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#henry cavill x asian ofc
keanureevesisbae · 2 years
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tales of love - years later
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Vision impaired!Syverson x Molly Sweet (asian ofc)
Summary: Axel gives us a little update on how things are going with Sy and Molly. (yes i wrote a chapter from a dog's pov 😂)
Warnings: None
Wordcount: 545
A/N: And this was the end of a short but sweet little series with vision impaired!Sy. Writing this truly broadened my horizon writing wise and I enjoyed it so much. I hope you enjoyed it as much as I did 😘
Masterlist // tales of love masterlist //
My humans are happy. They have been happy for quite some time now, I realize, however now it’s different. A lot happened after my Molly moved in. They got married (and I was the ring bearer - I’ll leave my email address at the bottom of this post, because you can hire me for your wedding. I’m well behaved and an excellent ring bearer according to the many humans who attended the wedding) and we spend a lovely honeymoon in the Bahama’s. 
While the humidity wasn’t very nice for my fur (nor for my Molly’s hair, as that frizz became quite untamable), it was nice to be somewhere else. New scents, new people, new impressions.
And once we got back from our honeymoon, life continued on, however my Molly quit her job as a secretary and works as a barista in the cafe my humans had their first date at. It’s better for her, because now she’s happy.
 Truly happy.
In hindsight, I am happy the man with the odor harassed us that day, because without my Molly, I don’t know how my human would’ve been. I bet he wouldn’t be as happy as he is now. In the years I had been working closely with him and he was the only human around in the house, I had grown accustomed to this lone wolf. But he has flourished since my Molly came around. 
And I thank her every day for that. 
A few months after the wedding, I noticed some changes. My Molly started to smell a bit different and I felt this need to protect her and her little cub she had in her stomach. And then the tears came, when she realized she was with child (took them both quite a while to figure it out, but hey, you can’t be good at anything, like yours truly). My human was happy. Scared, sure, but also very happy. 
Nights were spend on the couch, my human talking to my Molly’s stomach, pressing kisses on it. They were kinda goofy (and with them, I mean my human, because he is a mushy mess).
And now, I have three humans in my pack. My first human, my Molly and their little cub named Sawyer Syverson. Sawyer is really sweet and he likes to cuddle with me, just like I enjoy cuddling with him. Besides, whenever he ate something, there are tons of left overs for me to gulp down, which makes him almost my favorite human (though it’s impossible to choose between three lovely humans). 
He is now around two and a half years old and sleeps by himself in a big boy bed, but I accompany him when I sense he has a bad dream or is scared, by jumping in the bed with him and letting him curl up against me. 
While I am definitely growing older and my retirement is near, I do not worry. Not in the slightest, because I know for a fact my humans would never let me go. Sure, a new young one will probably take over my work, but I have my home here. 
Forever and ever.
And these, my fellow furry friends, were the tales of love of my humans. I hope you enjoyed them.
- Axel the guide dog 🐾
。◕ ‿ ◕。
Taglist: @diegos-butt // @crazybutconfidentaf // @lyrarodriguez // @thelastsock // @cherry-gemz // @oddsnendsfanfics // @kebabgirl67 // @abschaffer2 // @bourbonwithice // @eldarwen333 // @needmorereading // @gearhead66 // @kingliam2019 // @omgkatinka // @liecastillo // @xuxszx // @sofiebstar // @pterodactylterrace // @inlovewithhisblueeyes // @viking-raider // @identity2212 // @kneelforloki // @pretty-toxic-revolver // @evansabove1981 // @little-brattyangel // @happydistraction //
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english8muffin · 3 years
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Spring Cleaning
Summary: Y/N surprises Henry in a cute maid outfit 
Warning: pure filth, smut, 18+, sex, bodily fluids
Word count: 942
Enjoy💕 If you did, don’t forget to comment and reblog!
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“Darling?” Henry walks in from the hall, he freezes when he spots you bent over the kitchen counter, wearing only a tiny maids costume. Your bum was barely covered by the little black dress, white ruffles grazing over the soft skin.
“Hmm?” You play dumb, standing upright, a bright pink fluffy feather duster in hand and doing your utter best to look innocent. Now that he could see your full frame, he had to steady himself against the door frame. The top was extremely low cut, displaying your boobs very nicely. His eyes were glued to you, one hand firmly gripping the wooden frame the other balled up pressed to his mouth, as if he had to keep himself from screaming.
“What on Gods green earth do you think you’re doing?” It came out like a strangled whisper.
“Cleaning,” you say in a sing-song voice, leaning back on the counter again. You look at him from under your lashes.
“I can see that, but why are you wearing that?”
“Don’t you like it, daddy?” You send him a pout, making the best doe eyes and saunter toward him. You stand in front of him and turn around to face away from him, pushing your ass against his front, letting him feel you weren’t wearing any panties.
Henry gulps, closing his eyes for a second, trying to compose himself.
“I have a video call in 15 minutes,” he mumbles, whining like a child being denied to have dessert. He looks at you pleadingly, he really, really wanted to give in to you, but he really needed to get ready for his online meeting.
“Better make them worth your while huh, daddy?” You press yourself into his side, letting him feel your hardened nipples through the thin fabric and start to play with the dark chest hair that was peaking out of his shirt. Your other hand teasingly dips lower and lower, until you’re palming him through his dark jeans. He was already hard, which definitely inflated your echo.
“Please, fuck me, daddy,” you beg, batting your lashes up at him. You were just so in the mood to reenact a cliché porn scene and you knew he wanted it just as bad. It was so close, you just had to drive him over the edge.
It seemed to work, Henry peaked open one of his eyes almost fully letting his guard down and lets out the breath he didn’t know he was holding. All you had to do was give him a little nip at his neck and press your hand down a little firmer. 
A loud smack echos through the room and your bum feels like it’s on fire. “Bend over the counter, kitten.” His voice drips with authority, brows pinched together making him look scarier and more demanding. You nearly couldn’t contain your eager giggle, quickly skipping back to the kitchen, and gladly bending over the cold counter, arching your back as much as possible. 
“You’ve been a really bad girl, teasing me and prancing around without any knickers,” he grumbles, hand now soothing over your red ass cheek. You bite your lip, gazing at him over your shoulder. You hear the sound of his zipper and a moment later he’s pressed against your back. You whine, really wanting him inside of you, maybe if you moved your hips a little lower he would accidentally slip inside. But your intentions are stopped by the tight hold on your hips.
“You were just desperate for some attention, weren’t you, doll?” He mocks, his hand firmly grips around your throat, lightly choking you, the other pushing on your lower stomach, letting you feel his hard groin pressed against you.
He towered over your body, making you feel small and dominated. Several hot open mouthed kisses were pressed to your neck and shoulders, distracting you when he swiftly plunged his full length inside your dripping wet core. He watched as your mouth hung open, silently screaming, your eyes filled with tears from the pleasure. 
“You’re so pretty when you’re being stuffed,” Henry grunts, squeezing your throat a little harder. “You love acting like an angel, while I fuck you like a little whore?” He was still thrusting into you like a mad man, making it difficult for you to focus on what he was saying. 
“Answer me!” He slaps your ass, making you jump from surprise. 
“Yes, daddy, please,” you whine out to him, pushing yourself harder against him. 
“You like being a good girl, right doll? Always so polite,” he praises, before pulling out of you and lifting you up to sit on the edge of the counter. He wastes no time sinking himself back between your lower lips.
“I’m gonna fill you up, darling. Pump your pretty little pussy full with my cum.” His baritone voice thundered through your body, right to your centre. He starts slowing down his pace, thrusting his hips as deep as possible. Your walls start to tremble, legs turning into jello. He feels you letting go and soon follows. He lets go and flows your walls with his cum, cursing while doing so. 
Completely fucked out and panting like you just ran a marathon, you watch as Henry pulls out of you, resulting in his white cream oozing out of you and onto the freshly cleaned counter. 
“Guess you have to start all over again, my love,” he mumbles into you hair. He pulls his jeans back up and wanders off into his study, setting up his computer for the online meeting...
“Yeah, I’m a bit late, the missus had a little problem in the kitchen.”
Welcome to bible study, we’re all children of Jesus 😌
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sillyrabbit81 · 3 years
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Her Heavy Cross
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Summary: Three years after tragedy hits, Lana she decides to start dating again. She meets Will through a dating app and they begin an online romance. After months of constant requests, Lana relents and agrees to meet and go on an irl date with Will. But is Will who he says he is? Lana is quickly pulled into an intense relationship forcing her to confront her tragic past. Will Lana face it or will she close her heart forever?
Pairing: OMC x OFC
Word Count: approx 2.3k
Warnings: swearing
Authors Note: The story started as a Henry Cavill fanfiction but I changed it to be an original character, but shades of Henry are still there. Hope you enjoy the story and thanks for reading.
Part 15 Part 17
Part 16
Liam cooked us a chicken stir-fry with Asian vegetables for dinner. I was mildly surprised that he was such a good cook and told him so. He said he had to learn pretty quickly in the early days of his career when he would go months without a paying job.
"I was lucky. My parents were supportive, so I knew I wouldn't starve, and they would give me money if I asked. I didn't want to, though. I felt like if I had to ask for money, then I was a failure. It motivated me to go to more auditions, prepare better, take some classes to get more skills, perfect my accents."
I admired him for that. From what I knew about his family, they seemed to be wealthy. It would have been easy for him to rely on them while trying to make it.
Liam had told me a lot about his family. He was very close to his two brothers. It seemed like he was a bit of a mummies boy, and I supposed that comes from being the youngest. He seemed to credit his Dad for his love of stories and his desire to act.
"Have you told them about me? Your family, I mean." I asked a bit hesitantly, unsure how I'd feel if he said no.
I shouldn't have worried though, his huge smile said it all. "I told Mum about you over a month ago."
"We hadn't even met yet."
"I know," Liam sounded a bit bashful as he continued. "My Mum kept saying how happy I sounded. I kept dropping hints that she thought I was seeing someone. She's very good at reading me. She hounded me until I told her."
"What did she say?"
"She was surprised we hadn't met. I spoke to her during the week a few times and told her we'd met, and it went well, and we'd seen each other the whole weekend. It was a bit awkward like I said. She knows me too well. She said, 'You mean you spent the weekend shagging.'"
"Oh, my God!" I was so embarrassed. "What did you say? She's going to think I'm the town bike."
"She wasn't judging, by the way. She was worried about how you would react to me. She was happy because she felt like I shouldn't have used Simons photos."
"She's not wrong," I said.
"I know, I know. Do I have to apologise again?"
"No, just don't do it again."
He briefly grinned but then looked at me, his face and tone serious. "Hopefully, I'll never have to."
I didn't know how to respond to that. What did he even mean by that? I didn't ask. I wasn't sure if I wanted to know. I cleared my throat. "Is that all she said?" I asked, instead.
Liam opened his mouth and was about to say something before closing his mouth and trying again. "Well, then she saw the photos and stories about us. I tell her not to read that stuff because most of it is rubbish. But she does. Anyway, she said we looked lovely together and..." he paused before continuing. "And she can't wait to meet you in a few months. She's coming for a visit in late June early July for my two-week hiatus."
I almost asked what he was going to say, but I changed my mind. "What about your brothers? Your Dad?"
"Well, my Dad isn't much of a talker when it comes to relationships. But he did say Mum had shown him your picture and that you seemed like a nice girl. Other than that, he didn't comment. He rarely does unless he thinks someone isn't good for me."
"Is he coming with your mum?"
"Only for one week. My mum will stay for nearly three. My brothers well..." he grinned. "You know what brothers are like. We are rarely serious together. Also, we rarely call each other. We mostly keep in contact through group chats." His lip twitched as he said, 'there were a lot of ginger jokes this week."
I could only imagine what those chat logs contain. I rolled my eyes at the thought. "The bastards," I said.
Liam laughed then asked, "what about your family?"
"I haven't told them much. Dave knows a bit. I haven't told Mum anything." I shifted in my seat. "Dave knew I was seeing someone after I asked him to watch Perrin. But he didn't ask questions. Then on Friday, he found out it was you. He seemed ok with it." I brightened and said, "they will know all about you next week anyway."
Liam returned my smile.
After dinner, we went to bed. We both read for a while. Liam sat up with his back against the headboard while I laid on my back, using his chest as a pillow. I read until I fell asleep.
I grew to hate Sundays.
Sunday's meant my time with Liam was coming to a close. This Sunday had a silver lining because I would only have to wait until Thursday to see him again. This only partially comforted me because it was also the premiere. As the time drew closer, I knew I'd regret saying yes.
I sat with my head in my hands in the store's dressing room. Just picking which dresses to try on had been an ordeal. I had done a quick google search that morning to see what kind of dresses people wore to premieres, and it was almost no help. The range was too extensive. It seemed nearly anything was acceptable, from cocktail dresses to full-on evening wear.
Some articles made me feel sick, especially the articles about the actresses. So many articles talked about how many women found it hard to find dresses in their size because they were size 6 and too big to fit into most designers dresses. I checked out a size conversion chart and found that size 6 was a size 10 here. I was usually a size 10, but sometimes my arse needs a size 12.
I started thinking I was too fat. I kept thinking about my huge arse and thighs, which got me spiralling into thinking my breasts were too small, my hair was too frizzy, I had too many freckles, and I was too pale. The list of my faults just grew in my head until I was sure I'd end up at the premiere looking like a bush pig in a dress.
I started to breathe deeply, in through my nose, hold it, out through my mouth. After several breaths, I opened my eyes. I could do this. I picked up the first dress the assistant had helped me pick. She knew it wasn't going to wor. It was a loose short black lace dress with puffy sleeves that would make me look like the only shape I had was round. The other picks she made were dresses that looked like they were for the bride's grandmother. She also looked at Liam too many times for my liking. She was very helpful if you call taking us to dresses sold out in my size useful. Or if directing all her questions at Liam was helpful. I'll bet she's out there right now being helpful...
Fuck me dead! I think I'm jealous.
That was an emotion I hadn't felt in a while, and I didn't like it. Fuck that. I don't need to be jealous. I picked through the dresses until I found the one I already knew would be the winner.
It was from Australian designer Maticevski. The gown was black with a high neckline, and the beautiful fabric gathered on the left shoulder. The dress was pulled from the hips and cinched in the waist. It had a thigh-high split, revealing just enough skin to be sexy and a small but elegant train. I loved it the moment I saw it and knew I wanted it. But it was $2,500. I loved it so much I almost didn't care. I mean, I knew I wasn't the one people cared about. They wanted to see Liam. This time was different because it would be our first official event together, and the story right now was who was he dating. This time I would get attention. But I still thought it was too much money. I had almost put it back, but the assistant smirked. Liam, bless him, took it out of my hands and said he would love to see it on me.
I wriggled my way into the dress and looked into the mirror. It was the winner for sure. I had brought my heels from Friday night to try the dress on with, and though they weren't quite right for the dress, they gave a good idea of what I would look like. It was slightly too tight around the hips and too a little big on the top. I could get it altered, though. It wouldn't take much. Maybe even a bra with a bit of padding would fix it. I flipped my hair to give it some bounce and a sexy 'just been fucked' look and stepped out.
I was right. She was hitting on Liam hard. I wanted to punch her in the face. But then Liam saw me, and the way he looked at me made me forgot about her. I took a few steps over to him and posed in an over the top way.
"What do you think?" I asked Liam.
He didn't say anything, but his eyes did. He had the same look when he approached me on Friday night. This is definitely the dress.
"It's not too dressed up? I could try something else if you think it's too much." I said to Liam.
"It doesn't quite fit. Perhaps the..." the assistant didn't get time to finish before Liam spoke.
"No." He said firmly, cutting her off. He cleared his throat and approached me. "It's absolutely perfect." He kissed me, and his lips were so soft. He ran his hands over my waist and stood back, looking me up and down. "Perfect. We will take it."
"You don't want to try..." the assistant tried again.
Liam didn't even look at her. "I said we would take it. The other dresses can go back. Thank you for your help." I loved it when he spoke in that authoritative tone, which made me weak.
She went into the dressing room and took away the ten other dresses I was going to try. I wasn't sad to see them go, none of them would be as good as this, but I still wasn't sure.
"I can try another dress. I mean, this one is stupid expensive."
"I don't care if it was a hundred thousand dollars, you look amazing, and you like it, so you will have it."
"I just don't know if I can afford to spend money like this for one night."
"I invited you. I'm paying."
"Fuck. I should have said I need matching earrings." I joked.
"Do you?" He asked, sincere.
"No, don't be silly. Shoes and a handbag will do. I'll buy the shoes you buy the bag. Deal?"
"Nope." He was shaking his head, "I want to get everything for you. Think of it as an Easter present."
"I can afford to buy things for myself, you know. I make pretty good money considering I own my house, and I only have to take care of myself and Perrin."
"I know." Liam ran his fingers through his hair. "Call me a misogynist if you want, but I want to buy you things, pretty things, things you'd never buy yourself. I want to take care of you."
I decided to let it go. I didn't think it's misogynistic to want to buy your girlfriend a present. It's misogynistic if you think you own her because you chose to buy her things. And it did feel nice to have him want to buy me pretty things.
"Ok, Liam," I said.
His smile came back. "Good. Get changed, and let's buy you some shoes." His lip twitched. "Do you need help taking it off?"
"Get out of it." I laughed and got changed.
When I had come out, he wasn't waiting for me. I looked around and couldn't find him in the shoes or the bags. A thought came to me. I hated that I thought it, but I wondered if the shop assistants come on had worked. I didn't believe it, not really, but once the thought was there, it wouldn't leave.
I didn't want to, but I looked for the shop assistant. As I looked, I felt sick from fear and disgust with myself. I found her putting away the dresses from the dressing room, and I breathed a sigh of relief. I hated myself. I wasn't usually like this. It wasn't fair on Liam either. He had given me no reason to suspect him at all.
Then I started to panic. My breath came out shallow and rapid. I felt smothered. There were no windows, and I needed to get out. There were too many people.
I felt warm hands slide under my t-shirt and rest on my belly.
I jumped and spun around. It was Liam. "Ready for shoes, Sweetheart?" He asked.
"Where were you? I looked everywhere."
"I went down to menswear real quick," Liam said. "Now that I know what you're going to wear, I know what I'm going to wear, and I needed a new shirt. It took longer than I thought."
"No worries. I just, I didn't know, it's ok."
"You ok?"
I nodded. "Let's go."
Part 17
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- ̥۪͙۪˚┊❛ Welcome to Sapphire Falls - chapter 13 ❜┊˚̥۪͙۪◌
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Basketballer!Chris Evans x Abigail Syverson (plus size!ofc) & Farmer!Syverson x Livia Darmandi (Asian ofc)
Summary: Livia asks Sy to join her to the benefit and thinks about prom night, more than eleven years ago.
Word count: 2.8k
Warnings: Vague mentions of sex, but not too much.
The Advent Calendar (a.k.a. the masterlist)
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Okay, I now have to fix that date for the benefit and preferably with Sy. Gosh, that lie just rolled right off my tongue, didn’t it? But, let’s be honest: me and Chris attending an event together? Sure, he was one of my greatest friends growing up and I really like having him around and–for what it’s worth–he is not too shabby to have right next to you, but why on earth would we go together, when there is a much better fit for him named Abigail Syverson?
My continuous knocking on the door of the Honey Bee Ranch finally pays off, because it opens after a good ten seconds and Sy leans in the doorway, appearing unamused. ‘You must have a very good reason to disturb me like that.’
I ignore the wit, knowing he doesn’t mean it. ‘You gotta come with me to the benefit.’
‘And why would I do that?’ he asks, crossing his thick arms in front of his broad chest. 
‘Well, Chris is probably going with Abigail and I told him I’m going with you.’ I shrug and add: ‘So, now you have to come with me, otherwise Chris is gonna kill me for lying.’
‘So, because you were dishonest, I just have to go with you to the benefit?’
I nod. ‘Yep, you’re already getting the gist of it.’
He scoffs. ‘Bold of you to assume I have a suit to wear.’
‘I know you do,’ I tell him. ‘And otherwise, we can rent one for you. I found a place not too far from here and you can rent there, even on such a short notice.’
‘Crap,’ he mutters. ‘Now I can’t say no.’
‘So… Does that mean you’re coming with me?’ I hopefully ask.
Sy nods. ‘I guess so.’
‘Great! It’s gonna be like all our homecoming dancings and prom.’ Realizing what I just said, I clear my throat. ‘Well, you know what I mean.’
Sy scratches the back of his neck, sharing the same uneasiness as me. ‘I know what you mean,’ he says. ‘Well, Liv, I do have a suit. I’ll pick you up in the truck or do you prefer something fancier?’
‘The truck would suffice. I’ll text you the details later on.’ I break out in a smile and say: ‘Thank you, Sy. I owe you one.’
He shakes his head. ‘No, Liv, this is what friends do. We’re there for one another.’ 
‘I also need another favor.’
‘And what’s that?’
‘Can you drive me? I have to buy a dress.’
●・○・●・○・●
You can say about Sy what you want, but he is a good sport. Without muttering or sputtering, he got the car keys and drove me to the store I had in mind. It was an hour drive, but he didn’t mind. I guess he always really liked driving. I knew my way around here in Sapphire Falls, back when I was younger and Dottie took me out for driving sometimes, but I haven’t driven a car in so long. Besides me never liking it, I also live in New York City.
Feel like I don’t need to further expound on that one.
Together with Sy I walk into the store and let out a deep sigh as I stare at the amounts of clothing. ‘Do you think I should’ve brought Abigail with me?’ I ask.
Sy scoffs. ‘You couldn’t have thought of that an hour earlier?’ 
‘Well, you didn’t say anything either.’
He smirks. ‘True. Okay, come on, let’s make this quick. Max three dresses for you to try on.’
At first I want to strangle him for suggesting something so outrageous, but I think three dresses is enough. Besides, having a defined idea of what to do here is probably the best way to go. ‘I came prepared,’ I say, ‘because I already brought some shoes.’ I fish the heels out of my bag and hold them. ‘They’re black,’ I say, as if Sy can’t see that, ‘so, they’ll fit mostly everything.’
Sy holds one in his hands and examines them. ‘These are high.’
‘Yeah, and I am short,’ I tell him. ‘Come on, I have to compensate. You are gonna be my plus one and knowing us, we’re gonna hang out with the other giants named Abigail and Chris.’
He smiles. For a second I’m lost in those eyes, in that smile and his handsome features, but I quickly shrug it off and look through the racks of clothing. Nothing is good enough. It’s either too casual, too royal or borderline cosplay and that was not the look we were going for.
But I grabbed two dresses, a red one and a green one. I first try on the red and when I have put on the heels, I look at myself in the mirror.
Oh no…
This isn’t good. 
‘Are you gonna show me something?’ Sy impatiently asks, who has taken a seat outside of the changing rooms. 
‘No,’ I say. ‘The red one is no good.’
‘Show it to me, Liv.’
‘No, it’s horrendous.’
‘It can’t be that bad.’
I pull the curtain to the side and show him what I’m wearing. ‘You still think that?’
Sy doesn’t want to, but he still bursts out into laughter. The collar and sleeves didn’t look too bad on the hanger, however now that I’m wearing it, I feel like doctor Quinn is gonna barge in the store any minute now to rip the dress off me. ‘That is not good,’ he says.
‘Don’t laugh too hard,’ I mumble, though I have to chuckle too. ‘It’s horrible.’
‘Well, let’s hope the green one is better.’
I hide in the changing room again and after nearly breaking my neck because I tripped in the very tight space, I somehow managed to slide into this other dress.
Oh.
This is a look. The tiny cut outs near the waist line really show off my middle and despite the dress being knee length, the high slit on the side doesn’t make it look frumpy. 
I turn around in the mirror and realize I have a great ass in this too! 
This dress fits like a glove and that in a little boutique. Is this how people feel when they hit the jackpot? I open the curtain again and walk out. ‘And?’ I ask, as I make a little pirouette. 
Sy blinks his eyes, before I see him scanning the entire dress and therefore me. ‘Wow.’
‘Is that a good wow?’
‘More than a good wow,’ Sy notes, getting up from the chair to stand next to me. He holds out his arm and I hook mine though it. ‘You sure you wanna show up with me by your side for the benefit?’ he asks. 
‘Absolutely,’ I say, leaning my head against his arm. ‘I’d love that, Sy.’
He can’t help but smirk. ‘Good, me too.’
●・○・●・○・●
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●・○・●・○・●
Prom was probably one of the most highly anticipated moments of my life. Doing my hair and make-up with Abigail and her mom Dottie, then putting on the red dress I had bought with them. It were moments like this I cherished forever. After Dottie pulled an Abigail and took a lot of pictures, we went to school. Chris and Abigail in Chris’ fixer up. Sy and I in his truck.
But when we arrived at school, Chris and Abigail quickly disappeared, but I never lost track of Sy. The crowd was getting too much and too packed and being my height, therefore unable to oversee it all, I wanted to walk back, however Sy placed his hand in between my shoulderblades, causing me to look up. ‘I’ve got you, Liv.’
Four words, but it was enough to send my heart into overdrive. 
My prom was mostly spent with Sy and because I couldn’t persuade him to join me on the dance floor, we remained wallflowers for the majority of the night and to be fair, that was all I really cared about. I liked being around Sy and to be his moral support for events like this–which he absolutely despised–was the least I could do.
And after prom, we went home. We had a lot of dances in the past and it usually ended in us going back to the ranch. Chris however went home, because he had a basketball game the next day and it wouldn’t be too far-fetched to just assume Abigail was staring at the pictures she had taken that night. Because the ranch was big and had a lot of rooms, I slept in one of the guest bedrooms, where I took off all my make-up and the dress. I stared at it for a while, as it was draped over the chair and the last reminder I had of prom night. 
I went to the kitchen for one more glass of water, only to see Sy also standing there. ‘Hi,’ I said, causing him to look up. ‘What are you doing here?’
He simply shrugged, before he suggested: ‘Want to come with me?’
‘Where to?’
‘You know how my dad and I were building that shed near the lake?’ he asked. ‘I finished it the other day. I just hadn’t gotten around to show it to you just yet.’
I peeked through the window, realizing how dark it was.
‘It’s not too cold out,’ Sy said, as if that was what I was worried about. ‘So you can just go in your pj’s.’
Knowing with the aftermath of prom still buzzing through my veins, I would not fall asleep anytime soon, I nodded and together we walked into the dark night. I held onto Sy’s arm, not wanting to lose sight of him. 
The shed was absolutely beautiful. I remembered clearly when Bernard and Sy were working on it, but after the death of Bernard, Sy hadn’t picked up on working on it. He probably found the willpower to do so again.
‘It’s like a little house,’ I said, as I plopped on the bed. ‘You can rent it out.’
‘I’m probably not gonna do that. I… It’s nice to have my own place so to say.’ He sat next to me on the bed. ‘Liv, I had fun tonight.’
‘Really? You frowned like ninety nine percent of the time.’
‘That’s my default state,’ he retorted. ‘Thought you knew by now.’
I chuckled. ‘Well, thank you for tonight. For the corsage, for the tie that matched my dress and actually mustering up a smile for the picture.’
‘I hope mom’s reflexes are good,’ he joked, ’because that smile was very brief.’
I stared at his handsome face, his jawline more prominent than last year, though I still saw some of the softness left. ‘Maybe we should go back.’
‘Maybe.’
However we both didn’t move. I saw Sy’s eyes descend from my eyes to my lips. 
‘We can also stay here,’ I suggested in a hoarse tone.
Sy nodded and told me he would lock the door of the shed. I scooted back on the mattress and snuck underneath the thin covers. I stared at my best friend, as he was locking the door and checking the windows. The moments I got to spend with him were going to be scarce as time went on. Sure, we still had time left before I would officially depart for college and it’s only then I have to say my goodbyes to him, but that doesn’t change the fact I was going away and he was staying here in Sapphire Falls.
I had lived my life here, got used to the people here and I knew he was always there for me.
Sy walked over to the bed, got underneath the covers as well and I didn’t even have to think about curling up against his strong and protective frame. I placed my head against his chest, wrapping my arm around his waist.
‘High school is almost over,’ I whispered. ‘Do you think we’ll be people who peaked during high school?’
‘Maybe I will be, but you can never be,’ Sy said, as he played with my fingers. ‘You’re going to conquer the world, show everyone what an amazing writer you are.’
I looked up and smiled. ‘Is the farm going to be your forever home, Sy?’
‘I can’t leave this behind,’ he said. ‘Besides, there is a community college not too far from here. I bet I can learn a thing or two there. If I want.’ The second those words left his lips, he chuckled. ‘Well, you know me: I suck at school. I am probably never going back.’
‘You’re smarter than you give yourself credit for,’ I said. ‘You’ve got so much to offer.’
He let out a sigh. ‘I’m going to miss you.’
‘I’ll miss you too.’
And then it happened. Usually I would insist on us being friends and solely friends, however now I couldn’t. Not when I felt his lips on mine. It was so different than the first times we kissed, because then I stopped us. 
I didn’t want us to stop now. 
Our kiss deepened and I allowed my body to melt against his. His hand carefully touched my lower back, as it had slipped underneath my pajama shirt. 
He rolled me on my back, as he was on his side next to me, not once letting our lips depart from one another. His lips descended to my nape, his hand resting in the dip of my waist. My lips were burning, desperate for more of these types of kisses. My skin was on fire, because of his touch, from both his lips and his calloused hand. 
A shaky exhale left my lips, causing Sy to look up. ‘You alright?’
I nodded. ‘I’m okay,’ I whispered. ‘Are you?’
Now it was his turn to nod. He leaned closer to give me another kiss. Sy carefully rolled on top of me, as he kneeled between my legs. He made sure he wasn’t smothering me underneath his large frame, leaning on one of his strong arms. 
All the things I usually would do–telling him this wasn’t a good idea, how we were just friends and what not–were all forgotten. 
We made out for who knows how long, his shirt disregarded and I allowed my hands to wander over his strong upper body. 
Sy carefully let his fingers caress my skin, as his hands were still underneath my shirt. For the longest time, I never thought I’d ever kiss him again, but his lips were attached to mine. 
Our lips parted, his forehead resting against mine. His hot breath tingled against my lips. For seconds we didn’t speak, not a word was exchanged between us.
What did I want to say to him? Stop? I want this? 
I had no idea. 
Everything he did was careful, well thought out. I never wanted him to stop, but deep down I knew that friends didn’t do this.
I whispered: ‘What are we doing?’
‘I’m not sure.’
He was sure. I was sure. We both were. 
I pulled him closer, his lips fell perfectly against mine and I said: ‘Do you want this?’
‘With you I do,’ Sy said. ‘What about you, Liv?’
I nodded carefully. ‘With you I want this too.’
●・○・●・○・●
We didn’t speak about the elephant in the room. That was quite the achievement, considering us just losing our virginities to one another on prom night, was probably the biggest elephant ever. We stared at the ceiling after I put on his shirt, since I was a shivering mess. I turned to my side, placing my head on his bare chest as I held his hand in mine. His lips pressed a featherlike kiss on my fingers. 
‘Sy,’ I whispered. ‘I am leaving in a month.’
‘I know.’
‘I want us to remain friends. No matter where I am.’
‘I want that too.’
I craned my neck to look up and when our eyes met, he smiled. 
‘What’s up?’ he asked me.
I leaned in to give him a kiss on his cheek, before I whispered: ‘I love you, Sy.’
At first I thought he didn’t hear it, but then he said: ‘I love you too, Liv,’ before giving me one last kiss. 
And after that, we never spoke about it again. We never said those words to each other. We went back to how it was pre-prom.
Like it never happened.
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- ̥۪͙۪˚┊❛ Welcome to Sapphire Falls❜┊˚̥۪͙۪◌
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Hi friends,
It's almost December, meaning Mariah Carey is defrosting and Christmas is very close. And what is December really without an advent calendar?
@diegos-butt and @keanureevesisbae have joined forced and present to you:
The Sapphire Falls Advent Calendar
The stories of four friends in the wonderful town of Sapphire Falls as they are nearing Christmas. We invite you for a daily chapter, starting on December 1st, all the way to December 25th.
We hope you will enjoy your time in Sapphire Falls!
Lots of love,
@diegos-butt & @keanureevesisbae
P.S. we won't be using a taglist, so if you want to stay up to date, please make sure you follow this blog!
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- ̥۪͙۪˚┊❛ Welcome to Sapphire Falls - chapter 3 ❜┊˚̥۪͙۪◌
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Basketballer!Chris Evans x Abigail Syverson (plus size!ofc) & Farmer!Syverson x Livia Darmandi (Asian ofc)
Summary: Livia arrives in Sapphire Falls, only to bump into the one person she missed the most. When Abigail wants to escape crazy farm life, she recognizes someone herself.
Word count: 2.4k
Warnings: None.
The Advent Calendar (a.k.a. the masterlist)
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●・○・●・○・●
There was one thing I forgot about Sapphire Falls and that is the lack of public transportation. It’s quite the distance from the station to the hotel, but thankfully I am used to living in New York City and walking is my second nature.
The downside to it: there is a tiny hill up there. 
Despite that, I continue my walk and can’t help but smile. I am back home. It is so nice to be back. Everything is like I remembered. The smell is the same, the entourage is the same. 
Of course I could’ve gone back home a lot sooner, but the more time went by since my departure here, the harder it got. But I guess I just had to hit a complete low point in life for me to finally pack a suitcase and come back here. 
I wonder what it’s gonna be like once I reach the heart of Sapphire Falls. I can’t wait to see what Christmas decorations are up and how the city has turned into a real life snow globe. 
I hear a truck approaching from behind me, but I’m walking near the fences, so there is no way the car is gonna hit me. Besides, people from here are sweet and kind, no one would do such a thing.
However the car starts to slow down. Great, now I have to make small talk. I barely got here ten minutes ago and didn’t even get the chance to mentally prepare myself for it. 
‘You look lost,’ I hear a voice say.
Wait a minute, I recognize that voice. The hairs in my neck are standing up straight, not necessarily in a bad way, but more because I can’t believe this is the first person I’m going to encounter here. 
‘Yeah,’ I answer, ‘I haven’t been here in quite a while.’ I stop walking and turn around to face the car, only to detect I was right.
Caleb Syverson, though we always just called him Sy. With one hand still on the wheel, he looks so effortlessly handsome. Still rocking that short buzz cut, but now it’s accompanied by a thick beard. 
Damn, I forgot how attractive I always found him. He truly gets finer and more handsome the older he gets.
‘Hi,’ I say, when he isn’t saying anything, appearing to be at a loss for words. 
‘Livia Darmandi?’ he asks, a deep frown between his brows. ‘Is that really you?’
‘In all her glory.’
Not caring that he is in the middle of the road, he stops the car and opens the door. Sy had always been a buff kind of kid in high school, but over the course of many years, he got even beefier than before. Thick arms in the lumberjack blouse, a broad chest. 
He takes me in completely, before a smirk toys on his lips. ‘I can’t believe it’s you,’ he says, his voice a lot warmer than before. I wrap my arms around his wide shoulders once he’s close enough and he lifts me up like I’m weighing nothing.
I hug him closer, taking in his familiar scent. I missed being engulfed in his arms like this.
Maybe I just missed him.
Once he places me on the ground again, his large hands rest on my shoulders. ‘You look good, Liv.’
Liv. That one nickname I always despised when others used it, but absolutely adored when he said it. ‘Thank you. You look quite alright yourself. I see you managed to grow a beard.’
He rolls his eyes. ‘The potential was there when you left,’ he says. ‘What… What brings you here?’
‘I had to escape New York. I… I’m looking for inspiration here.’
‘Yeah, I read somewhere you’re a pretty famous author now.’
He knew? Sy had never been much of a reader growing up. I helped him write a lot of essays for our English Lit class and getting him to read wasn’t easy. So, I never would’ve guessed that he would keep up with my writing career. I nod before I say: ‘Yeah, but now I’m drained with no inspiration left, so maybe home will help me out and fill me with creativity.’ 
‘You’re staying at the hotel?’
‘Yeah.’
He already grabs my suitcase and says: ‘Allow me to give you a lift.’ He smirks. ‘You forgot about the buses, didn’t you? Big city girls are used to public transport.’
I fake an exaggerated gasp. ‘How mean,’ I say, as he loads my suitcase in the back. I sit next to him in the truck and I realize it’s an even larger model than the one he owned as a teen.
 ‘So,’ I ask Sy when he’s seated next to me, ‘how’s the ranch?’
‘Ranch is doing just fine.’
‘How are Dottie and Abigail?’ 
When he doesn’t answer, I look to the side, only to see the color is drained from his face. ‘Mom died a few years ago.’
‘Oh no,’ I say, hating myself for not knowing this. ‘Sy, I’m so sorry.’
He shrugs. ‘She had a heart attack.’ 
I don’t quite know what to do with that information. So we both stare over the road, as he drives ever so recklessly and we’re nearing the city in no time. 
‘We tried to invite you,’ Sy then tells me. ‘But you’re like Houdini. Just disappeared after you left Sapphire Falls.’
And that pains me to hear. ‘I’m so sorry, Sy,’ I say. ‘I… I’m sorry I missed it.’
He shakes his head. ‘It’s alright, Liv.’
‘I take it you and Abigail took over the ranch?’
‘Yeah. I do the hard work, Abigail takes care of the more logistical parts.’
I snicker softly. ‘Paperwork never was your thing.’
‘Still isn’t.’
The drive goes by in silence, but that’s mostly because I have no idea what to say. When we were younger, I was always the one who would break the silence, unable to bear the quietness. However, now I have no clue what to say to him and it turns out, Sy still doesn’t mind the tranquility. 
He parks in front of the hotel and when we’re out of the car, he hands me back my suitcase.
‘Thank you, Sy, for the drive.’
‘How long are you staying?’
I shrug. ‘Don’t know. I don’t have a time or date to go back to New York.’
‘Well, you should come by the ranch. I’m sure Abigail would like to catch up.’
I nod. ‘Yeah, I would really like to see her.’ I fiddle with the handle of my suitcase. ‘I would really like to catch up with you, Sy. I… I…’ Missed you. ‘I wanna know everything that happened in the years I wasn’t here.’
‘Eleven,’ he says. 
I have no idea what he is talking about. ‘What?’ 
‘You weren’t here for eleven years.’
I swallow hard. Time sure has flown by. I knew a long while had passed, but I didn’t expect it to be eleven years. ‘Ah, right.’
‘But I wanna catch up with you too. We have quite a few animals here. I wonder if you know all the valuable and important lessons I taught you.’
‘I might have been a city girl for many years, but those lessons are rooted in my DNA.’
And then I see it again: his beautiful smirk. It sure does things to me and things include sweaty palms. ‘I think so too.’ 
‘I should check in,’ I say, despite not wanting to say my goodbyes to him just yet.
‘I’ll see you around, Liv. Don’t be a stranger and just knock on the door of Honey Bee Ranch. Remember: the door’s always open for you.’
And with that, he gets back in his truck again and without so much of a wave, he drives off.
Welcome back to Sapphire Falls, Livia Darmandi.
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●・○・●・○・●
While the animals have my heart and I don’t necessarily despise my brother, there are moments where the farm just pushes me to the limits. I crave normalcy, something none animal related. No feces, no noises, just something that resembles city life.
I need a chai latte, so I step into my pick-up truck and drive to town with the same driving style as Sy, which some might call a little reckless, but in reality it’s just the Syverson way of driving. The parking spot in front of my beloved cafe is free. 
Finally something that goes right for me today. It better goes uphill from here.
I open the door and am welcomed with the familiar ring. ‘Ah,’ the barista says when his eyes land on me, ‘one chai latte for my favorite Syverson coming up.’ 
Am I coming over here too often or is this town just too damn small? 
While I wait for my order to come up, I think about the times I used to come here with my friends. With Livia, Sy and Chris. We would sit in the booth in the far left corner, Sy and Livia without an inch between them, while me and Chris tried to keep some space between us. Which was kinda impossible with the  unspacious seats and the fact that Chris and I weren’t the smallest people. 
Chris. Is it possible for someone to be your best friend and not at the same time? We hung out all the time, we talked all the time, but there was always this tension, this friction between us. I didn’t think a lot of it, since our friendship still worked. He was there for me when I needed him, and I was there for him. We shared basically everything. Hell, he even knew when I had my period. We were so close, I could just tell by the look on his face what he was thinking most of the time. 
So when he left town to pursue his basketball career, I would have never imagined he’d never look back. We had only texted a couple times, but not even a month after he left, he stopped answering me. I figured I had it coming. He couldn’t be seen with me anymore, not when he was about to become famous. The athletic basketballer with the simple, hefty, farm girl? 
The barista calling my name pulls me out of my thoughts. I know I shouldn’t be thinking these things, but it’s hard to stop myself. Especially because I still have no idea why he broke contact with me. 
In desperate need of some fresh–and not the smelly farm air–I decide to take a walk. With my coffee in hand I stride out of the café and turn the corner onto the  main street of Sapphire Falls. It is crowded, people in this town like to be prepared for Christmas so they start shopping as soon as possible. I, on the other hand, procrastinate until the last moment. 
Before my parents died, Christmas was a big deal. We decorated the farm, even the stables, put up the biggest tree dad could find and everyone we loved came over for Christmas dinner. 
But all of that changed after Mom died. She kept Christmas going for Dad. That was her way of remembering him. For me and Sy, it was just too painful. We just had dinner, or met up with some friends downtown.
An enthusiastic shopper almost bumps into me. I give him a polite smile, but on the inside I feel like throwing my coffee in his face. Too bad that’s something I shouldn’t do; within minutes the whole town would know and they would form an opinion about me in a heartbeat. 
The presents in the shopper’s hand got me thinking on the other hand; maybe I should get Sy an actual present this year. Every year I give him socks and clothes, because the man is incapable of taking care of himself. But when he gave me a new lens for my camera last year, I felt like I should step up and give him a more thoughtful present. 
I figure it couldn’t hurt to look around. While I’m walking through the crowd towards the warehouse, I hear people whisper around me. I see someone pointing somewhere ahead of me. I can’t believe he is back, I hear someone whisper. Who is back? I think to myself. 
My heart stops and blood appears to freeze in my veins when I understand who everyone is whispering about. I recognize that back, the stance and that hair. The last time I saw it in real life was when he left. But now this is not my fantasy nor my imagination thinking about it. 
This is truly the Chris Evans. He is the type of man that was always attractive, but will look elite the older he gets. His beard, his stance. His back got broader, his legs thicker and did he manage to get even taller? 
Everything about him is gorgeous. My mouth turns dry, and I try to take a sip of my coffee only to find out it’s already empty. Chris Evans is back in town. And my coffee is empty. This day is not going uphill like I hoped. 
Of course I’ve looked him up, of course I saw him being engaged to a woman called Bethany, but when I saw that ring on her non manicured finger and the average engagement picture, I decided to not hurt myself more and stop looking at his Instagram. I never expected him to marry me, but seeing him with another woman, that hurt. 
He never dated much back in high school, neither did I, but that was mostly because no one seemed interested in me. Chris on the other hand had girls swirling around him, but he turned most of them down. He went on the occasional date, had a girlfriend here and there but never for longer than a month. We always teased and asked him about it, but he always said he wanted to focus on his basketball career and that he’d rather hang out with us.  
I missed him. The second the thought appears in my mind I feel conflicted. Did I really miss the guy who left me behind? Maybe he had his reasons. Maybe I could have tried harder. 
Before he can even spot me, I decide to turn away. Not to bother and hope for a glimpse, a moment of his time. At least not yet.
Because I know what happens when I let Chris Evans in my life.
I’ll get hurt, both intentionally or unintentionally.
And I’m not ready for that.
Not yet at least.
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- ̥۪͙۪˚┊❛ Welcome to Sapphire Falls - chapter 2 ❜┊˚̥۪͙۪◌
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Basketballer!Chris Evans x Abigail Syverson (plus size!ofc) & Farmer!Syverson x Livia Darmandi (Asian ofc)
Summary: Chris and Sy couldn't be more different. Chris Evans living a life of fame and fortune, Sy is still living in the tranquility that is Sapphire Falls.
Word count: 1.3k
Warnings: None
The Advent Calendar (a.k.a. the masterlist)
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I’ve been brutally kicked off cloud nine in a span of a few weeks. It all started with my injury, then my fiancée broke off our engagement and now I’m sitting in my mansion, all by myself, while Christmas is coming up. 
On a scale of one to ten, how damn depressing does it need to be?
I’ve had it all for so long. I worked my ass off to get where I am. I missed out parts of my youth, my adolescence, to reach where I am now. Only to be benched due to that injury, then to be single again and now there is a chance of me spending December—the most romantic and wonderful time of the year—alone. 
When I twisted my knee I figured it would just need a little rest. I would have never imagined for it to be this bad. The doctors told me I needed to take this injury and recovery seriously, or else I would never play a game ever again. But I didn’t know what hurt more: my knee injury of Bethany breaking off our engagement, because we actually spent some time together. 
I look out of the window, witnessing the beautiful city of Chicago preparing itself for the holidays. Thanksgiving is over, meaning we get to look out for Christmas. I was ready to spend Christmas with Bethany, but my only option right now is to spend it alone. Going to Bethany’s parents’ house for the holidays would be a little pathetic. While I wouldn’t mind seeing her parents again, the thought of seeing her made me angry. 
We met at a party one of my teammates threw after we won the state championship. She was fun, exciting, and she knew exactly what she wanted. Shame I didn’t realize she just wanted to be seen with me, to gain a little fame herself. The fact I only realized that when I got injured and we actually started to talk, said enough about our relationship. I wasn’t really mad at her, I was mad at myself for staying with her, while deep down knowing we didn’t have anything in common. 
Maybe it was time for me to go home, to go back to the person I used to be. The person I actually want to be. I don’t necessarily remember the last time I went back to Sapphire Falls. It is the place where my roots are, where basketball began for me. I remember Bernie Syverson teaching me the basics of basketball, realizing how much potential I had and he was there for every game. 
But he died before my basketball career took off. When I left Sapphire Falls, I barely looked back. I was invited for Dottie Syverson’s funeral, but due to my tight schedule, I was unable to go. 
With pops and ma Syverson not being around anymore, I felt like going back for the infamous Syverson twins was out of the question. Despite promising we would be friends forever, I knew that eventually, we would grow apart and the first one to detach from our little clan would be me. With the future I had, I was destined to lose touch with them. 
Sometimes I wonder how they are. Whether or not Syverson still is brutally strong like he was back in the days. If Livia visits her hometown, because judging from her Instagram she lives and loves her life in NYC. 
But I mainly wonder about Abigail. How she’s doing.
It’s been a long time since I spoke to her and in all honesty: I have never forgotten about her. We’ve always had a strange friendship. Unlike Sy and Livia, who had a clear connection, a magnificent click, obvious to the rest of the world. 
Not Abigail and I. There was something, I always loved being around her and I know that it was mutual, but there were unspoken things between us.
The longer I sit here, the more depressed I become. What if I spend Christmas in Sapphire Falls?
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It had been a few years since Livia Darmandi left Sapphire Falls and moved away for college. Eleven to be exact. But in those eleven years, she still has a permanent spot in my heart, despite the fact I haven’t seen her since she left. 
I sit in the truck, staring at the grocery store where we spent a lot of time together when we were still in high school. She often went with me when I was sent out to do groceries for my parents and since she spent a lot of time at the Honey Bee Ranch anyways, she joined me. It was nice to not be alone. To do boring chores with someone as sweet as her.
But there had never been someone like her ever again.
Grocery shopping was never that much fun after she left. I don’t want to wander too long in the past, but I have always missed her, sometimes even more so than other days. I always hoped she would one day return, but she didn’t.
I get it of course. While Sapphire Falls is my home, the safest place on earth, this place has caused her a lot of pain and sorrow. Racism, not a loving and supportive home situation. 
Maybe she just didn’t want to come back. 
We were a close group of friends, the four of us, but I was always more drawn to Livia. Don’t know exactly why, but maybe it was because she was just my polar opposite. Sweet, kind, tiny and loving. All the things I’m not.
I get out of the truck, before I walk into the store for the necessary stuff. Perks of living in a small town: everything has memories attached to it and it’s nice to revisit every now and then. The biggest downside: I know everyone.
Sometimes I think I can just permanently hold up my hand, because every time I go into another aisle, there’s someone else who wants to say their hello’s. 
‘There he is,’ I hear some of the gossipy older ladies in town say, ‘our handsome Syverson.’
This is what I hate. I don’t want to talk to them about this. They all have granddaughters—all ladies who I know—and sometimes I wonder whether or not people are putting in bets on when I’m finally gonna settle down. It’s all people here truly care about. But in reality, I don’t want to settle down for someone who I can never love as dearly as I can love Livia.
Back in high school, she knew how much she meant to me, but she never knew how much I loved her. She always held a distance between us, not wanting to be more than friends.
But was there a chance of us being more than friends? The kisses we shared did indicate there must’ve been a chance–prom night for that matter–however she never indulged. And she was very clear. 
Just friends. Nothing more, Sy. 
So, I respected that, but sometimes I regret letting her go. I know that she is living her dream life in New York. She always wanted to be an author and now she has become one.
I mutter out a soft and low ‘hi’ to the women, before I continue on to walk towards the registers. On auto pilot I pay and pack all the stuff I need and go back to my truck.
The door closes behind me and I let out a deep sigh. It’s times like this where I miss my parents. When my father died in high school, I lost my role model. When my mom died a few years back, I lost the woman I loved the most, the person who made me smile and happy. 
But when I lost my dad, me and my sister had Chris en Livia around us. When we lost our mom, Abigail and I only had each other. 
Despite all the pain I experienced, I still love the ranch with all my heart. Honey Bee Ranch had been my place, my safe haven and it got me through all the difficult moments. 
And that’s why I stay there. Why I know my forever home will be here in Sapphire Falls.
●・○・●・○・●
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- ̥۪͙۪˚┊❛ Welcome to Sapphire Falls - chapter 1 ❜┊˚̥۪͙۪◌
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Basketballer!Chris Evans x Abigail Syverson (plus size!ofc) & Farmer!Syverson x Livia Darmandi (Asian ofc)
Summary: While Livia Darmandi lives in fast paced NYC, Abigail is still stuck in quiet Sapphire Falls.
Word count: 1.6k
Warnings: None.
A/N: Happy December 1st everyone 🥰 The first chapter of this story. We hope you like it!
The Advent Calendar (a.k.a. the masterlist)
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I think I just broke up with my boyfriend. 
Not that I’m surprised or anything. Ian and I have broken up multiple times before back in the past, but deep down I always knew that it was inevitable for us to actually stay broken up. We always ended up back together.
However this really feels permanent.
Like there is nothing we can do to mend it. The words that were exchanged, the looks we gave one another, that felt like there was a definite end to our tumultuous relationship. 
I stare out of the window of my New York City apartment, looking over the busy streets. Tons of people going their merry way, maybe dealing with their own issues, maybe living on top of the world now. Whatever is going on in their minds, no one worries about my broken relationship. 
Just me. 
It feels so wrong to see that couple over there living their best life, while I’m wondering whether or not I am ever going to be happy again. 
I’ve lived in New York since I was seventeen. First in sleazy dorms, sharing it with other girls, then a studio with barely enough room to move my ass around and now in an apartment. It’s a well deserved growth I’ve gone through. Going to college for Creative Writing had been a dream of mine ever since high school. Stories are my world. Storytelling is all I’m capable of doing.
My hard work paid off, because at the age of twenty four, after working two side jobs to pay for the studio, I sent off my manuscript to a publishing house and got signed pretty fast afterwards. The book that originally started out as a standalone, quickly became a duology and the VERIFIED series hit the number three spot on the New York Times Bestselling list, an accomplishment I never expected to reach so soon. I realized how lucky I was. Going on book tour after book tour. Attending book conference after book conference. It was so wonderful and marvelous to be able to experience all of this, but mostly because I got to share it with someone.
And that someone was Ian. 
And now, my last book in the GAME OVER trilogy has been published and I’m empty. No inspiration, meaning no upcoming book, meaning no book conferences and tours. 
Why am I so drained? It feels so meaningless, because what is my life without stories? Stories are the one thing that have been serving as a constant throughout my life. Ian was never constant. Where I lived was never constant. My home when I was younger was never constant.
Me being an author was.
But now I’m an author with no inspiration.
In other words: I am a nothing. 
Mindlessly, I stroll around my apartment, hoping that something can distract me from my racing thoughts, me breaking up with Ian for real. I open the closet in my room, only to discover my very first suitcase, the one I bought in a town neighboring to my own hometown Sapphire Falls. Now I use it to store up memories. Things I can’t lose. Things I don’t want to lose.
Maybe something in here can spark up some inspiration. 
I manage to place it on my bed, before I unzip the suitcase with white daisies on it. I remember when I hopped in my friend Sy’s truck, to go to another town to buy me this suitcase. He was staying in Sapphire Falls, while I was going to New York. He told me he wanted to help me out, help me prepare for my departure. 
‘Liv,’ he said, when I was looking at the different types of suitcases, ‘this one is perfect for you.’ Like it weighed nothing—Sy was always way too strong, thanks to the physical work on his family farm—he held up the suitcase with one hand. ‘Don’t you like daisies?’
Picture after picture of me and my three best friends are stored in this suitcase. We were inseparable in high school, but despite us promising to each other we would always remain friends, we unfortunately drifted apart. While I know that Chris went off and is now a professional basketball player at the Chicago Bulls, I have no idea whatever happened to Abigail and Caleb Syverson.
And then there it is. A picture of us right before prom. The four of us all together, all happy and dressed up. We went to the Honey Bee Ranch—the family farm of the Syverson family—and me and Abigail did our hair and make-up there and got dressed up. Dottie Syverson insisted on taking a lot of pictures and despite all her efforts, this is the only one where Sy isn’t frowning, but is actually laughing. 
Goodness, I really do miss them. Sapphire Falls, no matter how harsh it was growing up there as one of the only Asian kids and how difficult it was to be my parents’ child, that place was always my home. 
Will always be my home.
Christmas time in Sapphire Falls was without exception great. The lights, the trees, the all-round jolliness around. No matter how amazing Christmas is in New York City, it’s nothing compared to Sapphire Falls. 
I could just do it, you know. 
I open my laptop and search for possibilities of me going back there. There is a small hotel there and they have multiple rooms left. 
Livia Darmandi, think about this. You're not going to spend Christmas here with anybody. You broke up with Ian, so no Christmas with his family and besides that, you barely have friends here.
Maybe I should go home.
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A loud sigh escapes my mouth as I open another, annoying, e-mail from one of our suppliers. If you thought farm life was only about shoveling shit and petting cute animals all day, you couldn’t have been more wrong. I mean, yes, I had the privilege to pet very cute goats every day but most part of my day was spent behind my laptop. Doing Honey Bee Farm’s administration, keeping track of deliveries, meeting with potential buyers; you get it, boring stuff.
One more e-mail, I think to myself while my eye spots a butterfly landing on the wooden bench outside my window. Slowly I reach for my camera, which is always on or near me, and I quickly shoot a few shots before it flutters away. Completely forgetting about the e-mail I’m supposed to answer, I get up and grab my coat.
The chilly air greets me as I leave the kitchen (also my workspace) and step outside. With my camera ready in hand, I walk towards our meadow. The cows are happily grazing, I hear the chickens fighting but the one thing that catches my attention are the bleating goats. I walk over to their enclosure, and their bleating gets even louder. To this day it still amazes me how Sy let me have these animals. He hated them furiously. He wouldn’t come near them, and he shouldn’t, because the goats didn’t like him as well. I let out a snickers about the thought, and pet the smallest goat, Honey. She was born just a few weeks ago, and stole the show the second she was born. Her mother approaches as well, and I take a few pictures of them.
The sun was setting slowly, and the sky turned orange and pink. I think I have taken a million pictures of the sun setting above our meadow, yet I still take a few extra. Taking pictures is something I have done since I laid a hand on a camera. When I was ten, my parents gave me my first camera. It was small, so I carried it with me everywhere I went. I’m not exaggerating when I say I have captured every nook and corner of Sapphire Falls.
Ever since I got that camera I wanted to be a photographer. But then life happened, and the place I called home needed me. Honey Bee Farm had already taken a hit when my father died, but when my mom died, I knew I had to step up. Sy had been the man of the farm since our father died, but he couldn’t do it without my mom or me. So when our mom passed away, I set aside my own dreams. There was no way I could abandon Sy. He needed me. And I needed him.
A loud groan pulls me out of my thoughts. I sigh deeply. This sounded like Sy was trying to do something alone while he shouldn’t. He didn’t like to ask for my help, even though I was more than capable of doing so. He sometimes pretends to forget I’m just as big and strong as him, just to protect me.
I walk around the main house, and see Sy standing over giant pieces of logs. ‘You really think you can carry those alone, you idiot?’ I yell while putting down my expensive camera along with my coat. While I don’t mind helping around the farm and getting dirty, no way I’m willingly going to destroy my camera or pretty clothes.
‘I don’t need your help,’ Sy muffles under his breath while wrapping his hands around a log easily twice his size. I shake my head, and quickly grab the other end. Together we carry the log inside the barn.
‘See? A bit easier when we do it together uh?’ I laugh. Sy doesn’t say a word, but lets me help nevertheless. A few minutes later all the logs are carried inside the barn, and we stand next to each other while we watch the sun finally leaving our sight.
‘I’ll go start dinner, so you can try and save those nails of yours,’ Sy smiles. I scoffed, and acted offended, but when he walked inside I looked down at my hands. What if I could just hold a camera all day?
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- ̥۪͙۪˚┊❛ Welcome to Sapphire Falls - chapter 10 ❜┊˚̥۪͙۪◌
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Basketballer!Chris Evans x Abigail Syverson (plus size!ofc) & Farmer!Syverson x Livia Darmandi (Asian ofc)
Summary: Abigail spends her time doing what she loves to do the most and Chris joins her and admires her art.
Word count: 1.5k
Warnings: None
The Advent Calendar (a.k.a. the masterlist)
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Sapphire Lake is my favorite place to go. It’s the place where I go to clear my mind and usually where I do my best photographing. Sy knows better than to bother me when I’m here. There is this unspoken agreement where we just leave the other be when we take off like that. Sy and I are close, but not that close, where we share every thought.
If that were the case, he would’ve known about my other dreams.
Dreams outside of this farm. A life away from Sapphire Falls, but in a big city. Sapphire Falls is a wonderful town, but it’s too small for my dreams. 
I walk around the lake, camera ready in hand. The sun is shining brightly, making it a little less cold. But I wouldn’t mind having someone by my side who could warm my hands. 
Suddenly I spot a squirrel out of the corner of my eye. I stand still immediately, and slowly raise my camera. I manage to take a few beautiful shots, when I hear footsteps behind me. The squirrel jumps away, and I’m ready to scold the person responsible for ruining my shot and mood. 
‘Hi,’ I hear from behind me and it’s Chris. 
‘Hi,’ I answer softly, already forgotten I was annoyed utter seconds ago.  
‘Could’ve known,’ he chuckles, ‘still into the photography.’
He stands so tall, so wonderfully handsome. He stops next to me and looks over the lake, looking serene and content. 
‘Of course.’ I lower my camera, and watch over the lake with him. ‘You chased a squirrel away.’
‘I’m terribly sorry,’ Chris smiles. 
‘You don’t mean that,’ I chuckle, and punch his arm playfully. 
‘Nah, I prefer looking at you than a squirrel.’ He nudges his shoulder against mine, and I feel heat rising to my cheeks. 
‘Are you here for a walk or were you looking for me?’ I ask, avoiding his comment. 
‘A walk, but I was hoping to run into you. You used to come here all the time, so I figured I’d go here.’ He gestures towards the trail, and we start walking. 
We walk side by side for a couple minutes in silence. It’s nice to be with him again, it feels comfortable, easy. Even when we aren’t speaking. Chris and I could hang out without speaking. Back in high school, he would watch basketball videos, analyzing games, while I read my book. Hours would go by without a word being spoken. But right now, I want to know what happened to him in the last few years, how he is actually doing.
Not wanting to ask about the thing I'm mostly curious about, I decide to play it safe. ‘How is your knee?’ I ask him, breaking the silence. 
‘It’s good. Doing my daily exercises as the physiotherapist told me to do. He recommended going for walks, something I’d never do in Chicago, but I love doing it here. Damn, I sound like an old man.’
‘Thankfully you don’t look like one,’ I laugh. 
‘Oh yeah? Then what do I look like uh?’ He takes a big stride, faces me, and stops. I crash into his hard chest, and he gently grabs my shoulders. Fuck. 
I open my mouth but no words come out. Never speechless, except when it comes to Chris Evans. ‘Chris. You have literally been on the cover of countless magazines, have millions of fans praise your looks. You really need me to boost your ego even more?’ I joke. 
Chris wants to say something, when we hear leaves rustle in the distance. Our eyes shoot to the direction it came from, and my photographer heart makes a jump. 
Three deer are standing not too far away, the sun behind them shining through the trees. Chris and I fall silent again, the wind and rustling leaves the only sound. I raise my camera, zoom in, and take a picture. And another. And another. 
The deer don’t notice us, giving me time to capture them. Chris is still close to me, watching over my shoulder. I can feel his breath in my neck, and his hand is placed on my lower back. I’m thankful I can focus my attention on the deers, because otherwise I would go crazy. 
The gorgeous animals start to get restless, and I lose my focus and Chris starts to rub gently circles on my lower back. My breathing becomes irregular, my knees start to shake. 
As I try to steady my feet, I step on a little twig. The cracking sound makes its way to the three deer, and they all look up, and run away. We’re alone again. Standing close, extremely close. 
‘Come on, pose,’ I say jokingly, but that is only to get some distance between us, if I want to continue breathing. My heart is racing, and I’m sure Chris can hear it beat.
‘Sure thing.’ Chris walks away from me and says: ‘Well, you’re the photographer, tell me what to do!’
 I laugh while adjusting the settings of my camera. ‘Just stand over there, a little more to the left, and smile! Keep moving around.’
Chris does as I say, and he looks way too good in his jeans, white shirt and jean jacket. An outfit like that shouldn’t look this good. Suddenly he pulls his white tee down a bit, revealing his chest tattoos. I nearly choke and drop my camera. Get a grip Abigail. Oh lord help me. 
He notices, and he has the audacity to smirk. I tighten my grip on the camera, raising it to hide behind it. That smirk does things to me, makes me feel things. Feelings I shouldn’t let in, feelings I need to put behind me. He is only here until his injury is over, he will leave me. Again. 
●・○・●・○・●
As I’m showing the pictures of him, I click one too far and we’re looking at the engagement shoot of people here in town. They asked me to take their engagement pictures and they are absolutely breathtaking.
But they are also engagement pictures and I accidentally showed it to someone who just broke off his engagement. 
‘I’m sorry,’ I say.
‘No, no, no,’ he is quick to say. ‘Don’t apologize. These are really good.’
A lot better than whoever took your engagement pictures. ‘Thank you.’
‘I liked the way you make use of the natural lighting. It is one of your strong suits in photography.’
‘Wow, throwing some technical terms around I see,’ I smile. ‘Thank you, that’s kind of you to say.’ 
We continue our walk, Sapphire Falls almost back in sight. 
‘I should have known something was off when me and Bethany took our engagement pictures,’ he starts. ‘They look nothing like the ones you took. That couple looks happy, glowing. We looked like distant cousins, forced to take a picture together.’
I feel sorry for him. His shoulders slouch a little, and he looks like a lost puppy. ‘Did you love her?’
‘I thought I did, but looking back, I think it was just easy to be with her. We hardly spend any time together. I had a busy schedule, with basketball training and games. She was never home, always meeting with friends or going on trips. So, when we were together, we had something to talk about. Nothing deep, only superficial stuff,’ Chris continues. 'We lived together, but did not belong together I guess.’
‘I’m sorry about that Chris, you don’t deserve that.’
‘Turned out she was avoiding me. She only stayed with me because of my career, money. Not because she loved me. I was stupid enough to only realize that when I was home more often due to my injury, forcing us to spend time together. I tried to make it work though, but Bethany broke the engagement off.’
‘Chris, she sounds like a terrible person,’ I say, fuming on the inside. Who would do something like that?
‘Yeah, she is,’ Chris smiles, but I see pain in his eyes. ‘I am relieved now on the other hand, that she is out of my life. And to be back here. I missed it here.’
‘We are glad you’re back here as well. It was different, without you, without Livia.’ It was lonely. 
I notice Chris starts limping a little bit. This walk might have been a bit too much for his knee ‘Maybe it’s time to head back?’ I suggest. I know if I said anything about his knee, and possible pain, he would just deny. 
‘Sure,’ he answers, telling me with one simple word I was right. 
We reach the crossway: left back to the town’s center, right to Honey Bee Farm. Chris leans in for a hug, wrapping his arms tightly around me. I hug him back, and it feels so good. Too good. 
We part, and both go our ways. 
I need to be careful, I can’t let Chris in my heart, it’ll just get broken. He’ll never be with me. I’ll be better off alone, as always. 
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- ̥۪͙۪˚┊❛ Welcome to Sapphire Falls - chapter 7 ❜┊˚̥۪͙۪◌
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Basketballer!Chris Evans x Abigail Syverson (plus size!ofc) & Farmer!Syverson x Livia Darmandi (Asian ofc)
Summary: Sy thinks about Livia and the time they spend together as teens.
Word count: 1.2k
Warnings: None
The Advent Calendar (a.k.a. the masterlist)
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I had kissed her once. It was when we were fourteen and were discussing first kisses. It was there and then I discovered Livia had never kissed before. Someone as beautiful and desired in our town by many kids at our school, I was sure she had kissed someone before.
However, that wasn’t the case.
Livia Darmandi had never kissed someone.
But after our first kiss and therefore hers, we never acknowledged it anymore. But here we were, sitting underneath the dark sky, filled with shining stars. Stargazing was something I would never voluntarily admit to anyone I enjoyed doing. However with Livia I didn’t hide my love for it. 
My parents were inside, Chris was at practice and Abigail was probably in her room, staring at the damn camera of hers that appeared to have grown against her hand. 
I preferred being outside anyways, but like everything else, it was nicer when I was in the presence of Livia. Already clothed in a thick sweater, she was still shivering as the night grew colder and like always, I would hand her my jacket.
‘Nights like this are my favorite,’ she whispered. ‘It’s the darkness, resembling the mind  and its darkest secrets, while there are also tiny stars, tiny silver linings of life.’ Livia turned to the side. ‘Don’t you think?’
‘Maybe,’ I mumbled, nowhere near as poetic as she was. ‘I just like to hope for a shooting star.’
‘And if you were to see one, what would you wish for?’
‘You,’ I said in a joking tone, though I meant it wholeheartedly.
‘Why would you wish for me? I’m already here.’
‘Yeah, but you forever. That you are gonna be my best friend forever.’
Livia smiled. ‘You’re not getting rid of me that easily, Caleb Syverson. I’m almost like endless weeds. Always there, even when you don’t want it.’
‘Bold of you to assume I would ever want to get rid of you.’
There was a long silence between us, but it was different than other times. When we first kissed, we hesitated, but because Livia said she didn’t want her first kiss to be with a random person, instead with someone she trusted, we overcame our hesitation.
And this silence, it felt like I went back in time. 
Back to that moment.
‘Kiss me, Liv.’ It left my lips before I even realized it, however Livia didn’t appear to be in shock. Maybe she felt the same thing I felt.
But nonetheless she shook her head. ‘I can’t,’ she whispered. ‘Sy, we’re friends and I always want to be your friend. Forever and ever. I can’t lose anyone so important over a kiss.’
‘Just one kiss,’ I said, my tone hoarse. 
She blinked her eyes, her beautiful dark eyes hiding all that despair behind them, never once letting me in completely. Only showing shatters and bits and pieces. And then she leaned over, pressing her soft lips on mine, her small and slender hand on my cheek. I held her close, as I never wanted to let go, never wanted to stop kissing her, but she pulled back way too quick. ‘Just one kiss.’
Instead of listening, I leaned in again for just a short moment. Just to steal one more peck of her. She accepted the invitation and answered it with a deeper kiss. 
Don’t let go, Liv, I thought to myself. Please, whatever you do, don’t let go. 
At first she didn’t, her arm wrapped around my neck, pulling me closer to her. There were many things I wanted to tell her. Screw us being friends, I want to be your boyfriend and for you to be my girlfriend.
But I didn’t. And then she pulled back. ‘Friends,’ she told me, though she was probably most like telling herself. ‘We’re best friends, Sy. Forever.’
●・○・●・○・●
Working on the farm means that you’re always getting dirty, so there is no use in me investing in high quality clothes, when lumberjack blouses, simply shirts and jeans suffice. I am cleaning the stables, where we keep the horses among other animals. While we have a few horses, Regina continues to be my favorite. 
Regina was my mother’s horse. No matter how long it has been since mom passed away, I still miss her on a daily basis and spending my time around Regina helps me reconnect with memories I had with my mom. Regina is an older horse, so we barely use her to ride. She’s mostly a nice introduction, for when kids want to pet a horse but are a little afraid. Regina is calm, sweet and patient. 
‘Never walk behind a horse, otherwise you get rightfully kicked in the face,’ I hear a very familiar voice say from behind me. Livia never had a deep voice, but when she pretends, it sounds weird and a little funny. ‘If I remember correctly, those were your exact words.’
With a smirk I turn around. ‘You sure listened well and have the memory of an elephant and I mean that in the nicest way possible.’
‘I’m deeply touched.’ Livia looks casual, with a simple sweater, skinny jeans and boots. The other day, during our reconnecting time here on the ranch, she dressed up a little. Even wore green. I truly think green brings out her best features. She looks beautiful in green. She always looked put together, but seeing her casual like this, I like it. ‘Poop scooting?’
‘You are right.’
‘I’ll leave you to it then. A proper lady never touches animal feces,’ she jokes with a dignified voice. 
‘You came for Abigail?’
She shakes her head. ‘No, I came for you. It’s shocking to see how there is no queue here, desperate for one glance of Caleb Syverson.’
I’m not following. ‘What?’
‘Come on, I just got back from the store. Those gossipy old hags are still there. They recognized me and asked me if I knew whether or not the Syverson boy was dating.’ She smiles and adds: ‘Look at you, the bachelor of Sapphire Falls.’
I shrug, before I continue to clean up the stables. 
She leans in the doorway. ‘Don’t you want to settle down?’ Livia asks.
‘I’m in no rush.’ I look up to her and ask: ‘What about you?’
‘Well,’ she says, ‘it turns out, I absolutely suck at relationships. Can barely hold a relationship together, so… No settling down for me, I suppose.’
‘What was his name again?’
‘Ian. Big city boy.’
‘That’s where you went wrong, Liv. Those big city boys are no good.’ I try to make it sound like I’m joking and in reality I am, but this is about the guy who dumped Liv, multiple times. I feel I have the right to absolutely despise and loathe him. 
‘I know,’ she says in all seriousness. ‘I know that now. So, I shouldn’t expect ‘The Bachelor, Sapphire Falls’ edition anytime soon?’
‘Nah,’ I chuckle. ‘You know how I am with cameras.’
Livia nods. ‘I do. Promise me, before I head back to New York, we take a picture together. You and me.’
Part of me wishes she isn’t going back to New York, but knowing I can’t tell her that, I nod. ‘Of course.’
A second goes by, followed by another, before Livia clears her throat. ‘Now, hurry up with cleaning, so you and I can hang out.’
‘We can hang out here.’
She shakes her head. ‘Ew no, I’m part city girl now. This smell is absolutely appalling.’
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- ̥۪͙۪˚┊❛ Welcome to Sapphire Falls - chapter 5 ❜┊˚̥۪͙۪◌
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Basketballer!Chris Evans x Abigail Syverson (plus size!ofc) & Farmer!Syverson x Livia Darmandi (Asian ofc)
Summary: Livia gets herself ready for dinner at the Honey Bee Ranch, while Abigail worries a little.
Word count: 2.5k
Warnings: None
The Advent Calendar (a.k.a. the masterlist)
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After carefully thinking about what to wear (and my options were limited since I couldn’t fit a lot in my suitcase, even after using Marie Kondo’s magnificent tips), I finally found the perfect outfit. 
High waisted jeans, paired with some platform boots to give me some added height (considering I’m meeting the Syversons and an NBA player) and a green cardigan like sweater, should suffice.
I know that back in the day, Sy would always compliment me whenever I was wearing green. He never stated his favorite color, but he did mention something about how I should wear more green. I even wore green for my prom, as it matched his tie.
The walk from my hotel to the Honey Bee Ranch isn’t too long, but long enough for me to thoroughly enjoy the scenery. I take in a deep breath, as I can look miles ahead of me, without it being ruined by traffic and other typical New York City things I have grown so accustomed to. 
The closer I get to the place, the harder my heart starts to race. I wonder if a lot has changed, but knowing Sy, I bet he kept everything the way his mom left it. 
When Bernard Syverson died, Sy barely spoke two words about it. Instead he took on the role of the man of the house, all while he was still a teen. He grew up way too fast and sometimes I wondered whether or not the pressure was too much for him. The loss of his dad was hard on him, but I just know losing his mother had to be harder for him to deal with.
And this time around, I wasn’t there to keep an eye on him. When we were teens, Chris and I went out of our ways to take care of the twins. Chris took care of Abigail, I made sure Sy wasn’t doing stupid stuff, kept him up to date with school and tried to be there for him. 
Once I’m closer, I see a very familiar figure. ‘Oh my, is that Chris Evans, the star player of the Chicago Bulls? Right here in Sapphire Falls?’ I say, pretending to be a very hysterical fangirl, though I burst into some sort of laughter halfway through. 
The tall and handsome basketball player I’ve known since he was just a cute middle schooler, turns around and smiles widely when he sees it’s me. Back in the day he couldn’t grow a beard, but now I see some facial hair. Looks good, I think to myself. 
‘Is that Livia Darmandi, the best selling author?’
That comes as a shock. ‘What? You knew?’ I ask as I approach him. ‘I thought you didn’t read!’
‘I don’t, but when I recognize the name of my friend, I obviously read it.’ He walks up to me and pulls me in a bone crushing hug. ‘And I have to say, GAME OVER book one might be my favorite read.’
What a sweetheart.
‘How have you been?’ I ask, once he placed me back on the ground again.
‘I’m alright,’ he says, while we make our way towards the ranch. ‘Just a damn injury.’
‘Yeah, I’ve heard something about that. That must suck.’
He shrugs. ‘Well, next season I’m back. Stronger than ever. What brings you to Sapphire Falls?’
‘I’m desperate for some inspiration,’ I say, because it’s part of the truth. That I’m escaping a very lonely December month in New York City, he’ll discover that sooner than later. ‘So, you bumped into Sy, right?’
‘Yeah, but I just know he is a lot happier that you’re in town than me being here.’ Chris lets out a chuckle as we can already see the ranch come closer and closer. ‘Crazy right, how nothing has changed.’
‘It is beyond crazy,’ I admit, realizing he is totally evading my very obvious next question, whether or not he has seen Abigail. ‘Strange how I feel right at home after so many years.’
‘Mhm.’
‘You okay, Chris?’ I ask. ‘You seem… A bit nervous if I’m being honest.’
‘I’m fine,’ he says, forcing a fake smile on his attractive face. ‘You know, if we’re ever playing against the Knicks, I’ll arrange free tickets for you. Or, is that considered adultery, because I am playing for the Bulls and you’re probably a Knicks fan?’
Classic Chris, turning the conversation into a different direction. I decide to be the bigger person here and not to pry for information he isn’t willing to share just yet. ‘Bold of you to assume I’m a fan of the Knicks, solely because I live in New York.’
‘Aren’t you?’
I chuckle. ‘Sweet, oblivious Chris. I’m a Chicago Bulls fan. Wherever you go, my loyalty follows. Can’t believe you thought I wouldn’t support my friend. Deeply disappointed in you.’ I smack him in the stomach. ‘Now hurry up,’ I say, picking up my pace, ‘we can’t be late. Dinner at the Syversons is always six thirty sharp.’’
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‘You did what?’ I ask Sy after he casually tells me he bumped into not just one, but two of our long lost friends. I knew about Chris, but I had no idea Livia was back. Of course Sy already spoke to both of them. 
‘Ya heard me. They’re coming over for dinner tonight,’ he says. ‘I think it’s nice to have a lil’ reunion.’
I hum in response, but my head is spinning. Chris is coming over. And we are gonna have to talk. I pinch the bridge of my nose. ‘But you ran into them yesterday? And you’re only telling me now?’
‘The later I’d tell ya, the less time you’d have to go nuts,’ Sy snickers as he grabs his car keys. ‘Have fun freaking out about Chris while I’ll go get the groceries.’ 
Sometimes I hate my brother. 
●・○・●・○・●
I cast one last glance in the mirror, and am pleased with the outfit I pulled together while mentally preparing myself to talk to Chris again. Plaid gray trousers, a white tank top with a gray cardigan on top and flat black loafers. Livia always pleaded for me to wear flat shoes so our height difference would be minimized, but we both knew that issue could never be avoided. Yet, I always tried to wear flat shoes and she would wear heels or platforms, because that’s what friends do; at least that is what we used to do. 
The clock on the wall tells me Livia and Chris are gonna be here soon. To calm my nerves I decide to go to the stables, the goat enclosure to be precise. A few minutes with Honey might be exactly what I need. 
The baby goat is happily hopping around as I come closer. The minute she sees me, she bleats loudly, and scatters away from her mother towards me. ‘Hi Honey,’ I say, scratching her behind her little ears. 
‘That’s a nickname you haven’t called me before, but I’m digging it.’ I shriek loudly as I hear a deep voice behind me. 
‘For fuck’s sake, Chris! Did you have to scare me like that?’
‘Wasn’t necessary, but I was kinda funny,’ Chris smirks. ‘Sy told me I could find you here.’
He looks even better up close, damn it. I spent the second I saw him in town investigating his Instagram. Whoever takes his pictures should do something else with their life, because the pictures he posts are not doing him any justice.  
‘For you maybe,’ I smile. I look at the goats, but Honey and the others fled to the other side after my inhumane sound. Silence fills the air, and I hear Chris’ footsteps coming closer. 
He places his hand on my lower back, and smiles softly at me as I look at him. ‘It’s good to see you.’
‘It’s good to see you too, Chris.’ He pulls me in for a hug, which turns into an awkward side hug as we both struggle with where to put our hands. We both chuckle stiffly as we turn our attention to the goats again. 
‘Someday I need you to tell me how you convinced Sy to get these animals. If I remember correctly, he hates these immensely.’
‘Oh, he hates them, and they hate him. Which might be half the reason I wanted them,’ I say. Not knowing what to say to him any further, I decide to redirect the conversation. ‘Why don’t we get inside first?’ I suggest. ‘Is Livia hear yet?’
‘Abigail!’ I hear a sweet voice behind me say. ‘Speaking of the devil, or angel, yes she is here!’
‘Livia!’ I manage to say before she throws herself in my arms. Her tiny figure wouldn’t tell you, but that girl can give firm hugs. ‘It’s so good to see you!’
‘You look amazing, Abigail, I love those trousers. You can never go wrong with plaid.’ 
I look down, and see she is wearing platform shoes, something might never change, and a smile forms on my face. 
The clan is all back together.
●・○・●・○・●
The four of us are back in the main house, and I take a moment to myself in the kitchen. 
Deep down I think: what happened to me and how I feel about everything, is none of their business. It’s clear that there are many unspoken truths between us. Seeing Livia and Chris sitting in the living room where it’s usually just Sy and me, is odd, yet awfully familiar. 
To say we all have matured, is an understatement. To see the entire gang took me back. My brother has grown up, from a teen who took on the role of the man of the house to a secure grown up, who has many things hidden in his heart. 
It takes no genius to see how Livia, despite her eleven year absence, still has her special effect on him. Mom always joked about how they would get married, but the jokes became less frequent the longer Livia stayed away and the more hurt Sy got whenever she mentioned Livia’s name. But here she is, our tiny baby of the group. Not only was she the youngest, she was also the smallest of us all, but she always stood her ground. Managed to wrap Sy–of all people–around her finger.
And then there is Chris. Our famous, ever so handsome Chris. The one who carried his basketball around everywhere he went. He always held up his sporty, bad boy attitude, but he was always the sweetest to Livia and me. 
Last but not least, there’s me, the other Syverson. I always felt like the outcast of the group. I wasn’t like Livia, who could wrap people around her finger like that. Unlike Sy and Chris I didn’t have a clear path in life. I was the girl who hid behind her camera and preferred to not be in the spotlight. 
‘You coming Abi?’ Chris asks as he, Livia and Sy make their way to the dining table. Abi. He was the only one with permission to call me that, and it’s been ages since he said it. It felt good, and weirdly familiar. Maybe it was nice to have him back in my life. 
‘Yeah, sorry.’ I make my way towards the table and take place next to Chris. Livia and Sy are already sitting opposite of us, both of them unknowingly scooting their seats closer to each other. 
Nothing truly has changed.
●・○・●・○・●
‘So, yeah, an injury and a broken engagement are the reason I’m back in town,’ Chris finishes his story. We needed to catch up with each other, so we took turns telling how our lives went the last few years. Sy and I were quickly done, as not much had changed for us, except the death of our mother. But we stayed in Sapphire Falls, on Honey Bee Farm. No big city or exciting careers for us.
Chris just told us his story and I’ve got to say: that’s kinda sad. I feel sorry for him, but I also know he isn’t telling the whole story. His fiancée and him suddenly figuring out they aren’t a match? There is more to that story, but I know he will share that whenever he’s ready. ‘I’m sorry that happened to you Chris,’ I say. 
‘Thanks, but it’s fine,’ Chris responds. He fiddles with the empty glass in his hands, and Livia exchanges a look with me. There is definitely more to this story. 
‘What about you, Livia? What brings you back to this boring old town? I can’t imagine leaving the big city behind for this,’ I ask, deciding changing the subject would be best. 
‘I needed a change of scenery. New York is amazing and I love it, but I need the peace and quietness of Sapphire Falls to get some new inspiration.’ 
As the conversation continues, I know no one is telling the whole story. Don’t get me wrong, the conversation is flowing. It feels like it was only yesterday we saw each other, but we all are keeping out the details of what happened the past years. 
Sy pretends that he’s not hurting. Livia makes us believe that all she needs for inspiration is a change of scenery. Chris puts on a front that discovering that he and his ex-fiancée weren’t a good match was reason enough for a broken engagement. I’m faking that life here in Sapphire Falls is everything I want.
I glance at Chris, that beard looks damn good on him. And his thigh, accidentally or not accidentally, touching mine every now and then is sending shivers down my spine. 
This is gonna be a long night. 
●・○・●・○・●
It was a long night, however we got through it. Sy is gonna drive Livia and Chris back, while I’m staying here. I say my goodbyes to them and watch them get off the porch. However Livia turns around and rushes back to the front door. 
‘Abigail,’ she says, ‘what do you say about a girl’s day tomorrow? I already cleared it with Sy: you are not needed on the farm.’
That actually does not sound that terrible. Besides, there are many things I want to know. Maybe it’s easier to talk to a girl. Growing up, there was a clear division in our group. Sy and Livia, Chris and I. But there were moments where boys need boys and there are moments where girls need girls. Getting ready for prom? That was a job she and I needed to do. Talking about our deepest fears? That was reserved for either Sy in Livia’s case, or Chris in mine, though I never totally bared my soul. 
‘That sounds nice.’
‘Fantastic,’ she says. ‘We should get some coffee and stroll around. It has been ages since I had such a beautiful walk. In New York it’s all people, cars and rats.’
‘A scenery walk it is,’ I chuckle. 
‘Liv, hurry up,’ Sy says to her, who is already waiting by the truck, together with Chris. While he is very keen on the orders and commands, I can already tell there is a very special layer added to it, one he specifically reserves for Livia Darmandi.
Great, with her around, my brother will be absolutely useless again.
‘I’ll see you tomorrow at the cafe,’ I say with a smile and Livia gives me a quick hug, before rushing back to the truck. 
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- ̥۪͙۪˚┊❛ Welcome to Sapphire Falls - chapter 15 ❜┊˚̥۪͙۪◌  
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Basketballer!Chris Evans x Abigail Syverson (plus size!ofc) & Farmer!Syverson x Livia Darmandi (Asian ofc)
Summary: Abigail has locked herself in her room and Sy has no idea how to deal with last night's debacle.
Word count: 1.3k
Warnings: Mention of murder and prison, but nothing severe.
A/N: Today it's @keanureevesisbae her birthday (the big 24), so don't be shy and congratulate her 🥰🤗
The Advent Calendar (a.k.a. the masterlist)
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So, last night started out great. I knew Livia would look gorgeous, because we bought the dress together, but when I was waiting for her in the lobby of the hotel and I saw her, I was flabbergasted in the good sense. That green dress looked stunning on her, it hugged her frame in all the right places. Paired with the heels and her long locks and a little bit more make-up than she usually wore. 
It did remind me of prom night.
When I placed my hand on her lower back, to give her that physical nudge to actually walk inside, I realized why she was so dead set on having me along her side, minus the fact she had to turn her lie into reality, because of what she said to Chris.
Livia Darmandi isn’t great with large crowds. Nervous ticks I thought she retired in high school came back full force. She chewed on her bottom lip, it appeared like she was holding her breath continuously and even when I saw her coming back from the bathroom, she patted herself on the head, a nervous tick she did all the way through high school, almost like she was consoling herself.
My poor Liv. 
And that meant I had to be there for her. Which I did. When she was talking to people, she introduced me as her best friend and when I sensed she got slightly nervous, I’d place my hand on her back and she physically relaxed.
Last night was supposed to be great, but then it made a full 180.
And now I’m just furious. 
Fucking Chris. I don’t think I ever saw that much hurt in my sister’s eyes. She’s a tough one, but this absolutely broke her. It’s that I don’t hit ladies, but that woman was really close on getting a smack on the head from me. 
No one hurts my sister. 
All morning I’ve spent chopping wood, carrying the logs to the barn and taking care of the animals. All to distract myself from the fact I want to strangle Chris. I was tempted to look up how long you have to spend time in prison for murder, but I didn’t. 
I drop the logs on the ground when I feel my phone vibrate in my back pocket. ‘Hi,’ I say when I pick up and place the phone on the windowsill of the barn.
I stare at Livia’s beautiful face on my screen, as she apparently has decided to FaceTime me, instead of calling. She looks casual, with her hair up in a bun and from the looks of it, she’s still in her pajamas. She looked absolutely gorgeous last night, but even dressed down, Livia Darmandi still looks ethereal.
‘How is Abigail?’
‘She locked herself in her room.’
Livia grumbles. ‘Well, I stalked that bitch Bethany online and boy… If you wanna talk about big city girls, I think she puts all of them to shame. She’s a big city girl with daddy’s credit card. The worst kind.’
I nod. ‘Figured that much.’
‘So, Abigail hasn’t shown herself at all?’
I shake my head. ‘Nope.’
‘You know, you should bring her some wine.’
‘What? Wine? Liv, it’s twelve in the afternoon,’ I say, rolling up my sleeves.
‘Yeah so?’ Livia asks. ‘Bring her some wine. Caleb Syverson, I implore you to get your sister a nice glass. It has been a tragic night, she deserves some alcohol. Also, when you do give her that wine, tell her detective Livia Darmandi is looking into all of Bethany’s weak spots and we’ll get her back.’
I can’t help but smile, because of the way Livia is trying to make me feel better and hoping therefore she makes Abigail feel better. ‘I will do that.’
‘On another note, I really had fun last night. You really do radiate calmness. Sorry for being a nervous wreck.’
‘You were a nervous wreck,�� I say, ‘but it was fine. You’re pretty cute when you’re nervous.’
She smiles and says: ‘And you are absolutely thirst trapping with that lumberjack blouse and the rolled up sleeves. I think it’s a good thing that the shed is far away from civilization, because no one would survive that.’
I push aside the shed and the memories attached to it, however parts of it still slip. She looked gorgeous that night, but she always was gorgeous. It didn’t matter whether or not she was in that red prom dress, or in her worn down pajamas. Her smile, her body, her trust in me.
Over the course of the years, I hadn’t been living like a monk. The times I left Sapphire Falls, I had emerged myself in some bar visits, pool games and what not, where I met different women. But I couldn’t attach myself to them. It never felt good, it never felt familiar.
It never felt like it did with Livia. 
‘Stop that,’ I say.
‘Never,’ she retorts. ‘Anyways, I’m going back to my writing and my digging on a certain ex-fiancée and you are going to…?’
‘Bring my sister some wine.’
‘Oh, Sy, where did you get that marvelous idea from?’
I shrug. ‘Don’t know. Think some annoying lady nagged about it.’
‘I will kill you next time I see you,’ she tells me, glaring at me. ‘Alright, see you later. Bye.’ She blows me a joking kiss, before she hangs up. 
●・○・●・○・●
Knowing better than to dismiss Livia’s ideas, I do what she commanded me to and I have poured in a glass of wine. I am not the sophisticated kind, so I googled how much wine to pour in. There is a chance I still messed up, but wine is wine and it will taste good no matter what, I suppose.
I knock on the door and hear a: ‘Go away.’
I know better than to listen to that. ‘I’ve got something for you,’ I say.
‘Go away.’ This time, she sounds even more pissed than before.
‘Livia told me I should bring you wine,’ I continue, a door still dividing us. ‘Want me to place it down on the ground here or hand it to you?’
It stays silent and I think she’s contemplating whether or not she is gonna allow me in. ‘Come in.’
I open the door, only to see Abigail curled up in her bed, not sparing me a look. 
‘Don’t ask,’ she says. ‘Just hand me the glass and give me a refill in approximately half an hour.’
Knowing she doesn’t want to talk more about it, I simply hand her the glass and walk back out. I close the door and let out a deep sigh, before I continue on my business of carrying around the logs. To keep myself distracted is the best way for me to go. 
I know that there has always been this lingering feeling between Chris and my sister, but I felt like I wasn’t the right person to tell them to get their shit together, when I couldn’t even tell Livia how much I adored her. 
But there is this thing between Chris and Abigail and that is they hurt each other unintentionally. 
I move onto chopping wood, when I hear someone approach. I turn around and see Chris walking up to me.
That son of a bitch.
‘She doesn’t wanna talk to you,’ I tell him. ‘And neither do I, so just go.’
He doesn’t just go. Instead Chris has the audacity to open his mouth and says: ‘Sy, just listen to—’
‘I’m holding an ax and I’m pissed at you. Know that I don’t care if I go to prison for murder.’ To further prove my point, I use my ax to chop the log in two. Chris swallows hard. Despite him having some extra height, even back in high school, it was clear I was the strongest and with just one look, I can confirm that’s still the case. ‘Now get off my damn property.’
For a second he hesitates, but then Chris nods. ‘Just tell her I’m sorry, okay?’ And with that, he saunters off.
Like I’m gonna tell her that.
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- ̥۪͙۪˚┊❛ Welcome to Sapphire Falls - chapter 14 ❜┊˚̥۪͙۪◌
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Basketballer!Chris Evans x Abigail Syverson (plus size!ofc) & Farmer!Syverson x Livia Darmandi (Asian ofc)
Summary: Abigail is Chris' plus one and loves the benefit... Until...
Word count: 1.8k
Warnings: None
The Advent Calendar (a.k.a. the masterlist)
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Why did I say yes to this? Didn’t I promise myself to not let Chris get close again? I curse myself as I take off the twentieth dress, I simply had nothing to wear. My excitement slowly disappears as I take another look in my closet. I have tried on every fancy dress I own, and I own quite a few. Every time I see a fancy dress, I somehow convince myself that I have to buy it, because what if there is an occasion where I have to dress up? That leaves me with approximately ten fancy dresses, however none of them are good enough. Everything looks awful. 
All the things I don’t want to show are visible. Every lump, every bump. Nothing looks flattering, I just look big. And the heels I wanted to wear make me a giant. Damnit. 
Why did I tell Chris I wanted to go to events? 
Okay, because I want to and I’m actually excited to go. 
Leaving now, be there in 10. I read the text from Chris. Luckily my hair and makeup is done and is looking quite well. Maybe I’ll just wear the good old black dress, the one I look like a nun in. 
Wait a minute, black dress. Suddenly the gears in my head start turning. I bought a stunning black dress last year. How could I have forgotten about that one? Oh, right. Because it’s very sexy and it shows a lot of skin. 
I slowly walk into my closet again, and in the very back, very well hidden, I find the garment bag. As I pull down the zipper, the dress appears and it is still as gorgeous as I remember. 
Once it’s on, I stare into the mirror. It actually looks quite good? Somehow this dress shows parts of me I don’t mind showing? It has a deep V neckline and high slits on each leg.
‘You look amazing,’ Chris says, standing in my doorway all of a sudden. ‘I am speechless to be honest.’ 
‘Dammit, Chris! Do you have no decency? Ever heard of knocking? You scared the shit out of me!’ My heart is pounding in my chest, I never heard him walk in. ‘You really think so?’ I throw another look in the mirror, and I feel more and more comfortable in the dress. I glance at Chris, and he looks so charming and sexy. He is wearing a white shirt, with a dark gray jacket and trousers. His striped tie loosely hanging around his neck, I remember he hates wearing them, therefore puts in on correctly as late as possible.
The color gray should not look this good on someone, but it does on Chris. It’s a good thing this dress is airy, because I feel myself heating up.
‘Abi. you look gorgeous. But you’re gonna need some shoes,’ Chris smiles pointing at my bare feet.
‘Oh, fuck, you’re right.’ In panic I look around the room. It’s an absolute mess with dresses and shoes everywhere. Not only had I tried on every dress, I also tried on every pair of shoes. 
I reach for the most basic, and ugliest, pair of black flats I own. ‘You’re not wearing those.’ Chris looks at me like I’m an insane woman. ‘Here, put these on.’ He hands me a pair of clear slip ons, with a two and a half inch heel and straps. 
Heels. I can’t wear heels. I’ll be just as tall or taller than him. 
Chris sees me hesitating, and he cocks his eyebrow. ‘You need me to help you put them on?’ he says playfully. 
‘Fine, fine. Give them to me.’ I sit down, and slip into the heels. You might not say it by the look of them, but they are quite comfortable. 
Chris offers me his arm, and he helps me stand up. He moves us in front of the mirror again, and I can’t take my eyes off him. 
He has gotten so much broader over the years. His shirt tight over his chest, his thighs filling out his trousers. I look a little higher, and catch his eyes looking at me. A soft smile on his lips. He nudges my shoulder with his and asks: ‘You ready to go?’
I want to say yes, but then I notice our height. ‘You sure I should wear these heels?’
‘Why wouldn’t I be?’
‘Because we’re literally the same height Chris. You cannot slouch, or I’ll be taller.’
Chris visibly sighs. ‘So? What kind of man would I be if I cared about that? You look amazing Abi, okay?’ He reaches for my hand, and our fingers intertwine.  
With my heart beating overtime, I'm just hoping I can get through the night, without my heart giving up on me.
●・○・●・○・●
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●・○・●・○・●
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●・○・●・○・●
The benefit was everything I dreamed of. It is crowded and there is so much happening at the same time, meaning there are also so many people to watch. Chris obviously knows them, therefore is constantly talking to at least three people. I love watching him talk about his sport, his career, things he’s passionate about. 
Sy and Livia are there too, and they look beautiful together. They belong together, but they need to figure that out on their own. One thing I learned with Sy; don’t tell him what to do, because he’ll just do the opposite. 
Being with Chris all night feels natural, weirdly enough. In high school we knew each other through and through, and even after all these years it still feels like that. With one look, one squeeze; we know what the other means. 
‘Why don’t you wait over there, while I’ll grab us a drink?’ Chris suggests, pointing at a standing table. 
‘Sure,’ I smile. He hadn’t left my side the minute we set foot in this place, always making sure he held my hand or touched my back, I could survive a minute alone. But I wouldn’t mind getting used to it. It feels nice. His attention, him looking after me. It would be nice to have someone by my side. And the idea of the person being Chris, brings butterflies to my stomach. 
Chris walks away, and I turn my attention back to the crowd. Bickering couples, ridiculous hairdos, I could stand here all night watching everyone. Noticing things no one else notices. Things only a photographer sees. I wish I had brought my camera because the photographer who is present, should not call themselves a photographer. . 
The poor boy is incapable of taking pictures. He looks hardly 20 years old, and he has no idea how to hold the camera. 
At first I stayed back, but now I can’t simply witness this atrocity. With everyone here looking like a million bucks, they deserve to have nice pictures taken, but this fella is doing everything wrong.
I walk towards him, when I witness something, or better said someone, out of the corner of my eyes. 
I recognize her instantly. Bethany. Chris’ ex-fiancée. And here she is. Her legs are long and on full display thanks to the short dress. I believe I can see her underwear from here. She wraps her arm around Chris and it looks a little too comfortable for my liking. 
I can’t hear them from where I’m standing, but my heart sinks to my stomach. Bethany whispering something in his ear, Chris smiling. No, no, no, no, no. This isn’t supposed to happen. 
Before I can let the hurtful, negative thoughts in, I decide to give Chris one more chance. With a deep breath, I walk towards them. Once Chris sees me, he looks a little, how do you say it, caught? While my heart had already sunk to my stomach, it has now reached my feet. 
Her lanky body is still wrapped around him, and he isn’t even trying to remove her from him. 
‘Abigail, this is Bethany. Bethany, this is Abigail, my date,’ he says with the smallest voice I ever heard him speak in.
‘Date?’ Bethany cackles. ‘She is your date?’
The atmosphere in the room changes, it feels like the temperature has dropped to a freezing level. I feel cold, and chilly, and it seems like everyone is watching me all of a sudden. I never knew how quickly you can feel uncomfortable in a situation you were very comfortable in, until now. I want to leave. I want to run away.  
Chris looks a little sheepish, taking a moment too long to say anything. He still isn’t trying to remove her arms, instead his own arm is resting on her hip. Bethany looks daringly at me. She even has the audacity to press a kiss on the corner of his mouth. 
‘Why don’t you stay here with her, uh?’ I spit out. Not being able to stand there for another second, I storm out. 
This is what happens when I open my heart for Chris. No matter what happens, I’ll inevitably get my heart broken. 
●・○・●・○・●
I can’t believe this happened. By the time I’m outside, the cold air of the night engulfs me in a painful hug, but all in all, I don’t necessarily mind. What the hell happened back there?
First I’m Chris’ date. Then I am enjoying myself, together with Chris. And to top it all off: his ex-fiancée is there, acting like there is no such thing as being Chris’ ex-fiancée. 
And now I’m outside, on the verge of crying. 
‘Abigail, wait!’ Livia yells from behind me. I hear her fast paced footsteps and I’ve got to give it to her: she can sprint awfully well in those heels. ‘Are you okay?’ She shakes her head as she stops in front of me. ‘Stupid question. Wait, here is your coat.’ She hands me the fancy coat I wore over the dress and adds: ‘Let me ask another question. Do you want me or Sy to kick Chris’ balls back up? I can totally do that.’
Somehow I managed to mutter out the words: ‘I just need to go home.’
‘I understand.’ Livia reaches out and holds my hand. ‘That was a shit move,’ she says. ‘You look gorgeous, you are wonderful and have so much more to offer than… whatever that was.’
Sy walks out, his fists balled. ‘Chris is nowhere to be found,’ he says, his jaw still clenched.
In other words: I couldn’t find him to murder him. 
Livia squeezes my hand. ‘We’ll kick his balls up another time and while we’re at it, I’ll yank those eyelash extensions from her eyelids, one by one, make her scream in agonizing pain and regret everything she did tonight.’
‘I prefer to deal with Chris myself,’ Sy grumbles. ‘How much time do you have to do for murder around here?’
Livia smacks his stomach. ‘Do you want to go home, Abigail?’
All I can muster out is a nod. 
Sy and I aren’t the type of siblings who comfort each other, however I feel his arm around my shoulders as he escorts me to his truck. ‘Chris is a stupid son of a bitch,’ I hear him say, to no one in particular I suppose. 
And that is one tiny silver lining of the evening, because I have to agree with my twin brother.
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- ̥۪͙۪˚┊❛ Welcome to Sapphire Falls - chapter 24 ❜┊˚̥۪͙۪◌
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Basketballer!Chris Evans x Abigail Syverson (plus size!ofc) & Farmer!Syverson x Livia Darmandi (Asian ofc)
Summary: Abigail and Chris finally talk, just like Sy and Livia have a heart to heart.
Word count: 2.9k
Warnings: None
The Advent Calendar (a.k.a. the masterlist)
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After the debacle at the Christmas fair, I go straight to the place that brings me comfort. The demonic goats. It still baffles me how Sy thinks they are truly demonic, but that might be because I have set them up against him. I should start talking nice things about him to them, because they can’t give him a hard time once I leave this place. 
But first I need their advice. 
Once again.
‘Do you think Chris and I can be together one day?’ I ask as I scratch Honey behind her ears. She bleats loudly before jumping off to annoy her mother. ‘You’re no help,’ I tell her. ‘Why is the universe so set on ruining my chance to be with him? You’d think three times is a charm, but we have almost kissed three times now. And every time we got interrupted. Maybe we aren’t meant to be together after all. Maybe I should give up,’ I sigh. 
Honey comes rushing back, begging for more scratches. 
‘You think I should give him another chance? I don’t know if I can do that.’ Tears start to form in my eyes, and I feel like such an idiot. ‘What’s wrong with me? Why do I always have to be second best? I cannot live a life where I feel like the ex fiance is always around the corner.’
All of a sudden I hear someone scraping their throat behind me. Quickly I turn around, to see Chris. 
‘How long have you been standing there?’ I ask, wiping away the tears. Apparently I had not heard a thing in the last few minutes, because I see his truck parked in our driveway.
He walks closer to me, but I hold up my hand, needing space between us. I need room to think, but I can’t do that with him so close to me. 
‘Abi,’ Chris says, ‘that text, it was Bethany telling me she had cleared my house from her stuff.’
That was unexpected. ‘What?’
‘She’s gonna leave. I told her we’re never gonna work and that she needs to get her stuff out of my house.’ He smiles and says: ‘She’s blocked. She’s banned from my life. Forever.’
‘I don’t… I don’t get it.’ I’m having a hard time comprehending what is happening. Is he saying what I hope he is saying?
‘She is gone. She finally understood I don’t want her in my life, and she only texted me to tell me she had collected her stuff from my house and left the key.’ Chris slowly closes the gap between us, and I let him. 
‘Because all I need is you, Abigail Syverson.’
I have always hated crying in front of people, therefore avoiding it like hell, but I can’t help myself right now. Tears stream down my face, not sad tears, more like I-can’t-believe-this-is-happening-tears. 
‘Really?’ I choke out. Chris is now in front of me, only an inch between us. He gently removes my hands from my face, and takes them in his. 
‘Yeah,’ he says softly, placing his hand on my cheek, wiping the tears away. 
‘Why?’ 
He barks out a laugh, and pulls me even closer to him. ‘I confess my love to you, and you ask why?’
‘I mean, you can be with someone like Bethany, why would you want to be with me? I’m not her, I don’t even remotely look like her. I’m not in your world, I bet there are other girls who are. Who fit in.’ I see a look of hurt in Chris’ eyes, and while I don’t want to personally ruin the moment I have always dreamt of, I have to express my concerns. 
I have loved Chris Evans for so long, and now that I can get him, I start wondering what life with him would be like. I’d have to go with him, to Chicago, which I would love. But do I fit in that world full of superstars and supermodels?
‘Stop that,’ Chris says, he places his other hand on my face as well, and makes me meet his gaze. ‘You are nothing like her, because you are so much more. You are funny, kind, caring, sweet, talented. And you are so beautiful.’ He presses a kiss to my forehead. ‘Your smile lights up a room, your eyes are my favorite color.’ A kiss on my nose. ‘And I can talk for hours about what your body does to me,’ he ends, his voice darkening. 
He presses his forehead against mine, and we stand like that for a moment. My tears had stopped, and I wrap my arms around his neck. 
‘So, you think you like me back?’ Chris softly nudges his nose against mine. 
‘Ever since you held my hand in third grade,’ I chuckle and I close my eyes as he leans in, his lips hovering inches from mine. 
‘I’ve been wanting to do this for so long,’ he whispers, his voice low and husky.
‘Me too.’ My own voice barely above a whisper.
And finally we closed the gap between us. After all these years, after all these attempts, we finally kiss. It is everything I hoped for. My entire body is on fire, and I feel like I’m flying. 
Chris’ hands are everywhere, and so are mine. His hard body is flush against mine, and before I know it a moan escapes my mouth. 
And the sound he made following that, sent shivers down my spine. ‘‘Maybe we need to go somewhere, you know, private,’ I whisper in between our kisses. 
Chris hums in response, still pressing kisses on my jaw, neck, cheeks, lips. ‘Let’s go upstairs.’
I’m about to agree, when I suddenly realize something. ‘Fuck, no. Sy’s home, I think.’
Chris stops kissing my neck, and grabs my hand to pull me with him, out of the barn. ‘We’re going to my hotel. I mean, if you want to?’ He waits for my answer, and when I tell him yes, we make a run for his truck. 
●・○・●・○・●
A few hours later I wake up next to Chris. In his hotel room. In his bed. With my head on his naked chest. Am I dreaming? 
I realize I am not dreaming, but am wide awake. A grin as wide as possible forms on my face. If you’d told me a month ago that Chris Evans and I would express our love for each other, I would have laughed in your face. 
But now, I feel a happiness I never felt before. Slowly I draw circles with my finger over his tattooed chest. Mine. 
He stirs a little, and I feel him placing his hand on the swell of my back. The sun is slowly disappearing, painting orange and red strokes on the wall. 
‘Hi baby,’ he hums, pressing a kiss to my shoulder. He sits up a little bit, so we’re eye to eye again. I definitely can get used to this. 
A smile forms on my face, and without hesitation I lean forward to peck his lips. I never felt comfortable enough to do so with previous partners, but with Chris? It feels like it was meant to be. 
‘You look beautiful.’ He wraps me in his arms, and we lay like that in silence for a moment. 
‘Would you come to Chicago with me?’ Chris breaks the silence. 
‘Is it weird if I started packing my bags mentally already?’
‘Please tell me you’re not bringing all your plants with you,’ he laughs. ‘I doubt I have the space for that.’
I smile, but think about his question in the meanwhile. Yes, I want to go with him. Yes, I would love to go to Chicago. But what would that look like? Will I move in with him immediately? I don’t think I’m ready to go from nothing to basically married. 
‘Chris?’ I say.
‘Mhm?’
‘Can we take it slow?’
Chris props himself up on his elbow, to get a better look on my face. He smiles softly, and nods, encouraging me to elaborate. 
‘I just want us to take our time to get to know each other like this. Enjoy every step of this way.’ I place my hand on his face, and he presses a kiss to the palm of my hand. ‘I don’t want to rush into this.’
‘As long as I get to spend time with my favorite person, you. I will take all the time you, we, need, okay? There is no need to rush things. We have a lifetime ahead of us.’’ He pulls me in his arms, kisses me tenderly, and we won’t leave the bed till the sun rises again.
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I don’t know how much time went by, but my arms feel sore by the time I actually take a break. Maybe I’m not fuming anymore, but damn I’m still pissed. I don’t think I’ve ever felt so angry. That idiot and my Liv left the bar.
There had been times where I was angry, maybe even jealous when someone else spoke to her, but I could be rational about it. But this is different. Fuck, this was totally different.
‘Is there a reason, Caleb Syverson, you’ve been ignoring my calls?’
Her voice. 
‘Sorry,’ I mutter, without looking up. 
Footsteps come closer and she stands in front me. Her black platform boots are covered in sand and a little bit of mud. ‘Are you okay?’
‘Do I look okay?’
‘Want an honest answer?’
I finally look up, only to see her looking serious and her default state of sadness still present. ‘Go for it.’
‘You look like shit,’ she tells me. ‘And for that I’m sorry. That was my fault, Ian’s fault.’
I stand up and tower over her, even with a few feet between us. ‘Why did you even go with him?’ I ask her, my tone a lot harsher than I intended. ‘You just told me he was your ex and all of the sudden you’re taking him to the doctor?’
Livia blinks her eyes, almost like she’s confused by what I said. ‘Well duh,’ she says. ‘Of course I had to check whether or not he had an internal bleeding. It’s you versus him, Sy. Do you really think I have to check on you, when you didn’t even have a scratch and I had no idea if he was vomiting blood or if it was his lip leaking?’
Okay, she makes an excellent point.
‘You know,’ she continues, ‘after I took him to the doctors and it turned out he was completely fine, just peachy, I told him we’re over. That he and I never worked and that nothing could ever change my mind.’ 
‘Oh.’
‘He understood and we’re over.’
We both don’t say a thing, however she’s the one who breaks the silence.
‘I wasn’t lying, you know,’ she continues. ‘I really wished we didn’t spend so long apart. I hate how you didn’t have me forever.’
I clench my jaw, but that’s mostly because I have know idea how to respond to this. Back at the bar I knew, I wanted to further elaborate once we were talking, but then Ian happened.
And now words just don’t flow. 
‘You know, I hate myself everyday for not coming back,’ Livia says. ‘Because while New York City was great for me and my writing career, I never was truly happy. I set foot in Sapphire Falls and I realize that you have always been my reason for happiness.’
My vocabulary has been reduced to zero percent, because I still have no clue what to say to her and this revelation of hers. 
‘It’s always been you, Sy,’ Livia says. ‘The reason I never said that to you, is because I didn’t want to lose the greatest friend I’ve ever had. The things you and I could discuss, that meant so much to me. I saw how my parents’ relationship barely worked and I was afraid I was too much of a Darmandi and would end up like them. That I would screw up whatever we had.’
‘Liv,’ I manage to say, finally finding my voice back, ‘you know you could never screw up. Come on, if someone had to do that, it would’ve been me. We’re talking about me.’ I rub my hand over my short hairs.
‘But don’t you see that I have always been the one to hold you at arm's length?’ Livia sighs and says: ‘We kissed, prom night happened and what not. I had a taste, but every time I thought about getting closer, developing a real relationship with the one I truly loved, I backed out. I was scared.’
Livia runs her fingers through her hair and I can see she’s gently pulling it, before she does that one thing that tells me how uncomfortable she is: she pats herself on the head again. 
I hate seeing her in distress like that. 
She chews on her bottom lip and whispers: ‘Sy, I’m so sorry.’
‘Why are you sorry?’
‘Because I yet again screwed up.’ 
I detect some tears collecting in her eyes. 
‘Come here,’ I say, pulling her gently in my arms. Livia, always our little and tiny Livia, buries her face in my chest and whispers soft apologies. ‘Stop that.’
‘What?’ she asks. ‘Stop crying? How do you think I can just do that?’
Realizing I phrased it wrong, I whisper: ‘No, stop apologizing. You have nothing to feel sorry about and there is no need to feel sad and cry. It’s always been you too, Liv. I… No woman is ever good enough, not when I know there is you.’
She places her chin on my chest and through her tears looks at me. ‘You waited eleven years for me?’ she asks. 
‘Yeah, I guess I did.’
‘Damn you, Sy, that’s the sweetest thing ever.’ She wiggles herself out of my arms and wipes away her tears. ‘How do I compete with that?’
‘It’s not a competition,’ I tell her. ‘Liv, know that we’re not competing for who is the most romantic. All I care about is that I never lose you again. Because I don’t know if I can handle that.’
She’s shaking and I feel so bad that all these emotions are coming out like this. All the anger I felt just minutes earlier dissolves like that. ‘Caleb Syverson,’ she whispers, ‘I love you so much.’
I never expected to hear those words from her ever again. Those important words coming from her lips. And yet, here it happens. ‘Livia Darmandi,’ I say, ‘I can safely say: I love you more.’
Despite her tears, she lets out a laugh. ‘Took me eleven fucking years to realize that.’
I take a step towards her, gently hold her face in my hands and use my thumb to wipe away the tears. I press a kiss on her forehead and she relaxes against me. ‘That’s okay,’ I whisper against her forehead.
‘Don’t ever let me go,’ she says in a pleading tone.
‘Of course not,’ I tell her. ‘How about you kiss me, Liv?’
She stands on her toes, fisting my lumberjack blouse in her hands before she presses her lips on mine. Eleven years passed, eleven years since our last kiss, but I finally get to kiss her again. I pick her up and gently place her on the nearby wooden fence, so she doesn’t crane her neck and I don’t turn into a hunchback. She locks me in between her legs and from her eagerness I can tell she doesn’t want to let go.
But neither do I.
I finally have her back. 
●・○・●・○・●
After we eventually managed to break apart our kisses, we took a bit of a walk, her hand securely in mine. We walked passed Sapphire Lake, all the barns we had and the stables, almost like I wanted to show every animal that this woman is mine now and that there is no way I would ever let her go.
We stop in front of the shed. In these last few years, I’ve taken good care of this place. Abigail often said I should rent it out, but I can’t. I can’t rent out the place with one of my most sacred memories. ‘Remember prom night?’
‘You think I could forget?’ I ask her. ‘You’re my first and the only one I care about.’
She leans against me and I press her a kiss on top of my head. I gently tug her with me, as I unlock the door. As she walks passed me, for a second I’m back years ago. Almost like she never left, as she makes herself comfortable on the bed. Smiling, at ease and so beautiful.
I plop next to her and she smiles. For the first time in forever, I don’t see her anguish, her sadness. 
She’s serene. 
‘Are you happy, Liv?’
‘Happiest I’ve ever been in my life. I realized I’ve done nothing but chase hopes and dreams, when all I had to do was to chase you.’
I give her a kiss on her forehead. ‘It was worth the wait,’ I tell her. 
‘Sy, can you promise me to never let me go?’ she asks in a soft tone, nuzzling her face in my chest. ‘There is a one hundred percent chance I can’t live without you.’
I shake my head, wrapping my arm tightly around her. ‘I’m never letting you go, ever again.’
●・○・●・○・●
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- ̥۪͙۪˚┊❛ Welcome to Sapphire Falls - chapter 11 ❜┊˚̥۪͙۪◌
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Basketballer!Chris Evans x Abigail Syverson (plus size!ofc) & Farmer!Syverson x Livia Darmandi (Asian ofc)
Summary: When Sy has to pick up coffee for his sister, he sees Livia.
Word count: 1.4k
Warnings: None
The Advent Calendar (a.k.a. the masterlist)
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Abigail often ordered me to get her a coffee from the cafe around ten minutes from the farm. Despite being the oldest by two whole minutes, she has zero respect for me. Sometimes I just want to tell her: ‘Go get it yourself’, but then she throws some logistical terms at me and how I should arrange it all by myself and then it’s checkmate.
So… Here I am, getting her coffee. 
As I near the only cafe in town, I already see Livia sitting next to the window. Her back ever so straight as she types away behind her laptop. I tap on the window and she looks up, breaking out in a wide smile, waving enthusiastically at me. The familiar bell announces my presence and I hold up my hand to the barista, before I make my way to her table.
I’ve had many drinks with Livia before she left and it was always nice. Back then I used to sit next to her, because she liked that, but now I decide to go for the safe option and sit across from her.
‘You know,’ Livia says, closing her laptop, ‘I have to say, there is a certain charm in bumping into the same faces all the time here Sapphire Falls. Especially when that same face is yours. You’re really not a punishment to look at.’
I place my hand on my chest, only to feel my heart pounding because of the compliment. ‘I’m touched, Liv. What were you doing?’
‘I was writing.’
‘You found inspiration?’
‘Yeah, I did, actually.’ Livia grabs her cup and brings it to her lips. After taking a sip, she says: ‘It’s just a short story, but I am hoping that I am able to create a full novel out of it.’
‘What is it about?’
‘Just a small-town girl, livin’ in a lonely world,’ she softly sings, terribly off key.
I cock an eyebrow. ‘Seriously.’
‘You’re no fun,’ she jokes, placing down the cup and leaning over the table. ‘It’s about an Indonesian girl growing up in a little town.’
‘So, it’s about you?’
‘Based off of me.’ She smiles and says: ‘I’ve always written about things I didn't know everything about. Writing about this, it’s therapeutic.’
‘So, there’s also a big handsome farmer in this story, I suppose?’ I ask with a smile.
Livia pretends to vomit. ‘Ew no.’
‘Ouch.’
She chuckles and admits: ‘I really enjoy writing this. I guess I just missed Sapphire Falls more than I thought.’
‘You did?’
She nods. ‘Yeah, the people, nature, your farm of course. It brings back so many memories. It’s… I… I don’t think I’ve made many fun memories in my time in New York, as opposed to here.’
‘Do you like it in New York?’ I carefully ask.
‘I do, but… I don’t really have friends. It was mostly me and my ex Ian and his friends. Other authors too, but they usually have their own personal lives and I don’t fit in there. It’s hard making new friends.’
There is so much I want to say to her, because I wonder if her life in New York was as glamorous as I always thought it would be. But her phone rings and she looks at her screen, before placing the phone on the table again. 
‘Ian,’ she clarifies.
‘He’s been calling a lot?’ I ask.
‘Non stop.’
‘He doesn’t take no for an answer, huh?’
She shakes her head. ‘He thinks this is just one of our many break ups, but to me it feels more… Definite. I’m really over him.’
And then I see it again. The pain in her eyes. She thinks she hides it well by staring at her hands, but I know better than that. She is hurting. That son of a bitch hurt her deeply. ‘Liv,’ I say, ‘look at me.’
She averts her eyes from her hands to me. ‘What?’
‘You’re better off without him,’ I tell her, despite not even knowing the guy, but it’s true. She is better off without him. No man is good enough for her. 
‘Sy, do you think I’ll ever be truly happy?’
Nothing changed with Livia. She always asked these incredibly deep questions back in high school at the most random moments. I wonder if she does it with everybody or if she reserves it solely for me. I’m kinda hoping for the latter. ‘Weren’t you ever truly happy?’
She shakes her head. ‘I don’t know,’ she then says. ‘I guess maybe when I was here, with you, Abigail, Chris, Bernard and Dottie. Maybe that was the only tiny taste of happiness I truly experienced.’
‘Want to further expound about it?’ I ask.
‘Are you asking me this because it makes you uncomfortable?’
I shake my head. ‘No, because then I know whether or not I should order a small or a large coffee.’
Livia smiles. ‘Maybe I want to, but I would also really like it if you just sit here with me.’
I walk up to the counter and wait until it’s my turn. I look at Livia, who stares out of the window. In these years,I’ve read her books. I’ve been meaning to tell her about how much I love her books, but every time something stops me. I want to tell her how it took me weeks to finish her book, not because it was dull, but because I’m a slow reader and I want to devour every bit she wrote.  
Her books were my only connection to her. 
After I ordered my coffee, I sit across from her again. She has pushed the laptop to the side and takes another sip of her coffee. 
‘Sy…’
‘Yes?’
‘Are you mad at me for missing Dottie’s funeral?’
I shake my head. ‘No, of course not. How can I be mad when you didn’t even know what had happened?’
‘I don’t know. I mean, I wouldn’t blame you for holding a grudge, I suppose. It was your mother after all.’
‘I can take you to her grave. It’s right next to my pops.’
‘I would really like that.’ 
Time goes by slowly, but it’s nice to just take my time and to talk to Livia. Hearing about her missing my mom, maybe even more so than I do. But perhaps that’s because Livia just learned about it and I had many years to mourn.
‘We’re still friends, right?’ Livia asks.
‘Liv, come on,’ I say. ‘You know we’re still friends. I don’t think I’ve been happier ever since you arrived here.’ 
‘I’m sorry for everything,’ she says. ‘I know you don’t want to hear it, but I just want you to know I apologize for everything.’
‘You’re right, I don’t want to hear it.’ I let out a chuckle. ‘Remember when we finally saw that shooting star?’
She nods. ‘Yeah, and you wished for me. Forever. Guess your wish didn’t come true.’
‘That is true, because I had to miss you for eleven years, but remember: now that you’re here, I want to be part of your life forever. Even when you go back to New York, I will make sure you and I keep in contact. Maybe… One day, you can show this hillbilly around in the big city.’
She starts to laugh. ‘I would like that. All of what you just suggested.’ Livia reaches over the table and places her hand on my arm. ‘Thank you, Sy. For everything.’
●・○・●・○・●
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With a smile permanently plastered on my face, I walk back to the ranch and by the time I enter through the front door, I hear Abigail say: ‘Took you long enough.’
I think I totally forgot something. ‘Yeah…’ I hesitantly mutter, as I approach the kitchen table to see her sitting there. 
Her eyes darken when she looks at me. ‘Caleb Syverson, tell me you brought me back my chai latte.’
I clear my throat. ‘Oops.’
She groans. ‘What the hell did you do all this time?’
‘I was talking to Livia. She was at the cafe.’
Abigail barks out a laugh. ‘For fuck’s sake, Sy. It’s quite unbelievable she still has that effect on you.’
‘Shut up,’ I grumble. 
‘You still love her loads, don’t you?’
‘I thought I told you to shut up?’
She nods. ‘True, but I am deciding to ignore that. Come on, it’s obvious she’s not over you.’
‘She was never into me. She made that clear back in the day.’ Realizing I don’t want to have this conversation, let alone with my damn sister, I say: ‘I’ll get you that chai latte.’
‘Buy a complimentary muffin while you’re there,’ she yells after me.
●・○・●・○・●
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- ̥۪͙۪˚┊❛ Welcome to Sapphire Falls - chapter 21 ❜┊˚̥۪͙۪◌
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Basketballer!Chris Evans x Abigail Syverson (plus size!ofc) & Farmer!Syverson x Livia Darmandi (Asian ofc)
Summary: Livia goes to the bar to make up with Sy, but are interrupted.
Word count: 1.9k
Warnings: None
The Advent Calendar (a.k.a. the masterlist)
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After kicking Ian out of my hotel room and venting to myself for a good hour, I get myself ready for today. It’s not necessarily that Ian being here causes me to feel like this. It’s seeing Sy so hurt. So lost. It had been a long time since I had seen him like that. Back in high school, when I would catch a hopeless and lost moment like that, I would engulf him in a hug and tell him all was fine and that I was there for him.
If only I hugged him now, told him Ian meant nothing to me anymore and therefore means nothing to me, maybe I wouldn’t be alone now. Maybe I wouldn’t feel so lonely and lost.
The remainder of this morning, I stroll through the streets of Sapphire Falls, until I see a bar nearby. It’s been a long time since I went here, mostly because I continued on to be way too young to actually go to the bar during regular opening hours. The owner was a friend of Sy’s parents, meaning we could hang out there from time to time, playing pool or help him do the dishes. Or in my case: crawl underneath the tables to clean there, because I was the smallest. 
When I walk in, I almost bump into Leo, the owner of the bar. ‘I heard rumors about our sweet Livia coming back,’ he says, giving me a tight hug. Once he holds me by my upper arms, so he can take me in, he smiles widely. ‘Oh, you have grown to be a fabulous young woman.’
‘Thank you,’ I chuckle, almost blushing at Leo’s compliment. ‘The place barely hasn’t changed.’
‘It sure hasn’t. I like to keep it this way.’ He nods towards the bar. ‘Your friend is already sitting here. You know, back in the day, the two of you were always attached to the hip. We often joked that if we lost one of you, we should just check the whereabouts of the other, because there would be a one hundred percent chance the two of you would be together.’
I let out a soft chuckle. We were indeed attached to the hip.
Leo barks out a laugh at the memory–and possibly my uneasiness with the realization of how close Sy and I were in high school–before he says: ‘I’ll be right there, sweetheart, because I take it you want a drink.’
‘I do, thanks Leo.’
I walk towards the bar, where I see Sy’s broad and recognizable shoulders. I slide on the barstool next to him. ‘I’m paying for all your drinks.’
He takes a sip of his beer, not at all startled by my sudden presence and voice. ‘Why?’
‘To make up for what happened,’ I say. ‘Really, I’m sorry about Ian. I had no idea he would come over.’
‘You can’t help your ex is an annoying piece of shit.’
In one sentence I know exactly what Sy thinks of Ian.
‘I know you don’t like him,’ I say, ‘but promise me if you see him across town, you don’t hit him with your truck.’
He smirks, turning to the side and says: ‘Okay, I promise.’ 
I order a beer for the two of us by the time Leo gets behind the bar and when he’s out of hearing distance, I ask: ‘What did you want to talk about?’
‘Just your book,’ he says. ‘I… I really liked the story. Very unique premise.’
I nod. ‘Thank you,’ I say, though I’m not too sure whether or not that’s the only reason he came by. The Sy I know would’ve just called, told me he liked it and that he’s picking me up in approximately half an hour.
‘I hope you make it into a novel,’ he continues. ‘I… I think this has a lot of potential. No wait, I know.’ 
‘Well, thank you,’ I say. ‘That really means a lot. You know, Sy, you’re absolutely wonderful. I… I just know that one day you are gonna make someone very happy. She’ll be one lucky gal.’
That appears to take him by surprise. ‘You think so?’
‘Yeah, I… I know you really well and I know all the great things you’ve got to offer.’ I just wished that girl could be me. 
We both grab our beer bottles and clink them against each other. 
‘I hereby promise you that I will dedicate this book—if it ever gets published—to you.’ I place my hand on his strong under arm and ask: ‘Feel special yet?’
‘I really do. A whole book dedicated to me.’ He smiles. ‘Next time we have a newborn animal at the farm, I’ll call her Livia.’
‘Are you sure?’ I hesitantly ask, a not so happy memory catching up with me. ‘We all remember what happened to Livia the chicken.’ That poor girl choked in on a grain of wheat. 
He doesn’t want to laugh, but nonetheless, still allows a chuckle to escape. ‘That was really unfortunate.’
‘What if my name attached to an animal is just bad luck in general?’
‘We’ll see,’ he says, ‘but I bet that won’t happen again. If we get a new horse, I’ll call her Livia. Horses usually live pretty long and aren’t doomed to choke that easily.’
‘You’ve got yourself a deal.’
My hand is still on his arm and he places his other hand on top of mine. His large hand folded over mine, his calloused thumb softly caressing the back of my hand. ‘Just promise me you’ll come back more frequently,’ he says, his eyes ever so sincere and beautiful. ‘It’s nice to have you back.’
‘If you name a horse after me, I might move into the shed.’
Damn it, now I mention the shed again. First reminding him of our prom night, then the shed where the thing happened we never spoke about again. 
He nods. ‘Right, the shed.’
You still think about that night? Do you remember it as clearly as I do? Have you ever wondered what could've happened between us, had we actually spoken about it? Had we figured out a way to keep in touch?
Would you and I have a wonderful eleven years behind us? 
I part my lips to say something to him about it, because I feel like I finally mustered up the confidence to do so. ‘Sy,’ I say, ‘about the shed.’
He looks up at me. ‘Yeah?’
‘Do you still think about that night?’
Sy has a faint smile toying on his lips. ‘Of course I do,’ he says. ‘Do you?’
I nod. ‘I wished we didn’t spend so long apart,’ I whisper. ‘I wished… I hoped your wish came true. That you had me forever and vice versa.’
Before he can answer what I just said, we’re interrupted by a very familiar voice coming from behind us.
‘What the hell, Livia?’
The sudden intrusion doesn’t only get our attention, but also the attention of Leo and probably of a few guys sitting here in the bar as well.
‘Ian, what are you doing here?’ I ask, as I turn around and retract my hand from Sy’s warm embrace. 
He ignores my question. ‘What’s going on?’
‘That is absolutely none of your business,’ I say, not liking his attempt to mark his territory. ‘Goodness gracious, we are over. I told you to go home.’
Ian looks at Sy, who has turned around as well. Not a word is exchanged and while I’m not fluent in male stares, there is something unspoken happening here. 
‘Ian, just leave, okay? We’re done, we’re over. There is no way you actually think we can fix this.’
‘We haven’t even spoken about it.’
‘We did and you must realize we’re done. Come on, you were calling me an ungrateful bitch in my apartment. How on earth do you think I can take you back after that?’
Sy has officially entered the conversation. ‘You called her what?’
‘This is none of your business,’ Ian says.
‘Well, your voice travels,’ Sy notes, turning around, to look at him. ‘Think it’s everyone’s business now.’
Everyone at the bar stopped with whatever they were doing and instead were looking at us. 
I take a shaky breath, because I’m the center of attention now and I hate that role. My hand travels up to my head, slowly patting the crown of my head.
No, no, no, I don’t want this. 
Tons of memories where my parents started unnecessary fights with me whenever they thought it was necessary, not caring where we were, are flooding back. 
Please stop…
‘Look, Ian was it? You’re making Livia uncomfortable. Just go away and leave her alone.’
My mind goes blank, as I turn my back to Ian and I try to get the white noise out of my brain. It was like this when my parents fought and boy, did they have loud arguments. I hate fighting like this, but especially when I am caught in the middle of it. Sometimes it was my fault, since I was mainly the reason why they started arguing in the first place.
I hate fighting, though me and Ian had a lot of fights. I guess I hated fighting with people I care about, people I truly loved.
But what is happening now, involves Sy. And I love Sy so much.
I turn to the side, to look at Sy, who appears to be fuming. Someone grabs my arm, but I barely am able to process it. 
‘Don’t fucking touch her,’ Sy hisses through clenched jaw, stepping in between me and Ian. 
And then all hell breaks loose. 
Ian isn’t a fighter, but he has experience in some martial arts, though he never really was consistent or any good. Besides, sometimes I thought his mobility was a bit off, but that was always a bit of a thought in the back of my head.
I fear I’m gonna find it out for real.
‘Guys,’ I start, however I witness Sy throwing the first punch. I let out a yelp, bringing my hand to my lips. ‘No, no, no,’ I say, but it seems like no one listens to me. I don’t know what it is with men and fights between others, but they all huddle around them. They block my view, but I don’t think I want to see it anyway. 
Why is this happening? I don’t want them to fight over me. No matter how much I don’t like Ian, how quickly my love for him has faded, I can’t witness this. I push myself through the crowd and see how Sy is literally witholding himself from smashing Ian’s head in. I quickly stand between them, as Ian is making an awful bloody mess on the floor. 
‘Stop it, please,’ I tell Sy. ‘It’s not worth it.’
His jaw is clenched and all of the sudden I’m sixteen again, seeing the tense and frustrated Sy, using his brutal strength to cope with his father’s death. 
‘Please,’ I say, my voice soft as I plead. 
It’s barely noticeable, but Sy nods. My eyes scan my broad friend, only to discover nothing’s wrong with him. I then turn around and crouch down next to Ian. 
‘Come on,’ I say to Ian, dragging him up by his arm. ‘I’ll get someone to look at you.’
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