Look me in the eyes and tell me your taste in music isn't what your dad used to play in the car.
-admin strawberry
I can still taste the powder from the barrel of my gun. I can hear my Sergeant screaming, “Run, Soldier, run.” I can feel the backpack on my shoulders, God, it weighed a ton. I see death in every single thought. They taught me how to put that uniform on, I just can’t get it off // A Soldier’s Memoir (PTSD Song) - Joe Bachman
Part 1 of 2.
Pairing: Fred Weasley x Fem! Reader; George Weasley x OC (Mentioned briefly)
AU: Is early 2000s AU a thing?; military!AU; muggle!AU
Summary: Private First Class Fred Weasley is severely injured during his deployment, teaching you - his wife - about the meaning of sacrifice and unconditional love.
Word Count: 3.9k
Warnings: ANGST to FLUFF, pregnancy, children, marriage, mention of 9/11/2001 terrorist attacks, Operation Iraqi Freedom, American military, violence/war/combat, long distance relationship, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), mention of prosthetic limbs/loss of limbs/severe injury, amputee, hospital, vomiting, burns, coping with disability, hurt/comfort, reader takes on a caretaker role, night terrors/nightmares, crying, fighting, throwing things, talk of su*cide, emotional outbursts, kissing, cuddling, i think that’s everything. PART 2 WILL FEATURE VANILLA SMUT.
Author’s Note: I want to make it clear I am not pro-war nor am I in support of war, so please don’t come for me. I do, however, support active duty and veteran military members for their sacrifices. Also, I don’t know how accurate the timeline of events are so please bare with me. While this story is a work of fiction, the reality is that thousands of veterans are living with both mental and physical wounds as a result of their service during Operation Iraqi Freedom and Operation Enduring Freedom. To learn how you can help post-9/11-veterans, please visit The Wounded Warrior Project. A small donation to the Wounded Warrior Project significantly helps the men and women they serve. The WWP provides a number of valuable services to wounded warriors, including connections to mental health services, peer-to-peer support, independent living support (for veterans with severe injuries, such as traumatic brain injury), employment services, family support, housing, and more. For more information on PTSD among vets, please visit the United States Department of Veteran’s Affairs National Center for PTSD. I want to highlight that love/a good relationship is not enough to cope with PTSD nor does it ‘fix’ it. If you or someone you love is experiencing PTSD symptoms, please seek help through means of professional counseling.
_________________________________________
There are so many things no one tells you before you marry a soldier. There is a tendency to leave out the heartbreak that forms when you marry one. In reality, you aren’t just marrying him, but the Army as a whole. Being a military spouse comes with its own code. You learned to walk on his left side at all times just in case he had to stop to salute with his right; you always stood for the Anthem and crossed your heart at the Pledge; you spent hours learning acronyms and ranks; and overall, you strived to be as proper and patriotic as possible. However, you wouldn’t trade the world for the life you had with Private First Class Fred Weasley. You had married young - like many military wives - so that you could have the opportunity to live on base. You hadn’t thought much of Fred’s position during peacetime.
Fred was a doting and loving husband. He worked long hours, but you never much minded. You were able to work part-time as a registered nurse, picking up hours as needed, although you and Fred were able to manage on his salary. In fact, it all seemed like the perfect career path. Fred would continue to move up ranks, and eventually, you would be able to settle down with a decent military retirement fund. Everything was going as it should - that was until September 11th, 2001.
Keep reading
Summary: Fred and you have been secretly going steady since the end of your fifth year. Now that he and George are making their grand exit to follow their dreams, you are struggling to come up with the perfect parting gift.
Inspired by: https://open.spotify.com/track/37hblhCnC5YzhDQH58Rgpi?si=0EISnLcTRE2mctlIXNObTA
Warnings: Angst, Malfoy!Reader, difficult home life, neglect mentioned
A/N: Currently going through a bit of a writers block that definitely came from school, but I thought something to do with my fav boy would help clear my mind. Just want some input from ya’ll, would you be interested in me starting to take requests? Also, low-key miss having mutuals before I decided to completely start over lol. Also, why does ‘each other’ look wrong to me? Like I am a native English speaker but the words just like sus...
Word Count: 2.2k
The numerous differences between your childhood and your boyfriend’s were anything but subtle.
Growing up, you felt as if you were a puppet being dangled for the world to see. Your mother, Narcissa Malfoy, was a complex woman; She obviously loved you very much. She held you, but never longer than it took to keep your tears at bay. Lucius Malfoy, on the other hand, was your father in blood only. His disdain for your lack of enthusiasm regarding blood purity was obvious. He had never once in your 18 years on Earth said ‘I love you’, or even a simple ‘I’m proud of you’. Until the day came where you were willing to take the dark mark and fight on behalf of Lord Voldemort, you would be nothing in your parents’ eyes besides a test child before Draco’s birth.
Now, from what Fred had told you, his childhood was seemingly filled with sunshine and rainbows. He spent his summers wading in the pond near the Burrow, listening to the chirp of crickets and giggles of his numerous siblings. The entire family was open about showing their love in words and actions. Molly and Arthur, despite not being particularly rich, would give the clothes off their backs if it meant their children would never have to experience fear in any capacity. Fred always had a playmate, and never did he have to go through life fearing being expelled from the family home for his opinions.
In the simplest of terms, Fred and you were complete opposites. Your similarities were found in the small things; the way you both were headstrong and loyal, and most of all...
You both despised Filch. Fred had saved your butt from being caught in the halls after dark at the beginning of 5th year. He had decided then and there that despite the fact that you were in a different house, you simply had to be more than another member of the besmirched sacred twenty-eight. He knew from the second you were taking his outstretched hand in the dimly lit corridors that no matter what, you both were destined to be in each others’ lives. As he led you down a secret passage to the sound of Mrs. Norris’ eardrum-rattling mewls, you knew that the idea that he was just another impoverished ginger from the Weasley family was anything but true. Despite all the odds, that night was what laid down the foundations for you and Fred to become more than just another member of the family feud.
Going on almost 2 years later, and your relationship had shifted from what was a slightly odd friendship to an unexpected relationship. Fred and George were now planning their grand escape for sometime after the Easter holidays, but you had a totally different date on your mind; April 1st.
•─────⋅☾ ☽⋅─────•
“Oi, Weasley! You are a whole 42 seconds late!” You giggled, and Fred simply chuckled before dropping his books next to yours.
It was rare for Fred to be on time, but he always made an effort (and usually succeeded) for you. Due to your obvious difference in house loyalty, the easiest way you found to spend time together was to carve out 2 afternoons each week to just bask in each others’ presence. Every Monday and Friday (unless there was a quidditch match), you would meet Fred in a secluded corner of the courtyard. The two of you would goof around study, snack on some treats from Honeydukes, or simply lie back and enjoy the sunset while talking about whatever came up.
“So, anything big happen today, love?” Fred pecked you on the cheek quickly before dropping his head on your shoulder.
“Just the usual. Apparently, my mother has finally given up on sending me howlers to come home.”
“Y/N, mum already said she would love for you to come and stay with us during the holidays. You could come get a feel for the family over the holidays next week, and you would finally get to see what the Weasley-Twin-Birthday-Bonanza is like!”
“You mean watch your aunt call you George for a whole evening while asking why you aren’t a prefect? Oh, I am so in.” The ginger made a face of mock offense while dramatically huffing into the shoulder of your robes. “That reminds me, will you finally cave and tell me what you want for your birthday?”
“Love, I don’t want anything at all. Having my gal be there for the big one-eight is more than I could ever ask for.”
Money was no issue; Your mother had continued sending you a small allowance, most likely in the hopes that it would sway you to ‘do the right thing’. Fred had always made an effort to get you a new charm for your bracelet for your birthday, which most likely cost him a few weeks in sales, so of course you wanted to return the favor and find the perfect gift. Last year, you had crocheted him a plush lion wearing a Gryffindor-themed scarf and he had loved it. For some reason, though, you couldn’t help but feel like you needed to find him something bigger and better for his final birthday as a Hogwarts student.
“If you say so, Fred. Just don’t complain when you open my gift and it’s a pair of socks embroidered with little kittens.” Fred simply smiled and grabbed your hand that was previously tapping on the edge of your potions textbook.
“I’ll wear them with pride.”
•─────⋅☾ ☽⋅─────•
“Ginny, please tell me you have some amazing idea for a gift that I haven’t thought of....” Ginny grimaced as you sunk into the wooden chair, obviously aware that this meeting you had called in the library wasn’t just to give her some advice in terms of course selection.
“Well... um... maybe you could bring him some muggle joke products? He really gets quite a kick out of them.” The apples of Ginny’s round cheeks became rosy, and she awkwardly rubbed at the back of her neck. “I mean, no offense, but couldn’t you just ask him?”
“I tried that already. At this rate, he will be turning 19 before I figure out what to get him...” A puff of air escaped your chapped lips, and you once again found yourself nibbling on them in thought.
“Well, here you are, big sis! Trying to figure out a gift for your git of a boyfriend?” Draco’s familiar greasy head popped out from behind the shelf before the young wizard marched up to you directly. “Do us all a favor, give him a little ‘life sans Y/N’... Merlin knows his parents probably don’t want a child of dark lord sympathizers at their shack anyways.”
“Shut up, Draco...” Before Ginny could attempt to soothe your anger, you had up and left the room.
“Psh, serves her right anyways...” A resounding smack was heard as Ginny wacked the platinum-headed goon on the back with the heaviest textbook lying nearby.
•─────⋅☾ ☽⋅─────•
It wasn’t like doubt surrounding your relationship had never been an issue before. You often found yourself wondering if your company was putting Fred in danger, especially considering the current climate surrounding the resurgence in death eater activity. Fred had always tried to quell your worries, but sweet words and gentle kisses could only do so much. You and Fred knew how you both felt towards each other, but it seemed like the world was against you some days.
Maybe Draco is right, he could get out of here and find a nice girl with normal parents to settle down with. After all, who wants to be known as the significant other of a Malfoy?
A single tear slipped out of the corner of your eye, but you quickly dabbed it away with the edge of your sleeve to avoid grabbing attention from any of your housemates. The only perk you found that happened to come with being sorted into Slytherin like the rest of your family was that it was far enough away that you knew Fred wouldn’t find out if you spent any time sulking about your common room. For once, the slam of the heavy dungeon doors brought you comfort instead of a nagging chill.
Fred isn’t like me. He has everything he could ever want... All I do is create more stress for him.
Ignoring the harsh gaze of your housemates, you slipped into your dorm and found yourself slinking to bed without so much as slipping off your robes. Pulling the emerald comforters over your head, you let yourself slip into a restless sleep.
•─────⋅☾ ☽⋅─────•
It was finally the day before the Easter holidays, and Hogwarts was more alive than ever. Young couples were spending their last day on campus wandering the corridors, groups of friends sat laughing and promising to write letters on what they each planned to bring back, and even some people that swore they were enemies seemed to be acting more hospitable. It must’ve been nice to not be spending the morning trying to calm your beating heart and convincing yourself that what you are doing isn’t wrong.
“Hey Lovey! Have you finished packing yet?”
“Well... not exactly, Freddie.” Fred’s face dropped, and he took your hand in his.
“Is this about my aunt? I promise you won’t even have to say more than a simple ‘hello’ to her.” The mere mention of Fred’s Auntie Muriel almost cracked your tough exterior.
“I can’t come home with you, Freddie. There is no way your family wants to spend their holiday break with the daughter of Lucius Malfoy. Look, I mean... here’s your gift. Just please promise to wait till you get to the station to open it.”
Fred opened his mouth to argue, but you had already turned away as to avoid him seeing hot tears trail down your cheeks. You would have to be insane to go and willingly spend your holiday alone in the Malfoy Manor. There would be no family meals, especially now that all your parent’s energy went towards providing shelter for the death eaters. As you stumbled away to make your way back to your dorm to finish packing, Fred’s warm hand grasped your shoulder.
“Please. Y/N, all I want is to be able to spend every day of this holiday mucking about with you. I know why you want to go home, and I’m telling you as your boyfriend and best friend to not do it. Just please, grant me a birthday wish... come home with me.”
Fred drew you into his chest, and you found yourself clutching onto his striped button-up as if it would save your life. His larger hands rubbed across your back, and he pressed a small kiss on the top of your head.
“Are you really sure about this, Fred? I wouldn’t want to make your mum and dad uncomfortable, or even your older brothers for that matter.”
“Y/N, my love, the light of my life, just come home. If you can manage to get George to like you more than he likes me, I promise you the rest of my family will love you.” His signature smirk spread on his freckled face, and he pressed a quick peck on the tip of your nose.
“Now, let’s go get you packed, Y/N.”
•─────⋅☾ ☽⋅─────•
“Oi, Fred, what’s in the box?” George elbowed his brother while somewhat attempting to be quiet. The train ride was almost over, and you had resorted to using the seat opposite to the twins as a temporary napping spot.
“I nearly forgot I had it on me to be quite honest. Do you think I should open it even though she is coming with us?”
“She said to open it at the station, but we are obviously past that point, so please just open it!” George bounced in his seat, and Fred gave in to temptation. He unwrapped the ribbon holding the small box shut, opened the lid, and discovered a dainty chain with a circular pendant hanging on the end.
“Is that a size reference for your-”
“George! Shut up, you dimwit. I think it might be a mirror-glass type thing, but I genuinely have no idea...”
“Freddie, bring it to your eye and look through it.” The twins both jumped as you rolled over, clearly no longer asleep.
Fred brought the pendant to his right eye, squinted, and his immediate smile couldn’t be contained. When held at the right distance, he could see a small picture of you and him from your first date at Hogsmeade. He was much more lanky and awkward looking, and you were almost matched in height. The smile you both shared in the photo warmed his heart to no end, and Fred found himself having to gather his emotions from the memories he had of that day.
The ginger all but leapt to your side of the cart, and he wrapped his arm around your still-sleepy figure. He squeezed you tightly to his side before leaning in to whisper something in your ear without allowing George to hear.
“It’s perfect, my love.”
•─────⋅☾ ☽⋅─────•
~Post-fic A/N: I hope this was a good read for you guys! I am definitely on the verge of passing out, but proofreading is superior to sleep (jk). Anyways, if anything comes to mind, don’t hesitate to reach out or send in an ask! I love interacting with you guys, even if it is just a brief hello! :) ~
Best of Fred and George Weasley
but your honor, i love him :(
the tiktok in question. bob girlies check in if you need help ♥︎
today I offer you this meme:
Summary: The phone rang again and you took it in your hand, seeing Peter’s face grinning up at you, tongue stuck out between his lips. For a moment, your finger hovered over the button to answer the call, but you couldn’t bring yourself to do it, instead throwing the device across the room. It didn't ring again. — or, the one where you have a panic attack & Peter is there for you.
Words: 1.5k
Notes: anxiety and panic attack — please read with care; some cursing; negative self-talk, fem!reader, intense feelings. please be kind to yourself if you read this & please don't read it if you are not in the right space to do so. anxiety and panic disorders are different for everyone—this is based on my own experiences and may not represent your own experiences living with anxiety and that's okay and normal. take care of yourselves, loves 🌻 written for some lovely pals who requested this topic xx ily
The squirrels had gotten into your window garden again, telling gnaws in the leaves of your basil plant a conspicuous giveaway. Normally, you’d be cursing the fluffy devils, swearing up and down that if you ever caught the little bastards in the act you’d go medieval.
But you didn’t exactly have time to imagine your revenge or mourn your chewed up herbs as you towelled off your hair and began preparing for the date you and Peter were set to go on that evening. Plus, the excitement you felt buoyed you past the point of anger, your feet nearly gliding along the carpeted floor of your bedroom as you busied yourself with hair and makeup and the always daunting task of picking the right outfit.
It had been a few weeks since you and your boyfriend had gone on a proper date, not that you minded. The nights you spent sprawled across his lap while you battled it out on the XBox were the only thing you needed. But Peter had been busier than usual with what you playfully called his after hours job, a flood of some new drug making its way across the dimly lit alleys and back rooms of New York. And you’d been focusing so intensely on your applications for grad school that you’d hardly gotten a full night of sleep in a week. So you’d both agreed a night out was in order, and Peter would be meeting you at that gorgeous Italian joint that he’d taken you to on your second date.
You glanced at the clock on your bedside table, its neon red letters catching the breath in your chest, stopping you in your tracks as you moved around your bedroom, half-dressed and hair damp.
You were going to be late.
A surge of cold energy made your stomach somersault and you grit your teeth against it. You could hurry, maybe just throw your hair back with a headband?
Those stupid squirrels—if you hadn’t had to spend time worrying about them—
And the subway was always running behind this time of day. You’d end up having to stand, squished between strangers and too warm, sweating and jostled around.
And you still wouldn’t be on time. Because why would anything ever go right? Why couldn’t you do anything right?
Dread crept up your spine, flexing its fingers around your lungs and making you wonder, for a moment, if you were dying, the sudden overwhelming weight of mortality crushing you.
No. No. No no no.
You closed your eyes, a tightness building in your chest, and when you opened them, it was as though you were seeing the world through a fishbowl, distorted and grotesque. You felt a cold sweat prickle at the back of your neck, inexplicable fear bubbling in your stomach. You bit your lip, turning around once in place, pinching your wrist to try to focus on anything other than that awful little voice that had begun worming its way into your ear.
You knew there was nothing to worry about. It would be okay if you were late.
But it would ruin everything.
No, it wouldn’t. You tried, truly you did, to force the thoughts you knew were ridiculous out of your head, but your failure to do so only made you more frustrated, more disappointed. Your nails dug into your palms, tiny crescent moon shapes appearing under the pressure.
All the planning Peter had done, for nothing.
Everything seemed to blur and your legs slowly buckled, your body giving you enough time to fall gently to the floor before you hugged your knees up to your chest. Still, you heard whispers, your brain betraying you as it cruelly lashed you with hissing thoughts.
Your nail polish is chipped. Your shirt looks hideous.
And you should be studying. Kiss grad school goodbye. You’ll never get in.
You haven’t called your parents in a week, that’s awful. After everything they did for you.
You are nothing.
You were falling, falling, falling, slipping under the waves of your own insecurities until they blanketed you like an unforgiving, crushing rockslide.
You will never be enough.
Peter is too good for you.
You will never be loved.
You pressed your palms into your eyes, pushing hard to try to distract yourself from the whirl of thoughts in your head, from the tangled knots in your stomach. You lowered yourself onto your side, a sob wracking through your chest.
Peter…
With effort, you reached up for your phone, on the bed above you, fingers trembling, dropping it twice before you managed to tap on Peter’s contact information.
You’ll only make it worse by calling him, idiot. What are you doing?
It rang once. You hung up. Tears now fell freely from your eyes, your chest tight as you tried to suck in air from a room that was growing smaller and smaller, its walls closing in around you.
Then, your phone rang, a cheery sound that cut through the buzzing in your ears. You ignored it, allowing it to go to voicemail. You couldn’t talk to him, not now, not when you were so broken.
So pathetic, upset over literally nothing.
Ruining Peter’s night over literally nothing.
The phone rang again and you took it in your hand, seeing Peter’s face grinning up at you, tongue stuck out between his lips. For a moment, your finger hovered over the button to answer the call, but you couldn’t bring yourself to do it, instead throwing the device across the room.
It didn’t ring again.
It might have been five minutes or five hours—time slipped by agonizingly slow and all at once—before you heard clambering outside your bedroom window, the sound of someone prying it open and falling with little grace onto your floor.
“Hey ladybug! I’ve been tr—”
You’d known it was Peter even before you heard his voice die in his throat. For his part, he’d been so worried that you’d called him and then not answered he swung over to your place in record time, heart hammering in his chest.
It took him a breath or two to fully take in the scene before him, your form curled up on the floor, shaking with silent sobs.
Shit. He knew what was happening.
Peter was by your side in a second, close enough to offer his hand, far enough to allow you space. You looked up at him with bleary eyes and he smiled weakly.
“Hi beautiful,” he whispered, “I’m here.” He saw the fear in your eyes, the quivering of your lip and his chest constricted. Still, he knew he had to focus on helping you. “You’re having a panic attack, Y/N.” He paused, allowing you to digest his words. When you nodded almost imperceptibly, he continued, “You’re gonna get through this, yeah? It’ll all pass and I’ll be here. Now, you gotta tell me, love, what are five things you see?”
Peter’s voice was warm and soft in your ear, much kinder than the voices swirling in your head. You tried to focus on his words, on his face. Swallowing thickly, drawing in a deep breath, you began to answer. “You,” your voice was shaky, but Peter smiled encouragingly.
“Good, what else?”
“The floor. The bed. Those socks. My hands.” Each item listed gave you a moment’s focus.
“That’s my girl,” Peter encouraged you, still keeping a space between you, “Now four things you can touch?”
You reached for his hand and he freely gave it, allowing you to wrap your fingers tightly around his own but keeping his grip loose.
“Your hand,” you whispered. Peter nodded. Your free hand moved up to touch your cheeks, feeling the heat of your skin and the dampness of your tears there. “My face,” you continued.
“Yeah,” Peter smiled, “Your sweet face. What else?”
Time began to settle into its usual rhythms as Peter helped you ground yourself, shift your focus, bringing you out of your head. The bedroom took on its normal appearance, walls no longer falling in around you, objects once again sharp-edged.
Before you could open your mouth to apologize, Peter was rubbing a pattern on your knuckles. “Can I hold you?” he asked. In response, you pushed yourself up and closer to him, falling into his arms as your head met the firm cushion on his chest.
“I’m sorry, Pete.”
“Don’t apologize, Y/N,” Peter kissed the top of your head, “It happens. It’s normal. Today it’s you, tomorrow it’s me, yeah?” You nodded against him and he pulled you closer.
“How about I order us a pizza?” he asked, “We can eat it in bed?”
“Yes please,” you whispered, laughing lightly as Peter picked you up and set you amongst the silky softness of your bedsheets. You watched as he grabbed the phone from his back pocket and called the pizza place across the street, watched the way his lips moved as he spoke and the way his fingers played with the zipper of his hoodie as he idled and the way he kicked off his Chucks and curled his toes, clad in mismatched socks, into a stretch.
You weren’t perfect. Neither was he. There were parts of both of you that were sometimes a little worse for the wear, but what was loving someone if not sinking deep into their skin, replacing their hurt with your love.
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I feel like I should explain why I dislike this look. To me it screams middle age crisis (trying to dress like a 25 year old). It also feels like it’s trying to hard to be cool and Pedro, word cannot express how incredibly cool and funny and adorkable and beautiful your are. This outfit IMO takes away from that. The outfit shouldn’t be front and center…YOU and your glorious self should be front and center.
"hope this email finds you well"
how the email found me :
definitely not crying over fictional characters again
sometimes i write // claud, 21, she/her // a simp for rat boyfriends
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