tal

[the2duchess]

Put Your Records On ~ Seth Clearwater ff

synopsis: Lili moves to La Push to live with her half-brother Sam Uley and is determined to hate every second until she meets someone special.

Link to story on AO3.

01 Arrival

02 Wedding

03 Back

[the2duchess]

I need (more) Seongnam x Chungha fanfics please!!! @writers, do you thing :))))) 

[the2duchess]

03. Back

summary: After five months away, Lili is finally back in La Push.

word count: 2541

FIVE MONTHS LATER

SETH

HE HAD BEEN counting down the days leading to Lili's return and finally, today was the day she would be coming back to La Push. Much to his chagrin, Lili's mother had brought Lili with her to South America for the summer. He had spent the entire summer depressed, and by now, the entire pack was grateful Lili was finally returning.

"One more week of summer — barely enough time to do any fun summery stuff with her," Seth couldn't help grumbling. He sat at the dining table eating muffins in Emily and Sam's kitchen, constantly checking the clock and shaking his knee.

"Relax Seth! The clock isn't going to tick faster if you keep looking at it," Jared said, nonchalantly stealing a muffin from Seth's hand — and the poor boy hadn't even noticed.

"There will be plenty of time. In fact, you can go cliff-diving this afternoon. If she's up for it, of course." Emily said patiently, ruffling his hair. "Sam just called me and said that they're just entering Forks.

"Ah, Sam. If my memory serves me right, he didn't take it too well, didn't he?" Paul said, a glint in his eye.

Seth had known that eventually Sam would find out about the imprint. So two weeks after the happy couple returned from their honeymoon — Seth wanted them to remain blissful in their ignorance for at least a few more days — Seth garnered enough courage to tell Sam.

And he hit the roof. Almost literally. There would be a wolf-shaped hole in the ceiling of their house if Seth hadn't had the foresight to tell him out in the yard, where Sam was free to phase. A pity though, because these days, Sam was trying to gain enough control to stop phasing.

"What the hell were you thinking? Imprinting on my baby sister like that?!" Sam yelled, throwing Seth to the ground.

"I didn't have a choice! And I swear I won't hurt her."

"She doesn't know anything about our world." Sam hissed. "And now she's going to be dragged straight into the danger I tried to protect her from."

All those years of distancing Lili from himself and his world now felt worthless. Lili had been safe, albeit resentful of him for his apparent abandonment. But now, it felt like his sacrifices, their unhappiness for the sake of Lili's safety, had been for naught.

Sam let out an outraged yell and phased, Seth a second after him. Good call, since the moment Sam was in his wolf form, he pounced on Seth.

Hey, cool it Sam! The pack, also in their wolf form, tried to pull Sam off Seth. When they were able to, Sam still tried to attack again. They tried to nudge Seth out of the way, but he stood his ground, uncharacteristically baring his teeth and growling.

You will stay away from her.

You know I can't do that.

Sam fought to break away from the grip of his pack. But he gnashed his teeth together. Fine. But she will not know about the imprint until a time I see fit, got that? She will not be pressured into falling for some goon. In one of the rarest occurrences, he was using his Alpha voice.

Seth's knees knocked together under the command, but managed to say with as much strength as he could muster, Fine.

At the sound of Sam's Jeep driving up the road, Seth jumped out of his chair at the speed of lightning. His keen sense of hearing allowed him to be the first one by the door, ready to greet Lili.

"Easy, Seth," Embry said. "Sam probably still isn't happy about it. Especially when Lili's around."

But Seth didn't really care. All he could think of was the fact that Lili was finally home.

LILI

The animosity in the Jeep wasn't as bad as the time when I came to La Push for the wedding. I didn't hiss when Sam sang along to Bon Jovi. I rolled up the windows when he told me to do so. And I said thank you when he mentioned they were throwing a homecoming party for me.

Sam narrowed his eyes. "Do you want something, Lili?"

"Nothing." I sang. "Just happy to be home."

"Hmm." His mood abruptly took a turn, as if he was remembering something unpleasant.

But I was in high spirits. "Oh Sam, did you know I saw a wolf near Aunty Allison's house the day after the wedding, just before we left for the airport? It was so gorgeous."

"A wolf?" Sam's voice was curiously quiet, yet brimming with an emotion I couldn't quite place. "And what did the wolf look like?"

"His fur was the exact shade of desert-sand. He looked pretty young, perhaps a teenager. He looked kinda funny, like he was going through a growth spurt, because his limbs appeared far too long for the rest of his body." I paused. "Sorry. I've just been giving it an awful amount of thought, because the moment I saw him, he let out this really sad, mournful howl. Is there a problem with wolves in La Push? Because I don't remember —"

"Damn it." Sam gripped the wheel tightly. From then on, he did not say anything.

As we pulled up to his house, I timidly asked, "Are you sure you don't want me staying at Aunty Allison's house? I would hardly like to disturb your domestic bliss."

"You're my sister." He gave me a little smile. "I wouldn't have it any other way."

Before I could step out of the Jeep, Seth emerged out of the house and was beside my car door in a flash.

"Hey you guys!" He said brightly. I found myself smiling at the sight of him. In some weird way, I had really missed him. Although I really loved spending the summer with my mother in South America, there was a teeny tiny part of me that had wanted to go back to La Push.

All for him.

"Let me get your stuff." He took my suitcase and backpack from Sam, who gave him an unexpectedly disgruntled look.

In the house, Emily hugged me tightly, while the others — comprising of Paul, Embry, Jared, and Quil — welcomed me back cheerily. Thankfully, they were all wearing shirts this time.

"It's nice to see you guys again." And I meant it. I turned to Seth, "It's nice to see you too, Seth." I kept my voice cool.

"Didn't expect you to remember me." The joy in his voice was evident. Although my mood had been elevated ever since arriving in La Push, it escalated even higher just with just hearing his voice.

I said coolly, "Of course I remember you. We danced at the wedding, remember?"

And I had not stopped listening to our song ever since. No matter what, Put Your Records On by Corinne Bailey Rae would be my favourite song forever and ever.

And we were just smiling at each other. I felt my cheeks grow warm. Seth opened his mouth as if to say something, but suddenly, Sam pushed in between us.

"Alright, I'll take Lili's bags to her room." Sam practically snatched my things from Seth, and gave him a look I wasn't able to see since his back was to me. Sam then put an arm around my shoulder and steered me my room.

When we were alone, he closed the door. "Lili, as much as I want you to settle in La Push, I don't think you should hang around Seth so much."

I raised an eyebrow. "What's going to happen if we're friends?"

"Lils, please don' be difficult."

"Sam, I thought you want me to make friends. Seth's my age, he's going to the Forks high school with me, it's perfect. It's not as if I'm going to be making babies with him."

There was a shout of laughter from the living room, accompanied by a sharp smack. Oops.

He winced. "Please don't say that Lili."

"Just because I'm living under your roof doesn't mean you get to control every aspect of my move. I get to hang out with whomever I want, and that constitutes Seth Clearwater." I glared at him. "You know, I don't get why you're so hellbent on separating Seth and me. We literally met at your wedding. He's the sweetest guy I've ever met."

"You have no idea what goes on in an eighteen-year-old boy's mind."

I groaned loudly. "Sam! You're so weird, we are literally just friends." I lowered my voice to a hiss. "Seth does not deserve this kind of distrust. He is nice and sweet and helpful, much more than you're being right now. So what if I like him? You can't stop me."

When I came out into the living room, everyone appeared to be in some kind of shock. It was a funny sight, them having put on party hats when Sam and I were talking, but absolutely frozen. Mouths slightly open and everything. There was also a red mark on Paul's arm which I swore was fading by the second.

"Everyone ... alright?" I asked hesitantly.

"T-Totally!" Seth's face was pink, and his smile was brighter than the sun. "Amazing! Wonderful! Awesome! On top of the world! Let's go get our grub on!"

"Shut up, Seth," Quil hissed.

"Who's up for pizza?" Emily asked.

SETH

Despite acting like a complete idiot, Lili still chose to sit next to Seth during lunch. True, it was the only place left — a feat orchestrated by Paul and Jared, who could not stop giggling — but she didn't not look happy about it.

"Tomorrow, I'll take you to the school to get you registered and everything." Emily said to Lili. "Are you hoping to try out for any extracurriculars?"

She thought about it for a minute. "I was thinking of joining the cheerleading team."

Seth spat out his pizza. Everyone stared at him.

"Um ... pizza went down the wrong way. You were saying, Lili?"

"I searched online, and Forks seems to have a pretty good cheerleading team. I was a cheerleader back in my old school in San Francisco, and I really liked it."

Emily nodded. "Oh, yes. The Cheerios are pretty good. They've even appeared in the newspapers a couple of times."

"I may just join the Cheerios, since I think I'll be put on the honour roll — I don't want to get too overwhelmed."

"Wow, Lili. You are such a well-rounded girl." Jared said, clapping his hands slowly. He smirked at Seth. "Don't you agree with me, Sethy boy?"

Once again, everyone looked towards Seth. Sam's eyes looked especially dangerous, glinting like that. So scary, in fact, that Seth had no idea what to do or say.

"Seth's going to the Forks high school with you, did you know?" Emily said, in an effort to break the tension. "You'll have someone to hang out with, since Embry, Quil, and Jacob have already graduated. Seth's starting his final year, and you're going to be in the year below him."

Paul snickered. "That's not going to be the only way she's gonna be bel —"

"Enough!" Seth gasped. If they said one more word, he was sure he was going to die of embarrassment. Or under Sam's wrath. He turned to Lili. "You wanna go cliff-diving?"

Lili smiled at him. "I'd love to."

—

LILI

However, Emily made us wait a good half-hour after lunch before going cliff-diving. We spent that time just sitting around in the living room, and I occasionally retreated to my room to unpack a few of my things. Sometimes, Seth followed me to my room and asked me a question or two about my summer in South America. And it wasn't just out of sheer politeness — it felt like he really and truly wanted to know about me. Never had anyone ever paid that much attention to me. The very memory of it sent shivers down to my toes.

After Emily felt satisfied that we weren't going to throw up if we went cliff-diving, we all got into Jared's car and drove to the cliff. Paul left early, citing that he had to work out. Weird, for I figured cliff-diving was an activity he would never afford to miss. Sam and Emily also chose to skip out, saying that they wanted to watch some romantic movie together.

"No funny business, young lady," Sam said warningly just before we left.

"You're not my dad, you know. You can't call me young lady." I sighed. "I've been without a fatherly figure for most of my life, and I've turned out great!"

Sam did nothing but roll his eyes. But in truth, especially when I was little, I sort of considered him to be a bit of a father slash older brother figure to me. But I would never admit that to him.

I didn't wear a swimming suit, which was just as well. Imagine wearing a bikini, jumping off a cliff, then losing said bikini in the process. I would have absolutely died of mortification. So, I decided to just wear my shorts and tank top.

When we got there, I jumped out of the car to check out the cliff ... then immediately walked back.

The boys were just getting out of the car. "Why? You scared?" Quil snickered, the other boys snickering too.

Except for Seth. His eyes were crinkled with what appeared to be concern.

"Are you afraid of heights?" He asked softly.

I frowned. "Anyone who's human would be afraid of jumping down what, a 50ft height?"

They all gave each other this really infuriating look that I couldn't really identify. "What?!" I demanded.

"Nothing. Nothing at all." Embry sang, smirking slightly. I narrowed my eyes, but before I could say anything, I was interrupted by this sudden loud whoop.

"Let's go!" Jared shouted, ripping his shirt off — to my obvious shock — and subsequently hurling himself off the cliff.

"Oh my god!" I shrieked. I ran to the edge of the cliff, where in the sea, I saw the water ripple and froth. A second later, Jared's head popped up as he whooped. I turned to the boys. "I know I'm supposed to be a cheerleader, but this is insane. You guys are total adrenaline junkies. What the heck?! Is this what people in La Push do in their spare time?"

"It's what we do." Embry grinned. "Honestly, it's fun. Try it! You only live once."

Seth was suddenly by my side in an instance. "C'mon — we'll do it together."

Quil whistled, and I rolled my eyes.

We walked to the edge of the cliff. As I stood there, thinking What the hell am I doing here?, I felt a hand wrap over mine.

"Hey," he whispered. "It's alright." His hand was warm, covering mine completely. I could feel the slight roughness of his palms, the steadiness of his breathing.

I breathed shakily. "Easy for you to say. You promise we won't hit any rocks or anything?"

"I promise. We've been doing this all summer, and there's nothing wrong with us!"

I scoffed. Seth beamed.

"See! I made you laugh. Now, do you feel any better?"

" I guess ..." I peered uneasily over the edge, then let out a small shriek of terror. "Oh my god, I am really doing this."

"Yes, you are." He stopped smiling and stared into my eyes. Gosh. In those five months I had been away, I had really missed those gorgeous brown eyes of his. "Take a leap. You ready?"

I nodded. He squeezed my hand.

"Good." His face stretched into his thousand-watt smile. "Now. Let's jump!"

I took the leap.

Hellooo everyone! Sorry for such the long hiatus, university has totally taken a toll on me and to be frank, I had no idea what to write or how to continue the story. But I'm back now, and hopefully, my spark of inspiration will last for a good while ;) Enjoy!! 

p.s. This is also up on my AO3 account :))

[iluvromance]

is there anything sexier than a capricorn man who is attentive, intelligent, a male wife, cares about the environment, builds surgical tools, and is the prince consort of a small european country? yes a dilf with twins

[the2duchess]

02. Wedding

summary: Lili attends the wedding, and may meet a reason that can persuade her to come back for the summer.

word count: 3842

THE NEXT THREE DAYS were a blur. There were dress fittings, cake testings, and even a bachelorette party. The heady smell of flowers in the yard gave me headaches, not to mention the shop-till-you-drop mantra Emily was religiously following. She wanted me to go everywhere with her because you know, sister-in-law bonding. I would never admit it to her, but I had fun.

And before I knew it, it was the day of the wedding. Armed with my makeup bag and wearing a silk robe with Bridesmaid in sparkly letters on the back, I went straight to Emily's room after my shower to primp with her and the rest of the girls.

Emily and Sam's bedroom had been transformed into a girly haven. The smell of hairspray and perfume lingered on the bedspread and furniture. Necklaces, shoes, and dresses were draped over every surface. The tweeting of birds was accompanied by the noise of a nervous bride, two giggly bridesmaids, one subdued one, and an excited-in-her-own-way Leah Clearwater.

She had returned a day earlier, just in time for the final dress fitting. Her little brother Seth had stayed on at the Makah reservation because he was accompanying some elderly relatives to the wedding this morning.

"Don't worry, he'll be just in time to walk down the aisle with you," Emily assured me, as Kitty and Hanna, the two other bridesmaids, did her hair. They giggled at the double meaning in their cousin's words.

Leah snorted. She was sitting on the bed and checking her laptop. Emily groaned, "Please leave the college work for today." She turned towards me. "Leah is obsessed with college."

"It's the only time I get a break from the gang," she muttered, rolling her eyes exaggeratedly at me.

I faintly remembered her as Sam's ex-girlfriend of the past. I was really shocked to find out she was Emily's cousin and going to be the maid of honour of their wedding. However, she was pretty chill about it, probably because she had a boyfriend she'd been dating for quite a long time. He was apart of the groom's party.

After a couple of hours of rushing in and out and watching last minute tutorials, I finally had my hair and makeup done. The theme was all dewy skin and rosy lips, which went perfectly with our tan complexions and the spring theme of the wedding. I pinned my mid-length, slightly wavy hair to the side with the heirloom pearl hairpin my mother had given me to wear specially for the wedding.

Before we left the room, I checked my reflection in the mirror. I didn't look half-bad in pale yellow, and the dress's Queen Anne neckline framed my neck real nicely. All the bridesmaid dresses had different necklines, a decision by Emily I thought amazing.

We waited in the parlour, waiting for the guests to settle down. As we did, Emily came over to sit by me. Her makeup was flawless, and even her scars, caused by a bear attack a few years ago, didn't look so horrifying.

"Hi."

"Hi," I said, being fully aware of what was coming next: the mandatory I'm about to become your sister-in-law speech.

"We haven't known each other for a long time. However, I hope that we'll be as close as sisters. I want you to know, Sam loves you so much, possibly even more than he loves me. And if you ever have anything you can't tell Sam, you can always trust me."

My throat closed up. I couldn't believe how nice and sweet she was. Too good for Sam, actually. "Thanks Emily. Uh, you too."

She smiled sweetly at me, her scars lifting up to touch the corners of her eyes.

Just then, the strokes of a cello started.

"Oh God, it's time!" We all started fussing over Emily's dress as the groomsmen came in to join us.

"Who's ready to get this party started?" Paul whooped, looking rather dashing in a bespoke grey suit. "Who's my partner again? Kitty, isn't it?" He looked towards me and took a double take. "Damn Lils, you don't look too bad yourself. Pity you aren't my partner." He winked.

"Where's Seth, Lili's actual partner?!" Emily said agitatedly. "I really wanted to introduce him to Lili properly."

"Right here!" said a husky voice cheerily. That voice was like a magnet, and my head whipped up as if on its own accord to find the source.

Immediately, I felt like I had been hit by a truck.

Just like the other boys, this boy was tall and muscular, with russet skin and jet-black hair. What set him apart from them was how young and boyish his face was compared with the rest of his body. He was utterly cute, with a drop-dead gorgeous grin that stretched across his face.

Emily's voice seemed to be travelling through water. "Seth, this is Lili, Sam's sister. You're walking with her for the procession."

He stepped towards me, and a strange, prickly feeling coursed through my body. I felt my knees give way and I would have fallen, if it had not been for a pair of warm arms wrapping around my waist.

Seth's widened eyes locked onto mine. He looked just as shocked as I was.

"Tripped. On the floorboards," I said hoarsely. Plausible, given that I was wearing heels. But not really, because the floor was smooth wood.

He tightened his grip on me, hot fingers pressed against my bare, trembling arm. My hand was clutching his shoulder. And I don't know what it was, but I had automatically shifted my body to face him. I was overcome by the need to be close to him, look at him, and never look away.

I knew for the sake of appearances, I should have wrenched myself out of his hold and apologised.

But his lips spread out into an even wider grin, if that was even possible. My heart melted, fluttered, and beat at a rate that shouldn't even be humanely possible.

Behind me, I vaguely heard Embry whisper, "Oh no."

SETH

He knew that he should have let go. But he didn't want to because as far as he knew it, he was holding the most lovely creature in existence. Even though his scorching temperature could have burned her with the intensity he gripped her.

"Seth," Leah gave him a warning look. "Any time today."

"Oh right! Sorry." He cleared his throat, flushing deep red when he realised everyone was staring at them. Paul looked like he was about to bark out in laughter.

Damn it, he was never going to live this down.

He held out his elbow, prompting Lili to shyly link her arm in his. As she did so, he felt a shiver run up and down his spine. Her arm fit so perfectly in his, like a jigsaw puzzle.

Seth had heard the legends of imprinting, but assumed it was too rare for it to occur to too many people in the pack. Nevertheless, he dreamed of having someone to love like Sam loved Emily, Jared loved Kim, and vice versa. He had always admired how easily they fell into each other's orbits, how they responded to each other like sunflowers gravitating towards the sun.

He'd always feared he'd imprint on someone way younger than him, like Quil and Claire because it seemed a bit strange. Fortunately, she seemed his age.

Lili. What a lovely, beautiful name. To match with an equally beautiful face.

Even as they progressed down the aisle, he was painfully aware of her every movement. Her breathing was steady and even, and he could hear her faintly counting along to the beat of the cello. Her hypnotising scent invaded his senses with every step she took, so much so that he just wanted to run his fingers through her hair.

She was pretty tall, reaching just a bit below his shoulder. The perfect height. He could see the flickering of her eyelashes as she blinked. Her fingers absentmindedly tapped his arm, sending Seth's breakfast churning in his stomach.

The bottom of her hair brushed against his shoulder, forcing him to resist breathing in the scent of her mango shampoo and citrus soap. He didn't want to look like a creep.

Well, too late for that since you keep looking at her like some insane maniac.

He could hear his mother gasp in adoration and whisper, "My handsome little man," knowing that he could hear her. He grinned, wondering whether she, Old Quil or Billy Black could tell that he had found the love of his life. His imprint.

Seth was sorry to depart from her at the end of the aisle. His gaze lingered on her as she retreated to stand on the opposite side. Unfortunately, she looked elsewhere, into the crowd, up at the flowery arch, anywhere but at him.

He was already anticipating the moment when this boring ceremony was over and he could walk up to her and talk to her. What could he talk to her about? The weather? The wedding? The fact that he was already head-over-heels for her?

But oh dear, if the elders could recognise the imprinting signs, could Sam? And on his special day too! He didn't want to muck up anyone's wedding day, let alone his possible future brother-in-law's!

Luckily for them, Sam was looking at Lili instead of at him. He held out a hand to his sister, who begrudgingly took it and gave him a timid smile.

As everyone stood up for the bride's entrance, gasps erupted from the crowd. Emily's dress had been under much speculation, especially since most knew her scars extended from her face to her right arm. They all expected her to cover them up with sleeves.

However, Emily surprised them all.

Her sleeves were made of organza, with intricate lacework running up and down her arms in floral patterns. Her bright red scars were in plain sight, as clear as crystals through the translucent material. Yet, they were beautiful. They were a part of her.

Sam had always loathed himself for the horror he had inflicted on her. Only now did his self-hatred weaken, at the sight of his glowing bride.

"You may now kiss the bride!" announced Old Quil, who was acting as the officiator.

Everyone cheered as the elated couple kissed. Seth did too and as he did, a set of eyes watched him.

LILI

"Stare much?" I muttered under my breath, feeling a hot stare upon my back. While everyone was either dancing or eating, I was sipping lemonade by a cocktail table with Kim and Rachel.

"You mean Seth?" Kim raised her glass in the direction of Seth, Paul, Jared, and Embry on the opposite side of the dance floor. He appeared to be the target of their ribbing, as they punched the shoulder and patted him on the back.

"He is so adorable, like a little puppy. Rumour has it you two couldn't stop staring at each other during the ceremony." Rachel sipped her champagne nonchalantly. "If you asked me, I think he likes you."

"He's way out of my league. Way out." The moment I whispered that, Seth's eyes seemed to harden.

He looked up in my direction, but I quickly moved my gaze over to the couples on the dance floor. Of course, there was Emily and Sam moving dreamily to Frank Sinatra. And Leah with Jacob Black, her boyfriend who had been Sam's best man.

Claire the flower girl was dancing with Quil. She stood on his toes as he swung her from one end of the dance floor to the next. Her flower wreath wobbled precariously on the top of her curls, but she didn't seem to mind as she squealed with laughter.

"Hey, Kim." Jared came over and kissed his girlfriend's cheek. "Can I have this dance?" At the same moment, Paul came over and spun Rachel onto the dance floor.

So I was alone, left contemplating my existence. Once again, I couldn't help but peek at where Seth was situated. He was alone talking with Embry, face all serious as he gesticulated wildly. He seemed to arguing about something, but Embry wasn't disagreeing with him or anything. He was calmly accepting the brunt of Seth's arguing, all the while sighing and sipping his champagne.

I hardly even knew the guy, but my whole body already seemed attuned to him. Never had I ever felt emotions so strong for a guy I had known for months let alone a guy I had just met! Was I so shallow, fixating on him purely because of his looks? I haven't even talked to him properly. He could have been a huge jerk for all I knew.

But deep down, my gut told me otherwise. He just had to be as pure and wholesome as his smile, presence, and expressions suggested.

And oh my goodness, he was walking my way. Coming straight. Towards. Me.

"Hey." Hands in his pockets, Seth Clearwater shifted from foot to foot nervously. "Lili, right?"

"Yes." I said quickly, accidentally coming off as a bit sharp. I pinched my thigh, willing myself to bite my tongue.

"Want to dance? Songs are pretty great," he said, just as the Frank Sinatra song ended and a Corrine Bailey Rae song started playing: Put Your Records On.

I choked out, "Sure."

He nervously took my hand and led me out onto the dance floor. He stood in front of me, dumbstruck as to what to do with his hands.

"Here." I gained some confidence and took hold of his hands—they were blazingly hot—and placed one around my waist, another on my shoulder. I could feel the heat emanating from his fingers through the thin, flimsy silk of my dress. His hands practically engulfed me. I was a tall person but here was someone who made me feel tiny and delicate.

His face was a fiery crimson. "Sorry."

I studied Seth's features underneath the golden glow of the Chinese lanterns, marvelling at how chiselled yet sweet they were. He was a year older than my seventeen, as Paul had let on on the day of my arrival. Eighteen—the perfect age.

We glided effortlessly across the dance floor, despite only meeting today. We were dancing almost as well as Leah and Jacob, heck, even as good as Sam and Emily! He seemed to be able to predict my moves, and I could predict his. We never stepped on each other's toes.

He suddenly blurted out, "I'm sorry. I have no idea what to say or do. I'm a little bit ... flustered."

"I could tell." I held back a giggle. "Have you ever talked to a girl?"

"I have a sister!" He nodded across the dance floor where Leah and Jacob were entwined around each other, moving like a pair of salsa dancers.

"Killer couple." I meant it both in the figurative and literal sense. Just like everyone else in La Push, they were stunningly beautiful, like magazine models. In addition, Leah's leg muscles peeked out from the slit of her bridesmaid dress, which was devastatingly off-the-shoulder. Jacob, like the rest of the boys, was positively ripped.

We swayed in silence for a few beats, his body barely touching mine. The distance was so near yet far, I felt like yelling in frustration.

"You know, I never expected someone sharing Sam's features to look like you."

"Ugly?"

"Hey, I heard that!" Sam had managed to steer himself and Emily over to us. His eyes squinted in suspicion. "What's going on here?"

"Nothing, Sam!" Seth exclaimed, startlingly afraid.

"They're just dancing, Sam." Emily gave him an exasperated look, Seth and I an apologetic one, and steered him away, despite his protests.

Seth ruffled his hair in frustration. "Agh, I meant to say that you look pretty."

"You think I'm pretty?" It came out so unexpectedly, I didn't have the time to blush.

His face turned an even darker shade of red, if that were even possible. "Maybe—wait no!—wait—yes, obviously—um—I—" He bit his lip, looking so much like a forlorn puppy that I had to burst out laughing.

I had never met anyone so awkward nor endearing as him.

"You look really really pretty in that dress. Not that you wouldn't look pretty in anything other than a dress, but you just ... do." He then added as an afterthought, "I'm not a creep, I swear."

"You don't look too bad yourself in a tux. And we're at a wedding, outfit discussions are all the rage." I moved my arm further up his shoulder, cheekily edging closer to him. "You're Emily's cousin, right?"

"Yeah. Pretty cool cos she's a good cook. I'm always over at their house devouring her latest bakes so I guess I'll be seeing you around a lot." His chocolate-brown eyes shone like stars.

"Uhh." This time, it was my turn to turn to putty. My tongue flapped around uselessly in my mouth, rendered incapable of forming coherent words what with Seth's face just inches away from my own.

"When are you leaving?"

"Tomorrow morning. I'm staying at Aunty Allison's house, since Sam and Emily are leaving for their honeymoon."

"What time are you leaving for the airport?"

"Five."

"I'll see you off. If you want me to." Again, he hit me with his killer smile.

"You wake up that early?"

"Yeah, I work out in the morning."

Pretty easy to tell that he did. Even his shoulders felt ripped. "That's okay, I don't need a big send-off. Because I'm coming back in the summer and staying for the school year." In one swift move, I had already made my decision.

I was coming back.

"You are!" His eyebrows shot up. "That's great! La Push is fun in the summer. We can go to the beach, go swimming, cliff-diving, anything!"

"Cliff-diving? That sounds dangerous."

"Everyone's initial assumption, but I swear it's the best thing."

"I'll consider it." I gave him my toothiest smile ever since coming to La Push.

Seth's hand went up to touch my hairpin. "Pretty." His hand lingered by the side of my face. I could feel the heat radiating from his skin.

My heart skipped a beat. Unfortunately, the song ended all too soon and before I knew it, I was being led away by Aunty Allison to be introduced to a huge hoard of relatives. The last sight I had of Seth that night was him gazing questioningly at me, hand reaching out as if to hold onto something.

—

In advance of the confusion of the happy couple leaving for the honeymoon to Hawaii, Sam sought me out.

"Lili, before I leave—"

"Know that I'm your sister and I'll always be your sister?" I gave him an expectant look. "Yeah, Emily already hit me with that speech."

"And she's right. Look, I know I haven't been the best big brother to you in a while. And I'm looking forward to our future, getting to know you better, if you'll let me." His face took on an abruptly sad note, which I hastily tried to erase.

"I've decided to stay for the summer and the school year, Sam." I didn't want to be blamed for dampening the spirits of the groom himself. "And ... I'm excited. Honest."

Sam's grin practically split his face in half. "That's great, Lili! Emily will be so psyched! Are you sure about your decision? Cause you made it quite quickly."

I shrugged noncommittally. "There's just someone ... something about La Push."

His eyes narrowed. "Is this something to do with Seth Clearwater—"

My heart dropped to my stomach but thankfully, we were interrupted by the boys yelling at him to hurry up.

So I watched them, my big brother and my brand new sister-in-law, embark on their honeymoon. They laughed as we threw rice grains on them, and waved ecstatically as they drove away. I had never seen Sam looking so joyous.

Aunty Allison's, Sam's mum, was wiping tears from her eyes as she hugged me to her side. My mum was on my other side, having been invited to the wedding as well.

Our mothers were as close as sisters, bonding over the fact that they had both been deserted by Joshua Uley. When I was younger, we had spent routine summers in La Push with them. Sometimes, we'd all even go for road trips along the coast. Excepting my father, of course.

"Should we head home?" Aunty Allison said.

"You guys go on ahead. I'll help clean up." I gestured towards the big mess left behind—the masses of ribbons and flowers pulled out by eager children, the rice grains sprinkled on the driveway.

"Let them do it tomorrow, we're all so tired." She pulled me in closer. "You're leaving in five hours, you need your beauty sleep."

"Come on, big girl," said my mother gently, leading me away to where Aunty Allison's car was parked.

—

I woke the next morning to grey skies and a light drizzle. My eyelids fluttered as I rolled my suitcase out to the car, dressed in a simple sweatshirt and jeans.

As we waited for Aunty Allison, my mum asked me, "Have you made a decision about La Push?" As much as my mother loved me, she loved her work as a doctor almost just as much. I knew that she wanted to stay in South America for the program longer than a single summer.

I had always been planning on staying here for the school year, but only now was I able to say with conviction, "Yeap! Can't wait."

"You're going to love it here. Emily is such a sweet girl, she'll treat you well."

"Are we ready to go?" Aunty Allison stepped out of the house, tossing her keys from one hand to the next.

I bit my lip, not wanting to leave before seeing Seth Clearwater. I was wondering whether he would come and see me off, but it was already five minutes past five.

"It's already late, let's get going." But as I entered the car, I kept looking out of the window for any sign of him.

Suddenly, a huge, sandy-coloured wolf stepped out of the forest near Aunty Allison's house. Its fur glittered under the milky sunlight and it tilted its head, as if questioning me. We were at least a hundred metres apart but it was able to stare directly into my eyes.

I swore I saw those beautiful, slightly familiar chocolate-brown eyes glimmer with tears. Then the wolf, in all its glory, raised its snout into the air and let out a mournful howl. The sound, so haunting and miserable, struck a chord within me.

After letting the final notes of his misery ring out, he retreated back into the forest, not before fixing me with a final pleading look.

And so I left La Push, wondering whose loss the wolf was so badly mourning.

P.S. I changed their ages, Seth to eighteen and Lili to seventeen. The age difference between Sam (23) and Seth probs isn't accurate, but I think his age would match the storyline better :)

[the2duchess]

01. Arrival

summary: After five years of estrangement from her half-brother Sam Uley, Lili travels to La Push for his wedding.

word count: 2433

THE WIND BLEW THROUGH my hair, sending it flying behind me like a kite as Sam's Jeep bounced over the pot-holes and speed bumps of La Push, Washington.

"Roll up the window, Lili."

In response, I rolled down the window even further. Who was he to tell me what to do? After he had given me the cold shoulder for five years. Five years! Who does that kinda stuff?

Only a monster, that's what.

"You're going to have to talk to me eventually, you know."

"Wanna bet?" I snapped, before wincing—typical.

Sam laughed, arm hanging half out of the window as if he didn't have a care in the world. He drummed his fingers on the wheel to the song playing on the radio. He looked the picture of joy, him in his busted black Jeep and tattered jeans, and his wedding in just three days.

And I wanted nothing more than to claw out his eyes.

"You haven't been back in a long time. Paul—do you remember him?—can't wait to see you again. And Emily's been dying to meet you."

"Ah, yes. Your mystery fiancée whom I've never met let alone talked to. So it's really freaky that she's making me one of her bridesmaids. Isn't that supposed to be bribery?" I said, rather bitterly.

Truth be told, I secretly relished the idea of being a bridesmaid.

"Hey, watch it," he said warningly. "Don't take it out on Emily, she's lovely, alright?"

I swallowed a surge of jealousy. Was his lovely fiancé the reason why he practically ignored me for five years? There were all sorts of stories like that nowadays, vixen girlfriends isolating their boyfriends from their friends and family.

I hadn't even met the girl and already, I hated her.

Staring morosely out the window and towards the blurry scenery, I grumbled, "Is Dad coming?"

"We sent an invitation to his last known address, no RSVP whatsoever." He didn't even sound that gutted that our dad the deserter—he left Sam and his mum when he was seven, my mum and I when she was still pregnant with me—would not be coming for his wedding.

"We?" I said lightly. "Emily knows?"

He fixed me a look. "Of course she knows about our family situation, she's about to become my wife. You're being very difficult, Lili."

"I know I am." And I did not want to make things easier for him. I was going to be the most stubborn, mouthy, selfish brat just to show him I wasn't a little girl anymore, who would forgive him for every misstep no matter how large.

"Wedding preparations are well underway, and Emily is going out of her mind trying to ensure everything is perfect. I know she'd love it if you help out."

"If you're trying to force us to bond, it's not working," I sang, then caught sight of a house festooned with flowers and ribbons and lanterns, the whole shebang. "This isn't Aunty Alison's house."

"Emily and I have been living in a house of our own." Sam's face went slightly red as he parked the Jeep in the driveway, where an orange Mini Cooper and Harley Davidson were also parked.

"Living in sin? Not the greatest example to set to your little sister."

As we walked towards the front door, I said, "You're only 23, aren't you? That's pretty young for marriage. What did Aunty Allison say about that?"

He sighed, and set my suitcase down on the gravel. His face was serious, holding no signs of the easy happiness that was present when he picked me up—before he knew what a pain I had become in his absence.

"You're really holding this out against me, aren't you?" His voice was weary.

"Yup!" I said, popping the 'p'.

"And what can I do to get you to forgive me?"

"Hmm." I pretended to think for a moment, and Sam's face brightened up only for it to fall flat again when I replied with, "Nothing."

I took hold of the handle of my suitcase and began rolling it towards the door. Behind me, Sam let out an exasperated, "There are some things you wouldn't understand, Lili. I was worried La Push would be too dangerous for you."

I whirled around, and said skeptically, "Really? Dangerous? A teeny tiny, quaint little town where everyone knows everybody, dangerous? Hardly the stuff nightmares are made of."

He grimaced. "Lili, stop being so sarcastic, it's so hard to talk to you."

I scowled at him, and hissed, "Can you at least try to understand why I'm so furious? You never responded to my letters, e-mails, or invited me to La Push, or came to San Francisco. And all of a sudden, I get a wedding invite in the mail two weeks ago. And I had no idea what had been going on with you for the five years you were silent. So, leave me alone. The only reason I'm here is because my mother made me."

That shut him up real quick, and I tried my best to ignore the hurt in his face. I had always thought he was indestructible, but apparently not.

I rang the doorbell. A woman with impossibly glossy black hair opened the door. She had three scars running down from her hairline to chin. They were a vivid red, looking so fresh and raw I felt a shudder run down my spine. She was smiling brightly, yet one half of her mouth was distorted, pulled down in a grimace.

"You must be Lili. I'm Emily, it's so great to finally meet the famous Lili." Her voice was low, like a hum. She opened her arms and walked in for a hug, but I stuck out a hand formally.

I wasn't quite ready for such an intimate gesture.

But to try and soften the blow, I said, "Nice to meet you, Emily."

Emily smiled back just as brightly as before. I'm pretty sure she heard our fight. But when she looked over me at Sam, her face lit up like the Fourth of July. Sam leaned over my head to kiss her. Right on the lips. Right in front of me.

I scowled, ducking under them and into the house properly. "Save the PDA for the wedding, God."

Sam pursed his lips. Emily had the decency to blush, saying, "Got that, Lili. Want to see your room?"

My room wasn't so bad. It was actually pretty cute. But I didn't say that out loud, of course. The walls were painted sage-green, with a bedspread patterned in matching green hearts. The single bed was crammed next to the bedside table. Across the room was a pale oak closet with no knobs and a very scratched up, peeling exterior. Next to it was a study table with a potted snake plant.

Sam said, "You can decorate it however you want since you'll be coming back for the summer—"

I rolled my eyes. It was not my choice that my mother was going to South America on an MSF program.

"—so it'll really feel like home. And sorry about the closet, it was secondhand and barely ten dollars. We couldn't resist." He gave me a sharp look, warning me not to say anything sarcastic to Emily.

But even if he hadn't done that, I wouldn't have said anything snarky because I loved the room. It was simple and snug, designed around my favourite colour—he must have asked my mother about my taste.

"Thank you. I love it."

Emily grinned, her face lighting up with happiness. "Want to meet the gang?" she asked, but she did not wait for an answer and grabbed on my hand to tug me out of my bedroom.

Sam protested, "Wait, don't!" But she was too fast.

She led me to the backyard, where wedding preparations were well underway. There were several tall, tan, shirtless, and muscular guys from the rez lugging huge stacks of chairs and carrying tables on their shoulders, no sweat. I didn't realise I was gawking until one of the guys snickered.

"Hey Lili, nice to see you again." The snickering one said. "Do you remember me? I'm Paul. You used to follow Sam and I around a lot when we were little."

"Ah, really?"

Other than Paul, there was Embry, Quil, and Jared present. Apparently, there were three people missing: Leah and Seth Clearwater, and Jacob Black. The Clearwaters were at the Makah reservation picking up relatives for Emily's wedding. And Jacob was up in Forks doing some business.

"Leah, my cousin, is going to be the maid of honour while you and two of my other cousins are bridesmaids." Emily explained. "Sam's best man is Jacob, and his ushers are Paul, Embry, and Seth. You're going to be walking with Seth. And don't worry, he's really sweet. I picked the nicest boy to walk with you. "

The boys groaned and rolled their eyes, claiming that they were sweeter and nicer than Seth Clearwater while I stifled a laugh.

I felt strangely touched that she was picking me to be one of her bridesmaids. My bratty attitude should have crossed me off her list the moment I stepped into her house and invaded on her blissful, pre-wedding bubble.

I made a resolution to be nicer to Emily.

Sam joined us outside, not looking very pleased to find me acquainted with the boys.

"Behaving yourselves?" He said gruffly, slinging an arm around Emily. Gosh, what was with them and their need to be constantly draped over each other like cats? I felt him try to make a move to put an arm around my shoulder, but I expertly ducked around, pretending to dust off my shoe.

"Yes, sir. Nothing ... unordinary happening." Embry said, nodding firmly with the same sort of attitude a soldier would respond to the captain.

Sam's face relaxed. "Good. But put on some shirts. I don't want you guys to defile my little sister's mind."

Since there was still a lot to be done before the wedding in three days, I helped string together Chinese lanterns and fasten flower bunches along the perimeter of the yard. The yard was huge, so it took me quite a lot of energy. Sam told me the house was provided to him by the Elders of the Council, but I was still surprised that they were so generous, as the house was quite a steal.

The boys had a funny chemistry, completely at ease with each other. It wasn't long before I could discern their wildly different personalities—they all balanced each other out, what with Paul's hot-headedness, Embry's quiet demeanour, Quil's cheeky banter, and Jared's teasing, jokester-type personality.

I finished my decorating just before the sun set, and collapsed on the dewy grass. If there was another thing I missed about La Push, it was the spectacular sunsets. The sky wasn't obscured by tall skyscrapers and buildings, which was a pleasant change from San Francisco.

"What's up, Lili?" Paul sat down next to me, arms stretched out behind him. Maybe I was embarrassed by how good-looking he was, but I could practically feel the heat radiating off him. "How old are you?"

"I'm sixteen."

Jared, coming towards us, let out a huge guffaw. "A year younger than Seth? That's a laugh, he's going to love it. Hey, what if he's the one who—" He stopped short.

"What if he what?" Quil teased, joining us along with Embry.

Meanwhile, Sam and Emily were oblivious to me getting swamped by them, although Sam had seemed really tense earlier when I first met the boys. They were already in honeymoon central, entwined in each other's arms and watching the sunset from a swing.

Embry didn't miss my grossed out expression. "That weird, huh? Seeing your brother all loved up."

"I guess." I wasn't in the mood for a therapy session.

He obviously didn't buy my silence, and said rather sagely, "There's more than what meets the eye."

I turned sharply towards him, worried that he had also heard my fight with Sam. But he smiled sweetly back at me, I didn't want to doubt such a face.

"Hey, we're buying takeout for dinner." Emily said, as she and Sam were walking back towards the house. "You get to choose what we get, Lili, as a homecoming honour."

"Thai food, please." I said quickly. "And I'll unpack my things before dinner, if you don't mind."

Emily gave Sam significant look, as if to say, See? Just give her some time to settle in. She pulled me up and snaked an arm around my waist, her other around Sam's, like a little family. I fought the impulse to wriggle out of her picture-perfect family portrait.

We all traipsed to the back door, and I was startled to find it practically hanging to the doorway by a single hinge. I hadn't realised its dismal state when I walked through it earlier.

"What happened to the door?"

"Well … the boys are pretty boisterous." Emily said, and the boys cheered. "Sam's going to rip it from its hinge before the wedding, then replace it with a swinging door. Easier that way."

Judging by Sam's muscles, as well as the rest of the gang's, I didn't at all doubt that they would be able to rip the door off its frail-looking last hinge.

"Might as well get a dog door," Paul snickered.

My expression was one of confusion, and I was about to ask him what he meant when Sam practically snarled, "Paul."

Paul winced. "Sorry."

It was pretty strange. But, stranger things have happened in La Push.

As we entered the house, which was pleasant and cosy as its exterior, I excused myself to escape into my bedroom. I held off unpacking all of my clothes, for it would have been too … final. Like I was really here, and going to come back for the summer and most likely stay still I graduated high school if my mother stayed on in South America.

I wasn't even sure what to make of Sam and Emily together. She was nice and all, but up till a week ago, I had had no idea that she was the centre of my brother's world. And the boys? Paul, Embry, Quil. And then there were two more—Seth Clearwater and Jacob Black. With the way things were shaping up, it looked like they were already part of the little family. I would be seeing a lot of them.

I groaned. It was going to be a crazy ride.

hii!! btw, this is also up on my AO3. don’t forget to like:))

[hillbees]

colin firth: *takes on interesting and different roles, proves to be a very versatile, talented actor*

every journalist ever: look at the mr darcy man go

[kdramalover]

[minhamaniac]

Hospital Playlist & Cinnamon Rolls

[bruinhilda]

As a library worker, there’s something I want to say to you.

You do not have to apologize for the books you choose to read.

At all.  To anyone.  You owe nobody any explanations; you need no excuse or “good reason” to be reading the book.

You do not have to be ashamed for wanting to read “bad” books.  You wanna read Twilight?  We got Twilight.  Need a banal, cookie-cutter-plot mystery or thriller?  Those are always fun.  Our regulars check them out by the towering stack.  Ask Betty for recommendations; she’s read them all.  50 Shades of Oh Fucking No?  We’ve got it, we even got it in large print.  Have fun.  Check out the rest of our porn too.  Oh, and the sex manuals are a MUST if you want to “experiment” yourself.  Don’t be afraid to ask; they’re here for a reason.

Want to read a book written by a huge asshole everyone hates and agree was a monster?  Yeah, we have those.  No, we don’t think you’re an asshole for wanting to know what was actually written in there, or judging things for yourself.

You are not too old for Diary of a Wimpy Kid, The Babysitter’s Club, or Captain Underpants.  You are not too young for Sherlock Holmes.  There’s nothing wrong with a boy reading The Princess Academy or Sweet Valley High.  There’s nothing wrong with a girl being into The Hardy Boys or Artemis Fowl instead.

You do not have to pull the shame face and offer me an excuse when you check out your books.  I don’t care if I got so angry at that book I threw it against a wall when I read it: you have the right to read it, and enjoy it if it’s enjoyable for you.  THAT’S WHY THE LIBRARY HAS IT IN THE FIRST PLACE.  If we only stocked pure, unproblematic literature everyone approved of, by authors of unquestionable virtue, we wouldn’t have any books at all.  Or music.  Or movies.  It would be utterly fucking boring.  And it certainly wouldn’t be a library.

[jamesscarstairs]

if i was in a jane austen novel i would be the one sent to the seaside for my health

[trendingdrama]

10 things kdrama women have shown us

Happy International Womens’  Day

[the2duchess]

BMTL & white tulips updates today?? And the fact that they have thousands and thousands of words?? Junjin stans are FEASTING today

[myfashionburden]

elie saab spring/summer 2020 haute couture

[prodmina]

am i the only one who unapologetically ships sujin and seojun i mean they have the best enemies to lovers energy

they aren’t really enemies but like they have the vibe and the CHEMISTRY ??? THE WAY SEOJUN LOOKED AT HER WHEN HE CONFRONTED HER ??? THE FIRE IN THEIR EYES ??? I REALLY THOUGHT THEY WERE GONNA MAKE OUT

[heoneyology]

imagine feeling so entitled to someone you like that you’ve led them on and said hurtful things to, and never cleared up the misunderstandings of your words or apologized, and continue to pull them back and forth and make them confused. imagine feeling so entitled you yell at them for giving away their phone number to a friend of a friend because it’s a stranger they don’t know. imagine hearing your rival’s voice over the phone hanging out with them and thinking they’re together against their will when they planned to hang out and then later grabbing their wrist and dragging them out of an elevator unannounced away from that person, without saying a word and just glaring and not explaining yourself, out of pure jealousy, literally playing tug of war with them. imagine fighting the guy who took care of the girl you like because she was sick and he fucking noticed she was sick and you fucking didn’t. imagine during that fight telling the other to give up because “you liked her first” as if her feelings aren’t important in all of this, something the other party also stated very clearly while being beat up by you.

and yet you still get kissed.

I hate this. I really hate suho he’s so toxic.

[thesingingnorwegian]

han seojun being a precious bean in episode 10~