#mom peggy has entered the chat

[cxptaincxrter]

@itsybitsypeterparker​ liked for a short starter

—-  ☆ “PETER, PLEASE tell me you’ve taken time for yourself this week. We both know how important saving the world is. But saving our bodies from disrepair is more important. 

#mom peggy has entered the chat #itsybitsypeterparker #c: peter parker

[elusivewildflower]

Take My Last Name | Sgt. Jerry Wooters x Reader

Pairing: Sgt. Jerry Wooters x F! Reader

Summary: You begrudgingly leave Jerry’s bed and arrive back home at the wrong time, just as your uncle has realized that his mansion has been bugged by cops. You’ve been out and about more often the last month, and he believes you may have something to do with ratting him out. He places his hands on you, and when you are freed, you run right back to Jerry. 

Warnings: cursing, mentions of sex, abuse/violence (reader being strangled for a brief bit) 

Word Count: 1.8k

A/N: I don’t know how many people will read this, as I tried to find other Jerry Wooters fics last night and found none on this site, but I hope those of you that do will enjoy it! You can’t go wrong with any of Ryan Gosling’s characters, and I’m obsessed with all of them. Thank you so much to @truesblue​ for being my beta for this!! 

“Sweetie, don’t go.” 

“I have to, Jer. He’s gonna wonder where I am.” 

“Then let him wonder.” 

“I’ve gotta go.” 

Those were the last words you had spoken to Jerry before you weaseled your way out of his arms and made the drive back home to your uncle’s. You checked up your makeup in a tiny pocket mirror, wanting to look put-together and not like you’d been up all night rolling around in the sheets, before stepping out of the car and entering the mansion. You despised calling it home, really wishing you had let Jerry convince you to stay. 

As you ventured further, the sounds of a commotion coming from the small living room prickled your attention. The distinct crash of glass shattering, heavy objects being tossed about, and of course, the angry shouts of your uncle filled your ears from where you halted across. You saw movement in the corner of your eye, and turned to find the maid shooing Grace, your uncle’s girl, out of the house. Lucky, you thought. She at least has a family to run to. Your parents had been murdered a few years back in retaliation of something your uncle had done. You’d never been given specifics, but someone had targeted Mickey’s only living family, which had been your father, mother, and you, to hurt him. Thankfully, you had accepted a last minute invitation to go out with friends, and you weren’t at home when the attack happened. Otherwise, you’d be six feet underground like your parents. Your uncle Mickey took you in when that had happened, vowing to find those responsible and keep you safe. If only you had known back then it was him that you really needed to be saved from. 

“You!” Mickey snarled, effectively shaking you from your thoughts. When your eyes met his figure, his arm was raised and finger pointed directly at you. Oh. This can’t be good.

A chill ran down your spine as he closed the distance between you, your fear rooting you in place when you probably should’ve run. “Where the hell have you been?” He questioned harshly, his finger now wagging in your face. 

“Out with Connie and Peggy. It was a girl’s night.” You lied right through your teeth. 

He stepped closer towards you, his form crowding around you as your back pressed against the wall. You hadn’t realized you had been backing away from him until that moment. “Don’t lie to me!” He shouted in your face. 

You shook your head vigorously, opening your mouth to object when he continued on. 

“You’ve been out an awful lot lately, and someone has been ratting me out.” He spoke in an accusatory tone. 

You shook your head once more. “I’ve been going out with the girls, just like I used to do before mom and dad died.” 

In an instant, Mickey’s hands were wrapped around your throat. His pure strength he had as a retired boxer showed as he lifted you from the ground with his hold. “Then why did one of my men see you chatting up a cop the other night?” 

You gasped for air as he throttled you, your fingers trying desperately to pry his hands away from your neck. You were unsuccessful, and tears began brimming in your eyes. “Cops aren’t my type,” you wheezed out quickly, “I let him down easy.” It was another lie, but you hoped it would be enough to get him to let go. Instead, he only tightened his grip. Your lungs felt as if they were on fire, your last bit of air used to answer him. Tears trailed down your cheeks as your heart hammered in your ears. The corners of your vision were beginning to grow dark as you struggled to breathe.

You could barely see as your uncle regarded you for a few moments, seemingly pondering over whether or not you were telling the truth. Or at least, that’s what you hoped he was pondering, and not whether or not he actually wanted to kill his niece. When he finally released his hold, you crumpled to the floor, your legs unable to hold your weight. Your hands flew to your neck to soothe the pain as you gasped for air, only to immediately break out in a coughing fit. Slowly, you regained your vision, watching as your uncle retreated back into the living room, shouting for his men to find the bug within his home. 

When you felt the coast was clear, and you had enough strength back in your body, you staggered to your feet and made a run for your car. You didn’t bother to look back as you threw her in drive and sped off to the only place you could think of. Jerry’s. 

More tears rolled down your cheeks on the drive over. Pulling into his driveway, you decided to check your reflection in your pocket mirror. What greeted you when you flipped the mirror open made you grimace. Your eyes were red and bleary, streaks of your tears mixed with mascara stained your cheeks, and when you caught a glimpse of the bruising your uncle’s hands left behind….You snapped the mirror shut.  

You rapped on Jerry’s front door, hoping that it wouldn’t take him long to answer. You hoped no one else would have to see you like this, and it was broad daylight afterall. Within moments the door is swung open, revealing the man you had been sleeping with for the past few weeks. He was dressed in gray slacks, but a simple white undershirt. His blue eyes quickly take in your appearance, his expression shifting from one of worry to anger in seconds. 

“Sweetie, what the hell happened to you?! Who did this?” He questioned, his hands reaching out to grasp your arms and pull you closer to him. You didn’t object to his touch, but you didn’t feel like answering his questions right now. You just wanted to be wrapped up in his arms, the only place that you ever felt safe. You shake your head and bury your face into his chest, fresh tears falling down your face. 

He gently guides you further into the house, shutting and locking the door behind him. Now that you were safe behind closed doors, he wrapped his muscular arms around you tightly and held you there for a good while. Your tears soaked through his thin shirt, but he didn’t seem to care. One of his hands rose to rub your back soothingly as he pressed his lips to the top of your head. After your sobs settle into sniffles, he pulls back slightly to place a finger under your chin. He then prompts you to lift your head, and you do so willingly. His free hand ghosts over the handprints that are now bruised into your skin, and he closes his eyes, sucking in a deep, calming, breath. He lowers his forehead to press against yours. 

“Who did this?” He asked once more, this time in a much softer voice.

You sucked in a shaky breath. “Mickey.” 

Jerry’s jaw clenched tightly. “I’ll kill him, I swear to God I’ll kill him.” He moves to take a step away from you as his body shakes with anger. 

You shake your head and reach back out for him, desperate to pull him close again. “No, Jerry, no. Please…I don’t have anywhere to go.” You begged. 

He allowed you to pull him back right where you wanted him. His intense blue eyes stared directly into yours. “You’ll stay right here.” 

“He’ll come after me.” You protested. 

It was Jerry’s turn to shake his head. “No. I’ll protect you. I won’t let anyone hurt you ever again.” His words held so much conviction that you had to believe him, even if his promise seemed impossible. “We’ve got a plan.” 

He was referring to the gangster squad, the ones that planted the bug your uncle had just found out about. You looked a bit unsure of him for a moment. Sure, the gangster squad had done well in thwarting your uncle’s business plans, but as far as you knew, most of their tactics weren’t actually planned out very well. They had mostly been lucky. 

“Even if your squad is successful,” you began. “I’ll always be a target. His enemies, hell even his men that survive, they’ll come after me just because I have his name.” 

Jerry fell quiet for a few moments. His eyes dropped from yours as he seemed to be mulling something over. You searched his face for any inkling of what it may be, but his expression changed to a blank look before you could piece anything together. Your brows furrowed together in worry. “What?” You questioned, not liking the silence he had created. 

His eyes met yours again as he gave a shrug. “Marry me.” 

You blinked a few times as your brain tried to understand what he had said so nonchalantly. He wanted to marry you? You had only known each other for a little over a month. “What?” You asked yet again as your eyes searched for any hint that this may be a joke. 

“Marry me.” He repeats himself. “You won’t have his name anymore, you’ll take mine.” He paused for a beat. “Mrs. (Y/N) Wooters.” He tilts his head to the side as he regards you, a small smile pulling at his lips. “I kinda like the sound of that.” A brow raises as he waits for your response. “What do you say?” 

Your thoughts feel as if they’re traveling through your mind a mile a minute. You hadn’t known this man for long, but already he made you happier than any other man in your life. This might be a rash decision, but maybe, just maybe, he’d keep his promise of keeping you safe. You’d finally be free of your uncle. 

A smile spreads across your face, “Yes.” 

“Yes?” He echoed, sounding as if he was unsure of your response. 

You nodded, “Yes. Yes, I’ll marry you.” 

His smile broke out into a grin as he quickly pressed his lips to yours. It was gentle, as if he was afraid of applying too much pressure due to your injury, but still passionate. His large arms wrapped around your waist and yours wrapped around his neck, ignoring the throbbing pain in your throat. You were just happy to be in his arms, something you’d now get to be in for the rest of your life. 

Jerry broke the kiss first, pulling away from you. “Wait here,” he instructed before disappearing into his home. 

You glanced around at the place you’d now get to call your home as you patiently awaited him to return. When he did return, he had a small box in his hand. You eyed it over curiously as he brought it closer for your inspection. Not giving you a chance to question what it was, he popped it open, revealing an ornate diamond ring. 

“It was my mother’s,” he explained, removing it from the box and taking your left hand in his. He slid it onto your ring finger slowly. It was a perfect fit. 

“Now, it’s yours.” 

#jerry wooters fic #jerry wooters #sgt jerry wooters #jerry wooters x reader #sgt jerry wooters x reader #sgt. jerry wooters x reader #gangster squad #gangster squad fic #ryan gosling #ryan gosling fic #myfics

[wromwood]

It’s the first Thursday night of 2022, so you know what that means! A new episode of CBS Ghosts. Let’s see what “Sam’s Mom” has in store for us.

- Sam is going to Ohio to see if her dead mom is a ghost. She died six years ago at a restaurant from her shellfish allergy. Now THIS is a Ghosts plot I’m excited about. Samantha is using the opportunities of her ghost-seeing gift in a cool way that furthers her own backstory. I don’t think Alison has done anything like this yet.

- “What up, Arrow Guy?” I like these little touches of Jay remembering, acknowledging, and interacting with the ghosts, even if he needs Sam to let him know when they’re around.

- Pete has a crush on Alberta and wants to tell her. He didn’t say anything in the years before, though, because his wife was still alive. I feel like we should have had more build up or hints to this. This kind of feels like it’s coming out of no where. However, I don’t dislike it.

I DO dislike Pete casually calling his wife a “dirty, lying cheater.” It just feels too harsh.

- The restaurant that Sam’s mom died at is called Mojitown. So silly. I also laughed at Jay’s first observation upon entering the restaurant: “Mojitos are Cuban, the menu is Mexican, and that cheeseburger on the wall is playing the ukulele, which is Hawaiian. This place is all over the map.” It connects to his being a chef and it’s super funny.

- Aw, now this is the Jay I want to see: supportive of his wife and reminding her of her accomplishments. At nearly every point in the episode, he’s being so nice to Sam, which feels like a change from how he was characterized in previous episodes. This change is, of course, very welcome.

- It looks like the ghosts’ clubs and group discussions basically died down after the ghosts started watching TV. It even leads to Sassappis blurting out the info on Pete’s crush just to change the subject from Pete’s Meatballs breakdown. This is kinda funny, but it’s also a little sad. It makes them feel less connected now. I don’t feel like this would be true with the BBC ghosts.

- Sam’s mom is indeed at the restaurant! She has two ghost buddies to chat to: Sondra, who died from ordering and eating the “cheese hurricane” that made her heart explode, and Peggy Sue, who died during the 50s when the restaurant was a drive in. I forgot to note how she died, but she has a gaping bloody hole in her torso.

-Sam’s mom’s ghost power is burping up shrimp breath. I feel the same way about this power as I do about Isaac’s fart smell power: unamused.

-I like how Jay is taking part in the conversation between Sam and her mom based on what Sam is saying. He wants to be a part of it and help his wife. And he has a use in the scene that doesn’t involve separate shenanigans.

- Pete lies that he has a ghost girlfriend from the cholera pit downstairs, so he goes down to “recruit” a girlfriend. One of them (Nancy) volunteers because she’s bored from the pit and wants to do more with her afterlife. I like that we get to see some distinct personalities among this mass of ghosts.

- Awww, Jay is talking to the mom while Sam’s away to try and get her to be easier on Sam. I like this side of him!

- Oof. According to Nancy, the cholera pit was harsh. She got sick, was thrown in the “recovery ward”, and then they nailed the door shut.

-The Cheese Hurricane is an appetizer platter for SIX? Jay, why did you eat all of it yourself?? Sam, why didn’t you discourage Jay? You heard the ghost say she died of it!

- The mom ghost lies and pretends to forgive her daughter to try and ascend. This makes me realize I’d be both interested and not interested in seeing these kinds of plots happen in the BBC show. While “trying to pass on” stories can be cool, I feel like I wouldn’t enjoy them if they end in failure. In this episode, it ends in success, so I feel satisfied and my heart has been warmed. But I have the feeling that if the BBC show had “trying to pass on” plots and they didn’t bring in new ghosts to pass on, these plots would need to happen with the main cast. And of course, they can’t succeed until the finale season.

- Jay’s mom is named Champa Arondekar. She’s very supportive and Jay loves her.

- 50s girl Peggy Sue says that Sam’s mom talks about Sam all the time, and that she’s honestly proud of Sam. That’s why she pushes, she just wants Sam to be happy. And Sam hearing and accepting this is what makes the mom ascend! Aw that’s sweet. It’s a little simple, but for a thirty minute episode, I think it’s paced and executed well enough.

- Aww. In one quiet conversation with Pete, Alberta says that when she was alive, maybe she dated cheats and liars because she thought she didn’t deserve better. Pete says he believes that she does, and Alberta calls him the last honest man. I really like this. It shows that Alberta appreciates Pete’s presence in her afterlife, and I love anything that shows the ghosts like each other. Also, it doesn’t suggest Alberta has feelings for Pete (that could be a platonic statement), so the story can go either way. Honestly, I’d be fine with either a romance or no romance, as long as whatever happens feels in character and it ends with these ghosts being happy.

- Awww! After Sam tells Jay that she’s sad because it feels like she doesn’t have a mom all over again, Hetty comes in the room and chides her on leaving the luggage near the door. As she continues giving her criticism, Sam starts smiling. When Hetty asks her why she’s smiling, Sam answers that she just feels very happy all of a sudden. Now this is what CBS Ghosts needs. More examples of the characters bonding and becoming like family.

And that was Sam’s Mom. It’s definitely one of my favorite episodes so far. This show can never escape American sitcom quirkiness, but it’s at least showing heart. I hope to see more like this in the future!

#CBS Ghosts #Ghosts

[flamehairedwritings]

Happiest Season Of All

Characters: Chief Jim Hopper x Female Reader

Rating: M, 18+ ONLY

A/N: Happy Holidays! Phew, it’s been a while. Here is a kind of drabble, and also kind of a sequel to Pain In My Heart? Set the year before S1, there’s no mentions of family, no use of Y/N, and it’s just a gentle, kind of angsty little story.

This story contains broken hearts, swearing, alcohol and embarrassment.

I hope you enjoy and have a lovely week!

Summary: Broken up with just before Christmas? Fantastic. The only thing that can help is returning to your home town, old friends... and an old love.

Masterlist

Please don’t copy, steal or repost my work; credit does not count.

—

23rd December 1982

‘... There'll be parties for hosting, marshmallows for toasting, and carolling out in the snow...’

You quietly hum along absent-mindedly to the cassette someone’s playing from a boombox, gazing out of the window. Usually, you’d have been annoyed but, hey, it’s the holidays.

Besides, you haven’t had much of a chance to get into the festive spirit or mood recently. With the classic Christmas song playing, the train rumbling gently and the twinkling lights in the darkness slowly growing brighter, you’re finally starting to feel it. Inhaling a breath, you lean your temple against the cold glass, your fingers lacing together in your lap as you gaze at the lights.

Hawkins, Indiana. Your hometown.

It’s been a few years since you were here for longer than a weekend but, oh, boy, this year you just need to be here. You’re retreating, you’re not too proud to admit, coming home to lick your wounds and be surrounded by all things familiar, cosy and boring.

You almost laugh. You’d left this place because it was so damn boring and now here you are, craving it. If teenage you could see you now. She’d be giving ‘that’ look which you’re told you still give to this day. 

Ah, well. Time’s a bitch, baby.

The train slows as it pulls into the station and you start to gather your things while a few others around you stand and pull their bags down from the overhead racks. You pull your suitcases down as the train comes to a stop, all three of them, with their different colours and patterns. Pulling on your scarf, coat and rucksack, you haul the suitcases down the aisle as best as you can single-file, muttering under your breath as they catch every few steps against chairs.

The wheels clatter onto the concrete of the cold platform when you step down, one suitcase twisting onto its front and tangling with the others as it nearly falls from your hand. Muttering under your breath again, you right it and continue walking down the platform, two small groups of people reuniting having to part for you. Making eye contact with a grateful smile, you’re relieved you don’t recognise any of them; you’re really not in the mood for your own reunion right now.

“There she is!”

Well, just the one.

A smile spreads across your face as Karen Wheeler trots down the platform in her heeled boots, grinning and her arms open wide. The suitcases drop from your hands as you throw your arms around one another, rocking from side to side slightly.

“Oooh, hello, sweetheart,” Karen murmurs, pressing a big, wet kiss to your cheek.

“Hey, Karrie.”

Your smile lingers, and it’s the first genuine one you’ve had in a while. Karen has worn the same perfume since high school and it puts you at ease instantly. God, you just love her. You talk on the phone every other week and have done since you moved out of Hawkins; she’s been the most consistent friend in your life and you love her with all your damn heart.

“C’mon, give me those, let’s get out of here, it’s freezing...” Pulling back, she takes two of the suitcases from you before you can protest and starts striding down the platform.

You have to do a quick little jog to catch up with her, marvelling, not for the first or even fortieth time, how she can go so quickly in those heels. It’s a short walk to the exit, made shorter by Karen’s pace, and she’s parked right outside. Wonderful. Opening the trunk, you both bundle your suitcases in, tossing your rucksack on top of it, and then do a speedy little walk to the doors, yanking them open.

“Oof, coldest winter we’ve had in years,” Karen shivers dramatically in her seat as she rubs her gloved hands together before buckling her seatbelt.

Buckling your own as she eases out onto the road, you blow out a breath. “Yeah, definitely feels that way.”

“So, how was the journey?”

“Oh, the usual, long but fine. It was a lot emptier than I expected.”

“Well, we keep hearing there’s gonna be a blizzard, so some folks have come home a little earlier.”

“Well, that’s smart.”

“Yeah. Means I keep bumping into people at the store that I wish I could avoid, though, and on the street.” She snorts as she glances at you. “Ugh, I bumped into Peggy Dawnes the other day, remember her? She would not stop talking about her perfect life on her perfect farm with her perfect husband and her perfect kids and her perfect lawn. Well, there were ten bottles of wine in her cart and I know for a fact her mother doesn’t drink and her perfect husband only likes neat whisky, so, there.”

“Oh.”

You cringe internally at your short reply, but you really can’t think of what else to say. Karen glances at you again, pausing. You look over at her and find the sympathy you’ve only been able to hear during the last few weeks. She reaches over and pats your knee gently before returning her hand to the wheel.

“Oh, sweetheart... How are you doing?”

You release a breath, raising your eyebrows slightly. “Better for being here, already. But, y’know...”

She gives you a sympathetic smile as she pats your knee again. “Don’t worry, toots, like I said you can stay as long as you want, it’s no trouble at all.”

You return her smile, relieved that you find you don’t have to force it. “Thank you.”

“No worries.” Her smile widens as she tilts her head. "The kids are looking forward to having you with us, you know how much they love you. It’ll do us all some good.”

You don’t ask about Ted because you know not to.

“I can’t wait to see them, too. How have they been?”

You gaze out of the windshield as she tells you how Nancy and Mike are doing at school and how many words Holly can say now, your eyes flitting from house to house. Decorations are out in full force, as they should be, they’ve probably been up since the 1st of the month, and it makes you smile to see them, remembering how you and Karen would go from house to house when you were younger and rate them out of 10 candy canes.

Ah, the simple life.

She’s still chatting about Mike and his friends when she turns down onto their long drive. It’s lined with various Christmas lawn ornaments, most lit up. Lights line the inside of some of the many windows of the house, too, making it look gorgeous and cosy and warm. A curtain is yanked back suddenly and Mike’s face appears, grinning. He waves frantically and you smile instantly, waving back with your eyebrows raised.

My favourite, funny little kid.

He’s already at the wide open door when Karen parks, still grinning. Unbuckling your seatbelt, you open the door and step out only to have him nearly slam into you before you can straighten, hugging you tightly.

“You’re here!”

You laugh, wrapping your arms around him just as fiercely. “Hey, buddy. You okay?”

“Yeah. C’mon, I wanna show you this book I got...” He’s already out of your arms and waving you towards the door, which Karen is muttering about the heat being let out of.

Chuckling to yourself, you help her with your suitcases and rucksack, feeling vastly different to how you did ten minutes ago; they never fail to raise your spirits. Nancy greets you as you enter, smiling widely and also ready for a hug. You give it gladly and just as fiercely as you had with Mike, asking her how she is. She shrugs and just says “Fine,” with a smile as you remove your shoes and coat, and you marvel at how she’d once been as talkative as Mike when she was younger. You hear the boy himself calling from the basement, telling you he can’t currently find the book but it’s around here someone and you’re gonna love it! You follow Karen up the stairs to the guest room with a wide smile, calling back your thanks to him.

Passing walls lined with family photographs, it’s a short walk down the hall to the room you’ll be staying in for... well, who knows. Karen opens the door with a trilled, “Ta-da!” and you laugh as you take in the sight before you. It’s completely decked out in Christmas decorations; tinsel on every bit of furniture, snow-globes on the window sill, a polar bear stuffed toy on the bed, fairy-lights around the headboard. You’d roll your eyes at the excessiveness of it if it wasn’t so damn sweet.

“Wow, it’s like Santa’s Grotto in here...”

“Eh, close enough, I wanted fake snow on the ground but Ted vetoed that idea pretty quick.”

You snort, hauling the suitcase you’re carrying onto the bench at the end of the bed and dropping your rucksack onto it before sitting on the bed, your fingers running over the blanket Karen’s mother had crocheted. Nancy lingers in the doorway, and after leaning your other suitcases against a chest of drawers, Karen turns to her, making a shooing gesture.

“All right, go on, Nance, us hot young things need to get ready.”

“Ugh, Mom...” Nancy just about manages to stop herself from rolling her eyes as she turns away and heads back down the hall while you stare at Karen.

“Uh... Ready for what? Bed?”

“No,” Karen laughs, and you suddenly notice she’s going through your suitcase on the bench, rifling through and pulling various items out. “We’re going out, to the bar.”

“The bar?”

“Yes, the bar.”

You’re still staring at her. “Where everyone we know goes?”

Karen shrugs, looking at you like it’s the most obvious thing in the world. “Yeah, ‘cause it’s still the only good bar in Hawkins.”

“I thought you wanted to avoid everyone.”

“Eh, yeah, but... y’know, only good bar in Hawkins. And...” Oh, no, she’s looking sheepish, her head bowing slightly as she glances from you to some of your clothes she’s pulled out. “... Uh, we’re kinda having a party here tomorrow, anyway, so...”

“What?”

Her eyebrows shoot up, her hands raising. “It just kinda happened. It’s been years since we’ve had one and Ted and I were talking about it and then I saw Mary-Lou at Mike’s school and I just happened to mention it and she got so excited and then I got excited and it just, it suddenly happened.”

Your lips press together as you exhale a short breath. “Well, they were fun...”

“Yeah, they were, weren’t they?” Karen sits beside you with a nostalgic sigh, shaking her head. “We had some of the best times of our lives at ‘em.”

“Yeah... I remember the one after you gave birth to Nancy, I thought I was gonna have to take you to the hospital.”

“Ha! Thank God my Mom came over to look after her. What about the one where you set fire to the tree?”

“Oh, please don’t remind me, and that wasn’t actually my fault, you know,”

“Ha, yeah, sure, that was great...”

You both sigh together, a smile finding its way onto your lips at all the memories that come flooding back. They had been fun. You hadn’t been able to attend every one over the years but the ones you had had been so great they’d almost made you want to stay in Hawkins. Maybe... Maybe a return to a beloved tradition is exactly what you need.

Turning your head to her, you arch an eyebrow. “You didn’t think to tell me it was happening, though?”

Karen shrugs as she smiles. “I didn’t want you to talk yourself out of enjoying it before it had even happened. Same as tonight.”

“Oh, Karrie...” You huff out a breath. “... You know me too well, it’s so annoying. Ugh, I was so looking forward to just curling up on the couch, drinking and watching some of the classics.”

“I know.” She pats your knee, nudging her shoulder against yours. “And we’re gonna do that the day after Christmas, and every day that you want to while you’re here. But tonight, we’re gonna get fancy and go out and get a little bit drunk. It’s Christmas, c’moooon.”

You just can’t help but smile. “All right. All right! Fine. How long have I got?”

“An hour.”

 “What—”

She’s already on her feet, pointing at you as she heads to the door. “Take a shower while I cook us and the kids something up, and then we’ll get ready. okay?”

You know you have absolutely no choice in the matter. “Okay, fine.”

 “Great!” she beams, reaching for the door handle to close it behind herself. She pauses, though, resting her weight on one foot as she clears her throat. “Oh, and uh... he’s probably gonna be there.”

You don’t have to ask who she’s referring to.

Staring at her, you manage to keep your features expressionless. “Oh. Really?”

“Yeah.” She’s watching you carefully, teeth grazing over her lower lip. “He is nearly every night, apparently, according to Marian.”

Raising your eyebrows slightly, you smile. “Well... maybe he won’t be.”

“Yeah, maybe he won’t be...” She’s still watching you, a gentle smile pulling at her lips. “Shower, toots.”

“Okay, okay...” You wave your hand as she pulls the door closed, hearing her move down the hallway.

The moment you hear her heading down the stairs, you release a long breath, lying back on the bed.

Oh, shit... 

Well.

You stare at the ceiling as the realisation suddenly dawns on you.

I might see Jim Hopper tonight.

James Hopper. Jim. Hopper. Hop. Chief, also now, not that you’ve ever been around to call him that.

You’d been friends since you were kids, best friends actually, at one point closer than you and Karen had been, and then feelings had developed when you'd become teenagers and then you’d taken the leap and had started dating and then...

You’d broken up.

And you’d been the one to initiate it.

And you’d done that because, well... It was because of a lot of little things. Mainly, though, you hadn’t known what route you wanted to take, college or work, you hadn’t even known what you wanted to do, but you knew you wanted to get out of Hawkins. And Hop... hadn’t known what the hell he wanted to do either, but he hadn’t even thought about it. He’d spoken once or twice about joining the military, or just starting a job, too. College hadn’t even crossed his mind. The conversation had come up and, well, it hadn’t ended well. 

In fact, when it ended, that has been the last time you’ve spoken to him. As you’ve returned home over the years you’ve heard he did join the military, fought in Vietnam, came home, married, and lived in New York the same time you had. You’d been heartbroken to hear from Karen that his daughter had died, and he’d divorced and moved back home.

Now, he’s Chief of Hawkins Police and, well, you’d love to avoid seeing him at all costs. There can come a time when, having not seen someone in decades, you can’t even have a casual conversation because all both parties are doing is screaming in their heads.

Well. Like you’d said yourself. He might not be there.

Hey, as Chief of Police this is probably a very busy time of year and he’ll be off doing something.

It’s gonna be fine.

Absolutely fine.

After showering, you throw on some clean, comfy clothes and head downstairs to eat with Karen and the kids.

Holly sits at the table in her highchair, silent as ever, well, being two years old she only knows a handful of words, but she just stares at you as she has done since she was a baby. Mike talks non-stop about school and his friends while Nancy chimes in every now and then to talk about her own friends, saying names of people in her class that you take a moment or two to remember, and to mutter insults at him while he mutters them back.

Karen half-heartedly tells them to stop in between telling you what she might wear, and you somehow manage to keep up with all conversations. Frankly, it’s also quite nice after being surrounded by mostly silence for the last few weeks.

Whipping your plate away from you seconds after you finish, Karen is up and striding to the kitchen, calling over her shoulder.

“C’mon! Let’s get sexy!”

Your lips twitch as Mike and Nancy groan, the only thing they can agree on right now being that their Mom is a complete and utter embarrassment.

She practically shoves you up the stairs, trying to get you to move faster, and from then on the next 30 minutes feels like a whirlwind. She tries on six outfits before settling on her usual favourite, and changes in your room while you rifle through what you’ve brought. Luckily, even though you can’t really remember packing, you’ve brought some of your own favourites, and, after scrambling to find some shoes to go with them, she helps you decide on an old classic.

Gazing at you, her hands on her hips, she beams with delight.

“Well, look at you, huh! Fancy lady!”

You give a twirl as she whoops, and then her arm is looping through yours and she’s practically dragging you towards the door.

“Bye, guys, we’ll be back late!” she calls out, though no one answers, too busy doing their own thing. 

You haven’t seen any sign of Ted and, once again, you know not to ask.

“Late? How late is late?” you ask with an arched eyebrow as she hurries you down the stairs.

“Oh, come on, not that late, we’re not gonna get wasted, we’re not teenagers anymore.”

—

“... God, I hate it...”

The stall door slams against the cubicle wall as you pull it open a little more forcefully than you had intended. Holding it for a moment, you exhale a short breath before moving towards the sinks, only swaying a little. Washing your hands, you glance up at Karen, watching her try to reapply her lipstick as neatly as possible.

“And did you hear Julian is engaged? And Andrea has a new boyfriend? Is it me or is everybody getting into a relationship?”

She snorts, rubbing her lips together. “It’s that time of year, folks hate being lonely at Christmas.”

You scoff, turning the tap off and drying your hands. “Just sleep with people, then, doesn’t mean you have to get into a relationship and hog someone all to yourself.”

She laughs, slipping her lipstick back into her bag before turning to you, a hand on her hip. “Oh, babe... C’mon, let’s find you someone to have meaningless sex with it.”

“Okay.”

The bar has been heaving from the moment you’d arrived. It usually is, but tonight the place is rammed, perhaps because of the time of year, but maybe more because, it turns out, there’s an offer on drinks, it being the holiday season and all, and happy hour has lasted more than one hour. More than two. It’s nearing three now.

Each sip has helped you relax, even as Karen gasps and points out old high school classmates, filling you in on every detail of their lives she’s learned. So far, incredibly gladly, she’s not pointed out a certain Chief.

Returning to your table, which a guy you don’t recognise has been guarding for you, as in literally guarding, he has his hands behind his back and is saying, “Nah, move along, this ain’t free...” to anyone who looks like they’re going to swoop in. At spotting you both, he grins and holds his arms out wide, gesturing at the table.

“All free for you, m’ladies.”

You’re unable to stop a smile because there’s something so weirdly charming about this absolute goofball of a man. He takes a seat beside Karen as you sit, the two of them having been exchanging small talk that verged on flirting. Heck, it was flirting. Sipping from your drink as you watch them, you feel a small, familiar twist in your stomach.

Karen is more like her teenage self when she’s with you, but when you see her with Ted, no longer Teddy as he had been in high school, and the kids, she’s Karen the mom, like she’s caged her personality in and doesn’t quite know how to bring the two parts of herself together. When she’d come to visit you once last year, you’d gone out to a bar and you’d watched her flirt with a couple of the men there. You’d thought it was harmless at first, just a bit of fun for her, she’s a charismatic lady, but then something had changed and, as a guy had held her hand, stroking it, and she hadn’t pulled away, you’d felt a twist in your stomach.

She’s gonna have an affair one day.

The thought had come to you so suddenly and so sharply that you’d shoved it away with all your might, horrified with yourself. No, Karen wouldn’t do that... Would she? Since then, you’d become more and more unsure. You’ve stopped asking about Ted when you talk because she’d just sigh heavily and spend the next ten minutes pointing out every flaw he has, how the romance has gone, how she’s tried and nothing happens. You know she’s unhappy, but you just can’t see her doing it. You hope not, anyway.

Looking away from them, you watch a few people dancing, Christmas music flowing out of the speakers above.

Karen laughs at something the guy says, and in the corner of your eye you see her place a hand on his arm.

“Oh, that’s too funny! You’re really funny... Sorry, what’s your name again?”

The man is unfazed, still grinning. “Callahan. Phil Callahan.”

He says it with such an atrocious Sean Connery accent, making Karen burst out laughing again, and it makes you smile, too.

“Oh, big James Bond fan, huh?” she says, her elbow on the table, chin in her hand.

“Oh, yeah, it’s why I became a cop.”

Your gaze darts to him. “You’re a cop?”

He raises his hands as he laughs. “Yeah, but, hey, you go on and drink as much as you want, I’m off duty now.”

Karen laughs and you make yourself join in, but your heart has started to beat a little faster.

Oh, stop it, he’s not here.

You take a quick sip of your drink again to cover the fact you aren’t laughing anymore, and then Callahan looks up, his grin widening somehow as he waves his hand frantically.

“Hey, boss, over here!”

Boss?

Boss.

The entire room seems to slow down as you turn your head and see a man, who’s stopped for a moment to shake hands with someone, with brown hair and a neatly clipped beard, wearing a brown leather jacket, plaid shirt and jeans, his eyebrows raised—

Oh, God.

Oh, shit.

Oh fucking Lord in the manger.

Callahan is slapping his hand against the vacant seat at the table, that happens to be close to you, practically shouting, “Hop’, here, saved ya a seat!”

You swiftly turn back around, staring at Karen. She’s frozen, staring at you, and for the next three seconds you somehow communicate an entire conversation with just your eyebrows and eyes.

Both of you seem to agree on fuuuuuuck.

You can’t just get up and leave, that would be the most obvious thing in the entire world. What if he doesn’t recognise you? Yeah, maybe you’ll be so incredibly fucking lucky and it’ll be a Christmas miracle and you’ll somehow have just disappeared from his memory.

Swallowing hard as you hear him move past a group behind you with an “Excuse me,” you rest your hands on the table, gripping them together.

“Hey, Callahan, where’s everybody else?”

Oh, his voice has changed. It’s deeper, rougher.

“Oh, well, Powell said he and his wife are gonna come later when he finishes his shift, and Jones, Davids and Williamson are over there, they’ve been waitin’ to get a drink for ages.” Callahan laughs delightedly, and Karen joins in, giving a slightly nervous one.

It draws Hopper’s attention and you don’t dare look up to see his expression but there’s a note of surprise in his tone.

“Karen, hey, you doin’ okay?”

“Yes, thank you.” And then she panics. “We’re just having a night out.” And then she panics more when she realises what she’s said, and that she’s gestured at you, her eyes as wide as her now somewhat manic smile.

Oh. God.

Lifting your head, you automatically smile, your features frozen.

“Hi.”

Hi.

He looks from Karen to you, and you’re suddenly subject to the full force of Jim Hopper’s gaze for the first time in decades.

Oh. God.

You can’t help it; the memories of the last time you saw him flood your mind.

“Hop’, are you even listening to me?”

He swiftly puts down the ball of rubberbands he’d been picking at on your desk, his eyebrows raised as he looks to you.

“Yeah, yeah, course I am.”

Your own eyebrows rise even higher, your hands lifted. “What, then?”

He tilts his head slightly, grazing his teeth over his lower lip. “’What’, what?”

“You weren’t fucking listening—”

“No, I was,” he quickly says at your weary sigh, leaning forward in the chair and resting his elbows on his knees, an easy smile pulling at his lips. “C’mon, just repeat the last part.”

You’d once found this all charming and endearing.

Your hands going to your waist, you exhale another breath before folding your arms, managing to calm yourself.

“What are you gonna do after school?”

Hop’ shrugs, leaning back again. “I don’t know. What are you gonna do?”

It was just the answer you’d feared, and expected. Licking your lips, you glance down at the carpet before steeling yourself and meeting his gaze again.

You can do this.

“I’m thinking of moving.”

He nods, his smile returning. “Okay, where?”

“I don’t know. New York, maybe. There’s jobs there and I have a friend there, I could stay with her for a bit.”

“Or we could get a place together.”

You stare at him, feeling your stomach twist.

“So... you’re, you’re just gonna follow me where I go.”

“Yeah.” His brow dips slightly, the smile still there, though it’s hesitant. “Aren’t girlfriends supposed to be happy when their boyfriends say that?”

“Yeah, but... What do you want to do?”

Hop’ shrugs again. “I don’t know. I know I wanna be with you, though.”

You’d once have quietly swooned at that and given him a fond smile. Now, though... You want more.

“Hop’, I don’t... I don’t wanna be one of those high school couples that just sticks together because they’re together. I want you to actually want this.”

He’s frowning again, confusion starting to set in. “I do.”

You say it quietly. “I don’t think you do.”

He stares at you, all traces of his smile gone. Then, he scoffs, leaning back in his chair a little more as he folds his arms.

“So now you’re tellin’ me what I do and don’t feel?”

“No, I just, I want you to have some drive, some ambition, not just go along with what I say and do.”

“I go along with it because it’s what I want.”

You can feel tears stinging at your eyes but your mind has also been made up.

“I don’t think it is, I just think it’s easy and safe for you.”

“Stop tellin’ me what I’m feelin’!”

His voice raising makes yours, too.

“Am I wrong?”

He looks at you like he has no idea who you are, and for some reason that really pisses you off because you don’t really recognise him anymore, either.

“Why are you pushing me away?!”

“I’m not, I—”

“Where has all this come from, then?!”

“I don’t know if I want this!”

Silence falls.

You swallow thickly as he stares at you, your voice cracking slightly.

“I’m sorry, I’m so sorry, but... y’know, Karrie and Teddy, they... I look at them and at Joyce and Lonnie and they’re so happy, they know what they want, and they can’t wait to get married and settled down, here, but...”

“You don’t want that,” he finishes for you, quietly.

You speak after a moment, your tone matching his. “I don’t.”

“You don’t want me.”

That sends a knife through your heart because honestly? You have no idea. 

Shaking your head, you close your eyes for a moment. “No, yes, I... I don’t know. I care so much about you, but... I just think we’re on different paths.”

His gaze drops as your words linger in the air. Clearing his throat, he glances up at you again.

“What if we just take a break, for a bit. Or I can come up and visit you, in New York.”

He’s just a boy, you suddenly think, your heart breaking.

Biting at your lower lip to stop it from trembling, you give a small shrug. “I think that wouldn’t be fair on us both.”

He nods slowly, his jaw moving, and you’ve never seen him this distant. Raising his eyebrows slightly, he stands.

“Seems you already had this all figured out.”

“No, no, I didn’t, I just don’t want to be unfair to you—”

“Could I have said anything that would have changed your mind?” His quiet words silence you, and you have to stifle a sob.

“... No.”

Hop gazes at you, and after several moments he nods. “Good luck with everything.”

You’d burst into tears the moment he’d left your room. The front door had slammed shut and as you’d sat on your bed and cried and cried you’d heard his car door slam, too. You’d cried for days, going between telling yourself you’d made a huge mistake, and then that you’d done what was best, that he didn’t appreciate you like he used to and it wasn’t your job to fix him and coach him through life and that... yeah, you’d fallen out of love with him.

You hadn’t just lost a boyfriend that day, though, you’d also lost your best friend.

You loved Karen but there was just something different about Hop’, something that made you feel safe and like you could tell him anything and he wouldn’t judge. As you’d moved away and the months had gone on, several triumphs and bad days had happened, and all you’d wanted to do was just pick up the phone to call him and tell him. You’d stopped yourself every time.

Then, at some unremarkable point, you’d just stopped getting that urge, and life had moved on.

Oh, it certainly had moved on.

You stare at him, trying to look without looking. You can still see the face of the teenager you once knew, though with the beard and the lines at the corners of his eyes he’s very much a man now.

God, is he a man.

He was tall when you’d known him, but is he taller now, somehow? Had he had another growth spurt in his twenties? His hands are huge, too, and he’d been confident back then but it had come from cockiness whereas now he just seems quietly so, more sure of himself.

And you have absolutely no idea what he’s thinking. He’s staring at you so expressionlessly that you believe for a moment or two he actually has forgotten you.

Then, he speaks

“Hey. Been a long time.”

Hey. Been. A. Long. Time.

Said like you didn’t once whisper “I love you” to each other and share every single secret you’d ever had.

Then again, all you’d been able to muster up was a ‘Hi’.

You’re still smiling and you don’t know how to stop.

“Yeah, it has.”

“How are you?”

“Fine, thank you, you?”

“Yeah, good. You home for the holidays?”

“Yep.”

He runs his fingers over his mouth as he nods, and oh my God, he’s attractive. Is he, or is it the alcohol?

Wanting to banish the thoughts from your mind and distract yourself, you quickly continue.

“I’m staying with Karen.”

“That’s nice.” It’s said absolutely expressionlessly. “Just ‘till the new year?”

“Uhm, indefinitely. I’m, I’m working, uh, going through, uh, I’m moving, at the moment.”

“Okay. Well, I hope it goes okay.”

Oh my God, he’s winding down the conversation. He’s gonna go.

And you’re still smiling.

“Thank you.”

Nodding, he glances at Callahan. “I’m gonna go and check in with the others, see how they are.”

Callahan just nods once, his gaze flicking from you to Hopper and back again with utter confusion.

Rising, Hopper glances from Karen to you.

“See you around.”

“Yeah, bye, happy holidays,” you answer, Karen possibly unable to speak.

His lips move slightly, possibly into a faint smile. “Yeah, to you, too.”

And then he walks away, heading for the bar. Staring at where he’d just been sat, a slightly strangled sound releases from the back of your throat.

“Oh my God, oh my God...”

Looking to Karen, a whole range of emotions are flashing across her face as she tries to find the most comforting one. She fails.

“Oh, babe, oh God, that was horrible.”

“I know, I just, I forgot how to have a conversation, my voice got so high.”

“It did, I don’t know why you did that.”

“Neither do I, oh my God...” Putting your head in your hands, you then quickly lift it after a moment, pressing your lips together as you raise your hands. “Whatever. It’s fine. Let’s just, please, move past it. It’s over, I got it out the way, it was civilised, it’s done.”

“You’re right, you’re so right, please let’s forget it. Let’s drink.”

“Yes, please.”

You tap your glass against Karen’s as she raises it, and both take a long drink.

Oh, God.

That had been... so uneventful you don’t quite know what to do with yourself. In all the times you’d thought about how this exact moment might go, you’d never thought it would be uneventful. You’d imagined yelling, or crying, sometimes even laughing, but this...

Well. It was really like it had meant nothing at all.

You don’t know why it’s getting to you so much. You broke up with him. Of course he’d have moved on and left it all behind, God, you have as well. You’ve both lived your lives, gone through so many things and come out the other side and... A break up when you were teenagers kind of pales in comparison.

Yeah. It’s all fine. In fact, you know what, you’re relieved. It’s mature. It’s done. That’s it. You don’t have to be best friends with him again, for fuck’s sake.

Lowering your drink, you don’t realise your internal monologue has played out on your face, eyes widening and narrowing. Looking up, you find Karen and Callahan staring at you.

Licking your lips, you shrug. “It’s fine. It’s fine. Who wants another drink?”

You’re out of your seat and heading to the bar before they can respond. Karen sits back in her chair as she blinks, watching you stride away.

“Can someone just please tell me what’s going on?” Callahan bursts out, his hands raised.

“Oh, God, sweetie...” Karen sighs, reaching for her drink again. “... I have no fucking clue.”

—————————————————————————————————

24th December 1982

“Ughhh... Oh, God...”

It’s not your own groaning that wakes you, but that of someone else.

Cracking open an eye, you stare up at the ceiling as the groaning continues.

Uh, my mouth is so dry...

Licking your lips, you turn your head and find Karen on the other side of the bed, her hair bedraggled and spilling across the pillow, mascara halfway down her face, lipstick smeared. Turning her own head, she looks at you and groans again.

“Am I alive?”

“I think so,” you rasp, and she groans mournfully.

“Ughhhh... I don’t even remember how we got home...”

Closing your eyes, you scratch at your forehead, trying to remember yourself.

You’d gone to the bar, drank, drank a lot, maybe danced a little, spoken with your old classmate, Jessica? Justine? and then... Oh, what was his name again...

“Callahan,” you murmur, your throat aching. “Callahan brought us home.”

“Oh, yeah... Didn’t we ask him to turn on his lights?”

Your lips twitch as you recall how you’d both screamed with joy and whooped and cheered as he’d turned on the lights, waving your arms from side to side.

You snort and she glances at you. A laugh escapes you as you think about the absurdity of it all, and then she’s laughing, too, her cackle loud and delighted.

“Oh my God... Ugh, that was fun...” she sighs, her smile lingering.

“Yeah...” you murmur, stretching your legs out.

“We’ll have fun tonight, too.” She pats your hand, exhaling a breath. “If we just... If we just sleep ‘till noon, and then we can start preparing the house... Maybe even two, it won’t take long...”

You hum, closing your eyes, and, yeah, sleeping a little longer does sound like a good idea... Besides, when you’re unconscious, you don’t have to think about a certain embarrassing event that happened... 

Perfect.

You focus on the softness of the bed as Karen snores lightly beside you, already fast asleep... Yeah... the joy of unconsciousness...

—

“... Jingle bell, jingle bell, jingle bell rock... Jingle bells swing and jingle bells ring... Snowin' and blowin' up bushels of fun... Now the jingle hop has begun...”

Adjusting a plate on the table, you straighten and blow out a breath, trying to stifle a yawn.

I really can’t handle a night out anymore.

Brushing your hands together, you turn, surveying the party that’s in full-swing. It’s only a couple of hours in but it’s already a success. People are talking, laughing, dancing, singing, eating, drinking, having a merry old time in general really. You feel more proud than you would have thought as your gaze drifts across the room.

You’d had to shake Karen awake at half one, both of you practically dehydrated and feeling not so fresh. After drinking copious amounts of water, showering, changing and finally eating, realising you were both starving, you’d flown around the house together, tidying, cleaning, cooking up food, putting drinks out and decorating. It had been another whirlwind but a wonderful whirlwind. You’d had so much fun, and hadn’t thought once about The Incident. An hour before the party was due to start, you and Karen had gotten ready, selecting slightly more festive outfits than the ones you’d worn last night.

Now, she’s in the kitchen, laughing at something a neighbour is saying, while Mike and Nancy talk in separate corners with some of their friends who have turned up, and Ted, who’d you’d finally bumped in to and greeted, was sat in his armchair, talking with a guy who looked slightly desperate to get away.

The doorbell chimes and you catch Karen’s eye, waving your hand and mouthing, “I’ll get it,”, as you’ve done so for the last few chimes.

You have to carefully push your way past people on the way to the foyer, which is surprisingly empty. Moving to the door, you grip the handle and pull it open, a smile already on your lips.

“Hey—”

You cut yourself off, pausing as you stare up at the man.

Hopper stares back at you, shoulders slightly hunched from the cold, hands in his pockets.

"Hi,” he says, glancing behind you briefly.

"Hey,” you repeat, your heart pounding.

... Whaaaaaat is he doing here?

As if he’s somehow heard your thought, he clears his throat and raises his eyebrows a little. “Uh, Callahan said we were invited.”

Oh, fuck, yes, you’d forgotten Karen had insisted he come, and you, jokingly, had said, ‘Hey, why not invite Hopper, too?’

Haha. Ha. What a hilarious joke. What a hilarious little joke that Callahan clearly hadn’t taken as a joke so it is now real.

Just as you realise you haven’t answered him, he clears his throat again. “Should I—”

“Oh, no, God, sorry, come in.” Holding the door open, you step back, gesturing with your other hand into the foyer.

He steps in, glancing at the party beyond before he turns to you as you close the door, looking up at him.

You’re staring again.

Swallowing, you point at the stairs. “Uh, coats are up here, I’ll show you.”

Before he can answer, you stride to the steps and ascend, gripping the bannister.

Ooh... Ooh, what’s happening... What am I doing...

You’ve shown the last few people up to where the coats are being kept, just in case you can’t see them out, but this is... This is rather intimate.

You hear him behind you, following you up, and you make yourself exhale a long breath to try and calm your heart.

Be an adult.

The coats are being kept where they usually would at a Wheeler party; the guest room, AKA your room. It’s one of the reasons you’ve been basically escorting people up to it, not wanting them to linger in there or have a stranger possibly go through your things.

Pushing the door open, you step in to the dimly lit room and gesture at the bed that’s piled high with coats, scarves and jackets.

“Just here, leave it anywhere.”

He stands in the doorway, hands back in his pockets.

“I’m actually not stayin’ long, I’ve got a shift soon.”

Your hands drop. “Oh. Okay...” You can’t stop a slight frown from crossing your features. “Why did you come up, then?”

Hopper meets your gaze, his jaw moving minutely. “‘cause I want to talk to you.”

“Oh.”

Oh.

You’re sweating, your fingers flexing by your side.

Okay, here we go, he’s gonna yell at me and tell me everything he’s been holding back, here we go...

Shifting his stance, he leans against the doorframe, his gaze holding yours. “Listen, last night, I... I’m sorry I left so abruptly. That wasn’t, uh... polite of me.”

... Well, that’s not what you’d expected.

Your lips parted, you gaze at him. “Uh, no, no, no, it’s fine, I, I completely get it. It’s, uhm...” You pause, swallowing. Then, you smile faintly, and just say it, your voice dropping slightly. “... It’s weird, isn’t it.”

“Yeah. Fuck, yeah, it is.” He lets out a laugh, and for some reason the sound of it warms you. “I was a little taken aback when I saw you, I was totally unprepared.”

“Oh, me, too.” You exhale a laugh, your smile easing. “I wanted to say so many things but my brain wasn’t quite connected to my mouth.” You laugh again, though it’s more nervous this time, because you know if you don’t say it now, you never will. Your tongue gliding across your lips, you raise your hands a little. “Look, Hop, I...” Fuck, it feels strange saying his name again. “... I’m sorry for how things ended between us.”

Hopper’s already shaking his head before you’ve finished, a slight dip to his brow. “Don’t be. I think it was the kick up the ass I needed, and I knew you were right. Took me a little while to admit that, but, yeah.”

“Still, I could have given us a chance—”

“We were kids,” he cuts you off gently with a light smile, shrugging. “Neither of us knew what we were doin’ or how to handle somethin’ like that.”

You snort. “I still don’t.”

A corner of his mouth lifts a little higher. “Yeah, me, too.” Grazing his teeth over his lower lip, you watch him as he seems to consider something, your cheeks heating slightly at his intense gaze. “... Stop me if I’m, uh, treadin’ where I shouldn’t, but, and I’m just connectin’ the dots here, you said you’re stayin’ in Hawkins indefinitely, is that because something similar has happened?”

You give a faint smile, pointing a finger at him as you raise your eyebrows. “Yeah, you got me. I, uhm...” Here we go... “... I broke up with my fiancé. Or, he broke up with me, actually.” Your smile widens a little more. “Good connecting, you must be a great Chief.”

“Well, I do my best.” He looks sympathetic in a way that is mercifully not pitying. “I’m sorry to hear that.”

“Thanks. I feel like shit every day, but, it was for the best. He was an asshole. I just didn’t want to see it.”

“How come he did the breaking up, then?”

You fold your arms, exhaling a breath. “He met someone else. Didn’t even bother to hide it or save my feelings. Just told me.”

“That sucks.”

“Yeah, it really did.”

“Still,” he nods his head at you, “you seem much better off.”

You feel a little proud at that, because, actually, you feel like a mess. “Thanks. Karen’s letting me stay here until I figure out what I wanna do. I don’t even know if I like my job anymore or if it’s just everything that’s going on making me feel like I hate it, or maybe I have hated it for a while and I just don’t want to admit that to myself either.” You catch yourself from continuing, releasing a sheepish laugh. “I’m sorry, I’m just rambling on now, you can go back down—”

“Nah, it’s okay, I like listenin’ to you.”

He says it so sincerely, holding your gaze, that you don’t quite know what to do. Biting at your lower lip briefly, you look away for a few moments, your fingers twisting together.

“Well... Thank you.”

“You’re welcome.”

You can hear the smile in his tone, so you look up, and God...

You’ve missed that smile.

His expression is so soft, too, so gentle and...

No, no, no, no... No, it’s just because you’re sad and it’s Christmas and—

Clearing his throat, he leans an arm against the chest of drawers beside the door.

“Y’know, I... I’ve thought about you over the years, thought about reachin’ out. I heard from someone years ago that you were in New York and I... I told myself I was gonna look you up but... I just couldn’t bring myself to do it. Didn’t know if you’d even want to see me.”

A smile pulls at your lips, your chest aching slightly. “I think I would have.” Biting at your lower lip again, you take a breath. “... I’ve thought about you, too. Sometimes I think about if I made the biggest mistake of my life in leaving you.”

He blinks, before quickly smiling, shaking his head. “Like I said, we were just kids. We didn’t know any better.”

“I know.”

You’re gazing at each other again, quietly.

Don’t.

Clearing your throat, you make yourself smile. “I’m so sorry, I should have offered you a drink, I—”

“Would you like to go out for a drink?” he asks, so swiftly that it’s as if he’d been waiting to. “So we can catch up properly?”

Staring at him, you feel something quietly ignite within you. He looks somewhat nervous, and for some reason it calms you instantly.

A softer smile returning to your lips, you nod. “I’d like that.”

One corner of his mouth lifts a little higher than the other as he straightens, his hands falling to his sides. “Good. Okay. I’ll call. I gotta head out now, sorry, I just wanted to drop by before my shift.”

He wanted to drop by... to see me.

Trying to contain your smile, you move towards him, heading for the door. “It’s okay, I’ll walk you out.”

“Thanks.”

You head down the hallway and stairs in silence, your heart fluttering wildly. You’re suddenly very aware of your body, and of his right behind you, and oh my God, when was the last time I felt this way?

Pulling the door open, you hold it for him as you smile.

“Well, I hope your shift goes okay.”

“Thanks.”

He’s stood before you, a hand in his pocket, and he doesn’t move.

Then, his other hand moves to rest on your arm gently as he lowers his head and presses a soft kiss to your cheek.

Oh, fuck.

His lips brushing against your skin makes your heart stop and every inch of your skin warm. It’s brief, far too brief, and when he pulls his head back to look at you, you desperately hope you don’t look as flustered as you feel.

Giving a slightly breathless smile, you hold his gaze. “Merry Christmas, Hop’.”

The smile he gives in return has you feeling a way you know you haven’t in years.

“Merry Christmas, sweetheart.”

—————————————————————————————————

Reblogs and comments make my day in a way I can’t describe.

Let me know if you’d like to be tagged or removed in my future work!

Masterlist

Tagged: @herb-welch, @punkpascal @davidkharboursex, @jobean12-blog, @warmbeardsandredwine, @mademoiselle-black, @scrunchinn, @flames-bring-a-ton-of-ash, @divadinag, @star-spangled-man-with-a-plan, @deepsouth, @neganslittlebae, @ashphoenix105, @alahmorah, @daughterofthebrowncoats, @letsby, @tbkc, @kiwiphroot, @ashmely, @sistasarah-sallysaidso, @unicornsandgliiitter, @lucifer-in-leather,  @heyjudeinthesky, @sleepylunarwolf, @ambeazyyy, @countryfire22, @sithlordslut, @mondsafari,  @norcula, @earinafae, @beltzboys2015-blog, @jinxiejenna, @justsimplevicky, @hellosupernaturaldoctor, @ginasellsbooks, @dwarvenbunnyears, @vale0413, @mrslydiaholden, @kimberliinabox, @thoughtsmeander2tumblingblindly, @allylupin, @cant-shake-this-feeling-off, @the-bitch-gotham-deserves, @warriorqueen1991, @thesurestthing, @zuni21798,  @quietlovelovely, @maddieisaboredable, @windinyoursnail, @happy-hopper, @yedi16, @negansdirtygirl22, @slipperywhenwetsstuff, @my-rosegold-soul @madkskillz, @im-not-great-at-making-up-names, @sergeantangel, @bitchinsinclair, @dewy-biitch, @focusonspn, @wearethebrokenones, @sarcasm-is-my-native-tounge, @thatprettymvthafvcka, @pulplorrd, @gifsbysimplysonia, @opalsandlacemain @geordiequeen, @gothackedalready, @ayatimascd, @missaudreyhorney, @chiefharbour, @l0ve-0f-my-life, @saltandroot

Apologies to those Tumblr won’t let me tag!

#jim hopper x reader #jim hopper x you #hopper x reader #chief jim hopper x reader #stranger things fic #hopper x you #my writing #flamehairedwritings #pheeewwww #just a lil something to ease back in

[spideyswifey]

Power Couple: FootballStar!Thomas X Cheerleader!Reader Chapter 1: Practice and Parties

Okay so... this is my first x reader fic and I’m nervous on how this turns out 😬 I just had this idea of Thomas as a high school football star and the reader the cheer captain and they’re just a power couple! Also this was suppose to be like a little imagine, but ya girl ended up writing so much that this is now definitely going to be a series. Anyway without further ado I give you; Power Couple Chapter 1!!!

P.S I was inspired by @daveeddiggsit Wideout series for this. Y’all should go check her out if you haven’t already because her writing is AMAZING! And because of her I have become a simp for a football star thom! 🥺

Word Count: 1.4k

Pairing: FootballStarThom! X CheerCaptain!Reader

Warnings: None for now, as far as I know, but if you see some let me know!

Summary: For Y/N, being the freshman cheer captain definitely had its perks, a cute uniform, a badass squad that’s always got your back, and getting the attention of a certain freshman football team captain. And one day, Thomas Jefferson decides to approach her after practice.

“5, 6, 7, and 8! Whoo! Good job everyone!” Y/N exclaimed to her team as they just finished the last steps of their routine. Their coach nodded in approval, “Yes, now go ahead and rest up for the weekend! I’ll see you all on Monday!” A chorus of “Okays” and “See you coach!” could be heard by the rest of the team.

Y/n had knelt down on the track putting her stuff away in her gym bag, along with a few of her teammates/ friends. Her friends were excitedly chatting about the first football game of the season next Friday. She shared a smile, excited for their first time to cheer in front of a crowd at the freshman game.

“I just hope we get a pretty good turnout,” one of her best friends, Peggy piped up beside her, “Not a lot of people really come to the freshman games.” “Well they will this year once they see the amazing freshman cheer team led by the best captain ever!” Her other best friend, Lafayette, had proclaimed while he nudged her, giving her a cheeky grin. Y/n playfully rolled her eyes at her foreign friend, “C’mon Laf, you give me way to much credit!”

“Nah, he’s right Y/n! You’ve worked your ass off for the captains spot and you’ve earned it, you’ve gotta give yourself some credit at least!” Peggy declared, disagreeing with her friends previous statement. “Ok ok I’ll admit,” Y/n sighed contentedly “It is pretty rewarding to be where I am after practicing till my legs felt like they would fall off!” They all laughed together at her comment, finally standing up to leave the track.

“Speaking of rewards,” Peggy spoke up, a smirk suddenly appearing on her face, “It looks like a certain someone has also noticed your hard work.” Y/n followed Peggys stare, leading her to none other than the freshman football team captain, Thomas Jefferson; who had been caught, not so subtly staring at the three.

Thomas quickly looked away, hurriedly putting the rest of his stuff away, as he had just finished practice himself. He couldn’t help but look at her tho, she exuded confidence in a way that made him attracted to her. The way she smiled while performing a cheer, the way her ponytail bounced while she moved in step, everything about her was captivating to him and he knew right away that he had to at least talk to her, and then hopefully date her. Thomas then zipped up his bag, said a brief goodbye to his teammates, and decided to head over to Y/n’s group.

“No way!” Y/n scoffed, “We were probably just laughing too loud and annoyed him.” It was her friends’ turn to scoff, “Y/n,” Peggy started, “You’re hot girl! Why wouldn’t he be looking at you?” “I agree mom amie, you are a ray of sunshine who’s beauty over flows! Any guy would be foolish not to be attracted to you!” Lafayette concurred with Peggy.

Y/n began to blush at her friends praise, trying to hide the smile growing on her face. “Thanks guys.” Just as they were about to reach the exit, a figure jogging toward them caught Peggys eye. “Oh and look! Thomas Jefferson sure ain’t a fool since he’s coming right over here!” She tried to contain her squeal of excitement. Y/n’s head shot in the direction of Peggys excited gaze. Suddenly she could feel her heartbeat speed up and her hands begin to sweat. Thomas Jefferson was approaching her!

“And I think that’s our cue to go Peggy, Good luck mon amie!” Laf shot her a wink as he and Peggy hurry to leave so they can give Y/n some time alone with Thomas. “I want details later!” Peggy harshly whispered, seeing as Thomas was now in earshot, and quickly left giggling with Lafayette about their best friend.

Thomas stopped right in front of her, quickly doing a once over of her practice outfit. “Uh, hi! It’s Y/n right?” Her eyes widened at the way her name left his lips. “Oh, Yeah hi! Thomas?” She mentally facepalmed, you already know his name idiot!

“Yeah” Thomas gave her a small smile, “Uh, I hope I don’t come off as creepy but, I couldn’t help but notice you practicing.” “Oh?” She questioned, a smirk now appearing on her face, now that he had admitted to watching her, a certain confidence started to ease her nerves. “Uh, yeah. Your moves are pretty good!” Thomas sheepishly complimented her while mentally scolding himself. Dude what is wrong with you? You’re never this nervous!

“Oh, thanks!” She grinned happily, “You’ve got some pretty good moves yourself captain!” She winked. “Oh really?” Thomas asked, “You’ve been watching my moves?” It was now his turn to smirk. Y/n looked down timidly, biting her lip quickly before responding. “Well, I’ve gotta keep tabs on who’s gonna possibly lead us to victory on our first game next Friday, you gonna prove me right?” She challenged. “Oh absolutely!” Thomas beamed. “And when I’m doing so, I hope the cheer squad is able to pump us all up!” He winked. “Oh trust me! We’re more than ready!” Y/n exclaimed. They both shared a laugh, the nerves leaving both of them as they bantered and started walking towards the front of the school together.

“So, listen,” Thomas started, “I’m not sure if you heard, but there’s gonna be a party at my house after the game on Friday, regardless if we win or not, and um I’d like it if you could come.” He looked at her with hope in his eyes. She was just so infatuating and he couldn’t get enough. “Oh, um ok!” She replied bashfully, that blush coming back to her cheeks. “Um my squad can come too right?” “No yeah of course, um everyone’s invited, especially the cheer captain.” He smirked.

Y/n was about to respond when a honk caught her off guard. They both looked in the direction of the sound and saw her older brother Zack, waiting for her in the drivers side. “That’s my ride,” she sighed, not wanting their conversation to end. Thomas nodded defeatedly. “I’ll see you around then?” He asked, hoping this wasn’t the last time they’d get to interact. Y/n smiled, “Definitely!” And with one last burst of conifidence, she took her phone out of her gym bag and placed it in Thomas’s hand. He glanced at her, eyebrows furrowed.

“How else am I gonna get directions to the captains party, hm?” She answered his puzzled gaze with a small giggle. Thomas chuckled and put his number in her phone, then gave her his so she could do the same. They exchanged gleeful glances as y/n started to walk towards her brothers car. Just before she opened the door, she turned to give Thomas one last line, “See you around, Captain!” Thomas chuckled shaking his head, his curls bouncing. “You too, Captain!”

With that Y/n entered the vehicle , hardly containing her smile. “So, who was that?” Her brother eyed her as she sat in the front seat with a goofy grin on her face. “No one.” She replied while trying to hide the smile growing on her face. “Mhm, ok” her brother quipped, deciding to ignore it for now and interrogate her later. Y/n paid no mind to her brother, looking out the window as he drove off towards their house. The alert of a text from her phone brought her out of her daze as she checked to see who it was.

From: Football Captain Thomas 🏈🔥😉

Hey, I just wanted to let you know that it was nice talking to you. 😅 Here’s the address for the party! Hope to see you there, cheer captain 😉

Y/n bit her lip while typing a reply.

Thomas watched as the car took off, the smile never leaving his face. He quickly pulled out his phone to text the girl that has him charmed, while walking towards his moms car as she just pulled up. His mom made small conversation as he sat himself in the front seat. He then felt his phone vibrate.

From: Cheer Captain Y/n 📣😍🔥

It was nice talking to you too! Bring us a victory and we’ll see 😜 Don’t let me down football captain 😉

Thomas beamed as he read the message. If there was any more motivation he needed to win this game, he knew this was it. He was gonna do it so the beautiful captain of the freshman cheer squad would go to his party. And Y/n herself knew either way she would go, if it meant more time with the freshman football captain, she would definitely go to this party.

Looks like being the captain of the team definitely has its perks.

I hope you all liked it! I didn’t even think it would be this long and yet, here we are! 😅 Also what do y’all think about male cheerleader Laf?!? I just had the idea and it wouldn’t go away and honestly I love it!!! Also if you want to be tagged in upcoming chapters just let me know and I’d be more than happy to do so! 😘 Anyway let me know what y’all think! 🥺♥️

-With Love,

Spidey’s Wifey 🕷♥️🖤

#daveed diggs #james madison #thomas jefferson x reader #thomas jefferson fic #thomas jefferson imagine #thomas jefferson #daveed x reader #daveed diggs x reader #daveed imagine #aaron burr #peggy schuyler #lafayatte #power couple

[imagine-avengers]

Biker Part Four- Bucky Barnes Series

4/10 This is part four of my Biker Bucky series. The previous parts can be found on my masterlist, as will the other parts once they come out!

The week seemed to drag on but by Friday Elizabeth was completely settled in. Which is exactly why she had decided that it was finally time to visit her brother and his family. Driving over to Manhattan in Bucky’s truck wasn’t ideal for Elizabeth, as she hadn’t mentioned to her brother that she was in contact with Bucky again. Arriving in Manhattan, Elizabeth showed up at the small café that they had agreed upon.

“Aunt Liz!” Elizabeth heard the voices of the twins that were her brothers children as she entered the café.

“Timothy, Hannah.” Elizabeth grinned at the thirteen-year old’s, before hugging them both. “Gosh I missed you two.” Elizabeth then moved towards the table where her brother Adam and his wife Delilah were sitting. “Adam, Delilah.” Elizabeth hugged Delilah first before turning to her big brother and her eyes immediately filled with tears.

“Stop that, you’re gonna make me cry.” Adam said standing and pulling his sister into a tight hug. “Don’t you dare leave for that long ever again, do you understand me?” Adam pulled away as Elizabeth nodded wiping her tears away. The group sat around the table for an hour chatting before Delilah announced that she had to get the kids to their soccer game, she bid both her husband and his sister goodbye before leaving. “So.” Elizabeth stared at her sad salad in front of her.

“I’ve seen James.” She mentioned. “More than seen, I guess. We’ve talked.” She looked up at her bothers disappointed face. “Don’t look at me like that Adam.” She stated. “You knew damn well that the minute I moved back in four houses away from Steve I’d see James eventually.” She told him as Adam sighed.

“Well I had hoped you’d moved on and wouldn’t continue being involved with a gang that does illegal activities.”

“Adam, the stuck-up lawyer is coming out.” She teased at the fact her brother was a lawyer. “I’m not falling back into my old life Adam.” She told him. “But I do have to accept that I am still in love with James Barnes.” That was the first time since their breakup that Elizabeth admitted that.

“You still love him?” Adam asked as Elizabeth nodded sheepishly. “Lizzie, if you love him, really love him, be with him, hell there wasn’t a week that the man didn’t call me or my office to find out how you were, he clearly still loves you.” Adam stated. “Now, I may not like James Barnes and I never have,”

“That’s because you always lost the fights against him, brother.” Elizabeth grinned as Adam rolled his eyes.

“But he makes you happy and that’s all mom and dad ever wanted.” Adam smiled at his sister. “I have to get back to work, I have a meeting with a client. You need an escort back to the subway?” He asked as the two stood ready to leave.

“Uh no, I drove.” She stated.

“You drove?”

“Yeah, James doesn’t want me taking the subway, so I’m driving his truck as my car basically is totaled.”

“Wait, you’re driving his car?” Adam asked. “Elizabeth, no, you have no clue what he’s been involved in with that,”

“Adam.” Elizabeth cut her brother off. “I guarantee any ‘illegal activity’ is not done in that truck. The only thing even remotely illegal that has happened in that truck was the fact that I lost my virginity in the bed when I was seventeen and we went camping.” She stated causing Adam to groan.

“Lizzie tmi.” He whined causing Elizabeth to laugh.

“Liz.” Elizabeth heard the voice belonging to Clint. Turning with a sigh she nodded to her old friend.

“What’s going on?” Adam asked before Elizabeth could open her mouth. “You wouldn’t just show up here if,” Adam paused when Elizabeth touched her brothers arm.

“What is it Clint?” She asked stepping towards him, knowing the only reason he’d show up in Manhattan would be if something bad had happened. “What happened?” Elizabeth asked grabbing her purse and her coat and kissing her brothers cheek. “I’ll call you alright, love you.” She stated before she and Clint disappeared out the door.

“Nothing happened Liz.” Clint stated as they headed towards her truck. “We need you back in Brooklyn, things are tense with Hydra and it’s best you stay where we can watch you. He doesn’t want you leaving Brooklyn without an escort.”

“So, James sent you to be a babysitter.” She stated as they got to the truck. “You be sure to tell Bucky that you were a good boy, but he can shove it.” She stated before slamming the door of the truck and driving off.

Elizabeth spent the rest of her day angry that Bucky thought she needed to be watched. So, she humored him and stayed in Brooklyn inside her home. She did some cleaning around the house and organized the few medical supplies she had, knowing at some point Bucky or Steve would show up at her door hurt. Before she ventured down the street to visit Peggy. The two talked well past the time the kids went down for bed and up until Steve strolled in around one in the morning, they bid each other goodnight and Steve took her home before heading back to his wife.

Saturday was no different than any other day, Elizabeth sat around the house searching for jobs on the internet. She cleaned her house, cut her back lawn, and even fixed the leaky hose in the backyard before calling it a day and relaxing on the couch with a book. Around one in the afternoon she received a call from Steve letting her know they were having their typical barbeque at Bucky’s place. With a groan, Elizabeth readied herself for the day and took the twenty-minute drive to Bucky’s, walking in well after everyone else had arrived.

The backyard was spacious, you walked in through either the garage that opened to both the driveway and the backyard or through the side gate. In the center was an above ground pool and to the right of it was a small patio area where two separate grills were sat, Clint and Sam manning them. To the left of the pool were a few tables and chairs for everyone to sit at. All around sat the group of bikers, probably thirty to forty, all drinking. There were children running around playing, a group of teens swimming in the pool or playing on their phones, and toddlers playing in the corner where there were some toys set up for them.

“Lizzie!” Steve grinned seeing the girl enter through the side gate holding two cases of beer. “And you brought gifts!” He hugged her before taking the alcohol and passing it off to Thor whom took it and put it in the fridge. “We were afraid you weren’t coming.” He stated grabbing the two cold beers from Thor and handing one to Lizzie before leading her towards where Peggy was sitting on a small couch on the patio talking to Natasha and a few women you didn’t recognize.

“No way to get out of coming Stevie.” Elizabeth teased. “Peggy would have had my ass if I hadn’t shown up here.” She stated as they laughed. “Anyways, I wanted to come.”

“Good good.” He grinned as Elizabeth opened her beer and they neared Peggy, Steve passed Peggy the beer before winking at Elizabeth and disappearing into the crowded backyard.

“Hey gorgeous.” Peggy wiggled her eyebrows at Liz.

“Hey Peg, where are the kids?” She asked falling into the chair across from Peggy and giving a smile to the women around her before taking a drink of her alcohol.

“Sorry, but who are you?” A blonde-haired woman asked as she eyed Elizabeth’s choice in outfit, a white sunflower sundress and white gladiator sandals.

“Elizabeth Smith, and you are?”

“Fiona Gregory. Funny, I’ve never heard of you.” The women sneered as Peggy elbowed her.

“Play nice Fiona, this is Bucky’s girl.” Natasha stated leaning against her own chair. “Besides, she left before you came around. Fiona is with Pietro.” Natasha stated.

“Nice to meet you.” Elizabeth stated glancing around, her eyes unconsciously searching for Bucky.

“He isn’t here yet.” Peggy stated. “Ran out to pick up Becca.” Elizabeth’s head snapped towards Peggy.

“Rebecca is coming?” Elizabeth asked as Peggy nodded.

“Every week.” Fiona stated. “Bucky always goes to get her. You look sick.” Fiona noted as Elizabeth had paled slightly at the mention of Rebecca.

“Rebecca and I aren’t on the best of terms.” Elizabeth stated taking a long drink from her beer.

“What do you mean?” Before Elizabeth could answer Peggy, she was being tackled by Emma and James.

“Aunt Lizzie!” They grinned at her as the others laughed.

“Hey kiddos.”

“Liz Smith.” Rebecca’s voice came from behind. “Thought you weren’t ever coming back.”

“Go play.” Elizabeth ushered her niece and nephew away from her. “Wasn’t planning on it Becs, but things happen.” Elizabeth stood and turned towards the women that was once a sister to her.

“Yeah I heard you got fired. What was it for? Sucking your boss off?” Rebecca asked moving closer to where Elizabeth had been standing.

“You’re hilarious Becca.” Elizabeth said with a deadpan tone. “But as I remember that was actually you.” Rebecca moved towards Elizabeth.

“Rebecca. Enough.” Bucky stated touching his sisters arm before whispering in her ear, she disappeared in the crowd as Bucky stared at Elizabeth before nodding towards the house. The two walked into Bucky’s small living room, still decorated from when the two redecorated months before Elizabeth left.

“You kept them?” She asked scanning the wall of pictures, most of were her and Bucky, others of them and their friends. But the wall was full of memories. “You added some new ones.” She stated, her hand running across one that they had taken after they said their first ‘I love you’ to each other.

“It’s better to hold on to memories when you can’t hold onto a person.” Bucky stated as Elizabeth turned towards him.

“Buck,”

“No, you left for you reasons, I know, trust me.” Bucky stated leaning against the doorway that separated the kitchen and living room.

“You had Clint following me.” She mentioned continuing to look around the room, her eyes stopping at the small painting that hung on the wall, it was of Bucky, Steve, Peggy, and Elizabeth after the boys had taken over the club, Elizabeth had gotten it painted for she and Bucky’s anniversary. “I don’t appreciate it Bucky.”

“I need you safe Liz. There’s been some threats since you came back to town, they know who you are to us.” He told her with a sigh. “Steve and I think it’s best you guys don’t leave Brooklyn.” Bucky moved towards the fridge and grabbed himself a drink.

“You two think it’s best? And whom exactly are you tell me I can’t leave Brooklyn, and how do you plan to stop me?” She asked stepping into the kitchen where Bucky had been drinking his beer.

“I dare you to try leaving Brooklyn, you won’t make it out of city limits.” Bucky told her as Elizabeth smirked.

“And you expect me to stay away from my brother and my family?” She asked. “Adam doesn’t come to Brooklyn anymore, you know that.”

“I don’t care about Adam, Elizabeth!” Bucky’s voice grew before he turned to look at her. “I want you safe, and you can’t be safe where I can’t see you!” Elizabeth took a step away from Bucky as he rose his voice.

“You want me safe, fine. But that’s my family Bucky, my blood, yeah, you guys might be my family but I’m not blocking Adam out of my life because you don’t think it’s safe. If this threat is from Hydra, they know me Buck, they know my family, I won’t be safe if they aren’t.” Elizabeth stated. “Buck you never understood that, you never understood why I had to stand with my family. You of all people know I won’t leave my family behind, not again.”

“You didn’t leave your family behind,”

“No, you pushed them away from me! You pushed him away! You and the damn club! You threatened him,”

“Oh, hold on. Threatened?” Bucky laughed as Elizabeth’s hands were on her waist. “No, your brother borrowed money, he needed to pay it back.”

“And you broke his leg!”

“In my defense that wasn’t necessarily me,”

“No, you just set the order for Clint to do it.” She stated. Their arguing had been heard throughout the yard, thus causing Steve to enter.

“Knock it off!” Steve’s stern voice came up from the sliding glass door. “It wasn’t Bucky’s order for one, it was mine. Your brother, owed us over a hundred grand and was avoiding us.”

“So, you broke his leg? You’re both unbelievable!” She stated throwing her hands up. “If he owed you money you should have come to me about it Steven.”

“Figured you might want to know; he still owes about fifty grand.” Steve stated as Elizabeth groaned.

“I’m leaving, you stop me from leaving Brooklyn and you will never see me again, you got it?” Elizabeth’s eyes landed on Bucky, then Steve. “Stay away from my family, do you understand me, because if you don’t, we’re all done.” Both men nodded before Elizabeth turned and headed out the backdoor and heading towards the truck.

#biker bucky barnes #biker bucky barnes series #bucky barnes imagine #bucky barnes series

[ridiculousn3sswrites]

The Weekend - Student Council Pt. 2

*Lafayette x Reader

*Summary: The weekend approaches and Reader needs to actually see what Alexander’s budget has. A social life is getting in the way of that.

*Warnings: None, I think. Let me know if I missed anything.

*A/N: So, I’m done with my first year of undergrad! I officially declared my major and so much shit has gone on, y’all.

Part One || Part Two || Part Three || Part Four || Part Five || Part Six || Part Seven

**********

You had just finished working on your homework and finally got the chance to pull up Alexander’s budget proposal. As you started reading the first sentence of the introduction to the proposal - which was long winded, in typical Alexander Hamilton fashion - when your phone lit up with a message from Lafayette. You groaned at your boyfriend’s terrible timing, knowing he was there to pick you up. You sincerely hoped that Alexander wouldn’t bug you about reading his proposal or else you just might vote against him in spite. Voting out of spite really just depended on who annoyed you at the time, and in student council that could be anyone.

“You know, I was just about to read Alex’s proposal,” you said as soon as you opened Lafayette’s car door.

“I thought I told you that it could wait for the night, mon amour,” he replied, a brow raised.

“Yeah, yeah, but I don’t know if he’s gonna bring it up or not and I really don’t want him trying to convince me,” you told him.

“I talked to him after school, he promised not to talk about it,” Lafayette reassured you.

“And how often does Alexander actually stick to his promises when it’s against something he wants?” You asked pointedly. Lafayette sat in silence for a second, knowing you were right, before he put the car into reverse and backed out of the driveway. You smirked a little in victory.

“We should go before the others start calling,” Lafayette deflected instead. You had to keep yourself from laughing at the obvious attempt to avoid your question.

“Yeah, that’s what you’re worried about,” you said, still fighting your laughter. Lafayette shot you a warning glance before focusing on the road once again. You placed your hand on top of his, looking at him with a small smile just to make sure he knew you were just teasing. When he responding with a small smile of his own, you took your hand back and decided to check the group chat to see where the others were.

By the time you and Laf got to the movie theater, everyone else was already there, waiting on the two of you. As you walked up to the group, Eliza held out two tickets to you. “Alright, who do I owe money to?” you asked, looking at each person. When you looked at Alexander, it was obvious that he was holding his tongue for once in his life. It looked like he was actually taking his promise to Lafayette seriously, and you appreciated that.

“Don’t worry about it, Laf already Venmoed me. Also, I promise I won’t say anything about the budget proposal, but if you look at it then it really is-”

“Alexander, enough,” Eliza cut him off with a stern look. You and Lafayette exchanged a look - an annoyed Eliza was definitely not one to try even the slightest bit. Alexander immediately put his hands up in surrender, coming to the exact same conclusion you and Laf already had. “Now, we’re going to watch this movie and ignore everything having to do with ASB for the night.”

“I think you spoke too soon, looks like ASB’s coming to us,” Hercules muttered, just barely loud enough for you to catch. You followed his gaze across the lobby and internally groaned at the sight of Burr, Jefferson, and Madison walking towards your group.

“(y/n), what a pleasant coincidence,” Jefferson said as soon as they were within earshot.

“It really isn’t, though,” Alexander decided to speak up. You held up a hand to silence them both before it escalated any more.

“Jefferson, I’m not talking business with anyone tonight if I’m hanging out with my friends. Just like you can act out of pure spite, I can as well,” you told him, the threat clear in your tone. Lafayette wrapped his arm around you then, bringing you back down to a point of near calm.

“Mon ami, she already told you she will have her decision by next week. ASB doesn’t have to take up every waking moment, you know,” Lafayette backed you up.

“Maybe it’s a bit unfair to expect you to have an answer already, but it would do you good to remember our offer,” Jefferson replied, ignoring Laf’s comment. You just rolled your eyes, not in the mood to deal with him. Then again, you were never in the mood to deal with Jefferson.

“Thomas, we need to go. My mom’s gonna be back soon and you know I have to be back before she is,” Madison decided to speak up. You were a little taken aback by that; you didn’t know Madison’s parents were that strict. “(Y/n), sorry to bother you. I hope you all have a good rest of your night.” With that, Madison directed their small group out of the theatre.

“I guess Burr made up his mind,” John said as soon as they were gone. “If he was voting for the budget then he’d be hanging out with us.”

“Do you guys even invite him anywhere these days?” Peggy asked, only to be met with silence.

“Don’t come at us with logic like that,” Angelica replied. “C’mon, let’s go grab our seats.”

**********

After the movie, your group decided to get some food. By the time you got home, it was past midnight and you were exhausted. You were tempted to just pass out and read the proposal in the morning, but you knew that Alexander’s vow of silence ended in the morning. Despite your better judgement, you decided to print out Alexander’s budget proposal and start reading it.

Whenever you read proposals that had to be voted on, you went all out. You read it multiple times, highlighted, took notes, asked questions when you needed clarification, everything that you should do for actual assignments but never did. If you were being honest, so much of your energy went into ASB to the point that you had very little energy to deal with anything outside of it. You looked over to your bedroom door, wondering if you should grab the energy drink you knew was sitting in your fridge. Before you could convince yourself to, you opened your highlighter and started reading Alexander’s budget.

You read it carefully, willing your tired mind to understand his long-winded way of saying things. You made notes in the margins, trying to explain what Alexander meant in your own words for when you reread the proposal. “Why did he write so much? Budgets should just be the numbers, he doesn’t need to explain his reasoning for everything,” you muttered, letting your head fall on your desk with a solid thud. You could feel the exhaustion overtake your body, so you closed your eyes, telling yourself you would take a quick five minute break before going back to reading the proposal.

When you actually woke up, sunlight was starting to stream through your window. You immediately cursed, checking your open highlighter beside you to see if it had dried out overnight. When you saw it hadn’t, you decided to check your notes. The second you turned to the last page you’d worked on, you saw the sloppy, nonsensical handwriting that you knew you had when you were half-asleep. You groaned, knowing that you needed to go through and redo your notes where they stopped making sense. “Okay, let’s do this right,” you said, getting up to get some snacks and water to sustain yourself while you worked.

Even though your mind wasn’t foggy with exhaustion now, Alexander’s verbose way of writing was still one that made you a little annoyed. Sure it sounded nice in the right circumstances, but when you were just trying to read a budget proposal it could get irritating. You had half a mind to just text him and tell him off for having paragraphs of writing for each aspect of the budget instead of the overview for the sections as a whole. As you flipped to the events section of the budget, you found that the budget allotted was a little bit more than in previous years and actually allowed for more wriggle room than the other sections. He was really fighting to get your vote here, and you were slightly surprised about that. Normally Alexander just let his work speak for itself.

By the time you were done going through Alexander’s proposal, it was already beginning to get dark again. You drafted a few questions you still needed to ask about certain aspects before getting ready to text them to Alex, making sure that you understood everything you could about the budget. As you were comparing the questions with your notes to make sure you didn’t miss anything, there was a knock on the door. “Come in,” you called out, not looking up from your work.

“(Y/n), my love, I bring food and my company,” your boyfriend announced himself as he entered your room. “Have you been working on the proposal all day?”

“Hey, Laf. Yeah, I’ve got a few questions I need to ask Alex about some things but I think I’m almost done here,” you told him, spinning in your chair to face him. He was already sprawled out on your bed, a bag of takeout next to him as he looked at you.

“And, what do you think of Alexander’s proposal?” Lafayette asked, sitting up properly.

“It’s all sound, it makes sense, but I still need a little to think about it. That’s kinda why I gotta ask Alex some questions about it,” you replied.

“You can ask Alex whenever, you have his phone number for a reason. Come on and eat with me before the food gets cold.” Laf told you, already taking the containers out of the bag. You knew that you couldn’t argue against his logic, and your current sustenance of pure junk food and water wasn’t enough for you to actually function properly.

“I’ll take thirty minutes and that’s it; I really gotta finish this and make my decision before I have both Jefferson and Alex jumping down my throat about it,” you said, only half-serious as you took the container Laf handed you. You knew you needed to make your decision this weekend, but what was the harm in waiting one more day? You still had Sunday, and it wasn’t like you’d be doing anything else that was important. You could take a break and enjoy dinner with your boyfriend, maybe even watch a movie or something else to relax for a bit. Lafayette seemed to sense your decision to relax, smiling brightly as you sat on the bed beside him.

**********

After you’d eaten, Laf suggested putting on a movie just so he’d have an excuse to hang out with you for a little while longer until he needed to go home. You only made it halfway through the movie before you began fighting to keep your eyes open. You’d been reading Alex’s proposal for hours, working on making sure you’d make the best decision you could, and you didn’t realize just how exhausted you were.

The next thing you knew, Lafayette was gently shaking you awake as the credits rolled on your laptop screen. You weren’t ready to wake up just yet, and made it known as you closed your eyes again and snuggled closer to Laf’s side. “Mon amour, as adorable as you are, I need to go soon,” Lafayette laughed, even though he put his arm around you and just held you there for a few seconds.

“Babe, why does Alex need to write so much? If we had anyone else as Treasurer it wouldn’t take nearly as long for me to do this,” you mumbled, finally opening your eyes and looking up at your boyfriend. You were still exhausted even after your impromptu nap, so you knew you would have to pick up your work again in the morning. On the other hand, you were pretty confident that even if you texted Alex your questions at three in the morning, he would respond, so you were considering just taking another nap.

“You know how Alexander is, he needs to use as many words as possible,” Lafayette replied, holding back another laugh. You couldn’t help the warmth that spread through you at the sight of Lafayette’s small smile. You found him so utterly adorable, and you couldn’t really believe that he cared for you just as much as you cared for him. When he caught you staring, he pressed a quick kiss to your lips. As much as you’d love to properly kiss him, you knew one of your parents would probably be coming in soon to ask when Laf would be going home.

“Do you have to go?” You asked, pressing another kiss to his lips.

“You know your parents would kick me out if I didn’t,” Laf joked. You rolled your eyes but couldn’t help the smile that graced your features. You looked at the time on your laptop, seeing that it was already approaching midnight. “It’s getting pretty late.”

“Yeah, are you gonna head out?” You asked, already untangling yourself from Laf’s embrace.

“I probably should,” Laf told you, getting off of your bed in search of his shoes. Once he found them, you walked him out to his car, Laf and your parents exchanging pleasantries as you passed by them. When you got to his car, Laf immediately took you into his arms, holding you as he leaned against the car. “Tonight was nice, even if I had to convince you to take a break.”

“It was. I didn’t even realize I needed it,” you admitted as you savored the feeling of being in Lafayette’s arms. “I still need to-”

“Get some rest,” Lafayette interrupted you. “I say this in the nicest way possible, but you looked like death. Sleep and send Alex your questions in the morning. You have until Friday to make your decision.”

“I know, I just want to get it over with already,” you said with a sigh. “You’ve already made your decision.”

“I have, but I also know you like making your own decisions,” he replied, pressing a kiss to the top of your head. “I should probably head home.”

“Yeah, I guess you should,” you told him, neither of you quite ready for the night to end. He released you from his embrace, kissing you quickly before unlocking his car.

“Je t’aime, chéri,” he said, opening his door.

“I love you too.” You smiled as you watched him get in his car and pull out of your driveway, waving at you one last time before making his way home. Turning back to walk into your house, you couldn’t help but think that maybe Laf was right about you getting some rest. After all, you did still have until Friday.

**********

Tag List: @snazzydoesthings

Permanent Tag List: @spidey-pal

#lafayette x reader #lafayette imagine #hamilton imagine #reader insert

[sugarfreecapsicle]

country mile - part three

Moodboard by the lovely @sebashtiansatan

bucky barnes x reader southern!au

warnings: nsfw smut in later chapters (will be indicated), ptsd, angst, fluff, lots of pining and details about generic southern united states area, mentions of war

summary:  Even years after coming home, Bucky Barnes still feels out of place in the humid farmlands of southern Georgia. But he’s not the only prodigal to return back home.

if anyone is interested, I do have an (embarrasingly) long spotify playlist I’ve created as I’ve worked on this - let me know if you’d like the link! 

Faces hold memories like scrapbooks - once you choose to look again, everything from the past is so obvious and revisited in mere seconds. Your knees wobble as you stand, hesitant to move to hug him as you had greeted Mrs. Wilson earlier. Bucky holds his ground, Commando slowly getting to his feet and sitting at Bucky’s side. Before you can ask the inevitable how-have-you-been, he’s glaring. 

“What are you doing here?”

You falter for a moment, then find your ground. “It’s good to see you, too, Bucky. I almost forgot what an absolute ass you could be.”

He scoffs as he pulls clattering keys from his back pocket. “Right, I’m the asshole. I’m the one who left in the night without a goodbye.”

You blink, and he’s already at his truck with Commando riding passenger, dirt and gravel pluming behind his tires. Thick summer heat weighs on you like guilt.

The next few hours comprise of cleaning, making your childhood home livable again. Layers of dust caked the flooring, bedding, furniture - and a few phone calls later had set up running water and electricity to the home within a day. Having run into Laura Barton at the general store was fortunate since a call to her husband Clint resulted in his assisting you in checking the perimeter and interior for pests. A thousand thanks later, he insisted on you joining his family for dinner at Wilson’s despite the owner already inviting you over.

“So now you don’t have to worry about picking out a seat or sitting by yourself at the bartop,” he shrugs with a smirk. “Be there at six on the dot.”

You roll your eyes but nod and wave him off as he jogs to his car. With the windows open, the house almost breathed. Dust specks danced in the air, remnants of your hard work in the main living space, the master bedroom and the full bath on the first floor. Day two would be kitchen and the second floor bedrooms and bathroom. 

You begin unpacking your suitcase when the thought of a hot shower is interrupted by the reality of no running water. If anything could be trusted, it’d be that your visit to the restaurant tonight for dinner would put you in a spotlight you didn’t want - which meant that you would be under intense scrutiny including your presentation. 

Knocking at the bright blue door, sweat beads and treads down your back beneath your gray shirt. A curvy redhead answered the door with a quirked eyebrow and matching smirk. 

“Y’know,” she hums, “I almost lost ten bucks to Clint because of you.”

You shrug and smile back. “Sorry to compromise your winning streak. Mind if I borrow your shower?”

She steps out of your way and offers up her main bath - white and beautiful, gold hardware immaculate against the thin rays of setting sun. The entire house, but especially this room, smelled so uniquely of Natasha - sweet summer berries and dark liquor - that you felt the familiar twinge of jealousy creep into your stomach as you undressed and tested the water.

Natasha had been one of your oldest friends in town which wasn’t saying all that much - it appeared that the majority of the remaining citizenry made up almost half of your graduating class at the County High School. Even in school, her door was always open to you as you needed it despite what her alcoholic father barked as a rule.

You smirked at the memory, the water a little metallic against your chapped lips. Maybe a little of Natasha’s unabashed courage could rub off on you, too, just by being here.

On her insistence, you handed over your door key and let her cart over outfits for you to model for her approval on your first night out in town. She certainly had an eye for fashion of the attention-grabbing variety - so you wagered if attention would be focused on you at Wilson’s, you better make it worth your while.

“You coming?” You’re dressed and checking your phone for any missed calls or texts when you notice a lack of Natasha behind you.

“Not tonight,” she calls from the kitchen at the back of the small house. “I’ve got a shift at Peggy’s.”

A small weakness in your confidence wriggles around, but you chin up and wish her a good night before heading out the door. With the sun mostly behind the trees and mountains the majority of the blistering heat had died with the light and took a minute amount of the humidity with it. Crickets and cicadas sang lullabies as your feet crunched against dry grass by the roadway. 

The sound of rollicking blues and jazz pounded from the walls of Wilson’s - a white sided building with a bright cherry red roof that barely contained the tantalizing scents of home cooked food. Patrons laughed and sang and drank inside, some stood outside nursing cigarettes and cigars as they chatted about the events of the day.

Upon entering, the packed room turned and waved in greeting, too many voices calling out at once over one another for you to accurately respond to any. You waved, albeit a little shy, and made your way to the family seating around the back room behind the bar. A lump caught in your throat at the happy family of five sitting at a long table, passing food and laughter around in equal measure. 

It shouldn’t hurt this much.

Clint and Laura wave you over, introducing you to the children one by one. Their oldest Lila is the spitting image of Laura - you, of course, don’t hesitate to tease Clint about her luck - and Cooper the middle child grimaces exactly like his father. And newborn baby Nathaniel coos and flexes his fingers as the table flows in rhythm of familiarity.

Despite their insistence prior you can’t help but feel the odd woman out with them. Lila asks you plenty of questions that keep you involved in conversation, mostly about your tattoos and if they hurt, and Cooper mostly pushes his food from one side of the plate to the other. 

Sam rounds the corner and nearly drops the large tray full of orders in his hand as his smile opens over most of his face. He calls your name, sets the tray down at the visibly wrong table and rushes over to give you a tight hug.

“You show up here and have the nerve to not tell me you’re in town?” he laughs, lifting you from your feet as you stood to hug him. “What kinda home training have you forgotten all the way from Atlanta?”

You flush and tuck hair behind your ear, finding solid ground again with Sam’s calloused hands sitting at the small of your back. He had never been one for personal space - unless you were on his shit list.

“I ran into your mom earlier, so I thought she would’ve told you,” you start with a bite to your lip. “It’s only my first night back.”

He blows air past his lips in a scoff and hugs you again, rocking back and forth from foot to foot. “Well, I’m glad you’re here. This town’s been missin’ somethin’ since you left. More than just Bucky’s common sense.”

You’re dazed at his name, a tight lined smile lingering on your face. “It’s good to be back, Sam. I’d better let you get back to your tables before Thor decides to eat what you left at his table.”

Sam turns abruptly and begins fussing at the gargantuan blonde ex-football star who’s eyeballing the barbecue and banana pudding. You take your seat again and try to resurrect your appetite.

“Who’s Bucky?” Cooper asks, stabbing at his peas. Both Laura and Clint freeze and start at each other, silently communicating a strategy.

“He’s...an old friend,” you cover, chewing into your fresh cornbread. “His parents owned the big farm off Route 27.”

The boy nods and chews slowly as if to ponder your answer. “So why-”

“Coop, your food is gonna get cold if you keep talking,” Clint is quick this time, prepared to stop any further intrusive questions. “No dessert if you don’t clear your plate.”

Eyes roll and he’s sulking again at the minuscule vegetables that remain.

You feel powerful thuds slam against the linoleum floor before you’re able to catch a glimpse of a long haired brunette with a metal arm rushing out of the restaurant, scowling and brooding all the way.

“I..I’ll be back,” you offer to Laura first and then Clint. “I just need some air.”

Rushing past the back door and the screen door that guards the wood from bugs and weather, you manage to get close enough to call after him without drawing too much attention. You’re surprised to watch him slow to a stop a few feet away.

“Lose your appetite?” You ask on approach. He doesn’t move to meet you halfway and hasn’t spun to face you. 

“Nah,” he answers, low and spiteful. “Just didn’t want to sour your homecoming.”

Bucky’s form although fading dark against the pinky-purple sky is taut, tense. 

“Kinda prideful to assume you’d affect it that much.” 

His hair shakes and his shoulders loosen. “You’re still that teenage girl that has no idea what the hell she wants, aren’t you?”

It’s a jab, you know it, but he’s at least facing you now albeit with a glare in his stormy blue eyes. Fireflies dance in the tall grass behind him, leaves passing over and under one another to create their own music.

“I knew what I wanted, Bucky. You’re just bitter it wasn’t you.”

#bucky barnes x reader #bucky barnes x female reader #bucky barnes fic #bucky barnes fanfic #bucky barnes fanfiction #bucky barnes imagine #bucky barnes drabble #bucky barnes fluff #bucky barnes smut #bucky barnes angst #bucky x reader #bucky fluff #bucky fic #bucky fanfic #bucky fan fiction #bucky angst #bucky smut #bucky imagine #bucky drabble #marvel fan fiction #marvel fanfic #marvel fic #marvel angst #marvel smut #marvel fluff #marvel drabble #marvel imagine #my fic

[triscribe]

THERE IS NOW A PART 2

Because my brain refuses to let go of this crossover idea just yet. Enjoy!

-Spiders-

The next time Miles visits, his watch is repaired, and Peter is back in Queens. They swing around together for a while (which is awesome), stop a gang fight (which is even better), and then (best of all), hang out on a rooftop eating take-out pizza. That’s also when Peter finally gets to talk about his own universe in depth, several details of which apparently keep throwing Miles for a loop.

(“Wait, hold on, are you seriously telling me your Iron Man isn’t James Rhodes?”)

It’s a fun night.

To make it even better, before Miles has to go, he and Peter pose together for a selfie taken on the latter’s phone. Said photo is then passed along to Ned, who - after suitably spazzing out - uploads it to the ‘official’ Spider-man twitter account. The caption attached reads: Turns out the multiverse is a Thing, and Other Spidey has much better fashion sense than me!

“You sure you aren’t gonna get in trouble for this?” Miles asks, pressing the right sequence of buttons on his watch to get home.

“Are you kidding? It’s not like anyone pays attention to our stuff - everybody thinks it’s just another cosplay account.”

Well... Peter turned out to be wrong about that, but it didn’t come up until the next day.

-Spiders-

“So it turns out the ‘multiverse is a thing’, huh?”

Wincing, Peter can’t do more than offer his mentor a sheepish grin. “Uhh... I can explain?”

Tony gives him a thoroughly unimpressed look. “Yeah, I think you’d better.”

-Spiders-

Miles visits twice more by himself before Gwen shows up again too. She seems, if not completely at ease, then at least better than when she’d first met Peter. He picks up on how Miles keeps shooting her worried glances, and tries to avoid talking about himself too much.

Which, is pretty easy, because once she starts sharing details he really wants to hear more about Gwen’s universe.

(“Let me get this straight-” he says. “Potts Industries is owned by Pepper, who is Iron Woman, and run by Rhodey, her CEO, and it’s Tony Stark who’s War Machine? What. The Heck.”

“You think that’s cool, I can’t wait to tell you about Jennifer Walters and Peggy Carter.”)

They briefly swing by Peter’s apartment to grab hoodies and sweatpants, in order to enter a grocery store to get a tub of Neapolitan ice cream and a package of plastic spoons. Then it’s back to the rooftops, hurrying to find a good spot to settle and eat before their frozen dessert melts.

“So dude,” Miles says at one point, leaning past Gwen to get another spoonful of chocolate and strawberry. “You have an MJ yet?”

Peter just about chokes. “Do I- gah- what?”

Gwen arches an eyebrow at the other boy. “Did you tell him he was married in other universes?”

“Yeah.”

“Just not to who.”

“Well, I wanted to find out if she was around here yet or not.”

By that point, Peter’s recovered enough to wave his hands in a hold the heck up gesture. “Whoa, wait, does that- are you saying what I think you’re saying?!”

“~MJ and Peter, sittin’ in a tree, K-I-” Whack. “Ow! Gwen!”

“That’s enough outta you, ya dork.”

Apparently, not only were most adult versions of Peter married to MJ, but in some of the universes Gwen had been to, they even had kids.

“May and Ben, of course,” she tells him when Peter starts to ask about their names. “And I’m not saying any more than that, because the details about them really vary from one place to another.”

“That’s... still. Thanks.”

“No prob. So, you wanna come visit one of us next time?”

“Can I?!”

(He can, and he does.)

-Spiders-

After about a month of back and forth visits, Peter is of a mind to think he’s learned all there is to know about his new, alternate-universe friends. Then he meets Officer Jefferson Davis by accident when hanging out with Miles (and boy, listening to his friend put on the ‘deeper so it has to be older, obviously’ voice is flat out hilarious), which leads to talking more about his deceased uncle Aaron.

And of course, that particular name drop is way too big of a coincidence, so Peter does some snooping back home.

The next time his friends drop in, summoned by an semi-emergency beep from the blue button on Peter’s fob, he all but tackles them with his news. “There is a six year old version of Miles in this universe.”

They both stare at him. Then Gwen rips off her mask, revealing the most evil grin Peter has ever seen on anyone. And she aims it right at Miles. “Dude.”

He immediately brings up a hand, index finger pointed directly at her nose. “No.”

“Dude-!”

“Absolutely not-”

“-Miles, we have to-”

“-have to my butt! We so are not-”

(Spoiler alert. They so are.)

“He’s adorable,” Gwen cries, leaning halfway over the fire escape railing to get a better look.

“I don’t care if he’s the cutest to ever cute,” Miles grumbles, “I am not comfortable with spying on my own family.” Nevertheless, he too keeps glancing in through the window, watching younger versions of his parents have dinner with itty-bitty six year old Miles, all three of them chatting and laughing together.

Peter, in the meantime, is pretty proud of himself. “Aw, c’mon, dude, there’s no harm in one peek. And hey! Just think, in another eight to ten years, there could be a second Spider-man in this universe too!” Both the others shoot him wide-eyed looks, and Peter mentally rewinds his words before paling. “That. Um. I could’ve said that better.”

“Yeah, ya could’ve,” Gwen tries to chuckle. “How about, let’s just say, a decade from now you could be mentoring a second Spider-kid. Better?”

“Much, much better.”

-Spiders-

Inevitably, Miles and Gwen have to meet Ned and MJ. And of course, it goes nothing like what Peter anticipated.

To start, the first thirty seconds are just the pair of multiverse travelers starting at Peter’s sort-of girlfriend. “Uhhh, guys?”

Gwen is the first to blink, and she immediately slants her gaze to their fellow Spider. “Um, are you sure this is Mary Jane Watson?”

Then it’s Peter and Ned’s turns to stare, whereas the third member of their trio just raises her eyebrow. “My name’s Michelle Jones.”

Miles frowns. “But, you’re still MJ?”

“I’m still MJ. Around here, I’m the only MJ.”

“...huh.”

Apparently, something Peter had not picked up on during his visits to Miles and Gwen’s respective universes, was the difference in name and appearance between his MJ and those of other Earths.

“I’ve thought about dying my hair red,” she remarks, once the others finish explaining. “But pure caucasian? Overrated.”

Gwen cracks a smile at that. Miles isn’t far behind her, and soon enough the five teens are relaxed and chatting happily.

(“Peter, we have got to get you a Spider-cave. As your Guy in the Chair, I insist.”

“Well, kinda need a backyard, first...”)

“We’re gonna do this again sometime, right.” MJ phrases her question as a statement when Gwen and Miles are getting ready to go, something which causes absolutely none of them to bat an eye.

“Of course we are,” the other girl answers, turning on her watch, before pausing. “Hey, Michelle? You play guitar by any chance?”

Both Peter and Ned’s eyebrows shoot up when their friend shrugs. “I’ve fooled around a bit on my mom’s old one, but not too seriously. Why?”

“Well, if you ever find and have a chance to befriend this world’s Gwen Stacy, you might ask if she plays the drums or not...”

“What happened to ‘every universe is different’, Gwanda?” Miles asks. Gwen then puts a hand to his face and shoves the boy through their portal. “Ack!”

“See ya later, guys.”

The trio call their own goodbyes, and when the portal fades, Peter casts a nervous glance at his friends. “So? What’d you think of them?”

“I meant what I said, Parker,” MJ replies. “We’re doing this again sometime.”

-Spiders-

Meeting his own other, older self is... odd.

“Geez, I do not remember ever being this short,” Mister Parker mutters, looking Peter up and down. “Or well-geared - seriously, is this circuitry-?”

“Um, yeah. My first suit was, well, definitely homemade, and not all that good - but then I met Mister Stark and he made this one for me-”

“Stark? As in Tony Stark?” The man looks surprised. “Is he still alive in your universe?”

And just like that, a wave of cold fear washes over Peter so fast he’s left dizzy and practically shaking. “W-what do you mean?”

“That man drank himself to death years ago; no ‘Iron Man’ where I’m from, unfortunately. Stark Industries didn’t stop making weapons until afterward, when his daughter took over with her clean energy initiatives.” Mister Parker seems to finally notice how pale Peter’s gone. “Hey, kid, do you need to sit down? You don’t look so good...”

He does, in fact, sort of just collapse right there on the rooftop, and his older counterpart winds up needing to call Miles over to take Peter home. Cutting their first meeting short is a shame, because Peter had come with a bunch of questions pre-prepared, but hearing about Tony just kinda... empties all the wind from his sails.

Back in his own universe, he shakily sends Miles away, promising to call for a ride rather than attempt to swing home. And there is something to be said for how clearly out of sorts he sounds right now, because one phone call is all it takes to summon Tony to come get him. A few minutes of waiting later, Iron Man zooms into sight and touches down.

His mentor steps out of the suit, and Peter immediately jumps up to grab him in a hug.

Thankfully, Tony realizes this isn’t the time for questions, and just holds him back for a while, until the trembling stops. “C’mon, kid, let’s get you home.”

-Fin!-

(There is also a Part 3 in the works, which will introduce more Spider fam members from various sources because I feel like it.)

#fan fiction #Marvel Movies #Into the Spiderverse #Peter Parker #Miles Morales #Gwen Stacy #Tony Stark #spider-man #spidey son and iron dad #endgame? what endgame?

[legrandepapillon]

The Not-So-Secret-Santa (pegtha)

Summary: When one has the trademark loudmouths, Thomas Jefferson, Hercules Mulligan, and Alexander Hamilton, in on a game that requires secretiveness… let’s just say, things don’t go as planned. Prompt: Secret Santa Beginning Notes: more christmas gays!

When Angelica Schuyler walked into the coffee shop her group of friends─and little sisters─frequented, she commanded attention. Especially judging from the way a scowl painted her gorgeous features, and her eyes seemed narrowed into thin, angry slits. Now, it may just be James Madison’s imagination playing tricks on him, but the young man is almost a thousand percent sure that the entire─extremely busy, what with it being colder than a well digger’s ass outside─coffee shop goes silent when she enters.

“Angelica!” Eliza says, looking up from where she’d been texting Alexander─who, out of their merry band of friends, was the only one not in attendance─and waving her sister over. “Over here!”

Angelica maneuvers her way through the crowd of people─but not before stopping briefly at the cash register to order a coffee─and joins the group sitting in the back. They’ve somehow managed to crowd themselves into the only booth big enough to fit all twelve of them─and even so, several people have pulled chairs up to the table in order to fit comfortably. Angelica takes a chair from Lafayette─who goes to drape themselves over the laps of Hercules and George─and slams her coffee cup down onto the table.

“Where the hell is Alexander? And Samuel, King and Charles?” she asks with an edge to her voice, noticing the absence of bickering that usually went on between her brother-in-law and his frenemies. None of them were anywhere in sight. “I thought I told you that I need all of you here.”

“Alex got caught up at the station,” Eliza says, pausing to take a sip of coffee. “And those three had to go and meet Charles’ parents for lunch. Sammy just told me to text him whatever you needed to tell us and he’d relay it to the group.”

Sighing at her friends total inability to follow simple instructions, Angelica looks around at the people that were there. Thomas, James and Aaron had all managed to show up─which was a feat in and of itself. For a polyamorous couple, it seemed very rare that anyone managed to catch more than two of them together at a time. There was always one out of the three missing─at work, running errands, out of town.

George was there, as well, which was pretty shocking. He was so busy with being a congressman most of the time that he was hardly ever around─so much so that for the first year of his relationship with Hercules and Lafayette, Angelica had thought it was just those two. She hadn’t even known that George was a part of their romance until she attended a housewarming party for Peggy and accidentally walked in on three of them getting hot and heavy in a closet.

And Peggy. Peggy always seemed to be working at her actual job─she worked at the very cafe that Angelica told them to meet in─or on her youth programs. She─along with John Laurens, who seemed very zoned out on whatever he was doodling on the cafe napkins─was an activist that ran several non-profit charities for youth. Big Brother, Big Sister mentoring guides for LGBTQ+ kids, scholarship programs for inner-city kids and all-girls empowerment summer camp for preteen and teenage girls. The poor woman was so busy with all of these endeavors that it was rare that Angelica and Eliza were able to get together with her, which is why Angelica chose her lunch break during work to meetup with the gang.

“What’s up, Angie? Why’d you need us all here?” Thomas asks, snapping the woman from her reverie. Angelica exhales, looks around at the group one last time before making sure to turn her attention to her sisters.

“Mom and Dad called me last night. They said we won’t be having our annual family Christmas like usual,” she pauses here to gauge her sisters reactions, and is surprised to not find the level of distress that she thought she would. Both girls seem pretty bummed, but not as devastated as she’d expected. “So, I was wondering if the rest of you were busy this Christmas, and if not, if we could plan something for us here. Like a family.”

“Well, my Dad doesn’t want me bringing these two back if I go down to Virginia for Christmas, so I’m pretty freed up,” George says, adding a packet of artificial sweetner to his coffee in an attempt to look bored─though everyone sitting at the booth can tell just how hurt he is at this. “Hercules just has James here and Marie said she can’t go back to France.”

“My grandmother… when I told her I was trans, she uh… she told me that she never wanted to see my face again. However, Adrienne is coming into town. If I celebrate with you all, can she come as well?” Marie asks, leaning her head on the heel of her hand. Angelica waves her hand in dismissal, though she can tell by the way Marie’s eyes light up that she’s made her friend extremely happy.

“That’s absolutely fine, hon. What about you guys?” Angelica nods towards the end of the booth, where Thomas, Aaron and James were chatting quietly amongst themselves. They all look up in confusion─making it obvious to the woman that they hadn’t been paying attention. “Doing anything for Christmas?”

“Well,” Aaron begins. “I usually spend my Christmas’ watching Lifetime movies and eating takeout, so… no. I’m free.”

“Ever since Herc and I’s parents passed, I just spend it doing whatever Hercules does. Why?”

“I’m not going back to Virginia this year, my mother has a new boyfriend and I don’t really feel like being around all that mess.”

“Good. You’re spending the holidays with us. Alright, I’ve got Marie, Thomas, Adrienne, James, Hercules, George, and myself. Eliza, Peggy?” Angelica begins scribbling the names down on a notepad from her purse, formulating a guest list so that she’d know how much cooking she’d need to do for the holiday at hand.

“I’m down, but can I bring Martha? She’s like the Scrooge of Christmas─hates the holidays. I wanna show her true Christmas joy, y’know. It’ll be romantic. Might even get laid.” John audibly groans at how cliche Peggy sounds, before reminding her that she’s talking about his stepsister─so show a little decorum. The woman sticks her tongue out at him, and Angelica laughs at the two before agreeing.

“Well, since Martha is going… John you might as well go,” Eliza says, looking to her boyfriend─who wrinkles his nose. “C’mon. Alex and I are definitely going, and you know you don’t want to go back to South Carolina for Christmas. It’ll be fun! We can do Secret Santa!”

“Ooh, yes!” Marie exclaims, removing her sketchpad from her satchel. She flips to an empty page and begins scribbling everyone’s names down. “Okay… Angelica, let me see your beanie.”

Angelica hands over the hat, eyebrow raised. With careful and precise fingers, Marie rips the paper with the names into small little shreds─each shred of paper holding someone’s name. She folds them in half before dumping them all into the beanie.

“I’m adding Charles, King and Sammy in here… Eliza, you can pick for the three of them and text them who they got,” Marie says, dumping the shreds of paper into the hat and mixing them around. “John, you pick for Alex but don’t look at who he got, alright? Just give him the paper when you see him. Rules for the Secret Santa? You obviously can’t tell the person you’re buying for that it’s you, no going over thirty dollars for materials, no buying gift cards, and you have to make it.”

There’s voices of protest at the last rule, but the look Marie sends the group could rival Angelica’s. It doesn’t, of course, because Angelica is the queen of glaring─but it could.

Marie takes a slip of paper from the hat before passing it to Hercules, who repeats the motion. The beanie goes around the table until it ends with George removing the last piece of paper.

Angelica grins at the name on her piece of paper.  Eliza and Thomas both groan─probably because the people they chose are difficult to shop for. Peggy does a fist pump, John smiles wistfully, James, George and Aaron seem to be indifferent either way, and Hercules gives a smile that says ‘oh, this will be very fun’.

“Who did you get?” John asks his girlfriend, as he, Eliza and Alex push their cart around the crafts shop. They’d all agreed to go shopping for their materials at the same time, in the same place─to save money, and gas. However, the young brunette sitting in the cart is quickly becoming to regret agreeing upon that─seeing as this is the sixth time John has asked her this question, and Alexander had asked twelve times before. Eliza looks up at him with an expression that can only be described as a mixture between ‘offense’ and ‘exhaustion’. “What? I’m just curious!”

“Yeah, and curiosity killed the cat,” she teases, before directing him to turn down the aisle that has yarn. “I’ve already said this, John! I can’t tell you! It’s called a Secret Santa! What if you tell them that I’m the one making their present? Geez, I know you’re a rebel, but it can’t be this hard for you to follow the rules.”

“Wow. You’re really passionate about the do’s and don’ts of Secret Santa, aren’t you?” he asks, as she directs him to put some navy blue yarn in the cart. She nods her head just as Alexander comes bolting towards them with arms full of markers, crayons, colored pencils and pens.

“Alex! You’re supposed to be shopping for materials for your Secret Santa, not thing you like,” Eliza chastises playfully, before squeaking in indignance when he dumps all the materials on her.

“Shut up. I’m making John a poster,” he says.

“Alex!” Eliza whines, and John laughs loudly. Well, at least he could trust that his gift would be made with love.

Lafayette sits cross-legged in the middle of their living room, hands gently maneuvering the clay on the pottery wheel. Their eyes are concentrated on the machine, all of their attention focused on the design of the clay to make the shape they want.

“Laffy, I’m sorry darlin’, but I’m curious. Who in the hell would want a homemade clay pot?” George asks, looking down at them from his spot on the couch. He’d been focused on CNN news, but the gentle whirring of the machine had drawn his attention several minutes ago and the curiosity had been eating at him. Lafayette doesn’t offer a response, simply shrugs their shoulders and continues to gently knead the clay on the wheel. “I can’t think of anyone in our group that would find use for that.”

“Then you’re not thinking hard enough,” they respond calmly, reaching their hand into the opening in order to manipulate the shape even further. George opens his mouth to retort something equally as sassy, but Hercules enters their apartment at that very moment─arms filled to the brim with varying colors of yarn─soft pinks and blues, bright neon greens and yellows… and just as George is confused as to who in their circle of friends would want a flower pot, he is confused as to who would want all those colors clashing together.

“Y’know, mo chroí, you’re an awfully hard person to drum up ideas for,” Hercules says, dumping the materials beside George on the couch to press a kiss to their forehead. Lafayette gives a squeal of annoyance at Hercules having revealed who he was Secret Santa-ing to; and by relation having revealed who Lafayette’s Secret Santa is.

“Herc, mon coeur! It was supposed to be a surprise, non?” they exclaim, finally tearing their eyes away from their pottery. “You’ve ruined it for me!”

“Aw man, I’m sorry, Laf!” Hercules responds, plopping down beside them on the floor. At first George believes he’s being sarcastic, but when his eyes land on his boyfriend’s face, he can tell that he’s genuinely apologetic. It’s cute, how he recognizes the importance of this to Lafayette and respects that. “This Secret Santa thing slipped my mind.”

“Hey, darlin’, the surprise isn’t entirely ruined,” George pipes up, easing down onto the floor with the other to. “You don’t know what he’s going to make. I promise, I’ll help Herc hide whatever he’s making for you, so that you can be surprised on Christmas. Sound good?”

And though Lafayette is still pouting, both men can tell that this considerably makes it better.

“I don’t even know Maria that well!” Thomas exclaims for what seems to be the billionth time since they got who they’d be making presents for, as he scrolls through ideas for gifts on Pinterest. “Why can’t I just buy her something? It’d be so much easier!”

“Firstly, Thomas, the whole point of Secret Santa was for us not to know who you’d be making a present for,” Aaron reprimands, for what seems to be the billionth time in response to Thomas’ complaining. He’s making what seems to be personally designed coffee mugs─using blank templates and markers designed for ceramic art to design them. He’d been pretty good at hiding who his present was for, though Thomas can just barely make out a ‘G’ on one of the mugs. “Secondly, you’re supposed to make it because it’s supposed to come from the heart. These aren’t just our friends, they’re our family, too.”

“That’s lame,” the Virginian huffs, tossing his phone onto the coffee table. He dramatically drapes himself over the armrest of their couch, tossing his arm over his eyes like the drama queen he is. “Why can’t I just pay someone to make something for me?”

“Can I pay someone to kick your ass? Maybe then you’d stop complaining,” Aaron murmurs under his breath, picking up another marker to doodle something on the coffee mug. Surprisingly, he’s met with silence─until his phone chimes with a notification. Curiously, Aaron picks up his phone to read it─finding that it’s from Facebook.

Thomas Jefferson ─ with Maria Reynolds, Angelica Schuyler and 15 others.

Need help coming up with ideas for Maria’s Secret Santa present… anyone care to help out?

“Goddamnit, Thomas, it’s supposed to be a Secret!” James yells from the other room─obviously having got the notification as well. Thomas gives a groan of annoyance at this, probably remembering that tagging the person you’re going to be Secret Santa-ing for is not the smartest idea.

“But keeping it secret is hard!”

“Looks like I won’t have to pay anyone to kick your ass,” Aaron chuckles, setting his phone down and glancing towards his boyfriend. Both Thomas and Aaron’s phones are blowing up with notifications─though neither of them need to check them to see it’s probably their group of friends reprimanding him on sharing who he was supposed to be the Secret Santa for. Thomas quirks an eyebrow, and his lover finishes with, “Angelica is probably going to do it for me.”

By the time Christmas Day rolls around, most of the people in the group participating know who their Secret Santa is─and those that don’t know for sure at least have some sort of inkling. What with loudmouths Alexander Hamilton, Hercules Mulligan and Thomas Jefferson letting everyone know not only who their gifts were for, but who their spouses gifts were for and gossips Peggy and Maria spreading around rumors as to who made presents for who… yeah, the whole idea of the Secret Santa actually being a secret was moot.

And Angelica was quick to let the perpetrators know just how disappointed she was in them for not being able to hold water.

“Well,” she says, after they’ve all retired to her living room following a pretty amazing Christmas dinner. Her eyes travel over their faces─and at least most of the culprits have the decency to look ashamed. “This was supposed to be a Secret Santa, but thanks to a select few that can’t seem to let anyone enjoy anything… you might as well tell you who brought your gift for that it was you. I’ll start.”

Crossing over to the Christmas tree, Angelica removes a small wrapped box and hands it to Peggy’s girlfriend, Martha. “I looked up how to transfer photographs onto wood, and then I got this picture from Peggy. It didn’t come out as good as I thought it would, but I figured you would like it.”

It’s a professionally taken photo─probably taken by Charles who was a photographer. The two women were on the beach, and Martha had her arms draped over Peggy’s shoulders. Peggy’s hand came up in the photo to hold Martha’s, and her head was turned just slightly to the side to press a kiss against her cheek. Martha had that picture posted across all of her social media accounts─it was her profile picture for Instagram, Facebook, Twitter… she’d told Peggy countless times that it was her favorite photograph.

“Aw, Angie, I love it!” Martha exclaims, taking the block of wood from her adopted sister. “Thank you, so much! I’m going to put it up in my office.”

After hugging Angelica in thanks, Martha goes over to the tree to get the present that she made for Peggy. Except, she didn’t make it. It’s a small box, wrapped in gold wrapping paper, and when she presents it to Peggy she drops onto one knee.

Everyone in the room either gasps or goes deathly silent.

“I admit, I cheated,” Martha chuckles, looking up at her girlfriend as she removes the wrapping paper and flips open the lid on the box. The ring inside is gorgeous─and it has two birthstones on it, with a small engraving that no one can really read. “I didn’t make this. I bought it, from George. I um… I’ve been dating you, Peggy, for about two years. When I first met you at John’s birthday party, something told me that I’d need to do anything to keep you in my life forever. From your big heart to your sweet soul… I knew you were the one for me. And day in, day out you prove that to me. So I’ve decided that I need to do something to prove it to you. And this is it. Will you… will you marry me?”

Peggy is speechless. She opens and closes her mouth several times, eyes watering with tears, before finally she throws her arms around her girlfriend─fiancee now─and simply nods her head.

Well, at least some secret presents could be kept.

Translations

mo chroí ─ my heart (Irish)

mon coeur ─ my heart (French)

#marggy #mullwashette #elams #jeffburmads #martha manning #peggy schuyler #martha manning/peggy schuyler #martha manning x peggy schuyler #angelica schuyler #hercules mulligan #george washington #marie-joseph paul yves roch gilbert du motier marquis de lafayette #gilbert du motier marquis de lafayette #marquis de lafayette #george washington x hercules mulligan x gilbert du motier marquis de lafayette #george washington/hercules mulligan/gilbert du motier marquis de lafayette #eliza schuyler #john laurens #alexander hamilton #eliza schuyler x john laurens x alexander hamilton #eliza schuyler/john laurens/alexander hamilton #thomas jefferson #aaron burr #james madison #thomas jefferson x aaron burr x james madison #thomas jefferson/aaron burr/james madison #drabble #boy do i have a queue for you #an idealism

[mind-racket]

Mama Judy.

Coffee.

Every morning, I wake up and go through my usual routine. It varies ever so slightly depending on whether it is a work day or a home day, but one thing remains constant. At some point, there will be a cup of coffee in my hand. And, again, depending on the day, it may be followed up by another shortly after. This was not always the case.

For the longest part of my life, I had zero desire to drink coffee. Well, to be more accurate, I had a DESIRE to drink coffee...I just thought it tasted like shit. The smell...oh...the smell was pure magic. The intense and dark smells from a newly-opened can of Folger’s were amazing. Sometimes I would just pull that plastic lid off and take a whiff. But on any occasion I had to take a sip of brewed coffee, I found it lacking.

I always found myself wanting to EAT the coffee, actually. To me, the intense, rich smell of the ground beans was done a disservice by the liquid product that ended up in the cup after the Mr. Coffee machine was finished with it. It seemed to me that eating the coffee might be the only way to really create the flavors that the smell promised. I can remember telling someone at my Geology field camp that, to me, coffee tasted like it was siphoned off of something that tasted WAY better. I just didn’t know what that something was. That was...until I got a job at a coffee shop. The Kentucky Coffee Company.

I am horrible with remembering years, but I am pretty sure I started there in the summer of 1999. I had just spent three years as a teaching assistant at the University of Kentucky and had started working with my thesis advisor to start a web design company. We only had one real client at the time, and I needed to make some money. Enter my Aunt Judy.

Judy owned the Kentucky Coffee Company, which was located in the Civic Center at Rupp Arena. A few years prior, she had employed my mom there, as well, so I was familiar with it, even if I didn’t really know shit about coffee. Judy said they could teach me to be a barista...and pay me...and that was all I needed to hear.

On my first day there, I explained my feelings about coffee and how I had always found it underwhelming. Judy understood and explained to me that in addition to probably never really having had GOOD coffee, I had probably never tasted coffee that was properly prepared. She talked about water temperatures and extraction and roasts and how most people used WAY too little coffee in their brew.

I also shared my feelings about how it seemed to me that coffee had so much potential, but the product in the cup just didn’t live up to the smell from the ground beans. In response, she explained, and made for me, an espresso. As she made it, she explained how the beans were roasted...how they were ground...and how they were brewed to make this intense drink. As I watched her tamp down the grounds, lock in the handle, and start the brewing process, I was truly fascinated. When I tasted the magic inside the cup, I felt like my quest to taste coffee’s true potential had been fulfilled.

Judy explained to me the different kinds of drinks...we steamed and frothed milk...we made drinks and talked and made more drinks and talked, and by the time Judy and her son Tommy had finished with me, my head was overflowing with knowledge and appreciation of all things coffee. All of this for someone who had walked in that morning thinking that coffee was not at all worthy of the high reputation it held among so many.

The time I was able to work with and for “Mama Judy” was one of the best times I had ever had. My years working for my dad in one of his shoe stores had already given me a new level of appreciation for people who work in customer service positions, but my time at the coffee shop added to that another layer of appreciation for those who own or work in the food service business, an empathy I still feel to this day.

Judy even hired our fledgeling web design company to create a website for their sales division. The company, called Judith Starling Coffee, was one of our earliest creations and was a blast to create with Judy. She had such a flair for marketing and description. And even though I’m not sure how many pounds of coffee ever ended up being sold through that site, she was always so proud of what we worked to create, as was I.

When I heard last week that Judy had had a heart attack and was facing a quadruple bypass surgery, it was shocking news, for sure, and while it was worrisome, I had absolute faith that she would come through it with flying colors. I have always felt like Judy was unstoppable. In addition to her spirit and personality, she NEVER looked her age. If she had lived to be 120, it would not have been surprising to me in the slightest. And I’m sure she wouldn’t have looked a day over 80.

Then, to find out that night that she had passed...I had no real words. Honestly, for a good amount of time, I felt completely numb. It didn’t quite register. It didn’t sink in. Until it did.

There are so many ways Judy touched or influenced my life, and as I started to recount them, the magnitude of just what this world and this family had lost settled deeper and deeper on my heart and mind.

I thought of Tommy and Sandy...her children...who had always been so sweet to me and my family.

I thought of Sandy’s daughter Savannah and how, even though she was only a small child when I worked at the coffee shop, she had carved a special place in my heart that remains to this day.

Of Tommy’s talented son Dawson, who I don’t know nearly as well but who, according to Judy, shared with me a fondness for the Kings of Leon.

Of the nieces and nephews and cousins and the special bonds that they had all formed, some of them stretching all the way back to their days living in David.

And of the brothers and sisters...all of them so loving and so close to each other...a closeness you couldn’t help but see and feel at any of the family gatherings we shared as I grew up.

I recalled those gatherings at her home...the pool...the siblings dancing...the talent shows in the living rooms...the tales being told in the kitchen...and the jokes about hiding the beer from Toby. There was always so much love. There was a bond...visible...tangible...forged between the siblings in that family.

I had witnessed and felt the loss when my granny, their sister, Peggy passed away. My heart was broken for myself and my sister..for our mom...for our aunt Margo...at OUR loss, but the hurt was made deeper by seeing and feeling the loss that her brothers and sisters were trying to manage. Knowing their lives...their history together...much of it told and documented by Judy...it just added to the depth of the loss. That feeling was revisited at learning of Judy’s passing, and my heart is just broken.

The time spent working at the coffee shop was the most extended amount of time I was ever with Judy, but every visit with Judy...every chat...every message...had an impact. She had a presence...a way to capture your attention and leave an impression.

Judy also had a way of making smart seem cool. As someone who grew up in his head quite a bit and spent a lot of time just thinking about things...and feeling a little weird about both of those things...Judy had a way of making it feel not so weird. I always felt like Judy “got” me, and that was a great feeling.

Even in the days after Judy passed away, it has been amazing, and fitting, how many times and in how many ways her influence and memory has been felt.

We were having supper at a Mexican restaurant a few days after Judy passed away, and Beck and I started talking about Mexican food and our memories of it. I know it seems impossible now, but “authentic” Mexican restaurants weren’t always as available as they are now, especially in eastern Kentucky.

That led to me retracing my history with Mexican food. Of course my first memory is simply Old El Paso tacos and burritos that mom used to make. My knowledge of “Mexican” food was that tacos were in a crunchy shell and burritos were in a soft shell AND burritos had a can of refried beans added to the meat mixture. Pretty sophisticated.

After that, there were a few meals at a little Tex-Mex place in Huntington called Fiesta Bravo, and then ultimately...Chi-Chi’s. Chi-Chi’s was probably responsible for about 90% of the “Mexican” food that eastern Kentuckians ate in the 80’s and early 90’s. Chimichangas and fried ice cream. THAT was Mexican food.

As I tried to recall how it was that I ever came to eat authentic Mexican food and where it was, I realized that it was Jalapeno’s in Lexington...a place mom took us to try...a place she knew about because Judy had taken her there while SHE was working for her at her coffee shop. There was even a time years after that when I had gone to meet someone in Lexington and suggested Jalapeno’s as the place to eat. As we were eating, I looked up, and there was Judy having dinner.

A couple of months ago, Beck bought tickets to a Christmas show in Lexington that she thought our nephew might enjoy. It was by the Cirque de Soleil folks, so we figured that, while not exactly a CIRCUS circus, he might still think it was kinda cool.

As it turned out, the show ended up being the day after Judy passed away. As we entered Rupp Arena to wait for the doors to open, it washed over me that there we were in the Civic Center, a place where Judy had devoted a good portion of her life to her business. A place where she had given me a job and life experience and where I had gotten to know her better than I ever had ever imagined I would.

I don’t know if she knew how much I truly enjoyed working there for her. How much I enjoyed the time shared with her and her family, being a part of something that they held so dear. Talking to her...learning from her...I will always remember it fondly.

And as I stood there in Rupp Arena reflecting on her and those days, I started wondering if I was making those kinds of memories with OUR nephew...whether I was doing enough to make him look back fondly on HIS time with ME one day...whether I was being to him at least some version of what Judy was to me. Those are some pretty big shoes to fill, and I know I’ve not quite gotten close to that standard just yet, but I promised myself there that night that I would try harder.

Even as I sit here tonight trying to find the right words to finish this collection of thoughts that I started on over a week ago, I can’t help but feel a connection to Judy. She loved to write, and I always enjoyed reading the words she put together. She had a way of sharing a memory and creating a story that was a pleasure to read, and I will miss not having any more of those stories.

Just one in the list of the many things I will miss about Mama Judy.

[rorypartain904-blog]

Mediation Techniques In Child Protection Situations.

SHANGHAI/HONG KONG (News Agency) - Resigned driver Yao Huiliang used to spend his times trading small-cap Mandarin inventories, attempting to make quick loan on pointy relocations - casino-type behavior usually seen in China's stock markets. However, a lot of lawyers embodying the custodial parent, recommended their clients that they need to not accept to extended visitation as this will be actually distributing something which a judge would certainly not award to a non-residential parent on their own. Several homecare agencies will certainly also place a worker along with your getting older parent for a day or perhaps a couple of hours, to allow you to obtain a rest. Psychological incest occurs when a parent vigorously uses a kid to pack an internal vacuum that the moms and dad is not having accountability for packing. Caring for a getting older moms and dad that stays not far away can be as tiny as bring in an added visit each week, helping with jobs or even driving to a medical professional session. Lovely girls are apt at noting gestures; that is actually a grow older outdated method of reviewing just what the other person wants to say. A parent with much more than one child may provide a wide array from fields to their little ones (a special discipline per youngster) for the exact same wrongdoing creating specialty somewhat tough, overbearing, and frustrating. The Reckon What Does It Cost? I Passion You manual pays attention to the love that a parent as well as youngster reveal for each other. Daily my little girl states she likes going to institution-- that is actually the evidence that Sara has actually prepared a wonderful hue! Baseding upon the legislations that have been actually put in the world today this is actually the right from every parent whether disabled or otherwise to moms and dad their kid. Notice just how the parent will talk to several concerns and also perhaps even redo some to totally comprehend the problem if our experts appear at this interaction method as a viewer. And right here's the kicker, whenever she sees you, she is actually advised from exactly what she no longer has and http://perfectdi3t.info genuinely yearns for down deeper - her biological mother. The law in the UK performs certainly not cease a moms and dad off leaving their kid alone, but this explains that little ones need to certainly not be disregarded or abandoned in a way very likely to induce all of them unnecessary suffering or personal injury to wellness". Nevertheless, the great person is actually refraining this, just what they are doing is making sure everyone else is doing fine And also while people that they enter into exposure to may be other, the outcomes will definitely coincide. Being actually the moms and dad from a stressed adolescent is among the best difficult problems you will definitely ever before face. Single moms and dad dating includes locating a quality individual you like, who likes you, as well as that is comfortable along with your little ones. These parenting chat as well as email areas deliver such a terrific service for expectant moms and dads, particularly when that is their initial child. Hi, Peggy W. Thanks a lot for reading as well as for the 5 star ranking on my Center on being actually a parent. As the plant emerges of dormancy the buddy will certainly start to grow into a brand new branch just as if this is still connected to the parent vegetation, other than that now it is going to increase ethical as well as form the stem from a plant.