#because cars are expensive even if it's just small dents in them

[rusalkaandtheshepherdgirl]

sucks to suck sometimes

#that is to say i'm going to vent here in the tags i would apologize but this is my blog so #but i won a sonnet contest yay congrats go me if there's one thing i can do it is write pretty weird sonnets that people like for some reas #i even got prize money for it again all good here #however yesterday i was driving because you know i was planning to go try and take my driving test and get a license #for you know government id and also so i can. drive a car and whatever useful skill in this car-centric hellscape amiright #and i did passably all hour i just drove around the city practicing like passing and stopping smoothly and all those good things #and then i drove onto my street which i cannot stress enough is a one way residential street #and it was the middle of the day so like. there were a total of five cars parked along the block #and my mom picked up a call with her girlfriend which like good for her right but it's very distracting because she's right next to me #and i'm trying not to listen because she doesn't like to be eavesdropped on when she's talking to her gf #and the apartment has paper thin walls so i basically have to try and turn my attention off so as to give her privacy #so anyways i turn half my attention off and manage to tap one of the cars parked on one of this nearly-empty street #because to quote olivia rodrigo i'm not cool and i'm not smart and i can't even parallel park #and they test u on that so i was trying to parallel park right which i can't #so now i am refusing to go take my driving test because i hate myself and my abilities #and to get back to the setup i can't even be happy about prize money or anything because obvs i have to pay back my mom #because cars are expensive even if it's just small dents in them #and like. there's been a whole thing about me being promised a job and then not getting it so i don't even have a job right now #i'm applying to all the places i can think of that i can get to on public trans and who might wanna hire a teenager with v little experienc #so anyway until someone decides to take pity on me and hire me i don't even have a job to help pay her back with #which it could be worse! we have enough money that it's not going to be a disaster until i can properly pay her back #and my sweet twin is even begging me to let them pay half because we generally split expenses and pool our money and whatever #even if it's usually like. buying coffee for both of us or getting lunch someplace not me managing to fuck up driving on an empty street #so like it could be way way worse however it really sucks #anyways i feel terrible about the whole thing obviously and needed to vent someplace #so hi strangers on the internet it was probably not worth it at all to read all of that #rio remarks

[likearumchocolatesouffle]

Cw money stress

I'm just gonna vent about something. So, my wife, M, makes a lot of money, but we live with three other people, and she's supporting all of us. This is due to physical disability, mental health stuff, pandemic, school, etc, not to mention that the money any of us could make individually would be a tiny drop in the bucket compared with what she makes, so it's not worth risking anyone's health or removing anyone's ability to do housework.

So this puts a lot of pressure on her, and also we're constantly over budget, and also her income is going to go down next year (big hiring bonus stock thing is going to run out). We have no savings, all our credit cards are full, we haven't made a dent in the mortgage...

So we have to get our spending under control. There are absolutely places we could do that. Folks in the house rely a lot on delivery (due to aforementioned mental and physical health stuff) but there are cheaper ways to eat. We spend a lot on Ubers even though we have a car. We have a lot of appointments that aren't covered by insurance, so maybe some of us could do some appointments a little less frequently. We have four cats and their food is weirdly expensive, so maybe we could figure out a cheaper way to feed them. Etc.

But the problem is announcing to everyone that we have to spend less. Multiple people in the house have money related trauma, and when the idea of spending less comes up, people panic and cry. It's so stressful. We need to deal with it soon, so there's no way to like, make everyone do therapy about it first. Idk. I'm more worried about the reactions than I am about the money.

It sucks because M took this job so we wouldn't have to worry so much about money, but we're just as worried. Maybe more so, since we have more to lose and more people involved.

I'm sure this sounds like a bullshit problem to folks who have very small incomes, but I would really appreciate hugs! Thank you for listening! ❤️

#money #anxiety #venting #personal post #don't reblog please #might delete this later

[aromanticbuck]

Moustead + The Hockey AU

warnings: brief mention of chronic/terminal illness and death, implied alcoholism, depression, behavior that could be considered self harm

Gregory Gerwitz IV liked hockey. It was his favorite sport. He had the family pull that let him get tickets to every home Blackhawks game, and he usually spent every minute at glass level, watching all the action with only the protection of the plexiglass shield a foot in front of his face. But that was the Hawks, NHL, the big leagues, even if their playoff outlook wasn’t very high.

What he didn’t particularly care about was the minor league team that his father bought between seasons when he was a teenager, like adding to the weight of the family business he was supposed to inherit was somehow a birthday gift. He’d wanted a car that year, or the freedom to spend more time at the stables with Phil and Amelia, or even better, to not be forced into a business track at a college barely half an hour away from home. He definitely didn’t want to be promised the Chicago Mice, a hockey team that no one had heard about because they sucked, had never won a single game, and gave him the mocking nickname Mouse for his entire senior year of high school.

So, he ignored it. Greg ignored the family name on all of the merchandise and swag he saw around the city. He ignored the change in the Mice’s record when they started winning games. He ignored all of it. It was easier to ignore it than acknowledge that he’d have to handle that some day, too. It was another weight on his shoulders he didn’t want to deal with.

But he could only ignore it for so long.

After college, and after he established himself working in the office with his father, he got pulled from a meeting early to go to lunch. Only, lunch didn’t involve food, just a mostly empty arena and a warm up for the team on the ice. Besides the coaches and the players, they were the only ones there, and it wasn’t exactly fun.

He got a bag of popcorn for his midday meal, and glass level seats, and normally, that would be just fine with him. He’d done it at a few matinee games, living off junk food and rooting for his team, but this was different. Because one day, it really would be his team, whether he wanted it to be or not.

And he really didn’t want it.

Jay Halstead didn’t know what he wanted to do when he finished high school. He knew it had to take his attention, be a good distraction from everything going on at home, not let him linger on any of it. With his brother off to school in New York and his mother in and out of the hospital with medical bills to keep up with, he didn’t have a lot of options. It had to be something with a steady income, enough to keep up with unforeseen expenses.

Hockey had started as a hobby, something he did at the local rec center when he had free time and a few extra bucks. He’d tried out for the Mice as a joke - maybe they weren’t a great team, but the paycheck would be enough to make a dent in the medical debt he was helping with while still paying for his own apartment. The fact that he made it on the team at all was some kind of miracle, and it felt like the universe, or some other force, was telling him he was doing exactly the right thing.

It was the final game of his first season with the team when he got a phone call from the bench. He didn’t even get to see the rare victory, too busy rushing to the hospital on the other side of the city. He picked his brother up at the airport the next day, and by the end of the weekend, they had to shift their efforts to planning a funeral instead of any other medical next steps. It meant the owner of the team wanted him gone, wanted him and his odd penchant for never showing up on time off the team.

He got lucky again. He was one of the players who had gained them as many small victories as they’d gotten in the months he was playing. He got another chance.

But after such a loss, it was hard to go back to live as usual. He could keep playing the game he’d grown to love, but it wasn’t enough of a distraction anymore. And, after another season, he didn’t exactly need that much money when the bills were paid and no longer accumulating. He was free and clear, he could quit and go off and do whatever he wanted with his life. He could even stop making money all together and live in his childhood bedroom where the fridge was always stocked with snacks and more beer than he could drink. It’s what he wanted to do, some days, give up and retreat, let the sadness take him and swallow him whole.

When that wasn’t an option, he did something else. Every single play that seemed a little too rough could end in a punch. He could skate a little faster and push a little harder. He could leave the ice with bruises or a bloody nose that made him feel a little more solid, like he was still a part of his own life instead of just floating through it. It wasn’t healthy, and it got him more penalties than he cared to count, and it almost made him lose everything. It almost got him kicked off the team, again, and that was when reality forced him to look it in the eye.

So Jay pulled himself back together again, made himself play the way he knew he could. It was less aggressive and more calculated, passing and scoring and improving the team’s record year after year.

It wasn’t like he did it singlehandedly, but he knew he was a big part of it, the Mice going from the worst team in the league to the top five in almost no time at all. And, when he heard whispers of the owner of the team coming to watch a practice one afternoon at the start of the season, he didn’t let that opportunity pass him by. He showed Mr. Gerwitz that keeping him around was a good idea, that he was very capable of playing at the level he needed to in order to keep his position on the team.

And, when he turned around and took his helmet off after scoring a warm up goal, he found that the only person near the bench who was even looking at him wasn’t the owner of the team at all - just his son.

#one chicago #cpd #chicago pd #jay halstead #mouse gerwitz #greg gerwitz #greg mouse gerwitz #moustead #alex does moodboards #gregory gerwitz iv #the hockey au* #i have been thinking about this au all day #happy (almost) final day of the hockey season #have this as a treat #also this is the single most ridiculous origin of the 'mouse' nickname #i'm very proud of it

[unitedcollisionspecialists]

How Auto Body Repair Shops Are Essential For LA's Traffic

In Los Angeles, cars are a big part of our lives. We use them to go to work, take the kids to school, and visit family and friends. With so many cars on the road, accidents are bound to happen. Even a small scratch or dent can ruin your day. But don't worry, there's help. Auto body repair shops in this city play a very important role. They help keep our cars looking nice and running well, which is really important in a place like LA where there is a lot of traffic. In this article, we will talk about why these shops are so essential for anyone who owns a car in Los Angeles. Keeping Cars in Shape Imagine you're driving in LA traffic, and someone bumps into your car from behind. Your car now has a dent, and maybe even some paint is chipped off. You want to fix it right away because a damaged car is not only an eyesore but can also lead to other problems. That's where auto body repair Los Angeles comes in. They help fix the dent, repaint the chipped area, and make your car look brand new. You are bound to feel good when your car feels good. Ensuring Road Safety It's not just about how your car looks. It's also about how it performs. If you have a broken tail light or a damaged bumper, it's not safe to drive. The Auto Body Repair in Los Angeles helps by fixing these parts so you can get back on the road safely. Being safe on the road is essential, especially in a city with as much traffic as Los Angeles. Quick Fixes for Busy Lives Los Angeles is a fast-paced city. People here don't have time to wait weeks for their car to be repaired. A good auto body repair shop understands this. They work quickly, so you can have your car back as soon as possible. This way, you can continue your daily activities without too much interruption. Time is money, and in LA, getting your car back fast is a big deal. Saving Money in the Long Run You might hear some individuals say, "Why bother with that small dent or scratch?" Nonetheless, it's crucial to understand that neglecting minor damage could result in more significant expenses in the future. Small issues can turn into big problems if not fixed in time. For example, a small scratch can lead to rust, which can then harm the structure of the car. Repairing it early at an auto body shop In Los Angeles can save you money. Helping the Environment You might not think of auto body repair in Los Angeles as being eco-friendly, but they actually play a role in this. How? By properly repairing vehicles, they ensure that cars are running efficiently. An inefficient, damaged vehicle can emit more harmful gases into the atmosphere. Moreover, these shops often recycle parts and use eco-friendly materials whenever possible. By ensuring your car is in good shape, you're also doing a bit of good for the environment. Boosting Resale Value A car is a big investment, and many people in Los Angeles eventually think of selling their cars to upgrade to a newer model. If your car has visible dents, scratches, or other kinds of damage, it could lower its resale value. An Best auto body shop Los Angeles helps fix these imperfections, making your car more appealing to potential buyers. Conclusion Living in Los Angeles means spending a lot of time in your car. Accidents and wear and tear are unavoidable with heavy traffic and busy lives. Auto body repair shops are crucial in keeping our cars not just looking good but also running safely. Next time you need a quick fix or a major repair, remember that the right help can make all the difference. And if you're looking for top-notch service that understands the needs of LA drivers, you might want to consider United Collision Specialists. They have a knack for making cars look and run like new, so you can keep cruising through the City of Angels without worry. You can visit their website to learn more: - Unitedcollisionspecialists.com.

#auto body shop los angeles ca #Auto Body Repair Hollywood

[the-firebird69]

Remove tons of guys down and we're moving a lot more down now we need support personnel they're taking over a buildings and areas and cities down here and we're doing it all over the world and it's time for us to do reconstruction a lot of the buildings will be ours and we will straighten out a lot of things because of it and a commerce and business shall return we are going ahead with several of my husband's crazy ideas and they did make a dent in it and we'll walk a lot of us up and it was well worth it. We are starting the plastic carbon reinforced Bradley GT kits complete body and interior kits with electrical and fuel lines and tanks and everything and they are making them now they are slightly modified because it's our version and we're calling it The Bradley GT3 and that's how they were doing it and it's not the small one and he's surprised and was wondering if the small one would sell better because the Corvette seems to and it's less expensive and less obtrusive so I'm going to rethink it again but they're making the regular one and the smaller one and the larger one so I guess it's badly GT1 Bradley GT2 and Bradley GT3 they only had a Bradley GT2 and the three is actually bigger and that's what the Challenger and charger are and we are going to do that and I think we should introduce it with the Bradley GT1 so I don't put that forwards as a marketing approach and plan reason being there's tons of these cars out there tons of regular cars that are slower and they would go a lot faster and look cooler tires and rims are always purchased these days to upgrade even inexpensive ones work pretty good and people are very excited about it and it's starting up pretty soon I'm just going to be more than shortly

Hera

Zues

Olympus

[onthehighwaytomel]

Man...I gotta be honest, it's feeling more and more hopeless and disillusioning to be a working class woman with a not-sterilized(-yet) reproductive system in the U.S.

I'm dreaming about finally getting my first car (that I'd own) this year, and I'll be 31 in the summer. I have more credit card debt than I ever imagined myself having, and there's never enough leftover after bills to make more than the tiniest dent in it. Ever owning property or retiring seems like a pipe dream.

I want to get sterilized because I know I never want children. But that's another major expense (even with costly insurance), and how am I going to take the time off work for it? While at the same time, knowing that I likely have a narrowing window before that too becomes illegal, because the rising Christofascism demands that women be brood mares to make more wage + tax slaves on a dying planet.

And I don't have a long term partner I could combine incomes with, or share a car with, or who could support me while I take care of something not-work-related. And I truly don't believe I'll find such a partner until I move out of the town I live in. (Believe me, I've tried... I'm not the woman these Southwest PA manchildren want as a partner, nor do I want 99% of them.) The very town that I can't afford to leave anytime soon, because moving is expensive, and most other places cost more. Never mind ever getting to a country that actually gives a shit about its non-wealthy citizens. You see my predicament.

I have friends, but I don't really have anyone else I can rely on for anything more substantial than one-off small favors, or true emergencies. It's just me, taking care of me, like it's been for the past 8+ years. Neither of my parents can help financially. I can't even afford the new dresser that I desperately need, because it's either pay at least $200 for a flimsy one from Ikea (whose drawer bottoms will fall out under the weight of my clothes, like what happened to my current one), or try to find a local one for sale cheaper, and then pick it up...in the car that I don't have.

That's not even touching on student loans...these pauses have been a godsend, and I'm still behind.

And despite all this! I'm still pretty damn privileged! And my heart breaks for the trans community, and everyone subject to the onslaught of appalling, violent laws being put forward to state legislatures over the past several months. It just all feels so overwhelming and hopeless sometimes.

I really resent being born in a time where those in charge are, with isolated exceptions, ineffective or parasitic. Being born into such an economically fucked generation. And being born into a country that does not care about you, unless you're a wealthy straight white Christian man.

I have so much to offer, and I don't mind contributing, but in my adult life, it feels like I was never even given a fair chance at anything but subsistence living.

#long post #personal #vent #sorry y'all i didn't intend for this to get as long as it did #but man. took in a lot of bad news today #i hate what the greed of a select few is doing to millions and billions of people...and the planet #i hate feeling powerless about it #but i better put that to rest because i have work in the morning... #late capitalism #2023 #politics #u.s. politics #text post

[brooklynarc]

Panel Beaters Help Car Owners To Avoid Accidents

Panel beaters are skilled craftsmen who have the ability to repair any type of automobile bodywork.

Panel beaters are also known by some as Panel Beater Kensington auto body repairers or auto body repair technicians. They take all types of vehicles, including motorcycles and small commercial vehicles such as light vans, taxis and buses.

Panel beaters receive no formal training in repairing cars. However they do learn how to fix car dents from their own mistakes and trial-and-error methods while working on cars themselves at home or in garages where they may work part-time jobs while studying full time at high school or college courses that do not relate to automotive repairs.

As such, it can take several years before they are proficient enough at repairing panels using hammers and dollies before heading out into the real world where people expect perfection from them every time!

Panel Beaters get to work

Panel beaters are the car experts who can do a lot more than just repair a scratch on your car. They replace and repair everything from body panels to bumpers, headlights, windscreens and windows. The panel beater’s job is notoriously tough as some of their work involves removing paint chips or rust from cars that have been in an accident.

Panel beaters need to be skilled as well as experienced because there are many different types of vehicles with different needs for repairs.

While some panels can be replaced easily with new ones that fit perfectly, others require more careful attention such as repairing dents or preparing surfaces for painting them after being removed from the vehicle altogether.

The ideal panel beater will have vast experience working on all types of vehicle models but it's also important they stay up-to-date with any changes made by manufacturers so they don't cause any further damage while repairing your car!

Panel Beaters repair and replace

Panel beaters repair and replace dented panels in vehicles. They also repair bodywork, which includes minor rusting, scratches and dents.

A panel beater uses a hammer, dolly and block to remove the damage from your car. The dolly is an iron bar with a curved head that's used to push out the damage in the panel of your car. A block is another flat iron tool that's used to hold the metal while you hammer it back into shape.

Panel Beaters have a tough job

As with any job, you might think that panel beating is easy. It isn't. Panel Beaters have to work under a lot of pressure and often face danger on the job. For example, they could slip on wet concrete during the repair process, or even get injured by falling sheet metal.

The work can also be dangerous for other reasons, such as sharp objects like hammers and chisels being used near the body of the car (which would cause serious damage).

This means that panel beaters need to wear protective gear at all times when working on cars: gloves, safety glasses or goggles and even earmuffs if there's a risk of loud noises happening nearby (like an air compressor). In addition to these hazards being present while repairing damaged vehicles; weather conditions also pose problems here too!

You'll often find yourself working in harsh conditions such as rain or snow where it's difficult see what's happening around your vehicle until after it has happened!

Panel Beaters are highly skilled

Panel Beater Kensington are highly skilled. They repair and replace dented panels on cars, so you can get your car back to its original condition.

This work is not easy, but it's important that they get their job done well so that you don’t have to worry about your car being unsafe or making people think badly of you because of a dented panel.

Conclusion

So, if you’ve got a dinged up car and want to avoid further damage and expensive repairs, get in touch with the experts. They’ll make all your worries disappear!

Source By - https://bit.ly/3I89F4k

#PanelBeaterKensington #PanelBeaterFootscray #PanelBeaterLaverton #PanelBeaterSunshineNorth

[fenristhewolfkingofazeroth]

How to Fix a Car Bumper

When your car hits a pothole, or maybe even worse – a pothole or curb with a large depression in it – the worst case scenario is that your bumper can be damaged. It might not necessarily be severe damage, but it could still cause major issues. Depending on where the bump is and the severity of it, the resulting damage to your car’s exterior can also vary Bumper Repair Manchester. If you hit a pothole hard enough, you might be left with some dents on your bumper. A milder bump could leave you with only some minor scuffs and scrapes on your bumper. Potholes and other bumps usually happen when an outside force hits your car from an angle at high speed. Because of the angle at which these impacts happen and because of how fast you’re traveling, they often lead to more severe damage than what would have happened if the same thing happened at slower speeds and from a different angle. The good news is that there are ways to fix this problem without having to replace your bumper entirely or having to pay for expensive repair services. Here’s how:

 Remove the Scrapes and Scratches

The first step to fixing a scuffed bumper is to remove the scuffs and scratches from it. This is easiest when you don’t have to repair any other damage to your bumper. You can clean your bumper with a dusting cloth, or you can use a microfiber towel. Wet the towel and wipe the bumper until the scuff comes off. Don’t use harsh chemicals, abrasives, or rubbing alcohol to clean it, since this will just leave behind a residue that will make the bumper look worse than it was to start with.

 Patch the Hole

If the scuffs and scratches were on the surface of your bumper, you can use a very fine sandpaper to smooth the surface and remove the scratches. This can help you patch a small hole in your bumper, but if the hole is too large, the resulting patch will not look smooth. If the hole is on the interior, you can use a very fine sandpaper or an adhesive-backed patch to cover it. If the hole is on the exterior, you’ll have to use a spray-on primer and then paint to seal it.

 Wrap the Bumper with Plastidip

If the scuffs are on the exterior of your bumper and bigger than a few inches across, you can use a paint brush and a primer to cover them. You’ll have to use a primer specifically made for plastics. The first coat should be a couple of layers thick, and it’s very smooth so that when you cover up the scuff, the surface of the primer will blend in with the rest of your bumper. After the primer dries, you can use a brush or a spray-on finishing coat to give it a smooth finish.

 Add Brake Pads

If the bump damaged your bumper, the most important thing is to repair the damage. If you don’t, your bumper could be damaged again. You can always replace the bumper itself, but if you’re only dealing with minor damage to the exterior, you might be able to repaint it and make it look good as new without having to replace it. The most important thing to do when you have bumper damage is to add new brake pads. It doesn’t matter if it’s from a pothole or from something else. You need to stop the car and replace the pads immediately. It’s important because the rotors can get bent or damaged during the impact, and if you don’t stop the car and replace the pads, the damage could get worse over time.

 Install New Center Line Covers

If your bumper has a large dent in it, you might be able to fix it by adding new center line covers. It depends on how bad the dent is and how much of the center of the bumper was damaged. In most cases, this is a cheap and easy solution. Center line covers are commonly available at auto parts stores and they’re usually only a few dollars each. You can buy them in different shapes and colors, so it’s easy to find one that matches your car.

 Install New Bumpers

If you have significant damage to your bumper, you’ll have to replace it completely. You can do this the same way you install new bumper covers, but instead of covering your existing bumper, you’re installing a new one. There are many different types of bumpers to choose from, and they usually come in a few different colors. If your car is black, you might have to go with a different color, but most other colors are usually interchangeable.

 Conclusion

As you can see, there are many ways to fix a scuffed bumper. If the scuff is on the surface, you can use a fine sandpaper to remove it. If the scuff is on the interior, you can use a primer and a smooth finish to cover it. If the scuff is on the exterior, you can use paint or a center line cover to cover it. You can also try repainting your bumper if the damage is significant. Now that you know what to do, you can fix a scuffed bumper without replacing it.

 External Links:

Dent Repair Manchester Mobile Scratch Repair Smart Repairs Paint Repair Bumper Repair Manchester Mobile Repairs Manchester

#Mobile Scratch Repair #Smart Repairs

[likecardetailing]

Your Reliable Exterior Car Polishing Services In Adelaide

The exterior car polishing is vital for enhancing the life of your vehicle. It addresses many issues that arise because of lack of maintenance or improper usage. In this article, we will discuss why you should opt for exterior car polish in Adelaide and what kind of services do we offer to the exterior car.

Why the exterior car polishing services are important?

Exterior car polishing services are important for your vehicle as it helps to keep the vehicle in a good condition. The exterior car polishing services help to enhance the life of your vehicle and they also enhance the value of your vehicle.

What kind of services do we offer to the exterior car?

Our services include complete package of exterior car polishing in Adelaide. We provide services like car wash, waxing and polishing. Our service includes paint correction, paint protection and paint coating as well. We can also provide you scratch removal, dent removal and wheel refurbishment.

You can get all these services from us at a reasonable price.

Benefits of Exterior Car Polishing Services in Adelaide

Car polishing is a process of making your car look new again. It helps to keep your car looking good, protects it from rust and corrosion and enhances the appearance of the vehicle. A good exterior car polish also helps to protect your vehicle from UV damage, which can cause fading over time.

How exterior car polishing can be helpful?

Aside from the aesthetic benefits, exterior car polishing can also help you in increasing the value of your car. It keeps your vehicle looking new and shiny even after years of use. This makes it easier for you to sell your car at a higher price when you decide to upgrade models.

Exterior car polishing services in Adelaide gives the paintwork a protection against fading and cracking due to ultraviolet rays as well as environmental contaminants like salt spray and bird droppings. Fading or corrosion on the paintwork also makes it difficult for buyers or interested customers to see any imperfections underneath these parts when they inspect vehicles before buying them, thus decreasing its resale value because they cannot assess its real condition properly.

What are the charges for Exterior car polishing?

The charges for exterior car polishing depend on the type of surface, the type of car and the size of your vehicle. For example:

If you have a small SUV then it would be easier to get an external carpentry job done than if you have a massive limousine.

The same rule applies when it comes to deciding what kind of work to do on which area of your car. For example, if you want just one small section painted then there is no need to paint all areas around it; instead just paint that one section and leave everything else untouched (unpainted). This way you can save money by not getting any other parts done with expensive materials such as polymer paints etc…

Similarly if someone wants their entire engine bay cleaned up professionally then they must consider whether they really need this service or not because engines are very complicated pieces which require special attention while working on them so cleaning them won’t come cheap even though there may not be anything wrong with them at all!

Where to get an external car polishing in Adelaide?

There are many places you can get exterior car polishing in Adelaide. But there are also a few places that you should avoid if you want to get the best exterior car polishing services in Adelaide.

Avoid any place that will charge you less than $5 per square meter or tell you they can do it for free if paid with cash. They are likely not using the right equipment, and the results will be poor and ineffective at best.

Avoid any place that uses power tools and abrasives on your vehicle’s paintwork, as this can cause permanent damage to your paint job and create unsightly swirl marks on your new car’s bodywork.

Exterior car polishing is for enhancing the life of your vehicle.

The exterior car polishing is essential for enhancing the life of your vehicle. The services include external and internal polishing, and this service addresses all these issues.

External car polishing will help you get rid of dirt or rust that has built up over time on the exterior part of your vehicle. This includes cleaning the wheels, tires, and headlights. Internal car polishment can be done under different conditions like sunburst shield, interior lights and so on without any hassle. External Car Polishing Services In Adelaide are very important as they make sure that you maintain a safe distance between your eyesight while driving at night time or day time with low foggy weather conditions by providing brighter headlight beams than ever before!

Conclusion

If you are looking for a reliable exterior car polish in Adelaide, look no further than us. We have been in this business for more than three decades and know what it takes to provide our customers with the best service possible. We have worked on countless vehicles over the years and can handle any type of job that comes our way. Call us today to get started on your next project!

#exterior car polish in Adelaide

[casualbouquetpirate]

What To Do After Being Injured In A Hit And Run Car Accident

How Hit And Run Insurance Works

The worst-case situation is that there was more damages than you assumed, or somebody was hurt. If that happens, you're covered if you have actually complied with the 3 actions to preventing category as a hit and run. If you're entailed in a crash that damages any kind of building, you have a task to comply with comparable policies as you would certainly if it were a roadway mishap with an additional auto.

You additionally should call the local police department and make a record. There are scenarios when you may not realize you dedicated a hit and also runfor example, if the effect was so minimal that you really did not feel it, or if you hit an animal without recognizing it. If you're charged with misdemeanor hit as well as run, your lawyer can attempt the defense that you really did not recognize you 'd created damage.

What about the various other side of this formula? Let's check out 2 situations: You finish your purchasing and go back to the vehicle parking lot to find that your car was dented. There's no note and also no person experienced the hit and run. Leave your auto where it is since it's currently safely in a parking area.

Who Pays In A Hit And Run Accident?

It's vital that you do this instantly because typically, security video is just conserved for a short time period. If you were just in the store for a hr, you need to conveniently be able to pin down the time frame that needs to be assessed. Whether there is or isn't security video clip, your following action is to call the police.

If you see any physical evidence, like a piece of the other automobile's body or the color of the paint scrape, point that bent on the cops. It may assist to determine the hit and also run driver. You quit at a quit indicator and also another chauffeur rear-ends you. It's not a hard accident, but sufficient that you really felt the impact and also expect that your car was damaged.

What currently? Initially, see if your travelers need clinical attention. Second, relocate your auto out of website traffic by drawing off to the side where it's a refuge to quit. If you can recall any information about the car that strike you, note them right away before you forget. If there are any type of other motorists or viewers at the scene who saw the hit and run, ask for their contact details if you have the ability to do so before they drive away.

Who Pays In A Hit And Run Accident?

Regardless, you need to call the cops as well as get a report that details damages to your car, your injuries if you have them, and also any kind of various other evidence they can acquire from the scene. Making an insurance case after a hit and run crash is similar to any other kind of automobile accident.

Naturally, it's far better to do it much earlier than that. If the chauffeur who committed the hit and run is identified, your insurance company will make a case to the other chauffeur's insurer for the problems. Otherwise, your collision coverage should cover damages to your vehicle, yet detailed protection will certainly not.

If you only carry the minimum protection, you may not be covered in a hit as well as run. If the driver in a hit and run isn't determined, you'll be accountable for paying the expense of your deductible, although you're not liable.

Pursuing Compensation After A Hit-and-run Accident

Here's some even more info about just how to manage an insurance claim after a hit and also run: If your insurance claim is small and you're satisfied with what the insurance provider offers for problems, you're probably prepared. However if things aren't working well, you may require to speak to a vehicle accident legal representative.

Inform your tale - What would you want others to understand? Inform us what occurred in your crash, as well as exactly how life has transformed for you.

In Memphis, a hit-and-run crash is specified as an accident in which the at-fault chauffeur in a mishap leaves the scene of the crash prior to trading any details. This takes place typically in rear-end crashes, particularly if the crash was not also extreme. Under Tennessee regulation, motorists that are associated with car mishaps are called for to quit at the scene or close by, also when no person is injured and there is just residential or commercial property damages to the automobiles.

Hit And Run Accident Attorney

It is a criminal activity to leave the scene of an accident, and if the authorities discover the culprit, the motorist would certainly be prosecuted for their conduct. Nonetheless, it is not constantly feasible to find the various other motorist in these scenarios, so a hit-and-run cars and truck mishap attorney might help recuperate problems from one more resource.

With hit-and-run mishaps, maybe likely the perpetrator is already in trouble. The person that triggered the crash can be driving without a permit or insurance or might be driving a stolen car.

A hit-and-run car crash case differs from various other types of vehicle mishap cases in 2 means. The very first one is the way in which the culprit is found. When the wrongdoer is discovered after leaving the scene of a mishap, their insurance provider has actually been placed in an unfavorable position since they know that if the case litigates, their vehicle driver is mosting likely to be required to admit that they left the scene.

What To Do After Being Injured In A Hit And Run Car Accident

For that reason, the insurance provider fear to solve cases with a settlement in which their chauffeur left the scene. Hit and run vehicle drivers may not be able to lie right away, yet in some instances, the authorities exploring the automobile accident can be able to track down the chauffeur. The authorities can take particular steps, such as talking to any kind of witnesses and reviewing offered video footage of the accident, to attempt and also recognize the hit and run driver.

#Youtube

[sarahali199x]

The Animals of the House I Loved Chapter 3-5

3./25 Vincent, the Dog Warning: Description Death and Bloodshed Not long after I was born, my parents had a dog. His name was Vincent, named after the painter. I remember him like this: he was neither big nor small, but I remember him a little bigger. He looks like a mix between Bobbie from Tintin and Lassie. He was white with light brown and dark brown spots. He had short, (but not so short) thick hair. Vincent was a nice dog. We went for a walk in the park with him and played with the branch. But I don't remember so much, except that I liked him. Unlike Noel, he didn't bite. He was afraid of thunder and fireworks. Then he would always cry. Mum said that Vincent was a weird dog, that sometimes he had a lot of pretensions, that he wanted a lot. My parents had the bad habit of letting the dog sleep in their bed. Apparently Vincent would sometimes bark in the middle of the night to signal that he wanted to lie between mum and mooka. That's a lot of courage for a dog!

Unfortunately, Vincent had suffered a gruesome ending. Our family was leaving for a day trip, I don't remember where to. I was about 6 or 7 years old. We had forgotten something. So mooka stopped with her car on our street, across the street from our house.

Mooka crossed the street and opened the front door, apparently the door to the hallway was open. Vincent wanted to go to us. So as soon as the door was open, he ran to us. 'Vincent!' cried mooka, trying to stop him.

It was unfortunately then that a bastard, who had snorted a line of coke, drove too fast in his daddy's expensive car and ran into Vincent! Vincent had survived the collision and ran away. He may have had a concussion and he was completely confused. The spoiled boy was mad at my parents because there is a dent or a blood stain on his fathers car. He immediately called the police "to fine my parents", instead of feeling guilty, asking my parents to look for them or help them search themselves. Mum later told me that this got the boy in trouble because the police gave him a drug test, which was positive. I remember when my family and I went into the police car. My parents filled out forms from the police, and then the police drove us around, I can't remember why. Did the police help us search? Did they take my parents to the police station? Mum and mooka got phone calls from friends and co-workers. They told them they saw their dog and where. One colleague said she saw our dog in a parking lot she wanted to grab him by the collar, but Vincent ran away from her. We called for Vincent from the police car, hoping that he would hear us, and come to us. My parents dropped us off with their friends. Lien and Hilda. That's where we played with Tim and Matilda. We were worried for Vincent. My parents got a call that they had seen Vincent along the highway. Their hearts sank, this couldn't be good. Mum and mooka went there and got a phone call that someone had seen something laying along the highway. The following descriptions are rather gory. My mum and mooka found Vincent in two on the highway. They couldn't leave him there. They dug a hole, they would walk back and forth to carry Vincent's body to the hole. Mooka told Vincent's eyes were white, and when he lay in the hole, it seemed as if he were looking at her. They closed the hole. A few days later they realized that it might be illegal to bury just an animal on a public ground, but it had already happened, and no one said anything about it. Mum kept the collar of Vincent after she had washed it well. It was weird living near the street where Vincent was hit by the car. Until now I still live there, but the memory has settled in the past, and for me personally this event is less 'present' in the street now. I remember as a child to see a blood stain on our street. Was it Vincent's blood? Was it even blood, in the first place? Maybe, I remember it wrong. Either way, it's scary to be confronted with such things at such a young age. Poor Vincent, you had to leave this world too early and in such a painfully confusing way… Vincent, I will never forget you. Our dear dog, your life was short but beautiful. Wherever you are, be happy!

4./25 Climb up! (Ivy) I know that plants don't really count as pets, but they are living things and I do have some fond memories of them. I never had a garden but we had a small courtyard. There we had two climbing plants, common ivy. One for me and one for my brother. I liked having that. Eventually the courtyard was renovated and the plants disappeared. But now I have many common Ivy's as potted plants, and they keep growing! :) 5./25 Fly Applesauce Warning: Dead, Flies, Maggots You see, my grandfather likes to fish and I was about 5 years old. Grandpa had maggots that he used as bait for fishing. They were maggots in a small plastic jar. I also had a jar, but a round one with a magnifying glass from above, especially for insects. Grandpa gave me one of his maggots and did it in that jar. I was very happy with my new pet. Mum asked me what to call him and said 'Applesauce!' as a joke, but mum didn't know it was a joke, and so the fly was called Applesauce. We gave him lettuce, and tried to take good care of it. One day he became a cocoon. What would emerge from it? How exiting.

Mum said he was going to be a big noisy blowfly. In my mind I already saw him flying around, I was so happy. A few days passed, I woke up and looked in the jar. I was sad, he had come out of his cocoon, but he died instantly. He was a fly that lay on the ground with his paws up. Mum and I

gently poured him by the tree, on the street near our house. Rest In Peace Applesauce!

#life #pets #pet #animal #animals #dog #dogs #blog #diary #real life #reallife #love #personal #writing #written #drama #personal post #life update #ramblings #rant #boredom

[caraudiocitysd]

Can You Vinyl Wrap A Peeling Car?

Every year, more and more drivers choose vinyl car wrap as an alternative to investing in a new paint job: usually because it’s less expensive, and because it opens the door to a wide variety of different color options. But not so fast — often the cars in most dire need of a paint job, have problems that can’t be solved by a vinyl car wrap. A vinyl wrap won’t hide dents, for example, and cannot stick to rust. However, not all bad paint jobs are created equal. While some paint problems run too deep to hide beneath a thin vinyl wrap, there may be hope for a car with a peeling outer coat.

Paint Problems That Can’t Be Solved With Vinyl Car Wrap

As much as we’d all love vinyl car wraps to fix any blemishes to your car’s exterior, some common paint problems can’t be fixed. Let’s look at deep scratches and chips. The success of a sleek, vinyl car wrap installation requires a smooth, even surface for the vinyl to bond to. A deep scratch, or just chipped paint, mars this surface, and will lead to bubbles and other distortions in the vinyl. As mentioned, a paint job so worn the car body has started to rust, also creates a problem spot that vinyl can’t cling to. Most vinyl wraps are too thin to actually cover up that sort of thing anyway. For similar reasons, poor pain jobs resulting in too much paint — the dreaded, pebbled texture of orange peel paint job — cannot be cosmetically fixed with a vinyl wrap.

Many of these conditions are especially ironic because vinyl car wraps are actually outstanding at protecting a car’s paint job. If the car had benefitted from a vinyl car wrap in the first place, its original paint job would probably still be in great shape.

So, Can You Vinyl Wrap A Peeling Car? It’s Complicated.

The good news for those with a peeling car is: the short answer is yes, vinyl wrap can be applied to a peeling car. Especially if it’s peeling clear coat. BUT! Doing so requires an extra step. Peeling and flaking paint lead to all of the same issues as chips, scratches, and rust. However, in the case of peeling paint, the painted surface can be corrected by getting it sanded, or feathered, by a body shop. This eliminates all the peeling or flaking areas and smooths out any edges, so in the hands of an expert installer, the vinyl will bond to the surface as intended.

However, while feathering a peeling paint job may successfully prep a car for vinyl wrap, that doesn’t mean every vinyl wrap will look good. When wrapping a peeling car, it helps to know which kind of wraps to choose, and which to avoid.

Wraps That Are Not A Good Choice For A Peeling Car

Though most vinyl car wraps are thick enough to change your car’s color and finished appearance, they may too thin to obscure drastic changes in surface color or texture. Many vinyl wrap options will not adequately conceal paint peels, even after they’ve been sanded. Glossy vinyl wraps, for example, get their appeal from looking shiny, perfect, and new. But they can’t accomplish this if the paint beneath exhibits uneven color and texture.

Other popular vinyl wrap effects that will struggle over peeling paint include the shimmering, two-tone look of color flip, or color shift, wraps; and chameleon wraps, which appear to change color depending on which angle you look at them. Despite their two-tone appearances, these looks will fall flat in areas that have been sanded over peeling paint.

Wraps That Can Work Well For Peeling Car

So which types of vinyl work well to wrap a peeling car? Usually, those featuring their own patterns or graphics. Carbon fiber wraps, for example, tend to be a little thicker, and also obscure any underlying colors or textures due to the small, repeating geometric patterns that make the look so appealing. Any camouflage pattern should also work, as uneven colors and shapes are baked into its design. Of course, graphic vinyl wrap applications may obscure whatever is happening beneath the vinyl, especially the notorious sticker bomb pattern, which can make it look like thousands of stickers have covered your ride, bumper to bumper. If you’re looking for a solid vinyl wrap to cover paint peel, some peel jobs may be obscured by a thick, black matte finish, if it’s dark enough and flat enough that below-the-surface differences can’t shine through.

Find Out Whether Your Car Is Ready For A Vinyl Wrap

Do you have a peeling car in need of a vinyl wrap? Come see us at Car Audio City in San Diego, CA to find out if it can be made ready for a vinyl car wrap! Give us a call today at [phone] for a free quote,

#Car Wrap #Car Wrapping #Car Vinyl Wrap #Vehicle Wraps

[delphoxqueen]

Deuce Gorgon’s Journal- Wave 1 (2009)

-Go to the bottom of the post for the actual journal images-

This Journal Belongs to:

Deuce Gorgon

Keep your eyes off my journal or you’ll spend the rest of your life as a lawn ornament.

Name: Deuce Gorgon

School: Monster High

Unlock More Online: MHDGSNAKE

July 1

Another day of doing exactly what I wanted to do… I can hardly wait for school to start… how many times would I need to write that line before I started to believe it?

July 15

It rained today which totally wrecked my plans to try out my new skate deck. I sat on the porch turning flies into pebbles until Mom yelled that they were putting dents in the deck… wish this rain would hurry up and stop.

July 16

Dude- I love Mom’s killer Greek food but that’s like ALL she ever cooks. I wanted to make this scary good Ghoulash recipe I found but Mom said it wasn’t “a proper meal for a growing boy”. Mom rocks and all but sometimes she acts like I’m still 10 years old or something.

Ghoulash

2 Pounds Growled Beef

1 Small Onion; Guillotined

1/2 Mean Smell Pepper; Drawn and Quartered

1 Jar Monsternara Sauce

8 Ounces Uncrooked Elbows Macaroni

1/2 Cup Water

1 Tablespoon Grrrlic Salt

1/2 Teaspoon Black Plague Pepper

1 Cup Shredded Muenster Cheese

July 18

Went to the park to try and find a pickup game of casketball but there was nobody on the courts except some lame human kid. I was gonna slide out of there but he asked if I wanted to play some one on one. I figured it wouldn’t take long to make him look like a statue out there but I was wrong. He had a scary good jump shot and even crossed me over a couple of times. I had just started to play really hard when my glasses got knocked off and broke. Now I have to figure out a way to get home without stoning someone but dude just took off his shades and handed them over to me. He said to keep them until I got home and he’d get them later. Told me his name is Jackson Jekyll. He said he wants rematch. I told him any time, any place. Not a bad guy… for a human.

August 18

Perseus ate all of Mom’s fetid cheese this morning. It’s not his fault he’s a rat and cheese is like his favorite thing. Mom threatened to turn him into a paper weight if he so much as sniffed the kitchen so I kept him out of her sight for the rest of the day.

August 19

Went to the maul today cause Mom dropped some cash on me for school clothes and I wanted to see if I could find some new kicks that didn’t look like something a human would wear. No luck. I WAS digging this cookbook I found at this kitchen store until Clawdeen Wolf walked by and said something stupid. I was totally going to stone her but Clawdeen walked up and so I didn’t. I’m not afraid of any monster but he’s on the team and I didn’t want to start any trouble with him.

August 23

Took Cleo de Nile out tonight. I was like five minutes late and she spent the first part of the date treating me like a statue. I guess it’s all part of dating royalty which is cool but dating royalty is also stone cold expensive. I was hoping she’d want to hang out and order a Screechzza but she chose prime rib instead and there went the money I was saving for those wicked new shades I wanted. I thought the food was killer but she ended up sending her meal back like a hundred times. I felt bad for the waiter and the chef especially since it’s kinda what I’d like to do one day. I didn’t say much after we left so she probably thought I was mad at her.

August 25

So I’ve been trying to talk Mom into letting me get my driver’s license but she’s totally not being cooperative like… at all. Every time I bring it up she crosses her arms and her hair gets all hissy. Then I get the lecture about how when she was my age she didn’t have a car and got along just fine. One time I made the big mistake of telling her that nobody had a car when she was my age because they hadn’t been invented yet. Dude. Not a good idea. She said, “We didn’t have skateboards either!” And I had to walk everywhere I went for the next two weeks. I think she may be coming around though, cause now she waits until after listening to my reasons for wanting my license to tel me to go clean my room. Well one thing’s for certain, I may not be getting a license or a car any time soon but I will definitely not be riding on the school hearse this year. No way no how.

September 1

I got my regular pre school year letter about making sure I wear my shades at all times when I’m on campus… whatever.

I mean first of all when I turn someone to stone they don’t stay that way; that’s my Mom okay? It only lasts up to twenty-four hours and usually not even that long.

Second of all you don’t shatter like glass if you fall over and people can’t break off pieces of you so when you turn back your ear lobes are gone or something.

Thirdly you still know what’s going on around you so it’s not like you missed anything.

And lastly it’s not like I want to turn my friends into rock stars anyway although some-times it is kinda fun to let them think that I might.

September 6

Nothing on television ✓

No new video games I haven’t played and beaten- TWICE on the hardest level ✓

Mom starting to find new and unusual chores to keep me busy ✓

Cleo de Nile starting continuing to find new and unusual ways for me to spend money on her ✓ ✓ ✓

The sweet life of summer about to be replaced by the grind of the school year ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓

Name: Deuce Gorgon

Age: 16

Monster Parent: Medusa

Killer Style: I really love casketball and …well…cooking, which I wouldn’t tell a soul.

Freaky Flaw: I have to wear sunglasses to keep from turning my friends to stone. It only lasts 24 hours but I still hate accidentally causing a friend to rock out.

Pet: Perseus is my two-tailed rat named for an Ancient Greek warrior Mom knew. She doesn’t think it’s funny.

Favorite Activity: Playing casketball and cooking.

Biggest Pet Peeve: People who annoy me.

Favorite School Subject: Culinary Arts- (see below)

Least Favorite School Subject: Culinary Arts- I pretend to hate it but it’s really the best class at Monster High.

Favorite Color: Neon green

Favorite Food: Greek Monster Fusion- It’s my own creation.

BFF’s: Cleo de Nile Jackson Jekyll

#monster high #monsterhigh #monster high dolls #deuce gorgon #cleo de nile

[tommyspeakycap]

Painted Roses

jordan henderson x reader

word count - 2k I think

jordan takes you back to the place it all began as you expand your life together.

second part to Rose Garden

4 years to the date.

The country house with the long gravel road that lead up to the huge red brick cottage. The owner passed away over a year ago and their family, to Jordan’s utter shock, weren’t interested in maintaining the beautiful home as the wedding venue it had existed as in the past. The second he heard it was up for sale, he placed an offer and had the keys in the space of two weeks.

“Jordan where are we going?”

“You’ll see.” He promises, giving your hand a gentle squeeze where it sat on top of your knee. The blindfold is making you sweat more than you already were. “I can’t see anything.” You note pointedly with a roll of your eyes behind the blindfold. Jordan chuckles heartily with what you can imagine in your mind is his signature smile, all white teeth and crinkled eyes. “You’ll love it,” he says through that smile, “I promise.” His hand pats your knee again as a silence falls between you.

Gravel crunches beneath the wheels of his fancy black Mercedes as the smell of cut grass and fresh flowers enters your nose and makes you grin subconsciously in a way you barely even notice. Jordan catches sight of that out the corner of his eye and his heart grows with joy in his chest. The slow, careful turn of his car, paired with the sound of his hands sliding along the leather of the wheel alert you to his parking. He does so with ease and you hear the keys jangling as he shuts off the engine.

“Wait here,” he instructs, climbing out his side with the door thrown shut behind him. He’s round at your side of the car before you have a chance to think up a cheeky retort. He’s gentle as he always is when he helps you out of the car carefully, wrapping one arm around your waist so you don’t fall. Admittedly, it doesn’t work very well because the ground beneath is so incredibly uneven, so when he gets to that first smooth grey cement step, he opts to simply scoop you up into his arms with ease.

“Okay,” he begins, placing you down as you feel the smooth material covering your eyes loosening and slipping from your face. His hands replace it for only a moment as he presses a kiss to the side of your head from behind you. “Open.”

You do as told and tears spring in place of his hands to blur your vision.

It’s beautiful.

It was that Victorian style country home that once acted as a wedding venue, redecorated to a minimum. “Wanted it to look nice for you, but so that you can give it your touch. You know better than me.” He admits sheepishly with a pink tint to his cheeks. You beam at him tearily, hands clasped together in sheer joy. “God Jordan, you shouldn’t have!” You exclaim, tears bleeding over your lash line. You knew how expensive these types of homes were, never mind ones so big with such history to them. It hadn’t even made much of a dent for Jordan really. He had more money than either of you could ever have spent and he likes to remind you of that to ensure you know full and well his gentle spoiling of you is not a hardship for him. He actively loves to do it.

“Take it as an anniversary present.” He shrugs, trying to fight at the smile that was tugging his lips. The warmth of your hug and the tears seeping through his white shirt was all a welcome to him no matter how hot it was outside. He could not wait to come home to this house, be welcomed home by you and hopefully some littler mixtures of you and him with your eyes and smile. “Makes my present look a little rubbish now,” you jest, making him chuckle heartily.

The house needed a fair bit of work. New flooring, new carpets, your furniture from home would do just fine but you reckon Jordan will be all for new stuff for a new home. A few new coats of paint and nice clear out, but all in it was still absolutely gorgeous.

“There is one room I really wanted to show you though, if that’s okay?” He asks, keeping his eyes trained down on the floor. You furrow your brows, but nod your head. “I gotta grab something from the car first though?” You hum, detangling your hand from his, “And pee.”

He tilts his head like a curious puppy. “Again? You went right before we left?” He queries. You shrug your shoulders indifferently. “Since when do you question a woman’s toilet habits at that point in the month, Henderson?” You poke with a blush and a light giggle. He chuckles with you and holds up his hands in defeat, but the second your out of eye and earshot his shoulders fall and a sigh bursts out his lips. He wouldn’t let it show to you right now his disappointment. You hadn’t been trying long, but it was enough for him to be in the longing stage. Longing to see your swollen belly, longing to feel those tiny kicks against his hands and then hold his brand new baby for the first time, spend all those nights wide awake wishing for nothing but sleep while he cradled them through to the morning. You said it would happen when it happened, but it still ached with every negative test. Hearing you say you were on your period hurt a little more than he had anticipated, but he’s still heart set on showing what he had done with the short time he was able to keep this new home a secret.

You return with your handbag and take his hand. He is instinctive in those soft movements of his thumb over the back of your hand. It’s something he always does to sooth both you and him.

“So this is the master bedroom and I know it’s not quite good yet but I thought-“

“Jordan it’s beautiful,” you cut him off, your hand drifting out of his as you step in slowly. Being cautious of dust sheets and some tools, you walk into the massive room. You’d never been in a bedroom that big and it had blown you away. The huge bed, still with plastic attacked and tags on the mattress. The en-suite bathroom is marble worktops, one of those huge bathtubs and a walk in shower updated to a beautiful mixture of modernity and it’s antique homage. Tears are found again. The window gives a perfect view out the back of the house, rolling fields worth of garden space, loosely fenced in for acres into the distance. There’s a pond on the land a little to the left, not far at all that leads off towards the beginning of the hidden Rose Garden where you met Jordan 4 years ago today. All of that owned and shared by just you and the man you love. “Bloody hell, it’s so magnificent Jordan. I literally have no words.”

He beams shyly almost, “That’s how I feel about you.” He mumbles softly, almost too quiet for you to hear, like he didn’t want you to. “What’s through here?” You call behind you as he trails after you on anxious legs. You carry on through the very short pathway attached to the master bedroom that had some extra storage space. “Well uh..I haven’t finished that so maybe we should just an-“

“Oh my god.”

Jordan rubs nervously at the back of his throat as he enters into the connecting room behind you. His eyes take you in immediately, studying your features carefully. Your hands are clasped over your mouth with slow tears sliding down over your rosy cheeks. Your eyes are afire with love and happiness. “I know it’s weird but-“

“It’s perfect, Jordan.” You throw your arms around his neck, his arms finding you immediately as he buries his head into your shoulder.

It’s the only room with a new carpet yet. It’s soft beneath your shoes, a plush cream colour to match a white wall. The window on the back wall gives the same fantastic view you have in the master room. There’s a white crib pushed against the wall furthest from you with a mobile of twinkling toys dangling above and a baby changing table a little away from the top end of the crib stocked full of pampers and baby cream. In the right corner of the room just by the window is a white wooden rocking chair next to a little book shelf with baby books that had a couple plush teddies and a photo of you and Jordan 4 years ago sitting atop it. The other side corner is decked out with two beanbag seats, a soft baby mat and a bundle of all sorts of soft toys.

“Left that wall blank ‘cause I remember that day you told me you’d always wanted to paint it like the sky.” He recounts, pointing his finger at the wall that the crib was situated next to, making your head whip towards him. He had such a fantastic memory even for the little things you said, just like that. You barely even remember it, spoken under the stars as you’d fallen asleep on his shoulder. It gives you no doubt about having kids with him, the thought of him remembering your babies favourite little treats or ineffective toddler secrets makes your heart soar with pride and joy. “Look closer at that.” He turns you round so your facing that wall again, the one with the little cosy corner.

Painted on the wall intricately above it is that rose arbor your stood underneath when he first laid his eyes on you. Where he first had that dance with you, where he told you he wanted to see you again. Where you snuck into when it was late, dark and only lit by those same fairly lights so he could tell you he loved you for the first time all those years ago. The roses are painted in perfect colour, careful and precise in the way they hung around you for that first ever dance you shared together. It’s so beautiful and so lifelike you that get lost in it, reliving the moment your world came together. Every time you sit there, it’ll be like sitting under real thing when you can’t take the baby out there.

“Well this makes my present a little more fitting, then.” You sniffle, letting Jordan swipe the tears gently off your cheeks with the pads of his thumbs in a slow, loving motion. “What do you mean?” He asks, “I told you not to get me anything.” He crossed his arms over his chest as you rifle through your bag. “Okay okay, here. Open this.”

You hand over a small gift bag, one stuffed with tissue paper he has to tear through as you sit your bag down and wait, watching him with wide and watery eyes. He pulls out first the tiny little wad of fabric and places the gift bag on top of the white wooden dresser, carefully unravelling the rolled up clothes. “That’s bloody adorable.” He breathes out, trying to keep the tears he has inside his eyes to no avail. You wrap your arm around his back, rubbing his tight shoulders softly. “Look at the back.” You encourage, his eyes meet yours then look back to the tiny clothes.

HENDERSON

8

With a little picture taped carefully to the bottom that he peels off with shaky, tentative fingers. “No way!” He booms, jumping back from you in shock. He looks down at the picture, up at you, back down at the picture, then up at you again with tears slipping over his cheeks. “But you said-“

“It was a surprise!” You squeal back as he swoops forward and scoops you into his arms, spinning you around in glee. “So no food poising? And no period?” He giggled out like a schoolgirl in shock. You shake your head. “Morning sickness and just a diversion. We’re having a baby!”

“We’re having a baby!” He repeats, louder. His words bounce of the walls that can barely contain the happiness inside of them. Threatening to burst at the seams as it fills beyond belief. This room, though incomplete, is perfect. Because you are in it together. Here, together in each other’s arms sharing in joy just like you’ve both shared in pain, hurt, love, happiness, nerves and everything else along the way. Head on, together.

“And this,” Jordan holds up the little football strip with his name printed across the back, his england appointed number proudly underneath, “This is perfect. You,” he pauses, leaning forward to capture your lips in his, “Are perfect.” His hands wander down to your stomach, placed gently over where his pea sized baby currently exists, growing and feeding on the love he intends to drown them in just like he does to you, “Both of you…perfect.”

It is perfect, really. Your love is. Even when it isn’t, it is. When he’s gone too long and you can’t see him because of a pandemic; the effort is made, emotions are shared. He tells you he misses you and his ego is never too big for its space in your relationship. When the world is against him or when fate turns against you both, it’s in each other’s arms that you find solace even if space is needed first. There’s an understanding of the love you have. It’s special. The kind that only a lucky few seem to find these days, a one people can look at and spot from a mile away. It’s beautiful, it’s own space taking entity that makes you both target to significant teasing from friends and family alike. It’s perfect.

Even when you fight over what blue is better to represent the sky just because your pregnant and too hormonal to admit he’d found the right colour before you did. Even when he coats you in paint that ends in an all out paint war, thankful you both removed all the furniture before painting. Even when you sob as your body changes, with pregnant emotions skewing your mind and making you question whether he’ll ever be attracted to you again, he’ll remind you that he’s never been more attracted to you than now. Housing his child, taking the aches, the pains and the changes like a true champ while he can do nothing but rub your feet and buy you ridiculous quantities of Solero ice creams. He’ll remind you in more ways that one just how perfect you are to him. Love by it’s very nature is as messy as that paint fight. It’s up and down and all over the place all the time. But the kind of love that you and Jordan have is a special that doesn’t waver, doesn’t dull or dim or change through time.

If anything, each day he loves you more. Even if he was convinced it wasn’t possible. But then it just was. Seeing you red in the face with sweat dripping over your forehead and tears leaking from your squeezed shut eyes as your screams echo through the room. All he could do was coax and coach, trying to tell you how proud of you he was. Even when you screamed that you despised him, he laughed and told you to squeeze his hand a little harder. It hurt, but that was nothing compared to the pain that you were enduring from multiple areas of your body as that baby ripped through you to make her grand entrance to the world, kicking and screaming just like the fighter her mother was. He thought his heart might burst with the amount of love he has, surely that’s as good as it gets?

No. No, it gets better still.

Everyday it’s better. Better when he gets to watch that woman that he loves so much sing to his tiny baby daughter, rocking in that chair under the painted rose arbor as she feeds from you. The most beautiful, natural thing in the world and he is enthralled by it. Watching you giggle at her she coos up at you. Placing her down in the crib beneath the gentle jingling of the cloud themed mobile next to the pale, sky blue coloured wall, blossoms falling, trickling down through clouds from a painted blossom tree on the wall and rose petals in variations of pink and red along the bottom of the crib. Roses and rose petals just like the ones that surrounded you on the day you danced with each other in under the trees of the garden that summer night. Roses like the ones you stood under to profess your love for one another. Roses, like the ones he took a knee beside, beneath and with one in his hand to give to you as he asked for your hand. Roses like you would stand beneath with one pinned to the breast of his suit to say the vows that would tie you in law to one another and to give you his name. Roses like the ones painted on the far wall, still fresh when you shared the news of that baby girl’s existence. Roses that were such an important symbol of the love you shared, pure and beautiful, sometimes painful but always worth the fight. Those roses painted on that crib with space for just one word carved into the wood.

Rose.

Your own beautiful little Rose.

#jordan henderson #jordan henderson imagines #jordan henderson imagine #jordan henderson x reader #england national team imagine #england national team #footie fics #footballer fics #football fics

[polaroid15]

Parker Luck

Summary: Two weeks after the Vulture-incident, Tony buys a parenting book. Too bad there isn't a chapter on Parker luck.

Read on Ao3 HERE :)

------

Two weeks after the Vulture fiasco, Tony buys a book called ‘Parenting for Dummies’.

He almost immediately regrets the purchase and hides it in a drawer in the lab, not yet brave enough to face it. Then one day he spends three hours squished against Peter’s side, listening to the boy ramble about everything under the sun while they adjust his web shooters. It hits Tony like a brick wall, and when Peter bounces out of the lab after teaching Tony a complicated handshake he knows he’ll never remember, he swears under his breath.

He shouldn’t be surprised, really. He had known it from that very first moment in the kid’s bedroom in Queens.

For once, denial has gotten him nowhere.

After his eyes ache from staring at the door Peter had disappeared from, Tony stands, stretches out a kink in his lower back, and grabs the book from the drawer before he can lose his nerve. Still standing, he traces his thumb over the word Parenting on the cover.

Retreat, his mind begs. Stop. Before it’s too late.

But deep down, he knows he’s already in too deep.

With a heavy sigh and a pressing warmth in his chest, Tony flips the pages to chapter one.

--------

Peter calls it ‘Parker luck’.

Tony calls it the source of his ever-increasing gray hair.

When Peter stumbles into the Tower covered in blood and delirious from a nasty hit to the head, Tony thinks he’ll pass out from the sudden weight of his worry. It only takes some gentle coaxing and seven stitches to make it better, but the unease sits in Tony’s gut long after Peter falls asleep. When the boy wakes up, he apologizes until Tony snaps at him not too.

“It’s the Parker luck, Mr. Stark,” Peter tells him, his head wrapped like a mummy on halloween. “It gets me everytime.”

Parenting for Dummies Chapter Three: Listen. “A nasty concussion doesn’t exactly sound like luck to me, kid.”

“Oh, well it’s not good luck,” Peter clarifies with a weak smile. “In fact it’s really bad luck. Exceptionally bad.”

“You’re killing me here.”

“Did you know that I slipped on a banana peel once? A banana peel. I was on crutches for three weeks in middle school.”

Tony’s worry melts into a hesitant amusement. He sits back on his stiff medbay chair and makes a distant note to invest in a better one. “That is pretty lousy luck, kiddo.”

“And it just keeps getting worse,” Peter says. “Getting bitten by a radioactive spider, crashing Flash’s car, or the fact that I spent homecoming destroying a plane while fighting my date’s dad.”

“I hope this Parker luck of yours isn’t contagious,” Tony jokes, but something in Peter’s eyes darkens. He leans back against the white sheets, chewing on his bottom lip. Tony thinks again of chapter three, of the subtitle that prompts to push at the right times, and takes the liberty. “What is it, kid?”

Peter closes his eyes and gives a watery smile. “Nothing, Mr. Stark. Sorry.”

And because he’s an idiot, Tony believes him. Something tells him he needs to buy Parenting for Dummies 2.

--------

When Peter saves a school bus full of third graders from a thirteen car pileup at the expense of his collar bone, Tony rereads his book, this time with a highlighter in hand.

He wishes there was a section on Parker luck.

This time, he’s less careful about where he reads. Pepper catches him one night, her eyebrows disappearing behind her bangs in her surprise. Her smile is genuine. “Is that what I think it is?” she asks.

“Maybe.”

“Oh God, please don’t tell me you’re pregnant.”

Tony rolls his eyes and dog ears his page before setting it aside. “I am, actually. And sorry to break it to you, but you’re not the father.”

Pepper laughs and sits on the arm of the couch. She runs her hand through his hair and he can’t help but lean into her touch. “This is about Peter,” she says.

His first instinct is to deny it. He feels vulnerable in a way he isn’t used to. “So what if it is?”

“He’s a good kid.”

“I know.”

“He’s making you soft.”

Tony scoffs, but doesn’t deny it. Not with Parenting for Dummies on his lap. “He’s stressing me out, is what he’s doing.”

“He really cares about you, Tony. I see it every time he’s over here.”

His body betrays him by the gentle swoop in his stomach. His mouth twitches in a smile. “I care about him too.”

“You’re a good example to him. He needs someone like you in his life. Especially after what happened to his parents. And his Uncle.”

And then it clicks. Parker luck. Tony’s mouth goes dry.

“I’m trying,” is all he manages to whisper. The book in his lap seems to increase by ten.

Pepper leans over him, pressing her lips into his hair. “I know.”

---------

It’s his and Peter’s fifth mission together.

Today, they’re going up against “the Detonator”, a crazed woman with an affinity for making bombs and setting them off in busy neighbourhoods. She’s armed with a team of rocket-launcher-wielding henchmen, and it’s taking every effort to keep the city in one piece.

Most of the block has been evacuated, thanks to Peter. Tony remembers chapter seven and shoots the boy some praise over their coms. Steve, who’s joined them for the day’s fight, agrees with clipped enthusiasm.

“Thanks guys!” Peter says in his usual animation. “These rocket launchers are no joke. Have you ever seen the movie-”

But whatever it is, it’s lost in the deafening sound of an explosion. He hears Peter swear over the com and Tony’s blood runs cold. Three blocks down, an orange fireball balloons into the air. Steve is already running, his shield tucked into his chest.

Tony shoots off into the sky.

---------

Peter thought they had everything under control.

Until rocket launcher man number 3 decided to explode the bank off 47th street, that is.

He feels the heat from the explosion before he can process what happened. It rips across his back and throws him off his feet into a hot dog cart across the street. Rubble and ash rain down on parked cars and their alarms begin to sound.

“Crap,” Peter groans, shoving away the dented cart and stumbling to his feet. His ears are ringing.

“Pete?” Tony’s voice cuts through the haze. “We’re on our way. You alright?”

“Yeah,” he responds, breathless. His shoulder aches. “These guys are not in a good mood.”

“You can say that again.”

The man who had fired the shot runs up the steps of the bank, bypassing chunks of concrete. Peter limps after him.

“Sorry man,” Peter says when his opponent’s back is still turned. “It’s after hours.”

Startled, the man spins. Peter fires a web to disarm him and it only takes one swift punch to finish the job. He webs him to the floor and kicks the rocket launcher into the corner.

“Kid?” Tony lands beside him, faceplate lifting and his hands reaching to grab onto him. His grip is tight on Peter’s arms, and Peter is unsure which one of them Tony is trying to comfort. “You still in one piece?”

Peter’s ears are still ringing, a high pitched whine that makes his eye twitch. His ankle throbs and he can feel warmth spreading down his back from a cut on his shoulder. He nods anyway. “Are you?”

“Better now that I see you haven’t been barbecued.”

Steve joins them as Peter laughs off Tony’s worry. He’s breathing heavy, his forehead streaked with ash. “Someone sighted the Detonator. She’s heading east towards the Empire State Building.”

“Of course she is,” Tony sighs. Finally, he lets Peter go. “Ready for a field trip?”

But just as he says it, another violent explosion lights up the street across from them. Peter stumbles against the force. Tony grabs his arm, and Steve his shoulder, and he steadies. Through the black smoke, a child cries.

Chest tight, Peter takes a step forward before he’s yanked back. It’s Tony. His helmet hides his expression, but Peter can tell from his stiff posture that he’s worried. That he doesn’t want to separate.

As if sensing it too, Steve places a hand on Tony’s shoulder. “Peter and I will clear the rocket launchers. You go take care of the Detonator.”

“But-”

“She can’t get to it first, Tony. You’ll be the fastest.”

The crying continues, and Peter takes another step. This time, the metal fingers wrapped around his elbow loosen, letting him go. “You better watch him, Rogers.”

“Mr. Stark-”

“Don’t do anything stupid, kid.”

And then Tony is off, blasting off into the sky. Peter shivers against the hot air his exit leaves before turning to run towards the smoke and debris, Steve hot on his heels. Without hesitation, he jumps over the small flames and emerges on the other side, his throat closing up against the smoke.

The first thing Peter sees is the child, snot-nosed and hidden underneath the bed of a truck. His eyes widen when he sees them, a cry stopped short. “Spider-Man!” he yells.

“Get the kid,” Steve says. “I think I see our guy.”

And then he’s gone.

Peter doesn’t dwell on it, vaulting over a smashed mailbox and a stretch of broken glass to reach the kid’s side. He’s trembling, but his hands reach out. Trusting him.

“It’s alright,” Peter says, accepting the kid’s outstretched hands. “We’re okay. Do you know where your family is?”

The boy shakes his head, lip wobbling but obviously trying to be brave. “N-no. I lost them over there,” he says pointing down the street.

“Okay. No problem. Let’s go find them.”

He doesn’t give the boy an option to walk, but instead guides him to rest against his back. Small fingers lock together at the base of Peter’s throat, holding tight.

“What’s your name?” Peter asks as he heads in the direction the boy had pointed. Keep him distracted.

“Benny.”

Peter’s breath catches. “Nice to meet you, Benny. I’m Spider-Man.”

“I- I know.”

“Oh yeah?”

The boy’s head bobs against his back. “I see you on TV. And on the newspapers on the street. You fight bad guys.”

“I try too.”

“You’re awesome,” Benny says, and the shaking quality to his voice recedes.

“I think you’re the awesome one. You’re being so brave.”

“Brave?”

“Yeah, Benny. Even though it’s scary right now you’re still going.”

Benny sniffles. “Are you scared?”

“Nah,” Peter says. “I’ve got you to protect me.”

Against his back, Benny’s chest swells with a breath of a response, but before he can let the words lose a relieved cry erupts from their left. A woman in a pastel headscarf runs towards them, her arms outstretched. “Benny! My little Ben-”

“Mom!”

Peter maneuvers him to the ground and as soon as his small feet hit the ground he’s running. The pair meet in the middle of the street, their arms wrapping tight and their tears mixing. The mother’s eyes meet him from over Benny’s shoulder. “Thank you,” she says, every ounce of her emotion leaking into her words.

“Of course,” is all he can manage.

Once he’s sure they're safe and off the street, he deviates his attention to his coms. “Steve?” he asks over a private channel. “Where are you?”

For a long time, Steve doesn’t respond. Then just as Peter’s worry spikes the man’s voice fills his ears, pinched and strained. “By the river. I’m cornered.”

“Karen-” Peter starts, but Steve’s location pops up on his screen before he can ask further. He changes the trajectory of his swing and just barely avoids clipping his hip on the corner of a building. Then, to Steve, “I’m on my way!”

He finds the Captain in worse shape than he had expected. He’s hunched against an upturned car, it’s tires melted from the sheer heat of the destruction on the street. His shield is raised over his head to protect him from debris raining from the crumbling buildings.

Across the road, three of Detonator's accomplices are shooting the buildings around him, shrieking with glee whenever new glass shatters. Peter glides between the chaos before landing beside Steve. He scrapes his hands on the landing.

“Oh my god,” Peter says, flinching from another loud explosion. “What do we do?”

Steve grimaces, and it’s only now that Peter sees how messed up his leg is. It’s twisted at an unnatural angle, the material of his suit singed and still smoking around it.

“What the hell happened?” Peter gasps, feeling sick.

“It doesn’t matter. We need to get out of here.”

“Not with those crazy rocket guys standing guard. You can’t walk!”

“I can try.”

Adrenaline courses hot through Peter’s bloodstream. He peaks over the car and reassesses their opponents. “I can take them.”

“No. Tony said-”

“Tony isn’t here,” Peter argues. “Besides, I have my Peter tingle. I’ll be fine.”

“Peter tingle?”

“Be right back.”

“Wait!”

But Peter ducks out of cover, knowing that Steve won’t be able to stop him. He runs towards the one closest to him and hopes the element of surprise will be enough to take them down. It is, but barely, and now his cover is blown. The other two turn their weapons towards him and before he can suck in a breath, fire.

Peter swears and jumps high, the rockets whistling as they pass under his feet. They hit the edge of the sidewalk by the river, blowing it open and skipping chunks of debris into the water. Not wanting to wait for them to reload, Peter swings and takes them both out with a single kick. He lands in a messy roll, disoriented by the quickness of the fight.

“We’re clear!” he yells over to Steve, but even as he says it dread sits heavy in his gut. He takes one step towards the car before he hears it- a sharp release of air.

Fire blooms up at the base of the building closest to Steve, the crack of the impact enough to rattle Peter’s teeth and throw him to his knees. It’s the last straw. The building makes a horrible noise of grinding cement, like a scream, and Peter knows enough from experience that it’s close to collapse.

“Steve!”

He sprints to where the man is trying to limp away. His eyes find him, their blue shocking through the dust and smoke. “Peter. You have to get out of here-”

“Not without you.”

Before the man can object, Peter pulls his weight over his shoulder and makes it his burden. He wonders distantly where the fourth rocket launcher is and why they haven’t been blown sky high yet.

But then glass and cement falls down around them like rain, and Peter realizes. Because the building will finish the job for them.

“We’re not going to make it,” Steve says through ground teeth. His hold on Peter’s shoulder is bruising. “Peter, please.”

The building sways again. They have a couple seconds. Nothing more.

Then Peter sees it. A manhole.

“Here,” he gasps, dropping to his knees and tearing off the cover. Every alarm bell in his head is screaming, but it’s the only option. The only way they’ll both have a chance. “Go.”

Steve drops in, disappearing into darkness and landing below with an aborted shout. Peter kicks his legs in just as the building crumbles. Fear stops the breath in his chest and he slides the rest of the way in. He falls and lands hard, head spinning, before finding Steve’s arm in the darkness and pulling him deeper into the sewer.

There’s a couple moments of silence.

And then the world erupts.

Peter will remember later how the force of the impact threw both of them off their feet and how it was impossible to keep his grip on Steve’s arm. He’ll remember the deafening noise of the building smashing onto the street above them, of the great plume of dust that filled the tunnel and blinded him.

He’ll remember falling, his legs jelly, and struggling to his knees.

He’ll remember wishing he had called Tony.

But none of it registers in the moment. There’s only terror.

And then there’s nothing.

----------

“Peter. Come on. Work with me here.”

Awareness brings pain. He strays.

“Nope. No. Peter. Open your eyes.”

The voice belongs to Steve, Peter realizes in a stilted disorientation. Steve, who had been hurt. Steve, who sounds very much alive.

It’s enough for Peter to lift his heavy eyelids. His surroundings are dark, but he can see the Captain’s worried face swimming in front of him, warping in and out of focus as both of them release a breath of relief.

“Thank God,” Steve says.

“Are you okay?” Peter murmurs, surprised for a moment by how unwilling his vocal cords are to cooperate. There’s new blood on Steve’s face and the torso on his suit is torn.

“It’s you I’m more worried about.”

“Mm. Why?”

Steve might respond, but Peter doesn’t hear it, his awareness slipping like the close of a stage curtain. Strong hands shake him and the sting of his injuries are enough for him to struggle back into wakefulness.

“Stay awake, kid. Alright? Tony is on his way. Keep your eyes open.”

Peter didn’t remember closing his eyes, but sure enough, when he tries they open. “Tony?”

“He’ll be here soon.”

There’s a tightness in his chest, and Peter coughs against it. It sparks a sharp pain behind his ribs and he curls his fingers into the ground as Steve braces him by his shoulder. His ribs are definitely broken. His leg throbs and the skin on the right side of his face itches terribly with drying blood. He blinks a couple times to try and alleviate his double vision, but it does nothing.

“What happened?” Peter asks.

“You don’t remember?”

“Not really.”

Steve’s expression pinches like he’s just eaten something sour. “The building above us collapsed, but don’t worry about it too much. Tony will be here in a flash.”

Collapse. Peter sucks in a panicked breath and it makes him cough again. It hurts worse this time, and his vision goes gray. He comes back to himself in Steve’s lap, his whole body shuddering and then man’s hand clamped protectively against his back.

The new perspective shows Peter a growing red stain on the Captain’s side.

“Steve,” he gasps, uncoordinated fingers reaching out to press against the wound.

“It’s nothing.”

“It’s not- it’s not nothing-”

Before Steve can retaliate further, their coms crack back to life. Peter winces against it, his fingers reaching up to struggle with the edges of his mask. Steve pushes his hand away. “Leave it. It’s helping filter your air.”

“Peter? Rogers?” Tony’s voice comes through in a mess of static. It reminds Peter of Ben’s favorite radio station that had been broadcasted too far to have a good connection. “I’m here. Oh Christ, I’m here. Are you okay?”

“Steve’s hurt,” Peter mumbles. It’s important Tony knows.

“Rogers?”

“Just hurry, Tony,” Steve says. There’s a pressure in his voice that Peter’s too tired to translate.

“The explosion caused the river to flood. You’re under about three feet of water right now.”

“We’re airtight.”

“For now.”

Peter feels himself dip further into Steve’s lap and the man’s steadying hand is delayed. Weaker. “Peter? What did I tell you about staying awake.”

“What’s wrong with Peter?”

“Queens. I need you to put pressure on this for me. Don’t give up on me now.”

Peter groans. For once, he doesn’t care how young it makes him sound. He struggles up anyways and replaces his hand obediently over Steve’s side. It paints his hands red and he tries desperately not to think of Ben.

“Rogers-”

“I got it, Tony.”

There’s a weighted silence. Peter bites the inside of his cheek to keep himself lucid. The static in his brain reminds him of the time he had gotten stabbed, and wonders if he’s bleeding somewhere too.

“Okay. I found a weak spot. It shouldn’t cause too much damage. Are you ready?”

“Go for it.”

There’s another lurch of shifting rock. Peter can’t help but cry out, his muddled brain struggling to comprehend that this time, it’s to help. Then there’s a loud crash, a weak beam of sunlight, and the rush of water.

Within seconds, the cold spray is up to their waists. Peter grinds his teeth and squeezes his eyes shut against reflexive tears the biting temperature brings. It gives him a boost of adrenaline, and when he opens his eyes again, his vision is more clear.

Tony is with them moments later, hovering above the water. His hands reach for Peter, but Peter shys away. “Steve first,” he pleads. “He’s bleeding-”

“You’re bleeding too-” Tony starts, but even as he says it, Steve lists dangerously to the side. His face is pale, his breathing shallow. Tony catches him by the shoulder. “Don’t move,” he tells Peter, and works to lift Steve up towards the hole.

The water is up to Peter's chest now. It steals the breath from his lungs and he scrambles to stand. Somewhere in the journey the ground above him groans and he loses his footing. He hears Tony yell out for him, feels metal hands push him hard, and then he’s completely underwater. There’s more noise. More pain.

He breaks the surface, stuttering on his breath and his teeth clattering. More sunlight has entered the tunnel, and it’s easy to piece together what had happened.

“Tony!”

Peter fights against the current to reach his mentor’s side. His suit is pinned under a large slab of concrete by his left leg, the water already sloshing up to his neck. Peter practically collapses beside him and digs his fingers under the weight, but his ribs scream in protest so violently that his vision goes white.

“Easy!” Tony yells, catching him by his arms when he falters. “Kiddo, listen to me. The suit will let me breathe for a while. You need to get out of here.”

“I’m not leaving you.”

“You have to. FRIDAY took some damage, but she’s recalibrating my boosters. I’ll be able to get out.”

“No,” Peter chokes, trying again to lift the concrete keeping Tony pinned. “I won’t leave without you.”

“Peter-”

“I’m not losing you too. I can’t- I can’t-”

Tony’s voice is more gentle, his hand reaching to cradle the side of Peter’s face. “Listen to me, bud. I know this is scary. But you have to trust me. You have to go. For me.”

Peter shudders. Feels hot tears pool under the tight confines of his mask. “Told you I have Parker luck,” he says.

Tony finds it within himself to laugh. The water is at their chins. “I know, kiddo. But you don’t have to be afraid anymore. We’ve got each other now.”

“Tony-”

“Go.”

The water rises over his mouth. He wouldn’t be able to answer even if he wanted to. Then Tony’s head is submerged, and icy terror closes around Peter’s heart.

He dives under and reaches once more for the weight on Tony’s leg. He pulls and struggles and feels Tony’s hands on his arms, trying to pry him off and pull him away. The light is gone in the murky water.

Please. Please.

The concrete shifts. It takes everything in Peter not to gasp out at the pain it causes, to waste the precious air he has left.

Please.

It shifts again. Tony has given up on trying to push him off and is instead helping to lift the weight. Just a little bit more.

Peter screams, tiny bubbles escaping and carrying whatever he had left away. His body loses strength just as the concrete is alleviated. He thinks he feels Tony’s hands close around his numb body. But really he can’t be sure.

Tony is safe.

And it’s all that matters.

-------

“Peter. Don’t do this.”

“Breathe, Queens. Oh God-”

“Steve. What do I- I can’t- I can’t-”

“Keep the compressions going, Tony. Keep going okay? Don’t stop.”

“I can’t do it without him. I need him, Steve. I need-”

“Keep it together. He’s going to be fine. Right, Peter? You’re going to be fine. You just have to breathe for us.”

“Kiddo. Baby. Please.”

It’s all water down a drain.

A swirling, murky mess.

And it takes Peter with it.

-------

Parenting for Dummies: Chapter 12.

Love them unconditionally.

Tony hasn’t left his kid’s side for hours. He’s been glued to him, the boy’s limp hand pressed between his own like a lifeline even when the doctor’s had worked to splint his leg. Every breath, every rise and fall of Peter’s chest is a miracle, and Tony stares at the heart monitor until his eyes burn.

May is dozing in a recliner in the corner, her glasses crooked on her face. It’s just nearing three in the morning.

There’s movement behind him, and Tony turns to find Steve. He’s traded his hospital gown for a pair of loose sweats and a white shirt, the skin on his arms wrapped with thick bandages. The Captain turns and sees May. When he speaks, his words are almost a whisper. “How is he?”

Tony shrugs, a sudden lump monopolizing in his throat. “He’ll be okay.”

“Has he woken up yet?”

“No.”

Steve sighs. He limps to Tony’s side, but still manages to keep some distance. “He was brave today.”

“If by brave you mean dumb, then yes.”

“He saved our lives. We both know that you wouldn’t have been able to blast out of there by yourself.”

Dread sits heavy in Tony’s gut, because it’s true. He would’ve said anything to get Peter to safety. His blasters weren’t recharging. Weren’t even close to functioning.

But the kid had been too selfless for his lie. Really, Tony shouldn’t be surprised.

And now every time he closes his eyes he sees Peter. Hurt, small, Peter. Jerking with the last of his energy to free Tony. Of going limp in the water, no more air leaving his lips and remaining totally unresponsive as Tony fought to return the life to him.

“I wish it didn’t have to be him,” Tony says.

“But it is. It was.”

“I know.”

Steve lays a hand on Tony’s shoulder. He’s too tired to flinch away from it. “Let me know when he wakes up.”

And then he leaves.

Tony runs his thumb over Peter’s knuckles. “Wake up,” he says. Pleads.

But with his usual stubbornness, Peter doesn’t show signs of waking for another hour. First his fingers twitch. Then he groans. His eyelids flutter and Tony nearly collapses in his relief. Soft and weary eyes turn to find him, and Peter’s lips turn into a smile.

“You’re okay,” he murmurs.

“You have no idea how angry I am with you right now,” Tony says, but any heat behind his words is lost behind his relief. Peter must see it because his smile only widens.

“You don’ look angry.”

“Furious?”

“Nope.”

“Enraged?”

Peter laughs, then winces. He looks down and notices Tony’s hand clamped on his own. “I’m really glad you’re okay.”

“Well, the feeling’s mutual.”

Peter looks up. Tony tightens his hold.

“Maybe I don’t have Parker luck after all.”

“We’re breaking the cycle,” Tony agrees. He lifts Peter’s hand and presses a firm kiss to the back of his hand. Peter smiles again.

“Pepper told me you bought a parenting book,” he says, eyes drooping.

“That woman is nothing but a liar.”

“Mm. I believe her.”

“Sorry to break it to you kid, but whoever would want to willingly parent a danger seeking, heart attack inducing kid like you would have to be crazy.”

Peter squeezes Tony’s hand. “Sorry to break it to you, but I guess that means you're crazy.”

Tony’s heart compresses with warmth. “Yeah kid,” he says, “I guess I am.”

And he wouldn’t have it any other way.

#peter parker #spider-man #tony stark #irondad #irondad fic #hurt peter parker #peter parker whump #protective peter parker #bamf peter parker #protective tony stark #steve rogers #captain america

[onlydreamofmysoul]

Speak Now

This.... was supposed to be short. But then it spiralled. I hope you guys like it! Characters and their world by @lumosinlove

Julian

“Re?”

Julian’s voice was quiet, but his brother heard him anyway. Remus always heard him. Sitting out on the porch under the starlight, just like they used to do when Julian was very small and Remus would let him sneak out of his room after their parents put him to bed. They would sit on the porch swing under a pile of blankets, usually with a mug of hot chocolate and just hang out. Sometimes they were quiet. Sometimes they laughed at jokes, but no matter what they were doing, Jules treasured every memory. 

It was fitting this was how he was spending the night before his wedding. 

“Yeah?” Remus half hummed, tilting his head, tearing his eyes away from the stars to his brother. 

“Were you scared? The night before your wedding?”

Remus smiled softly, cupping his mug. “I was a hell of a lot of things before my wedding. Nervous? Sure. But not scared.”

Julian nodded, the heavy knot in his chest twisting. Maybe he really was making a mistake. 

Then 

“Hi, I’m Katie.”

Julian grinned and shook her hand. “I’m Julian, but you can call me Jules if you want.”

Katie nodded, a funny little business -like movement as she stood in her fairy costume, wings poking over her shoulders. “We’re all playing downstairs, wanna come?”

Julian nodded eagerly, pulling away from Remus and his parents and rushing down to the basement. His feet halted when he reached the bottom, his eyes wider than dinner plates.

“Woah,” He breathed. “You have a rink in your house!”

Katie nodded, giggling. “Oui. Jouez-vous au hockey?”

Jules blinked, looking at her in confusion. “Oh, I uh, I don’t speak French, sorry.” He said as his face flushed a little but Katie just grabbed his hand and pulled him over to a wall of skates.

“That’s okay. Do you play hockey?”

Now this, Jules understood. 

“Yes!” He said, bouncing on his toes in anticipation, noticing all the other kids playing on the ice and realising that he might get to as well. 

Katie looked pleased as she pulled a small pair of white skates and took off her shoes. “My brothers have lots of skates, you should look and see if there’s some in your size.”

Julian went to them immediately, looking at them in awe, all of them far more elegant and expensive than any he had ever owned. He found a pair in his size and pulled them out gingerly, even though they looked well worn. 

“Are you sure it’s okay for me to borrow them?” He confirmed with Katie, even as he pulled off his shoes. Katie just nodded impatiently, having already laced up. 

“Oui, it’s okay I promise. Now come on! I wanna go skate!”

“You can go,” Jules said, rushing to tie them up, “I’ll catch up.”

Katie looked at him like he was crazy. “Don’t be silly.” She said, reaching a hand out to take his. “We can go together. Come on.”

Julian finished tying his skates, stood up and took Katie’s hand. Together, they stepped onto the ice. 

Now

“Are you scared?” Remus asked, his concerned voice cutting through Julian’s thoughts. “Because it’s not too late you know.”

“No, no it’s fine.” Julian said, hoping it sounded reassuring to Remus. It didn’t to his own ears. “Just nervous I suppose, but you said that’s normal.”

Remus tilted his head the way he did when Julian would pretend he hadn’t eaten the last chocolate bar, even with the evidence all over his face. 

“You know you can tell me anything, right?”

Julian sighed, resting his head on his brother's shoulder, hearing the heartbeat that used to rock him to sleep. 

“Yeah, yeah I know.”

Then

“Hey Katie.” Jules said, still a little shy but glad to see a friendly face in the locker room. 

“Jules!” She beamed, bouncing over in her ‘Dumais’ jersey. “Whose number did you wear today?”

Jules flushed as he lifted up his number six shirt to reveal the number twelve underneath. “Both.”

Katie nodded, impressed. “Cool. Hey wanna go get some snacks?”

Jules didn’t even respond, just told his mom where he was going and raced her down the corridor to the kitchen, running past the rows and rows of framed photographs and dodging photographers and reporters. 

“Ha! I win!” He yelled as they burst through the door to the kitchen, racing through the doorway at the same time. If they had been a little bigger, they might have gotten stuck in the frame.

“Nah ah!” Katie protested, “It was a tie.”

“My foot went in first”

“You don’t know that for sure.”

“Yes I do.”

“No you don’t.”

“Wanna bet?”

“Whoever wins the race back to the locker room is the actual winner.” Katie proposed and Jules nodded, satisfied. 

He climbed onto the counter to reach the high cupboards, only to discover the cabinet stocked with mugs and glasses. 

“Over here,” Katie said, giggling as she opened the fridge, scanning for something good. “Ooh, chocolate!”

Jules jumped down and went to her side. “Can we just take it?”

Katie nodded. “Oui. Plus, they’re not supposed to eat chocolate, so we’re doing them a favour by taking it away.”

Julian donned a matching smirk. “Katie, I like the way you think.”

Now

“Oh here you are!” Sirius half-whispered as he poked his head out the front door. “I’ve been looking for you two everywhere.”

Remus pulled back a corner of the blanket and patted the bench beside him. “Wanna join us?”

Sirius looked to check with Jules first, before nodding and sliding in next to Remus. Julian had long since overcome his starry-eyed obsession with Sirius-the-hockey-god but he’d never be over the love for Sirius-his-brother-in-law. Sirius who had come to all of Julian’s big games. Sirius who tended to be awake whenever Julian couldn’t sleep, so he would wordlessly take him out for midnight drives. Sirius who had later taught Julian to drive in that same car Julian accidentally crashed one icy morning. His brother in law hadn’t even gotten mad, not for a second. Julian had personally seen one of his friend’s parents red with anger after spotting a scratch in the paint, but Sirius hadn’t even blinked at the massive pole shaped dent in the hood of his car, just run to make sure Julian was alright. 

“Sirius?” Jules asked into the soft silence. Sirius just hummed in response. 

“Were you scared? When you were getting married.”

Sirius seemed to still for a moment, a gentle breeze rustling his curls as he thought. “Non.”

Remus’ chin ducked towards his chest, his eyes flitting to Sirius. “Really?”

Sirius scratched the back of his neck sheepishly. “Well, I was scared for sure, but I was scared of messing it up, or that my family would make a surprise appearance at the reception or that we’d lose the rings. But I was never scared of a life with Re.”

Remus laughed softly. “We did lose the rings.”

“Oui. But it didn’t even matter, it all worked out, ouais? So really I had nothing to worry about.”

Julian and Sirius chuckled too, all three of them remembering back. Julian had nearly forgotten about that - surprising since it had been partially his fault. His and Katie’s. They had become inseparable by then and the two of them together had gained the name ‘JK Chaos’. 

Then 

“Come on, let’s see what’s in here!” A nine year old Katie whispered to an eleven year old Jules as they crept through the country house that was being used as the staging house for Remus and Sirius' outdoor wedding. 

Katie rattled the brass door handle, but it was locked. “Do you have a key?”

Julian gave her an incredulous look. “I don’t have a key to my own room, why would I have a key for here?”

Katie shrugged, her dress swishing gently, the bluebell shade bright against her skin. “I dunno - groomsman duties?”

Julian laughed but shook his head. They walked down the corridor a few paces, stopping at the window that overlooked where the ceremony would take place. Chairs bedecked the grass, all turned to face the focal point - the beautiful ivy arch, bedecked in flowers. Everything was immaculate, untouched. Any guests staying in the country house were still getting ready and the rest had yet to arrive. Jules lifted on his toes to see a little further out the window, but a tall sturdy tree to the right blacked his view. 

He turned so quickly he nearly got whiplash, grabbing Katie’s wrist unconsciously. 

“Look! A tree!”

Katie raised her eyebrows at him. “Jules, I’m pretty sure they have trees in Wisconsin too.”

Julian shook his head, too excited to even roll his eyes. “No, look where that tree is! If the window to the locked room is open…”

Katie’s eyes lit up, her mischievous grin returning.  “We might be able to get in.” She breathed. “Jules, you genius.” She grabbed his hand and began rushing down the corridor. “Let’s go!”

“Is it open?” Julian called, a couple of branches below Katie. 

“Un moment.” She muttered and he smiled, knowing she was concentrating too much to even have listened to him, never mind switch to a language he actually understood. She paused and grabbed the silky top layer of her dress, gathering and tying it in a knot around her waist, leaving the white underskirt hanging. “Allors,” She said, sounding much more satisfied. She climbed onto the branch that extended towards the window and shuffled along it, craning her neck. 

“It’s open!”

Jules let out a whoop of victory and climbed the rest of the way, careful not to stain his suit as she slid her fingers into the small gap, prying the window open so they could both clamber in. The room was unimpressively empty. Lovey, like all the other rooms, perhaps a living room if the several couches were to be trusted. A wall of shelves boasted an impressive amount of books and everything seemed to be edged with gold. Other than that though - Julian couldn’t see any reason why the room should be barred. 

“A mystery.” Katie said as she trailed her hand along a bookshelf. Julian agreed with her as he sat down on one of the luxurious chairs, a little side table with a lamp on his left. 

“What’s this?” He voiced as he picked up the little black box that had been resting in the light streaming in from the window. Katie wandered over to peer at it as he opened it carefully to find two gold rings resting inside. 

“Oh.” Jules whispered, finally understanding. “That’s why it’s locked.”

They both picked up a ring, looking at them curiously. The metal glinted in the light and Jules angled the one in his hands to read the inscription. 

“Mon voeu.” He muttered. “What’s mon voeu?”

“How would I know what you wish for?” Katie retorted, before she read the engraving on her own. “Oh right I see. ‘My wish’.”

“Oh.” Jules repeated. “That’s really nice.”

Footsteps and voices came from down the corridor and Julian and Katie froze. 

“Did you see the cake?” 

“It’s literally all I’ve been thinking about since the tasting.”

Julian met Katie’s eyes, both of them hardly breathing as they listened carefully. Lily and James. 

“The tasting was months ago!”

“So you can guess I’m pretty excited about it.” Lily chuckled. “Do you have the key?”

Julian rushed to put the box back on the table and he and Katie half flew in their rush to get back out the window. Katie went first, Julian close on her heels as they scrambled down the tree. 

“Where did they say they left it?”

“On the side table with the lamp.”

“Oh I’ve got it, come on, let’s get back.”

Julian let out a sigh of relief while Katie looked at him in horror. 

“Jules…” She whispered as she pulled a gold ring out her pocket. “We have a problem.”

Julian felt his heart speed up as he pulled out the matching ring. They had been in too much of a rush to put them back. 

“We are gonna get in so much trouble.”

Now

“You were so scared.” Remus laughed, tears forming in his eyes, matching ones already wetting Julian’s cheeks as he lost himself in the memory. It was true - to this day, Julian remembered the way their hands trembled and they stuttered through the explanations, but in the end, no one had cared. It became a funny story to tell at the reception. 

“You laugh, but we dropped them in the grass on the way to bring them back and it took us so long to find them again, we were seriously trying to come up with something to replace them with.”

They burst into a new round of laughter, Hope coming outside at the racket. 

“Boys!” She scolded as if they were all little kids. “You should be in bed - it’s a big day tomorrow.” Despite her commanding tone, her eyes were soft. Time was a fickle friend to all but Hope Lupin, who looked just as lovely today as she did twenty years ago. And perhaps even twenty years before that. 

“We’ll be in soon.” Sirius promised and she nodded satisfied, vanishing indoors again.

“Suck-up.” Julian teased, elbowing Sirius. “Always wants to be the favourite.”

“I think he is the favourite.” Remus grumbled. “You’re the youngest Jules, so you’ve got that going for you. I, however, have been replaced.”

Sirius chuckled, a low sound from his chest and curled an arm around Remus. “You can be my favourite.”

“You can’t cook like she does.” Remus lamented dramatically, but grinned to show he wasn’t serious before kissing Sirius’ cheek. 

“We probably should get to bed though. Especially you Jules, you need all that beauty sleep you can get.”

“Hey!”

Then 

Hey Jules! 

You got a phone! 

Yup! JK Chaos can finally go viral! 

Thirteen year old Julian chuckled as he sat in the passenger seat of the car on the way to practice. 

Sirius says hi. Katie texted and Julian sent a picture of him waving in response before tucking his phone into his bag and climbing out of the car. 

“Thanks mom!” He half yelled as he closed the door and ran inside to the rink, waving at his friends. 

“Hi Julian.”

Julian turned to see one of the members of the girls team - Anna. They were the same age group and the two teams often had to share the ice if the rink was busy. 

“Oh hey Anna, how’re you?”

She grinned, her light hair tumbling around her face until she scraped it back into a ponytail as she chatted to him. Julian was never sure how girls managed to tie their hair back so quickly with so little effort but it was pretty cool. He wondered if maybe he should learn so he could do Katie’s sometime.

“I’m good! I’d better run though, I’m late for practice.” 

Jules nodded and with that, Anna was gone. He blinked and continued his way to his own locker where many of his own team were already gathered. 

“Hey guys!” He grinned, and just like that, his head was back in the game. 

Now

Julian stared up at the ceiling of his childhood bedroom. The glow in the dark stars were still there, although their glow was very faint now. Not that Julian needed their light to guide him, he had looked at those stars all his life, he could map them out better than a sailor. 

He was getting married tomorrow. 

And so, he did as he so very often did. He texted Katie. 

Then 

The Christmas party was loud and busy, people seemingly in every nook and cranny in the house. Julian looked around for Katie, he had been here for at least an hour but he had only seen glimpses of the other girl and she had always been busy, whether it was helping Celeste put out food or chatting to others and once even putting out a minor fire she had certainly not caused by tipping over a candle  but so far, she hadn’t been able to talk to Julian. 

Julian finally caught her eye and they managed to slip away going out to the garden, past the pool and down to the swing hidden by a great big tree where they had always plotted and planned. 

“We need a code word.” Katie said by way of greeting. “So we can say it and the other knows we need to talk, just us.”

Julian agreed. He couldn’t believe it had taken this long to think of something like that. At fifteen, he and Katie had been best friends for at least six years now. 

“What should our code word be?”

Katie shrugged, sitting on the swing and rocking back and forth gently. “Pancakes?”

Julian laughed, but he nodded. “Yeah that works.”

Katie grinned, but her face quickly became more serious. 

“Hey Jules?” She asked, her voice softer than he had heard it in a long time. 

“Yeah?” His tone matched hers, but he didn’t know why. He hadn’t planned it. 

“Have you ever kissed anyone?”

Julian froze, his heart stuttering. In the moonlight, Katie’s hair glowed, silver catching on the dark strands braided back, her jeans and jumper not suitable for the weather, nor were Julian’s own but they hadn't planned on coming out here for long. “No.” He whispered. 

Katie nodded. “Yeah, me neither.”

She stood up, shivering a little. “Come on, we should get back inside.”

Julian could only blink, but made to follow her. “Yeah okay.” He followed, taking a few quick steps to catch up with her when Katie turned quickly and they collided. 

Katie reached out and steadied herself with Julian’s shoulder before surging forward and pressing their lips together. Julian stayed frozen where he was, her lips warm against the cold night. 

Katie pulled away and stepped back, nodding to herself. “I just wanted to know what it’d be like.” She explained and then launched into a description of what new drills her hockey team were learning. It was funny, everything was different, but nothing had changed. 

Julian thought about the things they were learning in science, all the calculations. How there always needed to be a constant. 

He thought maybe Katie was his constant. 

Now

You up? 

Is this a booty call? Cause I gotta say, it seems like inappropriate timing.

Julian laughed, then covered his mouth, hoping he hadn’t woken anyone. Katie’s quick wit had never once failed to amaze him. 

Darn, there goes my plans 

Why are you still up?

I just can’t sleep

So you’re texting me?

Who else?

Then 

Julian got his first girlfriend at seventeen. 

Anna was lovely and bright and sweet. They had been dating for around six months already when she finally met Katie, the Dumais girl arriving in Wisconsin for a weekend visit. 

Julian didn’t know why he had been nervous - they both got on really well. He had had no indicators to suggest otherwise and yet the entire week leading to their meeting, his head had been full of anxious ‘what ifs’. Not to mention the knot in his chest. 

But there was no reason to be nervous… right? He just felt like this because Katie was his very best friend. He wanted them to get along. Yeah, that was it. 

“I like her.” Katie commented as Anna left the Lupin house. 

“Yeah, me too.” Julian said automatically, laughing when Katie elbowed his side. 

“Well duh. That’s why you asked her out.”

Julian shrugged as they walked back inside waving to his dad who was on the phone in the kitchen. “Actually it was the other way around.”

Katie barked a laugh as she threw herself on Julian’s bed, tucking her arms behind her head, lounging as if she owned the place. “Why am I not surprised?”

“I’m not sure if I should be insulted or not.” Julian said as he lay down next to her, staring up at his stars. 

Katie was the one to shrug this time, shifting with the movement. “Neither. It’s just an observation I suppose.”

“And what would that observation be exactly?”

Katie tilted her head to look at him. “You’re careful. Not with other stuff, mon dieu, we all know you’re a reckless idiot on the ice but with this kind of stuff. You’re gentle I guess.”

Julian smiled, that warm rush of feeling known to your core washing over him. “And you’re the exact opposite.”

Katie grinned, some of her dark curls coming loose. “But of course! JK Chaos wouldn’t be balanced if I wasn’t.”

Julian smiled, holding out his hand and they performed their super secret, super complicated, super cool handshake. Katie had named it when she was ten and it had stuck. 

“Well we need balance.” Julian agreed and Katie nodded, blue eyes meeting his for a moment before she turned away, biting her lip. 

“Ouais.”

Now 

Julian looked at the words on the screen, his heart clenching. 

So you’re texting me?

Who else?

Your soon to be wife for one

Julian didn’t know what to do. He felt like Katie was the only one who could help him figure this out, but Katie was the last person he should ask. 

Ha ha. He said, because even that was better than the turmoil inside him. Guess I’m just nervous. 

Why?

Why am I nervous? Cause I’m getting married. I know I call you Katie Kat but I sure hope that brain isn’t made of chocolate.

We should get you up on a stage. Katie responded and Julian snorted,  practically hearing her sarcasm even as he lay alone. 

But what do you have to be worried about?

Um.., How about the terrifying concept of making the wrong decision?

Katie was quiet for a long time. Julian thought maybe she had fallen asleep when a reply finally came through. 

Do you think you’re making the wrong choice?

Julian paused. Was he?

I don’t think so?

Do you love her?

Yes. Julian wrote back, even as something thundered in his chest. 

Well then, you have your answer I guess. Katie responded.  I’d better get to sleep. 

 Jules held his phone close to his chest. 

Yeah, me too. Night Katie Kat

Then 

“Do you love her?” Katie asked out of nowhere as they passed the puck back and forth in her basement. 

“We’ve been dating for two years.” Julian replied, sending the puck back to her harder than he meant. From her raised eyebrows he knew she had noticed, but she didn’t comment. 

“That’s not what I asked.”

Julian shrugged, taking the puck and dragging it around the goal. 

“I guess? How do you ever really know you’re in love.”

Katie raised her chin, blue meeting brown as their eyes focused on each other. Julian could have sworn she was staring at his soul. 

“I suppose it’s something you just know.” Katie said. “My maman and papa are in love. And Re and Sirius. Leo, Logan and Finn. Your parents. They all seem to know pretty well.”

“Yeah.” Julian whispered, his mind reeling. Remus and Sirius were his role models for just about everything, including the love he wanted to have. Was that what he shared with Anna? How had they known? How would Julian know?

Now

Then Jules crept into Remus’ room once more. 

“Re?” He whispered into the dark. The light from the hall dimly lit the room and Remus stirred, Sirius sleeping soundly next to him.

“Jules?” Remus whispered, even as he threw back the covers to climb out of bed, tiptoeing so he wouldn’t wake Sirius and following Julian back to his room. “Hey Jules, what’s up?”

Remus climbed onto the bed with him, just like he used to do when Julian was small and had a nightmare. 

“How do I know for sure?”

Remus didn’t have to ask what he meant. “I guess you never do. You just have to trust that you love someone and they return that same love back to you.”

But what wasn’t quite what Julian meant. He didn’t doubt that Anna loved him. He was just never sure if he loved her the same. 

He thought he must. Julian was twenty six years old, they’d been dating for nearly ten years. Although sometimes… just sometimes Julian thought that was maybe why he had proposed. Because that’s what everyone expected from them, particularly as they had been together for so long. It was the logical next step. 

“Right, yeah.” Julian muttered. “That makes sense I guess.”

Remus held out his arm and Julian hugged him tight. 

“I can hear you mind whirring.” Remus murmured, but Julian just tucked his face into his brother's chest. “It’s not too late Jules.”

Tears burned Julian’s eyes but he refused to let them fall. It was too late, it was all too late. He was on the ice and he could see the collision coming but there was nothing he could do to stop it. 

A song he had heard a long time ago rang through Julian’s head, one line playing over and over again on loop. 

And I asked my friend, what’s a fella to do? Cause her hair was black and her eyes were blue.

So Julian held his big brother close, and fell asleep. 

Katie

Now

“I still can’t believe it.” Marc laughed as they ate breakfast at the hotel, his plate piled with food from the buffet. “Little Julian getting married.”

“Yeah.” Katie agreed, taking a big drink from her coffee. “Neither can I.”

Marc continued eating, oblivious to the storm raging inside Katie’s heart. “Why aren’t you best man?”

Katie raised an eyebrow. “Well for one, I’m not a man.”

Marc rolled his eyes, pausing to take a sip of orange juice before shovelling another forkful into his mouth. “Y’know wha- I mean.”

Katie covered her face with her hands. “Okay ew, first of all don’t talk with your mouth full. You’re not five. And second of all, Remus is his best man.”

Marc tilted his head, accepting the answer and Katie could have sighed in relief. She was already tense enough, two people had already come up to her for a picture and at least three had ‘discreetly’ photographed her as she just tried to have her breakfast. She hadn’t even showered yet so she was not looking forward to what the media would come up with later. 

Then 

“I can’t believe I’m doing this,” Katie grumbled to Adele as her sister finished pinning her hair. “Why am I doing this again?”

Adele didn’t miss a beat. “Because prom is fun, and even if it’s not, hanging out with your best friend in fancy clothes is always funny.”

Katie couldn’t argue with that. Sighing, she stood up and turned to Adele, her floor length gown comically out of place in her room cluttered with hockey sticks and signed pucks, helmets and polaroid's of her with her team. 

“How do I look?”

Adele beamed and kissed her cheek, being careful not to smudge Katie’s makeup. “Comme un ange.”

Katie rolled her eyes but smiled and began to leave her bedroom, hearing the doorbell ring. 

“Wait, shit I can’t go down now!” She said in a mild panic. “Jules is here, if I go now it’ll be like some dumb movie when the girl comes down the stairs as the guy just stares at her. It’s weird and awkward.”

Adele bit her lip as if she was trying to suppress a smile. “Okay, I’ll go and distract them and you can sneak down, ouais?”

Katie nodded gratefully. “Ouais. Merci.”

Katie waited in the upstairs corridor, hearing Adele lead her family into the kitchen. When the voices had dimmed a little, she gathered her skirts, her sneakers peeking out at her as she crept down the stairs. 

“Oh, wow.”

Katie whipped around to see Julian walking out from the bathroom, eyes wider than Katie had ever seen them. 

“I thought you were in the kitchen.” Katie groaned as she let her dress drop inelegantly around her legs once more. She looked him over, eyeing his blue suit with a careful eye. “You don’t look half bad.”

Julian laughed and took a step closer, holding his hand over his heart dramatically. “Wow Katie Kat, you sure know how to flatter a man.”

Katie raised a single eyebrow, a power play of there ever was one. “I mean, you’ve said nothing about how I look so really I think I have the upper hand here.”

Julian quirked his signature goofy smile before finally pulling Katie in for a hug. “You look incredible.”

Now

“Katie, ma cheri, es-tu prêt?”

Katie looked up from where she was rooting through her suitcase to see her mom, stunningly beautiful as always in a deep red dress. 

“I’m ready.” She cleared her throat, standing up straight. “You look amazing.”

Celeste waved her off with a flick of her wrist. “Oh non, look at you.”

Katie blushed, her forest green dress fluttering around her. “Merci.”

Celeste took a step forward, cupping Katie’s face in her hands. “You love him.”

Katie didn’t even have it in her to be surprised. Of course her mom knew. She felt tears well up in her eyes but tried her best not to let them fall - it had taken her long enough to do her makeup, she really didn’t want to have to do it again. 

“Oui.”

“Does he know?”

Katie shook her head sadly. “Of course not, he loves someone else.”

Celeste carefully wiped away the stray tear that had danced down Katie’s cheek. “Are you sure?”

Then 

“I think I have literally never seen it rain so hard.” Julian commented as the two of them stared out the car windshield as the rain poured around them. They faced the hotel where the dance was being held, but even stepping out of the car would have them soaked instantly. 

“See, this was a sign that I wasn’t supposed to come.” Katie commented, her tone dry. Julian side eyed her, not saying anything for a minute before he turned up the car radio. 

“I have an idea.” He said, opening the door and stepping out into the car park in the lashing rain. He ran to Katie’s side and opened the door, holding out his hand. 

“Come on! Come dance in the rain.”

If she had been Adele, she might have refused or protested. She might have even taken off her dress to protect it. 

But she was not Adele. 

So Katie took Julian’s hand, laughing at his curls, already flattened against his forehead and shut the door behind her, watching splotches of water darken her dress until she was fully saturated, tilting her head back into the sky. 

She opened her mouth, sticking out her tongue to catch the raindrops, Jules giggling as he followed suit, the two of them looking absolutely ridiculous and getting very strange looks from passer byers who had made use of the wonderful invention that was the umbrella, but they didn’t care. 

Katie connected her phone to the car speakers and pressed play to a song, grabbing both of Julian’s hands and spinning them in a fast circle, round and round until they fell together, laughing as hands slid over slippery skin and hair stuck to them better than any tattoo. 

And I don't know how it gets better than this

You take my hand and drag me head first

Fearless

And I don't know why but with you I'd dance in a storm in my best dress

Fearless

Now

Katie couldn’t help but think about that day lying on Julian’s bed. She had said he was careful and she was not. She was supposed to be his counterbalance. 

Katie had been too careful, she hadn’t been doing her job. 

“It’s not too late.” Her mom had whispered. 

Speak now or forever hold your peace. 

Heart thundering, Katie picked up her phone. Six hours until Julian’s wedding she pressed his contact and texted him one word. 

Pancakes.

Then 

Was it just Katie or did Julian seem nervous? Julian was never nervous with her. Maybe it was just the connection of the phone call, she should move to a place where her signal was stronger-

“Katie, I um.. I’m gonna ask Anna to marry me.”

Katie’s eyes snapped to his face. “Quoi?”

Julian swallowed, and Katie watched from miles away as he pulled out a ring. 

“Yeah, I figured it was time.”

“Romantic.” Katie teased as she tried to quell the feeling that she was going to throw up. This was not how it was supposed to go. It had taken her a long time to figure out her feelings for Julian, but at twenty four she had finally worked it out. And he was going to marry someone else. 

Now

“Hey Katie Kat.”

Katie smiled weakly, shoving her hands in her coat pocket to hide the trembling. She felt overdressed in her outfit for the wedding when Julian was still in jeans but that couldn’t be helped. Katie sat next to Jules on the Lupins’ porch swing, glad she was wearing makeup because maybe it would help hide her blush. 

“The weather’s really nice today, huh?” Jules prompted, but Katie just smiled, steeling herself. She couldn’t idly talk about the weather, she would lose her nerve. So she threw back her shoulders, raised her chin and-

“Julian, I love you.”

Julian frowned, taking her hand. “I know, I love you too Katie, what-”

Katie shook her head. “No, Jules, listen. I’m in love with you.”

Julian froze and Katie’s heart beat over a hundred times a minute. Or maybe it had stopped completely. Either way it certainly wasn’t doing what it should be and Katie’s hands shook and she bit her tongue to stop herself from blurting out more when Julian obviously needed to process things.

Julian stood up abrupt, taking his keys out of his pocket. “I have to go.” He said and took off, getting into his car and driving away. Katie sat frozen where she was, alone once more, lost in the place where she had always felt found. Julian drove away, the world spun around and Katie stayed right where she was. 

Then 

Katie opened the door to Sirius and Remus’ house with her key - she had been given one for when Julian had come to stay, so she could come and go as she pleased. 

“Salut, it’s me!” She called into the empty hallway as she dropped her bag and ventured in a little further. Sirius was in the kitchen pouring a cup of coffee and he just smiled at her as he pulled out another mug. 

“Hey Katie, you here to get into some more JK Chaos?”

Katie chuckled and accepted the coffee with thanks, cupping it with both hands and holding it close to her face. “What else would I do?”

Sirius just smiled as Julian came into the room, wordlessly greeting Katie with their super secret, super complicated, super cool handshake.

“See you later!” Julian said to Sirius and Katie waved goodbye before they went out the door, getting into the car and driving away.

“What’re we doing today?” Katie asked as she drove. Julian shrugged in the passenger seat. 

“I don’t care, as long as I’m with you.”

Now

Someone was knocking on her hotel room. 

Katie had made her way back, she hadn’t even said goodbye to the Lupins - she didn’t think she could without crying. Instead she went home alone and straight to her room, knowing she couldn’t miss the wedding no matter how much she may want to. If she didn’t she knew that one day, she’d look back and wish she were in the pictures. Wish she was there for her best friend. So she was going to go and smile and be happy because she loved Jules and she could do this for him. 

There was another knock on the door and Katie rolled her eyes. “I’m coming, jeez calm down.” She muttered, the door handle cold on her skin as she opened the door. 

Julian was waiting on the other side. 

“I called off the wedding.”

If Katie had been holding anything, she would have dropped it. As it was, she took a step backwards, blinking. “What?”

“I called off the wedding.” Julian repeated, running his fingers through already very mussed hair. “I love you. I’ve always loved you. I’m a blind idiot, but I love you.”

Katie was beginning to wonder if any of this was real when Marc came up behind Jules, completely oblivious. 

“Hey Katie, did you get that text saying the wedding’s off? Weird, what’s that abou- Oh hey Jules.”

Katie turned to her brother. 

“Marc, I love you, but if you don’t leave right now I might have to kill you in your sleep tonight.”

“So that’s why the wedding’s off.” Marc commented before backing away, no doubt rushing off to tell everyone what he had seen. 

“Come in before anyone else sees.” Katie said as she took Julian’s hand, pulling him in and shutting the door. 

Julian’s hands were shaking. “Am I too late?” He whispered. “Please tell me I’m not too late.”

Katie smiled as she brushed a stray curl out of his eyes. “You’re right on time.”

And then she kissed him. 

Once upon a time, there had been a girl who kissed a boy in her back garden at midnight. She had been young and inexperienced but even then, she knew the kiss had been magical. 

Today, there was a girl who kissed a boy in a hotel room on what should have been his wedding day. She was still young, but much more experienced so she could now say with much more confidence that if their first kiss had been magical, this one was earth shattering. 

“I love you.” Julian whispered again and again between deep kisses that made Katie feel like her soul was bared. 

“Took you long enough.” Katie grumbled, but kissed him again, twining her fingers through his hair like she always dreamed she would. “I love you too.”

Soon

Katie blushed as she sat in a room, surrounded by both their families. Her dad kissed her on the cheek before handing her a drink and proposing a toast. 

“To JK Chaos,” Dumo said, his knowing smile nearly splitting his face. “For finally getting their shit together.”

Everyone cheered while Katie just laughed, lifting her hand to show off the engagement ring and tilting her head a little to give Julian a chaste kiss. He grinned down at her, hand resting delicately on her waist. 

He surveyed the crowded room for a moment, before ducking down a little to whisper in her ear; “Pancakes?”

Katie was pretty sure her eyes sparkled as she winked at him. “I’ll meet you outside in ten.”

The End.

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