#and this is why Louis could never run a music management company

[zot3-flopped]

Andrew Cushin's debut album Waiting for the Rain was released two weeks ago. Louis has zero networking power so it wasn't reviewed by the NME or any of the publications that count for Metacritic. Pete Doherty's involvement didn't make a difference either.

#andrew cushin #and this is why Louis could never run a music management company #13 years in the industry and he has no contacts #no connections #useless #louis tomlinson

[allwaswell16]

—Fics by allwaswell16—

[ 5k - 9k ]

The way you smile [E, 9k, Caribbean, fic post]

Harry doesn’t need to go on holiday. Unfortunately, his mum and sister disagree, which is how he ends up alone on holiday in the Caribbean. Luckily, he's not alone for long.

Never Been Knotted [E, 9k, alpha/beta, fic post]

Harry doesn't mind that he presented as a beta. It mostly just makes his life easier and more convenient. There's just one small problem: he'd really like to be knotted.

haven't you heard [M, 8k, proposal, fic post]

Harry Styles has been in love with Louis Tomlinson since they were eighteen. After six years together, Harry is ready to propose to the love of his life. The holidays strike him as the perfect time for a romantic proposal, but his well-meaning friends and family (including his self-appointed best friend, Niall) seem to thwart him at every turn.

Or the four times Harry tries to propose, and the one time he gets it right.

Every Piece of You (It Just Fits Perfectly) [E, 7k, remix, fic post]

Louis has settled into his job as the reigning monarch’s charity representative as well as his life as a reluctant member of the royal family, but what he wants most is for his relationship with Harry to become something more.

Harry finds himself as consumed as ever by his career as a high fashion stylist, but he vows to make more room in his life for Louis. He’s decided he’s going to start the New Year off with a ring.

A remix of ‘Why Can’t It Be Like That’ by taggiecb that takes place one year later.

Faded From This Touch [E, 7k, famous/not famous, fic post]

Pop star Louis Tomlinson is about to make his long awaited return to music. Unfortunately, his label and manager feel his long hair isn't in tune with his pop star image. When Louis goes to get a hair cut at a posh London salon, he unexpectedly finds a very handsome reason to keep returning.

You Really Got Me Now [E, 6k, Rome, fic post]

Louis is the best older brother anyone could ask for. He knows this because he's agreed to help chaperone his younger sister's school trip to Rome. As it turns out, Italy is full of surprises. Fizzy's Italian teacher is surprisingly hot, Rome is surprisingly interesting, and Louis is surprisingly falling in love with more than just the city.

Stay forever [E, 6k, beta/omega, fic post]

For the last year and a half, Harry has spent his coffee break at the same cafe every day, not because he loves their coffee, but rather because of the gorgeous omega behind the counter making the coffees. As a beta, he’s sure he doesn’t stand a chance with him, so he goes online to find as close a substitute as possible.

A camboy au

On That Note [E, 6k, coworkers, fic post]

Louis’ office job on an omega only floor would be absolutely fine, if not for the alphas he and his friends have to deal with in the building. But although they’ve never met face to face, the friendly notes sent between him and Harry in Purchasing help him get through the day.

Easier [E, 6k, omega/omega, fic post]

The last person Louis wants to see is his ex-boyfriend who also happens to be his soulmate.

Now That I've Found You [M, 6k, construction, fic post]

Harry Styles has a great job working for his brother-in-law’s construction company. He has just one small problem. His concrete sub-contractor just quit, and he needs a foundation built as soon as possible. One fateful turn brings him exactly what he’s been looking for—an experienced concrete construction company that happens to be owned by the most beautiful man he’s ever laid eyes upon.

Or Louis is a long haired, sweaty construction worker. Does anyone really need to know more than that? Harry doesn’t think so.

Running Through A Cloud Of Steam [E, 5k, bodyswap, fic post]

As Harry’s long anticipated twenty-first birthday approaches, he anxiously awaits the moment when he finally meets his soulmate. He’s not even sure he believes in soulmates, but at the very least, he hopes to prove to his best friend that nothing can come between their friendship--not even a soulmate.

We're Dancing On Tables [E, 5k, uni, fic post]

Last week, Louis went on the very best date of his life with the hot guy from his chemistry lab, which was great until the guy never texted him or called him afterwards. Everything is great. Everything is fucking great. Now this guy has the nerve to show up at Louis’ house party, which of course forces Louis to plot to ruin his night.

Hey, Mr. DJ [E, 5k, a/b/o, fic post]

Harry really, really does NOT want to go out to a club tonight and be hassled by a bunch of alpha knotheads, but against his better judgement, he finds himself alone on the dance floor, barefoot, with an orange in his hand. This is all Niall's fault. At least the DJ is the most strikingly gorgeous alpha he's ever seen...

Click [E, 5k, roommates, fic post]

When Louis got assigned a roommate, he wasn’t exactly thrilled, but as far as roommates go Marcel was a pretty good one. That was until Marcel started clicking a counter everywhere he went...

Whisk me off my feet [E, 5k, a/b/o, fic post]

When Louis locks himself out of his apartment in just a pair of novelty underwear, he hopes his new neighbor can come to his rescue.

I'll Be There [E, 5k, hate to love, fic post]

Louis is less than thrilled to find out his roommate has coerced his nemesis to check on him whilst he's sick in bed. However, Harry seems to take great pleasure in taking care of Louis. Maybe this green smoothie drinking, hot yoga instructing, hair in a bun wearing, pretentious art history studying wanker isn’t so bad after all.

On Monday, Louis thinks Harry's a twat. By Friday, he's thinking of reasons for him to stay.

[Back to masterpost]

#allwaswell16fivetoninek #larry fanfiction #larry fan fic #larry fan fiction

[jess-moloney]

"What would someone like Renell be doing with or for Jess unless Jess employed her for the recognition and not the other way around?"

The whole thing is confusing and weird because Renell is a huge photographer/director. She has worked with a lot of A-list celebrities. If Jess is working so closely with her then why is she not seen at photoshoots, events or concerts with her? Maybe they were close in some way and Renell was helping her or with the trust fund money there is some investment? We know the father is a pet food owner but what did her mom do? Is her mother possibly in the music industry? I ask because a person owning a pet food company wouldn't be the only way to get in with Vivienne Westwood or an in to meet someone like Renell. Her mother has to be similar to Jamie's. Where his mother and father are in the music business. We don't know who she is though because you can't find anything on her. None of anything involving Jess makes sense.

As much money as I’m sure her father makes running and owning that company (it’s very successful but not some billion dollar industry) it certainly wouldn’t be enough for her to have the money she has or the connections. Especially since it’s dog food not anything to do with entertainment. She never brings up her mother so we can conclude:

Not active in her life for some reason (divorce maybe) or she passed away at some point (but you think Jess would have mentioned that since she’s spilled everything about her brother and father). Maybe her mother was a model or fashion designer or in the industry formerly or currently. Maybe her mother just happened to be friends with Vivienne and it’s not for business reasons. If Jess were estranged from her mother then you’d also think she’d not be getting connections from her mother so it can’t be that.

The only reason I can think for her “relationship” with Renell is that Renell was doing Jess a favor (not the other way round). As I mentioned, Vogue did say that this Ice Studios was poised to be successful (like the next Louis Vuitton) and maybe at some point it looked like it was. Renell could have very well gotten Jess to invest a bunch of money in the business and made her co-owner of it, say she bought like half of it that would make her part owner but still not founder. Was Renell just allowing her to take that title too? However if this is the case:

Why does Jess poorly manage this studio? She had to have gotten involved years ago but she only seems to just be recently half assed promoting it. If you invest that kind of money in a business why are you not trying to run it up instead of into the ground or not at all?

Did Jess think that all the work would be done for her or that because Renell’s popularity at the time was on an incline the brand would take off without her having to do anything and she could just ride the coattails to fortune and glory? Where’s any attempt from Jess to protect her investment and if she is some kind of manager for celebrities or business or whatever wouldn’t she have taken the reigns and grown the business immediately instead of sitting on it for two years to barely promote it to people who are hardly interested because her demographic is gothic white ladies and not the POC she’s trying to sell to? That and her engagement is 98% Jamie related and I’m guessing most of them aren’t looking to buy anything from her lame shop.

All of this shows that Jess has not only literally no business acumen but common sense either. I’m not in business but I assure you if I went as far as to invest enough money to become the co-founder of some mildly successful startup that was poised to take off, I’d be working on it day in and out to ensure its success. Jess seems to really not care one way or another about this. So by extension it shows she must have enough money that this is all just fun and games to her. On top of that it shows she’s unwilling to do even the bare minimum to even attempt to make a business successful. She didn’t even choose the right demographic. What was her plan in all of this and why did Renell agree to it unless Jess gave her a crap ton of money from the start?

#jess moloney #jamie campbell bower #jamie bower #mail

[tcm]

Pioneering Black Actors of Hollywood By Susan King

Clarence Muse and Rex Ingram by Susan King Thirty years ago, the legendary Oscar-winning actor Sidney Poitier reflected on the Black performers who paved the way for him in the Los Angeles Times: “The guys who were forerunners to me, like Canada Lee, Rex Ingram, Clarence Muse and women like Hattie McDaniel, Louise Beavers and Juanita Moore, they were terribly boxed in. They were maids and stable people and butlers, principally. But they, in some way, prepared the ground for me.”

Poitier prepared the ground for such contemporary Black actors and directors currently in competition during the 2021 awards season such as Regina King and Leslie Odom Jr. (One Night in Miami), Delroy Lindo (Da 5 Bloods), the late Chadwick Boseman and Viola Davis (Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom), Andra Day (The United States vs. Billie Holiday) and Daniel Kaluuya (Judas and the Black Messiah).

But it is imperative to remember the veterans from the 1930s-1960s who tried to break out of stereotypes and maintain dignity at a time when Hollywood wanted to “box” them in.

Clarence Muse 

Muse appeared in countless Hollywood films often uncredited. And as Donald Bogle points out in his book Hollywood Black, Muse spoke his mind to directors if he felt he was being pushed around or when his characters were stereotypes. Bogle stated, “At another time when Muse questioned the actions of his character in director King Vidor’s 1935 Old South feature SO RED THE ROSE, Vidor recalled that Muse was quite vocal in expressing his concerns. A change was made. Vidor could not recall exactly what the issue was, but he never forgot Muse’s objection.”

The 1932 pre-Code crime drama Night World screened at the 2019 TCM Classic Film Festival to a standing-room only crowd. The film stars Lew Ayres, Boris Karloff and Muse as the doorman at a club owned by Karloff. The audience was surprised that such a stereotypical role was anything but thanks to Muse’s poignant performance. Instead of being forced to be the comic relief, Muse’s Washington is a man worried about his wife’s surgery at a local hospital. Though his boss doesn’t treat him as an equal—after all it is 1932—Karloff’s Happy shows general concern toward Washington.

Muse, said Bogle, “also worked in race movies, where he realized there was still a real chance for significant roles and narratives.” One such was BROKEN STRINGS (’40), which he also co-wrote. It’s certainly not a great film, but Muse gives a solid turn as a famed Black violinist who wants his young son to follow in his footsteps. But the son wants to play swing with his violin.

Muse, who was a graduate of Dickinson College in Pennsylvania, also co-wrote the Louis Armstrong standard “Sleepy Time Down South.” In the 1920s, he worked at two Harlem theater companies, Lincoln Players and Lafayette Players, and 23 years later he became the first African American Broadway director with Run Little Chillun. He continued to act, appearing in Poitier’s directorial debut BUCK AND THE PREACHER (’72), CAR WASH (’76) and THE BLACK STALLION (’79) and was elected to the Black Filmmakers Hall of Fame in 1973. He died one day before his 90th birthday in 1979.

Rex Ingram 

Tall and imposing, Ingram had a great presence on the big screen and a rich melliferous voice. No wonder his best-known role was as the gigantic Genie in the bottle in Alexander Korda’s lavish production of THE THIEF OF BAGDAD (’40). Born in 1895, he began his film career in movies such as Cecil B. DeMille’s THE TEN COMMANDMENTS (’23). Ingram also has the distinction of playing God in THE GREEN PASTURES (’36) and Lucifer Jr. both on Broadway in 1940 and in the 1943 film adaptation of the musical CABIN IN THE SKY.

Ingram also brought a real humanity to his role as the slave Jim in MGM’s disappointing THE ADVENTURES OF HUCKLEBERRY FINN (’39), starring a miscast Mickey Rooney, who was way too old at 19 to play the part. Ingram, though, breaks your heart when he talks to Huck about how his dream is to earn enough money to buy his freedom so he could join his wife and child living in a free state. And when he runs away, Ingram explains to Huck why he had to flee the widow Douglas: “If one of them slave traders got me, I never would get to that free state. I would never see my wife, or little Joey.”

He also is superb in Frank Borzage’s noir MOONRISE (’48) as Mose Johnson, the friend of the murderer’s son Danny (Dane Clark), who lives in a shack in the wilderness with his coonhounds. Noble and thoughtful, Mose is the film’s conscience and helps guide Danny to do the right thing after he kills a bully (Lloyd Bridges) in self-defense.

Ingram was one of the busiest Black actors at the time and at one point even served on the Board of the Screen Actors Guild. But the same year MOONRISE was released, he was arrested and pleaded guilty for transporting an underage girl from Kansas to New York. He served a prison sentence and for a long time his career was derailed. He even lost his home. Though his film career was never the same upon his release, he worked in TV and on the Broadway stage, appearing in Beckett’s Waiting for Godot, and died in 1969 at 73 shortly after doing a guest shot on NBC’s The Bill Cosby Show.

Ernest Anderson 

Anderson never achieved the notoriety of Muse and Ingram, but the actor gave an extraordinary performance in the Bette Davis-Olivia de Havilland melodrama IN THIS OUR LIFE (’42) directed by John Huston. Born in 1915, Anderson earned his BA at Northwestern University in drama and speech. He was recommended for his role in the movie by Davis, who saw the young man working at the commissary on the Warner Bros.’ lot.

Anderson plays Parry, the son of the Davis-de Havilland family’s maid who aspires to be a lawyer. Davis’ spoiled rotten Stanley Timberlake gets drunk, and while driving she kills someone in a hit-and-run accident. Stanley throws Parry under the bus telling authorities he was the one driving the car.

Initially, the script depicted Parry in much more stereotypical terms, but Anderson went to Huston and discussed why he wanted to play the character with dignity and intelligence. Huston agreed. And for 1942, it’s rather shocking to see a studio film look at racism as in the scene where Parry tells de Havilland’s Roy why he wants to be an attorney:

“Well, you see, it’s like this, Miss Roy: a white boy, he can take most any kind of job and improve himself. Well, like in this store! Maybe he can get to be a clerk or a manager. But a colored boy, he can’t do that. He can keep a job, or he can lose a job. But he can’t get any higher up. So, he’s got a figure out something he can do that no one can take away. And that’s why I want to be a lawyer.”

Needless to say, such monologues were cut when the movie was shown in the South. Despite strong reviews for his performance, Anderson never got another role with so much substance. But he continued working through the 1970s and died in 2011 at the age of 95.

#Clarence Muse #Rex Ingram #Ernest Anderson #Bette Davis #Warner Bros #Black actors #Hollywood Black #TCM #Turner Classic Movies #black representation #Susan King

[pop-punklouis]

top five HL fanfic!!!!

biiiiitch you all know how hard it is for me to choose only 5. but sigh FINE here’s my all-time favorite list that isn’t 5 sorry i can’t choose 😔:

• Here in the Afterglow (89k)

“If you hadn’t noticed, I don’t have many friends,” Louis whispers, the blossom of insecurity in his stomach unfurling and clawing its way into his throat.

Harry is silent for a long time, and then he speaks; a soft, slow uncurl that makes Louis’ stomach shake. “I’ll be your friend.” 1970’s AU. In a tiny town in Idaho, Louis’ life is changed forever by the arrival of a curious stranger.

• Coax the Cold (86k)

England, 1897.

English Professor Louis Tomlinson’s passion for the occult has been a source of mockery and derision for most of his life. When he hears whispers of a travelling freak show newly established in London claiming the existence of a monstrous sea hybrid, half-man, half-fish, Louis sees it as his ticket to credibility amongst his peers. The summer he spends undercover working on the show, however, gives him much more than that.

• Wild and Unruly (124k)

Harry is a cowboy sitting on the biggest oil reservoir in Wyoming, and Louis is the paralegal assigned to pressure him into selling his land.

• This Wicked Game (70k)

An AU in which The Bachelor is gay, Louis is a contestant, Harry is the bachelor, everyone drinks a lot of champagne, the entire world gets to watch them fall in love, and no one plays by the rules.

• Love is a Rebellious Bird (135k)

AU in which the boys still make music. Louis is the concertmaster of the London Symphony Orchestra, Harry is the New! and Exciting! interim conductor/ex-cello prodigy who "has made Mozart cool again" according to Esquire Magazine (Louis hates him immediately, which is definitely why he internet stalked him in his dark bedroom late at night that one time), and Niall is the best. Zayn and Liam are around too.

• Fixated On One Star (53k)

Louis is just a boy with the world on his shoulders, and Harry's just a boy from the wrong side of the galaxy. A little thing like love doesn't stand a chance against a thousand years of war, at least until the right two come along to break the mold.

Or: space Romeo and Juliet AU

• Finding Lou (60k)

Louis is the nomadic stranger who wanders into Harry’s bookstore. Harry is the skeptic who falls for him.

• California Sold

Notoriously closeted boyband member Harry Styles is famous on a global scale, meanwhile Louis, as his best friend, is back home in Manchester, living the typical life of a 24 year old. When Harry needs Louis with him in LA, a publicity stunt gone wrong changes their friendship forever.

A fake-relationship AU between two lifelong best friends.

• Empty Skies (134k)

For three years, Harry has been running from his past. Now, he is moving to London and pledges to fulfil his only dream -- making it big in the music industry. Not everyone has a place, though, and the competition is tough. As is his past catching up on him.

Louis is part of the biggest boy band of the world, and getting there had meant a lot of hard work, as well as sacrificing parts of his heart and soul. He's still happy. Maybe not as happy as he could be, but who is he to complain?

• And Then a Bit (159k)

“We’d like to give the fans what they want.” Magee states, placing his hand on the table in front of him and leaning forward. “We want to give them Larry Stylinson.”

Or, take a parallel universe where Louis and Harry were never together, mix in a two year hiatus and an impending comeback, pour in a dash of lost fans, two tablespoons of strong friendship and a Modest! employee with a good idea. Add a squeeze of pretending to be a couple, lots of kisses and a tattoo or two. Stir. Serve: the mother of all publicity stunts. (aka Harry and Louis fake a relationship for publicity. Eventually it becomes a lot less fake and a lot more real.)

• Dream Awake (31k)

The sun leaks through the tent wall behind him the way it leaks through eyelids, bathing the boy in an ethereal half-light as he croons. The crowd is mesmerized. Louis is mesmerized. This is the most important person in the world, he thinks wildly, and then can't figure out how to take it back.

On a hazy day in August, Louis sees Harry perform at a music festival as an unsigned act and convinces him to spend the rest of the weekend in his company. Harry gets signed; life changes. They never really wake up from the dream.

• Say You’ll Remember (93.5k)

au. louis and harry are best mates that are only half aware that they're also soulmates. alternatively, louis goes to university and harry travels the world, and they always manage to find their way back to each other.

takes place over nine years, in which they love and hurt, make mistakes and learn, and above all, grow.

• Outwit, Outplay, Outlast (61k)

Survivor All-Stars AU in which Harry and Louis are just in this game to win the million dollars, but they end up with something better.

Featuring Harry's yellow swim shorts, Louis in snapbacks, and OT5 shenanigans.

• Nothing Else But Us Right Here (35k)

Louis sighs and gives himself a mental pep talk as he smooths his jumper down over his hips. He can do this. He can resist the draw of Harry Styles, because he is a responsible, mature adult, and as much as he wants to tangle his fingers in that mess of hair and map those ridiculous tattoos with his tongue, he does not want to get his daughter’s favorite teacher fired.

• Wings to Break Your Fall (103k)

strip club AU. Harry’s work and family are keeping him busy. He really isn’t looking for a relationship, doesn’t want one. He just wants Louis. Problem is, Louis has other plans.

• Leave it to the Breeze (81k)

Louis couldn’t be prouder of his bake, but there’s something—there’s something. Something about Harry Styles and the earnest way he measures, pours, mixes, scrapes. Something about the tip of his tongue poking out of his mouth as he knocks the air out of his batter.

or a great british bake off au in which louis cares about winning and winning only, harry is made of sunshine and rainbow sprinkles, and niall sticks his nose into other people's business. also featuring liam as louis's best friend-slash-concerned mother, and zayn as a macaron connoisseur.

• You Come Beating Like Moth’s Wings (81k)

Harry smiles. He's only known Louis for about two hours, knows nothing about him past his first name, but he's nice and sarcastic and helpful and so, so pretty. And Harry's still got a few days left in Barcelona, and he thinks he wouldn't mind spending them with Louis.

Also known as, Harry takes the summer before uni to travel Europe and meets Louis in Barcelona, and they end up traveling together.

• Hold Me Closer (36.5k)

Louis Tomlinson is one of the most promising dancers of the English National Ballet, on track to become the youngest principal dancer in the company's history. That is, until forces conspire to significantly complicate his life, including: a surprise ballet, an unfairly attractive guest choreographer, and being pushed into a rivalry with his best mate. Featuring lots of wine, dancing, pining, and a happy ending.

• In Vogue (121k)

Fashion AU. Louis is the editor in chief of Vogue magazine, and Harry's running British GQ. Featuring Zayn as the crazy creative director and Louis' confidant, Liam as the sports writer that gets to sit front row at fashion week and DJ Neil as the only sane person in the whole story. (There are no skinny jeans in this fic)

• These Things Will Never Change for Us at All (1.5k)

The room falls silent as they stay wrapped up in each other. Harry can feel Louis’ soft breaths on his neck, and he almost thinks Louis’ fallen asleep until he says softly, “How did you know you were in love with me?”

Or, Harry and Louis look back on five years.

• A Runaway American Dream (15k)

AU. they take route 66 with only each other and their secrets.

• Things Have Gotten Closer to the Sun (49k)

it’s strange, making the choice to face his past—it almost feels like he’s heading for the sun straight on, like he’s screaming come on and burn me, i deserve it.

when a solar flare is announced to end the world in twelve days, harry reunites with the people that he used to know better than the back of his own hand.

• Here (in your arms) (60k)

the one where Louis is a successful real estate agent and Harry works at a retirement home. They’ve never had a real home. Up until now.

(Starring Liam Payne as a fitness trainer, Zayn as an artist, and Niall, who busks.)

• These Inconvenient Fireworks (190k)

Future AU in which nobody tries out for X Factor but the boys end up finding one other eventually anyway. Louis is a jaded bastard who owns a cat named Duchess and teaches drama to teenagers, Harry is an idealistic aspiring photographer/part-time footy coach, Zayn teaches English lit and wears leather jackets, Liam saves people from burning buildings, and Niall is Niall.

• In Dreams (23k)

AU. When Harry moves to a new city, his new flat come with a number of sweet, anonymous gifts and surprises that brighten his days. Could it be a friendly ghost? Another friendly presence in his new building is his tattooed neighbor, Louis, who seems determined to put a smile back on his face.

• My Heart is Breathing for this Moment in Time (160k)

When Louis first saw Harry at the 2010 X Factor Auditions, he thought he was watching a peculiarly special stranger. But Harry has known Louis ever since he was five years old. Because Louis has a rare genetic disorder that causes him to Time Travel to important moments in his past and in his future - and to Harry, always to Harry. When they’re put into a band together, it seems like everything Harry has been waiting and wishing for has finally come true. Except for the small fact that Louis doesn’t know that Harry is in love with him- that Harry’s always been in love with him. Fate, it would seem, is just getting started.

A story about growing up and growing together, and the impossible love that makes it all worthwhile.

• Paint the Sky with Stars (63k)

On 10 April 1912, Harry Styles boards the finest ship the world has ever seen. Still grieving the death of their mother, he and his sister are being sent to America to live with a callous uncle who cares more about his business connections than family. Harry prepares himself for a long, disappointing voyage alone in his stateroom. Louis Tomlinson has borrowed and saved, and finally has enough to purchase a Third Class ticket to America. With all of his belongings in a single ruck sack, he boards the Titanic filled with hope for a brighter future. Never one to sit still, he can’t resist exploring the massive ship, and soon goes sneaking into First Class in a stolen steward’s uniform. By a twist of fate, Louis finds himself in Harry’s stateroom, entranced by the most attractive man he’s ever laid eyes on. He keeps returning day after day, even if he doesn’t understand what it is about Harry that continues pulling him in. That’s all right; Louis has a week to figure it out, and Harry is plenty willing to help. Except they don’t have a week. They have four days. Because on 15 April, their entire world will be turned upside down.

Or, the historically accurate Titanic AU with a happy ending.

• Through Eerie Chaos (102k)

For as long as anyone can remember, Old Hillsbridge Manor has always been believed to be haunted. Everyone in the village agrees and keeps a respectful, fearful, distance. New in town after a bad breakup and an internship that led to disappointment rather than a permanent job, Harry Styles figures taking pictures of the decrepit building could be a great new creative project. Or at least a much-needed distraction while he searches for a job and crashes at his parents’ new house. No one warned him about the apparitions though; about the music, the laughter, the people who flicker and vanish when you call after them, the echoes of a past that should be long gone… Harry has never believed in spirits but even he can admit that there’s something weird going on. What starts as mere curiosity evolves into a full-blown investigation and soon enough, Harry finds himself making friends with an aristocrat from the 1920s and struggling with finding the best way to tell him that he’s dead.

The Ghost Hunter AU where Niall lives to prove ghosts are real, Zayn is a skeptical librarian and Harry gets caught up in a century-old mystery and catches feeling in the process.

#whew! #favorite fics #grey

[sweetsubharry]

Hi!!! Do you have exes to lovers fic(bh ofc) which is angsty af. Thank You love your page 😘

Hiya! I have a few you might like! ❤️ also tysm!! I’m so glad you like it ^-^

Please remember to read the tags and stay safe loves!  ❤️

No Love Like Your Love by Rearviewdreamer 

When it comes to saving the world from itself and convincing rich CEOs of environmentally harmful companies to go green, there's nobody better than Harry Styles. That is, until Louis Tomlinson, his ex and former Alpha, is involved.  

We Are Inevitable by mmargarita

“What’s the second flaw?”

“The second inevitable flaw in your plan is:” Louis stood straight and walked towards Harry, grabbing his chin. Harry’s breath hitched. “Us.” Louis smiled. “We’re inevitable, baby. We’re soulmates, and we both know it. You just need to come back to me.” . . . . 30/07/2020: This work has been edited and corrected, and now has 7k words more.

Empty Skies by green_feelings

For three years, Harry has been running from his past. Now, he is moving to London and pledges to fulfil his only dream -- making it big in the music industry. Not everyone has a place, though, and the competition is tough. As is his past catching up on him.

Louis is part of the biggest boy band of the world, and getting there had meant a lot of hard work, as well as sacrificing parts of his heart and soul. He's still happy. Maybe not as happy as he could be, but who is he to complain?

Featuring Perrie as Harry's adorable flatmate, Niall as his manager, and Liam and Zayn as Louis' bandmates.

everything comes back to you by amory

Louis lets out a shuddering breath. “I love you,” he says.

“Fuck you,” Harry replies.

“You know that I’ve always loved you,” Louis continues, not stopping to acknowledge what Harry’s said.

Harry shakes his head. “I know, but sometimes I wonder if that ever went past us just growing up together. We were never apart Louis, never for so many years, and the minute we were you just left me. So sometimes, when I let myself think about it, I think maybe that’s why we don’t work. You were just so used to loving me because you didn’t know anything else.”

Louis and Harry, best friends since before either of them can remember, broke up four years ago. Louis has achieved his dreams of becoming the next big thing while Harry has stayed back, dedicating himself to his studies. Both are content to forget what they had together, until a tragedy brings them right back into each other's lives.

#Larry Stylinson #larry #fanfiction #fanfic #larry fanfiction #larry stylinson fanfiction #larry fanfic rec #larry fic #larry fic rec #larry stylinson fic rec #bottom harry #omega harry #sub harry #top louis #dom louis #alpha louis #enemies to lovers #ask lots #Lottie fic rec

[songtoyou]

Chapter 7: No Such Thing As Good News

Tolerate It

Paring: Modern!Tommy Shelby x Original Female Character

Story Rating: R (No minors should read this fic).

Word Count: 2,373

Warnings: Swearing

Description: Tommy Shelby is the owner and CEO of Shelby Company Limited. Starting out as a Bookmaker, Tommy had big ideas to expand his riches. In the past ten years, the company has grown rapidly to expand its business ventures from bars to producing alcohol, manufacturing motor vehicle parts, and exporting. One of the richest men in Great Britain, Tommy Shelby, has it all. Unfortunately, the death of his wife, Grace, left the multi-millionaire mogul alone and depressed. He needed someone to fulfill his needs and deepest darkest desires.

Chapter Summary: Rose wakes up the morning after the gala and her night with Tommy. She meets Isaiah Jesus, who takes her back home. Tommy wants to know more about Louis. We find out that Alfie continues to be a double-crossing little shit. Our favorite Italian mobster catches wind of Tommy taking away his favorite “toy.”

A/N: This chapter was fun to write and brings a lot of new plot development to the story. 

Italics represent past conversations. 

I do not permit my work to be posted on any other site without my permission.

Tag list: @owenniasstars​ 

The remainder of the night was not a quiet or restful one for Rose. No, Tommy still had needs that he wanted to be met. While the first session was the most intense, the rest after were a tad tamer. Well, as tame as it came when dealing with Tommy Shelby. It was like the man didn’t have the words soft and slow in his vocabulary. Rose noted that when it came to actual sex with Tommy, everything had to be fast and hard. He seemed to take great pleasure in prolonging Rose’s orgasm or retreating just when she was at her peak. It was a long, drawn-out game for Tommy. 

Tommy had Rose on her back, stomach, knees, and on top of him. For a man who was a notorious chain smoker, his stamina was off the charts. He seemed to finally wear himself out by 3 p.m. With Rose on her stomach and head tucked into the pillow, she was quickly falling asleep. She could feel the light caress of Tommy’s hand up-and-down her back. It was as if the gentle act were lulling him to sleep, and soon Rose could hear his soft snores. 

Rose opened her eyes to look at the man sleeping next to her. With the room dark, she could only vaguely make out Tommy’s features. She was able to see a hint of softness to him as he soundly slept. Turning over on her side, Rose pulled up the blankets and fell asleep.

By morning, Rose was awoken by the curtains being drawn back. The blinding sunlight permeated the room. “What the bloody Hell,” Rose groaned and covered her face with the pillow. “It’s too bright.”

“Oh, I’m sorry, miss,” spoke a female voice. “Here, let me close them a little.”

Uncovering her head, Rose looked to see what looked to be a housekeeper in the bedroom. 

“Hi, I’m Rose,” she introduced herself to the older woman who appeared to have a friendly disposition. 

“Hello, I’m Annie. Mr. Shelby’s housekeeper. I apologize for walking in on you. Must have slipped Mr. Shelby’s mind when he left for work this morning.”

“What! He’s gone? What time is it?” Rose asked, looking for a clock.

“It’s ten in the morning, dear. Would you like me to fix you some coffee or tea?” Annie asked sweetly. 

Rose was about to get up but realized she was still naked. She could not believe she overslept or that Tommy left without any sense of ‘goodbye’ or ‘see you later.’

“No, thank you. I…if you don’t mind, need to take a shower. Then I will be on my way.”

Annie nodded her head and left Rose alone in the guest bedroom. With the door shut, Rose tossed the covers off of her and grabbed her to-go bag. She pulled out her toiletries, some underwear, socks, a bra, along with jeans and a t-shirt. She also hauled out her running shoes and tossed them on the floor. 

For a guest bedroom, the bathroom was huge with a standing tub and walk-in shower. If Rose didn’t have somewhere else to be, she would have opted for a bubble bath. Looking at herself in the mirror, Rose traced every bruise, love bite, and red marks that were plastered over her body. 

“He always leaves his mark,” Rose said to herself. She turned on the shower and stepped inside.

The hot water helped ease the soreness Rose was feeling all throughout her body. She lightly washed away any dried fluids that were left on her. Rose more than noticed the soreness between her legs, which would take a while to subside.

When Rose was finished showering, she dried herself and put on her clothes. She did one more look around to make sure she had everything, sent off a quick text to Louis letting him know she was okay and headed downstairs.

Annie warmly greeted her, “I hung up your dress by the door. It is inside the garment cover. I put your shoes in there as well.” 

“Thank you. I appreciate that very much. Uh, when did Mr. Shelby leave this morning?”

“The same time he always does, about six o’clock,” the housekeeper answered. “He told me to let you sleep in, but I was unaware of which room you would be in.”

“Yeah, yeah, look, I have to get going,” said Rose and retrieved the garment bag. She slung her to-go back over her shoulder and walked outside the townhouse.

Before Rose could head down the street towards the Tube, an unknown voice called out to get her attention.

“Ms. Turner,” said the voice.

Rose turned around to see a young black man leaning next to a car. She had seen him around previously outside of her house or place of work. Rose suspected this was one of Tommy’s guys he ordered to look after her. 

“Yes. What do you want?” she asked, not moving.

“Mr. Shelby told me that you would need a ride back home. I’m Isaiah Jesus,” he said, extending his hand out. When he noticed that Rose’s hands were full, he offered to take her garment bag.

“Thank you. I guess you won’t need directions to my house since I have seen you around,” she said, walking to the car. 

Isaiah opened the trunk and put in Rose’s belongings, and ushered to the backseat door, but Rose cut in, saying, “Do you mind if I sit in the front seat?”

“Not a problem, mam,” replied Isaiah with a smile and opened the passenger door for Rose.

The ride back home was quiet except for the sound of music coming from the car stereo. To cut the quietness, Rose decided to speak up. “How long have you worked for Tommy?”

“For a long time,” Isaiah answered.

“How old are you?”

Isaiah laughed, “I’m 21, mam.”

“Okay, you’re sweet, but knock it off with the whole ‘mam’ thing. Call me Rose, okay.”

“As you wish, Rose. My family, well, my father to be exact, has known the Shelby’s a long time. My father’s family immigrated from the Caribbean to England. He met Tommy, Arthur, and John while serving during the War in Afghanistan back in 2006,” Isaiah shared and went on, “It was not the time to be over there, that is for sure. The arrival of the British soldiers in the southern province of Helmand was met with violence from the reviving Taliban. The Afghanis made sure to let our soldiers know that they were not welcomed over there. My dad, his name is Jeremiah, did not come back the same after that, neither did Tommy or his brothers.”

Rose could not believe this young man was telling her all of this, such revealing information. It all started making more sense to her with Tommy’s behavior. He had all of the signs of someone living with post-traumatic stress. And then top it off with his wife, the person he most likely felt comfortable and vulnerable around, diagnosed unexpectedly with cancers, and then dying. No wonder Tommy was the way he was.

“Wait, your dad is Jeremiah Jesus?”

“Yeah,” Isaiah responded, looking over at Rose.

“I have seen him on the news lately. He leads many of the Black Lives Matter demonstrations,” noted Rose.

Isaiah beamed with pride, “That would be him. He’s amazing. Definitely the type of voice and leader we need right now.”

“Yeah, my son has become more socially active at school and around our community. It is a good thing. I want him to be aware of his privileges and use them for good causes,” Rose responded fondly. 

When Isaiah pulled into Rose’s neighborhood, he parked the car in front of her house. Both got out of the car, and Isaiah helped retrieve Rose’s belongings from the trunk. 

“Thank you, Isaiah, for driving me home. It was nice not having to take the Tube.”

“No problem, Rose. It is my job, after all. I have to get back to London, but someone will be around to look over your house. Have a nice rest of your day,” said Isaiah and tipped his hat to Rose, and retreated back to the car.

Rose walked up to the front door to unlock it and went inside her home. In the car, Isaiah pulled out his phone to call Tommy. By the second ring, Tommy picked it up. “She home?” he asked.

“Yes, Tommy, she is just walked in her house right now,” replied Isaiah, looking over at the house. 

“Okay, good. Once Darren shows up, you can leave,” Tommy instructed Isaiah.

Hanging up the phone, Tommy pinched the bridge of his nose and took in a deep breath. When he let it out, he sat back down at his desk. Truth be told, Tommy did feel bad leaving Rose to wake up alone that morning. But he had to get to work. He knew she needed the rest from the previous night. Tommy did not know why, but when he was with Rose, he became a different person. It was as if he felt freer. More relaxed. More willing to pursue his darker desires than he ever had before. The way Tommy was with Rose, he was never like that with Lizzie. 

He was not quite sure what made the two women different. Lizzie, he noticed she would never push back, never quite challenge him. With Rose, he could see there was a fire in her. Tommy especially noticed it last night when she turned the tables on him during his line of questioning. For a second, she caught him off guard but managed to recover quickly. Rose was also more open to his sexual fantasies, whereas Lizzie was never that hardcore. Yes, he and Lizzie would experiment with role-playing or bondage, but it was never to the level he had with Rose. 

There was something about Rose that Tommy could not quite put his finger on. While he knew most everything about the woman, he still felt that he didn’t “know her.” That feeling bothered him. He was a man who liked to know everything about everyone and anything. Rose’s son was a factor that he did not know much about. 

According to information Tommy gathered, Louis was sixteen years old and attended public school. His birthday was July 3, 2003. He currently was in his 11th year at school, with next year being he would enter as a lower 6th. While his grades were decent, he was active with after-school sports like football or basketball. All in all, Tommy needed to determine if Rose’s son was a liability. He needed to meet the kid himself to determine if that was a fact.

Once Rose settled down at home, she opened her laptop and looked through her work email. Rose’s boss, Linda, wouldn’t be in the office today. She had to take her husband to a doctor’s appointment. So Rose knew she could get away with not physically being in the office that morning. However, Rose did not foresee herself oversleeping and missing much of the day’s work. She emailed Linda, letting her know that she was not feeling well that morning. Thankfully, Linda believed Rose and told her to rest up. 

What caught Rose off guard was when Linda mentioned how beautiful she looked last night. 

‘What the fuck,’ Rose said to herself, confused. She reached for her phone and saw the mass of text messages from friends and even her mother, Pam. All wrote how gorgeous she looked at the gala and congratulated her on “bagging” Tommy Shelby. The text from her mother stood out amongst the rest. Pam said she wanted to see Rose and Louis and planned to make a London trip sometime soon. Nothing indicating if Rose’s dad, Geoffrey, would join Pam on the trip. While Rose’s relationship with her mother was somewhat cordial, her relationship with her father was practically non-existent. Geoffrey more than let it be known that he wanted nothing to do with his daughter or grandson. It was one of the big reasons why Rose left Blackpool.

Against Rose’s better judgment, she googled Tommy Shelby. Low and behold, there was an array of articles about him with the mystery woman from last night’s gala, with pictures to boot. A part of her knew this would happen but didn’t quite expect this much attention from her friends, boss, or mother. Thankfully, news in England never lasted longer than 24 hours. Soon, a new shiny toy would be dangled in the face of the nation, and Rose would, literally, be yesterday’s news. She only had about a couple more hours to wait until more important and titillating news came along. 

With a slam of his fist to the desk, Luca Changretta was more than upset. He was angry once he caught sight of the pictures. Luca thought Alfie Solomons was lying when he said that Tommy Shelby had taken something from the Italian mobster. The Jewish gangster never quite stated what it was that Tommy had taken.

“Trust me, mate. You will find out soon enough, eh,” Alfie told Luca over the phone a while back. 

“You better not be fucking with me, Solomons. I know you enjoy playing games with Tommy, but I am no fool,” Luca sneered into the phone.

Alfie just laughed, “I’m not fucking with you. No, I wouldn’t do that to ya. I think our boy Tommy needs a reminder of his place, don’t you think. The lad has gotten a bit too big for his britches. Good ol’ Tom thinks he can take anything he wants with no consequences.”

“Again, Solomons, why should I care what Tommy Shelby does?”

“Well, come Thursday morning, be sure to check the London news. Then you will see. Be sure to call me when you do,” Alfie instructed and hung up the phone.

Luca’s first instinct was to brush Alfie off. The man was always playing tricks. However, there was a part of Luca that was intrigued to find out what Alfie was talking about. The pictures of Tommy with Rose infuriated Luca so much that all he saw was red. Blood red. Blood that needed to be spilled. 

#tommy shelby #tommy shelby x oc #peaky blinders #peaky blinders fic

[allsassnoclass]

I’ll be sad without you (I want you to have it all)

Pairing: Michael Clifford/Ashton Irwin

Rating: Teen and Up (for one instance of swearing lol)

Key Tags: college AU, graduation, bittersweet

Word Count: 3,373

part of the mashton college au

Read on AO3

Ashton graduates college.  Michael tries to be happy for him.

The night before he graduates, Michael gets Ashton all to himself.

The week leading up to commencement has been filled with the end of finals, Michael working or sitting around twiddling his thumbs, and everyone that Ashton has ever met at college scrambling to see him one last time before he graduates and is off to bigger and better things.  Everyone has suddenly realized what Michael has been trying to forget for the entire semester: Ashton is about to leave and they might never see him again.

Michael knows that he’s being a bit dramatic.  They’re dating, so of course Michael will see Ashton again.  He only lives two and a half hours away from campus, so he can come down and visit next year while Michael is still taking classes or Michael can take a break and swing by to see him, although staying overnight would mean that he has to stay with all of the Irwins since Ashton is going to live at home until Michael graduates and can move in with him.  He has a job as a grant writer for a nonprofit in the next town over and figured he’d save up rather than live by himself, and with how much he missed his family this semester Michael thinks that’s a good idea.

Michael has spent a lot of nights this week in Ashton’s dorm or dragging Ashton back to his apartment to get as much time with him as possible.  It’s even lonelier now that Calum has gone back home to visit before heading off to an internship in St. Louis for the summer, the space far too quiet when he’s the only one home.  Michael is staying on campus this time.  He’s one of the main employees at the campus recording studio now and he got a job at the one of the town grocery stores restocking overnight, and since he’s paying for the apartment through next year he might as well make use of it.  It means he’s a little further away from Ashton than he would be if he was home, but that’s fine.  They can make it work.  He keeps telling himself that things could be so much worse, but it doesn’t make him feel better.

“Hey,” Ashton says, breaking him out of his thoughts with a gentle knuckle against Michael’s cheek.  They turned the lights off a while ago since Ashton needs to be up early, but neither of them are that tired.  They’ve simply been laying together, Michael’s head tucked into the crook of Ashton’s elbow, hands resting between them.

“What are you thinking about?” Ashton asks.  Michael sighs.  He knows that this is supposed to be a happy occasion, especially since Ashton fought so hard to make it to college and is managing to graduate with so many accolades, but the truth is that he’s really fucking sad.

“Next year,” he says.  “I’ve never known college without you.  I don’t know how to do it by myself.”

“Hey, you won’t be by yourself,” Ashton says gently.  “You’ve got Calum and Luke still.”

“You know what I mean.”

Ashton hums.  There isn’t anything for him to say here and they both know it.  Michael has spent the entire week pretending to be excited for Ashton, something that he’ll have to do again tomorrow morning, but the facade is breaking and trying to fix it now is only going to make things worse later.  He smiled while Ashton was seeing all of his other friends for the last time, he smiled when Ashton finished his last final ever and returned his books for the last time, and he smiled while he was helping Ashton pack up his dorm room for the last time, working quietly because Ashton needed a moment to process that this was actually happening.  He’s usually the problem-solver of them, always beginning whatever tasks need to be done while Michael gets overwhelmed and freezes, but packing had been a stumbling-block.  It was the only instance this week that has made Michael think that Ashton could feel bittersweet about graduating, too.

“I’ll be happier tomorrow, I promise,” Michael says.  “I’m just going to miss you.”

Ashton pulls him closer, pressing a tender kiss to his cheek and then rearranging them so they’re tangled together fully.  Michael wishes he could sink into Ashton and stay with him after tomorrow, continuing their life without any distance between them.  Ashton takes a deep breath, chest rising and falling under Michael.

“I’m not going to propose to you tomorrow, because I think graduation proposals are overdone and cliche and we are not confined to any timeline, but it’s me and you forever, yeah?  It’s always going to be me and you.  A year is nothing compared to the rest of our lives.”

Michael nods.  He takes a deep breath, too, because he promised himself not to cry in front of Ashton.  He doesn’t speak until the tears stop prickling the corners of his eyes.

“I know.  I’m still going to miss you, though.”

Ashton doesn’t say anything else, just pulls him impossibly closer and presses another kiss to the side of his head.  Michael tries to push everything inside him down, tries not to ruin the last night he and Ashton will have together for a while, but he’s not sure how successful he is.

-/-

Ashton’s alarm goes off at 6:45, which Michael thinks should be illegal.

“Why are you graduating so early,” he groans as Ashton reaches over him to turn the alarm off.  Ashton huffs a laugh, making Michael crack an eye open to catch a glimpse of him in the morning light.  He’s breathtaking even though he has pillow creases on his face and half of his hair is flattened against the side of his head.  Michael is going to miss him so much it hurts.

“Stay in bed a bit,” he says, wrapping his arms around him again and pressing his face into his chest.  “You can afford a few minutes.”

“Oh yeah?” Ashton asks.  “What’s in it for me?”  Michael cracks an eye open at him again, then kisses the teasing look off his face.  Ashton laughs into it, but soon he’s kissing back just as thoroughly, like he’s trying to memorize Michael in the same way Michael is trying to memorize him.  He should have been paying more attention every other time they kissed.  He’s had the feel of Ashton’s skin under his hands and the smell of him ingrained into his memory for a long time, but he’s still scared that as soon as Ashton accepts his diploma Michael will suddenly forget everything.

Ashton pushes Michael onto his back and swings a leg over his hips.  Michael wants to memorize this, too.  He wants to freeze this moment, capture Ashton’s weight on top of him and the way he grips Michael’s hands and pins them against the covers, fingers interlocked, holding on just as tightly as Michael is.  When Ashton eventually leans back Michael feels a piece of his heart break.

“I have to get ready,” he says, a small smile gracing his features.  Michael tries to mirror some of his joy.  He can be sad after Ashton has left with his family.

“Five more minutes?” he asks, but they both know that he’s already lost the battle.  Ashton leans down and kisses Michael once more, sweet and chaste, then gets up and heads to the bathroom to shower.  Michael lays in bed for a few more minutes staring at the ceiling, then makes himself get up and start preparing toast.

Ashton eventually exits the bathroom in dress pants and a dress shirt with the top few buttons undone.  For a split second Michael can see a future like this, Ashton prepared to go to his dream job at a publishing company and Michael running late for whatever he ends up doing with his music business degree.  He can see a  million mornings of burning Ashton’s toast but getting his coffee perfect and Ashton smiling at him and kissing his cheek and saying thanks in that sweetly sincere way he always does when Michael does something completely ordinary for him, as if he’s still surprised that people are willing to do small favors even though the only thing Michael wants to do with his life is take care of him.

“I love you,” Michael says.  Ashton pauses with his toast halfway to his mouth.  He beams and Michael feels a little bit better about everything.

“I love you, too.  Come eat breakfast with me.”

Breakfast goes by in a blur.  Before Michael can blink they’re piling into Ashton’s car and driving to the soccer field where graduation will take place.  Each college at the university has an outdoor, in person commencement  to allow for proper social distancing, and Ashton drew the short straw by being in the college of Libral Arts and Sciences and having to line up at 8:00.  He got four tickets for family and friends, so Michael gets to wait for Anne Marie, Lauren, and Harry to show up and then join them to watch.  Then they’re going to officially move Ashton out of his dorm room, go to lunch together, and Michael will have to say goodbye to the love of his life.

They follow directions for parking and join other groups of grads and loved ones waiting outside the field.  Ashton grabs his robe, cap, and cords from the back seat and Michael holds things for him while he puts them all on.

He has a gold Summa Cum Laude stole, a medal from the honors program, a cord from reslife, and a cord for being a first generation student.  Michael helps adjust everything so it’s laying flat and even, although the ceremony isn’t for another hour and there’s more than enough opportunity for it to get messed up again.  Ashton lets him fret anyway, then puts his cap on and straightens the tassel to complete the look.  Michael feels emotion well up in him again, but it’s not sadness this time.  Looking at Ashton fully decked out and glowing with happiness, he thinks the feeling might be pride.

“Okay, I need to go get lined up,” Ashton says.  He puts on a mask and pats his pockets for his phone and wallet.  Michael hugs him before he goes.

“I’m proud of you,” he murmurs.  “Have fun. We’ll find you after.”  Ashton squeezes him, then sets off towards the tent where the graduates are gathering with a wave behind him.  Michael watches him leave until he steps under the tent and gets lost in the crowd of other black-robed students.

He’s going to miss him.

Michael heads towards the entrance of the field and finds a corner to mess around on his phone and try not to think about it.  Scrolling through social media posts of his other friends graduating or commenting on the end of the school year doesn’t exactly help, but Candy Crush is engaging enough that he can turn his mind off.

“Michael!”

Michael jumps about five feet in the air at the loud voice right next to him.

“Holy fu-- don’t do that Harry!” he says while the kid laughs.  Anne Marie and Lauren reach them at that time, both of them smiling in amusement.  Michael blushes and gives Harry a noogie in retaliation, then gives Lauren a fist bump and hugs Anne Marie.

“It’s so good to see you, Michael,” Anne Marie says.  She hugs the same way that Ashton does, arms wrapped securely around him and holding him tight.

“It’s good to see you, too.”

Anne Marie has the tickets on her phone and presents them to get them in the field.  An unfamiliar professor leads them to their section, and the Irwins keep a constant stream of conversation with him, catching him up on their lives this semester and asking about his.  He doesn’t have time to get stuck in his head about Ashton leaving before a recording of “Pomp and Circumstance” starts playing and the graduates begin filing onto the field to take their seats in the middle.  Michael sees Ashton the moment he enters.  He taps Harry’s arm and points him out and they all watch him walk down the aisle and take his seat on the field.  He’s on the opposite side from them, but when he walks across the stage he’ll be facing them.  At least Michael won’t have to watch him walk away.

The president of the university says a few words, they sing the anthem, then more stuffy old men say more words.  Everyone keeps it brief and it goes by quickly, but Michael still zones out for most of it.  The student speaker is fine, but Harry shoots him a look for jiggling his leg partway through even though he’s been sneakily playing games on his phone instead of listening.

When they start reading the names Michael waits with bated breath.  He recognizes a few names of Ashton’s friends or classmates that he’s talked about before, but the vast majority of the students are complete strangers until the reader announces Ashton Fletcher Irwin!

All of them cheer obnoxiously.  Ashton has his mask on, so they can’t see his smile, but Michael knows that it’s wide and bright.  He waves at them between nodding graciously at the dean and president.  Michael blows him a kiss.  He stops paying attention to people’s names after that, watching Ashton instead.  He keeps adjusting his mask or fiddling with his cords in between clapping for his classmates, restless now that he’s walked across the stage.  He doesn’t have a diploma to keep his hands occupied since they’re getting mailed out later, but since their ceremony is only one college instead of the entire university he’s not restless for long.  Michael thinks he can hear his cheer at the end of the ceremony even from halfway across the field.  They have to wait for the ushers to dismiss them before they can find him outside, and it’s the longest wait of Michael’s life.

“Mom, are you crying?” Lauren asks.  Michael looks over and sees Anne Marie gently catching tears under her eyes.

“I’m so happy,” she sniffs.  “Don’t worry, baby.  I’ll cry at your graduation, too.”  Lauren makes a face but grabs her mom’s purse and gets a tissue out for her.  Michael feels like he shouldn’t be seeing his boyfriend’s mother cry, so he looks at his hands.  Ashton painted his nails black earlier in the week while quizzing him on music theory and the paint is chipping now.  He doesn’t want to pick at it.  He wants to keep as many physical reminders of Ashton with him for as long as possible.

Harry sighs and turns to him.

“At least you’re not crying.”

Michael doesn’t want to tell him that he probably will as soon as he has to go back to an empty apartment.  He shrugs.

“Crying at graduation is a mom thing,” he says.  Harry accepts the answer and goes back to his phone.  Michael checks his own and finds a text from Calum asking how he’s holding up.  He’s a good friend, and he partially understands what Michael is going through since Roy graduated with his masters this semester, but the difference is that Roy is staying in the area.  Michael has to do long distance for a year.  There will be no more late-night ice cream runs or eating lunch together or sitting Ashton’s security shifts with him.  Michael is going to be sleeping alone for a long time.

He tells Calum that he’s doing fine.  It’s a placeholder answer until Ashton officially leaves and he has time to sort through the tangle of emotions knotting themselves in his gut, and Calum will understand that.

The usher tells them they can go now, so Michael follows the family out of the field and to the concrete area before the parking lot where all of the graduates have gathered.  A lot of them have taken off their masks for pictures, and Michael feels his anxiety spike despite him, Ashton, and Anne Marie being fully vaccinated.  It gets worse the longer he looks for Ashton without finding him.  He wishes that Ashton had decorated his cap to make him easier to spot, but he hadn’t thought of it until the last second and didn’t know what to put.

“There he is!  Ashton!”  Anne Marie leads them over to him, immediately wrapping Ashton in a hug as soon as he turns around and sees her.  Michael hangs back and watches him laugh and smile with his family, then darts in for his own hug as soon as Ashton motions him forward.

“Hi,” he says.  “Congratulations.”

“Thanks,” Ashton replies, turning to kiss his cheek before he remembers that they’re both wearing masks.  It makes him giggle, which makes Michael giggle.

He’s really, really going to miss him.

“Say cheese!” Anne Marie says, snapping a picture of them on her phone.  Michael swaps out and takes the camera then, getting pictures of Ashton with his family and other graduating friends that they find.  Ashton is beaming in all of the pictures, happiness oozing out of him with every hug gifted to his classmates and every word exchanged.  His laugh sounds lighter, like walking across that stage lifted a weight from his shoulders.

Michael is going to miss him, but it’s harder to remember that when Ashton is glowing.  And that’s what love is, right?  Wanting what’s best for another person even if it doesn’t make you happy in the moment?  Michael may be terrified and out of his depth when he thinks about his own graduation next year, but Ashton clearly isn’t.  Ashton has been waiting for this for a long time, and Michael can be happy for him.

When they split up to go back to campus for pictures Ashton stops him before they get into his car.

“This isn’t a proposal,” he says, digging around in his pockets.

“Yeah.  Those are cliche and we’re not confined to a timeline,” Michael repeats, frowning.  Ashton finally finds what he’s looking for with a little noise of triumph.  When he opens his hand a stainless steel ring is in his palm.

“It’s a promise ring,” Ashton says at Michael’s sharp inhale.  “I know you’ve been upset about graduation.”

“No, Ash--”

“It’s okay,” Ashton interrupts.  “You don’t have to pretend.  I’m really going to miss you, too.”

Michael looks down at the ring.  It’s simple and understated, but it’s beautiful.  He wouldn’t have it any other way.

“I was thinking that having this might help you miss me a little less,” Ashton says.  “We’re a sure thing, and now you have a little piece from me to remind you of that.”

“Oh,” Michael says quietly.  He looks down at his hands again, then up at Ashton.  “I don’t know what finger a promise ring goes on.”  Ashton laughs.

“I don’t really know, either.  You can do ring finger, or one of your middle fingers, or the fourth finger on the other side.  There’s not a rule for it.”

“You choose,” Michael says, spreading his fingers so Ashton can slip the ring on any of them.  Ashton considers for a moment, turning the ring over in his hand, then puts it on Michael’s ring finger.  Michael’s heart leaps into his throat at the new weight.  He runs his thumb against it, metal warm from being in Ashton’s pocket.

“I love it,” he says.  “I love you.”  He takes off his mask and gently unhooks Ashton’s from behind his ears, revealing his smile.  He cups Ashton’s jaw and leans forward, Ashton meeting him in the middle sweetly.  When they pull away, Ashton’s eyes are watery.

“Hey, what are you crying for?” Michael asks gently.  Ashton laughs at himself, looking up and blinking a few times until he’s forced the tears back.

“I’m happy.  I don’t think I’ve ever been this happy before.”

For the first time all day, Michael can mirror his smile fully.  He’s going to miss him like crazy, but Ashton is wildly, sincerely happy, and that’s all that Michael needs.

“I’m happy, too.”

#my writing #mashton #5sos fic #alrighty lads have a treat #it is probably not the treat anyone wants but I'm just happy to be posting something #also these two..... this iteration of mashton..... I love them

[georgemackayhey]

Worth Fighting For (Part: Two)

summary: You’re entirely certain George is the one. So he hasn’t got to put up much of a fight… but in a way, that’s all he knows to do.

a/n: Now is a good time to mention that I know nothing about boxing. My only refreance is a movie about mma and one nights worth of basic research. But all that matters is I'm having buckets of fun writing this! The angst starts to creep in this chapter. Let me know what yall think!

w/c: 4k

Part 1

───※ ·❆· ※───

It was the end of an exceptionally long weekend. You'd managed to throw together last minute choreography for the kids school play, taught a wedding party how to waltz, and helped a friend nail her audition for a foreign dance company.

It was easy as ever, with a broken hand. But everything else was increasingly difficult. You were still getting used to using your one, lame hand to do laundry and cook dinner. But at least you could still dance.

There was nothing better than pumping the  music and moving until it ached. Until all you had to worry about was locking up and racing home to shower, and all the things you'd been anxious about all week had long fled to the very back of your mind.

But the weekend was over, and you didn't have an excuse to stay in the studio now that all the kids who came to learn were long gone. But you had a perfectly sound reason for taking longer to do you post class stretches. As you took your sweet time sliding into your jacket and switching out the lights, you kept your eye on the window to the hallway. You tried not to look too obvious, but there was a silly, desperate hope inside of you; to see George.

The gym door remained shut, raucous music thumbing from somewhere deep inside, as you dragged your feet out in the hall. You tried not to look like you were casting glances over your shoulder, or seem too disappointed when you found no one there. When the door to your studio was locked and your adrenalin from class dwindled away, you went on your way.

And while you tried not to think about the funny feeling you got in your chest at the thought of George, you shoved open the door to the parking lot. The sky was a bleak grey and a chill crept past your layers of brightly colored clothes.

"Took you long enough." A voice crept close over your shoulder, causing you to spin around with a gasp.

George was leaning against the stone of the building, the hood of his pale jacket up over his head, strong arms crossed over his broad chest.

"How's your hand?" He asked, like he really cared to know.

"Oh, I'm managing." You decided with a smile, happening to glance at George's. "How's yours?" You asked, noticing bruises on his knuckles that weren't there the weekend before.

George seemed confused, for a beat, before glimpsing down at his fingers.

"Oh, this is nothing." He said. And before you could choose one the dozens of questions you had, you decidedly moved on.

"What are you waiting on?" You asked in a nervous giggle, glancing to his car a few parking spaces away.

"You, obviously." George rose a brow and reached for his bulky canvas bag that rested near his feet. You watched his lean figure shift as he carried the weight over one shoulder and stepped closer.

"Come on, It's my turn to treat you to DeAngelo's." He explained, walking past you to his sleek vintage car. The familiar screech of the city bus caught your ear, and you looked over to notice it stall to a stop, before you followed George's lead.

The ride was quiet. You spent most of the time pretending to be distracted by your chipping nail polish. Even in his silence George was captivating. You couldn't be sure if he'd noticed you stealing glances at him as he drove; but every time you did, you wouldn't let yourself look long.

You couldn't be sure why stepping foot into the diner to get felt different. Maybe it was because you weren't alone. You were mixed among dozens of other dinner parties and the combined white noise of everyone's collective chatter set you at ease. You weren't as shy to let your gaze linger on George as he studied you across the same booth as before.

And much like then, your conversations started mildly. He asked what you were going to order, and you tried not to feel too embarrassed for listing off the same meal. But he grinned and said he was going to do the same. And right as your conversation opened up to grow ever deeper, you were interrupted.

"Miss y/n!" An excited, drawn out greeting rang from a small boy who was busy bouncing your way. You didn't need to turn to know it was little Louis. He was one of your most loyal students. And though you'd never say it to anyone, the small kid was your favorite budding ballerina. Perhaps because he cared so unabashedly for you, too.

All four feet and fifty pounds of the curly headed boy crashed into your side of the booth, his little arms reaching to wrap you in a hug. You let out a surprised gasp and turned to try and greet the boy as soon as you realized he'd appeared.

"Today was lot's of fun. Can we do more big jumps next week?" The boy broke away from you to peer up, big brown eyes full of hope. You chuckled a little and assured the boy you'd planned on it. That's about the time his mother shuffled over, apologizing for her eight years old interrupting your dinner.

"It's alright." You assured, sheepishly glancing over to George who was sat back watching on with a coy grin. The kind of smile that- if you were younger and less confident, might have made you insecure. But knowing the little you did about George, you read no mocking in his expression. Only something more vulnerable you couldn't quite make out yet. You wondered all of a sudden just how exactly to get him to open up, and wondered hopelessly if you'd ever get the chance.

"I'm always glad to see you, Louis." You grinned at the boy, still glancing up to you in the sweetest way. "He's never missed a class in two years." You bragged to George now, who let his grin stretch a little wider.

Then you got the good sense to introduce the guy across from you. You gave his name away, and mentioned that he taught at the gym at Fit For All. Louis mother seemed to light up at the mention.

"Oh, you're Geogre? You know my oldest son, Danny. He talks about you all the time." The woman whose dark roots were nearly longer than the dyed blonde bits of her hair gleamed, and Geogre seemed to glow, too.

"Oh, yes. He's always at the gym, it seems." George sat up a little, peering to the woman Louis belonged to. The mother explained that her eldest wanted nothing more than to grow up to become a boxer. But a shoulder injury at the tail end of highschool ruined his chances. So Danny traded boxing for running, and had completed several marathons since.

George said the guy was great at encouraging the kids who frequented Fit For All, no matter which lesson they showed up for. It was your turn to smile and watch as George and his friends mother gushed over the guy who wasn't even around.

When Louis was coaxed from your side back to his mothers he gave you one final hug and raced her to a table across the room. A silence fell between you and George once more, but it was more familiar than ever. George was the first to break it.

"He was sweet." George smiled, reaching for his drink.

"Must run in the family." You pointed out. "I didn't realize Louis even had a brother."

"Danny is a good guy. He always knows just what to say. Not only to the kids, but to me too, some days." George let out a little laugh. A nervous, slightly bittered chuckle. And while it made you realize a little something more about him, it added to the complexity of George all the while. This guy was going to drive you nuts in no time. You'd let him.

///

And that's how it started. Every Friday, around the same time, you'd pile into George's ride and one of you would cover the bill for DeAngelo's.

Sometimes you got held up, trying to help a girl learn her steps for the schools annual talent show. You'd find Geogre had lingered in and made himself at home on the folded up mats near the door. You caught his gaze in the wall length mirror and tried to hide your blush while you danced on.

Other times, he'd be running behind. You shuffled outside to find George in the middle of what seemed to be a serious conversation with a familiar guy around your age. It was Danny, and you were introduced for the first time like you'd been friends forever. You found the rumors about the guy were true, even in the first few minutes of meeting. Danny mentioned his little brother mentioning you nonstop, and said how he'd been waiting to put your face to your name. George ended the small talk by reaching over and nudging you toward his car.

The slight touch of his arm against yours made you feel different than the only other time he'd touched you before. The last was when he'd rushed in to monitor your injured hand. And you couldn't feel much of anything. But now, when George leaned into you, pushing you away all the while, your nerves seemed to dance on end. But Danny's pleasant goodbye tore your thoughts away, and you waved your working hand to the guy and hoped out loud to see more of him.

Then George drove you to DeAngelos for another week in a row.

///

You hadn't really realized how much time had passed until snow started to fall. Granted the weather seemed to change much earlier than it ever had years prior. But it changed all the same, and it seemed to draw attention to the tradition you'd made of going to dinner with George.

You sat in the same spot almost everytime. And you talked about the same sorts of things. There were always complaints shared, about the growing cold, and the things that held up your week. There was always some kind of exciting news to share, about a new movie coming to town, or the things you'd accomplished during work. You even spoke about things you hadn't been keen on discussing with most other people. Like your relationship with your family and the scariest parts of highschool. Because George asked. He asked you more about yourself than he ever dared to mention his own stories.

"When are you gonna let me come watch you teach kids how to throw a punch, huh?" You teased. George had lingered in the doorway to catch the tail end of a handful of your lessons, by now. And he was always done for the night, when yours ended early.

As you ate your usual dinner, he kept his demure smile and rolled his dazzling blue eyes your way, before changing the subject. And you wanted nothing more than to listen to him talk, so you let your question go unanswered.

"We've been coming here a lot." He pointed out, plain and simply. But the comment made your heart feel like it had grown a layer of steel , sinking ever so slightly.

"Would you rather us go someplace else?" You wondered in a light manner, trying not to seem let down at the possibility of ending your tradition.

"Course not. I'm saying I like coming here." George smiled, then added, "With you."

You bit back your grin from spreading too widely and let the familiar bout of quiet follow.

///

But the next weekend was different and it was all your fault. Your water heater broke on Tuesday. And your landlord called back Wednesday night to say he couldn't help you fix it till he came back to town next week. You had to postpone Friday's class when you realized you were in too deep trying to fix the issue yourself. And while you fiddled with the matter with your non broken hand, a deep regret flooded your system when you realized George would miss you and you had no way of letting him know.

You worried all evening at the thought of standing him up. You crossed your working fingers that he'd still be keen to see you the next weekend; and tried to accept the fact that since your tradition had been broken, the thin connection you shared with George might now forever be lost, too.

By the end of your next week, your landlord was still off on holiday, and had taken to ignoring your texts asking for help. How hard was it for him to call a local mechanic to send your way before he left to go tanning for the day, or whatever?

And as you bared another cold shower and grumpily hurried to head to the studio, your power went out.

"No, no no!" You whined, flipping a light switch a dozen times in a row and wishing and hoping and praying everything would come back to life. You took a deep breath, rushed to the closet where the panel that held your home's power was, and were disappointed to find flipping a few switches there did absolutely nothing. You didn't have time to worry. You couldn't let your kids down again.

Some of them were already lingering outside of the studio when you rushed in, stomping away snow. Little Louis actually cheered and dashed your way for a hug, like he did. You smiled, set at ease by the child's sweet nature.

Then you taught him and a dozen others to dance, and let your worries fade away for an hour and a half. George hadn't slipped into the studio when the clock ticked past your usual meeting time. You tried not to let yourself feel disappointed when your kids shuffled home. You only wrapped up for the day and started to worry over your situation all over again.

But as you locked the doors to the studio, Danny was making his way out into the hall, and George was trailing close behind.

"Hey kid!" Danny glowed, turning to greet you in the dim hall. You shot him a pleasant smile, despite everything, trying not to catch George's gaze. Because his expression was so familiar, now. And he was looking right at you in a way you realized he so often did. And you'd let him down last week, and you had to do it again, now.

He shouldered past Danny as the bulky fellow seemed to decide to go home. He gave you both a quick goodnight before making his way toward the heavy doors. Then you were left alone with the guy you hadn't stopped thinking of since the time he held an ice pack to your knuckles.

"Where've you been?" He asked, like he was much more concerned than disappointed. And while that was nice, it wasn't enough to stop you from wanting to cry a little. God you hoped you didn't look the way you felt.

"I'm so sorry I missed last weekend." You started, shifting in place, under George's study on you. "My water heater broke. Then my power went out. So, now I've got to go home and figure out what to do. I hate to miss another one of our dinners but-"

"What do you need?" His question interrupted your rambles to a halt. You held your breath and looked to the guy for a curious beat before explaining yourself.

"Well I'm just going to grab some things and find a place to stay. Probably just that Motel on Second Street. My landlord is such a-"

"The Second Street Motel?" George grimaced, like he had memories of the place he wasn't over yet. "That place is a dump. And they'll over charge you. Why don't... if you'd like... well you could stay with me." George's confident speech dwindled into something meek as he spoke on. It made you chuckle a little, the way he'd surprised you when you least expected it. And when a moment of quiet passed as you searched his stunning blues eyes, George spoke up more assuredly.

"Only if you want."

"Only if you're sure." Your smile fell away as  dozen of nerves rose to your throat as you responded.

"Come on." He nodded, turning to the door in the same fashion he'd always do when you were headed to the one of the only other places you'd gone together. His ride to the urgent care was courteous. His company at DeAngelos was kind. And his offer for you to spend the night was an all new layer of generosity that made you feel the way you did when he touched you a few weeks ago.

///

He waited in his car while you used the flashlight on your phone to throw a few things in a bag. Between your toothbrush, your night clothes, and some things for the morning, you forced yourself not to think about what was happening. You just urged your feet to move and tried not to seem too excited to settle back into George's car.

He drove to his place in a silence that felt different than all the other times before. And when you stole a glance over to him, you could have sworn he'd just turned away from looking over to you. The thought danced through your mind till his vintage ride pulled to a stop outside a row of townhouses. They were just a few roads away from your own, in a quiet, bleak part of town.

George held open his front door as you stepped in from the cold, a baby blue backpack full of essentials in your clutch. And all of your expectations for what Geogre's home might have looked like were not only unmet, but left you with more questions about the guy than ever.

The home was neatly decorated in pale colors. Plants and picture frames decorated every shelf and corner, and the dish towel in his kitchen matched the tea kettle on the stove. It was reminiscent of a much older person's space, with a vibrant charm of someone much more spry. You padded to the cozy living room as Geogre disappeared around a corner, leaving you to think up a dozen more questions about the fellow you were determined to get to the bottom of.

As you eased onto the navy sofa and abandoned your bag, a light came on in the hall and an old orange cat came prancing toward your feet. You glanced down to the pet as it meowed up to you, and stretched to balance against your knees. You cooed, reaching to pet it, before the animal jumped into your lap.

"That's Sadie." George spoke, stepping into the room, slowly making his way toward the sofa. "I was going to apologize for her disregard for personal space but you don't seem to mind." He chuckled.

"Not at all, she's lovely." You grinned, cradling the cat like a baby as purs rattled her delicate frame. George seemed to watch on as you admired the pretty animal in your arms. And when you dared to look back up to him, he sat up a little, from where he was perched on the edge of the couch.

George said something about ordering take away from a place nearby, and you agreed with the condition that you got to pay for it, too make up for his kindness in letting you stay in his lovely home. And much to your surprise, when you realized it anyhow, you felt perfectly content waiting around with George, for the pizza to be delivered. He stuck to his end of the sofa, while you settled into yours, holding fast to Sadie all the while. You talked about usual things, and even laughed over some others, until there was a knock at the door.

George went to answer, as you trailed toward the kitchen, stopping in the hall to admire some of the photos on the wall. There were plenty of his family, or maybe just friends. And even some of George, dressed in boxing gloves, at who must have been his father's side. The older man who looked so much like George held up an award as his son stood by with a shy smile and messy hair.

George found you gawking at his frames on his mission to set the box of pizza on the table.

"This photo is sweet. Did you win this garish award?" You teased, turning to find George wearing a grin reminecent of the one he sported in the photo.

"I did." He said.

"But you don't really do this sort of thing anymore..." You spoke, halfway asking why in the gentlest way you knew that might pry open his closed off manner.

"No I haven't for a while." George said. He poured you both a strong drink, the kind DeAngelos didn't serve.

"Why is that?" You wondered, easing to one of the wooden paint chipped seats at George's kitchen table. You watched him take a sip of the dark liquid in his glass, as you reached for your own.

"It got to be too much." He said, easier than anytime before. Like he actually wanted to tell you. And you kept a quiet eye on him, hoping if you waited long enough, he'd keep talking.

And much to your patient delight, he did.

"I started going to Fit after school, when I had nothing better to do. I'd stay till close, because I didn't want to go home." George explained. You took small bites of pizza and listened on, eyes softly glued to George's every word. And as he ate, he told you that he didn't have a very easy time growing up. How his father was sick, and his mother was never around. How George never thought of his future because he was busy worrying about each day at a time. You could tell he didn't talk about it. Any of it. So you just kept sipping your drink and offering gentle encouragement for him to keep going. Because you wanted to know. You desperately cared to know.

George told you that on one of Bareny's regular stops in, the gym owner took notice of George. How he'd listen to the distant encouragement some coaches gave to students in the ring. How he didn't have the money to take those lessons and stuck to practicing on the mats in the corner. How Bareny noticed, and asked George if he'd like to be trained. How he took up the owners generous offer, free of charge.

And when you nudged him to keep talking by asking all the right questions, George explained that Barney helped him enter into matches that he won like an old pro. How exhilarating it was at first. But those nights would end and George would go home and he would hate it. You knew better than to ask why, as he moved on. You just hoped this was the beginning of him letting you in bit by bit. The first of many stories.  You downed the last of your drink while George finished his pizza.

"Well you might not box anymore but I'd still love to watch you teach kids how." You laughed, watching George crack a smile across the table from you. He thanked you for covering dinner and you thanked him for letting you stay over. Then you launched into a sudden ramble about how stressed out you were about what to do, how it might be better to move than to keep combating your landlord. But how you didn't have the funds to put toward either of those options.

"God sorry I sound like a cry baby." You laughed, resting your glass in George's sink as he stored the left over pizza away.

"No you don't. You sound worried, and I'm sorry to hear it. Letting you stay over is the least I could do, really." George shrugged, shifting to face you. He stood a step away, keeping his intimidating gaze on yours. The kind of glare that might have made you feel small if you didn't know George. But you saw past the way he stood so tall and stoically. You saw more of him tonight than you ever had before. And that's what made you unsure of what to say next.

"I think I'll go get cleaned up now." You spoke with a gentle nod, heading to collect your bag. George showed you to the bathroom at the end of the hall before turning away and saying something about changing, himself.

You were left to bask at your reflection in the harsh golden light as the bathroom fan buzzed overhead. You dug through your backpack to find the nightclothes you'd brought along and thought of George as you stepped into the shower. The water was hot, pelting your shoulder blades with a warmth you hadn't had the luxury of experiencing all week. But you hurried along, mindful not to use up all the hot water.

When you changed and took a deep breath and peered back to the mirror, it was covered in steam. So you zipped up your backpack and made your way back out into George's home. Sadie was waiting patiently outside of the door. She wove between your feet as you took care not to step in her path before she settled to walk at your side. Was this some kind of dream, you wondered? Some kind of idyllic alternate universe, where nothing was the matter and the space you occupied was warm and safe and shared by the boy you hadn't stopped thinking of for months in a row?

At the end of the hall, George's bedroom door was open. A soft amber light shone from the bedside lamp you could see. George appeared into view as you were drawn to the space like a moth to a flame. He wore a tattered t-shirt and a pair of cotton joggers you'd never seen him wear before. His yellow hair appeared slightly damp and he looked happy, somewhere in the depths of his usually guarded expression. He looked at home.

Sadie brushed past your ankle, out of the hall and into the living room, leaving you and George the most alone you'd ever been.

He stalled in the doorway as you halted your floating closer. His eyes were softer than you'd ever seen them, sleepier; maybe.

"Right, well goodnight I suppose." You smiled, trying not to let your eyes rake over his figure. You could practically feel how close he was.

"Right." George seemed to decide, letting his eyes search yours for a beat before his glance drifted over your shoulder.

"I'll find you some blankets." He said, slowly stepping past you. But before he could drift down the hall you stopped him. Somehow, you spoke without even thinking, without even knowing you were brave enough.

All you said was his name, like a question. And that was all it took. George turned on a dime and kissed you. He crashed his lips against yours and tangled his long fingers in your hair as he cradled your head. His grip was the only thing holding you in place as you melted into a puddle, against him. When you started kissing George back, he moved one hand down the length of your side as he made one swift move to pin you against the wall. You couldn't help but let out a surprised breath, a sigh, a laugh of some kind.

George responded by kissing you harder, until you could hardly breath. And when you stopped kissing him back to do just that, you felt George's gentle grip against the exposed skin of your hip; tighten ever so slightly.

"Do I still have to sleep on your sofa?" You asked what felt like one dozen questions in one. Your fear of ruining the one in a million moment disguised by a lithe smile. George responded by letting out a laugh, his eyes nearly closing as he did. And when he was finished, he said;

"Come on."

You followed George to his bed, not daring to hide your excitement. He pulled you in with a smile, perhaps the broadest of smirks you'd seen him sport. There was still so much you longed to know about George. So many questions you were eager to ask, so many things you longed to hear him talk about. But spending the night sharing his pillow was a good place to start, you figured. You hadn't expected it of course. You never knew what was next with George. You'd only, simply, hoped for a next time. And with the way he looked at you now, and held on, you rekonned maybe he didn't want you to stray too far, either.

───※ ·❆· ※─── taglist: @haileymorelikestupid​  @maria-josefin​​ @imaginesandyeah​​ @queen-bunnyears @okaymackay​

#george mackay #george mackay x reader #george mackay imagine #george mackay fanfic #Boxer!George

[1dffchallenges]

I Hear A Rhapsody

Written By: @sunsetter96​

Characters: Anne/Niall

Summary: Anne is a struggling actress trying to advance her career in Los Angeles while making ends meet financially. When she meets Niall, he introduces her to his love and world of music, but they struggle to create a balance between their relationship and their desire for success.

Author’s Note: This is the first chapter to the first story I am writing. Please let me know what you think :)

Warnings: alcohol

2014 — 

It was June, and I'd never felt anything like it before.

Weeks before, I had been driving to an audition for a role in a movie my friend had told me about just a few days prior, and I was in my car, in the middle of possibly the worst Los Angeles traffic I'd ever experienced.

"Please don't tell me it's true," I said to my phone. "Please don't let this be real," I continued, practicing my lines over and over again into the receiver, speaking as if there really was someone else on the line, as if there really was someone there to connect with.

I hadn't had much time to practice in the past few days, only because I'd been so busy with moving into my new apartment. There was that, — and then there was having to start work at the new bookstore location. They had made me acting manager for the first few weeks. I had a long list of things that I had to do in order to help set up the new location, and I think the worst part of it was accounting and payroll. I'm just terrible with numbers.

"Fuck," I said, realizing I had come to a stop in the middle of traffic while rehearsing my lines. Cars were honking like crazy, as if that would somehow make the line move faster, and the man in the car behind me was going wild over the fact that I had come to a stop. I guess it was my fault for being distracted, but at the same time, those 20 feet that were between me and the next car really couldn't have saved us even a marginal length of time with the amount of traffic there was.

When there was enough of a gap to cut through the left lane, he merged and cut me off aggressively before pulling off at the next exit after a few minutes. I was so fucking late, and this guy was pissing me off. 

I got there just minutes before my audition time and almost ran to the door of the building. I think my audition was one of the last ones of the day, so I was lucky they'd even let me in to go through with it. But I went in and made my audition, albeit without enough time to mentally prepare beforehand.

It went well enough, but I could sense right away that I wouldn't be getting a call back from them. I guess it's true that I didn't fit the role as well as I could have. The listing had called for a girl between ages 18-24, for a supporting role in a movie about a group of girls that went to summer camp and did all of that teen stuff, like fall in love and drink and smoke. I did look like a teen, but I suppose I was already on the back end of that age range considering I was 23. I also didn't look like many of the girls that were there for the audition, too — blonde, tan, and skinny — and maybe that's what they were looking for. I was a thin person but not nearly as skinny and fit as some of the girls there, and I had brown hair and brown eyes.

I guess it didn't matter, because I'd find a role that would suit me eventually. At least I hoped so.

*

Later that day I came home feeling like shit, and I didn't even feel like eating or working out. Thankfully I had the day off the next day, so I just laid in bed looking at social media and watched Netflix until I fell asleep.

My roommate woke me up the next day with the sound of her using the blender. I turned around in bed and saw the time. 7:00 a.m. It was too early for this, but I figured it would be worse for me to be depressed and lay in bed all day.

"Cecilia?" I called out after coming out of the bathroom. "Why are you using the blender so early?"

"Sorry dude," she responded. "I'm going out for a run at 8:00, but I wanted to eat something light beforehand, so I made myself a smoothie."

"Oh, that sounds good," I told her. A run actually sounded good despite my tiredness. "Can I come with?"

"Sure," she said. "Let me make you a smoothie, too."

I went back to my room and washed my face and teeth before putting on some workout clothes. Cecilia had made me an icy blueberry smoothie with greek yogurt, and it was absolutely delicious. I think I've always been in love with liquid food (like smoothies or margaritas), because they're so easy. I have a sensitive stomach, but somehow her smoothies have always soothed me, physically and emotionally. 

Maybe I'm just a little bit intense, but I think that's also what drove me to want to act. All of the things that I feel — that emotion and the intensity I seek with others and in simple, everyday tasks — that's what engrosses each line that I act and every character I play. And I hoped in that moment that I could transfer that intense energy to my acting, and maybe one day be recognized for it.

Cecilia and I drank our smoothies and talked about our plans for next weekend. We had been invited to 70s themed party where there would be a live band and an open bar. It was pretty exciting, especially for her, because the guy she had been sort of dating invited her to come and bring a friend.

"His name is Louis," she smiled. "He's a producer, and his company has themed parties sometimes, kind of to help artists network and to celebrate a new release."

"Oh, I see," I said. "Well, I'm just happy that you're enjoying yourself with him. Let's see how this party goes. I'm so excited to get our outfits together and dress 70s style," I laughed.

"I knew you would love that idea! You've always loved 70s rock, so that's right up your alley," she says.

We left the house and ended up running to the park near our neighborhood. I'm actually glad she woke up early that morning, because it forced me to get out of the depressed mood I was in. 

We talked more about what outfits we would wear to the party as we ran, and she decided that she would dress disco themed, while I wanted to wear something more hippie style. My hair was long enough to do the hair style, but I thought it might look nice if I straightened it and wore a flower crown.

"Anne," she said. "I think we should use this opportunity, this party, this experience — to have a lot of fun. It's been so long since we've done something crazy. So yes, we will be drinking margaritas and we will be taking shots this time."

"Okay," I laughed with her. "I'll try to keep up, but it's been a while since I've drank."

We came to a stop at the end of the trail going around the park, and leaned against the rails, looking back at the playground, across the grassy field. In the distance, I could see a couple walking their dog together, holding hands and laughing together. I looked over at Cecilia and she was looking at them, too.

My mind took me back to our past relationships in that moment, and I remembered how it felt to hold someone else's hand like that couple. I remembered that feeling of warmth and security when you held the hand of someone you knew well but also that clamminess you felt when you would first hold hands with someone because you were nervous. I missed that feeling, and I could tell Cecilia felt the same.

We were like that when we were together sometimes. We thought so alike that I felt like she was my other half, and even my soulmate in some sense. I had never felt that for another man, but I did for her, even though I wasn't romantically attracted to her. 

Last year both of us had broken up with our boyfriends within months of each other, and we had decided to move in together after our leases ended. It was interesting how we had both started dating our exes at the same time, when we were just 19, and how we had both spent those three years spiraling in abusive relationships. 

It was sad to think, but somehow I felt that our respective heartbreaks had brought us closer together. We had drifted apart when we got into those relationships, the first long-term relationship we both had ever had, but their ending is what helped our friendship grow even more. She was always there for me when I was grieving, and perhaps it had been destiny that led us to this very moment in time.

You could argue that this moment wasn't anything special, but it was small moments like these that I would always remember.

"I'm so happy you're coming with me to this party," she smiled. "And maybe we'll be able to meet some cute guys there."

"That's true," I laughed at her comment.

We were both looking forward to the party, not just to have fun but to use it as an opportunity to let go of our past, including the pain we had felt for so many years. While Cecilia had dated on and off in the past few months, I couldn't bring myself to open up to anyone yet, especially not to any stranger at a party. It had been months since I had talked to a guy more than casually or as a friend.

"Honestly, I'm just ready to get drunk and forget everything, my inhibitions, all of it," I breathed out.

"Okay, Anne," she laughs. "I'll make sure to be the drink police for you all night. If I don't see a drink in your hand, you'll have to take a shot with me. It's the law — no fighting me and no questions asked!" she points at me.

We both started laughing and talked for a few more minutes, allowing our heartbeats to slow down as we relaxed from our run. When we got home, I spent the rest of the morning relaxing and cleaning up my room and around the house. Cecilia had left for work at 11, so I looked online for more auditions and recorded one video to send to a casting agent for review. 

While I was settling down that evening to eat my dinner, I got a notification from Cecilia on instagram — it was a picture of some guys standing together.

Hey dude, this is the band that's going to play at the party. Louis told me that they're really good.

Thank you <3 I'll check them out, I told her.

I looked up their profile, and they were called "The Breakers." From the picture, I could see that guy Louis had been tagged, and he was posing next to a couple of guys, one of which I guess was the main songwriter who had worked with him. The picture was of them at their studio, celebrating the completion of their debut album.

I ended up looking them up on Spotify and listened to a few of their songs — they were definitely my type of music. I could hear various elements of classic rock and psychedelic music in their melodies, mixed with a bit of pop and even jazz. 

That night, I went to bed listening to a few of their songs through my headphones, letting myself get lost in the melodies, just as I would do when in character sometimes. It was interesting how music informed a lot of my life, and I think if I hadn't gone into acting, I probably would have tried to be an artist.

If there was one thing I was sure about, it's that I needed to start taking my acting career seriously. I had already been in Los Angeles for four years, with nothing coming to fruition, and I just hoped that destiny would take me where I needed to be, soon.

#1dff #movies challenge #niall

[dailytomlinson]

“There were times I struggled to find my place in the band,” Louis admits today.

But it’s often the quiet ones you’ve got to look out for.

Behind the scenes he was very much centre stage: Louis was the mouthpiece, constantly fighting the boys’ corner and acting as chief negotiator between band and management.

“Being from Doncaster,” he says, “I’ve never had a problem with telling anyone ‘no’.”

“There was a while when I was worried I was getting left behind – some of the boys are on to their second album now,” he says, taking a draw onthe first of several cigarettes. “At times, I’ve been swimming against the tide, working out who I am. I was trying to find a way back into the industry, thinking of it mathematically rather than going off feeling and emotion.” 

He’s referring to collaborations with Bebe Rexha and Steve Aoki in 2016 and 2017 respectively, which, although successful, weren’t where his heart lay. With Kill My Mind – the exhilarating ’90s-inspired opening track of the album Walls – he sets his stall out with a clear departure from anything he’s done before.

Walls is about regret, reflection and ultimately, hope, and feels like Louis, who sings in his still-broad Doncaster accent, has finally found his voice.

“I’ve always wanted to be autobiographical and honest. And in the last six months the songs I’ve written and recorded are of a better standard because there’s an honesty there,” he says.

Honesty certainly characterises the album, sometimes devastatingly so. There’s no escaping the fact that Louis, 28, has faced unimaginable pain over the last few years.

“It wasn’t until after I’d written it that I realised how much vulnerability I’d put in there,” he says. “When I first performed it… I had fans coming up to me in tears telling me their stories, and that’s not something I’ve ever had before. And to do it on that level about something so delicate… It was really cool to take something so dark and make people feel like that.

“I had to get a song like that off my chest. It was difficult writing about things that felt trivial compared to what was going on in my life. There was, I think, a necessity to write that song before I could move on creatively.”

Understandably, Louis won’t talk specifically about Félicité. But when asked about how grief has shaped him both as a man and an artist, he pays tribute to Jay.

“I think it’s a credit to how my mum brought me up that I have a resilience,” he says. “There’s nothing I want less than to have people feel sorry for me, so having that mentality has helped me through the hardest of times.

"I’ve also felt a real support system through my fans. I’d always felt it on a lower level, but when it’s something so impactful and life-defining, I really did feel it from them.”

Days after Jay’s death, Louis appeared live on The X Factor to perform Just Hold On with Aoki.

He was clearly in pieces and it was hard enough just watching, but somehow he held it together, presumably thanks again to that resilience.

“Sometimes it’s fight or flight,” Louis explains. “And the way I was brought up and because of where I’m from, I only see one option in that situation. I also wanted to put myself second and do it for my mum.

"That moment was bigger than me and it was actually incredibly liberating. It used every bit of strength and power and I look back on that performance as one of the proudest moments of my career.”

He says he tends not to suppress emotion and is able to share his darkest points with those he’s closest to.

But as the eldest of Jay’s seven children (five girls and two boys), he also feels a huge weight of responsibility towards his younger siblings and hasn’t had any professional therapy himself.

“No, no, nothing like that. That might be down to a bit of Northern pride, but I have a lot of responsibility on my shoulders and that drives me. I’ve got siblings who look up to me and I’ve got my grandparents as well. So all those things keep my head screwed on.

“My mum had a massive influence on me and I lived with a lot of sisters in the house, so I do find it easier to speak about my emotions. But I’m also from Doncaster, where to be a guy is to be tough and traditional and I feel like [there are] times where pride kicks in and I just say I’m all right.

"I’m lucky that I’ve got good people around me who I can trust and who I can be completely vulnerable with and say how I feel. Nine times out of 10, I don’t bottle things up. I wear my heart on my sleeve.”

They sold 20 million albums worldwide, earning over £40million each, but the pressures of fame were, at times, intolerable. Louis says they were only able to keep their heads screwed on because they had each other.

“You can never be prepared for that. It was such a head f**k. But we grounded each other so the minute one of us acted like a d**khead one of the others would say: ‘Stop being a d**khead’. I see people in this job surrounding themselves with superiority and they lose the concept of the real world.”

He remembers doing a shoot with the band for Pepsi over in the States with American footballer Drew Brees.

“This guy was like a god and we were insignificant when he was around, which we understood. But I’ve never seen anything like it. Every sentence that came out of his mouth he’d have an audience of hangers-on in hysterics.

"These people were so far up his arse and he didn’t have one good joke. He had no banter! I still hang around with my boys from Doncaster and I hear real stories all the time, which helps me understand the world that unfortunately I don’t get to see. Having empathy with people and a connection with the world is imperative for any songwriter.”

Harry Styles recently said that he never touched drugs during his time in the band (although he’s made up for that since), because he didn’t want to “mess it up”. Louis smiles as he confides that he can’t say the same.

“All I’ll say is that I did my fair share and enjoyed my time in the band. It’s right what Harry said and it was smart of him, but I definitely had a lot of fun in the band. I was always aware of how amazing the opportunity was, but also enjoying the moment for what it was. I lived like anyone else my age – the difference was that I was in One Direction.”

He’s in touch with Harry, Niall and Liam “sporadically” (we’ll come to Zayn shortly), but they’re all on very different paths for now.

“If we all went to a pub tomorrow it’d be like we’d never left. The enormity of what happened in One Direction creates a massive bond and we’ll always have that.

"There have been times when we’ve done each other’s heads in. There might be something I say in an interview that bugs Liam or vice versa, but we all know what each other is like and we can call each other up and say sorry for being a d**k. We’re like brothers.”

But that’s not necessarily the case with Zayn, who quit in 2015 and with whom Louis has had a turbulent relationship since. He was hurt when Zayn was the only one not to turn up at the X Factor studio to support him through his performance after Jay’s death, despite promising to be there.

Then there’s Zayn’s apparent repeated digs. In one interview he branded 1D’s music “generic as f**k”. There’s a difference between making a break from the past and dismissing it completely, and it’s a line Zayn perhaps hasn’t always managed to walk.

“Hmm,” agrees Louis, cautiously. “Other than maybe Niall, there is no one who is prouder of the band and the songs we created than me. But while what I did with One Direction is relevant, it doesn’t define who I am and I don’t struggle to make that dissociation.”

Does he think some of what Zayn has said has been disrespectful?

“Yeah, I do. But I can understand it. We have a lot of situations where we’re sat in interviews and if you’re in a certain mood you might run your mouth. The older you get the more you can tell if these things actually carry any malice or if they’re just a prod in the back. That’s life, innit? Sometimes people chat s**t and that’s the reality.”

He’s not ruling out resolving their differences in the future, but there’s no olive branch on the horizon.

“No, but I’ve not actively tried. We’ve all got a lot on our plates and there might be a day where I wake up and think: ‘OK, I want to right that wrong’, but not yet.”

After being in his company for a while, it’s not hard to see why Louis was 1D’s driving force backstage. He’s thoughtful, articulate, open and self-aware, but there’s a steeliness to him and the requisite pop-star swagger, which doesn’t seem to spill over into arrogance.

And that is reflected in his music, which is heavily influenced by the Arctic Monkeys, The Smiths and Oasis. In fact, the title track and latest single Walls sounds so similar to Oasis B-side and fans’ favourite Acquiesce that Louis’ manager flagged it as a potential issue.

“These kinds of things happen. There are only so many melodies you can write and if you listen to a band all the time like I do with Oasis…”

Anyway, says Louis. He had to make a choice.

“I was ready to risk it, but everyone said we should get in touch with Noel [Gallagher] so we did. Often the industry, and especially Noel’s world, can be a bit snobby and say: ‘F**k you you’re not using this song’. But he was really cool about it, signed it off no problem and although I’m sure he’s not happy about this, I f**king am, I’ve got a writing credit from Noel Gallagher on my album. That is some sick s**t so I’m buzzing.”

Is he nervous about going it alone? “I think I’ve got a good record so I’m confident. But I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t little bit nervous – there’s three and half years work gone into it so there’s a level of anticipation.”

The most overwhelming emotion though, is relief.

“Because it’s taken such a long time. I’m excited to go on to the next phase of my career.”

#louis tomlinson #tw death #020220 #wpress #tw drug #fizzy tomlinson #the sun #fabulous magazine #im tired alrady #stunt mention #i cleared it up

[kinghoranshit]

The Watchers (1D) - 48 Hours

Part 3

I was up before the sun had risen and sat at the post with a bowl of oatmeal and sliced bananas. It was oddly quiet again, sort of peaceful this time. Modest! really set us up right for this. Though, under the circumstances, that should be expected of them as the guys' management; especially with their money and power.

Around nine, Niall came downstairs to eat and he went back to practicing. At this point, I knew it was his way of a distraction and at least having some control of the current situation. I wasn't going to take that away from him. I just knew we were probably going to run out of the blanks soon. There was no telling what he'd do when that happened.

Around ten, Louis perched himself next to me with his own late breakfast. It was great someone wanted to keep me company. But again, part of me figured this was his way to not freak out. We sort of both needed each other right now.

And around noon, the other three finally ventured downstairs. I wasn't surprised that they slept in this time. They all ate lunch now. They were definitely the most quiet.

Louis leaned forward so his elbows rested on his knees and peeked out the slot. "Seen anything out there?"

I shrugged. "Nope."

"Then why don't we go do something else for a bit? I think I saw a couple games in one of the closets."

"Yeah, it's the one in the basement," I remarked with a smirk.

He looked unphased by my knowledge of everything in the house. "Let's go play one."

I let out a deep breath and slapped my hands on my thighs. "Sounds like a plan. Just for an hour or so."

I gasped when I saw the game LIFE in the archives. Immediately, I clicked on it to pull it up.

"What's LIFE?"

"Only the best game ever. You literally create a fake life. My mom and I used to play it when I was younger, and she played it when she was a kid."

Louis chuckled. "Sounds ancient, Kat. It can't be fun."

"Says you," I scoffed. "Come on, let's just play one run, okay?"

He looked hesitant before he broke with a heavy sigh. "Alright."

We each chose our color of car and person peg; my mom told me it used to be gender, but they changed it before I started playing. After this, we spun to see who went first and then chose the path of college or business. Louis spun a higher number so he went first. He went straight for the business route.

I snorted. "You're not going to go to college?"

"Fuck no. If I did that instead of trying music, I wouldn't be here. I've never been one great at education anyway."

"Touche. I didn't exactly have to get a degree for my work."

He looked at me curiously; his blue hues sparkled under the white lights. "You call this your job? You don't do anything else between the purges?"

I shook my head. "Nope. It pays well enough. That is if I survive the night."

"Touche," he chuckled.

I chose the college route instead because I knew that there were more job options, and it always made things more interesting in my opinion. Eventually I landed on the journalist occupation, which was one of the lower paying salaries, but that's okay. It seemed realistic to me. I think that if I hadn't been thrown into this lifetime, I'd probably be a writer of some sort. Or an instructor to teach self defense; that also felt right.

Our game flew by pretty quickly with stabs at each other, laughs, and curses. He'd ended up with four kids and I had only one. That spiraled the questions of would we want to get married one day and did we want kids. He answered yes to both and for the longest time he wasn't sure when he was going to be ready, but recently he felt that if he survived this purge he'd get married the following year. I said yes, but I wasn't sure about kids because of my lifestyle. I guess I could leave at any point; that definitely didn't feel right.

Louis's knee lightly touched mine as he tossed the controller onto the floor. "Well, I hate to admit it. That was a fun game, killed a bunch of time too."

I glanced down at our knees and soon thighs as he scooted closer. I cleared my throat with a small laugh. "I told you. Maybe we should go see what the others are up to. Make sure no one has died yet."

"Are you sure about that? There's no yelling. We could..." His eyes trailed down to my lips and he began to lean in.

I backed up and shook my head. "Louis, I... We can't... Not right now, okay? It's not the right time. If we both survive, maybe we could try it."

"Right, right," he coughed into his hand and stood from the couch. "I apologize if I came on too strong, Kat."

I nodded. "Apology accepted. It's nothing to worry about. Come on, let's head upstairs." I picked up my crossbow from where I'd leaned it against the couch and strapped it on my back.

The group was actually dispersed in the living room, everyone doing their own thing. Harry was journaling, Liam read some magazine, Zayn hummed a melody to himself, and Niall was practicing unloading and loading the cartridge of the pistol. Maddy was reading some sort of horror novel by the looks of the cover.

Niall looked up with a cheeky grin spreading on his lips. "Have fun downstairs?"

"Yeah, heard enough laughing to last me a lifetime," Harry added.

I rolled my eyes. "We were only playing the game LIFE and it was a lot of fun."

"It was." Louis winked.

That only added heat into my cheeks. "I'm going to set myself up at the post again until sundown. Any ideas for food?"

Zayn slightly raised his hand. "I make a mean dish. I've got it covered."

"Awesome." I clapped my hands before I headed over to my seat. I've realized I could use the security cameras. It was a small room though and knew I'd go stir crazy way too early into my post time. There was no shock when Louis sat down the empty chair across from me. After what felt like hours, I felt his hand entangle with mine.

"Louis-"

"I know, but holding hands won't kill us."

No, but the emotional attachment to it could. This is not what I signed up for. I know it's not what any of them signed up for.

I only gave him a small smile and looked back out the slot. My heart jumped a little at the sight of a moving figure.

"Fucker," I mumbled.

"What is it?"

I pulled my hand out of his and went to the vault that was down here to grab a sniper. I loaded it up with a single magazine round and set myself up so I could shoot them down without being noticeable. Luckily the sun was just going down so there was enough light for me to gauge before I took my shot. They were just trying to run from one tree to a bush that was closer to the bunker and I pulled the trigger. Their body went limp with a trip-like fumble to the ground. I made another aim and shot them another time to be sure.

It was then another figure came out from behind the tree and cursed again. There was no telling how many there were in this group. I took the best aim I could with them running and knew it was only a shoulder wound. Quickly I took two more shots and thankful one went into their head. I took a deep breath as I kept my finger on the trigger, looking through the lens for another figure. After at least ten minutes of posting in that uncomfortable position, I stood up and closed the slot.

"We had two friends stop by. If they found us, there's probably going to be more. As long as our security system is up, they shouldn't be able to get in the bunker."

"Please don't say stuff like that. It may happen now." He swallowed.

I licked my lips and sighed. "It's the reality, Louis. I can't lie to you guys. I'm gonna go let the rest know and then we'll eat."

It was pin-needle-dropping quiet while they received the update on the current situation. We were probably going to be fine for another few hours. I didn't suspect that any of these hunters would be smart enough to hack into the bunker system. But I also knew I'd have to be prepared for that to happen.

Dinner that night was the quietest one yet; couldn't blame them. There was nothing to say to cheer up the mood. They all tried to go back to what they were previously doing, staying at the kitchen table. I noted my senses heightened when the power went out. It took a couple seconds for my eyes to adjust, and it was now I realized how bad our situation just got.

Fuck.

Next part: 72 Hours 

[Masterlist]

#1D #one direction #fanfiction #purge #1D fic #1D fanfiction #one direction fic #one direction fanfiction #niall horan #louis tomlinson #harry styles #zayn malik #liam payne #stupid #action #comedy

[blouisparadise]

Here are some of the amazing bottom Louis fics that were posted or completed during the month of September. We hope you enjoy this list. Happy reading!

1) Hard Candy Dripping On Me (Til My Feet Are Wet) | Explicit | 1997 words

Louis gets fucked on a plane. That’s it.

2) Fucking Nightmares | Mature | 2151 words

Louis has a nightmare. Harry comforts him.

3) You Could Take A Lick (But It's Too Cold To Bite) | Explicit | 2469 words

“You look kinda thirsty.” Louis croons softly.

Harry leans back in his chair and tilts his head to the side. His eyes are covered by the pair of expensive shades, but Louis feels his eyes drifting down his backside as he lays on his stomach.

“Why don’t you bring me a bit of that ice cream, darling?”

Louis and Harry have fun in a summer day.

4) Interview With The Vampire  | Explicit | 4135 words

Note: The fic pairing is Louis/Robert Pattinson.

Working at an alpha magazine wasn't always easy for an omega like Louis, but he's just landed his biggest interview yet with an A list actor who has asked for Louis especially. Unfortunately, the interview is with Rob Pattinson, the biggest pain in the arse alpha on the planet.

Inspired by Rob’s interview in GQ Magazine and not actually about vampires

5) Conozco La Vida | Teen & Up | 4761 words

Note: This fic contains no explicit smut, but since it’s omega Louis, we’ve included it. 

"I have a son," he declared, there was a very thinly veiled layer of hesitation.

Harry was unaware in the direction which this conversation was heading but chose to stare at the man instead.

"He is an Omega," he dropped the pivotal piece of information.

Harry's attention was hooked now.

"He has been raised in an Omega convent all his life, he hasn't been in the presence of any Alpha who isn't his immediate family."

"I am still waiting for you to make a point."

"You could take him as an Omega."

Harry did not react, his face remaining perfectly free of betrayal of any sort of emotion and leaned back upon his chair, his leg crossed upon his knee. "You are selling your son to me?"

6) It’s Hard For Me To Go Home | Not Rated | 4890 words

Don’t call me baby again.

7) So Baby, Let's Keep It Secret | Explicit | 4638 words

“I’ll leave with you,” Harry said after a beat, sounding sure of himself.

“What!? No!, you can’t leave with me, Harry, you have a life here. You have a job and friends an-”

Harry kissed him in the middle of his rambling. “Which means nothing if I don’t have you.”

Into You Music Video AU.

8) ZOMOS | Mature | 5659 words

Is it easy to forget everything and start afresh? Is it easy being served with hateful glances and insults when all you wish for is to be loved? Is it easy to make it seem like everything is alright when in reality your world is crumbling into pieces with every breath you take?

Is it easy to be the omega who is unwanted by their alpha?

9) Your Biggest Fan | Explicit | 9075 words 

Just like everyone else, Louis has a few habits that he can’t seem to break. Guilty pleasures, rather. His nails are perpetually short because he can’t quit biting them, the bottom of his shoes scuffed from tapping his foot constantly. Sometimes his leg gets a cramp from bouncing it so often underneath his desk. That isn't too bad, he reckons, just some average teenage coping mechanisms.And also, occasionally, minor instances of theft.

10) Making A Splash | Explicit | 9557 words

“You want this?” Harry muses, fisting his cock as he drags his hand lazily up his thick length. Louis eyes the motion and nods his head absentmindedly. “You want to show everyone at this beach how much of a slut you are for Daddy’s cock?”

“M‘your slut,” Louis immediately replies, inching closer, inching closer with his eyes glued on Harry’s glistening cock, precome shining under the sun as it dribbles out his slit.

Harry grins widely and stops the movement of his hand to grip himself at the base again, pushing Louis’ head down. “Show everyone how much of a slut you are.”

11) Hung Up High in the Gallery | Mature | 14006 words

When Harry’s best friend, Louis, comes to support him at his art show, he decides they need to do some celebrating afterwards. How fast do the lines between friends and lovers get blurred ... or better, get painted?

12) My Home Is Your Body | Explicit | 15341 words

Note: The fic pairing is Louis/Henry Cavill.

He had seen who had made his senses go haywire. His ex was in the front row, five feet in front of him. He felt his eyes on him even as he mechanically made his way to the end of the runway, hoping to God he didn’t look like a maniac. Everything was a blur. He somehow managed to walk the rest of the way without falling or emoting anything. Why was he HERE? Of all places.

...where Louis is a successful omega model and the last thing he expects is his ex to become the co-partner of the new company he works for....

13) There's Nothing Like It (Nothing At All) | Explicit | 15471 words 

Note: This is a sequel to this fic.

His hands are outstretched on the mattress like he’s reaching out for something, reaching out for Harry. It makes his heart swell, almost bursting with affection and love. He only waits a bit longer before reaching over to turn off the light and pulling Louis to his chest, smiling when the omega immediately sighs in contentment, nuzzling into his skin happily.Tomorrow, he tells himself. Tomorrow, they’ll talk about it.-Or, Harry isn’t ready for things to change, and the end is just the beginning.

14) Seven Simple Words | Explicit | 15535 words

It’s not like he and Louis were a couple. No, they might have been a lot of things—best mates and colleagues with a seemingly convenient friends-with-benefits arrangement—but never a couple. It wasn’t Louis’ fault he didn’t feel the same way and couldn’t reciprocate Harry’s feelings in the way he’d wanted, the way he’d needed. Harry had allowed himself to get in too deep, his entire being aching to be loved back by the object of his affections. But in love, as in life, you don’t always get what you want.

15) Works Like A Charm | Explicit | 18061 words

Ever since Louis joined the team in fifth year, a few facts have become set in stone.

One: Louis is the best chaser in Hogwarts.

Two: Harry is the best beater in Hogwarts.

Three: They do not get along.

So it’s really unfair of Liam to think that forcing them to spend time together as Louis recovers from his injury will make them the best of friends. The last thing Louis would do is get along with that git.

16) The Way This River Runs | Explicit | 27417 words 

It’d be so easy to just open his mouth and plead with Harry, to scream I’m sorry until his voice disappears, but he can’t. Be it his pride or his ego or his insecurities, he just can’t do it. The worst part is that he knows Harry would probably forgive him.

But Louis doesn’t want phony forgiveness. He doesn’t want Harry’s soothing words and pity embrace, thinks he might just break altogether if he was offered them. He feels like he’s made of glass recently and it’s to the point where he kind of wants to tip over the edge, just to see if he’d shatter. Just to see who’d be there to pick up the pieces if he did.

17) Give Me Love | Explicit | 41041 words

Louis doesn't feel like a good omega, Harry doesn't remember how to be an alpha, and they figure it out together.

18) Falling Out Of Fashion | Explicit | 42123 words

Harry Styles has been the established face of the Grimshaw House of Design for two years. It’s a prestigious and coveted modeling contract Harry took away from once-famed supermodel Zayn Malik. With the model transition Grimshaw’s designs went from a more urban, Zayn-forward aesthetic, to a Harry-favoring flowery, flowing femininity in the Grimshaw designs for men.

So when Harry sees a dress Grimshaw made for a famous Marvel actress, “only a tease”, Nick says, of the evolving look, Harry knows Grimshaw is shifting his aesthetic.

Harry wonders if he can pull off the look.

19) Three Days In February | Explicit | 189346 words

Louis is cursed after a night out with the lads and the five have just three days to figure out what happened and how to break it before Harry and Louis both lose their sanity and maybe something more. Louis can hear everything Harry thinks and Harry isn’t sure he can keep his feelings for Louis a secret from his own mind.

Ridiculous amounts of banter and angst, a lot of Harry and Louis alone together, a healthy dose of OT5 friendship, and one very magical weekend.

20) Boss Bitch | Explicit | 386901 words

Harry had always wanted to work for this successful mafia; the mafia that everyone knew, everyone feared. Led by none other than the pahntom

"L'eue Courante", whom everyone knew existed, but had no other clues who this person could be. The only thing known was a high heel the phantom once left.

So this person had to be woman, Harry assumend. And man, was he wrong.

Check out our other fic rec lists by category here and by title here.

You can find other monthly roundup fic rec lists here.

#bottom louis #top harry #blp fic recs #monthly fic recs #fic recs #blp #larry

[pop-punklouis]

what are you top like 5-10 larry fics?

oh god uhhh imma do all my fave not just 5-10 soz. lemme see. most of them are older as i’ve had a bad habit of not reading fic recently. also i’m only gonna link and provide a bio of those i don’t talk about often.

• Here in the Afterglow (obviously)

• Finding Lou (One Shot)

• Coax the Cold

• Wild and Unruly

• This Wicked Game

• Through Eerie Chaos

• Escapade

• Love is a Rebellious Bird

• Tired, Tired Sea

• Wings to Break Your Fall (102K)

strip club AU. Harry’s work and family are keeping him busy. He really isn’t looking for a relationship, doesn’t want one. He just wants Louis. Problem is, Louis has other plans.

• California Sold (123k)

Notoriously closeted boyband member Harry Styles is famous on a global scale, meanwhile Louis, as his best friend, is back home in Manchester, living the typical life of a 24 year old. When Harry needs Louis with him in LA, a publicity stunt gone wrong changes their friendship forever.

A fake-relationship AU between two lifelong best friends.

• Rapture in the Dark (13k)

Harry Styles is a breakout musician who has shed his boyband label in favor of embracing his inner brooding rockstar. His PR team think that his rebrand is the perfect time for Harry to come out of the closet and have devised the perfect plan for doing so. Enter Louis Tomlinson, up and coming (and very openly homosexual) model whose public image as America's Sweetheart is the perfect foil for Harry's new edge. From a PR standpoint, it's a dream come true - a power couple that can slowly coax the public into accepting Harry's altered image. The only problem? They hate each other.

• Empty Skies (134k)

For three years, Harry has been running from his past. Now, he is moving to London and pledges to fulfil his only dream -- making it big in the music industry. Not everyone has a place, though, and the competition is tough. As is his past catching up on him.

Louis is part of the biggest boy band of the world, and getting there had meant a lot of hard work, as well as sacrificing parts of his heart and soul. He's still happy. Maybe not as happy as he could be, but who is he to complain?

• Fixated on One Star (52k)

Louis is just a boy with the world on his shoulders, and Harry's just a boy from the wrong side of the galaxy. A little thing like love doesn't stand a chance against a thousand years of war, at least until the right two come along to break the mold.

Or: space Romeo and Juliet, minus all the s*icide.

• Infinity in Always (23k)

Louis suffers from prosopagnosia; he can’t recognize faces, even familiar ones. He can’t remember his own face, let alone Harry’s, but he remembers the way his skin feels under his fingertips, how he trembles under his touch as if Louis is fire, and Harry is nothing but mere paper, disintegrating into ash)

• Behind the Glass (77k)

Harry Styles is notoriously wild, red-blooded and in love with the ladies. Or at least that's as much as Louis knows when he lands his dream job as a junior management assistant at Modest Management. Louis is fresh out of university, confident, bright and determined to make it in the industry but he's also slightly confused...

For one thing, why is Harry Styles absolutely nothing at all like Louis expected him to be? Why does he look so sad? And why does he look at Louis as though Louis is the answer to a question he doesn't even understand?

• In Vogue (121k)

Fashion AU. Louis is the editor in chief of Vogue magazine, and Harry's running British GQ. Featuring Zayn as the crazy creative director and Louis' confidant, Liam as the sports writer that gets to sit front row at fashion week and DJ Neil as the only sane person in the whole story. (There are no skinny jeans in this fic)

• Dream Awake (31k)

On a hazy day in August, Louis sees Harry perform at a music festival as an unsigned act and convinces him to spend the rest of the weekend in his company. Harry gets signed; life changes. They never really wake up from the dream.

• Outwit, Outplay, Outlast (61k)

a Survivor All-Stars AU in which Harry and Louis are just in this game to win the million dollars, but they end up with something better.

• Married for a Week?! (20k)

Hi guys :) You might recognize Harry from one or two of my old videos .. I was tagged in the Married for a week challenge so I asked him to be my husband ! We had to live together for a week and take each other out on a couple romantic dates and that, check out the video to see how it went :) Give it a like if you enjoyed and maybe subscribe if you haven't already. Love you all — Louis x

• bluebird (39k)

The 2,789 miles between New York and Los Angeles is a long way to go alone.

• Leave it to the Breeze (81k)

a great british bake off au in which louis cares about winning and winning only, harry is made of sunshine and rainbow sprinkles, and niall sticks his nose into other people's business. also featuring liam as louis's best friend-slash-concerned mother, and zayn as a macaron connoisseur.

• Hold Me Closer (36k)

Louis Tomlinson is one of the most promising dancers of the English National Ballet, on track to become the youngest principal dancer in the company's history. That is, until forces conspire to significantly complicate his life, including: a surprise ballet, an unfairly attractive guest choreographer, and being pushed into a rivalry with his best mate. Featuring lots of wine, dancing, pining, and a happy ending.

• A Runaway American Dream (15k)

AU. they take route 66 with only each other and their secrets.

• Please don’t be in Love with Someone Else (18k)

The one where Harry and Louis are neighbors and there's a lot of overthinking, misunderstandings, Backstreet Boys sing alongs, embarrassing moments in the hallway, and pining. They somehow still make it work.

[blackkudos]

Mary Lou Williams

Mary Lou Williams (born Mary Elfrieda Scruggs; May 8, 1910 – May 28, 1981) was an American jazz pianist, arranger, and composer. She wrote hundreds of compositions and arrangements and recorded more than one hundred records (in 78, 45, and LP versions). Williams wrote and arranged for Duke Ellington and Benny Goodman, and she was friend, mentor, and teacher to Thelonious Monk, Charlie Parker, Miles Davis, Tadd Dameron, Bud Powell, and Dizzy Gillespie.

Early years

The second of eleven children, Williams was born in Atlanta, Georgia, and grew up in the East Liberty neighborhood of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. A young musical prodigy, at the age of three, she taught herself to play the piano. Mary Lou Williams played piano out of necessity at a very young age; her white neighbors were throwing bricks into her house until Williams began playing the piano in their homes. At the age of six, she supported her ten half-brothers and sisters by playing at parties. She began performing publicly at the age of seven when she became known admiringly in Pittsburgh as "The Little Piano Girl." She became a professional musician at the age of 15, citing Lovie Austin as her greatest influence. She married jazz saxophonist John Williams in November 1926.

Career

In 1922, at the age of 12, she went on the Orpheum Circuit. During the following year she played with Duke Ellington and his early small band, the Washingtonians. One morning at three o'clock, she was playing with McKinney's Cotton Pickers at Harlem's Rhythm Club. Louis Armstrong entered the room and paused to listen to her. Williams shyly told what happened: "Louis picked me up and kissed me."

In 1927, Williams married saxophonist John Overton Williams. She met him at a performance in Cleveland where he was leading his group, the Syncopators, and moved with him to Memphis, Tennessee. He assembled a band in Memphis, which included Williams on piano. In 1929, 19-year-old Williams assumed leadership of the Memphis band when her husband accepted an invitation to join Andy Kirk's band in Oklahoma City. Williams joined her husband in Oklahoma City but did not play with the band. The group, Andy Kirk's Twelve Clouds of Joy, moved to Tulsa, Oklahoma, where Williams, when she wasn't working as a musician, was employed transporting bodies for an undertaker. When the Clouds of Joy accepted a longstanding engagement in Kansas City, Missouri, Williams joined her husband and began sitting in with the band, as well as serving as its arranger and composer. She provided Kirk with such songs as "Walkin' and Swingin'", "Twinklin'", "Cloudy'", and "Little Joe from Chicago".

Williams was the arranger and pianist for recordings in Kansas City (1929) Chicago (1930), and New York City (1930). During a trip to Chicago, she recorded "Drag 'Em" and "Night Life" as piano solos. She used the name "Mary Lou" at the suggestion of Jack Kapp at Brunswick Records. The records sold briskly, raising Williams to national prominence. Soon after the recording session she became Kirk's permanent second pianist, playing solo gigs and working as a freelance arranger for Earl Hines, Benny Goodman, and Tommy Dorsey. In 1937, she produced In the Groove (Brunswick), a collaboration with Dick Wilson, and Benny Goodman asked her to write a blues song for his band. The result was "Roll 'Em", a boogie-woogie piece based on the blues, which followed her successful "Camel Hop", named for Goodman's radio show sponsor, Camel cigarettes. Goodman tried to put Williams under contract to write for him exclusively, but she refused, preferring to freelance instead.

In 1942, Williams, who had divorced her husband, left the Twelve Clouds of Joy, returning again to Pittsburgh. She was joined there by bandmate Harold "Shorty" Baker, with whom she formed a six-piece ensemble that included Art Blakey on drums. After an engagement in Cleveland, Baker left to join Duke Ellington's orchestra. Williams joined the band in New York City, then traveled to Baltimore, where she and Baker were married. She traveled with Ellington and arranged several tunes for him, including "Trumpet No End" (1946), her version of "Blue Skies" by Irving Berlin. She also sold Ellington on performing "Walkin' and Swingin'". Within a year she had left Baker and the group and returned to New York.

Williams accepted a job at the Café Society Downtown, started a weekly radio show called Mary Lou Williams's Piano Workshop on WNEW and began mentoring and collaborating with younger bebop musicians such as Dizzy Gillespie and Thelonious Monk. In 1945, she composed the bebop hit "In the Land of Oo-Bla-Dee" for Gillespie. "During this period Monk and the kids would come to my apartment every morning around four or pick me up at the Café after I'd finished my last show, and we'd play and swap ideas until noon or later", Williams recalled in Melody Maker.

In 1945, she composed the classically-influenced Zodiac Suite, in which each of the twelve parts corresponded to a sign of the zodiac, and were accordingly dedicated to several of her musical colleagues, including Billie Holiday, and Art Tatum. She recorded the suite with Jack Parker and Al Lucas and performed it December 31, 1945 at Town Hall in New York City with an orchestra and tenor saxophonist Ben Webster.

In 1952, Williams accepted an offer to perform in England and ended up staying in Europe for two years. By this time, music had taken over her life, and not in a good way; Williams was mentally and physically drained. When she returned to the United States she took a hiatus from performing, converting in 1956 to Catholicism. This three-year hiatus began when she suddenly backed away from the piano during a performance in Paris in 1954. Her energies were devoted mainly to the Bel Canto Foundation, an effort she initiated to help addicted musicians return to performing. In addition to spending several hours in mass, Williams used her savings as well as help from friends to turn her apartment in Hamilton Heights into a halfway house for the poor as well as musicians who were grappling with addiction; she also made money over a longer period of time for the halfway house by way of a thrift store in Harlem. Her hiatus may have been triggered by the death of her long-time friend and student Charlie Parker in 1955 who also struggled with addiction for the majority of his life. Father John Crowley and Father Anthony aided in persuading Williams to go back to playing music. They told her that she could continue to serve God and the Catholic Church by utilizing her exceptional gift of creating music. Moreover, Dizzy Gillespie convinced her to return to playing, which she did at the 1957 Newport Jazz Festival with Dizzy's band. One can notice a significant difference in her works after her hiatus through her willingness to take more risks with her music as well as her renewed outlook as a proponent of jazz and its legacy.

Father Peter O'Brien, a Catholic priest, became her close friend and manager in the 1960s. They found new venues for jazz performance at a time when no more than two clubs in Manhattan offered jazz full-time. In addition to club work, she played colleges, formed her own record label and publishing companies, founded the Pittsburgh Jazz Festival, and made television appearances. Throughout the 1960s, her composing concentrated on sacred music, hymns, and masses. One of the masses, Music for Peace, was choreographed by the Alvin Ailey and performed by the Alvin Ailey Dance Theater as Mary Lou's Mass in 1971. About the work, Ailey commented, "If there can be a Bernstein Mass, a Mozart Mass, a Bach Mass, why can't there be Mary Lou's Mass?" Williams performed the revision of Mary Lou's Mass, her most acclaimed work, on The Dick Cavett Show in 1971.

Following her hiatus, her first piece was a mass that she wrote and performed was named Black Christ of the Andes (1963), a hymn in honor of the Peruvian saint St. Martin de Porres; two short works, Anima Christi and Praise the Lord. Williams put much effort into working with youth choirs to perform her works, including "Mary Lou's Mass" at St. Patrick's Cathedral in New York City in April 1975 before a gathering of over three thousand. It marked the first time a jazz musician had played at the church. She set up a charitable organization and opened thrift stores in Harlem, directing the proceeds, along with ten percent of her own earnings, to musicians in need. As a 1964 Time article explained, "Mary Lou thinks of herself as a 'soul' player — a way of saying that she never strays far from melody and the blues, but deals sparingly in gospel harmony and rhythm. 'I am praying through my fingers when I play,' she says.'I get that good "soul sound", and I try to touch people's spirits.'" She performed at the Monterey Jazz Festival in 1965, with a jazz festival group.

Throughout the 1970s, her career flourished, including numerous albums, including as solo pianist and commentator on the recorded The History of Jazz. She returned to the Monterey Jazz Festival in 1971. She could also be seen playing nightly in Greenwich Village at The Cookery, a new club run by her old boss from her Café Society days, Barney Josephson. That engagement too, was recorded.

She had a two-piano performance with avant-garde pianist Cecil Taylor at Carnegie Hall on April 17, 1977. Despite onstage tensions between Williams and Taylor, their performance was released on an live album titled Embraced.

Williams instructed school children on jazz. She then accepted an appointment at Duke University as artist-in-residence (from 1977 to 1981), teaching the History of Jazz with Father O'Brien and directing the Duke Jazz Ensemble. With a light teaching schedule, she also did many concert and festival appearances, conducted clinics with youth, and in 1978 performed at the White House for President Jimmy Carter and his guests. She participated in Benny Goodman's 40th-anniversary Carnegie Hall concert in 1978.

Later years

Her final recording, Solo Recital (Montreux Jazz Festival, 1978), three years before her death, had a medley encompassing spirituals, ragtime, blues and swing. Other highlights include Williams's reworkings of "Tea for Two", "Honeysuckle Rose", and her two compositions "Little Joe from Chicago", and "What's Your Story Morning Glory". Other tracks include "Medley: The Lord Is Heavy", "Old Fashion Blues", "Over the Rainbow", "Offertory Meditation", "Concerto Alone at Montreux", and "The Man I Love".

In 1981, Mary Lou Williams died of bladder cancer in Durham, North Carolina at the age of 71. Dizzy Gillespie, Benny Goodman, and Andy Kirk attended her funeral at the Church of St. Ignatius Loyola. She was buried in the Calvary Catholic Cemetery in Pittsburgh. Looking back at the end of her life, Mary Lou Williams said, "I did it, didn't I? Through muck and mud." She was known as "the first lady of the jazz keyboard". Williams was one of the first women to be successful in jazz.

Awards and honors

Guggenheim Fellowships, 1972 and 1977.

Nominee 1971 Grammy Awards, Best Jazz Performance – Group, for the album Giants, Dizzy Gillespie, Bobby Hackett, Mary Lou Williams

Honorary degree from Fordham University in New York in 1973

In 1980 Williams founded the Mary Lou Williams Foundation

Honorary degree from Rockhurst College in Kansas City in 1980.

Received the 1981 Duke University's Trinity Award for service to the university, an award voted on by Duke University students.

Legacy

In 1983, Duke University established the Mary Lou Williams Center for Black Culture

Since 1996, The Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C. has an annual Mary Lou Williams Women in Jazz Festival.

Since 2000, her archives are preserved at Rutgers University's Institute of Jazz Studies in Newark.

A Pennsylvania State Historic Marker is placed at 328 Lincoln Avenue, Lincoln Elementary School, Pittsburgh, PA, noting her accomplishments and the location of the school she attended.

In 2000, trumpeter Dave Douglas released the album Soul on Soul as a tribute to her, featuring original arrangements of her music and new pieces inspired by her work.

The 2000 album Impressions of Mary Lou by pianist John Hicks featured eight of her compositions.

The Dutch Jazz Orchestra researched and played rediscovered works of Williams on their 2005 album Lady Who Swings the Band.

In 2006, Geri Allen's Mary Lou Williams Collective released their album Zodiac Suite: Revisited.

A YA historical novel based on Mary Lou Williams and her early life, entitled Jazz Girl, by Sarah Bruce Kelly, was published in 2010.

A children's book based on Mary Lou Williams, entitled The Little Piano Girl, by Ann Ingalls and Maryann MacDonald with illustrations by Giselle Potter, was published in 2010.

A poetry book by Yona Harvey entitled Hemming the Water was published in 2013, inspired by Williams and featuring the poem "Communion with Mary Lou Williams".

In 2013, the American Musicological Society published Mary Lou Williams' Selected Works for Big Band, a compilation of 11 of her big band scores.

In 2015, an award-winning documentary film entitled, Mary Lou Williams: The Lady Who Swings the Band, produced and directed by Carol Bash, premiered on American Public Television and was screened at various domestic and international film festivals.

In 2018 What'sHerName women's history podcast aired the episode "THE MUSICIAN Mary Lou Williams," with guest expert 'Mary Lou Williams: The Lady Who Swings the Band,' producer and director Carol Bash.

Mary Lou Williams Lane, a street near 10th and Paseo in Kansas City, Missouri, was named after the renowned jazz artist.

She is one of three women who appear in the famous photograph of jazz greats, A Great Day in Harlem.

#05/08 #05/28

[the-walking-memelords]

Allegiances: Epilogue

Prologue | Chapter 1 | Chapter 2 | Chapter 3 | Chapter 4 |Chapter 5 | Chapter 6 | Chapter 7 | Chapter 8 | Chapter 9 | Chapter 10 | Chapter 11 | Chapter 12 | Chapter 13 | Chapter 14 | Chapter 15 | Chapter 16 | Chapter 17 | Chapter 18 | Chapter 19 | Chapter 20 | Chapter 21

Series is rated M

Word Count: 2342

Clementine enjoys the better days that follow.

Read it on Ao3!

Read it on Wattpad!

Thus started the beginning of the healing process for everyone in the school. It took days for Mitch to convince Brody that the raiders weren't ever coming back, and Violet's right eye was completely blinded and the left never really healed, leaving Tennessee to guide her until she became used to her new condition. Clementine herself would be lying if she said she never shed any tears over the loss of her leg, but having AJ and Louis by her side, she knew she wouldn’t have to struggle alone anymore.

Louis was quick to move the headmaster’s gramophone to her room, allowing the music to keep her company in the moments they couldn’t. Although, Clementine still longed to hear Louis’ piano so occasionally he would steal her away on nights she couldn’t sleep and play her any song she requested until her eyes finally shut. Her most frequent request was the song he wrote for her, which she couldn’t help but hum along to.

Once Clementine received an old pair of crutches that had been tucked away inside the nurse’s office closet, she was up and moving as soon as she was strong enough to hold her own weight. Louis almost regretted giving them to her so early into her recovery, but he couldn't stand watching her feel so helpless. 

It was a couple of weeks before they all ended up at the picnic table together for dinner. Two of the tables had been pushed together so that they could all sit in the same place. Clementine set next to Louis with AJ across from them. The air was sweet with the smell of Omar’s stew as they all gathered around.

Clementine held her breath as Violet sat in the spot next to her. The two hadn’t spoken much since the Delta, but if the blonde chose to sit next to her, that was a good sign, right? 

“Clementine?” She spoke softly, looking at her with her one pale green eye.

“There was something I wanted to ask you, but, I wanted to wait until you were up and about.”

Clementine felt Louis’ hand cover her’s under the table.

“Which one of you lovebirds made the first move?”

Oh my god.

Clementine snorted in both relief and mild embarrassment.

“Me, of course.”

“HA!” Violet slammed her fist on the table, making the bowls jump slightly.

“Mitch, you owe me half your meals for a week!”

“Goddammit.” The boy sighed as he reluctantly poured part of his stew into her bowl.

“Last time I count on Louis for anything.”

“Hey, I was about to.” Louis pointed at him with his spoon.

“Hold on, you guys were betting on us?” Clementine asked in surprise as she felt her cheeks turn pink.

Motherfuckers.

“Thought it would make watching you two dance around your feelings a little more interesting.” Mitch shrugged.

“Ended up also making it a lot more infuriating in the process.” The blonde said as she took a bite from her nearly overflowing bowl.

“But I believed in you.”

“I knew it would be Clem.” Brody piped but from her spot next to Mitch. 

“Watching Louis just follow her around like a lost puppy made it obvious he was hopeless.”

“Hey.” Louis sassed.

“The only hopeless I was was hopelessly in love.”

Louis quickly wrapped his arm around Clementine, planting a kiss on her cheek resulting in a mix of chuckles and eye-rolls from the others around them. Clementine glared at Mitch as her face burned. Between him and Brody, she knew who she’d bet on. It was funny that Brody called Louis out for following Clem around, and was somehow unaware that Mitch did practically the same thing.

“Ick.” AJ said with a grossed-out expression followed by giggles from Tenn and Willy.

---

The sky later became painted in pinks and purples as Clementine unwind on the steps of the admin building, leaving her crutches aside. AJ leaned half asleep against her left, all tuckered out from running around with his friends, while Louis wrapped his arm around her shoulder on her right. Clementine took in a long, deep breath of the crisp night air as she hugged her little family a little tighter.

“I wish we could’ve found this place sooner” Clementine smiled.

“The way I showed up is the only thing I would change.”

“Don’t you dare go feeling guilty about all that horseshit with the Delta.” Louis said bluntly.

“Lilly was a psychopath, and now she’s dead and gone, and we have this. This moment right here. That's what counts.”

This moment was one she wanted to stay in forever and ever. A moment without the constant fear. Fear of herself and what she was capable of. Fear of her future or lack thereof. Fear for the little boy she loved to death. Fear of hurting the first person she let into her heart in a long time.

All of it was gone. Every breath was free and sweet instead of suffocating. She walked with her head held high instead of weighed down by the past that threatened to define her.

All of the bloodstains and tear tracks washed away in the warm rain, never to touch her again.

Free.

“I’m sorry you can’t walk anymore, Clem.” AJ said as he looked down guiltily, scratching the weather-worn concrete of the steps.

“Not for real at least.”

“AJ, you saved my life.” She leaned over to catch his eye. Clementine couldn’t stand any guilt on that kid’s shoulders

“I told you to leave me behind, and if you had listened to me, I’d be dead. Don’t ever be sorry for that.”

AJ still couldn't help it. He knew it made her sad and Clem shouldn’t have to be sad anymore. There had to be some way to make it up to her. This place had a lot of books in it, maybe there was one that would help him build her a new foot to cheer her up.

He was really happy that Clem found this place. The food was good and the people were fun, but most of all no one could get them out here. All there was left were walkers and walkers were dumb. Clem couldn't fight like before but she could still shoot a gun or throw a knife. AJ would just have to make sure she didn’t get bit again. In fact, AJ wasn’t going to let any of them get bit. Not Clem, not Louis, not any of them. If this was what having a family was like, he wanted to protect it.

“We went through hell to get where we are.” Louis said, looking up at the cotton candy clouds floating by in the wind.

“But I’d never change what we have now. We, and especially I, owe you more than we could ever repay. Thank you, for everything”

Louis knew he’d do whatever it took to protect his new family. He’d give them everything he had to offer, even if it wasn’t much. He’d help her raise AJ and try to be a better father than the one he had, and he would never ever hurt them as he did with his old family. He would fight for them, live for them, and even die for them if it was ever necessary. All in a heartbeat.

But for now, he would sit and enjoy every moment, not daring to waste a single one.

Clementine let out a small laugh with tears pricking in her eyes as she held them a little closer.

“You’re welcome, for everything.”

---

Her time at Ericson's continued with a welcomed quiet that lasted for days, then weeks, then months. Every day lived to the fullest alongside her newfound family. Although nightmares still came to haunt her every now and again, Louis' warm embrace was always enough to calm her heart and mind and lull her back into a sweeter slumber. 

Clementine was enjoying her time of rest, but AJ wasn't done working. It took some help from Willy and Tenn, but by the time Clementine's stump had healed enough they had produced her a new foot. or at least... the first version in a collection of prosthetics until they could build one that was both comfortable and functional enough for frequent use.

Along with a wooden leg, AJ also secured a new weapon for Louis. Although it wasn’t much more than another ornately carved chair leg adorned with barbed wire, Louis was overjoyed by the gift he affectionately named “Chairles the Second.” 

---

The seasons changed until the autumn leaves painted the forest floor once again as Clementine and Louis walked the trails through the hunting grounds in search of their next meal. She wore an oversized red shirt with the sleeves rolled up to her elbows and her shoulder-length hair tied in a small ponytail over her left shoulder. Clementine hiked along with a slight limp from her prosthetic, but nothing she couldn’t manage. 

“How’s the leg been treating you since the last repair?” Louis asked with a tone of concern. He knew how much mobility meant to her.

“Better thanks to those screws we got from Layla the last time the caravan came through.” Clementine thought fondly of their new travelling friends.

They met Layla’s caravan group not long after their war with the Delta. The kids were wary at first but quickly found this group of travelling traders meant them no harm. This group had a specific route they took that passed through the areas of several communities big and small with the goal of spreading the resources. Their normal route passed just outside the old safe zone every month or so and upon contact, were happy to add Ericson’s to their list of trade spots.

“We should stock up a bit extra. Layla will be back through here in a week or so and fresh game is always in high demand.” Clementine hoped maybe she could find some more pencil crayons for AJ and Tenn. 

The haul was good on this day, the first few traps held a few fat hares that would certainly make the others very happy. Clementine decided to take her bow and move on ahead. It was an idea Louis wasn’t thrilled about but trusted her with as he moved along to continue checking the traps.

Her wooden leg didn’t move as carefully as her real one did. Her steps were louder, clumsier, and weighed on her stealth ability. It was something Clem was determined to improve, which is why she often elected to bow hunt alone.

The rustle of a nearby bush caught her ear as she drew an arrow from her quiver, sneaking closer and talking aim at the rabbit peaking out.

A sudden yelp and a thud from back down the path spooked the rabbit, causing it to speed off back into the brush. Not that Clementine cared, she had already dropped her weapon as she ran down the path as fast as her prosthetic would carry her.

“Louis?” She called, searching the area for any sign of him.

Clementine froze as she finally saw him, both Chairles II and the previously caught rabbits lay in the dirt below him. 

She bit her lip hard as she watched her pouting boyfriend hanging by his foot, caught in his own snare.

“Don’t you dare lau-” Louis didn’t get a chance to finish his sentence before Clementine burst into a fit of laughter at his predicament.

“Who’s the ‘Bunny’ now?” She practically yelled between waves of giggles, reminding him of the comment he made when their roles were reversed.

Clementine crossed her arms over her ribs as they ached with her laughs. 

“Please just let me down.” He practically begged but Clementine recognized his smirk that told her he was plotting something.

“And what if I don’t?” She teased, walking closer to him until they were only a few inches apart, their faces level. 

“You ever seen ‘Spiderman’?”

Clementine didn’t have a chance to ask what he meant before he gently grabbed her cheeks and pulled her in for a kiss. They both immediately sank into it, slightly moving their mouths with each other. When they finally broke Clementine was left breathless with her face on fire. All she could do was stare at the goofy grin on his freckled face while her mind tried to process what just happened.

That was smooth as fuck, what the hell?

“Clem…?” He laughed nervously, seeing her just stare at him.

“I’m getting dizzy.”

“Oh- right.” Clementine snapped out of it as she hooked one arm under his, using the other to cut the rope allowing him to fall without hitting his head.

Louis untied the snare from his ankle, resetting it before turning back to his girlfriend. He smiled on the sight of her flustered face, poking her cheekbone as they began to head back.

“What was that for?” She asked.

“You’re cute when you’re blushing.”

“Dork.” She rolled her eyes as she limped ahead.

“Am I still your favourite?” Louis called as he adjusted the rabbit slung over his shoulder.

“Always.”

---

It was late but the yard was still bustling with activity of the more relaxing variety. 

Aasim chased Willy across the courtyard while Ruby rolled her eyes and laughed. 

Mitch was telling old stories to Brody of his early days at Ericson’s pranking the teachers he didn’t like. The redhead was listening intently as she sat close to him.

Omar was tending to a few potted herbs he had growing, smiling proudly at the small leafy plants.

Tennessee and AJ described in great detail each of their drawings to Violet as they sat at the picnic table together.

Clementine couldn’t help but smile at it all as she leaned into the fluffy lining of Louis’ coat. It was a sight that still got her emotional even a year later, and she knew it would probably continue to do so for the rest of her life.

This was truly, her Happily Ever After.

#Allegiances #My writing #clouis #the walking dead game #louistine #twdg clementine #twdg louis #fanfic