#I think I got all the T-shirt moments for Ted. Can you guess the two scenes I forgot and had to go back and add??? | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

raindownforme · 3 years

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Salt Water

Charlie Slimecicle x reader [she/her used]

CW: negative body image, self doubt, negative self image

(Yes this is self-indulgent comfort)

“This is easy.” y/n spoke out loud to no one but herself. She stared in the mirror, turning side to side. Today was the start of summer, and her and her friends had decided to go to the beach. She’d bought the perfect bathing suit for it, too. It was a pretty blue with a dinosaur pattern. It was also a bikini.

She felt comfortable in it. She wouldn’t have bought it otherwise. She felt comfortable when she bought. She felt comfortable when she planned the whole outfit. She felt comfortable when she made the plans. She didn’t feel comfortable now.

She thought she’d grown put of this. She was an adult goddamnit. y/n wasn’t the middle-schooler who got made fun of by her trash friends, or the high schooler who thought so negatively al the time. She was an adult who bought herself the cute dinosaur bathing suit. And by god she was going to wear it.

y/n sighed, stepping back from her mirror to sit on the edge of her bed. She could do this. She knew she could. It would just be so much easier if she could stop thinking for five seconds. It was the same incomprehensible thought over and over, an onslaught of negative thoughts towards herself and her figure. Reminders of every YouTube comment on her videos, in her friends’ twitch chats, in public posts.

Maybe she shouldn’t go?

“Hey, you ready?” Someone knocked on y/n’s door and startled her. She jumped up from the bed, throwing on a pair of shorts and a large plain shirt. She shouldered her tote of necessities, slipped on her flip-flops, and opened the door. Cooper stood slouched waiting for her. “Yeah?”

“Yeah. Let’s go.” y/n walked in front of him to the car waiting. Ted sat in the drivers seat, shuffling through his playlist. Jawsh sat in the passenger seat next to him, not at all paying attention. y/n watched cooper climb into the furthest row of the car, leaving her, Charlie, and Traves to fit into the middle row. y/n held her breath as she climbed in, being forced to squeeze into the middle seat. She rested all her belongings in her lap, staring forwards through the windshield.

“Everyone packed in?” They all gave a chorus of ‘yes’ as Ted pulled out of his parking spot and to the open road. It was only 20 minutes from the beach, shorter if traffic got lucky.

The music bumped throughout the car and everyone split into different conversations. Jawsh and Ted talked about something or other, Traves and Cooper shared content on their phones, and Charlie turned to look at y/n. “I brought the boogie boards! Do you want to— what’s wrong?”

She turned to look at him, slightly surprised. “Yeah. No I’d love to boogie board.”

“Are you okay?” Charlie dropped how loud his voice was compared to everyone else. “Something seems off.”

“I’m good.” She lazily smiled at him then turned back to stare out the windshield. She liked watching the cars and buildings pass by in a blur. Charlie looked away from her and followed her line of vision. He didn’t quite understand, but he was determined to.

The group soon arrived at the beach. They quickly unpacked their full trunk and set up their seating on the beach. Ted made sure the umbrella stood upright, Traves and Cooper carried the coolers, Jawsh and y/n set out chairs and blankets, and Charlie carried the toys.

“Everyone sun screened?” Ted gestured as he tried to pass around a bottle. “y/n? I don’t want you to get cancer.”

“I’m good!” She’d already applied skin protectant before leaving the house. y/n set down her stuff and sat in the low lawn chair. She took in the sight of Cooper, Traves and Jawsh racing towards the shore, stumbling over each other in the sand. Charlie sat a few feet away from the laid out area, taking a child’s plastic shovel and beginning to dig a hole.

Ted snapped a lid to a cooler shut and cracked open his soda. He set it in the cup holder of a chair and set his glasses down on the same seat. “I’m headed to the water.”

y/n waved him off as he left. She closed her eyes, feeling herself sink into the chair. She still had on her large shirt and shorts, but they were starting to grow warm. It was hot outside, and she knew she’d be so much more comfortable in just the bathing suit she had under neath.

A shadow appeared over y/n and she opened her eyes again. Charlie stood smiling, a hand extended towards her pick her up. “Come on! Get in the water.”

“No you go ahead.” She sat up slightly, looking between her friends in the water and the boy in front of her. Charlie stayed, persistent.

“y/n get in the water. It’ll be fun!”

“Charlie you go ahead. I’ll be fine.”

He frowned, dropping his hand. “But you were so excited. You told me you bought that dinosaur suit and everything.”

y/n blushed. She didn’t remember telling him, but he was right. She likes the dinosaurs. She had wanted to go in the water this whole time. She took a breath, and stood from her seat. She slowly took off the shorts and t-shirt, placing them back in her seat. She turned to Charlie with a small smile. “Teach me to boogie board.”

“R-Right.” Charlie turned away from her a red tinge to his face. She felt discouraged almost, that Charlie of all people couldn’t look at her in a fucking bathing suit. The negative thoughts started coming back, the reminders, but she tried to kick them away. She wanted to enjoy the beach.

She followed Charlie to the shore line. He dragged behind himself two three-foot-tall boards made of foam and plastic with a tether made of coiled cord and a Velcro band. He slid the two boards into the water. The salt and sand kicked at the foam as he tied one tether around y/n’s wrist. “What are-?”

“You won’t loose it.” Charlie smiled as he talked. He glanced back up to her eyes with a smile, but quickly looked back to make sure the tether was secured to her wrist. Charlie took y/n’s hand in his, pulling her out deeper in the water until the water was just above her middle.

“Aren’t we in the breakers?”

“Yeah! This is exactly where we need to be. Okay you’re gonna hold it like this-“ Charlie got on his board, gripping the top with his hands and resting his chest towards the bottom of his board. y/n copied him, pulling the board closer than he had his. “Okay. So when the right wave comes, jump and let it take you. If it’s the right one it’ll carry you back to shore.”

“And if it doesn’t?”

“Try again.” y/n felt the water be sucked from beside her as the tide rolled over. She glanced to see Charlie lean further onto his board, and she did the same. “This is a good one. Ready?”

“I guess.”

y/n and Charlie jumped at the same time. She laughed as the wave swept her past her friends towards the Sandy shore. She almost made it, but at the last moment she flipped and tumbled in the water.

“Fuck!” Charlie ran over to y/n’s side. She laid on the sand, coughing lightly as she sat up. There was a track of sand down her side, and the boogie board kept bumping into her rudely. “Are you Alright? I’m really sorry.”

“How do I take this thing off?” y/n sat up, pulling at the velcro around her arm. Charlie removed it for her, tossing the board aside. He extended his hand, helping pull her up from the ground. y/n dusted the sand from her legs, and looked up watch Charlie whip his head away with a furious blush covering his cheeks.

“I— Just unwrap the- the thing. The- that.” y/n did as instructed, and handed the boogie board over to Charlie. She watched him take the two boards back over to their beach setup. She followed him, going to sit in her beach chair and wrap a towel around herself. Charlie took a glance at her, the same red returning to his face, then walked very quickly to where some of the other boys were still in the water.

“You two good?” Cooper took a slow sip from a canned soda, glancing between Charlie and y/n.

“Yep.” She felt herself sink lower into the seat. “No. Maybe. I don’t know.”

“What’s wrong?”

“Well- I just-“ she closed her eyes and took a breath. “I bought this stupid bathing suit cause I wanted to feel good about it and about myself and he can’t even look at me in it. I just feel stupid and ugly.”

“Woah woah. y/n there’s no way you’re ugly, period. And there’s no way Charlie thinks you’re ugly.”

“You’re just saying that cause I’m here.”

“I’m saying cause I’m your friend and Charlie thinks you’re fuckin smokin.”

y/n sat up and looked at copper again. “What?”

“Sorry. Let me re-phrase. Charlie thinks-“ Cooper paused, holding his soda in one hand. “I-uh. I shouldn’t have said anything. I didn’t say anything!”

“Yes you did!” y/n stared at Cooper in confusion. He tried to get up and run, but stumbled in the sand and slammed into one of the coolers. He rolled over in the sand, groaning. y/n got out of her chair And knelt down next to him. “Tell me know?”

“He- ugh. He think you’re hot idiot.” Cooper rolled over, flopping his arms outwards and closing his eyes. “That fuckin hurt.”

y/n opened the cooler Cooper had fallen on. She took a handful of ice out and laid it on the spot on Cooper’s abdomen that had hit the cooler. She pressed it closer with the towel she’d been wearing moments before. “Tell me more!”

“No! I’m not doing this for the two of you.”

“The two of us?” y/n withdrew her hand slightly, feeling her face grow warm. “You’re not-“

“Shut up. You’re both so into each tower it’s gross.” Cooper looked back towards the shore line and gave an evil grin. “Speak of the devil.”

y/n paused. Out of the corner of her eye, she could see someone walking up the the chairs and towels that she had no doubt was Charlie. Cooper started standing, leaving her sitting in the sand.

“Hey you good? We saw you fall?”

“Yeah.” Cooper patted Charlie on the shoulder. “By the way, you tow should talk.”

y/n whipped her head away from Charlie, anger and embarrassment bubbling from within her. Charlie was none the wiser. “Uh, about what Cooper?”

Cooper pushed off of Charlie, walking back towards the water. “Tell her what you think man. I’m tired.”

Charlie watched Cooper walk into the water, then turned back to y/n with a furious blush. “I- uh. I like the suit. The dinosaurs. You look great- the dinosaurs. You look great in the suit with the dinosaurs. I mean you look great anyways I just- dinosaurs!”

“Thanks.” y/n sat up a bit straighter.

“So,” Charlie sat cross-legged on a blanket in the sand. “What were you two talking about?”

“I told Cooper I felt ugly and then he said that you said I was smokin.”

“You’re not-! I didn’t say that.”

“Come on Charlie, am I ugly or smokin?”

Charlie paused, frowning. “Joking doesn’t make it go away.”

“I know. It’s just easier. It’s okay it’s just weird to talk about.” She laid back onto the blanket, letting her arms rest above her head. “I like the bathing suit I just don’t like me in it.”

“I understand.” Charlie built small piles of sand at his feet. “I know I can’t change much but for what it’s worth I think you’re pretty.”

She turned her head, looking at him confusedly. “You do?”

“Well- I-“ He pursed his lips, thinking. “I would use the word gorgeous instead.”

“Oh.” y/n looked away from Charlie, trying to hide their flustered expression.

“Oh wait did I say the wrong thing?” Charlie started fiddling with his hands, not sure what to do. “I’m sorry I didn’t mean to make you uncomfortable it’s just- fuck you’re so pretty and I really like you and god you look fucking great but you’re also really funny and smart and sweet and I like you so much but I’m really sorry-“

“Charlie.” y/n placed a hand on his arm, now sitting in the sand next to him. “You never made me uncomfortable.”

“Oh thank god. I never wanted to-“

“I like you to.”

Charlie froze, taking in what y/n said as a blush crept up his neck to his cheeks. He laughed, running a hand through his hair. “No way! Wait no way. Really?” y/n nodded and he laughed again, leaning over to place his hands on the side of her face and rest his forehead against hers. “Holy shit! Like actually holy shit!”

y/n laughed, quickly kissing Charlie’s nose. “Come on nerd let’s get back in the water.”

“Yeah! Yes.” Charlie scrambled upright, pulling a giggling y/n up with him. “Here watch this.” Charlie, in one fluid motion, swept y/n off her feet and began carrying her bridal style. He walked with her in his arms all the way to the water, where he fell into the water with her. They both came up for air, y/n laughing the whole time. “Better?”

“Much better.” y/n kissed him again, putting her arms over his shoulders to hold him close.

“Hey! You two.” Cooper splashed water at y/n and Charlie. “You done?”

The two paused, looking back to each other, then swam towards their group of friends, starting a splash free-for-all.

#dsmp #dsmp fanfic #dsmp x reader #charlie slimecicle my beloved #charlie slimecicle #charlie slimecicle x reader #slimecicle #slimecicle x reader #lunch club #lunch club x reader

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touyasdoll · 3 years

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Complicated - Chapter Two

Chapter One: Here

Pairing: Dabi/Touya Todoroki x reader

Warnings: self-degradation/self-doubt

Word count: 2.2k

A/n: Gonna rework this and ditch the first person POV, jsyk.

A/n pt. 2: This story does contain spoilers for the show/manga. The dates/ages of characters are going to be shifted around a bit.

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It's been two days. Is he gonna call? Text? Completely forget I exist?

I sigh, trying to expel the anxiety balled up in the pit of my stomach.

Why would he call? We talked for, what, five minutes? He seemed older too. You were in your damn school uniform, idiot. He's obviously got more important shit to do than chat up a schoolgirl who can't mind her own fucking business.

"Ugh," I groan to no one but myself in my apartment. "I'm really just the biggest fucking jackass, aren't I?"

Flopping down on my bed, I let out another weighty sigh and bury my face in the plethora of pillows piled beneath me.

Relax. Maybe he'll text. Maybe he won't. And if he doesn't he's just sparing you the embarrassment that you would inevitably bring upon yourself.

A yawn escapes my lips as I feel a wave of drowsiness wash over me. Glancing at the clock, I could see it was hardly 5 PM.

Fucked up sleep schedule, here I come.

The familiar comfort of my bed allows me to quiet my thoughts enough to fall into a shallow sleep, until I'm startled awake by a vibrating sensation coming from underneath my chin.

I blink against the harsh light emitting from my phone, squinting to see who was disturbing me.

What the--oh shit!

It was an unknown number. Recognizing that it could be him, I sit up faster than I have ever managed to after a nap and fumble the phone into my palm, eagerly sliding my thumb across the screen to accept the call.

"Hello?"

My breath hitches and I bite my lip in anticipation as I wait, eager to hear his deep, silky voice on the other end.

But the pause on the other side of the line seems just a little too long. Something is off.

Is this him? Is it..just some creep? A prank? What the hell?

"We've been trying to reach you about your car's extended warranty."

My eyes slam shut, a shake reverberating through my spine as a cocktail of anger and embarrassment wash over me.

That's it. Hope is off limits from now on.

"Fucking great."

I tap the end button, half ready to throw my phone out the window.

Instead, I decide to check and see if I missed anything else while I was out.

Hope is off limits.

I shake my head, trying to erase the little embers of hope that persist, praying that maybe he did reach out.

To my surprise, there's a text from an unrecognized number.

Unknown: You free tonight, doll?

Holy shit.

Looking above the message, I see: Today 6:58 PM. I wince as I dare to look at the clock, which mercifully reads 7:26 PM.

Tapping the text box, I don't give myself the chance to overthink this opportunity.

Me: For you? Sure thing.

Tossing my phone onto the bed, I nod my head, processing the sudden burst of confidence I seem to have found.

I'm not like this. What is it about this guy? He's just that--a guy. One that I don't know. And now I'm just gonna meet up with him?

He's literally a stranger. Who the hell do I think I am?? Is my vagina just running things now? Gonna run out and meet up with some strange dude, because he's pretty and charming?

You know who else was pretty and charming?? Ted Bundy.

That's right, you said it. This is dumb, logically. This is everything everyone’s ever warned you about.

My phone buzzes and my heart rate spikes in response, tearing me from my spiraling doubts.

Unknown: Our spot. 30 minutes. See you there.

A noise that I've certainly never made before eeks past my lips as I process his instructions.

Fuck it. The possibility of this guy being a serial killer has been assessed. I'm going, risks be damned.

You're an idiot. You're an idiot. You're an idiot.

I sigh for the umpteenth time today, waging war in my own mind.

I don't know what it is about him, but I have to see him again. Nothing bad is going to happen. It'll be fine.

That's what I tell myself as I exhale, until I catch my reflection.

My hair is disheveled, my mascara askew. I didn't even bother to take off my uniform before I passed out.

As if I weren't flustered enough, now I gotta make myself looking somewhere near presentable and get down there in time.

Here goes nothing.

Fifteen minutes fly by and I think I've managed it as I step back to look myself over in the mirror once more.

The shortest pair of high-waisted shorts I own, paired with a low-cut black crop top and my favorite slip-ons. My make-up doesn't look perfect and there's not much of it, but it's touched up, and my hair is at least brushed.

Okay, no turning back now.

Grabbing my keys, I tuck my phone in my back pocket and make my way to the meeting place.

+++++++++++++++

Our spot. The man is smooth and I think that he knows it.

I re-read the last message he sent for probably the thirteenth time in the past five minutes.

The clock in the corner of the screen reads 8:02.

Maybe he won’t show. Maybe this is a joke. He and his buddies with come around a corner and laugh as they speed off.

Damn, can I chill? No. He’s going to be here. And I’m going to act like a human fucking being. A normal girl. Someone he could like; I’m capable of that.

Aren’t I?

Scanning my surroundings yet again, I take in the scenery. I never really get out at night, but the city looks so pretty this way. There’s not too much traffic, especially considering that it’s a Friday night, but there are some people milling about up and down the sidewalk. Some look like they’re on their way home. Some look like they’re on their way out for a night on the town.

“Hey there.”

My eyes are quick to follow the sound of his voice. I look up and he’s strolling up to the bench where I’m seated, the same one where I bandaged his arm the other day.

His hands are shoved in his front pockets, thumbs pushed through the belt loops of the tight, black jeans he’s sporting. His white t-shirt dangles off of his frame in a way that suits him, offering a glimpse of his muscular chest. A black coat completes his ensemble and he certainly looks the part of the typical bad boy.

But, damn, does it look so good on him.

“Hey, there. How’s the arm?”

I scoot over a bit, allowing for ample space between us if he were to take a seat. To my surprise, he sits towards the middle of the bench, so that his thigh brushes against mine as he settles.

I tuck my hair behind my ear, glancing down and covering the noise I want to make with a quiet clearing of my throat.

“It’s good. You do make a pretty decent nurse, sweetheart.”

He grins and pulls his coat sleeve back, revealing the still bandaged wound.

“Wait, have you changed that?”

You’re such a mom. You better hope he’s into MILFs, because otherwise this ain’t gonna get you where you wanna go, girl.

His brow furrows in an expression that tells me all I need to know before he even speaks.

“What do you mean? Changed what?”

A quiet sigh leaves my lungs as I hold out my hand.

“May I?”

His puzzled expression doesn’t falter, but he shrugs and offers his forearm up for inspection.

Carefully, I pull back the tape holding the bandages together and slowly begin to unwrap them.

That is, until the smell hits me. I barely catch of glimpse of the reddened skin before my nostrils detect the scent of burned flesh and excess viscera.

“Oh, dear. Have you even unwrapped this thing?”

Trying not to agitate anything further, I delicately wrap the bandages back around his arm, taping them down once again.

“No, should I have?”

I look up and my gaze meets his, a sense of true ignorance evident in his expression; I try not to laugh. I really try, but a soft giggle escapes nonetheless.

“Yes! I mean, if it doesn’t hurt, I’m sure it’s not that bad right now, but you should be cleaning and redressing a wound like that once every 12 hours at the very least. It’s been what, like, at least 50 at this point?”

His good arm reaches for the back of his neck, scratching at it as he dons an apologetic half smile.

“Sorry, I’m not exactly nurturing by nature, doll. I don’t know the first fucking thing about this kind shit.”

I cock a sympathetic smile as I look at him, sitting there looking almost helpless. I guess he is, in a sense. It’s actually kinda cute how he doesn’t seem to have an inkling of how to properly care for himself.

Because that’s absolutely what you want in a potential relationship. Someone to fix, how fun! Why not open up a shop for broken boys? Girl, when will you learnnn??

“Well, I don’t have anything on me right now, but if you don’t mind coming back to my place, I could clean it up there? And I’ll teach you how to keep up with it this time.”

I guess not today, motherfucker.

“Coming to my rescue again. You must be in a hero course, huh, doll?”

His smile is so naturally disarming as he stands and offers his hand out before me.

“I don’t mind, if you’re sure you don’t. I don’t wanna make you uncomfortable and I don’t wanna be a burden. I didn’t ask you out tonight for you to have to play doctor on me again.”

He seems so sweet, so genuine. Maybe he is broken, but everyone deserves kindness. He looks like he hasn’t seen much of that. And as cliché as it is, maybe I can help him. Maybe he can help me.

I slip my hand in his, smiling as flirtatiously as I can manage as he pulls me to my feet.

“I don’t mind. I was kind of hoping I might get to play doctor on you again anyway. Maybe you could even return the favor.”

I brush my fingers against his as our hands disconnect, taking a page from his own book and watching his expression as my skin glides against his.

Or maybe we could just do this. This works too. No muss, no fuss. But oh my goodness what if what I just did was weird and he’s not even interested??

His eyebrows rise for just a moment as he chuckles and glances down, still grinning as he puts his hands in his coat pockets.

“Well, sweetheart, I don’t know much about medicine, but I do know how to give a pretty thorough physical exam.”

Something twitched deep inside my belly as my breath caught in my throat and I damn near tripped over my own two feet as we started walking.

Thankfully, his reflexes were quicker than my inate ability to fuck things up and his good arm reached out to steady my frame as he stepped in front of me.

The delicious scent of his cologne mingling with remnant cigarette smoke nearly made me dizzy as my hands connected with his chest, now completely unable to ignore the muscles just beneath his thin shirt.

“You all right there, doll?”

Long, slender fingers find their way under my chin. His thumb just barely brushing the edge of my bottom lip as he strokes it over my chin.

His eyes are practically piercing mine as he carefully lifts my face to his. Who knew being in such close proximity to someone so beautiful could be this paralyzing.

Holy fuck. Forget fixing me. He can break me and I’ll probably thank him for it.

The strong hand on the small of my back threatens to rob me of my breath all over again and I have to fight to keep any semblance of composure in his arms.

“Yeah.” I tuck a stray strand of hair behind my ear and will myself to break eye contact. “You always have girls falling for you this quickly?”

I pity laugh at my own joke, wishing my quirk was something that would allow me to disappear.

But then he’s chuckling too. It’s melodious at first, but then it morphs into a deep reverberation that sends all the right chills down my spine as I level my eyes with his again.

He looks like an enigma personified. His eyes look so gentle and warm, but his smile reads so sad. The words that leave his lips sound like both a warning and an invitation to my flushe red ears.

“Trust me, princess. You don’t wanna fall for me. I’m no good for you.”

Oh, but it’s too late for that.

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writingwitharlo · 3 years

Text

Sound of Comfort

Summary: Teddy isn't a happy bunny, but there is something that can always lift his mood. (tiny bit of angst, little bit of comfort, loads of fluff)

Teddy Lupin/Victoire Weasley

A/N: no idea what this is but it's whatever, enjoy, i like this idea, haven't really seen this much i don't think

The silence in the Hufflepuff common room was disrupted by the sound of footsteps descending down from the entrance.

Victoire looked up from the book she had been reading to occupy herself as she waited for Teddy to return from his evening's detention. Earlier that day, he had asked her to help him with a potions assignment and, of course, she wouldn't leave him hanging, even though it was already getting late.

Her mouth opened as said boy came into view, ready to ask him how it went, but seeing the dark and tired look on the Hufflepuff's face, her lips shut again. Victoire got to her feet, ready to greet him with a hug, or whatever he needed but before her hand could even made contact with the older boy's arm, he had already pulled away and muttered a low 'Don't touch me' as he headed straight for the boys' dorms.

Confused and concerned, Victoire exchanged a look with Teddy's best friend and fellow Hufflepuff, Caden, who had been lounging around the common room as well.

(Caden and Teddy were the only two Hufflepuff boys sorted into their year, meaning their dorm was only ever occupied by the two of them. This obviously contributed to both of them becoming very close friends, and essentially like brothers.)

Caden shrugged and jerked his head in direction of the boys' dorms, gesturing to Victoire that she should follow him. The Ravenclaw simply nodded and made her way quietly to their shared dorm room.

Carefully, she opened up the door and peeked inside. At first she was unsure if Teddy was even there; the lights were off and there seemed to be no sound. The pile of shoes and clothes next to the dresser, however, told her otherwise.

Victoire inhaled deeply before stepping inside, gently shutting the door behind her but with enough force so that Teddy was aware somebody else was present. With a quick flick of her wand she ignited a couple of lamps, flooding the room in soft warm light.

"Teddy?" she spoke softly, observing the lump underneath the covers on the far left bed. When it didn't move, Victoire approached slowly, settling down next to it quietly and resting a gentle hand on top what she could only guess was Teddy's shoulder.

They stayed like that for a little while until the lump moved, but only enough to lift one corner of the covers. Victoire didn't need to be told twice; she took the corner and scooted closer to the warm body underneath, draping the covers over the two of them.

Victoire's arms slid around his torso as she pressed herself close to the other's back, her nose burying into the back of his neck. Only their heads were now poking out from the covers. Teddy had stripped off his jeans and socks, leaving him in his boxers and the long-sleeve shirt he had worn all afternoon.

"What happened?" Victoire whispered quietly, resting her cheek against his shoulder.

"It's stupid," Teddy grumbled, his voice a little raspy.

"It can't be that stupid if it made you this upset."

There was more silence and Victoire almost accepted that she would not be finding out today, but with a huff Teddy began explaining the argument he had gotten into during his detention with a Slytherin boy.

It didn't sound like it had been a serious argument, but by the end of it Professor McGonagall decided to check on them, just as they reached the height of the argument. Of course the Slytherin threw him under the bus and Teddy got dealt another days detention.

Victoire couldn't help the soft giggle that spilled over her lips, causing Teddy to look back over his shoulder at her. She slightly released her grip on him, allowing him to turn over and fully face her. "Sorry," she whispered, placing a hand over her mouth. She didn't mean to be insensitive.

Teddy pouted at her, but he already seemed less upset than when he had first returned. Nevertheless, Victoire opened up her arms for him, allowing the Hufflepuff to snuggle close. His head rested against her chest, tucking itself beneath her chin as his arms snaked around her body instinctively.

Victoire's fingers found their way into the other's blue hair, combing through the soft curls. "Tell me, what can I do to chase away this grumpy-grump?" she asked softly, scratching the back of Teddy's scalp and smiling as she felt him melt into her touch.

Teddy didn't reply with words, only a soft groan.

"Is this helping?" Victoire asked with a chuckle, focusing the gentle scratches to the base of his scalp.

Another hum.

Victoire laughed, letting her head fall back onto Teddy's pillow. It would never stop being adorable how much Teddy's mood could be affected by physical affection, it was like dating a human sized puppy.

Teddy's arms tightened around her, drawing her closer by her waist. He had his arms placed between her cardigan and the vest top she was wearing, giving his hands full access to rub her back.

The Ravenclaw smiled to herself, letting her eyes flutter shut as she felt his warmth traveling up and down her back slowly before sliding back around her waist.

One thing Teddy inherited from his father was his lankiness. Built tall and lean, his arms could easily fully encompass Victoire in their grip. He held her so close, that his hand could reach the respective opposite sides of her waist.

Victoire let out a content sigh, planting a couple gentle kisses to the top of the other's head.

Teddy slowly lifted his head, looking up at the Ravenclaw with a face of innocence. "I think I know what might help," he mumbled quietly.

Victoire raised a questioning eyebrow, bringing one of her hands up to brush a stray curl out of Teddy's face. "Yeah? And what would that be, my love?"

Before she had even fully asked the question, Victoire knew she was in for trouble.

Teddy's eyes darkened slightly and a playful smirk tugged at his lips.

Only a sharp inhale of anticipation was heard before the poised fingers struck their target. Victoire let out a shriek of surprise at the meticulously executed attack before she was subjected to a peal of giggles. The fingers rapidly clawed at the softer parts between her lower ribs.

It wasn't often that Victoire found herself on the receiving end of these torments. Quite early on, even before they started dating, Victoire was aware of Teddy's persistent physical touches. A squeeze to the knee, an arm wrapped around the shoulders, a quick scribble to the back of the neck, it was Teddy's most frequent gesture of affection. So it only made sense that the Hufflepuff boy craved similar gestures in order to receive the same affection.

It didn't take long for Victoire to realise that Teddy would purposefully put himself into situations that would make him victim of a good tickle. Whether that was being extra sassy with his responses, or annoying Victoire when she was trying to study, or even just playfully tackling Caden to the nearest cushioned surface, it would always eventually lead to the same scenario.

Now that Victoire and Teddy had spent more time together and learned more about the other's ways, it almost came natural. Of course, this was one of the less common situations.

"You're mehean!" Victoire protested as she tried to push Teddy away by his shoulders. His grip was so tight, however, there was absolutely no chance she would be able to free herself.

"I'm just taking up your offer to help me," Teddy replied, the smile on his face much to smug for the Ravenclaw's liking.

Every now and again, Teddy would get into these moods where nothing but a squirming Victoire beneath him could quite satisfy.

Teddy let one of his hands climb higher up Victoire's ribcage, forcing her to clamp her arms down, which was futile since another set of arms was already in the way.

"Nooho! Ted!"

Teddy grinned and halted his attack. His grip loosened and his hands settled flat against her back where they wouldn't do any real damage.

"Merlin," Victoire panted, a few residual giggles still bubbling over. "Next time, give me a head's up at least." She looked down at Teddy's still smug face and rolled her eyes, planting her hand on his face and shoving him away. "You had planned this from the start, didn't you?"

Teddy chuckled as he flopped onto his back. "I didn't actually"

He looked back at her with sincerity. "After you laughed at my detention story, I was reminded that your laugh is actually really comforting."

Victoire wanted to roll her eyes at his sappy reply but from his face she could tell that he was actually being serious and the tips of her ears turned a little warm. "You couldn't have just said that?" she huffed also flopping onto her back.

Teddy shrugged, biting down on his bottom lip. "Where would be the fun in that?"

There was a moment of silence between them, with Teddy watching Victoire, unsure if he had overstepped some line and with Victoire staring up at the dorm ceiling, still a little breathless.

"You're really going to be the end of me, you know that?" Victoire suddenly spoke, sitting up and discarding her cardigan before laying back down.

Teddy's eyes widened in confusion and he propped himself onto his elbow, unsure what she meant.

"You get five minutes. Do your worst."

"W-What?" Teddy asked.

"You heard me."

Teddy got onto his knees, the covers now long forsaken as they slid off the bed onto the floor. "Are you serious? You are serious." He could barely contain the grin that split across his face as he straddled just one of her thighs, giving her enough freedom to kick him off if she really felt the need to.

"Don't eye me up like that, Lupin. Just get it over with already." Victoire wanted to squirm under his intense gaze and felt her body heat up slightly. Even with his disheveled hair and crumpled shirt, he could still express something menacing if he wanted to.

Teddy hovered over her, planting his hands on either side of her head. "You're the best girlfriend, did you know that?" he murmured, pressing his lips against hers for a moment.

As he pulled apart, he grabbed each of her wrists and slowly brought them together above her head where he pinned them easily with one hand.

Victoire swallowed, instinctively tugging at her arms but not surprised when they barely budged. "I hope you know that you'll be getting your share after this."

Teddy chuckled and took in the body beneath him, his eyes getting caught on the strip of skin now visible as the hem of the thin top had rucked upwards.

"Oh, god," Victoire whispered and Teddy looked at her with a smirk, his free hand coming up to lightly trace across the bare skin.

With a suppressed squeak, Victoire tried to suck in her belly as much as possible. Not that that was going to save her.

His hands were warm and gentle, but tickled nonetheless. Only when a finger dipped into her belly button and wiggled deep against its base did Victoire break, a loud clear laugh erupting.

The touch felt like it was coming from inside her body, causing the Ravenclaw to twist her pelvis from one side to the other but with no success.

Now that Teddy had begun he was not holding back. A claw formed over the center of the belly, the fingers twitching just ever so slightly and yet were enough to produce a completely new sound of desperate laughter.

As the tormenting fingers passed by her ribs and reached Victoire's armpit a little while later, she could feel that she was reaching her limit. There was no way of telling how many minutes had passed. For all she knew, it could have been 2 or twenty.

Teddy gave her the shortest of breaks to catch her breath before lightly tracing sloppy lines and circles from her upper arm to her upper ribs and back again.

"Ahaha, fuhuck!" Victoire snorted, making a move to bite at his hand.

Teddy gasped, retracting his free hand but keeping her pinned with the other. "Did you just try to bite me?" he asked accusingly, that certain look in his eyes that always left Victoire feeling giddy and hot.

"Nobody said... I couldn't," she replied factually while still trying to catch her breath.

Teddy licked his lip as his eyebrows shot up and he nodded slowly. "Very well. Nobody said I couldn't either."

Before Victoire could even process his words, Teddy had released her arms, using both hands to grab ahold of the vest top's hem and revealing her full stomach to which he pressed his face, playfully biting and nibbling at the skin.

Victoire shrieked. Not only were the gentle nips and the occasional swirl of his tongue torturous, the 7th year was also starting to grow in a decent amount of stubble, meaning with every movement, the prickly hairs sent tiny electric sparks through the Ravenclaw's nerves.

Said Ravenclaw trying her best to curl in on herself but it was no use. Teddy had found his new target, which meant the only defence was offence.

With her head thrown back in laughter, Victoire blindly searched for his open spots. One hand managed to find its way across the back of his shoulder and into his armpit while the other explored every inch of his exposed neck.

Needless to say, Teddy's attack did not last for much longer, interrupted by scrunched shoulders and shouts of protest. Victoire's revenge was quick to follow.

Only when Caden eventually returned to the dorm were they able to agree on a truce. As they collapsed next to each other, cheeks burning and stomach's hurting, both of them knew they weren't leaving that bed until the next day.

#teddy lupin #victoire weasley #tickle fic #teddy lupin is ticklish #ticklish teddy lupin #ler!teddy #lee!teddy #lee!victoire #ler!victoire #victoire weasley is ticklish #ticklish!victoire #ticklish victoire weasley #ticklish!teddy #harry potter tickle fic #potterverse tickle fic #tickling #tickle community

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flowerfan2 · 3 years

Text

Let Me Whisper In Your Ear

Please enjoy this fluffy bit of ridiculousness, brought to you by that friend who when I said “gee, I doubt there’s a Ted/Trent tentacle fic yet” said they wanted to read it. 🐙. Title from the Beatles’ song “Do You Want To Know A Secret.”

Ted/Trent (aka Tent), 1800 words, M, A03

Ted is sitting on a bench near Richmond Bridge, nursing his cup of coffee. It’s a few weeks after the catastrophic Man City game, and he finally feels like the team is putting it behind them.

When he woke up this morning, Ted considered checking something off the long list of tourist activities he had assigned himself back when he first got to London. But in the end he decided that taking it easy was more to his liking.

It's a pretty spot, here by the Thames. There’s a good bakery nearby, tucked into a converted arch near the bridge, and the server didn’t seem to mind putting good old cow’s milk into his cup. He’s considering going back for another coffee, or maybe even a cupcake, when someone sits down next to him.

He looks over and breaks into a smile, pleased despite himself. “Well, if it isn’t Trent Crimm, of the Independent.”

Trent rolls his eyes. “I think at this point you can just call me Trent.”

“Now, where would the fun be in that?” Ted leans in and presses a quick kiss to Trent’s cheek, hardly more than a greeting between friends. Trent blushes ever so prettily, and it sends a rush of affection through his chest. “It’s nice to see you this fine morning.”

“As if I’d be anywhere else on your day off.”

Now it’s Ted’s turn to blush. This is new between them, and he’s not used to being someone’s priority, not like this, anyway. His schedule is demanding, but it turns out that a journalist of Trent’s caliber has quite a bit of flexibility schedule-wise, and who knows, maybe in other ways as well.

Ted focuses himself back on handsome fellow next to him. “This here’s a right nice place to sit,” he says. “And not too crowded. I’m glad you suggested it.”

Trent hums to himself and looks around. “Gets busier on the weekend. Still, you might want to be careful.” He gives Ted a knowing look. “It’s not exactly private.”

They sit in comfortable silence together for a little while, Trent drinking his tea and Ted finishing off his coffee. There’s music coming from somewhere, a busker playing a fiddle, and the breeze is soft and almost warm. Ted knows that he’s not ready for public displays of affection yet, he hasn’t even told Rebecca or Keeley about this, but he’s confident he’ll be ready soon.

There’s a shout behind them, and Ted turns to see a few kids kicking a ball around.

“Don’t worry, I don’t think they’ve seen you,” Trent says. “Your secret’s still safe.”

“What, that this football coach prefers coffee to tea? I don’t think that’s much of secret.”

Trent laughs, soft and low, and Ted wants to hear it again. “What do you say we go back to my place, see if we can get into some trouble of our own? Or yours, I’m easy.”

It works, as Trent chuckles in amusement, and they stand up. Ted wants to take Trent’s hand, but he stops himself in time, instead bumping their shoulders together.

They’re walking down the road, hands shoved in their pockets after depositing their coffee cups in the trash, when Trent’s posture shifts. “Ted. You’re not the only one with a secret.”

Ted glances at Trent. “I know. I get that you have to be careful too. But you haven’t been reporting on Richmond-”

“No, I don’t mean about us.”

Ted comes up blank. “Okay.”

They continue walking, and then Trent stops and turns to Ted. “Aren’t you going to ask me what it is? What my secret is?”

Ted catches Trent’s eyes. “Now, that’s the beautiful thing about a secret, isn’t it? You don’t have to share it. It’s not for public consumption.” He doesn’t know what’s troubling Trent, but Ted does know a thing or two about privacy, and wanting to keep certain things to himself. It’s not always a good idea, but then again it’s not always a bad idea, either.

“You are not exactly the public,” Trent says, mildly affronted.

“Fine, I appreciate that. And I’m mighty glad. But you still don’t have to tell me.”

*****

A few weeks go by, and Ted doesn’t dwell on what kind of secret Trent might be keeping. He trusts him, and he figures that whatever it is, Trent will tell him when he’s ready.

They’re on Trent’s couch, engaging in what Ted is chuffed to call snogging (he’s quite pleased at the way his British-isms are coming along, he’s even starting to think in British), and it’s getting rather hot and heavy. Ted is halfway in Trent’s lap, and Trent’s hands have wandered under Ted’s shirt, his palms stroking tantalizingly up and down Ted’s back.

Trent is making encouraging noises as Ted kisses the life out of him, and Ted wants to get his hands on Trent too. He shifts, tugging a little at the worn t-shirt Trent has on, his jacket long since tossed aside. Trent strips his shirt off, and before long they’re down to their respective underwear, Ted’s boring boxers and Trent’s delectably snug black briefs.

Trent gasps against Ted’s neck as they grind together, and then has the sense to drag Ted up and off the couch. “Bedroom?” he asks, and Ted nods, too worked up to even wonder why he hadn’t thought of it sooner.

Trent’s bed is huge, and he sprawls across it, pulling Ted after him. “I’ve wanted this for so long,” he breathes into Ted’s skin, and then proceeds to suck kisses down his neck. Ted leans his head back against the pillows, tangling his hands in Trent’s hair. This is the first time they’ve gone this far, and Ted has a feeling he isn’t going to last, so he wants to savor every part of it.

Trent finds his way down Ted’s chest, giving an experimental lick to a nipple, and Ted hisses in response. “Good?” Trent asks, his finger circling it now.

“Yes, yes, very good.”

Trent returns to his task, licking and sucking, and then gives the other one some attention. Ted is on fire, and he needs to have his mouth on Trent. He tugs him back up and they kiss, fiercer than ever before, their legs wrapping tight around each other as they find delicious friction.

Trent is cupping Ted’s head with one hand, the other gripping his waist, and Ted is doing much the same. He angles his hips, feeling Trent hard against him, and shifts, trying to press them together. Then he feels Trent push his boxers away and take him in hand, and he groans, sensation overtaking him and fireworks exploding behind his eyes.

Trent comes soon after him, letting out a low moan that might be the sexiest thing Ted has ever heard. They’re both panting as they come down, Trent stroking soothingly along Ted’s flank.

Ted tilts his head and kisses at Trent’s palm, loving the feeling of Trent’s hands along his face.

His hands, plural, along his face.

Ted runs his fingers along Trent’s arms, around his elbows and to his hands, and holds still. Yup, hands are all present and accounted for. So what, exactly, is rubbing soothing circles into his side?

“Trent?”

“Mmm?” Trent blinks at him, and Ted is momentarily sidetracked. Sex-sleepy Trent is adorable.

“A little while back, you told me you had something to tell me…”

A beat, and then Trent goes rigid. “Oh my god.” The soft caress on Ted’s hip disappears, and Trent’s eyes go wide. “Oh my god, I’m so sorry, I can’t believe-”

“Hey, hey, calm down,” Ted says, his hands on Trent’s shoulders. “It’s okay, whatever it is, it’s okay.”

“You can’t possibly mean that, you don’t know-”

“But you’re gonna tell me now, I imagine, and then it will be okay.” Ted is pointedly keeping his eyes focused on Trent’s face.

“This is not how I planned on telling you. I was - you distracted me - not that it’s your fault-”

“I guess we did get carried away, and I’m sorry ‘bout that.” Ted says. “I mean, I’m not altogether sorry about it, because it was amazing, truly amazing, but I’m sorry for whatever has upset you.”

Trent buries his face in Ted’s shoulder for a long moment, and then seems to come to a decision. “Right, then. Just please keep in mind that I’ve not had to share this with someone new for a long time, and while I am generally very good with words-”

“And humble, don’t forget humble.”

“I think it’s best if I just show you.” Trent lays close to Ted and takes a deep breath. One hand is on Ted’s cheek, and the other finds Ted’s hand and claps it between them. And then Ted feels it again, a gentle touch skimming its way across his hip, up his side, to his shoulder.

“I’m fairly certain that there are only two of us in this bed,” Ted says quickly, his nerves kicking in, “right?”

“Right,” Trent says, “No one else here. that’s just me.” He pulls back so that Ted can see. Ted is trying really hard to be respectful and understanding, he really is, but he thinks he lets out a squeak. “Is that, is that a…?”

“It’s a tentacle,” Trent says, haughty and tense. “I don’t know why I have it, it’s very rare, I’m not an alien, and it won’t bite.”

Ted draws in a deep breath and squeezes Trent’s hand. Whatever else is going on, this is still Trent here with him, exposed and vulnerable. “Well, that last one’s a shame, because given how helpful it was with our recent shenanigans, that particular ability might have been interesting.” Ted slides his hand through Trent’s hair and pulls him in for a kiss, ignoring the tentacle for the moment.

Trent chokes out a nervous laugh against Ted’s mouth and kisses him back, then almost giggles with relief. “You’re really okay with this?”

“Does it hurt? Is it, um, dangerous in any way?”

“No, not at all. It’s just unbearably strange.”

“Not unbearably.” Ted lets his fingers roam over Trent’s back, stopping as he reaches his shoulder blades, until Trent nods against his chin. He strokes down his spine, and then he finds it, just at Trent’s waist, almost like a tail.

“It’s not a tail,” Trent says, as if reading Ted’s mind. “It’s just its own ridiculous thing.”

Ted circles the base with his fingers, and Trent gasps.

“Whoa there,” Ted says, letting go. “Is it, um-”

“Sensitive,” Trent replies, hiding his face against Ted once again.

“Sensitive, like?” Like sex, his brain fills in.

“Yes.”

Ted laughs then and pulls his bristling boyfriend close, rocking him in his arms. “Oh my lord, you are just the bee’s knees, aren’t you.”

“I’m glad you think so,” Trent mutters.

“No need to be embarrassed,” Ted assures him, returning his hands to the safer and just as lovely terrain of Trent’s plentiful locks. “When you’re ready - only if you want - we can have a lot of fun together, with whatever parts of your body and mine we’re comfortable with. But no matter what, sweetheart, your secret’s safe with me.”

#Ted Lasso #Trent Crimm #Tent #Ted Lasso fic #Tent fic #Tentacles #Well one tentacle #crack #fluff

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emwritesfootball · 3 years

Text

Proud of You | Roman Bürki

An unexpected addition to @footballffbarbiex‘s Big Screen Writing Challenge. (Amy, please don’t kill me for this. I was just looking for someone to write this very sad scene with and @lawsandother suggested Roman and I couldn’t say no. CC’ing @sunslittlesister so you can cry, too, Dana xx)

Taken from the Season 6, Episode 8 of Schitt’s Creek scenes between Ted and Alexis.

Word Count: 2,943 Warnings: angst (I cried writing this)

It felt so unrealistic to wake up next to him that she almost thought she was dreaming for a moment when she woke up from her mid-afternoon, post-sex nap. Roman had been in and out of her life for the last six years, but lately each visit seemed to bring a sense of dread that neither one of them could place. Timing had never been a strong suit when it came to their relationship, but they’d been trying like hell to make it work.

When he’d been at SC Freiburg, things had been a bit easier. The two-hour commute on the weekends or for special occasions felt like nothing and she always looked forward to those Fridays or Mondays off work so she could have just one more day with him. Then came Dortmund, or ‘the beginning of the end’ as she had started to think of these last five years. The distance added five hours to her drive, and in the beginning, it was worth it. She still got almost two days with him, but each time she left the pit in her stomach grew. For two years, they saw each other twice a month; then once a month for a year. Now, he only came to visit her when he got a call-up to the national team or when he came back to Münsingen for a holiday break, the latter of which seemed to happen more often as he hadn’t gotten a call-up since 2018.

“You’re awake,” Roman mumbled, his eyes still closed but he could feel her presence as if she were a part of his own body.

“I am,” she confirmed, lifting up his tattooed arm so she could tuck herself into his side. She pressed a kiss to his chest, sighing contentedly.

“Did we switch places?” Roman joked, his chest rising and falling as he chuckled. “Usually I’m the one up before you.”

“Just wanted to surprise you, I guess,” she answered, feeling guilty at the lie that so easily fell from her lips. I couldn’t sleep knowing you have to leave me tonight.

She had stayed up for the half-hour that he’d napped, replaying their relationship over and over, all the good and the bad moments on a loop until she couldn’t take it anymore. The worst part about it all was that he had come to surprise her this time, but she was the one who had to be realistic.

She’d been working on a logo for a new up-and-coming local shop set to open soon - the newest in a long line of new clientele that had steadily started hiring her one-woman graphic design company - when she’d heard a rhythmic knock on the door. Thinking nothing of it, she set down her pen and walked over to the door of her studio, shocked but elated to find Roman on the other side.

“Oh, my god, Roman!” She’d squealed, jumping into his arms for a tight embrace. She hadn’t seen him in almost eight months and words couldn’t describe how good it felt to see his face after so long. “What are you doing here?”

“I wanted to surprise you,” he said, smiling shyly.

She hadn’t expected it to feel this awkward. After all, they were still in a relationship...just one that happened to be almost 700 kilometers away and one where they stopped FaceTiming as often as they used to. “Oh my god, uhm, hi!” She said brightly, taking his face in her hands and kissing him deeply.

“Hi,” he mumbled when the kiss ended, reaching into his back and pulling out a Steiff bear wearing a t-shirt. “Sorry, there were limited options at the hotel gift shop.”

“Mehr Bier, bitte!” She read, laughing at the words. “So sweet.” Not quite sure what to say, she pulled him in for another hug. “I missed you so much.”

“I missed you, too,” Roman murmured, burying his face in the crook of her neck and inhaling her scent that he’d missed these last eight months.

“Wait…” she paused, putting the pieces together, “there’s no break for months. What are you doing here?”

Roman looked away, wishing for a brief moment that he hadn’t fallen in love with such a perceptive woman, but he wouldn’t have it any other way. “I picked up a small injury in the match on Friday, so I was told to take a long weekend.”

Her brow furrowed as she did the math. “But today’s Sunday. How come you didn’t get here until,” she paused, checking her watch, “half-past noon today?”

“Well, I was supposed to be here yesterday morning, but I had some unforeseen car troubles.” Roman cringed, remembering the incident. “Got a flat within the first two hours of my drive, so I had to get my car repaired, which took longer than expected. Then, something happened with my engine that required an overnight repair and I didn’t make it out here until now.”

“That’s okay,” she cooed, running her fingers over the beard he’d been growing for ages now. “So, how long do we actually have, then?”

Roman sighed, running a hand through his hair. “Just today.”

“Oh, wow, okay. Enough about your car troubles, then.” She took his hand and dragged him over to her bed, kneeling on it as she wrapped her arms around his broad shoulders.

“I just want to be with you and catch up and talk,” he said, leaning down to capture her lips in his before he laid her down on the bed and covered her body with his.

There had been no other way to describe what he’d done with her except that he’d made love to her. His love for her was in every kiss that he place on her body; every word from his lips and every caress across her skin. When he’d asked if they could cuddle afterwards as he pulled her into his side and subsequently fell asleep, a part of her couldn’t help wondering just what the future held.

“You still with me, Schatz?” Roman asked, nudging her playfully to get her attention.

“Yeah, sorry,” she replied, clearing her throat as he brought her out of her head once again. “Got distracted, is all.” When she looked over at him, the look on her face had her stomach dropping. “Is everything okay?”

Roman took a deep inhale, steadying himself for what he was about to say; no matter how many times he’d rehearsed it in his head, it still pained him to say it. “I just..thought that it was important that we have this conversation in person.”

Her heart started to race, and for a moment all she could hear was the blood pounding in her ears as it pumped through her veins. “Roman, are you breaking up with me?”

“No,” he answered quickly, shaking his head. “That’s the last thing I want to do.” He put an arm around her shoulder and pulled her into him, pressing a kiss to her temple.

“Oh, thank god.” She breathed a sigh of relief, tracing the tattoo on his pec. “Then, what is it?”

“I don’t remember when we last talked about this, but my contract with Dortmund is up at the end of this year and the managers want to talk to me about re-signing.”

“Wow,” she said, stunned. Of course she was well aware of how good he was, regardless of how long it had been since he’d gotten a National Team call-up. He was a key player for Dortmund, starting almost every match, and even though she cringed every time the ball came his way, she tried to watch all of his appearances whether he knew it or not. “How long would your new contract last?”

“The foreseeable future. Five years at minimum is what we discussed, provided I don’t have any major injuries. We even talked about the possibility of me retiring with the club, but that’s at least a decade away if things go my way.”

She cursed in Swiss-tinted German, the unexpectedness of it all hitting her like a punch to the gut. Tears sprang to her eyes and she blinked them back, hoping Roman hadn’t seen them. “That’s a long time,” she said when she’d regained her composure, trying desperately to find some small bit of hope to cling onto.

“Yeah…”Roman agreed, trailing off. “I just… I keep waiting for things to get easier for us.”

“So, uh, what are you gonna tell them?” She asked, placing a hand on his forearm as some modicum of reassurance.

“I- I don’t know. I was hoping that the drive to you would clear my head and show me the right answer, but-” he took her hand in one of his, focusing on that so he wouldn’t have to look her in the eye, “seeing you? I don’t wanna lose this.” He took her hand and placed it over the tattoo on his chest so she could feel his heartbeat under her fingertips.

“Okay, so what do we do?” She asked, her brain already switching into work-mode trying to figure it all out. “Do I just pack up my life and move to Dortmund with you?”

“Or I move back here,” Roman said, and she could already hear the melancholy in his voice.

“And turn down the opportunity to finish out your career at a great club before you move onto the next chapter of your life,” she finished for him, the heavy feeling in her heart returning.

Roman sighed, running a hand over his scruff and then through his hair, not knowing what to do. “I was hoping that we’d have the weekend to talk it over, figure it out, formulate a plan, but then-”

“Your car, I know,” she replied, unable to keep the bitterness out of her tone. A lump was starting to form in her throat and she knew the tears were going to start falling very soon, and she knew that if they did, she wouldn’t be able to stop them until she was all cried out. “I’m gonna need a minute to think about this…”

“There has to be a way through this.” Roman felt like he was pleading now, hanging on to the one reason outside of family he came back to Münsingen.

She gave him a sad, watery smile, taking his face in her hands and giving him a soft kiss. “I liked this a whole lot better before we started talking.”

“Me, too.”

- - -

She took a walk while Roman showered, accidentally wandering into the café they’d met at six years before. It wasn’t often that she came to this café as everywhere she looked seemed to remind her of them and the time they’d spent here together.

The same person who’d waited on them the very first time all those years ago was still behind the counter, greeting her the moment she walked in. “I haven’t seen you around here in awhile,” the old woman said, giving her a warm smile.

“I haven’t had much reason to be back here in awhile,” she answered, taking a seat at one of the stools at the bar area. “I just needed to get out and...clear my head.”

The woman nodded solemnly, pouring a cold glass of water. “Is everything okay?”

“I don't know.” It was an honest answer, but one she hadn’t voiced until now, the words sounding odd coming out of her mouth. She ordered her usual, her mind wandering back to the very first time she’d met Roman here.

The old woman said her name a few times, finally getting her out of her reverie. “Here’s your order,” she said, nudging the cup toward her.

“Do you ever have those days where you wonder why things can’t just be easier?” The question was out of her mouth before she could even stop it, but thankfully there wasn’t anyone else but her and the old woman in the cafe.

“Why? What’s wrong?”

Those three words opened up a flood of emotions and before she knew it, she was pouring her heart out to the woman behind the counter. She wasn’t sure if the woman knew who she was talking about - with a population of a little more than 11 000, Münsingen was on the larger side of municipalities, but with only a handful of well-known professional footballers, she couldn’t be sure.

By the time she walked out of the cafe, she knew what she was going to do.

- - -

Roman double-checked the address on his phone for what felt like the hundredth time, but he knew he had it right. He stood outside, adjusting his suit and tie one final time as he took in the sign for the café. There had been a weird feeling in his gut from the moment she’d left to the moment he’d received her text telling him to meet her here at this address at 7pm.

The little bell at the top of the door jingled as he entered, signalling his arrival. Roman turned the corner to find the café completely empty, save for his girl in the centre of the room, ‘their’ booth adorned with candles and wine. Jazz music was playing softly over the speaker, and Roman couldn’t believe what he was seeing.

“What is all this?” He asked, his gaze roaming over her. She was dressed in one of his favourite dresses on her, and Roman felt awestruck in her presence.

“Sit,” she said, gesturing to ‘his’ side of the booth as she took her own seat opposite him.

“Did you close down the whole café?” Roman tried to make conversation, unsure of what to do next.

She lifted a shoulder in a partial shrug. “I’ll leave that to your imagination.”

Just then, the old woman came over. Roman felt like he was back in that café seeing the woman he now called his girlfriend for the first time, familiarity shocking him unexpectedly. “So, the set menu for tonight is mozzarella sticks, four-cheese lasagna, and a blueberry cheesecake for dessert.”

“That’s a lot of dairy,” Roman balked but couldn’t hide the fact that he was very hungry and it all sounded appetizing.

“All your cheat-day favourites,” she said as the woman walked away.

Roman’s chest tightened at the gesture that subtly hinted how well she knew him. The crossroads they were at now was just a bump in the road he kept internally repeating to himself, hoping he’d start to believe it soon. “So…” he started, clearing his throat. A part of him didn’t want to do this now before they’d even eaten, but he’d be remiss if he didn’t at least say something.

She said, the words for him, though, and time seemed to stop. “You can’t move back here, Roman. You’ve been offered the job of your dreams and there’s no turning back now. Just think of all the trophies you can bring to Dortmund. Maybe you’ll even get another national team call-up before you retire. You’ve got so much to accomplish in Germany and I don’t want to hold you back.”

“What about you?” Roman asked. He felt like he was grasping at straws, but he needed to know that she was going to be okay without him even if it broke him. “What are you gonna do?”

“I can’t move with you, Roman.”

“I wouldn’t let you even if you tried. You’re building something special here with your graphic design business, and you deserve to see where it takes you.” Roman swallowed past the lump in his throat, reaching across the table for her hand. “I’m so proud of you.”

“I’m so proud of you.” She played with his fingers, trying to steady her emotions. “I’d like to think that we helped each other get here.”

Roman’s other hand came up, taking her chin between his thumb and index finger so she could look at him as he said with certainty, “I know we did.”

“And when you drive back to Dortmund tomorrow, I want you to know how grateful I am to have met you.”

“I don’t think I’m ever going to meet another woman who made me feel the way that you do.” Roman’s eyes searched hers. He needed her to know that he spoke the truth. Losing her would be the biggest loss of his life, but on some level he’d known that this was going to be the last trip he made to see her the moment he’d turned onto her street and this confirmed it.

“I’m sure there’ll be some other woman...somewhere.” She tried to make a joke but it fell flat, the thought of Roman moving on to someone new making her want to cry.

Finally defeated, Roman sighed. “Can’t say that we didn’t try.”

Six, almost seven, years. That was how long the two of them had supported the other, through good and bad. There had been some rough patches and more than a few fights, but they’d always come back from them stronger than ever.

“I love you, Roman,” she whispered, releasing his hand.

“I love you, too.”

Roman leaned in and she did, too, their lips meeting in soft kiss goodbye that said all they couldn’t say with words.

With tears in her eyes, she stood up and Roman instinctively shifted over so that she could come sit next to him in the booth. He put an arm around her shoulder, pulling her into him. Reaching over, Roman grabbed his wine glass and gesticulated a toast. “To us.”

She did the same, looking over at him as their glasses clinked together.

“To us.”

#amys2021challenge #my writing: roman burki

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artificialqueens · 3 years

Text

Pretty in Pearls, Chapter 3 (Jankie) - Plastiquedoll

read on ao3 💄| previous chapters

A/N: hi! I was going to update earlie but things happened...... so here's a new chapter. I hope you enjoy it and thanks for reading it <3

-3-

It was late when they went back to their room, Jan had only two classes in the afternoon but Rosé had one in the morning, yet, they talked for what it felt like hours and Jan only stopped speaking to read Jackie’s message. She was very happy. During that day she had made several friends –something she couldn’t have imagined a week before- she had met some of her professors and attended a couple of classes so she wouldn’t feel as nervous the following day.

In the morning she heard cursing in whispers when Rosé’s alarm went off announcing she had to get ready to go to class. After the girl left, Jan had the room for herself. She laid in bed watching videos on Instagram for a while and then decided it was a good moment to take a shower and get a cup of coffee.

Tuesdays were her lightest days and she could get used to it. She felt fresh out of the shower, braided her hair, and put on some clean clothes before walking out of the dorms.

On her way out she crossed paths with Nicky and who seemed to be her roommate. The girl had orange long hair and a great amount of makeup on but that worked perfectly on her. She also wore high waist pants with a turquoise loose blouse and dangling earrings. Nicky looked as great as the day before with a mauve off-the-shoulder mini dress and a high ponytail.

“Jan!” She waved at her.

“Hi, Nicky! How are you?”

“I’m doing good, thank you.” She smiled at her. “This is Crystal, my roommate. Crystal, this is Jan, the friend I talked you about.”

“Hi!” Crystal greeted Jan with a lot of energy. “Nice to meet you.”

“Nice to meet you too, Crystal. Well, I kind of feel like I know you through your room.”

“Oh, God…” She blushed. “I’m not taking the One Direction poster off, I already told Nicky.”

“I swear Niall’s eyes follow me whenever I’m in the room.” Nicky shivered.

Jan giggled.

“I have to go, I’m already running late.” Crystal said while checking the time on her phone. “See you guys later.”

“Don’t forget your keys…” Nicky reminded her.

Crystal pulled a key set with tons of colorful keychains. “Never again. Bye, Jan.”

“Bye!”

After the girl left, Nicky looked at Jan. “You missed a great dinner yesterday.”

“Oh, I imagine but I needed to spend some quality time with my roommate. But I’m still craving Thai food since it was mentioned.”

“There’s no choice, we’ll have to go back soon.”

“Please.”

“Are you heading to class?”

“No, I have my Tuesday mornings free. I was getting some coffee, actually.”

“Ugh, lucky you. I have a class in thirty minutes. Do you mind if I get coffee with you?”

“Sure, that’s great because I was going to google where the café is, I have no idea.”

Nicky just smiled. “I’ll show you the way.”

They walked for a couple of minutes; Nicky pointed to the café’s exterior when they got closer. As soon as they got in the smell of freshly brewed coffee embraced them. Autumn was around the corner and college students demanding pumpkin spice lattes prematurely were flooding the place.

Luckily for them, the line moved fast and the barista quickly took their orders. Jan ordered decaffeinated –because she wasn’t technically allowed to drink coffee after that one incident on St. Patrick’s day- but she compensated it with a lot of sugar and whipped cream. Nicky, on the other hand, asked for an iced Americano.

While they were waiting sitting at a little table, Jan recognized the familiar figure of the one person from her hometown she so badly wanted to see.

“Oh my God…” She suddenly felt coy when he started walking in their direction.

“Janie!” He greeted the girl but his eyes went directly to Nicky who was unimpressed while on her phone.

“Hi, Nathan.”

The name rang a bell for the blonde girl who looked up.

“How are you doing?” He rested half of his arm on almost all the table’s surface.

“Oh you know… just chilling before classes. I have Tuesday mornings free.” She tried to sound chill, smooth even.

“Cool…” He kept staring at the other girl a little too much. “Who’s your friend?”

“Ah, yes… this is Nicky, she’s in the same dorm as I am… Nicky, this is Nathan, he’s…”

“A friend from New Jersey.” He extended his hand to shake Nicky’s but the girl glared at him.

At that moment, their names were called by the barista.

“I’ll get the coffee.” Nicky rushed to leave the table. “Salaud…” She murmured before going.

Jan was thankful because now she had some time to speak with Nathan alone.

“So how’s the-”

“Janie, your friend is smoking and she’s French or something, right? That’s hot. Do you think you could set us up?”

Jan’s spirit sank. She should’ve guessed.

“Uh… I don’t think she’d be interested. She’s already dating someone.”

“What a shame because she’s one hundred percent eye candy.” His gaze followed Nicky’s curves.

“Besides, I thought you liked that girl you met yesterday,” Jan mentioned shyly.

“Abby? She’s alright I guess but this is week one, I have to keep my options open, you know?” He shrugged. “Can’t wait to hit the baseball field next week again, huh?”

“Yes! I’m so excited about it, actually-”

He threw his backpack over his shoulder. “I gotta run, Janie.”

“Oh, okay… see you.”

“Tell your friend that if she ever needs a rebound…” He left, still looking in Nicky’s direction.

Jan tried to smile but she ended up with a weird grimace.

The blonde returned to the table when he was away.

“Here’s your drink…” She tried to put a real smile on the girl’s face but she failed. “Jan, what is it? Did he tell you something?”

“Oh, no… it’s nothing.” She took a sip of her sweet beverage but didn’t enjoy it as she intended. “It’s just Nathan being Nathan…”

Nicky bit her tongue to avoid telling her he seemed like an asshole.

Jan looked at Nicky, of course he’d be interested in her. She was beyond gorgeous and she was stylish as hell with her pretty dress and makeup while Jan had barely washed her face and put on the first pair of joggings and a graphic t-shirt she found in her drawers.

“I bought you a cookie.” She slid the little chocolate treat in front of her.

“Aw, Nicky… thank you.”

Nicky squeezed her shoulder.

“I have to go to class but I don’t want to leave if you’re feeling down.”

Jan shook her head. “No, I’m fine, really…”

“Are you sure?”

“Yep, I’ll go to the library or drop by the copy room to annoy Jackie a little.”

“She’s in class during the mornings, someone else is running the copy room in the mornings.”

Jan sighed. “The library is then.”

“Always exciting.” Nicky checked the time on her watch. “Now I really have to go. See you later, dear.” She blew a kiss in the air.

“For sure.” She smiled to show Nicky everything was alright even when it wasn’t.

But enough of being pitiful, she had a cup of coffee, a cookie, and the sun was shining outside. She had this.

The library turned out to be a great place to spend some spare time between classes. Jan met the librarian –Mrs. West- who was probably one of the sweetest people she had ever seen and she was kind enough to explain Jan the rules –besides keeping it low in the study and reading area- Jan walked directly to a free desk and pulled out her computer. She needed to check if she was registered correctly on her classes once again just to be sure and she had to revise if her teachers from the previous day had left some new reading –they did.

She read the two papers and prepared a little draft for the next class before she noticed, it was almost noon. Nicky had said Jackie had classes in the morning but maybe she was free already, so Jan pulled out her phone and typed a quick text.

To Jackie C.: Hi Jackie! Nicky told me you were in class I was wondering if you’re out already, I can drop by the copy room :D

The reply arrived a minute later.

From Jackie C.: I’m already out and heading to the copy room, I’ll be there in no time.

And with that, the girl picked up her things and walked following the map that was scribbled over. She rushed toward the copy room in a way that her former high school teacher would’ve scolded her for« running in the hallways». Finally, she opened the door of the room carefully.

“Hello…?” She walked in.

“I’m over here.” Jackie had a little closet in the corner open. “I’m picking some toner for the machine. I swear, every morning it’s the same, Yvie forgets to change it every time and I have to-”

Jackie smiled as soon as she saw Jan waving in front of her.

“Hi, there.”

“Hi! Thank goodness you’re out of class I was so bored… Well, I was being «productive» or something like that –I’m guessing it’s something college students aspire to be- but then the internet of the library started malfunctioning and I got distracted with the little T-Rex game –do you know which one? With his little jumps and tiny arms, it was so cute- and then I wasn’t being productive anymore so…”

“It’s so good to see you again.” Jackie shook her head.

“How was your morning?” She moved closer to the counter.

Jackie pointed at the chair next to her and Jan sat there.

“All of my classes are during the mornings; that’s how I get to work here after I’m done with them.” She explained while changing the copy machine’s toner. “On Tuesdays, I have this one class with a professor that absolutely despises everything I say because –and listen to this- «I try to push a gender agenda» on his classes.” She scoffed. “Only because they don’t mention women in art centuries ago it doesn’t mean that they weren’t there… it’s ridiculous.”

Jan listened to Jackie ranting for ten minutes about the class, the girl was fuming but there was something entertaining about seeing her mad and the way she gestured as if it was a Ted talk… not to mention she did it all while doing the maintenance work of the printers.

“I’m sorry, I really went off with it…”

“No! It’s okay. I don’t know much about art and listening to you is like actually taking a class… but more engaging because you’re pissed and it shows.”

“Yeah… I have to tone it down in class or that… professor… is going to fail me.” Jackie let a big sigh out of her chest. “Anyway, I’m sure Nicky told you about last night’s dinner…”

“Yes! I wanna eat Thai food so badly now… Nicky is great by the way, she’s very nice and helped me a lot with the dorm things. Thank you so much for introducing me to her and Jaida.”

“No worries. They all liked you the moment they met you anyway.”

Jan beamed and blushed a little.

“So, you met your roommate…”

“Oh, right! My roommate, Rosé, is great… we got along like, instantly and she’s a theatre major so now I’m sharing the dorm with a Broadway fangirl. It’s going to be fun.”

“Wait, isn’t that the girl with the pink hair? I’ve seen her a couple of times I think.”

“Yeah, she thought you were very serious.”

“Don’t tell anyone I’m nice, I have a reputation to keep.”

Jan giggled. “But you are nice! I can’t believe people think otherwise.” She snapped her fingers. “You know what, I’m having lunch with her right now. I have a class at one so I was going to head to the cafeteria, why don’t you come with me?”

“I’d love to but I have to stay a little longer before taking my lunch break. If you have a class at one you better hurry before it gets too crowded there.”

“Oh, that’s too bad… I’ll get going there but… text me later?”

“Sure.” Jackie smiled at her.

“Okay, have a nice day! See you later!” The younger waved on her way out.

“Bye, Jan.”

At lunch, Jackie sat with her friends and while she tried to finish reading a museum review of a new exhibition, she got a text message from Jan telling her how boring the class was. Jackie shook her head and replied back to her shortly after.

Widow was next to her chatting with Heidi, Jaida was sitting across the table typing on her phone until Nicky arrived so the quick smile that appeared on her face went unnoticed –thank goodness.

“Bonjour, mon rayon de soleil.” Nicky kissed her on the cheek.

“I’ll pretend I understood every word… hi, baby.” She kissed her back.

The blonde sat next to her and they shared a lovey-dovey look.

“I want what they have,” Heidi whispered while looking at their friends. “What does take to get a girlfriend here? I’m in the art department, it should be easier.”

Widow cackled.

“I thought you had retired from the dating world when Janelle Monáe blocked you on Instagram.”

“Okay, listen… I was nothing but respectful to Miss Monáe, I still don’t understand the reason behind that blocking but yeah…”

“Heidi you don’t want to date, you’re just horny.”

The girl gasped. “How dare you?”

“Because… you can’t keep your interest on one person for more than a week.” Jackie pointed.

“I think you’re better off single.” Widow agreed.

“Excuse me… I came here to have lunch and a lovely chat not to be attacked like this.” Heidi crossed her arms on her chest. “Unbelievable.”

They didn’t say a word.

“You may be right though…” She finally admitted.

“Oh! You know who should get a girlfriend…” Jaida glanced at the brunette in front of her.

Jackie sighed. “We’ve been through this yesterday… I already told you she’s out of the conversation.”

“I didn’t give any names though,” Jaida smirked. “You did that to yourself.”

Jackie blushed. “Whatever… I’m too busy to date anyway.”

“But you’d make an exception for a special someone, wouldn’t you?” Nicky pushed.

“She’s straight.”

“So it’s pasta until it gets hot and wet.” Heidi pointed.

“Heidi!”

The table burst into laughter.

“Enough with that, I’m serious. The last thing I want is Jan to feel awkward, she already has a lot on her plate.”

“Right, all jokes aside… I met the guy she pines after this morning…” Nicky started gossiping. “and my goodness he’s even worse than what I pictured… a jerk with capital letters. I think he was trying to get my number through Jan.”

They all made a disgusted sound in response.

“No fucking way…” Heidi’s mouth dropped.

“She deserves better and I don’t even know her personally.” Widow stated.

They agreed, especially Jackie who had seen the guy the day before breaking Jan’s heart in just a matter of seconds.

“Maybe meeting new people will help her seeing beyond his… spell?” Jaida raised an eyebrow.

“He’s not that charming, trust me.” Her girlfriend assured, basing her opinion on the –hopefully- only encounter they had. “But anyway… Crystal has classes until four…” She looked at Jaida with bedroom eyes. “would you like to take a nap with me?”

Jaida caught the hint instantly. “See y’all later, bitches.” She stuck out her tongue and both left the table.

“Maybe I am just horny.” Heidi reflected before sipping her apple juice.

“Be honest with me, do you hang out with us because you like us, or is it part of your sociology thesis investigation?” Jackie asked Widow.

“Bitch, you’ll never know.” She chuckled.

A week had passed and with that, Jan had established a little routine: in the mornings she would go to the library –sometimes on her own, sometimes with her roommate or one of her classmates-, she had lunch at the cafeteria in rotating schedules –as if she was the loving child of a divorced couple- during the afternoons she was at the copy room whenever she had some spare time and when Jackie was there and afterward she’d have dinner with her and her friends or with Rosé. They all ended up having dinner together on Friday night so Jan was secretly hoping the group would merge into one big supergroup.

She had also become close with Jackie’s friends including Widow of whom she had heard a lot but was formally introduced to a few days later and with Crystal, Nicky’s roommate who shared the struggles of being a freshman like her. Plus, she met one of Rosé’s friends from her musical comedy class as well, a girl called Lagoona that adopted Jan immediately and kept teaching her Spanish words.

On the weekend she watched cartoons wearing pajamas with the girls from her dorm in the lounge room and then completed some assignments for her classes with Crystal at the same place.

On Monday, however, she was extra excited –more than usual- because it was the day she was going to play baseball again. She could almost smell the grass of the field, the rubber of her sneakers, and the leather material of the ball… She could picture herself running around scoring like no other.

And because she was so thrilled, time seemed to pass slower than ever.

“Jackie…” She cried while sitting on her –now- regular reserved spot behind the countertop. “I still have to wait another two hours…”

“Two hours are almost nothing, c’mon.” The brunette was in the middle of copying a Shakespeare play for a group of students from the Literature department. “Besides, it’s not like it’s been years since the last time you played.”

“It’s been like two months.” She pouted. “Two long never-ending months.” She dragged the words to make emphasis on her sadness.

“But you survived.” Jackie pointed out before reaching for the staple on the shelf.

That day, Jackie was wearing a pleated plaid skirt with a knitted long sweater and mid-heel loafers. She moved smoothly in the limited space; Jan had memorized her moves by the time; she knew exactly when she had to lean back for the brunette to pass through while she mumbled something about Yvie not taking proper care of the machines or when she was fighting with the printer that didn’t mind for the students’ urgencies at all. She had also discovered that Jackie always hummed to California Dreamin’ no matter how often it played on the radio, that she liked gourmet jelly beans and that she had a stock of candy hidden somewhere -only she hadn’t found her secret spot yet.

“Hi, Jackie.” A girl hummed with a melodic voice as she rested her elbows on the countertop while batting her lashes overly.

Jackie, who was on her back stapling a final set of copies, took a deep breath as she recognized the owner of the voice right away.

“Hello, Vanessa.” She spun on her heels and faced the girl. “What can I do for you?” Her tone was deadpan.

Vanessa, the girl in question, was gorgeous with her long black hair perfectly curled, flawless makeup, and clothing; she was wearing a cropped pullover with the word «Angel» stamped on it a and pair of high-waisted jeans. She was tiny but she wasn’t scared of wearing high high-heels.

She flashed a dazzling smile as soon as Jackie turned around.

“Are you finally going to accept going on a date with me?” She blurted out.

Jan’s eyes got wide. Her type of courage was worth admiring, she was certainly fearless.

“No,” Jackie replied, coldly. “I’ve told you before; I’m not going to date you.”

Jan gasped but Vanessa didn’t even flinch. She just waved her hair and readjusted her pose.

Oh, she was about to say something, wasn’t she? Jan looked, expectant.

“Please…” She pouted. “Pretty please? You can’t say no to a pretty please.”

Jackie rolled her eyes. “There we go.” She shook her head and sighed. “Look, I’m not going to repeat the whole speech but if you have something for me to print or copy, I’m all ears.”

This time, Jan couldn’t keep it to herself. “Jackie!” She shouted and jumped off the chair.

The brunette turned toward her. “What? It’s Vanessa.” She said as if that was a fair justification.

Vanessa waved. “And who are you?” She looked at Jackie, then at Jan, and then at Jackie again. “Is she your girlfriend?”

“No.” Jackie blushed a little. “This is my friend, Jan. Jan, this is Vanessa she’s a sophomore that testes my patience since she was a freshman.”

“I worked very hard for that title.”

“Nice to meet you, I’m Jan!” She shook her hand.

“Vanessa has an on and off long-distance relationship and she likes to flirt when she’s on the «off» side,” Jackie explained.

The girl shrugged. “Can you blame a girl for asking? I gotta try once in a while at least.”

Jan chuckled.

“Anyway, can you copy the marked pages of this textbook? I need it for class, you’ll be glad to know I didn’t come here exclusively to ask you out. Although…”

“Give me the book.” The brunette extended her hand to grab the object, Vanessa held it tightly for an instant but Jackie pulled it. “I’ll be done in a couple of minutes.”

“Thank you!” She smiled showing all her teeth. Then she turned back to Jan. “So Jan, is it…?”

“Don’t even try it!” Jackie yelled from the distance.

Once her shift was over, Jackie closed the copy room and walked around for a little before deciding to take a look at Jan’s baseball practice. She told herself it was okay to drop by, after all, she had been hearing about it all afternoon, she was curious now. But being honest, she had to ask around to find where the baseball field was –she didn’t even know their university had a women’s team before she met Jan- so she wandered through the corridors before finding the door that led to where they were playing.

The lights were on since their practice was after sunset and most students had classes during the day. The perimeter was surrounded by a chain-link fence so she guessed that was how close she could get to the field; she finally found a bleachers section -and she was one-hundred percent sure people smoked weed behind them.

She sat holding her purse against her chest. It seemed she made it just in time; it was Jan’s turn to bat. Even in the distance, Jackie had never seen the younger so focused on something as she was at that moment, it was like watching a completely different person. She moved into position and prepared.

She had the number eleven on the left sleeve of her striped uniform, purple socks on and a pair of shoes –already- covered in dirt. She adjusted her high ponytail under her cap before grabbing the wood bat with determination. Jan’s eyes were sharp as she tried to read into the pitcher’s moves.

Jackie had a shiver.

The pitcher threw the ball and she missed it, it went directly to the catcher’s glove. The brunette mouthed some curse. She had never been this invested in some sport.

Second attempt, she would get it this time. Jackie crossed her fingers, her heart was beating faster.

The pitcher threw the ball again and this time, it impacted against Jan’s bat making a thunderous noise that echoed everywhere. Jackie gasped, her eyes followed the girl’s figure as she ran as fast as she could before one of the players grabbed the ball from the ground. Now she knew her heart was about to break her ribcage, she couldn’t get herself to calm down. Jan was running and running like a roadrunner cartoon and she was about to make it when the players started passing the ball, maybe someone was going to catch her before she made it. But she was so close, just one more base to go. She ran, encouraged by her teammates, and drifted creating a cloud of dirt around the base.

She made it.

Home run.

“Yes! Yes!” Jackie cheered and raised her hands in the air.

Apparently, loud enough for the whole team to hear it.

Jan, who was bent over her knees, still out of breath due to her incredible race, grinned and waved as soon as she recognized Jackie. The brunette smiled back and clapped discreetly, even when she had just displayed such enthusiastic behavior.

The team -mainly the batter- had gained a new fan and the season hadn’t even started.

#rpdr fanfiction #jan sport #jackie cox #jankie #jaida x nicky #s12 #college au #lesbian au #slow burn #pretty in pearls #plastiquedoll #concrit welcome

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aidanchaser · 3 years

Text

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Everyone Lives AU

Table of Contents beta’d by @ageofzero @magic713m @aubsenroute @ccboomer @somebodyswatson

Chapter Five Lily’s Loss

He slammed into the magical barrier and crumpled to the ground in a most undignified manner. Slowly, physical form aching and strained, he picked himself up and turned on the nearest cloaked figure.

“Crucio!” he shrieked, and the curse burst from Selwyn’s wand, fueled by his fury.

As the curse struck him, Stan Shunpike collapsed to the ground and writhed in pain.

This oaf was easy to unleash his rage on. He had known this boy would be slow, dim-witted as he was, and doubly so under the Imperius Curse. So he had sent the boy after the half-giant abomination. But of course Alastor Moody had seen through his plans. Of course Moody had been prepared! He should have known!

He was certain that Dumbledore, that fool, would have placed the boy with his mother. But Moody was craftier — not a better wizard by any means, but he thought differently than Dumbledore. Yes, Moody would not allow the boy to travel with someone as obvious as the mother, would have wanted to see to the care of the boy personally. At least, that was what he had expected.

He hurled a curse at the barrier with a cry of rage but it did not even ripple. The Order had outwitted him, and he had nothing to show for it but a broken wand. He did not feel sorry for Lucius’ loss, but Ollivander would certainly know what it cost to lie to him.

Harry screamed as he returned to his own mind and body. He hurt — worse than his nightmares. Something burned against his stomach and his scar felt like it was going to tear his head open. His scar had not hurt this much since Voldemort had possessed him in the Ministry of Magic, which itself was a pain only comparable to the moment of Quirrell’s death, when the shadow of Voldemort’s soul had passed through him.

“Harry,” a distant voice pleaded, “you’re alright — Harry, you’re safe —”

Something cool and wet pressed against his scar. It did not help with the pain.

But it was only pain, and it was pain that Harry was familiar with. He swallowed down the agony and opened his eyes. His father hovered over him, along with Ted Tonks. Both of them had lost colour in their faces and Harry wondered just how bad his fit had been.

Though his head throbbed and his stomach burned, he managed to say, “I’m alright.”

“Not well enough to travel by Portkey, I’d wager,” Ted said.

“I can send word to the Burrow,” James said, “let Molly and the others know we’ve made it here safely.”

“Where are we?” Harry asked. “I can take a Portkey —”

“Cedric’s not fit for travel anyway,” James said. “You just rest.”

The wet towel on his forehead fell into his lap with a plop as Harry sat up suddenly. He swayed, dizzy from the sudden motion, and splayed his hands against the worn bedspread to steady himself. “What do you mean Cedric’s not fit for travel?”

“He’s alri —”

But James was interrupted by a far colder, unsympathetic voice. “We can’t stay,” Regulus Black said, standing in the doorway, hands full with a bloody bundle of clothes.

Harry’s stomach turned.

“And what would you have us do?” James asked. His voice was surprisingly calm for how tight his hand was on Harry’s shoulder. “The Portkey leaves in —” he checked his wristwatch “— two minutes. Cedric’s hardly conscious, and Harry’s only just woken —”

“We’ll be lucky to have two minutes before the Ministry arrives,” Regulus said. “The Trace surely followed Harry as all those curses were cast around him. The Ministry knows he’s here, and I think we would all prefer if they did not find him when they arrived.”

James deliberated, but it was brief. With a colourful curse, he said, “I’ll get Cedric, then.”

Harry watched his father disappear into a hallway. Though a trip by Portkey sounded unappealing, he thought Regulus was right. He did not want the Ministry to know he was here, and he certainly didn’t want them to know he carried a piece of Voldemort’s soul with him.

Panic seized Harry suddenly, and his pain was forgotten as he patted down his shirt. Something had cut his clothes open, and while he found the source of the pain in his abdomen — a crescent-shaped burn where the diadem had been — he saw no sign of the diadem itself.

Had it fallen? Had Voldemort picked it up? Had his father seen it?

Then Regulus, as he saw Harry’s panic, dumped the bloody sweatshirt into his lap. Through the lump of fleece, Harry felt the shape of the diadem. He did not know how Regulus had come by the diadem, but he was glad to know it was safe.

Harry pulled it against his chest and closed his eyes. The scar on his forehead pulsed with pain as he did, and Harry wondered what had caused the Horcrux to hurt him. He had handled it easily before tonight. What had changed? Had it reacted to being so close to Voldemort? Was it because Harry had tried to kill Voldemort?

Though Harry wasn’t exactly the one who had fired that burst of golden flame that had struck Voldemort. Harry’s wand had done that on his own.

“You sure you’re alright, son?” Ted Tonks asked. He picked up a hairbrush from a vanity and handed it to Regulus, but his eyes were on Harry. “You took a hard fall when you came in. We can find a way to hide you when the Ministry comes.”

“I’ll be okay.” Harry rubbed his eyes and looked around the room. He guessed by the faded Quidditch posters and Hufflepuff banner that this was Tonks’ room. “You guys have done enough for us.”

Ted laughed. “Without you, Dora would have run off with Lupin in the middle of the night, and Dromeda would’ve taken their heads off when they returned. Your dad’s as well, I reckon, if he’d been in on it. And, despite the attack, you arrived here safely. No, I think today worked out well enough.”

James returned, with Cedric slumped against him. Cedric was pale, and blood covered the front of his shirt, but Harry saw no other sign of a wound, nor clues as to how Cedric might have been hurt. Hagrid loomed behind them and carefully shouldered his way into the room.

Andromeda Tonks followed. Her face was pinched with worry as she wiped blood from her hands onto a towel. She looked uncomfortably like Walburga Black’s portrait as she scowled at the hairbrush in Regulus’ hand.

“I still think this is unsafe,” she said.

“You’ve healed Hagrid up alright,” James said, “and done the best you can for Cedric. Picksie should have Apparated to the Burrow with the potions that Cedric needs, so I think that’s the best place for us.”

Cedric, weary and weak as he looked, lifted his own hand to the hairbrush. Hagrid, too, put a large finger on the bristles.

“Wait —” Andromeda said, but her hand didn’t reach for Cedric, it reached towards Regulus.

Harry had never considered just what Regulus turning to the Order must have meant for Andromeda, who had left her family as completely as Sirius had. Her eyes were soft as she looked at Regulus, and Harry forgot that she had ever looked like Walburga. He remembered Tonks instead, and how sad she had looked all throughout last year — sad, and alone.

Andromeda’s hand hesitated, inches above Regulus’ forearm, the barest indication of affection, but suddenly she withdrew it. “Tell Nymphadora to send word she’s alright,” she finally said.

Regulus nodded.

“Harry,” James said quickly, “the Portkey —”

Harry scrambled to his feet and put his hand on the brush handle as it glowed blue. He was jerked forward as if a hook had tucked into that very same crescent shaped burn on his stomach. He tightened his grip on the bundle in his arms. The next thing he knew, he slammed into the ground outside the Weasleys’ house.

Carefully, Harry picked himself up and was glad that at least he had managed to complete the journey without puking. Cedric had not been so lucky. He stumbled away from James and heaved a stomachful of something dark and viscous into Mrs Weasley’s flowerbed.

The door flew open and light flooded the garden. Ginny Weasley practically leapt down the front steps until she reached Harry, where she pulled him into the tightest embrace Harry had ever received from her.

“Hi,” he said.

And then someone was pulling them apart.

Mad-Eye Moody put himself between Harry and Ginny and pointed his wand at Harry’s chest.

“Hey!” Hagrid shouted. “What d’yeh think yer —”

Mad-Eye ignored Hagrid. “What book did I give Longbottom after our first lesson?” he asked, scars on his face drawn together in a scowl.

Harry blinked, searching his memory for such a small, insignificant detail. “I don’t —”

“Book — Longbottom — first lesson!” Mad-Eye barked.

“I don’t know! Something about herbal remedies — Herbal Antidotes, maybe?”

This seemed to satisfy Mad-Eye, who swung his wand between James and Cedric. “And you two — Kingsley got word to me that you never made it to him.”

“You-Know-Who figured out who Harry was,” James said, voice still surprisingly calm. His knuckles, however, were strained with his tight grip on his wand. “I changed the plan and stuck close to Harry. Ask whatever you need to, Moody, but quickly. Cedric’s lost a lot of blood and I promised Andromeda I’d get a potion in him as soon as he arrived.”

“What were Dumbledore’s last words to the Order?”

James closed his eyes. “Hope will be our most powerful weapon —”

“— but hope is nothing without trust,” Cedric finished, though his voice was weak.

Satisfied, Moody turned his wand on Regulus, but before Moody could say anything, Regulus Transfigured himself into a cat and slunk inside behind James and Cedric.

Finally, Moody lowered his wand.

“Well, aren’ yeh goin’ ter interrogate me?” Hagrid asked, still glaring at Moody. “Yeh gave everyone else the bloody run around.”

“You’re half-giant,” Moody grunted. “Can’t be Polyjuiced.” He glanced out at the dark yard. “Best get inside, Potter. No knowing who’s going to arrive tonight.”

“What was all that about?” Harry asked as Ginny pulled him into the house.

“Mad-Eye said you were ambushed,” Ginny whispered, “even though no one outside the Order knew you were being moved tonight. He said someone must have betrayed the Order tonight.”

Harry swayed on his feet, and perhaps might have fallen over if Hagrid hadn’t put a hand on his shoulder.

“Easy, lad,” Hagrid said. “Yeh took a nasty fall an’ a hasty Por’key trip. Bes’ not move too quickly.”

Harry wasn’t sure his unease had anything to do with those things, but he let Ginny lead him into a chair just the same.

James had gotten Cedric seated on the sofa. Fleur Delacour checked Cedric’s pulse with her wand and kept up a steady stream of conversation to keep him conscious while Picksie dug through a box of potions bottles for a Blood-Replenishing Potion. Molly Weasley paced nervously behind the sofa, and her eyes kept drifting to the grandfather clock that did not tell time, but rather told her where her family was. Unfortunately, even hers, Ginny’s, and Bill’s hands pointed to “Mortal Danger.”

“Mum, sit, please,” Bill Weasley said, and pressed a cup of tea into his mother’s hands.

But Molly Weasley did not sit. She did not even seem to notice the tea in her hands.

“Here!” Picksie said suddenly, and produced a bottle of Blood-Replenishing Potion.

James took it and uncorked it, only to have it snatched from his hands by Fleur, who very tenderly helped Cedric drink it down.

Harry glanced at Bill to see if he was worried at all by Fleur’s gentle treatment of Cedric, but Bill did not seem bothered in the least. He had found a bottle of Firewhiskey and was pouring it into his mother’s teacup. Next, he filled a glass for Hagrid, who took it readily. He handed another to James, who looked at it uneasily, then set it aside. Harry watched as a familiar black cat with a white stripe down its chest jumped up on the table and eyed the glass.

Before Harry could ask Regulus why he was still a cat, there was a crash in the kitchen. Everyone jumped and reached for their wands — but it was only Tonks. Her nose shrank and regrew as she entered to assure them all that it was truly her. In her hands, she carried a scrap of leather that might have once been a shoe and a rusty oil can.

“Moody’s doing a perimeter check,” she said, “making sure the protective charms are all in order. Doesn’t trust my work, I s’pose. Er — I think I broke a bowl just now. I’m sorry, Molly, I’ll set it right.”

But Molly didn’t seem interested in the bowl. Her eyes were on the worn objects in Tonks’ hand. “Were those Portkeys?” she asked, voice just barely audible.

Tonks winced. “Er — yeah. Arthur and Fred should’ve been back first, and the other one should’ve been James and Cedric. But they found their way back alright anyway, Molly, so I’m sure Arthur and Fred will too.”

Mrs Weasley burst into tears. Bill wrapped his arm around her shoulder and guided her to the sofa.

“They’ll be alright, Mum,” he said.

Harry swallowed down his own worry and watched Ginny’s face, but it was hard to tell how she felt. Her brown eyes were hard and her face was pinched tight. She was so free when she expressed her joy and anger, much like Lily was, but she didn’t wear her worry the way Molly Weasley did, nor even the way Lily did. She buried it, and Harry wished there was a way to tell her she didn’t have to, not with him.

He took her hand and squeezed it tightly. She squeezed back.

A blue flash of light appeared in the garden and Molly hurried to the window. She reached for the floral print curtains and peered outside. “It’s Remus and Hermione —”

Tonks was already running for the door. She scrambled around Hagrid and stubbed her toe against the sofa, but none of that seemed to slow her down as she flew down the steps and out into the garden.

“Tonks!” James shouted after her. “Wait —”

But Harry and Ginny, too, were already running for the door. Harry was hardly down the porch steps when Hermione grabbed him and buried her face in his chest. She tried to stifle a sob, and Harry understood perfectly.

Then James pulled them apart, though less aggressively than Moody had torn Ginny and Harry apart.

“Hermione,” he said in a calm voice, hand on her shoulder and wand aimed at her chest, “I need you to tell me how you helped Regulus Black escape Hogwarts.”

She frowned at him and down out his wand. “I — Harry and I used a Time Turner to get Buckbeak up to Flitwick’s office. Is it important? I don’t understand —”

“Yeah,” Harry said, “that’s what we did.”

And James lowered his wand. He didn’t not look relieved one way or the other. Instead, he looked incredibly tired as he stared at Tonks and Remus, locked in an embrace.

“Tonks,” James called, though it came out more like a sigh, “did you clear him?”

Remus let go of Tonks. “She did. There was a kiss first — perhaps not the most professional of moves from a Ministry Auror — I’m glad you and Harry are alright.”

James lowered his wand and cracked a smile, but the exhaustion did not fade. “Only cost us the Firebolt. Should’ve known by the name that it was flammable.”

Tonks raised an eyebrow. “And no scorches, you know?” she gestured below her waist.

“Everything intact.” James’ smile widened into a proper grin, and Harry thought that the ease of this exchange, just as much as the vows exchanged and toasts given, solidified Tonks as family.

“Where’s everyone else?” Hermione asked.

“Cedric’s inside,” Harry said, “but he’s alright, mostly. He —”

A burst of yellow light appeared on the horizon suddenly, an explosion of force, and the ground shook beneath their feet. When the shaking stopped and Harry found his footing again, he saw that something was burning in the hills. Yellow and orange flames burned bright against the night sky and plumes of black smoke blocked out the stars.

The door to the Burrow slammed open once more and Cedric stumbled down the front steps.

Fleur grabbed him before he could fall into the pathway. “Cedric! You are still ‘urt — you cannot —”

“That’s my house!” Cedric tried to pull away, but he didn’t have the strength. That seemed to be enough to convince him that Fleur was right. His shoulders slumped. “My parents are there —”

James stiffened suddenly, like a deer caught in a hunter’s sights. His eyes fixed on the blaze and Harry knew exactly what the sudden loss of colour on his father’s face meant.

Either Sirius or Lily were in trouble.

Remus and Tonks were already gone. They had run for the Apparition line the moment Cedric had announced that it was his home under attack.

Fleur carefully sat Cedric down on the doorstep. “Bill and I will ‘elp,” she said, and kissed Cedric’s cheek. “Your family will be fine. There iz nothing to worry about.”

She and Bill, too, ran for the Apparition line.

Harry glared at his father. “Aren’t you going to help?”

“I’m staying with you,” James said. Despite his ashen face, his voice was still calm. “Come on, we should wait inside.”

But when Harry looked back, he saw that Hagrid, Picksie, Molly, and Regulus gathered in front of the house to watch the fire on the horizon.

“But how?” Cedric stared at the distant flames. “How could they get through? There were barriers… no one should have been able to get in — I saw the barrier keep out Voldemort at the Tonks’ place — so how could they…”

Regulus’ voice, though quiet, seemed to cut through the night as easily and clearly as a dragon’s claws through flesh. “As an Auror, I imagine you’re familiar with the ways a Death Eater can infiltrate someone’s family.”

Harry would always be amazed that the Black family, a family so insistent on appearances and impressions, had managed to raise two sons who each had so little tact.

“I’m sure your parents are fine, Cedric,” Ginny said, and glared at Regulus.

It was a harsher glare than even Sirius might have given in this situation. Harry wasn’t sure if there was a metric for a relationship forged on slices of ham on a rainy Quidditch pitch. Regulus spoke highly of Ginny, and had a healthy respect for Ginny’s curses, as anyone who knew her well did. And in turn, Ginny did not tolerate Regulus’ sulking, but that was true of how she treated Harry, too. She did not let either of them brood.

Even now, she seemed to see the hard look in Harry’s green eyes and the crease of worry on his forehead. She squeezed his hand and leaned her head against his shoulder. Harry was surprised by how easily that comforted him. He knew that she, too, had to be worried for her father and brothers. He leaned against her, hoping that if they shared each other’s fear, it might hurt a little bit less.

Then there was the pop of an Apparition and both Harry and Ginny straightened and lifted their wands.

Molly Weasley, however, did not share their caution. She shrieked and ran forward, as Bill walked into the light spilling out from the house. He carried a body in his arms, face splattered in something dark, and red hair singed.

“Oh — Georgie —” Molly wailed, attempting to take George from Bill’s arms.

Ginny left Harry and ran to help her mother. She and Molly, aided by Hermione and Picksie, helped carry George inside. Bill went to follow but James pressed his wand into Bill’s chest.

Harry blinked. “Dad, he was just here.”

James swallowed hard. “He just came back from a battle. He could be anyone.”

Bill’s scars glinted in the waning moonlight. They were criss-crossed with scratches and dirt, and his face was heavy with exhaustion. Whatever he had just come from, however brief he had been there, had been bad.

He raised his hands in surrender. “Please, Potter, I want to get in there and tend to my brother. Do this quickly.”

“At our first headquarters,” James said, “what was the engraving on the winerack in the cellar?”

“Merlin, how should I know that? Regulus charmed it so no one but he and Sirius could get in after Mundungus —” Though it was a tired smile, it was a smile nonetheless. “Clever,” Bill said. “If I’d tried to lie, come up with something —”

“Before you go inside,” James interrupted, “is Lily alright?”

Bill shook his head. “When Fleur and I got there, we didn’t even see a way in. Then Tonks came out of the fire, dragging George with her. I saw he was injured, so I took him and left. Sorry — I have to figure out what cursed him, see if I can’t help.” And Bill ran inside.

Harry started running for the Apparition line, but this time it was James who grabbed his shoulder and held him back.

“Harry, you can’t go after her —”

“Why the bloody hell can’t I? Why won’t you?”

“You were just cursed — injured — I’m staying with you. Trust Remus —”

“I can still fight!”

“Harry,” Cedric said. His voice was not loud, but it carried across the garden. “She’ll be alright.”

The scowl on Harry’s face and the tension in his shoulders did not abate, but he did not try to break away from James. He glared at the distant fire, trying to understand how the Diggorys had been betrayed — or had one of Cedric’s parents given them away? Harry had not always liked Amos and Fiona, but he could not imagine them intentionally harming the Order.

Moody limped around from the east side of the house. His eye whirred, almost in a rhythm with his uneven walk as he approached the group transfixed by the blaze.

“Explains why I found Sirius’ Portkey, but not hide nor tail of Lily’s,” Moody grunted. “I’ll go and help. If I don’t return, Potter, you’re in charge.”

Harry watched his father’s shoulders stiffen as Moody disappeared into the darkness and a crack filled the garden. There was a strange quiver in James’ lips, but then they stiffened into a firm line and even quirked into a forced smile. “Don’t worry, Harry,” James said, “he didn’t mean you.”

Harry swallowed hard, thinking that no, Moody certainly hadn’t meant him, and while he appreciated his father’s attempt at levity, Harry still had his own weight to bear. It just wasn’t leadership of the Order.

Harry grimaced as he realised that he was already off to a poor start when it came to his own task. The diadem, nearly lost in battle, now sat unguarded on a chair in the Weasley’s living room. He considered going back inside to retrieve it, but a pair of sharp cracks had him rushing forward instead.

James put a hand on Harry’s chest and raised his wand.

Fiona Diggory and Fleur staggered up the path. Fiona leaned heavily on Fleur, and both were covered in something dark. Harry prayed it was soot and not blood.

Behind them came Moody, levitating an unconscious Amos Diggory.

Cedric left the support of the porch and stumbled down the path. “What’s happened? Mum —”

Fiona coughed, and when her hand came away from her mouth it was covered in black soot. “I’m alright, son.” She coughed again.

“Where’s my mum?” Harry asked, looking anxiously between Fiona, Fleur, and Moody.

James sighed. “Cedric — can you verify —”

“I think I know my own mother.” Cedric said.

“Idiot boy,” Moody snapped. He set Amos down in the grass and pointed his wand at Cedric. “I could have killed each one of you by now. You’ve let your guard down. Constant vigilance!”

Cedric glowered at Moody. “This isn’t a teaching moment! I need to know what happened to my mum and dad!”

“No, Diggory, it’s not a bloody teaching moment. It’s the real deal. Are you an Auror or aren’t you? Just because your mum breathed in a bit of smoke and your dad was cursed, you’re going to lose your head?”

“Enough,” James interrupted, voice equal measures exhausted and commanding. “Fleur, help Fiona inside and ask Picksie to check her over. And Hagrid, can you get Amos? Picksie will be able to tell if the Diggorys are Polyjuiced or not. Cedric, go inside and have Regulus get you another potion. You’re still pale.”

“You trust a house-elf with something like that?” Moody grunted.

“I trust Picksie with my life. Now, Moody —”

“If we’re throwing all caution to the wind, then I suppose you’ve nothing to ask me, then, Potter?”

James closed his eyes and rubbed his forehead. “Did you see Lily there?”

“We found the Diggorys in the entryway. Tonks and Lupin had just dragged them there and handed them off to us. Do you want me to waste time chatting or do you want me to go after her?” But he was already heading to the Apparition line, where he disappeared with a crack, leaving James and Harry alone in the garden.

The night was silent once more. The waning moon had not yet risen. There was no light but the glow of fire on the horizon ahead of them, and the dim yellow light from the Burrow’s windows behind them.

“You know,” Harry said, turning his wand over in his hands, “I always wondered how Sirius could have ever suspected that Remus would betray us, but I guess it’s a pretty slippery slope, isn’t it?”

James hesitated. “We knew there was a mole in the Order. The Death Eaters just knew too much about where we were supposed to be and when. We lost a lot of good friends because of that information getting into the wrong hands.”

“You mean because of Peter Pettigrew.”

“I told you, it’s complicated.”

“I know. But if Mum’s hurt because someone’s a traitor, I don’t know that I’ll ever forgive them.” Harry did not feel angry as he said it. He felt strangely cold. There was no fury, only certainty.

“Harry, if you —”

“I don’t think it was any of us who were there,” he added, “or Voldemort would have known I was with Hagrid right away, instead of Pyrites figuring it out because I doubled back to help you. But someone had to have told Voldemort we were leaving tonight, and somehow, they got into the Diggorys’ house.”

Harry remembered Dumbledore’s warning in his office, before the Death Eaters had infiltrated Hogwarts, before Dumbledore had fallen from the Astronomy Tower by Snape’s wand. Dumbledore had warned Harry to be careful who he shared the prophecy with. Dumbledore had warned Harry not to trust Cedric. Had it truly been Amos and Fiona that he did not trust?

A blue spark flashed in front of them, and Harry’s heart rate doubled as Sirius and Ron came tumbling out of the sky. Sirius and Ron found their footing and the worn, moldy hat that had brought them to the Burrow fell to the ground. Harry resisted the urge to run forward, instead, raising his wand as his father did.

“Harry!” Ron shouted, and ran at them. He skidded to a stop when he caught sight of the drawn wands. “What’s going on?”

“Ron,” James asked, voice as calm as it had been all evening, “do you remember what we got Harry for Christmas six years ago? Your first year at Hogwarts?”

Ron frowned. “I don’t — oh! A chess set. Because I mentioned it to my mum. But why do you need to know?”

“And Sirius —”

“Is ‘son of a bitch’ good enough?” Sirius asked.

It would have been good enough for Mad-Eye, but it was for James, who quickly threw his arms around Sirius. James’ shoulders slumped as he nearly fell into his best friend, as if the burden of responsibility vanished suddenly with someone else there to share in it.

“Sorry we’re late,” Sirius said. “Arabella Figg talks a hell of a lot for an old lady. After we missed the Portkey, she made us take a full bloody tea until she was sure it was safe to make a new one. I’ve learned more about Kneazle breeding in the last half hour than I ever wanted to in my life.”

Despite the typical Sirius-like humour in this story, Sirius’ face remained drawn in a scowl.

“Are you hurt?” James asked.

Sirius shook his head. “Pissed. I want to know who gave us away.” His gaze strayed away from James and Harry to the fire on the horizon. “Is that anyone we know?”

The answer stuck in Harry’s throat.

“Ron,” James said, “you might want to go inside.”

“Why? What’s happened?”

“George was hurt,” Harry managed to say. “It… it looked bad.”

As Ron took off for the house, Sirius’ face darkened with both fear and anger. “And Lily?”

“We don’t know,” Harry said, and before he could tell Sirius that Remus and Tonks probably needed his help, there were three successive pops. Remus, Tonks, and Mad-Eye had returned with Lily.

She was slumped against Tonks, with her left arm draped over Tonks’ shoulders and her right hanging limp. Her usually vibrant green eyes seemed dull and unfocused as Tonks half-dragged her into the garden until they reached Sirius, who had his wand leveled at them. James, too, had his wand raised, but his face was slack with shock as Tonks set Lily down in the grass. If a duel was about to be had, James would not have the reflexes necessary to survive it.

“I’m me!” Tonks snapped, and her hair shifted through an entire rainbow of colours in a moment before settling back on pink. “Now help me with her!”

Harry and James both ran to Tonks. James lit the tip of his wand, illuminating Lily’s injuries and Harry’s heart dropped into his stomach. Lily’s right arm was glaring red and covered in blisters, and her hand was swollen and purple in a way that Harry did not think was a natural response to a burn.

Regardless, he had to leave that part of Lily’s wounds to Tonks, since Harry did not know much about Healing burns. His own wand tip glowed blue as he pressed it to Lily’s chest and the light fluttered and flickered with her unsteady heartbeat.

Harry looked up to Sirius, meaning to ask for help, but Sirius still had his wand pointed at Moody and Remus.

“Mad-Eye,” Sirius said, “tell me what was in the writing desk at our first Headquarters.”

“Boggart.” Moody grunted. “I’m going to check the barriers again to make sure we weren’t followed. Potter, give me a hand —”

James looked up at Moody. He was not helping, exactly. He did not have the Healing experience that even Harry had. He was merely holding Lily’s uninjured hand and a Wand-Lighting Charm over them so that Tonks had ample light to work by. Despite how easily his work could have been handled by Harry, the hard glare he shot at Moody indicated that he was not about to move.

Moody seemed to understand. “I’ll get Black’s help,” he grunted, and hurried into the Burrow.

Remus still had his wand drawn, but it was limp at his side. “Ask away, Sirius,” he said.

But Sirius hesitated. His grip on his wand tightened.

“Sirius,” Tonks interrupted, “I can put her hand back together but I need your help with her burns so if you would hurry up —”

“What was it you said to me this afternoon?” Sirius asked.

Remus’ Adam’s apple bobbed as he swallowed. “Sirius… don’t…”

“If you’re really Remus, what did you say to me before the wedding?”

“I said that I would never love you less.”

Sirius lowered his wand and joined Tonks in repairing Lily’s arm. He took charge smoothly, as if he had not just wrenched a private conversation out of his very private best friend.

“Harry,” he said, “let Tonks monitor her pulse. Watch me. You won’t get a much better chance to see burn Healing than this.”

Harry moved aside so that Tonks could take his place. He watched Sirius’ wand illuminate, and in each place the pale green light touched, the colour of her skin faded from red to soft pink. Blisters oozed and shrunk as he, ever so slowly, wound the light around Lily’s arm.

Harry’s eyes drifted away from Sirius’ work and up to Sirius’ face. Sirius was usually so easy to read, but at the moment Harry could see nothing in his expression but intense concentration only on his spellwork.

“Remus,” Sirius said suddenly, voice strangely detached, “Conjure me a bowl with water and a towel.”

Remus seemed to be relieved to be given something to do. He knelt between Sirius and Tonks and did just as Sirius had asked.

“Tonks —” Sirius said, but Tonks had already grabbed the towel with her free hand, soaked it in water, and placed it on Lily’s shoulder. She moved her wand to Lily’s shoulder and Harry watched with renewed interest as rivulets of water wove like netting out of the towel and across Lily’s burns. They glowed pale and blue like Tonks’ wand tip and seemed to constrict until they had disappeared completely into Lily’s arm.

“Remus —” Sirius said, but Remus seemed to know what was needed of him without being told. He took the towel from Lily’s shoulder, soaked it again, and replaced it. Tonks, once more, wove the water like threads down Lily’s arms until they were soaked into the skin.

Harry and James could do little but watch as their friends worked in silence. When Harry realised that Tonks was no longer monitoring Lily’s heartbeat, he pressed his wand to Lily’s chest, and watched as the uneven pulse slowed to a healthy rhythm.

Lily’s unfocused gaze faded as her heartbeat steadied, and she looked up at Harry and James with a weak smile.

“Don’t talk or move,” James warned, but lifted her uninjured hand and pressed his lips against it.

“Wouldn’t dream of it,” she said, and winced.

“Mum — don’t,” Harry said.

She didn’t seem interested in listening. “Is everyone alright? George was hurt —”

“Stop,” James said. “I haven’t heard Molly wail since she saw him, so I think that’s a good sign. Amos is unconscious, but everyone else is okay. Though… Arthur and Fred haven’t arrived.”

Lily closed her eyes. “Damn it. They knew, James — Snape and Crabbe were on us immediately —”

“Snape?” Harry and James both exclaimed.

“Their hoods didn’t stay on too well at the speeds we were flying. Snape’s curse cut off George’s ear — there was so much blood I thought —” She choked on a yelp and her whole body tensed. “Sirius —”

“Sorry,” Sirius said. “You messed your hand up something awful. What’d you do, center a Blasting Curse on your own wand?”

“Not on purpose,” she sighed, and closed her eyes again.

“You’ll live, at least,” Sirius grunted. “I’m doing what I can, but honestly, Lily? You might need to get used to dueling left-handed.”

“Might need to get used to not dueling at all,” she murmured.

“What?” James asked sharply. “What happened?”

“Yaxley. Bastard threw a curse at me at the same time I threw mine at him. Well, I guess he was a little faster on the draw, because the backlash shattered my wand. Blew up the whole house, it felt like.”

“You’re lucky it was just your arm that you hurt,” Tonks said in awe. “The whole house did blow up. Remus and I dragged you out.”

“I hope Yaxley burned with it.”

The green glow of Sirius’ wand faded. “That’s as much as we can do for the moment. Let’s get inside, get you bandaged.”

Harry and Sirius helped Lily out of the damp grass and onto her feet.

James pulled her unhurt arm around his shoulder. “I’m afraid I don’t have it in me to carry you across the threshold anymore,” he said.

“I’ve hurt my arm, not my legs, you prat.” But she leaned against him regardless, and together, they walked inside.

When Picksie saw Lily, she squeaked loudly, something akin to a delicate shriek, and immediately helped Lily into a plush chair. She dug through Lily’s Potions box and pulled out a green bottle. She Conjured a bowl to pour its contents in, and together, Sirius and Picksie began to rub the salve into Lily’s burns.

The Weasley living room was crowded, stuffed with double the amount of usual occupants, one of whom was a half-giant. George had been laid out on the sofa, and the blood had been cleaned from his face. Molly was stroking his singed hair and sobbing into a handkerchief while Bill and Fleur tended George. His left ear was missing in its entirety, nothing but a bloody hole to mark its old place.

Ginny looked up as Harry came in, and they exchanged wan smiles, each communicating they were alright and no one was going to die. She picked up a roll of gauze and helped cut strips for Sirius and for Fleur. Ron, who was doing his best to comfort his mother, spared Harry a similar glance, though the fondness was different.

Hermione sat nearby. She had picked up the bloodied sweatshirt, but instead of handing it to Harry and berating him for leaving it unattended, she gave him a weak smile.

Cedric sat with his mother and his father, who was conscious now. Hagrid poured the three of them glasses of Bill’s whiskey, then refilled his own.

Harry, confident his mother was being tended by better hands than his, sat down on the floor beside Ginny and picked up gauze to help.

They all worked in silence. The only sound was glasses clinking and whiskey being poured as drinks made their way around. Remus downed his glass in a single gulp and returned the glass to Hagrid for another. Tonks, however, intercepted the second glass and passed it to Regulus. Then she turned, and with a mischievous smile, whispered something in Remus’ ear. His ears turned bright red, and he did not reach for any more alcohol.

Then there were two cracks in the yard. Harry reached for his wand, as did anyone else who was not wounded nor tending to someone wounded — or, in Mrs Weasley’s case, crying over someone wounded.

There was a commotion at the door, but no sounds of curses or a duel occurred.

Instead, Arthur Weasley’s voice carried through the door, “I’ll prove to you who I am, Moody, after I’ve seen my son! Now back off if you know what’s good for you!”

The front door to the Burrow opened with a crash, and Arthur and Fred pushed past Moody and Regulus, past Ginny and Harry, to George’s side. Mr Weasley and Fred looked exhausted and pale, but unhurt, for which Harry was grateful.

“Oh —” Mrs Weasley wailed, “Arthur —” They embraced, tightly but briefly.

“How is he?” Arthur asked.

“He’ll live.” Bill pressed his wand against the bandages and fixed them in place. “But Dad, I’m afraid you won’t be able to tell him anymore that he’s got two ears to listen twice as well as he talks.”

Mrs Weasley burst into another fit of hysterics and George stirred at the commotion.

Fred tightened his hands around the back of the sofa, but he cracked a smile. “How do you feel, Georgie?”

George glanced at the small crowd gathered around the sofa. His hand reached curiously for the bandages around his head. Finally, he said in a quiet voice, “Saintlike.”

Fred glanced worriedly between Bill and his mum. “What’s wrong with him?”

“Saintlike,” George said again, pulling Fred’s attention back, and he gestured to the bandages over the space his left ear used to be. “You see… I’m holy. Holey, Fred, geddit?”

Fred’s face went from white to red as he snorted. “Pathetic,” he muttered. “Pathetic! With the whole wide world of ear-related humour before you, you go for holey?”

“I thought it was alright,” Bill said.

“Oh, in that case,” George sighed, “I’d better try something else — oh, Mum, honestly, I’m fine. At least you can tell us apart now.”

Mrs Weasley did not stop crying, but she did bring her sobs down to sniffles. She dried her nose with a very damp handkerchief and Fleur handed her a clean one.

“Everyone else make it?” George asked. “Last I remember, was Yaxley casting a curse. I barely got a Shield Charm up to protect Lily.”

“So it wasn’t luck that saved your pretty face,” Sirius said to Lily as he finished off her bandages.

“I’m sure Felix had something to do with it,” she murmured.

Moody, still in the doorway, snorted. “Luck is the only reason any of us are still alive. They were more prepared than we were. Whoever gave us away is somewhere in this room. We’re the only ones who knew Harry was being moved tonight.”

“Apart from those at the other safe houses,” Remus said, eyes on the Diggorys.

“I should think,” James said quietly, “that what they didn’t know is just as important as what they did. Harry mentioned to me that Voldemort didn’t target him right away. Our plan to throw off the Death Eaters, should they have been watching us, worked.”

“Voldemort went right for me and Moody, just as we expected,” Tonks said, “and they also didn’t know that the Burrow was our final destination. Otherwise, I think we would have seen a fight here instead of at the Diggorys’ house. So it can’t have been anyone who flew with us tonight, and it can’t have been anyone at the Burrow.”

“Nor anyone who made a Portkey to the Burrow,” Sirius added.

“Well — that’s everyone, then, isn’t it?” Arthur said, looking around. “Everyone who was in on the plan either helped us get here or knew who the real Harry was.”

“Not everyone,” Ginny said. “What about Regulus?”

Regulus, hardly noticeable behind Moody, seemed to appear out of the shadows as his name was mentioned. He blinked slowly at the inquisitive and suspicious stares. “I was well aware of the plan to disguise multiple duelists as Harry. It was my suggestion, in fact. I also, you may recall, am as wanted by the Death Eaters as I am the Ministry. I have no reason to betray the Order’s trust, however thin that trust may be.”

“It’s my fault,” Amos Diggory whispered. He removed his glasses with a shaky hand and wiped his face. “I’m sorry, I —”

“Dad,” Cedric murmured, “it isn’t your fault. You couldn’t have known Yaxley would get through the barriers around our house.”

“He didn’t.” Amos took in a shaky breath. “I never set them up — I — I’m sorry, I got careless.”

“You just forgot to put protective barriers around your home?” James growled, and raised his wand.

“No! No! Nothing like that I — I was alone in my office today.” He stifled a sob and Fiona rubbed his shoulder encouragingly. “I’m sorry,” he said again. “I know we aren’t supposed to do that; I know that being alone at all puts us at risk, but I just had to run back in to grab a scroll before I left. I wasn’t supposed to be in there long. Yaxley must have followed me. I don’t know how long he had been watching me, but he caught me by surprise and he — he cast the Imperius Curse.”

“Damn it, Diggory,” Moody snapped. “What other trouble did you cause today, then, besides put Harry and the Ministry at great risk?”

“I — I don’t know. It’s all a sort of blur until the elf woke me. I don’t know what she did, but she made my mind clearer. I feel like myself.”

“Picksie has been practicing,” Picksie said. “Picksie can undo Polyjuice and Imperius and Picksie is working on Confunding and Obliviating next. Picksie is checking Mr and Mrs Diggory for any curses and is removing what she finds.”

“You’re a miracle worker, Picksie,” James said. “I imagine you could get work as a Curse Breaker in no time at the rate you’re going.”

Picksie beamed with pride. “Thank you, James, you is too kind.”

Lily rubbed her eyes with her good hand. “Well, Yaxley cursing the both of you explains why he was there when George and I arrived. I am sorry — I didn’t mean for the spell to go so badly. I just saw him and my first thought was that wherever the Portkey to the Burrow was, I had to destroy it, to keep him from getting to Harry.”

“He tried to Imperius us, too,” George said, “or at least Lily first. He sounded thrilled when we walked in the door — I think he thought I was really Harry for a moment. What did he say? Something about having one over on Snape?”

“I wasn’t paying attention,” Lily said. “I was only thinking about killing him or destroying the Portkey before he could get to it.” She closed her eyes and sighed. “With any luck, he’s burned up in there.”

“I think we’ve Harry to thank for the luck that brought us all here,” Sirius said. “To be ambushed and infiltrated and all survive? That’s nothing shy of a miracle.”

“Hear, hear,” Hagrid echoed, and finished off another glass of the brandy.

Harry’s ears burned. He wanted to protest, to say that they had all done so much more for him tonight, but his scar pulsed with pain. He winced, and distantly heard his father say, “I think we all survived tonight not because of luck, but because we all watched each other’s backs. None of us are here because of our own skill, but because someone else looked out for us.”

Harry clutched his forehead and tried to focus on the conversation around him. Ginny touched his arm.

“Well said.” Molly wiped her eyes with Fleur’s handkerchief. “On that note, I want everyone staying here tonight.”

“Oh —” Fiona shook her head. “Molly, we couldn’t possibly impose. We’ll find something —”

“Nonsense. I won’t hear of it. You and Amos can take Ron’s room. James and Lily, you’ll take Fred and George’s room. Remus and Tonks, you can have Charlie and Bill’s old room. The girls — Fleur, Ginny, Hermione, and Picksie have Ginny’s room — and the boys can all sleep down here in the living room.”

“Are we part of the boys?” Sirius asked, gesturing to Regulus, Hagrid, and Moody. “Just because none of us’ve been married off yet doesn’t mean we’re children.”

“We aren’t children!” George, Fred, and Ron protested at once.

This back and forth, though perfectly good-natured, irritated Harry and exacerbated the pain in his scar. He pushed himself to his feet and walked out into the garden. He was dimly aware of Ginny and several others standing, too. He hoped that they wouldn’t follow.

Harry only made it as far as the end of the chicken coop before pain split his head so badly that he could no longer move. He leaned against the coop to keep himself from toppling over as Voldemort shrieked inside his head.

“You told me the problem would be solved by using another’s wand!”

Harry pressed his hand into the weathered wood, tried to count how many splinters dug into his palm. Try as he might, he could not bring the Weasley’s garden back into focus. Instead he saw Ollivander, withered away to almost nothing, stringy white hair long around his gaunt face, writhe on a stone cellar floor. He screamed in pain, and Harry felt bitter sympathy, not just because he was in excruciating pain himself, but because he had been on that end of Voldemort’s wand before.

“No! No! I beg you, I beg you…”

“You lied to Lord Voldemort, Ollivander!”

“I did not… I swear I did not…”

“You sought to help Potter, to help him escape me!”

“I swear I did not… I believed a different wand would work…”

“Explain, then, what happened. Lucius’s wand is destroyed!”

“I cannot understand… The connection… exists only… between your two wands…”

“Lies!”

“Please… I beg you… Perhaps… Perhaps there is another way — another wand —”

But Voldemort was not interested in listening to Ollivander’s excuses. He slashed his wand through the air and the elderly man screamed as the pain of the Cruciatus Curse tore through him.

“Harry?” someone said softly. He felt a hand on his arm, far gentler than any splinters, yet the touch held enough weight to ground him again.

Though his face and hands still felt unusually numb and his head throbbed, when he opened his eyes, the vision of Ollivander was gone, replaced by Lily. “Mum — shouldn’t you be resting?”

“Did you really think you could storm out of there without us following you?”

Harry turned to see his father and Picksie behind him, and Sirius, Remus, and Tonks just a few steps away.

“Is Harry’s scar hurting again?” Picksie asked.

“I’m fine,” Harry said.

“You dueled You-Know-Who,” James said, “and whatever fit you had tonight can’t have been good.”

Lily frowned. “Harry, what happened?”

“Nothing,” Harry said. “It was just a… nightmare, I guess.”

James put a hand on Harry’s shoulder. “Harry, I don’t know if there’s anything we can do, but —”

“No,” Harry snapped, “there isn’t anything you can do. Voldemort’s in my head, and I’m the one who has to fight him. There’s no reason for any of this — for any of you to get hurt like this —”

“Harry,” Remus said softly, and stepped forward.

But Harry stepped back, away from his parents and Remus. “All of you could have died — you all almost did, just to protect me, and I can’t —” His scar burned and he heard Ollivander scream again. When his head cleared, he found that his father had pulled him into a tight embrace, and Harry wondered if he had done or said something in another fit.

“It’s okay to not be fine,” James said. “You dueled Voldemort tonight, and it’s okay to be scared. Your mum’s hurt, and it’s okay to be worried.” James let Harry go, but only so he could look into Harry’s eyes. There had once been a time when James would have had to kneel to meet Harry’s green eyes, but they had grown to the same height now. Harry did not have to even tip his head.

“Harry, I’m terrified,” James said, “But we’re all here, and we’re all going to look after each other. You don’t have to be fine.”

Lily stood on her tiptoes to kiss Harry’s forehead. “We’re going to be alright, Harry, as long as we do this together. Can you believe that?”

“No,” Harry said dully. “I don’t think I can.” He thought of the diadem sitting on Hermione’s lap, and how he had no idea how to destroy it. He thought of the cup, hidden away somewhere, and how he didn’t even know where to start. He thought of Voldemort’s pet snake, eating some poor Hogwarts professor in Malfoy Manor, and how it would be impossible to get to the snake without going through Voldemort.

He also didn’t see how his family could help him with any of it. Each one of them had nearly died just trying to get Harry to the Burrow safely. He couldn’t let them follow him on a journey that had nearly killed Regulus and Dumbledore.

“Picksie is thinking everyone should get some rest,” Picksie said. She slipped in between James and Harry and took Harry’s hand. “Picksie is sad, because she misses her home and her Mama, but Picksie is happy, because Harry is safe, and Picksie is safe. Picksie would like Harry to be happy about those things, too, and sometimes, sleeping helps.” Picksie turned and looked up at James, as if she somehow knew that he had been up all night.

Though James tried to stifle it, he could not help but yawn. “Alright, point taken. I think everything will look a little better in the morning.” He squeezed Harry’s shoulder. “Come on inside. Let’s see what blankets we can scrounge up for your sleepover party on the ground floor.”

Picksie hurried inside to gather pillows and blankets. James helped Lily back up the steps, and when she stumbled, Remus caught her — on her injured arm. She let out the sort of curse Harry was used to hearing from Sirius, and muttered a few more as James and Remus helped her inside.

Before Harry could follow, Sirius put a hand on Harry’s shoulder, and Tonks lounged against the door frame, arms folded across her chest.

“Just wanted to check,” Sirius started, unusually hesitant. “If — well —”

“You’ve got the look like you’re going to run away,” Tonks said. “We know it well. We’ve each done it our fair share of times.”

“Because you know you’ve got the Trace and all,” Sirius said, “and it wouldn’t be safe.”

“I’m not going anywhere,” Harry said.

Tonks quirked an eyebrow. “And after you turn seventeen? Will you stay here then?”

“Ginny’s here,” Harry said, which was not much of an answer, but it was the one thing that made him want to stay at the Burrow.

Tonks pursed her lips. “I’m not your mum, Harry, but I am an Auror, for however much longer that may be, and I shouldn’t need to tell you how dangerous it would be for you to go off on your own.”

“Then don’t tell me.”

He wasn’t planning on running away — not yet at least — but he didn’t need Tonks and Sirius poking around and asking questions. He had never been particularly good at lying. Keeping this secret was not going to be easy.

Once they were inside, Tonks headed straight for Remus, and snatched the glass of whiskey from him.

“I thought we said one drink —”

“We’re staying here tonight.” Remus took his glass back from her. “I imagine our wedding nuptials will wait another night?” He filled another glass and put it in her hand. “Consolation?”

Tonks looked down at the whiskey longingly, but she sighed and handed the glass to Sirius. “It’s fine — not like we were really waiting or anything.”

Harry’s ears grew warm, and Sirius took one look at the glass Tonks had handed him and downed with a speed that rivaled Remus’ drinking habits.

To escape from this terribly uncomfortable conversation, Harry looked around for Hermione and the diadem. He didn’t see Hermione nor Ginny, but Cedric was in the kitchen doorway, talking quietly with his parents and Mad-Eye.

Harry still had not had a chance to talk with Cedric since Dumbledore had died. He had decided to keep the Horcruxes from his parents, but Cedric had been invaluable to Harry in the hunt already. It was Cedric who had suggested that Voldemort had hidden a Horcrux in Hogwarts, and Harry, as much as he did not want any else to get hurt on this quest, knew that he would not be able to do it without Cedric’s help.

Cedric noticed Harry staring, whispered something to his mother, and slipped away from his parents.

“Are you alright?” he asked Harry.

Harry shrugged. “Are you?”

Cedric smiled weakly, then said, “Can we talk somewhere?”

The house itself was crowded, so Harry and Cedric went to the garden. When they had walked far enough away from the Burrow, Cedric let out a slow, deep breath.

“Feels nice to be able to talk to you away from Williamson — finally.” Cedric tried to grin, but neither he nor Harry were in the mood for humour. Cedric’s shoulders slumped and he rubbed the back of his neck. He was quiet for a long moment, his eyes trained on the now dark spot where his family home had once stood.

Finally, he asked, “What happened tonight?”

Harry snorted. “Can you be more specific?”

Cedric smiled wryly. “When you dueled Voldemort — you weren’t yourself, exactly. And your wand did something, didn’t it? And the Horcrux — when I found you in the Tonks’ garden, I think it was trying to kill you.”

“I’ve been in Voldemort’s head before.” Harry tried to sound casual about it. “And I don’t know what happened with my wand — it acted on its own somehow — but I don’t think it’s a surprise that a piece of Voldemort’s soul would try and kill me.”

“Do you have a fit like you did tonight every time you’re in his head?”

Harry shrugged. “I don’t know. I’m not exactly conscious when they happen. Does it matter?”

“I think it does. I don’t really know, but…” Cedric rubbed his eyes. “I just wish we knew more about Horcruxes. Then we’d know just what sort of danger this diadem is to us. I think you should be careful about carrying it on your person, for now anyway.”

“I’m not going to risk losing it.”

“I can look after it — or Ron or Hermione can. I’m sure your parents would help, too. Have you told them?”

Harry shook his head.

“Will you tell them?”

“I don’t know that they’ll understand. They’ll want to take care of it for me — but they can’t. You can’t either.”

Cedric laughed, and this time, it was genuine. “But I can help. I think I’m going to head to Grimmauld Place tomorrow, see if I can’t find anything helpful in the Black library.”

“Is it safe?”

Cedric glanced back over his shoulder at the Burrow. Harry wondered who exactly Cedric was afraid would overhear them.

When Cedric was confident they were not being watched, he said, “Things are… changing at the Ministry, and I don’t think it’s all Death Eaters. They’re helping, sure, but it’s every day people who hear these ideas and don't do anything. Right now, the Ministry is one of the Death Eaters’ strongest tools, and the fact that raiding the Order’s Headquarters isn’t a priority in the wake of Dumbledore’s death says something.”

“Just because the Ministry isn’t interested in the Order’s Headquarters doesn’t mean it’s because of Death Eaters.” But even as Harry said it, he had a feeling that both the Ministry and Death Eaters would eagerly raid the Order of the Phoenix’s Headquarters, given the opportunity.

“If the Death Eaters knew about it,” Cedric said, “then they would use the power of the Ministry to raid it. Thicknesse would have already sent Aurors in. Death Eaters are even keeping us off of certain cases, so I don’t see why they wouldn’t use us for their dirty work.”

“What does that mean?”

Cedric bit down on his lip. “Just something Christian said. His sister was close with the Muggle Studies professor at Hogwarts — Charity Burbage. I didn’t know her, but I guess he and Anne did. She’d just published an article in the Prophet about Muggle-born rights. And then she was gone. Christian’s Chief Captain now, so he set up an investigation but Thicknesse shut him down. No one else seemed interested in arguing about it.”

As Cedric spoke, Harry remembered his dream from the night before, or at least pieces of it. He swallowed hard, and tried to sound confident. “Well, at least I can tell you what happened to that professor.”

Cedric had regained most of his colour after Fleur’s treatment, but it faded while Harry shared his dream and his vision of what had happened to Ollivander tonight. Harry wasn’t sure which was worse for Cedric — knowing what had happened to Professor Burbage or knowing that Cedric’s fears about the Death Eaters controlling Hit Wizard investigations were true.

When Harry was finished, Cedric picked a third worse thing to ask about. “Do you really think he succeeded? Do you think he made another one?”

Harry swallowed. “I don’t know. Your research didn’t say anything about Horcruxes and goblin silver, did it?”

“I’ll look again and let you know.” Cedric wiped his hand over his face, as if he might rub out his exhaustion. Harry wanted to tell him that he didn’t have to, that this burden of research didn’t need to all be on Cedric, that Hermione would probably love to help him, but he didn’t think that Cedric would listen.

“When are you planning to leave?” Cedric asked. “After you turn seventeen?”

“After the wedding, I guess…” Harry ran his hand through his hair. He had told Sirius and Tonks he was staying because Ginny was here, and it was half-true. “Maybe until Ginny goes to Hogwarts? I don’t want to wait that long, but I think she’ll be furious if I go before.”

“Well — I don’t exactly have a home anymore. My parents have decided to stay with Mad-Eye for now, and probably will be there for a while. Mad-Eye’s pretty furious with my dad, wants to keep his eye on him. The sooner you leave, the sooner I don’t have to stay in Mad-Eye’s weird old house.”

And though Harry very much did not want Cedric to come on this journey, though he very much did not want to put Cedric at risk, he could not see how he would be able to do this without Cedric.

“I’ll keep that in mind,” he said.

The waning moon finally appeared above the trees that surrounded the Burrow. Cedric stared up at it and Harry watched as his grey eyes seemed to cloud with an unfortunately familiar expression. Harry had seen it in Grimmauld Place, during that summer the Order had stayed together, and again in the Potter’s kitchen last winter.

Cedric rubbed his eyes again and the expression faded. “Sorry — it’s just… Do you ever feel like there’s a voice inside your head telling you it won’t matter?”

“No.”

“No, of course you don't.” Cedric sighed, and Harry re-evaluated his response.

Harry had seen this same anxiety in Cedric when they had dealt with Umbridge’s terrible reign at Hogwarts. Hopelessness was always in reach for Cedric in a way that Harry didn't understand.

“But I know you do. Didn't you say Christian helped you with that?”

“I can't tell him about any of this.” His voice broke halfway through, and his lip trembled, but not a single tear fell. Despite how easy it was for Cedric to fall apart inside, it took a lot more for that pain to be visible.

“Killing Voldemort will end this war, Cedric,” Harry promised. “Whatever happens after that… well, I guess let’s just start small for now.”

Cedric took in a deep breath and rubbed his eyes, as if he could wipe away his own fears and anxiety. “We’re more than halfway there, right?”

Harry took a moment to count Horcruxes. The diary, the ring, and the locket were destroyed. The diadem, the locket, the snake, and whatever else was left in Voldemort — and a possible new Horcrux — were still left.

“Not quite,” Harry sighed, “but I guess we��re off to an alright start.”

#dh #hp everyone lives #hp fic #everyone lives au

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matrixaffiliate · 4 years

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Chapter Update! FFN and AO3

Happy Saturday! Two chapters today, and then we have two chapters on October 31st, and this lovely little story comes to its end. See you next week!

Chapter 17

Teddy was finding that this whole planning a proposal thing was a good bit of fun. It probably had a lot to do with how he'd turned the whole thing into a game; that, and Vic choosing to play as well. He was thinking of feeding her a few other clues just to try and throw off her timeline. That idea seemed like a lot of fun too.

First, however, Ted needed to make sure that Kalil and Maira were on board with a proposal at their wedding.

He'd texted Kalil an afternoon three weeks before their wedding to make sure he could drop by that evening. When Kalil responded yes, Ted drove straight to their flat after work with excitement building in his chest.

"Hey mate," Kalil let him inside, "What did you need to talk about."

Maira came up behind Kalil and pulled Ted into a quick hug as he tried to kick off his shoes.

"You may not move in with us." She teased as she released him.

"Well, there goes that plan, I guess I'll just show myself out then," Ted smirked at the laugh he pulled out of two of his oldest friends.

"Come sit down," Maira led them to the couch, "Do you want something to drink?"

"I'm good, thanks," Ted claimed his favorite spot on the couch that Kalil had taken with him when the two moved out of their shared flat. "I wanted to ask a small favor on your wedding day?"

"I'm not naming our first child Edward," Kalil smirked at him.

"That's alright, I don't think that just anyone can handle a name like Edward."

"Will you get to the point, Ted?" Maira sighed as she rolled her eyes.

"I was, but your fiancé distracted me."

"Why do you think I always beat you at Mario Kart?" Kalil grinned.

"Darling, shush," Maira kicked at Kalil's foot. "Out with it, Ted."

"It's nothing huge, Maira, I just was hoping you two would be alright if I were to propose to Vic at your wedding.

"Seriously?" Kalil shouted before slapping Ted on the back. "Congrats mate!"

Maira moved to give him another hug as she squealed. "Of course, you can propose to her at our wedding! Oh, Ted, this is going to be so wonderful!"

Ted took a moment to compose himself. He hadn't counted on their reaction being so moving to him. It was all dreams and games up to this point, but with his two friends getting ready for their wedding in just a few weeks, and their overwhelming support to give a piece of the best day of their life thus far to him, Ted found his eyes were suddenly watering a small bit.

"So, er, can I get an idea of how things are going to move on your big day?" Ted cleared his throat and blinked the excess moisture from his eyes.

"Mai has all that info, right babe?"

"On it," Maira jumped up and moved down the corridor, returning with her tablet in hand.

"First is the ceremony, then we have dinner, and then the reception, I think that would probably be the best time to do it."

"What's your reception look like?" Ted leant closer to look at the document.

"Our first dance," Maira pointed to the screen, "then dancing for an hour while we mingle, and then cake cutting, more dancing, and then Kalil and I get to leave."

"My favorite part," Kalil smirked at Ted while Maira rolled her eyes.

Ted looked at the screen as he tried to think his way through this.

"How do you feel if I propose after your first dance? You could ask the DJ to give me a minute before he turns the music back on, and I could propose, and then we'd have the whole reception to celebrate with you."

"I think it's perfect!" Maira smiled so wide Ted wondered if her face hurt from the effort. "We could even have him play a song you and Vic really like first!"

Ted nodded, "Yeah, yeah, let's do that, I'll figure out what the right song would be and let you know."

Maira squealed happily and gripped Kalil's arm. "I'm so excited for this!"

"Sure, be excited about our friend proposing, forget that you'll be my wife, that's completely secondary." Kalil gave his arm a playful shake to free himself from her grip. But Maira just held on tighter and kissed him instead.

"I'll be your wife forever; I only get to see so many of our friends propose."

"She'll forget about me and Vic the moment you get her out of the reception," Ted consoled his best friend. "If you'd like, you can come and propose to Maira again at my wedding."

Kalil laughed, "Nah, proposing once was quite enough for me, thanks all the same."

"Spoilsport," Maira teased.

Ted smiled, they had it all figured out. Everything was ready, and in place, the only thing left to do was to wait.

Thankfully the days moved quickly, and before he knew it, Ted was driving to pick up Vic for the wedding.

Being in the wedding party, he had to be there before the ceremony to be a part of the pictures. He had needed to approach that problem carefully, as he really didn't want him and Vic to be in separate cars when they left the wedding reception. But Vic thought that being there early would be fine, and she readily agreed to have him pick her up in time for Ted to be in the wedding party photos. If he hadn't been so relieved, he would have been suspicious.

Ted pulled up to the Weasley's home and turned off his car. He looked at the glove box and smiled as he unlocked it and pulled out the ring.

"Well, my friend, tonight's the night." He opened the box and smiled. Tonight, it would be on her hand. Tonight, he wouldn't systematically check to make sure the glove box was shut and locked when he went up to his flat. Tonight, everything he'd been working towards would come together in what he hoped would be the greatest day of her life thus far. He slid the box in his pocket and moved to collect Vic.

Ted knocked on the Weasley's door and straightened his tie. But when Vic opened the door his hands fell from his neckline and he forgot how to breathe.

Ted had seen Vic get dressed up before. He'd taken her to different places that had required more than jeans and a t-shirt. But he'd never seen her in anything like this.

She looked like she should be walking out of a Hollywood red carpet event, not a small house on the seashore. Her hair was in curls and pulled back slightly, making her blue eyes the center focus. And her blue dress seemed to make the blue in her eyes pop like a photo app filter.

"Wow."

"Do you like it?" Vic bit her lip and moved one of her blonde curls back over her shoulder.

"You're beautiful."

Ted pulled her into him and felt the first bout of nerves that day over what he had planned. Vic was amazing, and she looked like a movie star, was everything he had planned tonight really enough?

"We should get going," Vic smiled up at him. "We don't want to keep Kalil and Maira waiting on you."

"Right," Ted sighed and reluctantly released his hold around her, opting to take her hand as they moved to his car.

Ted was glad that Vic was excited, she talked when she was excited, and he didn't know if he could manage to be the carrier of their conversations at that moment. He hadn't expected to be this nervous. She was going to say yes, logically he knew that. She wouldn't have played that she might ask him first if she wasn't going to say yes when he asked. But the irrational side of Ted's mind was apparently not listening. His palms were damp and they hadn't even made it to the pictures. Ted casually checked the time on his dashboard and had to suppress his groan. He still had three hours to go.

"You ok?" Vic put her hand on his thigh as Ted maneuvered the car into a parking spot.

Ted killed the engine and turned to look at her. She was smiling at him like the sun, her face full of excitement and love and just, everything.

He almost asked her right there, but somehow, he reeled himself in before he could ruin all his well-laid plans.

"Yeah, just, I can't believe that they're finally getting married. I've known them for most of university, and they've been something of an institution. This day more or less cements how far we've all come."

Vic leant forward and kissed him softly. "And it's going to be perfect."

She couldn't know how much her simple statement had given him a little bit of calm in the storm of nerves he was currently fighting. That was a big part of what he loved about her, she was always the calm in whatever storm he was in, even back when she had been with Sean, the moments with just her were what got him through it more than anything else he'd tried during those difficult months. Now, she was the calm that was getting him through the nerves he felt at asking her to be his forever.

They climbed out of the car and Kalil spotted them, calling them over in the middle of the photographer trying to take a picture, for which Maira gave his chest a light smack, making everyone laugh. Ted watched the photographer get the candid shot and was pretty sure that Maira would probably prefer that image to the majority of the lot they'd get today.

"We're so glad you're here!" Maira hugged them as she and Kalil met them halfway between the parking lot and where the rest of the wedding party was gathered. "You look amazing!" Maira adjusted one of Vic's golden curls.

"Thanks," Vic's smile was wide, "My sister helped me get ready. She's really good at this stuff."

"I'd say," Ted kissed her cheek.

The photographer suggested that they keep going with the pictures when Maira grabbed Vic's hand. "Come be in one with us!"

Vic blinked, "Are you sure, I don't want to impose, I only came early so Ted and I didn't need to bring two cars."

"Yes!" Maira gave her hand a firm tug, "I want a few pictures with the four of us. We've got plenty of time to do some with the four of us, and you look gorgeous, you have to get some pictures of you looking like this!"

Ted gave Vic's other hand a tug, "Come on, Vic, you know you want to."

"Oh, alright," Vic laughed as she gave in and they started to follow the bride and groom to where the photographer was wanting to position them.

"Ted!"

Ted turned around and smiled when he saw Nicki, her magenta bridesmaid dress causing the green streaks in her hair to pop like pieces of candy.

"Hey, Nicki!" He pulled Vic back and into his side as Nicki caught up.

"Vic, this is Nicki, she's a friend of Mai's and subsequently mine and Kalil's too. Nicki, this is my Victoire."

"I heard you'd started dating someone. It's nice to meet you, Victoire." Nicki held out her hand to Vic.

"It's so nice to finally meet you," Vic shook her hand and then bit her lip, "And thank you for being a good friend to Ted."

Ted was momentarily surprised. He'd told Vic about Nicki, about how things had worked out for the best between them, but he'd played this introduction so that she wouldn't need to visit that part of their past today. Another day, maybe he'd have done it differently, but today needed to be perfect. Apparently, Vic had come a lot further than he'd realized.

Nicki raised her eyebrows at Ted and then chuckled as she addressed Vic.

"I'm glad you two found your way back to each other."

Nicki's phone rang and she pulled it out to silence it but stopped.

"Sorry, this is my date," she apologized as she stepped away to take the call. Ted could have sworn he heard her say the name Kevin when she answered. He wondered if it was Kevin from marketing where she worked...

"That was really cool of you," Ted kissed Vic's cheek.

"Yeah, well it was really cool of her to let you go while I figured myself out." Vic kissed his lips, long and sweet.

"Ted!" Maira's voice intruded on their stolen moment. "Don't ruin her make-up before she's been in the pictures!"

The photos of the four of them and the wedding party photos didn't take very long and Ted found himself standing with his arms around Vic as they waited just a bit longer before separating for the ceremony.

"This is nice," she looked up at him and smiled. "I'm glad I came early with you instead of coming in my own car."

"Me too," Ted kissed her and again felt the overwhelming desire to ask her then and there.

It was a beautiful day and it was peaceful in this little secluded corner they'd found. It felt like them, this stolen solitude. It felt right. But he'd put so much effort into planning this out, and Kalil and Maira had too. He was pretty sure that they'd kill him if he simply couldn't contain himself and proposed after going through all the effort to plan an elaborate proposal with them.

He needed to distract himself. He needed to redirect his train of thought. And his answer came in the DJ turning on music while she finished setting up.

Ted turned Vic around and started to spin her around in their little corner in time to the music.

Vic laughed as he moved them through the song. "See, I knew you were pulling my leg. You can dance!"

Ted kissed her as he dipped her back into a small dip. "I'm full of surprises."

They only ended up having time to dance that one song before Kalil cut in to get Ted to his place and Vic moved to take her seat.

"You doing alright?" Ted asked his friend as he stood to his left and looked out over the guests. His eyes landed on Vic and he smiled as she gave him a little wave.

"Yeah, er, just, a bit nervous, you know?" Kalil shoved his hands in his pockets before pulling them back out and clasping his hands behind him.

"Don't think about the rest of us, mate. Just focus on her, you'll be fine."

"Right," Kalil gave him a grateful smile. "Are you all set for later?"

"Yep," Ted rubbed the back of his neck. "I won't lie, I've been tempted to throw the plan out and just ask her a few times today already."

"Hold strong, mate, you've planned something pretty big, don't waste it."

Ted laughed, "Don't worry, I've got enough self-control for this."

"I'd hope so, you managed to wait for her to make her way back to you. You've got the patience of a saint."

Ted went to respond, but the music began and Maira stepped out. Ted didn't waste his breath, Kalil wouldn't have heard him anyway.

The ceremony wasn't long and soon Ted was again back with Vic as they ate dinner. Dinner seemed to fly as Ted's nerves started to build up and gain momentum. This was it. He was within an hour of proposing. His chest felt like it was filled with electricity and his hands were sweating.

"Are you alright?" Vic looked at him concerned.

"Yeah," Ted tried to chuckle. "I'm great."

Vic gave him a shy smile and squeezed his hand. "Good."

They moved from dinner to the reception area and Ted kept Vic close to his side as they waited for Kalil and Maira to come in and dance their first dance.

"She's beautiful," Vic whispered as the happy couple took the dance floor.

"You're beautiful," Ted murmured close to her ear.

They watched quietly while Kalil and Maira spun around the floor and as the song started to come to an end Ted pulled Vic closer.

"Hey," he turned her to face him. "I…"

But before he could continue Ted heard a woman cry out on the other side of the dance room. He glanced over and resisted the urge to start swearing. Some other wedding guest was currently on one knee before the woman Ted assumed had cried out.

Shite.

There was a moment where the man spoke and then the woman gave him a teary nod. And that was that. Everything Ted had worked for months to prepare was gone.

And Ted wanted to pummel the stranger who had stolen it all out from under him.

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cagestark · 5 years

Text

-Proxy Chapter Three-

Chapter One | Chapter Two | Chapter Three

Read here on AO3.

“FRI—”

“You’re not having a stroke!” Peter shrieks. “What’s—what’s so hard to believe? You’ve been my hero since I was like, eight years old. I’ve been getting off to those old TED talks of yours since I was old enough to masturbate—okay, TMI, I know—but you’re so smart, and you’re so brave, and fuck, Mr. Stark, you’re like, so, so hot, I don’t know what to do—and I got this dumb idea in my head that if I just asked, you’d offer, but I literally almost just had sex with some guy I don’t even know just because I was too scared to ask you myself, and I—I’m so sorry.”

Tony holds up a hand to stop the profuse rambling. His heart is pounding in his chest, but he doesn’t waste the breath asking FRIDAY if he’s having a heart attack. He pieces together the kid’s words with all the background information, the senseless things that he hadn’t been able to compute until he received this context. Brilliant though he may be, social contexts can often fall to the wayside.

“I should have seen this coming,” Tony says. “I guess my rampant self-esteem issues might have pulled the wool over my eyes. I’m sorry. Jesus, kid, this has been one fucked up game of chicken. You almost lost your virginity for a bluff.”

Peter sighs. “It would have been worth it if you had said yes. It would have been worth it even if it was, it was Daniel, you know? Because you were here, and a part of it. Kind of.”

“Yeah, no. Not worth it. And don’t tell anyone about that part of this—”

“Trust me, I won’t,” says Peter glumly, sniffing. “I’m sorry, Mr. Stark. Again.”

“Don’t be,” he says. He means it. Peter can’t possibly imagine how much he means it. Because the last sixty seconds have made him feel filled with helium. This must be how that dumb earnest child and his equally dumb hotheaded grandfather felt when they drank those fizzy-lifting drinks at the Wonka factory. Somehow, this incredible young man next to him sees something in him. Tony believes that Peter is the human equivalent of Mjolnir, some detector of worthiness. In the kid's hands and eyes, Tony is uplifted. He feels…honored. “Peter, look—”

“Don’t,” the kid groans, scrubbing at his eyes. “Please don’t give me the whole, let’s stay friends speech or the you're too young speech. All those speeches suck. Just—can’t we pretend this never happened?”

“Maybe you could,” Tony admits. “But I can’t. Friends—yeah, I want to be your friend. But I want more than that too.” The expression on Peter’s face when he peaks around his hands is one he will never forget, the shred of hope that blossoms and blooms there, prettier than any flower Tony’s ever seen. “You’ve got to know how extraordinary you are, and not just genetically. You’re smart. You’re brave. You’re attractive. If I got to be with you, I’d be an incredibly lucky man.”

Peter frowns. “Why am I sensing a but?”

“Because there is one. But—I’m an old man. I could take care of you financially, yes, but I’d do that anyway, no strings attached. You’re going to want someone younger, with less mileage, less wear and tear. You’re going to want someone different someday. Someone better. And contrary to your youthful belief: they’re out there waiting for you, kid. Someone who is everything you’ve ever dreamed of, and who is going to look at you like you hang the moon.”

“Is that how you look at me?” Peter asks, tears glittering in his lashes. “Like I hang the moon?”

Tony swallows.

Peter crosses the bed on his knees, one, two, awkward steps until he is flush with Tony’s side, and then hooking a leg over Tony’s lap. Tony isn’t as wide as Daniel was, but he is wide enough that Peter sits nearly flush on his lap, skinny jeans stretching. The weight is warm and solid, and Peter’s half naked, all abs and soft, pale skin that makes Tony’s fingers buzz just thinking about touching.

“Pete, don’t,” Tony groans, choosing a spot on the wall across the room (where a conveniently placed painting rests) and staring at it resolutely. God, the painting is hideous, something leftover from Pepper’s abstract art buying phase. It needs burned, needs dropped from the roof of the building, needs donated back to whatever museum it came from.

“Why not?” Peter asks softly. He rests his hands on Tony’s shoulders, kneeling up until his chest is in the way of Tony’s gaze. Not that Tony minds, really, because fuck—the kid is positively built. Peter relaxes his legs and whatever pressure he’d been using to avoid sitting on Tony’s lap settles onto Tony’s groin, where his traitorous, half-hard cock takes notice. Instinct has him reaching out to plant his wide hands across the narrow hips, and the skin burns him. It’s even softer than he imagined. “Even if you don’t think we should be together. Why can’t we? If I want you, and somehow you want me?”

“You think I could look at you the same after fucking you, kid?” Tony asks lowly. “I can barely look at you as is because of all the compromising situations I’ve seen you in lately.”

Peter’s face flushes. “It doesn’t make any sense then either. We want each other in all those ways, so why not try? Please, Mr. Stark. Please, let us try.”

And it always comes back to this, doesn’t it?

The fact that Tony can’t say no to this kid.

He tilts his head back to look up at the ceiling and implore any divine deities to have mercy on him. The kid takes the opportunity to press his mouth to Tony’s jaw, just beneath where his facial hair ends. It’s been so long since Tony’s been with anyone that the contact alone has his eyes shutting. The fact that this is Peter makes it transcendental. He feels the warm wetness as Peter opens his mouth and traces where Tony dabs cologne in the morning, and then the gentle scrape of teeth that has him groaning from deep within his chest.

Peter whines at the sound. His hips begin to move, aborted little jerking thrusts that make him arch his back obscenely to try and connect their cocks, and when he does, it’s like lightning cracking up Tony’s spine, makes him hiss through his teeth and squeeze the kid’s hips to bruising.

“Please, Mr. Stark,” Peter pants in the older man’s ear. “’ve been dreaming about this. Please let me have it.”

“Take it then, kid,” Tony says. He uses his grip on Peter’s hip to help him move, to increase the force of their frantic grinding until Peter is giving gasping little pants with every breath, mouth slack. When he’s sure the kid will keep the pace on his own, he lets his hands move away from the narrow hips and slide over all the gorgeous skin. Peter naturally runs a degree or two higher than an unenhanced human, but now it feels obscene, dangerous, like they’re liable to catch a spark between them and burn the place down.

“T-Tony?” Peter pants, mouth still flush against the man’s neck. It’s the first time in memory that Tony can recall Peter calling him by his given name, and it’s—it’s everything he thought it might be. “I’m—I’m close—”

Tony groans, rolling his neck. “Go ahead. I can’t stop you. I won’t.”

“Tony,” Peter whines, drawing the name out obscenely. His hips stutter, desperately chasing a finish line that’s within sight. Tony takes pity on him and helps guide his hips again, thrusting his own up as best as he can in their upright position.

When Peter cums, he shudders all over, mouth open in a silent scream. A high, long noise slips from his throat, and he buries his face in the juncture between Tony’s neck and shoulder, hips slowing to move in long, leisurely strokes as his cock twitches in his confined pants, a burst of heat blooming between them. Tony commits it all to memory. It makes his head swim, his own neglected cock ache. He can’t help but kiss the crown of Peter’s head when the young man sags against him.

“I love you,” Peter murmurs into Tony’s damp skin.

Tony feels those same words bubbling in his throat, but now doesn’t feel like the right time to say them: not when he’s just given the young man his first orgasm at another human’s hands. Tony clutches the kid to him, breathing in the scent of him, filled with a sudden childish fear that if he lets him go—he might disappear. “Tell me that again in the morning, kid,” he says roughly.

He takes the pointed chin in his hand, tilts it up and (it’s not until the momentum has already caught a hold of him that he realizes this is their first kiss, their very first kiss) devours the kid’s mouth. He’s a starving man, and there’s no one who could blame him for it. He sips at Peter’s mouth like it’s a cup and he’s shaking with thirst, licks into that soft burning wetness of the younger man’s mouth. Peter tangles his fingers in Tony’s hair, tugging and tugging, whining as he shifts from one knee to another.

“Let’s get you out of those pants,” Tony says, parting just long enough for the words to slip out before reaching for the button on Peter’s skinny jeans. A firm hand catches his wrist, strong. Tony pulls away, eyes wide, fear sobering him—is he moving too fast? Did he overstep their boundaries? Did he somehow misinterpret the last five minutes (a little tough to believe considering the kid just came in his pants and whispered a touching declaration of love, but these days Tony puts nothing past himself)?

“No,” says Peter. He let’s go of Tony’s wrist and reaches for the man’s t-shirt. “Let’s even us out first.”

And oh—oh, that’s alright, then. He has a flashing moment of insecurity as the shirt goes over his head; he’s softer than he once was, and there is scarring where the arc reactor used to be, where battles have torn away his armor. The two of them could not be further alike, with Peter’s lean, pale, muscled body and Tony’s wider, tanned, scarred flesh. But Peter’s eyes practically roll when he’s got his burning palms flat on Tony’s pecs, running his hands all over the revealed skin (learning, he’s learning, Tony thinks).

“This isn’t fair,” Peter whines, leaning forward to open his mouth and plant it on the arch of Tony’s trapezius muscle. When he speaks, his tongue laps at Tony’s skin and nearly distorts the words. “You’re so fucking hot, Mr. Stark.”

“Tony,” Tony reminds him. He dips his fingers gently into the waistband of the kid’s skinny jeans. “Should we uneven the score again?”

Peter slips off of Tony’s lap and stands before him. There isn’t any shyness when he bends down and shucks the pants off of his lean legs. The underwear makes him hesitate—eyes flashing up towards where the older man is watching, heart in his throat, cock aching in its confines. Tony sees him steel himself before dropping the boxers too, using them to wipe clean his cock which is slowly returning to hardness. He doesn’t have anything to be ashamed of. Tony’s seen a fair share of cocks in his time, and Peter’s is remarkably pretty, average in length and girth, flushed pink as his bruised lips.

“What art museum did you escape from, again?” Tony asks, waving a finger up and down Peter’s body. “You know, the artwork isn’t supposed to leave the building—”

Peter’s face flushes, all the way down his neck and to his chest. “That’s rich, coming from you Mr. Stark.”

“Well, I’m rich—come here.”

Peter does. He comes to stand flush with the edge of the bed against his thighs. Being so close to Tony must excite him, because his cock lengthens rapidly even though he stands, patient and still while Tony peruses his body from the freckle above his abs to the way the hair on his thighs is lighter and softer than the hair on his calves and shins. The fire in him simmers, turned down from the boiling point. Soft, he remembers. He should be soft and gentle with this precious young man.

So Tony reaches out gently, runs his calloused fingers over the hill of one collar bone. Peter’s head lolls to the side like he’s too weak to hold it up. He shivers when Tony flattens his palm over his heart, dragging it until he rolls it carefully over one stiffened nipple. Peter’s mouth clicks shut on a whine, cock jerking between his legs.

“You’re sensitive here,” Tony remarks, taking one of the pale nipples between his fingers and rolling it.

“Yessir,” Peter says, his voice high and sweet.

Tony’s eyebrows lift, but the kid must not even see anything strange about what he’s said, because his eyes stay closed, face relaxed and in ecstasy. Tony begins to add pressure, soft little pinches that have the cock in front of him jerking and spitting precum onto the bed. From the young mouth pours a litany of silky noises that threaten to stoke the heat inside him back to a rolling boil—but Tony isn’t a young man. He isn’t inexperienced. He knows how to hold himself back, to watch his lover with the keen eyes of a scientist to discover what pleases them most.

The kid is too distracted to notice when Tony leans forward to lick the flat of his tongue across the neglected nipple. The noise he makes is somewhere between a shout and a groan, fingers digging into pale flesh where he has them laying flat on his thighs.

“God, Mr.—Tony. Please, don’t stop, please.”

Tony doesn’t. He strokes and pinches one nipple raw and then soothes it with his tongue, blowing cool air across the abused little buds until the kid shivers and whines.

“Am I bein’ too loud?” Peter asks through gasping breaths. “Just tell me to, to shut up if I’m annoying you—”

“There’s nothing annoying about you,” Tony promises. He takes the kid’s palm from where it’s leaving bruises on his leg and encourages him to palm Tony’s cock and God, Tony can feel the heat even through his jeans and boxers, the pressure is divine after so much neglect. “It drives me up the walls listening to you, kid. I’m trying to hear those noises, so don’t hold them back—but make sure I earn them. Got it?”

“Got it,” Peter whispers, smiling.

“I’m vocal too, is that going to turn you off?” asks Tony.

“I’m pretty sure there’s nothing about you that could turn me off.”

“Let’s not test that hypothesis.”

He places an open-mouthed kiss to the center of the kid’s chest and uses his hands to guide Peter back onto the bed. Standing, he doesn’t bother with any fanfare, stripping himself of his remaining clothes and adding to the heap at the foot of the bed. In his favor, Peter watches with wide eyes. When he reaches Tony’s cock, he licks his lips.

Tony climbs back onto the bed, and they tangle themselves together, laying side by side and kissing like teenagers the first time they’re left alone. Sometimes their cocks bump and Peter whines, hips arching.

“Should you get a condom?” Peter asks.

“I don’t think so.”

Peter blinks. “Oh—without one? That’s cool too. I mean, obviously—”

“No, I mean—I don’t think we should have sex tonight. Hey, no, don’t make that face. It doesn’t have anything to do with you. But all of your firsts shouldn’t happen in one night, kid. That isn't healthy. You should space them out.”

Peter sits up, eyes blazing, as he talks, he presses Tony back into the mattress, coming to sit on the flat of his abs. “Space them out? Okay then. But what’s the right spacing? A few days in between each milestone? A few weeks? That—that might work for somebody else. The schedule, thing. But this is my schedule. I want you. Like, now. Tonight.”

Tony groans, hands naturally falling to the protruding hip bones. He dips his thumbs into the hollows and (curiously) coaxes Peter to rub forward and backward until the curve of his ass nudges against Tony’s aching cock. He wonders then; why wait? Peter wants it, Tony wants it, why shouldn’t they?

But of all his anxieties—and there are many, always, growing like mold beneath the floorboards of his brain—there is one that sobers him:

“What if you regret it in the morning?” Tony asks. He licks his lips, which feel a little like trembling. He tries to look the kid in the eyes, but his own keep falling, rising, desperate to be looking anywhere else so that Peter can’t see, can’t see inside him at what an anxious, scared, desperate old man he is.

Peter plants a palm flat above Tony’s navel. “I won’t. But if I did—that’d be okay too. Regrets aren’t the end of the world. Everybody has some, and life goes on. But look at me. Look at me: I won’t. I promise you.”

Tony’s eyes burn. His hands have gone from pressing bruises into those hips to rubbing his knuckles tenderly across the arch of one. “I can’t take that chance, kid. I can’t. This is more to me.”

Peter frowns. Carefully, he climbs off Tony, but doesn’t give the man chance enough to grow cold. Peter presses himself from collar to ankle along Tony’s side, coaxing the man’s arm around him until Peter is nestled there resting his head on the older man’s shoulder. He must be close enough for the kid to hear his pounding heart, because Peter presses a tender kiss against the skin closest to his mouth.

“How long do you want to wait?” Peter asks. “However long you need, I’m cool. Like, I waited nineteen years, I’m sure I could wait—well, God, not another nineteen years, I hope. Please, Mr. Stark, not nineteen more years.”

“Call me Mr. Stark again and I’m going to make it twenty. How about—in the morning. We’ll see how you feel in the morning.”

He feels the kid smile. “Alright,” he says. “But I don’t know how you expect me to get any sleep. This is like Christmas, only sexy.”

But somehow, they do.

Because Tony blinks his eyes open. He didn’t tell FRIDAY to activate Sunglasses At Night protocol, so the sun streams in through the window. He’s content to be still: before he moves, he doesn’t feel any of the aches and pains that come with getting older, doesn’t worry about the stress of his day, what might come. But beside him, something shifts, rustling the dark sheets—

Peter, lying awake, naked except for the sheet that covers his hips. He’s holding his phone in front of his face, but at the noise Tony makes, glances over the top to see that the older man has awoken. The phone slips forgotten between them.

“Good morning,” Peter murmurs, voice rough from sleep.

“Great morning,” Tony says, mouth twitching.

Peter sits up onto one elbow, curls a wreck. There’s a bruise on his neck, sucked there in ecstasy the night before. His entire body is a long, lean line that Tony wants to trace and kiss and worship. “Do you remember what you told me I could do in the morning?”

Tony rolls his eyes. His morning wood certainly remembers. “You’re going to be insatiable, kid. Alright. If you haven’t changed your mind, we can—”

It’s Peter’s turn to roll his eyes. “Not that, you perv. Don’t you remember? You said, 'tell me that again in the morning.' So:

“I love you,” Peter says. Those are big words, spoken so softly. The kid means them too. Tony sees: he means them. Maybe he meant them last night too, shivering from his orgasm, but this, with the sunlight and the rumpled sheets and the sleep in the corners of Tony’s eyes to witness it? It’s different.

Tony reaches for the kid and coaxes him closer, kissing him soundly.

“I love you too,” Tony says, and all the things he’s ever doubted—this isn’t one of them.

#starker #nff #cagewrites #longfic

237 notes · View notes

gh0stbird · 4 years

Note

Okay Now Do The Rest

4. how did your elementary school teachers describe you?

Bright but argumentative. I was never afraid of pointing out things I didn’t feel were fair hfhddh

When we were learning numbers kids would often write 91 for nineteen, just flip them, y’know, and Ms. Potter yelled at the class for it. Baby Generiq went into it about how it was an understandable mix up because you do say the number first. In twenty-three you write the two first, so in nineteen it’s easy to assume you would write the nine first.

6. pastel, boho, tomboy, preppy, goth, grunge, formal or sportswear?

Tired.

8. movies or tv shows?

TV shows. Every book adaptation should also be a series not a movie. Thank you for coming to my TED Talk.

9. favorite smell in the summer?

Honeysuckle and sunshine

10. game you were best at in p.e.?

Floor hockey! My friend and I used to be brutal and swing at each other’s shins going after the ball. Also it was reminiscent of golf, which I competed in.

12. name of your favorite playlist?

I have an untitled playlist I cycle my current music in and out of, but Newton’s Third Law is my favorite named one!

14. favorite non-chocolate candy?

I don’t- I guess the yellow smarties. Don’t come for me they taste like lemonade.

15. favorite book you read as a school assignment?

I assume this means assigned book and not the reports we got to pick for ourselves. Ah, Night was good. Lord of the Flies was fine but way overhyped. Again, don’t come for me.

16. most comfortable position to sit in?

If I can tuck my legs into the chair I am sitting in that is ideal!

18. ideal weather?

When you know it is going to rain and you get to stay home

19. sleeping position? (Skipped on accident)

I reeeally like pressure, so either against something or on my stomach.

20. preferred place to write (i.e., in a note book, on your laptop, sketchpad, post-it notes, etc.)?

Phone notes and a notebook! Sometimes a blank document but I always find it strangely intimidating

21. obsession from childhood?

Warrior Cats, Percy Jackson, and Maximum Ride were my big three!

22. role model?

Aa I try to straw from people I want to copy, but there are talents I look up to. Rachel Chavkin is a brilliant director, and there are so many artists and authors I look up to and who inspire me.

24. favorite crystal?

Obsidian because it’s black like my hea- I’m kidding, I do love obsidian, but it’s Rose Quartz because it’s a very very pretty, soft pink and makes me happy.

25. first song you remember hearing?

The mobile above my crib played Imagine by John Lennon. My childhood room was themed after it as well!

26. favorite activity to do in warm weather?

Swim or sit in the sunshine. Ben and I usually go driving with the top down as well.

27. favorite activity to do in cold weather?

Walking through fresh snow is amazing, so are snowball fights and building snowmen.

28. five songs to describe you?

Oh fuck yes

Hurricane - Hamilton

The Reckless and the Brave - All Time Low

Almost There - The Princess and the Frog

All This and Heaven Too - Florence + the Machine

Facade - Jekyll and Hyde: A Gothic Musical Thriller

30. places that you find sacred?

I don’t typically find places sacred, but certain headspaces are very special to me, and time spent with loved ones means more than enough to be considered sacred.

31. what outfit do you wear to kick ass and take names?

A black blazer with a white button-down and a skirt.

32. top five favorite vines?

I am in Missouri (misery)

I love you, Bitch

I want a Church girl

Obama’s “I know because I won both of them”

I won’t hesitate, Bitch!

33. most used phrase in your phone?

“No worries”

34. advertisements you have stuck in your head?

That fucking PFI bandana boot sale I stg

35. average time you fall asleep?

Somewhere between 9:00 and three in the morning

36. what is the first meme you remember ever seeing?

Some girl doing bunny ears on her friend. I don’t remember what the caption was

38. lemonade or tea?

Both. Mixed together. It’s called an Arnold Palmer and it is my favorite drink

39. lemon cake or lemon meringue pie?

Lemon cake!

40. weirdest thing to ever happen at your school?

We duck taped out principal to the wall once. Also some kid broke their tray over another kid’s head at lunch one time.

41. last person you texted?

The family group chat, though Beau if Discord counts

42. jacket pockets or pants pockets?

I wear a lot of leggings so jacket pockets!

44. favorite scent for soap?

We had some Lily of the Valley hand soap that was amazing

45. which genre: sci-fi, fantasy or superhero?

Fantasy, I think! I’ve never done super heavy into the other two. Though I definitely don’t want to ignore sci-fi because two of my favorite stories are a little science-fiction-y

46. most comfortable outfit to sleep in?

A t-shirt and shorts

48. if you were a fruit, what kind would you be?

A banana. Generally accepted as a fruit and kind of just rolls with it, but is actually a berry

49. what saying or quote do you live by?

I fucking hate Hamilton-ing on main, but

“And when my prayers to god were met with indifference, I picked up a pen, I wrote my own deliverance!”

50. what made you laugh the hardest you ever have?

That changes every time Beau and I play HetaOni together, but I have fucking lost it for at least five minutes the last two sessions.

51. current stresses?

I dunno, man, life? My hair could use a wash

52. favorite font?

Covered by your Grace and I’m a big Spectral baby. These are both google docs! I don’t know if that makes a difference.

54. what did you learn from your first job?

Patience is important when teaching material, but never be afraid to find another approach better suited to the person you’re tutoring.

55. favorite fairy tale?

Robin Hood!

56. favorite tradition?

My family does homemade Springfield cashew chicken for Christmas!

57. the three biggest struggles you’ve overcome?

Uhh lots of self-acceptance shit no one really wants to read

58. four talents you’re proud of having?

I can pop the joint at the center of my foot

That’s all

60. if you were a character in an anime, what kind of anime would you want it to be?

I sort of like my role as mom friend, so maybe I could keep that role in a sort of action-based anime that followed a group of friends

61. favorite line you heard from a book/movie/tv show/etc.?

“I am not the protégé to waste your time on; I'm complete!” Jekyll and Hyde: GMT

62. seven characters you relate to?

Haha

Lisa Carew - Jekyll and Hyde: GMT

Japan - Hetalia/Oni

Garnett - Steven Universe

Hfhddh that’s all I can say that aren’t my own characters

63. five songs that would play in your club?

I Don’t Like Clubs, but

Overwhelmed - Royal + The Serpent

Backseat Serenade - All Time Low

Go Big or Go Home - American Authors

The Nights - Avicii

Tempo - Lizzo

64. favorite website from your childhood?

Webkinz!

65. any permanent scars?

Yep - One from a bad bike wreck. My body rejected the dissolvable stitches so it’s a lot bigger than it was supposed to be

66. favorite flower(s)?

Lily of the Valley, daisies, Day Lilies, and Dandelions! I also love honeysuckles but I don’t know if those count.

68. worst flavor of any food or drink you’ve ever tried?

Accidentally drank rancid milk once!

69. a fun fact that you don’t know how you learned? (Haha, nice)

The fastest, free way to fill up your potions on Wizard101 is to play Potion Motion to level three.

70. left or right handed?

Right handed

71. least favorite pattern?

On myself, animal print

72. worst subject?

I’ve never been intuitively good at History, I do think it’s interesting though.

74. at what pain level out of ten (1 through 10) do you have to be at before you take an advil or ibuprofen?

I don’t like to take it until I can’t move without it.

75. when did you lose your first tooth?

Kindergarten? I had mono and then scarlet fever twice, so my baby teeth were pretty much ruined and they all fell out very fast.

76. what’s your favorite potato food (i.e. tater tots, baked potatoes, fries, chips, etc.)?

Curly fries!

77. best plant to grow on a windowsill?

Kalanchoe’s, it literally Window’s Thrill. These babies are fairly temperamental outside and love partial sun, so the window is the perfect spot for them. And! If you keep them happy! They’ll bloom! My personal favorite is the pink bloom.

78. coffee from a gas station or sushi from a grocery store?

What’s wrong with coffee from a gas station? Also I don’t like seafood.

80. earth tones or jewel tones?

Earth tones!

81. fireflies or lightning bugs?

Lightning bugs

82. pc or console?

PC!

84. podcasts or talk radio?

Podcasts - talk radios actually tend to get under my skin for n o reason

84. barbie or polly pocket?

Barbie, but let it be known I was brutal with mine. We did human sacrifices and the like.

85. fairy tales or mythology?

Mythology!

86. cookies or cupcakes?

Cookies, but I’m a slut for whipped frosting

87. your greatest fear?

Losing control!

88. your greatest wish?

A life beyond where I am now. Haha Stop chasing new down the hallway you’re so sexy haha

90. luckiest mistake?

Logged into Omegle in like 2015 and some rando asked me to join their Doctor Who roleplay. Luckiest moment of my gd life.

91. boxes or bags?

Bags! They’re easier to store

92. lamps, overhead lights, sunlight or fairy lights?

Sunlight! But in the late afternoon when everything is bathed in orange.

93. nicknames?

Mom is the most prevalent!

94. favorite season?

Fall into winter. Peak leaf crunch!

95. favorite app on your phone?

Discord or Notes

3 notes · View notes

hunnywrites · 5 years

Photo

Chapter Two: Shotgun!

Summary: The town of Hawkins has been turned upside down with the news that Will Byers has suddenly gone missing. Teddi Larsson and Billy Hargrove are gonna get to the bottom of things. Season one AU.

Pairing: Billy Hargrove/OFC

A/N: When I was editing this I was watching friends, and it was an episode with Teri Garr who plays Pheobe’s mom, and Phoebe has a friend that calls her Weird Girl. So that was a fun full circle moment. Also this chapter is kinda long...I’m thinking they probably all are gonna be on the longer side since I’m writing a chapter per episode. Enjoy!

The Larssons lived three doors down from the Harringtons in what Billy liked to call the Yuppie side of Hawkins. They were neighbors with the mayor and this stuffy news reporter named Chet Baker that was on TV. Steve also lived across the street from the edge of Mirkwood. If you hiked or rode your bike it was a straight shot from Steve’s to the Byers’ house. So naturally it was the first place that the cops had the search party look.

Keith had closed the arcade early for the night. As a sort of sign of respect for Will. Teddi didn’t really think too many folks would let their kids out after dark anyways. She was thankful for the night off in any case. She was way too worked up worrying about Will. Billy was probably right. He’d just gotten lost and Hopper would eventually find him. If she said it enough times to herself she would almost start to believe it.

Her parents had gone to bed about an hour ago. Teddi thought it was pretty funny how they both seemed to act so concerned about Will, but neither of them had batted an eye at the idea of joining the search party. Teddi guessed it was impressive enough that they even bothered to flip on the news to check for updates.

Now she was in bed, watching music videos on MTV and waiting for Billy to show up. It was 10:20 now and she was starting to get that pit in her stomach again, worrying that something had happened to him. The two of them had been sneaking out of the house since they were about twelve. They’d gotten caught a few times in the beginning. After they’d gotten a few “talking tos” from their dads they had learned from their mistakes. Now they could probably do it tied up and blindfolded. But then again, Will had taken the shortcut through Mirkwood so many times that he could do it tied up and blindfolded and look what had happened to him. Maybe Neil had caught Billy sneaking out. Teddi let out a shaky breath.

There was a knock at her window. Teddi’s head jerked at the sound, letting out a sigh of relief when she saw Billy crouched outside waiting for her. She hurried over and unlocked the latch. She didn’t usually lock it. Usually Billy could just give the window a small shove and slip in on his own. But the last two days had left her paranoid. It was a small window. If Billy had been any bigger he wouldn’t have been able to fit through. He slid in feet first and landed inside Teddi’s room with a soft thud. She shut the window and locked the latch back after him.

“Sorry I’m late. Hopper put out a curfew for minors. I had to take the long way around to avoid the damn search party,” he apologized. Teddi plopped down on her bed and Billy watched her carefully. She was chewing at her bottom lip. “You doin’ okay?” he asked.

“Has Max heard anything about Will yet?” she pulled her knees to her chest, wrapping her arms around herself.

Billy shook his head. He kicked off his boots and tossed his denim jacket onto a bright green, fuzzy bean bag chair that sat nearby. He sat next to Teddi, leaning back on his elbows and training his eyes on the TV. “Not yet. I’m pretty sure she thinks I didn’t see, but she was sneaking out of her window when I was leaving to come here. I guess her and the geek squad are gonna go out lookin’ for Byers.”

Teddi looked over at him with wide eyes. “What? What do you mean she snuck out? Shouldn’t we go with them? I mean, what if something happens to them?” not to mention there was the chance they could run into the search party, and Teddi knew Neil would be pissed if Hopper showed up at his doorstep with Max in tow.

Billy only looked over at her with an amused look. “Ted, nothing’s gonna happen to them. I mean, who would kidnap them? They’re way too annoying.” he joked.

Teddi sighed. “That’s so not funny...do you think we should tell someone? About that noise we heard last night? Maybe we should go down to the station tomorrow and tell Hopper about it. Maybe it’ll help.” she couldn’t really imagine that it would do much of anything to tell the chief that they had heard some inhuman screech coming from the woods, but it couldn’t hurt, right?

Billy waved her off. “You just wanna go down there ‘cause you have a thing for Hopper.” he teased. Teddi rolled her eyes and fell back onto her bed with a groan. Since Jim Hopper had moved back to Hawkins about five years before, he had taken a liking to Teddi. Billy too, but that was neither here nor there. Teddi had made a joke in passing that she wished Hopper would adopt her and Billy had never let it go. He’d always been that way though. Jealous.

Billy rolled over onto his side to look at her. Her hands were folded over her stomach and her eyes were trained on the ceiling fan. Billy’s hand wrapped around one of hers. “How come you’re letting this freak you out so bad?” he asked quietly.

Teddi was chewing on her lip again. “I don’t know...I guess it’s cause I know Will so well. I babysit for him. He’s always at the arcade. Him and his mom always bake me cookies for my birthday…” she swallowed loudly. “He’s a sweet kid. He doesn’t deserve anything bad happening to him.” Billy’s hand squoze hers a little tighter as tears prickled her eyes. She knew that Billy already assumed the worst. It was in his nature to. But still, he lied and told her everything was gonna be fine. She appreciated it.

The two of them laid there quietly, the only noise in the room was the Pat Benatar video playing on TV, when it started raining. There was a bright flash of lightning followed by a clap of thunder so loud it nearly shook the house. Teddi covered her eyes. “God, could this night get any creepier?” she asked with a small laugh.

Billy looked over at her with a mischievous glint in his eyes. “You saying you’re scared of a little thunder, Teddi?”

“No I’m not scared of thunder.” she said firmly. She was. She had hated thunderstorms since she was little. But she wasn’t about to admit that out loud.

Billy only smiled. He hooked an arm around Teddi’s middle, lifting her with ease and tossing her further up the bed. She let out a small squeak before glaring down at Billy who was crawling up the bed beside her. His hand slid slowly across her stomach, his fingers slipping beneath her t-shirt and leaving goosebumps in their wake. “You sure?” he asked with a grin.

Teddi turned to look at him with a playful eye roll. “Positive.” Billy kissed her then. Teddi’s fingers grabbed at Billy’s shirt as their lips moved in sync, almost like she was afraid he would be ripped away from her at any moment. Billy’s hand snaked around Teddi’s waist and pulled her flush against him, his lips moving from Teddi’s, down her jaw and neck before finding a home at the base of her neck. There was another loud clap of thunder. Teddi jumped.

Billy pulled away with a groan. Teddi gave him a sheepish grin and he hopped up from the bed. “Alright, Larsson, I’ve had about enough of this,” he reached into the front pocket of his jeans and pulled out a joint, holding it up with a wicked grin. “And don’t even think about telling me it’s a school night. We can put on one of your weird movies you like. Whatever’ll get you to stop panicking.” she and Billy didn’t really get stoned all that often. Just at the occasional party. But maybe Billy was right. Maybe it would help her calm down.

They decided on Close Encounters of the Third Kind. Billy was fine with the choice. Teri Garr was pretty hot in the same funny, quirky way Teddi was. It was how Teddi always got him to watch Young Frankenstein, as much as he hated those slapstick comedies. Teddi snuck them two beers out of her dad’s stash. He had a fridge full out in the garage and if she took cans from the back he would never notice. They both crawled into bed, Teddi nestling against Billy’s side and settled in for the movie. The joint had done its job. A little too well. They barely made it halfway through the movie before the pair drifted off to sleep. Teddi didn’t dream that night.

They didn’t wake up until Teddi’s alarm went off the next morning. “Shit…” Billy groaned, rubbing at his eyes. “I gotta call Susan and tell her I can’t take Max to school.” Teddi smacked her lips together gently a few times to try to get rid of the dryness in her mouth and buried her face into his neck. She didn’t want to go to school. She didn’t want to go back to the real world where kids were going missing. She wanted to stay in her bedroom with Billy and argue about whether Richard Dreyfuss’ voice was annoying or not.

But that couldn’t happen. She knew that it couldn’t. She also knew that if either of her parents caught Billy in her bedroom they would be in big trouble. So Teddi pulled herself out of bed and shuffled over to her window. Her parents cars were gone. Her dad had gone off to work and her mom was probably off with Steve’s mom for their aerobics class and brunch. She probably wouldn’t be back for an hour or two.

This definitely wasn’t the first time Billy had slept over. Teddi had slept over at the Hargrove’s plenty of times. Never on a school night. Susan was always up early to make Neil his breakfast and there would be no way for Teddi to sneak back out unseen. But they had done this enough times to have their own routine.

Teddi changed out of her pjs and into a pair of shorts and a black knitted sweater. She dug through her drawers until she found a Metallica shirt that she was pretty sure she had stolen from Billy and threw it to him to change into. She kicked on her boots and they made their way up to the kitchen. Billy called Susan. “Yeah, hey Susan...no, I’m fine,” he rolled his eyes. Teddi snickered and dropped four eggos into the toaster. “I had to leave early. I had uh...a basketball thing...yeah...what do you mean she left?...Oh. Yeah, yeah I’ll make sure she gets home. Later, Susan.”

Teddi raised an eyebrow as she smeared strawberry jam on the eggos, making two sandwiches. “Everything okay?” she asked.

“The little shitbird left early to go to Wheeler’s,” he mumbled. “Susan’s all freaked out that she’s on her own now that Byers’ is missing.”

“Well, I can’t really blame her,” she handed Billy an eggo sandwich and a can of coke. “Breakfast of champions.” she joked. On the drive to school they passed by another search party. No luck yet then, Teddi thought with a sigh. That pit in her stomach was starting to come back.

When they got to school Barb and Nancy were standing in the hall with Steve, Carol and Tommy. Steve was smiling a genuine smile at Nancy. Tommy and Carol were smiling at her like they were in on some sort of secret she didn’t know about. Like they were just waiting for her to walk away so they could start making fun of her. Barb was shifting nervously next to her best friend. Teddi was sure that Barb probably wished she could be absolutely anywhere else in the world. She kind of wanted to join her.

“...It’s Tuesday.” Nancy said to Steve with a short laugh.

Tommy snickered. “It’s Tuesday!” he mocked before he and Carol fell into a fit of giggles. Teddi didn’t know what it was that they were talking about, but she couldn’t help but roll her eyes.

“Come on, dude,” Steve gave a pathetic attempt at brushing Tommy off. “It’ll be low key. It’ll just be us,” Steve looked up and saw Billy and Teddi approaching. “Perfect timing! We were just trying to convince these two to come over to my place for a party tonight. You guys in?”

Teddi didn’t really want to go to a party on a school night, but she knew better than Nancy to bring it up in front of Tommy and Carol. “Uh...well, I have the night off at the arcade. I guess I can come over for a little.” if it had been anyone else she would have said no. But she figured it would probably be safe to make the long trek three doors down the street to Steve’s. Billy only shrugged and mumbled an “I’m in.”

Steve turned back to Nancy with an expectant look. Before she could answer Carol pulled a face and turned to look at something behind Teddi and Billy. “Oh, god. Look.” the group turned at once to see whatever it was Carol was talking about. Johnathan Byers was back at school. Teddi felt a wave of dread wash over her. Johnathan had always been an awkward guy. He was nice, but awkward. Now with the added grief it was like he could barely function. He clumsily weaved his way through a group of students, avoiding each of their looks, and headed for a bulletin board nearby.

He pinned up a poster. It had two pictures of Will. The top read “Have you seen me?” with a description of Will and the Byers’ phone number listed below. “God, that’s depressing…” Steve mumbled. Billy shifted uncomfortably at Teddi’s side before throwing his arm around her in a half attempt to comfort her.

“...Do you think we should say something?” Nancy asked nervously. Teddi almost wanted to laugh at the idea of Carol or Tommy offering any words of comfort to anyone. Even each other.

As if he wanted to prove Teddi’s point, Tommy leaned forward and fixed a wicked look in Johnathan’s direction. “How much you wanna bet he’s the one that killed him?” Even Carol rolled her eyes at him. Steve gave him a hard shove and muttered a “shut up.”

Nancy pretended not to hear his comment and made her way over to Johnathan. Billy looked at Tommy with a glare before giving him another hard shove. “You gotta stop saying shit like that, Tommy. It’s not funny.” he warned. It would probably only get Tommy to stop for a few hours. For some reason he had never quite caught on that no one found his sense of humor funny aside from Carol.

The bell rang and Nancy made her way back over to the group. Steve threw an arm around her before the two walked off with Barb down the hall. Carol watched as they walked away and shook her head. “I can’t believe he’s throwing this stupid party. It’s totally just an excuse to get into Nancy’s pants. Like it’ll even work.”

Teddi rolled her eyes. “Yeah, great plan. Try and bone her with Tommy outside the door trying to listen in.” she was speaking from experience. She had nearly lost count of the times Tommy had “accidentally” walked in on her and Billy any time they had snuck off during a party.

Even though the comment wasn’t really a joke, Tommy still laughed loudly. “You know it!”

Billy shot him another unimpressed look. “You’re an idiot, Tommy. I gotta go. I gotta go lay the charm on Mrs. Murphy before she fails me in history and my dad shits a fit.”

Carol let out a snort. “It’ll totally work. It’s probably the most action that old crone has seen in years,” she leaned up to kiss Tommy before she linked her arm with Teddi’s. “We’re off to math. See ya later, boys.” she wiggled her fingers at them and she and Teddi took off. Teddi didn’t really mind Carol when Tommy wasn’t around. She was more likable. Not by much, but enough. Teddi just hoped that they would both somewhat behave themselves tonight at the party.

She doubted it.

---

Teddi’s parents were watching the news when Teddi was getting ready to leave for Steve’s party. Chet Baker, with his leathery tan and teeth that were a little too white, was smiling widely and looking a little too cheerful for the subject he was reporting on. But it wasn’t about Will. Benny, a guy who owned a diner on the edge of town, had apparently killed himself. He’d shot himself right in the middle of his restaurant the night before and one of his friends had found him that morning. Teddi felt like she might be sick. What was happening in Hawkins?

When Chet moved on to the weather report for the night, Teddi cleared her throat. “Um...I gotta get to work. I’ll see you guys later, okay?” her parents were of course unaware that she had the night off and that Keith had closed the arcade early because of the curfew, but it wasn’t like they’d let her go to a party on a Tuesday night.

“Okay, hun.” her mother called blandly over her shoulder.

Her dad turned and looked at her with a stern expression. “You make sure you’re home immediately after your shift, Theodora. There’s a curfew.” she knew that he wasn’t saying that because he cared. He was saying it because he didn’t want to deal with the embarrassment of having Hopper bringing her home after catching her screwing around with her friends.

“Yes sir.” she mumbled. Teddi quickly made her way out to her van. This was another ploy she had perfected. She’d drive the van down the street to the Harrington’s, and Steve would be waiting with the garage door open so she could park it inside. Billy was already there. He was lounging out by the pool with a beer and smoking a cigarette.

Teddi plopped down at the foot of Billy’s pool chair and caught the beer Steve tossed her. “Did you guys see the news?” she asked. The two boys shot her similar, unimpressed looks. She rolled her eyes. It was a stupid question to ask. Of course they hadn’t. “You know Benny? He shot himself last night in his diner,” the both looked at her with blank expressions. “Don’t you think that’s weird? I mean, Will goes missing and then Benny of all people kills himself?”

Billy shrugged and blew out a large cloud of smoke. “It’s not that weird. We live in bumfuck Indiana, Ted. It’s a shitty place where shitty things happen.”

Steve let out a chuckle. “You’re really depressing. You know that, Hargrove?” Billy’s lip only twitched in a quick grin. Steve stood up. “You know, Teddi, you seem pretty tense. And being that we’re such good friends, and Billy here telling me that you’ve been a little on edge lately I thought I might do my favorite friend a little favor...no offense, Billy.”

Billy flicked away his cigarette and let out a short laugh. “None taken.”

Teddi raised an eyebrow. “Why do you sound like the beginning of a bad porno?” she asked with an amused smile.

Billy and Steve both laughed. Steve reached into his back pocket and held up a joint. “I thought the three of us could partake in a little pre-party favor before Carol and Tommy get here.” he wiggled his eyebrows.

Teddi let out a laugh and laid back, settling herself between Billy’s legs. He wrapped an arm around her stomach. “You two could always just talk to me about my feelings instead of drugging me whenever I’m bummed out, you know.” she teased.

“Well, yeah...but this is more fun.” Steve held up his hand and Billy tossed him his lighter. Steve lit the joint, taking a long drag and passing it over to Billy. He held the smoke in as long as he could before bursting into a coughing fit. Teddi could feel the laughter rumbling in Billy’s chest behind her.

She liked it best when it was just the three of them. This was how things had been when they were kids. Before Tommy H and Carol started hanging out with them in the sixth grade. Teddi and Steve’s moms had thrown them together for playdates when they were kids because it was easier than actually watching their kids. Teddi invited both Billy and Steve to her 8th birthday party (an excuse for a social event for her mother) and the three had been inseparable since. There’d been a bit of a rough patch once Billy and Teddi started sleeping together. Steve kept calling himself a third wheel. But then he started getting attention from girls and it wasn’t an issue anymore.

Eventually the doorbell rang. Steve shot up from his seat and started to fan away all of the smoke. “Shit, that’s probably Carol and Tommy. Get rid of the evidence!” he rushed off into the house. Billy chuckled, taking one last hit before dropping what was left of the joint into his now empty beer can.

“You feel better yet?” he asked, resting his chin on the top of Teddi’s head.

Teddi smiled lazily and nodded. “Mmhmm. I mean, it’s about to be ruined in about thirty seconds, but yeah.” as if on cue Carol laughed loudly inside and Billy let out a groan. Steve led them outside and Tommy announced that he had to start drinking so he could catch up with the three of them. He’d chugged down four cans in about two minutes and crushed each of them on his head. Carol watched on with an annoyed look as she nursed her first beer.

It wasn’t long after that Nancy and Barb showed up. Teddi felt bad for Barb. She clearly didn’t want to be there. A common theme whenever Barb had to be around their friend group. Teddi tried to make as much small talk with her as she could as a very happy and very stoned Steve tried his best to show off for Nancy. He was talking her into shotgunning a beer when Teddi noticed that there was something off in the bushes beyond the pool.

She couldn’t make out what it was. It was just a dark, sort of human like shape. There was no way it was a deer, or a coyote. The music and the gang’s laughter would scare away any animal. Was it a person watching them? Maybe some creep from the search party? She softly elbowed Billy’s chest. “Do you see that?” she asked quietly.

Billy lazily turned his head, squinting a little too hard at whatever it was that Teddi claimed to have seen. She decided it was time to cut him off from any more drinking. “...What am I lookin’ at, Larsson?” he asked finally.

“There’s...something over there. I think. I heard the bushes rustling around and then I saw something move.” whatever it was she couldn’t spot it now.

“You’re workin’ yourself up again, Teddi Bear,” he grumbled. Teddi opened her mouth to argue, but she was distracted by Barb letting out a loud hiss. She’d cut her hand pretty badly. Steve showed her back inside to find the bathroom. Billy only looked bored with the situation. He sat up, bringing Teddi up with him. “That’s my cue to leave. You wanna come with me to pick up Max?” Teddi didn’t hesitate to nod. She could just call Steve the next morning and come pick up her van. “Yo, Harrington! We’re gonna head out. I gotta pick up Max.”

Tommy let out a loud scoff. “The party’s just gettin’ started! You’ve barely had anything to drink, Teddi! Come on, shotgun a beer with us!”

Teddi gave him a thin smile. “I’m good. I’m kinda not feeling so great anyways.” she lied.

Carol grinned. “Maybe Billy knocked you up.” she teased. Teddi and Billy both rolled their eyes.

“Well, alright then party poopers. Guess we’ll just have to have fun without you!” Tommy cried, picking Carol up and tossing her into the pool before joining her. Teddi laughed and shook her head, saying her goodbyes to Nany and Steve. She told Nancy to tell Barb bye for her before she followed Billy out to the Camaro.

He shoved the key into the ignition and shot her a concerned look. “I’m fine,” Teddi assured him. “It’s probably just the pot. I’m all good. I promise.” that was enough for him. He started the car and they were off, speeding towards the Wheeler’s.

Mrs. Wheeler answered the door. Billy flirted with her. He always did. Teddi tried not to look as annoyed as she felt. “The kids are in the basement,” she pointed towards the door. “They must be up to something important, I haven’t heard a peep from them for the last two hours.” Billy and Teddi knew that that meant there was a good chance that the basement was actually empty. Teddi hoped Max wouldn’t be reckless enough to make her and Billy miss their curfew.

The pair made their way downstairs. “Max, let’s go! Susan wants you home by...nine…” Billy trailed off as he took in the scene before him. Teddi froze. The kids were in the basement. They were crowded around the makeshift table they played Dungeons and Dragons on.

There were five kids standing around the board. And the fifth wasn’t Will Byers. It was a girl. One that Teddi and Billy didn’t recognize.

Billy looked over the group a few times before resting his hands on his hips. Something he always did when he was annoyed. “...Explain. Now.”

#billy hargrove #billy hargrove fic #billy hargrove x oc

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lupinscorner · 5 years

Text

valentines day (teddy lupin)

pairing: teddy lupin x reader

request: Could you do a Teddy Lupin x reader were it’s Valentine’s Day and they have a really big fight but then they make up and kiss ( pls some heat if you are ok with it) kinda angsty at first and the fluffy and heat ( if your ok with it) I live your blog , your literally amazing Also, Teddy Lupin seems awfully popular, i am new to tumblr so it’s surprising

takes place: teddy’s seventh year

word count: 1,409

warnings: language

You had to be an Auror. These past few weeks, you had been working your ass off to be one; studying for N.E.W.T.s all day, practically living in the library. Worst of all, you had been stressing yourself out to your wits end about N.E.W.T.s. Any thought running through your head was most likely to be about the fact that you could not get below an exceeds expectations on any of your N.E.W.T.s. It really was fitting to call them nastily exhausting.

So with all of this taking up your brain space, you didn't notice the pink tint that was in every corridor of Hogwarts, the sloppily cut out red hearts that strung across the wall, and a surprisingly increased amount of couples making out in corridors. After all, you didn’t have time to think between the run from your common room to the library. You were already too busy reviewing the steps of preparing a sleeping potion.

Entering the library, you quieted your footsteps and sat on a wooden chair in the drafty library, setting your large textbooks down on the desk in front of you. Your hands pulled your hair bad into a loose ponytail, avoiding any loose stands from getting into your face while you worked. As you read from your textbook, your lips slightly mouthed the words you were reading: ‘Ingriedents commonly used in an Amortentia potion include the following: ash winder eggs, rose thorns, peppermint, powdered monstone, pearl dust…’. Oh god, you thought to yourself. I’m never going to finish reading this. Forcing yourself to continue, you took a deep breath and used all the self control you had to not fall asleep on you textbook right then and there.

“Hello, love.” You jumped about two feet in the air, you heartbeat increasing and blood rushing to your cheeks. You held a hand over your heart, trying to calm yourself down as you looked at your boyfriend. “Shit, Ted, you scared me so bad. What’s up?”

He looked at you blankly, as if it were obvious why he was there. “Babe, seriously?” You looked at him blankly. “It’s Valentine’s Day. We have a date at Hogsmeade? I told you about this like two months ago. Are you seriously bailing on me again?”

You rubbed your temple, slouching down over your desk. All you could see were the countless assignments you had to review, notes you had to take, and chapters you had to read. “Babe, I’m really sorry, but I think I’m going to have to take a raincheck.”

Teddy groaned, pushing back his hair with his hands and shifting his feet. “Y/n, this is the second time this week you’ve done this.” Teddy sighed, sitting down on his knees so he was eye to eye with you. “I haven’t seen you forever.”

You gave him a quick kiss, cupping his face in your small hands. “I know, I know. But I really do need to finish this. You know I have to study.” “But it’s Valentines’s Day, y/n. I had a whole romantic plan, I set so much up for you,” Teddy whined. “Just take a break. It’ll only last a couple hours, tops.” “I can’t,” you said, taking your hands off his face and focusing your attention back to your book.

Teddy tried to turn your face back to his, earning a look from you as got more annoyed by the minute that you couldn’t focus on your studying. “It’s one day of studying. Just one.”

“Maybe this one day of studying means I pass the exams. Maybe I don’t study this ‘one day’ and I don’t become an Auror because I went to Hogsmeade. That’s not a risk I’m willing to take,” you said, attempting to explain your logic to him.

Forcefully turning your head back to face him, Teddy closed your book with his hand and pushed it away from you. “You are going to be an Auror, y/n. But for now, can you just talk to me? I miss you. Just, try to take a break and stop studying. Have fun with me.“

You looked at him like he was insane. “You are so selfish, Teddy. I can talk to you after N.E.W.T.s are over, but for now I need to study. And you do, too. It’s like you don’t even care about your future!” You said, in an aggressive whisper.

Defensive, Teddy got off his knees, standing up. “Hey, I care! I’m just not letting exams get in the way of everything, of me, like you!” Opening your mouth to argue with him, you instead closed it and sighed in defeat, far too tired to keep arguing. “Just go Teddy.”

Hurt, Teddy looked down at you. “What? Y/n-“

“Just go,” you said quietly, returning to your book. He walked away in defeat, and all you could do was try to push your thoughts of him away and keep studying.

After you had finally finished reading the last four excruciatingly boring chapters from your potions book, reviewed your notes, and done your assignments, you closed your books and gathered all of your materials. Heading to the checkout counter to return some things you had checked out, you looked at the large clock displayed on the side of the library. Oh god, its 9:43. It’s almost curfew, I’ve got to get back to my dorm, you thought, quickly returning your books and scurrying out of the library.

Not looking where you were going, you ran into someone, profusely apologizing, looking up to see who you were apologizing you. Surprisingly, you saw Teddy, blue hair and all. You paused for a moment, staring at him while thinking of what to say.

“I’m sorry,” you both said simultaneously. Letting out an awkward laugh, you stood there for another moment, the two of you trying to formulate what to say next.

”Teddy, why? Why are you sorry?” You asked, taking a look back at the things you had said to him in the library.  “Well, I guess that it wasn’t my place. I mean, you deserve to be an Auror, and I need to let you study. You’re amazing, love, and you’ve been working so hard. I should’ve let you.”

You stepped closer to Teddy, inching you feet infant of him and putting your hand on his chest. “While, I’m sorry, too. You’re the greatest part of my life, Teddy Lupin, and I don’t know why I left you out of it.” Reaching up to kiss him, you raised your feet and went on your tip toes. Teddy chuckled, laughing at how you still couldn’t reach him, earning him a punch on the arm. Making up for laughing at you, he bent his head down and finally kissed you, his lips still close to yours when he began to talk.  “Besides, I have also just come up with a great make-up Valentine’s Day plan.”

“Does this make-up Valentine’s Day plan involve making out?” You asked, playfully raising an eyebrow.

“Only a little bit,” he admitted.

“Sounds great.” With that, Teddy pulled you into a nearby empty classroom, quietly shutting the door and paying no attention to the fact that curfew was in a couple of minutes.

Teddy kissed you fiercely, you kissing him back until you jumped onto him, wrapping your legs around his torso. Your heels dug into his back through his t-shirt, your hands wrapping in his now purple hair. He turned you around swiftly, speedily pushing you up against the hard wall of the classroom.

“Ouch,” you groaned, breaking the kiss for a minute and rubbing the back of your head.

“Sorry, love,” Teddy apologized, peppering your face with kisses. You simply smiled at him and put your lips on his again, the pain fading away. This time, he gently pressed you up against the wall, hesitant to hurt you again.

“But, by the way, I do actually have a great make-up Valentine’s Day plan,” Teddy said proudly, pulling away.

“While, I can’t wait, Mr. Lupin, but I do think that we have to leave right now so we don’t get caught after curfew.” Teddy pouted at your comment, setting you down. “Don’t worry, though, we can continue this in the common room.” You winked at him as he followed you out the door, smiling.

masterlist

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mamgt · 6 years

Text

Falling Stars

Chapter 3: How Do We Rewrite The Stars?

Song: Rewrite the Stars by Zac Efron and Zendaya

Table of Contents

“Did you get home safe?” read Tom’s text.

We had just arrived to L.A. and it was still dark outside. My body clock was completely off with all the traveling that I decided to unpack all my suitcases at 2 in the morning. I hadn’t fixed my stuff since my trip to Australia because I was too tired then but now I had all the energy in the world.

I was putting my clothes in a laundry bag, more like shoving, when my phone lit up. I walked towards my bedside table where I had put it to play music and saw Tom’s message. His body clock must be off too.

“Yeah. You?” I replied.

“Yup! Already landed in L.A.” he replied back. “How was the flight?” he added.

I honestly couldn’t remember. Since this whole falling for Tom thing started, my mind hasn’t been itself. It’s all cluttered and confused. I barely slept on the flight back, not even a blink. My mind kept going back to how I acted in London and what Darnell had said, “What if he does?” then it would alternate with memories of me with Tom before this whole situation happened, before I realized that I had fallen in love with this nerd. Was it possible that he could like me too? I shook my head. I don’t want to put myself up just to be let down.

“Fine. Yours?”

“Fine.”

What do I reply to that? I stared at the screen, thinking if I should say something more or leave the conversation as it is when I saw the little bubble that meant he was typing something. Then it disappeared. I heaved a heavy sigh. That’s it? Then the bubble came back.

Then was gone again.

Came back again for awhile like he was writing a long message.

Then gone again.

Like he was hesitating.

What is he typing?

“Z.”

Wow. One letter.

“Yeah?”

“Can I call you?”

I stared at his last message and squinted my eyes at it. I looked at the clock: 2:08 am.

At 2 am? Can he call me at 2 am? Do I have the wits for this? But I can’t avoid him. Not like I did back in London. Of all the places I could’ve been a jerk to Tom, I did it in his own city. Darnell was right; first and foremost he was my friend and I can’t go acting crazy around him by taking him out of my photos and avoiding every chance I get. I took a deep breath and let it out slowly, blowing the hair that had fallen on my face. I typed “Sure.” Then his name appeared on my phone and I clicked the green button to answer.

“Hey..” his voice was quiet and low. I little smile crept on my face. I don’t know why but hearing him made me happy. The mere sound of his voice reminds me with every second, I fall harder.

“Hi.”

“Can’t sleep?” he said.

“Yeah…”

“Me too” and then there was silence. This was excruciating. I need this to stop. No matter how I feel I don’t want this to be awkward. I looked at my suitcases and thought of telling him about what I was doing.

“So—“

“I-“

We spoke at the same time. “Uh, sorry. What were you saying?” he said.

“No it’s fine. What were you going to say?” I said.

“Oh… uhm…” he said and then silence fell on us again and so I decided to cut it.

“I’m trying to fix my stuff…from all the traveling. It’s harder than I thought it would be.” I laughed weakly. “I wish I had already unpacked before. Now they’re all just… here….you know what I mean?”

“Oh that’s cool. I mean, not cool, I-uh…Do you need help?”

“Darnell is already asleep and I already asked Noon and he said no.”

“Well…uhm.. I can…uh.. come over? I can help you.” My eyebrows shot up. I was surprised. At 2 am? I checked the time on my alarm clock. I wasn’t losing it. It was 2 in the morning and he was offering to come over? To unpack my stuff? Huh?

“I mean. If you want. That is.” He added.

“You can? I guess. If… I mean it’s two in the morning Tom…”

“I know but I have all this energy…”

“Same!!” I laughed.

“Yeah, so. Am I coming over? Use my spidey skills on your luggage”

“You know you’re not really Spider-man, right?” I had this wide grin on my face. Ear to ear, as they say.

“What? I am. I am Spider-man,” he said pretending to be hurt. “I’ll be there in 15 minutes” and then he dropped the phone.

Ohhh shit…

What just happened? Is Tom really coming over here at two in the fucking morning. Do you know what it sounds like? It sounds like a booty call. I mean. He didn’t call me for that— But I mean the situation. What would other people think? What would they— WAIT. No. I don’t care about what other people think, remember? Right. So. He’s just coming over here as a friend. I need to remind myself of that. I owe him anyways for how I acted back in London. The guilt was evident, like a lump in my throat.

Okay. So. We’re going to be calm and col-lec-ted. I know I keep telling myself that and then when Tom comes the “zen” in Zendaya flies away. Boom. But it has to be different now. So what do I do? I paced back in forth in my room, biting the bottom of lip. “What do you think I should do, Noon?” I looked at Noon who was comfortable in my bed. He rolled over with his feet up in the air and his belly facing the ceiling. I giggled. “I didn’t ask you to play dead, son…”

Act. You’re an actress. Then… ACT.

“I’m actress.” I told myself out loud. “Yeah! I’ll just act like we’re just friends. Because we are. Yeah. You got this. You got this.” I started jogging in place and punching the air like Rocky Balboa “I GOT THIS.”

Ding.

I got a message. Tom texted that he was already outside. Oh shit. But what do I look like? I ran to the mirror and saw my reflection. I was wearing a big T-shirt and sweatpants. Nothing out of the ordinary, to be honest. My hair was tied into a loose ponytail that sent my curls everywhere. There were dark circles under my eyes, too.

“GAHHH!” I said to my reflection. No. We’re not going to fix myself. Tom has seen me this way and we are going to ACT. ACT LIKE I DON’T LIKE HIM. “Go Zendaya, guuurl you got this.” I pumped myself up and went down to get the door.

I opened the door to Tom who was hugging himself so tightly. His breath created small white puffs in the air. “W-w-what t-t-took you so lo-lo-long?! I-It’s fuh-fuh-fre-freezing!” he stammered, rubbing his arms up and down to warm himself. I closed the door behind him and laughed.

“You’re such a wimp.” I walked past him and towards the stairs.

“Hey! You try going outside!”

“No thanks!” and continued climbing up the stairs. Tom followed, taking two steps at a time to catch up with me. When he was close enough, he put his hand on my arm.

“WOAH! STOP!” I jumped. His hand was REALLY cold. I stopped climbing up the stairs and looked at him. He looked smug with his hair tousled. Honestly Tom, you’re not making this whole acting thing easy for me.

“I told you. You were going to let my butt freeze out there.”

“Some spider-man huh?” I teased.

“Well, you’re on a roll tonight!” he laughed. We walked inside my room with all my stuff scattered around. There was a pile of shoes and another pile for my clothes. I had several laundry bags that I already filled. Noon was walking about my piles, trying to find a place to nuzzle himself in but then he spotted Tom and ran to him. “Hey! Hey, boy! Did you miss me? Yeah, you did!,” Tom said as he picked up Noon and gave him a little shake. He put him down and Noon ran back to my bed. I smiled at them. My son and my…Tom… not even my Tom. Just Tom.

“Wow that’s a lot of stuff” Tom commented as he rubbed his hands together to get himself warm.

“I’m gonna use my spidey-skillzz pew pew pew” I said mocking him and pretending to shoot spiderwebs from my wrists.

“Fuck off!!!” he said then proceeded to follow me to the other side of my mountain of clothes and shoes. “So what am I supposed to do?”

“Don’t touch my clothes” I sassed.

“What? But I thought the whole point was to—“

“Bring down the laundry bag over there. I don’t want you touchin’ my delicates”

“I don’t want you touchin’ my delicates” Tom mocked my feminine voice and started to lift up my laundry bag.

“I’m sorry, you said something?” I teased.

“No ma’am Zendaya. I was simply saying you look awfully ravishing tonight” he replied, exaggerating his British accent.

“Just bring it down to the laundry room, Alfred,” I said, copying Batman’s voice. Tom laughed and for a moment I thought this was going to work. If I can just put my feelings aside, this was going to work. I nodded to myself.

“Hey Tom!” Tom had already left the room but when I called him, he peeped his head out from the doorway.

“Yeah?”

“Thanks,” I said and gave him a genuine smile. He returned the smile back at me and I could feel myself melt from where I was standing.

“Sure, love.”

I can do this. This friendship means more to me than what I feel. Tom is such a good guy. Genuinely good and great, that’s why I HAVE the feelings. I can’t just push him aside without an explanation. Look at him helping me out with my stuff. Who does that? What guy would do that for his friend?

You need to be stronger, Zendaya. No more freaking out. The more you do crazy shit, the more he’ll pull away for sure. And you can’t do that because…

Because I’m used to having him around.

“Okay. What’s next?” Tom jumped into the room with his hands spread out like a toddler showing off as if proud for bringing down a bag of laundry. I shook out of my trance and looked around.

“Uhm… You can start getting some of my shoes and just arrange them in my closet. By pairs!”

“I wouldn’t dare not to put them back by PAIRS!” he dramatically said with big eyes. I laughed. “You better not break any of those Tom!” I shouted after him as he went into my closet with at least 4 pairs of shoes in his hands. I sat down and started shoving another pile of clothes into a laundry bag.

“Ohh.. What’s this?” I heard him say from inside my closet.

“Tom?” I shouted. He didn’t answer.

“Tom? What are you doing?” I tried again but still, no response. I stood up from where I was sitting on the floor and walked to my closet. “Tom what the — FUCK?”

Tom was wearing my dancing shoes, the ones I used for Dancing With The Stars. I had kept them because they carried so much memories and a feat that I will never forget. At 16, I learned to dance ballroom, a style outside of my comfort zone. I was the first youngest contestant on the show, not to mention I had to dance with a guy so much older than me. But Val was cool. I found a big brother in him and he had taught me so much not just in dancing. He taught me to believe in myself and to keep pushing because there’s more to me than I know. And I taught the grumpy old man to laugh. I miss Val.

“I didn’t know you still had these!!” Tom said excitedly. “I fit in them too! I didn’t know your feet were THAT big! How did you dance in them? I bet you kept stepping on his—what’s his name—Victor?”

“Fuck off!” We were both laughing. Tom looked RIDICULOUS. I don’t know why he decided to wear my shoes but it DID fit him. “And it’s Val!” I added. Tom modeled around with my shoes. He kept trying to do a fierce face and putting his hands on his waist. I kept laughing at the whole scene.

“Take those off! They have sentimental value!!” I exclaimed, holding my stomach because it was hurting from all the laughing. Tom kept posing like a supermodel, flicking his invisible long hair along the way. “Seriously Tom, you’ll —“

And he tripped. “Ooof!”

“…hurt. yourself.” I laughed hysterically. How is it possible that he danced Rihanna’s Umbrella in heels but can’t even walk in my dancing shoes! He never fails to give me an ab workout from all the laughing. I was literally bracing myself for dear life. I was laughing so hard, I was on the ground with my eyes shut.

“Okay. Taking them off,” he said, defeated. He sat up and took off my shoes. I looked up and he was already standing over me with my dancing shoes dangling from his hand. He held out his other hand and I took it to stand up.

“You wear them” he said as he held my shoes in front of my face without letting go of my hand.

“Why?” I said, with tears in my eyes from all the laughing. He just shrugged. I looked at the shoes. I did miss dancing with these even if I hated them the first time and was happy to have ended my relationship with it after Dancing With The Stars.

“Can I have my hand back?” I said and he let it go. I got the shoes from him and walked to my bed and started putting on my dancing shoes.

“There. Happy?” I said as I stood up from my bed. These shoes felt like home now. They eventually molded around my feet as I kept dancing in them.

“Not quite.”

I looked at him with a face that said, What the fuck? He just laughed. “We have to DANCE in them! That’s why they’re called dancing shoes,” he said

“We? But YOU don’t have dancing shoes!” I teased. Tom walked over to me and held both my hands. He walked backwards, facing me, pulling me into the center of the room. “Yeah, but I think Val was just as short EVEN with the dancing shoes” he teased back. I laughed.

“Wait,” he said. He let go my hand and pushed around my clothes and luggages to give us more room.

“So what are we doing? Cha-cha? Waltz?” I asked as he moved around the stuff and I tried to remember how each style was danced.

“Hm…just this.” He raised my left hand and put my right hand on his shoulder. He proceeded to put his free hand on my waist. He stepped sideways and brought me along. He swayed and I swayed along with him.

Don’t freak out. Don’t freak out. Don’t freak out.

Even though I was taller than him, I met his eyes. That calmed me. I smiled. He smiled back. The music played in the background and we swayed to it slowly. How does he do it? One moment I’m a nervous wreck, stuttering, tripping, and doing all sorts of stupid then another, he calms me. Heart beating fast but I’m comfortable.

“You think it’s easy…You think I don’t want to run to you. But there are mountains. There are doors that we can’t walk through,” the music played.

“Hey it’s you,” he was able to whisper into my ear because our heads were so close.

“Hm,” I said in agreement. I’m going to enjoy this. I’m not letting myself ruin this. I put my head on his shoulder. I had to bend a little but it wasn’t uncomfortable. But I’m not going to let you see what you’re doing to me. Our chests pressed against each other and he kept the lead, swaying me side to side. I moved my hand on his shoulder to around his neck in a sort of embrace. He moved his hand that was on the small of my back to around my waist. I wonder if he could feel my heartbeat pounding, trying to get out of my chest to meet his. I wonder if we could stay like this without these questions in my head: why did I have to fall for you? What’s going to happen? Am I always going to feel this way? Do you feel the same way? What if you don’t? Do I lose you?

“We’re bound to breaking. My hands…are tied.” The song ended. My phone played the next song — Beyonce. I lifted my head and pulled myself away from Tom. He smiled at me, I smiled back. I could drown in those eyes but Zendaya, FOCUS. “We should finish THAT” I said as I pointed to my pile of clothes and shoes.

After some time, we got through a lot of my clothes and returned my shoes back into the closet. There was one more suitcase left but Tom and I got hungry so we went down to the kitchen to eat some chips and eventually retired to the couch. Tom borrowed a sweater from me because he was still cold from waiting outside. I kept my dancing shoes and decided to wear fluffy slippers instead. We were laying on my couch, staring at the TV screen that wasn’t even turned on. It was still pretty dark outside and the only light was coming from the kitchen.

“Zendaya.”

“Hm?” I lifted my head to look at him. He was sitting on one end of the couch and I was on the other end.

“So..” he cleared his throat. “We… You and I…”

Oh no. Fuck. Fuck. Fuck. I knew it! I knew it! I knew it! He saw right through me!! I was giving off that vibe… oh no. OH FUCK.

“We’re okay right?”

“Huh?!” I said.

“I mean. In London? You were… I don’t know. I kind of got the feeling that you didn’t want me around. Did I do something wrong”

Oh thank god. I thought he was going to ask if “we’re ‘just friends’ right?” That “you know I don’t have feelings for you right?”

I didn’t reply quickly because I was internally celebrating that he didn’t think I liked him. Tom continued, “I’m sorry if I did. If I…I had done something to…”

“No! I’m sorry ‘bout that. The way I acted in London… was way… way.. off. I don’t know… what happened.” I mean I do but I’m not going to tell you that oh I accidentally fell for you, sorry. “But you didn’t do anything wrong. Don’t worry. We’re okay” I continued.

“Are you sure? You can be honest with me Z….” his voice was real quiet and I can sense the hurt. It must have really bothered him.

“I am honest!” Not about my feelings towards you but honest in every other aspect.

“I know it’s our thing to like joke around each other but if you ever feel like it’s going overboard, like if I’m hurting your feelings…” His face was in pain. What did I do? It must have been a big deal for him… me pulling away…

“Tom.” I touched his arm. “You couldn’t, okay. Even if you could. I would definitely tell you, okay. Listen, I am a girl of confrontation. You know that.” I bit my lower lip because although that was true in most circumstances, my feelings were not exactly something I would like to confront him with. Nonetheless, a smile crept up his face and I knew I was a goner.

This isn’t going away. How I feel. It’s going to stay but it doesn’t mean our friendship has to go. The way he asked me about London. It genuinely affected him. He doesn’t deserve that. I just have to keep THIS inside. I guess. It’s worth it if it means seeing this face. If it means two in the morning hang-outs. If it means I get to see that smile and know that I can be the reason behind it.

“Yeah I do. That’s good to hear. I couldn’t afford to lose one of my best mates.”

“Yeah, dude. You got me.” You SO got me. I sighed heavily and we continued to space out on the empty TV. I could see his reflection on it and he still had that stupid smile on his face and I could see he was staring at my reflection too. I had a stupid smile on my face. This is how it’s going to be.

I don’t want to lose you.

Tom and I kept talking until the sun started peeking through the windows and the sky turned pink. We had moved into my house’s front steps as the temperature increased and we were sure we wouldn’t freeze our butts off. We caught up on the things that were going in our lives and the feelings we still needed to release even if the occasion from which it was produced was long over. Of course, excluding whatever I felt for him. We laughed until we were coughing, waking up the early birds. Tom then started asking advice again about his fame. Ever since the Civil War movie came out, the amount of attention he has been receiving has tripled or quadrupled, or whatever. It was insane how quickly he became famous and that’s amazing but there were downsides to it. He’s not used to it since it happened so quickly. He would call me up especially when it got too out of hand. I’m happy enough to help. Being under the spotlight for so long that I basically grew up in front of everyone, I had some experience with the press and their unrelenting goal of knowing EVERYTHING. I was no expert, though. My fame was different from his. He’s a superhero. A well loved and known icon even before any of us were born. He was integrated to not only the icons of the superhero world but the biggest stars in Hollywood. Yet, he turned to me every time. He trusted in what I said and looked up to me in a way.

“I don’t know how you do it.”

“Nah. You get used to it or you pretend to look like you do…”

“You just look so unbothered, not even, not just unbothered but elegant.”

“…Thanks.” I managed to croak out. I’m pretty damn sure a crazy ass smile is plastered on my face. I pursed my lips to keep it from showing.

“Hey, Z.”

“Hm?”

“Do you think…” he trailed off.

“What? What do I think?”

“No. It’s stupid. Nevermind.” He looked far off onto the street. I looked at him and his perfect jawline as it casted shadows on his neck. The sunrise was giving him a glow.

“Just say it. You’re already stupid.” I laughed and nudged him.

“Hey…”

“Go!”

“Fine. Do you think…it’s possible to date…?” Me? Yes. Kidding. He didn’t say me but duh. That was the first thing in my head. It was sad that something so simple as dating became trivial once you were under the spotlight. Believe. Me. Been there, done that. As much as I thought I would be devastated being single again, I actually prefer it. There was nothing to hide. Except maybe now with my feelings for Tom. But a whole part of me was hidden when I was in a relationship. It was safe there but it was hard. It was something I wanted to keep safe but you sacrifice being real with people who support you, look up to you. I haven’t even told Tom who I dated before. Not the name. Not the specifics.

“Of course! It’s still your life, Tom. Don’t let it stop you from loving someone besides, with you being Spider-man! You could get any girl!” You could get me.

Tom laughed and I laughed with him. It occurred to me the truth of my words. He could get anyone. Literally, thousands of girls would sign-up for him because he was Spider-man but not just that. He was beautiful and kind. What girl wouldn’t love that? Suddenly, my mood dropped. Not only do I have to worry about what would happen if he knew I was catching feelings for him but whether I would, against all those other girls, be the one he chooses. If I’m even a choice. I was looking at my hands as I unclenched them. I didn’t even realize my hands were balled into fists, trying to hold on to nothing. I looked at Tom to see if he saw my hands only to find that he had been looking at me this whole time.

“What?” Did he see my ball up my fists? Oh no. He said nothing at first and opened his mouth to say something but closed it again. Just like the little bubble in the text messages.

“Wha-at?” I repeated. He smiled. A beautiful and kind smile. The smile that knees go weak for.

“Nothing.” He turned to look at the street again. It was my turn to gaze at him.

“Do you think I could date a celebrity?,” he asked quietly like a little boy too shy to ask questions but is genuinely curious about the world. He turned to me and locked his eyes on mine. “I mean, is it hard? If both of us were famous?”

I looked away. I felt the blood pulsate all the way to my cheeks. I didn’t want to hope that it was possible that he could like me back especially the idea that we could be together. I’m not prepping myself up for disappointment and even if we could be together….”It is kind of…hard.”

“Yeah?”

“But not impossible. I guess. It depends on who you’ll be with, you know what I mean? Lots of celebrities end up together! Selena Gomez and Justin B— okay no they broke up, Channing Tatum— no they got a divorce. Uhm… Beyonce and Jay-Z! There you go! Two perfectly famous people.”

“Jay-Z cheated though.”

“Okay. But! But, they’re still together.” I said but Tom didn’t look convinced. I wasn’t either because WHO IN THEIR RIGHT MINDS WOULD CHEAT ON BEYONCE?!

“Andrew Garfield and Emma Stone…,” Tom piped in.

“Yeah but I think they broke up…” Silence. Again. I can’t have this. “But you can be the exception.” He looked at me, I looked away. “I mean. Why are we comparing you to all these people? You’re not them. Tom. This is still your life. Don’t let other people tell you who you get to love or if you’re allowed to love. You know what I mean? I know this whole fame thing is scaring you but you’re still you. You still control YOUR life. If being in a relationship with someone who is famous, maybe as famous as the queen…”

“THE QUEEN? SHE’S TOO OLD!”

“B. Queen B. You didn’t let me finish!” We both laughed. “No matter who it is, crazy famous or not, as long as it makes you happy? Go for it. Shoot for the stars!”

“Or..rewrite the stars…” he whispered under his breath.

“SHUT UP! I was really in the moment.”

Tom laughed stupidly, leaning forward the way he does when he’s genuinely laughing so hard. “I know. I know. That’s some good advice.”

“Well. You know…” I said, flipping my hair, pretending to be snooty and proud. Tom was still staring at me with a smile on his face and I felt conscious about it. I looked down onto my toes and prayed to God, I didn’t start sweating because it was going to be seen through my shirt.

“Would you do it?,” Tom asked.

“Date someone famous?”

“Yeah?”

“Uhm… I mean yeah. If it made me happy, like I said.” And you make me happy. But this okay. It’s okay if we’re just friends. I don’t want this relationship to end and I know I shouldn’t be basing it off of the last relationship I had but if I do date Tom, what if ends bad? I need this face. I need his soul. He makes me feel like how someone people feel when they get a million likes on Instagram, validated in some way, like I belong somewhere, maybe right here, beside him. He was an extension of home. A comfort I never thought I needed.

“Did he make you happy?”

“Who?,” I said, snapping out of my reverie.

“Your ex?”

“I mean. We were together for 4 years so that must have accounted for SOME happiness,” I joked. Tom seemed serious, however. “Of course. Of course he made me happy. You wouldn’t last in a relationship that didn’t feel right. He made me laugh… a lot. Made me feel good about myself…and then it didn’t… then he just brought sadness…”

“I’m sorry.”

“It’s fine.” I brushed it off.

“I didn’t mean to pry… We don’t have to talk about it…Sorry…”

“No, man, it’s all good. I really am over it. I’m just saying that…yeah for a time he made me happy. It ended bad but I can’t deny that for a time…” I shrugged. I hate looking back at it because I was so young and so ignorant. You always go in blind the first time but you come out smarter, wiser. Maybe a little bruised, sometimes walls up but when you can find someone to bring them down…I looked back at Tom who was still staring at me. I smiled at him to let him know I really was okay but he still had that look on his face. “Stop staring at me!”

“Sorry!,” he said as he put his hands up. He smiled and looked away.

Eventually our energies ran dry and we fell asleep. Tom leaned on my front door and I settled on his lap, one of his hands resting on my back. I want to say that that’s how Darnell found us but I think it wasn’t a smart move for Tom to have leaned on a DOOR. Imagine Darnell pulling it open, hysterical that I was not in bed.

SMACK.

Tom’s head hit the floor of my house. “FUCK!”

“SHIT!” That was Darnell. I was luckily safe from any harm because I was cushioned by Tom’s legs.

“OH SHIT! TOM? TOM? ARE YOU ALRIGHT?” Darnell frantically lifted Tom’s head up and ran to the kitchen. I removed myself from Tom, “What the fuck happened?” Tom was rubbing the back of his head and had his eyes squeezed shut. “Why…do I… always get hurt…when you fall asleep…on…me?” he said in between breaths. “Ahhhhh…,” he released a painful breath.

“Fuck! I’m sorry!” I reached out for the back of his head and kneeled in front of him. There was a bump this time. “OW!” A big one. Do you think his manager will kill me or Nikki… or his brothers…? Oops. “Sorry, dude. But you shouldn’t have leaned on A DOOR!”

“Hey! I’m already injured here!!”

“Right, right, sorry.” I rubbed the areas surrounding the bump instead, careful not to touch it so it wouldn’t cause anymore pain that it already did. Darnell came back with a pack of ice.

“Here…” he gave me the ice and I held it to the bump on his head. “Ow..ow! OW! Careful!”

“Sorry…sorry… here you do it…” I said as I tried to hand the ice pack to him.

“No. it’s fine. You do it…” He pushed the ice away and I held it again to his head. I moved in closer so I wouldn’t strain myself and lifted his torso a little more. His eyes fluttered open. We were so close again. Those eyes stared back at me intensely and I could feel like something was happening. Like a tornado in my stomach. What are you doing to me again, Tom? We held each other’s gaze forgetting that Darnell was standing right behind us.

“WAIT! HOLD UP! What in the hell were you doing here in the first place huh?” Here we go again. Darnell is grandmother mode. “Yo Z! I was worried when you weren’t in bed? God knows you never leave that place and so imagine the fear that fell over me when I found it empty! Huh!?”

“I mean, it’s not like we left. We’re here,” I replied.

“AND TOM! Sorry again…for the head but why would you lean on the door…”

“I told him that too!” I exclaimed.

“HEY! HEY! Wait a minute. Wait a minute! I’m already hurt here! Am I really getting scolded on this?” and Tom pointed to the area where his bump was and where I was holding the ice pack on.

“Sorry ‘bout that, again. I guess not. What were y’all doin’ out here anyways?”

“We fell asleep,” I replied.

“On the front door?”

“Yeah.”

“When there’s a perfectly good couch inside?”

“We watched the sunrise and we were talking….” Tom said. When he said that, Darnell looked at me and suddenly had this look on his face like his whole demeanor changed from grandmother to brother. I knew that face. He was about to bust my ass.

“NO NO NO!,” I exclaimed. I gave Tom the ice pack and stood up to push Darnell inside. I cut off whatever Tom was going to say because I was terrified that Darnell was going to say something. He had a goofy ass smile on his face and wide eyes, which, as history would tell, was not a good thing.

“Oh shiiiit! Did you tell him?”

“What? What’s going on?,” Tom said as I left him and pulled Darnell and I out of earshot.

“SHHHHHH. No! Darnell shut up. I DIDN’T tell him anything. Why would you think that?,” I said in a loud whisper.

“Because sunrise shit is such a couple thing to do miss Daya, okay… also finding him here? When did he even come? I slept at one in the morning and the boy wasn’t here. So what time did he come, huh? WHY did he come?”

“Did you guys just really leave me out there? Really? Do you hate me that much?” Tom walked in, balancing the ice pack on his head and it already made his hair wet. “What are you whispering about?”

“Why are you here, Tom?” Darnell blatantly asked. My eyes grew wild. HE DID NOT JUST ASK THAT??? I hit Darnell in the arm, “OW! What?” Darnell rubbed his arm to ease the pain. “Shut up.” I whispered. Tom laughed at the sight. Thank God. He just thinks Darnell is being funny.

“I was helping Zendaya unpack her stuff. We both couldn’t sleep last night so I thought I could come over… Sorry… am I allowed to come over?”

“Yeah, of course! It’s MY house.” I emphasized the last part to Darnell and tried to send him a signal to shut the fuck up.

“Of course, Tom. You’re always welcome here, no prob. We good. Sorry if that came off wrong!”

“No pro— oh shit. What time is it?”

“Last time I checked around twelve…twelve thirty…”

“In the afternoon?!” Tom said, exasperated.

“Yeah?” Darnell replied.

What the fuck? We slept for that long? I’m surprised none of us got cramps.

“OH FUCK! I HAVE TO GO! Sorry about, why am I saying sorry? Uhhh thanks…for the ice? I’ll see you…OH SHIT!”

“What!” Darnell and I said in unison.

“I asked someone, Brian, my manager’s driver to drop me off here...,” Tom explained.

“WAIT! I’ll drive you. Anyways, you can’t go out alone with that bump in your head.” Darnell said to Tom and he turned to me, “I’ll take your car. Okay?” “Sure!” I said.

“Give me a sec. I’ll just get the keys. Bring him to your car already, Z.” Darnell left and I held Tom’s arm. I led him down to the garage where my car was parked.

“Sorry, again for THAT.”

“It’s cool. Literally.” He said, holding on to his ice pack. I laughed at how corny that pun was. How does he manage to make me feel better when I almost blew his head off? Not me, though. Darnell. But still.

“Thanks for helping me out, by the way. You’re really nice, you know that? Like. I can’t tell you enough.”

“It’s okay. I like the compliments, keep them coming, keep them coming.”

“If you didn’t have that bump in your head… I swear…”

We both laughed and Darnell eventually came. He opened the car and slipped into the driver seat. I opened the door for Tom and he went inside. Darnell started the engine and Tom had opened the passenger’s window.

“D’you know, in England, we do this thing to make the healing process faster…”

“What?!” I said too eagerly out of guilt, concern, and maybe fear that one his talent managers was going to have my head on a stake some time today.

“A kiss.” That took not only me by surprise but as well as Darnell. We both looked at each other like… oh shit. He did not just…SHIT.

“Kiss on the bruise? I was kidding about it being an English thing!” Tom laughed, amused at his joke that no one seemed to have gotten but himself. Darnell and I just laughed along with him. “Wait. Do you really not have it here?”

“We do…” Darnell said, focusing on the steering wheel.

“Keep dreaming, Spider-man,” I said coolly.

“I will,” Tom said with a smug.

“Okay, lovebirds. I remember someone was late for some shit… so are we going?”

“RIGHT! Okay. Let’s go. Bye, Love!” Tom waved like a little boy from inside the car. Darnell pressed on the gas and the car left. Tom has called me love a bunch of times before and other people too, it doesn’t mean anything but nowadays it doesn’t fail to send butterflies into my stomach. I wondered if Darnell saying “lovebirds” had any bearing on Tom. I stared at the ice pack in my hand, forgetting when I took it away from him. I walked back inside the house and dropped it in the sink.

Things haven’t changed. I was still falling for Tom. I say falling because I feel like every moment I spend with him I just dig deeper into the pit that is my feelings for him. But for the first time since I liked him, I was calm. It was possible to act like everything was normal, to act like things were the way before. I released a tired breath and dumped myself on to the couch. But it didn’t mean it made it any easier.

“I deserve an Oscar for best actress!” I mumbled into the pillow before falling back to sleep.

Next Chapter

inspired by this tweet:

Credits to gif owners!

#zendaya #zendaya coleman #tom holland x zendaya #tomdaya #tomdaya fanfiction #tomdaya fanfic #fanfic #fan fic #fan fiction #tom holland #spider-man homecoming #spider-man #falling stars #ch 3 #peter parker #michelle jones

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