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julietthereaper · 2 years

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A Not-So-Hollow Christmas

~ A PrinceFox fanfic ~

Author’s Note -

prompt I seen from @jackstheprinceofhearts ! their account is amazing, especially if you are in some desperate need for broken heart content. thank you for posting your wonderful prompt! It was too cute for me to pass up

this IS my first post on tumblr, although this fic will also be posted to my ouabh collection on wattpad (my handle is jennacanread if ur interested!). I haven’t read tbona since the release date so I hope no one’s too out of character?

(obviously) spoilers for tbona | minor uses of swearing | set during the Hollow chapters and briefly after the end of tbona | not canon compliant

Summary -

After discovering Jacks isn’t the biggest fan of Christmas, Evangeline plots to turn him into a festive softy, even if it means making a few extra deals with a Fate.

Evangeline always had a sixth sense, just like how bells did. Although her sixth sense wasn't nearly as helpful as it was for bells. She could sense it when she woke up that morning it was time to start celebrating her favourite holiday of the year.

Christmas.

She squealed giddily as she launched herself out of bed, choosing a pretty Christmas-red dress to get festive, her pink hair blending nicely with the red silk. Evangeline slipped on some gold jewellery to spice it up before heading to the main area in the Hollow.

When Evangeline passed by the dining room, Jacks was already sitting at the table, sipping on a mug of spiced cider. He arched an amused eyebrow at her. "What's got you grinning like a fox?"

Evangeline snickered lightly at his wordplay. "It's Christmas season!"

Jacks amused expression fell. "Oh, of course you're one of those people."

"You don't like Christmas?"

He set his mug down on the table. "It's all awful singing, terrible gifts that no one wants, and distasteful decorations."

Despite Jacks's bahumbug attitude towards the holidays, it did not dampen her mood. In fact, all that rang through her mind was challenge accepted.

Evangeline was going to make Jacks enjoy Christmas, no matter what it took.

She took hold of his cold wrist, tugging him up. "We need a tree."

"We already have some outside."

"A Christmas tree, Jacks. We need to go hunting for a Christmas tree. A big one, to fit in the main room."

"Absolutely not."

Jacks was, unsurprisingly, being difficult. Evangeline had planned for this. "Alright, Prince of Hearts. I'd like to make another deal."

"You haven't even completed your first one." Although his tone was low, his mouth stretched into a grin.

"Think of this like a side quest. What do you want in exchange for a Christmas tree?"

He hooked a finger under her chin, tilting her head back slightly. Her heart picked up in speed. "Another night."

Evangeline's eyebrows scrunched together in confusion. But before she could ask, he continued.

"Another night of you being mine."

Evangeline could have sworn her heart was going to explode from her chest.

Bad idea, bad idea, bad idea-

Evangeline hushed that voice in her head. She held out her hand. "Deal."

Jacks shook it. "Haven't you heard the warnings about making more than one deal with a Fate, Little Fox?"

"I'm choosing to ignore those warnings in favour of Christmas spirit."

Jacks bent his head to nibble the shell of her ear. "Bad choice."

🎄🎄🎄🎄🎄🎄

It was the first time, Evangeline had realized, that she had been a distance from the Hollow since she arrived. They needed to find a Christmas tree farm so they could find the perfect tree.

Evangeline noted how rigid Jacks was beside her, his jaw was set, shoulders tight, and his gaze kept flicking towards her. Was there danger somewhere? Had she said something wrong since they left the Hollow?

Evangeline bumped him with her shoulder. "Why are you so tense?"

Jacks' eyes narrowed at her, blue eyes searching hers analytically. "Do you feel any different?"

"About what?"

His eyes fleeted to the sky a moment as they walked. "In general. Do you want to run away from me, Little Fox?"

Jacks was acting strange, and she didn't understand why. She tried to ease him with a joke. "Not anymore than usual."

He exhaled, breath visible in the chilled air around them. Jacks' lips formed a smile. His shoulders relaxed and his steps came more natural than soldier-reporting-for-duty.

Evangeline liked him a lot when he was happy. She tried not to. Tried telling herself that he was a Fate and it was such a bad idea.

Instead, she grabbed his hand.

Her mouth went dry and her head emptied as she realized what she had done, the only thing she could think about was his hand in hers.

Jacks removed his hand from hers quickly. "What are you doing?"

His words sent her mind in a panic. Despite the snow falling and how cold it was, hot embarrassment fled to her cheeks, face aflame. "I was just... forget about it."

Evangeline gnawed on her cheek, keeping her eyes ahead and refusing to look his way.

That was when rough fingers fiddled with her hand until both of their fingers were intertwined.

She looked up at Jacks. His eyes softened as he caught her gaze from the corner of his eye.

Her lips parted into a wide smile that Evangeline couldn't contain. Jacks was holding her hand. There was something so intimate about the action, it shushed all of the warning voices in her head. His palm pressed to hers warmly, their arms lightly swinging in unison.

Evangeline looked up from their hands to see Miller's Tree Farm.

"We're here!" Evangeline exclaimed excitedly, pointing at the sign with the hand that wasn't holding Jacks'.

"Alright, go pick one out." Jacks nodded towards the trees.

"You have to help, too. It's part of our deal."

He groaned as Evangeline tugged him forward.

"Come on, you stubborn prince!" She laughed, using her strength to drag him.

"Only because I never fail to uphold my ends of deals."

Evangeline secretly hoped that he actually wanted to pick out a tree with her.

"We have to find the perfect one, Jacks. It can't be any old tree. It has to be the tree."

"Are you even hearing yourself right now?"

"You'll know it when you feel it."

Reluctantly, Jacks trailed beside her, hands still attached as they walked through the farm. Evangeline spotted a pretty tree around the corner. She dropped his hand to dash towards it.

Evangeline heard him mutter Dead Saints, Little Fox, under his breath. She inspected the tree when she reached it, pine needles lightly prickling her hands as they moved along it.

A mischievous thought popped up in her head when she realized it wasn't the right tree. She bent down to scoop up some snow in her hand before Jacks reached her. She stood up abruptly, hiding the snow behind her back.

"What's wrong with this one?" Jacks looked it up and down.

"It's too tall. But that one over there..."

When Jacks turned his back to find the tree she nodded towards, Evangeline lanced the snowball at his fur doublet.

Jacks' body went still. He slowly turned around, lips parted as an offended demeanour took over his face. He tilted his head at her as Evangeline brought a cold hand up to her face, trying to stifle her giggles. She failed.

"You better run, pet."

A deep belly laugh emerged from her mouth as her feet sunk in the snow quickly. It slowed her down, but it didn't stop her from rushing away from him. She dodged trees, weaving in and out of them as she tried to escape Jacks.

The ice cold hit her back before the hard thump did. Evangeline squealed, her hand reaching at her back, freezing nipping at her hands. Melted snow slowly seeped through her cape as she turned around to see Jacks smirking proudly.

She quickly formed a snowball in her hands, whipping it at Jacks swiftly. He dodged it with ease before stalking towards her, already hitting her again with another snowball.

"No, no, no!" Evangeline eventually found a tree to hide behind, gathering her breath. She made another snow ball, waiting for Jacks to come from where he last seen her. But he wasn't in sight.

Her heart pounded in her ears as her eyes darted around the farm. A flash of blond hair emerged and Evangeline ran towards him. She threw the snowball at his side, but the moment it hit him Jacks tossed one at her in exchange, landing in the middle of her chest.

Jacks chuckled deeply, she imagined from how quickly her mouth drooped down.

"I wasn't even ahead of you for five seconds," Evangeline whined, walking towards him in defeat.

"Say it, Little Fox. I win."

She sighed. "You..."

Evangeline smooshed snow into his blonde hair. Jacks' mouth formed an o shape as his eyes squeezed shut, melted snow running down the back of his neck.

"...Are tied with me," Evangeline finished, flaunting a pearly grin in his face.

Jacks pulled her in by her waist, Evangeline's heart skipping a beat. "Trust me, pet, there will be another round, and you will lose sourly." One of his hands drifted to her rose gold hair, tangling it in his hand before tilting her head back. “And you’ll be sorry you pulled that stunt with the snow in my hair.”

His fingers massaged her scalp briefly, a challenge lit up in his eyes. Just as Evangeline began to respond, she peered up at the tree they were standing in front of. "This one, Jacks. It's perfect for the Hollow!"

He shifted his head to examine it. "You like this one?"

"It's the right size, it's branches are in lovely condition, and it has a nice memory tied to it."

"Then this is the one we'll get."

🎄🎄🎄🎄🎄

After Jacks used his magic to persuade the owner to ship the tree over to the Hollow for free, Evangeline attempted to persuade Jacks to get decorations for the tree.

"It's not a Christmas tree without ornaments, it's just a pine tree. You agreed to getting a Christmas tree."

"I taught you too well," Jacks grumbled, shoulders brushing as they walked into the town square.

Little sparks ignited everywhere Jacks touched her accidentally.

Evangeline beamed in success. "Enjoying Christmas yet?"

"No, still hate it.”

Town square was decked out in every inch with Christmas decor. Lights glowed everywhere, trees, pine or not, were littered with all different sorts of ornaments, tinsel was strung everywhere, and a small band was playing Christmas tunes beneath a street lantern.

Evangeline took it all in, joy filling her up from head to toe.

"The North takes Christmas pretty serious."

She twirled around, delighting in the festivity. "You're from here. What has Christmas ever done to you to make you such a scrooge?"

Jacks shook his head. "Why do you like it so much?"

"Stop deflecting the question."

"I'm not. I'm giving you the answer."

Evangeline worried her bottom lip between her teeth as they neared a shop selling decorations. "It gives everyone a reason to be merry. You get to spend time with your family, give and get gifts, amazing food, silly carols, funny, romantic kisses under the mistletoe..."

Evangeline realized why Jacks did not like Christmas.

"By all means, Little Fox, keep going. I just love those funny, deadly kisses underneath the mistletoe. It's a romantic experience as women drop dead in front of me." He gave her a wicked twist of his mouth, as if he enjoyed killing women, as if it truly didn't affect him. Jacks didn't even touch on the matter of family.

But Evangeline noticed his eyes. Her father used to tell her how you found people's truths; in their eyes. She seen the forced smile in them, the hurt hidden behind it.

"Jacks-"

"We're at your ornament shop."

Evangeline exhaled deeply, kicking the snow off her boots on the steps of the store before entering. Jacks did not have the same care about trekking snow in the store.

"Pick out some ornaments for the tree," Evangeline urged him, searching for pretty ones too.

"That wasn't part of our deal." Jacks side eyed her.

She turned so that she was directly facing him. "Please, Jacks."

He stared at her intently, but she did not break his gaze.

"I'll make you cookies," Evangeline offered brightly.

Jacks looked away, groaning. "For Fates' sake."

She clapped, knowing he gave in to her. "Pick out some pretty ones!"

As he walked away from her and to a different part of the store, he tossed his head over his shoulder. "They better be good cookies."

There was an extra pep in Evangeline's step as she walked around the shop, finding some lovely green and red ornaments. She stuffed the box underneath her arm and continued her search.

Fake icicles caught her eye, and Evangeline was entranced by them. They glittered when light hit them at the right angle, reflecting little rainbows. She tucked those under her arm too.

After getting a basket and finding a few other ornaments, including a star topper, Jacks returned to her.

He only said one word. "These."

Evangeline peeked inside the box, eyes widening at his choice of blue and pink ornaments. There were even little foxes painted on some of them.

"Aw, these are adorable!"

Jacks glared at her. "Call them adorable one more time. I dare you."

🎄🎄🎄🎄🎄

After popping cookies into the oven at the Hollow, Evangeline spent the rest of her evening decorating the Christmas tree. The minute she tried to convince Jacks to help her, he scoffed not this time, Little Fox, and strutted away.

Although he was hiding it well, Evangeline knew Jacks was starting to warm up to Christmas. Even if it was just the smallest hints of it, it was still something. But her challenge wouldn't be completed until Jacks truly enjoyed Christmas.

After placing the last of the tinsel and ornaments on the tree, it was time for the star.

Evangeline set her hands on her hips, contemplating how she would reach the top. She tried jumping, she tried dragging a chair over, but it was still just out of reach.

"What, pray tell, are you trying to accomplish?" Jacks leaned against the door way to the main room, arms crossed as he regarded her amusedly.

"I'm trying-" Evangeline hopped, "to reach-" she leapt, "the top!" She ran out of breath.

She came to the realization that Jacks might put the star on top for her. He would decorate the tree with her!

Maybe.

"As much as I'm enjoying you bouncing all over the place, there's a much easier approach to this, Little Fox."

"Uh huh," Evangeline raised her eyebrows challengingly. "And what's that?"

Jacks took four large steps towards her, and when she thought he was going to take the star from her hand, he grabbed her waist gently, lifting her up and on top of his shoulders.

Evangeline let out a gasp, heart picking up again.

"Hurry up, your dress is in my face." Jacks' voice came out muffled.

Her thighs were also around his neck.

Evangeline quickly placed the star on top, breathing quickly. "I'm done!"

He placed her back on the floor, brushing a cool finger over her cheeks. "It's so easy to make you blush."

Evangeline poked his nose in turn, Jacks swatting her hand away. "Admit it. You're beginning to like Christmas."

"Has this become a personal mission for you, pet?"

A quiet ding interrupted them.

"The cookies!" Evangeline grinned, rushing to the kitchen, slipping on a pair of oven mitts and removing them from the oven.

She stepped back, admiring her work.

"Christmas cookies?" Jacks' tone was flat and unamused.

Despite how hot the cookie was, Evangeline picked one up between her fingers, ignoring the slight burn. "Ha! Look, it's Santa."

Jacks darted his head quickly towards her and took a large bite out of the cookie she held. "Headless Santa now," he mumbled as he chewed on the sugar cookie.

"Fiend," Evangeline retorted.

Jacks reached for another one, but Evangeline smacked his hand. "I need to decorate them!"

"Someone's going on the naughty list. It's not nice to hit people, Little Fox."

"It's not nice to bite cookies out of people's hands, Jacks."

"I'm already on the naughty list, why should I care?"

"Shoo, unless you're going to help me decorate these."

"I'd almost mistake you for a Fate with how many deals you're trying to make." Jacks walked away, obviously not interested in decorating.

Evangeline sighed. She picked up the bag of icing she'd prepared earlier, piping little designs onto her first cookie. Her festive mood was beginning to dampen. Jacks really wasn't going to come around to Christmas, was he? Of course, no matter how hard she tried, she failed. He was a Fate after all. Why had she expected Jacks to look at Christmas different for her?

One decorated cookie later, strong arms wrapped around her waist and a head leaned against her shoulder, the smell of apples and something distinctly male filled her senses. Evangeline could have melted into his touch, despite her earlier frustration.

"I thought you didn't want to decorate. You know, since you despise Christmas."

"Hush, Little Fox, or I might change my mind."

Evangeline couldn't fight the smile on her face. He grabbed the icing bag, still leaning on her shoulder and reaching through her waist. Jacks tried to pipe a design, but he squeezed too hard, a bunch of icing coming out at once. He growled.

Evangeline giggled. "Here, I'll squeeze, you keep your hands on mine, guiding the bag, okay?"

Jacks grunted in acknowledgment, placing his hands over hers. He guided her slowly, drawing little snowflakes on the snowman shaped cookie.

A warm feeling rose through Evangeline. "Next one."

This time it was a tree. Jacks drew ornaments and lights, actually taking it seriously. They continued like that until all the cookies were decorated, and Evangeline couldn't have cared less that she only decorated one. She was elated that Jacks had partook in something festive without motivation. It also helped his hands were on hers and how his body fit with hers.

He set down the piping bag, grabbing her hand and twirling Evangeline around, leaning her against the counter. "Happy?"

"You have no idea."

Jacks leaned in close, close enough that they were breathing the same breaths. His lips were dangerously close to hers. "Remember your part of the deal."

Another night of you being mine.

Evangeline hadn't a problem with it. She was already his, anyway.

"I couldn't forget."

Jacks laced his fingers with hers again, leading her to his room. On their way, Evangeline pulled him to a stop.

"Mistletoe, Jacks."

He looked up quickly at the strategically placed mistletoe above their heads. His eyes creased with worry. "Little Fox-"

Evangeline stood on her tip-toes and pressed a kiss to his cheek, letting her lips linger on his cool skin. She hadn't known whether or not a lip-on-lip kiss would follow them outside the Hollow, and she didn't want Jacks to have to deal with that guilt, so she opted for his cheek instead. Evangeline had desperately wanted to feel his lips against hers. She wanted to have a true mistletoe experience with Jacks. But, as fate allowed, Evangeline would settle for a peck on the cheek.

"There," Evangeline whispered as she pulled away. "Now you have a pleasant memory under the mistletoe."

Jacks looked at her, really looked at her, with a vulnerability in his eyes that he rarely showed. His arms engulfed her and his head buried in her pink hair.

"When we leave here for good, Little Fox, please do not forget this."

"I'll never forget this," she mumbled into his shirt.

He pulled away to look at her. "Mine."

"I'm yours," Evangeline repeated as she had a few nights ago.

Jacks scooped her up, carrying her to his bedroom, holding her close to his chest. She loved how delicately he held her, how careful he was.

When they reached his room, Jacks tugged on the hem of her dress in question.

Evangeline nodded wordlessly.

He lifted it off of her, leaving Evangeline in solely a tiny slip that didn’t leave much to the imagination. Although she was sure Jacks had seen much more of her when he bandaged her up a few nights ago. She reached for the buttons of his shirt, popping them off until the item of clothing was removed completely.

Jacks then laid her down, falling on the bed beside her.

Evangeline brushed a soft lock of blond hair from his face. "I know you hate Christmas for good reasons, Jacks. But the holidays are about spending time with people you care about. I know how good you are at hiding it, but I think deep down, you care about me, at least a little bit. So I hope I changed your mind about Christmas."

Jacks knotted his hands in her hair, bringing her head close. "I care about you a lot." He frowned. "More than I should."

Evangeline's eyes fluttered closed. "I care about you too."

"I know."

Their limbs began to tangle together as they shifted in the bed. Jacks held her as if she was about to be ripped from his grasp. Evangeline nuzzled her head in his chest, letting herself lull to sleep.

"Little Fox?"

"Mm?"

"Christmas isn't so bad."

"Jacks!" she whined against his skin.

"Fine. I like spending Christmas with you."

Jacks’ reluctant words reverberated through her head a million times. Finally. Evangeline had warmed him up to the holidays, even if it took a bit out of her. It made her cheeks hot that she knew she was the reason for his new take on Christmas.

She tilted her head up to look in his eyes. “I knew you’d come around.”

“Don’t you dare start up carolling, pet, or I will take back my previous statement. The tree in the main room will be destroyed before you wake up in the morning if you pipe up with those god awful tunes.”

“Oh, I wouldn’t dream of annoying Jacks of the Hollow.”

His hand smoothed over her hair idly and his voice was soft from tiredness. “Good.”

Evangeline waited until his eyes fluttered shut before murmuring quietly, “Deck the halls with boughs of holly fa-la-la-la-la-”

The hand that had been in her hair moments before clamped over her mouth. “Shut up,” Jacks groaned.

She laughed behind his hand, amused by his distaste for carols. Once her giggles died down, he removed his hand and closed his eyes again.

“‘’Tis the season to be jolly-”

Jacks rolled them over so that she was underneath him, his chest over top of her mouth. Despite her voice being incredibly muffled, she still sang.

“Fa-la-la-la-la, la-la-la-la.”

“Are you done yet?” Jacks moved into a plank position, uncovering her mouth.

“Maybe.”

“You are insufferable.”

Evangeline smiled brightly at him. “Will you change your mind if you found out I got you a present?”

One of his eyebrows raised. “When?”

“When you weren’t looking. It isn’t much, but it’s something.” Evangeline shifted to reach beside the bed, pulling the small box out of her dress pocket. “Merry Christmas, Jacks.”

Evangeline didn’t think she’d ever seen his features so soft. Blond eyebrows knitted together, and his eyes regarded the present with a delicacy he’d only ever used with her. He moved them so that they both sat up, hands carefully holding the box she handed him. She bit her lip in anticipation of his reaction.

“Open it!” She urged, hoping he wouldn’t hate the gift inside.

Jacks pulled the ribbon around the box until it untied, popping the lid open and peering inside. His lips curved into a smile.

“I couldn’t think of what to get you, but you’re always dressing fancy, so when I saw those golden apple cuff links, I immediately thought of you.” Evangeline watched as his finger brushed over the cuff links curiously. “Everyone deserves a Christmas present, no matter how far down they are on the naughty list.”

His eyes flashed to hers, amusement laced in his expression. Still, Jacks hadn’t said a word.

“Well? Do you like them?” Evangeline demanded, palms beginning to sweat. She hoped from the bottom of her heart he adored them. That every time he would wear them, he’d think of her. His Little Fox.

“I do.”

Jacks spoke those two words with so much gentleness, yet so much force that made Evangeline believe there were a billion other things he wanted to say.

He set his gift on his nightstand, pulling Evangeline back down into a lying position. Jacks moved his lips over her neck, sucking and biting at her skin. She let out a moan at the feeling, at how fast he could send her brain into a frenzy.

“Thank you, Little Fox.” His words tickled her neck.

She hadn’t thought him capable of the words thank you.

“I’m glad you like them,” she whispered back.

Evangeline swore to never forget how soft he was at the Hollow. With her. How his expression turned so breathtaking when he looked at his present. At her. How badly Evangeline had wished she was his true love. She finally let herself fall asleep, a deathly pair of lips on her mind as sleep claimed her.

🎄🎄🎄🎄🎄

Jacks looked up at the winter night sky sourly, wondering if the stars were laughing at him. How many times had they watched happily ever after be wretched from his hands so despicably?

This one hurt the most.

His teeth clashed together as Jacks grind his jaw, thinking of the way Evangeline had been taken from him. Jacks had briefly pondered over if things could have been different if he’d realized Donatella hadn’t meant to him what he thought she did sooner.

He’d never loved Donatella. She was never his true love. That Jacks was sure of, he felt it all the way down to his cold bones.

Evangeline. Sweet Evangeline.

Nothing had ever meant as much to him as his Little Fox did.

Jacks touched his golden apple cuff links, taking a small comfort in how the cold metal felt against his finger. He had many regrets over all of the things he never said to Evangeline. He especially wished he’d told her how much the gift meant to him. How much she meant to him.

No one had given him anything remotely close to a present in centuries. Jacks couldn’t even remember the last time someone had did something selfless for him, like giving him a present. It meant Evangeline cared about him, almost as much as he cared for her.

She hadn’t even done it in the presence of the Mirth stone. She’d been far from it when retrieving his cuff links. Evangeline had simply wanted to give him a Christmas gift.

Jacks was taken from his thoughts as the crunching of boots trekking through snow hinted at his ears. He turned towards her, hidden by the brick building beside him and the darkness it provided.

She sniffed loudly, the back of her hand coming up to wipe her nose.

“Nothing makes sense,” she cried to the sky. “Things aren’t adding up, no matter how hard I try. Every time I think I start to remember something important, it’s like I run into a wall!”

Jacks wanted to go to her, pull her close, whisper in her ear that it would be alright. How he wouldn’t let anyone hurt her. He’d torture whoever tried to lay a finger on his Little Fox.

“Apollo says he loves me, and I love him, even if I can’t remember. But… that feels like a kind of thing that the heart would remember. I just feel so alone. So empty. I don’t even know if I should trust him. He is my husband, so I should.”

Evangeline kicked the snow in frustration. “I don’t even know who I’m talking to. The stars?” She laughed humourlessly. “It just truly feels like I have no one.”

You have me, Little Fox.

Evangeline spun around. “Who said that?”

Fuck. He hadn’t meant to project his thoughts.

“Hello?”

Jacks closed his eyes, leaning into the wall so Evangeline couldn’t see him. When he first discovered she didn’t remember him, Evangeline became terrified of him. He was a fool to think Time let him off of the hook for how much pain he suffered. A bloody fool.

Jacks swore to himself he’d do whatever it took to return Evangeline’s memories to her. He would disembowel whoever had done this to her. Jacks vowed to become their worst nightmare. He would become the exact monster the stories about Fates made him out to be.

He heard Evangeline sigh. “Now I’m crazy, too.”

He felt sick for her. Jacks knew this was ultimately better than her being dead, but why couldn’t he just be happy for once? Jacks always knew Time would never have allowed them to exist, he should have never let himself hope that it might be different.

Hope. Hopeful Evangeline.

Jacks remembered when he was like her. Back before he realized he was never meant to be happy. Not for long, at least.

But he was happy with her. It was why he knew, in the end, they would never work. Curses couldn’t be deceived. They knew the truth. No matter how much one tried to hide it.

It was one week and one day from the end of Cold Season, marking it Christmas Eve. In a perfect world, he and Evangeline would be at the Hollow, curled up by the fireplace. Jacks would be kissing her breathless, and her heart would still be beating, beating fast for him. His would do the same.

He’d get her a gift that she’d squeal about, blushing furiously like the helpless romantic she was. They would both be happy together.

Instead they were here, in this awful mess.

“Evangeline, my heart, there you are!”

Jacks had felt the overwhelming urge to slash a knife through Apollo’s throat, to watch him beg and bleed mercilessly for how he was taking advantage of his Evangeline-

“Apollo! Sorry, I just… wanted to catch snowflakes on Christmas Eve.”

Apollo wrapped his arms around Evangeline’s waist, pulling her flush against him. Jacks should have walked away, saved himself from this pain. But it was as he told Evangeline before; broken hearts constructed masochists.

Apollo laughed. “How darling you are. Come inside, we’re about to sing holiday carols by the piano.”

Jacks remembered when Evangeline sang for him. She did it to annoy him, but Jacks always looked forward to her pushing his buttons. He would listen to every foul, off pitch, Christmas carol Evangeline sung if it meant that she would remember him.

Jacks had a fleeting idea.

Don’t trust him, Little Fox. He is not your friend. He is not your lover-

“That sounds lovely, Apollo.” Evangeline’s words were loud and held a warning to them.

It meant she heard him.

He just hoped she would listen.

Jacks really needed to stop hoping.

He watched as Apollo led Evangeline inside, a wet sensation trailing down his cheek as Jacks’ eyes burned.

Using the back of his palm to rub at it, his eyes quickly caught the gold flecked blood that now stained his skin. Jacks hadn’t even realized he was crying.

His breath shook as he inhaled. He closed his eyes, the image of Evangeline flashed before him. Jacks imagined her saying don’t lose hope, Jacks. Not when you just got it back.

There was nothing of equal value to him than her. He established that already. Jacks needed to get a grip of himself.

He would find Honora. She would be the best person to go to when it came to cures to curses like this. Although every time he seeked Honora’s help, it always ended miserably. Fate be damned. Desperate times called for desperate measures. Jacks would rack in his favours he built up over the years, and fuck it, Jacks was going to hope.

His fingers traced over his apple cuff links.

This Christmas would not be his and Evangeline’s last.

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nkw-mmk · 2 months

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'The only way to do great work is to love what you do.' - Steve Jobs

Writing resumes and researching target companies is a kind of self-recognition

[This Blog was written during the holiday of the sixth week. The reason for wanting to write this blog was because I received an email about the Internship, which made me want to recall how I got this Internship, and it seems to be a reflection on the first half of the semester.]

If I start from the beginning, the first thing I learned in this course is to be a person with a sense of time. (Especially when I didn't reply to emails for two weeks and was rated by the teacher as 'unprofessional', and when I was sick and absent during the first presentation, I didn't check my email again and made the same mistake again) This lesson really taught me how to be a trustworthy person in the industry, and indirectly confirmed the direction I want to take in my future career.

Actually, I have always been torn about what role I should take on in my work, because during the previous semester I tried various roles in a film crew, such as producer, director, cameraman, post-production, soundman. I think I am more like an 'all rounder', mastering different roles excites me, but at the same time I also believe that as a 'professional' worker, I should have a focus. This is also the reason why I chose this course at the beginning, I feel that compared to another course, this course can give me more guidance for the future. Internships are also a way to directly understand the industry and give me more factors to consider.

In the following week, we had face-to-face communications with some companies. We learned more about their working modes and what we need to do as interns. Then it comes to my self-investigation. I've gone through my works in recent years and my past resumes. As a photography graduate, I actually have little experience in the film and television industry in recent years. Steve Jobs once said, 'The only way to do great work is to love what you do.' Therefore, for me, what I did more that week was to think about what I actually want to do. I revisited the notes I took when communicating with the companies in class, combined with my previous research, at that time I highlighted four companies. Spectrum, Eden Studio, ABC, and Inner West Film Festival.

In summary, through the understanding of these companies, I at least confirmed what I don't want to do. Although I know that as an intern who is about to graduate, many things must be experienced. But at least I know some of the directions I want to go.

Use the knowledge I already have to acquire new knowledge

So this part is about what happened this week. This week, I really confirmed that my internship will be at the Inner West Film Festival, and through communication with the company, I also confirmed that my duty is likely to be working as a photographer on site. I'm actually quite excited, because as an intern I'm afraid to make mistakes, but if what I need to do is what I'm really good at, this will make me really look forward to this internship. Especially when the person in charge of IWFF tells us that we will have the opportunity to meet many famous photographers, directors, and producers and have the chance to listen to their experiences in person. This all excites me very much.

Another small thing also happened during the mid-term break. In this semester's final project, I served as the Producer in both crews. I think the position of Producer suits me very well and also exercises me a lot. I learned a lot during the early preparation, so I think I may learn more about the experiences of on-site producers in my future internship life.

This is all about my current self-reflection and what has happened! My internship should start next week, and I am very much looking forward to it.

(This article only represents personal views and feelings)

#Internship diary

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carewyncromwell · 3 years

Photo

“Oh, simple thing, where have you gone? I'm getting old and I need something to rely on... So tell me when you're gonna let me in -- I'm getting tired and I need somewhere to begin. And if you have a minute, why don't we go Talk about it somewhere only we know? This could be the end of everything, So why don't we go somewhere only we know?”

~“Somewhere Only We Know (cover),” by Lily Allen

x~x~x~x

Hi guys! Next up on my Valentine’s Day posts, here’s something for my OG girl Carewyn for the Valentine’s Ball, and um...yeah! I’m doing something a little different and focusing on someone who Carewyn does care about, not romantically, but platonically -- her good friend, Talbott Winger! I haven’t really dedicated much material to these two’s friendship on this blog, so I thought this would be a great opportunity! For Carewyn’s dress, I took some inspiration both from this very 80′s-style dress and from Sarah’s princess dress in Labyrinth -- her necklace is even a replica of one that Jareth the Goblin King wears in the movie! Talbott, of course, is wearing his Valentine’s Ball ensemble. ^.^

It was hardly a surprise to anyone in the seventh year class that the self-titled “Style Wizard,” Andre Egwu, had taken it upon himself to make sure those attending could look their very best for the upcoming Valentine’s Day ball. He’d even managed to make Argus Filch look presentable, a challenge just about no one else would’ve been brave enough to attempt. So Carewyn truly wasn’t surprised that her ex-boyfriend-and-still-good-friend had designed specialized outfits for all of their friends. She was a little surprised, though, when she noticed a tell-tale eagle feather on the floor of the Great Hall where Andre had set up some of his mannequins -- and so, after trying on the silvery-white dress and jewelry Andre had picked out for her, Carewyn excused herself, saying she wanted to try walking around in the heels he’d picked out for her to test out how comfortable they were, and headed out to the Courtyard. Sure enough, who should she find there but a familiar eagle roosting on one of the large statues in the moonlight.

Carewyn shot a furtive glance around to make sure the coast was clear. Then she approached the eagle with a smile.

“Hey.”

The eagle took flight, landing on the ground in front of her. By the time its talons should’ve met the ground, Talbott Winger was already standing in its place. He was dressed in a dusky purple tuxedo jacket over a disheveled collared shirt, rose-patterned vest, and pink tie, some gray jeans, and trainers.

“How’d you know I’d be out here?” asked Talbott.

“Lucky guess.”

The Slytherin Head Girl scanned his outfit, her lips spreading into a ruby red smile.

“So you were getting a fitting,” she said. “I didn’t know you were planning on going to the ball, Talbott.”

Talbott glanced away, rubbing the back of his neck as he smiled wryly. “Heh...yeah, not exactly my scene, is it?”

Despite his attempt at offhandedness, Carewyn could tell he was self-conscious. Her smile faded, leaving a slightly gentler expression on her face.

“...You look quite nice,” she told him kindly.

Talbott cocked his eyebrows amusedly. “Only ‘quite?’“

“Well, your collar and tie are kind of a mess and your shirt’s untucked,” said Carewyn coolly.

“And here I thought it was considered attractive for men to leave their shirts unbuttoned.”

“There’s a fine line between casual and messy.”

“Well then, you can hardly expect me to have seen it clearly enough to not cross it -- I only have eagle eyes some of the time.”

Carewyn brought up a hand to her mouth to hold in her giggles. Talbott’s expression softened a bit too -- Carewyn didn’t laugh very much, if for no other reason than her giggling was distinctly unlike her usual “perfect” image, so it was kind of cool, to be one of the few people who could prompt it out of her. Talbott and Carewyn’s senses of humor had always matched up really well too, which helped.

“Andre went all out with you, of course, as usual,” remarked Talbott with a quick glance at her dress. “But I suppose he always has treated you like his little dress-up doll...”

“Oh, hush!” scoffed Carewyn, but she was smiling. “I’m glad you like it, though...I might switch out the pearls for a pair of earrings Jacob gave me for Christmas. And as much as these shoes are lovely, I’m tempted to switch them out for flats -- heels can pinch your feet something terrible after a while, particularly when you haven’t broken them in properly...something you don’t know anything about,” she added with a nod to his trainers.

Talbott grinned wryly. “Nope.”

His eyes drifted off toward the sky absently as he settled down on the edge of the fountain. Carewyn lowered herself down next to him, fluffing her skirt out so that it was under her legs properly.

“I’m kind of surprised you’re going,” Carewyn admitted, though her voice remained rather gentle. “I mean, I’m only going because I promised to sing some songs for the event, to help ‘pep’ it up...and I’m much more the sort to go to parties than you are.”

Talbott flushed slightly. “Well, it’s just...something I figured I should do. I mean, this is our last year -- probably the last time we’ll be hosting anything like this...”

He slouched forward, resting his head in his hand as he looked up at the sky rather than at Carewyn.

“And, well...I wasn’t there, for the Celestial Ball,” he muttered, “so it’d...probably be my last chance if I ever wanted to...at least at school...”

Carewyn’s blue eyes softened. Stretching her arms out so she could rest them on either side of her on the ledge, she leaned back slightly and shifted her focus up onto the sky too.

“I’m sure your date will be really happy that you cared so much.”

Talbott looked at her, startled. She didn’t look at him, instead keeping her focus skyward with a smile. After a moment, Talbott cleared his throat loudly and looked away, his cheeks darkened with a blush.

“That...well...”

He looked down, trying to collect himself. Then he raised his head, smiling at her through his blush.

“...Hm...thanks, Carewyn,” he mumbled. “...I’m...actually a little nervous. Penny offered to help me with some dance lessons, but...well, it’s still a bit weird. I’ve never really done anything like this...and before I even asked my date out, I got asked by several other people too...”

He cringed, his expression visibly awkward and self-conscious.

“I don’t even get why -- I mean, it’s not like I make myself very approachable.”

Carewyn gave him a sympathetic smile. “It is really uncomfortable, to be asked out by someone you’re not interested in.”

Talbott snorted in soft laughter.

“Oh yes, of course you’d know the feeling,” he teased, his lips spread in a smirk. “Naturally Hogwarts’s favorite fashionista has had her fair share of admirers -- breaking hearts as well as curses -- ”

“Oh, stop it!” said Carewyn, smacking his arm lightly, which only made Talbott laugh more fully. Despite herself, Carewyn couldn’t completely bite back a giggle of her own.

“Still, you getting asked out, that makes sense,” said Talbott dismissively. “I frankly don’t get why I got so many invitations...”

“I do,” said Carewyn.

Talbott raised an eyebrow at her.

“You’re a good man, Talbott. You’re smart, funny, loyal, talented...not to mention the air of ‘mystery’ you’ve got going on,” she added with a wry smile, and Talbott gave another snort. “But most importantly, you’re true to yourself. You’re not the sort to tell people what they want to hear or be what others want you to be. You’re honest and you don’t feel the need to change yourself...so you never have to wonder if the people who admire you do it for who you are, or just for the superhuman saint they think you are...”

Carewyn offered her friend a small, slightly grim smile, even as her eyes drifted off in the opposite direction.

“...That’s certainly not something I’m always sure about.”

Talbott’s smile slid off his face, his expression becoming a bit more serious.

“Mm...I guess so. Though there are plenty of times I don’t say everything I should...or even know how to say what I mean...”

“You’re more than good enough of a writer to sort those words out eventually,” Carewyn pointed out with an encouraging smile. “And at least when you do find the words, no one ever has to doubt that they’re sincere.”

Talbott smiled slightly. “Thanks.”

He shifted himself over to look at her better, adjusting his hand that had been supporting his head beside his neck.

“Really, though,” he said more seriously, “I don’t reckon there’s as wide of a divide as you think -- between what people think and who you are.”

Carewyn tilted her head in faint confusion.

“You hold yourself to impossible standards, Carewyn,” said Talbott rather brusquely. “You always have. Sure, you’re no saint...but you’re a good person. And good people -- truly good people, who want to make the world a better place and are willing to fight for it, even after life’s dealt them a bad hand...those aren’t easy to come by.”

Carewyn’s eyes softened. “...No, they’re not.”

Her lips spread into a fuller smile as she shifted over to look at him better too.

“We’ll get to really start working at making things better next year, won’t we? Once we get to the Ministry?”

Talbott smiled. “Yeah. Then I can take out the wrongdoers, and you can prosecute.”

Carewyn nodded. “And then we can go out for coffee and do it all over again.”

Talbott inclined his head in agreement, his grin and eyes both gleaming with determination.

“Sounds good.”

#hphm #hogwarts mystery #my art #my writing #talbott winger #carewyn cromwell #andre egwu #yes I left talbott's date's identity open-ended so that anyone who ships themselves can fill themselves in #*smiles in elaiza candy and night's direction*#GOD do I love these two and their friendship #I actually headcanon talbott as being on the demi spectrum the way carey's on the ace side of things too #and just..GAH they're so different in so many ways and yet there are those common threads #and they just respect each other so much and want each other to succeed and understand each other X3 #I'm so happy I finally got to draw my bird boy #yes I'm hosting this thing in seventh year #we already got the festival in sixth year it makes sense for this to be in seventh year :I #in carewyn's timeline the vaults are dealt with by the end of year 6 so this is the first time she really can do only what she wants to do #valentine's day #singles awareness day

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favoniuscodex · 3 years

Note

voice lines!!!

ok !!! here are nell’s voice lines (a lot are utc bc this got long)

▶ Hello - Pleasure to meet you! I’m Nell and I’m a reporter for the Teyvat Times. I heard you have a story for me? Are you willing to share? C’mon, please?

▶ Chat: Sidekick - Want to join me? I’ve always wanted a little sidekick on my adventures! All the cool heroes and stuff always have one! Granted, I don’t really have a secret identity that requires one...

▶ Chat: Truth - The world will reveal its secrets to those who are willing to find them. As for everyone else, well… they’ll just read the newest expose I post in the Teyvat Times!

▶ Chat: Leads - We can’t sniff out a new lead and answers if we’re just standing around. Just… give me a second to fix my Kamera.

▶ When It Rains - Rain or shine, the news must carry on! Just… Can you hold the umbrella while I take pictures? If the lens gets wet, it blurs the photographs.

▶ When Thunder Strikes - Haha, spooky! Hopefully we don’t get electrocuted… that would be rather inconvenient.

▶ When It Snows - It doesn’t often snow back in Fontaine, but I always enjoyed when the rivers would freeze over as a kid. I just wonder what happens to the fish. Do they freeze too?

▶ When the Sun Is Out - Beautiful weather makes the job easier! I’m usually stuck inside interviewing people all day, so I’ll gladly take this moment to soak up some sun… maybe even close my eyes for a few minutes… sit under a tree… sleep… *yawn* Oh? Was I dozing off? I can’t doze off now! There’s a festival today downtown. I should report on that instead!

▶ Good Morning - Rise and shine, darling! Evil lurks in the night and while you and I might not vanquish it, we can at least report on the aftermath! Oh..? I’m a bit too eager to find out what atrocities happened in the night..? Hm. Maybe...

▶ Good Night - Night time already? If you really insist, I suppose I can wind down. But, uh, wake me up if you hear any weird noises! If it’s any bugs though, you’re on your own.

▶ About Nell: Persistence - Growing up, my mother always told me that persistence is key to achieving your dreams! Therefore, if someone says “no” to an interview, you can ask them approximately 11.852 more times on average before they start threatening you with a restraining order! Never give up… except when the law requires it!

▶ About Nell: Reporting - Some say reporters are opportunistic fiends who only seek to further their own careers and line their pockets with Mora. Me? Do I lie? Well… my name isn’t actually Nell, it’s Eleonora… so I guess I lie sometimes, but I promise to only tell the truth and help others in my reporting! I swear!

▶ About Us: Interview - Wow, you can fight really well! Wait… you’re the Outlander? The one who defeated Tartaglia? The one who stopped Stormterror? The one who helped the Qixing fight against Osial? Oh my archons, Nell, contain your excitement! Sorry, sorry, I was getting carried away… could I interview you? Pretty please?

▶ About Us: Compatibility - Ah, you’re so cool, Traveler! With you, drama always seems to follow. I think that makes us a great pair! So, what do you want me to report on next..? Your missing sibling..? Oh. Of course! Who doesn’t love a good reunion story? I’ll gladly help!

▶ About the Vision - I bet you probably weren’t expecting me to have a Vision! Well… neither was I. A lot of people tend to have powerful reasons as to why they have their Visions and why they use them but I kinda just found mine in the way I find any other new story… by accident. Nonetheless, a great reporter uses every tool at their disposal and if a Vision was granted to me, then I’ll be sure to wield it with pride!

▶ Something to Share: Lineage - My family name is not one of great prestige, nor are my family members anything worth writing home about. I believe that the life of someone should not be dictated by who they are related to, but rather how they choose to make a name for themselves. People who hide behind the prestige of their names are often cowards and yet they often have the best sources for my news. You win some, you lose some, I guess.

▶ Something to Share: Fontaine - Want to know a secret? Don’t tell anyone this, okay? I’m not a very strong swimmer. I’m kind of scared of water, despite my Vision!

▶ Interesting Things - I break my Kamera a lot, but mechanics are expensive. If you ever break yours, I can probably fix it for you! You won’t have to pay me for anything. Just... please don’t charge me if I accidentally break it even further, haha.

▶ About Albedo - Albedo? Haha… He’s rather cute. Plus, he always listens when I talk to him! ... I think. I can never tell if I’m actually holding his attention or not… But, he thinks reporters are dumb, therefore he is dumb. I don’t care how many alchemic achievements he finds. Someone who cannot understand how important news is is someone that I cannot respect.

▶ About Amber - Outrider Amber is lovely! She’s one of the few people in the town who actually listens to all I have to say. It’s amazing, really. Everyone loves her, even standoffish Eula! If you ever need help from the Knights, Amber is probably your best bet!

▶ About Rosaria - Y’know, at first, I wasn’t quite sure if Sister Rosaria liked me. Now? … Well, I’m still not very certain. I’m nervous to talk about her. She seems like the type to have a weird sixth sense for this type of thing. She does save me when I get into trouble, though! For a while I thought she was the Darknight Hero, but I realized that Rosaria is… Ah, forget it! Let’s just say I owe her one.

▶ About Diluc: Darknight Hero - The Darknight Hero is one of the most interesting stories I’ve covered in a long time! It’s taken me down a long path of getting to know people, especially Master Diluc of Dawn Winery. Kaeya was helpful enough to point him out as a potential source on the topic. No, Diluc isn’t the Darknight Hero, silly. He just knows a guy who knows a guy, that’s all.

▶ About Diluc: Comradery -At first, I could have sworn Diluc hated me! But apparently, he’s just like that with everyone. Now, I’d say we’re pretty good friends… I think? I’m never quite sure where I stand with him. He’s both open yet awkward around me at the same time… But, he ultimately has been helpful with some of my reporting. If it was up to me, I’d say we’re the best of friends! Please don’t tell him I said that though, he’d probably say I’ve had too much to drink and cut me off for the night.

▶ About Diluc: Love - Love? Why are you asking me about Diluc and love? Gods, both you and Kaeya are insufferable about this. Wait, what? You think Diluc has a crush on me? There’s no possible way a guy like him would give me a second glance! You and Kaeya are awful about this… stop teasing me. Diluc is the type to have whole newspapers dedicated to him and me..? Well, I’m just a reporter, that’s all. Oh? You’re asking if I like him? Well, um… that’s classified information!

▶ About Lisa - Lisa makes me wish I ran a gossip column instead! Conversation with her is never dull and somehow she knows everything about everyone. Afternoon tea consists of tea in more ways than one!

▶ About Jean - The Acting Grand Master of Mondstadt is far more gracious to me than most political figures are. However, I can’t help but feel as if I’m intruding whenever I speak to her. She’s sweet, but she just seems like she has a lot on her plate and even I don’t want to add any more to that.

▶ About Keqing - The Yuheng is a very respectable figure, but if she’s at any Qixing press conference, you’re almost guaranteed to get no exciting news. She brushes off any pressing questions by saying they’re “off topic” and “irrelevant”. It’s frustrating, especially when she uses it to evade the things that really matter!

▶ About Xiao - Hey! That’s that dude that lives in Wangshu Inn! Well, I suppose he’s not a dude but rather an immortal adeptus. He’s hellbent on avoiding me. He hates my guts. I just want to interview him about his thousands of years of life! It’ll only take a few days! Why does he keep teleporting away from me? Ugh. Immortals are so haughty.

▶ About Kaeya: Trust - Oh? Captain Kaeya? He’s rather funny and is my closest drinking buddy in Mondstadt. However, don’t try to get any info out of him. He’s full of shi- haha, pardon me, I mean… Um… Kaeya likes to lie. He won’t even tell me the truth in truth or dare! You picked truth, buddy, now fess up! Sorry… I like him, I swear I do! But I guess I shouldn’t expect the truth when I ask him why he has an eyepatch. After all, even I don’t have a wild enough imagination to truly believe he was raised by pirates… although I could cross-reference this with Beidou and see if she has any information...

▶ About Venti - The bard that’s always in Dil- Master Diluc’s tavern? He’s a bit strange and, while his songs are informative, music of that style is a bit noisy and overwhelming to me. However, I do find it incredibly interesting that he looks exactly like the Barbatos statue in front of the cathedral, yet nobody discusses it. You wouldn’t happen to know anything about that, would you?

▶ About Nell: I - I’m a reporter first and human second! Or… am I a human first and reporter second? I can’t remember what the boss said sounded less creepy… Well, at least I know I’m a reporter and a human!

▶ About Nell: II - Freedom of the press ensures that people always have a voice. Being a reporter can be dangerous, especially if you’re assigned to tempestuous regions like Inazuma, but it’s a job I take pride in. Information must be spread to all so the public can make informed decisions.

▶ About Nell: III - Home? Home is wherever my job takes me! Sometimes its Mondstadt, sometimes its Liyue, sometimes its Snezhnaya… oh. Fontaine? Even though that’s where the Teyvat Times headquarters are and it’s where I grew up, I wouldn’t necessarily call it home. At one point, I would have, but… things change. If I have to settle down anywhere, I would choose the wintry tundra of Snezhnaya before I even think about living in Fontaine again.

▶ About Nell: IV - Growing up, everyone always said I was a free spirit. I’m kind of like the seelies you see around Mondstadt… Yes, I wander, but ultimately I always return to the same path. Am I guarding a treasure? Haha, maybe… if you consider knowledge to be a treasure, that is. Ah, this doesn’t make very much sense, does it? I’ve never been the type to be good at poetry. I’m better off sticking to just facts.

▶ About Nell: V - My end goal..? I’m not quite sure what it is yet. I prefer to live in the moment and inspire others to achieve their dreams. News stories might not always be happy, but interconnectedness with the world allows people to discover what their true calling is. The feeling of the Kamera and notepad in my hands are comfortable enough. If I can help others understand this hectic world, then that’s good enough for me! I’m having a blast doing it, too.

▶ Nell’s Hobbies - Oh, would you like to look at my favorite articles? I have a book filled with articles and photographs of my own creation, including my very first headline article! Isn’t that exciting? It wasn’t too long ago, yet somehow it feels like it's been decades since then.

▶ Nell’s Troubles - I ran out of film again. You wouldn’t happen to have any on you, would you? Otherwise, I’ll have to go see if the gift shop has any in stock...

▶ Favorite Food - I really like spinach salads! It makes me feel like I’m a wild animal foraging for a nice summery meal. What? That’s weird? Sometimes it’s fun to imagine things, no matter how absurd they are.

▶ Least Favorite Food - Soup! I want to eat my food, not drink my food. If I wanted to drink my calories, I would just chug beer all the time like those drunkards who live in the taverns!

#//mail #axia.ocs

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bush-viper-cutie · 4 years

Text

Happy Birthday

Pairing: young!severus X reader

Word Count: 3,099

Rating: T for teen

Plot: It’s your birthday and you can’t wait to attend a big party where most of your fellow 7th years will be, including one Severus Snape. Ready to be more outgoing, you take a chance and participate in several fun activities that leave you wanting more.

Warnings: Bullying, kissing, steamy-ness

A/N: It was my birthday this week so I thought I’d write this quick one for everyone! If it’s your birthday this month then HAPPY BIRTHDAY and if it isn’t then a very late/early happy birthday to you :DD

Posted: 5/7/20

Masterlist

—–

(y/n) = your name

(y/h) = your house

(e/c) = eye color

—–

~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~

Everyone who was anyone was going to be at the top of the astronomy tower tonight, ready to celebrate you and three other student’s birthdays. You made your way down the cold corridor, clutching your cloak tight to avoid a shiver.

Your shoes clacked on the dry stone and echoed through the corridor as you made it to the tower. You took it two steps at a time, ready for the best night of your Hogwarts life. You were normally shy, rather reserved, and focused on your studies all other nights, but tonight you were ready to be your dream self.

You could hear the music pounding on the door of the astronomy classroom and wondered how on earth no teacher had found out about it yet. You opened the door and the second you stepped through several people cheered, welcoming you in.

The room was open, of course since there needed to be a no ceiling for stargazing, but glittery streamers were still gently gliding high in the air, reflecting the changing lights of candles and torches on the wall. Some students in the back were playing their magical instruments of choice while laughing and keeping rhythm.

You turned and saw a pile of cloaks in the corner and added to it, freeing yourself for the night of your old self, ready to embrace the new you.

“(Y/n)! Over here!” a group of students were waving.

You smiled and ran over, jumping on your friend and giving them a hug, “This party is amazing!”

You looked around at all the students, spotting almost all (Y/H) seventh years – and some sixth years – along with dozens of other students from the other houses. No one was wearing their school uniforms, though the outfits seemed decent enough to get caught in.

“Drinks are over there!” your friend pointed over to a table with several chalices, “Careful though, its spiked.”

You nodded and left your group to grab a drink. The liquid in the chalices were orange and smelled like pumpkin juice, but there was a slight sparkle to it that seemed unusual. You held it to your nose and noted that it smelled amazing, almost making you want to chug it immediately.

You tipped it to your lips and took a sip. You were immediately hit with an immense sense of absolute joy and happiness. Euphoria! You jumped happily and skipped back to your friends, falling onto one of the cushions on the bench, careful not to hit your head on a decorated telescope.

“MMM! Who brewed the Euphoria? It’s amazing!” you chugged the remaining liquid, cheered, and vigorously set your cup down beside you.

“Those Slytherins over there,” your friend pointed to a group of boys. “James made them brew it if they wanted to be let in.”

You looked over at the group and spotted Severus Snape, Mr. Perfect Potions in every class you had taken with him since first year. “Of course.” He was first to finish, the only one who could actually follow the teacher’s instructions, and everyone knew he was the one writing several of the Slytherin’s essays since fifth year.

You remembered asking him once for help on a potion and receiving it easily, which had surprised you at the time. It was after that encounter that you had begun to distance yourself from several of the Gryffindors that picked on him and others like him. They always talked about how awful he was… but he had been so nice to you that day.

He was leaning on the wall on the opposite side with his arms crossed at his chest and long dark hair falling at the sides of his face. He was always clean shaven and quiet, which made you wonder what he was doing in a place like this, especially, with his four bullies just a few feet from him.

You smiled, If Severus can enjoy a party like this, so can I. You laughed at that. Severus wasn’t exactly enjoying anything, just leaning against a wall with his two friends looking at everyone else enjoy things. “Snape can brew a mean Euphoria.”

“That I can’t argue with.”

Your friends continued talking for several more minutes until the last birthday kid arrived which meant the festivities could fully begin.

James stood on a bench and kicked some cups out of his way, “I’d like to thank every last one of you for finding that Gryffindor braveness inside of you and risking your weekends from now until we graduate in a few months to come to this party!”

You clapped with everyone else but rolled your eyes at his theatrics.

“Happy Birthday Remus, my friend, along with the three other students who share his birthday who have also helped put this party together,” he disheveled his own hair and jerked strands out of his eyes. “Let’s have cake!”

A giant cake appeared in the center of the room where five large blankets were spread out. The cake divided itself up into small pieces and James instructed everyone to gather around. A candle popped out of every piece and Remus, you, and the other students stepped forward.

The candles and torches went out and the cake candles lit. Everyone started singing the shortest birthday song most wizards knew and you blew out your fourth of the candles in one blow at the very end. Everyone clapped and Remus got an extra toast from Sirius and Peter.

Several students went back to talking and dancing, but a majority of the students stayed seated in the circle. You knew exactly what was coming. It had been the talk of the school for a month now and at first you knew there was absolutely NO Way you were participating… but now you felt really giddy and excited about it.

“Cake Talk is about to begin so,” Sirius looked at Severus and the other Slytherins, “anyone who doesn’t want to participate LEAVE.”

He stared at them a minute and laughed. Severus frowned and made to stand but his two friends held him down in his spot. Severus crossed his arms and stared back at Sirius, standing his ground.

“Fine then. Let’s begin,” he looked at Severus again and fake gagged, making several students laugh.

The cake floated higher in the air except for a single piece which stayed at mouth level in the air. A bottle of clear liquid appeared under cake piece and everyone clapped. The music was loud but you could still somehow hear the bated breathes of everyone as they waited for something to happen.

Suddenly, the blankets lifted two students from opposite sides of the circle and quickly carried them to the center.

“Ooooh,” the crowd cheered them on.

They looked nervous to face each other but nodded, waiting for someone to yell out a personal question.

“Have you two done it!”

Everyone burst out laughing, making the two students blush. You covered your mouth, remembering the rumor going around school last term about them getting caught in the broom closet.

“Cake.”

“Boooo,” the crowd yelled.

The two students decided not to drink the Veritaserum to answer the question and leaned forward, eating the single piece of cake at the same time until their lips touched. The blanket picked them up again and sent them back to their original spots. Another piece floated down and the process began again.

The blanket chose several Ravenclaws, Hufflepuffs, Gryffindors, but now this was the first time a Slytherin was chosen forward. There were a handful of them in the circle, but the first one chosen was none other than Severus Snape.

He was sent forward, catching him by surprise, along with a male student. Laughter arose and Severus looked straight down, avoiding everyone’s eyes.

Sirius threw out the question, “Would you rather kiss the giant squid!”

“Cake,” Severus answered, causing a roar of laughter from the room.

“Talk,” the male student drank from the bottle. “I would rather kiss and marry the giant squid!”

“We all would, mate!” James clapped.

Severus and the other student were sent back and the cake piece stayed floating, waiting. More students went but your eyes were focused on Severus still. His arms were folded and his head was bent so low all his hair had come forward. Something was growing in the pit of your stomach. Guilt? Anger? This game was unfair and the Euphoria was either starting to wear off or it was no longer strong enough to hold back certain feelings.

The blanket was choosing again and this time James leaned forward and smacked the blankets with both hands. Severus and a female student were sent forward. This time Severus sighed and rolled his eyes, knowing exactly what was going to happen.

“What’s Snivellus remind you of?”

“Cake,” Severus folded his arms again.

“Talk,” she took a swig and burst out yelling, “A greasy slug!”

The Slytherins booed but the other students cheered. They were sent back again and two new students were chosen. Severus tried getting up to leave but the blanket had taken hold with a velcro-like strength.

You wished the game would end already. Him and most Slytherins were being treated so awful. You wished you were back by the punch admiring the music and blowing Whispering Bubbles over the edge of the tower with the other students.

You were staring off into the night sky at all the bright stars when you felt something lift you up and you turned as you were rushed forward to the center. You almost yelped but you held your mouth closed until you were set back down.

You looked up and saw the intense black eyes of Severus Snape. His arms were folded but for as long as you looked at him, he looked at you. You blushed and turned away, dreading whatever question was going to be thrown your way.

“You a virgin?”

“Course he is!”

Severus frowned and mumbled his usual reply, “Cake.” He looked away, almost agitated that everything was taking so long.

You looked around and saw you friends looking at you through almost closed fingers. They had warned you not to participate but you didn’t listen, all too eager to have your first kiss.

You breathed out and looked at Severus, making up your mind, “Cake.”

The crowd gasped and went silent. Severus looked up with parted lips, clearly shocked by your choice. He closed his mouth and swallowed, blushing deeply.

You looked at the cake and leaned forward, waiting for Severus to do the same. You looked into his dark eyes as he put his lips to the cake, ready to follow your lead. You took a bite out of the corner, followed by him, both heads tilting in opposite directions. His nose rubbed the tip of yours as another bite was taken, and then another.

He smelled wonderful, you realized. Like a library full of books and a freshly watered garden mixed with the obvious scent that belonged to him and only him. You swallowed the spongy bread with ease and found yourself eager to get to the center, ready to connect lips with him at the last bite.

You closed your eyes and breathed in the sugary smell of the expertly whipped frosting, opening your mouth and closing your lips around the tiny bit of cake, savoring it. You felt his lips touch yours and it felt like a jolt of electricity had traveled from your lips to your chest.

For a second you forgot where you were, the music stopped, and all you could feel was Severus’ breath incredibly close. You swallowed the last bit and pressed forward still, feeling a bit of frosting smear your parted lips as they connected with his. He tasted like vanilla and you found your tongue searching for any leftover sprinkles on his tongue.

He tasted even better than the cake and you couldn’t help but reach for him, grabbing his sweater and pulling him in closer. You shut your eyes tighter as you felt your lips grow warmer and begin to tingle. You felt the need to get closer, to press your body against him, but you had to remember where you were.

You pulled away and gasped, keeping your eyes locked on his as he caught his breath. He was blushing and smiling, entranced by the moment as much as you were. You wiped the white frosting off your lips and sucked it off your thumb slowly, wanting to capture his gaze even longer.

As sudden as the first time, the blanket lifted you up and rushed you back to your spot. You smiled and covered your mouth, searching for Severus’ onyx eyes again. He glanced up at you from his spot and looked down, an obvious smile playing at his lips.

The blanket no longer felt like velcro and you took the opportunity to stand up and walk over to the pumpkin juice hoping to still your racing heart. You turned and hoped Severus was following, but saw it was James and Sirius instead – the only two of their group of friends who had already gone and were free to leave.

You took a chalice and chugged it down, needing to lift your spirits to deal with James and Sirius and whatever they were about to pull.

“Well that was…” Sirius looked to James.

“Surprising, I’d say.” James looked over at Severus who was looking over from the back wall.

“Couldn’t have been that nice if you had to rush over here and chug the juice down,” Sirius yelled a little louder than you had wanted.

You glanced over at Severus who looked away, clearly upset by what he had heard. Even then as James and Sirius tried to make him seem unlikable, your heart was still racing and your lips still ached for his. You turned to them and shoved the empty chalice in their hands.

You walked towards Severus but he left for the other side of the room. You needed to tell him how much you loved it. How you felt like you wanted more, needed more of him. You sighed and waited by a bench for your group of friends to be done.

The torchlights were dimming, and the candles were going out as the hour went on. The night was close to being ruined and there was only one last event that could save it. There were less students but still an enormous handful, and Severus was with his friends talking and drinking one cup after another, that stayed behind.

Cushions from all four houses were being summoned and set on the floor as couples took their spots and claimed each other’s lips. You gulped and decided to use that ‘Gryffindor braveness’ James had mentioned and made your way to Severus.

Him and his friends were getting ready to leave when he saw you. He frowned, making himself look even less approachable than normal, and folded his arms.

“What.” His tone was harsh and it made every hair on your body stand on end.

“Will you join me?” Your voice was louder than you that it would be and was pleased. Maybe you were brave, and just never used it.

His face shifted along with his tone, becoming softer, “Join you?”

More candles were getting put out and you stepped closer, feeling your heart start to race again and your cheeks flush once more. His friends were annoyingly still around, obviously easily engrossed in the drama and you realized this room was the last place you wanted to be with him in.

You smiled, finding it easier to keep talking, “Join me in the empty Ancient Ruins classroom bellow this tower.”

You winked at him and saw his face light up. He nodded and pushed his friends away, thinking the same thing as you about privacy. You took his hand and led him down – taking your cloak with you – and ran giggling into the completely dark and empty room.

The second the door shut you pinned him to the door and pressed yourself against him, kissing him as deeply as possible. You could feel a rush of excitement overtake you and a wave of ecstasy wash over as he moaned behind his smile.

He pulled you in closer and wrapped his arms around, hugging you tight. You stood on your tip toes and unlatched his arms, grabbed his wrists like cuffs and pressed your knuckles to the hard surface behind him. This was the first time you had ever done anything like this and was surprised by your sudden actions.

You had him pushed against the door with his wrists pinned above his shoulders and was currently trailing kisses down his jaw, slowly turning them into bites around his neck. What surprised you most of all was how much he was enjoying it.

You could feel his chest rise and fall with his heavy breaths, matching yours. He turned his head, giving you more of his neck as you nibbled and pulled at his skin. Little red marks were appearing now and, pleased with them, moved back up along his jaw to his mouth.

The moonlight shining through the high windows created a magical glow around you in the silence of the room. Severus eagerly took your lips and hummed with pleasure. You let go of one wrist and trailed your hand down his body, allowing his free hand to do the same. He gripped your waist and pulled you closer, pushing you against him.

“Go out with me!” he blurted out quickly.

He let go of you and you stepped back, watching his face go red. Your happiness overtook you and you started giggling, unable to help thinking how incredibly cute he was. He was covering his face with his hands and shaking his head, his dark tendril-like hair swinging softly and only his nose poked from between his tightly pressed hands.

You smiled and continued giggling, attacking his nose and hands with soft kisses, “Gladly, Severus!”

He looked up and smiled, fixing his glittering black eyes on your (e/c) ones, “Really?”

You stepped closer and stood on your toes once more, wrapping your arms around his shoulders and kissing him passionately. He smiled behind the passionate kiss and wrapped his arms around you once more.

You broke out into a million pecks and finally responded, “I would love nothing more.”

He leaned down and rested his head on your shoulders, breathing softly on your skin, “Happy Birthday, (y/n).”

~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~

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jamielea81 · 5 years

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Conversations

Chapter 7

Description: You accompany your friends on a day trip to Animal Kingdom Theme Park where you meet Scott Evans by chance. This one afternoon leads to a year long friendship with both Chris and Scott over text messages and phone calls.

Pairing: Chris Evans x Reader

Warning: Cursing, drinking, fluff!

Word Count: 8,000

A/N: I know nothing about the lives of the Evans family and mean no harm. This is purely fiction and for fun. Reblogs and comments are much appreciated! The tag list is now closed. Each chapter tends to get reblogged from me a few times, so if you’re following me, you can’t miss it.

*Italics are internal thoughts

Catch up with chapter 6

“I swear I’ve never seen it,” you said.

“How can that possibly be true? That makes zero sense. You did go to elementary school, right? I’m pretty sure I watched that a few times when we had a substitute in fifth and sixth grade,” Chris exclaimed.

“Har-har. Yes, I went to elementary school, but you are a few years older than me Mr. Evans. Must not have been as popular by the time I was in fifth or sixth grade.”

“Whatever,” he scoffed. “M’not that much older than you. You were born in the eighties and the Princess Bride is an essential piece of classic cinema.”

“The numbers still count,” you chided.

“We’re watching it. And you’re going to like it,” Chris sternly said.

“Well you better visit. Otherwise you won’t be able to enforce that...what are we calling this? A punishment?” you offered.

The two of you had been back on your daily phone calls for the last few weeks. It felt as though you had never stopped. A part of you did worry that he would revert back to the acquaintance like relationship the two of you had the last four months if he started dating someone again. The two of you really need to have that conversation to completely clear the air. You and Chris talked about everything, just not about Courtney and Ethan. It was as though the last four months didn’t exist. You hated the idea of bringing in any negative energy to your friendship, but avoiding it felt worse.

“Punishment? Sweetheart, you’re hurting my heart,” he sighed. “And I’m working on that. Almost done filming.”

You perked up instantly. Chris visiting sounded like a dream. In a friendship way, of course. Maybe both Evans brothers liked dance parties. You’d just have to wait and see.

“Ahuh. I’ll believe it when I see it,” you replied.

“I don’t see you coming to Boston,” he retorted.

“It’s not Fall, babe. I have specific instructions on when to visit this national treasure.”

“We’ll see.”

Screaming. That’s all you could hear and make yourself do. Sea World Orlando was hosting a media day to preview their new coaster Barracuda. This was not a fun family coaster like the Disney parks had, minus Everest of course. But this coaster was on a completely different playing field than Everest. It had a chest harness for goodness sake. A chest harness!

This is how I die.

You rarely covered actual ride openings, with the exception of Rise of the Resistance back in December. Okay, really you covered all ride openings at Disney. But in general, when it came to all other theme parks it was new lands, restaurants, hotels, that kind of thing. You especially didn’t cover coasters. This sort of thing was often saved for the local morning news channels. Sea World invited you out personally, and since you didn’t want to stop getting invites to their various food and music festivals, you accepted.

The ride started by being catapulted forward, then into a barrel roll, a loop, and to make master worse, the coaster rotated and it ended in a drop going backward.

You were given a card that allowed you two purchase five food and beverage offerings, but after riding Barracuda, you were feeling a bit green. Using one of your punches for a bottle of water, you quickly found some shade and sat down. You may have dry heaved. Thank goodness the spot you found was a little secluded.

Grabbing another chair, you put your feet up and tried to relax as best you could in a theme park nearing the end of May. Many schools were already on summer break, so the parks were definitely picking up on visitors. Fishing your phone out of your crossbody, you saw that you had a text from Brooks. He had officially left the Sentinel three months ago, but made it a game to text you random work-related questions almost daily.

Brooks: Can you run down to the first floor and grab that package their holding for me? I’m swamped.

Y/N: I’m on assignment smartass. How’s working from home?

Brooks: Glorious. I showered this morning and put my sweats back on.

Y/N: I’m sure that gets Jana’s engine roaring.

Brooks: I don’t believe you’ve seen me in sweats. I look damn fine.

Y/N: Gross

Brooks: 😈

Brooks: Lunch on Wednesday?

Y/N: Yes, but wear actual pants

Brooks: Maybe

During your lunch date with Brooks, which you somehow got suckered into buying, Brooks told you that he and Scott were kind of friends and had been texting since he left Orlando almost a month ago. The two of them had exchanged numbers when you and Jana were in the bathroom. Per Brooks, one of their favorite things to talk about was you. Of course. You’d have to think of some way to get them back.

It was suddenly Monday again, funny how that happens, and you were busy editing your latest article when your phone buzzed with a call on your desk. Seeing Chris’ name, you swiped to answer it.

“Hey babe.”

“Hi sweetheart. How was your weekend? Sorry I didn’t call,” he replied.

“I’m good. And no biggie. I had other boys to entertain me,” you said.

There were no boys. But he didn’t have to know that. You had to give it to him when you could.

“Boys, huh? Well, it’s a good thing you got a man right here.”

I walked right into that one.

If you could audibly swoon, you would have done it.

You let out a nervous chuckle. “Hmm. Okay.”

“Listen, last minute trip this weekend. My mom is taking my niece and nephews to Disney World. Could you meet up with me?”

“Um…”

“I wasn’t even going to go, but I figured my ma could use the help and thought maybe we could hangout. If you wanted to, I mean,” he quickly added.

Of course, you wanted to see Chris. You’d be crazy not to. All this time talking on the phone, even when you weren’t talking, all you thought about was seeing him face to face. But goodness, do you feel queasy all of a sudden.

“Like, Friday or Saturday?” you asked.

“We get in Friday morning and leave Monday morning,” he said.

“Wouldn’t I just get in the way of your family time? I don’t want to intrude.”

“No way. I want to see you. Besides, I need a ride buddy. We have an uneven number,” Chris said.

You could just see him beaming, perfect grin and all.

“I could meet you Saturday, I need to be in the office on Friday for a meeting.”

He didn’t say anything for a moment and you worried he had a change of heart.

“Ye-yeah, that works. I was hoping to see you sooner, but I’ll take what I can get,” he said.

“Geez, Evans. Really turning up the flirting, huh?”

Oh, shit. Did I really just say that?

Chris was flirty. Even Scott said he was. The two of you were nothing more than friends. Sometimes even great friends.

It was his turn to let out a nervous chuckle. “Maybe,” he replied simply enough.

“Where am I meeting you?” you asked.

“Let me check with my ma, and I’ll text you the details when it gets closer to Saturday.”

“Sounds like a plan,” you replied.

“Now, tell me about these boys that were entertaining you,” he teased.

“You wouldn’t know them,” you teased right back.

As the days inched closer to Saturday, you became more and more nervous. Like, palms sweating nervous. To your dismay, Scott was not joining his family on this trip, so you wouldn’t have him as your go to in case you spazzed out or said something stupid. Was this just friends meeting up or was this possibly something more? That’s what you couldn’t reason through. You didn’t dare ask Scott. That family shared way too much with each other for you to say anything about Chris. It would no doubt get back to him making Saturday more awkward than it was already was. Your logical side said this was just you hanging out with your buddy Chris. That’s all this was. Chris split his time between L.A. and Boston. You were all the way in Orlando. While you had vacation funds, you didn’t have funds to fly out once or twice a month to meet up with someone. This couldn’t possibly be anything more. But the romantic side of you fantasized about this being something more. Even for just a day.

Chris sent you a text Friday morning when you were still in bed. It was seven in the morning and he apparently was wide awake.

Chris: It's Friday, Friday Gotta get down on Friday Everybody's lookin' forward to the weekend, weekend

Holy geez.

You should have silenced your phone before going to bed. That wasn’t worth waking up to, even if it was from Chris.

Y/N: How do you even know that song?

Chris: Everyone knows that song.

Chris: I’m at the airport getting ready to board.

Y/N: Have a safe flight. I’m going back to bed.

Chris: Sassy…be more excited!

Y/N: Goodnight. Love you.

“What the fuck did I just type?!” you shouted, sitting straight up in your bed.

Even though you were tired, you never imagined being stupid enough to type that. Sure, you said that Jana, Brooks, even Scott, but that felt different. This was completely different. It came out so easily and you and Chris just never said that to each other. You couldn’t think of a way to back track that sentence. Seconds ticked by and you still had no clue.

The phone dinging with a new message catching your attention.

Chris: LOL love you too

LOL? How do I take that? At least he didn’t freak out about your response.

Well, now you couldn’t fall back to sleep. Instead you laid in bed contemplating the simple text you received. It was going to be a long day.

Chris had sent you a few texts throughout the day. He and his family were at Magic Kingdom and were apparently hitting every ride. It sounded both fun and exhausting. He sent you a reminder text just as you were getting out of work to meet at Epcot at ten tomorrow. Epcot was your favorite park, but mainly for the drinking in various “countries” aspect. You imagined it would be quite a different day with kids in tow. Besides, you weren’t planning on drinking a drop of alcohol while out with the Evans clan. You didn’t want his mom to think you were a partier because you totally weren’t. Having a glass of wine after a tough day or out with friends once a month didn’t mean you drank a lot by any means.

You gave Scott a call when you got home. It was much earlier than your normal call time, but your nerves were shot and he was usually pretty good about grounding you.

“What’s wrong? he asked.

“What makes you think anything’s wrong?” you replied, chewing on the inside of your cheek.

“Being that you’re calling me five hours earlier than you usually do, I’m pretty sure something’s up.”

You let out a breath. Damn him being so preceptive.

“I’m meeting up with your brother tomorrow.”

“Yeah, I know. We’ve already talked about that.” Scott said.

“It’s just…I’m just so nervous about it. I really wish you were going to be here,” you whined.

“It’s Chris! You guys are friends. What are you even nervous about Sassy? You and I hung out all weekend alone. I didn’t pick up on any nervous energy from you then,” he said.

“You’re right. It’s dumb. Never mind.”

“The two of you are dumb. Now, tell me what’s really going on,” he demanded.

“Ugh, you’re so annoying,” you groaned.

“You’re so annoying,” he mimicked.

“Chris and I were barely friends for what, like almost four months? Yeah, we texted, but weren’t close, barely spoke on the phone. And now we’re close again and it’s great, because if I’m being honest, I really missed him. But I’m just worried that seeing him will change things. I know that sounds stupid, but what if he meets me and decides I’m boring. Or I’m nothing special and he’s wasted all this time getting to know me. You and I never had a break, so it didn’t feel awkward to spend time with you. Plus, your mom, niece and nephews will be there. It’s just added pressure,” you spit out all at once.

“You done now?” Scott asked.

“Jerk,” you replied.

“Finally,” he said, choosing to ignore you. “First off, you are not boring. If he isn’t bored already, he’s not going to be. I didn’t tell you this because your head is big enough, but you are pretty terrific. I promise I’m not coming on to you, but you need to know I had a such a great time with you. I was there to cheer you up, instead, you gave me a fabulous weekend. We were already close, but that weekend brought us closer. And don’t even worry about my family, my mom is going to love you. This weekend is only going to cement you and Chris’ friendship. Trust me.”

Scott is amazing and you are damn lucky to have him. Not only were you feeling better, you were kind of bummed you didn’t try to hang out with Chris tonight. It was fine though. Work was a little stressful and your hair was doing that weird thing it sometimes does. That’s not a first, no, second impression you wanted to make.

After parking your car in the parking lot at Epcot, you took a few moments to calm your breathing. Fixing a couple smudges from your mascara in the rearview mirror, you took one final deep breath before getting out of the car.

It was nine forty five in the morning and it was already eighty degrees out. Temps were set to rise to close to ninety. Why the Evans clan didn’t take trips in the winter was beyond you. The crowds were generally lighter in early January and the weather was a lot more comfortable, but who were you to judge? You lived here year-round. Jana suggested wearing a cute sundress, but knowing it was going to be hot and you’d be running around with a few kids, dressing up didn’t seem sensible. You opted for jean shorts, a light gray tee with Mickey on the front, and a pair of slip on sneakers. The outfit was cute, but it didn’t make it seem like you were trying too hard.

Y/N: I’m here!

You made your way through bag check, skipping the line by stuffing your keys, license, and credit card in your front pockets.

Making your way to Spaceship Earth, you stopped in your tracks when your phone buzzed in your hand.

Chris: Just grabbing a couple of those spray mister fans for the kids. They’re already hot.

Chris: Where are you?

Y/N: In front of Spaceship Earth.

Minutes ticked by without a response from Chris. With one hand holding your phone, the other anxiously kept touching your hair. The humidity was already in high gear so you kept touching it, making sure it wasn’t being temperamental.

Clicking on the camera app, you switched the camera to selfie mode and used it like a mirror to check your hair and overall appearance. And then you saw him. He was attempting to sneak up behind you but failing as you could see him just slightly in frame of your camera. You didn’t mean to, but you had memorized that smile. You snapped a quick picture before turning around and startling him.

“Boo!” you shouted.

“Jesus! How’d you know I was here?”

You turned your phone to face him, showing him the selfie you captured with him in the background.

“Our first picture together,” you teased.

He grabs your phone out of your hand, throwing an arm around your shoulder. He snaps a picture, his megawatt smile on full display. In the one you captured, he was unprepared, and this one was no different, you were unprepared. So now you have two selfies on your phone with neither turning out just right.

You pull away slightly, grabbing your phone back.

“Can you warn a girl? I’d like to be prepared to take a picture. You know, maybe slap a smile on my face,” you scolded, smile peeking out even though you were trying to come across as serious.

He shakes his head at you.

“It’s nice to see you too, Sassy.”

You offer him a smile and take a step forward to hug him. The two of you don’t quite have the coordination down. Arms and shoulders bumping each other while you switch the position of your hands and finally get it right. He pulls you in tight, the brim of his ballcap hitting your forehead. The two of you chuckle at the exchange before pulling away.

He’s dressed casual in black basketball shorts, navy blue tee, sneakers, black ballcap low on his face. Even dressed so casually, he’s very easy on the eyes. Your tummy does a summersault as he takes you in.

Chris almost reaches for your hand, but then remembers that your surrounded by hundreds of onlookers who may have not noticed who he is yet, but could at any moment.

“Shall we?” he asks.

You nod your head and follow beside him, the two of you weaving in and out of the morning crowd. He stops next to a cart selling bottle water and misting fans. A woman you assume is his mother is next to three kids, all playing with their own misting fans.

“Ma,” he said, causing the woman to look up. “This is my friend Y/N. Y/N, this is my mother Lisa.”

You extend your hand for her to shake. She reaches out and does the same, offering you a smile, but it seems hesitant.

“Nice to meet you,” you offered.

“You as well,” Lisa replied.

“And these munchkins are Stella, Ethan, and Miles.” Chris said, pointing to each as he said their names. “This is my friend Y/N.”

“Hi guys!” you greet, waving at them with your hand.

The three of them all offer you a wave back.

“Should we go finding something fun to do?” Chris asked, mainly to the kids but he does glance at you and his mother.

A chorus of yeahs are said along with a fist bump or two. Chris grabs Stella and Miles’ hands and starts to walk, Ethan and Lisa walk along side of them while you trail a couple of steps behind.

The six of you make your way to Test Track where a cast member is waiting for your party. He introduces himself as Michael before leading your party through a side door you had never paid attention to before. There’s a whole design your own virtual car experience that you end up skipping since you are skipping the ride queue. Michael leads you to the side of the platform that the ride exits from. You wait one cycle before you’re allowed to load into the car. There are three seats in the front and three in the back. Chris gets into the front sliding all the way over, Stella gets into the middle seat and you next to Stella. Lisa, Miles, and Ethan slide into the backseat. Once everyone’s seatbelt is in place, the car advances forward.

As the car goes through twists, turns, and sudden stops, Stella giggles next to you while you hear Lisa say “oh no!” a few times from the back. You look at Chris who is grinning like a fool. He throws his hands in the air when the car flies through doors that open last second, leading you to a track that runs the outside perimeter of the building. The car reaches a peak speed of sixty-five miles per hour which isn’t necessarily fast on the open road, but in a convertible without a wheel or brakes, it’s pretty intense and fun. Your hair of course is shot. The wind having taken it in all sorts of directions.

The next attraction you hit is Mission: Space. Lisa opts to sit this one out with Stella, leaving you, Chris, Miles, and Ethan to ride the orange side. The orange side spins an extraordinary amount as it makes its way to Mars, while the green side is a lot tamer. The boys all wanted the orange side, so who are you to complain.

As the four of you file out the exit with Michael leading you, Miles complains that his tummy hurts. Chris picks him up and carries him the rest of the way to meet Lisa and Stella.

“I think we need to take a break. Miles isn’t feeling too well,” Chris said.

Lisa places, her hand on Miles’ head. “Are you not feeling well, sweetheart?” she asked.

He shakes his head no.

“There’s a shady spot with some tables over there,” you said, pointing to your left.

“Yeah, let’s do that,” Chris said.

“I’ll grab some waters and meet you all over there,” Michael said before dashing off.

Chris pushes a couple of the small tables together while you grab an extra chair. Michael is back before you know it, carrying a bag filled with water bottles. He takes them out of the bag one by one setting them between the two tables.

“Chris, why don’t you and your friend go on without us,” Lisa offers.

“No, Ma. I’m sure it was just the spinning. He’ll be fine in a few. Besides, I don’t think he’s letting me go anytime soon.”

Miles clings to Chris as he sits on his lap. It’s the sweetest scene, seeing Chris hold onto Miles, while gently touching his forehead, brushing his har to the side. But you can’t help feeling like you’re intruding. While Lisa has been nice, she hasn’t given you the most welcoming vibes and you can’t miss the way her body is angled, essentially leaving you out of the conversation.

Only a few minutes have passed when you start to notice that a woman at a table a few away from your group is taking pictures with her phone. She isn’t being sneaky by any means. You’re really wishing you would have worn a ballcap today to hide your face. You don’t particularly care if your face ends up in a photo with Chris, but you don’t want to have him deal with that. October wasn’t that long ago, so you in another picture with Chris at Disney will only lead to more rumors. You turn slightly in your seat so that you’re facing away from him.

“Something wrong, Y/N?” he asked.

“Someone’s taking pictures.”

“Of course. Fuck,” he mutters before quickly closing his mouth, forgetting that Miles is right there.

He stands up, still carrying Miles.

“Michael, can we find another spot?” Chris asked.

Lisa gets the other two kids to grab their bottles of water and out of their seats.

“Yes, Mr. Evans. Follow me please,” Michael answered.

He leads your group through a maze of turns, eventually entering into a door labeled “Cast Members Only”.

“Well just hang out here for a few minutes. I’m sure Miles needs the air conditioning,” Chris said.

The six of you plus Michael stand in a wide hallway just past the door. There’s a row of lockers on the wall with various open doors you can see in the distance. It’s a bit uncomfortable standing there and with no one speaking it’s downright awkward for you.

After a few minutes, Miles starts to perk up. Chris sets him down on his feet and Lisa asks if anyone is hungry.

The kids all agree that they are suddenly starving.

“Michael, is there any reservations available at Coral Reef or Garden Grill?” Lisa asked.

“I’m sure I can find something,” Michael said, pulling out his phone. “For six?”

“Just five,” she replied.

“Ma! Y/N is joining us.” Chris said.

“Oh, I didn’t know if she was spending all day with us or just the morning,” Lisa replied.

Well, now you know that uncomfortableness was with reason.

“It’s okay. I’m actually going to take off,” you said, patting your pocket to make sure you had your keys.

“Sweetheart, no. Stay with us.” He takes your arm and pulls you down the hallway a bit. “Have lunch with us. You’re welcome to. I want you to.”

You look back to his mom who quickly looks away. It’s a family trip so while she’s been a bit cold, you understand that she doesn’t know you and is probably protective of her family.

“That’s alright. This is your family trip and I’m a bit tired. I didn’t sleep so well last night,” you lied. “You guys go have a nice lunch. Call me before going to bed tonight.”

You pull Chris into a hug before he can protest. He places a kiss on your forehead before you pull away. He has a sad smile on his face that you try your best not to match.

As you walk past the group, heading to the door, you stop in front of Lisa.

“It was nice to meet you.”

“You too dear,” she replied.

“Have fun guys!” you said to three kids before pushing open the door, the sun slightly blinding you for a moment.

Sitting at home and sulking was doing nothing to brighten your mood. Frankly, you felt like shit. You felt bad for leaving the park without spending nearly enough time with Chris. And you felt bad for not just pushing through the uncomfortable vibes Lisa was putting out. What if you would have stayed and she had gotten to know you? You were friends with both Scott and Chris, there may come a time where you would see her again and now it’s going to be just as weird.

Scott texted you around dinner time.

Scott: How’d today go? Did you and Chris get matching ears?

Y/N: It went fine.

There. That was a reasonable answer. It was fine. Sure, you only saw Chris for like two or so hours, and they were mostly fine.

Your phone buzzed in your hand. Of course, it was Scott.

“Look at you calling me so early,” you answered.

“What do you mean fine? That’s it? All this build up to fine.”

“It was just weird and I made it weirder by leaving early,” you sighed out.

“Why’d you leave early?” Scott asked.

“It just seemed like your mom didn’t want me there. And I don’t blame her. It’s a family trip and who the hell am I really?” you quickly spit out.

“Hey! I’m sure that’s not how she felt. You’re one of my best friends, she knows that. I’m sure somehow this is Chris’ fault. I’ll call you back.”

“No, Scott. You don’t have to do that,” you said.

But he didn’t reply back. The little shit hung up on you.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Scott hit the contact button for Chris, the ring sounding too many times for Scott’s patience.

“Hey, Scott,” Chris answered.

“Hey, jerk,” Scott replied.

“Why am I a jerk? Jerk!”

“I just talked to Sassy. Doesn’t sound like it went well. What happened?”

Chris sighed. “Yeah, it could have been better. Miles didn’t feel well and it kind of just went downhill from there.”

Scott groaned. “That’s too bad. She mentioned something about Ma not wanting her there.”

“I don’t think that’s true. I mean, she wasn’t acting like they were best friends. They just didn’t get a lot of time to get to know each other. Sassy’s just overthinking it,” Chris said.

“Yeah…You’re probably right. It’s just too bad you didn’t get a lot of time together.”

“Me too,” Chris said softly.

“Have a good day tomorrow.”

“Thanks, bud. Bye,” Chris said.

“Bye,” Scott said, ending the call.

“What’s going on with Sassy?” Lisa asked, startling Chris.

“Geez Ma! Ya scared me,” Chris hissed.

Lisa chuckled at her son’s response, putting her hands up. “Sorry.”

“She’s just disappointed with how today went,” Chris replied, running a hand through his hair.

“I didn’t even know you knew Sassy,” Lisa said.

“What are you talking about?” Chris asked, suddenly really confused.

“Well, Scott talks about Sassy all the time. I don’t think I’ve ever heard you mention her.”

“Ma, you’re giving me a headache. I introduced you to Sassy today. What are you going on about?” Chris asked.

“Christopher, are you telling me that Y/N is Sassy?”

“Yes!” Chris half chuckled, half groaned out.

“Oh no.” she mumbled. “I didn’t know they were one in the same! Christopher, I thought she was just some girl you met. I didn’t know she was Scott’s good friend Sassy!” Lisa exclaimed.

“Well, geez Ma. Thinkin’ so highly of me that I’d bring around just some girl on a family trip.” Chris said, running his hand through his hair once again.

“You boys don’t tell me these things. Now I feel so bad. Please apologize to her for me. Actually, you should apologize as well,” Lisa said.

“Me? What did I do?” Chris shouted.

“You didn’t make her stay,” she said matter-of-factly. “Take her out tomorrow. Go spend time with your friend. I can handle the kids just fine.”

Lisa left the room, calling out to the kids who were suddenly too quiet in one of the bedrooms.

Chris hung his head low. His mother was right. This was his first time he’s seen you since your quick meeting last fall. He didn’t want to go home leaving today as your only impression.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Scott had sent you a simple text that made you smile a short while later.

Scott: My brother’s a bone head

Y/N: Not disagreeing

The last Hallmark Christmas movie you saved to your DVR was playing on the TV. Something about a singer who was trying to catch his big break and ends up skipping Christmas. By now they storylines were all starting to blur together. Your phone buzzed with a message, dragging your eyes away from the TV.

Chris: You float like a feather In a beautiful world I wish I was special You're so fuckin' special

But I'm a creep, I'm a weirdo What the hell am I doing here? I don't belong here

What’s he going on about?

Y/N: Radiohead?

Your phone rang about a half a second later.

“So, you’re a creep huh?” you answered.

“Feeling like one,” Chris sighed out. “I’m sorry sweetheart. I wanted our day to be better.”

“Babe, it’s fine. It wasn’t bad. I’m sure you’ll be in town again,” you replied.

“My mother says sorry by the way. She didn’t realize you were THE Sassy. Apparently, Scott goes on and on about you.”

You chuckled at that. “That’s not embarrassing at all.”

“My mother doesn’t think to highly of me as she thought you were just someone I met and asked to hangout with us,” he groaned.

“I didn’t think my Mickey tee gave off that vibe,” you chuckled out. “Tell her it’s fine and it was still nice to meet her.”

“You are such a sweetheart,” Chris said.

There goes your stomach again. You really wished that hug earlier wasn’t so short and sloppy.

“I was wonderin’ if I could see you again, tomorrow?”

“Oh, I don’t know Chris,” you said hesitantly.

“Please? Just the two of us. Just me and you. I want to see you again before I had back to Mass.”

“But it’s your family time and I don’t want to take away from that,” you reasoned.

“Sweetheart, my ma told me she can handle tomorrow by herself. Not that I don’t want to see you.” He lets out a breath. “I really want to see you.”

There’s so much conviction in his voice. It’s so gravely that your finding yourself gripping the side of the couch cushion to stay grounded.

“Okay,” you sputter out. Clearing your throat, you try that again. “Okay.” It’s firmer and much better than screaming “yes, please!”

“Great!” You can hear the smile in his voice which instantly puts one on your face. “Can you, ah, could you pick me up? We did a car service and I figure it’s probably easier if you just come and grab me?” he said.

“That’s not a problem. Dork.”

“Oh, are we back at that again? I’m pretty sure you were the one in a Mickey Mouse t-shirt today.”

You scoff. “Mickey is your idol. Don’t even!”

He chuckles low and deep. “You got me.”

Since it’s just you and Chris and you aren’t running around a theme park, you chose a white t-shirt dress with navy blue stripes. You added a thin brown leather belt to give the dress some form and pair it with brown strappy flat sandals. You’re picking Chris up at the villa they rented at one and then off to lunch. He’s letting you pick since you live in the area. Adding a touch of gloss to your lips, you grab your bag and walk out to your car.

After putting your car in park in the driveway, you fire off a text letting him know you’re there. Even though you received a sorry via Chris from Lisa, you didn’t want to chance another odd meeting. They probably were at the parks anyway, but you didn’t want to take that chance.

A minute later her comes jogging to your car. The goof. He’s dressed casually but put together in navy colored shorts and crisp white V-neck t-shirt. The fact that your coordinated doesn’t slip past you.

He gets in, immediately pulling you into a hug. Chris kisses your forehead for the briefest of moments before letting go. You manage a dopey smile because damn if you aren’t smitten. Generally, you are pretty quick on your feet and would have already had something witty to say, but that kiss, even though it was innocent, really threw you off.

“Hi,” you manage to squeak out.

“Hey, sweetheart.”

You stare a little too long at his lips before shaking yourself out of it and slapping a smile on your face.

“So, lunch?” you asked.

The two of you dine at Four Rivers Smokehouse which is one of your favorite spots for a quick bite. The food is always great with a good mix of people stopping by on their lunch break and families enjoying a meal out.

He chooses the ribs and you the brisket before grabbing a table in the corner, offering him the seat facing the wall, hoping it brings a little anonymity. The idea of being recognized in public didn’t even cross your mind as it’s not something you ever have to worry about. You regret your decision of choosing a restaurant with so many windows and frequent turn over. Despite your worries, Chris has not alluded to any discomfort as he happily eats his food. He’s added extra barbecue sauce to his ribs. Squeezing a bit from each of the six bottles at your table, sampling each one before choosing the one labeled ‘smoky’.

“This is really good. I mean, really good,” he said, sauce smeared around his lips.

He’s adorable and it takes everything in you not to reach forward to wipe the sauce from his face. You lick your own, it’s an involuntary action that his eyes get drawn too. At least you’re not the only one finding yourself distracted.

“I come here like once a week. But we keep that between me and you,” you said with a smirk. He chuckles before grabbing a napkin to wipe his face.

Lunch has long been finished but the two of you stay seated at your table, enjoying just being together face to face. Your conversation is much like it is via phone call, but now you get to study each other’s facial expressions. Loving how his eyes crinkle when he really smiles. How his eyebrows raise when he gets serious. He’s a work of art and doesn’t even realize it.

It’s already four in the afternoon and the restaurant is in that between time after the lunch crowds and before the dinner rush. You somehow manage to remove your eyes from his and see that there are only two other tables occupied.

“I didn’t realize we’ve been here for so long,” you said, stretching your arms. “I’m also impressed you didn’t get any of that sauce on your white shirt.”

Chris chuckles and shakes his head. He reaches his hand across the table, taking yours in his.

“I don’t want to say goodbye yet.”

“We can go back to my place,” you offer, your face instantly heating up at the implication. “I mean, because I live nearby. Not that you need to come back with me. I-I just want to hangout longer,” you stutter out.

Chris smiles wide, squeezing your hand a few times. “Let’s go hangout.”

“Cheers!” Chris said, clinking his bottle of beer against yours.

It’s the second bottle for both of you, but probably the last for you as you still need to drive him back and the whole “not drinking for a long time” promise you made yourself.

“Cheers,” you echo before taking a long pull from the bottle.

“Didn’t picture you the beer drinker, Y/N.”

“Oh, yeah? Why’s that Mr. Evans?”

“Mr. Evans? Someone’s mighty formal,” he said. You shrug your shoulders in response before taking another sip. “You just seem like wine is more your speed. Perhaps raspberry vodka,” he chuckles out.

“I could just kill your brother,” you groan out. “Pretty sure I have at least a third of the bottle left in my fridge if you want any.”

Chris shakes his head, taking a drink of beer. “I’ll leave that for you.”

“So, kind. So, kind,” you snicker.

He’s reclined on your couch while you sit in your comfy blue armchair, feet folded up under you. Chris is skimming through the music on your phone, picking a new song after the last is done rather than letting it play through.

“You wanna sync your phone to my speakers? We can play something from your phone,” you offered.

“Nah, I like a lot of your stuff.”

You hold your hand in front of your face and pretend to blow on your nails while winking at him, in that “I’m too cool” kind of way.

The sun is starting to set and you have a good view of the painted sky from your backyard. It’s still plenty warm, but with the sun down and your ceiling fan on, the two of you are comfortable sitting on your loveseat on the lanai snacking on pizza rolls because that’s all that you had that didn’t require defrosting.

“It’s beautiful out here,” Chris said.

“Yeah, it’s not a bad view to have. Should’ve had you bring your suit. It was hard to drag Scott out of the pool,” you replied.

“How’d you put up with him the whole weekend?” Chris asked. He said it so seriously, but you can see a hint of a smile.

“Well, I’ve managed so far with you, so I can pretty much handle anything.”

He bumps you with his shoulder and shakes his head. “So, sassy.”

“That’s what they call me.”

“Who’s they?” Chris smirks.

“Just you and Scott.”

You let out a little chuckle and you notice those eye crinkles reappear.

“Good,” he agrees.

It’s late, nearing eleven. Chris stopped drinking after three beers, the two of you switching over to water.

“You want to watch a movie?” Chris asked.

You had gone back to your living room an hour prior. Sitting in opposite corners of the couch, but facing each other, your foot bumps his leg once in awhile causing you both to blush.

“Don’t you have to get back? You have an early flight, right?”

“Not until eleven thirty. We can go if you want me to or if you’re getting tired, but I rather stay here with you,” he replied, sincerity in his voice.

Fuck. He’s going to be the death of me.

Honestly, you’d stay up for the next two days if it meant spending time together. And the fact that he wants to stay makes you want to weep tears of joy. But that’s just a little too dramatic.

“I want you to stay.”

“Yeah?” he asked.

“Yeah,” you agree, lightly slapping his bent leg resting on the couch cushion.

He grabs your hand before you can pull it away, holding it there, just resting on his leg. You shyly look up and see him looking at you. The only words that matches the two of you is heart eyes and you pray that you aren’t imaging it.

After what feels like several minutes but more like mere seconds, your mouth opens up and you break the spell.

“What do you want to watch?”

Chris lets go of your hand and your heart instantly crashes at the loss of contact.

“I think you know,” he replied. Your mouth quirks to the side while you try to figure him out. “Come on! You know.”

You put on a fake annoyed look and shake your head. “Really? Do we have to?”

“I’m pretty sure you said if I visited, we’d watch it,” Chris said.

“Fine. I’m a woman of my word,” you said.

Grabbing the Roku remote, you clicked on your Amazon app, finding The Princess Bride, and renting before Chris could offer you five dollars to pay for it.

“I’m the host! I don’t need your money babe,” you reasoned.

The movie played on and you slowly found yourself leaning on Chris more and more. Not that he minded. The closer you got, the more hands on he became. Half way through, you were completely laying on his chest, both your legs out stretched on the couch while his rest on the floor. His left arm is stationary on the arm of the couch while the other was wrapped around you. Your right hand laid on his chest as your fingers lightly rub it without even realizing you were doing so. Chris would quietly hum now and then, bringing a smile to your face.

Friends cuddle. They totally do.

Before you even reach the end of the movie, you’ve fallen asleep. So much for seeing it all the way through. Chris readjusted so that the two of you are laying comfortably.

You awake sometime later to Chris brushing his hand through your hair. The TV is still on but nothing is playing.

“M’sorry,” you mumble. “I didn’t mean to fall asleep on you.”

You sit up slightly, taking in his tired eyes. He looks back at you adoringly.

“It’s okay. I’ll make you watch it again next time,” he said softly.

The words next time make you beam inside. You sit up, setting your feet on the floor.

“Want me to bring you home?”

“Nah, we’re both too tired. Take me in the morning?” he asked.

“Of course. Do you want to go to bed? What time is it anyway?”

“I think about three.” Chris sits up on the couch, running a hand down his face. “I’m actually a little more awake after our nap,” he quietly chuckled.

“You want to pull an all-nighter?” Well, kind of all-nighter since we did sleep for a little bit.”

“Yeah, if you’re not too tired,” he said shrugging his shoulders.

“Oh, shit! Did you tell your mom you weren’t coming back?”

Chris throws his head back laughing. “It’s my ma. Of course, I sent her a text. Once we started the movie, I figured I’d be staying over.”

“Good. I don’t need her thinking I’m a bad person. Taking advantage of her baby boy.”

You get up, walking to the kitchen to grab a couple of more water bottles. Chris swats your ass just as you pass him.

The two of you have the music back on, sitting close to one another, choosing to talk through the early hours of morning. It’s nice and you can’t help but feel closer to him. Part of you is worried that this is a one-time thing. Chris comes to Orlando once or twice a year, but probably can’t get away to spend time with you each trip. You start to do the math on your own vacation time, trying to think if there are events out of state that a publication will pay you to write about. But it’s way too early to be thinking this much, you just need to be here in the now.

You shift your focus back to Chris who’s looking at you with a dopey grin.

“So, will you?” he asked.

Huh?

“Will I what?” you asked.

“Did I lose you for a minute?” he chuckles out.

“I’m sorry. Lack of sleep. I’m with you now. What’d you ask?”

“I said.” Chris stands up. “Do you want to go for a walk?” He takes your hand and pulls you to your feet, not letting you answer. “Sun’s almost up.”

You nod your head, walking to the door to slip on a pair of sneakers. They don’t quite go with your dress, but you’ve essential been up for almost a full day.

Grabbing your keys from the table near the door, you lock up and pass your keys to Chris since you don’t have any pockets. You live on a residential street that’s a mix of vacation rentals and long-term residents like yourself. There are a few joggers out, but besides them, it’s just you two.

Chris takes your hand in his as the two of you stroll slowly around your block.

“I’m really glad you were able to hangout today,” he said.

“Me too. I actually wish you were staying longer.”

“Me too sweetheart. I don’t want to wait another seven months to see you,” he confessed.

You stop in your tracks. Keeping a hold of his hand, you turn to face him.

“You don’t?” you asked.

Where this doubt is coming from, you’re not so sure. The two of you are friends, so of course you’ll see each other again. It’s just this in between flirting and touching that has you all mixed up.

Chris gently rests his other hand on your face and leans in, slowly bringing his lips to yours. They’re soft and smooth, just like you’ve imagined. You eagerly kiss him back but don’t want to push it, so you remain solid where you stand, letting him do the work. He slowly pulls away, but not far because you can feel his warm breath on your face. His eyes are intense, asking for permission. You slightly nod your head and before you know it, his lips hit yours. It’s so quick you’ve barely shut your eyes before his other hand takes a hold of your face and he kisses you more intensely. You’re not complaining, but you are thankful it’s so early, the neighborhood is barely awake. You wrap your arms around his back and hold him tight as he kisses you senseless. He pulls back again, still holding your face gently before planting a chaste kiss on your lips.

You flutter your eyes open to see a soft smiling Chris. He’s still lightly holding your face and you hope he doesn’t stop.

“Was that okay?” he asked softly.

He knows it was. He’s just being a little shit per the usual.

You give him a small frown and quickly see a tiny bit of doubt in his eyes.

“I think I need to try that again,” you said, grabbing his face and bringing him to you. You kiss him softly on the lips. Once. Twice. Three times before you feel him smile against you. He leans his forehead against yours as you both stand there like two smiling fools.

“Of course, I don’t want to wait this long to see you again,” he breathes out.

“Me neither,” you agree.

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doomonfilm · 3 years

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Ranking : Christopher Nolan (1970 - present)

From the moment he kicked the door down on the scene with the breathtaking Memento, the name Christopher Nolan has rung synonymous with high thinking, high level and high entertainment film. He always finds fresh and unique ways to tell stories, be it visually, narratively, or some combination of the two, and many of his conceptual deep dives have opened real conversations in regards to different aspects of space and time. For an artist, the impact the Christopher Nolan has had on the populous as a whole is impressive, which is why after recently seeing Tenet, I felt it necessary to take a look back at all of his films and determine where they stood in relation to one another (in my eyes).

11. Insomnia (2002) As stated with every instance of ranking the work of a director, there’s always one film that’s got to take the bottom of the list hit, and for Nolan, it was Insomnia. The film in itself is not a bad one, and it does offer some strong visuals in regards to the unrelenting amount of sunlight that one experiences in Alaska, but it does suffer not only from being a remake, but a remake that pales in comparison to the original. For my money’s worth, Nolan works best with original ideas, with one specific trilogy standing as an exception to that notion.

10. Memento (2000) While not his debut film, this was the film that put Nolan on the map. The story is unique and intriguing, and the manner in which it is told really makes it work, as a standard A to Z telling of the film would eliminate much of the dramatic tension felt. That being said, this film suffers from a similar fate to that of films like The Sixth Sense : it’s cool the first time you see it, it really wows you the second time you see it, and then further viewings find diminishing returns in regards to the experience of the “gimmick” (for lack of a better word). Definitely worth seeing if you’ve never seen it, or are looking for a gateway into the work of Nolan, but underwhelming when held up against his future work.

9. Batman Begins (2005) As previously stated, Nolan (in my opinion) works best as a writer/director of original ideas, so like many, I was slightly surprised when he was tapped to handle the Christian Bale edition of the Batman movie canon. There wasn’t so much doubt about his ability to pull things off visually, but with such a beloved franchise and character in his hands, there were thoughts about whether or not his style would translate in a way that an already dedicated fanbase would appreciate. Batman Begins was an effective table-setter for his Dark Knight trilogy, but due to the necessity of having to address an already familiar backstory, many of Nolan’s best ideas would have to wait until the sequel.

8. The Dark Knight Rises (2012) This film found itself the unfortunate victim of an all too familiar national tragedy in the form of a mass shooting during an early screening, forever putting a sort of black cloud over the film as a result. That being said, the film was a stellar entry in the Dark Knight trilogy, anchored by an instantly iconic Tom Hardy performance. If this film was attributed to any other director, it would possibly stand as one of their top works, but Christopher Nolan is a man of such depth and style that The Dark Knight Rises merely stands as above average output from a creator who is pulling back a bit to fit the Hollywood ideal (or his version, anyway) of a comic book film.

7. Following (1998) Quite possibly the most personal of all Nolan films, which makes sense, considering it was his first. It was the buzz that this film generated during the 1997 festival season, along with an already completed script for Memento, that turned Nolan from an aspiring director to a household name. Following gives us a bit of insight into Nolan’s creative process, presenting us with a highly stylized version of an observational writer, forever receptive to the stimulus around him. The look of the film displays Nolan’s eye for location and cinematography, and the non-linear nature of the story served as a sneak preview to a format of storytelling he would soon master and manipulate beyond our ability to initially understand. Though a bit on the short side for a feature film, it is certainly a fun ride with much indication of where its creator was headed.

6. Interstellar (2014) Throughout the 2010s, it seemed that Nolan was hell-bent on warping our brains through the entertainment medium, and after the warning blast that Inception was, Interstellar served as a sort of thematic and spiritual double-tap for our psyche. Nolan took the basic structure for a story of familial, unconditional love and skewed it by thrusting our protagonist into the uncharted depths of space, skewing his perception of time so radically that the people he loved became old while he did not age, which in itself is enough of a heartbreaking concept to build a film off of. Add to this the fact that we are presented with (to the best of our knowledge, anyways) the most photo-realistic depictions of a Black Hole and a tesseract, and the end result is a powerful genre-blending journey that stands in rare company, with films like Tarkovsy’s Solaris and Kubrick’s 2001 : A Space Odyssey serving as the closest points of comparison.

5. Tenet (2020) When you have a track record like that of a Christopher Nolan, it is inevitable that people are waiting on your downfall, and with 2020 changing the way we take in films, many tried to seize this opportunity and label Tenet as this moment in time. To me, this is an absurd stance to take... not only is Tenet one of the most intriguing films I’ve seen in years, but its efficiency in storytelling trims away so much fat that we are left with archetypical characters with subtle amounts of depth shepherding us through a narrative line that folds in and overlaps on itself numerous times. With this premise set and our characters deeply devoted to their functionality (though not at the expense of performance), we are left with the spectacle of some amazing choreography and in-camera special effects work that makes you really and truly have to stop at times just so you can try and process what it is you are seeing. Hopefully, in repeat viewings, the “gimmick” won’t take precedence over the film itself, as I believe there is enough going on outside of the visual trickery to keep one interested time and again.

4. Dunkirk (2017) It’s no secret that Christopher Nolan has the talent to build vast, textured and deeply imaginative worlds with his films, but up until the point of Dunkirk, Nolan had not attempted a “period piece”. Luckily for us film lovers, Nolan decided to try his hand at that style in the form of a war movie, and the result was the extremely moving and powerful experience of Allied troops in World War II caught in a situation where death seemed inevitable. Despite the vastness of the beach and sea we are shown, the feeling of being trapped permeates through and through, and it is enhanced by stellar cinematography and practical effects. Even with a cast full of familiar names and faces, the experience of hopelessness created soon eliminates the familiarity that comes with star power, and we are left with nothing but our investment in the story.

3. The Dark Knight (2008) Simply put, The Dark Knight really has no business being as good as it is. You’d think that its placement between the two trilogy bookends would give it a transitional nature, potentially only existing to move the story forward to its conclusion. What we are given, however, is one of the most nuanced looks at heroes, villains, anti-heroes, and just how much those roles can alternate based on the perspective of those applying the title. For all of the horror that the Scarecrow character brought, or the pure intimidation of Bane, The Dark Knight gives us a complex agent of chaos in the form of Heath Ledger’s instantly iconic (and tragically final) performance as the Joker. All of the pacing issues that weigh down the other two films are completely absent in this middle offering, and the movie hangs around in your mind well after the final credits roll. To many viewers, this film set the artistic benchmark for what a so-called “comic-book” movie had the potential to be.

2. Inception (2010) For many, Inception marks the culminative peak of all that Christopher Nolan brings to the table as a director and storyteller. His ability to coherently weave together a narrative that deals with the perception of time as one goes deeper and deeper into the psyche is impressive in its own right, but the amount of breathtaking nuance, visual effects and mental gymnastics used to tell the story would bring a lesser director to their knees. If The Revenant and 2015 served as the culmination of Leonardo DiCaprio finally receiving much-deserved recognition as an actor via an Academy Award, then Inception feels like the starting point for that final leg of his journey. Everyone brought their A-game to this table on both sides of the camera, leaving us with a true visual and storytelling spectacle for the ages.

1. The Prestige (2006) Irony is a funny thing... I bring that up because Christopher Nolan has literally taken on (and, in some ways, conquered) space, time and perception in his films, all of which would be incredibly lofty concepts to illustrate and visualize, let alone make entertaining. With all of that in mind, it’s ironic that his best film would be one that does not rely on all of the aforementioned lofty aspects and visual tricks. The Prestige, at a base level, is a story about jealousy and how it can drive you mad, but it’s the way that this story is told that makes it possibly the best film in the Nolan canon. Christian Bale’s performance (or performances, at the risk of spoilers) is enough to put this film in a class of its own, but the balance that Hugh Jackman’s performance brings to the overall equation keeps you guessing on whom we are supposed to root for right up until the final frame. The triangle of love triangles in this film further serve to build up the eventual scale of damage that is presented when everything falls completely apart on both sides of the narrative coin. Most importantly, like any good magic trick, the film sets you up with expectations, only to wow you in the end. If you had to pick one Nolan film to watch, this would be the one that I recommend, hands down and without question.

Who knows where Christopher Nolan plans to take us next. I, for one, would not consider myself clued-in enough to hazard a guess on this, but I would almost certainly put money on the fact that wherever he chooses to take us, he will entertain us and amaze us, if not both at the same time, as he always does.

#ChiefDoomsday #DOOMonFILM #ChristopherNolan #Insomnia #Memento #BatmanBegins #TheDarkKnightRises #Following #Interstellar #Tenet #Dunkirk #TheDarkKnight #Inception #ThePrestige

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kurokonobasket-fan · 4 years

Text

Memories

Akashi x Female! Reader

You stared up at the stars as you ran your hand through Akashi's hair. It was your 5th anniversary so the both of you decided to have a picnic. You two have known each other since the two of you were only 5 years old. Throughout the years you had developed feelings for the tomato haired boy and was surprised when he accepted your confession. You smiled as you think back to how you ran away before Akashi could even answer. You avoided him for nearly a week before he dragged you out of class to talk to you.

"May I see (L/N) for something?" Akashi politely asked. "Of course Akashi! Just remember we have a quiz tomorrow (L/N)!" Your overly cheerful teacher replied. You stood up from your seat as your whole body fills with dread. Is this about the confession? Is he really going to reject me in the middle of class? No, Akashi isn't that mean, right? You wondered as you exit the classroom. He proceeded to talk about the upcoming festival and the preparations needed. You relax. Maybe he forgot?

"About the confession this Monday... Do...do you really like me?" He asked while looking away. You tense up as you stare down at the ground, completely missing the pink tint that started to rise on Akashi's cheek. You nod slightly since you didn't trust your voice enough to speak. "I see... I'm glad." You look at him, shocked. "I like you too (Y/N)." He said while smiling which made your heart flutter. You hug him tightly as you internally sighed in relief.

When his other personality decided to take the lead you were quite upset. No more sweet texts, pecks on the cheek before class starts, no more hugs, and so on. In spite of that you still stayed with him. Why? You weren't sure either. You just felt the need to stay with him, even though you hated how he treated everyone. It was as if they were mere pawns to his success. It made you doubt where you stand next to him. Were you truly something special to him? Or were you just another pawn. One day you had enough and decided to question him.

“Seijuro, am I just a pawn to you?” you ask with your head down to hide the tears that were threatening to spill out of your eyes. “That’s what’s been bothering you for the past few days? What a stupid question.” he said, eyes not leaving the shogi board. “Sei... please just answer the question...” you stated as your voice quavered a little. “You should already know the answer, (Y/N).” He states confidently as he moved the Bishop. You had enough and ran out of the room while crying. Akashi looks up, shocked at your sudden exit. He quickly stood up and ran after you. Due to him being a basketball player he caught up to you rather quickly. He embraced you as you struggled to get out of his grasp. “Let go! I’m just a pawn so... so why did you come after me?!” you screamed at him. His eyes widen as he realized that you took his words the wrong way. You soon gave struggling and just sat on the floor, weeping. “Darling, that’s not what I meant. You should already know that you mean much more to me than just another pawn. You are my empress after all.”

Seeing Kuroko defeating and changing Kise, Midorima, Aomine, and Murasakibara gave you hope. So you asked him to defeat Akashi and bring him back. The old Akashi.

“Kuroko!” You yelled while panting. “(Y/N)? What are you doing here?” the phantom sixth man asks, a little startled. “Hm? You know her Kuroko?” said a tall red haired man with split eyebrows. “Of course, this is Akashi’s girlfriend. She came to all of our practices and games back in Teiko.” Kuroko tells his new light. “So, what did you come here for?” asks the shadow. “I... I want you to defeat Seijuro tomorrow!” You bowed 90 degrees. The duo looks at you, baffled. “You want us to defeat your boyfriend? In tomorrow's game?” Asks the man with the slit eyebrows. You raise back up as you nod. “I believe if you defeat him then he will go back to the Seijuro before his practice game against Murasakibara!” You state with hope gleaming in your eyes. “If he returns to normal then he won’t treat everyone as if they’re worthless! He will start working with everyone as a team! He... He would stop being so distant...” You whisper the last part. It was almost as it was to convince yourself. Kuroko, sensing your desperation, agreed.

When Rakuzan lost to Seirin you felt sad. Yes, you wanted Akashi to lose to Kuroko to bring his first personality back, but was it really worth it? Was it really worth making and witnessing Akashi cry? You remember comforting him and feeling a tremendous amount of guilt. You eventually told him about your request to Kuroko.

"Sei... I have a confession to make." You told him with your head down. He looked at you, confusion and a little bit of fear written on his face. "What is it my love?" He asks you softly, afraid of what you were going to say. "I... I asked for Kuroko to... win against you for the finals of the Winter Cup..." You said whilst avoiding his glaze. He stayed silent. Suddenly, he reached his hand under your chin and lifted it up. He then gave you a tender peck on the lips. Whilst smiling he said, "I'm glad it was only something so trivial. I was afraid you were going to say something else." You abruptly engulfed him in a hug. He was surprised but quickly wrapped his arms around your waist.

You smiled as you continued reminiscing. "Darling, what are you thinking so fondly about?" Asked your red haired boyfriend. "Nothing. Just... the past." You said looking down at him. "Well, I say it's pretty late now. We better get going." He said as he slowly got up. "I agree. I did promise my parents I would be home by 10." You said looking at the time. It was 9:44. The both of you started walking home because both of your houses were next to each other.

"Thank you for walking me home Seijuro." You stated with a smile on your face. "It was my pleasure. Goodnight, my empress." He said as he placed another kiss on your lips. You blushed and replied "goodnight to you to Sei..." He smiled and so started his walk home. You watched him leave when you suddenly got a text message.

From: My Emperor

To: (Y/N)

I love you, my empress. More than words can express.

You smiled as you responded.

From: (Y/N)

To: My Emperor

I love you too, my emperor.

#knb #kuroko no basket #kuroko no basquet #kuroko no basuke #the basketball which kuroko plays #akashi seijuro #akashi seijuro x reader #akashi x reader #seijuro x reader #seijuro akashi #knb akashi #knb x reader

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theassthatquits · 3 years

Text

The Plane of Celebrations Ch 3: A Lesson in Empathy

The third chapter is posted! You can read the first two here.

Summary: After the events of the Day of Sacrifice, the crew attempts to prepare themselves for the next holiday: The Day of Humility (A lesson in Empathy). Barry and Lup visit a temple.

“Okay, so according to this book on this plane’s celebrations, it seems like the next one is the Day of Humility: A Lesson in Empathy,” Barry was thumbing through the text, trying to figure out what their year here was going to look like.

“And? What does that mean for us? I can’t go another day without my sense of taste, I’ll just knock myself out for the rest of the day,” Taako called out from the other side of the room.

The crew was congregated in their common room, Barry was sitting on the couch with Lup draped over its back, reading over his shoulder. Davenport was standing in front of him at attention, ever the professional. Taako was leaning against the doorframe pretending to look uninterested but Lup could tell he was pretty apprehensive about what the next “holiday” would entail. Ever since the Day of Sacrifice, Lucrecia and Magnus had doubled down on what they lost. She had been writing more than ever and was currently taking detailed notes during their meeting. Magnus was pacing around the room lifting dumbbells that he had acquired from...somewhere.

“I can teach these people a lesson on empathy, they’ll never know what hit them,” muttered Merle from the floor where he was sitting cross legged. “I think they need a taste of Pan.”

“Something tells me that bringing Pan into this world isn’t going to fix anything, old man,” Lup teased from behind Barry’s ear. He shivered involuntarily.

Barry read out loud from the textbook: “‘The Goddess Eies had noticed that everyone was too harsh and judgmental of their neighbors, not caring what others had going on in their lives. To solve this issue, she made every head of household swap with another. For the full day, they had to live in another family’s shoes, doing what they do on a daily basis, experiencing their struggles, their joys. At sunset, she brought everyone together in the center of town for a community feast.’”

“Okay so we swap Davenport with someone for a day and then go to a delicious feast? Psh, this will be easy,” Taako scoffed from the doorway and turned to leave, waving behind him. “Taako out.”

“Hmm, I guess we can prepare for this at least.” Davenport started staring off into the distance, stroking his beard. “Do we have any idea when this is going to happen?”

Barry started flipping through the pages, running his finger along down the paragraphs. “Uhhhhh, no clue. It doesn’t really give a timeline.”

“Ooh! I have an idea!!” Lup leaped up and started prancing around the room. “How about we head into town and start asking around. They must have some idea of when this fantasy freaky Friday will take place.”

“Hmm...I suppose that isn’t the worst idea.”

This was all the permission Lup needed. Squealing, she ran over and enveloped him in a large hug. “Thanks cap’n! Hey, Taako! Get your fancy shoes on! We’re going out!” Lup jumped up and ran down the hall after her brother.

Sighing, Davenport turned to Magnus. “Will you go with them? Just to make sure there’s no...trouble?”

Magnus smiled and pointed one of the dumbbells at him. “You got it, cap’n’port!”

——

Barry sat in the lab, engrossed in the book, making notes all over the pages trying to prepare for the holiday ahead. Was it a magical switch? Would the captain wake up inside someone else’s body? Or would they receive word of where he should go? Would it even be Davenport that was chosen? He had just assumed because he was the leader of the group, but maybe it was more of a metaphorical head of household, someone who held them all together. That would probably be Lup if it were. Barry frowned at that idea, he wasn’t so keen on the thought of Lup switching places with a random person for a day. Maybe it wouldn’t affect them at all, they were all just assuming it would because of the last holiday. It’s good to be prepared regardless, he decided.

“Hey, there’s a whole world out there that can tell you all of that information, you know.”

Barry smiled. “Well if I’m out there winning the world with my charm, what will you do?”

“Hmmm,” Lup walked into the lab, settling herself down on the couch in the corner. “I guess hide here in the lab like the nerd I secretly am.”

“Gather anything good?”

“Oh, loads! So it’s going to take place sometime next week, it’s apparently always around the first week of the sixth month. And it happens magically, like Davenport is going to wake up in someone else’s bed on that day.”

“Yeah but will he be in that person’s body or his own?”

“His own! Isn’t that incredible? The kind of magic needed to just instantly transport all of those people, that’s…god-like.”

“Well, I’m pretty sure the forces behind all of this are gods. That is a whole lot of power that they would need for something like that…” Barry trailed off and Lup turned to look at him.

“What are you thinking about?” She said after a moment. “Barry, that’s your very intense thinking face. Did you get an idea?”

Barry snapped out of his reverie. “Oh! Sorry, Lup.” He furiously scribbled some notes down. “Yeah, something did just occur to me. Has anyone talked about these gods? If they have met them or anything?”

“I think a few have mentioned them by name but I haven’t heard of anyone being visited by them since the first time these events took place. I did see a few temples around town, did you want to go check them out?”

He paused, staring down at his writing. “Yeah, I think that might be a good idea.”

—-

Lup and Barry walked across town, over to the Temple of Eies. They walked past people preparing for the holiday, setting up tables and centerpieces, passing around sign-up sheets for food and entertainment, the temple itself was being adorned with flowers and letters written to the Goddess. Everyone was in high spirits, despite knowing that any day now a random person would magically wake up in their house.

This was not the first time that they had travelled into town, but Barry did not recognize many of the faces, he had really only just been to the library. Lup on the other hand was already on a first name basis with quite a few people. It seemed like no matter where they went someone was yelling over to them, or giving her a high five as they passed. One man was particularly enthusiastic about the high five and she swerved him, laughing as she walked past.

“He’s kind of a dick,” she whispered to Barry. “Told Taako his outfit looked stupid and no one messes with my boy like that.”

The temple was abuzz with activity and Barry almost suggested they turn around until they noticed that they were actively being welcomed inside. It was small, a statue of what he could only assume was Eies was at the front, a tall winged woman with her hands on the heads of two small children on either side of her. Fresh flowers were strewn around her feet, providing some color in an otherwise very gray space. A couple of benches were placed nearby and some columns lined the walls but other than that it was a pretty boring space. Not one that is immediately thought of for a Goddess of immense power.

“Can I help you fine folks with something?”

The small voice startled Barry and he turned around to find a halfling looking up at them.

“Yeah, actually. Are you in charge here?”

They chuckled at that, “Is anyone really in charge of anything? The Deities are the ones who are in charge, we just act in their vision. But yes, I am a devout follower of Eies and the keeper of this temple. What can I help you with?”

“Uh, we were hoping that we could ask you some questions about the upcoming holiday and the Deities.”

“Oh of course! I thought you were going to ask me for something difficult, this is an easy one. Come, come, let’s go sit and have a chat.” They led Lup and Barry towards the front of the temple to one of the benches nearby the statue. “My name is Sadorn, you two must be part of the group that are staying in that large metal thing right outside town.”

“Yes, this is Barry and I’m Lup. We haven’t been here for very long, we arrived a couple of days before the Day of Sacrifice.”

“You must have had quite a scare if that was your first venture into our celebrations!”

“Yes, it was…” Lup grimaced. “Unpleasant.”

“I’m sure but it is the work of the Deities! They know all, and we must trust them. Now what are your questions?”

“I’m curious about the nature of the Deities,” Barry started off. “Where did they come from and how do they know ‘all’?”

“Well, my dear, the Deities came from the sky! They had been watching us for a long time and couldn’t bear to see us miserable anymore. You’ve heard the stories, haven’t you?”

“Yes, I do have a book I have been reading, but it doesn’t give much in the way of specifics.”

“What kind of specifics are you looking for?”

“Like...has anyone alive spoken to a Deity?”

“Oh, no, the Deities left us a long time ago. They still watch us from above and will interfere again if needed.”

“How would one get into contact with a Deity?”

Sadorn motions to the letters left at Eies’s feet. “Write a letter, leave it at her feet. She will answer.”

“How does she answer? A note back? Some telepathy, perhaps?”

“Dear heavens, no,” Sadorn laughs as if this was the best joke they had heard in awhile. “The Gods don’t write notes.”

“Then how will we know?”

“Trust, my dear. The world will speak to you.”

Barry, a man of science, was not thrilled with this response.

“Okay, this has been...an interesting talk. Thank you for your time, Sadorn.”

“You’re very welcome, and please let me know if you need anything else. Have a great rest of your day and a safe holiday.”

Lup smiled warmly at them. “Thank you for talking with us, Sadorn. We will see you at the festival.” After Sadorn left, she turned to Barry. “Well, not the most reliable of sources but maybe we should give it a shot. Do you have any paper?”

The only thing on him was the book on celebrations he had been reading, so he flipped to the back of the book and ripped out the title page for the second chapter.

“What are you writing?”

“Well, they say that the Deities know all and they obviously have incredible power to pull off the things that they do. I’m going to warn them about the Hunger. And ask them for their help. If they really do have that kind of knowledge, then they should know that we aren’t from this plane and maybe they will know what to do.”

“I guess it doesn’t hurt to ask.” Barry pauses while writing, looking puzzled down at the paper. “What’s wrong?”

“How do I end a letter to a deity? Should I sign it with love?”

“Nah, man. Sign it something cool. We should come up with a name for our crew….ooh! I got it! How about the Hunger Blasters!”

Barry’s brow furrows, “I don’t know, sounds kind of dirty.”

Lup slaps him on the back in celebration. “Then it’s perfect! Sign it and let’s go!”

Sighing, Barry signed ‘Hunger Blasters’ at the bottom of the letter and then underneath in smaller print ‘(Sildar Hallwinter and friends)’. Probably best to be formal with a Goddess.

#blupjeans #barry bluejeans #taz #taz balance #taz balance spoilers #the stolen century #lup taako #Lup #barry bluejeans my beloved #the plane of celebrations

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modernsocialmediaau · 4 years

Text

AVALANCE AU

AU: Sara is lead singer in a band called The Legends. Her band mates are; Charlie: Bass Player, Nate: Lead Guitarist, Zari: Drummer, Ray: Pianist. They call their fans beebos. Ava on the other hand is a famous actress with an entourage; Nora her best friend, and stylist, Gary: Manager, and Mona her publicist.

Surprise Motherfucker.

Nora smiles happily taking Ava’s phone before getting into the car to head to the airport.

“Let the detox begin.” Nora smiles jumping onto the front seat. Ava is still unsure about this weekend, honestly she’d rather be at her small apartment arranging her life away. So when she comes back from Vancouver it’ll feel more like a home instead of boxes.

“Hey, it’s going to be a good weekend. I promise—“ Nora pats Ava’s leg smirking “What are you planning Darhk—because if its another music festival through the mud and rain I am out.” Ava rolls her eyes thinking about the time she was dragged through the mud just to see Ed Sheeran.

“Detox weekend, no phones, no paps, no internet. Just a nice, good—detox.” Nora takes her hands off of Ava and places them both on the steering wheel. She is starting to get a little anxious because she knows that as soon as they are at the airport and Ava see’s Sara there is no turning back.

“Okay, if its suppose to be relaxing and detoxifying why do you seem so anxious?” Ava chuckles tapping along to the music that was playing in the background.

The car pulls up to the private jet hanger that Gary has arranged, and Ava sits up to see the very familiar crew of The Legends. She rubs her eyes to make sure that she isn't actually crazy and thats who she thinks it is.

“You didn’t, I told you Sara and I will never be a thing—we are two different people.” Ava turns to Nora who’s got a stupid smirk on her face. Ava turns around to see her window open with everyone including Sara to hear what she’s said.

“Message received.” Sara protrudes her lips and nods, heading for the passenger seat to grab bags with Ray.

Ava smacks her head on the dashboard and waits for the passenger doors to close which indicates that the two are gone. Ava then turns to Nora and smacks her like crazy, “WhAt Is WrOnG wItH yOu!” Nora chuckles trying to shield herself from Ava’s fire

“Detox weekend, c’mon lets go.” Nora cheers taking her the key out of the ignition getting out of the car. Ava is still not ready for her impending social doom and sits in the car for a little while longer.

Ray walks out of the jet and towards Nora, while everybody else is in the jet. “What happened, is she bailing?” He whispers.

Nora looks over at the parked car to see Ava let out a scream then get out of the car. She then looks back at Ray, happily taps his chest “See on the plane Rayge.” Nora gets on the plane and greets everyone.

She gets around to hugging everyone but Sara, she makes a face and Zari nods to the bathroom, and Nora smiles she looks around for an empty seat to find that there are two left, one next to Ray’s things and one next to Sara’s things. Nora being somewhat devilish and selfish herself decides to sit next to Ray’s things. Ava comes stepping onto the plane to see the seats available she was about to sit next to her conniving best friend. Yet, as she gets closer to the seat she see’s somebody things there.

“Excuse me,” Ray maneuvers from behind her to make his way to get to his seat. Nora looks over at the empty seat next to unbeknownst to Ava, Sara’s things. Ava crinkles her nose mockingly wanting to strangle her so called best friend. Ava fastens her seatbelt and everyone starts to converse about what they are most excited about the upcoming weekend. Sara comes out of the bathroom with one eyebrow cocking up at the sight of Ava sitting next to her.

“Hey Nora--Oh! You know for somebody who is convinced we are polar opposites you sure are clingy.” Sara teases sitting down on her seat and fastening her seatbelt, placing her eye mask on and headphones in. Before Ava can respond Sara’s already put up and impenetrable wall of DO NOT DISTURB. Ava looks over at Nora who is happily flirting with Ray. As for Mona she simply smiles at Ava trying to express her excitement. Ava rolls her eyes and takes her book out to distract herself.

The flight takes off and it’s about a 2 hour flight to Oregon. As Sara sleep and Ava reads the rest of the gang distracts themselves.

“Alright pets who would like to have a friendly little wager—” John smirks getting Nate, Mona and Gary’s attention

“Wager for what?” Mona wonders proceeding with caution she’s come to know the Brit quite well to be cautious at these things. John has a knack, to simply put it he has a weird sixth sense like some off brand Raven Symoné.

“For starters, those two.” He points at Nora and Ray who are currently watching a show on Ray’s iPad sharing headphones with one another. Nate and Mona sit up and turn around to look at them and Mona aw’s catching their attention. The two look up and all four of them wave. “Hey buddy,” Nate offers sliding back down on his seat.

“I’m all ears,” Gary smiles sneaking a look at the two of them every now and again, “Nate, Mo?” John smirks, the two exchange looks and nods in agreement.

“Alright I’m going to say, that by tonight those two will kiss.” John starts

“How do you know they haven't kissed already?” Gary wonders

“Nora’s told me, they haven’t .” Mona chimes in, and thats the truth they haven't shared a kiss.

“What about you luv?” John turns to Gary grabbing his hand and rubbing circles on his thumb “I’m going to say tomorrow afternoon, I mean we’re going on a hike thats a perfect time to get a kiss.” Gary justifies now he’s the one rubbing circles on Johns hand

“Alright, Nate? Mona?”

“I’m going to say tomorrow night, we’ve got the fire going, the stars and nothing else.” Mona confidently answers, having read and represented so many romance novels it basically the perfect recipe.

“None of you know Ray like I do okay, he’s a rather last minute type of guy when it comes to these things. I’m going to say right before we board the plane—”Nate nods his head

“Alright pets $10 in lets go.” John smirks, all four of them put money in the middle and Gary takes it. Placing it safely in his wallet.

“Now for the second wager—” John smirks before tilting his head at Sara and Ava who are sitting next to four of them

“That’s a hard one.” Mona shakes her head unsure

“And thats what makes it more interesting—So? I propose that Sara kisses Ava tomorrow afternoon during the hike.” John finishes and turns to the other three

“My money is on tonight, Sara closes all too well.” Nate sips on his coffee confidently taking out another $10 from his pocket

“I say Ava kisses her tomorrow night,” Gary hesitantly says

“I’m going to say Sunday morning.” Mona staring at Ava, she of course notices and puts her book down.

“What?” Ava sasses looking at the four of them gawking at her, the four chuckle awkwardly before turning back to their discussion

“Alright, love playing with you lots. Best of luck” John smirks taking the money, “Now who wants to play a little D and D?” Gary smiles.

For the rest of the flight the four play their little game. Nora falls asleep on Ray, Ray sleeps as well. Ava reads most of her book, and Sara’s shut eye lasts the whole flight.

*Alright folks thank you for flying Star Airlines I hope to see you guys soon.*

Ava gets up from her seat and walks over to the bathroom, and Sara took this time to take her eye mask off. The rest of the crew collect their belongings and off of the plane. Sara stretches and nods of to Nora who is the last one off, and Ava walks out. The two girls are quiet as they collect their items until finally Ava speaks, “Sara about what I said earlier—” Ava pauses but Sara continues to put her things in a bag. When she finishes she looks at Ava,

“Don’t worry about it, like I said message received.” Sara nods off and heads for the exit. Ava rolls her eyes because that doesn't exactly clarify anything, does that mean that Sara does like her but message is received that Ava doesn't feel the same way. Or message received as in I agree with you Ava we are polar opposites and are better off as friends.

Ava gets off the plane to be greeted by an old jeep that she presumes only Gary can choose.

“C’mon Sharpie we’ve got some miles ahead of us before we’re really detoxing within nature.” John smacks the side of the car, unsure of where she’s suppose to seat everybody in the car points to the front passenger seat.

Ava shakes her head knowing that everyone is really scheming. When she gets in the car, Sara is fixes her mirrors. She see’s Ava buckle up, and they head off to their cabin for the weekend.

“Alright kids, lets get our green on.” Sara says

“Can I at least get my phone?” Ava turns to Nora and she happily shakes her head.

——————

“Alright pee break before we enter the woods and say goodbye to the 21st century.” Sara parks the car and turns to everyone in the car. Everybody heads for the small quaint diner/gas station including Ava. As for Sara she paces around the car just thinking, lately she’s had a tune stuck inside her head with an amazing melody and upcoming arrangements but no concept. Every concept that keeps popping into her head doesn't fit how she saw the song becoming.

“Hey Capn—” Charlie walks over handing her a cup of tea, knowing that they aren't coffee drinkers.

“Hi Chaz what’s going on?” Sara looks down from the stars to her friend, and happily receives the coffee

“How are you doing?”

“What do you mean? I’m great we get a music break, no paps, phones, or—”

“I meant about the whole Alex thing, I know you saw her recently—“ Charlie states shocking Sara making her choke on her tea

“What do you mean? How could you possibly—“

“I’ve known you for 10 years Sara behavior doesn’t go unnoticed. Plus when you left for the bathroom your phone rang and it was none other than Alex ringing you up.” Charlie chuckles, Sara sighs. Yes she’s been with Alex recently but that’s too catch up. Before they dated, they were friends. Alex is one of the friends that Sara has outside of the band. She loves her band mates she really does but she loves having friends outside of them too. It broke Sara when Alex broke up with her. For Sara everything was going great, because before she knew it her tour was going to end, and they’ll be together.

They flew out to one another every now and again when the opportunity would present itself. And when they finally were in New York the two were going to celebrate being in the same country and state at the same time. Sara came by Alex’s hotel room and broke it off with her. Her main explanation being that even though Sara was there Alex always felt alone. As if her mind is still elsewhere. That truly they weren’t even in a relationship at all.

Sara couldn’t even bother to fight for her because everything she said is true. Anytime Sara would emphasize giving her privacy for a day it was often disregarded. But recently 2 months ago to be precise, Alex sent her a text to grab some coffee just to talk.

Sara doesn’t know what it is about Alex but she’s got a certain soft spot for her and went. Has she been using Ava as an excuse to sneak out from her friends yes, but’s it’s only happened a couple times.

“We’re just talking Charlie, we were friends before we dated.” Sara explains

“Which made it worse when you broke up. You were gutted when she let you go. I’m just looking out for you. You lost a lot when you lost Alex.” Sara nods in agreement stirrring her tea

“You’re telling me, we didn’t even date that long”

“8 years of friendship speaks volumes, you were practically married. Is that why you aren’t so bothered with the whole Ava situation.” Sara chuckles at Charlie’s insinuation

“That and the fact that she is right we are different people. Ava is the type of celebrity who’s private and has mastered the art of being so as well as down to earth. The whole you can take me home to your parents ordeal. As for I—“

“You—“

“Am an artist who can’t be trusted and is often moving. If it hasn’t been clear most of my relationship end due to my unavailability.” Sara finishes her explanation

“That’s just an excuse mate.” Charlie winks getting in the car, Sara looks at the group chuckling and giggling as they make they way back to the car. Sara rolls her eyes getting in the car to start it. Once they are all piled in they start driving the last hour of their trip.

1 Hour Later...

“Alright kiddos four bedroom. Two big rooms, 2 medium rooms and 10 of use which means...” Zari pauses turning to Sara to signifying to take the lead

“Right Z, Chaz and I take one of the larger rooms,” Sara pauses waiting for anybody else to talk

“Nora, Mona, and I can take the other big room,” Ava smiles and the others agree. Nate and Ray fist bump “Bunk buddies.” the two say in unison.

“And the happy rowdy couple get the other room.” Nora jokes

“Please take the one in the attic, we dont ever ever want to hear you guys.” Zari adds making everyone in the room agree. After that discussion everyone disperses to unpack their things. Mona and Nate have decided to make dinner for the group, which should keep them busy.

As Sara, Charlie and Zari unpacks Charlie and Zari decide to exchange looks. Charlie only ever trusted Zari about the new Alex information but having confronted Sara with that information she thought it’s the perfect time to bring Zari into the conversation.

“What have you been Alex been doing?” Zari brings up. Sara turns around to face Zari then Charlie then back to Zari.

“Obviously nothing public because that is something I don't want to spring up on the managers. So we hang out at my place or at her place, recently we took a trip to CO to visit Kara. Her and Monel aren’t doing so hot.” Sara sighs

“When did you have the time to fly to Colorado?” Zari shouts, Charlie throws a pillow at her trying to shush her. Zari puts a fist up at Charlie and she simply winks

“Do you that remember that time I said I was going back to Star City to visit Laurel and Tommy?” Sara sheepishly smiles, Charlie and Zari throw a pillow at Sara in utter disappointment

“Listen I've known Kara okay, and she asked for me--”

“Are you sure Alex didn't just tell you that so you’d come?” Charlie wonders finishing unpacking her things

“What was wrong between Kara and Monel?” Zari asks.

“It wasn’t good and that was last month, Monel wasnt even sleeping in the house. Kara couldn't talk about him without breaking down, but from what Alex has told me as well as Kara. They might’ve gotten married to early and that they shouldn't have rushed into it before getting to know each other. Monel from Alex’s point of view is a bit manipulative and emotional abusive. Before we left this weekend I helped Kara move in with Alex. I believe they are getting a divorce.” Sara explains sadly

“Fuck. That’s shit.” Charlie swears, shaking her head knowing that anybody with eyes can see that Kara was madly and deeply in love with that boy.

“Yeah, now I need a drink.” Sara comments not wanting to think about this situation. “I’m with yeah, lets head down for a bottle then head for the jacuzzi. Z are you down?” Charlie suggests, Sara nods grabbing a suit, starting to walk out of the room. She stop when she notices that Charlie isn't following her and the two are merely having a conversation by exchanging looks.

“We’ll catch up with you captain.” Z salutes and Charlie shakes her head. Sara oddly nods her head. Sara changes and heads downstairs. In the other large room, Nora, Mona, and Ava are having a heavy discussion about the events of today.

“Ava you have to apologize.” Mona insists

“I’ve tried and all she said was message received? What the hell does that mean?”

“Mhmmmmmm you’ve got me there—Mo?” Nora turns to Mona who is slowly pacing the room, she goes for another 3 minutes before slowly turning to Ava.

“Do you like her?”

Ava scoffs, “Of course I do she’s been one of my closest friends recently.”

“Not like that, do you like her?” Ava scoffs again turning to Nora for some help, she puts her hands up in defeat. Knowing that once you’ve got Mona’s ball rolling it’s best to not block her.

“It’s simples Ava, when you see her call you or text you do you get a weird feeling in your stomach. Do you oddly get excited when you hang out even though you probably saw each other the day before or two days ago? Do you feel like the biggest dick having said what you said and having to know that Sara heard it all.” Mona says in one breath shocking everyone in the room.

Ava is speechless, as well as Nora. Ava then clears her throat “Excuse me. I need some air” Ava ducks out of her room. She hears the two have a small argument but before she knows it she’s downstairs in the back balcony. Unaware that Sara is also out there in a hot tub by herself drinking.

“Interrogation getting too much?” Sara speaks up scaring the shit out of Ava “Jesus—fuck.” Ava puts her hand on her chest, then turns to Sara who is still not looking at her and continues to sip her beer.

“How did you know?” Ava questions walking towards the edge of the balcony looking around at the forest

“Because I was getting same treatment why do you think I’m drinking at three o’clock in the afternoon—”

“You do like the taste of scotch—”

“True but this is beer. Here.” Sara reaches for another beer and finally looks at Ava to hand her the beer. Ava sighs and happily takes the beer.

“To your weekend.” Sara puts her beer up

“To your dire band trip.” Ava chuckles and the two girls cheers

------

No kiss that night but here are the pics that they can’t share... ;)

Part 12/?

1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 | 21 | 22 | 23 | 24 | 25 |

#avalance #zarlie #darhkatom #ava sharpe #sara lance #zari tomaz #charlie jiwe #ray palmer #nora darhk #mona wu #nate heywood #john constantine #gary green #avalance social media au #social media au #legends of tomorrow #legends of tomorrow au

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alwaysmychoices · 4 years

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Today, I had this idea for the ending of another project I’m working on, and I couldn’t sleep until I had written it out.

Because I am nowhere near finished with this project and wanted to share it, here it is. It has absolutely nothing to do with Ethan Ramsey (sad), but it is my ending to a story I came up with that mirrors Ethan x MC.

You may not know Ellis and Ben’s story, but here’s their happy ending.

I thought about turning back at least a hundred times.

I imagined running through the airport during my layover, demanding an outrageous ticket back to London. I imagined catching a cab and walking back into his apartment only to find him reaching for his keys to come after me.

That image got me through the eight-hour flight, but when I landed in New York for my layover, I didn’t book another flight. Instead, I bought a cup an overpriced cup of coffee – strong, black, and secretly sprinkled with sugar, just like he liked it – and posted a picture to my Instagram story. For the rest of my layover, I checked to see if he had seen it yet.

He hadn’t.

I don’t know why I was surprised.

I gave him every opportunity for him to ask me to stay, and he never did. Instead, he wished me luck, kissed my cheek, and waved my cab off as we drove to the airport. He made it very clear that he didn’t want me to stay. Instead, he wanted me to go off and have all the adventures I could. He wanted me to remember the last year as one of those great stories you share in crowded bars, when your European escapades feel particularly exotic. He was a stamp in my passport, and I was a pleasant surprise.

Benjamin Clark didn’t mean for me to look back. He gave me no reason to hope, yet I did anyway.

I almost turned back before boarding my flight to Charlotte. I let myself have one last fond daydream of returning to him and spending the fall by his side, but at the end of the daydream, I still knew that winter would be a mystery.

Benjamin Clark wasn’t the kind of person you run out of an airport for. If you did, you would only be disappointed in the end.

We weren’t a grand romance. We were, at best, a humorous coming of age film with an exotic locale.

So, I flew home. For a few months, I lived with my parents and applied to every job I could find. While I waited, I hit up childhood friends and visited my old haunts. Sometimes, I would post photos and watch my notifications to see if he liked it.

He did once or twice.

He even viewed my story a handful of times, but he knew better than to message me.

In October, I got a job in D.C., and with two suitcases and a lively early 2000s playlist, I drove up alone. I rented a small bedroom from a friend of a friend, Jessica, in Alexandria, and as soon as I met Jessica, I decided we would be friends. She helped me unpack, and to celebrate my first night, we went to a nearby bar.

It took me four tequila shots for me to message Ben.

He didn’t reply until my sixth.

I didn’t realize it was five in the morning in his time zone. Even if I had, I don’t think I would have cared.

In the middle of a crowded bar, I told Benjamin that I was going to unfollow him and that I wanted him to unfollow me, too.

I don’t know what he felt when I did that. I like to think he was just as heartbroken as I was. Because I don’t know, I get to tell myself whatever I want. Some days, I need to think that he was devastated and enjoyed the remaining connection as much as I did. Some days, I need to think that he was just being nice.

Whatever it was, he messaged me back that he understood.

After a minute, he added that he would miss me.

I didn’t respond to that.

Instead, I unfollowed him. I deleted our DMs. I unfavorited his contact. I deleted our text thread.

I never thought about flying back to London for him after that.

I still harbored the fantasy that he would come to me, though…

I kept all the pictures. I even put one on display in my room. His back was turned to the camera, so I could tell myself that it didn’t mean anything when I taped it to my corkboard. I said I just liked the view.

Of course, Ben was an integral part of the view. Maybe even better than the view.

I lived in that apartment for a year. I went part-time at my job and started grad school. I wanted an apartment closer to campus, and Jess moved with me. I took special care of packing that photo, but when I got to my new apartment, I never displayed it. It lived at the bottom of my desk drawer, safe but out of sight.

I started dating someone that semester. His name was Daniel. He was a classmate, and everyone in my life loved him. We were together for six months, and in that time, I only posted one photo of him. When I posted it, I watched to see if Ben would like it. He never did. I took that photo down when Daniel and I went our separate ways.

In the year following, I cut four inches off my hair, repainted our kitchen, and made new friends. I started drinking gin, and I changed my coffee order. I was close to finishing my masters, and I was already looking for jobs all over the city. I even flirted with the idea of leaving DC, though I couldn’t bring myself to do it.

I didn’t think about Ben much during that time. I doubt he thought of me either.

If I was a woman who believed in fate, I might think that there was some grand plan that brought me to that dive bar in April.

But I don’t believe in fate. I believe in coincidences, and it was one grand coincidence that I accepted a friend’s offer to meet at a bar downtown. It was also a coincidence that my friend was late and that, while waiting for her, I took a seat at the crowded bar.

It was even bigger coincidence that the man trying to get around me to order a vodka tonic was Benjamin Clark.

Three years after Ben kissed me goodbye in London, he looked exactly the same…

And even more startling, he looked at me just like he had all those nights before in Sarajevo, like he was astounded how much he liked me standing beside him.

“Ellis?” he was so happy to see me that I instantly forgot the last three years I’d devoted to moving on from him. I was happy to see him, too, if just a little more wary than he.

He was thirty now, and I could see the age on his face when he stood close. Experience etched his skin around his eyes, but after years of frowning and scowling, his smile lines hadn’t been touched. He was still infuriatingly handsome, even more so now that his hair was longer.

“Ben?” I couldn’t erase the amazement from my voice, nor could I do anything other than stare at him with wide, disbelieving eyes.

He invited me back to his table, and against my better judgement, I joined him.

There was a woman waiting for him. She couldn’t have been much older than me, but she had a bronze, sultry glow I had always lacked. I immediately worried she was his girlfriend, but she was so friendly to me that I soon let the thought go. Either she wasn’t his girlfriend and didn’t care who he brough to their table, or their relationship was so strong that she wasn’t intimidated by me in the slightest. Either way, there wasn’t much I could do.

He introduced me as an old friend, one that was “one of the best” in our field. It was a complete lie, and I called him on it. He met me when I little more than an intern at an NGO he didn’t even work at. If he wanted to brag on anyone, it was himself, because he was the one who trained me.

He rolled his eyes and ordered a vodka tonic and a mojito for me.

Mojitos had been my favorite drink when we knew each other.

“You’re being too critical,” Ben corrected me with the same voice he used to use when I made a mistake at work.

“You’re being too generous.”

“You were full of potential, even when you couldn’t work a coffee maker to save your life,” Ben scoffed, and not for the first time, I was offended.

“I didn’t burn your fucking coffee,” I asserted forcefully.

The first day we met, he said I burnt his coffee, and I hadn’t.

“Yes, you did,” Ben insisted.

“No, I didn’t!”

We argued for a while.

At some point, my friend arrived, and sensing I didn’t intend to leave this table, she introduced herself and took a seat next to the beautiful tan woman. They talked among themselves as Ben and I disagreed.

He argued that I had been the one who messed up the paperwork for the festival in Belgrade. I called him a liar.

We made peace when he offered me a drink but said we had to stop fighting if I took it.

I seriously considered not accepting that mojito.

But I did.

And he asked what I was doing in D.C.

I told him my story �� the job, grad school, my impending graduation, and my tiny apartment at the end of the metro line.

“And you?” I asked, already half-done with my mojito. He had hardly taken a sip of his vodka tonic. Always a slow drinker.

“Moved here a few months ago,” he explained, taking one tiny sip that made me hate him, “I took a job downtown.”

I raised my eyebrows accusatorily, “Downtown?”

“I didn’t sell out,” Benjamin stopped me before I could even suggest it.

I raised my hands innocently, “I didn’t say you did.”

“You were thinking it.”

He was right. I was.

“Well, whatever it is, I hope you’re happy,” I was telling the truth, but I also hoped he would give me every detail so I could finally decide whether or not he had actually sold out.

“I am,” Ben watched me, rightfully suspicious.

“That’s great.”

“You’re judging me,” Ben accused.

“I am,” I boldly confirmed, “I distinctly remember being warned time and time again not to sell out, but look at you…” I shook my head like I was ashamed of him. I wasn’t. I really was happy if he was happy. I just liked to torture him a bit to make up for all the times he had judged me.

As I predicted, Ben was outraged.

He spent the next hour justifying his career and his decisions.

Our friends left us at midnight. I honestly had forgotten they were even still there.

Near one am, I was convinced and gave him my approval. He knew he didn’t need it, but he seemed happy to have it.

It was surprisingly easy to be with him.

I always thought that, if I ran into him again, I would be awkward and pained. I thought that, once you loved someone like I loved Ben, you could never encounter them casually again. I was wrong about that. Sitting and talking with Ben felt like the most natural thing in the world.

I only stumbled once.

That was at 1:30 am, when he checked his watch and told me that he would need to get home soon to check on Porter.

I recognized the name. It was a name we came up with together. It had been a blisteringly cold winter day, and from the comfort of his kitchen, we dreamt up ridiculous, silly names for the dog Ben dreamed of having. At the end of the conversation, we settled on Porter, short for Portobello Mushroom. Ben poured me a second cup of coffee, and I asked him why he didn’t just get a dog if he wanted one.

He told me that he wasn’t ready. As long as he kept moving across the continent every year or so, he couldn’t take care of a dog. His career wasn’t stable enough for a dog, nor was he.

When he got a dog, he was ready to settle down.

Now, he had the dog…

I didn’t mean to, but I did it again.

I dreamed up a future with Ben. I allowed myself to hope for him. I began to long for his attention and affection.

I was scared when I realized it. One night had erased three years of work.

But I didn’t stop doing it.

When we parted that night, I wanted to ask him to come home with me, but I didn’t. He kissed my cheek, helped me in my Uber, and waved me goodbye from the pavement. It was exactly the same scene as when I last saw him in London.

I felt ridiculous for hoping for more.

He followed me on Instagram that night.

He texted me the next morning.

I met him in a coffee shop after class, and I stayed so long that I had to cancel dinner with Jessica.

I would love to say that I never saw the rest coming, but that would be a lie. I knew.

I knew that coffee would turn into dinner, and that would turn into nights in his apartment. Playful texts in the middle of the day would turn into celebrating our first anniversary. My drawer in his apartment turned into dominating half of his closet, and playing with his dog would turn into claiming Porter just as much as Ben did.

Two years after our grand coincidence, I got a job offer in New York, and I walked home slow that day. I didn’t know if our sweet little fairy tale extended beyond the District of Columbia. The first time, he hadn’t asked me to stay. But this time I asked him to come with me.

Three months later, we packed our life into a U-Haul, and from the passenger seat, I looked over at Ben and had the distinct feeling that I might just get to look at him for the rest of my life…

#writing #short story #couple #happy ending #non choices

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lambychop · 5 years

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Ultimate Horror Flick List

I know this isn’t usually my style, but 🎵it’s the most wonderful time of the year🎵

That’s right: it’s the spoopy month! Which means SPOOPY MOVIES

So I present to you:

IRONICENIGMA’S ULTIMATE HORROR FLICK LIST FOR ALL TYPES OF FILM LOVERS

1) For the Gore Hounds

•Saw series- the classic films for the guys who just wanna see some people get ripped to shreads (honestly, after the second one, they go downhill)

•Jigsaw- the more recent edition to the Saw series (this ones actually pretty good and FULL of gore)

•Hostel- Saw Studies Abroad (TM)

•Final Destination series- kinda a dumb one. The movies can be kinda dumb, but the kills are INSANE. Fun movies to watch with the gang

•Texas Chainsaw Massacre- you know it, you love it, I don’t gotta explain it

•Cannibal Holocaust- seriously messed up. Banned in multiple countries. It’s something special.

•The Midnight Meat Train- lesser known, kinda weird, super bloody

•Cabin Fever- gross disease makes you loose your skin. Nasty

•Wrong Turn- basically The Hills Have Eyes but with funner kills

2) The Classic Slashers

•Scream series- one of my faves. Classic story of small town teens with a killer on the loose. Lots of fun

•Friday the Thirteenth- do I have to tell you why this is here?

•Nightmare on Elm Street- Johnny Depp getting turned into a volcano of blood? I’m in.

•Halloween- can’t have Halloween without the movie that took the name, right?

•My Bloody Valentine (the original one)- one of my all time favorite movies. Creepy killer, great group of characters, great time

•Sleepaway Camp- infamous for its batshit ending. Kinda weird ngl, but a classic

•The Town That Dreaded Sundown- Based on a real killer. Oldie, but goodie

•Behind the Mask: The Rise of Leslie Vernon- different take on the slasher genre. Fun look into the life of a movie slasher

•You’re Next- badass female lead? Check. Masked murderers? Check. Family bonding? Uh sure okay

•I Know What You Did Last Summer- secrets are bad. Roll credits

3) Supernatural (demons, ghosts, etc)

•The Conjuring- it’s pretty popular, you know it

•Insidious- also popular. Moral: your body is a ghost hotel

•Sinister- classic demon: likes kids, likes brutal deaths, likes to appear in the background of pictures

•The Exorcist- obviously

•Lights Out- ghosts are scared of light, that’s all you need to know

•The Sixth Sense- not really scary. Actually pretty wholesome. In an “I see dead people” kinda way

•The Rite- priest Anthony Hopkins coughs up nails

•The Omen- aka don’t trust kids

•1408- haunted hotel room. Someone call the ghoul bois

•The Amityville Horror- based on true events. Well at least we know the murders were real and the house is creepy

•The Skeleton Key- Old People+Voodoo= bad time

•Haunting In Connecticut- also a “true” story. Don’t buy a house that used to be a morgue

•The Autopsy Of Jane Doe- boy bonds with dad over dead teenage girl

•Mama- moths are gross, ghosts are worse. Dead Mom from Beetlejuice, but now a movie

•Rosemary’s Baby- dont trust thy neighbor

•The Shinning- classic. That’s all I’ve got to say

•The Orphanage- again: creepy kids

•Stir Of Echos- Kevin Bacon sees ghosts. Must I say more?

•The Others- haunted house story with a twist ending

4) Creature Features

•Trick ‘r Treat- classic Halloween film. Fun, creepy, iconic

•The Ritual- camping trip turns bad. Monster looks really cool

•A Quiet Place- you’ve probably seen it. Jim from the office speaks sign language

•The Babadook- children’s storybook is not kid friendly

•Backcountry- bears are dangerous

•Alien- you’ve seen this already but it needs to be here

•The Descent- dont watch if your claustrophobic

•An American Werewolf In London- also a fave. Best werewolf movie ever made

•The Monster- lesser know, actually pretty good

•The Thing- classic. Super good. Based on a short story. No one can be trusted because you don’t know if they’re even them

5) Horror Comedies

•Zombieland- hysterical. Bloody. Great cast

•Cabin In The Woods- this movie is insane. Combine every horror monster ever, the Illuminati, and the Office- that’s this movie

•Shaun of the Dead- the classic horror comedy

•Scary Movie series- less horror, ridiculous comedy

•This Is The End- again, like no horror, but one of the funniest films ever

6)Found Footage (not a great genre, but some can be pretty entertaining)

•The Blair Witch Project- basically the king of the found footage films. You’ve seen it

•The Conspiracy- the Illuminati is real and they don’t like to be filmed

•Paranormal Activity series- kinda annoying to horror fans. Relies on jump scares and the characters are idiots. But if I’m doing a section on foud footage, this has to be here

•Creep- okay this movie actually really disturbed me. People are absolutely insane. Don’t meet up with people from Craigslist

•V/H/S series- basically a anthology of short horror films. Kinda fun

•Apollo 18- the government faked the moon landing because they found some crazy shit

•The Sacrament- Jonestown caught on camera

•As Above So Below- Paris Catacombs are wack

•Grave Encounters- what if Ghost Adventures actually found ghosts

•Unfriended Dark Web- lets be honest: the first one sucked. Second one is actually not bad. Take away the ghosts, add the black market

•The Poughkeepsie Tapes- lesser know, can be hard to find. Really disturbing. Basically watching a serial killer tape his crimes

•Cold Ground- Set up to look just like it’s out of the seventies. It’s pretty fun

•The Last Exorcism- priests are liers

•Quarantine- English version of [REC]. I wouldn’t say it’s great, but it’s something

•Hell House LLC.- kids set up a haunted house. People die

•The Houses October Built- again with the haunted houses. Don’t trust em

•The Bay- Cabin Fever but found footage-y

•Willow Creek- y’all gotta leave Bigfoot alone

•Lake Mungo- girl drowns, family sees her ghost. No jump scares with this one, like most found footage. Mostly just a family in mourning

•The Tunnel- if the government says to stay out, STAY OUT

•The Taking Of Deborah Logan- alzheimers itself is awful to go through, but let’s add some more spooks

•The Possession Of Michael King- another possession film? Yep they just keep comin

•The Last Broadcast- suspicious murder of tv hosts

6) Family Fun

•Hocus Pocus- okay obviously

•Beetlejuice- dark humor in a “kids” film. Most of the comedy caters to adults, but it’s an awesome film

•Corpse Bride- guy accidentally marries dead girl. Wholesome family fun

•The Nightmare Before Christmas- my fave Disney film. Super cute

•Frankenweenie- dead dog=goodest boy

•Paranorman- sixth sense but now for kids+zombies

•Coraline- Might scar some small children, but I loved it when it came out when I was 8

7) Psychological

•Midsommar- happy cult family holds a festival

•Funny Games- home invasion movie done well. No cheap thrills, just some sadistic shit

•The Strangers- dont answer the door for people wearing masks when it’s not Halloween are you crazy

•The Perfection- artistic, bloody, absolute mind fuck

•Gerald’s Game- sexy time turns not good

•Unsane- imagine being stalked and no one believes you. That’s the premise

•Triangle- ummmmmmmm wtf is happening what time is it??

•It Comes At Night- trust is bad. Paranoia is good.

•The Silence of the Lambs- my personal favorite film. Serial killer helps rookie detective find another serial killer

•Jacob’s Ladder- Vietnam vet struggles with EXTREMELY terrifying visions

AND THERE YOU GO. I have seen plenty more, so if you don’t see one you’d like on this list, hit me up with what kinda movie you’re lookin for and I’ll hook you up amigo

#halloween #horror #movies #movie recommendation #horror movies

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wistfulcynic · 4 years

Text

Operation Emma’s Christmas

Merry Christmas to @kitsunewingstar! If I calculated correctly this should post in the afternoon of Christmas Eve for you, (very) early in the morning of Christmas Eve here in the UK/Europe, and Christmas Eve Eve in the US. It’s been lovely chatting with you and I hope you have a wonderful holiday with your family!

You requested something sweet and Christmassy, so I hope this delivers! For the purposes of the story, we’re assuming there was no Christmas under the curse (since we never saw/heard about it on the show) and that S7 and its timeline is not a thing.

Thanks to the @cssecretsanta2k19 for organising this event!!

SUMMARY: What with curses and monsters and trips to Camelot, and a distinct lack of quiet moments, the residents of Storybrooke have never really celebrated Christmas. Now that he has a child and a wife who misses the holiday, Killian is determined to change that.

He just has to figure out how.

(Set post-S6 in a world with no S7)

Tagging all the folks from the last tag list, PLEASE do let me know if you want to be added or removed. @kmomof4 @shireness-says @snidgetsafan @darkcolinodonorgasm @snowbellewells @stahlop @mariakov81 @courtorderedcake @jonirobinson64 @tiganasummertree @ohmightydevviepuu @shardminds @jennjenn615 @superchocovian @teamhook

On AO3

Operation Emma’s Christmas:

Killian Jones has been alive a very long time, and seen many strange and wondrous things. But none of them, from the spice markets of Agrabah to the snow-covered mountains of Arendelle to the hold of the Jolly Roger when it’s brimming with loot can, in his opinion, top the astounding treasure that is Google. He is awestruck by the notion of being able to ask any question he likes and having the answer appear within seconds. Emma tries to explain how anyone can put stuff on the internet and he can’t believe everything he reads, but he brushes her off. He knows how to separate fact from opinion and how to identify a reliable source, he tells her patiently. Among the many things they teach you in the Royal Navy.

With the aid of the oracle Google, Killian learns all about this extraordinary realm he now calls home, enough so that he no longer finds himself adrift on a foggy sea when Emma and Henry make references to things he’s never heard of. He finds lists of movies he should watch and books he should read and the most influential songs of the 20th century, and he sets about watching and reading and listening to each one, with all the studious dedication of the keen young lieutenant he used to be, oh so many years ago now.

“It’s kind of a shame we don’t do Christmas in Storybrooke,” says Emma wistfully one afternoon in mid-December, as they sit on the floor with their backs resting against the sofa watching Hope crawl around the living room. “Now that we have a kid. I mean, I had Henry before and we did Christmas in New York and in our fake memories, but… it’d be nice to do it here.”

Killian is already on his phone consulting the oracle on the subject of Christmas. An annual festival commemorating the birth of Jesus Christ, observed primarily on December 25 as a religious and cultural celebration among billions of people around the world, he reads. He clicks on Images and scrolls through brightly decorated evergreen trees, houses draped in twinkling lights, giant-sized stockings hung above fireplaces and a very fat bearded man dressed in red. He makes a mental note to do more research when he gets back to the station and in the meantime looks up at where Emma and Hope are now playing patty cake.

“Why can’t we?” he asks.

“Why can’t we what?”

“Celebrate Christmas?”

“Oh. I don’t know, I guess we’ve just never done it in Storybrooke.” Emma pauses, laughing as Hope leans in to pat her cheeks. “Because of the curse, I suppose.”

“But knowledge of it is presumably part of this curse download that your family and all the residents who were brought here by Regina had, correct?”

“I suppose so.”

“Well, that surely means that they would wish to begin a new tradition, one that includes this festival?” he presses.

“Oh, I don’t know, Killian.” Hope crawls into Emma’s lap and she cuddles the baby close. “I don’t want to make a big deal about it. It doesn’t matter.”

But if there’s one thing Killian doesn’t require Google’s assistance to understand, it’s his wife. This Christmas business is clearly very important to her, and he intends to see that she gets the finest celebration of it that he has in his power to provide.

—

Killian’s first step in Operation Emma’s Christmas is to enlist the aid of Henry and David. The prince to help him procure all the materials he needs, the lad to come up with a name better than “Operation Emma’s Christmas.”

David comes through like the noble royal and loving father (in-law) that he is, but Henry, to Killian’s great chagrin, loves Operation Emma’s Christmas. “Straight and to the point,” he says. “Perfect.”

Killian sighs, frowning at the back seat of David’s truck where his stepson sits typing something on his phone. The lad is so much more prosaic now that he’s discovered girls, he thinks, when really the opposite should be true.

“Are you sure you can’t come up with something better?” he grumbles.

“Nope.” Henry doesn’t even look up from his screen. Killian sighs again.

“Don’t worry, Hook,” says David. “The operation will be a success, the name doesn’t matter. Actually, I’m really glad you thought of it. I’ve been intending to get a Christmas tradition going around here since Neal was born, but what with one thing and another—”

“Never a quiet moment,” says Killian. “Aye.”

“Well, we’ve got one now and we’re gonna make the most of it,” says David, pulling the truck over to the side of the road. The three of them get out and Killian catches his breath at the sight before him. They are standing above a wide, snowy valley, extending as far as the eye can see, liberally dotted with lush green fir trees.

“Take your pick,” says David with a grin, pulling a large saw from the back of the truck.

“Lad, I’m going to need your help for this,” says Killian.

“Oh yeah,” says Henry.

—

Once the trees are procured, their next stop is Regina’s house. She doesn’t look particularly pleased to see them, even less so when they explain their mission.

“Christmas decorations?” she says in that scathing tone that still gets Killian’s hackles up, even though they’re technically friends now.

“Yep,” says David, crossing his arms over his chest and giving her what Emma calls his ‘stern Dad’ look. “I have to assume that we never had Christmas in Storybrooke because you didn’t allow it under the curse. Am I wrong?”

“No.” Regina has the grace to look abashed. “You’re not wrong.”

“Well then. Don’t you think it’s time you rectified that?”

“So you want me to what, just magic up some ornaments so you can decorate a tree for Emma?”

“And for David and Snow,” says Killian. “And anyone else who wants one. I mean, decorations for the whole town would be best, but if that’s beyond your scope…”

Regina sneers. “Let’s start with yours and Emma’s,” she says.

—

Snow White is well known for her inability to keep a secret, and so they elect not to bring her in on Operation Emma’s Christmas. Instead Henry is tasked with distracting both her and his mother while ornaments are hung and lights strung at the respective Jones and Nolan households. David and Killian requisition walkie-talkies from the station and have far too much fun strategising and organising their decorating battle plans while Hope gurgles and Neal babbles mostly coherently in the background.

It takes perhaps longer than it should, neither of them having any actual experience to draw on and needing to consult the oracle frequently, but in due course everything is ready and Killian sends Henry a text with the all-clear.

He fidgets as he waits for Emma to return, fussing nervously with Hope’s tiny Santa hat as she gums at the pacifier stuck on the end of his hook—a red one for Christmas. He double-checks that all the lights are on and the ornaments hung just so, and all the parcels are stacked in a pleasing way beneath the tree. When he hears her at the door he snatches up the baby and positions them both in front of it all.

“Killian, I’m—what the—” Emma’s face is a picture as she takes in the sight before her. The huge tree that Henry selected fills nearly half the room, and is covered in shiny red and green ornaments and sparkly lights, with a bright silver star at the top. Beneath it piles of presents sit wrapped in glossy paper and festooned with ribbon bows, and lined up along the mantelpiece are four huge stockings labelled Hope, Henry, Emma, and Killian. The effect, Killian hopes, is festive in the extreme, merry and jolly and everything Emma missed out on when she was growing up.

“Merry Christmas, love,” he says.

Emma turns in a slow circle, eyes wide and mouth agape. “But it’s—it’s only the 20th!” she says.

“Aye, rather late. Google informs me that some people decorate their homes as early as the first of November. But we still have time to enjoy it, apparently the custom in many households is to leave the lights up until the sixth of Jan—oof!” He exhales sharply as Emma throws herself at him, one arm wrapping around his neck and the other cradling Hope’s head as she kisses him.

“I can’t believe you did all this,” she says, peppering his face with kisses. Hope gurgles indignantly and Emma kisses her as well.

“Henry and your father helped. And Regina, as a matter of fact.”

“But I bet it was your idea, wasn’t it?” She gives him a knowing look.

“Aye, I confess it was.”

“Because I mentioned in passing that it’s a shame we don’t do Christmas in Storybrooke?”

“It was the way you mentioned it.”

“The way I mentioned it,” she echoes.

He nods. “Aye. I sensed it was something you missed out on in your youth, and that you wanted Hope to have the experiences you lacked.”

Emma brushes her fingertips across his cheek, a soft smile on her face. “You sensed all that from me saying it might be nice to have Christmas here?”

He grins and pulls her closer, shifting Hope so she is snuggled between them. “How many times must I tell you, my love, that you are an open book to me?”

She returns the grin, letting her forehead rest against his. “At least once more, I guess.”

“As always.”

#cssecretsanta2k19 #kitsunewingstar #profdanglaisstuff #operation emma's christmas #cs fic #cs ff #canon compliant #sort of #future fic #christmas fic #captain swan #captain cobra #captain charming #cs family fluff #sweet and fluffy #and christmassy

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honeyhenry · 4 years

Text

A Saga of Sweaters

inspired of course by the incredible knitted sweater chris wears in Knives Out! However this is still a Chris fic, not a Ransom one (as I have yet to see the movie!)

word count: 1.5k+

warnings: a lot of fluff, smut if you squint/nsfw descriptives

enjoy!

the first instance in which you met, was just after Christmastime. it was in the new year where the coldest January on record meant that his thick knitted sweaters were a staple piece of your outings together, once if not twice a week

a new year, a new start with a new love for one man who made you smile for so many reasons

he wore The Sweater, now your favourite, for your first official date

a thick fisherman’s sweater knitted and twisted into various complex patterns that gave it its own character, and matched every expensive coat he had in his wardrobe

it’s a statement piece of his and you wondered, if things were to go further, that one day you’d get to pull it over your own head and wear it yourself. it looked so damn cosy.

he soon became the cosiest, warmest person in your life, giving you that feeling from the top of your head to the tip of your toes, capturing your heart and filling it with joy

if you ever decided to put fashion over common sense in the cold weather, forgoing a proper jacket for the chance to look your best for him, he’d sigh and roll his eyes while grinning at how ridiculous you were

“you know, we’re on the sixth date. you don’t have to freeze to death to keep me around”

he’d give you his coat, insisting that his sweater keeps him warm enough

and after a couple more dates, the sweater ends up on the floor, as he takes you to bed, finding a much better way to warm you up

and you’d get your secret wish finally, as you wear the sweater the following morning, with some soft pyjama shorts

he really likes the sight of you wearing his huge thick sweater, Dodger in your lap as you read a copy of a book he had on his nightstand

it smells of him which you adore

you catch him staring at you from the bathroom and you don’t even look up from the words on the page that you're reading, nor pause stroking Dodger’s fur to say;

“i hope you know you're not getting this back”

“it’s okay” he’d replied “i dont mind the sweater stealing, i love whats underneath”

making you giggle when he rushes to you, his hands reaching to crawl up the inside of the sweater where you’re wearing nothing underneath

he makes plans to buy you one for yourself but it’s no secret that you only love the sweater because it reminds you of him

he wears a different sweater when you go to meet his family

he’s not about to wear a sweater that you’ve recently been wearing along with nothing else

seeing that sweater can now really get him going just thinking about you in it. it makes him twitch with want for you.

his family adore you, admiring how happy chris is with you, and how cosy and coupley you are, connected and drawn to each other somewhat magnetically

you know that those perceptions are true, however the ‘coupley’ vibes had only been enhanced by chris’ absolute need to bone you the moment you get back to his place

Christmas would come around again, bringing even more sweaters that you realise that he only keeps for the festive season

it inspires you to buy him one that lights up with the press of a button

its cheesy and he loves it, and wears it for the entirety of Christmas day

it’s hard to ignore, but somehow you manage to when he drags your attention away only to ask if you’ll move in with him

you say yes and it’s definitely too hot in the bedroom to be wearing anything that evening

you move in, halving the amount of space chris has for his clothes, but he installs a closet elsewhere in the house, fit for all his winter wear

as the year bleeds from cold, dark nights, to a warmer spring, then to a humid summer, the sweaters stay put in the drawers and closets

however, nestled between the bottom two rows of sweaters in Chris’ drawer, is an velvet box he’s waiting to give you at just the right time

the right time comes when he finds you at home, dancing to the radio in one of his sweaters and a pair of shorts, making dinner

finally it’s cold enough to wear warmer items of clothing and he loves that its already that time of year again

he also panics slightly because the sweater you're wearing was kept only one or two inches from where the silver engagement ring lay in his drawer

and he realises, whats the point of waiting anyway? he wants you dancing in the kitchen in his clothes while playing with Dodger and making the dinner, forever

and so he waits until after dinner, after all the washing up is done and you finally sit down on the sofa ready to relax with him

that’s when he does it

you’re so shocked but ridiculously overwhelmed with happiness that you cry out your “yes!” and he’s placing the ring on your finger as you press kisses to his face

“i’m sorry it wasn’t fancier-”

“it’s perfect”

the ring glints as you hold up your hand, pulling up the sleeves of the sweater you’re wearing to take a proper look

takes a picture of it and sends it to family with “congratulations” following

and an extra message from Scott: “so she’s still adamant on wearing your clothes huh”

you have your wedding and then honeymoon, and for the latter you wear practically nothing - truly not missing the sweaters in the hot weather that begs for nudity, sweet cocktails, sea-swept hair, and sex on the balcony

you spend 3 weeks there before flying back and spending autumn and winter in Boston

as newly weds, you have matching rings now, shiny and beautiful and it distracts you so much at one point that you spill coffee all over the sweater of his you're wearing

he calls you a teasing name and all you can reply is “well you married me!”

the sweaters make their return soon enough, and it’s first year of your soon to be traditional Christmas card, nearly 3 years since you first met

you, him and Dodger wear matching sweaters so you can send out a cheesy christmas card ‘with love from, The Evans Family”

it’s taken in your apartment and Dodger has to be bribed with treats for a good picture to be taken of the three of you

you’ve never been happier, your smiles so genuine and warm

a year later and not much has changed except the location of your home

you’ve bought a bigger house in Boston, with a lovely porch and 5 bedrooms to fill

so the second year of your Christmas card picture tradition, you all sit on the gorgeous Christmassy decorated staircase

(Dodger still needs a couple of treats before cooperating)

you take the picture 3 weeks before christmas

it just so happens that it’s 3 weeks later is when you tell Chris that there was actually a fourth person in the picture, a new addition to “The Evans Family” underneath your sweater

you present him with a tiny matching sweater “we’ll have someone around to wear this for next year”

“babe if this is you telling me we should get another dog-”

“it’s not for a dog”

he pauses and looks at you, his eyes full of hope but still slightly doubting

“don’t...really?”

he’s scared to assume but you finally show him little sonogram pictures

“they’ll be 4 or 5 months old next Christmas”

he kisses you so softly and passionately by the Christmas tree, his hands on your hips, smiling into your lips as you brush away his tears, and then your own

after that, you wearing his sweaters means even more

keeping Baby Evans as your little secret while going out in public, is the most important thing for you, and so to hide any hint, you wear his sweaters

it’s his favourite thing in the world - to see you grow his baby, while you wear his sweaters even in the springtime

they can hide a tiny swell in January, but are unable to cover the bump as you hit 5 months in April

“Hi meatball” he’d smooth his hand over the sweet swell that he’s so drawn to

he puts his hands up inside the sweater, making you giggle

“i told you before,” you murmur “you won’t be getting this back”

“and as i said, i dont mind the sweater stealing, i love whats underneath”

you can bet that next Christmas, he’s got Baby Evans on his lap, wearing their own little Christmas sweater, with drool all over it and the sleeves rolled up twice so you can see their tiny hands

Chris’ hands take up their whole tummy, and Baby gives a little lopsided smile that everyone receiving of a card coos at

(Chris can definitely claim that the smile was gas)

and it had all started with the hope that one day you’d get to be in his life to try on his fisherman sweater

now, you’ve gained a lot more from Chris - love, and warm morning cuddles, safety, and a family

sweater weather would forever be the sweetest time of the year

TAGLIST:

@katiew1973 @thevelvetseries

MASTERLIST / FEEDBACK

#chris evans x reader #chris evans writing #chris evans fluff #chris evans #ce #my writing

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idreamofdraco · 4 years

Note

Draco's rather tall and Ginny's undoubtedly small right? So that 50 types of kiss no 48 + Drinny!

Thanks, Anon! Um, this turned into, like, a real thing, lol. But since this will probably be my only Christmas story this year, I think it’s okay…. Hope you like it.

48. One person has to bend down in order to kiss their partner, who is standing on their tip-toes to reach their partner’s.

Ginny doesn’t remember Malfoy being so tall.

She hasn’t spoken to him in years, not since the first term of her sixth year of Hogwarts, months before Voldemort’s defeat. During detentions with the Carrows, Alecto Carrow would sometimes command Malfoy to restrain Ginny while she was being punished, but she was understandably more focused on the pain of the Cruciatus than his height back then.

She does remember the feel of his fingers encircling her wrists and how tightly he’d held onto her. His grip had disgusted her, frightened her, because it meant she couldn’t dodge the blast of the Unforgivable aimed at her. She also remembers his breath against the top of her head, heavy and hot with his own fear. That fear made more sense if he was tall. He always held her from behind, holding her arms out to the sides to make her a larger target, but if Malfoy’s height exceeded her own, he became a target, too. The Carrows could have missed her and hit Malfoy instead.

These are dark thoughts to have while trapped underneath enchanted mistletoe, but it’s the first place Ginny’s mind wanders when she tries to pass Malfoy in the Atrium and jolts to a stop, as if someone had grabbed her from behind by the waist. She spins around, but Malfoy is two steps away and has a frustrated expression on his face. His hands are nowhere near her body.

He glances up, and Ginny mimics him, horror dawning at the sight of the mistletoe hanging in midair. A festive trap. Ginny seethes.

Ever since Gilderoy Lockhart’s release from the Janus Thickey Ward, he’d wreaked havoc as a custodian in the Magical Maintenance Department of the Ministry. His memories had never been recovered, but the Healers had argued he deserved a new chance at a life outside of the hospital even without them. Magical mistletoe was exactly Lockhart’s MO. He had also been responsible for snow flurries in the lifts, magical windows that depicted the eruption of Mount Vesuvius in the offices of people who “needed a little cheer,” singing valentines, and many more annoying stunts. For someone who had no memory of his former life, he channeled his former passion for obnoxious forms of entertainment with suspicious accuracy.

Malfoy takes a step and grunts when his knee hits a solid, invisible object.

Ginny lifts her arm and gasps when she, too, encounters some sort of barrier that prevents her from leaving him.

They look at each other for the first time since those detentions at Hogwarts. It’s not the first time Ginny has looked at him, however. Malfoy had not returned to Hogwarts after the war and instead had taken a gap year before taking some secret position at the Ministry. No one knew exactly what he did. Some thought he was an Unspeakable, but he didn’t wear the telltale robes of the Department of Mysteries. Some thought he was the Minister’s personal adviser, utilized for some illicit business the public didn’t know about. Others thought he wasn’t employed at all and only walked around the Ministry with an important air so people wouldn’t forget about him.

Whatever his business at the Ministry, Ginny had spotted him around the building on various occasions. Once she’d noticed him the first time, she began noticing him more, until some subconscious part of her seemed attuned to his presence. She always sensed when he was near, and when she looked up, her gaze always landed on him perfectly. This was the first time he’d ever looked back at her, though.

“What a bloody mess,” he says under his breath.

Ginny bristles. “This isn’t my fault.”

“Did I say it was?” he snaps back.

Ginny’s lips press together to keep herself from snarling at him in return. “What do we do now? I’m supposed to be meeting with Harry.” She glances at her watch with a frown. “I was running late, but now I’m definitely late.”

“We wouldn’t want to inconvenience Potter, would we?”

Ginny’s glare is cutting. “I’m the one who’s inconvenienced. I have four performance evaluations to complete, and he’s weasled out of his for over a week. If we don’t complete it today, we’ll have to reschedule for two weeks from now and I have too much to do already without having to pencil in another unnecessary meeting.”

Malfoy’s sneer dissolves into something a little more interested. “Performance evaluations? They put you in charge of people?”

Ginny takes a little step closer and pecks Malfoy’s chest with a blunt finger. “For someone who spends so much time at the Ministry, you don’t know anything about it. I’m the Head of the Auror Office, and I’m too busy to stay trapped here with you.”

His posture straightens at that, his expression turning shrewd. Ginny is now fully aware of how close the enchantment requires them to be to each other and how large Malfoy really is. The top of her head barely meets his shoulder blades. The scrawny, frightened 17-year-old who used to restrain her in detention has filled out to nearly twice his former size. He’s wide enough, muscles thick enough, for Ginny to wonder how it would feel if he wrapped his arms around her and squeezed. Rather nice, she thinks. It’s been awhile since anyone embraced her to her satisfaction.

She shakes her head, trying to dislodge those dangerous thoughts, those wild feelings. This is a man who held her still while Death Eaters cast Unforgivables at her. This is an attempted murderer. This is a man who chose the side of bigotry and blood supremacy over basic human decency. Maybe that had been ten years ago, but did people change that much, even in a whole decade?

“What do you do, anyway?” Ginny asks, her thoughts circling around to undefined suspicion.

Malfoy takes a step closer to her, and their chests nearly meet. If either of them took a deep breath, they’d be touching. He lowers his head and Ginny instinctively tilts her chin up to better reach him.

“We missed our opportunity to escape, and now we have an audience,” he says instead of answering her question.

His breath is soft against her cheek and her ear. Warm. His voice sends a shiver down her spine. It takes several moments for Ginny to look around them, and then she scowls even as her face heats up. A crowd has indeed gathered. Several people are tittering and pointing in amusement. Some look scandalized. All of them are curious to see what she and the infamously mythical Malfoy will do.

Her head snaps back to him. “You know what we have to do.”

“Yes.”

“And you’re willing?” she says skeptically.

“Oh yes.”

The skepticism blooms into disbelief, and the heat that rose up to Ginny’s face when she noticed their audience spreads further. Her entire body is warm now, bordering on hot. Her skin erupts in goosebumps and feels so sensitive, she’s aware of all the fabric draping her body, as if weights had been sewn into the hem of her robes.

“Do it, then.” The words come out breathlessly. They sound like a whisper between them, a secret meant only for his ears, though she didn’t intend for them to sound that way.

Malfoy takes one more step so that the toes of their shoes touch. It’s strangely intimate though Ginny can’t feel it. But not as intimate as when he grasps the sides of her waist and pulls her closer. Chest to chest. Breath to breath.

It seems like he has to bend down so far to reach her, so Ginny rises onto her tip-toes to help him. The sudden movement makes their mouths collide painfully, lips a little bruised, teeth stinging. But Ginny only takes a moment to recover before she’s got her fingers buried in the nape of his neck to tug him back down to her. He’s so tall, her body bows toward him, and his hands at her waist slide around to her back, pressing her fully against him as his mouth devours hers in an unnecessarily intimate kiss.

Ginny doesn’t think it’s unnecessary, though. She’s thinking that his arms feel just as good as she hoped they would–better, even–especially when she grunts into his mouth and he squeezes her even tighter, exactly the way she loves. She’s thinking that his mouth is purposeful, almost as if he’d noticed her around the Ministry, too, and wondered how she’d feel in his arms….

She doesn’t think any more after that until a loud burst of hoots and cheering interrupts the kiss, sending them spinning away from each other at the same time, the enchantment broken.

Ginny’s face is beet red as she meets the eyes of their audience and then turns back to Malfoy, whose own cheeks are rather pink and whose eyes are unmistakably glassy. They’re both panting, trying to reclaim their breath, and something inside Ginny breaks apart and melds back together.

Malfoy. Hmm. Maybe?

Yes.

He’s gone without a word, and Ginny is too stunned to follow.

“Ginny?”

She turns and Harry is at her side, his brows drawn together in concern or consternation, she’s not sure which. “I came looking for you when you didn’t show up for our meeting. Are you alright?” He tacks the question on at the end most likely because of the dazed expression on Ginny’s face.

She waves him off and straightens her robes. “No need to meet anymore. You passed your evaluation with flying colors. Don’t bother me for the rest of the day.”

She nearly runs back to Auror Headquarters, partially afraid she’ll run into Malfoy again but mostly hoping for it. Once she’s fully ensconced inside her office, she takes a seat behind her desk, one hand coming up to mindlessly stroke her lips.

She realizes she’s lost track of time reliving her memories of the kiss when a knock at her door signals her next appointment.

Even as she goes through the motions of meeting after meeting, keeping her mind engaged with Auror matters, there’s a tiny part of her brain that is fixated on Malfoy.

Wondering how she can become trapped under the mistletoe with him again.

___

Feel free to send me a number and a pairing for a kiss prompt!

I can’t guarantee that I’ll write any more, but I’ll have more time in a couple weeks, and who knows what will inspire me?

Unavailable numbers are 2, 3, 5, 10, 14, 15, 16, 22, 42, 48.

#drinny #draco and ginny #draco x ginny #dmgw #dracoxginny #my stories #ask idod #Anonymous #christmas #theme: holidays #theme: spells/curses #theme: work or job-related #ginny: ministry employee #draco: ministry employee.

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aethelflaedladyofmercia · 5 years

Text

The True Meaning of Saturnalia

I’m a day late on this, due to work considerations, but I had a great idea for @drawlight‘s Advent challenge and, darn it, I still wanted to share. Who’s up for some Canon Divergent Rome?!

Day 1: Mistletoe (1585 words)

Corrupting an already corrupt emperor turned out to be the most difficult job Crowley had ever received.

He tried reporting Downstairs that the emperor was firmly on their side already, no Temptation needed.

Stop making excuses and get back to work, Crowley.

So he sent reports of the emperor’s failed invasion of Britannia and subsequent war against the ocean.

Stop making things up, Crowley.

Finally, he took credit for Emperor Gaius’s plans to desecrate the Temple in Jerusalem, even though they’d been underway long before he showed up.

Good job, Crowley, can’t wait to hear what you Tempt him to next.

“I mean, even if I was going to desecrate the Temple, I wouldn’t do it with a giant tacky statue of old Baby Boots, you know?” Crowley grumbled over his fifth cup of wine.

“Of course I know,” Aziraphale said with something approaching sympathy.

As the job stretched into its fourth month with no sign of release, the one consolation had been the dinners with Aziraphale. Every third day, like clockwork, the angel would track him down wherever he was sulking and drag him to a new restaurant, or a play, or some other silly distraction.

It was…friendly-ish. Amicable, he supposed. Sober angel and drunken demon. Not that Aziraphale didn’t want to drink, but there had to be that separation, that sense that even though they shared a table, they weren’t together. Enemies, meeting under a flag of truce.

Sometimes Crowley caught himself wishing there was something more…substantial to it. Some crack in the walls between, them, some genuine connection. Still, each got something out of the exchange. Crowley had someone to drunkenly rant his stress to, and Aziraphale had an excuse to try…

“What even is this, anyway?” Crowley poked at one of the strips of meat.

“Roast flamingo tongue.”

“I hate this city!” Crowley slumped onto his couch as dramatically as possible. It was a well-practiced gesture – arms and legs going in every direction for maximum effect, but not a single drop of wine spilled. “One week, I was supposed to be here one week, and now it’s almost next year!”

“Where would you rather be?” Aziraphale reclined on a couch to his right, perpendicular, so each looked at the table and not at each other. That was the theory; in practice, as the angel picked up one of the disgusting delicacies and took a bite, Crowley could see every bit of pleasure blooming across his face. He found he couldn’t look away, and that expression – oh, it did something to his heart and his stomach.

Jealousy, Crowley assumed. He wished anything gave him half as much pleasure as a chunk of dead bird gave Aziraphale.

He dragged his eyes away to stare at his cup of wine, finding it empty again. “Alexandria was nice. Antioch. Ephesus. Carthage, I liked. Remember Carthage? Not the same anymore.” He started on his sixth cup, and found that his sour mood had reached the philosophical stage. “I mean, the point is, Rome is like that one story, with the king with the donkey ears. You know the one. Everything it touches turns to…more Rome. ’S boring is what it is.”

“There’s a festival coming up,” the angel commented.

“Oh, uh, yeah, that’s another thing,” Crowley cut across. “Festivals. Every bloody day is a festival. What possible reason can they have to celebrate so much? ’S all, whoops, today is Apollo’s birthday –”

“Saturn.”

“– Oh, right, of course, Saturn’s birthday, so let’s all kill a cow –”

“Pig, I believe.”

“– pig, and then chant about it in the Forum for a few hours and…’S there a feast after? I can’t stand one more bloody feast at that palace.”

“Yes, I believe tradition calls for a feast, drinking, gambling, music…”

“Oh, no.”

“Five days of celebration in fact. Special order of your emperor.”

“Five…five days?” Crowley collapsed, burying his face in the couch, wrapping his arms around his head. “Angel, what’s this city doing to me? Five days of celebration, and I want nothing to do with it.”

“Now, it probably won’t be that bad…”

“Not that bad? D’you know what goes on at those feasts? I’d rather be discorporated.”

“Stop being so dramatic.”

“’M not bein’ dramatic.” He didn’t even have the energy to feel sullen. Every feast, every party, the humans enacted the worst excesses, did…things Hell would certainly never believe, invented whole new sins Heaven could never conceive. And then the emperor would insist that his new red-haired advisor entertain them, and while that was less disgusting, it was still humiliating. “’M never getting out of this city. ’M gonna spend eternity obeying that spoiled idiot child.”

“Crowley, it won’t be eternity, humans don’t live that long.”

“First two emperors lived more’n seventy-five years. That’s fifty more years, Angel. I can’ take it.”

Aziraphale was silent for so long, Crowley began to think he’d left. The demon was just about to lift his head from the couch and find out, when he finally spoke.

“I’ve asked to be excused from the festivities to concentrate on my studies. The family loaned me a villa, on Albanus Mons. It’s a summer retreat, so it should be quiet this time of year. You may join me, if you like.” Crowley slowly raised his eyes, but the Angel was entirely focused on his meal.

“Who…” he tried to sound casual. “Who else’ll be there?”

“No one.” The angel took another bite, still not looking away from the table. “I requested there not even be any servants or slaves. If you choose not to come, I will simply be alone for five days.”

Five days, alone, with Azirahale?

Crowley’s mind jumped to a dozen different possibilities – several of which should never have been considered he’s an angel, after all – before settling on the most likely: five days of Aziraphale reading his scrolls and miracling up questionable food, while Crowley got as drunk as he pleased in another room.

It sounded delightful.

“I’ll think about it.” Aziraphale nodded as if it made no difference. “Where would I meet you?”

And so, on the 17th evening of December, Crowley found himself standing outside an elaborate villa, outer walls painted a warm yellow-orange, red tile roof suggesting a second floor at the back where the windows could take in the wide, rolling hills tumbling all the way back down to the city.

It would have been a promising start to his break from the utter insanity of the city, but there stood Aziraphale, wearing casual dinner robes of light blue and gold – far more color than he normally wore – and a silly cap, clearly dressed for revelries of some description. Some sort of plant hung from the lintel above the entryway.

“You said we wouldn’t be celebrating anything,” Crowley accused.

“I said no such thing.”

“You implied. And you said you wanted to be excused from the festivities, don’t think I forgot that.”

“Fine. I lied. Because if I told you I wanted you to celebrate with me, you wouldn’t have come.”

“Well, thank you for your honesty, Angel. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I think I’d rather be in the city after all.” He turned on his heel and walked away.

“Crowley, wait.” He didn’t wait. “Are you honestly going to tell me you’d rather celebrate with Emperor Caligula than with me?”

“Yes, I would. Because at least I know what to expect with him. You’re so devious sometimes…I just can’t, Aziraphale.”

“Do you – will you slow down?” The angel finally stepped in front of him, puffing slightly from the exertion. “Do you even know what this holiday is about?”

“Same as all Roman holidays. Appeasing the random forces of the universe with sacrifice, eating until you vomit, and humiliating your captured enemies.”

“No, Crowley.” He grabbed the demon’s wrist, fingers gripping like steel wrapped in the softest Egyptian cotton. Crowley couldn’t have resisted if he’d wanted to. “This is a day of role reversals,” and now it was the angel who ranted, voice heavy with annoyance as he dragged Crowley back to the villa. “This is the day that slaves are served by their masters. This is the day that all divisions break down and everyone in the empire is treated as an equal.” He jabbed a finger at the plant hanging above the door. Mistletoe. “Do you know what that is?”

“’S a parasite,” Crowley mumbled, but he didn’t feel the bitterness.

“That is a symbol of healing. Of peace. Under a bundle of mistletoe, Romans make alliances with their enemies. And for one night…” his voice softened, just a bit. “For five nights, thanks to your emperor, it means that in this villa there are no… no divides.” He turned to look Crowley straight in the eyes. His face was so open, warm, a little scared. “No walls. No sides.” With his free hand, he reached up and pulled off the dark glasses Crowley wore. What he saw in the demon’s eyes made him smile. “No angels or Fallen. And I would like to celebrate…with you.”

Crowley swallowed, not trusting himself to speak. Aziraphale’s fingers finally released his wrist, and he caught them again, twining them with his, pressing their palms together.

The angel led him to stand under the mistletoe, right at the dividing line between what had always been and a new possibility he had only just begun to consider.

Aziraphale brushed his lips against Crowley’s cheek, quick, soft, trembling. “Io, Saturnalia.”

“Io, Saturnalia.”

#good omens fanfiction #my writing #good omens prime #ineffable husbands #31 days of ineffables #advent calendar #writing challenge #look i need a break from the angst #I'll keep up as long as I can

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