"Okay, we need more ration bars, kaff, and a couple spices for the new recipe you wanted to try."
"Got it." Kanan fixed his hair into a ponytail. "I'll meet you at the market once I'm done."
Hera raised one of her brows. "I thought we were going over together."
"I would, but I promised Sabine I'd drop her off at the docking yard first."
A sigh left the twi'lek pilot's mouth. "Another art piece."
"It could be worse." Kanan finished tieing off his ponytail. "She's protesting the Empire in the form of art installations."
"Art installations that usually involve explosions," Hera pointed out as she adjusted the sleeves of her jumpsuit.
"But, it could be worse."
Now Hera placed both fists on her hips. "And what exactly is your definition of worse?"
Kanan hadn't quite thought that far ahead. "Sniper. . . Mass murderer."
"Yes. Let's all be thankful she sprays paints and not blaster fire."
The taller Jedi tried to smooth down his hair a bit. "Doesn't she do that too?"
Hera rolled her eyes, shaking her head with a sigh. "Just make sure she takes her comm with her."
"Like always." Kanan finally turned. "Should I send Zeb with her?"
"Zeb would be good, but that's if he wants to tag along."
"It's either helping her fight off bucketheads or helping us haggle in a street market." Kanan arched one eyebrow. "What do you think he's going to pick?"
Hera picked her goggles and head piece out of their cubby. "What about Chopper?"
"What about Chopper?"
"He could go with her."
"He could, but who would stay here to watch the ship then?"
"Ezra could do it."
"Ezra wouldn't last five minutes before wandering off out of boredom."
Hera turned back to him as she adjusted her pieces in their places. "Don't sell him so short. He'd probably take it over shopping and haggling."
"He wants something to do. If we leave him here, he will find ways to entertain himself."
"Guess you're right about that." Hera let out a relenting sigh. "Has he been more snappish with you too lately?"
Kanan smirked. "You mean the walking definition of teenage angst?"
"I mean he hasn't been himself lately."
The taller Jedi's demeanor crumbled a bit. "Yeah, I have noticed that."
Hera immediately had her full attention on Kanan.
But all he could give her is a shrug. "I don't know what it is though."
"But you have your theories."
"Call it a 'master's intuition'." Kanan stood. "But I remember being that age and trying to fool everyone when you have something to hide."
"You think he's hiding something?"
"I don't think. I know."
By now, Kanan had crossed the small distance of her quarters to give her shoulders a reassuring squeeze.
"But maybe there's a chance he'll tell us when he's ready or something will come up and we'll figure it out."
"Maybe." Hera gave Kanan a look. "Leave it to you to be Mr. Intuitive."
"Just doing my best." The taller Jedi gave her covered forehead a kiss before he wrapped her in a hug. "You can take him. Maybe get his mind off of things or get him to open up to you."
"And you can take Zeb or Chopper with Sabine." Hera held him close. "Keep them separated for a bit."
"They do have a tendency to rile each other up."
"That they do."
After a few more seconds, the two finally separated the comforting hug.
Kanan stepped to the side and motioned her forward. "Ready for the day dear?"
N/A : So this is one is (probably) going to be a very long fanfic that I will do in several parts. I got this idea on my mind one day, I felt very inspired about it, and thought it would fit into Ricky's vibe somehow (jhfkjdfdh). I'm very excited to share this one. I had much more fun and felt more comfortable by writting in this format, so I'm certainly going to keep it :D
Warnings : Some fluff and angst. Romantic tension (idk how to call it)
Next PART TWO | PART THREE
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It was the end of September. Autumn leaves falling from the trees in your city, with the air getting colder and rainy. Because of the cool breeze, you tried to cover up your nose and neck with your scarf. Walking in this weather didn’t bother you though, since you liked it. But you didn’t want to get sick. Your voice and throat were very important for your job as an opera singer.
And today was another day of rehearsal at the opera. So you woke up early this morning to enjoy the drizzle. You weren’t freaked out walking there alone. You liked that spooky atmosphere. Usually you didn’t go to the opera this early. You preferred going there when the evening came and going back to your home when it was pitch black.
Your coworkers were worried about you when you did that. So they convinced you to come earlier in the morning, so you could go back to your flat, safely. Even though they did ask you if you wanted them to accompany you or drive you back home, you always declined, enjoying being alone.
You didn’t want them to tag along because your introverted and anxious ass was too scared to ask them or even bother them with your problems. Plus you didn’t even know if you could trust them. So you made up an excuse : being alone was easier for you to be aware of your surroundings. It made you look paranoid sometimes but you were always cautious, giving a dead look to the people glancing at you.
And so your coworkers started to call you the “Lone Wolf”. You didn’t care about the nickname, if they were mocking you by saying it, you were more appreciating it. It made you look cool and mysterious.
You finally managed to arrive at the opera, easily and safely. When you saw the security guard waving at you to welcome you, you nodded your head as a salutation.
“Good morning, miss” He said to you politely.
“Good morning Alfred” You replied “ Are the others here ?”
“Hmm.. It seems you are the first of your singer co-workers who have arrived. But you’re the second to be early at the opera this time”.
“Oh ? A rival ? That’s interesting. Who is it ?”
“A musician from a metal band called Motionless in White. He asked me if he could train himself at the opera today. I said it was open for few hours before your group arrived, miss”
Motionless in White ?! Your heart skipped a beat. You’ve heard this band’s name before. It was one of your favorites you listened to during your youth. You were such a hard fan of their music.
Thank you for letting me know, Alfred. Well, I better go and start to warm up my voice. Have a nice day”
He replied to you very respectfully, letting you enter the opera. Alfred wasn’t the real security guard’s name. It was actually you who gave this nickname to him, since you were always struggling at remembering names. And the first time you saw the security guard, so respectful and polite, it reminded you of the butler in Batman’s comic books. You couldn’t help yourself but letting out your thoughts at that moment. Surprisingly, he took this nickname very well and didn’t get upset about it. He was even playing along with you. Since that day you kept calling him Alfred.
He was the rarest human being you tolerated in this job. To you, your coworkers were too much and were making you uncomfortable, with their hypocritical behavior, by asking questions about you, pretending they cared. They always ended up socializing between them, anyway. So you tried to avoid them as much as possible, barely talking to them.
You were so lost in your thoughts, you didn’t realize you were already in front of your dressing room. You unlocked the door with your keys, but before entering, you noticed, in the corner of your eyes, something shiny on the floor. You crouched, looking closer. It was a black metallic key attached to a string. A necklace ? Someone probably lost it. You picked up the key, keeping it in your jeans pocket until you find their owner. And, in case you couldn’t find the owner, you could give it to the lost items office, which was also Alfred’s responsability.
Once you changed your casual outfit to your scene one, a white shirt with black pants, you locked up your dressing room and headed to the main stage, with your music sheet in one hand. As you got closer to the main stage door, you heard a melody. A guitar sound.
And then, a voice. A beautiful voice. Almost divine. Someone was singing. You felt shivers running through your spine. It was so magnificent to your ears. But also it was very melancholic. As you were getting few ideas about who this musician was, you finally decided to pull the door knob, getting in.
The stage was illuminated by the chandelier, just above. Though it wasn’t the only thing that was enlightening the room. As you went down the stairs, you saw a silhouette of a man, short dark haired, sitting on a chair, playing his guitar with an intense focus. He was wearing a lot of black clothes, a sleeveless jacket that was revealing his arms covered with tattoos. You noticed he had few of them on his neck as well. As you got closer, you realized who this musician was.
Short dark hair, pale skin, blue grayed eyes… It was Ricky Olson for sure. You’ve listened to the band's music for a long time and loved a huge majority of their songs. You loved the lead singer's voice, but the one who interested you more was Ricky. Each time you could hear his voice, in a Motionless song, you were excited. His voice was enchanting. You couldn’t stop listening to it. Plus his personality was so adorable you were melting every time you watched his numerous tour vlogs. Yeah you were an absolute Ricky’s fangirl.
Seeing him alone, in front of you, at the opera of your hometown, was making you crazy. The more you were getting closer to him, mesmerized by his voice and play, the more you could feel a heat wave overwhelming your body. Your heart was beating so fast in your chest, you thought you were having a heart attack. At this rate, you were convinced that even Ricky could hear your heart pounding so much.
As he heard your thoughts, he lifted up his head, looking in your direction while he stopped playing. The sudden silence in the room made you feel a pressure on your shoulders, like you were caught up on something. You felt the urgent need to explain yourself.
“Erm… Hello.. Sorry for interrupting you. I didn’t mean to. I’m actually an opera singer who practices here.” You muttered so awkwardly, choking on your words.
Ricky stared at you with his icy eyes, perhaps gauging you, as he let you talk. But, oh my God, even like this, you knew you could die happily. His gaze on you was so deep. It made your cheeks blush.
“An opera singer, huh ? I see.” He said abruptly, surprising you a bit.
Gosh, even his talking voice was so soothing and divine. His quiet tone didn’t help to calm down, though. It was the opposite.
“Don’t worry about interrupting me” He kept saying “I am the one who came here, in the first place. Pretty unusual for a metalhead, right ?” He chuckled softly.
You were about to pass out on every word this man was saying to you. It was very bad. You loved hearing him laugh quietly, already.
“It’s fine… The security guard told me about it. You can stay if you need to… So, hum.. you are ?”
“I’m Ricky Olson, from Motionless in White. You can call me Ricky”
“I’m Y/N” You said, your voice shivering. “Enchanted to meet you. I’m a fan of your band.”
He arched a brow, a bit stunned, but he kept his sweet smile to you.
“Well, thank you ! That’s very flattering coming from an opera singer. I wasn’t expecting that at all. What a pleasant surprise.”
A pleasant surprise, he said. He gave you an indirect compliment but still… It made you smile. He said you were pleasant… You threw away this random thought coming in your mind. Come on, it wasn’t the time to make weird scenarios.
“I've been a big fan of metal and metalcore music since my childhood. So that’s not new, for me. I guess you can’t judge a book by its cover” You tried to joke nervously.
Ricky giggled as an approval. Oh God, you loved hearing his sweet and quiet laugh. It was so cute.
“Plus, metal and opera singing have more in common to what we might think. And I want to combine these two different styles, if I get the chance to perform on my own.” You added, feeling more brave to talk, all of the sudden.
“Oh really ? Well, I can’t wait to see you perform one day.” He said, with a shy smile, and then looked at your sheet. “What were you rehearsing on ?”
You almost forgot your music sheet you were holding in your hand, too absorbed and excited by the conversation.
“Oh ! Erm… It’s a musical about the Phantom of the Opera.”
“I’ve heard about it” He said, his curiosity peaked. “I watched a movie about the musical. Very impressive. Who are you playing ?”
“The main protagonist girl, Christine.” You replied timidly. “ And I need to practice the part where she follows the Phantom in his cave, below the stage.”
“Can I see it ?” He asked so politely you felt your heart melt.
You lend him the paper, not daring to look directly at him or even touching his hand by accident, even if you wanted to. You didn’t want to make things awkward for him. He didn’t seem to notice your embarrassment as he was reading the script. Just a minute after, he lended you back your sheet, a serious or a poker-face look on his face.
“If you need a partner, I can be the Phantom for your rehearsal. I have memorized his lines. They aren't that long. It’s to make it up to you for disturbing your workplace.” He said as he owed you something.
You felt your jaw drop. You didn’t even believe what you just heard. Ricky... offering his help to play the Phantom for you ?! He didn’t need to apologize or even to feel like he owed you. The opera was open to the musicians after all. You were too happy about his request. Even if it was for a few minutes long, you thought you were gonna pass out for the second time. Also you were very amazed by his photographic memory to remember lines in such a short time.
“Well, you don’t owe me anything. Don’t worry about it. But, if you don’t mind, it would be an honor for me to rehearse with you” You cleared your throat.
You saw him smile, again, looking down on his shoes awkwardly. Then, he removed his guitar and chair away, trying to get some space. It was so thoughtful and adorable of him. Did his cheeks get pink colored just now..?
You turned your back on him, slapping your cheeks to get your focusing back. You did a few voice warm ups, before getting into your character. The kind, innocent and beautiful Christine. Your complete opposite.
You didn’t even remember how your coworkers and manager agreed to give you such an important role. They were always saying your voice was fitting her. You weren’t sure if they were mocking you or not about it. Either way, you didn’t like that role. It was putting you out of your comfort zone, making you more vulnerable than you already were.
But strangely, in front of Ricky, you didn’t mind being vulnerable. You barely met him, for real, only for ten minutes, and yet it felt like you knew each other for ages. His presence was making you feel more at ease. Almost reassuring.
Once you were ready, you shifted to face him, waving your arms with grace as you were dancing.
“In sleep he sang to me, in dreams he came. That voice which calls me, and speaks my name.”
You spined on your feet, slowly getting closer to him while keeping singing.
“And do I dream again. For now, I found The Phantom of the Opera is there… Inside my mind.”
You paused, remembering the piano notes playing while you danced quietly. Then it was Ricky’s turn. He took a step forward to you and reached a hand in your direction, like a gentleman. You could tell something has changed in his temper. As if his aura was getting more mysterious and sinister.
“Sing once again with me, our strange duet. My power over you grows stronger yet. And though you turn from me, in glance behind. The Phantom of the Opera is there… Inside your mind.”
Oh God, you were having goosebumps when you heard him sing so low, and yet, so divine. He was so elegant by singing these lines. He was charming and elegant all the time, but this… This was different. Both of you were getting closer to each other, each time you were singing. Your turn came again.
“Those who have seen your face, draw back in fear. I am the mask you wear...”
“It’s me they hear.”
Then the part where both of you were singing along came too.
“Your spirit and your voice, in one combined. The Phantom of the Opera is there…”
“...Inside my mind…”
“...Inside your mind.”
Ricky was getting closer to your face, gently putting a hand on your back as if you were dancing together. You didn’t push him away. You were too much focused on your role and on his. He glanced at you with his blue iced eyes which was making you melt even more inside.
“In all your fantasies, you always knew. That man and mystery…”
“... were both in you.” You finished.
This time felt like the two of you were talking directly to each other and not as your characters. At least, that’s how you felt. Both of you kept singing together, your voices harmonizing. You remembered the next coming verse was the one you were the most struggling with, while Ricky was making you spin gently on your heels.
“Sing for me, my Angel of Music.” He said.
“He’s there… The Phantom of the Opera.”
“Sing for me.”
As he said, you began to vocalize gradually, getting higher and higher.
“Sing, my Angel of Music.” Ricky ordered.
You obeyed, getting even more higher.
“Sing for me.” He repeated more deeply.
You did as he said, feeling your voice getting so high pitched, like an angel would’ve sounded. It was so graceful, you even surprised yourself by doing it. You didn’t think it was possible for you. Yet, you felt you were soon getting out of breath and tried to hold on for the last part.
“Sing for me !” He said louder.
And so you gave every breath you had left in your lungs. Pushing your voice to its limits. As you were screaming. Screaming for the Phantom in front of you.
You managed to hold ten seconds of the scream before stopping. Ricky looked at you with widened eyes, impressed and captivated by your performance. You were catching your breath as you saw his mouth moving, talking to you. But you didn’t hear what he said as he was interrupted by loud applause coming from the stands, which surprised you both.
“Bravo ! Bravo ! Absolutely stunning !”
You recognized the voice. It was your manager’s, ruining this beautiful moment you had with Ricky. You knew this wasn’t a good sign for you. You just hoped that eccentric man wasn’t going to drag Ricky too, in to whatever mess he was planning…
An Archive of Our Own, a project of the Organization for Transformative Works
Chapters: 1/1
Fandom: Captain Underpants: The First Epic Movie (2017), Captain Underpants Series - Dav Pilkey
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Relationships: Edith the Lunch Lady/Benjamin Krupp, Captain Underpants/Edith the Lunch Lady, George Beard & Harold Hutchins
Characters: Edith the Lunch Lady (Captain Underpants), Captain Underpants (Captain Underpants), George Beard, Harold Hutchins, Harold Hutchins' Father, George Beard's Mother, George Beard's Father, Professor Poopypants | Tippy Tinkletrousers
Additional Tags: Light Angst, Angst, Hurt/Comfort, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Character Study, (mostly on George but Harold too), Friendship, Feels, Deep bonds, brotherly bond, their friendship is everything to me, Wholesome Friendship, Relationships, platonically holding each other, Platonic Gestures, platonic comfort, Aftermath, Consequences, movie aftermath, character exploration, aftermath exploration, Protection, three shot, consequences of actions (or lack thereof), lol
Series: Part 1 of No Laughing Matter
Summary:
After Captain Underpants defeats the talking toilet army, George and Harold take in that they still have him around. However, Harold is also worried about Professor Poopypants still being free and George comforts him about it. Little does Harold know, George is going through some emotions of his own about it.
TLDR: My interpretation of what happens after the final scene of the movie, with a side of angst.
An Archive of Our Own, a project of the
Organization for Transformative Works
Rating: Teen And Up Audience
Warnings: No Warnings
Chapters: 9/9
Fandom: Sly Cooper (Video Games)
Relationships: Sly Cooper/Carmelita Fox
Characters: Sly Cooper, Carmelita Fox
Additional Tags: SlyFox Week 2023, Slyfox week, Fandom Week, Angst and Feels, Angst and Romance, Gift Fic, Canon Universe, Non-Canonical Violence, Things going wrong for Carmelita, Sly Cooper hovers in the background, Not Canon Compliant, Farewells and Good-Byes, Carmelita-centric, Bittersweet Ending, Action & Romance, Some action with a splash of romance, Complete
SUMMARY: The average flight from Paris, France to Venice, Italy is on average 1 hour and 37 minutes. This is both a short and long amount of time; short for such a large change and long enough to reminiscence.
OR: Carmelita reflects on a certain thief as she moves on (or ties to)
SlyFox Week 2022, September 18 - 22 of 2023
This is dedicated to the wonderful @galactic-dragoness !
Summary: After leaving your home in need of a fresh start, you open a bookstore with the hopes that the words you read could bring you solace. You never realized that the books you loved would bring you home instead.
Pairing: BTS x Reader
Genre: Mafia/Dragon AU
Status: Ongoing
Warnings: depictions of violence, smut, death, sexual assault, insecurities, anxiety, polyamory, trauma, mentions of blood
*Please remember that this is a mafia fan fiction. There will be violence, blood, and other dark themes. If you cannot handle the dark themes, please do not read*
Red Velvet’s Bad Boy was playing softly through the speakers hanging from the corners of the room, Wendy’s vocals just able to drown out the sound of small talk as more people moved to the tables, the event most likely beginning soon.
Some people came up to the table to talk, maybe even introduce themselves to the boys, but your mates didn’t even acknowledge their presence, completely ignoring them.
While you weren’t surprised at your boys’ actions, you were kind of shocked by how many people had come up to your table, trying to get their attention. You didn’t realize how, you guess, known your mates were. Everyone’s stare was on them, watching their every move, as if they were Gods.
You looked at your men, watched as Jimin laughed so hard he almost fell out of his chair and into Yoongi’s lap at one of the jokes Hobi said. You could see why people just gravitated towards them. You did. Just when Namjoon was about to scold them, a small smile on his own face, a voice spoke out from the front, microphone in hand.
“Good evening and welcome everyone! Thank you all for coming to tonight’s charity ball. We have food being served and afterwards, music will be played for dancing. Any other activities will resume at 1 o’clock. Thank you and enjoy!” A man around Yoongi’s height spoke, his hair swept back and his suit a deep navy color.
Once he placed the microphone down, a flurry of servers moved throughout the room, plates of food being placed down on the round, black tablecloth covered tables.
You watched the taller man bring your food over, placing it directly in front of you, only to be scared off from a small growl and a glare from Namjoon, his eyes piercing the poor server’s heart as he hurries away from you.
“Joon, that wasn’t very nice. He was just putting the food down on the table.” You turn and give Namjoon a small glare of your own. He grasps onto your chin, bring you in for a slow and sensual kiss, his tongue trying to distract you from your displeasure with him.
“C’mon hyung! It’s not fair when we can’t kiss her either!” You vaguely hear Jimin whine from his spot across the table, the rest of the boys sharing in his sentiments, causing Namjoon to pull away.
“Oh hush.” Namjoon shushes his whiny mates, before pulling you into his lap, manhandling you so you were facing the others, your plate already uncovered as he moves it closer to his own, picking up his fork and feeding you some of the noodles off his plate, blowing gently on it before loving it to your mouth.
Namjoon couldn’t help but grin to himself, noticing the jealous looks of his mates and of others in the room, two entirely different reasons behind their glances.
He knew he and his mates were untouchable, so to see them practically worshipping you in front of them, he knew the other tables were bound to look and talk. He will regret his actions later, he knows it. But for now, he just wants to show you off like the treasure you are, their treasure.
His own nature wanted to show the entire room how well they treat you, how well you react to their touch. Wants to show the room that you are theirs and only theirs. He wants everyone to know how well they mate you and how well you take them.
this is for @drawshyfantas who requested a story with Blofeld.
I wrote this as more of a AU to No Time To Die as Blofeld escapes from MI6 and gets back to work at Spectre. This is more of a happy story with a bit of found family aspects I think. I hope you enjoy it.
Sophie and Pierre belong to @drawshyfantas
Spectre needed a breath of fresh air after Blofeld’s catch and release game with MI6. He cleaned house and decided to try and get some new faces into Spectre. He was meeting someone tonight actually. He was waiting patiently with his bodyguard in the wings for this new person arrive. He wasn’t too surprised to see a woman sit in front of him.
“Herr Blofeld,” she nods respectfully.
“Good evening my dear, I assume you wish to talk business?”
“Yes, I hear that seafood is in short supply this time of year,” she answered. She really was the person he was supposed to meet. He had given a codeword introduction. He could relax slightly. “My name is Sophie,” she smiles. They respectfully shake hands. They get right into negotiations. Blofeld can’t help but admire the woman. She knew what she wanted from this partnership. Things seemed to be going smoothly. They were going to order dinner when Sophie noticed something off with one of the waiters. As he approached, she braced herself. He comes over and she sees the small pistol quickly. She’s up instantly and snatches the gun from the intruder’s hand and gives him a hard kick to his gut that knocks the wind out of him. Blofeld’s bodyguard is there quickly. Ernst shouts angrily at his bodyguard in German as they take the would-be killer away. He turns back to Sophie and looks at her boots.
“Steel toe, never leave home without them,” she winks.
“You’re hired.”
Xxxxxxxxx
The next few months were very interesting as Blofeld interacted with Sophie. He was getting excellent results with her in his circle, and she was doing just as well too. Her presence in his office was always welcome. Sometimes she would come in to drop off paperwork, but it always turned into a warm conversation. Today was no different as she came in with a handful of files.
“Ahhh, Sophie, how are you today?” He asked kindly.
“I’m very well, thank you Herr Blofeld,” she nods. She hands him the files and he starts to look them over.
“Anything interesting in the world today?” He asks casually.
“No, completely boring,” she smirks.
“I don’t think you’re boring, far from it actually,” he says proudly.
“Oh, thank you,” she blushes. Unknowingly the two have developed strong feelings for each other. Sophie respects Blofeld in so many ways. Despite his obvious battle scar, he was still quiet charming. He hardly raised his voice but she learned to recognize that dark tone of his when he was angry with someone. He never used it on her. She couldn’t help but think at how people were such idiots for trying to cross him because in the end he always won. He knew how to use his power and it never ceased to amaze her.
Blofeld admired her just as much. She was certainly no damsel in distress. That was obvious on their first meeting. Her brown eyes were a welcoming sight every day. She wasn’t afraid to give her opinion either. It surprised a lot of members as they thought she might be overstepping. It was far from it. She let him speak first and then point out some possible flaws or even scenarios he hadn’t thought of. Her fresh set of eyes was exactly what he needed, plus she had an amazing taste in fashion as well.
“In fact there was something I wanted to ask you,” he starts nervously.
“What’s that?”
“I was wondering if you could join me for dinner? Nothing to do with work…just dinner.”
“Ernst I…” her eyes go wide as she looks at the TV in the corner. The news was on and flashing something. She grabbed the remote and turned up the volume.
“As you can see, teachers with students are coming out of schools not just here, but all over the country as the teachers go on strike. This comes after days of failed tedious negotiations for better pay for teachers, more school funding, and so much more. We will update you with more information as it comes in.” The camera turns towards the crowd as teachers hold up signs.
“Oh shit…I’m so sorry…I have to go!” Sophie bolts out of the room before he can ask her if she needs help. He frowns in his chair as he wonders what a teacher strike has to with her.
Xxxxxxx
Sophie seemed a little on edge recently. She wasn’t talking to him like she used to. Ever since the teacher strike, she seemed so nervous. He decided to go over to her office. He knocked, then came inside.
“No, wait!” Sophie cried out nervously, but it was too late as Ernst saw the little boy. He was sitting in his own little workstation in the corner. There were some books around him. Ernst figured they were probably schoolbooks. He stood up nervously and went over to his mother.
“Who’s this?”
“This is my son, Pierre.”
“Oh, that explains a lot,” he chuckles. “I’m not mad Sophie. I was worried about you. You’ve been on edge and I wanted to see if I could help.
“Thank you sir,” she nods to him. “Pierre, this is my boss, Herr Blofeld,” she says to him.
“Hello!” The boy smiles brightly and holds out his hand.
“Why hello there Pierre,” Blofeld smiles and shakes the boy’s hand. He’s a handsome little thing. He’s got a cute smile, his mother’s eyes, and curly brown hair. Sophie takes him into a bedroom that is connected to the office. She turns on the TV and puts on cartoons for him.
“Stay here…I need to talk to my boss.”
“Ok, Mama,” he smiles. She kisses his temple before she goes back to the office. She glances at Blofeld nervously.
“I try not to get him involved in these things, but he’s a smart bow. He pays attention,” she explains sadly.
“I’m not angry with you if that’s what you think.” She feels a little relief in her body. “Is he alright?”
“Yes, he’s fine. With the teacher’s strike I can’t keep him in school right now. My nanny is having issues of her own so that’s why I brought him here.”
“Do you need some help?”
“Not right now, but thank you,” she nods.
“May I ask where is his father?” Blofeld asks hesitantly.
“Wherever he wants to be I suppose,” she huffs.
“He’s just been in and out. It drives me mad,” she fumes.
“I have no doubt,” he nods.
“He’s going to be with me at work for awhile.”
“That’s fine. If you need any help please ask,” he smiles.
“Thank you Ernst. Hopefully we’ll get to have that dinner you mentioned sooner or later.”
Xxxxxxxx
Ernst would help when he could with Sophie and her son. Despite the situation the boy seemed to always have a smile on his face. In a way Ernst was very envious of the boy. He was still happy despite the odds against him. All three of them started sharing meals together. Ernst hoped it gave a sense of normalcy for Pierre. They were having spaghetti tonight. Pierre had a bib on as he was somewhat slurping away at his noodles and getting some sauce on his face.
“Pierre, what did I tell you that’s rude,” Sophie said.
“Sorry,” he giggled.
“You know in Japan slurping your noodles is actually a compliment,” Ernst points out. Sophie gives him a somewhat playful frown.
“Don’t encourage him, and besides we’re not in Japan,” Sophie added, saying that last part more to her son. Pierre just giggles some more as he worked on a meatball.
“Excuse me…Her…Hare…Herr Blofeld?” Pierre spoke.
“Yes Pierre?” Ernst said kindly.
“What happened to your eye?”
“Pierre, don’t do that.”
“It’s alright,” Ernst said to her reassuringly. “I was injured at work. It left me with permanent damage to my eye.”
“Does it hurt a lot?”
“Not anymore. Unfortunately, it hurt so much that I had to have the eye removed,” He explained calmly.
“So are you going to be a pirate now!?” Pierre asked excitedly.
“Why a Pirate?”
“Because they usually get a glass or wooden eye once they lose a real one.” Sophie looked a bit horrified, but her mouth was covered to suppress her laughter. Ernst chuckled softly.
“Maybe one day I will,” he smiles. “What else do you have to do to be a pirate?” He asked Pierre curiously. Pierre got all excited and in between bites of his dinner he talked about pirates. Ernst thought his energy was adorable. He playfully went along with it. Once dinner was done Pierre helped clean up as well.
“Alright Pierre, time for a shower and bedtime.” Sophie announced.
“Ok Mama, goodnight, Herr Blofeld,” he waved.
“Goodnight, Pierre and you can call me Ernst.”
“Goodnight Ernst!” Pierre said excitedly before he and Sophie left.
Xxxxx
Sophie came to him in a panic the next day.
“I’ve got a problem on my end that I need to take care of. It should only take me a few days, but…I don’t have anyone to watch Pierre,” she explains.
“I’ll watch him,” Ernst said immediately.
“What?” She gasped in shock. “I…I couldn’t…”
“Don’t worry, I would be happy to help,” Ernst insisted. “It’s no trouble…truly. Honestly, I think I am growing fond of your son too,” he admits.
“Oh Ernst…” She smiles. She can’t help it as she goes right up and kisses him. He gracefully returns it as he caresses her face. When she pulls away she’s blushing hard. “Sorry…”
“Don’t be.”
Xxxxx
He packed his bags and met up with Sophie and Pierre at their home. It was a beautiful place and very spacious. It was also filled with plenty of things for Pierre. Sophie helped Ernst get set up quickly in her comfortable sized guest bedroom. She also gave him a paper on what sort of schedule to keep for Pierre.
“Sorry, hope this isn’t too much,” she fidgets nervously.
“No, this helps actually.” He says reassuringly.
“Right, please feel free to call if you have any questions or anything. I’m hoping this will only take three days.”
“You shouldn’t worry so much about work. I could handle it for you if you wish.”
“No, I have to do this. Otherwise, they won’t take my presence seriously anymore,” she says bitterly.
“Why?” Ernst asked confused.
“Some believe that you are in charge now and not me. I need to remedy that personally.”
“Oh, I understand.” He nods. They head downstairs where Pierre is working on schoolbooks.
“Pierre, Ernst is going to look after you while I’m gone. You need to behave for him alright,” she smiles.
“Yes Mama,” he smiles back.
“Ok, I love you,” she says quickly as she gives him a hug and a kiss. “I’m hoping I’ll be back in three days at the most and I will call of course.”
“Ok, I love you Mama.” She gives him another hug.
“I’ll see you boys later…behave…both of you.” She winks before she’s out the door.
“So, what are you working on?” Ernst asks as he sits next to Pierre.
“Math, it’s called adding and subtracting,” he answers.
“Do you like it?”
“Yes, but I like reading more.”
“Reading is a lot more fun,” Ernst nods in agreement.
“Mama got me a lot of books to read. Will you help me read them?”
“Of course.” Ernst smiles. He watches Pierre finish his math work and he checks it over before they go onto reading. Ernst smiles as he reads well but struggles every now and then. Ernst is gentle with his encouragement. After some reading and coloring, Ernst puts on the TV for Pierre before he starts making dinner. They’re cleaning up their plates when his phone rings.
“Hello?”
“Hey Ernst. It’s me is everything going ok?” Sophie asked.
“Yes, we just finished dinner.” Ernst hands the phone to Pierre.
“Hi Mama! Ernst helped me with my schoolwork and then we had chicken and veggies for dinner!” Pierre beamed.
“That’s great honey,” Sophie smiled. “I miss you so much already.”
“I miss you too Mama”
“I’m sorry but I can’t talk long. You know the routine for bedtime right?”
“Shower, brushing teeth and then bed.”
“You’re amazing. I’ll call you tomorrow ok? I love you so much. I need to talk to Ernst now ok?”
“Ok Mama, love you too.” He handed the phone back to Ernst.
“Does he need help with the shower?” Ernst asked nervously.
“No, he’s fine. I stay close in case he needs anything.”
“Alright.”
“Thank you Ernst, hopefully I’ll have an update in the morning.”
“Ok, be careful.”
“Thank you, goodnight.”
“Goodnight Sophie.”
“After a little reminder to brush his teeth, Pierre was ready in bed. He looked so cute in his dinosaur PJs. How a father could abandon this bright boy very much baffled Ernst. Then again, he wondered that about his own father after James came into the picture. He was holding a golden retriever plushie in his hands.
“Do you like dogs?” Ernst asked.
“Yeah, Mama says she’s too busy to get one yet,” Pierre answers.
“What about cats?”
“Aren’t cats supposed to be boring?”
“Sometimes, but sometimes they can cause as much trouble as dogs,” He chuckles. I used to have a cat. She was always so sweet.”
“Ok,” Pierre nods.
“Get some sleep, ok? Goodnight Pierre.”
Xxxxxxxx
It wasn’t a shock that it was a little hard to get Pierre out of bed. He goes downstairs and starts making his cereal and it does the trick as Pierre comes downstairs rubbing his eyes with his hair a bit messy.
“Good morning.” Ernst smiled as Pierre sat down.
“Good morning…thank you.” Pierre mumbled as he started to eat. It was a quiet breakfast, but Pierre soon got his energy and changed. Ernst helped him again with his schoolwork and around lunch time Sophie called again. He quickly gave the phone to her son.
“Hi Mama!” He answered excitedly.
“Hi baby, are you behaving for Ernst?” She teased.
“Yeah, he’s been helping me with school stuff. He’s so smart!” Pierre said.
“That’s great honey. I miss you so much.”
“I miss you too Mama.”
“I’m sorry, but I can’t talk long, but just remember that I love you so much.”
“I love you too Mama.”
“Ok, I need to talk to Ernst again really quick, love you.”
“Love you too.” He hands the phone back to Ernst.
“Sophie?”
“Hey, things are going better that I thought. I should be home sometime tomorrow morning. Don’t tell Pierre because I want to surprise him,” she says quietly.
“Of course, be safe.”
“Thank you, Ernst.” She hangs up and he looks over at Pierre.
“Can I have a snack please?” He smiles brightly. Ernst can’t help but chuckle.
“Yes, what would you like?” Ernst asks as he opens the fridge.
“My baby carrots please!” He says excitedly. Ernst gives him the snack and some juice before grabbing a snack of his own. It’s a nice day out so Ernst figures they should do something outside after they eat.
“Do you have toys to play with outside?” Ernst asks Pierre.
“Yeah! Mama has a big chest in the backyard with stuff.”
“Ok, finish your snack first.”
“Ok!” Ernst chuckles again at the boy’s energy. Once they get outside Ernst has an idea. He quickly gets in front of the toy chest.
“Rrrrrrr matey!” He says in his best pirate voice. “You’ll have to get past me to get me treasure,” he growls playfully. Pierre giggles as he tries to run around Ernst for a little bit to get to the chest. When Pierre finally gets to it Ernst falls down slowly in defeat. “Noooo…you’ve claimed me booty!” He cries dramatically. Pierre throws a rubber ball in his direction and they go play catch for a while. Unfortunately, Ernst couldn’t keep with Pierre anymore so they went back inside for some reading and then drawing as Ernst made dinner. Pierre must have been tired as he quickly went up to take his shower and didn’t make too much fuss about brushing his teeth. Sophie again right on time.
“Ernst was a pirate for me today. He was so funny,” Pierre giggled slightly.
“Awww, how cute. Did you get his treasure?”
“Yeah, and then we played catch and then soccer,” he added.
“Sounds like you had a fun day. Get some rest sweetie. I love you.”
“I love you too.”
“Sophie?” Ernst answered.
“Thank you so much for this. It really means a lot to both of us.”
“You’re welcome. I’m glad I can help.”
“Ok, see you in the morning,” she says quietly.
“Goodnight Sophie.”
Xxxxxxxx
Ernst woke up early to the smell of something cooking. He got dressed and hurried downstairs and saw that Sophie was cooking breakfast.
“Hello,” he said kindly as he came over and kissed her.
“Hello Ernst,” she blushes.
“Did everything go ok?”
“Yup, just some new guy trying to be tough. Apparently, he had plenty of warning, but didn’t listen.” She huffs in annoyance.
“I’m glad everything worked out.” He smiles as he rubs her side. He gives her one more kiss before he sets the table. Soon a soft mumbling is heard.
“Mama!” Pierre gasped excitedly. He scurries over to her and gives her a big hug.
“Hi baby.” She gives him kisses all over his face making him giggle. “Ooohh, I missed you so much.”
“Missed you too Mama.” Eventually they all sit down and eat breakfast. Pierre is all smiles.
“Hey Mama?”
“Yes sweetie?”
“Can Ernst stay here longer?” Pierre asked. Sophie freezes in surprise.
“Ummm…well honey that’s a bit complicated…” She says looking over at Ernst.
“I’d love to,” Ernst says instantly.
“You…you would?” He nods eagerly.
“Yayyyy!” Pierre cheered.
“Thank you.” She smiles. Ernst was looking to starting his new family with them.
Unexpected Cargo - Kindle edition by Smith, Meriah, Smith, Meriah. Download it once and read it on your Kindle device, PC, phones or tablets
My novel has a new cover art by Noonibean. I know her real name, but I'm not sure if she'd want me to post it here or not. So, I'm using her DeviantART username. I recommend that you check out her gallery there.
Link is above. Please check it out. Your support of my work would be very helpful. It isn't an omegaverse; didn't know such a thing existed when I wrote this book. The new cover art is only for the E-book, but I think there will be a new one for the physical book when I can afford to have it made. You're stuck with the one I have now for I don't know how long. There's mention of gay werewolves, but they aren't the main characters.
