orangejekte

Wie a zegt moet ook b zeggen. Abel van Driesten Indie&selective Netherlands RP blog Penned by Pao Est. February 2018

[gedurfde-fortuin]

@nordlige-stjerne from here

Abel shifted in his spot, sighing. He was currently sitting on the dirt, after asking Anneliese to sit and lean against a tree so he could properly tend to her wound. It didn’t matter if the area around them was filled with corpses of the little battalion that had attacked them. He just completely ignored that fact, and the only thing he seemed to care about was his friend’s shoulder.

“I know. I’m sorry, okay? I did not expect you to turn up as fast as you have, when I sent you the letter saying you should come one day. Maybe we should have waited a little bit more.” He frowned as he carefully cleaned the wound. He leaned forward, staying very close to her face, but because he really needed to see properly. During the war, he had received a wound that could have been fatal if it hadn’t missed by mere centimetres, or if it had been deeper. Spain had the courtesy to give him a quite deep scar on the forehead - it was so bad, that a lot of blood had gushed out, and flowed to his eye, staining it red and preventing him from seeing properly. 

Even if it had been a couple weeks ago, he was still wearing bandages around his head and eye, because it seemed that the wound was not healing, for some odd reason. So, because he had one eye covered, he really needed to squint and lean in very close.

“Do not worry about my wounds.” He said, with perhaps a tone that was too serious - almost stern. One of the bullets had brushed past one of his legs - but that wasn’t important at the moment. He would bandage it himself later. “I am fine. Just worried my friend got hit, you know?” The Dutchman added, gazing at her with his healthy eye. 

To be honest, Abel was grateful he had something to focus on, because if he hadn’t, he would probably be staring at the missing parts of her top. How would he not? She was a beautiful woman, and they were quite close, and...

Well. It didn’t matter.

“Look, when we get back to the bastion I will give you two huge glasses of beer, ‘kay? As long as you don’t tell your husband about this. I don’t want to receive angry letters, or a Norwegian ship to come here or whatever. I don’t want to be responsible for this in his eyes. I don’t need any more grudges.” He rolled his eyes as he said that. 

Abel had just finished cleaning the wound with his handkerchief, but he realised he didn’t have any bandages. And so, without hesitating, he reached his arm out and ripped a piece of his white shirt, wrapping it around her shoulder very gently. 

“On our way back, we will have to take another path, probably. We took too long and the tide will have risen by now. We still need to rebuild the dams, so... I’m sorry about that. We had to destroy them to flood the country and drown those Spaniards.” The blond sighed tiredly. Luckily, that strategy had worked, but... had it really been worth it? Probably, but rebuilding the dams, the houses and the fields would probably take an insane amount of work. 

“It might take longer. I wouldn’t count on being back at the bastion until after sundown, probably.”

[dangerousvikings]

[danzai]

my last two brain cells

[nordlige-stjerne]

@gedurfde-fortuin

[gedurfde-fortuin]

@nordlige-stjerne from here

Johanne barely looked up from her spot on the couch where she had her legs crossed, a bag of trash in her lap, an apple and knife in her hands, peeling away, perfect, uncut peels.

“I know babe - I was heartbroken too! Fucking English and their damn language.” She sighed dramatically as she finished another peeled apple and placed in her bowl of peeled ones, only to pick up another one to clear.

“That’s why you should perfect Danish and we can speak it together at home!”

Abel placed a hand on his chest, pretending to be shocked beyond measure at the new information he had received. “Right? Damn Brits! Everybody knows that anything ending in ‘aurus’ should be a dinosaur. Next thing you’re gonna tell me is that dinosaurs had feathers.” He said in a slight sarcastic tone and rolled his eyes dramatically.

He sat down on the couch and kissed her cheek softly, grabbing the spare knife that was resting on the coffee table. And just like that, he started peeling apples with her, even if he didn’t know what they were doing that for. Were they going to make an apple pie? Or were they going to feed them to the animals?

“By the way, I don’t know what you’re talking about. My Danish is good!” Abel groaned. It was true it wasn’t perfect, and that he sometimes still struggled with the pronunciation of certain words (especially if they were long) but... he was close to fluent, he liked to think. “Listen, what if we always speak Danish while we are living here, and when we’re in the Netherlands we always speak Dutch? Forget English. I think it’s a fair pact.”

[gedurfde-fortuin]

bellasognatrice​:

Now it was Chiara’s turn to raise an eyebrow. She leaned her jaw against her hand, watching him with an amused expression. “Don’t bullshit me, Abel. I’ve known you for far too long.” After all, she remembered how he would look at the Dane whenever she was nearby. It was… sweet. Almost like looking at a mirror when she saw Rodrigo.

They were both hopeless, weren’t they?

As he explained she raised an eyebrow before saying softly ‘oooh’. That made sense. This year had been quite insane, after all. “Well, that makes sense. I would have smacked if you were complaining. You have it… well, you have it good.” A girlfriend; moved in with the same girl, a new dog… really, the best sort of life. She tilted her head at the comment, before shaking her head. “Don’t. Funnily enough, my whole bad mood isn’t just because of him.” Who knew - maybe it wasn’t healthy that her world revolved around him. It surely wasn’t. But she just loved him so much, so much so that she couldn’t really help herself.

His final comment made her face flare up and she quickly grabbed a napkin, throwing it in his face. “Shut up!” She huffed and brushed her hair behind her shoulder. “As if I would need it! Has your eyesight gone to shit that you can’t see how pretty I am? I could get someone to - well, someone to satisfy me without using some stupid thing like that. You dick.”

Abel laughed out loud at his friend’s reaction to his question, and he was quite proud that he could tease her so easily and make her flare up like that. It was funny, and even a little bit cute.

“Of course I can see how pretty you are. I am not blind, and that’s why I can also see that you’re a bit lonely.” It may be true that she could get someone to satisfy her - but, because Abel had done the exact same thing in the past, and was one of the people to comfort her after her divorce, that he liked to think that he could read her like a book. Perhaps he was wrong, but he was pretty stubborn about it.

“Hey, come on, don’t be like that.” The Dutchman softly poked her with his elbow. “I have known you for ages too. Are you sure that your ‘whole bad mood isn’t just because of him’?” He asked, gesturing the quotation marks with his fingers.

The blond got a hold of his beer and took a long sip, gently tapping his glass as he thought.

“Look, I know I am not that fond of Rodrigo, but I’m still your friend. You can tell me your troubles, if that helps.” There was a short pause. “Even if they are not related to Rodrigo.” He chuckled.

[gedurfde-fortuin]

@bellasognatrice from here 

Abel initially watched Chiara have her little rant with a brow raised, not understanding where she was coming from. At some point, however, his expression turned into a playful smile, and he had to admit he was extremely tempted to make a comment to mock her with a joke or two. 

“First of all, I hadn’t been pining over her for centuries, okay?” He chuckled, crossing his arms over his chest. It was true he had been attracted to her for a long time before they actually got together, but... Well. Actually, if he did the math, it had been over two hundred years, maybe three. Disbelief washed over his face for a second - had it really been that long already? Damn.

He cleared his throat and looked at Chiara again, brushing off his previous thoughts. 

“I didn’t mean it like that, though. I meant that shit happens as in... I don’t feel like I do much, and yet things happen. I just sit back and watch passively. But I didn’t mean ‘shit’ as in bad things.” He explained himself, hoping he’d be making sense this time. 

“But honestly, Chiara, I don’t want you to feel depressed, yeah? I’m sorry Rodrigo is the way he is.” He actually wasn’t. Abel knew the man pretty well, so he expected him to be fooling around the way he was. That didn’t mean that, regardless of what he felt towards the Spaniard, he didn’t worry about his dear friend. 

To prevent the conversation from going south and get her sadder, Abel thought that maybe a change of topic was in order. So, with a little smirk on his face, he spoke again.

“Say, how’s that birthday gift of yours been working? Did it get your mind off of things a bit, at least?”

[pumkinet]

I barely see fan art of APH Netherlands so him 👀👀

someone better buy his fucking tulips

[gedurfde-fortuin]

Mun vs Muse

Stolen from: @amantebravo​ Tagging: @nordlige-stjerne​ @crackedxtuliphead​

[gedurfde-fortuin]

bellasognatrice‌:

Chiara’s breath got caught in her throat when he proclaimed such a wild notion. To think he’d honestly… believe it, that he’d want her.  He was a dangerous man, all things considered. He was the second-born prince, but not of the same queen. He was more capable, better loved by the court, and of course, he was preferred by her.

He was a dangerous man. A man who could usurp the royal succession line.

Now, wouldn’t that be thrilling?

His affection was sweet, gentle even. Like a proper knight from texts of old. He was Lancelot, and she was Guinevere, a dangerous combination. But, she couldn’t deny her own heart. Not for too long at least. It was a dangerous affliction, to have to listen to one’s heart. In her mind, she knew she should hightail out of there, pretend she doesn’t know what he’s thinking of and do her quiet duty of marrying the world’s most boring person. But her heart, her heart that yearned for more than a boring life, well - it said his name.

“Do you deny danger, my lord?” She asked him, one eyebrow raised. “Or do you intend to keep this a secret, your whole life? Would you be able to do it, without fail?”

Abel’s lips remained sealed as he observed the princess and her beauty. No wonder he had the hots for her, honestly. She was currently the prettiest lady in the court, ever since she had arrived at the castle. Chiara just had... something that made her truly different, and worthy of the attention of the Prince.

“I am aware of the danger, my lady.” His voice was gentle, but it could not be denied that he was excited to have an affair. Having a secret relationship had something exciting to it - perhaps it was the danger of being caught or the adrenaline rush they could feel when someone was just about to discover their secret. It just sounded like an adventure, and he was ready for it. Perhaps it would help him determine if what he was feeling was love or something purely sexual, and a result of his heart’s caprices.

“I certainly plan to keep it a secret, but only for a while. I do not doubt my abilities to keep it hidden for my whole life - but I do believe it would be better to reveal it once the time is right. I do not plan to remain the second heir forever. I wish to become the Crown Prince - and you came here to marry whoever holds that title, no? And I am sure you do not wish to marry Prince Bram. If you do, forgive me but I question your taste.”

He took a step back, his eyes never leaving her face.

“It is up to you to decide whether or not you are willing to embark on this affair with me and risk your reputation in the process.”

[gedurfde-fortuin]

nordlige-stjerne‌:

While Johanne wasn’t the biggest clean freak, she was a tidy person. But unlike Abel, she didn’t freak out when the whole moving process happened as she was just enjoying it somewhat. It was far more stressful to sell her old house in town, but hej. She planned on going to her farm for quite a while.

It was honestly just really nice to make her home fit both of them and his house in the Netherlands too. She quite liked both of their houses as their style was pretty similar, yet slightly different to keep things fresh.

What was the biggest surprise was how bummed she was that he had to go so suddenly to the Netherlands, but hej, what can you do.

And besides, there were still some bits of work she could do with him away. She made a small wooden box that she placed in the living room. She carved both of their dog’s names into it and stained it so it matched the dark wood of her house. It was a nice project to keep her mind away from being apart from her big boy.

When he came home, she was busy filling the box with their toys, just to deal with some of the clutter Abel would probably find stressful.

So, when she heard him come in, her grin brightened and she watched even Kirk go to greet Abel. She got up, dusting herself off, before approaching him. “Welcome home, babe.”

Johanne gasped when she saw the painting and stopped in shock before looking up to him. “No way! Holy shit!” She crouched down a bit so she could see all the details on it. “Oh, fuck! It is my old - the Sea Wolf! Holy fuck -!”

She clapped her hands in excitement and leaned up to quickly kiss him before admiring it again. “Fuck me gently, Abel! How in the hell did you manage all the details?”

The Dutchman’s face immediately lit up and his lips curved into a bright smile. Her reaction had been priceless, and it made him feel tremendously relieved, because she obviously liked her gift, given her face when she first saw it.

“It is the Sea Wolf, yes. I hope I painted it accurately and that my mind didn’t play tricks on me.” He said, looking at it. Next, he placed his hands on her hips and looked at her. Abel absolutely loved when she seemed to glow out of happiness, and her smile was so bright and big it could light up a whole room. 

“Well, it took a really long time to get it right. I lost count of how many hours it took at some point, but... It really took a lot. Whenever there was the tiniest detail or brushstroke I disliked, I threw it away and started from scratch, so...” He confessed, shrugging. It was funny because even if he could be laid-back for some things, he was definitely a perfectionist when it came to art. Perhaps a bit too much. His studio had ended up way too messy because of the drafts and discarded paintings.

“So, do you want me to hang it somewhere? Wait- you will need to frame it first. I didn’t know what kind of frame you wanted, so I will let you choose that. I wasn’t sure if you wanted a really old fashioned and extravagant frame or a minimalistic one.” He joked, squeezing her affectionately. 

“I am so glad you like it, honestly. I only wished I had recorded your reaction, it was cute and hilarious.”

[nordlige-stjerne]

v; after the wreckage.

[gedurfde-fortuin]

nordlige-stjerne‌:

Anneliese was so greatly relieved to hear him give in to her like that. She really was. She was so exhausted that she wasn’t sure if she had it in her heart to be a proper, supportive girlfriend. Part of her just wanted to sleep, just wanted to rest. She felt like she had been fighting for years on end with no rest in sight.

She was glad he offered her rest, so she just nodded at his suggestion. When he laid back down, she brushed her long hair behind her ears, before laying her head on his chest. She pulled the covers to her chin and wrapped one arm around him. Her eyes were half-closed, watching through the window. Grey clouds rolled slowly before the rain poured down.

Like a tiny dam, her eyes overflowed and tears spilt. She didn’t know why she was crying, not really. It was just so hard to always be the one that’s in a good mood, to be the one that always cheers others up. She must have been so stupid to think that she could be loved properly.

She really was an idiot.

Abel had immediately placed his arm around her when she laid next to him, embracing her the best he could, hoping his warmth would bring her some comfort. 

Instead of looking out of the window, like her, he stared down at her and stroked her hair with his free hand. She was so beautiful, and kind, and had always been such a good friend to him. He had wished for this to happen for years - them cuddling after sex, getting closer together, and enjoying each other’s company - but, not like this.

Not with her broken heart.

It didn’t feel right and, even so, Abel didn’t have any regrets. He wondered if he should feel bad because of that, but in the end, he guessed he didn’t have time for that. Like in a couple of occasions in the past, she was his priority at the moment. He wanted to see her golden smile again.

Abel turned his head so he could look at the droplets tap against the window. The sound they made was relaxing, and so he closed his eyes.

 No matter how much he wished to relax too, it seemed he couldn’t do it either. He noticed she was crying - partly because the tears fell on his chest - and looked down at her again, brushing her cheek with his big, warm hand.

“Hey, hey- why are you crying, Anne? There’s no need to cry. You’re here now, with me. Tell me what’s wrong, please.” He pleaded in a whisper, his voice full of worry. Had he even seen her cry, ever?

[coolsistinechapelbroom]

Ned hair is actually grass

Drawing Ned in meme formats is so oddly therapeutic

[gedurfde-fortuin]

Abel was glad they had finally finished moving. The last few weeks had been utter chaos, with boxes full of stuff sitting around the house. And he, being the clean freak he was, got stressed out by all the mess and Johanne had to calm him down on one or two occasions.

But, now that it was over, he could focus on something else that had been stressing him on the side – her Valentine’s day gift. Luckily, he had been able to finish it on time, because he had been working on it for countless hours, even before they had started moving so they could live together. He wanted his gift to be perfect in every way, so the amount of detail he put on it was truly astounding. Abel had decided to gift her a painting, but not just any painting – one he had made himself from the bottom of his heart. Since he had specialized mostly on maritime landscapes, he had decided to paint one of her old ships, from the age in which they started being true allies and friends, sailing swiftly and proudly, its Danish flag flowing in the wind as the vessel dominated the waves. And, on the bottom right, his signature and the date he had completed it on were carefully written.

The painting was so realistic. The texture of the waves, the clouds, and even the wood the ship was made of had taken hours to perfect, and Abel was immensely proud of what he had done, even if he had spent sleepless nights working on it.

He just hoped she’d like it.

Since the painting was in the Netherlands, he had to travel there, telling her something had come up at work. He spent there a couple of days and when he returned to Johanne’s farm, it was already dark outside. Pepijn came to greet him, wagging his tail and jumping around his legs. Sadly, the Dutchman could not pet him at the moment, because he was carrying the painting, that had been carefully wrapped so it could be properly protected.

“Hey, babe?” He called, making his way to the living room. “I’m home again!” Ah, it felt good to say that. His new home was so cosy… Not only because it was a really nice house, but mainly because Johanne was there. Her warmth and her company were things Abel would never get enough of, no matter how many decades pass.

“I brought you something from the Netherlands.” He announced, putting the painting down and making it lean against the wall. It was quite big and unframed, so he had to be careful with it. The man leant in to smooch his girlfriend and smiled. “It’s your gift. Happy valentines day, Jo.”

@nordlige-stjerne

[nordlige-stjerne]

a dream of a white christmas.

[gedurfde-fortuin]

nordlige-stjerne‌:

Johanne chuckled, relieved that he decided to go along. That meant her operation ‘Orange Sheep’ was in full effect.

Once they ate and got into the car, Johanne kept on chatting with him about things that have happened recently, about what she did at work, what she had planned for them (mostly just eat a lot of food and sleep - together and actually sleep), and the like. They haven’t seen each other in a while so, it was really nice to talk to him.

When they got to the farm, she spoke to the farmer who came out to greet them and showed them to the Christmas tree farm they had. There were quite a few of them growing about, and the farmer assured them that they can be rooted out and put into a planter - after all, Johanne tried to be as green as possible, so maybe just keeping the tree inside for a bit, before she plants him in her own farm. Plus, she had the perfect spot for him.

However, the plan Orange Sheep had to start.

So, while they were a bit deeper in, she feigned having to go to the bathroom and told him to keep looking. While he was alone, she hurried inside to the house where the farmer’s wife was eagerly awaiting her.

The two women smiled at each other and they let out the Orange Sheep.

Except it wasn’t a sheep at all, and it quickly rushed out, running about for a few moments, before it noticed Abel and ran up to him. 

It was a fluffy, white dog, with a bright orange ribbon around his neck. Because it was so fluffy, both of the farmers and Johanne affectionately called him Sheep - but it wasn’t his name, they would let Abel decide on it. Johanne had trained the dog a bit - mostly by surrounding him by Abel’s scent (luckily, she had plenty of Abel’s things, so he was used to the scent).

While the dog was pure fluffy whiteness, he did have some marbling. His eyes were mismatched - a black and a blue one, and there was a thin, black patch of fur right above his right eye. Still, the dog was absolutely adorable and the moment he found Abel, he quickly sniffed him around before sitting down, the bright orange bow sitting right over his neck and with a key tied to it. He let out a happy bark, excited to find something that smelled like home.

Johanne came just behind him, a bit flushed from running in the cold and gave Abel a bright grin.

“Merry Christmas, elskede!”

Obviously, Abel did not know about Johanne’s plans, so when she left he just started talking with the farmer, trying his best to pronounce Danish. Even if he had been practising it for more than a year, he still struggled with the pronunciation of some words. 

Because he was distracted talking to the man and looking at the trees to determine which one they would be taking home, he did not see or hear the puppy running up to him until he felt something rub his leg. The Dutchman looked down, utterly confused, wondering what the thing rubbing against his leg could be - until he saw the adorable dog. He actually jumped on the spot, because the last thing he was expecting to see was such a tiny creature.

“Shit!” He exclaimed stepping away, fearing he will step on the dog and crush it. He was so tall, and the dog was so tiny... Seeing it was so happy, Abel decided to pick it up and hold it close, noticing the key. With one arm he held the animal, and with the other, he retrieved the object.

“Merry Christmas?” He asked, confused at first. Then his eyes widened. “Wait- Is this little fellow my present? What about the key?” He had so many questions, but his face lit up with a smile just as the dog licked his cheek. It was easy to tell he was really fond of the white puppy already.

He would ask the questions later, at home.

Holding it close, he hugged Johanne - not too tight though, so the dog wouldn’t suffocate - and pressed his lips against hers in a quick kiss.

“It’s so adorable and so small! Do I get to name it? Do I?”

[nordlige-stjerne]

a dream of a white christmas.

[gedurfde-fortuin]

nordlige-stjerne‌:

Johanne smiled and kissed the top of his head. She really wanted to make him feel better, and at sad times, it really helped to have food, warmth, and a nice person to cuddle up with.  And she hoped she could provide all three for him.

“You mean the world.” She teased him and poked his side lightly. “Now eat a cinnamon bun. I worked really hard on them!” She chuckled to herself and picked one up for herself to eat. Man, she really made good buns.

“So, I was thinking.” She said between bites. “When you rest up, I can drive us over to this farm that has some Christmas trees and we can pick our own tree up there. What do you say?” Man, her plan better work.

“The neighbours are good friends, I always leave them some blackberry jam, so I’m sure they saved the best trees for us.”

Abel let out one of his characteristic chuckles. Johanne could be as cheesy as him sometimes, and it was one of the things he loved the most of her. Another one of those things was her cooking - those buns were truly delicious, and Abel would eat more than one for sure.

“Sounds good.” His voice was slightly muffled, as his mouth was currently busy munching on one of the cinnamon buns. His eyes gave away that he was actually enthusiastic about the idea, reflecting a bit more happiness than when he had arrived in the first place. The blond had never had a real Christmas tree in many years. he always used the same old plastic tree, because his country did not exactly have many spruce trees for sale.

“We can go when we finish eating if you want. I don’t feel that tired, and I would rather go as soon as possible and rest later, instead of doing it the opposite way. So we can rest later without having to get up from the couch, you know?”

[nordlige-stjerne]

a dream of a white christmas.

[gedurfde-fortuin]

nordlige-stjerne‌:

It really broke her heart to see him so crushed. Well, it was to be expected. She was devastated whenever she lost any of her dogs. It was way too hard to deal with, and she loved her puppies so much, just how he loved his bunnies. It was really hard to see him so slow and so down, but she really promised herself to give him the best Christmas imaginable. And then some.

She hugged him close and tight, pressing a soft kiss to his neck before she pulled away from him a little. “Aren’t you a proper sweet talker, hm?” She teased him, before pressing another quick kiss to his cheek. “Merry Christmas, Abel. Come, let’s put your things away. Are you tired? Hungry?”

Her farmhouse was really something. It was one of the homes she designed herself, so it was the place that reflected her the most. The windows were tall and let in a lot of light, it was mostly all an open plan as she liked to have a lot of space to move around, and it was in wonderful, deep brown, almost reddish wood. There were some beautiful images on the walls, pictures of her family, friends, and of course, Abel and her, and the whole house smelt like cinnamon rolls that she made that morning.

She took him upstairs to leave his suitcase in her room. Her room was quite something, with a grand canopy bed with the most expensive and softest mattress around, a smaller fireplace (the one in her living room was much larger), and a TV right above it. Kirk’s bed was close to, as he liked to sleep where it’s warm. She let him unpack in peace, while she went downstairs to make some coffee and plate some of her cinnamon rolls that she worked on all day. She sneakily checked her phone to hear from her neighbours how his present was doing, before hiding it off somewhere.

It won’t be a surprise if he knows what she has in plan for him.

“I’m tired, but I’m alright. Don’t worry about me.” Abel replied, giving her a kiss on the forehead before she could go anywhere.

He really liked the aesthetic of her farmhouse. If he wasn’t in such a sad state, he would make many positive remarks about the style of the house and the furniture, which he really liked. He loved the cosy feeling it all gave off. 

Before going to the bedroom and unpack, he stopped by the pictures of them and looked at them fondly. He even picked one up to look at it better. It was the one they took when they went to a pumpkin patch for together the first time earlier that year. They even carved some of them and his turned out to be very artistic. It wasn’t surprising though. He was an artist after all.

They looked so happy in all the pictures it made Abel smile, too. They were clearly a very good match. Hopefully one day they would take the next step, but who knew.

Before he could entertain himself further, Abel went to the bedroom and unpacked, putting his clothes in the closet. A part of him was excited to stay there for a few days because maybe a change of air would do him good. He felt as if he was going back to his roots, honestly - when he was a child, he was a farmer, and he dedicated himself to that for a very long time. Perhaps that was one of the reasons why he enjoyed taking care of plants and animals as much as he did.

When he was done he went back downstairs, eager to eat some of the cinnamon buns. He was such a sweet tooth, like Lars - but luckily not nearly as much as him. 

“Do we have any plans for today?” Abel asked, noticing there was coffee, too. She knew him so well. “I am fine with anything, even with staying here. You know I like this house.”

[nordlige-stjerne]

a dream of a white christmas.

It was a bad start to Christmas, that’s for sure. Abel sounded so crushed and sad over the phone when he told her about what happened. She offered to just come over to his place, that they can do Christmas there, instead of him coming over to her little farm in Denmark. It was really hard to know that he was on his own for four days.

It really made her think about moving in with him a bit more seriously.

Still, she had a lot to do. She decided not to get the tree, that maybe they could do it together, maybe that would cheer him up a little. But, she did stock up on a lot of food and a lot of beer. Plus, she had a farm to tend to. Luckily, there wasn’t a lot of work right now, what with all that snow and cold getting in the way.

However, she did find the perfect present. She just had to ask the people on the farm next to her to keep him safe.

Like always, he was right on the clock, so when she looked at the clock saying it was ten am, she could hear his tires on her gravel. So, she got up from her couch, throwing her book away on the other side and went to open the door. Abel had barely gotten out of the car, when Kirk decided to run from inside the house to him, sniffing his hands and brushing against his knees to get some good pets from Abel. But the pupper figured it was really cold, so he turned around and bolted inside.

Johanne chuckled and opened her arms to him when she saw him approach the house with his suitcase. “Seems Kirk beat me to be the first one to wish you a merry Christmas, huh Abel?”

@gedurfde-fortuin

[gedurfde-fortuin]

Abel’s heart was shattered. It clearly wasn’t the best Christmas he remembered, and it had just begun. He wondered how worse it could get - and his sadness definitely didn’t help in coming up with terrible outcomes for the holiday.

The Dutchman was hesitant to accept when his girlfriend invited him to spend the holidays in Denmark. He felt way too tired to travel, and the only thing he wanted to do was seclude himself in his own home and look at old pictures he had with his bunny.

He had owned her for so many years, and now she was not there anymore. It was a tiny bunny, white and cream, with what looked to be a heart on her back. Even if she was little, she still occupied a big place in Abel’s heart - but now she was gone.

In the end, Johanne managed to convince him to go to Denmark. He’d get there with his own car, just because he didn’t fancy taking a plane on that occasion. A ferry and some driving would do. It would distract him more than just sitting on an aircraft.

At ten in the morning, the grey Volvo appeared on her driveway and stopped. Abel retrieved his suitcase from the trunk and, right when he was walking towards the house with the intention of greeting Johanne, he was stopped by Kirk. It took him a few seconds to put the suitcase down and pet him - he was being unusually slow that day - and just when he was about to give Kirk a few pats, he bolted towards the house.

Abel sighed, picked up his suitcase again and approached the Dane, giving her a tight hug. He had really missed her. “Looks like it, but it’s not the first one that counts the most. Yours does.” He paused, squeezing her in his arms. “Merry Christmas, Jo.”

[nordlige-stjerne]

v; after the wreckage.

[gedurfde-fortuin]

nordlige-stjerne‌: 

Anneliese didn’t flinch at his anger. After all, she was so used to them at this point that he could be speaking in a level voice and it wouldn’t be a shock. But…

She didn’t like hearing him angry. Not at her, and well, not at all. He was a genuine, real guy. He didn’t deserve this. Swallowing her own sadness, she looked over to him, before breathing a tiny sigh. Perhaps she should have been a man. Things would have been easier.

“Abel.”

She smiled weakly, even though her heart wasn’t fully in it. She took his hand that was between them with both of hers and gently squeezed it. He was right. He was.

“I apologise. I forgot - I was just… probably too much around people who haven’t lived as long as we did and who wasn’t raiding villages when they still had their baby teeth in.” She chuckled softly and gently squeezed his hand between hers.

“But you’re right - I’ll… get through this. Icey needs me, Greeny needs me, even though I’m certain that child tried to poison me three times in a year. And…” She sighed and leaned her head against his shoulder. “I have a friend who needs me. You wouldn’t know him, but he has a really nice house, a great navy, and probably the softest blond hair. Complete stranger trust me.” What a poor joke. But she needed him in her corner.

If she lost Abel… all would be really lost.

Abel didn’t know what to say next. He had just let it all out, just like that. He hadn’t thought about it, and now he realised that his words may have been hurtful. 

Luckily, she didn’t seem to be offended, which he appreciated.

The blond let her take his hand without complaint and looked down, hearing her sweet voice and feeling her squeezing him. It was surprising the effect she could have on him. Perhaps it was a result of what they had just done, but who knew.

Despite all, he managed to show her a little smile, and slid his arm around her shoulders, pulling her in and kissing her forehead.

“I’m sorry, Anne. I’m sorry I reacted like that. You need me too, and I am here for you. As long as you know that, I’ll be alright. Listen, you’re my best friend, okay? And I wouldn’t allow you to be sad.” That was one of the reasons why he had agreed to do what she had asked, which was to love her like that.

“Lay down with me. I don’t want you to be cold, and you probably need to rest after the journey, yeah?”