#it’s not law yet and I hope it doesn’t pass but the bill getting this far is devastating to begin with

[ohello0]

The dickheads celebrating youth under 16 being banned from social media in Florida are never the same people fighting to keep third spaces alive and funded. They’re just selfish adults who see children as a burden and think “out of sight out of mind” means problems go away.

Everyone wants to complain and poke fun at how the younger generations are “strange” and aren’t socialized properly but don’t put in the effort to actually talk to children and even rejoice when the few opportunities they had to talk to people are taken from them. This is fascism and if you think the government will stop at populations you deem annoying and disposable you’re dead fucking wrong

The government is feigning concern for children’s safety while rolling back child labor laws and banning books that help children communicate when they’re being abused and some of yalls dumbasses are falling for it. Banning youth from social media is not a win, don’t treat it as such

#it’s not law yet and I hope it doesn’t pass but the bill getting this far is devastating to begin with #I’m genuinely kinda fucked up about this cause I can’t imagine being a child rn #gay ppl on the internet raised me #I lived in Florida once upon a time #I’m only a few years removed from this type of legislation completely ruining my life #florida #if the schools are funded #the parks are flatted for parking lots #the libraries are defunded #after school programs are nonexistent #where tf else are kids supposed to go that won’t charge them money???

[fineiwillwritethismyself]

Every Little Movement (Travis x F!reader)

Author Message: Hey guys! Like you, I have been infected with the Ted Raimi virus thanks to The Quarry. So here is a little something something to help stimulate our fanbase. For mature audiences.

*It is Travisxreader, unnamed reader, reader is female, reader is a librarian, reader has a heart condition, strangers to lovers, older man/younger woman, smut, grumpy travis, soft travis, semi sick-fic, crying after sex, praise kink if you squint.

Here is the link for the Birthday Chapter:

Moving to North Kill was certainly never on her roster.  A city girl moving to a rural town way upstate was almost her personal hell.  Yet with the trauma and sadness her family constantly caused back home along with the vicious job setting at the bank she had worked at, she needed to escape.  Getting the one and only call back for a job as a librarian for said small town in her home state, was what she thought she needed; subconsciously of course.  That was the only way she said yes, something inside her told her to accept.  Her library degree was finally going to pay off!  

After being accepted, she did her fair share of research on the town.  Research detailing if it was safe, how populated it was, crime rate, etc.  She was excited to see that it was near Hackett’s Quarry.  A very popular summer camp when she was growing up.  However, last year, tragedy struck the Hackett family causing it to permanently close.  Rumor has it the entire family got wiped out from some unknown illness or attack.   

Driving the long hours through the state with all her belongs was not the most glamours way in moving.  However, it was the cheapest and the most practical.  As there was an hour left to the journey, her anxiety and excitement began to spike.  She was able to rent a duplex in the middle of town.  A sweet sounding elderly family lived in the right side of the house while they needed a nice, quiet tenant to help them cover their bills.  After the shut down in tourism from the quarry’s closure, it caused inflation to hit the poor residence and farmers of the town.  She was terribly nervous if she was making a horrible choice; moving into a house she never toured before along with people she never met in the backwoods of New York.  She also had no idea what to expect from her job.  It sounded as if she’d be the only one working there, as the hiring manager mentioned that the library was shut down due to lack of staff.  Would she be safe working into the night?  All alone?  She hoped they had law enforcement.  She remembered hearing there was a Hackett family member that was a cop, but she was unsure if he perished as well and or if they ever refilled that position.

Her heart started to beat hard in her chest and it tightened.  She gasped feeling the pain strike.  She slowed her driving to a crawl and began to take deep breaths.  Pulling over to the side of the road she closed her eyes and tried to calm her shaking body.  It’s all going to be fine.  Everything is going to be fine.  She tried to lie to herself and calm the frantic thoughts.  Her chest palpitations were a potentially non lethal condition passed down in her family.  She’ll be ok as long as she doesn’t stress so much.  However, her family caused her to be a constantly stressed and worrisome individual.  There was hardly a day she lived without stress.  

As she was breaking on the side of the road, she tried to calm her stressed nervous system.  Then a tap on her window caused her to scream.  Looking to her right and clutching her chest she saw that it was an officer.  His face was serious but it was startled at her reaction.  He made the motion to roll down the glass.

“I’m sorry to have scared you ma’am.  You’ve been pulled over for some time.  Is everything alright?”

Gazing at his face she noticed how the sun colored his dark eyes and shone through his black hair.  He had an intense, intimidating air about him with the stare to match.  Yet his tone wasn’t gruff just stern.

She nodded, “Yes I was just trying to get my bearings.  Can you tell me how far away I am from North Kill?”

His face bore a brief moment of shock, “North Kill?  Why would you…oh are you the new librarian?”

She nodded her head.

He shifted his weight and hung off the roof of the car, “Your only a half hour out from the town.  I’ll escort you the rest of the way.”

“Oh you don’t have to officer, I can manage-”

He continued, “Make sure to follow me closely.”  Ignoring her as he walked off.

She huffed.  Ok, now she had a cop snooping around and overbearingly taking her to town.  But one question was answered, they had a police force.  Rolling up her window she saw him pull out in front and drive slowly ahead.  Shifting into drive she followed closely behind.  Getting a good look at the back of the car she noticed it said ‘Sheriff’ on the trunk.  Her eyes widened, great she was being escorted by the sheriff.  This was either really good or really bad, depending on the impression she made on him.  She remarked how clean and pristine his uniform was.  If their uniforms were so well made, then North Kill couldn’t be that uncivilized and disheveled right?  

Thinking back to their encounter, he had quite the presence.  It shook her and captivated her mind.  He was very intimidating and she hoped she didn’t have to be on the end of that again.  Then a thought struck her causing her to groan.  Just how small was this town?  What if he was the only cop in town?   Would she constantly be bumping into him?  And what if she needed him to protect her at some point?  Oh boy she was in for it.

She wasn’t paying attention and had to break hard.  He was stopped at a stop sign and nearly rear-ended him.  She saw him look into his rearview mirror.  She raised her hands in a sorry gesture.  She noticed he shook his head before taking off again.  She gripped the wheel tight; yep, definitely a negative impression.  Following him around twists and turns she was actually thankful for the escort.  This many tiny side roads and sharp rights and lefts over cavernous drops was not what she was used to.  And to top it off, the thunderstorm brewing was not making it any easier.  She adored the fall and storms but not driving in them.

Pulling around a curve her eyes brightened.  North Kill.  The outskirts were greeting her as she drove in.  A small gas station with a few tiny houses and stores were lining the side.  Following in, she saw colorful small family homes mixed with stretches of farmland.  Forests lined the entire area on each side with rolling, treed hills in the distance.  As they drove she gawked at the small brick police department on her right.  That was where he worked no doubt.  Taking a right turn at a three way fork right past the station, they pulled around to a small rounded building.  It was close to the heart of town and within walking distance to the police.  He parked and so did she.  Hopping out she noticed that this was her library!  So close to town and so close to his work.  This was both a comfort and a curse.  

Walking past her car she met him as he stood near the entrance.

“This good for you?”  He asked.

She looked at the library then him, “Oh yes, this is great!  Thank you very much officer.  Er, let me correct myself, Sheriff!”

He gave a nod before turning and going back to the drivers side.  She felt she needed to show more gratitude.  His abrupt departure threw her off.

“Um, seriously I really am grateful!  I’ll have to find a way to make it up to you.  Since, I am the new girl in town and all.”  She gave a nervous smile and finished the sentence with the introduction of her name.

His face was still stern as he gave a curt nod and said, “Don’t mention it.  And it’s Hackett.”

Hackett!  Her face lit up in surprise.  He left her standing that way as he climbed into his car and sped off towards the station.  That was the surviving Hackett!  Another question answered.  Watching his car disappear down the bend she turned back at the building.  The rain had stopped momentarily but was about to pour down again any moment.  Getting a quick look she climbed back in her car.  It was a quaint building with grey stone and no edges.  Large windows surrounded the front and green beautiful trees and bushes decorated the perimeter.  Smiling she was satisfied.  This town looked more developed than what her nightmares projected.  Hearing another clap of thunder, she thought it was time to go check out her rental.  After all, her landlords were expecting her tonight.  Kicking the car back to life she headed off down the road to the left side of the library.

Passing beautiful neighborhoods she turned off and down to the right.  Riding down she saw this street held a series of one story duplexes.  It was a gorgeous street with clean cut grass and tidy homes.  Heading a bit further she found her house number on her right.  Glancing at the cookie-cutter duplex she saw brick looming behind her home.  She gasped.  The damn police station was looking over her back yard!  Was she just doomed to always be in Sheriff Hackett’s vicinity?  Also, how safe was it for being so close to imprisoned inmates?  Were there any in such a small town?  If there were then everyone would know she supposed, so it couldn’t be that bad.  Parking in the small lot, she hopped out and knocked on the right side’s door.  The lights were on so they had to be home.

“Hello?”  A short, adorable old woman with a cute pink apron appeared.

“Yes hi!  I am the tenant and new librarian.”  She said while introducing her name.

“Oh yes!  You’re early.  Did you have an ok time traveling?”

She nodded with a yawn, “It was long but, at the end there, Sheriff Hackett helped escort me to town.”

Her face bore surprise, “My that’s quite a bold offer of him.”

She titled her head, “How so?”

“He is very reclusive, even as our sheriff.  So hearing him offer such a generous thing as escorting a lady to town isn’t heard of.  Then again we don’t get many visitors now days and a cute young thing like you might be on his soft side.”

She blushed, “O-Oh well that’s good then…I think.”  This lady was adorable but a bit much right now.

“But where are my manners.  It’s raining out!  Come in dear, let us make you some tea!”

She smiled as she moved over the threshold.  Their home was just as cute as they were.  She came to find that her name was Margerie and her husband’s was Phil.  Phil looked like a mirror image of Margerie except he wore a grey sweater and black pants curled up in a rocking chair.  Their walls were full of pictures of grandkids and family along with paintings of flowers and farmland.  It was very warm to the point she was sweating.  But she didn’t mind it was cozy.  She felt very at ease and her anxiousness melted away as she watched Margerie make her tea and commence small town gossip.  

“And oh you should’ve seen Ms. Ruth’s slippers!  Poor things were chewed to bits by the Jones’ dog.”

She laughed politely as she took the tea that was handed to her.

As Margerie was sitting down she waved her hand, “But please ignore me.  I’m rambling on again.  Tell us about you dear!  You must have fascinating stories from that big city life you lived.”

She looked down with a thoughtful smile, “Yes, quite.  Very loud.  Very cold.  Very…lonely.”

Margerie’s face looked so sad, “Oh I didn’t mean to pry dear.”

She waved politely, “No please, it’s ok!  I came here for a change of pace.  For the better hopefully.  By getting this job I hope to settle down in a relaxed adorable town such as North Kill.  It might be the very thing my soul needs.”

“And settling down with a nice man maybe?  There’s plenty I can introduce you to.”  Margerie winked.

She blushed, “O-oh maybe later…but I do appreciate your offer.”

“So you work hard over there in the city?”  The gruff voice of Phil finally spoke up.

“Yes sir, I was a bank teller in one of the most chaotic parts.  I worked long and hard hours to really get nowhere.  Family was very unsupportive, so I chose the simple life.  Hopefully this library job isn’t as crazy as a major bank job in the middle of a work hub.”

He simply nodded with an approving grunt. 

She gave one more yawn and Margerie seemingly just noticed now just how tired she looked, “Oh dear we are keeping you up.  Look at us here, being old chatter boxes while you’re probably dead tired from your long trip.”  She got up and went to a kitchen drawer.  She produced something in her hand and walked over to her, “Here is your key.  We will pay your utilities as long as you keep up on your rent.  Sounds like a deal?”

She nodded with a big smile, “Yes!  Thank you so much!  I will do everything I can to repay your generosity and trust in me.  I’ll be the perfect tenant.”

Margerie smiled tenderly, “I don’t doubt that dear.”

As she stood up Margerie held out her arms.  With an approving nod they hugged.

Rubbing her back briefly she said, “Welcome to North Kill!”

“If the people here are just as sweet and kind as you two, then I’ll have no worries left.”  She said smiling down at them.

Breaking the hug Margerie held onto her arms with a smile, “Well most of us are, besides that grumpy Sheriff.  But, he means well.”  She gave a wink.

She blushed for some reason.  She turned to leave, flashing one last smile and gave a goodnight before making her way to the door.  Margerie walked her there and let her out.  With a final goodnight she turned to her right and unlocked her own door.  It was dark.  Fumbling for the light, she switched it on.  It mirrored Margerie and Phil’s side but without the massive amount of pictures and knitted blankets.  They had it furnished with a couch and a lounge chair.  She smiled, forgetting about the furnished part in the deal.  The kitchen looked clean and empty in the dark.  As she made her way to look at the bedroom she was delighted to see a nice queen sized bed sat in a near empty room.  Walking in and switching on the ceiling fan light, she saw that the bed was made and that there was a note on her pillow.

“Welcome!”  Was printed on the cover.  Opening it she gave a small chuckle as it was a brief heartwarming message left from Margerie greeting her and telling her that they were glad she was moving in.  Holding the card to her chest she sighed contentedly.  Her worries were melting away minute by minute.  The only thing left was the job itself.  And, she’ll soon find out tomorrow how good or bad that was going to be.

Undressing and falling asleep surprisingly quick, she slept a dreamless sleep.  

Waking early, she didn’t feel unrested but she did feel a bit out of place since it was her first night in a new home.  Shuffling to the bathroom she got a wonderful hot shower; washing off all the grime and stress from the drive over.  The warmth helped her sore legs and butt as she marinated under the steaming stream.  Hopping out she heard her phone ringing.  Running to it she saw it was a local number and answered.

“Yes hello?”

The woman on the other line asked her name and she confirmed it was her.

“Hello!  I’m just calling to make sure you made it to town safe.  I am Dorene your boss.”

She smiled, “Oh yes I have!  Nice to hear from you.”

“Wonderful.  When you come in I’ll be there to help show you the ropes and give you the keys.  After that, you should be all set to carry on the job.”

“Alright, sounds great.”

“Good, see you in a few.”

“See you then.”

They hung up and she sighed.  Alright, the boss didn’t sound so bad.  Getting dressed she hopped in her car and drove over.  It wasn’t a far drive at all, in fact once she felt comfortable, she probably could walk.  If she felt comfortable that was.  Pulling up and parking in the back, she ran around to the front doors and knocked.  She saw the glimpse of the inside as a woman, Dorene, saw her wave and came over to let her in.

“Hello!  Glad you are here.”  She sounded relieved, “Since I was the only one working we couldn’t open very often.  But since you are here it will make it much easier.”

She smiled politely at Dorene as she crossed into the library.  There was a large expanse between the doors and the wrap around front desk.  Behind it to the left were wooden shelves running around the circular building sectioned off with signs labeled with themes and categorizations.  She could see tables dotted throughout the shelves with low hanging lights dimly illuminating the rows.

“Well!  It shouldn’t be hard to get you to run this place by yourself.  I’ve made cheatsheets and notes in case you forget or need an answer.  And of course you can call me if you are stuck with something.”

She nodded, “Ok.”

Dorene turned to her and extended her hand, “Welcome to North Kill, it’s so nice to meet you.”

She shook it with a nod before Dorene brought her over to the circulation desk.  It was a few hours of learning the computer system and getting answers to typical procedures.  She was told of the extensions for the police as well as finding out where the panic button and escape routes were.  Eyeing the panic button she couldn’t help but imagine Sheriff Hackett running in all serious-like at the instance of an emergency.  She shuddered at the thought if she ever hit that thing by accident.  After a few more tiresome rundowns, Dorene was eager to hand her the keys and get out of there.

“Hours are 8am-5pm and this library does close on Fridays and weekends since we are such a small town.  If you ever need time off just let me know far in advance ok.  Ok have fun!”

Waving at Dorene’s immediate retreating form, she sighed.  So much for company.  Sitting in the comfy chair, she turned to look at the shelves, or stacks as Dorene called them.  Getting back up she thought it good to start and memorize where things were in case a patron needed to know where a certain book or section was.  Walking through the low light, she did find that it was a bit dark.  But, as she smiled at it, she found that the warm yellow light mixed nicely with the gunstock wood shelving.  It was terribly cozy; romantic even.  Glancing at her phone she saw that she was a few hours away from closing.  All that and not one patron today.  She shrugged.  She was fine with that. 

Heading back to the desk she saw the sky begin to darken.  It was a gorgeous view seeing the trees and hills in-between the convenience store that sat right across from her.  Being on the corner of the street helped give a bigger perspective of where she sat in town.

After another half hour or so she glanced back at that panic button.  It sat right under the desk and if she ever needed to scoot closer to the computer, she knew her thigh would hit it.  She closed her eyes and shook her head at the cringy thought of having to explain that she caused a false alarm to the intimidating Sheriff.   Suddenly, movement caught her eye out the doors.  It was the devil himself.  His cop car sat directly in front and she saw the door open and close as he got out.  Her breath hitched.  She didn’t hit the button somehow, right?  Her mind didn’t just do that?  He swiftly moved through the double doors and she stood to greet him.

“Evening Sheriff!”

He gave a small smirk, “I see they left you with the reigns to this place already.”

She nodded shyly.

“This is my last stop on my evening patrol.  Mind if I..?”  He gave a head tilt towards the shelves and she picked up on it a beat too late.

“Oh!  Yes of course!  Do what you need to Sheriff.”

He gave a nod as he began to walk around the library.  She watched his form as he disappeared in the stacks.  He was tall and the uniform really did wonders on him.  Hell it does wonders on any man.  But, something about him tickled the back of her mind.  She couldn’t quite shake what she was feeling.  She knew she was feeling intimated and nervous since he was a cop after all.  A very stern cop at that.  But there was something else causing her heart to flutter.  Fluttering dangerously fast.  Before she caused another episode with her heart she turned away and sat back down.  She refrained from staring at him until he crossed her line of sight again.

“All secure, have a good night ma’am.”

“Likewise Sheriff Hackett!”

He paused at his name before giving a nod and leaving.  She let out a breath she didn’t realize she was holding as she watched him get into his car.  The sky was nearly fully dark as she saw his headlights switch on.  As quickly as he came he drove off.  Her gaze watched the doors for the rest of the evening.  She remembered his greeting and that he even smirked.  It was nice to see that.  A change in his face that was.  

The rest of the time went by.  She didn’t realize she just spent hours thinking about Sheriff Hackett.  Hours studying the images in her head of his face and his walk.  Hours of remembering the timber of his voice.  Shaking her head and scolding herself, she began to turn off the lights; lock up the money; shut off the computer; and lock the doors.

The drive home was just as brisk as it was to work.  She was surprised she wasn’t accosted by Margerie in wondering how her first day went.  They were probably waiting for her to sleep and to bother her tomorrow evening.  They did have some restraint then.  She was grateful as she was indeed tired.  Stripping down she was glad to be free and comfortable in her own space.  She felt a little uncomfortable being nude in such a new place but there was absolutely no one around.  

Heading to the bathroom her mind thought of Sheriff Hackett again.  She had the instinct to cover her breasts and pussy.  His eyes bored into her mind.  Why was she thinking about him this much?  Why did she feel the need to cover up if he wasn’t here?   And why did her heart flutter again at the thought if he did catch her like this.  What the actual fuck was she thinking?  Shaking her head she just went to the bedroom and forced herself to turn off.  She needed sleep.  Too much happened and he was the last human interaction she had.  That was it.  That was all.

Meanwhile her dreams were nothing but flashes of the Sheriff.  She would dream a rut of dreams of him patrolling her work or about his smirk or about his eyes.  She got up to use the bathroom and desperately tried to change the course of her dreams.  She thought about the town, her landlords, her trauma, anything!  Heading back to bed she sighed and quickly fell back to sleep.  But to her dismay, the same dreams stuck with her all night.

…

Waking up with a groan, she felt horrible.  It felt as if she was fighting all night.  And in a way she was.  Rolling out of bed she went to get a shower.  A shower will solve many problems.  Hopping into the hot stream she felt at ease and relaxed.  With the water to her back she closed her eyes and rested her head against the cool tiles.  She smiled feeling the heat sear her flesh deliciously.  She felt it warm her shoulders, down her back, and legs.  It felt so warm, like a hug.  It engulfed her and and she felt comforted.  

As her mind drifted in and out of snoozing and wakefulness, the water soon morphed into hands.  She felt hands at her back and sides where the water caressed.  The hands were attached to strong arms with a lean build.  She smiled.  She didn’t mind where this was going.  A hunk sharing her shower?  She’d never turn that thought away.  As the feeling kept on she saw the person’s face buried in her neck.  She smiled more.  That was, until the face moved away revealing that it was Sheriff Hackett.  She opened her eyes and yelped.  Absolutely fucking not!  What the shit brain?  She felt nothing towards that man besides intimidation and a light wave of fear.  Why the hell was he on her mind so much?  Especially in the shower like this?  Turning the water to cold she blasted herself as punishment.  Soon after, she stepped out shivering in the frigid fall morning.  Definitely a mistake but, she felt momentarily better for it.

Getting dressed she made sure to go shopping after work.  But as for breakfast, she was going to try the local diner and grab a small thing before heading to work.  A donut and a coffee sounded heavenly right now.  Running a comb through her hair, she gathered her things and headed out to the nearby diner.  She looked out and across the street.  She could practically see it from where she stood, so she decided to walk over and get a feel for the town’s atmosphere.  Walking along she shook her head unable to believe she just thought what she just thought.  Of all things and of all places and of all people, why was it him that her mind lasered in on?  Looking up she decided to distract herself with the trees and pretty fall sky full of clouds.  She sighed happily as a breeze ruffled her damp hair.  The dead leaves rustled pleasantly underfoot.  Autumn was the best.

Arriving much too soon, she took a deep breath before entering.  People were here.  She was surprised to see so many people here.  And said people all looked up at her.  She gulped harshly.  She didn’t expect that.  Then a wonderful voice saved the situation

“Oh!  You’re the new librarian!  Come and have some coffee, on us!”  

After that, everyone gave her a smile and went back to whatever it was they were doing.  The woman at the counter was thin and in her middle age.  She had a great smile and beautiful grey brown hair tied into a messy bun.

“Name’s Gail dear!  Pleasure to meet you!”  She extended her hand.

She returned in and gave her own name.  She took the iron grip of Gail’s handshake like a champ.

“Well what would you like?  It’s all on the house today.”

“Oh I could never Gail-”

Gail waved her hands, “Nonsense!  Consider it a hearty welcome!”

“Well I’d like a latte with a donut please.”

“Sure what kind?”

“Um you got vanilla cream?”

“Of course we do darling!”  She leaned back and shouted, “Dale!  Get me a #3 with milk and a #7 with cream!”

The boom of her voice startled her but she chuckled as Gail gave her a smile.  Breaking the moment was the sound of the door opening and closing behind her.

“Ah Sheriff!  The usual I assume?”  Gail asked.

She didn’t turn around but froze.  Come on… He stepped up right beside her.  He was terribly close and she could practically smell his cologne and the aftershave on him.

“If you will Gail, it be appreciated.”

“Of course. Dale!  Get Sheriff Hackett’s usual!”

There was a faint, “Got it” from behind the doors before Gail smiled at the two and moved to clear off the bar.

She looked tentatively at his profile.  She couldn’t help but stare, what with her steamy shower thought still fresh in her mind.  He picked up on it as he slowly looked over at her.  She blushed.

“Ah, uh, we keep running into each other.”  She stammered.

“It’s a small town.  Tends to happen.” 

She nodded, “Right, yes of course.”

Gail had turned around and vanished to the back leaving her completely alone with the Sheriff.  She felt so awkward and the blush worsened against her will.  She felt the urge to say something but didn’t know how to.  As she opened her mouth to mention the weather, Gail came back with two cups and a bag.  Her mind screamed thank-yous at her.

“Your latte and donut, darling.  And your usual coffee, Sheriff.”  She handed them out at the same time.

As she reached for her cup, for a split second, her fingers brushed the side of his hand.  He definitely noticed but didn’t acknowledge.  He just paused slightly before grabbing his.  She on the other hand felt it all.  She felt time itself stop.

“Thanks Gail.”  He said before raising the cup and taking a sip.  He turned around to leave.

“Have a good day now Sheriff.”  Gail said.

He gave a nod and a glance back, “You too and you as well.”  He said looking her over before leaving.

She gave a squeak as she watched him leave before turning back to Gail.

“You ok darling?  Your face is all red.”

“O-Oh is it now?  I guess it’s from the cold.”

Gail gave a suspicious nod.

“Well thank you again Gail!  It was so nice to meet you!  I’ll be sure to come here often!”

She gave a smile and a wave, “Please do!  We love company.”

With a nod she turned out the door and began to walk to work automatically.  What just happened there?  She replayed the entire scene over again in her mind.  The brief warmth of his hand, his cologne, his aftershave, the farewell.  Why was her mind ablaze?  Why did she care so much?  There was no way she was crushing on this man already.  Give her one brooding man in a uniform and she was smitten apparently.  Was that it?  She sighed exasperatedly as she made her way to unlock the library doors.  

As she unlocked the front and turned on the first lights she stopped.  Did she just walk to work?  She sighed and scolded herself again.  Now she’ll have to walk home in the dark.  A fleeting thought crossed her mind in asking Sheriff Hackett for another escort but she shook her head.  That was silly, it was only a few minutes away.  Surely it wouldn’t be a hassle to walk back.  Switching on the table lights and getting the money out while booting up the computer, she was ready to go. 

It seemed like another slow day until some hours later when a group of teens walked in.  They were laughing and loud as they approached the desk.

“Hello what can I help you with?”  She asked.

They stopped and some of the boys noticed her.  She guessed they weren’t expecting anyone else besides old Dorene.

“Yeah we got research papers to do.”  One said.

She smiled, “Alright have at it.  Let me know if you need any help.”

They shuffled passed with their volume slowly rising again.  Some boys were still staring.  She chuckled and shook her head as she sat back down.  They were a very rowdy bunch.  After what was nearly an hour, she leaned over to see what mess they made.  It was quite the pile of books and she noticed little reading.  Sighing she shrugged, it was her job after all.  She didn’t mind the change from the quiet day that was yesterday anyway.  

A girl came over to the desk, “Hey miss, I can’t find a certain subject.”

She perked up and slid her chair next to the computer, “Alright what were you looking for!”

As she was typing through the catalogue to help find the subject, one of their friends called out that they found it.  They gave a shy look at her before thanking her and running back over.  She chuckled as she sat and continued to type on the computer.  She was going to get a little more familiar with the section numbers and how to look up certain books and items.  

Soon after, the bunch began to leave the library.  Some thanked her on the way out while some stared and others ignored her.  Smiling at them as they left, she glanced over at their table.  Wow that sure was a lot of books.  Turning back she noticed it was getting dark outside again.  Only an hour to go now.  Bringing her attention back to her computer she didn’t notice the red and blue lights coming up and flashing outside the doors.  Hearing the door open and some one run in she looked up.

“Sheriff Hackett!  Pleasant as always.  I assume you’re here for your patrol?”

He was slightly out of breath with a panicked expression, “What?  No you pressed your panic button.”

“I did…”  She looked down at her thigh which was pressed up hard against that button.  Her face turned a bright shade of red.  Looking back up at him she noticed that his lights were on in his parked patrol car.

“Well.  What’s the problem?”  He asked with a hint of impatience.

“I…I accidentally pressed it.  I…didn’t mean to.  I’m terribly sorry.”

He gave her a look then rolled his jaw.  Glancing down and then back up she could clearly tell he his patience was gone.

“So you wasted my time is what happened.”

“N-No I didn’t mean to.”  She stood.

“Look, I know you come from the big city with lots of action.  You might assume there is nothing for me to do here in such a small town but run in at false alarms.  Well, you’re dead wrong.”

Tears began to sting her eyes and her heart began to speed up painfully.

“Next time be careful.  I will let you off with a warning, but know I won’t be so fair if you do it again!  Understood?”

She had trouble breathing and the words didn’t come.  All she did was nod before turning away to clutch her chest.  She just needed to get away from this moment.  She needed to calm down.

“Are you alright?”  He asked.

She nodded as she bent over trying to shield herself from his eyes and to stop the pain.  But she heard his footsteps coming closer.  Her eyes were screwed shut.  She just wished he went away.

“Hey.”  His voice was at her back.

And she felt that she was going to pass out.  She felt herself move forward but hands caught her.  Her eyes flew open feeling one on the center of her back and one on the center of her chest.

“Easy now.”

He slowly brought her back up and she allowed it.  Her hand was still clutching her chest as her arms shook.  She felt his hand on hers as he held her chest.

“Tell me what’s going on.”

“I have a heart thing.  It can get triggered with stress.  I’ll be fine.”  She gasped.

She didn’t see, but his face softened and had a guilty expression wash over his features.   He was so close.  So terribly close.  She could feel his chest brush against her back.  Her heart sped up faster smelling his cologne.  His warm hands feeling intoxicating to her.

“Ok listen to me.  Completely clear your mind and breathe deep and slow.”  He said. His voice was a soft rumble.

Her anxiety wanted to spike further.  Her embarrassment wanted to kill her.  But she had a choice to make: continue to freak out and risk passing out or listen to him and cause her body to go into a failsafe state and shut down.  She chose the latter.  Closing her eyes she stood straight and took a huge gulp of air in.  Exhaling, she could feel her body relax.

“That’s it.” He muttered.

She repeated the inhale and just listened to his voice and his own breathing.  Her mind barred off any thoughts.  Her emotions were numbed and she felt her heart begin to slow down.  She felt her chest loosen.

“Good girl.”  He whispered.

A blush slapped her in the face and her mind began to spike again, but she forced everything to shut down.  She’ll just have to remember it at a later, more calmer time.  A few more breaths later and she felt calm.  She then was remade aware of his hands that remained on her chest and back and touching her hand.  A slight blush tinged her face.

“Are you good?”

She nodded, “Yes…thank you.” She wasn’t looking at him.

She felt exhausted.  She barely had any energy left to stand.  Turning to him his face bore shock.

“You look awful!  I mean awful as in sick not as in you.  You don’t look awful…” He cleared his throat, “Anyway, how are you feeling?”

“I’m out of the woods I’d say, just really tired now.”

He gave a nod.

“I’m sorry to have wasted more of your time Sheriff.  And I should be getting things closed up anyway.”

She glanced at him as he shifted his weight and looked down for a moment.  Looking back up at her, his face was still stern but his eyes looked sad.

“I’ll help.  Consider it an apology for my attitude.”

He walked past her without hearing any reply or retort.  She watched him begin to pick up and look at the books on the desk.  A small smile crept on her face and she went to aid him.  She huffed looking at not one nor two but three piles of books those kids left.  Shaking her head, she gathered a few that went together and turned to slide them back in on their respective shelves.  A sound from him caused her to turn around.

“You ok?”

“Yeah just…how the hell do you know which goes where?”

A smile grew and her lips quivered in the effort to hide her laugh.  Biting her lip she approached his side.  He had a book in his left hand and a small pile in his right.  He looked at her and lowered the book to her eye level.  She tilted it in his hand to look at the spine label.

“So it goes alphabetically, then numerically, then by date.”

He nodded.  He moved to put the book on the shelf below, but in the process, their hands briefly touched.  She closed her eyes to take the sudden shock and he seemingly ignored it.  Composing herself she turned and put back her pile.  It took them a few minutes to get them all put away.  Once that was done she walked around to turn off the desk lamps.  He sauntered out towards the doors.  She followed him to the desk and put the cash away and shut down the computer.  Looking up she saw he was waiting for her.

“Oh you don’t have to wait up for me Sheriff.”

He just stood and looked at her.  Getting the hint, she grabbed her purse and sped walked on her way out.  Turning off the final light before locking up she joined him on the sidewalk.

“Thanks for helping out and sorry again.  See you tomorrow I suppose.”

He gave a curt nod before turning back to his car.  He turned back once he noticed her walking down the path instead of towards the parking lot.

“Don’t you have a vehicle?”

She turned quickly, both hands clutching her purse strap, “Oh, yes!  I kind of forgot to bring it.”

He turned fully to her with a look, “You forgot your car?”

She nodded, the blush hidden in the dark, “Y-Yeah.  I walked over to the cafe and didn’t think about it as I just autopiloted to work.”

He looked down and sighed, “Come on.”

“I beg your pardon?”

He looked at her, “I’ll take you home.  Come on.”

“Oh I live just around the corner you don’t have to-”

“Consider it part of my-”

“Apology.”  She finished with a grin.

He looked down with a smile as well, “Yeah.”

She walked over biting her bottom lip, smiling like crazy.  She jogged up to the passenger side and hopped in.  She told him to turn down the street to the left and to drive for a minute before her place was on the right.  

As he pulled up she turned and said, “Thank you again for helping me.  How did you know how to calm me down?  I-If you don’t mind me asking.”

He looked at her then bowed his head, “In her old age my mother developed a heart complication.  Being her eldest son I had to make sure I took care of her, along with everyone else.”

“Oh…I’m so sorry.”

He shifted in his seat and sniffed, “Don’t worry about it.  This your home?”

Glancing back and then to him she nodded, “Yes!  I live on the other side of Margerie and Phil.  And funny enough, you can see the police station just behind.”

He leaned over and squinted.  Sitting back he had a smile, “That you can.”

Unbuckling her seatbelt she said, “Thank you again Sheriff.  I’ll be seeing you tomorrow evening!”

He nodded, “It’s Travis.”

“I’m sorry?”

“My name, it’s Travis.”

She blushed, “Oh…Travis.  It suits you very well.  Um, I’d offer to let you in for a coffee or something but I forgot to go shopping.”

“That’s appreciated but I need to get back to the precinct.” He gave a nod.

She gave a nod back and opened the door.  Margerie was coming out of her side of the house.  Her face was full of concern.  As she stood and closed the car door, Margerie reached her hands out to her.

 “Are you alright dear?”

She nodded with a smile, “Yes!  Sheriff Hackett was making sure I got home safe.  I forgot to drive this morning as I just walked to the diner before work.”

“Oh how sweet.”  She leaned over and gave a wave at Travis.  He gave a small wave back before pulling out and driving off.

She turned back to Margerie, “I hate to ask but I forgot to go shopping, do you mind if I have dinner with you and Phil tonight?”

Margerie’s face lit up, “Oh of course!  We were just about to sit down to my meatloaf.  I’ve been meaning to chat with you on how your first few days were going.”

She gave a chuckle, “I’ll be glad to, thank you so much!”

She was pulled into the beautiful warmth of Margerie’s home yet again.  She was set with a hearty helping of meat and potatoes with a side of cornbread.  Meatloaf wasn’t her meal of choice but it was heavenly!  Margerie knew how to cook.  She let them know how uneventful her day was yesterday.  Today though, she had one group of teens looking for research for their paper and made a huge mess.  

“And I accidentally pressed the panic button.”

“Oh no, Sheriff Hackett wasn’t too hard on you was he?”

She dipped her head, “At first yes but upon seeing me have an…episode, his whole demeanor changed.”

“Episode dear?”

She nodded, “Yea I have a light heart condition caused by stress.  When he made clear how upset he was it triggered some palpitations.”

“I swear that man has no sense about him!  Scaring a poor young girl like yourself-”

She stopped her, “Well he helped calm me down and gave me some breathing exercises.  He made sure I was ok.  And afterwards he helped clean up and then drove me home.”  She ended it with a blush.

Margerie was floored, “Well bless my stars, that isn’t very common of him.”

“R-Really?”

She nodded, “He conducts himself as a gentleman but he is all edges.  To hear how careful he was with you tonight right after being upset is a nice change of pace.”

She blushed, “Oh.  Say Margerie can you tell me more about him?”

“Have an interest in him dear?”  She gave her a wink.

“I uh, well, uh I-”

“Don’t fluster the poor girl Marg.”

“Oh it’s all in fun Phil.  Well, from what we know his family was wiped out a year ago.  What caused that, we have no clue.  Some say a terrible virus took them.  Others say it was the Hag of Hackett’s Quarry.”

“The Hag of Hackett’s Quarry?”

Margerie nodded, “Yes the Hag of Hackett’s Quarry.  It’s a ghost story where 7 years ago a traveling circus came and burnt up nearby.  Rumor has it the woman had a wolf boy child who escaped while she died in the fire.  Stories say she haunts the woods looking for her lost son.”

“Oh…”

“Now to me that’s a load of bull!  I say they either drank themselves to death with their whiskey mine or they shot each other in a frenzied hunting state.”

“So Travis is the only surviving Hackett?”

Margery gave a devilish smirk, “Travis?  He gave you his name?”

She squeaked, “Um…yes?”

Margerie chuckled then continued, “He was the only one to survive and does not talk about his family.  Of course there are rumors that he was the one to take them out.  But, we had an official investigation performed by outside agents and they cleared his name.”

“How terribly tragic.”

“It is dear.  And from what you’ve told me it sounds as if he does indeed have a soft spot for you.”  She got up, taking the plate in her hands and added, “Maybe you can replenish the Hackett family tree.”

“Margerie!”  She yelped.

Phil started laughing.

Margery shrugged, “What?  I’m a sucker for happy endings, can you blame me?”

She laughed along with them; blush burning her face, hand hiding her mouth.  Was it obvious?  Was it that obvious?  Day two and she was smitten for the Sheriff.  And…what if this news gets around!

“Um well…if this was true what you said about me and Travis it would be appreciated for no rumors to be spread…I feel he’d be a bit skittish when it comes to personal gossip.”

“Oh you’re right dear.  Well, I will do everything in my power to keep these old lips sealed.  I am not guaranteeing anything but I will make an effort.”

“Thank you.  I highly doubt though, if I was interested, that he’d be interested back.  I think I’ve made myself look quite the fool in front of him.”

“Never say never dear.”  She said as she was cleaning the dishes.

Getting up from the table she came by Margerie and asked if she could help, to which, she happily accepted.  After cleaning up and being loaded with leftovers, she was sent on her way happy and full.

“See you later dear.  And if any new ‘development’ between you and Sheriff Hackett blooms, let me be the first to know!”

She blushed, “Ah, I shall.”

Unlocking her door she turned on the light and sighed.  Home and alone.  Storing the food in the fridge she went to the couch and sat down.  Holy shit there was so much to unpack from today.  First off, she remembered how angry Travis got with her over the alarm thing.  Her fears had come true about his reaction.  Then his strong hands came around her in a a complete 360 of events.   They held her steady and felt just amazing.  She grew hot remembering the sensation on her chest.  Her head spun remembering the smell of his cologne.  She felt wet at the memory.  But what sent her over was his voice.  His rumbling calm and directing voice in her ear.  She remembered how their hands touched and how he smiled when taking her home.  And of course him giving his name.  Looking down she felt terribly horny.  She knew she was under his spell.  She needed a to go to bed and sleep it off.  Maybe she’ll feel different in the morning.

Lying in bed she tossed and turned.  Her mind was ablaze for Travis.  His image and words kept flashing in her head depriving her of real sleep.  Once she shifted and settled down though, a long and spicy dream overtook her subconscious.  She was in her bed and the lamp was on.  Looking down at the foot of her bed she saw Travis standing there, shirtless.  She gasped as his cold stare swept over her.  He began to move and climb on top of her.  As he got closer she saw that his cold stare was ladened with emotion.  It brimmed with unspoken words.  It looked tender.  

“Travis?”  She whispered.

He looked at her face then her lips and before she knew it he kissed her.   She closed her eyes feeling the world spin.  His hands were brought to the sides of her head.  They gripped the bed underneath and she felt the totality of his body on hers.  He leaned in and she could feel his hard dick pressing at her entrance.  She moved her legs aside and he slid in without effort.  He broke the kiss to look down at her.  He moved very slow and he gave breathy, near silent moans as he did.  She moaned long and low feeling him fill her.  It was soft and slow and tender and even sweet.  The thought ‘was she dreaming’ crossed her mind and in a blink she woke back up.  Sitting up, she hung her head.  What a sexy nightmare.

She felt like a zombie walking into the shower.  With that dream, she had caused for an even harder time sleeping.  Turning the water on cold, she blasted her nerves to force herself awake.  Drying her hair she deemed it good enough and got dressed.  Grabbing her car keys she was sure to not forget it this time.  The morning was dark and cold as she swung into the diner’s parking lot.  Running in for warmth she was greeted with much of the same scene as yesterday.

“Hey there, darling!  Is everything ok?”

She was confused as she approached the counter, “I’m fine why?”

“Sheriff Hackett was running into the library last night with the lights flashing.”

She hung her head, “Oh that, well I accidentally pressed the panic button.”

“Ooo not a good move.  How grumpy was he?”

“Let’s see, on a level of one to Hackett, I’d say Hackett.”

Gail laughed, “What can I get you this time?”

“An espresso and a nice warm bagel please.”

“Sounds good.  Dale!!  A #4 and a #13 hot!”

“Ok!”  Was faintly heard from the back.

The door chimed behind her again and she feared to turn around.

“Morning Sheriff!”

Yup it was him.

“Morning.”  He grumbled.

He stood by her again and her body flushed.  Her spicy dream ran in her mind and she thought her legs were going to give out.  He looked over at her and his face showed concern for a second.

“You ok today?”

She nodded and tried to act cool by throwing in a smile, “Yeah just tired.  Didn’t sleep well, ya know.”

He nodded and looked back, “The usual Gail.”

Gail nodded, noting an odd air between them before shouting out the order back at Dale.

“Everything alright between the two of you?”  She asked.

They glanced at each other with surprise before looking back at Gail.

“Yes?”  She responded.

Gail squinted before going back into the kitchen and grabbing the orders.  She looked at his profile again and fidgeted with her hands.  He was side eyeing her, noticing her nerves.  He put a hand on her shoulder.

“Don’t get so nervous ok?  We can’t have what happened yesterday happen again.”

“Oh yes…I will try.”

Gail entered back in and came to a halt seeing this.  A smile crept on her face, “My this surely is interesting.  You don’t make many friends there Sheriff Hackett!   Way to go girl.”

“I don’t know what you mean Gail.”  He said as he took his coffee.  Turning away to leave, he touched her shoulder again, “I’ll see you when I’m on patrol.”

She turned bright red.  If Margerie wasn’t going to spill the beans Gail surely was going to after that.  

“Here you are darling.  Now tell me, is anything happening between you and the Sheriff?”

She shook her head, “No not really.  I…I don’t know why he is being so sweet with me.  Maybe I’ve made a fool of myself one too many times and he pities me.”

Gail had a mischievous glint in her eye but didn’t say anything.  She paid for her breakfast and waved goodbye before heading back out into the cold.  Bringing the car to life she swung it over to work.  

The days from then on were as average as possible.  One or two people would come in, make small talk, greet her, and leave.  Travis would make his evening patrol as per usual.  Margerie would try and pry into any new info but she sadly had none to give.  Though, she was getting looks at the diner whenever Travis entered.  Gail was positively spreading rumors at this point.  But, she honestly didn’t mind.  Would it be so bad if she was seen together with Travis?  Would it be bad for them to be a couple?  The words Margerie mentioned that night at dinner about regrowing the Hackett family tree flittered through her mind.  She blushed with a smile.  She wouldn’t be opposed to it.

Her first week went by.  She had three days to herself on the weekend.  They were terribly quiet and lonesome.  Though, she did enjoy it after such a busy week.  Yet she figured it would get too lonesome come time she got used to everything.  She wondered what Travis did on the weekends.  She felt sad, figuring he was at home alone too.  He was terribly reclusive and she wished he was a bit more social.  That way he could be looked after by friends in town.  Though, having such a family trauma would definitely isolate you.  Her heart ached for him.  

When would she make a move?  It didn’t need to be soon, she was only there a week after all.  Things like these take months to develop right?  Sometimes yes and sometimes no.  Her parents mentioned they had love at first sight while her sister took months for her to come around to a guy who had a crush on her.  There is no formula for this.  If she liked him she liked him end of story.  Sighing, she became nervous.  She didn’t think she had it in her to confess.  Not if she wanted to survive that was.

Another week went by and she noticed a change with Travis.  He’d show up sometime in the afternoon and then again during his patrol.  He claimed he wanted to make sure she was healthy and well, being as she was the only one in the building.  She wanted to see something more in it but dared not to vocalize it.  

During that Friday a nasty storm rolled in.  It was rainy and windy going into work that morning.  Come noon, it picked up considerably.  The wind howled and whistled and the trees slapped the outer walls and doors of the library.  She loved storms but was feeling unnerved with this one.  Mainly because she was at work and not safely tucked away at home.  The thunder made her jump and the lightening sounded terribly close.  Getting up to look out the window, a loud clap sounded right above her head causing her to yelp.  With another rolling in right after, it knocked the power out.  Her breathing increased and her fear shot up.  She was now alone in a dark building in the middle of the storm.

Travis was running around the town like mad making sure the locals were safe and inside during the storm.  Once the power went out, he sped around to the local businesses to make sure they were alright as well.   After popping in the grocery store then making sure Gail and Dale were secure, he looked towards the library.  A panic rose in his chest.  He wondered if she was safe and calm.  Booking it to his car he turned on the lights and sped off.

She was a bit frantic in the dark.  Should she lock the doors?  Should she hide?  If she felt more secure here it probably wouldn’t be a problem but, being it was only her second week, her imagination ran rampant.  She just wanted to go home and curl up in bed listening to the rain pound outside her window; feeling the safe strong arms of Travis around her.  Pacing the library, she didn’t hear the doors swing open.  Travis rushed in drenched and frantically looking around for her.  He called her name but got no response.  A pit rose in his stomach and he began to search the library.  She didn’t hear him as he approached, her heart and her fear pounded too loud in her head.  Walking between the stacks and out in to the space between, she bumped into something.  It grabbed onto her and she screamed.  She screamed and cried as the grip tightened.

“Sh, sh, hey it’s me!”

“Travis?”

“Yes.”

“I can’t breathe.”  A slight hint of panic rose in her tone.

“Just inhale deeply.  Remember what I told you, clear your mind.”

She felt him at her front.  She was face to face with his chest but couldn’t see him.  She felt his arms around her back and smelt his cologne again.  Closing her eyes she drank him in.  He was here and holding her, whispering soothing words into her ear.  She leaned into him and felt herself begin to calm.  

“That’s it, relax.  I’m here.  You’re safe now.”

She breathed in again and again, feeling her body slow down.  She thought for a moment that she could fall asleep this way.

“That’s it, good girl.”

She snuggled into his chest and as she did the lights flickered back on.  Opening her eyes she peered around but dared not move.  She could now see the dark of his fabric at her face.  She saw his arms wrap around and disappear behind her back.

“Travis?”

“Yes.”  He said softly.

She raised her head to look at him.  His dark eyes were looking tenderly down at her and her heart skipped a beat.

“You came for me?”

He swallowed harshly, “I needed to make sure you were ok.”

“Oh…how sweet.”

A paused settled between them as they looked at each other.  His breathing was still a little ragged from all the excitement.  His eyes looked glazed over but still held their sternness.  He was so close to her.  Her body was practically melting into his fame.

“Travis?”  She asked again, breaking the silence.

He didn’t say anything but leaned in closer.  Their eyes locked and danced between them and their lips.  And in the next moment they kissed.  It was soft and chaste.  They both felt that, if they weren’t careful, this illusion would break.  His lips were soft against hers.  His cologne crashed down hard into her senses as she felt him kiss her.   His hands shifted up her back and into her hair.  She brought hers up his chest and around his neck.  He felt strong and what he was doing caused her head to spin.  He was the one to deepen the kiss.  Her mouth opened without resistance and his tongue slid in to meet hers.  He tasted like the outside rain mixed with tinges of coffee.  She slid her hands up from his neck into his hair.  She felt his grip tighten around her as they devoured one another.  He pulled away breathless as he looked at her.  

“We should take this somewhere else.”  He said.

“I agree.  Let me go check the computer and text Dorene about leaving.”

She went to move but his grip pulled her back in for one more brief kiss before he let her go.  She smiled dumbstruck as she walked away.  He followed closely after.  Switching on the computer she found that there wasn’t any internet service.

“Yeah no service.  Good, more of an excuse to go home early.”

“I’ll help you close up.”  His usual tone was now a mix between stern and desperation.  

She couldn’t believe what just happened.  He was here and just kissed her silly.  She chuckled as she watched him run to turn off all the desk lights.  The new fire lit under him was so endearing to see.  She put the money away and threw Dorene a text about no wifi and wanting to get home for safety.  Coming back to the desk her phone buzzed with a confirmation to go home.  Dorene figured no one was going to come out anyway in this storm.

“Alright, let’s get out of here.”  She said.

Travis rushed to her side and kissed her again.  She smiled as his lips met hers.  Breaking away he held onto her arm as he walked them out the doors.  She turned to switch off the last lights and he let her go to allow her to lock up.  When she turned to face him again he kissed her once more.

Breaking away she said, “I’ll meet you at my place?”

He gave a nod as he ran to his car and she did the same.  The sky was terribly dark and the rain pelted down hard.  She bolted to her car, missing the cover of the library awning.  Unlocking her door and sliding in she turned the vehicle on.  Turning on her brights she pulled out and down towards the street.  He waited for her to be in front as she began to turn down the road.  Fortunately it was just a straight shot home in just a few minutes.  She pulled into the parking lot and he did right behind her.  Turning off the car she ran out to unlock the door.  As she was doing so he ran to meet her.  Throwing open the door Travis grabbed hold of her and turned her to him.  He kicked the door closed as his lips met hers again.

“Let’s get out of these wet clothes hm?”  She said with a mischievous smile.

He nodded.  His face held something between awe and pure adoration.  It nearly broke her seeing such a powerful look come through those dark eyes.  She quickly tossed off her shirt and he was in the process of taking off his utility belt.  He carefully laid it on her kitchen’s bar before unbuttoning and peeling off his wet uniform.  She watched him become undressed and her mouth watered.  His bare chest was muscular and lean.  His thighs were just as strong and shapely.  Once he was down to his boxers he moved over to her.  Her bra and panties covering the last bit of her as well.  His hand slid down her sides and he pulled her into his chest.  She kissed him as her hands slid up to his pecs.

Breaking away he asked, “Bedroom?”

She jerked her head to the left indicating where it was.  In an instant he hoisted her up and carried her to the room.  Once there, he threw her down and climbed on top.  It almost mimicked her dream.  She reached a hand over to turn on her lamp.  She wanted to make sure she saw everything.  Every emotion that flittered on his face.  Every physical movement as he made love to her.   His body was cold and clammy from the drenched clothes, but in the process of being so close to her it began to warm up.  Hers did the same.   Lifting himself off he looked down at her.

“Are you sure you want this?”

She gazed at him, “I really do.”

“With me?”

“Travis what do you mean?”

He glanced down then into her eyes, “I’m an old, grumpy cop.  I’m not a pleasant man.  Not to mention I have serious baggage that you might never know the full extent of.”

She was silent for a moment and he looked away.  She brought a hand to his face to turn him back to look at her. 

“Travis Hackett I haven’t been able to stop thinking about you ever since we met on the road.  I’ve dreamt about you just like this to the point I couldn’t sleep.  I know you’re all edges and aren’t the nicest man, but I’m still here!  I want you.  All of you Travis.”

His eyes looked like they flooded with tears.  Turning to kiss her hand he said, “I thought it was too late for me to find happiness.  It always eluded me.  But you’re here and you’re real.”

She smiled, “I am.”

He kissed her.  He kissed her and shifted to take off his boxers.  Her eyes flew wide and she hurried to take off her bra and shimmy out of her panties.  She looked down to catch a glimpse of his cock.  It was long and thick.  Her legs quivered, aching to be filled.  His lips moved down her neck to her breasts.  They latched onto her left nipple.  She gasped and arched as he sucked and rolled it between his teeth gently.  

“T-Travis!”

He hummed as he continued to suck at her breast. Her legs kicked and trembled.  She opened them wide, ready and waiting for him.  He let go and raised up.  He lined himself at her wet pussy and slowly entered in.  She moaned as he gave one as well.  He was slow as he slid his dick all the way inside.  

Once hilted he asked, “Are you ok?”

She arched her back, “Y-Yes, please, fuck me!”

He smirked and rested his face at the crook of her neck.  He continued to move slow, dragging in and out lazily.  His breathing became heavy.  He closed his eyes and began to make soft, cute moans in her ear.  Her mouth gaped open.  She couldn’t believe this was still happening.  He felt so perfect inside her.  He stretched her a tiny bit but just enough to not hurt.  He raised himself back up and began to quicken the pace.  

He was over her.  His hands still firmly planted at the sides of her head.  She wrapped her hands around his forearms.  They locked eyes.  His were no longer dark and stern.  They were full of love, care, and sadness.  Hers were glazing over with how good she was feeling.  

“You’re so lovely.  So sweet.  You’re such a good girl.”  He groaned.

Her breath hitched and she felt herself cum then and there.  She screamed and gasped as he quickened his pace.  Feeling her contract around him and grow even wetter was sending him over the edge.

“Oh Travis!  You’re a good man, my good man.”

His voice caught in his throat.  His breath came out ragged as he gazed down at her.  The words crashed over him in a heightened sense of love and pain.  In the next moment he felt himself about to cum.

“I should pull out.”  He panted.

“Don’t!”  And she wrapped her legs around his waist, “I don’t mind.”

Looking in her eyes for one moment, he screwed them shut as he came.  He moaned and cried out from the intensity.  He thrusted deep and slow until his movements stopped.  As his body stilled he remained over her, panting.  She was breathing hard and glistening with sweat.  Her hair was splayed out under her and she looked at him.  She was absolutely gorgeous.  Feeling over come, he kissed her.  As he kissed her, he couldn’t help the tears from falling.

“Oh Travis, are you ok?”

He nodded but couldn’t look her in the eye.  

“Come here.”

She enfolded him in her arms.  His face rested on her neck and hair.  His body began to shudder.

“I’m sorry.”  He choked out.

“Sh, don’t be, let it out.”  She hummed.

He cried.  The emotions he held back for so long: sadness, anger, resentment, fear, loneliness, and now love; all came crashing down.  She held him as he laid on her, still inside of her.  She stroked his strong, lean back as he wept at her neck.  It was such a tender and heartbreaking moment.  One she never foresaw coming.  After a few moments more he raised himself and climbed off of her.  He moved to sit at the edge of the bed.  He hung his head.  She sat up to hold him.

“Are you alright?”  She asked.

He shook his head not meeting her gaze, “I’m sorry.  Crying after sex is quite the turn off.  I just…”

She turned his face to look at her, “Don’t be sorry or embarrassed.  I couldn’t imagine what you’ve been through.”

His gaze swept over her for moment before he asked, “How much do you know?”

“All I know is that your family died tragically around you.  I can’t even begin to express my sorrow.”

“Well, one day I’ll probably share the story with you.  But now’s not the time.”  He turned to look into her eyes.  He saw nothing but love and concern.  He almost couldn’t bear it, “After this display, you aren’t repulsed?”

She shook her head and looked confused, “Why would I be?  All I see is a broken man.  One who is overdue for happiness.  One that I think I’ll come to love very quickly.”

His breathing shuddered as he studied her face.  There wasn’t a hint of deception or humor in her tone or features.  Tears brimmed in his eyes again as he kissed her.  He kissed her soft and sweet.  He never wanted to let her go.

Breaking the kiss she smiled, “Now let’s go shower.”

He took her hand and she touched his face before she brought him to the bathroom.  She turned the water on and waited for it to heat up.  As they did he held her to him.  Their warm, sweaty bodies pressed together.  She snuggled her head in his chest.  Feeling the steam rise from behind her, she turned and moved to hop in; holding his hand to pull him along. 

The heat surrounded the two as they embraced in the shower.  It was just like what she daydreamed about.  His hands held her as her back was flush with his front.  His hands ran up and down her body.  She closed her eyes and he brought his lips to her neck.  

She smiled and hummed, “I’ve imagined this exact scenario.”

He smirked against her skin, “Wow, you really wanted me from the start.”

She blushed, “I-I mean what can I say?  You're very handsome.  Ah!”  She felt him lightly bite her neck.

She leaned into him as he kissed and sucked, marking her as is.  He wanted to show the town she was his and only his.  Let them talk.  They remained that way for awhile.  Soon they turned to clean one another.  They slowly slid the soap up and down each other, savoring the other’s body.  Near the end the, water was turning cold so they jumped out.  While drying off, a knock on the door sounded.

“I’ll go get that.”  She said.

Exiting the bathroom she wrapped her robe around her tightly.  Opening the door, it revealed Margerie.

“Is everything alright dear?  I was worried about the storm and when I looked I saw your car and Sheriff Hackett’s in the lot.”

She glanced back and turned sideways in the doorframe.  Margerie followed the line of sight to see Travis standing in the hall with a towel wrapped around his waist and another slung around his shoulders.

Margerie gasped, “Good heavens, hello Sheriff!”

He gave a nod.

She turned back to Margerie with a smile, “Well I guess what you said about the Hackett family tree will be true.”

Margerie floundered for words.

“I’ll talk to you tomorrow!”  She said with a wink as she closed the door.  Turning back she saw Travis huff and look down with a smile.

“Guess it’ll be all over town now.”  

She smiled, “I guess so.”

She crossed the room to get to him.  The smile that played on his face made her feel giddy.  She kissed him, yanking on the towel to pull him in.  He gave a surprised moan as her lips crashed onto his.  

The following days in town held a different buzz.  Margerie told Ms. Ruth who told the Jones’s next door which in turn made its way to Gail which confirmed her rumors.  Soon everyone knew about their relationship.  Travis never mentioned it but he was worried if the town would disapprove; what with his mysterious family history and his age.  But the dirty looks never came.  He would get smiles on the street and pats on the back expressing how happy they were for him.  Getting all this positive attention affected his attitude and soon he was smiling just a bit more.

Meanwhile she was getting all the girl talk from Margerie and Gail.  They wanted all the juicy details about Travis and how he treated her.  She would never reveal too much, but made it clear he was terribly sweet and gentle with her.  He was incredibly patient and kind.  This set an even more positive outlook for Travis as women gave him stares and winks.  He wasn’t sure how to take this new attention so he’d just nod back and be on his way.

Months and months passed and the love grew between the two.  They were virtually inseparable.  They continued to have unprotected sex since she wouldn’t mind if she got pregnant.  He desperately wanted to be a father so he never argued.  Children were just around the corner for them.

In time their wedding would be small yet full of meaning.  The entire town would be there.  Her family was invited but seeing as they were a few hours away it was ‘too much of a hassle’ to come.  Phil gave her away as Margerie acted as the mother of the bride.  The entire town celebrated late into the night.  Travis never felt so loved, even when his family was alive.  And she felt the same.  She never felt so at peace.  Their relationship was the thing to inspire and rejuvenate the lonely depressed town.

#travis hackett #ted raimi #sheriff hackett #smut #the quarry #fanfic #romance #fandom #sick fic #travis x reader #unnamed reader #praise #soft #grumpy #tender #travis hackett x reader #Reader has heart condition #Reader is a librarian #older man younger woman

[ahautism]

don't stand there watching me, follow me

crossposted on ao3

Jimmy can tell from the look on Martyn’s face that he’s planning something. And, given that it’s Martyn, it’s probably going to get both of them in trouble. He sighs internally, and turns back to the board, where the teacher is explaining something to do with quadratics. Something that might have been a problem on their homework? Jimmy isn’t sure, he’s been busy trying to figure out what the heck Martyn could be planning. Besides, he didn’t do the homework anyways. As he zones out to the teacher solving yet another equation on the board, he braces himself for whatever Martyn’s about to drag him into once the bell rings. Which could be really any time, this teacher has about 5 clocks in her room, and none of them are accurate.

Sure enough, once the bell rings, once they’ve both grabbed their bags and headed off through the four way intersection of hallways that makes getting anywhere impossible, to the weird abandoned hallway where they eat lunch, Martyn turns to Jimmy. He’s gesturing frantically as he explains.

“See, this is exactly what I’m talking about! No one knows how things work around here!”

“Martyn, we’re freshmen. We don’t know how things work around here.”

“No, but listen to me! Someone needs to be in charge, someone needs to lay down the law!”

“The principal?” Jimmy offers, helpfully.

“The principal doesn’t give a shit, you know that, Timmy. But if we had someone who goes through it, who knows what it’s like, to enforce things…” Jimmy doesn’t like the gleam in Martyn’s eyes. He’s seen it many times before, and it always ends with them both in trouble, with some adult asking them what the hell they were thinking. He sighs.

“Just get to it! What are you suggesting we do?” Martyn folds his hands together.

“I thought you’d never ask, my dear Timmy. We become hall monitors.” Jimmy blinks. 

“What? Are you insane? We don’t even have hall monitors here.” Martyn points at him, finger shaking, the gleam in his eyes only intensifying.

“That’s what makes the plan so brilliant! No one can tell us we’re not hall monitors if hall monitors aren’t a thing before us! Come on Timmy, we can even make up fake names. I know you want to make up a fake name.” Somehow, Jimmy is warming up to this plan. He doesn’t know why Martyn has this effect on him, but he doesn’t like it.

“How are we going to enforce rules if we don’t know what they are? I know you never read the student handbook.” Martyn scoffs, as if it’s the most obvious thing in the world, as if this is the only possible course of action.

“We make them up! No one else has read the student handbook either. I’m gonna be Morty Gage, hall monitor extraordinaire.” 

“Alright, alright, fine. I’ll be, uh… Pete Bills. Hall monitor just okay.” Martyn’s grin widens.

“That’s the spirit, Pete! We’re gonna be the best hall monitors this school has ever seen, believe you me.”

“Morty… we’re the only hall monitors this school has ever seen.” Jimmy can’t believe he’s getting into this.

The problem with Martyn’s plan, aside from the obvious glaring problems with all of it, is that it requires an absurd amount of confidence. That’s not a problem for Martyn, which is probably why he hasn’t thought of it. Jimmy, on the other hand… he’s not exactly the most confident of guys. Which is why he’s praying they simply don’t get confronted. With his luck, that’ll never happen, but he can hope. 

Sure enough, the second they place themselves in English Hall after the bell has rung, they’re confronted. Jimmy should have known – his curse practically guarantees that anything that can go wrong will. He’s like a walking Murphy’s Law, really, it’s a wonder Martyn still sticks around. Martyn smiles at the teacher walking up to them suspiciously, the picture of a student who should be trusted with power and is definitely not in the middle of an elaborate plan to skip class involving fake names and the theft of a hall pass pad. 

“What are you doing out of class?” The teacher asks, raising an eyebrow.

Martyn responds cheerfully. “We’re the new hall monitors. Did you not hear? I assumed they would spread the word, but I guess not.”

The teacher laughs out loud. “You two? Hall monitors? Yeah, that’s a real funny one. We don’t even have those, get back to class before I write you up.” Martyn, ever one to commit, does not budge. Jimmy, ever one to go along with Martyn’s terrible plans, even to his own detriment, doesn’t budge either. 

It goes about as well as you’d expect.

Despite the loss of the hall pass pad, Martyn tells Jimmy, along with Pearl and BigB, who have the same lunch as them today, the plan is still going smoothly. His point is undermined slightly by the after school detentions he and Jimmy have both received, Jimmy thinks, but to each his own.

“We just have to keep at it! If we commit, they’ll either think they were wrong, or give up. And either of those are a win for us. We will become hall monitors yet, Timmy, I promise. BigB, give me half your cookie. Hall monitor tax.”

BigB raises an eyebrow. “Dude, we’re literally in the middle of a conversation about how you’re not hall monitors yet. You’re not taxing me.”

“A quarter? And I’ll trade you a chip?”

“Fine.” BigB hands over the cookie piece. Martyn pops it into his mouth, and grins at Jimmy, still chewing.

“See, Timmy? It’s about the small wins.” Jimmy wrinkles his nose.

“You are disgusting.”

Martyn sticks out his tongue at Jimmy, bits of cookie still on it. Jimmy refuses to kiss him until he takes a swig of water.

After school, when Lizzie picks up Jimmy and Martyn from detention, she asks them what they did this time. Martyn simply responds that they got detention for being hall monitors, and refuses to explain. 

Somehow, to Jimmy’s amazement, over time, their plan works. People get so used to them monitoring the hallways whenever they don’t want to be in class, handing out warnings for violations they made up, that they forget that no one in their right mind would give Martyn and Jimmy that kind of power. People hate them most of the time, sure, but they would have anyways, between the bad things that always happen around Jimmy, and the general vibe of their group of friends. This way, they at least get the benefit of skipping classes and occasionally making out in empty classrooms. Morty Gage and Pete Bills, partners in non-crime. Weirdly, Jimmy thinks this has been one of Martyn’s better schemes.

#trafficshipping #evoshipping #solidwood #please send me asks abt this au if you want to know more. my brainrot #curse au

[breaniebree]

Chapter 341 -- The One Where It's Not A Prank

He looked up when Ron plopped down next to him, opening another bag of crisps.  

Ron gestured towards Harry’s wrist.  “You letting her mark her claim now?”

“Absolutely.  Wouldn’t want people to think that I’m not taken.”

Ron snorted, passing the bag of all dressed crisps over as Harry helped himself to a handful.  “No, I think everyone knows that you are completely a one woman man by now.  I think it’s unofficial, but you have my sister’s name stamped on your arse.”

“Ron, I told you.  We have to stop flirting,” Harry teased.  “It’s giving the wrong idea to people.”

“Please.  If anyone is checking out anyone’s arse here, it’s you mine.”

Harry grinned.  “Only when you put it in front of me.”

Ron laughed.  “Well, it’s just that awesome.  But anyway, speaking of arses.”

“Were we though?”

Ron ignored him.  “Hermione and I are talking about moving in together, which I suppose means, I’m claiming her arse as much as her mine.”

“Yeah?  That’s great, mate.”

Ron nodded.  “We’ll have to find a place first, but I’m sure that something will open up.  I have some money saved away from helping at the shop and from the Chamber of Secrets.”

“Has Hermione heard from the Ministry yet?”

“No,” Ron said.  “But I mean, it’s basically for sure, right?  Doesn’t Zee’s boss want her?”

“Yeah,” Harry said.  “Well, not Oliphant, Bannerman, the head of the DRCMC.  Zee and Oliphant run the Menagerie, but not the whole department.  But still an official confirmation would be good.  She doesn’t know what he wants her for yet, right?”

“True.  Still, she’s going to be brilliant.  I mean, we both know that she’s going to try to change the world.”

Harry grinned.  “Definitely.”

“Her bill is already working great.  She gets updates, you know?  It’s been slow, but the laws are changing.  They are actually accumulating a house elf registry that connects families and lists which elves work for which families.  The elves register themselves and sign contracts with the families they work for.”

“I love how proud you are of her work.”

“Mate, it’s bloody brilliant!”  Ron exclaimed, his blue eyes alight in pride.  “She’s stopping centuries worth of enslavement and it’s just incredible!  Like what the fuck am I doing in comparison?”

Harry shrugged.  “Oh, I don’t know.  Mooning people and almost dying?”

Ron snorted.  “The almost dying part wasn’t intentional, the mooning was absolutely necessary.”

“Necessary?  No one needs to know how many freckles you have on your arse, Ron.”

“Of course not,” Ron said quickly.  “That’s for you to know.”

“And I hope Hermione,” Harry said, biting back a laugh.

“Er, yeah, of course.”

Harry rolled his eyes.  “Well, when we hear back from the Academy we can start to make our own plans.  But we definitely have to start studying for our NEWTS when we get back to school next week.”

“Bloody hell, Harry, not you, too!  I get enough of the studying lectures from Hermione!”

“Well, Hermione has a point,” Harry said as the portrait hole opened and Hermione hurried inside.  “Speak of the witch, hey, Hermione — where’s the fire?”

She grabbed the stitch in her side as she stumbled down the steps into the little living room.  “It came!  It really came!”

Harry frowned, not sure what she was talking about before he noticed that she was clutching a letter in her hand.  

“What’s that?”

Hermione let out a strangled breath, brushing her bushy curls out of her eyes that were escaping from her messy bun.  “The owl just found me!  It’s from Lou Bannerman.”

Ron jumped to his feet and moved over to grab her hand.  “And?”

Hermione passed the letter to him, clutching her hands together nervously.

Ron carefully opened the crumbled letter and began to read aloud: 

Dear Miss Granger, 

We would be honoured to offer you an internship in the Department for the Reconstruction and Cooperation With Magical Creatures starting the first of August in our new department, the Office of Communication and Cooperation.  The new department which will be coordinating with the Office of Misinformation to help liaise with all magical creatures and beings who are able.  As an intern, you will be able to help form ideas and draft plans for equality for all as well as assist with the house elf bill you helped us build.  We look forward to working with you.

Please let us know by the end of April if you are interested in this position.

Hermione let out a half squeal before her hands covered her mouth.  

Harry laughed.  “You know, you are allowed to get excited.”

Hermione squealed again when he pulled her into his arms.  “I just can’t believe that it’s real!  Of course, it still depends on my final NEWTs scores, but I have a job, Harry!  A real job!  In the Ministry of Magic!  They want me and my ideas and it’s just so… oh gods, I think I might be sick!”

Harry kissed her cheek and hugged her tighter.  “You’re going to be great.  I can’t wait to watch you change the world.”

Tears welled up in her eyes as she hugged him tighter.

“Oi!”  Ron exclaimed.  “No making my witch cry or kissing her.”

“Oh, so I’m allowed to cosy up to you, but not to your girlfriend?”

Ron’s lips curved.  “Obviously.”  He touched Hermione’s arm and she turned to him, letting him engulf her in his warm embrace.  “This is brilliant news!”

Hermione kissed Ron.  “I got in!”

“Always the tone of surprise,” he teased, framing her face with his hands.  “My brilliant witch is going to do amazing things.”

Harry watched her snuggle into Ron’s arms and thought that his friend was right.  Hermione was on the path to doing great things and he couldn’t wait to see what she was going to come up with next.  This job in the DRCMC was perfect for her.  It was exactly the type of job she needed and one that she would definitely excel at.

Suddenly the future seemed to be looking a lot closer and Harry couldn’t help but worry about what that meant in terms of Voldemort.  It was already the second week of April and there had been no word on him since he’d gone to speak to Grindelwald two weeks before.  Misha had promised to fill him in in more detail over the Easter holiday, but all Harry knew was that Voldemort was aware of the Hallows now and of the wand he’d once possessed.

He didn’t know what any of that meant, but he did know one thing with absolute certainty — Voldemort wasn’t going to wait around forever.  He wanted to take control of Hogwarts and he wanted Harry dead and the longer he waited to attack, the more anxious Harry became.

How long would it take Voldemort to figure out that Harry had all of the Hallows in his possession and what would he do when he discovered it?

#asc #the world of asc #welcome to breanie's world of asc the kismet trilogy #chapter sneak peek #harry potter fan fiction #breanie #a second chance #a second chance by breanie

[denimbex1986]

'The Senate on Thursday approved a measure that would, for the first time, give health care benefits and compensation to communities impacted by the test of the first atomic nuclear bomb in New Mexico.

The “Trinity” nuclear test is featured in Christopher Nolan’s latest hit movie “Oppenheimer,” which focuses on the life of physicist J. Robert Oppenheimer and his role in leading the Manhattan Project, a top-secret U.S. government program that began during World War II.

What the film doesn’t mention, however, is the array of deadly cancers that afflicted people exposed to radiation who lived “downwind” in the area near Alamogordo, New Mexico, for decades afterward ― many of whom were Native Americans and other people of color. The fallout traveled in a northern direction, affecting people as far away as Colorado, Idaho and Montana.

“Millions of people across the country traveled to theaters this weekend to watch a blockbuster centered around this infamous day, but not enough people have focused on the collateral damage caused by our nation’s nuclear testing,” New Mexico Sen. Ben Ray Luján said Thursday in a speech on the Senate floor.

Luján called attention to the consequences for his home state in a series of tweets posted last week ahead of the movie premiere, noting that thousands of victims and their family members continue to face health complications.

In 1990, Congress passed the Radiation Exposure Compensation Act, which compensated many communities affected by U.S. military nuclear explosions. The law excluded survivors of the Trinity test, however, and lawmakers and native tribes in New Mexico have been seeking to right that wrong ever since.

“Those families were not given any warning, any heads up, they saw a bright light, they saw ash fall on their clothing lines, but for some reason they were excluded as a county that should qualify for status. It makes zero sense,” Luján told HuffPost.

Working alongside Sen. Josh Hawley (R-Mo.), Luján sponsored an amendment to the National Defense Authorization Act that would include previously excluded communities harmed by radiation from above-ground nuclear weapons testing, as well as uranium mining and nuclear waste storage in other states. It was adopted on Thursday in a bipartisan 61-37 vote.

Hawley, who was spotted whipping his GOP colleagues to vote for the measure in the well of the Senate chamber, credited Nolan’s film for raising awareness to an issue that has affected people in his state who lived near a Manhattan Project nuclear processing facility.

“For us, it’s about getting some basic justice for the people in the St. Louis region who have gotten literally poisoned,” Hawley said.

The Senate is expected to pass its version of the National Defense Authorization Act this week. The House already approved the bill earlier this month, though it included several partisan GOP amendments on hot-button social issues. The two sides will have to hash out their differences in a conference committee, including over the Senate amendment extending benefits to victims of nuclear tests.

Luján said he hadn’t yet watched “Oppenheimer,” so he couldn’t weigh in as to its accuracy and its portrayal of how the nuclear testing affected the people of New Mexico.

“I don’t know that anyone can ever give this a fair shake,” he said of the movie. “You have to hear the stories of these families. Many of our brothers and sisters have since passed. I’m hopeful that attention around the movie brings attention to this travesty because this deserves attention.”'

#Oppenheimer #Trinity test #The Manhattan Project #Alamogordo #New Mexico #Senate

[dontmeantobepoliticalbut]

After every Republican in the Senate and conservative Democrat Sen. Joe Manchin (West Virginia) voted against a bill to guarantee abortion access in the U.S. on Wednesday night, Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vermont) questioned why Manchin caucuses with Democrats at all.

Though the bill didn’t have a chance of passing without filibuster abolition or reform, Senate leaders hoped to get lawmakers’ votes opposing abortion access on the public record. All 49 other Democrats in the Senate voted for the bill, which would have allowed health care providers to conduct abortions “prior to fetal viability” or if the parent’s or fetus’s health is at risk. It would also explicitly ban states from prohibiting access to such services, with the goal of essentially codifying Roe v. Wade into law.

In a tweet clearly aimed at Manchin, Sanders wrote: “If you can’t stand up for a woman’s right to choose, for voting rights, for an economy that works for all, why are you caucusing with the Senate Democrats? We need a Democratic Majority where all members believe in economic, racial, social and environmental justice.”

Manchin announced his opposition to the bill ahead of the vote on Wednesday afternoon, claiming that he wouldn’t vote for it because “it expands abortion,” he told reporters. His statements echo that of Senate Republicans, who say that they oppose the bill because it overrules state laws and doesn’t carve out exceptions for Catholic hospitals to refuse to provide abortions.

Moderate Republicans and Manchin claim that they’re generally opposed to abortion bans – yet their opposition to the scope of the bill shows that they want at least some restrictions to remain. Senators Susan Collins (R-Maine) and Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska) have introduced a competing bill that they say would only codify Roe – but the law has a loophole that would still allow restrictions on abortions, like the Mississippi law barring abortions after 15 weeks of pregnancy, or about eight weeks earlier than the time frame protected under Roe.

With the Supreme Court ruling to overturn Roe v. Wade in the works, the bill’s passage is more urgent than ever to protect families and save countless lives by guaranteeing abortion access at the federal level. Many Democratic lawmakers swiftly jumped to action after the Supreme Court draft opinion was leaked last week, joining pro-abortion protesters and warning that overturning Roe would be a major step on the far right’s path to restricting a variety of other rights.

The exceptions were Manchin and Sen. Kyrsten Sinema (D-Arizona). Shortly after the leaked draft opinion became public, Manchin and Sinema announced that they would not support efforts to reform or abolish the filibuster in order to protect abortion rights – essentially making it impossible to codify the abortion protections in Roe. Manchin has previously described himself as “pro-life.”

With Manchin’s relentless obstruction of nearly every Democratic priority over the course of Joe Biden’s presidency, many political commentators and frustrated Democratic lawmakers have questioned why the conservative even considers himself a part of the Democratic party.

According to a recently released excerpt from an upcoming book, This Will Not Pass, Manchin has joked around with Republican colleagues that he should change parties. He has repeatedly insisted that he is a Democrat, but his opposition to virtually every Democratic proposal and the major financial support he receives from right-wing sources have caused his allegiances to frequently be called into question.

#us politics #news #2022 #sen. joe manchin #sen. bernie sanders #women's health protection act #roe v. wade #abortions #abortion bans #obstructionism #democrats #Republicans #conservatives #centrist democrats #sen. kyrsten sinema #sen. lisa murkowski #sen. susan collins #reproductive rights #reproductive health

[s-rolldown-s-fork]

I'm trying so hard to post about my Tntduo politics au bc it's based on the politics of my country but I can't stop trauma dumping all over it bc I grew up watching the news and was smart enough to understand the horrible things I saw

Anyway, before I go on about how the war on drugs made me scared of being killed by the police and how the terrorism in my country psychologically affected me as a child let me show you some of the ideas I came up with and a short drabble I haven't finished

Quackity is a law student or maybe like an intern at a law firm who works as a hitman to pay his bills. Wilbur, Tubbo, Tommy, and maybe Fundy are con men turned politicians (so essentially still con men- *gets shot*) I’m gonna figure out what their family tree is and how they’re all related to each other which will probably be a challenge, a slightly horrifying, somewhat frustrating challenge

Also quackity’s family tree what am I gonna do about that

Okay so Sam and Ponk are his fathers, Sam works at a bank/is a policeman and Ponk is a doctor/nurse. I haven’t really decided yet but for Sam I’ll probably go with police because this story is all about the government in a bad way and I think a cop would help like emulate that theme better than a banker (also because I have more personal issues with cops than bankers dfjlsdjfks) They have this weird on and off relationship but Ponk is always nice to him.

Tw: mentions of police killing

Sam gets into legal trouble for idk police brutality (edit: he got mad at someone and shot them while off-duty bc for some reason they let policemen keep their guns in my country) and to avoid further controversy he was dismissed/told to resign so now Q is living with Ponk in his apartment and Ponk hasn’t been getting a lot of patients lately due to new technology being developed making it way easier to treat the things Ponk normally does so they’re struggling financially. George is there too ig, he has a job in tech support and is considered good at it because he's so apathetic he can handle anyone or we can take this another way where that's just his facade and underneath that is boiling rage

Anyway one day Q is out doing his job and his target is the up and coming politician William/Wilbur Soot of the somethingsomething party, they’re in their apartment or whatever and Q is in position. He’s paying close attention to what they’re saying and doing because there were no other close buildings for him to snipe from and he hopes that he isn’t noticed by them

(This part went from outline to mostly just writing)

They’re discussing their tactics and within the first 15 seconds of listening in on them while he readies his gear several alarms go off in his head because literally everything they’re talking about doing is super super illegal.

Quackity had seen his fair share of illegal activity over the years, but none of them riled him up as much as this did.

He couldn’t believe this man was the guy who was going to become president if he wasn’t sent here.

Quackity liked to think of himself as a justice-oriented person. After all, it was the entire reason he had studied so hard, pushed himself so far, to pass the board exam and become a lawyer.

And yes, he does acknowledge that being a hitman is super illegal, but his targets usually had it coming. Justice isn’t about being nice, it’s about being fair. They did horrible horrible things, some Quackity had witnessed with his very own eyes, so he was glad to take most of them down.

But in the end, he was just serving and furthering the agenda of his equally, if not worse employer. And he knows himself enough that unless someone points him a person, hands him triple his family’s rent money, he doesn’t have it in him to shoot.

Quackity decided that day that he was tired of this. Tired of hiding in the shadows and letting all of this happen. He wasn’t going to be like his dad’s superiors, allowing him to get away scot-free if he retired, if he went down quietly.

Then he goes and kills his employer then registers himself as a candidate but I haven't written that yet

#tntduo #c!quackity #c!wilbur #tw terrorism #tw police killing #tw police brutality #tw terrorist mention #awesamponk #c!ponk #c!sam #sam #ponk #working within the system au #s speaks #s's writing

[qnewslgbtiqa]

Retiring senator Janet Rice wants to marry her partner Anne

New Post has been published on https://qnews.com.au/retiring-senator-janet-rice-wants-to-marry-her-partner-anne/

Retiring senator Janet Rice wants to marry her partner Anne

Greens Senator Janet Rice has retired from politics, and after years of fighting for marriage equality has said she now hopes to marry her partner Anne.

Senator Rice, who is from Victoria and was first elected in 2013, announced her retirement plans last year.

Today (April 19), Janet formally stepped down and left the Senate for the final time.

“It’s been a huge ten years and it’s been a privilege to work alongside my colleagues, grassroots activists, and the community,” she said on Friday.

“[We’ve] achieved some huge wins, from marriage equality, to ending native forest logging in Victoria and Western Australia, and negotiating for better legislation on climate and housing.

“I’m sad to end this chapter, but also excited for what’s to come.

“I’m planning on having some time off, but not too much. I’ll keep working with people here and worldwide for justice and human rights, a safe climate and protecting our environment.

Janet Rice said her Greens successor, Steph Hodgins May, will be formally sworn in next month.

‘Marriage equality means I can get married’

Janet Rice delivered her valedictory Senate speech a few weeks ago.

She declared her work on the marriage equality campaign and the all-important legislation as one of her crowning achievements.

The bisexual senator hinted that after years of campaigning, a same-sex marriage was on the horizon for her.

“For me now, marriage equality means that my partner Anne and I, who have been together for the past two years, can get married,” she said.

“And newsflash, we probably will. Love you, Anne.”

Anne was watching on from the public gallery as the chamber applauded.

Senator Rice also thanked her late wife Penny Whetton, who was transgender. Penny died in 2019.

“Marriage equality meant I could stay married to my late wife Penny and she could change her birth certificate to say ‘female’ without us having to get divorced,” Janet said.

“Penny was such a star during the campaign for marriage equality.

“As a trans woman, she put herself out of her comfort zone to speak up, to say love was love and that all we wanted was to stay married.

“Being married to a trans woman inspired me to be such a fierce defender of trans and gender-diverse people during the campaign and beyond.

“I feel so grateful for Penny’s love and support and our lives together until her sad, sudden passing four years ago.”

‘If you don’t fight, you lose’

Janet Rice said her advocacy for LGBTQIA+ equality will continue post-politics, as the government negotiates religious discrimination legislation.

“I will continue fighting outside parliament against any bill that acts only as a Trojan horse for hate,” she said.

“There’s still discrimination against LGBTQIA+ people baked into our laws and our society.”

She concluded, “My final words: stay hopeful that things can change and keep working determinedly towards that change.

“Just because we haven’t reached where we need to be yet doesn’t mean we can’t and we won’t.

“We have to keep at it because one thing is certain: if you don’t fight, you lose. So onwards and upwards.”

For the latest LGBTIQA+ Sister Girl and Brother Boy news, entertainment, community stories in Australia, visit qnews.com.au. Check out our latest magazines or find us on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and YouTube.

#janet rice

[keywestlou]

REPUBLICANS INTENTIONALLY BLIND…..FAIL TO ACKNOWLEDGE HOW BIDEN HAS HELPED ORDINARY TAXPAYERS

REPUBLICANS INTENTIONALLY BLIND…..FAIL TO ACKNOWLEDGE HOW BIDEN HAS HELPED ORDINARY TAXPAYERS - https://keywestlou.com/republicans-intentionally-blind-fail-to-acknowledge-how-biden-has-helped-ordinary-taxpayers/The first bill passed by the new Republican House majority was to slash $80 billion from the Inflation Reduction Act Biden had signed into law. Told the American public the purpose of Biden's $80 billion was to hire 87,000 new IRS agents to pursue and audit them. They also justified the slash claiming some of the monies were to arm the agents with guns. Threatening and scary. An outright lie. The Inflation Reduction Act made it clear that the purpose of the $80 billion was to make "millionaires, billionaires, and corporations" pay taxes. The three groups that either successfully avoid paying taxes or pay little. The law also was to add technological upgrades to IRS processing. Yesterday, it was announced that the IRS had sent out 12 million tax refunds totaling nearly $15 billion after making corrections to taxes that were filed. The refunds averaged $1,232. The Republicans have made no mention of this refund. Why the refund? Another Biden law made it possible. The American Rescue Plan of 2021. Biden signed it into law 3/21. The portion of the law requiring the refund concerned itself with taxpayers who overpaid on unemployment compensation in 2020. It excluded "up to $10,200 in unemployment compensation from taxable income allocations." The refunds impacted single taxpayers and married couples whose modified adjusted gross incomes were less than $150,000 in 2020. Doesn't sound to me like Biden was out to get the ordinary lower echelon taxpayer? Two years in office and Biden signs 2 laws helpful to everyday American wage earners. Yet the devious House Republicans fail to even mention it. I'm sure they were aware of both laws and how they worked. Isn't it their job to know? The 1915 House of Representatives are reflective of a backward and repressive mentality similar to the new Republican House members. The 1915 House rejected 204-174 a proposed Constitutional amendment to give women nationwide the right to vote. The new Republican House has only been in business 3 days. Their extreme views are like bugs coming out of the wood work. Good! Let the nation see what and who they are. The American people do not want extreme. They do not want political wars. They want their government to care for the peoples' ordinary everyday needs. Such was the election message of 2022. The Republicans are deaf and blind to it. They will pay a worse penalty in the next election. Prohibition was a national tragedy. Key West experienced its share in getting rid of the booze this day in 1925. It was "legal sunshine" day at the Key West Custom House. Authorities poured various brands of confiscated liquor into the ocean near the western foot of Greene Street. The fish got drunk! On this day in 1969, I sat with my father in his living room watching Super Bowl III. I will never forget. I doubt anyone who recalls the game will. The American Football League was relatively new. The New York Jets were a member of the League. Every team in the League considered by most as second class citizens. The game was played in the Orange Bowl. Joe Namath was the Jets quarterback. He was before the game as he is now. Loud, boisterous and confident. He repeatedly said, "We're going to win!" No one agreed. He was laughed at. Namath and the Jets did win 16-7. What a game! It was Syracuse/Virginia Tech last night. Syracuse won 82-72. Syracuse took a 20 plus lead at the beginning of the second half and never was in trouble thereafter. Syracuse seems to improve with each game. Even the ones they lose. I hope they continue the pace. By the end of the season and entering the playoffs, they will be a power if they do. Never had dinner last night with Dan and Lisa Reardon. He is a Syracuse fan also. We opted to watch the game instead. Dan at his place and me in mine. We are having dinner tonight at Antonia's. It will be good to see them. Busy day even before dinner time. A haircut with Lori at noon and manicure with Tammy at 1. Enjoy your day!

[alemanenbaja]

33,661,440 minutes, 23,376 days or 3339 weeks and 3 days - it does not really matter what unit is used to measure the time-frame, the reality is: Further as I thought! In particular the past almost 6 years, dealing with unforeseen grave and heavy impact physical health issues which almost cost me my left leg and the addition of, basically self-inflicted, emotional hardship.

Today is a good day to say: screw it, soldier on! I been a rebel without a cause all my life, leaving a few sourpuss’s in my path yet no reason to stop now. I admit, I feel the days mentioned above, the abuse I put my body thru racing motorcycles and extensive scuba diving. Hey, got to make a living and the later was my profession. I did love “my” sharks...... and miss them.

And the above mentioned sourpuss’s turned into character assassins: go f*ck yourself! You ALL benefited one way or the other of me either in personal development or in business / financial success. I’m not gonna go much further - Karma will take care of you! (You know who you are. How about the Russian money launderer, did the IRS and ICE already show up? I KNOW they will!  How about the cancer carrier, still around? How about the quadruple-polar person with selective hearing?)

And finally to finish the 2/3rd reflection - considering the age range in “my tribe”, almost everybody made it past 90, very few bite the dust in high 80′s so I’ll start the last third tomorrow - to the individual I some lied to. Sorry about that, I try to hold on to somethings that grow important to me, but hey, I’m just an emotional fool when opening up. And as the saying goes: “One lie destroys many truths” I’ll have to live with that and lost now, oh well.......

The lyrics below are to the song  thought is appropriate for today and me! Find more info below the video with the song.

Further than you think. - What are you asking of yourself? Are you afraid of what you can do, what is still to come, what you owe yourself and whether you are still good? Don't forget you are what you need? It was my will to find myself through the stillness, to redefine myself to overcome myself, to lose myself, to push my center and then blur to come to me and stay here.

The place without time tastes like more and I don't fight back, my spirit screams free me but don't worship me. I hung on the drip of my life but my head remains empty, the deal is fair like back then by the sea.

He lets me go without running without a pile of rubble behind me with no aim in sight and without a frame free full of hope and with a new name I will go. But my seven sins surround me in a circle, freedom has its price and I pay with my life and I know every negation involves suffering and my appearance will also pass the time, but I will write lines that will remain!

Just when you consider that thoughts restrict like barriers, like walls why am I wasting time endlessly distracting myself blinding myself thinking flatly I think I know what we can do but I'm running on the spot don't know the source of my torment. As with voters without a choice, only numbers remain in the end, so I cheat the bill, choose a loss of plan, because my security is artificial, like an intestinal blockage.

That's why everything has to come out that doesn't belong here, everything that destroys my being in my deepest core is declared an enemy and I declare war on myself for peace.

Go into battle against my own reflection, kick in the door, let me fall and then go further in everything unchecked than you think.

What do you ask of yourself... - Do you feel like an old man whose spirit is circling around you? Would you like to be blind again like a child who doesn't know what it means that we're all getting older, that we're all getting colder, or are these fleeing thoughts bred behind Barriers that have matured today and thank you.

Confuse and befuddle you, but faith creates laws behind in life are not the box seats. But the values ​​of the world are foreign to her and you know that and somehow that inhibits you and every night you wake up because the well-known relatives, spirits of your soul are waiting for new commands and you suddenly feel your power over them and laugh at them because you to you if you feel like you are directing everything here you will get further than you think.

Die Fantastischen Vier, also known as Fanta 4, are a German pop-rap group from Stuttgart, Germany, named after the German title of Marvel’s Fantastic Four. The members are Smudo (Michael Bernd Schmidt), And.Ypsilon (Andreas Rieke), Thomas D (Thomas D��rr), also dubbed “Hausmeister” (janitor), and Dee Jot Hausmarke (Michi Beck). They were among the first groups to rap in the German language and had their first big hit 1992

#Birthday #reflecting #emotions

[nejiraez]

date night gone wrong | todobakudeku hc

@remi7k requested: Could you bless us with headcannons of the guys reactions (Bakugou, Shoto, and anyone of your choice) on a date with their S/O and the waiter keeps flirting with her in front of them and it’s pissing them off. Por favor❤️❤️

© all rights reserved, reposting is NOT allowed on any platforms along with modifying/translating and plagiarism. 

BAKUGOU KATSUKI

Bakugou doesn’t like eating outside food. He always prefers his cooking over the “processed crap” that fast-food chains and restaurants provide.

So if he were to be taking his S/O out, chances are that he’s not eating shit. He’d much rather watch you eat and be content while he just sips on a glass of water.

So, the one time that this grump is thoughtful enough to bring you out to eat on a date? His patience is tested and by the waiter of all people. 

Bakugou doesn’t appreciate the way your server keeps throwing you heart eyes whenever he passes your table. Bakugou’s not stupid, he has eyes just like the average person does and could see how attractive you were.

So the fact that you’d gain a few pairs of eyes on you was nothing out of the norm. However, the fact that someone was doing this so boldly, right in front of him? In front of your B-O-Y-F-R-I-E-N-D?

Either they’re thick-skulled and couldn’t pick up on the fact that you two came here together, alone, on a date, or they were provoking him purposefully.

Either or, it pissed Bakugou the fuck off.

“See?” Bakugou says, nodding his head across the room towards the waiter who kept giving you fleeting glances. “This is why I said we have food at home.”

“Relax, he’s harmless…” You say, nudging your elbow into your boyfriend’s side to shake him from the dirtiest, stank look he was throwing at the server any chance he could get. “He’s just doing his job.”

Oh, but Bakugou doesn’t think so. Not at all. His eyes don’t miss the way the waiter gets all fidget-y whenever he hands you your plate, or how his eyes linger lower than they should be whenever he comes to refill your glass.

Bakugou hates it all.

And God forbid if your waiter tries to flatter you with those “It’s on the house” or “It’s on me” lines when they try to woo you with free dessert.

Bakugou would be quick to snag the pint of ice cream from grasp, shoving a spoonful of the treat into his mouth. “She’s lactose intolerant. So, beat it.”

Knowing damn well you weren’t.

“--Katsuki!”

By the end of it all when he was paying the bill for you (to which he begrudgingly left a tip for, on your behalf and yours alone), he makes sure to take you by the hand, fingers intertwined with yours to say, “Okay, let’s leave, babe. This shit’s got me tired.” Ensuring that the word babe, rolled nice and slow off from the tip of his tongue.

Bakugou asserting his dominance all while being a petty, yet protective, boyfriend. ~

TODOROKI SHOUTO

Honestly, Todoroki’s gonna miss the first few signs that your server may be trying to get with his S/O. But that’s all because this man only has his sights focused on you.

He adores watching how giddy you become whenever your orders come by, or how you urge him to taste some of your food.

“So what’s the event for tonight? You two came down here as friends? Hanging out on a Friday night?” Your server would ask you directly, not really caring for Todoroki’s answer. His back would even be facing your boyfriend every time he swung around.

And that’s when things began to go downhill.

“Oh!” You laugh to dial down the tense atmosphere that had suddenly swirled around your particular booth. Todoroki was still, and you don’t miss the way his jaw tenses at the ‘friends’ title. “We’re actually-”

“I’m her boyfriend, actually,” Todoroki interjects with a clipped tone. He frowns at his food, picking at the plate with an uninterested glare. “We’re together.” 

You thought that affirmation would have been enough for the guy to cool it on his flirtatious tendencies, but God no.

“Ah, I can see why!” He casts a playful wink your way, “You’re a very beautiful girl.”

Your eyes bug out at his bold confession and a concerned smile graces your lips, all while Todoroki doesn’t even bother masking the fact of how peeved he is. 

Without his knowledge, Todoroki’s quirk is set off and the table is encased in a layer of his glossy, cold ice all from the power of his right hand.

An as soon as your waiter leaves you two to your own devices, Todoroki is quick to act.

He wastes no time in switching seats, to get up from his spot only for him to slide into your side of the booth that he could be seated right next to you. “How irritating.” He’d hiss under his breath, taking a harsh stab at his food.

For the remainder of your date night, Todoroki acts hard-headed, making the job for the waiter ten times harder than it needed to be.

Anytime that the waiter would try to hand you your plate or a new glass, this motherfucker absolutely would not move an inch.

So to get to you, the guy would have to go through him first, quite literally. That, or he’d have to politely ask your stoic boyfriend to move out of the way, to which Shouto would respond with a curt “Hurry on with it.”

You’ve never seen him act so out of character before (which was kinda attractive), the same law-abiding guy that you once knew was now prompting you to engage in a “dine and dash” with him.

To put it short, you two never stepped foot in that restaurant again.

MIDORIYA IZUKU

Midoriya would do the absolute most out of the three to show that you two are dating, as a means to shoo away his competition.

He’s not big on confrontation, if anything, he’d try his damned best to avoid it. So he would probably opt out of the option of telling the waiter directly to “quit hitting on his S/O”.

Rather, Midoriya would always bring up the subject of your next upcoming dates with him, whenever the server so happens to pass by. “So, for our next date, where would you like to go? Anywhere... away from here?”

And he’d play footsies under the table with you to try and induce a laugh to show how much fun you two were having, that, or he’d ask for your hand across the table so he could hold and graze his thumb against the palm of your hand.

He’s very passive-aggressive about this. Making sure that his love for you is being shown but in a very loud and brazen fashion.

Hell, he’ll even step out of his comfort zone and go as far as to ask you to spoon feed him so of your food. “Can- May I try some of your food?”

And if that shit doesn’t work?

“Um, excuse me, but does your restaurant celebrate anniversaries?” Midoriya would question once he’s managed to successfully flag down opposing male to your table. “Because you see, my girlfriend and I are celebrating our second year anniversary today and she was really hoping if you’d put something together for that.” 

The way you’d have to bite down on your tongue to hold back the laughter that threatened to bubble out past your lips. Watching Midoriya become all ‘territorial’ over you was one thing, but for him to go to such lengths… and to pin it on you?

Midoriya’s pride swells at the fact that a look of dejection flashes across the server’s face the moment the word “girlfriend” was left to linger through the air.

You’d have to sit and watch as the entire staff and kitchen would come out from the back, bringing you two cake and playing their song to celebrate you both, all while it wasn’t even your damn anniversary. 

Midoriya on the other hand was enjoying it all. Flaunting off your relationship with him to scare off potential homewreckers was the highlight of his night out with you.

© all rights reserved to @nejiraez​. reposting is NOT allowed on any platforms along with modifying/translating and plagiarism.

#bakugou x reader #todoroki x reader #midoriya x reader #bakugou katsuki x reader #todoroki shouto x reader #midoriya izuku x reader #bnha x reader #bnha imagine #bnha headcanons #bakugou katsuki #todoroki shouto #midoriya izuku

[ttuesday]

How about the fellars reacting to seeing you and experiencing love/lust at first sight?

Arthur

Arthur first saw you when you were hitching up your horse. He had just walked out of the general store and there you were, the most beautiful person he’s ever seen.

It’s love. Of course there’s some lust there too but Arthur’s so gobsmacked by you, his mind drifts to what going on dates with you would be like or how you’d prefer to cuddle or what your laugh sounds like.

Arthur doesn’t think you’d be interested in him, not when he’s sure you could do so much better. But if he let the moment end without saying anything to you, Arthur knew he’d regret it.

“That’s a nice horse you got there” he says, keeping his hat low in the hopes you wouldn’t notice how shy he feels. Arthur expects you to ignore him so when you reply to him, it’s enough to melt his heart.

Charles

When Charles sees you, it’s like the whole world slows down. He had to go into town to pick up some supplies when you walked past him, making eye contact with him for just a few seconds.

When reality hits and life continues, Charles is in awe. Not only is he shocked at his feelings for someone he’s seen for less than five seconds, he also panics when he realizes the moment’s over and you’re walking away.

He can’t let that happen, he has to at least try to talk to you. Charles quickly jogs to catch up to you. He knows he’s leaving the supplies unattended and if someone steals them then he’ll be in a world of trouble but right now, he doesn’t care about that.

“Excuse me,” he calls after you. Does he have any idea what he’s going to say to you? Nope. Does he think this’ll probably end in disaster? Yeah there’s a good chance it will but it’s a risk he’s willing to take.

Dutch

Dutch decided to go into the local town to clear his head and try to think of a plan. It was noisy at camp and he needed time alone but then he saw you.

All his previous thoughts of plans completely disappear. His new plan is you.

Of course Dutch checks you out, his eyes slowly wandering down your frame. He makes sure to go slow enough to appreciate every little detail.

He knows he’s going to talk to you, charm you and maybe if he’s lucky he’ll get to spend the night with you. Making sure there’s nothing in his teeth, Dutch gives you his best smile and introduces himself.

Micah

Micah was at the saloon when you came in. You caught his eye within seconds and he gives you a smirk before ordering another drink for himself.

Yeah you were attractive but there was some other emotion Micah could feel too. In all honesty, he has no idea what that other feeling is so he blames it on the alcohol.

He waits before approaching you, enjoying his drink and the view. He makes sure you know he’s looking at you, his eyes trailing up and down your body.

This is Micah, we all know he’s gonna fuck this up somehow. He thinks he’s charming and charismatic but he’s the only person who thinks that. As he struts up to you, the first thing he says is “How much?”.

John

John can’t take his eyes off of you. He decided to go for a ride to clear his head when he passed you on a small dirt road.

His brain can’t form a proper sentence so he just stares at you with his mouth slightly open. Like I said, he can’t take his eyes off of you… so he doesn’t see the tree right in front of him.

Yup, John goes flying off his horse as they hit the tree. Luckily they’re not badly injured. You quickly dismount your horse and run over to check if he’s ok.

When John opens his eyes to see you there and asking if he’s alright, he’s convinced you’re some kinda angel. At least he’s made an unforgettable first impression ?

Javier

Javier is such a sucker for true love and love at first sight and all of that stuff so when the door of the general store opens and you walk in, a part of him is like FINALLY IT’S HAPPENING

Javier tries to play it cool and act causal but that’s hard to do when he’s got a big smile on his face.

He didn’t need to buy anything else in the store but he pretends to be interested in the apples as he hypes himself up to talk to you.

Javier needs to get this right. He’s paranoid he’s gonna say the wrong thing, or come off as being a creep or maybe even desperate. Taking a deep breath, he turns to you and offers you an apple.

Bill

Bill was out on a job when he saw you. Some of the others fellers were robbing a small town bank and Bill was supposed to keep watch.

When he saw you, Bill starting to get that fluttery feeling in his stomach so he knew he was head over heels in love with you already.

He instantly walks up and says hi to you. I mean he literally just says “Hi” and stands there with an excited yet goofy smile on his face but that’s cute, right?

He stumbles over his words as Bill tries to compliment you but suddenly he hears some gunfire followed by angry shouts about Bill ‘not being able to watch for the goddamn law’.

Sean

The second Sean saw you, he knew he was in love. There you were, standing at the bar with a beer in your hand. Yup, he was definitely in love.

Sean’s wastes no time, he walks up to you trying to seem confident but when you look at him, all that confidence melts away.

The first thing he says to you is honest and kinda sudden. “I love you” he blurts out without thinking.

And if you were surprised by that, next he asks if you’ll marry him. At least Sean’s a gentleman and offers to pay for ye’re hotel room so y’all can consummate the marriage too.

Hosea

Hosea was supposed to be going to do a quick con when he met your eyes. It was a easy con yet he completely forgot about it when he saw you.

There’s no way he could go through with the con, especially not to you. Instead he began to act like a proper gentleman and warned you about how dangerous the area is and that there’s a lot of conmen around.

He offers to walk you to a safer part of town and links his arm with yours. Hosea doesn’t miss the opportunity and starts talking to you and finding common interests.

Of course Hosea charms you and before he leaves, he kisses the back of your hand. He doesn’t mind going separate ways for now, he knows that life has a funny way of bringing people together when they need each other.

#thank u anon love u #<3333 #writings #headcanons #arthur morgan #dutch van der linde #micah bell #john marston #charles smith #javier escuella #bill williamson #sean macguire #hosea matthews #rdr2

[clarawatson]

It Only Takes A Taste (3)

Pairing: Aaron Hotchner x [Fem]!Reader (GN pronouns, fem coded stuff, but I’m not sure where this is going as a larger work so we’ll say Fem!reader to be safe) Summary: Jack comes for dinner, I guess. W/C: 2345 Warnings: none yet! A/N: this one got a little long, oopsies. AO3 Where am I in this series? 01 | 02 | 03 | 04 |

The bed had been so warm and comfortable you hadn't wanted to get out, but the thought of seeing Aaron again made your heart grow three sizes. You'd been texting back and forth for the last couple of days, just small awkward stuff. He likes to text emojis. He's precious. Of course he's precious. 

He comes in as you're serving your first customer of the night—a sobbing thirty-year-old man who can't even order his pie without spluttering in tears. Is it favouritism to get excited by Aaron turning up? Yes. Is it worth it? Yes. 

"Hello," you smile. There's a hundred things you could have called him, but he's too cute and your brain doesn't want to work. 

"Hi," he grins back. "Can I have a coffee, please. Here."

"Yes you can." Aaron splits his bill between the counter and the tip jar. "How was your day,  Aaron?" 

"Boring paperwork. Couldn't concentrate."

Concern furrows your eyebrow. "Is something wrong?"

"Huh? No! I kept thinking about seeing you." There's that sunshine smile again. You might even match it yourself. He points to the cake that's still in the display tin. He's in earlier in the night than usual, so there's a lot more range to choose from. "Is that carrot cake?" 

"Sure is. Do you want some?" 

"Please." 

You serve him a slice and let the coffee machine splutter and fight with you. He stabs his cake with his fork and looks like he has an out of body experience the moment the cream cheese icing hits his tongue. That's a face you want to see again under different circumstances.

"Joe?"

"Me! And Joe's recipe. I sort of mixed it together and prayed."

"Then mark me a religious man." Aaron smiles. You can't held but smile back at him.

"It's a bit early for you to be in," you say. It's not an issue, just means you got the earlier shift. Finishing at 1am instead of 7am. Plus, Aaron looks nice in the daytime. Very nice. The afternoon light suits him.

"Didn't have a case," he shrugs. 

You've googled him since getting his business card. “Supervisory Agent Aaron Hotchner, Section Chief of the BAU”. The fuck did that even mean? BAU was the Behavioural Analysis Unit, which was still mainly a mystery, but you think it’s maybe just an over-glorified way of saying ‘they look inside people’s heads and hope for the best’. He’s got a handful of news reports that you’ve practically memorised. 

Okay, that’s a little obsessive. Don’t admit that to him. 

He wasn’t the ‘untouched by darkness’ that you’d thought of him before, his work face held all the darkness his smile did not. You hoped you never had to see the serious man who stood before the cameras. 

“How’s Rita?” Aaron asks. He’s cut the top off his carrot cake, saving it for later. He looks at it longingly every now and then, then he scoops just a little bit of the cream cheese and lets it rest on his tongue.

“She’s good. Restless. She’s happy for the due date to arrive.” She’d also asked you to be the baby’s godparent. Rather forcefully, actually, it had felt a bit strange. That was the only reason you hadn’t jumped at the opportunity. You’d do anything for Rita, but saying yes in that instant would had felt strange. Almost… wrong, maybe.

Aaron knows you’re thinking about it. He puts his fork down and shifts in his chair, waiting for you to continue. He doesn’t fill the silence between the two of you. You think about telling him, but then Lola’s bustling through the door and grabbing her apron.

“Hot stuff, when can I go for a smoke break?” is the first thing Lola says to you. She pulls chewing gum out of her mouth (yes, pulls. She sticks her fingers in her mouth and pulls it out as far as it will go without snapping) and Aaron moves his cake around his plate a bit. Does he not like it? Don’t be silly, he asked for it. Requested it. Whatever. You put his three cookies into a plastic bag and slide it across the counter to him.

“Lola you only just came in.”

“But I want to know,” she whines like she’s a teenager with an after school job, not a thirty-five-year-old woman who works at the diner full time. “Hey, Rita’s been acting weird, right? Is that a pregnancy thing, or?” Lola rubbed her nose on the back of her wrist and sniffs. An action you’re all too familiar with by now, and of course she was doing illegal substances in the bathroom before she started her shift when there’s a legitimate federal agent in the diner.

 “Oh,” Lola says as she looks at Aaron. She looks at you, raises her eyebrows, and nods like she’s impressed. “I take back telling Rita she was a liar." Even without knowing the context of Rita and Lola's conversation, you know Rita had told Lola how pretty/handsome/gorgeous Aaron is. "I’m going to go clean some tables.”

She grabs the cleaning supplies and heads out into the dining area. The door swings open, banging against one of the booths, and you’re immensely glad Lola doesn’t scream 'watch it’ at them. A curly haired blonde woman (gorgeous, mind you) touches Aaron’s shoulder and he sits up straight, smiling, and your heart plummets a little bit. Just the tiniest amount. 

“Jack insisted we switch over here before I go to parent/teacher interviews.” As if on queue, a well mannered, sandy-haired boy sits next to Aaron and grins too much like Aaron. Aaron’s son. You can put two and two together. Profiler or not.

“How was school?” Aaron asks. Jack shrugs.

“It was school.” He learnt that from his dad, there’s no question. 

“Well, in that case. Jack, this is my friend Y/n. Y/n, this is Jack.” Jack extends a hand to shake in greeting and looks really shy about it. You shake it quickly so he doesn’t feel like a kid who’s been roped into doing adult things. There’s a pile of colouring-in pages Joe’s printed off at the local library beneath a cup of crayons that Jack’s eyeing off. 

You grab a sheet and a crayon, raising an eyebrow in invitation as you turn around to Jack. 

“Yes please,” he says, grin growing across his face. “Thank-you.”

“You’re welcome. Wonderful manners.” Jack grins even bigger and you think he, too, might combust just like his dad. Stardust! That’s the movie you were thinking of. When Yvaine sees Tristan she shines, literally, the star inside of her just can’t be contained. That’s Aaron and Jack, and the way they look when they smile. 

Aaron’s sister-in-law looks at you with a cocked head, like a curious cat. Like she’s waiting to pounce. But… curiously pounce. Like she's sussing you out. She extends a hand in greeting.

“Jess. Aaron’s talked about you.”

There’s no response but to look sheepish. This seems to greatly please Jess, who smiles softly and rubs the back of Aaron’s head affectionately. They have a long history together, it’s too familial to be just a relationship born through marriage. 

“I’ll see you later then, Rockstar,” Jess says.

“Bye,” Aaron and Jack say together. Aaron rests his cheek on his hand, watching you as Lola hands you three orders she’s taken while you’ve been talking to Aaron. Jack leans over and whispers to Aaron about his homework (it’s a whisper that belongs on a stage) as you wrestle with the coffee machine. 

It’s been grinding it’s way down to not working for a while now. Ever since you met Aaron, actually. Joe’s said he’s going to fix it, or get a new one, but everyone’s in a state of non-commital until Rita has her baby.You’ve got no idea why, it’s just the way things are. Good luck, maybe? Or luck in general? 

Somehow you get Aaron talking about Shakespeare. It might have been Jack’s doing, to be completely honest, but one moment you’re trying to make the froth… well, froth… and the next you're listening to Aaron talk animatedly about Othello. Jack's young enough to not think his Dad's passion is embarrassing. 

"Have you watched Othello?" Jack asks, a question that Aaron's neglected to ask you. "I'm not old enough to yet." 

"I haven't seen that one yet, but I've seen Much Ado About Nothing."

"Is that the one with the olive gardens?" Jack asks. Aaron frowns, eyes searching for the answer in that big beautiful minds tonight.

"Yes," he says finally. "That was the one with the olive trees."

Jack giggles. "There was kissing in that movie." 

"Lots of it," Aaron agrees. You're not sure you're talking about the same film, but it's cute to see the two of them interact. 

"With the guy who plays Lockhart in the second Harry Potter movie?" You ask. Jack laughs just like his father. It's all light and mirth. He nods in confirmation. 

"His name is Kenneth," Jack says like he's familiar with him. When Aaron smiles, you know Jack's his whole world.

It’s not long before Aaron realised he’d brought Jack in without asking if he wanted anything. The afternoon rush had died down, leaving you in the space between out-of-work and dinner. You make the most chocolate-y hot chocolate you can for Jack when Aaron says he can have one. Well, Jack says the best bit is the froth, so it’s more child-size-hot-chocolate-in-an-adult-mug-full-of-froth. Jack loves it. He slurps at the chocolate, which leaves a giant frothy mustache over his top lip that won’t go away no matter how much he licks at it.

When he’s done you let him come around to the kitchen to wash his face, because no amount of wet napkins is going to fix that mess. Jack can’t reach the sink, so you fashion a step out of old milk and bread crates. Joe gives him cake batter to taste before realising that he actually has no idea who Jack is. Aaron watches from the kitchen door with a smile on his face. You don’t catch it until Jack jumps off the crates and takes your hand, leading you back out. Aaron’s fingers brush your hand as you pass him. Electricity sparks between the two of you that's completely unavoidable. The two of you recoil involuntarily.

Aaron gives you a small smile of apology. You give exactly the same one back. Lola legitimately gasps like she too felt the electricity between the two of you. Surely that was just something that happened in movies? Or in books? That’s not a real thing, right? But Aaron brushes past you again, as if he’s making sure as well, and it’s there again. Only it’s like your whole arm becomes pins and needles, not just a quick lightning spark.

If it’s like that every time you’re with him, your not sure you could even go beyond lusting after him and giving him coffee and meals every now and then. Aaron drops his gaze, then follows Jack to the front of the counter. 

They stay for dinner (because Jack insists, he wants the nachos) but the rush comes early and there’s really not much time to talk to them, so you almost miss them leaving. Almost. You’re serving the angry couple at table three (are they angry at you, or each other? Who knows, you don’t, but they’re taking it out on you) when Jack taps your hip. 

He’s very patient as you finish the order (somehow you figure out what they want between the curse words) and bend down to him. He hands you a folded piece of paper.

“This is for you,” he says. “I did it.” You’re about to unfold it, but he insists that it belongs in your apron pocket until you can look at it with no rush. That’s a kid who knows what it’s like to have a very busy parent. So you tuck it away safely and mess with his hair, which makes him grin from ear to ear.

“See you later!” Jack yells as he runs to Aaron, who’s waving goodbye with a doggy bag full of Jack’s unfinished dinner.and his keys between his fingers. 

“I’ll see you later,” he mouths as the noise in the diner starts to rise. Without thinking you blow him a kiss, which he catches effortlessly and kisses the fist closed around it before slipping out. 

When you get to the kitchen Lola’s already in the midst of teasing you. 

“You like him,” she says with all the confidence in the world. There’s not point denying her, so you just nod. It’s met by a chorus of ‘ooo’s which, to be honest, you really didn’t need. It made the diner feel far too small.

When everything dies down you remember the paper Jack had given you. You wipe the milk and spaghetti sauce off the counter, then make sure it’s dry, and unfold Jack’s page. It’s the generic colouring page Joe’s printed out, but Jack’s tried to make the generic waitress look like you. Well, you if you had purple hair and green skin. It’s a start, you guess, there’s an apology from Aaron on the back. Makes it worth it.

You move a couple of postcards on the corkboard aside and put Jack’s picture there instead. Joe pretends not to notice, but when Lola goes out the back with one of her customers, Joe comes round the front and presses a finger to the page.

“Good kid,” Joe says. He nods a couple of times then turns to you. “You know he and his dad come as a package, right? You fuck up one, you fuck up both.” Joe’s first wife had three kids that weren’t biologically his. He’s still mad at himself for not taking the kids seriously and only turning up for their mom.

“I know,” you say. 

Joe strokes your cheek as he passes and kisses your forehead. It’s all the praise you need. 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

taglist (if you want to get added, just inbox me, and if I’ve missed you I am so sorry): @willowrose99 @genevievedarcygranger @maryosprinkle @kleff03 @yoshigguk @samanthareid06 @typical-leo @leilanixx

#It Only Takes a Taste #aaron hotchner x reader #aaron hotch x reader #Diner!AU

[hiinnys]

i buried a hatchet (it’s coming up lavender)

(hello! it’s been a minute! sorry, i’ve unfortunately been trapped under work’s capitalist foot!! but how are yall? MAJOR happy birthday to harry james! thank you for being my comfort character <3 anyways, hope you enjoy harry’s little 22nd party, which is also on ao3!) 

the planning starts in may. it’s nearly three months early, but may brings bad memories molly’s always tried to avoid. it’s a simple question about cake flavors pointed at harry and ginny, their birthdays always planned in tandem, but harry freezes nonetheless. it’s nothing anyone would notice, but ginny does because she’s ginny and harry’s always been what she’s good at. so when they’re alone later and she asks about it, he’s not surprised.

“it’s stupid,” he says, shaking his head in that way he does that makes him seem so small ginny’s heart aches.

“harry,” she pushes this one, feels like she has to.  

“it’s just…i’m twenty-two this year, aren’t i?”

“yeah?”

“i’m always gonna be older than them now,” he almost whispers, like it’s a crime to even speak aloud. he sits down on the bed just then. the bed in his flat that he’s been too scared to ask her to share with him. he wonders briefly if his dad was ever as scared to ask his mum something so easy; wonders if his dad ever got the chance to be, or if that was just another thing war took away from him.

“harry,” she sits next to him, body angled towards him so her legs are pushed up against his side. “talk to me.”

it’s a simple request; ginny’s like that, takes only the smallest pieces of him because she thinks everyone else takes too much. he wants to tell her that she can take as much as she wants, it’s all hers anyways, but he doesn’t know how, so he settles for giving her what she’s asked of him.

“it feels…wrong, i guess, to celebrate it,” he sighs, tries to quell the storm in his chest, in his head (doesn’t succeed). “it feels like i’m celebrating their deaths.”

she’s silent for a moment, like she’s thinking it all through, weighing the merits of what he’s said, and he can’t quite express how grateful he is that she gives him this - her respect, her thoughtfulness, her whole self, each and every time.

“i get it,” she finally says. “but you can’t live the rest of your life avoiding your birthday. i think you’ve already missed too many in your parents’ books.”

he knows she’s right, thinks about his years with the dursleys, about how he didn’t even know his birthday until he was five and a teacher at primary told him. he nods his head.

“but-,” he starts.

“just not this one,” she finishes. “yeah, i get it.”

the next time they’re at the burrow, ginny casually mentions that she’s actually surprised harry with a weekend trip for his birthday, seeing as he never takes time off otherwise, and if the family would like, they could do a joint cake at ginny’s birthday dinner.

***

she actually does surprise him with a trip, something that he wasn’t expecting, but she suggests they bring teddy along and harry reckons the kid’s due for a holiday. she doesn’t tell him where they’re going to start, just piles the three of them in harry’s car and tells him to drive (she’s yet to pass her driver’s test, but ginny’s one of the few people who genuinely enjoys the tube so she’s not in any rush).

it’s when they’re less than halfway there that harry realizes she has them set out for shell cottage.

“really? you thought bringing me to your brother’s place would be a nice birthday surprise?”

“first of all, you said yourself we aren’t celebrating your birthday, and, second, bill and fleur aren’t home. they’re in france, so i asked if we could borrow the place for the weekend and they said yes.”

“fair enough.”

***

teddy’s antsy for the water as soon as he sees it, so they only go as far as throwing their stuff in the sitting room before taking him down to the shoreline. he splashes happily through the calm water, and his clothes are soaked to the brim, but his laughter fills the air, so harry lets it be.

“harry!” the five year-old shouts, holding up a distinctly purple piece of coral. “look! pretty!”

“you wanna take it with you?”

“YES!” he screams, eyes wide with glee, and harry can’t help the rush of love for his godson. he exaggerates tucking the coral into his pocket when teddy hands it to him, just to affirm ted’s desire to keep it safe. when he turns around, ginny’s smiling at them from her place on a rock, jeans pushed up to her knees, feet in the water and red hair blowing in the wind, and harry finally feels peace settle into his heart.

***

the rest of the day passes rather quietly. when they finally make it in from the beach, the day catches up with teddy, leaving him exhausted and irate, so harry gives him a quick bath and settles the boy in for a small nap. when he gets back down, ginny’s changed and sits on a bar stool in the kitchen, picking at the last of the snack plate harry had made earlier in lieu of a proper lunch.

“hungry?” harry asks and, at her nod of affirmation, starts looking through the fridge to figure out what dinner can be. they sit in an easy silence for a bit, harry washing and cutting vegetables and ginny watching. over the years, he’s learned she likes to watch him cook, and though the reason for it doesn’t make too much sense to him, he likes having her there, so he’s never questioned it much.

“thank you for this,” he finally says.

“for what?”

“bringing us here. i’ve been in my head about it all too much, i think. the whole twenty-two thing. it’s nice to not have to think about it for a bit.”

she studies him for a minute, like she’s trying to look right at the core of him, so he puts down the knife he’s been using to chop the vegetables and gives her all of himself.

“you never have to thank me,” she says after a minute.

“i know.”

***

teddy “helps” harry clean up after dinner that night, which really just means that ted sits on the counter next to the kitchen sink and rattles on about something or the other while harry does the dishes. every now and then, harry blows some soap bubbles on the boy and basks in the glow of the laughter it brings out of him.

an hour later (and well past his bedtime), harry finally manages to get teddy to stay beneath the sheets, but it’s only when ginny reads him babbity rabbity twice and swears on her life that they’ll go back down to the water tomorrow that teddy settles in for the night.

“harry!” he whispers as harry’s switching off the light.

“yeah, mate,” harry stage-whispers back, his eyebrows raised for ginny’s amusement.

“happy birthday!” teddy murmurs tiredly.

“that’s tomorrow, mate.”

“still,” the boy whines.

“thanks, ted,” harry responds, gentle smile on his face.

when they finally make it into their room, harry places a quick silencing charm on the door. at ginny’s raised brow, he says, rather simply:

“for good measure.”

ginny snorts.

they’re silent as they get ready for bed, and harry lets himself sink deep into the warmth of it. they don’t get this too often, the pair of them; ginny’s spot in the harpies takes her across the world and, when harry’s not in some obscure town somewhere tracking some homicidal maniac or the other, kingsley has him on diplomatic missions across the continent. it grates at harry sometimes, how little he gets to be with his girlfriend, but ginny has games to play and championships to win and harry has people to catch and (every now and then) laws to change, and neither has any desire to stop anytime soon so they live with it. in his opinion, they’re pretty good at it. they know their limits. they carve time out for each other, always. harry makes it to all the big games, the ones she’s nervous about. ginny makes it to every stupid ceremony and the endless galas that make harry want to claw his eyes out. she keeps him going; he keeps her sane, and the rest they take as it comes, together. always together.

“harry,” her voice, light as the sun, breaks him out of his reverie. “where’d you go?”

“sorry,” he whispers back. “just in my head a bit.”

“that’s okay. it’s a nice head.”

“it’s a nice head?” he grins at her, knowing she’s caught. ginny rolls her eyes, but there’s a smile on her face, and when she’s done feigning her annoyance, she pulls him in for a kiss. it’s calm and confident and everything that is ginny and when they fuck, they look into each other’s eyes the entire time, and he’s reminded, with each thrust, of just how much he loves her.

***

when he wakes up, the room’s dark, the spot next to him is empty, and he can hear voices coming from below. his heart clenches for a minute, a piece of the war he’ll never be able to let go of, but it eases when he sees ginny’s wand, still on the table, still next to his.

he gets out of bed silently (mentally thanking his auror training) and makes the short walk down the hallway towards the stairs when he sees teddy’s door open too. before he has the chance to panic this time, though, he hears the boy’s laugh followed by ginny’s own giggle. there’s a smile on his face now that he knows ginny would tease him about if she could see it, but he honestly can’t help it. not when he’s in this house, full of a warmth that he’s finally, blessedly, allowed to be a part of. he spots them in the kitchen, but from their angle, he knows they can’t see him. ginny’s leaning against the counter, mixing something in a rather large bowl, while teddy’s sitting on the counter next to her, weirdly, waving a strawberry in the air.

“we gotta put it in!” he whispers, in the way five year-olds do, which isn’t much of a whisper at all. “harry loves strawberries!”

“strawberries in a birthday cake? i’m afraid you may be a genius, ted,” ginny announces in a quiet voice, while harry’s eyes fill with unshed tears. he stays glued to the spot for a bit longer, knowing somewhere in the back of his mind that he’s ruining their surprise, but not being able to turn away from his family. eventually though, he does. he climbs, silently, back up the stairs and slips back into his and ginny’s bed. when he falls back asleep, it’s with the ghost of a smile on his face and a feeling he doesn’t think he’s known until this moment.

***

he’s woken up in the morning by teddy trying to pull his arm off.

“wha-”

“come on,” the boy whines. “it’s breakfast!”

at that, harry wakes up instantly, feeling the guilt wash over him at the idea of leaving teddy without food. it’s only then that he smells the coffee in the air and realizes that ginny isn’t next to him. he breathes just then, quickly realizing that teddy isn’t hungry; he just wants harry awake.

“sorry, mate,” harry smiles at him guiltily, voice a bit rough with sleep. he lets ted drag him down stairs, the boy practically bouncing the entire way down. when they get to the kitchen, he’s met with ginny - long hair in a knot atop her head, eyes still a little sleep tired - grinning around a piece of toast.

“morning,” she smiles up at him and he gives her a lopsided grin in return.

“ginny, ginny, ginny,” teddy bounces next to her. “we’ve gotta do it now!” he whispers.

“we should probably let him eat first,” ginny whispers back.

“no! we gotta do it now!”

“alright, alright,” she responds. “harry,” she gestures to a seat, which harry takes, brows furrowed though he thinks he knows what’s coming. sure enough, ginny and teddy disappear for a few seconds, then come back with a slightly lopsided cake adorned in strawberries, a single candle lit in the middle. he beams the minute he sees them, which turns into an all out laugh the minute teddy starts up his rendition of ‘happy birthday’ which usually involves a lot of lyrics that never stay the same and none of them ever know. when ted’s done, ginny tells him to make a wish and harry asks teddy for help blowing out the candle.

they skip actual breakfast, choosing to tuck into the cake first. it’s sickly sweet and makes teddy smile from ear to ear, frosting covering his cheeks.

“like it, mate,” harry bemusedly asks. all teddy manages is a quick nod between bites, and harry knows he’ll regret letting the kid have two slices later on. but that’s later and this is right now and right now, he’s sat at a table with the two people he loves most in the world, eating a cake they made for him. right now, he’s celebrating - in his own, admittedly, small way -  a birthday his parents’ never got to. right now, he’s doing everything they wanted for themselves and him. right now (and everyday after), he’s their son, the same as he’s always been, keeping them alive with every breath he breathes, every birthday he celebrates. right now, he’s sat with the woman he loves, laughing as he watches his godson attempt to fit an entire strawberry in his mouth, so completely and ridiculously happy.

happy birthday, ginny mouths from over teddy’s head. harry smiles easily at her, love shining through his eyes, lighter than he’s ever been.

#hinny #hinny fic #happy 41st harry! you deserve nothing less than all the love in the world #i realize canon says harry should be a dad at this point so this is definitely not canon-complaint #oops #okay ill shut up now #hope you've all been good <3333 #goes without saying but fuck jkr

[wallwriterstuff]

Hi! Can I please request a Demetri x mate!human!fem!reader where she’s Bella’s younger sister, and when the Volturi come for Renesmee, the Cullens tell her to stay with Charlie, since they had a bunch of vampires with them plus the Volturi showing up, it’d be bad with a human in the mix. Being related to Bella (haha) she doesn’t listen, choosing to hide behind a tree to try to see how Bella and her family are (she was worried what the Volturi would do). I’m sure everyone would realize there’s a human there, and Aro sends Demetri to check it out, who finds Y/n, and quickly realizes she’s his mate. Ooo that would be nerve racking to Bella because she’d see Dem speed her younger sister over to where all the Volturi are. I’m sure she’d have to go back to Volterra with them, and she’d be a little freaked out. Awhhh it’d be so cute to see them bond, and on New Year’s, she wants to watch the ball drop (because it’s a tradition), and when it’s the New Year, she kisses Dem for the first time!

Little Red Riding Hood Part 1 ||Demetri Volturi x Female Reader||

Part 2: The Big Bad Wolf 

Part 3: What Soft Lips You Have 

Part 4: And They Lived Happily Ever After 

Warnings: None, just Aro being a manipulative little meanie 

Words: 4793

Summary: Against her sister’s advice, Y/N Swan sets off on a one woman mission to protect her family, unaware of the price she will have to pay to do so. 

One of the worst habits you had was wondering the house late at night when you shouldn’t be. It wasn’t your fault really, insomnia didn’t have an easy cure and your sleeping medication was…well, when you woke up in the morning you felt drunk, they weren’t really something you enjoyed using. It had been an innocent quest really, a simple mission – get a warm mug of milk to go back to bed with. If anything, you were perfectly in the right to go wandering your own home. It should have been safe, even at 3:24AM.

Riley Biers shouldn’t have been there.

But he was.

In your living room.

And so were you.

Until you weren’t.

Alice had seen it all in advance of course and whisked you out of that room so fast the venom hadn’t even had time to properly enter your system after Riley bit down. Charlie hadn’t even been woken from his slumber by the time you were whisked into the depths of the forest to a nice little clearing where you could scream to your hearts content and nobody would hear you. Carlisle had saved you that night, sucking the venom out as quickly as Riley had injected it. The night that had followed was a surreal, whistle stop tour of the vampire world and its laws, laws you were technically breaking since you knew about the Cullen’s now. Of course, that meant you knew about the newborn army to, but you decided to stay out of that one. Some things however…some things demanded your attention, and whether you were human or not you simply had to at least see your family would be okay.

After a whirlwind few months your sister was saved, married and knocked up. Come Christmas, your hybrid niece was looking to be nine years old and your father was suspicious but none the wiser to the world you knew all too much about. You had carefully hidden your bitemark with polo necks, a sudden and bizarre choice your father had commented on once but quickly dismissed after you spouted some fashion facts Alice had prepared you with – fashion and Charlie did not mix and he dropped that conversation faster than one might drop a saucepan on fire. Of course, Renesmee (who you had created a variety of nicknames for just to tease Bella because otherwise you…well you’d have to call her Renesmee, and that was just cruel) was unique in every way, and unique and unknown equated to threat and danger in many minds, many minds the Cullen’s had slowly swayed over the few weeks since Alice had informed them of their impending death sentence.

You hadn’t been allowed to visit since the nomads and covens had started arriving, and though you understood the reason it didn’t make it any easier to know your sister, your niece, your extended family, were all in danger and you weren’t getting to spend what might be their last moments with them. It was only made worse when Bella and Edward had brought your father tickets to go fishing out of state, and tried to do the same to you. You loved your TV shows, truly you did, so for them to somehow get you backstage passes for Supernatural of all things was…immense. What you hated the most was how tempted you were to go. Who would say no to a long stay in a five star hotel, all expenses paid for and any bills you accumulated paid for by a Cullen, bottomless credit card?

When Edward and Bella had dropped you at the airport, part of you really had been ready to say goodbye to them, but as you stood in line for the gate the heavy weight of guilt settled in your gut and wouldn’t stop squirming. You had to turn back, you had to go. Nobody knew when the Volturi were going to land exactly, but you knew the day, and with Charlie and Sue gone for their fishing trip you would have nobody to stop you doing the incredibly dumb thing you had set your heart on. The taxi fare home had been extortionate but you couldn’t exactly have called anyone for a lift could you? You called the hotel and told them you were cancelling your stay, having to push your backstage pass for the Supernatural set deep into the depths of your bag to manage the grief of missing that opportunity, but family came first.

A restless night’s sleep later and you were dressing for the snow. It had fell fast and thick since Christmas day, so you had to set out early if you were going to get anywhere fast. Bella was your sister and you loved one another dearly, so of course you had spoken all about the upcoming battle, her hopes and her fears, her plans.

“There’s a clearing to the North of the house, we’re hoping if we engage them there it’ll be far enough away from people to stop anyone else getting involved by accident.”

Clearing to the North of the Cullen residence, right. With your Grandfather’s old compass you had set out, bundled in your thickest woollen coat and decked out the whole nine yards with scarves and hats and gloves. The air was freezing, nipping harshly at your exposed skin till your ears and nose were tinged red. Sniffling, you trudged through the layers of snow, stumbling over your own feet once or twice in the hereditary Swan way before regaining your footing and ploughing on. The trees seemed never-ending, an identical blanket of white on each and every one that towered above you, encroaching from all sides and making you lose all sense of direction. If it wasn’t for the compass in your hand you could have easily gotten lost in the winter wonderland, but a break in the treeline finally made an appearance. Numb as your extremities were, you forced your tired body to cooperate and propelled yourself forward, stumbling towards a tree you might be able to see past.

The forest was eerily silent, not a single scuttling animal or twittering bird to be found today, and the clearing itself was so large and the covens spread so far apart you could barely see a thing either, not with your dull, human eyes. A swarm of black gave away the Volturi, the mismatch of beiges and neutral tones on the left letting you know your family had yet to be taken down. A sigh of relief escaped you and you clapped a hand over your mouth in alarm, heart skipping a beat in your chest. Vampires had extremely sensitive hearing, there was no way somebody hadn’t heard you, and if it wasn’t the sigh that gave you away then it would surely have been the sound of mitten slapping flesh. Pressing into the bark you peeked around the tree trunk, heart hammering in your chest now as you tried to establish what was happening. You couldn’t hear a thing, could barely see. Ness sat atop Jacob, his russet fur glinting in the bright white of the snow-covered landscape.

“It all looks so terribly interesting from this distance does it not?” the smooth voice was right by your ear, and you screamed louder than you ever had in your life. Whirling around you shrunk back from the vibrantly red eyes of an admittedly handsome man, his expression devoid of any emotion as he looked you over. He had boxed you in against the tree trunk, his cloak billowing about him, the shiny, golden ‘V’ hanging around his throat making your chest constrict. Volturi, he was a Volturi guard. With wide eyes you stood in a silent stare-off, unable to decipher the emotions flickering through his eyes as he stood a step toward you.

“Stay away from me!” you cried, cringing back into the bark behind you. His head tilted.

“You came to spy and did not expect there would be consequences?” he asked, not stopping till he was almost on top of you. Your breath hitched. He had the most gorgeous looking face but you could identify the features of a killer in it. The glowing red irises didn’t look at you with malice however, more…confusion. His sharp, pearl white teeth weren’t bared to take your throat out but carefully sealed away behind plush lips. You could almost believe he didn’t intend on hurting you if his hands weren’t still reaching for you.

“You’re here to butcher my family, I had to…” you trailed off, because in reality what could you do? What could you possible say to this vampire that wouldn’t make him laugh? You were human, you stood no chance. He had paused, waiting patiently for your answer, yet when you gave him none he proceeded to pick you up like you weighed next to nothing, your feet being whisked out of the numbing snow to dangle over his arm. His eyes never left yours.

“Hold tight little one.” He suggested, his voice devoid of any emotion. If there had been any part of him you might have been able to appeal to before it was gone now, hidden behind a stony exterior. The world blurred around you and the jarring movement thew you off balance as he set you on your feet again, your body tilting in a way it shouldn’t till he was forced to grab you and hold you steady. Nausea rose quickly in the back of your throat, the world still spinning and blurring your eyes. You could see the edges of black cloaks swirling in your vision as you fought back the urge to be sick. There was no way to hide your anxiety now, your heart hammering away for all to hear, your breathing too quick to be normal.

“You seem to have distressed our dear friends, Demetri.” The smooth voice was sickeningly sweet, entirely false to your ears. Trying to take a steadying breath, you forced yourself to look up at the three imposing figures before you. A giant stood behind them, two young twins to their right. The three were quite obvious to you form the stories you’d heard, and your shudder had nothing to do with the cold this time. Demetri, the man holding you, had yet to let go of your waist, and his hands felt strangely soothing, their firm grip something that felt grounding and reliable despite your terror in this moment.

“An intruder who has already seen too much, end her now as yet another of the Cullen’s mistakes.” The blonde sneered. You swallowed, mind spinning. You were dead either way, right?

“My niece is not a mistake.” You retorted. You were proud that your voice didn’t waver once, though the grip on your waist tightened slightly and you weren’t sure if it was to warn you or scold you. Caius hissed, eyes narrowed in a vicious glare.

“Your niece? May I, my dear?” Aro stood before you, taller than you had expected with hair almost as long as yours. You knew it wasn’t a request, but you found yourself desperate either way to avoid touching him and shrank back from his extended hand, straight into Demetri’s chest. His hand was hesitant, but it lifted from your waist to lightly skim down your arm, his lips close to your hairline as he whispered, “Do as you are told now, little one.”

He carefully extended your hand for you, noting the tremor in it once more as Aro’s eyes flickered between you. He removed your mitten with a flourish, your hand immediately clenching and unclenching at the sudden blast of arctic cold it had previously been shrouded from. Aro’s skin was somehow even colder and your shivering grew in intensity. Very vaguely, you could hear Bella shouting something, but the distance was so great and the clearing so vast it swallowed the sound. His eyes flickered over yours, completely pinning you to the spot, and then they looked past you to whatever was happening behind you. Demetri was blocking your view when you tried to see what Aro was seeing.

“Sweet Y/N, your bravery in coming here is applaudable. I can only hope our own dear ones are as dedicated to our family as you are to yours.” Aro sighed, a hint of melancholy in his voice. You flinched, knowing the next words from his mouth would most likely be spelling out your death sentence. The sound of the breeze was all that filled your ears for a moment, the anxiety and anticipation growing in your stomach making it difficult to hold onto the meagre breakfast you’d forced yourself to eat. It occurred to you in that moment that this would be your final moments with your family, your last chance to say goodbye, and they could hear it. Squaring your shoulders, you held your head high.

“I came because I love them, and I don’t regret that. You can’t destroy my family, their witnesses are proof of that. My niece was created out of love and the legacy of love they would leave behind will be far too great for you to overcome. So go ahead and do what you have to to me, if I can die with half their grace then I know I’ve done them proud.” You clenched your fists at your side, prepared for the bite that Aro would deliver, maybe Demetri. Caius looked most upset by your little speech, hissing quietly and looking prepared to spring towards you. More muffled noise from behind you let you know your family had heard, even if you couldn’t hear their goodbyes you felt them in your heart.

Aro’s head tilted slightly, his expression cold, and then his mouth opened slightly and he was leaning forward. You closed your eyes, flinching as you braced for the pain of a bite you knew well, but instead you felt cold air, and when your eyes snapped open you were shielded from Aro’s bite by a tall, lean body, one strong arm curled backward to keep you caged against his spine. Demetri.

“Master…please.” He extended his hand, ripping off his glove with his teeth as he went. Aro eagerly took his hand, probably as desperate as you were to know why one of his most treasured guard would so openly defy him. Some of the Volturi’s people were starting to whisper behind them but a lethal look (from the giant of a man you guessed was Felix from Bella’s stories) silenced them. His grip on your hip tightened for a moment, the silence deafening before Aro chuckled.

“Ahhh…così si forma un legame eterno.” he murmured. You scrunched your nose, having no idea what he meant since you didn’t speak Italian. When Demetri carefully moved aside, giving Aro as slim a chance to access you as he possibly could, and your heart twisted with gratitude that he would even bother to try. You swallowed, doing your best to keep your fear from your face.

“Aro.” Caius growled. Aro held his hand up, forcing his brother to heel even if he couldn’t placate him.

“You are intriguing, Y/N. The Volturi do not offer second chances, but for the sake of our dear Demetri we are willing to bend the rules just this once,” Aro smiled, a shark-like grin that made your stomach sink, “You have a choice before you. Your family are quite innocent in regards to the accusation against your niece, for that we will deliver no justice-“ there was some uncomfortable shuffling behind him Aro dutifully ignored, “-however you are a law broken, yet another example of the Cullen’s inability to guard our secret from humans. An example must be made, you must be dealt with appropriately. Either you turn here, now, or you come with us, and we turn you.”

It was a Hobson’s choice. What Aro was really asking was how dead did you want to be? Dead dead? Or undead dead? If you let Carlisle bite you now in the clearing there were so many unpredictable nomads around. Bite your wrist and it would take forever for the venom to reach your heart and really start the change, you would be tortured right in front of them, a punishment for them all no doubt. Bite your throat and blood would spill, blood so many of those nomads wouldn’t think twice about feeding from in any other situation. So, what did you do? Did you choose the option where you ended up far from home but safe? Or did you choose the option that did not guarantee your safety but did guarantee your family would suffer watching you suffer?

For the first time since you entered the snow you felt warm, warm with so many eyes on you. Swallowing thickly, you tried to will your mind to work faster to outwit the vampire before you. In the end, you could only think of a compromise.

“My father’s not home right now. If I chose to come with you, could I have time to pack some clothes?” your voice was slightly weak, your heart aching in your chest. Your father would never see you again, he’d have to believe you just ran off, that you were the same flighty woman your mother was. Bella might never get a chance to see you again either, an eternity of knowing you would never lose your sister, but that you would never be reunited. It was painful however you spun it. Aro’s smile only widened, knowing he had successfully backed you into a corner.

“But of course! Such a…noble, sacrifice, must be rewarded. You have earned that much my dear. Demetri will take you now.” Aro gave his tracker a nod and Demetri seemed to relax, swiftly turning on his heel to march you across the snow. His hand was gentle on your arm, but the speed he set almost had you running to keep up, like he was desperate to get you out of there lest Aro change his mind. As you were escorted out of the clearing, you dared a single glance back at Bella, her face the very picture of horror as Edward held her back. All you could manage was a weak smile as your sister disappeared from view for what was possible the last time.

Once you were far enough into the trees that the clearing was out of sight for you, Demetri suddenly came to a stop, exhaling sharply and dropping his hand from your arm. It ran through his hair but barely ruffled it. Whatever he was thinking, you weren’t about to be privy to it as he slung you across his back with ease. You gasped, clinging on tight.

“Hey! What are you doing!” you protested.

“Taking you to your home. You are slower than I am.” He retorted, his voice quiet and his grip on your thighs firm. You held on tight, heart rabbiting in your chest.

“You don’t even know where I live.” You squeaked. Demetri chuckled, the sound vibrating through your gut.

“No, but I know where the Cullen’s live, and I find it hard to believe that in all this snow you walked all the way here. Now hold on tight and try closing your eyes, it may help with the nausea, cara mia.” He gave you seconds at most to bury your face in his shoulder before he took off, maybe…or not? You weren’t really sure but you didn’t dare lift your head to look. He made sure his gait was smooth, every stride flawless so he didn’t so much as jostle you, and by the time he gently encouraged you to unwind your legs from his waist you were in front of the Cullen’s house. The only reminder you had ever ran anywhere with him at all was the windswept state of your hair – it was unfair his still looked perfect.

He had been right of course, you had driven to the Cullen’s today. It was hard to imagine him sitting beside you in your small car, his cloak about him and his outfit all…well, what even was he wearing? Why did that even matter when this Volturi guard was escorting you to pack things that would be your only reminder of home? Demetri was quiet, watching you carefully as you stared at your car. Nothing made sense. Why had Demetri saved you when he was the one who hauled you out in front of Aro? Why had it felt like he was protecting you? Why was everything so…comfortable? Being around him was like being in the company of an old friend, it was familiar and warm, inviting, the silences felt natural.

Demetri quietly called your name, his expression questioning, but you didn’t bother to give him an explanation, simply pulled out your car keys and got into the driver’s seat. The radio chased away the silence, your fingers clenched tight around the wheel as you tried to figure out what to pack.

“Where are we going?” you asked him finally. Demetri kept his eyes on the horizon.

“To our home, to Volterra. You will be joining us in Italy.” He answered. Italy? You didn’t know the first thing about Italian culture. What was the food like? The people? The language? You’d need to pack warmer clothes, and they didn’t accommodate turtle-necks – not that you needed to hide a bite from vampires. It wasn’t really until you pulled up in the driveway of your home that it really struck you, the weight of the deal you made hanging heavy on your shoulders as you idled in front of your childhood home. In your mind you could see yourself running up the drive, your suitcase abandoned for your father to pick up as he welcomed you to stay for the summer. Other winters where you had opted to spend Christmas with Charlie over Renée flashed through your mind next, dilapidated snowmen and strung up lights over the porch flashing bright. Tears stung your eyes.

“I’m never coming back here, am I?” you whispered. Demetri remained silent, and you were grateful for it. There was nothing he could say to make this better and you suspected he knew that. Furiously wiping at your eyes, you rummaged for your house keys and cleared your throat. “You should wait until I open the front door, it’ll look suspicious if you follow me in and any of the neighbours see.” You muttered, already climbing out of the car before he could argue. It was a slow walk up the drive, a walk where you desperately tried to imprint the bumps in the concrete, the muddy smells of the forest surrounding you, and the awful netting in the windows’ you father hadn’t changed since your mother moved on, into your memory.

The smell of stale beer from the cans in the recycling box beneath the sink hit your nose as the door opened, the familiar smells of Charlie’s aftershave and Sue’s perfume coming next. The house was cold, quiet, desolate even. Demetri was in front of you in the blink of an eye as you shut the door behind you, nobody would have seen him enter for sure. He glanced around himself, obviously curious at the choice in décor and the photographs along the walls – you couldn’t bear to look at them. With a soft sigh, you left him in the living room, knowing he would do what he liked anyway regardless as to whether or not you invited him upstairs.

The suitcase you had packed for your trip would need to be unpacked, some of your jumpers and long-sleeved shirts would not be needed in Italy after all. It would be hot, and heat was not a friend to wool. Your wardrobe doors flung open, you were contemplating what to put back when Demetri interrupted you.

“Vampires do not feel temperature the same way humans do. When you turn it will be no issue to wear jumpers, if they are what you prefer.” He said. Brows crinkling, you subconsciously lifted a hand to your throat.

“It’s not really a fashion choice,” you murmured, “But I guess I don’t need to really hide a bitemark from a bunch of vampires, do I?” Just like that the air changed; you no longer felt comfortable with Demetri, not when he was giving off such a sour energy. He radiated danger, anger. He took a breath to visibly compose himself, but his eyes were still darkened by anger, near black with the rage he radiated. The leather of his gloves squeaked as he clenched and unclenched his fists. You took a step back from him, biting down on your lower lip as your heart skittered.

“Show me,” he said, eyes blazing. You shook your head. “Show me.” He growled, stepping forward this time. Gulping, you reached up with a shaky hand to pull the turtle-neck down as far as you could, thankful the material stretched slightly. Demetri peered past the fabric to the silver crescent shapes of Riley’s teeth, emblazoned on your skin until Volturi venom decided to buff out that imperfection. He hissed quietly, his fingertips tracing the mark and sending shivers down your spine. He was freezing cold, cold as a corpse actually since that was technically what he was, so why did his fingers leave a blazing trail of fire across your skin?

“It’s just small, it’ll go away anyway if-“

“It will not, go away.” Demetri ground out, his eyes fixated on the scar. He looked genuinely disgusted and you couldn’t tell if it was at you or the bitemark, you couldn’t tell quite why it bothered you so much either. Why did you care so much that this upset Demetri?

“It won’t?” you asked weakly. He winced a bit, letting his hands drop and looking away. You counted ten whole seconds before he dared turn back to you.

“No, it will not. Venom is what will immortalise you, petrify your system, it has had a chance to do so to those cells it has touched already and they will be forever changed by it. My only hope is to bite down there, that by breaking the surface with my teeth it heals over with my venom.” He almost growled the word at you in his frustration and you swallowed, blinking in surprise.

“You’re going to be the one that turns me?” you questioned. Could he even do that? Did he have the self-control? You had thought Aro would do it if you were honest, though you couldn’t say you were over the moon to have that old coot’s teeth in your throat it was guaranteed to at least be safe. What right did Demetri have to steal your life? Why was he so angry over the thought of another vampire biting you? Had he claimed some weird sort of vampire dibs?

“Of course. The Volturi have laws they enforce but when it comes to affairs between mates, they leave well enough alone.” He informed you, head tilting. Your breath caught in your throat.

“Mates?” you whispered, mind reeling.

“You do not feel the pull?” he asked. He had yet to step back from you, unbearably close and yet somehow not close enough. For a moment you couldn’t say anything, simply trying to desperately scramble to think coherently enough to consider answering.

“I don’t…I barely know you, you can’t just…say that.” You stammered. Demetri very gently grasped your chin between his fingers, tilting your face upward so you were forced to maintain eye contact with him. You weren’t sure what he was searching for, if he found it or not, but he dropped your chin with a sigh.

“Pack, tesoro, we have little time.” He murmured. You were relieved when he stepped back – it gave you a chance to breathe.  Mate? Demetri thought you were his mate? You knew what that meant, Edward had explained to you what his connection with Bella was like after Riley had introduced you to his world, trying to help you understand how awful the months leading up to Bella’s running away to Italy had been for both of them. Is that why he had been so protective of you on the field? Is that why he was so furious another vampire had dared mark you? It crossed your mind then just how selfish your decision actually looked to the outside world. In your head, you had been saving your family from suffering, but to them it probably looked like you had chosen to run off with your mate because you didn’t trust they would take care of you. How were they ever going to forgive you for this?

#twilight #twilight fanfiction #volturi #demetri volturi #demetri volturi x reader #request #swan sister #they're all as dumb as each other I swear #x reader #possessive demetri is kind of a thing I'm suddenly into apparently

[sparklingchan]

The Prince and I || Jeong Yunho(Ateez)

Pairing : Reader (fem.) x Yunho.

Word count : 9.2k+

Warnings : Cuss words, minor injuries, Yunho BEING A FLUFFBALL!!

Genre : Fluff, angst, Arranged marriage au, Royal au.

Description : Your marriage to Prince Yunho feels like nothing less than a fairytale - but a fairytale is incomplete without a villain, right?

A/N:  This fic took longer than I thought it would lol  

This is a part of the holiday treats event conducted by kafenetwork.          This fic is for the lovely Anna! I hope you like it and I hope it didn’t disappoint. I’m sorry I cannot tag you here because this site always decides to eat up my posts with tags in it :((

Enjoy!

"This wedding dress is a little expensive, granny."

The silky cloth slips away from in between your fingers, as quick as sand. You hadn't ever touched a piece of cloth as beautiful and smooth as this one, really. In fact, you'd never ever seen anything like the dress presented before you at the moment. And well, as much as you want to buy it, you knew you couldn't. Not unless you use up all your life's savings.

"I'm sure Ms. Claire here could find us something less...royal." you mutter again when your Grandmother doesn't respond.

Ms. Claire, the owner of the elegant boutique you find yourself standing in this morning, smiles at you sheepishly. "Oh, what nonsense! You will be married into a royal family, y/n. I cannot have you wear a normal wedding dress."

You sigh, turning away from the mannequin that donnes your dream wedding dress and crouching down to speak to your granny, "Granny, we won't have any money left if we buy this."

Your grandmother has been in the wheel chair for as long as you could remember. But she has more energy and life in her than most young people out there, including you. She's like this ball of sunshine who adores you to death. And now that the most important event of your life is slowly coming close with every passing day, you find her enthusiasm increasing likewise. She would wake up every morning and coax you to work out and do your skin care routine every night before bed. Today too, she forced you to allow her to tag along on your last shopping trip before your big day. Though you never say it out loud, your grandmother is nothing short of an angle. And you'd do anything to make her happy.

"I have saved up enough money to buy three such dresses, y/n." Your grandmother says as you lean down , "Miss Claire, pack this one up please."

Miss Claire nods and smiles at your granny, "Surely, madam."

Her assistant takes away the mannequin to get it packed up and billed.

You sit on the small couch present in the room as your eyes roam around the room full of pretty dresses and veils and shoes. It feels surreal all of a sudden, as if you were in a day dream you'd often think about as a teenager.

"What? Do you want anything else? I have enough money for that too." Your grandmother chimes in, rolling the wheelchair a little towards you, "Should we buy one for your mom too?"

Your mom, though equally excited for your wedding as your grandmother, was more on the realistic side. She'd give you a reality check ever so often - about husbands and in-laws and everything surrounding it. You're also not very sure your mom would appreciate spending so much money on dresses in a single day, especially when your wedding stands only four days away.

"No, granny, mom has enough dresses." You run a soothing hand through her grey and thin hair, "Aren't you tired? We've been out for a long time now."

"Do I look tired to you? " she raises an eyebrow, her eyes wrinkling up as she smiles at you sweetly. She's such an adorable little woman that it makes your heart melt everytime she looks at you.

"No," you roll your eyes, "Guess we can go and pick up Maya's dress while we're at it."

"Maya as in your best friend? The annoyingly loud girl from your college?" You snort at your granny's choice of words to describe your best friend.

You hear Miss Claire call you towards the payment counter and before you could move a finger, your granny races you to it.

"Come on, girl, what are you- eighty?" She teases you with a loud chuckle.

And still, you may not say it out loud , but your granny is your whole world. And when you are married off into the royal family of your father's old hometown, the only person you'll miss badly is probably your sweet old grandmother.

Later that evening, after dropping your grandma back home, you decide to walk to your best friend's apartment which is located just a few blocks away from yours. You carry her dress with you but deep down, you know that's not the only reason as to why you wanted to visit her this late at night.

"I need advice. "

"About what?"

"Marriage and life. "

Your best friend's eyes widen at your words. Her lips part as if she wanted to comment something but then stopped herself. "Maya, dude please. I'm terribly scared and I can't talk to anyone else at home." You admit, playing with the hem of your dress. A sudden sense of embarrassment and shyness washes over you but you push all that away before they get the best of you.

Maya puts down her dress on the bed.

"Y/n, I could give you all the advice in the world but believe me, you won't be able to apply it practically. I married a normal man from a normal family. We live in a cozy apartment in a city. But for you, it's different. You'll not marry a common person- you're marrying a prince for God's sake. A Crown Prince on top of that. You'll be living in a castle far away in the mountains. I don't know how my advice would be of any help here, y/n." Maya says, her hand gently patting yours.

You shift in your place, the bed creaking softly beneath you.

Maya is unarguably right - her advice won't be useful in your case. In fact, no one's advice would be useful to you unless they've had a first hand experience with an arranged marriage and a royal life. Yet these facts do little to comfort your growing fear and anxiousness.

"I haven't even met him in person yet. I only saw him over a few stupid video calls and in his pictures. I don't know what to expect." You say.

His Highness Crown Prince Yunho is a pretty busy man it turns out. So busy that he hasn't even been able to take some time out of his duties and come visit his fiancé for a few hours. He's a beautiful man, you have to say. Elegant and stylish and well mannered and everything about him screams Royal. He often texts you in his free time and calls you once in a blue moon. He seems like a nice man indeed, the kind you'd love to marry even without his royal heritage. But being his wife and a Crown Princess is a challenge you'd have to face completely on your own.

"Your granny thinks he's a good man, y/n. Maybe you should trust her judgement. Old people have that in themselves, you know." Maya says with a small smile, "Plus he's a Prince. You'll live a luxurious life, y/n. Don't be so pessimistic! I'm sure things will turn out great."

You give your best friend a tight hug for trying to cheer you up and helping you forget your fears even if it's just for a few hours . That night, as you toss and turn in your bed, trying to keep your mind free from thoughts about your life after marriage, you realise how big of a change this one thing will make.

And you're not very sure if you're ready for that change yet.

♡ ♡ ♡ ♡ ♡

The weather is quite pleasant today, the sun shining softly through the thin curtain of clouds and the humidity deciding to be a little forgiving today but too bad you're stuck inside your room, folding clothes and making sure all your necessities are packed in the luggage.

"Well, this is not how I expected my last day at home to turn out, " you complain to your mother who sits across from you on the bed, helping you pack your things, "But it is what it is, I guess."

Your mom chuckles, placing your folded clothes into huge black suitcase spread open on the floor. "This isn't bad. You're alone with your family and friend, what more do you need?"

A fancy Bachelorette party with your friends and a few male strippers didn't sound like a very appropriate response so you decide to just shake your head.

"Aren't you angry though? Even just a little bit?" She asks. You scowl at the unexpected, out of context question. You are scared and anxious and nervous but angry? Not at all.

"What do you mean? Why would I be angry?" You reply, crossing your arms in front of your chest, "I'm fine."

She sighs, momentarily pausing her actions to face you. Her eyes are a little moist, you notice, and her lips pressed into a sad line. "Your grandmother betrothed you to Prince Yunho when you guys were just nineteen. It is an arranged marriage, to a person you don't know and a family which holds so much power. She didn't give you freedom to choose your own partner. Aren't you angry about that?" She elaborates.

You feel a soft tug in your heart at her words. You've been so preoccupied with worrying about how you'd handle yourself after marriage that you never really thought about this. Even so, when you really think about it, you can't find it in yourself to be angry at your grandmother.

"Granny and Prince Yunho's grandmother were best friends, mom. They made a promise and I respect that. Plus granny never forced me to say yes. I did that on my own account. " you explain yourself, your hand slowly reaching over to squeeze your mom's shoulder, "Don't worry about me. I'll manage. I always do."

Its rather funny how you were the one needing assurance from Maya a few nights ago and here you are, repeating the same words of encouragement to your mother. A part of you is obviously still terrified of the future, but that's not your mom's problem to deal with. It's entirely yours.

Your mom sniffs, but a tear manages to roll down her cheek, "I'll miss having you around. Why couldn't she have arranged your marriage to a normal person who lived in the same city?"

And then it finally dawns on you. It really is your last day at home. Your last day in the city you so dearly loved, your last day in the house which has seen you grow from a little baby to a beautiful, young woman. It's your last day as y/n y/l/n, your parents' only child and your grandmother's favorite grandchild. Tomorrow, you would be a Princess, a wife, a person of political importance. And your heart breaks a little at the thought of never getting this life back again.

"Mom.." you mutter, your eyes tearing up as well. Words fall short when it comes to describing how much you'll miss everyone and everything here. Starting from your friends to your family to the smallest of decorative items in your room that you've managed to collect over the years. It's like a piece of you would just cease to exist. As the night grows darker and the day crosses over to the next one, you hold your mother close as the both of you let out the quietest of sobs and realise that this might be the last time she'd have you all to herself.

♡ ♡ ♡ ♡ ♡   

The journey from your parents' old house to Prince Yunho's ancestral palace is short - not with respect to time but with respect to the fact that amidst tearful eyes and memory flashbacks, the car ride gives you little to no time to settle your hurricane of thoughts.

As your dad's car slowly pulls over in front of a huge black metal gate, you are welcomed with a view that seems right out of a fairytale. The Royal palace is located in the most beautiful locations you've ever been to, a place you never thought could exist in real life. It almost feels like you are in a dream. With the beautiful backdrop of lush green mountains in the back, the Palace stands tall on the foothills of the mountains. The pastel pink walls and the carefully carved window panes look ethereal with contrast to the tall black gates that securely surround the palace. A group of servants are rowed in front of the man main entrance, with warm smiles and trays full of welcome drinks.

But you're far too mesmerized by the place to bother consuming anything at the moment.

This place - this breathtakingly gorgeous palace with the biggest gardens and tallest fountains- would be your home. For a long time, home meant your crammed little apartment which always smelt like cinnamon and bread. It had no big gardens, no servants, no fountains but it was your home. Your safe place. You wonder if this place could ever feel like home.

"Geez, y/n, I'm so jealous." Maya whisper-squeals in your ear as the servants lead you inside, "Do you want to exchange husbands?"

You nudge her gently with your elbow, "Shut up. Or I'll have you thrown out."

You are made to walk through a quiet hallway that has a huge wooden door at the end. On both sides of the hallway, pictures and paintings and vintage weapons are displayed like in museums and the marble floor beneath you shines like water under the sun. Every nook and corner of this place is a treasure waiting to be discovered, you realise.

The servants open the wooden door and lead you inside into what appears to look like a Throne Room. Now, you'd never really been to one before but movies and books have taught you that this is what a Throne room probably looks like - with a Grand Throne placed at the very center and numerous chairs placed on either side of it. The walls in this room are graced with more pictures and paintings of kings and queens and common people and soldiers. You wonder if your picture would ever be up there somewhere in the future.

"Oh, hello lovely people!" A manly voice booms through the hall, "I hope I didn't keep you waiting too long."

A few quick taps of feet on the floor and there stands in front of you a very familiar face - as if you'd almost seen him in a dream.

Black tuxedo, perfectly styled hair, a walkie-talkie in his hand, the man before you looks right out of a James Bond movie. "I'm Choi San, Prince Yunho's personal secretary and the royal family's representative for the day."

He claps his hands together, "Her Highness the Queen Regent, Her Highness the Queen Mother and His Highness Crown Prince Yunho sadly couldn't be here since they have some important charity event to attend. I deeply apologize for that. In their place, allow me to welcome you to the Jeong family's Grand palace!"

"You'll all be taken to your rooms now because you must be tired from the journey. If you need anything, just tell one of these servants."

The servants nod at San and signal you and your family to follow them.

"Uh, lady Y/n. Mind if I have a word with you?" San interrupts.

Although surprised, you nod as you let your family walk off to their rooms.

"Yes?" You ask San.

San's eyes are focused on your frame - every movement, every expression, every word - he's observing you as if to make sure you're the right person for Prince Yunho. You feel self conscious all of a sudden.

"Yunho did say you're a charming person. I just didn't think I'd agree with him before, but now..I definitely do." San giggles, offering you his hand, "I'm Choi San at your service, madam. Your wish is my command."

You bow gently at him, "I'm y/n y/l/n. It's nice to meet you too, sir."

San chuckles, "Please don't call me that, your Highness. I'm your employee. Besides I have something important to talk to you about. "

The last few words form a tight knot in your stomach, fear finding it's way through your veins.

"Y-yeah?"

"You have a coronation ceremony tonight. I hope you know that. We've already hired a stylist who will take care of all you from now on. She'll meet you immediately after lunch." San explains, "And here's my business card. Contact me if anything comes up, okay?"

You gulp as you accept the shining business card from him, "Thanks. I'll do that."

San smiles sympathetically, as if he understood the fears swimming inside you. He offers you a gentle, encouraging pat on the shoulder.

"I know how you feel. A palace is a scary place, I won't deny. But if I can survive here, so can you. Plus you have Yunho. He's the nicest man a person could ever ask for, I'm sure." San says.

Your whole body relaxes a little as a soft breeze of comfort washes over you with the words leaving San's mouth. This is what you'd been wanting to hear for a long time - a reassurance that you'll be safe and okay as a member of the Royal family and that Prince Yunho might be a person you could love. But for now, you focus on keeping your self calm.

"Now, do you mind walking me to my room? I find myself a bit lost." You giggle.

San finds himself chuckling in response, "Of course, your majesty."

♡ ♡ ♡ ♡ ♡

When San had told you that you'd have your own personal stylist, you did not expect this . Even in your wildest dreams, this is not something you'd catch yourself wanting.

The beautiful blue gown clutches to your upper body at just the right places and then flows down your waist like a beautiful waterfall under the sunlight. A diamond necklace graces your otherwise empty neck complimented with matching earrings. The stylist - Alisa - puts your hair up in a pretty bun and then places a beautiful diamond tiara on your head. And when your eyes finally land on your reflection in the mirror, your mouth hangs open with no words but just air slipping out of it as response.

"Do you like it, your Highness?" Alisa asks with hopeful eyes. Her shy smile giving away the fact that she wants you to like what she's done, her efforts and ideas.

You have to blink hard for a few more seconds before coming to terms with the fact that you look so beautiful right now. A part you is in denial while a part of you is jumping around, doing a victory dance in happiness. You weren't used to seeing yourself look this good. Your heart leaps at the thought of Prince Yunho seeing you like this - almost like a princess who's lived in castles all her life. And then you realize that you would be one ; in only a few minutes.

"I love it, Alisa. You're brilliant!" You exclaim, wrapping your arms tightly around the stylist in happiness. By Lisa's stiff response, you are sure you'd taken her by surprise. Royals do not go around hugging normal stylists yet this hug was a symbol of your thankfulness towards her for putting so much effort into you, to make you feel special. Alisa's proud smile reaches to her eyes as she quickly works on placing the brooch pin in the right place on your dress.

A knock on your room's door attracts your attention and you are quick to fix yourself in case it was someone from the Royal family.

"I'll get that." Alisa jogs quickly towards the door.

When the door creaks opens, you see a familiar face standing there - familiar enough to know it was your fiancé, the most handsome man you'd ever laid eyes on, with the kindest smile and brightest eyes. Your heart stops beating for a dangerous second.

"Oh, hello your Highness. " Alisa greets him, bowing slightly, "Miss y/n is ready to go."

And when Yunho looks at you, your soul as if escapes your body. "H-hi, Prince Yunho."

He walks towards you with warm, red cheeks and perfect black hair and a stylish black tuxedo and offers you his hand, "It's nice to finally meet you, my lady."

How does one ever respond to that? How does one ever behave in front of an actual, real life prince, who also happens to be your fiancé? He presses his lips to your fingers ever so gently.

The butterflies in your stomach go wild.

"Shall we go now? Everyone's waiting for you, my lady." He asks.

You nod, wrapping an arm around his, "Yes."

The short walk towards the throne room is mostly filled with a comfortable sense of silence, except for the times when Prince Yunho points at some random picture on the wall and talks about it. Your eyes seem to be following every movement of his, and everytime your eyes meet, you find yourself melting under his gaze. You are smitten by him and there's no denying in that.

On entering the throne room, all heads turn towards you - ministers, relatives, your family, Yunho's friends, San and all servants present there observe you as Yunho walks you down the flowery aisle leading to the Throne. You could feel everyone's eyes on you, scary yet exciting, they follow your every movement and every word and every expression.

And when they bow down slightly as you stand on the right side on the Throne, you realise these people weren't just bowing at Yunho, there were also bowing down at you. Because you'll be his wife tomorrow, a princess, a figure that should be loved by the people. The only thing keeping you grounded is Yunho's gentle hand softly clutching yours. It's as if he could sense your inner turmoil before even you do it yourself. "Are you nervous?" He whispers in your ear.

"Yes, a little. "

"Don't be. I'm here with you."

The main door to the hall opens and two women walk inside, at least ten soldiers walking in front and behind them, guns at ready and eyes critically scanning all the faces.

The older woman, who you assume to be the Queen Mother and Yunho's grandmother, wears a sweet smile and walks as gracefully as ever even in this senile age. She waves gleefully at the crowd bowing down to her. On her left stands a slightly younger woman, Yunho's aunt and the Queen Regent who has been the ruler of this kingdom after Yunho's parents passed away in a tragic accident ten years ago. Rumor has it that the Queen Regent is a strict, emotionless ruler who has no mercy for criminals and is harsh with all the employees of the palace. You notice her serious gaze fixed in your direction and shudder in fear even though you've barely ever talked to her before.

"May the Queen Mother live long! May the Queen Regent live long!" Someone chants and the others follow suit in the blink of an eye.

You suddenly feel as if you are in some period drama.

The Queen Regent takes her place on the throne while the Queen Mother takes a seat on the left side of the Throne. A single wave of the Queen Regent's hand and the crowd goes completely silent.

"Hello to everyone gathered here today. I am very, very glad to welcome a new member of the family - lady y/n y/l/n. She is to be the wife of my beloved nephew Yunho and the future Queen of this kingdom. Please give her a warm welcome!"

The hall erupts into claps and cheers and your name being repeated as if in a chant. Your grip on Yunho's arm tightens.

"I'm there, my lady." He says again, "Don't be afraid."

San brings out a huge sword and places it in the Queen Regent's hands. This sword is what you assume to be the Jeong family's old, sacred sword used by generations and generations of brave kings and queens to protect themselves as well as the citizens of their beloved country. This sword is a symbol of pride and victories. And a lost history.

"As per ancient traditions, I will now be crowning miss y/n as a princess before her wedding with the prince tomorrow. From now on she will be called her Highness Crown princess Y/n. She is an important member of our family from this day forth."

"Y/n, go on and kneel in front of my aunt." Yunho whispers, nodding at you with a proud smile, "You're doing so great already."

You comply by his words and kneel in front of the throne, your head hanging low and eyes squeezed shut with anxiousness of what is to come.

"Welcome to the family, y/n." You hear the Queen Regent's voice before she gently taps your right shoulder with the tip of the sword and then the left one. You feel a few droplets of water being sprinkled on your face.

"Rise, Crown Princess. Face your people and let them welcome you with open arms."

It is done. You are a princess now. This can never be undone, this name, this title will stick with you till the end of time. You're no longer a normal girl with small dreams and basic requirements, you're a future Queen now.

Rise, Crown Princess.

And you do.

♡ ♡ ♡ ♡ ♡

Every person has dreamt about their own wedding at least once in their life - whether it is in the peak of their teenage or in the innocent wonders of their childhood or the wildest dreams of their adult years, this thought found itself in everyone's mind.

You had one such dream too.

But your dream had always been very simple. A nice man, your closest friends and family, a cheap and beautiful wedding dress, a small party with limited people - that is all you've ever wanted. You didn't want a gathering of four hundred people who you barely knew, the new reporters shoving their cameras into your face, heavy make up or expensive jewelry, or a husband who you barely knew. But guess that is what the Gods had written in your fate. And you have no option now than to accept things the way they are.

You don't remember much from the wedding ceremony or the huge party that follows, really ; you only remember Yunho's lips pressing a gentle kiss to your forehead when the priest asks the groom to kiss the bride(probably the best part of the day), your grandmother's tears of happiness and Alisa and San winking at the two of you after the ceremony was over. Everything else felt like a blur, as if your head had been underwater all this while.

An hour or so into the party, Prince Yunho asks you to walk with him. Alone. Though reluctant, how could you ever say no to those innocent eyes? The discomfort from being surrounded by hundreds of unknown people slowly disappears as the two of you walk around the garden, your eyes never meeting but a sense of familiarity settling between the two of you.

"I'm not used to this, you know." He says with a shy smile.

The sky is beautiful, decorated with stars and a full moon but nothing compares the glow on Yunho's face when he turns to glance at you.

"Used to what?" You enquire, "Having so many people here?"

He shakes his head, "No. I'm used to having a lot of people here. That's all I've ever seen. What I'm not used to is this. Having a partner or someone else live in my room with me."

"So...?"

"I'm happy about it. I really am. But I know you're new to this royal lifestyle and we barely even know each other that well but I hope you don't regret this marriage. Because I'm sure that I won't. " Yunho sighs, "And if you ever feel like it's not worth your time anymore, you are more than free to leave. Forget about everyone else, do what your heart says. "

The last phrase catches you off guard. It is very, very rare to find people who give you this sort of freedom in any arrangement. The fact that he opens up his thoughts to you makes your heart leap with happiness. And a little sadness too that he'd think you'd leave him so easily.

"Hey," you pat his arm, "I'm not leaving anytime soon. I promise. We made a vow, didn't we?"

Yunho blushes at your words, but under the bright moonlight it goes unnoticed by you.

"Do you mind if I hold your hand?" He suggests after a few seconds of silence.

The butterflies in your stomach are seemingly having the time of their life these past few days.

"I don't." You slide your hand into his and your fingers intertwine almost instantly. His warm palm presses against your cold one, bring a sense of comfort you never thought you'd ever experience. In the midst of a chaotic royal gathering and the paparazzi trying to sneak in through the gates, you and Yunho find a small world for yourselves that no one else can ever have access to.

And for the first time in months, you realise that this marriage might be worth more than what you thought it would be.

♡ ♡ ♡ ♡ ♡

You've always wondered what the people in royal palaces do. Do they spend all their time greeting the citizens and walking in the gardens? Do they keep dancing in the ballroom all the time? Or do they busy themselves with war conspiracies?

Sadly you realise that royal life sounds very exciting and extravagant only when you're not the one actually living a life like that. And this conclusion dawns on you only after ten days of the wedding.

The first week is packed with activities, alright. Visiting the common people and distant relatives and going to various public events. Your curiosity was at its peak till a few days ago, but now here you are, sitting on the edge of your soft bed, phone in lap and eyes drooping with sleepiness, wondering how to keep yourself occupied.

"Y/n?" The door creaks open as Yunho peeks inside shyly, "Can I come in?"

You nod, "It's your room, Yunho. You don't need my permission to enter."

"Oh, I was just making sure you weren't doing anything you didn't want me to see."

Oh. Your cheeks turn into crimson fruits as his words finally hit you.

"Anyway, I actually came to get my file. But I saw you sitting here. Are you bored?"

Are you? Heck, yes!

"Yes." You reply almost guiltily.

Chuckling, he leans down to press a loving kiss on top of your head, "Come on. I'll show you something."

You took pride in the fact that after only a week of staying here, you knew the palace fairly well. The corridors and paintings and artifacts and the workers weren't as foreign to you anymore. Yet the path Yunho takes you to seems weirdly unfamiliar.

Guess new surprises await everyday.

Soon enough, your steps halt in front of a huge wooden door labeled as ' library '.

Rows and rows of books welcome you the moment you step inside, Yunho leading the way into the most beautiful library you'd ever seen in your life. As always, paintings grace the wooden walls and a huge crystal chandelier hangs from the middle most point of the ceiling.

"Yunho...is this..what heaven looks like?"

The smell of old and new books hit your nostrils as you run a gentle hand over the book kept in the shelves, feeling the various materials of book covers brush past your fingertips.

"Maybe." Yunho responds with a grin.

Yunho's heart feels full with adoration and content at the sight of you dancing around the books shelves, gleefully taking notes of the books you plan to read on the days to come. Your eyes curl up into crescent moons as your toothy smile seems to have taken Yunho's breath away. Beautiful is what you look. Simple and elegant and so innocent.

All his life he's spent among royal people, people with political intentions and lots of money. But you make him feel differently. Being with you feels like a breath of fresh air for Yunho. And who wouldn't like that?

"Earth to Yunho." You click your fingers in front of his face after you catch him staring at you. Not that you didn't like it, but you had to do something before you turn into a mush before his eyes, "What are you thinking?"

"Oh, um..nothing." you. He was thinking about you, "How about I ask the workers to bring my office stuff over here? I can work here while you read. I don't want you to be alone."

A shameless grin plasters over your lips.

"I'd like that, Yunho. I'd like that very much. "

♡ ♡ ♡ ♡ ♡

"How's the married life treating you?" Your granny asks you this question every damn time she decides to call you. 

And surprisingly somehow, you always answer positively to her query.

"Well, good. I think so at least. " you smile to yourself, remembering the soft kiss Yunho had placed on your head as he left for an official trip this morning. Even in your half asleep state, your cheeks had turned bright red, "Prince Yunho is a nice man. "

"Oh, of course he is! I wouldn't have asked you to marry him otherwise, you idiot." She yells at you although you know she's smiling through the phone, "Anyway, I can't talk for long today. I have a doctor's appointment so I'll need to dress up for that."

That comes as a surprise, "What? Are you sick ?"

"God, no. I'm not a weakling, okay? It's the regular check up. Don't worry." She says, "Bye now. "

The line goes silent.

Sighing, you put your phone down on the night stand. On times like this, when the room is too quiet and you are too lazy to walk out and talk to other people, you start missing home. A lot more than usual. Your house, though only consisting of four people was way too noisy from sunset till sundown and somehow, you'd gotten used to it. The quietness has yet to grow on you.

A slight knock on the door attracts your attention and you immediately allow whoever it is to come inside.

"Oh, Alisa. It's you!" You exclaim as relief washes over you on seeing a familiar face.

"Yes, your Highness. How have you been?" She bows down to you, "Are you able to adjust to this new life?"

"I've been okay, you could say. Still a little overwhelmed whenever I have to face people but I think I'm getting there." You laugh a little.

Alisa gives you an understanding nod, "I totally understand. But I'm glad you're feeling more comfortable. By the way, I came here to ask you if you wanted to visit my boutique in the town nearby. It's a new one and I wanted you to come see it before the inauguration. "

Your heart jumps at the offer. You remember back in your college days, you would often go shopping with Maya, especially on weekends. The two of you would wait for months for a sale or special offers because online shopping sometimes just doesn't do it for you. You smile, nostalgic, "I'd love to go."

"And then maybe we could go and eat in the pizzeria nearby. It serves the best pizza in the world, I swear."

This is just beyond tempting at this point, a literal trap to have you step out of the role of a royal Princess and embracing the careless city girl inside of you and who are you to keep her hidden for too long?

"What are we waiting for then?"

♡ ♡ ♡ ♡ ♡

Yunho surprises you every now and then.

On the outside, he is a strict man with the sharpest of brains and the most observant eyes. The title of being a crown prince sits heavy on his shoulders and with every passing day, the weight just get heavier.

On the contrary, the Yunho you get to see everyday is very different. Soft and cheerful and smiley, he's the literal embodiment of the sunshine and your heart doesn't seem to rest everytime you see him.

It must have been roughly a month since the wedding when he makes an impromptu plan of visiting your city and your parents' house since it had been a long time you last saw them.

"Heard you were going to your parents house?" You had gotten ready to go before Yunho did, so instead of sitting in your bedroom, you decided take a short walk outside in the gardens. And as you strolled around aimlessly among the flowers and bushes, deep in thoughts, you had come across the Queen Mother sitting by the water fountain.

"Yes, your majesty." You reply, rather intimated by her aura.

It's hard to accept sometimes that this person is best friends with your grandmother, when the both of them are as different from each other as the two poles! Your grandmother is the ever so sweet, smiling, supportive person. You would never see her angry or upset. But on the other hand, the Queen Mother is uptight, very quiet and rarely ever smiles. Just like her daughter, the Queen Regent. Maybe it's a royal thing but you're glad you don't have to see this serious side of Yunho on a daily basis.

"Good. The farther from here, the better." She mumbles.

You are alarmed at her words, "I'm sorry?"

She sighs, her walking sticking tapping the marble wall of the fountain, "Y/n, I adore you. I might not show it but I'm glad my grandson has someone like you to make his life less lonely. But you have to be careful. Not everyone is appreciative of a person of common birth being crowned as a Crown Princess. "

Fear slowly clutches you in its palms. You had gotten very occupied with Yunho and being a crown princess and making new friends, you admit. So occupied that you let your guard down. And the Queen Mother's words sound more like an advice than a threat.

"Should I be worried?" You ask, your skin going cold at the thought of someone actually wanting to hurt you.

"Not yet, no. But be very, very careful. You cannot trust anyone here. Not even me. The only person you can lean on is Yunho. Why? Because he might be as much in danger as you."

Have you ever seen how people start panicking when any sort of alarm goes off? Yeah, thats exactly how you feel at that moment.

"Y/n, let's go!" You hear Yunho call you from the front gate, already taking his seat inside his car.

You bow at the Queen Mother before jogging towards Yunho, your heart no longer into the trip as it were a few minutes ago.

Yet seeing your parents and granny after so long did comfort you.

They had prepared this small barbeque party in your backyard, your dad playing guitar and purposely singing badly to embarrass you while your mother shows Yunho your childhood pictures. And the food, oh, the food! The five star chefs from Yunho's palace could never replace this comfort food you had at your parents house. It might not be well decorated with garnishes or spices or fancy plates but it made you feel like everything will eventually be okay - which is exactly what you needed at the moment.

The entire evening you try hard to talk to Yunho but when your house is full of three excited adults, it is hard to do that. Around one am in the morning, you finally find yourself in your old bedroom, Yunho's fascinated eyes roaming around the room that feels like it were straight out of some teenage romance movie. Where in reality you'd honestly been too lazy to change the room's layout once you outgrew your teenage obsessions and interests.

"You seem to be liking my room a little too much. " you chuckle, scrolling aimlessly through your phone, your face partly squished into your favorite pillow.

The boyband posters, old polaroids from your school functions, romance novels stacked up neatly by the nightstand - all of this is as foreign to him as his palace is to you.

Yunho lies down beside you, still in awe of the room, "Yeah, it literally mirrors your personality. "

"How?"

"I can't explain it, you know," he clicks his tongue, "But everything in this room screams y/n. Like everything here is made only for you."

You raise your eyebrow at his words. He's very observant, that you've noticed, but the fact that he knows you this well in barely a month warms your heart.

"What about our bedroom in the palace? Is it not made for me?"

"Oh, it is. Of course it is. But you're staying there because you have to, right? Because we're married and all that." He replies.

"No, I'm not. I told you Yunho - I'm staying there because I want to." You say, now no longer in a mood to joke around.

Suddenly, the words from The Queen Mother swim back into your mind, as you start seeing her words in a completely different light.

Yunho has somehow always expressed how he is unable to believe your presence around him and how he acts like you're doing a favor by doing that. And you find yourself wondering if Yunho knows what she'd said to you. The danger that looms above both of your heads must not be as much of a secret to him than you thought it would be. So instead of confronting him, you decide to comfort him.

"We'll be fine, Yunho. " you drag your hand towards his, your body relaxing the moment he squeezes it back, "Both of us."

Yunho looks at you with love and desire clear in his eyes, his free hand slowly dragging towards your face. You could see it now- the loneliness from the loss of his parents and the negligence from his aunt and grandmother throughout his childhood still very much exists behind the mask of a happy prince. You do not know the language of royal people or politics but you do know the language of love and more than a stupid gold crown, he needs someone to love him. And thats exactly what you intend to do.

Was it too soon? You didn't care anymore. And you know for a fact that he didn't either.

You lean in close and press your forehead to his, "You're not alone anymore. Okay?"

You see him smile from your hooded gaze, your breath mixing with his in an intoxicating mixture. "Thank you, y/n. You have no idea how much I appreciate it."

And that in itself are a combination of words much more heavier than a simple 'I like you.'

♡ ♡ ♡ ♡ ♡

"The Queen Regent wishes to see you."

San runs up to you the first thing the next morning, right after breakfast.

"Why?" You ask, your eyebrows furrowed in confusion.

You had a plan to accompany your granny and the Queen Mother to their small tea party in a nearby Farmhouse but you couldn't obviously say no to meeting the Queen Regent. Because well, she's the Queen.

"I don't know, your Highness. I try to stay away from her as much as possible but whenever our paths do cross, she always assigns some work to me." He whines, "Go on, I'll tell the Queen Mother that you're occupied. I will be heading out with Yunho right now anyway."

Shaking your head in annoyance, you make your way to the Queen Regent's office.

Her office smells like expensive cigars the moment you step inside, and the full ashtray on her table only feeds into your conclusions.

"You asked for me, your majesty?" You ask in a low voice.

When she looks up from writing in her journal, your heart skips a few beats in fear. Her eyes hold no resemblance to Yunho's angelic ones or even The Queen Mother's serious ones. They look like two deep, bottomless black holes that swallow everything and anything in its vicinity. Her long hair is tied in a braid and her lips quiver passively upon seeing you.

"Ah, yes." She replies, "Please have a seat."

You take the chair in front of her desk, uncomfortable at the close proximity between you and the one person who everyone tries to avoid.

"How are you?" She begins, closing her journal and keeping her pen inside the drawer, "How are things going with Yunho?"

"I'm good, thank you for asking. And yes, things are going well with Yunho."

Her question seems odd, but you let it pass.

"Okay. That's really great to hear. Anyway, I met your husband a little while ago. And he asked me to tell you that he intends to see you on the rooftop alone later tonight." She raises an eyebrow, a gentle smile playing on her lips, "Looks like he has a date planned."

Her words seem too far fetched to be true. Too unrealistic. Not the date part though, but the part where he specifically ask her to pass on the message to you. He could have easily asked San or Lisa or even told you in first person, so why would he choose the Queen Regent out of so many people when he you've barely seen him talk to her?

But you're a Crown Princess, and she's the Queen and you cannot question her. "Okay, I'll be there." You get up from your seat and bowing gently, "Thank you for letting me know, your majesty. By the way, did he mention what time I am to go ?"

"Oh um...Around seven in the evening?" She's fumbling on her words, and you're sure she's lying about something.

Still you suppress your doubts and walk back to your room, hoping to find the truth behind her words this evening at seven.

The entire day goes by in the blink of an eye, but to you it feels like an eternity. The curiosity has you sitting at the edge of your bed, ready to make a run for it if any danger ever comes your way.

Yunho, who was out with San for some official work has surprisingly not texted you today at all. And it only adds to your doubts of the Queen Regent being a liar.

And when night finally falls, you find yourself tense up more than you'd done the entire day.

The night is quiet, calm but beautiful and as you step into the terrace and the soft wind kisses your face, you almost believe the Queen Regent's words. Maybe Yunho did really plan a surprise date for you. Because this is everything that Yunho likes. A beautiful night and a company he loves.

The terrace stands high giving you a beautiful view of the entire palace complex, the gardens and everything beyond. And for a moment, your worries diminish as you step near the railing, inhaling the fresh air and you feel safe.

But, you see, that's where you are wrong. This imaginary cloud of safety that you'd thought was around you was never there in the first place. Since the first time you stepped into the palace, all eyes have been on you - on every action, every activity, every word. You'd always been swimming in a dangerous sea. One wrong move, and you realise the shark is right behind you. And just how the Queen Mother had told you, you were only ever safe with Yunho by your side. But he isn't here anymore.

So it doesn't come as a when a pair of rough hands give you a single, harsh push, sending you falling right down five floors.

"You will never be our queen." Is what you hear before your vision dissolves into a black hole.

♡ ♡ ♡ ♡ ♡

When you were six years old, you fell down your bike once while trying to copy some stupid stunt you'd seen people on television shows do. The excruciating pain that followed the fall was something which you thought you'd never have to experience again. That was the kind of pain which hurts you down to your very bones, sending waves of shock through your body with a single movement of your hands.

And that is exactly how you expect to feel the moment you open your eyes and come face to face with a familiar ceiling. But all you feel is sore, like how you feel the morning after exercising after a long while.

The bandages on your arms and abdomen indicate that your fall wasn't as bad as you thought it'd be but it was, nevertheless, a fall which was very much done on purpose.

"Y/n, honey, are you awake?" You hear Yunho's groggy voice coming from somewhere near the foot of the bed you lie on.

"Y-yeah. What happened?" You manage to sit up even though your body feels heavy with fatigue, "How did I fall?"

Yunho appears by your bed side in the blink of an eye and your heart clenches with relief when he bends down to kiss your head.

It feels like you hadn't seen him in days, years, where as it had only been around two days since you passed out. Yunho had rushed back home the moment he found out about it, leaving all his stupid official work for some other day. Hell, he would happily give up all his responsibilities if it means he could see you and keep you safe. He'd cried for nights and days, never leaving your side even when the nurses would change your clothes or bandage dressing. The mere thought of you never waking up again was too dark for him, especially when he'd found such a happy place in you. You are the owner of his heart and everything else that he could give you. You are, literally, his only family member. His whole world. And if he loses you, he would lose himself with you.

"A-are you okay?" He sits down on the bed, holding your hand so tight as if he was afraid you'd disappear if he let's go, "does it hurt anywhere?"

"Just a little bit, but I'm okay. I feel fine." You say, smiling through your busted lips.

Your smile as if breaks a wall he'd been holding onto for days, and his eyes immediately tear up.

"I'm so so sorry, y/n. I should have been there. I should have been protecting you. I keep forgetting I'm not a stupid guy with a normal life and that people I associate with might get into trouble anytime. I'm so sorry, I should have protected you from my Aunt and Alisa. I'm so fucking sorry."

Aunt? And Alisa? What is he taking about?

"Yunho, what are you -"

"They planned it. The entire thing. They purposely sent me and grandma away so no one would doubt them. Aunt had supposedly promised my hand in marriage to Alisa a long time ago but Grandma got us married instead. They were angry. So angry that they went ahead and tried to k-kill you. " he sobs into his hands, the tip of his nose turning bright red, "Alisa was the one who pushed you. They forgot to remove the CCTV footage."

You freeze for a second, Alisa's betrayal hurting you worse than The Queen Regent's. You almost thought you could find a friend in her, just like Maya. You trusted her. You felt safe around her when in reality, she'd only been a time bomb - waiting to blow up.

"Alisa did?" You mutter, your lips drying with fear, "I-I don't know what to say. Yunho, I- I can't believe Alisa would do this."

"I didn't either. But both of them have admitted to it. The police took them. I'm so sorry, y/n. " Yunho rubs his tears away, "I talked to your granny and parents. They said you could move back in with them. The divorce will take about a year or so to get finalized but you don't have to stay here till then. You can go back home whenever you want."

Your heart crushes in your chest. The fear of abandonment Yunho carries within himself yet he has the guts to let you go is something you would forever admire and hate in him. How could he think this way, especially after you've reassured him countless number of times that you're here to stay.

"I didn't agree to a divorce. What the fuck are you even cooking up in that mind of yours?" You say, stern and angry.

He looks up at you, his guilty eyes making the pain in your chest more painful.

"Y/n, please, you cannot stay with -"

"Shut up. Just shut up. I don't care. I don't care what you think. I am an adult and the crown princess of this kingdom and I will do as I please. " you almost yell, "I am staying here, with you, for better or worse. I told you I wouldn't leave. "

Yunho bursts into tears, wrapping his arms gently around you, hiding his face in the crook of your neck as you gently pat his back, reassuring him that you'd always stay. No matter what.

"Y-you might get hurt again, y/n. I don't want you to stay and get hurt again." But his tight hold on your body tells you otherwise.

"We're both in danger for the rest of our lives. Does that mean we stop living?" You whisper, pulling away from the embrace only to grab his chin, "Does that mean we stop loving?"

He shakes his head as his lips curve down and a shaky sob escapes his mouth, "Nothing will ever happen to you again, I swear. I will keep you safe. You will not have a reason to complain again."

You nod, dabbing his tears away with your thumb, "I know. I believe you. "

You stare into his eyes - his beautiful eyes made of the finest stardust that make your brain go hazy every morning that you wake up and find them right beside you. And that's exactly how you choose to wake up every morning till the end of your days.

"Is this the part where we kiss or what, because I've waited a long time -" he cuts your blabbering off by finally placing his plump, peachy lips on yours ever so tenderly.

He steals all the air from lungs, driving you breathless and crazy with every movement of his lips on yours and the gentle touch of his fingers on your face only adds to the unbounded euphoria you feel at the moment. He's beautiful. Even with your eyes closed, you know that he is beautiful. And not just with his face, he is a beautiful man inside out. He is yours and nothing in this world can ever change that. So when he pulls away, panting and out of breath, and gently kisses your forehead, you say, "I love you, my prince."

These words. These damn words that he'd waited for months to hear, nights he spent dreaming about hearing them. And he has to mentally slap himself to make himself believe this all to be true.

Stealing a quick kiss from your lips again, he whispers, "I love you, too, my princess. "

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