cressida and johanna are married and living in district 4 next door to annie and finnick. katniss and peeta visit occasionally, along with a reluctant (but secretly contented) haymitch. everyone is happy. everyone is healing. this is canon. thank u for ur time.

OUR LAST SUMMER (A.MIYA) —❥ pairing: miya atsumu x fem!reader

synopsis: one summer was all the time you had together—all the time you had to bask in the sun-kissed rays and sand-filled beaches, share soft butterfly kisses and feel the comfort of being wrapped in his arms—until his boat sailed off into the sea, forever. 

word count: 3.0k

genre: mamma mia inspired, summer fling, somewhat stuck together, angst, fluff, casual/formal writing, second person

warnings: commitment issues, mentions of suggestive content, minor cursing, heartbreak?

notes: this was an impulse blurb because i haven’t posted any actual fics in nearly a month so here you go lol asdfjl IT’S A LITTLE ROUGH BUT I HOPE IT’S LEGIBLE LMAO AND ITS SHORT AS HELL SORRY JALSD MY BRAIN D!ED

—❥ DIRECTORY

You remembered the first time you’d seen him.

He was a stranger, a man that you’d never once met before—standing smack-dab in the middle of your dock, the place you’d always come to clear your thoughts after hours upon hours of work, though you didn’t technically own it. It was just tradition, an accustom that you’d grown so used to that it seemed like everyone’s daily—well, everyone but his.

There were few people you didn’t know on the island, having been a member of the local family business of hotels and inns. Your little paradise, the chains of suites and saunas that you liked to think were a hidden wonder of the world—hidden to only you and the reoccurring tourists that would stay on your infamous Greek Elysium. 

The usual familiarity was scarce at the sight of his bright blonde hair and sun-kissed skin, light freckles peppered across the swells of his cheeks—no doubt caused by countless hours at sea as he stood beside a large sailboat. He appeared to be a free spirit, much different to all of the others that would find stay on the shores. 

It was a common getaway, an escape from the reality of life and the troubles that came with emotional attachments and labor. Every personality was alike, each one masking the pain of all that tied them down—wishing that they’d ever have to board that boat back to the mainland, and just stay in a world without worries and never-ending surf. 

But the way he was standing with his body language in reaction to the sea, made you think that perhaps he wasn’t like all of the other’s who came and went. That perhaps he was a free spirit entirely on his own, one that didn’t force the necessities of comfort and relaxation on his mind—it just came naturally.

“You lost?” Your voice called out, the sound ringing with the wind chimes against his sails—diverting his attention from the white peaked waves to your melodious sound. He gave you his full attention, immediately focusing on your approaching frame—a look of relief arising on his face. 

He reached behind his neck, scratching the roots of his hair whilst a sheepish smile gleamed in the light. “Thank god, you found me!” He chuckled, the browns in his eyes sparkled with golds and copper, complimenting his overall look perfectly—in all honesty, you didn’t think you’d ever seen such a handsome man. “I docked around a half-an-hour ago, just didn’t know where I was supposed to head next.”

“Would a beautiful girl like yourself happen to have the time to help a poor sailor out?”

Shaking your head, you grinned, scoffing slightly at the obvious flirtation, before walking towards him. Your feet moved in small steps, thoughts dancing around the idea of a summer fling—after all, it wouldn’t be the first time something like this had happened. You, an eccentric woman, one with the island, always seeming to attract men of all natures with not a care in the world.

Maybe he would be your new conquest, your newest mark in the endless journey of love that you never wanted to conclude. Another man who’s mood would turn from complete adoration to disgust when you’d reject his love and send him off to sea—never to be met again. Simply a memory you’d look back on when your past ran wild and smile in nostalgia. 

You plopped down on the end of the dock, head thrown back as your feet touched the water—a refreshing feeling taking over your entire body. The man watched in amusement at your obvious compatibility with the ocean currents and approached you as you patted the place beside you—an open seat reserved for him.

“So, sailor.” You mocked, swinging your jaw to face him with a sing-song tone. “Tell, me. What brings you to my island?”

He raised his eyebrows, creases appearing near his forehead with youthful wrinkles at their wits—not hiding how enamored he was at your playful tone. “Your island?” There was a matched mood in the both of your speech, potential feelings rising in the pits of your stomachs. “I’m sorry, gorgeous. Last I checked, you didn’t own all of Greece.” 

You scoffed, kicking your feet up to splash his ankles—cold sprays of salt water hitting the skin of your shins up to your thighs. “Well, last I checked lonely sailors didn’t talk back to pretty women—or are you just an enigma Mr...”

“Miya.” He replied, concluding the sentence that you hadn’t been able to finish with ease—identity revealed to the girl he’d already festered a crush on, despite it only having been a mere twenty minutes since you’d first begun to speak. “Miya Atsumu.”

‘Y/N L/N.” You held out a hand with a shit-eating grin as he gripped it firmly, shaking your palm enthusiastically whilst your eyes held his—a silent stare down in the midst, the morning sunrise changing to one of noon, reminding you of the ticking time. “And how long did you say you’ll be staying here?”

“Well, I’m here for my brother’s wedding.” Atsumu shrugged, nudging your shoulder with his and gazing out to the countless other sailboats in the bay. “Technically, I’m only meant to be here for a few weeks...”

“...but I’m sure I’ll find something here to keep me longer.”

And that he did. 

He’d managed to find a countless number of reasons to keep himself busy. Infinite excuses not to set his sail at sea—excuses that had nothing to do with the start of Osamu’s wedding festivities, or with the waning fear of his workplace calling him back to play, or even the worry of his heavy pockets running dry of cash.

Perhaps it had something to do with how his heart pounded whenever you were around. The artery nearly jumping out of his chest in the times you’d grab his hand and pull him along the stone-studded paths throughout the tropical trees,  giving him tours of your favorite spots—laying picnic blankets under the shade and sharing piña coladas with pink straws. 

Or the constant days at the beach. How you’d share an umbrella only for it to fly away in the wind—leaving the two of you out in the open rays of the sun, vulnerable to burns that Atsumu always managed to obtain. You later having to help him wash off in a cool shower—concern furrowing at your brows with every wince and whine he’d muster. 

Treating him as your own personal island dweller, you’d become attached at the hip. Neither one of you wanting to be without the other for longer than a day—knowing that your time was limited, but ignoring it all the same. The summer was one of new opportunities and experiences, things that you had already set your mind to—only now having his name next to those goals.

Your first impressions had been correct, he was undoubtedly different from all of the other flings you’d had in the past—and you’d come to realize this on the day he’d asked you to be his date to his brother’s wedding. The brother that had no idea you existed, whom you hadn’t ever planned on meeting was inevitably getting an unexpected guest.

That unexpected guest being you, of course, arriving with Atsumu on your arm and wearing a beautiful shade of baby blue. Osamu and his bride had welcomed you with open arms, no suspicions at all when they’d noticed the genuine look of happiness in the blonde’s eyes—a look that they hadn’t seen come out of him in a very very long time.

“Was it everything you dreamed it would be?” He whispered, lips pressed against your hair—arms holding you close as the gentle orchestrals echoed in the night night breeze. The shadows of candle lit jars and paper lanterns covering your face in defined shades of grey—making you look all the more gorgeous.

You sighed into his chest, taking in his sweet scent, that of fresh oranges and salt—the smell of the ocean never truly washing away from his aura. “I loved it, actually.” An earnest tone spoke out from your mouth, sincere admissions flowing like waves, reaching his ears and giving him little dreams of the future—your future.

“It was one of the most beautiful ceremonies we’ve hosted, and I truly mean that.” Your voice was soft, quiet as to not disturb the calm mood in the moonlight—the stars shining down on every pair on the dance floor, even the young children blowing kisses in each other’s direction, not knowing the true feelings of love, yet wishing for them in their hearts. 

Atsumu took a step back, holding your hand in his and spinning you beneath the stringed bulbs—smiling warmly as you let out an uncontrollable giggle—complaining how he was making you dizzy with glee. He didn’t think he’d ever felt so utterly full of admiration for a single person in the entirety of his life.

With a smirk at the corners of his cheeks he pulled you in, twirling you back around and into the safety of his tanned arms—the physical contact was nothing new to you, yet there was something in the way his palms held yours that made you feel like there were ulterior motives to his antics. 

“Steady there, sailor.” You whispered, slightly out of breath—not only from the tireless dancing you’d endured all evening, but from the minimized distance between your bodies. His lips were a mere centimeters away from yours, so close and also so far. “Wouldn’t want you doing something you might regret.”

He shook his head, leaning in to commit to the thing he wanted most in the world—his fingers reaching up to guide your chin to his, the calloused skin of his thumbs tickling your sensitive nerves and setting free all of the festering butterflies in your chest. 

“Trust me, gorgeous, when I say that I don’t have regrets.”

His words were quickly muffled as you pressed your lips against his, smothering any quips that could possibly arise and drowning them in an ocean of pure desire and infatuation. It felt like you were on ecstasy, the uncontrollable yearning for his intimacy finally being yours to have and to hold—all coming together in one innocent kiss in the middle of an almost empty wedding reception. 

Your palms held his jawline, pulling him as close as possible whilst doing your best to convey your display of passion as small and intimate—not wanting to steal the celebrations of the day from the bride and groom—who’d in all honesty, disappeared themselves hours before, no one having seen them since then.

A quiet gasp rose from your throat as he bit your bottom lip, wanting more even though he knew that it wasn’t the time you could grant his wish—anticipation for the night to come, when you’d leave the party hand-in-hand, rushing from the back of his brain to the frontal lobe as he pulled away.

“’Tsumu.” You breathed out, eyes locked on his with giddiness underlying the tiredness in your voice. His expression matched yours, one of completion and success—patting himself on the back in imagination with the knowledge that he’d won your attention. “What was that?”

He stepped aside, still holding your hand in his, leading you off of the stone platform and into the gallery of cloth-lined tables with scattered guests—drunk in happiness and alcohol, blind to any real-world worries. The moment felt like a fever dream, an event that only occurred in film and television—nothing that you’d ever expected to experience yourself.

But with Atsumu, anything seemed to be possible. The slim probabilities becoming a zero percent error whenever he set his mind to a goal, bringing you along with him every step of the way. His calls out to you raspy from ahead, scratchy from the amount of hollering and applause he’d performed for his twin during speeches and vows.

“That,” he began, glancing back at you as you ran together towards his little villa, “that was only the beginning of the rest of our endless summer.”

And he was right, it certainly was the beginning of something. Something special and real—something that you’d never once felt in your life, right in your arms, right in front of you. He was your perfect match, you were tired of denying it—but there was one thing that the two of you had forgotten in the blissful montage of stolen kisses and sleepless nights.

Every beginning has an end. 

All stories have a final chapter, one that no reader wanted to page through—but couldn’t resist knowing the final outcome of their two favorite characters, what could possibly happen to their relationship, their future, their unspoken and unequivocal love for one another that had manifested on the ink blotched pages. 

Some had happy endings, epilogues in which the main love interests proceeded to get married, have a few kids that’d run around their fenced backyard with the sprinkler system running on overdrive. That was the dream, the dream that seemed so idealistic to most, the ideal life to live—to grow old holding hands against the oak wood of your rocking chairs as the sun set over the horizon. 

But that wasn’t your ideal life, and neither was it Atsumu’s. 

So, your story wasn’t one of those lucky fairy tales that had a happily ever after. It wasn’t a bedtime story that you’d read to your grandchildren or younger relatives, nor was it a time you’d try to forget as it ended right where it had initially begun—on the public docks of your inn house, in front of his weary sailboat.

The only differences being the setting sun rather than the rising dawn and the twinkling stars appearing in the dark sky in contrast to their disappearance in relation to the morning clouds. Perhaps it was the universe telling you that it was all coming to an end, shooting off into the darkness with the explosions of nebulas and constellations. 

“So, this is it.” Atsumu spoke aloud, possibly to you or the emptiness of the sea. The usual warmth in his tone sounding robotic and unkept, unfamiliar to your heart, unfamiliar from the man you’d come to hold such strong feelings for in a mere three months. “This is our last night, our last minutes.”

He turned to face you, hands holding the limp ropes whilst pulling them tight and wrapping them in their holsters, billowing the sails in the strong night breezes—there was said to be a storm brewing, and it was ever so timely to have happened the same night a hurricane was forming in your blackened and broken heart. 

You’d never seen such a sorrowful expression on his face, used to the typical dumbstruck happiness and easygoing nature that was void and lost, that absence setting in the reality of your relationship’s oblivion. He let go of his secured ties, elbows leaning against the railing and towards you as you stood at the edge of the doc. 

“It doesn’t have to end here, you know.” He suggested, his voice shaky and unsure—not knowing what your response would be—not knowing that you loved him, too. “You could come with me, see a world that isn’t an isolated island—we could travel together, see all the other wonders—we could be happy, forever.”

Your breath hitched, chest airtight, all of the oxygen in your lungs at max capacity—catching in your lungs with no chance of getting out. His words had somehow managed to itch the hidden and sensitive regions of your heart—the ones that had always been guarded from others, the places that he’d been able to weasel his way into. 

At the look on your face, he already knew your answer. An unspoken rejection standing stale in the humid air between you, the still distance growing further and further despite your motionless stances. Two broken hearts longing for one another with no resolution to be met. 

He bit his lip, holding back tears in the nightly shadows and nodding his head—believing that he’d been right all along. That his presumptions about you had actually been correct, that he hadn’t been different, that he hadn’t been your person amidst the countless other personalities you’d fallen for over the summers—that he’d simply been another paradisiac fling that you’d thrown away. 

But he’d never been so wrong. 

You did love him, you loved him with your entire soul—your entire existence. There was no dream you wanted more than to be with him forever, to spend every single moment in his company of laughter and contagious smiles. To pepper him in kisses and take morning dips in the ocean as the sun rose over the horizon. 

He was your soulmate, the other half that you never thought you would find—an egocentric and boastful man unlike any other you’d met before. Atsumu was your salvation, but with the fear of commitment and settled life at the back of your brain, you had no choice but to watch as his love faded into remorse. As his undying love was pulled beneath your currents of self-doubt. 

“Thank you.” He spoke, words dull yet also meaningful—full of every last confessional emotion he had to make, full of all the lost ‘I love you’s’ and goodnight wishes in the past seventy-two days of being in each other’s arms. “Thank you for letting me love you.”

And with those words, your heart sailed into the vast horizon—through the swift currents and past the submerged rocks, peaking in the rising and falling black waves. The bright white sail of his stern shading into grey as he became nothing but a speck in the night—lost to the endless sea and unknown future, a future without you. 

A future that you’d never know anything of, communication gone, forgotten between you and stripped away by the receding tides. The tides that had come just as fast as they’d gone—a physical representation of the whirlwind love story that you’d lived during the most memorable summer of your life. As you’d never be able to forget him. 

You’d never be able to forget the first man you’d ever loved. 

taglist of bestie boos <3:

@bokoutoebutmain​ @boba-duckie​ @ryuomen​ @sexy-bee-juice​ @nekomabvc​ @cambodianprincess6

aitarose.tumblr 2021. do not copy, claim, or mimick my writing, works, themes, copy and paste my words, or headers and tags as your own. do not use my blog as a template for your own, or base your theme on mine.

Standing Vigil || Ricky, Rio and Winston

Location: the beach beneath the cliff’s which the Roommate Squad lives on. 

Timing: the morning of the 18th of June

Tagging: @3starsquinn, @ricky-corderbro & @danetobelieve

Description: Nell and Luce liberated some selkie skins which they gave to Kaden who in turn gave to Ricky. The boys (and Winston) give their fallen friends a proper farewell.

Warnings: no official warnings; this is as close to a funeral as we’ll probably write though so bear that in mind. 

Everything about this was wrong, and that ate at a small sheltered core of Ricky’s heart that sounded and smelled like the waves off Rinn Mhaoile. It should have been elders. It should have been all selkies. There should have been names, clan members standing in the shallows to recount stories, give benedictions, request boons from the waves for safe passage. But instead it was a single selkie, a magician, and a repentant hunter, and Ricky only hoped it would be enough to grant the souls passage to the Deep Tides. He’d woken up early enough to give himself some time to get read; traditionally burials happened at sunrise as the tide ebbed back into the ocean deep, and he’d given himself time to shower and have a cup of coffee and take some time to think. He tied his hair back with a ribbon that his mom had used, slid the silver ring on his finger that bore her mark, and gathered up the skins from where they had been sitting on a chair in his bedroom, making his way downstairs clad only in a swimsuit to start to head towards the beach, his own skin draped over his shoulders. Even though they were both human, or at least more human than he was, Ricky deeply and fervently appreciated that both Winston and Rio had agreed to help with the burial, “It’s uh…. It really means a lot to me that you guys agreed to do this.” He managed to keep his voice from sounding too choked as he hugged the skins close, “Tide should start going out soon so we should uh head down to the beach.”

Winston hadn’t slept. They knew that they were going to have to be up early and they’d tried to get an early night’s sleep but they were still trying to work out if and how they would be able to get rid of the eye in their hand, their research had dragged on into the night and before they knew it the alarm they’d set to wake them up had been blaring and they decided that it was time to get ready. They could sleep later, it wasn’t like they had work for a while. Heading down and outside of the house with their friends, Winston shivered in the cold morning air. But they were dressed equally appropriately, though they wore a hoodie to keep them warm and still felt the early morning chill in the air. “Of course Ricky,” Winston replied, looking up at Rio. He looked- Winston forced themselves to look away, this wasn’t the time to be obsessing over Rio. They had work to do. “We’re always going to be here to do these things, especially after what we have learned about this … person,” Winston could hardly comprehend a being so evil that it would do this, “they deserve to be given a proper funeral.” Winston set off, their sandals crunching through the gravel and loose sand as they wound their way down the cliff path to the beach. 

Orion was out of place. He didn’t deserve to be here. It was because of people exactly like Rio that Ricky has to do this funeral in the first place. Rio didn’t know the whole situation. Hunters had to be involved with this, right? Weren’t they always? And Rio was just like them. But as sure as Rio was that they didn’t deserve to take part in such a bittersweet ceremony, how could he say no? This wasn’t about what Rio thought he should or shouldn’t be a part of. Ricky wanted him there. So Rio needed to be there. Even if he didn’t deserve to be. And even if Winston was there, the sombering mood of the morning making it even more obvious that the two had too much going on between them. But Rio was dedicated to not making this awkward. Even if he was about to be knee deep in water wearing a long sleeve shirt and track pants. He figured he could at least roll the track pants up a bit to avoid getting too soaked. “Just let us know what you need from us.” Rio agreed with Winston, offering whatever they could to help Ricky out.

Ricky made most of the trek down to the darkened beach in silence, fingers carding over the smooth skins he held in his hands. As he crunched down the path he struggled internally with his own worthiness to complete this ritual. He was thousands of miles from his clan, he was too young, he just wasn’t the selkie his mother had been. How could he send these poor men and women off to the deep when he hadn’t even been able to do that to his own mother. “Not much.” He muttered quietly as the path gave way to the silent beach, the crash of the ebbing tide the only sound, “I can say everything that needs to be said. There just needs to be three people. To stand for them in death, and to watch over their ashes as they join the sea.” He hadn’t bothered with shoes as he’d left the house, so the transition from beach to wave he could make without stalling. Barely feeling the frigid cold of the waves he strode out until he was almost waist deep in the water, turning back to his friends “You guys don’t have to come out this far. Knee deep is fine. Just within earshot and spell-shot. We uh…. We can start whenever.” 

Winston had been feeling slightly better about everything with Rio after the night they’d spent with Skylar watching Cell’s at Work. It had been a good way to diffuse the tension, though it remained ever present. “We can of course do that, it’s an honour even if we’re not the ideal candidates,” Winston couldn’t help but feel out of place. But the fact that Ricky trusted them to do this meant more then anything else right now. Slipping out of their sandals and tossing their hoodie and t-shirt down with it, they left them in the sand and made their way forwards. The waves foamed up against their toes, greeting them and guiding them towards the sea. Wading in so they were only a few feet away from Ricky. Shivering slightly in the early morning air, Winston kept as silent as they could. “Just give me one second, I want to do this properly.” Winston took a moment to center themself, taking a long breath and exhaling before repeating the motion once more and exhaling a thin tendril of fire that they caught between the index finger and thumb of both hands, holding it there as a tight ball, Winston looked at Ricky, “tell me when you’re ready and I’ll light them.” 

Orion was more of a placeholder than anything else. Unlike Winston, Rio had no real purpose to be here. It was better that way. Too much involvement wouldn’t feel right considering the situation. His eyes were glazed over and he felt empty inside. If Rio felt this away about the senseless death of these people, people he didn’t know and had no kind of connection to, he could only imagine how awful Ricky must feel right now. He watched Ricky curiously, trying to decipher what was going on in his head right now. He was so ridiculously strong. He never let fear or sadness show up on his face. Because he always thought he needed to be strong for everybody else. It was noble, but stupid. Rio wished that Ricky would break down with him once in a while. It might help Ricky process whatever he was going through. Rio shot a glance over towards Winston, carefully studying their face as the fire they was holding illuminated it. Rio didn’t need the light to see them, his hunter sight took care of that. But he did like the way their face looked through the ambience. Though the weather didn’t bother Rio much considering his attire, the water was freezing cold against his feet. The cold continued as Rio followed in deeper, nipping at his ankles and following up to his shin, where the prickling sensation finally ceased when the water found his track pants and favored that over his knees. Here they were. At this point, Rio didn’t have much to offer to the group aside from his support. He smiled at Winston, nodding in acknowledgement of the moment before turning his focus back on Ricky. Time to get started, it seemed.

Nodding as Winston conjured an impressive ball of fire in his hands, Ricky turned his gaze back out to see, towards the pale peach fingers of a rising dawn, holding the skins out towards the sun as it peaked over the horizon, their cool weight draped over his arms. “You deserved better than this.” His voice cracked sharply and he took a brief moment to collect himself as he felt a few tears roll down his cheek, “You died far from clan and shore, from those who knew and loved you, and were deprived your chance at rest. We stand your vigil now to try to fix that.” He cast his gaze over his shoulder to look at Rio, standing cold in the water behind him, “Behind me Orion Quinn stands vigil for your past. As the light from his namesake is already long-past history by the time it reaches us, he stands in the ebbing tide to honor the life you lived.” He gave a weak smile and turned back to face the sun. “I am Ricardo Cordero, son of Clan Muirgen, and I stand vigil for your present. For the span of life you were supposed to live and was robbed from you. For the light you were meant to bring into the world, and the strength we were robbed of by your absence.” Turning to look at his best friend he wiped tears from his face with his shoulder, “And Winston Dane stands vigil for your future. The cleansing fire, not born of earth or sky, that will return you to the Deep Tides and the clans that swim in the calm and dark. We do not know your names, and cannot tell your clans that you have been rescued from bondage. But a recollection of you will be carved in the Tidestone of Clan Muirgen. Six unknown souls laid to rest. May the Deep Tides call you home, may your ancestors welcome you into those hidden shoals, and may you rest in peace knowing your vigil has been kept.” He barely managed to make it to the end of the sentence before his voice broke entirely, and he held the skins out in front of him, gripping the tops as he nodded mutely to Winston.

 It was a sobering moment. Winston was so new to all of this. The idea of all of this, of everything that was going on, it was hideous. Winston hated it. The apparently hidden and silent war that raged beneath the surface of the supernatural world. Hunters butchering werewolves, vampires killing slayers, wardens hunting fae, it was all so violent and Winston hated the amount of it that they had already seen. Standing vigil now was a bittersweet privilege. They were lucky that they were never really involved unless they stepped up. A cold bead of sweat trickled down their back as the waves of the ocean lapped against their body. Taking a deep breath, Winston slowly willed thin ribbons of fire to expand off of the surface of the ball, they hovered for a moment before weaving together and darting forward. The tendrils of flame colliding with the skin. For a moment they blazed across the surface before slowly, yet surely the skins took the flame and began to pass it along their surface. It devoured them with such veracity and hunger that Winston let the magic go and slumped in the water for a moment. The cold quickly brought them back to awareness and they watched as the skins truly caught alight. The fire growing now, greedily swallowing the pelts up. 

Orion wasn’t sure when he started crying. It had been teetering there for a while. He was familiar with the sensation, the heavy feeling weighing down his eyes as they decided whether or not the tears would fall. At some point, they had given up the fight. Probably when Ricky’s voice broke, which may have been the most heartbreaking thing he had ever heard. Rio forced his palm over his mouth, afraid that the sniffling would interrupt Ricky’s flow or ruin the ceremony. Tears rushed down his cheeks now and he was full on blubbering, the sounds of his gasping breath mumbled slightly by the hand he held tightly against his face. When Ricky spoke his name as part of the ceremony, Rio used his free hand to give a slight wave out into the ocean. Did Selkie’s believe in spirits? If they were real, were they watching over the three of them now? Once it was done, Winston set the pelts on fire. The sight was beautiful, but sad all at once. But Rio understood why they did it. What a way to go out.

The sound of the crackling flame at once stood in opposition to and in harmony with the waves crashing around his waist, and Ricky held onto the pelts until the very last possible moment, until the flames had started to lick blisters and angry red wounds onto his hands. As he released them to the dawn sky, the flames were so voracious that not a single hair fell to the waves before it was ash and he heaved a deep and rumbling sigh as he watched the twisting motes of black make their way out to sea. Turning his back onto the sunrise he trudged his way slowly through the waves back to where his two friends had been standing in more shallow water, pulling them both into a tight hug. “Thanks.” He managed to get out as he squeezed them both, “I couldn’t have made it through that without you two.” Wiping at the tears drying on his cheeks with the back of his hands he released them both and steadied himself, trying to put the face of jovial control he usually wore. “Come on. We’ll dry off and I’ll buy you both breakfast. Raise a mug of coffee in a toast. We’ve done all we can for them now.” 

Drabble prompts, part 1

oldseablues replied to your post “PLEASE SEND ME DRABBLE PROMPTS. ”

Aside from horrible advice. Idk a walk in the park? The beach? Cooking together. Reading books to each other? Cleaning- anything a married couple would do lol. Can you get that all in with only 100 words? Hmmm

Awesome, thanks for the prompts. =D lol none of them were 100 words, but they’re all under 400, so that’s something.  6 prompts (1500 words total, Dekumight and related stuff), behind the cut: 

-----a walk in the park (151 words) Years ago, Izuku would have considered 5:30 in the morning just too damn early to be up, let alone taking a walk in the park. But he didn’t adhere to quite the same nightowl schedule from his teen years anymore, and Toshinori definitely tended more towards being a morning person as he got older, so Izuku had adjusted his schedule. He found he liked working mornings. The to-work rush was different from the from-work rush, but no less full of people who needed saving, and honestly he didn’t miss evenings. The best thing about waking up so early was getting to watch the sunrise as it peeked through the silhouettes of the trees in the distance. He held Toshinori’s thin hand and they ambled down the path towards the spot of pink growing in the horizon. These days, yeah, sunsets held no appeal to him, but sunrises? They were everything. -----the beach (213 words) Training was important, and nobody had to convince Izuku of that. Most of the time, he was able to really focus on his goal, no problem. But some days? The sparkling ocean just called to him. He felt like he’d been doing pretty good lately, so he felt justified in taking half an hour out of his routine to swim. (Besides, swimming was good exercise, right?) He hadn’t thought All Might was going to show up that day; he had other things to do, couldn’t be there to supervise his training all the time. But as Izuku’s head crested the water, coming back up from his search for fancy shells, he noticed the man standing on the pier next to his little collection, looking out at him with a mild (probably feigned) amused disappointment. “So you’ve decided to add swimming to the regimen?” he asked, as Izuku approached. “It’s hot,” Izuku said in his defense, grinning sheepishly. “That it is,” All Might agreed, and Izuku could see that he was indeed sweating through his tight t-shirt. He was still learning All Might’s temperament and sense of humor, but he had the feeling the man would refuse if he suggested joining him in the nice cool ocean. So he didn’t give him a choice. -----cooking together (253 words) “How did you get to be fifty-two years old and not know how to cook?” Izuku asked, staring up at Toshinori in disbelief. “No wonder you were so thin when I met you.” “I… can cook,” Toshinori tried to protest, but Izuku just scoffed and shook his head, smiling knowingly. “Really? What’s a recipe you’re good at?” In truth, there was only one recipe Toshinori had ever bothered to learn. “Lobster risotto.” Izuku laughed, an inelegant snort of a noise. “You don’t know how to make a grilled cheese, but you can cook Lobster risotto? How?” Embarrassed, Toshinori admitted, “To be honest, I was trying to impress a girl, and it was a long time ago.” Izuku’s eyes widened. “A girl? Wha--?” He laughed. “What girl were you trying to impress with Lobster risotto?” It was said that a healthy relationship let you keep a few good secrets, but he hoped letting your boyfriend make fun of you for an embarrassing past crush would work too. “You remember me telling you about my predecessor?” he asked. A sort of glow came over Izuku’s face; he looked absolutely gleeful. “You were in love with Shimura-san? That’s amazing. Suddenly I feel so much better about all those years I crushed on you in high school.” Grinning, he hugged Toshinori, burying his face in his collar, and Toshinori sighed happily into him. It took a trip to the store, but they decided to have Lobster risotto that night, and Izuku grinned through every bite of it. -----reading books to each other (290 words) As he’d gotten older, one thing Toshinori had really taken to was reading. Newspapers and magazines, of course, because he wanted to keep up with what was going on, even if it was a little painful and frustrating not to be able to do much about it anymore. (Though if something caught his attention, he could always point Izuku in that direction.) But he also read a lot of the classic novels he’d missed while he was so busy being a hero, and whatever manga was popular those days, because he liked to know what the kids were into. So it was kind of hard on him and Izuku both, when his eyesight began to fail. He’d never really gotten into music and movies, things he could do without having to focus on tiny little letters that all looked the same when they blurred together. In recent years, technology had advanced enough that there were definitely devices capable of reading to him, even if he was trying to read a print copy, but honestly, he didn’t prefer them. What he prefered was having Izuku read to him. “It’s not that I mind,” Izuku said, between paragraphs of a lengthy news article, as they sat together on the couch after dinner. “But wouldn’t it be easier to use the text-to-speech device? Then you wouldn’t have to wait for me to get home.” “I use it sometimes,” Toshinori said with a shrug. “But I like to hear your voice.” Izuku blushed, and even in the dim light and with his bad eyes, Toshinori could obviously see it. Somehow, after all this time, they still kept having that effect on each other. Izuku didn’t know what to say, so he just continued reading. -----cleaning (324 words) Inko, being a Good Mother™, had gotten them a vacuum as a housewarming present. (She got them other things too, but this was the big one.) It was really thoughtful, since the new place had these really lush carpets, compared to how the old one had had mostly hardwoods which hadn’t necessitated owning a vacuum. The problem: they were both shit at cleaning. Oh, their house (like the apartment before it) was pretty well-kept; dishes and laundry washed on a regular basis, clutter collections mostly contained to their shelves, bloodstains always handled promptly. But when it came to cleaning (dusting, mopping, and god forbid doing anything with the bathroom), their former bachelor status shined through. It simply didn’t occur to them to vacuum things, and when it did-- they tended to ignore it until the thought went away. After all, they were both busy. Doing… other things. Teaching kids, saving innocent lives. Important stuff. Inko, being an Important Person™, was one of the few people with a key to their house, and one day after they’d been living there for about four months, she invited herself over when she knew they’d both still be at work, with the intention of cooking them a nice meal to come home to, because she was, as previously stated, a Good Mother™, possibly The Best™. But when she got inside and turned on the lights and opened the windows to air the place out, she found, much to her dismay, that the beautiful vacuum cleaner she’d gifted the idiot boys was sitting in a corner, a cape and a hat draped over it. She did not send them passive-aggressive texts, because she was a Good Mother™, but when they came home two hours later to a lovingly prepared dinner and the cleanest, airiest, most sanitary house either of them had ever lived in, and found their vacuum cleaner with a flowery new sunhat, they got the message. -----other married couple stuff (225 words) (this is really more “pre-married couple stuff”, sorry ^^) They had managed to keep their relationship pretty under wraps up until then, but it had been some time, and they were genuinely happy with each other and ready to take the next step. They hadn’t technically had an engagement period at all, but Izuku supposed, well, this was it right here. They had a small ceremony planned for a few weeks from then, but before they could legally tie the knot, they had to go apply for a marriage license, which meant going together down to the city hall. Nobody batted an eye at them as they strode through the halls (...any more than usual, given that they were both famous), because there were a lot of reasons to go to city hall, and a lot of them had to do with hero work. But when they entered the office for requesting marriage licenses… well, they knew they were going to have to go public soon anyway. Izuku’s Twitter feed was crazy that night, though as embarrassing as it was, he had to admit he kind of liked being bombarded with well-wishes and retweets of the photo the clerk had snapped of them, standing arm-in-arm and awkwardly holding up their application. (He liked it, but it was pretty bad as photos went; he hoped they’d get a few nicer ones from the actual wedding.) ----- I’ll do more of my prompts tomorrow! Send more, if you like! =] 

Bound By Light

The Doctor takes Rose to see a special sunrise, but when they get swept up in a local ceremony, the day takes on new meaning. 

Ten x Rose, all ages

I started with the prompt, "we HAVE to kiss in order to keep our cover and that’s when we realise we actually have feelings for each other welp.” And then it sort of... built from there to include fake relationship and an accidental wedding. 

This is for @rudennotgingr and @sequencefairy, who both need a smile. 

It’s also for @doctorroseprompts “alien beaches” prompt. 

Thanks to @lastbluetardis for looking over this for me. 

AO3 | FF.NET | TSP

Rose watched the Doctor as he twirled around the console, adjusting the TARDIS’ course as they jolted through the Time Vortex. He seemed particularly bubbly and smiley today, and she couldn’t hide her own grin when he laughed and bounced back on his heels.

She wrapped an arm around a strut as the TARDIS hit some turbulence. “So, where are you taking me?”

The Doctor grabbed the edge of the console and looked up at her. “To see the Daenara Dawn!”

“Is that like, a metaphorical dawn?” Rose asked. “Or are we going to see a sunrise?”

“Not just any sunrise, Rose Tyler.” The TARDIS finally landed, and the Doctor grabbed his coat and swung it around his shoulders. “The Daenara Dawn is generally regarded to be the most glorious sunrise in the galaxy. It happens once a year, on their summer solstice. And we are going to the prime viewing location, which is only allowed to a select few.”

Rose followed him down the ramp and out the door into the grey, pre-dawn mist. “Really? And how are we getting in? Oh, psychic paper!” she said eagerly, but to her surprise, the Doctor shook his head.

“No, psychic paper wouldn’t work this time, I’m afraid.” He tugged on his ear. “And… ah, I did forget this detail…”

Rose narrowed his eyes as he rummaged in his coat pockets, finally pulling out matching bracelets. She took one and rubbed her thumb over the smooth copper surface. “What’s this?” she asked, pretty sure there was something going on he still hadn’t told her.

“A Daenaran pledge bracelet,” he said, slipping the other over his long fingers until he rested on his slim wrist.

“Pledge bracelet?” Rose repeated.

The Doctor shifted his weight from one foot to the other. “Right. So, obviously anyone can see this sunrise. But the full effect of the Daenara Dawn is only visible from a cliff overlooking the ocean. And because it’s such a phenomenal event, it’s become part of a bonding tradition on Daenara. Which means the only way to witness it—”

“Is if we pretend to be engaged.” Rose slid the bracelet onto her arm, forcing herself to keep her expression even. “All right then. Lead the way, Doctor.”

He took her hand, and feeling the cool metal of his bracelet against her wrist sent a wave of longing through Rose. This wasn’t the first time they’d had to pretend to be in a relationship, but it got harder every time to act like she was pretending.

They turned a corner on the path she assumed led up to the cliff he’d mentioned, and she flinched when a new thought occurred to her. This was the first time since he’d almost let it slip that he loved her. For a few minutes, outside that cafe, Rose had thought maybe he was finally going to let go of the barrier he held up between them… but then the Krillitane had swooped down over them, and the moment had been broken.

She snuck a glance at the Doctor as he rambled about the history behind the Daenara Dawn, and what the sunrise wedding meant to the people. When he mentioned that taking your lover there was a sign of absolute commitment and adoration, Rose couldn’t contain a sigh.

The Doctor’s ear twitched when he heard the wistful sound. “Rose?” He looked down at her, taking in the way the pale morning light sifting through the trees hit her face.

“It’s just… that’s such a lovely idea,” she said. Her hand squeezed his automatically.

The Doctor’s hearts turned over. He knew—oh, he knew how Rose felt about him. And he was fairly certain she knew he loved her in return. He hadn’t done a great job hiding it before his regeneration, and since then, he’d practically been an open book.

There were days when he thought he ought to just let go of his fears and allow himself to love Rose the way she deserved. Hours when she curled into his side while they cuddled on the couch after a long day, and he wondered what it would be like to have this life, for as long as her forever lasted. Moments when she would shoot him that cheeky smile he loved, and the need to lean down and take that teasing tongue into his own mouth was almost more than he could withstand.

But having everything with Rose, letting her take full residence in his hearts and his mind, only to lose her at the end of her human life…

He swallowed hard, then sighed when they turned a corner on the path and the entrance to the festival site was ahead. “Oh look! We’re here!”

The Doctor steadfastly ignored the way Rose’s shoulders slumped as he pulled her through the gate, pausing only long enough to show their matching bracelets. The light was growing stronger, and he knew they would miss the sunrise if they didn’t hurry.

Rose’s gasp of surprise when they came out of the woods into a wide, open clifftop distracted him from his guilt. He grinned down at her as they took their place amongst the other couples gathered on the grassy clearing. Despite the size of the gathering, the cliff was large enough to give each couple space and a sense of privacy.

“Incredible, isn’t it?” he whispered, gesturing at the view, and Rose nodded. The Infinite Sea stretched out before them, and as the dawn light slowly turned colours, the waves danced with ebbing shades of pink and purple. “Just wait till the sun comes up.”

A woman crossed the front of the cliff and climbed onto a granite plinth. “Who’s that?” Rose asked.

“The Queen. She officiates the bonding ceremony.”

Around them, couples turned to face each other. Each one had a long strip of cloth in hand, and the Doctor momentarily froze. How had he not known hand-fasting played a part in the Daenara Dawn?

“Doctor?”

He shook his head and reached into his pocket, retrieving the blue strip of cloth that had been in there the very first time he’d put his coat on. He’d tried to take it out, but every time he stuck his hand into his pocket, the cloth was there again. Eventually he gave up on the silent argument with his ship. So she thought he should bond with Rose. That didn’t mean he needed to give in.

And yet, here he stood, in arguably one of the most romantic settings in the galaxy, about to partake in a hand-fasting ceremony with the woman who had stolen his hearts.

Holding one end of the ribbon, he let the other dangle in front of Rose. She quickly sussed out his meaning and took her end, and then, copying the couples around them, they each twisted the ribbon around their hands until it tied them together.

With her fingers pressed so intimately to the Doctor’s wrist, Rose could feel his double pulse galloping at a much faster rate than normal. He didn’t know, she realised. Her own heart sped up when the next conclusion came fast on the heels of that one. The Doctor had brought her here, thinking they could go through this as friends, but somehow, it was affecting him more than he had expected.

“Daenarans, I greet you today with joy,” the Queen said, her words interrupting Rose’s private musings.

“Joyful greetings, oh Queen,” the crowd intoned. Rose and the Doctor managed to move their lips enough that anyone watching would assume they knew the words.

“You have come here today to celebrate the new step in your relationships with the rising of the sun. As the Daenara Dawn casts light on our gathering, let it seep into your hearts and bind you together. Walk together in the light for all your days, until eventually, the sun sets for one of you.”

Tears pricked Rose’s eyes as she stared up at the Doctor. They both knew whose sunset would come first, though she would give anything to never leave him. She wanted him to be safe—to be happy and loved for the rest of his life.

The Doctor sucked in a breath when golden light crept up over the edge of the horizon and glinted in Rose’s eyes. He’d seen that gold in her eyes before, when she’d looked into Time to save him. If she’d been willing to sacrifice her life to save him, could he let go of his fear to give her happiness?

The Queen spoke again. “If you are willing to make that commitment to your beloved today, then repeat the words of the ancient bonding after me. If not, there is no shame in leaving quietly—the greater shame would be to make a promise you cannot uphold.”

Rose looked up at him, and the Doctor swayed on his feet when he saw the question in her eyes. Would he mean his vows? Or would they be spoken simply so he could impress her with a sunset?

They did not move, and after a moment, the Queen began again, this time speaking in short phrases to give them time to repeat the vows after her.

“Today, as the sun crests over the ocean, I share the sunrise of a new life with you.”

Wind swept over the cliff, and as the Doctor echoed the vows, he could feel the  electricity in the air increasing as the planet prepared for its greatest natural light show.  

“I know we will not escape darkness and shadow, but I promise that I will walk through those moments with you, never letting them pull me from you. I pledge to love and cherish you in all the moments we share, light and dark.”

The sky was awash with the colours of the sunrise now, rich pinks and purples and golds that reflected off Rose’s blonde hair and fair skin. The Doctor tightened his hand around hers, trying not to be affected by how beautiful she looked in this moment—trying and failing.

“I bind myself to you now, light to light, heart to heart, and soul to soul.”

One hundred or more couples all spoke the same words of love and commitment, and then the clifftop was silent for ten second as they felt the solemnity of what they’d just said.

After the words stopped echoing around them, the Queen said, “By the authority of the Crown, I declare you to be bonded for life. Celebrate the light that has come into your lives with a kiss.”

Rose sucked in a breath and looked up at the Doctor, but he seemed as surprised as she was. All around them, couples were leaning in for their wedding kiss, and she couldn’t help but take a half step towards the Doctor.

She stopped when the muscle in his jaw twitched. If a kiss would be too much, she would respect that. Instead, she settled back on her heels and watched as the changing colours of sunrise danced over his face. The Daenara Dawn was every bit as breathtaking as he had described, but seeing him in this moment made the sunrise pale in comparison.

The Doctor’s free hand twitched, and Rose held her breath when he slowly lifted it until he was cupping her jaw. “Is this okay?”

His tentative whisper made her heart race. Rose reached out and rested her hand on his chest, in between his hearts. “Always.”

She wasn’t sure, but she thought she saw his lips curve in a smile before he pressed them to hers. Then she knew nothing but the sweet taste of his mouth and the tender way he stroked her face. His lips caught her bottom lip and sucked gently, and Rose sighed and leaned into him.

Things can’t stay the same now, she pleaded desperately. She slid her hand up over his shoulder and curled it around the back of his neck. This has to mean something.

The Doctor swiped his tongue over her lip, and Rose parted them willingly, sighing again when she felt his tongue brush against hers. The tentative touch left her aching for more, and reflexively, she scraped her nails through the short hairs at the nape of his neck.

He groaned, and then the hand that had been cupping her face so tenderly dropped to her hip and pulled her close. Feeling him lose even a bit of control ignited Rose’s desire, and she moaned his name into his mouth.

To her consternation, that was the moment the Doctor began to pull away from their kiss. Rose whimpered and tried to follow his lips with hers, to catch them in another kiss, but he put a hand on her shoulder, holding her back.

A sob rose in Rose’s throat, but she swallowed it back. He’d never said this would mean anything more. She’d just let herself hope…

“Open your eyes, love,” he whispered, his voice husky.

It was the endearment that enticed her to obey, more than the words. When her eyes opened, she gasped in awe. She’d only been vaguely aware of the light changing colours through her closed eyelids.

What had been a lovely, but rather run-of-the-mill sunrise was now joined by something similar to the aurora. The light danced across the sky in every colour of the rainbow, painting the planet with dazzling colours. The ocean, some two hundred feet below them, reflected the colours back up into the sky, setting off a repeating cycle as the colours echoed back and forth between sea and sky.

“It’s gorgeous,” Rose breathed.

The Doctor carefully undid the ribbon binding his hand to Rose’s, then he moved to stand behind her and wrapped his arms around her waist. “Rose Tyler,” he whispered, then pressed a kiss to her neck. She tilted her head, and he grinned and kissed her again, before nipping at her ear.

“Doctor…” She turned in his arms and placed her hands over his hearts. “What does this mean?”

A gust of wind blew a piece of hair into her face, and after he brushed it back, he left his hand on her face. “Light to light, heart to heart, and soul to soul,” he repeated. “You brought light into my life when I thought I could see only darkness, Rose. You healed my soul when I was broken from war. Is it any wonder my hearts belong to you?”

A wide smile stretched across her face, and the Doctor laughed when Rose launched herself into his arms. He caught her easily and spun her around beneath what remained of the Daenara Dawn, then set her back down and leaned down to kiss her once more.

Sacred Vows

Summary: This was written for @bionic-buckyb​‘s 5K writing challenge. I chose the prompt, “There’s no one else I’d rather have in my life than you” Thank you for allowing me to take part in this. Hope you like it.

Word Count: Kinda lengthy (sorry)

 Pairing: Bucky x Reader

A/N: I’m a true romantic and James Buchanan Barnes deserves to love and be loved. 

Bucky wanted a simple ceremony in front of a justice of the peace. You didn’t care as long as you and he were joined in holy matrimony. Natasha Romanoff super sleuth discovered your plans and alerted the team. Tony scoffed at the thought of a “shot gun wedding.” “You’re getting married on my private island. Pepper will handle the wedding details and the rest of us are your wing men and women.” Tony rubbed his hands together with a gleam in his eyes. You could see the cogs turning in his head!!

“But Tony, Bucky and I don’t want anything over the top,” Y/N pleaded, trying to keep up with his long strides. “Uh, sorry future Mrs. Frost Bite, did you say something?” Bucky slapped his forehead and sighed heavily, finally relenting, “okay Stark. Our wedding is in your hands.”

A chorus of “yay” and thunderous applause erupted in the common room. Pepper sprang into action contacting the necessary shops. While on the phone with the decorator, she removed the phone from her ear, “YN? What are your colors?” Honestly, you and Bucky never discussed colors. “We don’t have a color preference.” “Pish posh. Let me see. What about cobalt blue, grey and white?” “Okay, let’s see the colors together.” Hanging up from the decorators she pulled up the colors on her tablet and showed them to Bucky and his fiancé.

“What do you think, babe?” Bucky looked in amazement. “I really like the colors. What do you think, Doll?” “I say YES.” Wanda and Nat found a quaint little bridal shop in Manhattan, Le Chic. The bridal party arrived via white stretch limo.

“Ladies, your chariot awaits.” YN, Wanda, Nat and Dr. Cho gasped. “Really Tony? A limo?” “Yep future Mrs. Frozensicle. Go big or go home.” The ladies looked at each other and made their way to the white stretch limo. Pepper knew Tony had a soft spot for YN and wanted to make her special day one they’ll never forget.

****

“Stevie, I don’t wanna assume anything but will ya be my best man?” The blonde super soldier gripped Bucky’s shoulders, “I’d be honored, jerk.” “Thanks punk.” Sam and Clint feigned hurt. “Well damn, looks like we’re the ugly step sisters, Clint.”

Bucky knew YN wanted Sam and Tony to walk her down the aisle. “Look buttheads, Y/N wants Sam and Tony walking her down the aisle. So, that leaves Clint, Thor, Scott and Bruce as my groomsmen.” Thor announced with his booming, “my friends, let’s go and procure attire for the fair Lady Y/N and James’ impending nuptials, which I will gladly officiate.” Everyone gave him an exasperated glance.

****

The limo carrying the bridal party pulled up to Le Chic Bridal Shop. Onlookers swore they were movie stars. Once inside, Nathaniel and Pepper exchanged hugs and air kisses. She gave him information on what Y/N wanted and he went to work. Complimentary drinks and finger food were served.  Wanda and Dr. Cho looked around for the perfect bridesmaid gowns. Nat beamed when asked to be Y/N’s maid of honor. Of course, she opted for something short but not too fancy. This was her best friend’s day!

Finding dresses wasn’t a hard task for the ladies. Dr. Cho and Wanda chose beautiful Vera Wang bridesmaid dresses, with lace on the top half. They thought it best to dress the same.

Nat found the perfect dress that accentuated her curves but wasn’t too fancy.

Y/N browsed through the wedding gowns and stopped on a gorgeous Stella York gown. It had a 1940’s look, white with a cobalt blue inlay at the bottom.

The dressing room attendants helped her try the dress on. She stepped from behind the curtain and everyone gasped. Nat became teary eyed; Wanda and Dr. Cho clapped. Y/N was choked up. “Ladies, I’ve found my wedding gown.”

“Mission accomplished.” Everyone raised their glasses and toasted a successful shopping trip. Next stop, LUNCH!!!

 At Giovonni’s Tailor Emporium, Bucky suggested everyone dress alike. Grey suits, white shirts, cobalt blue vests, ties and pocket squares. Bucky’s tie was striped with grey, cobalt blue and white! “Well, that was easy. Gentlemen, lunch awaits.” Why don’t we frequent our watering hole for bar food and brew?” The groom’s party fancied hot wings, fries, beer and scotch.

Bucky spoke, “listen guys. I ain’t for mushy speeches but I just gotta say how much me and Y/N appreciate what you’re doing to make our wedding special. Tony, I appreciate your generosity. She’s worth it and then some.” Everybody held their glasses high. “To finally getting Sir Frosty married.” Raucous laughter erupted, as the men continued to eat, drink and be merry. Thor, Steve, and Bucky were enjoying his Asgard mead.

Arriving in St. Bart’s

The Stark jet landed on a private air strip. Tony’s concierge, Reynaldo and staff met the wedding party and helped load luggage and wedding attire on a yacht and sped off to Tony’s private island!! Bucky and Y/N were speechless. 3 different hues of blue dotted the water with white sand, along with waves gently crashing against the rocks. “Dollface, look at this place. It’s beautiful.” “Yes, my love, it’s a dream come true.” Bucky planted a lingering kiss on her lips. “Oh good grief, get a room already,” Sam teased the happy couple. Bucky flipped him off!!!

The ferry shuttle to “The Isle of Tranquility” arrived and everyone boarded. The view was fascinating. Tony’s estate could be seen over the horizon. Wanda and Nat enjoyed the feeling of nothingness; no training or missions. Just rest, relaxation and rejuvenation!!!

The ladies had a wing to themselves and were treated to a massages, manicures and pedicures. The guys enjoyed the ultimate man cave! Pool tables, video arcade, projection televisions, fully stocked bar and food for days. Bucky and Steve engaged in a rousing game of pool, while Sam, Clint, Scott, and Bruce played video games. Thor, Tony, Rhodey and Nick watched a football game on the massive television. Vision took a stroll on the beach. This was a new experience for him.

***

Nightfall beckoned them to the beach for dinner. Y/N stopped Tony on their way to the table. “Oh Tone, this is more than we could ever dream of. Thank you so much for making our wedding extraordinary.” “Hey, you and Ice Man deserve it. Just be happy and name your first kid Anthony Edward Barnes.” She kissed him on the cheek. “I’ll have to talk to Bucky about that. I love you.” “Love you too kiddo. Now, let the pre-wedding festivities commence!!!” Succulent island dishes were served as laughter and conversation filled the air.

Wedding Day

Y/N stood on the balcony, sipping coffee, as pink and yellow streaks ushered in the sunrise. Her mind drifted to Bucky. In a few hours, she would become his wife.

Nat walked up and stood by her side. “Are you ready to become Mrs. Barnes?”

“I’ve never wanted anything so much in my life, Nat. I love him so much.”

“I know Y/N/N and he loves you too. C’mon let’s get this day started.”

The ladies linked arms and walked back inside to eat, then on to hair, make-up and getting dressed.

The Union of James Buchanan Barnes and Y/N Y/M/N Y/L/N

The white canopies adorned with beautiful blue and white flowers dotted the patio. White chairs with cobalt blue seat pads. Pepper kept it simple, but elegant. In the background was the ocean. The sun rays danced on the water and gave the impression of twinkling stars.

The atmosphere was laid back, only a select few were in attendance.

Soft violin and harp strings strummed in the background.

Bucky, best man Steve and his groomsmen took their places at the altar.

First down the aisle was Wanda, followed by Dr. Cho.

Afterwards, Natalia made her entrance.

All eyes were transfixed on the entry of Y/N. As the bridal march played, everyone stood.

Tony and Sam stood in the back waiting to walk her down the aisle.

Bucky’s eyes watered as she began her decent towards him.

Wow, she looks like a dream Stevie.”

“Yes she does Buck.”

There wasn’t a dry eye in the place. Even Nick Fury turned his head to compose himself.

After walking Y/N to her waiting fiancé, Tony and Sam gave her a kiss on the cheek.

True to his word, Thor, via the internet, officiated their wedding. When time came for the vows, Bucky and Y/N wrote their own:

Y/N

I’ve always believed everyone has a soul mate; that one, unique person picked and set aside just for them. But being the cynic, the idea of a soul mate didn’t register with me until I met you, James Buchanan Barnes. One look into those bright azure blue-grey eyes melted my hardened heart and turned my empty world completely upside down. My love, you’re the strongest, kindest and gentle man I know. You’re my protector, rock, lover and best friend. God truly showed out when he created you. Thank you for taking my barren heart, filling it with love so deep and pure. I’ll love you till the end of my days and beyond. You’re my first, my last, my everything!

Bucky

My Angel, I’m so nervous my hands are sweating, but here goes. You came into my life during a really bad spell. My nightmares had become unbearable and I was withdrawn. Truth be told, I wanted to end it all. But one day, you walked into the common room, smiled at me and I was bitten. At that moment, a heavy weight lifted from my worn shoulders and the sun was bright again. I mean, look ‘atcha. You’re a goddess. The most beautiful woman I’ve ever laid eyes on. And you actually wanna spend the rest of your life with me. Doll, you chased away the demons that had me bound; took this broken man and put me back together again. I’ll love you till the day I die ‘cuz there’s no one else I’d rather have in my life than you.

TAGS: @bionic-buckyb @omalleysgirl22 @amrita31199 @theimpossibleg1rl @sgtjamesbuchananbarnes107th @c-a-v-a-l-r-y @commvnderdamerons @erisjade @goody2shoessmut @goodnightwife @papi-chulo-bucky @deals-with-demons @cant-stop-the-fandoms @dretjie12 @nenyakj @just-another-fanfiction-writer @captainbuckybarnes @supersoldierslover @gaybybirth @redgillan @gingerbatchwife @irene-rogue-adler @flirtswithdanger @rhyjr2

Hither Yonder, Chapter 9

Two is Company

It was later that evening, when the stew was hot, that Luxwannen returned from the fields to the longhouse, where Halli and the others were waiting. They told her everything about Halli’s decision to leave, her looking into the tarmaril, and Noma’s choice to go with her. She sat and listened, never interrupting, intent to the story’s end. She then stared off to the forest in thought, watching the fireflies flit through the branches. Slowly, she turned to Halli and spoke.

      “Were you my child, I would forbid this. The feeling is no less for a foster-daughter. Is there nothing I may say to dissuade you?”

      “I’ll be gone by morning” Halli said.

      “Will you come back?”

      “If I can.”

      Luxwannen embraced her, tears streaming down her face.

      “Never go where Noma cannot follow you. She looks after you now.”

      “Yes, Dasslin.”

      “And never let her leave your sight, Noma.”

      “Not if the Roof of Night should crash and fall down upon us” Noma said.

 Supper, despite the mood, was a fairly happy thing. They laughed and reminisced, talking about past humors, lazy springs, and mild winters. Halli talked about Yuta in detail, the good memories and bad, and they understood then the depth of her resolve. Near its end, she finally told them of her visions in the tarmaril, lingering on the ship at sea.

      “It may mean that others made this journey too” Halli said. “That it isn’t impossible, or forbidden.”

      “Did they return?” Luxwannen said.

      “I wasn’t shown that.”

      “Then we will put our faith in being the first of them” Noma said. “You crossed those mountains alone, right? Through sun, rain, storm and hail? I doubt the gods themselves can throw much worse at us –risking a jinx, of course.”

 The supper ended with Halli going to bed, but the others stayed awake through the night to prepare her as well they could: dried foodstuffs, water for her water-skin, boots of doeskin and leather, a blanket, a coil of rope, a small kit of cooking utensils and a flint for fire starting. One luxury only would be missing, Sador’s purification tablets.

      Halli tossed and turned, touched by impatience and a restless mind. She gave up after a while and lay face up, listening to her heartbeat. Suddenly there was howling away in the gardens of the longhouse, not predatory, even familiar. The shepherd dogs were in gathering, giving Noma her sendoff in ceremony, for come sunrise they would be in the fields again alongside their herdsmen, carrying on without.

      Halli peered through her window at the assembled pack and watched as each in turn gave her their farewell under the stars. What started as howling grew into a melody, a song, but what they sang was lost to Halli, being a lament of no words. It rose and fell like breath as each took their part in the rhythm, rich at first in sadness, then gradually stronger; the tone became confident, if tinged with reflection.

      It reminded her of Yuta’s pyre, and how heavy that night also felt. She folded her arms on the windowsill and rested her chin, closing her eyes and seeing again the flames, the smoke, the embers thrown skyward, coming down like burning snowfall under those same unheeding stars. Sorrow was there, yet also a serenity that cooled her thoughts, soothed them, as she listened, and she remembered Noma’s words, we can never return. We can never go back.

      “We will come back” Halli whispered.

 Morning shone, warm but crisp. Cooler days were on their way, if slowly yet. Amerrotecus, Amerrotaieu and Luxwannen stood ready to see Halli and Noma off, each taking their time, dressed in their finest furs and raiment. They knelt and held both, kissing Halli on her brow. Amerrotecus, being the last, handed her something round wrapped in cloth.

      “It is the tarmaril. We have no more use for it. Please, take it with you to those lands where it belongs. Keep it or discard it as you wish.”

      Halli pocketed the tarmaril, said goodbye, then followed Noma from the longhouse to a trail by the hills, winding through the forest first south along Meadow-home, then west, going deeper into the Wood, passing from sight as the village was waking. Halli glanced over her shoulder at the smokes already rising from breakfast fires, then went on behind Noma.

      “This is the third family I’ve had to leave; my village in Hanan, then Sador and Yuta, and now Meadow-home. You’d think after a while it would stop hurting, but it doesn’t.”

      “If it be any consolation, they remain with you in spirit” Noma said. “And I am with you.”

      “Of course” Halli said. “I mean not to despair. It’s just that, I’ve left so many behind for what all said was a fool’s hope, I started believing it better to be alone. I was alone, for a while.”

      She walked beside Noma and patted her head, smiling.

       “I’m glad to have you with me, Noma.”

 After a few miles the trail stopped at a trickling forest creek, the accepted boundary of the peoples of Meadow-home and the other middle Nosi tribes. Crossing it meant forsaking the safety of their laws, and risk the mercy of whoever should find them wandering.

      “Are the other Nosi friendly?” Halli said.

      “Friendly and wary” Noma said. “Or so I assume. I’ve never been this far into the forest before, yet I doubt we’ll meet many on our way. The Gallenwood’s heart is sparsely inhabited. If we are lucky, we might go by unnoticed.”

      “If not?”

      “Then don’t let on that you’re part Westerlander.”

The trees here were beeches, tall and smooth, mingled with ash and aspen. There wasn’t a single robust trail to walk, but several meandering footpaths half lost in underbrush. They stayed on, then switched to, any path that seemed to keep west. It proved difficult finding a proper way, since many that looked true at the beginning wound on to circle around again. Some simply ended, forcing them to retrace and try another path. With fair guesswork, Halli and Noma picked their way through to the Gallenwood’s west eaves in good time, so far unbothered. They walked until the sun sank past the tree tops, hiding the paths in night, making them set up camp where they were stopped. By morning they resumed, eating lightly, stepping swiftly, sure now that the forest’s end was nearing as the groves lost their density. Beeches, ashes and aspens were supplanted by willows, and meadows began to open.

      The morning was late on their second day since leaving Meadow-home when they came to the shores of the Middlesea, made blue by a clear sky. The banks were smooth and grassy, dotted with patches of marshlands, reed beds, and mangroves. Halli wandered to the water’s edge and gazed afar, reminded of the Sea of Ahn in all its vastness, and of her cautious respect for it as a plains-dweller. Herons and egrets grazed the shoreline for crickets and small fish, following tracks beaten through the grass made by larger animals; dragonflies zipped through patches of cattails and weeds.

      Halli looked over the map, tracing it with her finger. The way around the Middlesea was at least forty leagues to the south, to the Gwaldenneth river (named Galdon on the map) before the border to Tarmaril was reached. The other way, to the north, was just as long, but would be made more arduous by the coming autumn rains. The climate would remain warmer further south, and offer perhaps the easier road.

      So south they went, finding the ground firm and earthy for a few furlongs, then marshy the next, then back again, and so on, for many miles, then many days. The mornings were still and pale, often foggy with steam from the water until the sun’s light shone out over the forest, giving warmth and stirring whatever lay hid in the shadows. Wildlife in the open remained sparse, save for the birds leaving their summer homes, and the odd squirrel or turtle. People were nowhere to be seen; not so much as a hunting party, or even footprints, to suggest the Gallenwood was populated. This was how it was when they came to the Paxannet river, the boundary between the southern and middle Nosi tribes, nine days since leaving Meadow-home.

      “Not that I complain” Halli said. “But it seems that the Nosi avoid these shores.”

      “They tend to avoid open places” Noma said. “Especially those facing the Westerlands, one imagines.”

       Crossing the river, which was shallow at its mouth, Halli and Noma plodded on through yet more marshlands fed by stagnant courses studded with pampas grasses, connecting the driest ways they could find under swarms of aphids harrying them step by careful step. It was slow going, for the marshes of the Paxannet stretched wide along the Middlesea, adding hours to miles that otherwise would have swiftly passed. Halli donned her cloak despite what was an almost unseasonably warm day, preferring to swelter than leave herself for the clouds of mosquitos now shadowing them. She swatted at her arms, back, legs, neck, then arms again; still, the little pestilences managed to find a mark.

      “How I long for the treacherous Mistgap” Halli muttered. “When the greater worry was starvation, not being eaten alive. You are lucky to have your coat, Noma.”

      Noma shook her fur, releasing the mosquitos embedded onto and within, shaking again, then again.

      “It is less protection than you imagine it.”

 Slogging on, they were relieved when the ground hardened and the bogs began to dry, finally ending constant aggravations big and small, especially small. The water lost its brackish tinge, and its occasional wafting odor. Making up for time, they moved on in a hurried pace for most of the daylight left to them, shorter now due to the waxing of autumn. They resumed before dawn for much the same reason, and progress was steady, even expedient. Eating was done on the go, and rests were few and short, save at night.

      Four days since leaving the marshes, the vegetation gave way to sedimentary beaches made warm by the sun, level as a ruler but for small rippled dunes buffed by the forest, and the sandbars offshore. Here the Middlesea’s southern coast began its gradual curve westward, meeting with its eastern side as a narrow and sandy outlet to form the mouth of the Gwaldenneth, the river itself carrying on in a southerly course to empty in the Bay of Arlon.

      It was a cloudy afternoon when Halli and Noma came to this river, the final claim of Nosi territory, and what they found surprised them: a line of border-stones stood on the beach halfway between the water and forest, similar to those that marked the herding boundaries of Meadow-home, except these were etched with runes and spells to keep evil away from the Wood, now weathered and worn. Beyond the stones were the remains of quays, platforms, and tidal breaks, obviously Tarmarillian in make, eroded, swallowed by the river, or partly dismantled by the Nosi. Buried in the sand were the fragmentary remains of the boats and mooring pillars that once made the Gwaldenneth a thoroughfare, bleached by the sun and left by those who crafted them, though that very craftsmanship assured their salvaging even after centuries of neglect, something not lost on Halli.

      Digging out the planks with her bare hands, she pried them loose using her cooking spit, laying down a first layer on the beach, then a second atop at an opposite angle. She bound this makeshift raft together with the rope from her roll-kit, making every synch tight, every knot firm.   She pushed it to the water’s edge and tossed on their supplies. Noma hopped on as Halli slowly drifted it in before climbing on uncouthly herself. The raft tilted, forcing her to try and evenly spread her weight. She scrambled, breathing sharply, almost sending Noma off the side. A few more hasty adjustments and she finally settled, exhaling softly. Her arms were shaking.

      Noma cocked her head. “Are you alright, Halli?”

      “I’m fine” Halli said. “Just nervous, is all.”

      “Of what?”

      Halli hesitated to say, looking away and muttering.

      “Halli?”

      “Promise you won’t laugh?”

      “Of course not. What’s the matter?”

      “It’s the river” Halli said. “It’s so deep here, and wide. The middle is so dark, I can’t see the bottom, and we have no choice but to cross it anyhow. That’s why my nerves are high.”

      “You cannot swim, you mean?” Noma said.

      “Well” Halli said. “It’s like what the elders used to say in the village, if folks were meant to swim as the fishes, we’d have gills all the same.”

      “Dogs have no gills” Noma said. “And we still swim.”

      “That’s because it’s part of your instinct” Halli said. “Humans have to learn how.”

      “Swimming isn’t instinctive for bipeds?”

      “Why would it be?”

      “Why wouldn’t it be?”

      “I know not why” Halli said. “The gods willed it so. Would you sit more to the other side, please?”

      “Of course” Noma said. “As long as this piecemeal thing doesn’t fall apart from under us first.”

      “Not with my knots” Halli said. “Every knot I’ve ever tied has held true, from cots to bridles. It will hold.”

      Even so, for ease of mind, Halli pulled on the knots on her side of the raft to check their tautness, amusing Noma.

      “If you’ve jinxed us” Halli said. “I’m grabbing you by the tail, and taking you down with me.”

 Paddling with her hands, Halli ferried them across without incident. The raft indeed held, beaching nicely and intact on the opposite shore, on Tarmaril; and yet, despite all the stories she had heard and read, all the legends she knew, the sand was just as warm as it was on the Nosi side, the far pines were every bit as green as the Gallenwood, and the wind as crisp as it was on cool Hananin mornings. It had the quiet loveliness of an unspoiled wilderness, a peaceful loneness of beauty undimmed. Mountains were in the distance, past the trees.

      “Here we are” Noma said. “The Westerlands. It always seemed so far away, hearing how it was spoken of, as if its very history gave the land a greater distance –yet here it is, after only fifteen days from Meadow-home.”

      “My journey began in Dumbria” Halli said, breaking the raft apart to retrieve her rope. She draped the coils over her roll-kit and hefted it to her shoulders.

      “Were it so short from there.”

      As they started to move on Halli stopped and glanced to the north, taking a second long look at Meadow-home’s direction, seeing in her mind the smokes of morning fires again, though now many leagues lay between. With a sigh she turned away, her heart deepened, having no words to say.

      “I know, Halli” Noma said. “I miss them too. Banish the despair, child. Dwell on the warmth of their feelings, not on the chill of an afterthought.”

      “I’m trying, Noma” Halli said. “I’ve been trying ever since I ran from Thargorod.”

      Noma brushed her nose against Halli’s hand, licking her fingers. Halli smiled, and petted behind her ears.

      “Dear, faithful Noma.”

      “Let us go” Noma said. “While the sun is still up.”

 Before they did, Halli once more consulted her map, crouching so Noma could also read it. The mountain range ahead of them, the Grayrim, was less in scale than the Sheerim, but still gave little option for easy travel. To the far north, it met with a jumble of mounds called the Icerim Hills, likely with good reason. Southward, it sputtered out into a collection of sharp hills halted by numerous scattered bogs that fed into the main marshes of the Gwaldenneth’s seaward mouth.

      “Both paths look equally terrible” Noma said.

      “What of this?” Halli said, putting her finger on a Middlesea tributary called the Gatewater, where a thin line was drawn through the Grayrim Mountains.

      “Can it be a pass?” Noma said. “No roads lead to it.”

      “It must be” Halli said. “Why else call it ‘Gatewater’ if it leads not to a gate, or at least another way?”

      “I don’t know why you bipedals name half the things you do” Noma said.

      “Either we find out” Halli said. “Or we go through the swamps south of the mountains.”

      To that logic Noma relented, and they resumed their venture going north with a slight bend west. The mountains, now beside them, hid the setting sun behind their flanks, bathing the sweeping grasslands and broken forests in a pale orange dusk that gleamed sunrays over the darkling peaks before night wholly subsumed them, brightened by the arc of the Glittering Swath.

      They woke before dawn, making ready while the east still slept. All that day they marched, sprinting at times, at unyielding lengths through the hours with sparing rest. If pain or weariness hampered them they didn’t show it; after many months of trudging and slogging Halli was quite used to the strain, and Noma, being a shepherd dog, had stamina in abundance, with more to spare.

      Closer the mountains loomed, rising ever higher over the depression of the Middlesea. They reached the furthest outliers of the mountain foothills, inexhaustible, until a brief but heavy rain fell and forced them to seek cover under the eaves. Noma slept a little, and Halli used the rain to refill her water-skin.

      The clouds still brooding they went off, going from meadow to meadow, their pace slowing as the ground steepened toward the mountains, and faces of bare rock began to show. Boulders broken away from overgrown bluffs were becoming more common obstacles. An outthrust shelf from the range stood in their way, yet rather than go around they decided to climb it. Many parts were fresh, and offered good holds. Halli adjusted her roll-kit to hang at her waist, then they began their scramble to the top. Noma took the lead, being more nimble and lighter in step, but Halli was ever on her tail, stubbornly clinging on.

      “Noma, you cheat!” Halli laughed. “You’ve neither pack or kit!”

       “You’re the one with thumbs, dear” Noma said.

      That being so, Noma won the race to the top. Ever a good sport, she grabbed Halli’s collar with her teeth and helped pull her up, until both stood on the precipice looking west, to the frowning Grayrim yonder, five miles distant. They made camp as evening settled in, somber with cloud fronts lying over the range like a heavy brow, denying all but the most pallid light.   Shadows fell long against the slopes, and into the valleys. The first touch of autumn had come to the Hitherlands, and most of their journey lay behind them. The most difficult parts, however, were still ahead.        

Outdoor Bridesmaid Dresses

Nature’s cathedral is a beautiful place in which to hold a wedding ceremony.

the most perfect and wonderful wedding dress worn at weddings held at nature’s cathedral – 1

An outdoor wedding is very edifying, and a garden, beach or mountain can provide the perfect backdrop for the wedding.

outdoor weddings that provide the perfect setting for a garden, beach and mountain wedding. the best quality and brilliant wedding dress model worn by the bride in open air wedding – 2

When choosing bridesmaid dresses to complement your outdoor wedding, it is important to remember to choose attire that reflects the setting, as well as your desired ceremony.

the most beautiful and elegant wedding dress chosen for your outdoor wedding -3

Formal outdoor wedding wear is especially appropriate for a ceremony in a garden or a park.

an open-air wedding concept suitable for a wedding ceremony can be made in the garden or in the park. the most stylish and attractive wedding dress that can be worn at this outdoor wedding – 4

Bridesmaid dresses should be long, and reflect the chosen wedding colors. Black dresses can be very striking in this setting.

in the weddings made by choosing the black colors, the wedding dress model should reflect the long and the selected color – 5

However, as the outdoors is a naturally colorful place, it isn’t a bad idea to have bridesmaids wear darker shades of blue, green, maroon or burgundy.

because the open air is naturally colored place; it may be appropriate to wear blue, green, payroll and dresses in dark color – 6

In most formal ceremonies, the bridesmaid dresses are all of one color, this holds true for those held outdoors as well.

weddings made with official ceremony outdoors are usually unique colors. example of a suitable wedding dress model that can be worn in a single color wedding dress – 7

Of course, most outdoor weddings are not meant to be formal. They are often more relaxed: semi-formal or casual.

most outdoor wedding is not done as the official wedding. most open weddings are generally comfortable, semi-formal and casual. for example wedding dresses you can wear at open wedding – 8

But there is no reason for the bridesmaids not to wear beautiful dresses that reflect the setting. Tea-length bridesmaid dresses work very well in semi-formal and casual settings, especially outdoors.

especially at outdoor weddings, tea-style bridal models may be better in casual and semi-formal settings. tea-size wedding dress model worn in open-air wedding – 9

Choosing a different color for each bridesmaid dress is a good way to pattern the ceremony after the variety found in nature.

the most beautiful and elegant bridesmaid dress chosen in different colors according to the natürel – 10

In a garden or park ceremony, simple bridesmaid dresses with muted and small, simple prints, can add an element of fun. Bright colors, reminding guests of flowers, are appropriate for this type of wedding.

a garden and a park wedding ceremony with simple prints, flowers reminiscent of colors wedding dresses models – 11

Any outdoor bridesmaid dress looks fresh and attractive when complemented with a ribbon or bow tied around the waist.

the best quality outdoor bridesmaid dress that will provide you with the most attractive and most   striking look – 12

Sundresses are perfect as part of a beachfront wedding.

the most beautiful and trendy wedding dress model that can be worn from the beach wedding wedding – 13

Bridesmaids with simple, and even sleeveless, dresses look stylish, and as though they could belong at the beach.

simple and stylish sleeveless bridesmaid dress for beach wedding – 14

Some colors that might look nice on the beach are light or pastel shades of green, aqua, blue, pink and yellow. These colors reflect the ocean, and the sunset or sunrise over the water.

an example of the most beautiful wedding dress models in the colors that reflect the sunset and sunrise that will look beautiful on the beach – 15

Cocktail length dresses are great for mountain weddings, as are tea-length bridesmaid dresses.

cocktail dresses are suitable for mountain weddings. bridal gowns perfect for mountain wedding – 16

As with other non-formal outdoor wedding wear, simple is best for the bridesmaid dresses.

cocktail dresses are suitable for mountain weddings. the most beautiful and elegant bridesmaid dresses you can wear for mountain wedding – 17

Earth tones reflect mountain colors well. Shades of brown and rust, as well as dark green and blue, complement a mountain setting.

dark green with earth tones, a mountain environment in blue and brown colors well reflects    color – 18

These are also good colors for an outdoor wedding held during autumn.

bride models with the most beautiful colors at the open-air weddings in autumn -19

Outdoor Bridesmaid Dresses

My failed attempts at online dating drove me to marry myself (and it&#039;s a hot trend among other millennials)

http://fashion-trendin.com/my-failed-attempts-at-online-dating-drove-me-to-marry-myself-and-its-a-hot-trend-among-other-millennials/

My failed attempts at online dating drove me to marry myself (and it's a hot trend among other millennials)

I know what you’re thinking: any excuse for a new piece of jewellery. While I’m certainly a fan of splurging on some (ethically sourced) bling every once in a while, the decision to marry myself, engagement ring and all, came from a much deeper place, one that cares more about the immaterial than about how sparkly I look.

Self-commitment ceremonies have been trending off and on for decades, and the term sologamy – marriage by a person to oneself – has recently woven its way into everyday parlance. These days, you can find at-home self-wedding kits with affirmation tips or enrol in spiritual retreats with carefully crafted commitment ceremonies under the supervision of the token guru or shaman. All of this commercialised spirituality is ostensibly part of a growing self-worth movement, considered by many to be a new class of feminist coming-of-age rituals.

Not only is self-marriage happening in the US and Europe, this growing self-empowerment trend is global, taking place in countries like China, where the derogatory term ‘leftover woman’ is used for women over twenty-five who are still single. Some women there are throwing elaborate ceremonies with all the accoutrements – the fancy dress, the lavish venue and yes, the wedding cake – where they openly celebrate their singleness and their lifelong commitment to themselves in front of their nearest and dearest.

Yet I didn’t know any of this when I spontaneously – and quietly – decided to tie the knot (to myself) at the end of a 9-month dating detox that had lead me to a secluded beach on the Tanzanian island of Zanzibar. It simply seemed like a commemorative way to conclude what turned out to be my spiritual reckoning across four continents – what I’ve been calling a ‘Man Fast’ – or man-free adventures in self-discovery, something I documented in real-time in my new book that just came out in the UK earlier this month, an experiential account of my transformation over this time period.

It all started when my thirst for some serious soul-searching at the end of a succession of failed romances drove me to get off the dating merry go-round in New York, vacate my apartment in Brooklyn, and wander off deep into the wilderness (as one does). I moved to an ashram in Kerala where I meditated and subjected my body to an Ayurvedic cleanse, worked on a vineyard on Sicily’s Mount Etna and went on a solo-safari in the Selous, Africa’s largest game reserve, a place that is remote, raw and teeming with wildlife. Exactly what I needed.

By stepping away from the demands of modern city living and disconnecting from online dating apps (thereby abstaining from the punitive and addictive search for love), I was able to slow down and focus my energy on connecting with something much deeper – that hidden, higher intelligence inside of me, inside of all of us. During this time, I cultivated a profound sense of wholeness in the absence of another, and decided that no matter what the future held, I was – and had to be – enough on my own. I was whole and would never again doubt my own wholeness just because decades of social conditioning (and my loving but marriage-obsessed Indian mum) had made me feel pressured to couple up with some elusive, perfect person.

How to have a better relationship with your vagina

That was one of the vows I read silently to myself on the beach the morning of my self-marriage ceremony at sunrise, which was basically a morning meditation with no-one around but a few disinterested cows lumbering their way down a pinkish stretch of sand. I didn’t need anyone there to witness it – the universe was enough. The sun, the ocean, the sky— they were enough. I didn’t need to doll up in a Givenchy dress like Meghan, instead slipping into a colourful kaftan bought from a local vendor for five sterling. It was bold and hopeful, vibrant and unapologetic. It was a reflection of how my womanhood should feel to me.

And yes, I did buy myself a ring – it contained a small piece of tanzanite, a velvety blue rock considered by many to be a highly metaphysical stone, ideal for spiritual exploration. Today I wear it as a reminder of why I went on the whole journey in the first place: to find fulfilment and meaning outside of romantic relationships, and to treasure myself, my family, my friends, my community, my purpose, and my authentic journey over any single relationship, which has no guarantee of lasting.

Whatever one’s reasons for sologamy – whether it be about rejecting patriarchal norms or a radical act of self-love – making a ceremonial commitment to one’s self is a powerful statement, where we consciously recognise that the real marriage is between us and ourselves.

Of course, developing self-love doesn’t happen overnight – it’s daily work, calling on us to give ourselves permission to pursue happiness and meaning in non-traditional ways and – if we feel so inclined – to expand ourselves beyond the social constructs we have grown up with, the very things that are sometimes holding us back from discovering our truest selves.

Man Fast: How One Woman’s Dating Detox Turned into Spiritual Reckoning Across Four Continents by Natasha Scripture is published by the Little, Brown Book Group (£13.99).

How to meditate (even when you really can’t be bothered)

Cabo Wabo

I love weddings. Especially ones where there's a vacation in it for me. Even skeptic's have to admit it's emotional when two people forge their bond as husband and wife. I'm not sure what sentiment is being felt, but it's emotional none the less. I always look for that sparkle in the newlywed's eyes. You know, the one where they still want to rip eachother's close off every time they're in the same room! This trip is about THAT couple. If I didn't believe in romantic destiny before them, I certainly do now. Some people are absolutely meant to be together and I'm so glad Adam and Jill figured that out. AND it got me to Cabo! I do, however, have to give you a little pretext so you can become as enamored of this couple as the rest of us that ventured to Cabo for their nuptials. It definitely added to the mystique of The Baja and the charm of it's most southern point. I met the bride, Jill, through a mutual best friend almost a decade ago and we all instantly knew that the rest of our lives would be filled with girl's weekends and spa adventures! We've

Cabo never had to worry about if walls could talk because they could never get a word in edge wise with us! On one of our ladies nights (that turned into a weekend as usual) we ended up at Jill's alma mater. Although we didn't start out with a plan, somehow we drove for hours down The Great River Road, along side the Mississippi River, stopped at a Strawberry Festival (where you could NOT get strawberry shots by the way--how stupid), and ended up at Augustana College. It is my understanding that you can drive this Byway from Canada to the Mississippi Delta. What a fabulous trip that would be. As it was, we only made it to Rock Island from Galena. Just our luck, this is where our friend went to college so we stopped and got a hotel room. Of course I was too old to be in those college bars but acted like I just got my first fake i.d. After much dancing, lotsa' alcohol, and I seem to remember one of us peeing in a garbage can in the upper level of a bar, we awoke the next morning knowing that Rock Island would never

One big happy family! be the same. Needless to say (but I will anyhow) some regurgitation had to take place before we could begin the trek home. All great nights must end with a purge! It was a headache induced quiet for most of the trip back but at one point Jill began to talk about her good old college days and some guy she dated...but not really. They were only friends...with benefits, but totally not like your thinking (whatever). "It would have never worked out," she said, but there was a strange little smirk on her face that I hadn't seen before. When was the last time she talked to this guy? "A loooong time ago," she seemed to reminisce. So a few weeks later I'm having my 15 year high school reunion and my friends decided to crash it. Guess who Jill shows up with??? The guy from college that she hadn't talked to in years! AND he wore a cowboy hat, AND he was totally hot, AND he wasn't a dork at all like she said. JUST KIDDING! She never said he was a dork, but I did see that strange little smirk again. I have to tell

Centennial Bridge

Where the magic happened you they were about the cutest damn couple I ever did see. Adam quickly became like a brother to all of us and soon we were planning family dinners, nights out, and even weekend vacations. After a while it seemed like there was only one thing left to do...yep...you guessed it...GO TO JAMAICA! And we did! But that's another blog. It was on an early winter's night in 2007 that Jill was asked about her plans for the weekend. "Oh, I'm getting my hair done and then Adam wants to go to Augustana to meet up with some old friends." WHAT? Without us? Didn't she know she would never have any fun without her girls? It so happened that she ran a little late from her appointment. Adam was allegedly preturbed about her tardiness. A little tiff ensued and Jill said there was some strange tension on their trip down to the college. See what she gets for not taking us with? Anyhow, a little after dusk they pulled into what was apparently a ghost town. There had been a couple inches of snow and Adam told Jill that he wanted to go look off The Centennial Bridge like

Girls in the Lobby!

How's the stain Jill? they had done so many times during college (and incidentally where they first kissed). What a sweetheart! Jill said she was cold and a little irritated at that point but once they walked onto the pristine snow and looked out over the water...it was calmingly beautiful. The lights were dancing on the river and the crystal snowflakes were gently falling to the ground. At that moment Adam got down on one knee and proposed. They weren't meeting up with anyone. This was his plan all along (and no wonder he was slightly tweaked out!). After years of being friends and a long absence in between, they found their way back to each other forever. I guess she said yes because we ended up in Cabo for one helluva' party! So begins the tale of the most beautiful wedding ever! Okay! Okay! Okay! So fast forward to the end of February 2009 and we're off to the southern tip of the Baja California peninsula to Cabo San Lucas. I've heard so many wonderful tales of Cabo being a playground for the rich and famous. Of course I was going to play the part...not that my girl Jill isn't way hotter

Lord have mercy

Put a leash on that girl! than Jennifer Aniston (she is like 10 times hotter!!!!!), I was still going to party like a rock star! It's easy to do in Cabo. The entire wedding party stayed at the all-inslusive RIU on the beach so there was no shortage of cocktails flowing at the swim up infinity bar. The view was spectacular, the temperature was perfect, and the resort was emaculate. There was a multitude of restaurants and bars with a ton of stuff to do on site. I gave myself an enema standing over one of the fountains in front of the resort. Just because the rendezvous was classy didn't mean I was any less deranged! There were free water sports and of course you could rent any of the motorized ones. Anything you could imagine doing on vacation was right there. The most important part of being on the water was that it was the easiest way to get into town (Cabo) because the water taxis come right up to the resorts. It's much quicker than trying to catch a land bound cab. There are always water taxis in town that will bring you back also. Once everyone had arrived the bride and groom

Catamaran sunset

Jill's dad had a private catamaran cruise planned for all of their guests. What a wonderful way to start off the festivities and get to know the crew that had gathered for some R&R and wedded bliss. It was a superb evening and the company matched the climate. I have to say it's rare that I've seen such a large group of people traveling together with no sign of drama anywhere. This was definitely a testiment to everyone's love for Jill and Adam (and I'd like to think the company they keep also😊 As we sailed around the famous de Arco San Lucas we mingled, toasted, and prepared for an amazing week as the sun glazed the horizon with twilight. After the cruise we hit downtown Cabo with all the rank and rigor of drunken sailers but alas we made it back safely to our resort without any new tatoos (I think?!). As I awoke the next morning in my hungover fog I realized it wasn't a dream. There is nothing better than waking up to a sunrise over the ocean...NOTHING! I know my husband would disagree. He wakes up to something else rising every day, but for me I'll take the

Pool view from RIU waves over a silver speedo any time. During the day different groups took off in different directions. Some hit the beach, others went in to town, but we all had the same goal. The southern point of the Baja is just calm enough to exhale, yet breathtaking in so many ways. There are plenty of places to shop and hang out but it's much more relaxed than some of the full-throttle tourist ports throughout the Caribbean and Mexico. There are some tours you can take but we took a pass on those with the intention of returning for another trip. I heard Old San Jose is a quant, rustic little town rich with historic landmarks. I have also been advised that many of the golf courses in the area are kick-ass. I've yet to golf on a coastline and it is definitely on the bucket list. It's another great reason to go back but I enjoyed my time immensely as it was. So after a few glorious days of vacation the big day had finally arrived. Although some of Los Cabos is vaguely fuzzy almost every detail of this specacular wedding has been etched into my memory. The

Together ceremony and reception were held at the most exquisite location in the Baja. The Sunset De Mona Lisa is nestled atop cliffs that hang over the brilliant turqoise waters of the Sea of Cortez. A beautiful open mezzanine descends to the beach below through several levels of terraces, fountains, and sparkling pools. The famous arch and shimmering lights of Cabo rest in the distance for an added evening aura. It may be the only wedding reception I have been to in the Baja but I can't imagine a more beautiful backdrop for any matrimony. I've honestly never seen anything more stunning than the sun setting behind the bride and groom as the ocean below waved in accordance to their "I do's." It was the most regal ceremony I have ever attended. The entire event was magnificent in the most laid back, enchanting sort of way. Although I had been a little anxious anticipating this moment for my dear friends there was something so tranquil about this venue. The instant we arrived there was a calming allure. I must confess that amidst it all the most amazing moment of the whole evening was when I saw the bride before she

Forever! walked down the aisle. There was that quiet confidence I had noticed in her eyes just a few years before. When I first heard her speak of her unbeknownst future husband. It was that strange little smirk on her face that I now recognized...it was peaceful and she was beautiful.

As charming as the ambiance of the Mona Lisa could be, as glamourous as the reception was, and as wonderful as the entire trip will be remembered. The single most beautiful thing I saw in Cabo San Lucas was two of my favorite people deciding that they wanted to share the rest of their lives together. It was awesome and I can't thank them enough for letting me be a part of it. Adam and Jill have been at the end of my rainbow before and I'm so grateful that they will be there many more times in my life! Thank you, thank you, thank you. Second honeymoon anyone? Wait a second...I still have to take the first one!!

Florida LGBTQ destination wedding sites we love!

Couples love Florida weddings. Especially our LGBTQ destination wedding couples!

Easy to reach, balmy and laid-back, it’s a slice of paradise right in your backyard. What’s not so well known is the diversity of its many LGBTQ destination wedding-ready properties, from quaint inns to historic hotels to sprawling beach resorts.

Whatever your dream wedding is going to look like, Florida has the LGBTQ destination wedding venue you’re seeking.

Here are our top Florida LGBTQ destination wedding venue picks.

Alys Beach – South Walton County – Mazes of shell-stone paths and rows of whitewashed villas hug a private sugar-sand beach on the eastern end of Highway 30A. Hold the rehearsal dinner at Caliza, where guests will feel like they’ve teleported to an intimate Moroccan Kasbah with an elliptical pool, a Moorish tower and billowing curtains.

With sweeping views of both the Gulf and the community’s 20-acre nature preserve, the lawn of Kelly Green is
a favored site for outdoor LGBTQ destination wedding events (seats 250).

Casa Monica – St. Augustine – Old-world charm pervades this circa-1888 landmark in America’s oldest city, and is perfect for a LGBTQ destination wedding.

Marry in a tropical, fountain-filled garden, then hold a fantasy-themed reception (think Gypsies or Pirates of the Caribbean – to offbeat LGBTQ destination wedding events recently held at this venue) in one of the ballrooms. Make your exit in the property’s getaway car — a vintage Model A Ford.

Celebration Hall – Santa Rosa Beach – If you want a blank slate on which to paint your perfect LGBTQ destination wedding picture, Celebration Hall, with its vaulted ceilings, wrought-iron chandeliers and room for 300 guests, is a classic canvas.

Surrounding gardens have ample space for a reception tent; or hold cocktail hour on the lawn while the staff transforms the hall from ceremony site to party place. If you’ve got your heart set on a beach wedding, the hall is just a few minutes from the shore and only 50 feet from 30A Suites, a boutique condo hotel, so no one will have to drive after your bash.

Ancient Spanish Monastery – North Miami Beach – The directions say Miami Gardens Drive in North Miami Beach, but the old street signs call it NE 183rd Street. And NE 185th Street. And NE 186th Street.

Maybe they don’t want you to discover this former abbey, hidden amid Spanish oaks dangling moss as long as a cathedral veil. The 870-year-old building, moved stone by stone from northern Spain, is remarkably versatile.

Opt for the intimate French Altar if the guest list for your LGBTQ destination wedding is under 10, or stretch your legs in the Gothic, 80-seat Monastery Chapel. Twenty acres of gardens make a breathtaking backdrop for any wedding album.

The Don CeSar – St. Pete Beach – Opened in 1928, the 277-room Pink Lady was once the stomping grounds of author F. Scott Fitzgerald, baseball star Lou Gehrig and infamous mobster Al Capone.

In addition to its prime Gulf Coast beach location, the Don also boasts three restaurants, a pool with an underwater sound system, a host of specialty shops and an 11,000-square-foot spa.

Most LGBTQ destination wedding affairs take place in the sand or on the iconic Courtyard staircase, while receptions occur in indoor-outdoor ballrooms or covered beachside pavilions.

The Gasparilla Inn & Club – Boca Grande – This Old Florida resort, which dates to 1913, features 62 rooms and suites with Tempur-Pedic beds and soft Southern decor, while 17 individual cottages house private parlors, screened porches and kitchenettes. Pets are welcome here too.

LGBTQ destination wedding sites include the Inn’s Beach Club, the Golf Course Gazebo (seats 100), the banyan tree shading the fifth hole of the golf course, and the Inn’s spacious living room (buyouts only; seats 300). An outdoor reception, with seated dinners available poolside or on the Croquet Lawn overlooking the bayou, is a must here.

Ernest Hemingway Home and Museum – Key West – A circa-1849 Old Town estate where Ernest Hemingway lived and wrote for almost a decade now welcomes tour groups and LGBTQ destination wedding affairs — and shelters about 50 six-toed cats, all named after famous people (continuing a tradition that Hemingway himself started).

Surrounded by a tall brick wall and a canopy of trees, its garden is a natural for destination weddings.

Ocean Key Resort & Spa – Key West – Tucked at the tip of Duval Street within walking distance to the evening Sunset Celebrations at Mallory Square, this 100-room property is right in the middle of the action. But holed up in a private cabana by the sexy waterfront pool, you’d never know it.

Hold your LGBTQ destination wedding on the waterfront on the Ocean Terrace, then enjoy a private cocktail party and a reception dinner at Sunset Pier (seats 200). Catering is available via onsite Hot Tin Roof restaurant (seats up to 60), with options like ceviche and Florida spiny lobster.

Omni Amelia Island Plantation Resort – Amelia Island – Choose the view for your LGBTQ destination wedding — golf course, freshwater marsh or ocean — at this 404-room stunner, fresh from a significant face-lift.

The Plantation offers a glimpse into the more natural side of Florida.  Think lakes and marshes for fishing, kayaking or paddle boarding, and even a nature center for the kids. Welcome guests with a beach bonfire; then hold your LGBTQ destination wedding event in the chapel, on the sand or in the rustic Walker’s Landing event building outfitted with a fieldstone fireplace.

Ponte Vedra Inn & Club – Ponte Vedra Beach – This oceanfront resort still feels like an inn, with 250 individually themed rooms located in 10 low-rise buildings.

Events here, from LGBTQ destination wedding ceremonies to beach-buffet receptions, center on the sand. The Inn’s rooftop terrace and the Surf Club’s beachfront patio are also popular party spots.

Renaissance Vinoy Resort & Golf Club – St. Petersburg – The Mediterranean Revival architecture of this 1920s-era hotel landed it on the National Register of Historic Places. For intimate LGBTQ destination wedding affairs, opt for the Tea Garden, or go big with a 450-person bash in the grand ballroom, where former Florida governor Charlie Crist celebrated his nuptials.

Before we go any further, We HAVE to talk about these two Florida LGBTQ destination wedding gems:  Captiva and Sanibel Islands.

As the name implies, Captiva Island is indeed captivating. Few visitors can resist the lush tropical scenery, where summer breezes rustle the gently swaying palm trees, and the crystal-clear water laps against soft, silky sands!

The island is a peaceful haven, with plenty of wildlife and nature to enjoy, while also offering a good social scene, with restaurants, cafes and beachside bars.

This romantic destination makes the perfect location for a Florida beach LGBTQ destination wedding.

Exchange your vows whilst directly overlooking the vast expanse of the ocean, and afterwards, enjoy all the luxury and laid-back indulgence that only a tropical island can offer.

Captiva is famous for its spectacular sunrises and sunsets, which are impressively dramatic over the vast expanse of the ocean. It is also renowned for the beautiful, brightly colored shells that wash up daily on the beaches, and the textural quality that they bring to the coastal scenery makes Captiva truly special.

Unlike other beaches in the region, Captiva is more for couples looking to experience a sense of seclusion and intimacy during their LGBTQ destination wedding and honeymoon. The beaches provide tranquility and romantic solitude, though there are still water sports activities for those who want to get active whilst away.

South Seas Island Resort – Captiva Island – Occupying 330 acres on the northern reaches of Captiva Island, this resort village feels more remote than it actually is. And because it’s private to its guests, you don’t have to worry about LGBTQ destination wedding crashers.

For the ultimate in privacy, opt for the Sunset Cove beach area on the Gulf.

Sanibel Island is the very definition of exotic island paradise. Gleaming white sands, tall coconut palms and clear, sparkling water make it an ideal location for those searching for a romantic Florida beach LGBTQ destination wedding.

There are plenty of other great things to do and see on the island to keep you entertained, long after the ceremony has finished.

If you’ve ever dreamed of saying ‘I do’ whilst surrounded by lush and exotic scenery, with the sound of the waves gently breaking on the shore in front of you, then Sanibel Island is the ultimate LGBTQ destination wedding location.

In addition to having some of the finest coasts in the country, and like Captiva Island, Sanibel’s beaches are also famous for their remarkable shells. The beautiful, varied texture that this gives the beaches makes the atmosphere even more magical.

The 22 miles of sand that surround the island ensure that couples can find plenty of secluded space to relax and enjoy the start of your life together as newlyweds.

There is more to Sanibel than just beaches, of course. The interior of the island has a beautiful nature reserve and wildlife refuge, which provides the perfect location for exploration under the balmy summer sun, and there are plenty of activities to enjoy after your wedding, including various water sports, such as fishing and snorkeling.

Casa Ybel Resort – Sanibel Island – This resort spans 23 acres along the Gulf of Mexico and features several Sanibel Island LGBTQ destination wedding locations to choose from for your ceremony.

Whether you envision reciting your vows on our white sand beach, saying “I Do” in a romantic lakeside gazebo or exchanging rings on the resort’s Gulf-front lawn, Casa Ybel Resort is the perfect LGBTQ destination wedding venue on Sanibel Island.

The Ringling – Sarasota – Conjure Gatsby at the 1920s-era estate of circus barons John and Mable Ringling. Rich in architecture and history, the facility’s U-shaped Museum of Art is stunning.

Larger LGBTQ destination wedding groups have ample space to celebrate in its courtyard, graced with replicas of ancient Greek, Roman and Baroque statues. Other venues include a rose garden, a banyan grove and the mansion’s bay-front Ca’ d’Zan Terrace, where Ringling himself threw countless parties.

Once you’ve settled on a Florida location and a date for your LGBTQ destination wedding, get in touch!  We’re here to help.  Fran is waiting to chat with you about building an amazing suite of save the date cards, destination wedding invitations, and more.

Be sure to visit our curated collection of images to help keep you motivated and inspired.  You can find that right here.

A Florida LGBTQ destination wedding is about as romantic and idyllic as it gets.  Your dream wedding day is going to magical, enchanting, and altogether memorable.

Simply your Best Day Ever!             

The post Florida LGBTQ destination wedding sites we love! appeared first on Invitations by R2.

from Florida LGBTQ destination wedding sites we love!