Warnings: too sweet (lmao I'm so witty. jk), things get a little steamy so it's 13+ only pls
Word count: 1184
A/N: Hello, friends! I realise that I'm late (still dying because of college and I've managed to fall sick now) but I'll be doing the Rickmas Challenge 2021 by @deepperplexity (or at least, trying to. My days might be all off but I just like the prompts too much to not do them lol) I'll be writing shorter drabbles/one-shots. Hope you like them! <3
"You know... Considering how much you love sweets and baked goods, you really should learn how to bake," you said as you entered the pantry to look for ingredients.
"I agree, but I lack the motivation when I have such a beautiful girlfriend who bakes so well," Sinclair said, wrapping his arms around your waist as he slightly pulled you back into his chest. He hunched over as he rested his chin on your shoulder.
:"Maybe I should stop, then," you said, spinning around to face him with a smirk. "That ought to be enough motivation, I believe."
He leaned back, still holding you, and furrowed his brows as he looked you in the eye. "You take that back right now! Don't even joke about something like that."
"Who said I was joking?" you chuckled.
He pouted slightly and you said, "Come on, Mr. Bryant. We're gonna teach you how to bake today." He gave you puppy-dog eyes but you simply raised an eyebrow at him, making him put his arms up defensively at your expression.
"Alright, then. What are we making?" he asked as you rolled the sleeves of his sweatshirt up. "What do you feel like eating?" you asked, as you moved him to the side of you. He went into deep thought and was silent for quite a while.
"That's a great strategy. If you never answer, you won't have to bake," you teased. He snapped out his thoughts and said, "Ah! It's not like that! I just couldn't decide between cookies and brownies," he chuckled.
"I know, darling. I was only teasing," you said, pecking him on the cheek. "Also, who says we have to choose? We can combine the two."
"Wait, what?" Sinclair looked absolutely stunned at your words and looked at you like an overwhelmed child in a toy store. "We can do that?"
"Um... yes? Have you never had a brookie before?" you asked.
"It even has a name?!"
You nodded as you chuckled at Sinclair visibly bouncing with excitement. You started your preparation and Sinclair followed you around till you told him to preheat the oven and get bowls to prepare the batter in. You stood next to him, giving him instructions on what, and how much to add. How wet ingredients needed to be mixed together, and then the dry ingredients are mixed in a different bowl before they're folded in. Being the curious cat that he was, Sinclair was eager and quick to learn.
As he was mixing the ingredients together, you saw that his hair kept getting in his face and had an idea. You asked him to continue as you ran upstairs to your bedroom. You rummaged through your dresser, looking for what you wanted.
You returned to the kitchen when he was about to fold the dry ingredients in. With your hands behind your back, you approached him and asked him to move away from the counter. Stepping in between him and the counter, you asked him to shut his eyes and he did. His eyebrows furrowed as he felt you put a hairband on him and he was about to open his eyes when you said, "Keep them shut for just a little longer, please."
"Okay," he answered.
His eyes opened instantly when he heard the camera go off and was planning on scolding you just a little, but was unable to when he saw how happily you were smiling. And rightfully so. Sinclair looked absolutely adorable in the hairband you had put on him; it had little dog ears and the colour almost matched Sinclair's hair.
Since it made you so happy, Sinclair kept the hairband on (at least that's what he claimed, but you could tell it was growing on him). Once the batter was mixed, you scooped a little bit with your finger, giving it a taste test before putting it in the oven. As he watched you lick your finger clean, Sinclair thought to himself, 'Think pure thoughts. If I knock everything off the counter now, I won't get to taste the brookie.'
"This tastes great, Sinclair! Not at all bad for your first time baking," you said cheerily, and Sinclair looked very pleased with himself.
As Sinclair, poured the batter into the tin and put it into the oven, you cleaned up the kitchen and put everything away. As you were finishing up, Sinclair came up behind you once again. He placed his arms on either side of you and used his body to pin you against the counter. He placed soft, gentle kisses along your neck, making you moan softly as he made his way up to your ear. His hot breath sent goosebumps all over your body as he said, "If you make pretty sounds like that, we're gonna be in trouble, love."
You felt him place his large hand on your thigh and he gave it a light squeeze. You bucked your hips backwards, pressing against him in an attempt to escalate things faster.
"Patience, darling," he teased in return. He returned his attention to your neck, being a little rougher this time. You surely would've lost your balance if Sinclair hadn't been holding you up.
His hand quickly slid up to your waist as he turned you to face him and his finger tilted your head up to meet his gaze. You saw him, still in the hairband and finally got some control over your senses as you said, "Let's stop here or we're going to burn the brookies." He looked taken aback and was about to speak but you cut him off, saying, "We both know you're not gonna stop anytime soon if you start now. So, let's eat some dessert and then we can work it off afterwards, hmm?"
He simply chuckled in agreement, not being able to refute your statement. Then, you both snuggled up on the couch till the oven beeped. As soon as it did, Sinclair jumped up and rushed to get the brookies out; in his excitement, he nearly forgot to wear mittens but thankfully, you called out from the living room and reminded him.
Entering the kitchen, you told him that he needed to be patient for a few more minutes and let the brookies cool down before he could take a bite. He paced around impatiently for those few minutes that felt like an eternity. When you finally fed him a bite, the look of joy on his face was unmatchable. Sinclair had always been a foodie and loved trying new things. That, paired with the sweet tooth that he had, made this quite an enjoyable moment for him.
Once you both had finished eating, you got up to put the plate away and said, "So, learning how to bake was good after all."
"Definitely! I had a lot of fun. Thank you," he said as he got up and hugged you.
"Anytime. It was fun for me too," you said, hugging him back.
He lifted you off the ground, scooping you up in his arms as you held onto him for support. "What are you doing?" you asked, surprised.
"Just because the brookies were great, doesn't mean I forgot. We've had the dessert. Now, it's time to work it off, right?"
(if you wanna be added to my taglist, let me know!)
Hi darlings and lovelies! 🥰
Some of you may already have seen I'll be doing a Christmas challenge this year too! YAY! 🎉✨ Last year I created Snapemas - thank you for all the love and support last year darlings! - and this year I'm taking it a step further! 😍👏
This year I'm doing a RICKMAS CHALLENGE!
All Alan Rickman characters and the actor himself are up for grabs for this year's challenge! 🤩🥳👏
There will be 24 prompts, just like last year, and I've added a new list to my taglist so you can tag yourself as a creator (for the prompt list) or a reader (for my RICKMAS fics) HERE so you don't miss it!
Now spread the word darlings!
Reblog and share this as much as possible! Let's get as many creators and consumers as possible excited about RICKMAS to give the Rickman fandom, and connected fandoms, a great boost this december! 😍👏
A/N: In this fic you were married off to Judge Richard Turpin, a political statement and a marriage of advantage for your family, and even though you had had little choice given your standing as a woman in the early 1800s in a high society family you had begun to form an attachment to the stoic man and were starting to want to know him.
Tags/TW’s: Arranged Marriage, (Slight) Fluff, Unhappy Childhood Memories, Care, Hand Holding, Growing Relationship/Emotions, Confessions
Abbr.: -
Word Count: 1.8k
Masterlist page // Masterlist post // AO3 // LINK TREE
He had been so stoic since December arrived, you couldn’t quite understand it. It was your first Christmas together and you weren’t nearly as excited as you usually were for Christmas. You felt a bit sad about that if the truth were to be told.
Usually you spent Christmas surrounded by family and friends, it was a big event back home but now that you had been wed to Judge Turpin you weren’t to have such a Christmas. Apparently.
Your husband wasn’t able to leave London for any extended period of time as he held such an important position and not even Christmas gave a Judge any rest. You felt sad for yourself and bad for him for not ever having any time off from the burden of the justice system.
But why he was so stoic and almost completely closed off as of late you couldn’t understand. Christmas was a happy holiday, a time for celebrations and love and kindness. Gratitude and giving. You adored it but, obviously, your newly acquired husband did not share that disposition. You sighed and looked towards the fireplace where a few logs crackled while being set aflame.
You had hung garlands, decorated a beautiful Christmas tree and all the curtains had been changed along with some of the decorative pillows. You should have felt all Christmasy, so to speak, but you felt lonely and sad instead. Everything was so quiet and for some reason not even the decorations - no matter how pretty or expensive - could quite give you the sensation that Christmas was truly on its way.
“What a bleak Tuesday,” you mumbled to none as you simply looked at the dancing flames.
“Is that so?” You jolted from the sudden drawl of your husband’s deep voice. He was stood in the doorway, dressed as handsomely as always with a red waistcoat and a black shirt paired with black trousers and knee-high boots that were polished to a shine.
“You gave me a fright,” you breathed out as your eyes found his. Grey and slightly cold in their closed-off state.
“Pardon,” he said in a low tone while he walked towards you. “That was not my intention,” he continued and you nodded with a small smile. He still intimidated you, after nearly half a year of marriage.
“May I?” he asked and looked towards the empty seat beside you on the sofa.
“Sure,” you said as you straightened ever so slightly. He gave you a small, tight smile and took a seat. He was all graceful and elegant in his movements that still managed to scream for respect.
You sat in silence for a small moment as you held your hands tightly atop your lap.
“You have done a marvellous job with the decorations,” he drummed out with that deep voice of his.
“Oh-” you glanced around the room “-thank you. I like to decorate,” you said as you dared to look towards him. He nodded at you and it looked as if he was thinking about something.
Can I simply ask him what is on his mind? You wondered as you tilted your head and he arched a brow at you.
“Something the matter?” he asked.
“No, merely wondering what is on my husband’s mind,” you said and you were surprised by your own bravery.
“Secrets,” he murmured and looked away just as you saw a hint of something sad in his eyes.
You looked at his profile, the harsh features, the hooked nose and regal air about him. You didn’t want to admit it but lately, the last few weeks, you had grown attached to him and a nibbling sensation in your head told you you wanted to know more about him, know him better.
After all, why shouldn’t you? He was your husband and you were meant to live out the rest of your lives together even if you had not had much of a choice regarding that matter. It was a political affair really, you had known from an early age that you would have no choice but the Judge, in all his ruthless stoicness, was not a man like any you had pictured as a possible candidate for you to marry.
“Secrets,” you said with a slight hum to your voice. “I’m not much for secrets.”
“Is that so?” he asked and you nodded.
He continued, “You could have fooled me. A woman from such a family as yours, surely there have been plenty of secrets in your life?”
“Yes, that does not mean I’m fond of them though.”
“Quite true,” he agreed and the slight drawl of his rumbling voice was too pleasurable—you could not say exactly why as it was so unique.
“I’ll tell you one of mine if you tell me one of the secrets that are bothering you right now?” you coaxed as you turned yourself slightly towards him. He intimidated you, but also intrigued you. It was a strange mix but at the very least your husband was not boring, despite the standoffishness he exuded.
“A bargain?”
“Indeed,” you smiled out. “A secret for a secret.”
“What makes you think I have any interest in your secrets?” he drawled while he leaned back and you huffed out a small laugh.
“Well, I guess you will just have to take my word for it,” you said with a slight twinkle in your eyes. He was interested, or he would have shot you down instantly, that much you had learnt about him the last six months.
“A secret for a secret,” he hummed as he looked past you towards the crackling fire in the hearth. You remained silent but nodded.
He sighed and looked towards you, “I detest Christmas.” Your eyes widened at that. You had figured he wasn’t much for the holiday but to detest it? That it was even possible to detest Christmas was news to you so you tilted your head and scrunched up your eyebrows while you tried to read your unreadable husband.
“You detest what is probably the most adored holiday?”
“Indeed,” he drawled.
“Why?”
“I believe we struck a bargain, a secret for a secret, dear wife.” You huffed at that and sighed. But he wasn’t wrong.
“Fine,” you said and leaned into the back of the sofa a little further.
“I hate politics,” you huffed out and he arched a brow at you.
“Dear, that is no secret. I am well aware.”
“What? You knew?” I’ve been able to persuade everyone I’m invested in politics, my families honour depended on it, how do you know that?
“Certainly, it was not difficult to deduce. The glaze in your eyes, the slight cooling in your presence, the way you always square your shoulders while the subject arises. Not hard to notice, that politics, is in opposition to the things you do like.”
You gawked at him. How had he noticed all of that about you? You had schooled yourself to be able to hide those things yet he had noticed, over such a short time of knowing each other?
“Given your surprise at me knowing, I will take your word for it being a secret of yours. However, you must tell another one before I shall tell you any more of mine.”
“I’m fond of you,” you said and instantly clamped your mouth shut as his eyebrows rose incredibly high.
You had been trying to understand that he had taken such interest in you while he was speaking that the words simply slipped out. Without any real barrier between your brain and your mouth since it had been focused on his words.
“Fond, of me?” he asked in a drumming rumble of the low toned kind. You nodded and silence laid itself thick in the room for a few drawn-out moments after that.
“Well, that, is a secret indeed.” You were trying to hold on to your scrambled senses as he looked at you with a new sort of light in his eyes. A brighter shade to the grey pools that were otherwise so dim.
“A secret for a secret,” you reminded him to try and get the conversation to flow again, to move it away from your recent confession.
“Indeed, that was the bargain,” he hummed out and redirected his eyes towards the fire once more. You waited, quietly, for him to speak about why he detested Christmas and, honestly, you were invested in knowing him.
“Christmas was never a happy occasion in my family. Politics, grandness, bragging of wealth and riches, socializing with others of the same kind and with very little investment in the actual holiday,” he began and you rested your arm over the back of the sofa while you leaned your head against your fisted hand.
“It was all about presenting the best of the Turpin name, a happy and strong family, even if there was no such thing in reality. It was all for show. Empty. It hollowed out the holiday for me and turned it into an event I never wanted to arrive even if it did, each year without fail.” His voice was heavy as he spoke and you got an image of a young little boy with a hooked nose and sad little eyes playing all by himself next to a Christmas tree without any presents beneath its decorated branches.
“That sounds sad,” you said gently. He hummed out an ‘indeed’ and you felt a need to reach out and touch him as he looked so far away. As if he was back there, in those empty memories. So you did. You reached out your free hand and placed it atop his that rested on his thigh.
He jolted at the connection and looked right at you with something akin to alarm in his gaze. You smiled gently at him, tried to reassure him as you rested your hand atop his.
“Perhaps it is time to change that?” you asked as your fingers gently squeezed around his warm hand. His eyebrows rose again and you smiled wider. “You have a new family now.”
He looked confused at that and you chuckled.
“Use that marvellous brain of yours, Richard. Fabricate an excuse to not attend your family’s Christmas celebration this year and spend it here, with me.” The boldness with which you spoke felt odd but something warm seemed to awake within you as his eyes softened while he looked at you with a small smile that was barely visible.
The silence stretched on while you began to doubt your bold move and just when you were about to retrieve your hand from his he placed his other hand atop it and you looked up at him again. Surprise in your eyes yet a small sensation of joy unfurled within your heart as his harsh features had softened ever so slightly.
“If that is your wish,” he murmured and you could have sworn there was a waver of some insecurity in his deep voice.
“To spend Christmas with my husband?” you asked with a raised brow. “Of course it is.” That made him chuckle and the sound vibrated through you. It made that want to know him grow a bit more, as well as the fondness that had been unfurling within you like the unwrapping of a secret present.
Masterlist page // Masterlist post // AO3 // LINK TREE
A/N: Hi darlings! ^^ Don't forget to leave a little comment if you want to - it means a lot to me to hear what you are thinking/feeling ❤ - and reblog if you want to help spread this content as Tumblr is built around reblogs really ^^
A/N: You are studying to become a professor and is doing an on sight semester at Hogwarts where you’ve been assisting the professors during their classes but one professor has caught your attention, and heart, especially…
Tags/TW’s: Confessions, Close Proximity, Assertive Snape, Kissing
Abbr.: Y/L/N - Your Last Name | Mx - Miss/Mr
Word Count: 2k
Masterlist page // Masterlist post // AO3 // LINK TREE
He was such a stoic man, gloomy and generally harsh. But you knew there was more to him beneath all the layers of black and dark purple. Out of all the professors at Hogwarts he was the one you enjoyed assisting the most. Enjoyed being around the most, you even went out of your way to squeeze in as many of his lessons as possible during your weeks.
His lessons were ordered, quiet and structured. The students did what they were supposed to (most of the time at least) and Professor Snape was one of few professors who actually used proper punishments. Even if he rarely gave rewards he was still the best professor and the students actually learned what to do. Not just to follow a textbook blindly.
Today, a fine Saturday at the beginning of December, you were in a particularly jolly mood. You had been to Hogsmead with Professor McGonagall and Professor Sprout yesterday as they took the sixth years there for a little trip and while there you had bought a little bag of Ice Crystal Peppermints for one purpose only; to gift them to Professor Snape (and possibly confess your feelings for the man).
You had seen him nibble peppermints now and then, if you stood close enough you could smell it on him from time to time - for some reason the scent suited him perfectly. The crispness of it was such a contrast to his appearance and the heavy sent f sage along with the musky scent of moist dungeon air.
So, as you walked down towards the dungeons after lunch, you felt perfectly happy about your choice of gift to show your appreciation for the professor you enjoyed working with the most.
Not that that was truly the real reason you wanted to present him with a gift. No, you had a deeper reason for doing it. You fancied him, quite a bit really. You had flirted a little here and there, from time to time - just to test the waters. The dear professor hadn’t reacted and that in and of itself was a positive reaction when it came to him. He’s always quick to shut things down, so that he hasn’t said anything must surely mean he’s not averse to the idea of, well, me?
You upped your tempo as you passed some Slytherin girls who enthusiastically spoke about the upcoming holidays and what they were doing with their families for Christmas. You were staying the whole break at Hogwarts, working towards your degree as a professor with full intent to enjoy the last bit of the work placed part of your education that would end when the new year came.
You stopped by the heavy-looking door that led to Snape’s private quarters and with one deep breath - to gather your courage - you knocked with determination. Here goes all or nothing, you thought as you held the little bag with candies in your hands in front of you.
The door opened quietly. “Yes?” The sound of his voice in a slight drawl from within the room made you smile a little wider as you stepped in and closed the door behind you.
“Professor?” you asked out loud as you couldn’t see him.
“In here, Mx (Y/l/n),” he said and you turned towards the left where a door stood slightly ajar, it lead to his personal brewing room and you had only been in there once before.
You stepped in only to see him half leaned over a simmering cauldron with a look of harsh concentration over his face as he peered down into the cauldron that distinct spirals of fumes rose from. You stepped closer as he kept his focus solely on the potion.
The room smelled divine; of peppermint, a heavily musky scent that reminded you of the dungeon air and soft hints of pine mixed with sage. Your senses were in heaven as you inched closer.
“I thought love potions were forbidden at Hogwarts?” you asked as you looked at Snape’s profile, half-hidden by drapes of inky black hair.
“Indeed they are, Mx (Y/l/n),” Snape said in a murmur that somehow was as clear as day.
“Why are you brewing it?” you asked as you inhaled a deep breath of the sent that you had already connected with the man you were standing so close to. It was just him but more intense.
Snape glanced towards you as he, with a flick of his wand, turned off the heat below the cauldron. You tilted your head a bit and he arched his brow. He looked slightly confused but the look was quickly replaced by his usual strictness.
“For class, obviously.”
“Well, yes, I understood that, but why?” you asked, not deterred by his harsh voice or the way he was almost scrutinising you with the deep, nearly black pits that were his eyes.
“I will, unfortunately, have to include the dangers of love potions from here on out with the fifth years. Dumbledore seems to think it needs to be addressed with actual examples.”
“Examples?” you asked as your eyes bounced between the potion and the professor while your heart began to beat a little faster from the proximity and the heaviness of the sent that lingered all around.
“Yes, they need to smell the potion so they fully understand how adaptive, tricky, it is.” You exhaled at his words as you for a moment were afraid the potion would be used fully to truly show an example of the obsessive infatuation it created.
“Well, that’s one way to do it,” you said as you fully focused on Snape again and smiled a bit wider.
“Anything I can help you with?” he asked and you remembered the bag of Ice Crystal Peppermints you held in your hand.
“No, not so much help me with, but here,” you said and stretched out your hand with the candies in a little brown paper bag with a little bow of green string wrapped around it.
Snape arched a brow at you but after a second reached for the bag.
“What’s this?”
“Peppermints,” you said happily. “I’ve noticed you like to eat them so I wanted to gift you a bag.”
“Gift me a bag? Of peppermints?” he asked, his voice was a bit darker and harsher than before which made you a little nervous, to be honest.
“Well, yes? Is that-, can’t I do that?” you asked as you tried to search his eyes for any hint of what he was thinking (impossible of course).
Snape untied the string slowly and looked into the bag while you wondered what to do with yourself as the silence felt thick between you both. A slight current lingered in the air that you could not quite grasp, perhaps it was just coming from you?
“Any specific reason for this, gift?” he asked as he closed the bag and looked at you once more.
“Well, yes,” you said a bit hesitantly as it was now or never. You hadn't really thought of what exactly to say.
“Well?” he drawled. Your nerves were suddenly very tense and your heart had sped up further.
“I really like to work with you,” you said while your heart scolded you for being a coward.
“I’m glad to hear that,” Snape said but there was a hint of something in his voice that urged you to gather your courage. To be brave and speak up for once about your feelings.
“I really like-, you.” Snape stiffened at your words, his shoulders squared themselves ever so slightly and you had to look away for a second to gather your wits. That’s one way to say it, I suppose…
“As a supervisor?” he asked with a deeper tone to his voice that tickled your senses further.
“Um, well, yes but that’s not what I meant,” you said as you looked up at him while the love potion emitted perfect spirals of fumes and your mind was getting foggy with the smell from it paired with the same smell from the man only two steps away.
Snape peered down on you, stoic and still but tenser than usual. You fisted your hands by your sides and decided to go for it. All or nothing, now or never. It can’t get much worse anyway.
“I like you, Severus. As a person,” you said gently as you did your best not to waver with your gaze or voice as you spoke his given name for the first time out loud. “I like you a lot, actually.”
“You-? You like me, as a person?” he asked, perhaps a bit stunned or perplexed at your sudden confession. You nodded and took one step towards him. If you had leaned forward you would have been able to kiss him. The thought thrilled and scared you.
“Yes, I like you, as a person, Severus,” you said once more.
“This is unacceptable,” he nearly growled out which forced you to take a step back. You were actually shocked at how badly it actually hurt to hear his complete rejection in three cold words. Even if you had known the chance of him returning your feelings had been slim at best.
You swallowed and lowered your gaze as you felt your stomach sink.
“Oh, well-, well I’m sorry if I have made you-, um, uncomfortable,” you murmured out with a slight stutter as your throat felt a bit tight and suddenly the heavenly scent all around you was too much and too intrusive.
“I am not uncomfortable,” he drawled in a slight grunt just as you wanted to turn and leave.
“You’re-, you’re not?” you asked as you glanced up at him.
“No,” he said, “I’m appalled and sorry for your sake.” Your eyes widened at the shift that took place in his. A veil slipped away from them and allowed a clarity to come forth that you had never seen in them before.
“Why would you say that?” you asked, as nothing made any sense. Snape stepped closer, so close you were almost touching.
“You are quite beautiful, quite bright and quite wonderful,” he murmured harshly as your heart decided it was the best time to begin to hammer within your chest.
“You would have been able to garner anyone's attention,” he nearly whispered, “But now, that you’ve confessed to having a liking for me, I’m afraid you will never have a chance to find another.”
You swallowed as he was so close that you could feel his warm breath over your face.
“I-, what do you mean?” you asked in a mere breath.
“Well, I too am quite enamoured by you, and as I am a selfish man with little in life I’ll unfortunately not give you up. Ever,” he growled darkly and it sent a shiver down your spine as his eyes seemed to come to life as he spoke of being with you.
“Oh,” you whispered out as that was all you could muster when he was so close.
“Oh indeed,” he replied and there was nothing but promises in his eyes.
You were enthralled by the way he made you feel with just that one look. Your body moved of its own accord and in the next second the sound of scattering peppermints along the stone floor beneath mixed with the sound of your bodies connecting. Your lips moved over his and he beckoned you to part them with the tip of his tongue while his hands held your face gently and yours landed on his hips.
He tasted divine, your body got kicked to life and, for a fleeting second, you wondered if you were dreaming, or if it perhaps was a Christmas miracle, that you were standing there with the man of your dreams amid the fumes of a love potion with your lips and bodies connected for the very first time.
The taste of peppermints mingled with the flavour of him and you knew that you would never get enough of it. You would crave the taste of him for all days to come. Peppermint was quickly turning into your own favourite candy; especially while mixed so perfectly with Severus' taste.
Masterlist page // Masterlist post // AO3 // LINK TREE
A/N: You’re having a wonderful time skating on ice with little charlotte and your husband, Colonel Christopher Brandon, on firm ground along with some friends not far from your home when things suddenly take a turn for the worse as the ice breaks beneath your feet and you get trapped under the unyielding ice surrounded by frigid water…
+A/N: This fic will be continued with another prompt! (Charlotte is an OC ^^)
++A/N: I just wanted to jump on here real quick in the notes to tell you my daughter is once again sick (preschool life...) but I will continue to do my utmost to get a fic up every day but I may be late on replies to comments! Please, have some patience with me - I will answer everything as soon as I possibly can! ❤❤❤
Tags/TW’s: Love, Kissing, Drowning, Self Sacrifice, Near Death Experience, Fear, Dread, Anguish, Desperation
Abbr.: Y/N - Your Name
Word Count: 2.4k
Masterlist page // Masterlist post // AO3 // LINK TREE
Everything was sparkling with white snow, you felt ready to enjoy the day along with your husband and your neighbours who you considered to be truly good friends. They usually joined you for little outings of the kind you were on at the moment.
“Won’t you join me?” you asked your husband as you were lacing up your skates with nibble fingers and glanced up at him. He gave you the sweetest of smiles but shook his head.
“I prefer my feet to be on firm ground, darling.”
“Well, it does no harm to ask,” you chuckled out and he nodded happily in agreement.
“Are you coming Charlotte?” you asked the granddaughter of Sir John Middleton who was visiting Mrs Jennings along with the rest of the Middleton family.
“Coming!” she called and raced over to you as fast as her six-year-old legs would carry her. She was the sweetest little child and you always enjoyed spending time with her as you had no children of your own yet.
You quickly laced up her skates while she talked about baking an apple pie with her mother back at Mrs Jennings home after the little outing. Just as you finished lacing her skates Sir John Middleton struck up a conversation with your husband about the upcoming holiday celebrations so you set off without any further words spoken.
“Look at me!” Charlotte called out as she skated on unsteady legs with her arms held out wide for balance the second her skates hit the ice and you laughed happily.
“Good job Charlotte! Here I go!” you called out and she laughed the prettiest little child-laugh as you pushed off and began to skate with a wide grin.
The thick coat flared out over your hips along with the skirts of your winter dress that danced around your legs and kept you toasty warm. You laughed out loud as you held out your hands and looked towards the sky.
“You’re so fast!” Charlotte whooped with a giggle-filled voice, you looked back at her.
“Come on then! Show me some speed, Charlotte!” you cheered back to her and she suddenly looked very determined. In that special way only a child could. A single focus and determination were all over her sweet features.
You took the camel position and glided around her in a wide circle, more than comfortable on the ice. You had always loved skating and to do it with people you adored made it all the better. It was just so much fun, such a sense of freedom.
“Wow!” Charlotte said and you smiled at her as you picked up speed and went into a catch-foot spin; but not fully into a Biellmann spin as your dress restricted you from getting the skate higher than your head. Charlotte clapped her hands and squealed as she unsteadily glided around at a much slower speed. So adorable, you thought as you released your skate and picked up speed again.
“Stay close Charlotte!” you hollered and she said she would while you spun around and set off for the shore that was not too far away, where the rest of the group was standing around a small fire. Your eyes lingered on your adorable husband with his fancy coat, the high boots and hay blond hair that stuck out below the brim of his hat. You sped up a little more to reach him faster.
You turned your body slightly and stopped with a simple T-stop so as not to spray ice shavings around (no matter how much fun it was to create waves of ice).
“Darling, already done?” Christopher asked and you smiled widely at him but shook your head.
“No, we’ve only just started,” you said, he took one step out on the ice to be right in front of you. “Charlotte’s doing really well today, a lot better than last time.”
“It appears so, I must confess to viewing my beautiful wife rather than the sweet girl,” he said and the way his drumming voice vibrated with adoration made your heart leap within your chest.
You glanced over his shoulder and all the others were deep in conversation so you pecked him quickly on the lips, it took him by surprise, apparently, as the faintest hint of pink spread across his high cheeks.
“Blusher,” you teased lovingly.
“What? This, it’s merely the cold air, darling.”
“Mhm,” you mused and he chuckled while his kind eyes twinkled slightly.
After a moment he cleared his throat. “Something you need?” he asked, and you nodded.
“Actually, yes, in the basket there is another set of gloves,” you said and he glanced over his shoulder, “Could you hand them to me? I’m a little cold after lacing the skates.”
“Certainly,” he said and turned his head back to kiss you on the tip of your nose as none was watching.
“Cheeky,” you smiled out and he gave you another one of his sweet smiles that made little fine lines form around his eyes.
You watched him walk over towards the basket a few steps away and as he was searching it you turned to check on Charlotte. She was gliding about happily and noticed you watching so she waved. You’re a little too far out there little one, you thought.
“Closer to the shoreline Charlotte!” you called out to her and she smiled and nodded. She’s a brave little rascal.
“Here, darling,” Christopher suddenly said beside you and you turned towards him again.
“Thank you,” you said and reached for the fur-lined gloves.
“No trouble, we don’t want you to lose any fingers,” he said with humour and you laughed.
“That would be bad indeed,” you agreed.
“I happen to love your fingers, as I love all of you. Each part.”
“Is that so?” you teased and he hummed out a satisfying sound that reminded you of field drums being struck in rapid succession from far away.
“Well, I better go bring her in towards shore. See you in a moment,” you continued once you had tugged the thick gloves on and reached up to kiss his chilly cheek before you set off towards Charlotte who had neglected to listen about skating closer to the shoreline as the ice was thinner out there towards the middle of the little lake.
“Charlotte,” you called as you picked up speed, “You’re too far out!” you hollered as you drew closer.
“What?” she called back and turned towards you.
“You’re too far out,” you called a little louder, “I have yet to check the ice there!”
That seemed to reach her as she began to skate towards you. You stopped and waited for her as you scanned the ice. You were used to spotting weaknesses and your father had taught you how to spot weak or thin ice as accurately as possible.
“Charlotte!” you shouted as she was heading straight for a black spot, “TO THE LEFT! SKATE TO THE LEFT!” you yelled out but it was too late.
“(Y/n)?” she said and her voice barely carried all the way to you as she had stopped and stood stock-still. You held out your hands, palms facing her, as you set off towards her.
“Stay still, stay absolutely still!” you called and picked up speed while you tried to scan the ice and keep an eye on the little child at the same time.
She stuttered out your name as you slowed down when you were reaching the black spot, it was larger than you had thought. Okay, calm now (Y/n), calm and steady.
“Charlotte, listen to me very carefully,” you said as the ice was starting to crack and creak beneath the little child.
“I’m scared, help,” she whispered as little tears began to roll down her pink cheeks.
“It’s okay, you’re alright,” you assured her as securely as you could while you tried to keep your pounding heart in check.
“Now, I want you to very carefully, very slowly, lay down flat on your stomach, can you do that for me?” you asked as you held out your hands and started to lower yourself as well. Spread the weight, have less pressure on one single point, come on Charlotte, you can do it.
“Okay, okay, I-, I can do that,” she said as she glanced down on the ice.
“Look at me, keep your eyes on me,” you said gently as you showed her how to lower herself without hitting the ice too harshly. Fog billowed from your mouths as the chilly wind was suddenly gone. Everything was deadly calm, the only sound that of the creaking of the treacherous ice and charlottes quick breathing with a slight stutter to every other breath.
“Good, that’s great Charlotte,” you said as she managed to lay down flat with her eyes on you. “Now, crawl slowly towards me but remain flat, push with your entire body to move towards me and I’ll meet you,” you said as you began to slowly crawl towards her even if you knew the ice was less likely to carry your weight than hers. You couldn’t remain still when she was so frightened.
Slowly you made your way towards each other. You kept a calm smile on your lips to reassure her all the time as her big and scared eyes were locked with yours.
“You’re doing great,” you said, “Just a little more.” She did good, using all of her body to crawl towards you while you slowly edged closer to meet her.
She was almost within reach. So you slowed, took off your thick gloves and reached out your hand towards her while you placed the other firmly atop the bitingly cold ice to get a better grip even if it stung and your sweaty palms stuck a bit to the uneven ice below. Charlotte stilled as she glanced between your hand and your face.
“I will pull hard when you take my hand," you began, "And I want you to lift your skates up off the ice so you can slide. Do you hear me? You hold on until I release your hand and you lift your skates up.” She nodded quickly while her tears kept flowing. “Good, now come here,” you said and you were close to losing your calm as the ice was starting to fully crack in long white gashes beneath you with an echoing sound from the cold depths below that sounded far angrier than any thunder. It won’t hold much longer.
You carefully buried the tips of your skates to gain a counterpoint and the second your hand closed around Charlotte’s you gripped tightly and with all your might you pushed yourself up on your knees while you simultaneously pulled her light body towards you a bit to the left to fling her as far away as possible.
She screamed, a high pitched noise, as the ice gave off a dull cracking sound as if the very ground was splitting and she slid past you in a flurry of fabric, hair and gleaming skate blades in the air.
“NOW!” you screamed as your hand released her's. She slid a few feet away and came to a halt on the white and sturdy ice. Away from danger.
“Thank God,” you breathed out as you looked back at her with a smile of relief just as she looked up at you with her tousled hair and ice shaving covered clothes. She smiled and you exhaled. Then the ice caved beneath you.
One second you were looking at little Charlotte in safety and the next you were gripping at the edge of the ice while cripplingly cold water attacked your body all the way up to your chest and sought to drag you down in the deep, dark depths below.
Charlotte screamed out your name with horror as you tried to find something to hold on to while your soaked and heavy clothes were pulling you down. You were sliding and slipping since there was nothing but smooth ice to grab at.
Your shoulders got covered by the icy water. Your eyes widened while your chin rested on the edge as you panted from the extreme cold that was surrounding you. Christopher was running wildly towards you from the shoreline with the others in tow behind little Charlotte.
“Char-lotte, b-back up,” you panted out as she was still too close to the thin ice. Your scrambled, frantic brain couldn’t quite comprehend that you were about to go under yourself as it focused on the little girl.
“(Y/N)!” she screamed with a cry as you struggled to breathe when it felt as if your lungs were freezing. She was crawling towards you.
“N-no, s-stop,” you panted out as you couldn’t make your body obey your commands as you were beginning to go numb.
“(Y/N)!” The booming voice of your husband reached you and you glanced behind Charlotte only to see him running full pelt towards you, but he was too far away.
“(Y/N)!” he roared as you felt yourself being pulled down by the water. It felt like something was pulling at your legs, tugging and grabbing. You weren’t going to be able to hold on. It felt as if you weighed a ton and your hands were going numb as they clawed at the ice.
“L-love you,” you whispered as your eyes locked with Christopher’s. Yours with dread and his with absolute horror. A look you never had seen him with before.
“BRANDON!” Charlotte screamed hysterically; it was the last thing you heard before you got pulled down by the frigid water as you lost your grip completely. You barely had time to take a breath before the coldness wrapped all the way around you while you kicked against nothing and got your legs entirely snagged up in the heavy dress’ fabric.
You were sinking, were reaching towards the light up above that came from the hole but you weren’t able to hold on as your lungs screamed for air, your body had gone utterly numb while needles simultaneously seemed to prick every inch of you. Panic roared in your ears and surged through your veins.
Christopher… A voiceless whisper in your head was all you could muster while you felt yourself cave beneath the cold, dark water as your lips parted and little bubbled glided towards the surface while your insides burned.
Masterlist page // Masterlist post // AO3 // LINK TREE
