In Your Arms Again// TRR oneshot
HELLO. MY NAME IS PUMPKINSPICEJACKOTACO BUT YOU CAN CALL ME ASSHOLE. THIS IS MY FIRST EVER FAN FICTION TO BE WRITTEN ON TUMBLR. I HAVE A WATTPAD TOO BUT I DON'T USE IT AS MUCH ANYMORE. ANYWAYS. THIS IS ABOUT MY MC (Lily Josephine Brooks) WHO HAS BEEN AWAY IN IRAQ AND DIDN'T TELL LIAM AND SHE COMES BACK AND YADAYADAYADA. ENJOYYYYYYYY
××××××××××××××storystartshere××××××××××
Lily stepped off the plane at Fort Bragg Air Force base and ran a tanned hand over her chestnut hair. The terminal was awash with people, families holding signs for their loved ones but like every tour, Lily was alone. After grabbing a crappy coffee from one of the machines, she turned on her phone to find 3 missed calls; one from Maxwell, one from Hana and one from Drake.
With a tired sigh she opened the messaging app and texted Maxwell;
FROM- Lil Blossom 🌸🌸🌸 TO- Max the Dancing Unicorn 🦄🦄🦄
🌸 heyy it's me. Just landed, flight leaves from Raleigh-Durham at 1438. I should land around noon your time.
🦄 SWEEEEEET. CAN'T WAIT TO SEE YOU BOO! I'LL GET YOUR ROOM PREPPED AT RAMSFORD ASAP.
🌸 thanks dude. Can we have pizza?
🦄 anything for my little blossom.
🌸 great. Gotta go. Love youuu
Lily looked up to find her "mother", Lynette peeping over her shoulder.
"Going back to Cordonia?" She grinned.
"Where else? Liam and Madeleine are over and my name is a cleared." Lily grinned back, showing her ever so slightly twisted canines. Her smile wasn't perfect as she had grown up in an orphanage but everyone she met found it adorable.
" Are you forgetting you never told him?" Lynette quizzed, sounding sceptical.
"Hana told him I needed space and that I was staying with family. Both of which are true." She shrugged.
"Fair enough. Do you wanna grab some food? We have five hours til you need to be at the airport and Tom and the kids won't get here for another 90 minutes." Lynette said, hugging Lily.
"Let's do it. McDonalds or Starbucks?"
×××××LeTimeSkipApprox2HoursLater×××××
Lily and Lynette sat on a bench in a local park, watching Lynette's two, four year old sons; Harry and Milo play tag. They were still in their uniforms as neither had brought appropriate civvies with them, it was calm, peaceful almost and the fall sun shone through the fiery red branches.
"Makes the distance worth it right? Seeing them play without worrying about terrorists and bombs tryna blow them up." Lily stated, smiling softly at the two ginger boys.
"Certainly does." Lynette nodded.
First Sergeant Lynette Danvers was a tall, willowy woman of 37 with short blonde corkscrew curls and deep blue eyes that were intelligent. She had joined the Army at age 20 after doing two years in community college studying art. Her husband, Tom was an architect of 40 and stood at around six foot. He had met Lynette when she was 23 at a bar in New Orleans during mardi gras and it had been love at first sight. Their relationship had never been easy, as Lynette had devoted her time to the Army. Two years later, he had proposed in Miami and they had married a year later in Lynette's home town of St.Pauls a year later. Three years later, Lynette would meet the scared 18 year old Lily Josephine Brooks on the runway at Camp Bastian.
They had bonded instantly, Lily and Lynette, both had had troubled childhoods and Lily felt soothed by Lynette's prescence. They bonded even more after the death of Harry Rourke, a close friend and once more when Lynette invited Lily back to St Pauls for Christmas with her and Tom. Since then, they'd been inseparable.
Tom walked over, holding paper cups of hot chocolate and smiled fondly at them.
"I barely see you these days Lil." He said.
"You know I'm only a phone call away Tom." Lily grinned.
"I can't believe how big the boys are now." She shook her head.
"I can't believe they have more stamina than a platoon of trained soldiers." Lynette scoffed.
Tom chuckled and shook his head. "That'll be you in a few years."
"Yeah I hope so. But if the people hate me then there's no point. Liam needs to do what's best for Cordonia." She sighed.
"Your happiness matters too you know." Lynette soothed.
"Well if it doesn't work out then I'm going on another bajillion tours. They're easier to deal with than a bunch of angry Cordonians."
"You'll be fine. Just think. In like 23 hours you'll be back there with your friends." Tom smiled.
××××××3×hours×later××××××××RDU×××××××
Lily said her goodbyes to her friends and walked through the security gate, excited to be starting a new chapter in her life.
16 hours later, Lily touched down at Kenna International Airport, just outside of Cordonia's capital, Stormholt. She was still in her uniform which made matters awkward when she was greeted by a bunch of photographers.
"Lady Lily, where have you been?"
"Lady Lily, are you happy your name is cleared?"
"I'll release an official statement later, but you'll have to excuse me for a moment. I've not slept in 4 days and I'm running off of coffee and protein bars. Thank you for your time." She rushed, spotting Bertrand and Maxwell outside waiting for her next to a black range rover. She climbed into the passenger seat and Maxwell pulled away from the screaming paparazzi.
Meanwhile in the palace, King Liam sat in a living room, drinking tea with Regina and his father, the news was on in the background. They were sat discussing Leo's most recent antics when Regina froze, picked up the remote and turned the volume up on the television.
"This just in, Lady Lily Brooks or should we say, Sergeant Lily Brooks is back in Cordonia. The woman, who was a victim of a major press scandal back in December was seen walking through Kenna International wearing full US Army uniform and carrying a rucksack. When confronted by the press, she issued this statement.;"
The screen flashed to Lily walking through the airport with bags under her eyes and her cheeks looking noticeably slimmer, her cap was on her head and a few sneaky strands had slipped out from her bun. Liam gasped.
Lily had obviously lost weight and there was a visible healing cut above her left eye. She looked so tiny and warrior like in her uniform which was dusty and wrinkled from travel, yet he had never seen a more beautiful sight in his life.
"I'll release an official statement later, but you'll have to excuse me for a moment. I've not slept in 4 days and I'm running off of coffee and protein bars. Thank you for your time." Her voice. Oh her voice! It was like a choir of angels to his ears.
He lunged for his phone and texted Maxwell.
FROM- Kingy King Liam 😉 to Maxwell Beaumont 🦄
🦄 yaaaaaa but she's drivin ATM. Can I pass a message on?
😉 don't you have Bluetooth?
🦄 ohh yeah. Btw why don't you text her yoself?
😉 she blocked my number after the first 100 calls...
😉 it's not funny Maxwell!!!
Regina and Constantine looked on at the anxious king who held his phone to his ear.
"Lily?" He began, putting her on speaker.
"Hey you." She said softly, while tears streamed down Liam's cheeks.
He took a deep breath. "How are you?" He asked, running a hand through his already tousled hair.
"Fine. Not slept in four days but apart from that life's good." She said clearly.
"Why the blazes are you driving then!? You could crash!" Came the voice of Bertrand.
"Calm your ass Bert. I'm fine." Lily sassed back at him.
Regina flinched at the use of Lily's choice of words.
"Don't call me Bert." Threatened Bertrand.
"Or what? You gonna spit out your tea and challenge me to a duel?"
Maxwell snorted in the background while Constantine chuckled.
Liam sat there frozen as the bickering continued, along with the odd curse from Lily at idiotic drivers.
Bertrand cleared his throat. "Perhaps, your majesty and the dowager king and queen would care to join us at Ramsford for a few days."
"If that is an invitation Duke Ramsford then we would be delighted to accept." Liam said professionally.
"MAX YOU ASSHOLE I'M TRYING NOT TO CRASH YOUR GODDAMN CAR!" Lily screamed.
Regina looked as if she was about to faint.
"THAT IS ENOUGH YOU TWO! Your majesty, I am terribly sorry, they will be SEVERELY reprimanded upon return to the Estate." Bertrand blabbered.
"Ooh kinky." Maxwell snorted.
The sounds of Lily's delightful laughter echoed in the room, before Bertrand ended the call.
ANOTHER DUCKING TIME SKIP BECAUSE I SUCK ASS. THIS TIME IT'S THREE DAYS. LILY HAS SPENT HER TIME SLEEPING AND TALKING WITH A PSYCHOLOGIST.
Liam thrust open the door of the SUV he had been travelling in, exiting before Bastien had even gotten the chance to scan the perimeter. He was dressed in his regular suit, hair perfectly styled. But to him, looks didn't matter. What mattered was the 5,2 woman that stood on the front steps of the elegant manor.
Lily, to him, was breathtaking. Half of her hair was pulled back from her face in a loose bun, the rest curling down her back like a river of autumn that shone brightly in the early morning light. Her eyes, a shade of blue that rivalled the waters of Portavira locked with his own and he couldn't help the smile that appeared on his face. The corner of her nude lips rose, just a little. But enough for him to catch his breath. She wore a navy blue shirt dress and a grey cashmere cardigan with black tights and light brown ankle boots.
She stood with Maxwell and her precious corgi, Pumpkin who dozed at her feet.
Bertrand stepped forward after Regina and Constantine had gotten out and welcomed them politely before gesturing for Lily and Max to follow.
Liam was done waiting. He rushed forward and caught her in his arms, spinning her. She wrapped her arms around his neck and giggled.
"Oh god. Oh god." He murmured.
"I'm so sorry." She sobbed.
"No. It's fine. I'm glad you're safe but this can't wait."
"Lily Josephine Brooks. I have loved you since day one and I will be damned if I cannot see your face every day for the rest of my life." He began, looking at his father who gave him a nod.
He got down on one knee and produced the ring from his pocket.
"Will you do me the honour of being my wife and being the queen of Cordonia?" He asked, tears pooling in his eyes.
She nodded. "Yes. Yes. A THOUSAND TIMES YES!" She yelled the last part and he slid the ring on her finger before picking her up again, the world disappearing. As it always did when they were together.
