrettably…is not what I mean.” The best you can really do is shrug your shoulders in defeat. “Friend dates are awesome and I will take you on dates for the rest of our lives. But I—I wish this was different than that. And it sucks.”
“You can’t help attraction.” She argues softly, knowing that you will still feel guilty. You are very stern about cheating, and this is veering into emotional territory for you. “He might not- it should just be about the dinner.”
“I know.” Peel ginger. Grate ginger. Try not to think too hard about what Marcus will look like in a tux. “I know. You’re right.”
“I’m sorry.” She murmurs softly. “I shouldn’t have pushed.” She feels guilty, especially now that she knows how you are feeling about this.
“How could you have known? I’ve kept this as firmly to myself as I possibly could.” And keeping things from Sydney is the most impossible task in the world for you. “Besides. He was the right choice.”
“Still doesn’t make me any less sorry.” She huffs, washing the carrots and bringing them over to the chopping board. “I don’t want you to be stressed, I want you to be happy.”
“I’m going to be stressed until I make a decision about what to do.” Once the ginger is done you move on to washing and slicing celery. “And I don’t know how to make that decision.”
Sydney sighs heavily. “I hate that for you.” She admits softly. “If you need to talk, you let me know.”
“What does Juanito think I should do?” You know her well enough to know that she’s talked to her husband — her own soulmate — about this at least a little.
“Juan thinks that you should be happy.” She hums softly. “Whatever that entails. As long as you are fair to everyone.”
"No groundbreaking advice?" If you're honest with yourself, you were kind of hoping for it. Instead, you're definitely floundering.
Sydney stops chopping and points the tip of the knife at you. “You know what he would say, Birdie.”
Ugh. That's true. You do. Juan is unfalteringly trustworthy like that. "That I have to talk to both of them..."
“Even if Marcus isn’t your soulmate, you are attracted to him, and it’s worth seeing if he might be the one you want to be with.” She shrugs, knowing that it’s easy to give advice when she’s found her soulmate and is blissfully happy. “Or it might just say that Sam isn’t the one.”
"Have you noticed a pattern?" Even as you're making the soup, going through effort and putting care into a dish to comfort and heal, a pattern is becoming as obvious as daybreak.
“I have.” She nods and looks back up at you. “Have you noticed that pattern? Or have you just been ignoring it?”
"I think..." A heavy sigh escapes you as you deposit the clean, diced celery in a bowl. "I might have been ignoring it."
“It’s okay to admit that a relationship has run its course.” She reminds you. “Sometimes, things just aren’t meant to be.”
"It's just...no version of this conversation we've had in the last few weeks has ended with the conclusion that I should stay with Sam. And that...that is not how I ever expected things to go. He's such a sweet guy and we've had such a good time." Just as unexpected as this conclusion is the tear that rolls down your cheek, and you brush it away immediately. "It's shitty to break up with someone while they're sick, right?"
“I think you owe him a face to face explanation.” She doesn’t tell you that it’s wrong, if that’s what you want to do. She’ll support whatever you want.
"Shit," you groan, reaching next for an onion. Sydney has trained you to be a dutiful sous chef for so long that now you just do her prep work without thinking. "This is going to suck, isn't it?"
“It doesn’t have to.” She counters. “You said Sam’s reaction was….surprisingly hostile. Maybe he’s had some doubts about the relationship too.”
"If he was hostile about the fact that I was standing my ground, he's either going to be hostile about being broken up with, or just completely silent." Sam doesn't take rejection well, you've seen it in a more professional setting but it will certainly apply here.
“Was he hostile?” She asks seriously. “Or were you both in unknown territory and stubbornly waiting for the other to give in?”
Groaning animatedly, you bump Sydney with your hip at the counter and shake your head. "Sometimes I truly dislike how well you know me. I'm just saying that out loud for the record."
“You know you love me.” She snorted and blows a raspberry at you playfully.
"I do love you." But it garners another groan from you all the same. "This was so much easier when we were kids and our life plan was to live in a castle until we were old enough for a nursing home, and then to be the super weird old ladies on the front porch of the home cursing at people as they walked by."
“We are still on for that.” She jokes, motioning to the apartment. “We are in our castle right now.”
"Technically we can go to an American castle any time we want," you point out. "It comes with the price of visiting my family, but the White House does count as a castle."
“Yes it does.” She agrees, proud to know the first family so well. “But I like our castle better.”
"I love this place." From the first day you set foot inside the inn, you have absolutely adored both working here and even running the place. Living in the caretaker's apartment has been comforting. Like a warm hug on a cold day. "And I love that we get to share it."
“There is no one I would rather do this with.” She tells you honestly, so excited to be able to live out the vague dreams of college now as adults.
"You're gonna make me teary again," you complain, fully teasing her but definitely feeling a little emotional about the whole situation.
“I thought it was my job to be the emotional mess.” Sydney sniffles and moves to wrap her arms around you and squeeze tight.
“Sympathy mood swings.” That makes both of you laugh, there at the counter. “Is that a thing?”
“Why not?” She asks, laughing herself at her husband and best friend having sympathy symptoms of her pregnancy.
“It is now, I guess.” You keep working through the soup prep side by side, getting everything ready in unison. “The thing is…” you hum after you’ve both stopped laughing. “I do care about Sam. And I want him to be happy. I just…don’t think I’m going to be the one to give him the future he wants. Which sucks to realize.”
“It’s better that you realize it now.” She rationalizes. “Less heartache and it’s not like you’re married with kids.”
“And we haven’t started moving in.” That’s an unexpected relief, and the realization that it was moving in together that kicked at your doubt is something you’ll have to grapple with later. “I probably only have a couple of things at his place and the only thing I’ve got of his here is a book I borrowed.”
“And….” She sighs. “Let’s face it, Sam wasn’t happy with you spending all your time at the inn.” She voices. “He rarely wanted to come here, even though he’s the one that can more easily travel.”
“Have you been holding back on me, Badillo?” You raise an eyebrow at her as she works on the chicken. “Hiding the things about Sam that have been bothering you?”
“No.” You don’t seem very surprised. “Just observations that I have made, but I wasn’t sure how you would take them.” She explains. “You were very proud of your relationship with Sam and I didn’t want to influence you unduly.”
"I was." And you can acknowledge that firmly, knowing that the relationship you forged with Sam was based on respect and mutual affection. It does feel like failure to see it ending, but at least you tried. Failure is just a means for new growth, as your mother has always told you.
“I know you look at this as a failure.” She’s known you way too long to think otherwise. “But this was a year long relationship that at the end of the day- you weren’t on the same page.”
“I think it would feel very different if I wasn’t sure it was going to end up talked about in every gossip column from sea to shining sea.” You can’t help but roll your eyes, knowing — and hating — how true it is. Junie isn’t dating and Alex isn’t dating publicly, so all eyes are on you. Especially if you break up with a Congressman.
“Don’t let it bother you.” She urges you. “It’s not like they can say anything bad.”
“Tell that to Princess Diana.” You huff, shaking your head and rolling your shoulders to try to straighten out your head a little. “Okay. New topic. Baby name? I’m dying to know what you guys picked.”
She smiles, rubbing her stomach in that universally happy way all expectant mothers do. “Constance Maria Badillo.” She lights up as she tells you the name they had finally decided on last night.
“Oh, honey.” There’s a measure of delight in your giggle when you light up, finding out those two essential pieces of information all at once. Sydney and Juan had been keeping both under wraps. “It’s a girl? Really?”
“We just found out.” She admits, grinning like a maniac. “Of course, baby Badillo could have just been shy but they are pretty positive she’s a girl.”
"You must be thrilled." Of course Sydney would be happy no matter what the gender as long as the baby is healthy, but you know she's always dreamed about having her little girl.
“Over the moon.” Agreeing happily, she turns back to the chicken. “And Juan and I have talked about it.” It’s a casual beginning. “We want you to be her Godmother, as well as Auntie Birdie.”
"Syd." Your knife gets put down immediately and you turn to her with a look of complete awe on your face. "Are you sure? You don't want to ask your sister? I mean I am honored and one thousand percent here for it."
“No.” She shakes her head and her own tools are set down so she can address this properly. “There is no one that we want more than you.” She explains. “You will always be my choice for godparent.”
"I know I've said it before in our lives, but I am here for anything you need." It's not just for Syd, and you lean down and hum a happy hello to your goddaughter that's growing like crazy. "That goes for you too, kiddo. Hear me? Auntie Birdie's got your back. And your front. And all the other bits of you forever."
“You are going to be her favorite.” Sydney sniffles, her hormones making her cry happy tears. “The one she confides in when she can’t bear to tell me or Juan and I love you for that.”
“I hope so.” Wrapping your best friend up in a hug is exactly what this moment needs, and the sound of two women sniffling takes over your kitchen for just long enough to make both of you break out into giggles. “She’s going to get the best of me and I’m going to tell her about all the stupid bullshit we got into as teenagers.”
“Oh god, you better not.” Sydney groans, rolling her eyes. “Nothing she can throw back in my face when she’s angsty and argumentative.”
“Nothing that will put you in Mom Jail,” you tease with a wink. “Promise.”
“Thank goodness.” She snorts. “This one is already gonna have her daddy wrapped around her finger, so I’m gonna have to be the bad cop.”
“It will go back and forth. One day she’ll do something that makes Juan crazy and you’ll be the arms that she runs to.” It happened in your own house more than once, there’s no reason it won’t happen in hers, too. “It will all turn out. She’s going to have the best parents in the world.”
“I hope so.” She shrugs slightly, aware that they will make mistakes, but hopefully it won’t be too bad to make their daughter hate them.
“You have love,” you remind her with a gentle smile. “Have a little faith, too. If nothing else, we all believe in you. All your friends and your family know you’re going to be great.”
“We will have our little village for Constance.” She agrees. “So when we mess up, we can learn.”
“For Baby Badillo number two,” you tease, beaming at her.
“Juan is already asking how many more I want.” Sydney snort, huffing slightly even if she’s grinning. “Told him that he needed to let me birth this one first before we decided that.”
“One at a time is probably best. For your body and your sanity.” Although, you do raise an eyebrow at her. “Twins don’t run in your family, right?”
“Not that I know of, but Juan thinks some cousins might have twins.” She winces and shakes her head with a laugh. “I’ll kill him.”
"Fingers crossed that you only have to grow one baby at a time." With everything prepped, you move to the sink to wash your knives and fetch your best stock pot from the cabinets. "But I will spoil the hell out of all of them, no matter what."
“I know you will.” She knows what despite your already busy schedule, you will always make time for those that matter most to you. Which is why it’s so telling her that you and Sam have been spending less and less time together over the last few months.
“So…” Flashing Sydney a grin as she starts to cook, you move back to the refrigerator to put things away and to get fresh drinks for both of you. “Two questions, then. First: Have you picked a godfather? And two, if I’m her go mother does that mean I get to throw your baby shower?”
"I'm letting Juan pick out the godfather." She admits, shrugging slightly. "I don't- he's got some ideas, but he hasn't made a final decision yet."
“Most of his friends are fathers already, aren’t they?” The Guy friends that Juan had made in the DC area since moving east after meeting Sydney are all responsible men around his age and most of them have families of their own. It’s a small group, it they’re tight knit.
"Yeah....except that, now, Juan has started thinking that he wants someone that is...." She rolls her eyes, "trained." She huffs and moves over to wash her hands again. "You know how involved he was with beefing up security here, he wants a protector for our little girl in case something happens to us."
“Well…that’s not unreasonable, right?” Spying a can of croissant dough — a cheat you’re very fond of — in your fridge, you grab it and decide to fill them with Nutella and berries for a little dessert pastry. “I mean he’s got friends who are trained. Be able to pick someone.”
"I know." She sighs and turns back to you. "I just hate that he's so practical about it." She admits, biting her lip again. "I don't want to think about us not being here to protect her."
“Then try to think of it like he’s choosing someone who can help her learn to protect herself,” you offer instead. As she grows up and faces new things — whatever those things are — her godfather will have been there to teach her self-confidence and safety in equal measure.”
There's a moment where Sydney thinks about what you said and how it applies to the situation before she huffs out a slightly annoyed, mostly amused laugh. "How do you do that?" She grumbles. "I was ready to be in a tearful pout about that you have to go make it perfectly acceptable." There's no heat to her words and she flashes you a grateful smile. "Thanks."
“We’ve been friends for twenty-five years, Sydney Rose.” The grin you flash back at her in unapologetic. “If I don’t know how to talk you out of a panic by now, I’m more clueless than I thought.”
Pursing her lips at you, she doesn't try to deny it. Instead, she turns to rummage in your spice cabinet. "Do you have that turmeric I left up here last time?"
“It’s behind the huge mason jar of chili seasoning.” You tell her without looking up from your dough-chocolate-and-berry project. “Indian spices are in the back because I fucked up the last time I tried to make curry from scratch and they were taunting me.”
“Poor thing.” Sydney sympathizes and shrugs. “We just need to realize they put something extra in their recipes they won’t tell us.” She hums, talking about your favorite curry from your favorite restaurant that you had cancelled on Marcus going to.
"Some kind of magic that I can't wrap my brain around." There were strawberries in your fridge that you're now set on cleaning and trimming. A crescent roll filled with a dollop of Nutella and a whole strawberry is a thing of beauty. "I should just eat their take out every week for the rest of my life instead of trying to make it."
She smirks at you but doesn’t remind you that you would have had some the other day. It would be too cruel. “How about we order some Sunday?” She suggests. “Decompress from the State dinner?”
“That sounds amazing.” The gratitude you have and have always had for her friendship truly is never ending. “You can tell me all about dinner with your folks and we can get chaotic with each other over curry and Scrabble?”
“Sounds like we are party-ing.”She teases, although she loves it. Low key nights are her favorite.
“And all the sparkling apple cider we can stand.” If she’s going to tease you, you’re going to tease her right back. “By the way, I asked Mom to make sure my birthday has a mocktail so you don’t miss out on the fun.”
“You’re the best, you know that?” She beams at being included and tilts her head. “So how was the family dinner, besides the avoidance of Sam talk?”
“Alex is bringing David to the State dinner. Under wraps, of course.” Syd has known your family so long that she knows every inch of your siblings’ lives as well, just like you know hers. “Junie is learning to negotiate to be able to go to parties, so I know I’ve done my job as her big sister right.
“Your brother should be able to take any fucking body he wants to the State dinner.” She rolls her eyes and huffs, offended on behalf of your younger brother. “If foreign dignitaries don’t like it, fuck ‘em.”
"He can. It's not like the Spanish royals have a 'no gays' policy or something, and gay marriage obviously isn't the issue. It's that he doesn't want to become the center of an unnecessary debate. He is who he is, and I'm so proud of him for making his choices." Glancing over at her, you shrug slightly. "That being said? I get not wanting to be thrown into the spotlight for who you love."
“Of course you do.” It’s kind of a double-edged sword in her opinion, the political spotlight. You could be a darling of the media one day and the scapegoat the next, just depending on how the mercurial whim of the people shifted.
"It's one thing that Sam didn't seem to mind, and I was grateful for that." In no way are you going to start bad mouthing the man just because you've reached the finish line of your relationship. That's not the kind of person you are.
“I know, but I also know that dating a presidential candidate’s daughter during an election isn’t exactly bad press for a politician.” She holds up a hand. “I’m not saying that’s why he dated you, I’m not speaking ill, I’m just stating facts.”
"If he actually wants to be President, he needs to get used to having the Secret Service being around real fast." You snort, shaking your head and knowing that it really has been one thing bothering him pretty constantly. "He hates feeling like his privacy is being invaded."
“It might be because he’s not in control of the detail.” She guesses. “You have the final say on the detail and where they are.”
"Either way, I don't think he'll miss having an agent in his living room." There are plenty of strawberries, so you offer one to Syd and pop a small one in your mouth to savor. "Maybe I just won’t date during my mom’s administration. Maybe that’s the solution.”
“You like having a partner though.” She argues. “And you shouldn’t give up dating because of who your mother is.”
"It might just be less complicated." It's not what you want but it would certainly save you some heartache. "What's the worst that happens? I'm single for the next eight years?"
“Already counting on that re-election?” She teases, bumping your hip playfully.
You huff, swallowing a half-laugh, and bump her back. "More like pondering my worst case scenario."
“Whatever happens, we will be with you.” She promises with a grin.
______
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