#this chapter was super funny especially the part where they get off the tea cups and walk all wobbly lol
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BNHA Team Up Mission Spin-Off Manga Chapter 9 Summary Translation
The Boku No Hero Academia TEAM UP MISSION manga Chapter 9 follows Bakugou, Todoroki, and Kirishima as they team up with Shiketsu's Camie to act in a stage play at a theme park. The chapter is really hilarious and lighthearted.
The title of the chapter is “That’s Totally Overdoing the Illusion!”
Here's the entire chapter summary! Enjoy~
Boku No Hero Academia TEAM UP MISSION
By Akiyama Youkou
Chapter 9 That’s Totally Overdoing the Illusion!
The chapter starts off with Bakugou, Kirishima, and Todoroki on a Team Up Mission at a theme park called “Future World.” They arrive at the theme park and Kirishima says the theme park is amazing. Todoroki notes that it’s really big, and Bakugou says, “Whatever, it’s just for kids.” They then are approached by Camie, who says, “Omg no way! U.A. is like, here too??”
Camie says “I’m like so totally excited to be meeting up with some hotties again, like woah!”
Bakugou says he has no idea what the hell Camie is saying, and Kirishima exclaims, “Oh! It’s a Shiketsu student from the Provisional Hero License Exam!” Kirishima proceeds to introduce himself in his intense manner, and Camie says that he kinda acts like Inasa.
It turns out that the Team Up Mission requires U.A. Academy to team up with Shiketsu at the amusement park to assist the staff with something. They meet up with the CEO of the park to figure out what exactly he needs help on. The CEO is a tiny man with a large mustache dressed up like a jester.
The CEO asks them to follow him to another side of the park, called Retro Land. This theme park is a run-down and old looking traditional theme park with barely any customers. The CEO of the theme park says that he brought them here to take part in a stage play to attract more customers.
He hands them a script, which is about a town being attacked by villains. The heroes show up and fight the villains, and the heroes end up in a pinch. However, with the help of the citizens cheering them on, the heroes are able to restore peace back to the city.
Kirishima hears the outline of the play and gets excited, saying it’s such an awesome mainstream story. Bakugou scoffs and says, “but it’s damn basic.” Kirishima then says, “Nah, I like it!”
The students then go into a rehearsal of the scene where the heroes are in a pinch. One of the professional actresses, a Dog Lady wearing a skull choker, low v-neck vest, studded belt, and long pants, says, “Oh you guys are actually heroes? Then you probably haven’t acted before?”
Kirishima then tries to do his best acting, saying “Gahh…I’m…strong….guhhh I won’t…fall down…I’ll never turn my back…because I….I….!!!” and overdoes his acting.
Camie then says “Like holy crap the Villain blindsided me, and now I’m on the floor like discarded bubble tea!”
Todoroki just falls onto the floor silently. Bakugou tries acting, screaming “I WILL NEVER FALL TO THE LIKES OF A VILLAIN!” The Dog Lady actress asks them if they were actually even trying to act, and they all say they were doing their best. The Dog Lady says she’s a bit worried about how this will go.
In either case, they need to decide which role everyone will be taking part. The Dog Lady instructs them to decide among themselves who will get what role.
Bakugou and Camie both say at the same time they want to be the lead Hero role. Camie says, “Wait, but I’m older than you so I totally should be the lead Hero role!” Bakugou gets mad and screams, “BUT I AM THE STRONGEST ONE HERE. BESIDES, I AM Q.E.D.!**”
Camie says “Damn yo, that’s the lowest of the low” and Bakugou yells, “Shut the hell up and speak your mother tongue, damnit!”
Kirishima tries to calm him saying, “Calm down guys, Camie-senpai too…!” He then notices that Todoroki is looking at a child’s playground bear spring rider, and Kirishima asks, “Oh, do you want to ride it? The staff did say we could enjoy the park as much as we’d like!” Kirishima mentions that they never really had a chance to go to a theme park ever since entering High School, and being at a theme park feels nostalgic as it brings back memories of his childhoold.
Todoroki then says, “No…I don’t have any memories of ever going to a theme park.”
Camie looks at Todoroki and says, “Uh, like no way?”
Kirishima then grabs Todoroki and says, “WELL IF THAT’S THE CASE…JUST PRACTICING OUR LINES WILL GET STALE, SO LET’S ENJOY THE THEME PARK!” and rides the bear spring rider together with Todoroki.
Camie wants to join them too, and she, Kirishima, and Todoroki go on a carousel while Bakugou gets irritated. Camie is taking a picture for Kirishima and Todoroki on her cellphone while Kirishima calls out to Bakugou saying, “Heeyyy! Bakugou, come join us!”
Bakugou scoffs, “Hmph, waste of time.”
Kirishima, Todoroki, and Camie then ride a roller coaster together and Kirishima shouts, “It’s fun you know!”
Bakugou says, “This is no time to be playing with these stupid toys…!”
Kirishima then grins and says to Bakugou “All right then, if that’s the case, let’s decide who gets the lead Hero hero role by seeing who can get the least dizzy from the tea cup ride!” This piques Bakugou’s interest, and Kirishima further taunts him saying, “If you’re not confident about it, then you don’t gotta force yourself!”
This gets Bakugou fired up and he says, “I’m going to spin this shit and kill all of you guys!!!!!!!” He sits in the tea cup next to Kirishima, Camie, and Todoroki and spins it like crazy. Camie looks like she’s going to throw up and says, “Wait…Bakugou…you’re like, turning it way too fast!”
Bakugou looks at Kirishima and taunts, “HOW IS IT!? YOU DON’T LOOK SO GOOD. GONNA GIVE UP YET!?” and Kirishima yells back, “YOU MUST BE JOKING! NOT EVEN CLOSE! TURN IT UP!!”
Bakugou then screams, “PLUS ULTRAAAAAA!!!” as he spins the cup so fast it looks as if they are not moving at all. Camie squeaks “Helllaaaaaaa…”
After they get off the ride, Bakugou, Kirishima, and Camie are wobbling around and walking unevenly, with Kirishima accidentally heading towards the direction of the girl’s bathroom in his dizzy state and Camie about to throw up on the floor. Bakugou sways and proudly points at no one, saying “You bastard, you’re all dizzy!”
Kirishima says, “Guh…did…didja see that, Bakug….erghh!” Camie says she’s going to hurl. Todoroki asks, “Uh, where are you guys even going?”
Kirishima then notices that Todoroki is completely unphased, and he asks “Todoroki…you’re okay!?” Todoroki responds, “I feel a bit uneasy…”
With that, it’s decided that Todoroki gets the lead Hero role. They then head back to the stage, and there’s a few people in the audience already as well as two camera men who will be filming this performance and uploading it online later.
All the students are ready for their performance, and as they act out the first scene, a group of people corner the CEO and threaten him. The group are land developers who tell the CEO to give up Retro Land since it’s going out of business anyway. He grabs the CEO in a chokehold, but the CEO says he won’t hand over the park to these people.
As this is happening, Camie, Bakugou, Todoroki, and Kirishima go backstage after their first act. Camie says they can take a short break until the next scene. Kirishima remarks that the camera was focused a lot on him, but Bakugou says he’s pretty damn sure he was the one getting more spotlight.
As they walk backstage, they see the group of people threatening the CEO. Kirishima, Todoroki, and Bakugou easily take out these villains, but the villain tells the CEO that they had planted a trap at the roller coaster in Retro Land where a part of the roller coaster tracks were destroyed. The ride operators did not know this, and there’s currently a cart that will be falling off the roller coaster tracks soon. The villain mentions that no one would want to go to a theme park after hearing of such a bad accident. Kirishima realizes this and rushes first to the roller coaster ride.
Meanwhile, Camie is wondering what to do because their break is over, and they’re due to be on stage again. Since the boys are dealing with the villains, she decides to create illusions of all of them and wing the performance off script with her illusion versions of Bakugou, Todoroki, and Kirishima.
She recreates the pretty boy Todoroki illusion, who turns to the Dog Lady, who’s playing the role of the villain, and says, “Won’t you…please stop being a villain? You should become a Hero instead!” and the Dog Lady blushes and immediately falls for it, saying “YES…!”
Since Camie can’t access the script right now, she just decides to ad lib everything and make up a new story. She makes the Illusion Kirishima turn out to be the actual villain of the story, and the camera men who are in the audience wonder what happened to the original script.
On the other side of the park, Kirishima is already on top of the roller coaster tracks and uses his hardening to stop the oncoming roller coaster cart. He tries to stop it but the cart still keeps going.
Bakugou then comes behind him and steps on his back, and Kirishima looks back and says “Bakugou!”
The guy on the front seat of the ride screams “Why are there two people [on the tracks]!?”
Bakugou says that there’s not enough manpower to stop the roller coaster. He places one hand on Kirishima’s back to support him while using his other hand to set off a huge explosion, propelling them forward to nullify the movement of the roller coaster cart.
Back at the stage, Camie is doing her best trying to improv the play. Her Illusion Villain Kirishima gloats that he will fulfill his revenge. The Illusion Todoroki cries out, “No! Please stop this fight!” while a very quiet and calm looking Bakugou places his hand on Illusion Todoroki’s shoulder.
The real Bakugou and Kirishima are still trying to stop the roller coaster cart from going further, and Kirishima hugs the front of the roller coaster as Bakugou continues to use his explosion to stop the cart. They finally successfully stop the coaster, and Kirishima falls back in relief, showing a dent in the front of the roller coaster cart in the shape of his body.
Just as they saved the roller coaster cart, Camie was finished with the play as well. The two camera men who were filming the play were so moved they started crying at how good the play was. One of the camera men mentions that he wants to bring this Hero Stage play around the entire country because it was so moving.
The resolution scene shows the Illusion Villain Kirishima shaking hands with the Illusion Quiet Bakugou with the closing line, “And with that, the hero that looked the most like a Villain was able to open the actual Villain’s heart and let him turn a new leaf.”
The crowd cheers as Illusion Bakugou and Illusion Villain Kirishima continue to shake hands.
At the roller coaster, Todoroki assists the people in the roller coaster cart off the tracks by using his ice to create an emergency ladder. Kirishima then smiles at Camie and says, “Good work Camie-senpai! You did it!” Camie looks like she’s going to hurl again since she overused her quirk, saying “I feel hella sick…I like, overdid the illusions…hella…”
With that, the four students finish their training at the amusement park together. Later that week, the Retro Land Stage Play was uploaded onto a video streaming site, and the video got 1,200 likes and counting. The show was a hit online, and because of that, Retro Land’s popularity bounced back and more people started going to the theme park.
However, because of the stage play, Kirishima, Bakugou, and Todoroki also gained some new fans.
The last scene shows the two camera men hiding in the bushes with cameras while Bakugou, Todoroki, and Kirishima are walking.
Kirishima ask them, “Hey uh…do you guys get the feeling we’re being watched…?”
THE END!
#boku no hero academia#bnha#bakugou#bakugou katsuki#todoroki#todoroki shouto#kirishima#kirishima eijirou#camie utsushimi#my translations#this chapter was super funny especially the part where they get off the tea cups and walk all wobbly lol
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Victims
Pairing: Bucky Barnes x female reader
Warnings:Fluff,mention of trauma,rape(not by Bucky), torture. (No mention of rape in this chapter but will be in future ones)
Description: You discover you may have misjudged Bucky.
This is my first Chapter of an idea I’ve been wanting to play out for a while now. More to come very soon.
Chapter 1: Sleep
Bucky didn’t talk much.
Especially not to you. “He wasn’t always like this.” Steve had said to you once in passing, his keen senses picking up on just how tense your shoulders got whenever Bucky had blatantly ignored you. Good old Steve, not a bad word to say about anyone. You tried to brush it off, but you really hated being ignored. It made you feel like a pathetic, over excited puppy dog nipping at everyones heels for attention. You were loud, and blunt, and very aware of how much social space you took up when you engaged in conversation. You had no doubt it was annoying. Many times you tried to curb your hyper behavior, but that was exhausting, and eventually you had to come to the conclusion that that was just you. You were who you were, and everyone-save Bucky-adored you. That was on him, you couldn’t change how he felt.
You weren’t quite sure how to approach Barnes, having only ever known him as The Asset before you all came to the compound. The first time you met, he’d lifted you off the ground with a metal hand to your throat. He would have snapped your neck if Steve hadn’t gotten him off of you. You really hated that, too. You wanted so desperately not to need saving, ever. You were strong, but you were no Super Soldier, and the overly competitive parts of you reeled against that with everything they had. You did not need to be saved. Not by Steve or anyone.
You weren’t the only one on the team without powers. You learned from shared experience it didn’t make you any less essential. Just hurt like a son of a bitch sometimes. Like Bucky, you had been taken by Hydra against your will. Unlike Bucky-you hadn’t been brainwashed. Just tortured. No matter how hard they pushed, no matter how many times you had been left bruised and bleeding on the icy concrete floor you never lost sight of what was right. When Hydra’s infiltration of Shield was out in the open, and they released the Winter Soldier into the world again you felt like it was the moment you had been waiting for. Suddenly everything they had taught you about weapons and hand to hand became a brutal mistake on their part. When Nick Fury learned about the things you had done, what you knew, seen you in action, he made sure you and Steve Rogers got acquainted. After that, you never had to look for a job a day in your life. Now you were here.
It wasn’t yet light out when you headed down the stairs, dressed in a black running gear from head to toe, all the way down to your shoes that were propped against the wall in waiting. Your socks were actually the only colorful thing you had on, red white and blue donning the captain America shield, an ongoing joke between you and Steve.
You were always up before anyone else, craving the silence and peace you felt in the early morning, beginning your usual run just as the sun crested the hilltops. Your workout regimen was insanely strict, you beat yourself up whenever you ran late, often feeling guilty about it the rest of the day. Absentmindedly, you bobbed your head to the song playing in your headphones, doing your best to keep relatively quiet as you mixed up your pre-workout in a shaker bottle. You spun to set it on the counter beside you, jumping when you noticed the outline of a figure sitting across from you.
“Jesus,” you said more to yourself than to him, lowering your headphones to around the base of your neck. You popped the cap of your bottle and rolling your shoulders. Taking your first sip of caffeine, you held his stare.
“You scared me, man.”
Bucky said nothing, though his eyes widened slightly- the only indication that he had heard you at all. He sat straight and rigid behind the marble countertop, but he looked…softer somehow. His lips parted slightly, exhaling a short breath, then pressed together gently. His grey henley was wrinkled and disheveled, his hands laid flat on his thighs, as though he was awaiting his next order.
“Are you going for a run?” He asked in such a tender tone that you blinked twice before you processed that it was even him speaking. You weren’t even aware that he knew you ran. You weren’t even aware he knew you existed half the time.
“Uh-yeah.” You responded cautiously, swirling the contents of your bottle to incorporate the undissolved powder at the bottom. Bucky gave a small nod, greasy strands of dark hair falling into his eyes as he did so. Dark circles plagued in under-eyes, while the glass blue of his irises looked dull and worn. He looked rough, even for him. You always thought he was the best looking one here, but it’s a little hard to appreciate someones looks when all they ever do is disregard you. Now that you got a really good look at him, even with the obvious sleep deprivation, you could see just how handsome he really was.
“You go every day?” The Soldier’s next question pulled you from your drifting thoughts and you had a question of your own; why did he care? The longest conversation you had ever had with this man was the time he asked you to pass the A1 and that was a month ago.
“Six days a week,” you started, with caffeine running through your brain you were unable to keep yourself from over-explaining.
“Wednesdays are my rest days, It’s the only day I get to sleep in but I usually don’t. I hate taking rest days, but it’s better for your body if you do.”
You finished your drink and set the bottle in the sink for now, you would wash it later. You were ready to abandon this weird fucking conversation. Sliding your headphones back over your ears, you pulled out your phone and started to search for a song to run to when you glanced up and noticed the look on his face. You hadn’t been through anything close to what he had, but you knew a thing or two about trauma. You definitely knew that look from all the times you’d seen it in your reflection.
You paused your music and took the headphones down again, setting them on the counter this time.
“Are you okay?” You asked, pressing your hips against the ledge, leaning your palms on the counter, ready to listen. The sincerity of your voice threw him off. He was so used to being on the outside looking in, watching you make your sarcastic quips to everyone, chuckling to himself when no one was looking. He was always blown away by just how clever you were, and how quick your mind worked. He didn’t think he could keep up in a conversation with you in a million years. It wasn’t often Sargent Barnes was intimidated. You were fiery, and tough, funny as hell-and you didn’t take shit from anyone.
Bucky had heard from Steve that you had a big heart, but he had never seen the softer side of you.
His eyes were shiny when he looked up at you, his voice echoed with defeat.
“I don’t know how I got here.” He said quietly.
“I don’t want to move. I-“ His voice choked a little.
“I don’t know where I’m supposed to be.”
You felt your heart squeeze in your chest. God, what this poor man had endured. He had been told where to go, what to do, what to say- for years he had been controlled. Now he was free, and he was confused, scared. Hydra was no walk in the park, but you get used to the routine of torment and control. You knew better than anyone what that was like.
“How long have you been down here?” You asked. He was still, then he responded.
“A few hours, I think.” He didn’t look at the clock, just stared straight ahead. He must have gotten up in the middle of the night from a bad dream.
You sucked in a small breath through your teeth, then exhaled, letting the tension release from between your shoulder blades.
“Okay,” You said quietly, setting your phone down and rounding the side of the counter. Your run could wait a little while.
“Okay. That’s okay. Do you want me to help you back to you room?” Bucky shook his head.
“I think I broke a mirror. Glass everywhere.” You nodded, making a mental note to clean it up when you got back.
Bucky’s breath hitched slightly, increasing in rhythm. “I don’t know where I’m supposed to be.” He repeated, and you slid your hand toward him on the counter, leaning on your elbow so you were face level with him.
“Hey,” Your voice was soft, calm, even. It encouraged him to stay the same by your example.
“It’s alright, I’m going to help you.”
You had your mission now, heading back to the kitchen you put the tea kettle on, then opened the freezer, taking out the frozen eye mask Tony sometimes used for hangovers. You dug into the cabinet taking out two peppermint tea bags from your hidden stash, dropping one in the nearest mug, and tucking one in your sweatshirt pocket.
You were beside him again, moving the ice pack toward his forehead. Bucky jerked backward with a quick inhale, and you drew your arm inward. You remembered his mask. “I’m just going to put it on your forehead.” You murmured. Bucky’s bottom lip quivered. “Don’t put that on me, please.” Your fingers curled, and you nodded in understanding.
“Okay, okay, one sec.” You jogged back into the kitchen and traded the ice pack for two large chunks of ice.
“Let’s try this instead.”
Bucky watched you carefully, your well muscled legs flexing as you busied yourself in the kitchen. He had been distantly aware that you were in good shape, but your normal black cargo pants must have hid a lot from view, because now that he was seeing you in the leggings you wore to run-he couldn’t stop looking. God damn, you really took care of yourself. His eyes snapped back up when you turned around again. You were careful to switch the stove off before the kettle wailed, pouring hot water into the mug and sliding it in font of him. Steam swirled from the cup and the soldier caught a whiff of mint.
You were in front of him again, conscious not to make too many sudden movements. “Turn toward me.” You instructed, and he followed orders, allowing you to stand between his legs as you soothed a cube of ice over each of his temples. His eyes fluttered slightly, the frozen temperature sent a shock of relief down his spine. He couldn’t hold back the pained groan as it erupted from his chest when you moved your fingers in slow circles, applying just the right amount of pressure.
“Y’know,” You began. “Before I was here, before any of this, I worked at a mental facility for at-risk teenagers.”
Bucky’s brow knit. He had always assumed that with your skills with firearms and combat that you had always been in some sort of covert ops position. He was realizing just how little he knew about you. Steve talked about you sometimes, but his jaw had always been real tight when it came to your past. “Drugs, alcohol, suicide, abuse-I hated it, it was too hard on me mentally-but I learned a lot. Most importantly, I learned that when you press something cold to your temple or forehead, it sends a shock to your neurotransmitters. Basically telling your system that you’re in pain, countering panic by releasing chemicals into the body that slow down the release of cortisol and adrenaline.”
The dark haired man soaked in every word you said . He knew you talked a lot, but you’d never talked this much to him before, and he was eating it up. Bucky had always like the sound of your voice. He didn’t even mind the melting water running down his neck, soaking into the collar of his shirt.
“You can also bite down on a lemon wedge. ” You offered, taking the cubes of ice away and tossing them into the sink. You pulled your sweatshirt sleeve over the heel of your hand and dabbed the water away, he leaned into your touch this time.
“Or smell strong peppermint.” You said, gently lifting his metal arm by the wrist and snatching the packet of tea from your pocket, dropping it in his shiny palm.
“It’s called grounding.” You stated, motioning for him to try.
Hesitantly, the soldier brought his hand to his nose, inhaling deeply. He looked back at you with one grateful nod. It helped. You pointed curtly to the cabinet by the fridge.
“I always keep a box of tea in there, it’s shoved way in the back because someone keeps taking it, probably Sam, but you’re welcome to as much as you’d like.” You slid the now perfect temperature tea into his free hand.
“Drink it, It always helps calm me down.”
Bucky took two greedy gulps, downing about half it’s contents in one go and making you giggle. It made his eyelids heavy.
“C’mon, Sergeant Barnes.” You coaxed, beckoning him to follow you into the other room. When he stood, you had to take a step back. You weren’t exactly the shortest person, but even so, had always worn tactical boots around him and they added a couple inches to your height. With you just in socks, you realized how much he towered over your five foot seven stature. It both scared and excited you. You edged a foot backward, circling it behind yourself and swaying your weight on it as if you were ready for him to take a swing at you. He eyed your stance momentarily before you broke and softened again, shaking out fists you hadn’t even realized you’d clenched. You didn’t trust him yet.
Wordlessly, you led him to the couch. His footsteps behind you were lighter than you thought they would be, but of course he had both stealth and brute force on his side. That sent a tingle down your stomach that you chose to ignore.
“Lay down.” You said as you dragged the coffee table closer to the couch. Bucky did as he was told, his burned out mind thankful to have some sort of direction. His eyes were half lidded and languorous, the long forgotten feeling of sleep pulling at the edges of his bruised psyche. His eyes tracked your every move. His stare somewhat lazy with fatigue, but right on target like the skilled sniper you’d seen in action so many times.
“Try to get some sleep.” Your voice was still soft, but brimmed with anticipation for your upcoming workout. Bucky felt a sudden pang of guilt for keeping you back an extra half hour. He glanced over his shoulder at the window, seeing through the gap in the shades that the sun was already up.
“I’ll check in with you when I get back.” You added, taking a large cashmere blanket from the nearby armchair and draping it over him. He hadn’t been tucked into bed in over 70 years.
You scampered back to the kitchen to retrieve his mug, but when you set it down on the table and looked at his face, he was already asleep.
“Sleep well, Sergeant.” You said quietly.
Bucky’s eyes were open the minute you turned your back, watching as you pulled your shoes on and jogged out the door. He craned his neck so he could watch you take off down the neatly paved road.
It was only when you were completely out of sight that he finally let himself fall asleep.
#bucky barnes#bucky barnes fanfiction#bucky barnes x female reader#bucky barnes x you#marvel#avengers#sebastian stan#Bucky barnes romance#Bucky#bucky barnes angst#the winter solider x reader
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rules of the game: ch. 5 - my kind’s your kind
Story Summary:
The Evergreen and Imagi were never quite in peacetime. Roman’s just trying to figure out how to survive and succeed his mother. Logan wants to live long enough to use his magic however he wants. Patton is coasting while repressing everything, still trying to figure out what feelings are.
Virgil doesn’t want to change the world.
Luckily, it isn’t up to him.
first | ao3 | prev
Chapter Summary: Dee and Virgil are both of the Evergreen. They don’t already know this.
Word count: 2658
Pairings: future lamp, platonic anxceit
~|~
When he finds Dee sitting innocently at his dining table with nothing but a cup of tea and a saucer in front of him, Virgil knows he knows.
“Did you know,” Dee starts, not looking up from his tea (Virgil can feel his barely contained glee from where he stands), “that Queen Valerie received quite the surprise this morning?”
He’s smirking like Virgil should already know. “No,” he attempts to shrug casually because it’s not technically a lie, “What surprise?”
“The queen certainly did not acquire a child,” His eyes light up, “And she really didn't get the twin fae child of the one you just cursed, no, she did not.” He laughs and practically spins out of his seat to get a good look at Virgil, effectively cutting off his path to his room. “Why didn’t you invite me on your hunt? We wouldn’t have had any fun together! There’s always something as good as some classic bonding, cursing unsuspecting humans, stealing children, you know!”
Virgil exhales a long breath through his nose, trying to move around the fae. “You are way too excited about this.”
“Well, it’s only what I haven’t wanted for years,” Dee tilts his head forward facetiously, an arm blocking his exit again, “Horrible of you to give me an early birthday present.”
Virgil gives up trying to get to his room and takes the seat Dee vacated, but then his brain catches up with what Dee just said. “Wait, I didn’t curse the kid, I cursed the queen.”
“According to the Seelie that just came from the outskirts, you definitely did not get the kid, and your magic is super stable,” Dee shrugs, moving his cup to the sink, practically fluttering his hands in joy. “The kid’s a bad mark, and if he grows up anything like his mother, you’ll be sorry you did it.”
Virgil looks at Dee, who is still grinning, genuinely ecstatic for the first time since Virgil’s met him, and thinks, maybe this isn’t the worst thing. If the queen does raise the child herself, he doesn’t have that much hope for the kid, and with King Cromwell under her thumb, it’s unlikely the kid will know what life outside the citadel looks like.
“I can see it now,” He says. The deal is composed of a thick cord that holds strong. Even tugging on it now, he feels the prince, crying alone in a nursery, and can’t believe he didn’t feel it before, “I should probably break it.”
“Sure, if you don’t want the death of a child on your hands. Magic doesn’t come with backlash.” Dee raises an eyebrow, and he hastily takes his hand back from the rope. “Besides there have been plenty of instinctive magic curses in fae history. It’s not like we don’t have the theory to even begin going about breaking it without killing you or the kid.”
He shakes his head and resolves to ignore the thing.
Dee is happy. It’s a shame, Virgil thinks. If what Virgil can recall about what he said is right, the young prince has twenty years to live, and nothing he does will affect the curse or change its course. It’s all up to Adelaide.
He doesn’t dwell on the seed of guilt that starts to grow in his stomach.
He doesn’t.
~|~
As much as he likes to focus on his misfortune, Virgil knows that when he can’t fix all his problems, it’s best to start with the ones he can handle.
The thing is, Dee’s right. His magic is unstable in that he doesn’t know what he already did with it or how to use it, and if he can’t learn to put some sort of a leash on it, he’ll be reliant on Dee forever, which isn’t ideal.
On the bright side, Dee seems delighted by the turn of events that is Virgil asking for magic lessons. They’ve started to learn to live with each other in the past couple weeks, Dee accommodating Virgil and teaching him how to do things around the estate, and Virgil carefully staying out of the way of Dee’s clients. This really is an extension of their preexisting lessons.
Dee starts them off by trying to figure out what sort of fae Virgil is. It would be going better if the only things he could talk about weren’t the way the plants lead him to Dee’s hide-away home in the Evergreen and the whole “curse” incident.
“How did you get away from a full ballroom of knights and iron? The queen wouldn’t have been extra careful with the presence of a child,” Dee has about seven books open trying to figure out what Virgil’s fae history is made of.
He shrugs, letting his shoulders slump in a little more, taking another bite of his food and ducking behind his bowl a little as Dee tosses another book to the side. “I heard the sound of breaking glass behind me? It sounded like your illusion breaking that first night we met, so I assume it was some kind of illusion magic. I just remember thinking I didn’t want them to see me leave. Illusions and plant-based magic are two very different things, though, so I don’t really understand how I would have both.”
Dee snorts, putting his own bowl down. “Even for a novice, you’ve got a horrible understanding of magic.” He brushes through his history of plant fae grimoire while frequently glancing from Virgil to the book. He turns the book so Virgil can see, “Match?”
Virgil looks at the portrait in the book of a fae with a wide face and a stubby nose and shakes his head. “I read a lot in the castle so I know a lot about magic. My mother’s collection told me about fae magic, but Adelaide’s collections taught me other kinds of magic. I moved most of her spellbooks and grimoires to my room, so even if the queen decides to go book burning, those would probably be safe. She probably doesn’t remember that I used to live in the west tower.”
The ache that comes with thinking about his old home isn’t new but he almost wishes the bittersweet feeling would go away. The castle always used to have the best view of the sunset and the most wonderful view of the full moon in the sky. Jam tarts were always a bonus too, especially when they got the ones with the special red jam. Those were things that made it really feel like home.
Dee turns the book around again. “This one?”
Virgil stops thinking about the castle.
The portrait shows an eager lady with sharp ears and elongated incisors and long silver blonde hair, about to pounce off the page. Her grin looks the same as his mother’s did before she hatched a plan to get them both in trouble. The manor staff used to hate that smile.
“That one,” he swallows down and clenches his fists to hold back the tremors he feels coming on, but it just sends sharp stings of pain through his palms. No one had told him about being part fae. No one even suggested it before Dee. If the queen knew, she surely wouldn’t have allowed Romulus to take him in. “Well, we know why about the plants now, though I’m not really sure how diluted my ancestry is,” He fiddles with the sleeves of his hoodie, and the hollow feeling in his chest persists. Enough fae blood to be fully realized by a deal gone awry, but not enough to affect him for the first 17 years of his human lived life.
Dee waves a hand and begins to put books away. “The real problem is that we know exactly why you have illusion powers like me,” The muttering increases as Virgil just sits at the table, head leaning against his palm watching as Dee pulls random books out at will, only to look through two or three pages and return them to the shelf. “Your existence as a fae makes complete sense.”
Today has already been too much, but at the very least they have a hint. “Thanks,” he replies dryly. “It’s not as though anyone told me there was a fae in my family tree somewhere. I would go back and look for the documentation if it didn’t mean getting captured and tortured for eternity for daring Adelaide.”
The scowl on Dee’s face makes him use an arm to cover the lower half of his face and stifle his snicker.
“Yes, you could go back, and all my hard work, gone, just like that?” The sarcasm is evident in his voice, as he shoots his judgmental gaze towards Virgil, “Stunning idea.”
“Nah, I think you like me too much to let me do that anyways,” Virgil openly smiles at the fae as he huffs and returns his attention to the shelves. “You do.”
“If the universe had not given you to me as a gift,” The light from the window glances off his yellow scales, making them glow, “You wouldn’t be dead right now. You would do well not to remember that.”
“Yeah,” Virgil rounds the table and plucks Dee’s bowl from where it sits, heading to the sink, “You like me.”
He doesn’t interrupt him, lets the grumbles fill the air, the only noises Dee can make without outright lying or telling the truth in the way he does.
Dee is a lot easier to understand than whatever the queen had going on, and they got on fairly well. Virgil doesn’t think it would be the worst thing to stick around for a while.
~|~
Watching Dee set up his tools for their first illusions lessons shouldn’t be as funny as it is. He left early that morning after breakfast with a cementing potion, tubes of sticking potion, and a basket of things he hadn’t let Virgil peak at.
When he’s finally allowed outside, he sees the monstrosities that Dee made in all their glory. There are trinkets of every sort pulled together from various places in the house that appear to be fashioned together into odd amalgamations. One is made up completely of porcelain doll legs in the shape of a duck and another is made up of small duck statues that have been organized into the shape of a person.
Ridiculous sculptures aside, Dee’s efforts come with a long lecture that Virgil only manages to absorb parts of.
“These won’t do for now, but the basis of this is you needn’t be able to maintain the same image in your head as the one you want to project as an illusion. It’s not like making the image in your head and turning it out of your brain to appear in the real world. Make sense?” Dee is looking very intently at the ducks while Julep watches amused from the sidelines.
Virgil frowns. “Is the correct answer yes?” He stares at the sculptures as if they will help him figure it out. “Because no.”
Sighing, Dee points at one of the ruinous creations, “When you look at that, what are you thinking about?”
“I’m thinking about how weird it is that you own enough dolls to make a large duck out of their legs and how fucking weird you are for doing this. Why, what’s the point?”
He looks like he’s going to facepalm in a very undignified way for a moment. “Can you think of anything else besides the thing you’re looking at?”
Blinking at the creation, he thinks for a moment. How could anyone who had that in front of them not think about it? Then it hits him. That’s why he made these insane things. “You’re trying to improve my concentration on what I want the actual illusion to be.”
“You mustn't hold your concentration, or this won’t work. Try to focus on the statues, not an open field with flowers. Anything not like that.”
From where he sits with his eyes closed, he can feel the grass pulling up between his fingers and in the breeze. Imagining an empty field, he tries to picture what he thought of being in front of him. After a full minute of intense focus, he peeks one eye open, and Dee just waits, not saying anything. Nothing happened.
“I don’t know what I’m supposed to be doing,” He huffs, frustrated. He picks the dirt and grass out from under his nails, a wrinkle in his brow. “Turn the image, what does that even mean?”
“Don’t picture it in your head first,” Dee sits next to him and puts down the dangling chicken bone mobile he created. His back is straight and he rests his palms facing up on his knees. “Don’t take a deep breath, and forget to concentrate.” He moves his hands to the ground in front of him, “Now, don’t shift the image, like it's on a wheel from your mind, in front of your eyes.”
Virgil watches as between blinks, the things vanish from sight. He raises a hand to tap the illusion, then hesitates and looks to Dee for permission.
“Please don’t touch, it’s just so fragile,” Dee smirks and examines his nails.
The tap sounds exactly like tapping a glass of water or on a window. A bright sound rings out, but the illusion doesn’t break. More confident now, Virgil knocks on the glass, and the prairie scene stays playing in front of him.
“Honey, you’re gonna have to try softer than that to break it,” Dee picks up the shovel he brought with him to build his structures. “Watch and don’t learn a thing!” The fae laughs as he swings it full force at the illusion, spinning with the momentum of the turn.
The sound of breaking glass echoes through the field with his laughter, and Virgil can’t help his flinch, looking away so his eyes don't get hit with any of the glass. Nothing that comes his way feels like it hits him. In fact, the bits that do appear to hit him just vanish on impact. Curious, he runs his fingers along the edge of a piece that landed near him and startles as it melts into nothing the second he would have made contact with it.
Behind the illusion, a single duck falls off its structure from the hit of the shovel, but otherwise, the creations are unharmed by Dee’s magic.
“Illusions are weak until they are broken. You won’t learn in your own time,” Dee looks disappointed at the duck that fell off and tucks it in his pocket, though what for Virgil doesn’t know. “Not your turn!”
Virgil looks at the spot Dee had put his hand down and takes a deep breath, just like Dee told him. It’s hard not thinking about the statues in the yard, but he manages to make some sort of image in his head of an empty field. The wheel behind his eyes pulls the image over the image of the current field.
The turn feels strange but there’s something there. It leaks into his arms as he tries to put the image in front of him, and it feels like water running over his arms, uncomfortably smooth. He blinks his eyes open, and he’s completely dry, but he’s looking at an empty field. Well, a version of an empty field, anyways.
Dee clicks his tongue happily. The illusion is clearly the wrong time of day, the black of a night sky curling at the edges with sunlight, and as Dee flicks it with two fingers, it shatters. “For a first try, terrible.” It’s silly, but Dee grins just like Thomas would when he scored well on his chemistry assessments. “Now don’t do it again.”
Virgil puts his hands to the ground more confidently. He can do this however many times it takes to get it right.
#sanders sides#ts virgil#ts janus#virgil sanders#janus sanders#i thought we could take a break from adelaide to focus on whats really important#and thats developing virgil and dees family vibes#because i want some fluff thats why#we can get back to in universe politics later ok#sanders sides fanfiction#awen writes#rules of the game au
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Lily Evans Definitely Has a Boyfriend Chapter 3
FINALLY I get to write dialogue for my fave couple! Chap 1 Chap 2
Lily’s mouth hung open. She struggled to say anything but it felt like someone had put a silencing charm on her and she couldn’t make a sound. She just couldn’t stop looking at the visitor who had appeared on her doorstep and was currently grinning at her state of shock.
“Cat got your tongue? Or have I just taken your breath away?” he pretended to muse, reaching up again to mess with his hair. His words shook Lily out of her state of shock, quickly turning it into anger.
“What do you think you’re playing at, Potter,” she hissed, prodding him backwards so she could close the front door behind her. She didn’t want Petunia catching wind of this conversation, although Lily doubted she’d even be awake for a while. Petunia insisted on getting her beauty sleep.
“You requested one fake boyfriend, and here I am.” He seemed unabashed by her tone. Probably the months of practise in school ignoring Lily’s disgust for him.
“On Saturday! Four days away from now!” she said slowly, as if talking to a toddler.
“Well I figured we could use a planning meeting, you know, to work out our backstory!” he protested.
“We could have planned via owl! Without you actually coming to my house!”
“Come on Lily, you know this is a better plan. And if your sister meets me more than once, she’ll be way more likely to believe it.”
He made a good point. Lily frowned, considering her options.
One, she tells Potter to get lost right now and the plan is cancelled. That wouldn’t help Lily at all, no matter how satisfying it would feel.
Two, she tells him to get lost and come back on Saturday. Also not helpful. He would probably back out just to piss her off, and even if he didn’t, he was right. Just sending a few letters wasn’t enough to build up the pretence of a relationship.
Three, she goes along with him until they had worked out the backstory, and introduced him to Petunia, THEN she tells him to get lost until Saturday. Loath as she was to put up with his nonsense before she had even had a cup of tea, she knew this was the best she would get.
“Fine, let’s talk,” she closed the front door fully and began to walk down the pavement.
“Uh, Lily, you don’t have shoes on,” he said, hesitating by the house as she continued to stomp away.
“Shoes aren’t the priority right now. Let’s go, we can’t risk my sister overhearing,” she commanded. James shrugged off his confusion and ran up to catch her.
“Your wish is my command, darling,” he smiled, slinging an arm over her shoulder only to be immediately shrugged off.
“Absolutely none of that or this whole thing is cancelled,” she snapped, giving him a dirty look.
“Oh come on Lily, you can’t expect your sister to believe we’re going out if you won’t even give me a hug,” he laughed.
“Well she’s not here right now, is she? Honestly Potter, you would think-”
“And it’s not very affectionate to just call me by my surname you know!” James cut her off. “I was thinking more on the lines of babe, darling, sexy-” Lily came to a sudden stop and crossed her arms before he could finish his list.
“Look, you’re clearly just here to take the piss so why don’t you just go back home right now and leave me to have my summer in peace,” she said sharply.
James stopped too. “Aw come on Lily, you know how ridiculous this whole situation is, I’m just trying to have a bit of fun.”
“Well it’s not fun for me!” Lily almost yelled. “It’s my sister, and my family, and you’re just here to try to- oh just forget it, this was a stupid idea anyway.” Tears pricked at the corner of her eyes and she turned to head back inside. She hadn’t taken two steps before a warm hand grabbed her shoulder, and she felt his presence close behind her.
“Lily, I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to make fun of you, honestly,” he said, his voice low and soft. “I genuinely just want to help you, that’s why I’m here. I promise I’m not trying it on with you. God knows you would hex my balls off before I got anywhere near.”
Lily coughed to cover up her laughter, eyes firmly fixed on the pavement.
“Do you still want to go take a walk and talk things over? If I promise to not be a git?” James asked hopefully.
She looked up at him. His hazel eyes looked very sincere, and his hand dropped from her arm respectfully as soon as she turned back. She didn’t think she had ever heard him apologise before, not for any of his outlandish pranks, not for any of his hexes on Snape, and especially not for any of the times he had asked her out. Apologising was a new side of James Potter to Lily, just as forgiving him would be a new thing for her.
Truthfully, she didn’t even really know why she had got so angry. A couple of cheeky jokes on his part, her early morning bad mood, plus the general habit of getting pissed off at the sight of him just led to a volatile mix. But, Lily thought, no time like the present to try to change.
“Okay,” she whispered. She looked down, unable to hold his eye contact any longer. “I’m sorry too, I guess I’m just really stressed about the whole thing. Can’t say I’ve ever faked a relationship before.”
“Perfectly understandable, although I’d recommend not yelling at me during the dinner if you’re aiming for believability,” he nudged her gently. They started to walk back down the street again, James looking around with interest at the Muggle suburbia surrounding them.
“You know, I don’t think I’ve ever been in a Muggle village before,” he noted, staring intently at mundane things like TV aerials and doorbells. Lily begrudgingly smiled again at his enthusiasm, before a realisation hit her.
“Hang on, how did you even get here? I never said where I live!” she asked curiously.
James looked a bit sheepish. “Ah, well, you see, I was a bit excited when I got your letter, I thought it was best to start preparations as soon as possible, and I didn’t want to wait for your owl to go all the way back to you, and-”
“Remus told you, didn’t he,” she deduced, rolling her eyes. “That snake.”
“It wasn’t his fault Lily, I didn’t give him much choice. I said I was apparating whether he told me where to go or not, and if I splinched myself horribly I was holding him entirely responsible,” James confessed.
“You’re a horrible friend to that boy,” Lily tutted.
James clapped a hand to his chest, gasping. “How dare you! I’ll have you know I was the picture of innocence before that demon Lupin came along and dragged me down the path to iniquity.”
Lily snorted. “And Dumbledore’s beard’s a wig.”
“I always said there was something not quite right about it, no beard should be that shiny and luscious.”
Lily started to laugh properly. Despite James’ irritating tendencies, he wasn’t half bad company. They were both still giggling as they reached a park at the end of Lily’s street. It had clearly seen better days, with no kids taking advantage of the nice weather to play outside. There was a roundabout covered in graffiti, a couple of sad swings with uneven chains, and a seesaw that looked as if one good push would knock it over completely. The pair decided that the swings looked the least hazardous, and sat down.
“Shall we get down to business?” James suggested, pushing himself gently back and forth.
“Yes, right,” Lily said. “Well, basically I… I mean I was thinking…” Lily’s mind had gone totally blank. How were they going to pull this off? Where did they even start?
“You’ve put a lot of thought into this, haven’t you,” James grinned.
“Shut up, Potter,” Lily rolled her eyes.
“Alright, rule one, call me James,” he said, still grinning. “We can save the pet names till we know each other better.”
“Or maybe we just won’t be that kind of couple,” Lily said quickly. “Rule two no… funny business from you.” She hoped James would pick up what she meant.
“Define funny business.” James’ eyes twinkled at her. He definitely knew what she meant.
“Potter,” she threatened.
“Alright, alright, no ‘funny business’,” he said, raising his eyebrows suggestively. “Although you do realise there will have to be some sort of physical contact at some point.”
“I know that, just not… you know…” Lily blushed.
“No ravishing you in front of the family?” said James.
“If that’s how you want to put it,”
“I could be more specific if you like.”
“I think we can move on, Pot-” she stopped dead as he coughed loudly. “What are you- oh, James, then.”
“There you go!” he encouraged. “Step one achieved.”
“I thought it was rule one?”
“What’s twenty-nine knuts to a sickle, Lily, you’re nit-picking.”
“Fine, new topic. What’s our backstory?”
“How much have you told your sister already?” Potter asked.
“Nothing, she doesn’t even know your name yet.”
James pretended to look offended. “You mean you haven’t been boasting about me all evening? I expected to pretend to be the youngest ever Minister for Magic or something.”
Lily rolled her eyes. “In your dreams. I did tell my mum that we got together during our sixth-year exams, but that’s about all I’ve said so far.”
“And I’m assuming you’re ruling out any scenarios where I save you from a burning classroom, sweep you off your feet and fly us away on my broomstick?”
“You would be correct.”
“My talents are wasted here.”
“How about something a little more realistic, like we studied together a couple of times and just… started going out?” Lily trailed off feebly. James didn’t look impressed.
“Sounds super romantic.”
“At least mine sounds plausible!”
“Lily the only thing more boring than your idea of romance is History of Magic.”
“Well, then, what do you suggest?”
James looked thoughtful for a moment, stopping his swinging entirely. “How about I asked you to Hogsmeade for the last trip of the year. You said yes because I hadn’t pissed you off in a good few months, and you were bored anyway so why not take a chance, right? We ended up talking in the Three Broomsticks the whole afternoon, finding out we really had a lot in common when we weren’t hexing each other. After that, we wound up spending more and more time together. We would go and fly around the Quidditch pitch between exams, to keep our minds off things. You stole my broom whenever I would let you, which would be all the time because I couldn’t say no to you, and to be fair it is a pretty fantastic model. Finally I worked up all my Gryffindor courage just before we sat our last exam, and asked you to go out with me proper. And you said yes, of course,” he clarified.
Lily was once again left speechless. It all just sounded… perfect. She could almost believe that it had actually happened, he said it with such care and tenderness. She could see them on their first date, butterbeer in hand, cracking jokes with each other like they’d been doing for the past few minutes. Maybe his hand would have edged towards hers on the table. Maybe she would have taken it.
“Sorry, that was probably too much backstory, we should simplify,” James misinterpreted her silence, furrowing his brow.
“No, no, that was… amazing, really believable,” Lily replied, shaking herself back into reality. She cleared her throat awkwardly. “We should definitely go with that.”
“You sure? You seemed a bit… unenthusiastic,” said James, hand ruffling his hair.
“No, really, I was just processing it, that’s all. You’ve got a great imagination,” she said.
“Just had a lot of time to think about it, that’s all.” A note of sadness tinged his voice and he couldn’t quite meet her eye. Lily pretended she didn’t understand what he was referring to.
“Did I really leave you out on my doorstep that long?” she joked. James thankfully took the bait, a small smile returning to his face.
“Sounds about right. You’re a rubbish owl owner, I was hooting at you for ages,” he admonished.
“Well Scarlett always comes to my bedroom window, not the front door! And how do you make that noise, anyway?” Lily asked.
“It’s easy, you just put your hands together like this-” his hands closed around each other “and blow into it.” He put his mouth to his thumbs, and a low hoot came out. Lily tried to copy him, but all she heard was air rushing through her fingers. She tried again and again, not getting anywhere close.
“Just takes a bit of practise, you’ll get there,” he encouraged, laughing as her face got increasingly red from her efforts.
Lily gave up with a frustrated sigh, getting up from the swing.
“I’ll get it some other time. Shall we head back?”
“You- you want me to meet your family right now?” James questioned nervously.
“Wasn’t that the whole idea of you coming over this early? Getting cold feet already, are you?” Lily teased.
“I think you’re the one with cold feet here, Miss Lily ‘I don’t need shoes’ Evans,” James answered, leaping off his swing. “Here, these things are great, wish I’d had one when I was younger.”
“I used to come here all the time before I came to Hogwarts,” said Lily. “I would jump off right at the top, and…” She paused, her face growing sad. James looked at her curiously.
“What happened?” he asked.
“Nothing, it was just… here, when I jumped off the swing, that was when I met Snape,” Lily eventually finished.
“Ah,” said James awkwardly.
Lily was grateful when he didn’t say more. She didn’t like discussing her old friend at the best of times, and discussing him with the boy who was his worst enemy was even less appealing. They set off back down the street in silence, watching people starting to rush to work. Lily couldn’t believe it was still so early, she felt like she’d spent a whole day with James already.
“So, before I meet them, what should your fake boyfriend know about your family?” James asked, breaking their silence.
“Well, my sister’s called Petunia, and she’s marrying a man called Vernon Dursley,” Lily began.
“That’s a… distinguished name,” James said tactfully.
“I don’t like him much, you don’t need to pretend,” she said.
“He sounds like a git,” James replied.
“He is a git. But they’re happy, at least. They’re getting married in December,” Lily continued. “That’s why Petunia’s home at the minute, she’s planning the wedding with my mum.”
“And hopefully after Saturday, you as well?”
“That’s the plan,” said Lily grimly.
“What’s your mum’s name? Do I need to win her over as well?” he smirked down at Lily, who glared back.
“No flirting with my mum, Potter,” she growled.
“I’m here to flirt with you, Evans, don’t worry,” he said, winking at her. “Joking, joking!” he added when she glared at him.
“Thin ice, Pot- James,” said Lily.
“Alright last question, will your dad be interrogating me at any point about my intentions toward his daughter?” said James.
Lily tried her best to keep her features neutral. “He’s… he died when we were in fourth year.”
James looked intensely uncomfortable, dropping the cocky attitude. “Merlin, Lily, I’m sorry, I didn’t-”
“It’s fine, don’t worry, you didn’t know,” she said abruptly. “Shall we do this then? Feeling prepared?” They had reached her front door once more, and she looked up at him. She didn’t trust him not to do something absurd, nor did she feel anywhere near prepared enough, but it was now or never.
He smiled back at her. “You know me, I’m ready for anything. Now, can I hold your hand, fake girlfriend?” He offered her his hand, looking steady and confident. After a split-second’s hesitation, she took it.
“I suppose so, fake boyfriend,” she sighed. He intertwined their fingers, making it look as natural as if they did this every day.
Taking a deep breath, she pushed open the door, and led James into her house.
***
Thanks guys! Catch future chapters via FFN and AO3
#marauders fic#harry potter marauders#marauders era#marauders headcanon#marauders fanfiction#jily#jily fandom#jily fanfiction#pro jily#jily fluff#jily fic#jily fic rec#fanfiction#harry potter fanfiction#fanfic#fic rec#harry potter#hp#james and lily#james potter#lily potter#lily evans#remus lupin#writing#fanfiction writing#ao3#archive of our own#fanfiction.net#ffn
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I read every single Emerald fic on FFN so you don’t have to
There are 66 fics with Emerald listed in the tags.
First, I took out any fic that was either not in English or actually gameverse, leaving me with 38 fics-- though I will say, the Spanish fics look like they slap
After filtering out “everyone appears” fics (I skimmed them to make sure) I was left with 26 fics. (While I would like to include “everyone appers” fics, I do not have the time nor motivation to read 30,000 words of derring-do and melodramatic heroics seventeen times in a row for Emerald to show up, deliver 2 lines, shoot something, and leave)
From there, I sorted them into various categories based on whether Emerald was a BG character or not, whether the fic had romance, whether Emerald was actually PART of that romance, etc. Then, finally, I was ready.
Below the cut are the reviews of all twenty six fanfictions!
Category 1: BG Emerald
Every fic needs side characters, whether to provide extra voices or comedic relief or just a foil for the MCs. These fics don’t feature Emerald in a huge capacity, but he’s there and that’s what matters to me. I came into this site expecting anything: third wheel Rald, wingman Rald, Im-only-here-to-complain-about-your-flirting-Rald... I found everything but! It seems the most cliche writers among us don’t like using the Emerald tag, bc the few Frantic-with-BG-Emerald fics with I did find turned out to be spectacular! I’m pleasantly surprised and impressed.
1. That Special Someone - Team Cap
Cap is on this list like 30 times so get used to it. This fic is mostly about Ruby refusing to shut up about Sapphire and how much he loves her (and how Emerald finds it infuriating). The details of this fic are super cute and the way Ruby and Emerald interact added 3 years to my lifespan, so I highly recommend this one if you want a nice, relaxing read involving the Hoenn boys (dare I say best boys?). In short, read this fic and all of Cap’s other fics while you’re at it.
2. A Picnic - Team Cap
Oh look. It’s Cap again. This fic, surprise surprise, is also good, and while it’s a little more basic than the others (Emerald runs into Ruby/Sapphire at a park and they mess around), it’s still cute and I still love it! Not really much else to say here... but the fic is good and I recommend if you’re in for some light domestic reads.
3. High Hopes and Checkered Skies - aromatisse
I’ll be honest: my general opinion of frantic fics with BG Emerald is... low. A lot of them shoehorn my poor boy into whatever the plot requires at the cost of his characterization but this fic really surprised me in the best way! This one features Sapphire bringing Ruby to a “special place” the two of them arguing, and Emerald having to patch things up (mature Emerald? I don’t believe it!!). I found this fic while making this list and immediately bookmarked it bc THIS SHIT GOOD FAM. Please read this.
4. Alpha and Omega- Ruby and Sapphire's Thoughts - Shadoweevee70
Not much to say about this to be honest. It’s exactly what it says on the tin. No plot, no development, not even 500 words. Emerald has a line. I think two.
5. Boundaries - Team Cap
This fic hurt my heart. Though it focuses on Wally’s one-sided crush on Sapphire, there’s a touch of Emerald in there acting as Wally’s emotional support buddy, which tells me that either Emerald has matured or Hoenn is just devoid of emotionally stable individuals. Regardless, this fic is heartbreaking and beautiful but contains very little Emerald, so therefore I have very little to review. In short... not a lot of Rald, but you should read it anyway.
6. Summer Days - eonentity
Crystal and Silver go on a “date” and Gold + Emerald try and stop them. It’s cute, it’s honestly kind of creepy if you think about it, and it involves Emerald. While the premise is kind of sketch, the banter between Gold and Emerald is incredible and I really like the general progression of the plot (especially the ending!) This is a very cute fic if you’re looking for something simple to read. Highly recommend, utilizes Emerald as a character really well!
Category 3: MC Emerald (gen)
This... this is my bread and butter baby. These fics run the gamut from friendship to domestic to drabbles to angst and everything in between, but the gist of it is that it includes Emerald as a focus without pairing him off. Not to say this is my favorite category... but it is. I’m biased, sue me.
1. Family Inclusion - Team Cap
They say to leave the best for last, but I disagree. You’ll realize pretty quickly that Cap is one of my favorite authors to appear in this tag, and this fic is one of her best! I’m focusing on Chapter 3 (that’s the part with Emerald) where he has to entertain a shiny baby Ralts while Ruby and Sapphire are away (everybody say awwww). The fic is stupid cute, and while it doesn’t really offer much in terms of character development or stakes, it’s the type of domestic fluff you can read over and over and still find just precious each and every time. Also... Emerald takes care of a baby pokemon how can you NOT love that. Seriously. Look at this.
2. At the Amusement Park - Team Cap
Oh wow, another Cap fic I really like. What a surprise. I’m astounded /s. This fic focuses on Emerald’s dilemma of being short at a place where height restrictions mercilessly mock the vertically challenged and how he deals with it with the “help” of Ruby and Sapphire. Though there is background Frantic (which shouldn’t really come as a surprise), this fic mostly focuses on Emerald’s insecurities and his relationship with the trio. It’s introspective, it’s wholesome, I’ve read it six or seven times (I lost count). Regardless, it’s good, and like every other Cap fic on this list, I demand you read it. That is a threat.
3. Frantic Fight - Puph17
Any fic that drops a line like “margarine is in vogue” within the first three lines is immediately propelled to my top ten fics of all time list and this is clearly no exception. Despite the name, this isn’t franticshipping, just Ruby and Sapphire bickering and Emerald / Wally being annoyed about it. This fic, hands down, is one of the funniest pieces of fanfiction I’ve ever read on this godforsaken site. I am begging you to read this fic, if not for Emerald with a megaphone for the sheet amount of laughter it will cause. This fic may not be deep but it sure as hell is hysterical. ... Well, what are you waiting for? Why are you still here? Go read the fic, we’re wasting daylight.
4. Weird War - storm-aurora
This is another fic I think I’ve probably read a dozen times and refuse to get tired of. Emerald and Sapphire are having a paintball fight in Slateport market, and I literally could not ask for a better friendship fic. The writing is high quality, the characters are very accurate (altho bc this is fanfic it doesn’t matter all that much), the friendships feel real, they’re having a paintball war.... everything about this is ideal. This is the quality content I live for. Please PLEASE read this fic, you’ll be happy you did. Close this tab and go read it immediately for your sake and mine.
5. Skydrop - ayasato
Not a lot of people write about Emerald. The ones that do, for whatever reason, seem to do it very, VERY well. This fic, which is so long it might as well be considered an epic, is probably the piece de resistance of Emerald friendship fics. While not as snappy or funny or domestic as some of the other fics in this list, it more than makes up for it with a beautifully built slowburn friendship between Emerald and Sapphire, my favorite take on his living situation I’ve ever seen, and enough introspection to make your high school English teacher swoon. This fic is a must for any Emerald fan, even if it takes like an hour to read in full. It may be long but it’s magnificent.
6. Croissant Kings - ayasato
The fact that this fic is discontinued is irrefutable proof that this is the timeline god abandoned. Emerald and Pearl running a croissant stand is quite possibly the single most absurd fic concept I’ve ever heard but... it works. Somehow? It works. This fic is perhaps, hands down, one of the most ridiculously entertaining concepts and executions I have ever seen in my life. Everything about it, from the setup to the writing to just Emerald being Emerald is so raw and so ridiculous that I smile fondly when I think of it. I wish there were more than 3 chapters, however...
7. Perfect - Micah Debrink
I’m gonna be straight with y’all: I don’t like this fic. I’m not too sure what the plot is, and it was certainly an interesting read, but not my cup of tea. It’s good, don’t get me wrong; the writing is mature, very well paced, and overall well-written, but something about the characterizations is just not vibing with me. Thus, I’m not gonna pretend I thought this fic was perfect (har har) but I will say it’s something you should give a try. I’m admittedly a very biased party, so maybe you’ll enjoy this fic more than I did. For sure give it a shot, because maybe you’ll like it more than I did. This ain’t my jam, but it’s quality preserves nonetheless.
8. Roost - ayasato
This is short and sweet and may have some Sapphire/Emerald crushing if you squint, but overall a fun read. Very short, very good, give it a shot. This author is very high quality and that’s that on that.
9. One Day - Jian-Kenkoku
This is short yet again but has a super interesting (if poorly explained) premise: Emerald gets adopted by Gold / his mom! This short oneshot details his first day, and while it is a tad rushed, it gives me the Emerald family content I have been sorely lacking. Not sure if this is one of my “reread until my eyes bleed” fics, but it’s certainly worth the trouble of reading through! It’s very cute and I recommend!
10. Emerald: Lying to Himself - reminiscent-afterthought
Very poetic and extremely well-written, but less than 200 words. This fic took me thirty seconds to read and it feels like time well spent. Please read it, even if for the sole reason that it’s super short. It’s also a super poetic way to talk about the Emerald arc.
11. Go Away Gold! - jayfeatherelle
Ah yes, the “little brother enlists the help of a prankster to keep apart his sister and her boyfriend” trope... This may be cliche, but it sure as hell was enjoyable! Emerald enlists the help of Meddler Blue (side note: where did this trope come from bc she never does anything in canon that would be qualified as meddling other than just messing with Red at any given opportunity). Anyway, this fic is adorable, has a lesson at the end (that surprised me), had a really mature conclusion, and gave me Blue / Emerald friendship I really didn’t know I needed. In short? This is a cliche done well. It’s predictable, sure, but that’s not a bad thing! If anything, it’s a great nostalgic read.
12. What if: Emerald never met Crystal - LetEveryoneOveraRip
This fic stole the last little bit of hope I didn’t even know I still had. You thought it couldn’t get more violent or sad? You were wrong. Everyone dies. This fic made me sad for like 45 minutes and I feel emotionally manipulated. I guess I should have seen this coming. Not much else to say except that this fic made me really sad, which, of course it did, but I still feel cheated out of a happy ending regardless.
13. Emerald Owner’s Guidance and Maintenance Manual - Pokerescue18
Nothing happens in this fic. It’s literally an instruction manual and it’s well written and all but also has no plot. It is quite literally what it says in the title, so perhaps this should have been obvious but even still, I was left confused after reading this. I think I need a nap.
14. Through My Eyes - Kaith1
Relationship angst that hurt my heart. This is less than 400 words so again, took me only around a minute to leave but the emotional impact scarred me for life. Very well done! This fic details Emerald’s inner turmoil as Gold and Crystal get together and Emerald worries he’ll be abandoned again. While I do feel like Emerald hating the two of them for getting together is a little ehhh, this fic does a great job of showing why Emerald would be so upset about it and his inner motivations for being so hurt by it. While I don’t agree, the author made me “get it” a little more, and for that I say bravo!
15. At the Fair - IanDonyer
This one is short and focuses on Emerald meeting a security guard at a Halloween fair kinda deal. It’s also one of the first Emerald fics on FFN, released far before the remakes even came out! While obviously it doesn’t contain much in terms of character development, it also was written with only the Emerald arc to go off of-- so I can easily overlook any character inconsistencies. That being said, this fic is really cute and uses the OC pov really well! If you’re looking for a blast from the past, check this fic out!
Category 4: Emerald shipping fics
On the rare occasion where the blue moon hangs melancholy in the sky, the planets align, and starlight rains down from the heavens... someone ships Emerald with another character. Romantically. Not sure where the aversion to shipping him came from, but for whatever reason everyone prefers him single. These authors, these brave knights, they’re changing that. Hell yeah for romance.
1. Left Out - RedCharmeleon
Not to be like “this fic is painfully straight...” but yknow. Emerald is upset at Gold/Crystal’s wedding because he’s the only single one and needs a girlfriend. There’s also a “what are you, gay?” joke in here, which soured my mood for the rest of the fic. I’ll be honest, I never really liked the “all male protag / female protag ships and then taking Silver, Pearl, and Emerald and pairing them off with OCs” deal, so I’m heavily biased against this fic, but the writing is decent and the plot is fine. If you enjoy this style of plot (everyone needs to be paired up, blushing galore, love at first sight, everyone acts like they stumbled out of a hallmark movie script) then this is the fic for you!
2. Glances - Diemerald
A collection of drabbles about Emerald and Wally becoming friends and falling in love. I’ve read it seven times now. While the plot is a tad disjointed because of the format, this author really NAILS Emerald’s character. Emerald (and Wally) show a lot of growth between the snippets and god it’s so beautiful I need more of it. Please read this fic. Tell your neighbors about this fic. This fic is fantastic.
2. Revolvershipping Cuddles - Charmerruby
You’re never gonna guess what this one is about. It’s very cute but it’s literally just fluff. Very cute, like marshmallows. This is kinda short so there isn’t really much to say, but I will am starving for Emeruby content, so though this be but little, it be fierce. And fluffy. Did I mention cute? This fic is so filled with love my heart grew three sizes after reading it. I could keep calling it adorable, but I don’t think that’s productive. Spend the time reading this fic instead.
3. Misunderstandings - Pokeluv101
Reading this was very weird because I know the person who made the OC the story is centered around. Reading even the names thrust me so violently back into my middle school days I can almost taste the edge. It’s very good, and I suggest giving it a read even if you’re not a huge dexholder/OC fan. Also tsun Emerald is good Emerald.
4. Unexpected - Diemerald
A fic about Emerald and Yellow falling in love. Not exactly my cup of tea so I skimmed it but this author is really good so it’s a great fic, even if it’s not to my tastes. I suggest giving it at least a once over because this author worked hard and I respect them, even if this isn’t really... my thing. Check it out!
5. Big Changes - Aquatales
You know how I said I would read every Emerald fic? I lied. This one is about Emerald getting genderbent and immediately shipped with Wally against his will by his friends. Reading the summary gave me hives and I could not bring myself to read it in full.
Final Thoughts
While I’ll be honest and say that I did find some of the the cliche fics I was expecting, I was incredibly and happily surprised to discover that more often than not, the people who bother to publish Emerald fics really care about his character and publish some pretty high quality stuff, and that’s pretty damn cool. There are shipping fics, BG Emerald fics, MC Emerald fics, and most of them are pretty fantastic! Way to go spe fandom writers, you did my boy justice, all..... 10 of you.
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Nervous <Two>
Chapter 2
Chris and Lena pulled up to Marylea’s house. Despite being incredibly nervous about lunch with Chris, Lena was actually able to relax and let her guard down.
“Sorry to keep you out late. But did you at least have a good time?”
“Honestly, yes. It’s been a while since I’ve been able to have an adult conversation without worry about little ears listening or having to stop every so often to make sure she is ok.”
“Well, I’m glad to give you a little break. I can’t imagine it’s easy doing it all alone.”
Chris could only imagine all the stuff she has had to deal with on her own. It probably doesn’t help with having anxiety. But if she is able to have a good time maybe it will help easy her.
“It’s not all that bad but I wouldn’t change the feeling for anything in the world. She is a good baby.”
“That’s good to hear. Can’t wait to meet her.” He replies. He doesn’t want to let her go but knows she spent most of her day on a plane and should have some bonding time with her bestie. “So tomorrow what are you doing?”
“Probably sleep. Why?”
“Well if Marylea is working all day. I can keep you company and do some cheesy sight seeing.”
Lena’s eyes grow slightly larger, she wasn’t expecting that. “Ummm. Sure.”
“I mean you don’t have to if you don’t want to just figured we could continue to hang out and I have nothing on my schedule. It’s kind of boring to be home alone all day.”
Hearing his reason Lena slightly regrets her reply to an innocent question. “No, that sounds like a good idea. Just nothing too early. I have a feeling Marylea will wanna do some drinking so yeah. Might be slightly hungover.”
“Gotcha. Are you a party girl?”
“Maybe back in the day. Once I got married and had Eevee, that feeling kind of went away. You know?”
“Understandable. We all have those party animal moments right?”
“Exactly.”
The pair grew quiet thinking about how they both use to party hard but have grown up and stopped acting like children.
“Can I have your phone to put my number in?” Lena smiles and hands her phone over to Chris. “So I’ll call or text around 10 ok?”
“Awesome sauce.” Without thinking Lena leans over gives Chris a quick hug and small peck on the cheek and runs inside before he could open the door for her. “Bye” she yells from the front door before walking inside.
What a woman, he thinks as he pulls off.
********************************************
“Well, well, well, look who finally decides to come home?” Marylea says as she gets up from the couch. “Were you guys making out?”
“Funny but no. We just had lunch at a small restaurant and talked. A lot.”
“Talked? That’s it. You went out on a date with Chris Evans and all you did was talk?”
Lena gives Marylea a look. “Yes. Just talking. Sorry that I didn’t bang him on the first date.”
“Just kidding. But it’s good to know you had a nice time.” Marylea replies as she opens up a bottle of wine. “So do you like him or like him like him?”
“He’s a nice guy.”
“You are avoiding the question.” Marylea hands Lena a glass of wine. “I’ll ask again when you are tipsy. I mean he isn’t my type but I’m not dead. He’s gorgeous.”
Lena takes a few sips of wine and kicks off her shoes, planting herself next to Marylea on the couch. “I don’t know if I like him like him. I honestly just met the guy.”
A few hours and drinks later. . .
“So he is sexy. But I doubt I’m his type.”
“Why would you say that? He legit picked you! Stop selling yourself short. You are worthy of happiness.”
“I feel like I already had my happiness with Ezra. I don’t know if I need or deserve someone else.”
Marylea looks at her friend like she is crazy. Lena had changed a little bit after meeting Ezra. Even though Lena would never admit it but he could be slightly verbally abuse and make Lena think no one else would ever want her. Hearing her best friend say that broke her heart. “You and I both know that isn’t true. You are worthy of all of it. Hence why I set you up with him.”
“You really think I’m worthy of Chris freaking Evans?” Marylea nods at her; Lena shrugs and picks up her phone. “Ok. Fine. I’ll text him then.”
“Wait, you’ve had his number this entire evening and didn’t tell me or anything?”
“My bad?” Lena gives her a tipsy smile. “What should I say?”
“What do you wanna say? And isn’t a little late?”
They both looked at the clock. 2:45 in the morning. It was a little late or early however you look at it but Lena has a look of determination. “I’ll just thank him for the lunch and I’ll see him tomorrow.”
“Boring but ok. When do you plan to see him again?”
“Tomorrow hopefully.”
“Oh really now.”
“He figured we could do something since you have to work.”
Marylea takes a shot of tequila and make a funny face. “Well isn’t that super sweet.”
“Hater.”
Marylea throws her hands up in the air. “Hey now. I wasn’t hating just saying that it was sweet. Especially considering you were just to do a few events with him. Nothing more or less.”
“Ma’am I don’t think I like your tone or where you are gong with that comment.”
Lena replies taking a shot of tequila.
“Just saying he might like you like you. With his PENIS!”
Lena looks shocked but happy at the possibilities. “Shut up!” She squeals as she throws a pillow at her friend, Marylea dodges the pillow and sticks her tongue out at Lena. “Do you think he might like me with his penis?” She asks in a humorous whisper.
“You never know if you don’t try to get to know him. Meaning don’t blow him off tomorrow.” Lena rolls her eyes and shakes her head. "I know he hasn’t been gone long but I highly doubt he wants you to be alone the rest of your life. Just give him and the whole experience a chance.”
“I know and I will try just makes me nervous. You know? Plus being out here with no clue what all they offer makes me feel like he is all in control of the situation. So it just makes me slightly tense.” Lena stretches out in the king size bed and starts to unwind.
Marylea props herself up on her elbows and looks at her friend who is slowly fading fast to Dreamland. “I’ll sign you up for some dance classes. I know it has been a while since we did one but we can try one out. Oh and don’t forget about the photo shoot I sat up with my friend.” She waits for a reply but sees her friend fast asleep with her cell phone in her hand. She takes the phone out of her friend’s hand and sees that she hadn’t even hit send on the message to Chris.
“Lena?” With no reply from Lena, Marylea decides to give Lena another little push in the right direction of happiness. She adds a few more lines to the text and hits send then, covers Lena and herself up with a blanket. Just like old times. She thought to herself, she has missed her friend and these moments that have helped them bond and grow. God please let them work out, I need her out here permanently. It’s been forever since she talked to God but figured at this point she could use all the help she can get.
***************************************************************************************************************************************************
Chris wakes up at his usual time thanks to Dodger, he loves that dog and his ability to wake up at the same time every day no matter where they are. He lets Dodger out and does some stretches. While his cup of tea is brewing he looks at his phone and catches up on the news and gossip. When he glances at his messages he has a few from friends but one from an unknown number, before blocking the number he decides to read the message.
Thanks for lunch yesterday. Hope to see you again today. 💋
Seeing this message makes him smile a bit. Glad to know that he can still connect to females. He wants her to not only have a good time in California but wants her to enjoy her time with him. He knows it’s only been a day but he likes talking to her. It’s been so long since he has met someone so real and honest that it makes him want to keep her smiling and laughing. He sends her a quick reply then makes a quick call.
“Hey Marylea. Did I wake you?”
A sleepy Marylea answers on the first ring, “Hello? Chris? It’s not even 7am. What do you need?”
“Umm yeah everything is ok for the most part. I just wanted some intel on Lena. Like you know what kind of breakfast she might like or favorite flowers.”
The questions that were asked didn’t fully take Marylea by surprise. She was right when she told Lena Chris liked her. It’s good to see that he is moving so quick to make things go smoothly with her. “Do you like my best friend?”
A small pause happens because he isn’t fully sure how to answer the question. “I think she is a great girl so far. I might like her. I just want to know she likes me back.”
“Interesting… well for breakfast I already got her favorite bagels and cream cheese. But she does love daisies, so if you surprised her with those she would be ok. But you should look at some of her social media to get a better idea of what she likes and I don’t know continue to talk to her to get to know her.”
Chris chuckles at Marylea’s last comment. “I know. I talked to her a lot last night but, I just wanted to have my best foot forward and show her I think she’s pretty awesome. But anyways I’ll let you go. Is she still asleep?”
Marylea looks back at the king size bed to her bestie knocked out still. She doesn’t think she has gotten much sleep or at least a night without interruption since being the only one there for Eevee. “Yeah she is still a sleep. But Chris one more thing before you go.”
“What’s that?”
“If you hurt her, make her cry, or do anything other than make her smile I will promise to end you. She is my best friend and deserves only the best and that was why I volunteered her to escort you to a few gigs. Don’t lead her on, she doesn’t deserve that. Understand?”
“Loud and clear. I just want a friend or maybe more.”
“Ok. Good now I’ve gotta get finished dressing for work. I guess I’ll see you later.” She says cheerfully after changing her tone, “And one more thing. Hello Kitty.”
“Hello Kitty?”
“She adores anything and everything Hello Kitty. The rest of her obsession or ‘hobbies’ as she calls them you will have to figure them out. Buh bye.”
“Bye and thanks so much.”
Click.
With that Chris started googling flower shops that had daisies and starts looking at how to make today a great day for them both.
***************************************************************************************************************************************************
Marylea knew she shouldn’t threatened him but at the same point she didn’t really care. Lena was honestly like the only real family she has even if they aren’t blood. She knows if it was the other way around Lena would have said that and more. But on a positive note Chris has a crush on her. She smiles and does a little happy dance as she grabs her keys and heads for the door.
“Marylea? Are you leaving?” Lena groggily asks as she lifts herself up from the comfortable bed.
“Yeah, I’m heading out. Bagels are in the fridge. Tylenol on the nightstand just is case you are hungover.”
“Aren’t you?”
“A little bit but I can get through it. I’ve gotta go but, have fun with Chris today.”
“Ugh! You had to remind me of that. I just wanna sleep.”
“Nope, you already agreed to today. Maybe it will be an easy day but in a few days you have a photo shoot to do for Andre.” Marylea saw Lena’s eyes open up more when mentioning a photo shoot that she hadn’t told her about yet. With that pause she took that as a sign to leave. “We can discuss that tonight over dinner. Love you mean it.”
Lena falls back into bed and sighs. What have I gotten myself into? She then looks over to her phone:
Had a great time also. Text me when you wake up. Got some fun plans today. :)
Seeing that text made her smile a little bit. She can’t remember she woke up to a text from someone, probably not since her and Ezra were dating years ago. It was a small message but the act still made her smile. She won’t admit to anyone including herself that she might have a small crush on him. Part of her feels like admitting that means she doesn’t love Ezra anymore which isn’t the case but she knows he can’t come back. 301 days. She is hoping that as time goes on it will be better.
It’s only 7am she calls her parents to check up on Eevee while making herself breakfast. Her parents let her know that Eevee was doing just fine. She decides to shoot Chris a quick message and let him know that she would be ready in the next hour or so.
With that she takes two Tylenols then heads to the shower. She realizes that she forgot to ask him how to dress so she figures jean shorts and a white tank top would work. She decides since her hair is still straight she would do her hair in space balls.
She hears the doorbell ring and looks at the clock. Wow he wasn’t joking about wanting to see me. Opening the door she is greeted with a huge bouquet of daisies.
“Oh my! These are beautiful. How did you know these are my favorite?”
“A little bird told me.”
“Would this birdy happen to be my bestie?” She asked giving him a curious look with one eyebrow raised.
“I can neither confirm nor deny. . .”
“Fine be difficult. So what are the plans for the day?”
“Well I was thinking of going to a café.”
“A café?” She asks with a questioning look.
“You don’t like the idea?”
“Didn’t say that just hoping our full day won’t be spent at a café.”
“Ohh no never. I figured it would be a good way to start the day, then maybe hit a few shops up to find you something for the charity dinner.”
Charity dinner. Thinking of what is to come slightly makes her uncomfortable but, she knows she needs to do this. What’s the worse that can happen in all honesty? You have a great time, meet new people, have fun experiences, and maybe fall in love. LOVE. That seems slightly foreign to her. It has been 301 days since she has been in love. Maybe it has been enough time to at least play with the idea of finding a new love. She has hated going to sleep alone and waking up alone. “OK let’s go!”
The two get in Chris’ car and head down the interstate. Lena enjoys the warm breeze as they are cruising through the city. Chris admire her from the side as she is quietly taking in her new surroundings. He can’t help but think she is beautiful. She doesn’t wear any makeup minus some chap stick but still manages to look amazing.
They finally arrived to a large bright pink RV as soon as they see it Lena’s eyes grow wide and she squeaks out, “Hello Kitty Café!? Oh. My God! I’ve always want to go to it but they never come to West Virginia or anywhere near me.” Lena hasn’t been this excited about anything for her in a while. “This is sooo amazing.”
“You are really excited about this. Aren’t you?” He replies with a chuckle as he puts the car in park. She’s out of the car before he shuts his door, she standing there bouncing up and down looking giddy with happiness. With out thinking he grabs her hand as the go to stand in line with the other patrons. Her body tensed at first when he grabbed her hand but he stroke her hand with his thumb and she quickly relaxed.
“I’m super excited! This is like totally awesome!” She gets slightly distracted by the menu of things to get.
In no time they are in the front of the line, Lena still hadn’t figured out what she wanted so Chris figured he would surprise her even more. “Good morning ladies, I called ahead and I believe you put stuff aside for me and my lovely date.” Hearing the label of ‘date’ made Lena blush slightly.
“Ohhhh it really is you! And yes, we put one of everything to the side like you asked. Can we have your autograph pretty please?” The perky clerk asked as she had another girl run to get the bag full of goodies. Chris nods as the girl and few others run over to him to get his picture. Lena politely walked off to the side so they could get his picture. “Can we have a picture of you and him together? You guys look so cute together. Plus you guys are matching.”
Shocked by the fact neither had looked at the other’s clothes they realized they did in fact match. Both wore white tank tops and jean shirts with Converse, hers were Hello Kitty and his were solid black. They both had sunglasses on, the main difference was she didn’t have a hat on unlike him who is sporting his favorite NASA hat.
“Sure why not.” Lena shocked herself with how easily she replied at being ok with being photographed with him. I guess I need to start getting use to it. Chris pulls Lena closer to him and puts his arm around her waist while her hand lays on his chest.
“Awww you guys look so cute! What’s your name? How long have you guys been going out?”
Lena looks at Chris nervously praying that he will take the lead and answer questions. She isn’t sure what to say other than the truth so she hopes that when he answers it will set the tone of how things will always be for them.
“This is Evangeline, and we this is our first official date. We just met through friends yesterday. Hate to cut this short, but I want to give her a great first date.” With that Chris grabs her hand once more as they head back to the car with four bags packed full of Hello Kitty merchandise.
Beaming Lena gives him a bright smile as she pulls the plush Hello Kitty from the bag. “That was awesome! Thank you so much for this all! I can’t believe you got me one of everything.”
“Well I looked at your Instagram and was trying to figure out what you did have but I figured this was easier. Are you happy with it?”
“Most def am I happy about it all! Like look how cute this is”. She shows him the bow shaped water bottle and squeals. “So where to now? If there is a place that can really top of this awesomeness.”
Chris chuckles and places his hand on her knee and gives it gentle squeeze. “This probably won’t be as awesome as the Hello Kitty cafe but it’s still pretty good.”
Silently Lena gives him a confused look because she was curious as to what their next adventure would entail. They pulled up to a small bright blue building no words were on the building just large glass windows with mannequins with beautiful gowns on them. “Where are we?” She asks as he opens the door for her.
“CHRISTOPHER!” A small lady who resembles Edna from the Incredibles comes speed walking up to them with open arms.
“Edna!” Chris greets her with the same warmth that she gives him. “How are you?”
“Ohh I’m good. Same ole’ same ole’. You know how it is.” Edna stops when she realizes there is someone else with him. “And WHO is this lovely lady?” Edna takes a good look at the brown eye beauty.
Chris snakes his arm around Lena’s waist causing her to blush slightly. “This is Lena. We need a dress for tomorrow night. Nothing to flashy but something . . ..” He trails off then looks down at Lena trying to sum up how he wants he to look. “Beautiful.”
Edna watches how the pair enacts with each other. She isn’t sure if they are dating or not but they will be soon. Generally, when Chris has a lady to take with to events they are family and the ones who aren’t have their own designer they would want rather than Edna. Interesting. “Well hello. What is your style? Favorite color? Are you opposed to heels?”
“Hi.” Lena says going to shake hands but Edna give her a hug with the same warmth she gave Chris. “I’m not a glamour girl by any means. I’m a mom. So I guess boring girl next door. I’m ok with a basic black gown, but not heels.”
“I’d venture to say that you aren’t boring on any level.” Edna says while Chris slyly nods his head. “But here try this black gown on.” Edna hands Lena a long black plunging v-neckline and draped-knot waisted gown. While Lena takes the gown and go to the dressing room; Edna goes into the back thinking she has the perfect dress for Lena.
Lena looks at herself in the gown before stepping out. Wow I look basic and boring, but this is me now. I guess. “What do you guys think? It’s a little loose but it works.”
Chris and Edna look at each other giving each other the same look. Chris knows how blunt Edna is so he opens his mouth to say something but Edna beats him to it. “I don’t like it on you.”
“Excuse me?”
“I. Do. Not. Like. This. On. You.”
Lena looks at herself in the huge mirror. “Why not? You made this; I thought I looked ok.”
Chris intervenes before Edna would open her mouth again and possibly hurting Lena’s feelings. “What she means is that it doesn’t flatter your figure.”
She looks slightly defeated. “Well what should I wear then?” Tears threaten to fall down her face. She refused to let them see her cry.
He could see the difference in her body language. He hurt her. “It’s ok. We will find something better.” He grabs her hand and gives it a gentle squeeze.
Edna watches them interact and realizes that she was a little bit too blunt with her reply. “I didn’t mean to say I don’t like it on you, just that it doesn’t look like it is truly your character deep down. Come sit.” Lena joins Edna on the velvet blue couch, seeing that they are about to have a moment he walks outside to return some phone calls he has missed. “Lets just be bluntly honest right now. You don’t like it very much either.”
Lena looks down cocking her her head to the side. “It’s not that I don’t like it. . . I just feel like I’m not really Hollywood material. I don’t know what he or anyone wants of me.”
“Have you met Chris? He isn’t Hollywood on any level.”
“I know but ...”
“No buts. He likes you. A lot. He might not have told you yet but he does. You are beautiful and a mom but you can do both. Trust me with your dress ok?”
“Ok. I’m going to trust, but what do you have in mind?”
“This. Now go try it on before he comes back. I want you to just be yourself and more importantly, love yourself.”
********************************************
“So let me get this straight. You didn’t want to take a family member to the charity dinner so you asked Jeff to find you someone. And now you are now ‘dating’ a random girl.” Scott says.
Chris runs his hands through his hair. “Wow you make me sound like a desperate asshole.”
“You said it not me.”
“Look it’s not like that, well not entirely. She was volunteered by Jeff’s assistant and I like spending time with her so far. I’d like to date her maybe. But...”
Scott cuts his brother off. “But what?”
“I don’t know if she likes me. Like she has been through some stuff. I don’t want to pressure her, even if I feel we would be great together.”
“Welp brother of mine. Give it time and do baby steps. I mean if she let you hold her hand and such I think she is on board. Just baby steps.”
“Gotcha. Well I’m going to go inside and see what Edna has her in maybe something to really show her body off more.”
There was a pause. “You left her with Edna?”
“Yeah why?”
“Nothing just go back to see what she has her in.”
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Dmitri Island: ch 1
A/n: here’s the first chapter!!! Sorry it’s so long I wanted to get the reader and Tom’s back history started!! But I hope y’all enjoy it 🥰
Beep, beep, beep.
[[MORE]]
The blaring sound of your alarm rang through your ears, waking you from your dreamless slumber. Groaning, you fiddled around in the darkness searching for your phone.
Where is this damn thing? And why is it so loud?
Once you found it, you brought it close to your face and stopped the obnoxious alarm from ringing anymore to give you a peace of mind. Your phone cleared the alarm away from the screen as you saw a row of messages from Tom, your best friend.
T: loooooooove, WAKE UP!!!!!!
T: (y/n/n), I need you!!!!!!! 😭
T: Come overrrrrr 🥺
T: this is verrrrry important (y/n/n), n I need ur help ASAP xxx
T: (Y/N)!!!! ANSWER ME THIS IS URGENT 😰😰😭😭🥺🥺
“Oh my gosh,” you let out a loud laugh as you scroll through the extensive, dramatic messages left by Tom.
Some say it was crazy how you met Tom. You had just moved to London after your job had you transfer to run their UK division from your cozy, well-known New York office. You were so excited for the opportunity for change, even though you loved your NY team. You were desperate for a change of pace, so it was only natural for you to say yes to the once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.
Not too long after you moved, you were checking out the scene that engulfed your new apartment, and had stumbled on a cute & quaint coffee shop. You walked in, and was in the middle of picking up your coffee when you felt a stiff, dark figure bump into your left shoulder, causing the coffee to spill everywhere.
You let out a small gasp as the scalding cup of coffee landed on the sleeve of your grey sweater. How in the hell does this happen to me? You were about to curse out the person who bumped you when you looked up and saw what was the most beautiful boy you had ever seen.
He was dressed in all black, with the collar of his pea coat cuffed up to cover his neck from the London cold. He definitely looked to be about your age, maybe a bit younger if anything. He had the most gorgeous head of dark brown curls, and they looked so glossy and soft under the warm lights of the dim cafe. His dark brown eyes were wide with fear (probably because of the scowl you were sporting) and embarrassment, but still there was a glimmer of something else you couldn’t make out. His chiseled face was flushing a deep red, and his mouth was hung wide open.
“Oh my God, I am so sorry, love. I wasn’t paying attention and didn’t see you there and-“
“No, no, it’s okay,” you sighed, feeling the creases of your forehead lift at the sight of the boy in front of you. “It was an accident, it’s all good.”
“Oh, good,” the boy relaxed, “because I thought you were gonna full-on beat me up.”
Your ears perked at his charming British accent, something you still hadn’t gotten used to after being in the UK for about a week at that point. “Oh my goodness, I am so sorry. It’s not usually a good thing when someone does what you did where I’m from, guess it was a quick reaction.”
“It’s okay, darling,” the boy smiled. “Where I’m from, it’s usually a cause for conversation with a pretty girl.”
“Hmm, is that so?” You felt your cheeks get hot at his comment and tried to flush it down by feigning confidence. “Well that’s a funny way to get someone’s attention. Guess that’s how it is over here, innit?”
“Yeah, it’s an unusual way, but it works quite often for me,” the boy winked at you as you felt the heat return to your face. “I’m Tom, by the way.”
“Hi Tom, I’m (y/n),” you replied, sticking out your hand to reach Tom’s already outstretched hand.
After that initial conversation, the two of you sat down in that coffee shop and talked for hours, getting to know one another. You found out he was an actor, and that he had just left New York after filming the new Spider-Man movie, and he found out you were from New York and the reason for your move.
Ever since that day, the two of you were inseparable. Even Tom’s friends and family would comment at how he always seemed to be by your side, but it never traveled over that line. That invisible line between friends and lovers, despite the fact that it felt like you two were always dancing around that line.
You were pulled out of your thoughts at your phone dinging, signaling another text coming through. However, it was not Tom that was ringing you this time, but Harrison, Tom’s best friend who was also yours.
Haz: dude, if you don’t get your 🍑 over here ASAP, tommo’s gonna combust 🙃
You: lmao, I’m coming!!!! Tell the div to chill and I’ll be by within the hour 💃🏽
You type away, and went to your contacts and searched for Tom’s number, hitting the call button as you peeled yourself out of bed to grab some caffeine.
“You know, a simple reply would have been really great, (y/n). Almost gave me a heart attack,” Tom’s dramatic voice filled your kitchen after not even one ring.
“Well good morning to you, too. Tommy, you know Saturday’s are my days to sleep in. Not everyone has the requirement to wake up at ungodly hours on weekends to exercise,” you chuckled. Sometimes, being friends with an actor can be so... dramatic.
“It’s a part of the job, darling. This is my line of work,” Tom replied, and you could hear the sarcasm dripping in his voice.
“Sorry your line of work sucks,” you snorted as the beeping of your coffee maker sounded, signaling the end of the brewing.
“(Y/n), are you seriously still drinking coffee? We have to change that - you’re a Londoner now!” Tom shouted.
“No way, Tommy. I’m a New Yorker through and through, and there is no way I’m gonna have tea before coffee. Once a New Yorker-“
“Always a New Yorker. I know,” Tom interrupted, causing both of you to laugh. “So, darling, when are you popping on over?”
“Soon. I still have to get presentable, you know. Can’t come over in my pj’s,” you speak while taking a big gulp of the sweet caffeine in your favorite mug. It was a mug Tom and Harrison had given you for Christmas, and it had a picture of the New York City skyline covering the entirety of the mug. They gave it to you because it was the first Christmas you were not able to go home, so the two of them, Tom’s brothers Sam & Harry, and you guys’ other best friend, Tuwaine, brought Christmas in New York to you. Tom had organized the whole thing, and it made your heart swell.
There were so many moments in you guys’ friendship that twisted your heart in ways that should have killed you in the best way. But that day was the day everything changed for you. The way the day was planned, down to the gift that he and Harrison (but mainly Tom, because Harrison sometimes has a tendency of forgetting things) had gotten you, made you realize you were falling for your best friend.
It was hard not to - Tom is gorgeous. Like the kind of gorgeous that could take your breath away. And what made it even better is his sweet heart. He loved people with his whole heart, and he always made sure everyone who was around him was well taken care of. Despite his movie-star status, he still remained humble, which was so admirable to you.
“(Y/n/n), you could come over in a garbage bag and it would still be acceptable in my house,” Tom giggled, interrupting your thoughts.
“Oh hush, you. Okay, lemme get ready and I’ll be there in 30!”
“Okay, darling! See you soon!”
With that, you hung up and padded over to your room. You opened the sliding doors of your closet, sifting through the cozy linens and sweaters lined up in color order. London was a lot colder than New York during the fall, which you appreciated, but sometimes it got hard finding an outfit to fit this chilly weather. So you went with your go-to.
Working in the city taught you a lot about fashion, especially working with a fashion magazine. You were always up-to-date on trends because of it, and being editor-in-chief, it was necessary. Most people would go for a full-on sweatsuit with old sneakers, but your mind was trained to always look put-together, even when you were being “bummy”.
You pulled out your black jogger sweatpants and a long-sleeved, white, cropped graphic tee with an artsy-looking face on it, and your undergarments. You threw it on, and fast-walked to your bathroom, where you washed your face and brushed your teeth. Afterwards, you put on a little bit of concealer, blush, mascara, and eyebrows, and ruffled your hair out of its bun. You didn’t care to style it because it was your day off, and you were just going to hang out with your best friends, so it was highly unnecessary. Also, you were having a pretty decent hair day, so you just went with it.
Before leaving, you grabbed your black and white-speckled pea coat and slid on some pointed black flats. You took your keys and purse, and before opening the door, you grabbed your phone and headed out the door.
Fifteen minutes later, you pulled up to Tom and Harrison’s apartment and hit their buzzer four times. You hear the lock click, and you quickly walked into the warm building.
You could hear the chatter of multiple boys behind the door of their apartment before opening it. Tom and Harrison always knew to leave the door unlocked when you came over, mainly because of laziness, but it was definitely more of a comfortability, which you didn’t understand.
“You know, boys, having your door unlocked is super dangerous. I could’ve been a murderer for all you know,” you shouted as you stepped into the cozy modern apartment.
“(Y/n), we know it’s you. You have such a unique buzzer, so we always know,” Harrison rolled his eyes as he walked over to give you a hug.
“Yeah, yeah. Whatever. Where’s the fussy boy at?” You replied as you were taking off your coat.
“Over here!” Tom perked up from behind the massive dark grey couch. His wet, post-shower curls bounced up from over the cushions, his face painted with a huge grin.
“What are y’all doing?” You asked as you made your way over to sit by Tom on the couch. While walking over, you saw the heads of more familiar sets of brown curly hair turn to face you.
“We’re looking to see where we all wanna go next on holiday, (y/n/n)!” Sam, one of the twins grinned.
“Yeah, we’re going on holidayyyyy!” Harry, the other twin, perked up, his grin reaching the freckles that lined his cheeks.
“No way! Is this what you were bugging me about, Holland?” You bump Tom in the shoulder as you sat down.
“Yes! I told you it was urgent! We need help finding a place,” Tom replied, tugging your arm in fake desperation.
“Okay, okay. Let’s look and see what we can find,” you sighed, eyes lighting up in playfulness at his response.
You took out your phone and began searching. It felt like forever, because there were so many different places you guys looked at. And it seemed like everyone was saying “no” to everyone’s ideas.
Twenty minutes later, your landed on a page talking about this island in the states that you had never heard of. The header of the article read, DMITRI ISLAND: THE BEST DESTINATION YOU NEVER HEARD OF. You figured, hmm, this could be worth a shot. You skimmed the article quickly, and as you were reading it, you knew in your heart this was it.
“Hey, have y’all heard about this? There’s this island that’s off the coastline where there’s only a population of 110 people, and there’s all this historic stuff about it and the only mode of transportation is golf carts,” you said, scrolling through the beautiful photos of the island you found on google.
“No I don’t think I have. What does it look like?” Tom asked, leaning over your shoulder as you scroll through. He rested his cheek on your shoulder while his curious brown eyes scanned the screen, causing a faint blush creep onto your face.
“Guys, we’re supposed to be looking for vacation spots, not desolate islands,” Harrison groaned into his phone, giving your right arm a little shove.
“Oh come on, Haz, this is a vacation spot! There’s multiple accesses to the beach, a live lounge where music plays all throughout the weekend, a tequila distillery, and a massive golf course in one of the hotels that are there,” you laugh, returning the shove into his left arm while wiggling your eyebrows.
“A golf course?! Mate, we’re definitely going. (Y/n), book the ferry tickets!” Harry perked up from his current binge of Stranger Things on the enormous SmartTV to jump out of his seat, shaking Harrison’s right shoulder in agreement.
You had to laugh to yourself at your friends. They were all so different, and such dorks, you just couldn’t help but admire their banter and energy. “Alright, y’all, the ferry tickets are booked. Vacation, here we come!”
A chorus of shouts and cheers erupted in the expansive living room of the boys’ apartment as the excitement and promise of a relaxing vacation starts to become a reality.
You know the boys needed this vacation, especially Tom. They all have been working so hard to get their careers on the path that they desire, and Tom has his fair share of craziness this past year. With Far From Home, Endgame, the press tours, and his other projects that were coming up, you knew he was exhausted beyond belief. He wouldn’t admit it to himself, but he desperately needed a break from reality. And that’s what you vowed you would do - get him and the boys a chance to breathe without people constantly bombarding them with questions, invading their personal life.
You were determined to make this vacation worthwhile, and as you looked down at Tom, you saw a new glow lit deep within him. His smile was practically taking up his entire face, he had a small flush of pink on the apples of his cheeks, and a glint of excitement in his deep brown eyes.
And it was a glow you wanted to continue seeing in him.
A glow you wanted to be the reason for.
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“His Baby” updates!
Chapter 5: Bedtime RoutineSummary:
Summary: From a prompt by HCShannon: Stuff like putting him to bed, swaddling him in blankets, then reading him a story.
John liked routine, and had had a self-imposed bedtime since he was a youngster. He adjusted it a little as he got older, but not by a lot. Really the only exceptions were gigs that ran late or the occasional study sessions. But he was good about budgeting his time, and except for a performance, he was rarely up past his bedtime.
Especially with Freddie around.
The singer had two modes and schedules when it came to John’s bedtime- at home, and on tour. When at home, it was pretty easy to keep John on his schedule; recording sessions simply ended when it was time to head home so John would have time to properly unwind and relax. His usual bedtime was around 11:00, depending on the schedule for the next day.
But when on tour, it was a lot more difficult. The more successful Queen became, the longer the after parties tended to go. Sometimes the show wasn’t even done until after 10:00, and then the party was going strong until the wee hours of the night. It could take hours for John to settle down after a good show.
So Freddie learned to play it largely by ear, although he always aimed for around 1:00 am when they had another show the next day. Midnight would be better, he fretted, but it was seldom realistic. The best Freddie could do was insist that parties were always at their hotel, so all he had to do was get John tucked in bed upstairs, and then he could easily return to the festivities. Clubbing was reserved for nights when they didn’t have a show the following day and John was allowed to stay up later.
People often wondered where Freddie had disappeared to, and Brian and Roger would just shrug. It was usually assumed that he had gone off with someone, and truth was, he had. It was just he had gone with John, and not a party person.
“I’m not tired,” John fussed.
“Yes, you are,” Freddie said. He started running a bath and made sure to add John’s favorite bubbles and bath salts. They’d all had showers just a few hours earlier at the venue, but Freddie knew a bath would settle John the quickest. He heard the tinkling of the mini-fridge and frowned.
“John, no more drinking,” he said firmly, going out the living room area. Sure enough, John was just about the pull the tab on a can of beer.
“One more?” John pleaded, using his puppy eyes. Fortunately, Freddie was immune to puppy eyes.
“Decaf tea,” Freddie said sternly. He started the kettle and picked out a chamomile blend. John huffed, but accepted the cup when it was ready and stomped off to the bathroom.
“Wash behind your ears,” Freddie called. John muttered something in return, waving his hand.
Freddie got the bedroom ready for his son, making sure the temp was set to how John liked it and fluffing the pillows. They were sharing a two bedroom suite, Freddie’s favorite set up when on tour as it enabled him to keep on eye on his boy, and he was nearby if John had a nightmare. The fact that John seldom had nightmares didn’t matter to the singer; he needed to be close just in case.
John emerged from the bath dressed in his favorite Disney pajamas and Freddie barely resisted the urge to take a photo; Deaky was just too cute for words. Of course it was also pretty funny to see John in a Disney shirt and his mouse ears, chugging a beer. Freddie allowed John to drink only on special occasions and finding a new Disney shirt had been rated a suitable event.
“Did you take your vitamins and medicine?”
“Yes, Freddie.”
“Good, good.”
Freddie tucked John into bed, fussing to find a channel on the television that would give some noise but not be annoying. Anything violent was of course not allowed, and the news could be distressing. Freddie finally found a nature documentary that looked suitably boring and adjusted the volume so it was just enough for some slight background noise. John was already yawning, pleasantly relaxed after his bath and having drank just enough to be sleepy without being drunk. “Alright dear boy, I will be back soon. Just call to the front desk if you need anything.”
“I’m fine,” John protested mildly.
“Of course you are,” Freddie murmured reassuringly. He continued to tuck the sheets and blankets firmly under the mattress until John was practically pinned to the bed, swaddled securely. “Do you want a story?”
“No,” John wrinkled his nose. “The television is fine.”
“Alright.” Freddie kissed his forehead. “Glass of water is on the nightstand. The light is on in the bathroom. I’ll leave the door to my bedroom open. Goodnight.”
“Goodnight, Freddie.”
John waited a few minutes to make sure Freddie was gone, and then started the struggle to get free. Tonight wasn’t too bad; some nights John swore that Freddie had tied him to the bed. He managed to get his arms free and from there it was easy.
John fetched his beer from the mini frig, and flipped through the channels until he came to the pay-for-view section. Umm…..”Hot Tub University: Bikini’s gone wild.” Sounded interesting.
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Chapter 6: BreakdownSummary:
Summary: John didn’t ask for much. Just one little thing after a horrible day. And when he’s not happy, Papa isn’t happy….
"John Richard Deacon Mercury, unlock the door this instant, young man!" His full name. John was in serious trouble.
Notes:
From a prompt by Bella: Maybe John throwing a tantrum?? Or getting super overwhelmed???
Chapter Text
John handed his autism well. He knew what bothered him, and worked hard to avoid it. Of course, in the career he had found himself in, it was hard to avoid stress and noise was 100% part of the deal. But he could usually block things out when Freddie, Brian, and Roger were having an epic argument (he knew they wouldn’t actually hurt each other). He could block out the chaos from a typical sound check. Audiences screaming were part of the deal, and once he got over his stage fright, he was able to concentrate on the music and truthfully didn’t usually even notice a crowd until the show was over.
And all the other things as well, he could usually tolerate. Reporters yelling questions, cameras in his face, a different hotel nearly every night. Freddie, Brian, and Roger shielded him as much as they could, and John did his breathing exercises and usually all was well.
Usually.
The problem was when everything happened at once, or everything that could go wrong did go wrong. Sometimes, there was a simple straw that broke the bassist’s back.
And Hell hath no fury like Mama Bear Freddie, backed up by Big Brothers Brian and Roger.
The plane had been delayed, making them have to go directly to the auditorium for sound check. John hated flying to begin with, and it was worse when they had sat on the plane for an hour, unable to disembark because of a back log at the gate. Then it was the Sound Check from Hell, with everything possible going wrong. John could have done a better job with the electronics when he was eight, and none of the venue staff would listen to him or let him try to fix it.
They were supposed to have dinner at the hotel and John had been looking forward to the time to relax, but they had to stay at the venue because everything was running late. The last-minute caterer had done a very good job, but there wasn’t a toaster or slices of cheese in sight, so no cheese on toast tonight.
He had really wanted cheese on toast. He hadn’t had it in *days*. At the hotels, they always seemed to have toast available from room service, but at the venue, it was plain white fluffy bread. The caterer had vegetarian for Brian, roasted meat for Roger, and some spicy curry for Freddie that made John’s stomach hurt just to look at it. But no toast or cheese.
What the Hell?
Maybe he could write a song about it. *oooh, you make me live. You’re my best friend; cheese on toast* Or maybe *can anybody find meeee….soooooome, some cheese on toast….*
Okay, he recognized the signs when he was obsessing. Didn’t make it any easier.
He got through the concert well enough despite the new lights and pyrotechnics, which he didn’t really like, visions of cheese on toast dancing in his head and keeping him steady. They were playing the same venue the next night, so the plan was to go back to the hotel and sleep in. John was confident he could score cheese on toast at some point, maybe even at the after party (it wouldn’t be the oddest thing Queen had asked room service or the hotel concierge for, after all).
But no, it all had to go to Hell. The after party was a disaster. Hotel in process of renovations and nothing working. Someone (John was pretty sure it was Ratty) had told the hotel as a joke that Queen had become Vegan non-drinkers, and the only thing at the tables was water and raw veggies (even Brian was bitching about the lack of alcohol and protein).
And John became overwhelmed.
He didn’t want to cause a scene. So he locked himself in a bathroom off the ballroom where the party was being held.
“John?” Freddie was knocking on the door during within minutes, always keeping an eye on John during parties. “What is wrong, darling?”
“Go away!” John wasn’t in the mood to deal with anything. He had his hands over his ears and was sitting on the floor, rocking.
“John, open the door this instant. We’ve talked about this before, young man. We don’t lock doors.”
That was true, a rule that Freddie had made the day John moved in with the band. Roger was the only one who was allowed a locked door, and only when he had someone for the night because Freddie was afraid of John being traumatized by what he might see. Freddie said it was a safety issue; he want to be able to reach John at all times, especially when he was having difficulty.
“I don’t want anyone to see anyone!” John yelled. He knew logically he was in a loop now that was just getting worse and worse, but he couldn’t help it. Locking himself away was just making the scene bigger and bigger.
There was a murmur of voices. “John!” Roger yelled. Oh great, John thought, now his brothers could be witness to his humiliation. “I swear I will break down this door. Unlock it now.”
“I don’t want anyone to see me!”
“Darling, they won’t if you unlock the door now. We’ll all go upstairs together. Unlock. This. Door. Now!”
John just rocked more, and kicked the wall. “No!”
“John Richard Deacon Mercury,” Freddie said firmly, and Oh, Shit. John knew he was in trouble when it was his full name. Well, not really his full name…it was even worse. “I am going to count to 5, and the door better be unlocked by then, young man. One!”
Tears were welling up now. “It’s stupid,��� John tried. He was embarrassed now. “I’ll be fine. Just let me be.”
“Dear, nothing is stupid if its effecting you. Talk to us. Two!”
“I just wanted…..” he stopped, unable to continue.
“What do you need, darling? But I am not stopping the count. If I get to five, Roger is going to break down the door. Three!”
Shit, he was doomed.
“Four!”
John kicked the door, and then reach up to unlock it.
Freddie shoved his way in, and thank God, shut the door behind him so no one else could see John’s humiliation. A grown man, sitting on the floor of a bathroom, crying because he didn’t have cheese on toast.
“Darling, what is wrong?” Freddie was all mother hen mode now, clearly brooding as he gathered John into his arms. “I know its been a stressful day, dear. Is that what’s upset you? You know you can tell any of us if things get to be too much for you at any time.”
“I was alright,” John sniffed. “But—” he trailed off again.
“What, dear? Tell me.” Freddie had a hand on John’s chin, making the younger man look at him.
“I wanted….cheese on toast,” John confessed.
Freddie, Bless him, didn’t even blink. “Well of course,” he said calmly. “It’s your favorite food. They didn’t have it at the venue?”
“No,” John felt like he was whining, but Freddie was listening intently. “Not there and not here, either.”
“Fuck!” Contrary to popular belief, Freddie did listen to some of Brian’s speeches about vegetarianism, and understanding dawned. “No cheese – milk, and no bread - eggs.”
John nodded. “No toaster even if there was,” he added. “And, and…noise. And crowds. And the new sound and lights.” He didn’t need to elaborate. Freddie was finely attuned to what could affect John.
“Those bastards,” Freddie snared. He gathered John in a fierce hug. “Don’t worry. We will get you set up right away. Let’s go upstairs where its nice and quiet and dark, and you can take a nice bath and eat. In fact, let’s get Brian and Roger for a sleep over? Does that sound nice?”
“I just want cheese on toast,” John said in a small voice.
“And you shall have it!” Freddie stood, pulling John up with him. He opened the door, and thankfully it was only Roger and Brian who were present.
“We are all going upstairs,” Freddie said firmly. “Fuck this dead party. We are going to have a movie night and order in cheese on toast. And if the hotel doesn’t have it, send I am sending Ratty to Hell *after* he finds a market and makes cheese on toast.”
“Sounds good to me,” Brian immediately said. They all knew about John’s possible triggers and how he needed the comfort of familiarity.
“Yeah, its been a pisser of a day,” Roger agreed. “I mean, the Hell? Vegan non-drinkers? What the Fuck? Brian, are you *sure* you didn’t say something?”
“Screw you, Rog. You know I would never say non-drinker. And whoever thought Vegan means only raw veggies is stupid. Mammals can’t survive without some type of protein, and that’s a fact.”
Forty minutes later, John was in bed, calmed by a lavender bath, and clad in his favorite pajamas. Brian and Roger, now in their own pajamas, had gathered the contents of all their stocked mini-bars (including Ratty’s), and were mixing drinks while Freddie answered the door for room service in one of his elegant robes. He had screamed on the phone for five minutes about the Vital Importance of Cheese on Toast, and given strict instructions on how to prepare it. He had threatened to come down to the kitchens to make it himself it he wasn’t satisfied with what was delivered.
Then he called rooms and screamed at members of their crew, making damn sure they all ensured in the future that cheese on toast was 100% available at all times.
And booze.
He also threatened Ratty in vivid detail about what would happen if he ever again messed with the availability of cheese on toast. And booze. In fact, Ratty was now officially in charge of providing cheese on toast at the snap of Freddie’s fingers, and Ratty was truly terrified at the threats that made been made. He went back to his room to write a formal apology to John, and may or may not have found a church to pray in for forgiveness and asked a priest for penance.
Freddie had, of course, made sure that John was in the bathtub with the door closed and water running so he couldn’t hear the threats he had made. He was rather strict about foul language used in front of his son.
Thank God, room service rose to the occasion and provided booze, real food, and yes, Cheese On Toast.
Freddie fixed John a plate and handed it over to the young man, who eagerly accepted it. Everyone settled on the bed and they turned on a movie. John didn’t care what it was and he suspected that no one did. What was important was that they were together.
“We are going to have another talk tomorrow about locked doors, young man,” Freddie said sternly as he wiped John’s hands.
“Yes, Freddie,” John said meekly.
“And you are grounded for the rest of the week. Not because you were upset, darling; that happens, and its fine. Never apologize when you need space and quiet. But you knew not to lock the door. I’m not mad; I’m disappointed.”
“I’m sorry, Freddie.”
He felt bad about having a break down over food, but thankfully his family still accepted him. John still wanted to write a song.
*another toast bites the dust. And another one’s gone, and another one’s gone. Hey! I’m gonna get me some…cheese on toast!”
*******************************************************************
Chapter 7: Zooday
Summary: From a prompt by mtnsam: Maybe you can do one where they take him to Disney or a zoo? :D
John generally did not like crowds. Ironic, he knew, given his profession. But crowds at concerts didn’t bother him too much. He knew he was protected on stage by his band mates and their crew and the crowd couldn’t actually get to him. (Actually, his most reoccurring nightmare was him falling off the stage into a crowd. Freddie could always tell when he’d had that nightmare and would get him some warm milk and sing until he managed to go back to sleep).
Where John really hated crowds was in public places. Stores, restaurants, overcrowded clubs, etc…. There was a reason he ordered a lot of room service on tour and was pretty choosy about what clubs he would remain at. Crowds were just too overwhelming. So much chaos. So much talking. But he was usually okay.
He was also a fully functioning, highly capable adult. Freddie thought he was about 13, but John knew he meant no harm in it, and John was usually content to let Freddie have his harmless delusion. It was annoying, to be sure, but there were lots of benefits such as sweets and not having to worry about picking out clothes. It was easier to just let Freddie lay out clothing for events and all John had to be concerned with was casual day wear.
And even though John didn’t like crowds, he had a few exceptions, and there were times when his tolerance of a crowd was made even better when Freddie had woken up convinced that John needed a fun trip.
Like when Freddie decided to take John to the zoo.
“John, darling, I have a surprise for you!” Freddie cheered one morning at breakfast. “There is a new mammal habitat at the zoo and we are going today!”
“Wow, that’s great,” John said happily. He loved going to the zoo and seeing all the amazing animals.
“Now, eat a big breakfast, because I am not letting you fill up on too many sweets,” Freddie warned, putting a plate of toast and oatmeal in front of his son. “We can get a treat at the end.”
An hour later, after Freddie had packed a bag with sunscreen and made sure John had a hat, they headed off to the London zoo. John was more than willing to put up with crowds there in order to see the animals.
“Remember,” Freddie said, going over the rules when on outings as they rode in the taxi. “You stay with me, don’t wander away.”
“I know Freddie.”
“If you get lost, find a zoo worker – they all have uniforms and name badges – and we meet at the nearest security station.”
“Okay.”
“Drink a lot of water; it’s very humid.”
“I will.”
“Do you have our phone number memorized if you get lost and security asks you?”
John tilted his head a bit. “Do *you*?”
Freddie shook a finger in mild amusement. “No back talk. Do you know our phone number?”
“Yes, Freddie, I promise.”
“You don’t go anywhere with strangers, *especially* if they have candy.”
“I remember our talks about stranger danger, Freddie.” Really, John was about to toss Freddie out of the cab and go to the zoo himself, but he knew it would hurt the singer’s feelings and he would never do that.
They lined up for tickets at the automatic tellers, and John rolled his eyes when Freddie purchased one adult and one teen. While Freddie was distracted, John discreetly and quickly purchased another adult ticket, ready to slip it into the gate attendants’ hand. He dealt with this quite a lot, and had gotten rather good at secretly buying the proper adult ticket.
It didn’t hurt to allow Freddie his little delusions.
They toured the new exhibit and had lunch at a picnic area, Freddie fussing and making sure John had more sunscreen applied to his face. Freddie also bought John another stuffy, and John just smiled, happily carrying the large stuffed tiger. They mutually decided to name him Simba.
After lunch, they ended up at the best part of all; the petting zoo. John was glad he and Freddie weren’t the only adults in the area without kids. There was nothing wrong in childless adults wanting to pet the animals too.
John looked over at Freddie, who was talking nonsense to a baby llama. Ummm…..maybe he did have a child.
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Chapter 8: My Best Friend
Summary: From a prompt by Wiggles91: How about when Autistic John wrote his first song about his wife Veronica "You're my best friend." And he is very scared to show it to his wife and to the boys because he thinks it's not good enough. So the boys bring Veronica to Rockfield Studios to help him with the song with encouragement from Freddie.
John had never considered himself a ‘songwriter’. He freely admitted he was sort of an accidental up and coming rock star. Had he set out to be a star like Freddie or Roger? Nope. Had he been determined to be a song poet and performer like Brian? Not at all. He had quite frankly auditioned for Queen because his father liked music and John’s therapist had insisted that he try to get out more.
And look where it had landed him.
In a very powerful up and coming band. With records released and more on the horizon. John just wanted cheese on toast and to play music, and yeah, he wanted Veronica. So sue him. He may be autistic, but he knew a lady when he saw one, and Veronica was all that and smart, and talented, and beautiful and just simply amazing.
And he was just plain John.
Veronica was SO out of his league. As was Queen. John kept thinking that everyone would wake up one day and realize it. But no.
Brian and Roger went out of their way to make John feel comfortable and part of the band. Every tiny bit he contributed was welcomed and applauded.
Veronica was simply….amazing. John honestly could not find words to describe what she meant to him. And this was from someone who thought he would never be loved, and really, truly, had not set out to find it. He was convinced that love was a nice feeling, but not one for him. Sure, someone people had had true love, and John respected and admired that. But it surely wasn’t for him. He wasn’t sure he would even *know* was love was.
And then he had met Veronica. At a disco, of all places.
And Freddie, the other most important person in his life after his Mum, sister, and Veronica, had done nothing but endorse Veronica. John had no choice but to put his worries aside, and trust in his Dad….er….he meant, Freddie.
And that had been a huge source of John’s nerves. He kept telling Veronica that he was different, and she just kept on smiling. Okay, she was training to be a teacher, and John figured that she had to put on that smile. But after a while he really began to suspect that she truly did understand, and did not judge him for it.
When he had to do certain routines to be comfortable, she just nodded, and even *helped* him. When he didn’t know what to do in a social situation, she was beside him, always smiling and gently helping him, acting as if his nerves were perfectly normal, and politely, sweetly, deadly, daring anyone to say otherwise.
If Freddie was his would-be-Dad, then Veronica was his would-be-Mum….but in a good sense. Not kinky or weird. It was really like his….wife….John finally realized.
Thank goodness he had the presence of mind to say Yes when she proposed to him.
Freddie for once was totally silent on the subject- just beaming with pride - but for the rest of his life, John suspected that Veronica had gone to Freddie and asked permission for his hand in marriage.
John didn’t lie…..he felt quite flattered and more than a bit woozy at the notion.
And the fact that Freddie always referred to John and Veronica’s children as his ‘Pautrō’ made John smile. He guessed they really were. Lord knew they would not have been born without Freddie’s encouragement. John would have been the virgin-in-a-rock-band if it wasn’t for Freddie giving him a pep talk and then shoving him in Veronica’s direction.
And Veronica. She was a wise, wise, woman of wisdom. Never underestimate her. John didn’t. He learned to just say “yes, dear,” and do as she said. It made life much simpler and happier. She was never wrong when it came to them. Thank God he could rely on her.
What was that saying? You could pick your friends, but not your family? In his down moments, John guessed that his band mates had to put up with him since they were family. But Veronica?
She *let* him sleep with her. On a number of occasions. Touch her inappropriately.
John was truly grateful.
And he was grateful when she showed up at Rockfield studio with a big smile and all her gentle strength.
“Play them your song,” she said gently.
“What? No!” he protested. It was crap, truly. He had just been messing around with notes and words. It wasn’t a *song*.
“Darling,” Freddie said, “Veronica already shared some of it with me. You simply MUST play it now.”
John shot Veronica a dark look, and she just smiled as usual. Okay, it was the sign that John was being ridiculous and he needed to go along with whatever she wanted.
“It’s dumb,” John muttered. “I mean the words, but it’s…..silly.” He wasn’t romantic. He didn’t know how to say things in actual conversations, let alone in a song. And now Brian, the lyrics specialist was smiling at him, and Roger, who could put words together almost as well as Brian was grinning in encouragement.
John frowned a little at Veronica….had she told the band? She smiled, and he sighed, knowing she had. Well, she did know best.
He went over to the piano and nervously ran his hands over the keys, trying to warm up. “I wanted to write a song for Veronica,” he mumbled. “But you know I’m dreadful with words. This is all I could come up with.” He cleared his throat, and reluctantly started to play.
Ohh, you make me live…You’re my best friend…
When he was done, Brian pulled him up into a hug before John could start making excuses about how bad a song it was. Then Roger was hugging him as well, and Freddie pulled Veronica into the group.
“Perfect!” Freddie was saying over and over. “It’s perfect!”
“John, you’re secret has been uncovered. We need more of your songs!” Brian said happily.
“I’m about ready to cry,” Roger joked, but by his smile and hug, John knew Roger was also pretty serious. “I can’t wait to play it.”
And Veronica just smiled, proud of her husband. She had known all along that he could do it. He just needed support and encouragement.
And his family would always make sure he had that.
*****
Pautrō – Grandchildren
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Chapter 9: I remember it all
Summary: From a prompt by Bella: John has Highly Superior Autobiographical Memory (HSAM). Yes, it’s a real thing where he remembers *everything*. Yes, it can be a pain.
John was not consciously aware of it, but he had a video camera in his head. All he knew was that he had an excellent memory. He had used to think that everyone did, but around starting secondary school he had realized he was different in more ways than one. If it happened to him, he could remember it. He could recall with perfect clarity almost every single day of his life. What he wore, what he ate that day, what he did. Recall verbatim what he said and what people said to him. Ask him about the local weather on Saturday, the 14th of August 1965, and he could tell you.
He tried to keep it quiet and for the most part succeeded. He didn’t brag about it, of course, and tried to stay silent even when someone was very wrong about what they were claiming and John knew it. It did actually came in handy at times, such as when his mum asked what they had served for tea or dinner when the family last came over, or what presents had been given at the holidays five years ago. And obviously his memory helped with school work. He figured it was a photographic memory, and just let it go. Whatever it was, it seemed to work.
The first time Queen was aware of it was when Freddie was fussing about what to wear for their next performance a few months after John had joined the band.
“Did I wear the black or the brown shirt last week?” Freddie screamed frantically. God forbid he wear the same outfit two weeks in a row.
“Black,” Brian said.
“Brown?” Roger guessed.
“Are you sure?” Freddie was going nuts.
John sighed and looked up from his bass. “You wore both,” he said calmly. “The black shirt at the start, and then changed into the brown shirt during the break. With the silver scarf and black boots.”
All three were looking at him, and John nervously looked back down at his guitar. “He’s right,” Freddie finally said. “I sort of remember now.” He beamed and hugged John. “Thank you, darling. You are in now in charge of my wardrobe.”
Bit by bit, the band began to realize just how much John could remember. Brian conducted a test on him, quizzing him about weather, and John was never wrong. Brian quickly determined that John could only remember things that he had done, said, saw or did.
“It has to be personal to you,” Brian mussed on a long drive. “Something that you saw, or heard, or did. Like how you can remember the Scrabble score of a game that you played, but not one that you didn’t play or see. It’s an…..autobiographical memory.”
“So Roger is not the only one who is self-centered,” Freddie teased. Roger easily flipped him the bird from the driver’s seat.
“It’s a pain,” John said shyly. “I keep worrying that my brain will get full, or something.”
“Even the most intelligent person only uses an estimated 10-20% of their brain,” Brian mussed. “Even as smart as you are, I don’t think it will get full.”
“You can borrow some of Roger’s brain,” Freddie offered. “He’s not using it.”
“Shut up, Freddie.”
The band quickly learned how to put John’s memory to good use (Brian ruling that John being responsible for remembering Freddie’s and Roger’s wardrobes was not a good use, but still, it happened). There was a reason John took charge of band finances as he never forgot a thing that was said or written. He made even the nastiest of record producers unnerved by reciting what they had worn and drank at every meeting and knew to the penny what was spent.
“I am so proud of you,” Freddie beamed after one meeting where John quietly, humbly, tore a manager to bits. “By the way, what did I wear to the club last week?”
“I wasn’t there, so I don’t know,” John said wearily. “I keep reminding you that you have to either take a picture and show me, or tell me, or write it down if you want me to remember that.”
“My baby computer,” Freddie cooed, pinching John’s cheeks.
“Stop that,” John muttered. “Or I won’t tell you what you wore at the last concert and let you wear the same thing over and over.”
“Shit, don’t scare me like that darling!”
Even Brian was guilty of using John at times. “John, did this restaurant have vegetarian options?”
“You had the garden salad and mushroom soup,” John said. He didn’t need to look at the menu. “I had the hamburger, Freddie had the fish and chips, and Roger the roast beef.”
“Did we like it?” Roger asked.
John sighed. “I guess?” he said. “No one complained.”
“Great! Order for us, would you? I’m going to have a smoke.”
Roger wanted to know totally random things, such as how many sugars had he put in his coffee six months ago, and how many dates he’d had two years ago at Easter. But he was good about seldom ‘abusing’ John’s memory – better than Freddie and Brian, actually. He just occasionally wanted to know odd stuff. John figured they were all entitled to have their brains work in different ways and if Roger really needed to know what he had for breakfast on the fifth of last month, John was willing to tell him if he knew.
John learned to balance things. He had to have things a certain way, a routine no matter how difficult it was on tour, and his brothers did all they could to help. Anyone who crossed John in any way was first politely torn apart verbally by the bassist and then kicked out by Roger and Freddie while Brian loomed. Some wondered why the other three deferred to the quiet bassist for so much, but Freddie, Brian and Roger never said a thing.
He was their secret weapon, and they protected what was theirs.
****************************************************************************
Chapter 10: Stepdad
Summary: From a prompt by LadyOfLoriens: Maybe you could write something about Freddie meeting Jim? A second dad for our baby John?
Note: In this universe, Freddie does not have AIDS.
“How do you feel about children?” Freddie asked Jim as they returned to Freddie’s home after their official second date. Freddie was ready to scream to the world that he loved this man.
The Irishman smiled. “I love them,” he admitted. “I didn’t know you had any. I would love to meet them.”
“Just one son, John,” Freddie beamed. “How about we all have dinner together Tuesday?”
Jim chuckled as he kissed Freddie. “Sure. How old is he?”
“He’s just a child,” Freddie sighed. “But thinks he’s a grown up. It’s so cute.”
*****
*****
“Well, you are a little older than I expected,” Jim said cheerfully.
“Oh God.” John sighed. “How old did he tell you I was?”
Jim shrugged. “He didn’t really say,” he mussed thoughtfully. “For some reason, I was picturing a 10-year-old.”
“I’m adopted,” John said dryly, taking a long drink.
Freddie appeared like magic and took the glass from John’s hand. “Now, Deaky, I said you could have a glass of wine with dinner, not before.”
“Its not wine, it’s vodka,” John said.
The singer stiffened. “Who gave you this?” he demanded. “Phoebe?”
“I brought the bottle with me as a gift, Freddie. I purchased it from a store.”
“With a fake ID?” Freddie shrieked. “Where did you get that from?”
“Its not fake, I keep telling you.”
“John Richard Deacon Mercury----” Freddie began to rant.
John looked at Jim. “Ignore him, it’s easier that way.”
“Ignore what? Is someone selling to underaged kids?” Jim was starting to look pissed. “Did you get pressured into buying?”
John blinked, a shiver going down his spine. “Jim, look, here’s my drivers license. Look at the date of birth. Please.”
“So many fakes out there,” Jim shook his head. “No wonder Freddie worries about you so much. So many bad influences.”
“I play in the band! I have since I was 19, which I am *not* anymore! Look at the date, Hell, look at me! I’m not a kid!”
“Don’t listen to him, dear,” Freddie said to Jim. “He’s acting out. He’s at that age, I’m afraid. Questioning authority.”
“I understand,” Jim smiled at Freddie, hearts in his eyes. “I can see why you are so protective of him.
“Jesus, I should have known,” John grumbled to Phoebe when the other man wandered into the room in search of booze.
“I like him,” Phoebe said seriously. “He’s a good guy, and I can tell Freddie is absolutely mad about him. I think they will be good for each other.” Phoebe reached out and patted John’s shoulder. “And he’ll be a good stepdad to you,” he teased.
“Shut up,” John muttered.
Dinner went well, until Freddie threatened to send John to bed without dessert, which led to John pointing out that he didn’t live there. Then Jim politely and innocently asked just how long John had been living on his own, which made Freddie feel like a bad parent. He dragged both Jim and John upstairs to show them ‘John’s bedroom’, proving that John did have a bedroom. John said he had only slept there twice (both when he was hungover after a party) and Freddie then really felt like a horrible parent, and Jim was going to leave him because he couldn’t be trusted and he was a dreadful person and he started to cry.
John and Jim both apologized. John ended up spending the night to prove to Jim that Freddie hadn’t thrown him out on the streets when he turned 18 (which, no matter how hard John to tried to convince Jim, had not been just a few months ago – he was in the 30’s for God’s sake), and Freddie calmed down enough to be happy.
Jim started referring to John as his ‘son’, and John knew he was doomed.
*****************************************************************************
Chapter 11: Operation D-A-T-E
Summary: From a prompt by Rogerina_Taylor:John going on a date. Freddie goes full mama bear mode. Maybe Freddie spies on their date or Roger or Brian.
Freddie stood in the center of the living room, tapping his foot. Nervous energy radiated off him.
“Jesus, Freddie, calm down,” Roger said from the couch.
“Calm down? Calm down? My baby is going on a D-A-T-E and you are telling me to calm down?”
Brian took a sip of beer. “Maybe because your baby is 20 years old and its high time he got out?”
“Yeah, even you had a date by age 21, Bri. I remember,” Roger smirked, and Brian hit his arm.
“My precious baby John is not you Brian, and – Thank God – not you, either, Roger. John is….special.” Freddie was about ready to tear his hair out.
“We’ve been tutoring him for weeks,” Brian said, trying to be logical. “He knows all about stranger danger and has memorized more than even I can say about safety. I’m surprised he is even willing to leave the flat, given all the scary stuff you have warned him about.”
“Yeah, I was about ready to live under the bed after your lecture this afternoon,” Roger volunteered.
“Hush!” Freddie hissed. “He’s coming out.”
John emerged from the bedroom dressed and groomed. Freddie fussed over him for a few minutes, adjusting a collar here, a jacket sleeve there. John looked amazing. *sniff* His baby was growing up.
“Now remember, don’t accept any drinks from strangers. Keep your ID in a separate place from your money.” Freddie was patting down John, making sure his directions had been followed. “You have phone numbers memorized, I know, but repeat them again.”
John sighed. “The phone here is 555—“he began. He kept reciting the numbers for local police, taxis, neighbors, and Scotland Yard. Freddie nodded in approval and made sure John had proper change for all calls.
“And the plan?” Freddie got out a piece of paper that had been carefully drawn up. Seriously, the Magna Carta had had less time in its drafting. Freddie, Brian, and Roger had all gone over it.
“7:45, leave apartment,” John began to recite again. “7:50, get in taxi that Brian has called for, but only *after* confirming the license plate.” Brian gave John a thumbs up. “Approximately 8:10, arrive disco. Call apartment to confirm my arrival from the pay phone out front before entering disco. Call you again from pay phone inside the disco once I have entered said disco. 8:20 meet Veronica at the bar, left side by the beer taps. Call again to confirm I am with Veronica. 8:20 – 11:30, dance. Three hours. I can have 2 beers, total, as can Veronica. Rest of time, order water. Keep glass in possession at all times. Do not accept drink offers. 9:30, order bar snacks. 11:30, call you before we exit disco. Approximately 11:40, call you once I have put Veronica in a taxi home. Include license plate of taxi. Approximately 11:42, I call you with license plate of taxi I am taking home. Should arrive home no later than 12:10. Make taxi driver stop and call if running late.”
“Good, good,” Freddie approved. He went to the bedroom to get a last-minute scarf for John and the bassist looked over at Brian and Roger.
“12:30. Sneak out of apartment and go to Veronica’s to shag,” John muttered. Brian chocked on his beer and Roger beamed in approval.
Promptly at 7:45, John left, clutching a piece of paper with the taxi number on it. Freddie had wanted to walk him out to the curb, but finally decided it might a little much. Roger and Brian exchanged glances, knowing that *something* was going to happen.
At 8:00, Freddie jumped up. “Alright, boys, here is the plan. Brian, you stay here for the phone calls. Roger, you and I are going to disco.”
“For God’s sake Freddie,” Roger grumbled. “John is an adult---”
“You take that back!” Freddie gasped.
“And he can go on a date by himself. What do you honestly think is going to happen? They are going to the lamest disco in all of Europe – it opens at 7:00 and closes at midnight - and Veronica is a nice girl.”
“Roger, stop being a sexist pig. A woman can be just as frightening as any man; more so, in fact.”
“Are you saying Veronica is frightening and is going to assault John? Maybe kiss him?” Brian asked.
“Brian, I thank you to not use such foul language and say such scary horrible things concerning John. Roger, get your damn coat now. We are running behind.”
Fifteen minutes later, Freddie and Roger were in the shadows of the disco, spying on John and Veronica. Freddie may have frowned a bit at how *physical* some of the dancing was, but he certainly couldn’t cast stones. They called Brian every hour, confirming that John had called as directed and giving updates. Freddie grabbed a taxi at 11:30 so he could be home before John while Roger stayed behind on John and Veronica duty, memorizing taxi license plates and calling Brian to confirm.
John arrived home to find Freddie and Brian relaxing while watching an old movie. Roger came in a few minutes later, saying he had gone on a last-minute date that ended early. It fooled no one.
At 12:30 AM, Roger gave another thumbs up to John as he quietly left the apartment. Freddie was in bed, asleep with dreams of his son innocently playing with kittens and stuffed animals.
Notes:
End Notes: What do you think? Would you like more snippets in this little universe? **I take Prompts for this universe!** You can comment below or message me at Tumblr “MacandLacysPlace” with requests.
Rules: may be gen, m/f, or m/m, but never explicit. Fluff! Austic!John will factor in on occasion. NO AGE PLAY or Infantilism; just pure fun and silliness. Great thanks again to LetMeEntertainYou.
Upcoming stories: Grandparents Day :-) Will John ever be allowed to date? Or drink?? Or drive??? (Papa doesn't drive, so why should his son?)
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Walking The Wire (54/?)
Summary: Tony Stark always knew about Peter Parker. He didn’t know that Peter was going to get superpowers and become Spider-Man, but he always knew about Peter because Peter was his son.
This will span from pre-Iron Man up through the rest of the MCU (eventually including Infinity War) and will be for the most part canon compliant except where I’ve taken some liberties and interpreted canon a certain way.
Pairings: Pepper/Tony, Tony/Steve (endgame), Tony/Mary (past)
A/N: If you want me to tag you when I post new chapters let me know. This fic is also on AO3
I used Collider’s MCU timeline to stay canon and the title of this fic is an Imagine Dragons song that is just so fitting for Peter and Tony
Masterpost
Chapter Fifty Three
There were about five different missed calls from Ross that Tony didn’t even consider responding to. It was fun to imagine The Secretary of State frustrated at a lack of answer from Tony especially after Tony had been playing along with him for a good while. Tony just had more important things to worry about like finally being able to get a few prototypes for a few different robotic exoskeletons for Rhodey. He didn’t know exactly what would suit Rhodey best, but with the right device and a good amount of physical therapy, Tony expected that Rhodey wouldn’t be bound to a chair forever.
Rhodey was being transferred to the states in the matter of days and since Rhodey essentially lived at the compound that’s where Dr. Cho was taking him and Tony was making preparations so he could be a bit closer to help Rhodey out. He didn’t really like the idea of being too far from Peter by staring at the compound too often -- especially since he was now running around Queens in a suit of Tony’s own creation -- but Rhodey couldn’t very well move into the tower and Tony still felt the guilt of what happened to his best friend gnawing at him.
Being busy helped with the whole not thinking about the Steve thing too, even if at night -- on the nights when Tony decided that he actually needed to get some sleep -- Steve was all that he thought about. Time had made Tony less upset about the whole thing because logic had stepped in, but there was still disappointment there in Steve and the trust that Tony had thought to count on. In a way, though, Tony knew better than most how some secrets developed and had to be kept up. He hated being logical about it.
Other things that kept Tony busy included trying to find some way to help get Sam, Clint, Wanda, and Scott out of The Raft. It was just that not even Maria Hill seemed to have a way to get them out and Tony just didn’t know if Steve would actually be able to pull it off if he did attempt it and Tony was sure that he would with Bucky one arm short at his side and Tony hated that he himself couldn’t be.
If it wasn’t for Peter and a million other reasons, Tony probably would have thrown caution to the wind and figured out a way to help with whatever plan Steve had, but he just knew he couldn’t.
Then he got a call from Sharon. It was a little unexpected because he hadn’t heard from her since seeing her in Berlin at the taskforce headquarters and since he and Natasha had figured out that she was the only one that could have gotten their belongings back to Steve and Sam. Tony hadn’t expected to hear from her any time soon.
“If it isn’t Agent 13,” Tony said.
“It was a nice way to keep everyone from asking about being a Carter,” Sharon responded, “but that isn’t why I called.”
“So, why did you?” Tony asked and walked over to the futon.
“I need everything you know about The Raft,” Sharon said without preamble.
“Helping Steve out again are we?” Tony asked and found that he was happy that she called. He hadn’t expected to be given a way to help.
“If you must know, yes,” Sharon said, “does that change anything for you? After all, you two were at each other’s throats the last time I saw you.”
It sounded as if there was judgement in her voice and Tony was almost a little amused. He had thought it was funny how Sharon flirted with Steve back after the funeral, but he hadn’t known that her devotion went this far.
“I have to say that you made things a little difficult when you stole their gear and went out to give it to them,” Tony said. “We could have avoided some things had you not done that. But that’s a matter of the past, now. There’s other things to deal with, clearly. I’ll send you everything I have on it. They’ll have to act soon but I can try to remotely access security and make it easier to break in. Ross should be back in the States by now or soon -- I’m not too sure on all that. From what I hear President Ellis isn’t entirely happy with everything that happened.”
As he spoke, Tony pulled a tablet over and started looking through everything he’d found out about The Raft and what Pepper had given him too and he sent it to Sharon’s private email. It made him feel a bit lighter to be able to help them out in this way.
“Thank you,” Sharon said. “I didn’t think you’d want to help. I didn’t know where you and the rest of The Avengers stood.”
“They’re my team, Sharon, and I’ve been trying to figure out a way to get them out of The Raft on my own for a few days now. Although I always expected Steve to take care of it on his own. I’m glad Steve’s on it. I miss him a lot, you know, more than I ever thought I would.”
“Oh,” Sharon said. “So you’re good then? No hard feelings?”
Tony sighed. “I’m not -- there are things I’m still mad about, but they’re things that can be overcome.”
“I have to go, Tony,” Sharon said, “do you want me to let him know you gave me all the info?”
Tony laughed. “Don’t. It won’t make much of a difference. Keep in touch, Agent 13.”
Tony had always had a way of being a worrier while pretending that he wasn’t. Back when they were at MIT, Rhodey remembered when he’d caught a cold. The kind that went past just having a stuffy nose to a sore throat, headache, fever, and even a bit of vomiting. Tony had fretted and worried and tried to pretend that he was doing so because Rhodey’ cold inconvenienced him and whatever he was in the middle of building, but Rhodey had seen through it when Tony brought him medicine, soup, a few boxes of tissues, a giant bag of cough drops, and even a steaming cup of tea.
So, it was a little surprising for Tony to not have been present at the hospital in Germany the entire time that Rhodey was there, fussing over him and trying to build him new legs or whatever. Vision had told him that Tony had been there when he was first brought in, but he’d gone off after Steve and Barnes. The rest of the team, he learned then, had been taken in. It was a small win and yet it wasn’t because they were apparently imprisoned in The Raft which just hadn’t been the point at all.
Vision wasn’t sure what happened to Tony after he left the hospital since he’d been intent on staying there and even Rhodey could see the guilt that he clearly felt over the whole incident. He was told that Tony had stopped by for a short visit at another point, but Rhodey had been under pain meds and fast asleep. So, it wasn’t until he arrived back in the States with Dr. Cho and Vision, that Rhodey finally got to get a full picture of what happened while he was in the hospital.
Tony met them at the airport and then they drove to the Avengers compound and Tony just rambled on about how he was working on a fix for his legs. Some sort of exoskeleton prosthetic that Dr. Cho thought would work. Tony also seemed intent on wanting to make sure that it would link in to the War Machine suit and for that Rhodey loved him because a part of him had been mourning the loss of being able to be War Machine and an Avenger but of course Tony understood that he had to find a way to make sure that Rhodey wasn’t losing much with his injury.
“Tony, what happened?” Rhodey asked on the drive.
“A lot,” Tony said. “Turns out that Steve was right. Barnes didn’t do it. He was framed by Helmut Zemo who’s now in custody of the Task Force. Of course, none of that matters to Secretary Ross because I’m pretty sure his aim in capturing those two was the super soldier serum which has really been biting us in the ass lately.”
Rhodey could tell that Tony was keeping something back, but he could also tell that Tony wasn’t going to talk about it just then. That would come later.
“He has Wanda, Sam, Clint, and Scott in The Raft but he’s been busy so at least they’ve been left alone in their cells as far as I know, but that’s not how this was supposed to work.”
No. It wasn’t. Bringing them in had never been about putting any of them in a prison and especially not one like The Raft. The UN couldn’t have been alright with that or had that in mind for them. This was all Ross and it was quite something.
“So we have to get them out,” Rhodey said.
“That is already being taken care of,” Tony said and smirked. “They’ll be fugitives, but they’ll be safe.”
“Good,” Rhodey said.
“Either way, Sugarplum, it’s not as if you’re going to be going on any rescue missions.”
“Right,” Rhodey said. “So what else in new?”
Tony smiled a little and after a small moment of hesitation. “I met Peter,” he said, “and he knows who I am -- he knows I’m his father.”
Rhodey had almost expected for that to never happen. There had always been some sort of obstacle or reason so for it to finally happen was surprising and Rhodey was glad and he could see how happy Tony was at all of that finally happening. Except that it didn’t make sense because too much had happened and Tony couldn’t have had the time unless that explained his absence from Rhodey’s side at the hospital.
“How does that fit in with everything else?”
Tony gulped and Rhodey knew that he probably wasn’t going to like this. “So, you remember Spider-Man?”
“Yeah, the kid that thinks Star Wars is an old movie?”
Rhodey was still a little hazy on the involvement of the kid. He did remember that he couldn’t shut up on the comms or in the middle of fighting.
Tony laughed. “He’s a huge Star Wars fan actually. I think he was trying to sound cool with that line. Anyway, that’s him. That’s Peter.”
Rhodey didn’t know how to react. It made sense, though looking back and yet he couldn’t believe that Tony had gone and brought his son along to fight against Captain America. How he would have thought that a good idea, Rhodey just didn’t know. Yet the hardest part to really wrap his mind around was that Peter was Spider-Man -- he had superpowers.
“I can’t believe your son is Spider-Man,” Rhodey settled on.
Tony laughed. “Tell me about it.”
Chapter Fifty Five
#peter and tony fic#peter and tony#iron dad#iron dad and spider son#stony#mcu#mcu fic#marvel fic#marvel
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Real (Matt x MC)
[A little note: I am still in decision mode about the LI my MC Veronica will pursue in Red Carpet Diaries (RCD). This is a little idea that popped into my mind after playing last week’s chapter. I really do love both Matt and Seth (and Seth does make a little appearance in the story too). I was unsure about writing this and I’m trying something new, so here goes nothing!]
[Summary: After their first “date” to dinner, Veronica and Matt reflect on the lives they live in Hollywood and what the other might be thinking about them right now.]
[Word Count: 1723]
Veronica’s hands were shaking as she tried to unlock the door to her apartment. She couldn’t wait to get inside and take a deep breath. Was she really just on a date with Matt Rodriguez? No way. She was dreaming. She had to be dreaming. Things like this don’t happen to people from Iowa. Especially not people like her from Iowa.
She wanted to shriek and jump up and down on her bed, dance to a Taylor Swift song and paint her nails bright pink. She suddenly felt like she was in high school again and the captain of the football team, the student body president, the guy everyone loved, had chosen her. She still just couldn’t believe it. Could this really be happening?
She fumbled with her keys, having trouble with the lock. She learned early on that there was a special trick, a way to hold the key just right in order to make it work.
“What did Seth say?” She asked out loud.
Veronica crinkled her brow in a show of frustration mixed with deep thought. She had called upon her neighbor and first-ever-LA-friend to help her with her keys and the lock on her door, quite frequently as of late. He had shown her time and time again how to do it, but she could never remember.
“Righty tight-y…?” Veronica whispered, staring at the lock, hoping her gaze would help it to function properly. She fiddled with it for a few more minutes before shouting out in aggravation.
“Whoa there, Iowa, it’s gonna be okay…” Seth appeared in the hallway, carrying two paper bags of groceries, and laughing at his friend.
“Do you have any of that slippery stuff? The stuff that makes things move easier?” She wined, holding up her key.
“WD 40?” Seth suggested, raising an eyebrow and staring at Veronica as if she was an alien.
“Whatever it’s called.” She sighed.
“You don’t need that.” He explained, setting his grocery bags on the floor, just outside his apartment.
“Left-y loose-y. Remember?” Seth took the key from her and popped it easily into the lock, turning the key to the left and opening the door effortlessly.
“How did you? But I swear I tried that!” Veronica protested.
“Face it, Ronnie. You need me.” He laughed. “How could you even make it in this place without a helper? You know, I’m always on the hunt for a new job. If you need someone to follow you around and open doors for you all day, I’m your man.”
“Ha ha. Very funny.” She rolled her eyes and stepped inside her apartment. “And with that, I bid you, goodnight.” She exaggerated a deep curtsey as she held onto either side of the door frame, giggling a little bit.
As she rose again into the upright position, she saw Rocket out of the corner of her eye, digging through one of the toppled over grocery bags outside Seth’s apartment.
“Looks like you’re not all alone tonight, for once!” She joked, pointing at the raccoon.
Seth whirled around on his heel and tried immediately to spread his body out among the width of the hallway to stop Rocket from escaping.
“Good one.” He scoffed, rolling his eyes.
He tried to hide the fact the he thought, more often than he cared to admit, about Veronica and her jokes. Was that Veronica’s attempt to flirt with him? Or was she just really friendly? He was thankful for her and felt less lonely since she appeared on his doorstep, but he had no idea what she thought of him. He hoped one day he’d have the guts to find out, but that definitely wasn’t happening tonight while he tried once again to chase down a raccoon.
“Rocket! You little thief…”
Seth headed for the fire escape to chase Rocket as Veronica called out to him, “Enjoy your night, you two!”
She closed the door quickly and locked it immediately with a heavy sigh. That brief distraction could not take away her pure delight. What a great day! She nailed her audition AND got to spend serious one-on-one time with a mega super huge movie star. Never in her wildest dreams did she think this could happen to her.
However, it only took a brief few minutes for her inner-critic to suddenly take over. Could she really trust Matt? Why did he ask her of all people, to dinner tonight? Surely he wouldn’t want to be seen with a nobody from nowhere like her, right? He could have anyone he wanted at any time – why did he all of a sudden decided he wanted her?
She was proud of herself for not letting him kiss her. The time at the park cuddling on the bench was even more romantic and beautiful than any movie scene a script could depict. But was it real?
Veronica made herself a cup of tea and curled up on the couch in her tiny little home. It was quiet. No television or music in the background for noise. Only the faint hum of traffic nearby and the occasional siren. As she sipped her tea, her thoughts volleyed back and forth between dreams and reality.
She wanted to be strong and not let her insecurities take over. The voice of her mother echoed in her head about not letting Tinsel Town change her. Her mom made her promise to always be the same sweet, thoughtful, compassionate Veronica Jean Morgan she had raised her to be. She knew she had to be careful and not let Matt get into her psyche too much, but just for tonight, she thought it was okay. She could be giddy and excited. She was allowed.
Matt appeared to be the man of her dreams and everything anyone in Hollywood could ever want – a talented, well-liked, hunk who drives a Toyota? Who’s interested in me? Veronica dramatically swooned and fell backward onto the couch so that she was now laying down, tea still in hand, as she spoke it out into the universe.
A plea, a hope, a prayer:
I really hope he likes me for me.
I hope it’s real.
Please.
Let it be real.
***
Matt wasn’t ready to go home just yet. Whenever he had a lot to think about, his instinct was to drive.
After dropping Veronica off at her apartment, he headed toward a road he knew well. It would take him a while to get there and back, which was perfect because he had a lot on his mind.
Veronica was completely different from the girls he usually pursued. What was it about her that made her stand out? He knew he had not spent a ton of time with her, but he also knew enough about her already to know that her small town charm, and big heart, was incredibly endearing in a place like this.
The way she had so confidently helped him outrun the press – he actually had fun. And the little acting job she did to get that fan to leave them alone made him laugh. He had never been able to feel so natural, so much himself, with a person.
LA was so full of fakers. People who tried way too hard to say and do what everyone else wanted them to say and do. It was refreshing to be with someone who seemed to be so sure of who she was. Matt didn’t have to work at getting to know her, or put on a show to really impress her.
As he turned down his favorite stretch of the long winding road, he swallowed hard, feeling a tightness in his chest. He gripped the steering wheel firmly while his mind raced.
What if she doesn’t like the real me? What if she wants the Matt Rodriquez people read about in the magazines and see on screen? What if my Toyota is a turn off because I’m not as “sexy” in person as she expected?
He told himself he was stupid for thinking that way. He had women practically throwing themselves at him, why would Veronica be any different? Surely he had this in the bag…
But he hadn’t kissed her yet. She didn’t try to kiss him.
He remembered wistfully, sitting on the bench in front of the fountain. The quiet peaceful scene in front of them and around them was incredibly romantic. He wrapped his arm around her shoulder, stroking her arm with his fingertips every now and then. Her head was resting on his shoulder, neither one of them saying a word.
That felt so right. So real. So…normal…
He had reached the end of the road and needed to turn around. While he made his way back to the posh area of town where he resided, he couldn’t help but focus again on the time he spent with Veronica. He knew that his career in the movie industry was his choice. He had chosen a profession focused on looks, and pretending to be someone you aren’t.
But as he pulled into his driveway and walked into his huge, empty house, he realized how alone he truly was. He was good at acting, or at least in the big muscle-y action-type flicks. He was hoping Tender Nothings might change the way that society perceived him, but that remained to be seen.
Now in the kitchen, he reached for a beer in the fridge and cracked it open; the noise echoing against his stained concrete floors and marble countertops. Sighing heavily, he took a long sip and then looked around.
The only actual thing I have to offer her is myself. This other stuff is just…crap…fancy cars, big houses, crazy parties…that can’t be what she’s after…can it? Please let her be different. Let her be deep enough to see past the façade and the sham of this awful town. I hope I can convince her to love the real me.
***
In their vastly different parts of the city, two people from drastically different walks of life thought to themselves about the other, and the time they had just spent together. One worried this was the beginning of a relationship built on false pretenses and another worried that what was actually beneath the glitz and glamour of a tempting life, would never be enough.
#not sure if this works#but i'm really loving rcd#way more than i thought#blazerina babbles#thanks elizabeth for your encouragement#mrswalkerwrites i hope you're not mad at me#i still do really like seth too#argh#what am i gonna do?#matt rodriguez#seth levine#rcd#red carpet diaries fanfic#pixelberry choices#choices fanfiction
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Sweet Sexy Savage: Chapter 1
Author Note: Whoop here it is! I’m on a roll now. This chapter is very long and I am sorry [not really] There’s a lot of details in here so enjoy!
Tag list: @designrwriterchic @hoodgirl163 [just in case cause I like the direction I’m going with this and I need my girls by me!]
Prologue
“Alright you guys. I’m going to need every superstar to come down here, dressed in their WrestleMania gear, makeup on, hair done and smiles lit. It’s time to promote the biggest event of the year.” WrestleMania is like the Super Bowl in the WWE. Jam packed, hyped and full of super fans from what I’ve seen watching at home in the past years. My name is Malaysia Ryker and my job consists of is multiple hats. By multiple hats I mean; I am one of the photographers, and on the WWE Glam Squad, and a mother on top of it all, twins no less. Needless to say it’s a heavy load, but I don’t regret any of it.
“I need both women’s divisions in their mania gear. I’ll have James hold the shoot for a bit so I can work on the girls.” I instructed my assistant for the day, Jennie, as I went around to the side to get each girl ready and checked on.
There’s never a dull moment behind the scenes. Would you believe me if I said this was my first lead in a big PPV? And it happens to be for the biggest stage of them all in the wrestling world. Obviously I had to go through the motions of what to expect on the job, and learning who everyone was for my first few months, but my hard work paid off quicker than I expected.
Production is what I majored in at school, along with a minor in cosmetology, When I had the twins, I had to give up my hobby of photography. So this job was a no brainier. Which is why, I was glad I got the opportunity.
Touching up on Naomi and Sasha’s make up, they decided to mess with me like always. They were the first friends I made on the job so they are my girls, what else should I expect?
“So Maya, any luck in the love department? We heard you and some guy from creative, named Jason, went out last week. How’d that go?” Sasha asked while checking herself out in the reflection, after I did her hair.
“He was a nice guy but, he was too much into his looks and asked me what size bra I wore. So no.” I let out a sour chuckle and looked at Naomi’s expression, priceless as always.
“So you mean to tell me, that fine specimen of a man was not your cup of tea? Mr. Tall dark and handsome?” Here we go with Naomi and her theatrics. Somehow she always managed to make me laugh no matter the situation.
“Listen to yourself, almighty Glow Queen. You are married, don’t let Jon hear you or you’ll get me in trouble.” Finishing up her makeup, with a sweet chuckle escaping my full red lips, letting her go on and head to the set.
Going back to what I said earlier, yes I am a mother. I have the most wonderful set of twins: Austin and Dakota. I had them after I graduated from Georgia Tech. I had all my friends and family there for support. Especially Joe, he was there too. At least in the beginning. Even if it meant my career was put on hold, I started a new challenge that I was willing to accept. A few months back, Stephanie McMahon herself asked me if I would come work for the company and be a part of the team.
No way could I say no. Someone in the company knew of my work and just thought it would be a good idea. We all know who threw the wood into the fire, for me to get this job. Since the twins are of age, I decided to homeschool them and take them on the road with me. They are fast learners so why not? As for their father? He doesn’t want anything to do with them. He left once I told him I was expecting right after graduation. Jonathan and I have had our ups and downs in the past, but the bad outweighed the good, in every sense. College sweethearts, turned bitter enemies. Hell, Joe was the one who introduced us in the first place after I introduced him to galina.
Jonathan and I followed each other around almost all of college and then it all just fell apart. I wanted a marriage and kids, he wanted to sleep around. When I found out he was cheating, it was at the last homecoming game of our college careers.
I saw him with a blonde on the football field and everything went black after that. I was in a blind rage when I poured the Gatorade cooler on them both. Needless to say, it was the best senior experience I’ve ever had. Nevertheless, I tried to make it work until I wound up pregnant. Jonathan has been a ghost since the day I told him. I’ve been trying since then to get him to be in their lives but he refuses. The twins are now nine and they understand this is our life now, my job and my past. Nothing gets by them.
“Auntie Trinity, mom doesn’t have time to date when she’s busy with us. I mean we are her pride and joys, look at us.” Dakota, my spunky little girl, put on the most innocent looking smile ever with her brother Austin.
“Yeah, no guy or girl, is good enough for our mother. She has standards.” Austin always had a smart mouth on him. The sentence alone made me gasp, and rethink my dating life.
Was I really that bad with my dating prospects? Going back to my work so I can move on to the guys next, Sasha and Naomi both started laughing at the twins statements. Why is my dating life such a funny topic for these people?
"Alright, alright. You girls are done for the day. I’ll catch up with you all for dinner later, while the twins are with my mom.“ Mama Natalie, my dear sweet mother, was happy to retire after my dad passed. She did her time in the work force and needed to spend time with her grandkids anyway.
The girls went their separate ways with the others and I got ready for the boys. I really wanted to do Finn’s demon paint today, but he was out still in recovery. Judging by his Instagram pictures with the wife Brenna, he was doing just fine.
One by one, I helped the glam squad with every male and female wrestler that was participating in Wrestlemania 33, and getting them all squared away for each match in the group pictures to be set accordingly. Like always, I get distracted by my own thoughts and begin to stare into space thinking about him again. Fifth time this week, even though last week was worse. More about that in a second. The sound of my children cheering caught me off guard, drawing my attention to where they were.
“Uncle Joe and Jojo here!” The twins always had this weird sequence thing going on, that creeped everyone out but me. At the mention of his name the old feeling of butterflies came back, like a hurricane in the south. Ever since I started my job some months back, I’ve been seeing him everywhere.
Which is to be expected as apart of my job title as the new lead photographer. When I was just starting it was easier to avoid him more as busy as we both are. It would be a damn lie if I said I didn’t want his strong arms around me. Maya, focus! Hes coming this way! But it’s so damn hard to, I mean look at him. Broad shoulders, long jet black hair, the sleeve tattoo that graced his right arm and his body is a tower that I wanted to climb so bad. I heard a snap in face causing me to grab the hand that caused it.
“Whoa there speedy. Don’t get to cocky now.” His voice could melt butter, on a stack of buttermilk pancakes. How was he this close to me and I didn’t even know? Looking up into his natural brown eyes, it was like I was back in high school all over again. Dropping his hand and grabbing the camera, I got into position to finish off the last of the pictures for the day.
“Joe you of all people, should know better than to sneak up on me.” The light chuckle escaped my lips and I took shots of him, while checking him out at the same time. I wonder if he noticed. He noticed me looking at him differently, providing that very sexy smirk of his. Yep, I’m keeping the thought that popped in my head for myself.
“What’s a joke between old friends, manamea? Come on now, don’t be like that.” Manamea, meaning sweetheart in his native language.
That nickname stuck with me through every grade, every heartache, every triumph and amazing moment I had with him in it. He was there through almost everything, even the birth of my twins. Hence why they call him uncle Roman, and how they get along with Joelle so much. I hate that my stubbornness and his even stronger stubbornness caused us to drift.
Shaking my head with disbelief, I continued to take pictures for the promos.They weren’t due for another few weeks or so anyway but, perfection is key. I take my work very seriously around here.
"What do you want Joseph? There’s gotta be something you need, that’s so important.“ Finishing off his pictures, taking my Nikon off the tripod, I looked at him with an amused look on my face. His smile grew with anxiousness as I gave him time to explain. "What’s it gonna be?"
"Well, how about two old friends catch up. You know, for old times’ sake?” He gave an interesting proposition, that I couldn’t refuse but also didn’t want to seem too eager about it either. The look on my face was acknowledgeable, nodding in agreement and setting my stuff back in the cases to close down for the day. Was I really gonna just give in so easily and fawn over the guy I’ve liked since high school, giving him the satisfaction of a guaranteed yes? We’ll see.
“Tell you what.” I leaned against the vanity mirror, keeping a close eye out on the kids who were playing on Dakota’s iPad. “Since I know nothing about creative’s plan with you and the Undertaker, if you win this match I’ll go on this friend catch up thing with you. Deal?” I held out my hand for him to shake, but instead I got a kiss on the back of it as he held it.
“Deal. And trust me manamea, I won’t lose this one.” With his final words he sent a wink in my direction before heading out with Joelle in tow. I felt weak in the knees, like a school girl on prom night. Gathering my own kids and equipment, up to head back to our hotel room.
I got a mass group text from all the girls in the women’s division on both rosters asking: what did Joe ask me? Did he just kiss your hand!? What is going on!? These girls have eyes like hawks everywhere. Quickly replying to everyone, I noticed Dakota and Austin both looking at me sideways.
“Oh come on, not you too.” They were just as nosey as their honorary aunts and uncles. “Mama, we love Uncle Roman. Please go out with him.” “yeah! please!” What made them think this was a date? It’s just two innocent friends going out to eat and possible drinks, that’s it….maybe
“You two, stay out of my business. Get to bed now. We all have a big day tomorrow, get.” Pointing to the direction of their on-suite room, next to mine, I crashed in my own bed. Lord this was going to be a long few weeks, and even longer months….years. From what Patricia has told me, Joe and Galina are separated. I didn’t expect that at all whatsoever. I don’t think anyone did.
Me and Joe, hanging out together like old times? It never occurred to me that it would be possible after everything that’s happened. Drifting to sleep, after my quick shower, I thought of what the “date” could be like. I guess you could say, I like strawberry daiquiris with a prime rib steak. Because, in those following weeks he won his match.
#roman reigns#sevyn streeter#sweet sexy savage#roman reigns fanfiction#roman empire#chapter 1 sweet sexy savage
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Episode Gladio Wishlist (Spoilers)
Right, the very first Episode and it's set for release at the end of March. Naturally, Episode Gladio focuses on Gladio and we already have some information on it. That it will be combat driven (or something along those line, so plenty of fighting,) he's hanging around with Cor the Immortal and they fight Gilgamesh.
Personally, I have very strong feelings about Gladio in the sense that I find his behaviour very offputting. Don't get me wrong, I've seen Brotherhood, Kingsglaive too, I understand that he (and his sister, Iris) have lost a lot too, like their parents and Jared, and being the King's Shield must be a big, stressful responsibility. You'd want to encourage the man you protect, push them to be as strong as they can too. And it's maybe just the sort of person he is, everyone is different. However, I feel that the way Gladio is presented at times (especially in Chapter 10,) combined with the fact that absent game narrative could have fleshed him out more, can be a deal breaker for some fans. I see such potential in him and I wanted more, but I feel that what I got was someone you'll either love the pants off or who isn't your cup of chamomile tea and sadly for me, it was the latter. I do love a handful of his moments with the Chocobros (his Tour with Noctis where they go fishing, needs more Big Bro like moments like this please.)
While Episode Gladio is set to be more about action whereas Episode Prompto is character driven, I really do hope we get some much needed development for the King's Shield too. It would certainly to be a missed opportunity. You can have character development and being boss too.
Breakdown of my Episode Gladio Things I'd Like to See
WHY HE LEFT. Wagering a guess it's set when he leaves the Chocobros temporarily, but this is really a big deal. A King's Shield parting ways with his King, even if it's for a short time, for no reason other than "I need to clear my head" is really wrong in so many ways. Like, what if Noctis got hurt? Even with the other two there, accidents can still happen. The King's Shield primary duty is to guard the royal booty and, for some unknown length of time, he left. Of his own free will. He does come back and says he feels he sorted his hangups, but really? This is especially jarring behaviour when he's always telling Noct to "man up" and that he needs to face his responsibilities head on. What I want, from Episode Gladio, more than anything is a good, hard look at his reason for leaving, why he left, why he felt he needed to be apart from the others to do it, what being the King's Shield means to him and his relationship with Noctis, if it's because he feels weak after Ravus slapping him down or if he feels disillusioned as Noctis' protector, the works. What I don't want is all this potential juicy development being shut down in favour of simply the "Gladio being boss" hour because we know he's boss in battle. I'd like to see something I've never seen before and with Gladio, given all the mixed feelings I currently have about him, I would welcome it greatly. If the episode ends with no real reason given for his departure, then I'm sorry, but I'm not going to find my feelings about him changing. If anything, it would make him weaker as a character in my eyes. We have conjecture, but it would be good to actually get the reason from him.
As much as I joke about the reason for Gladio leaving being about attending a Cup Noodle convention? Please don't let that be the reason. It was just a joke. ...Please?
How long was Gladio really away for? It's hard to measure it in true game time. The only vague time scale we get is that at least several days pass according to the subtitle in game.
As funny as the whole Cup Noodle thing is (and I don't blame him for being addicted, it's damn delicious,) please don't ignore my previous points about character development and just have a crack about Cup Noodle. If we have character development AND Cup Noodle, that's totally cool. Especially if Cor is into those chips.
Gladio actually talking about his losses in life. I think it would be excellent for him to actually open up about it, especially to Cor, and show he still hurts over it. Losing his parents, losing Jared (the Amicitia family butler, yeah, they kept that real quiet,) his fears about his little sister, Iris, and the Chocobros. Especially Noctis, who he is sworn to. Talking about your feelings isn't a bad thing, Gladio.
Gladio, his duty as the Sworn Sword to his King. This needs to be discussed, especially in the context of him leaving his service albeit for a temporary period of time. I would have thought it was a gross breach of his responsibilities. It's one thing to leave by the order of your King (to protect vulnerable civilians and the like,) but it's an entirely different matter to leave of your own accord just because you're having issues of some sort that you never even bother to clarify when you leave or return. That's why we need context, that's why we need development on Noct and Gladio's relationship and how he wants to proceed from here.
Backstory into his scars. It's clear the second scar came from his time away, so Gilgamesh related? He also has a really big scar on his chest as well as the first scar on his face. Protecting Noctis at some point? Maybe a training related injury? Or something super daft, but he tries to pass it off as a manly fleshwound?
Big Brother moments. From dialogue or flashbacks. This can be about Iris (like in Brotherhood) or even in a symbolic sense with Noctis because that was totally the vibe I got between the two at first. It would really bring heart to his character.
With the presence of Cor, the journey he and King Regis took together all those years ago, more about the Crownsguard, the Kingsglaive or even his title of "The Immortal." For the reputation Cor has, it's a shame he was only in the game a short amount of time. I also think if anyone is going to knock sense into Gladio about his issues and hangups, it's Cor since they both have duties to the Lucian Royal family.
How Gilgamesh plays into the FFXV universe compared to his previous appearances. Could he be the one that scars Gladio further (and be the "other guy" Gladio talks about that got a harder time?)
HAVE GLADIO TALK ABOUT THE CHOCOBROS AND WHAT THEY MEAN TO HIM. THEY'RE A BROTHERHOOD.
MAKE CHAPTER 10 GLADIO MAKE SENSE BECAUSE I CAN'T. Even if you take into account his losses, that he feels bad for what happened at Altissia, about Ignis and all that, it's still horrible behaviour. People suffer from grief and depression differently, so Gladio's highly hostile and antagonistic approach (even if he thinks he's doing the right thing) isn't helping. It's only pushing Noctis away and a contributing factor to the group falling apart here.
Worldbuilding. Worldbuilding is always good.
An explanation of his tattoo that covers his back and arms? Symbolic?
Working on Episode Wishlists for Prompto and Ignis too. What would you like to see in Episode Gladio?
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