#[ i spent hours on this while waiting for my flight i kid you not ]

[kisses4reid]

understand? pt. 1 | ·˚ ༘ spencer reid ,,

summary - you’re a polyglot translator assigned to work for the bau in a cross-national case, and there’s a doctor who wants to impress you.

genre - fem!reader, SHE/HER r, fluff, meet cute, you know more than spencer and he’s attracted to that

warnings - you're both awkward, mentions of gross case file photos, little research about polyglots actually done so there are inaccuracies, cliffhanger for part 2.

w/c - 1.4k

a/n - thank you for the req anon!! there was multiple parts to this but i really like the first idea so that’s what this fic is about, might keep the other idea for later hehe. i did change some aspects. love you, thank you for the support <33 there will be multiple parts!!! stay tuned!!!

req - hi pia 💞💝🩷💓 how r u? i hope you’re feeling wonderful! this is my first time requesting smthg i apologize if i get something wrong! i’ve been having 2 thoughts about spencer x fem!reader, where reader is a russian translator and idk they meet cute or she has to work with the bau helping them on a case. just wanted to give these ideas to you, obviously feel free to do anything with them! i really enjoy your work and your writing is incredible! i have your notifications on so i am always reading whatever you post! have a great day pia 💝 lots n lots of kisses for u!

This was not what you expected. 

You, a woman in your late twenties that spent most of her time in a room listening to voices and decoding foreign messages, didn’t know what you expected. But this: a scary boss, an italian old man, and a skinny college kid, was not it. 

“Y/n L/n? I’m Aaron Hotchner, the unit chief, and this is Agent Rossi and Doctor Agent Reid.” 

You nodded your head, thick hair covering your top eyelashes as you glanced at the men. Agent Rossi shook your hand, and Dr Reid simply stood and gawked at you. To be honest, it made you worried. You had been warned this was a close knit team, that they trusted each other more than anything and that you shouldn’t get attached to any of them as you’d only be assisting them for one case.

Maybe they just didn’t warm up to new people. 

“I’ll do your formal introduction to the rest of the team now, if you’re settled down.” He asks cooly. You like the way his voice rasps, it’s assertive yet comforting. 

“Yes, of course. I can’t wait.” You smiled reassuringly at the unit chief, not ignoring the raised eyebrow you received from the silent young man now behind you.

Aaron Hotchner, your new boss for the next week or so, lead you to a large room with a circular table sat in the middle. There were two other women, one blonde and one raven haired, and another bald man that glanced at you immediately after you entered. They smiled at you and trailed your steps to where you stood beside the unit chief in front of a large TV screen.

“Everyone, this is Agent Y/n L/n. She’ll be assisting us with the Becker case you’ve all been informed of. She’ll mainly be our translator and interpreter, but she’ll also be useful for cultural identifiers and anything that we wouldn’t notice otherwise.” 

You nodded along, never being a fan of introductions since you moved to America as a small child. 

“This is JJ, our liaison, Agent Emily Prentiss and Agent Derek Morgan.” 

The ladies smiled at you, in fact all of them did. They were surprisingly open to the fact you would be joining them, the fact made your shoulders loosen and a breath to be let out discreetly. 

Next, you were on a long plane flight to Maine with Agents you had known for little under two hours, conversing about victim profiles and motives. The table in front of the ladies and your boss was strewn with victim files and gruesome photos. And while you weren’t a stranger to the dangers and violence the job brought, you had gotten comfortable with only hearing about it and not seeing it. So you opted to hover around the table and stay silent, you weren’t a trained profiler after all, just a translator.  

There was a wave of cologne that disrupted your senses, causing you to angle your head back, only to be greeted by the tall doctor. 

You smiled softly, assuming the closeness was due to the aeroplane's arrangement. Also because you got the vibe that Spencer didn’t like you. 

“Are you okay? You seem uneasy,” he asked. It was the first time you heard his voice. And it was as adolescent as you imagined for someone so young, but it had a sophisticated edge to it, with a honey-like undertone. Finding things in voices as if they were perfumes was something you unconsciously started to do since working as a translator.

“I’m fine.” You grinned reassuringly, turning back to focus on the team’s findings. 

Spencer furrowed his eyebrows slightly and stepped away, sitting down beside Morgan who had taken a seat at the back. Morgan squinted at his friend, noticing the rare confusion splayed on his face as he stared in your direction. 

“What’s up? Pretty girl got your tongue?” Morgan removed his headphones with a cheeky smile displayed on his handsome face.

“For someone who specialises in languages she doesn’t talk much.” 

Morgan smirked, “Maybe not to you.”

“I didn’t do anything wrong though.” Spencer ripped his gaze off the back of your head.

“You’ve been staring at her since she walked through those doors. You were so distracted you didn’t even greet her this morning.” Morgan pointed out. Spencer tilted his head confused, a small blush creeping up his neck. “I watched the whole thing from the conference room, so did JJ and Emily.” 

The tall boy slumped in his chair and forced himself to look out of the plane’s window, avoiding a reply to Morgan as he knew it would only result in more teasing. You were physically attractive, everyone could see that, but the thing that caught Spencer’s attention was your intelligence. He was no stranger to being a polyglot, he learnt languages for fun, but you were simply next level. Morgan studied Spencer’s face for a second before raising his attention to your hovering state. “Agent Y/n L/n.” Morgan called, causing Spencer to widen his eyes and immediately adjust his slumped position in his plane seat. You turned your head in surprise, slightly confused why you would be needed anywhere else than the files you had been translating for the past two minutes. Your heels were silent against the carpeted floors, but Spencer could sense your presence anyways. 

“How many languages do you speak?” The stoic man asked, his eyes darting between you and the doctor below you. You were not short, your genes didn’t allow for it, but you had noticed you were only taller than JJ and Rossi in the team and it felt foreign to not tower over everyone. “Um, I speak 8 languages fluently, and 4 languages semi-fluently.” You stated, readying to turn back to assist the team before Morgan spoke up once again

“Did you know that pretty boy can speak Spanish and German?” 

Before Spencer could help himself, he corrected the man, “And Latin and Russian,” Spencer turned his head up to you, “But I can understand more.” 

You smiled, genuinely impressed and confused on how a man that young could learn that much. But to be fair, you were in the same boat. The nickname got your attention, locking it in the back of your mind to remind yourself that the people you were working with did in fact have senses of humour, and weren’t just heartless officers. There wasn’t any reason to think that though, as you had been cared for with respect and even Prentiss made a funny remark beforehand. It sort of felt like a family dinner you were intruding on. “That’s impressive, Doctor Reid.” You reply genuinely. 

“I mean it’s nothing compared to you though,” his voice was pitched slightly higher and his hands started motioning to nothing in particular, “your brain is constantly changing from high activity to low activity when you're translating from one language to another. Your language network, the lateral frontal lobe, is constantly lighting up and dimming down depending on what language you hear, ordinary people’s language networks only turn on and off.” 

Morgan smirked and glanced up at your intrigued and surprised expression. You nodded, a small blush coating the tips of your ears as you responded, “Thank you.” You didn’t really know what else to say, which is funny for someone who understands so many languages, so you simply smiled and turned back to the table. Spencer slumped again, watching you walk away and asking himself why he would inform a pretty girl about her own brain, when she most definitely already knows about it. 

“Don’t worry too much, Reid.” Morgan called, grabbing Spencer’s attention. The boy raised a brow, not understanding. “She digs it, I can tell. But she’s just like you, knows how to speak in a million ways and still doesn’t know how to small talk.” 

You landed without any more awkward interactions, and got introduced to some sheriffs in Maine, one of them giving you a tighter handshake than the rest and a stare that could only mean unpleasant things. It wasn't something sexist or creepy that lingered in his eyes, it was more like hatred. Spencer took the sheriff's attention away from you after noticing what the whole team did, and asked him to show him the records they kept at the precinct.

Emily Prentiss came up behind you and placed a hand on your upper arm, squeezing it like she understood what you had thought you'd seen. Out of everyone else in the team, she would understand the most.

taglist (open!!): @jeffswh0re @reap3erslov3 @candyd1es @0108s22m @aurorsworld

[apomaro-mellow]

Every Baby Needs a Daddy 12

Part 11

@spectrum-spectre before you say anything, there's no smut in this one so go to sleep and read it at a more reasonable hour

In Eddie's fantasy world, he took off in a plane with Steve, escorted him back to Indiana, dropped him off at the door of the home he'd be staying at, giving him a very thorough scenting before letting him go.

But Eddie had work to take care of and Steve said he would be fine. And Eddie had gotten the hang of figuring out when Steve meant what he said. It wasn't hard. Whenever he wanted to be spoiled, he put that bratty lilt to his voice. They parted ways, Eddie having rubbed himself all over Steve before they exited the car, then again before getting to the check out counter.

Eddie was avoiding notice by wearing his hair in a braided bun and big sunglasses. He insisted on getting Steve a first class ticket. It was the only way to keep too many people from rubbing against him and thus making his scent fade sooner.

"Don't miss me too much", Eddie teased, looking over the rim of his shades.

Steve wrapped his arms around his neck. "I already do, Daddy", he whispered. He kissed him and then murmured against his lips. "Can't stop thinking about it. In less than ten days..."

Eddie put his hands to Steve's waist. He couldn't wait either. They'd be reuniting for Steve's heat. But they weren't coming back together just for that. While Steve was pretty regular and was 99% it would come when he said it did, Eddie would have Steve on the first jet to Texas on January 1st.

Steve thoroughly enjoyed the luxury of first class and landed back home with less than half the stress of a normal plane flight. Eddie had been a little zealous in spending on him sometimes, and it reflected in how much money he sent to Steve so that he could get a ride at the airport. Steve had specifically told him that Lucas could have picked him up and then he'd be with family for the rest of the time.

Eddie must've heard something different because when Steve checked his venmo, he was several hundred dollars richer. When Lucas picked him up, he decided that money could be well spent doing some last minute shopping.

"You know, I'm actually kind of relieved", Lucas said as they packed the last of the stuff into his trunk.

"Why?", Steve asked.

"I thought when you started being a sugar baby and junk you'd turn into a different person. But you're still Steve."

Steve smiled. "Didn't go through a name change last I checked."

"You know what I mean. You were still cursing out the ref at the game back in DC. And you got Robin a mug with a weird picture, not like a diamond encrusted dog bowl or something."

"She's gonna love the mug more than that. And the ref had his blinders on for the whole first half."

Steve didn't realize how relieved he was to hear that though, that he had retained the real parts of himself even though he felt completely changed by Eddie. Would he start to change in time? How long would it take? His reverie was broken when Lucas pulled into the driveway of his home.

"Okay, so Dustin told my parents you were seeing someone and Mike told them it was someone famous but they don't know it's Eddie Munson."

Steve felt his stomach drop. "Do they know that I'm?"

Lucas shook his head. "You get to tell them that."

"You've gotta be fucking kidding me", Steve groaned.

The last thing he wanted to tell the people who helped him through the final years of high school and the first couple of college was that he was getting dicked down by a celebrity and was falling for him too. The Sinclairs were more like his parents than his actual mom and dad.

They didn't hold back either, bringing it up the moment he entered and they got their hugs.

"Dustin told us you're seeing someone?", Mrs. Sinclair said.

Steve snuck an ear twist as Dustin walked by with a grin, one that the Sinclairs definitely noticed but let him get away with. He had to be honest not just because of how important they were, but because they'd find out everything sooner or later. New traveled fast online and he was honestly surprised they didn't know more already.

"I met him one night at a bar. He covered my dinner when I was a little short", Steve said as his hands were kept busy helping with the food preparation.

"Sounds like a gentleman", Mr. Sinclair said.

Lucas and his friends were sitting in the living room, which Steve was thankful for. He knew they'd want to spill every last bean. He got away with giving them minimal info: Eddie's first name, the fact he was a musician, an alpha, and that they'd been on a few dates.

That night, he cornered Dustin and Mike and made them swear to keep their mouths shut about anything else.

"Lucas got basketball tickets. We should get something to", Mike said.

"How's about you don't get a tanned hide?", Steve offered, eyes hard.

Christmas went as usual, Steve spent the day of and day after in the Sinclair home, then returned to his own apartment where Robin was already waiting to celebrate New Years. He didn't get two feet into the door before she was feeling his stomach.

He rolled his eyes. "I'm not-"

"But you could be. I know you and your cumslut tendencies. So I know you're not making him wrap it up."

"But I'm still taking my birth control", Steve said.

"You just know that if you get knocked up I'll have no choice but to move back in with you and help you raise this pup", Robin said.

"There is no pup. And I wouldn't make you do that."

"I would though. For you", she promised.

"I know Robs. That's why I'm not gonna let it happen. If I wanna have his baby, you'll get a six month notice before we conceive."

"Thank you for that."

They spent December 31st ordering take out from three different places and binging Empire. When it got to the time for real festivities to begin, they turned the tv to where Eddie said he was going to be performing.

"So that's your beau. He's not bad", Robin complimented. "How's the rest of the band?"

"They're great. I think you and Jeff would really get along. He's actually really into brass instruments too. And Gareth knows a bunch of nerd languages."

"You mean like Klingon and Elvish?"

"And apparently he's learning Atlantean."

Midnight came and Steve kissed her forehead and Robin kissed his cheek.

--------------------

The next day, he was packed and ready to hop on his flight. Robin dropped him off and hugged him tight enough to hold him over until the next time they met. His ticket was first class again and when he landed in Austin, he was already feeling a tingling under his skin. He missed his alpha. Need his scent, his touch, the rumble of his voice.

Because of this, while he loved the other CC boys, he was a little disappointed to see them awaiting his arrival and not Eddie.

"The Ed-man had to finish something in the studio last minute", Gareth explained as they led Steve to the car.

"Thanks for picking me up, guys", Steve certainly preferred them over a stranger from Uber.

Grant drove the way back, taking them to a mansion that had Steve's jaw dropping. He was no stranger to big houses, but he was used to them being simply for status. They'd been grand but sterile, devoid of any personality. The moment Steve stepped in, he could see that wasn't true for this place. He could pick out each of the resident's scents, could see each of their quirks as he was given a tour of the place.

They saved Eddie's room for last and he found out when Eddie barreled down the hallway to meet them at his door.

"They're really good pack", Steve said as Jeff, Grant, and Gareth left the two of them alone.

"I knew I could trust them with you." Then Eddie kissed him about six times. "For all the missed mistletoe." Then again. "For New Year's."

Steve laughed against his lips. "You gonna show me the bedroom anytime soon? I'd love to lie down, Daddy."

Eddie bit his lip, looking nervous all of a sudden as he slowly opened the door. Steve wanted to take in everything. After all, a bedroom could tell you a lot about a person. But his attention was immediately grabbed by the bed situation and what was sitting on the bench in front of it. There was a thin quilt turning it into a canopy bed, much like the den Eddie had made in their hotel room back in New York.

Steve recognized the pattern from what he'd heard before. Jeff's handiwork. And by the foot of the bed was a small bench where a collection of clothes sat. Steve went right to them and took a whiff of the first shirt. It was so undeniably Eddie, he would have thought his neck was pressed to his nose were he not still by the door.

Then he picked up a tank top and caught notes of lemon and ginger. "Are these...?"

"I tried to scent a lot of stuff before you got here, the boys helped out too. I hope that was okay?" His hands were stuck in his pockets and his back was tensed like he might run.

"It's more than okay", Steve reassured him.

"And the den? You like it? I can always change it if you don't. We've got tons of linens here, all that can be scented in a moment's notice and-"

"Eddie", Steve put a hand to his arm. "It's great. Now...", he held up one of the garments. "Help me nest?"

Eddie swallowed and nodded. He followed Steve's lead as they arranged everything on the bed for maximum comfort. Once Steve was satisfied, he sank down into it, smirking when he saw the way Eddie gingerly lied down next to him.

"Your first time doing a heat?", Steve asked.

"I've been around omegas in heat before. Just not as the uh, let's say star alpha", Eddie admitted.

Steve turned so his back was against Eddie's chest and pulled his arm over him. It took Eddie a moment, but he got comfortable and melted against his body. The exhaustion from the flight and being up for hours finally got to him and Steve closed his eyes.

When he opened them hours later, his body was warm and he felt a wetness between his legs.

Part 13

Tag Team CLOSED

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[prettylittlels]

Over spilled coffee

(tom blyth x reader)

summary: you accidentally spill coffee over a man, can it be coincidence or just pure luck that he's sitting next to you on a 8 hour flight?

a/n: i've had this concept stuck in my head for days. hope you like it! send requests!

📖🩵🦢🌱🍵🏔⭐️

4:00 am is not my ideal time of the day to wake up to, but going to the airport makes it worth it. My flight to London is in five hours and I'm already at the check-in box, waiting for the airport staff to give me my boarding pass.

After going through customs and security checks, I decide to pass the time at a little coffee shop near my gate. I order an iced coffe and patiently wait by the kitchen island. Going back to my life in London feels amazing after spending the holidays with my family. No more gossip or body shaming me for at least a year!

The barista interrupts my thoughts when she shouts, indicating my coffee was ready. I start to walk towards my precious drink while another man does the same. As I reach the coffee cup, I realize it isn't mine, but when I try to turn around, the man with his beverage in hand blocks my view and the coffee slips from his hand. The dark liquid stains his grey t-shirt completely.

- Oh God! - I say - I'm so, so sorry, sir! -

-It's fine - he looks at me with an angry gaze - I'll just change -

- How can I repay you?- I ask full of regret - Can I buy you another one?-

The man lifts his head and I realize how gorgeous he is. I'm such a moron. He lifts his hand and waves my suggestions away. He's still looking annoyingly at me when he turns around and goes to the men's toilet. Fuck.

���———————------• ♡ •------————————

The hours have passed I'm comfortably seated in the plane, window seat secured. New York to London, eight hours to relax and sl- oh no. The guy from the café is right in front of me. He observs his surroundings before settling his eyes on me.

-Oh. - He frowns at me - Hi again- he says. And I catch a subtle english accent

-Hi- I say weakly -What a coincidence, huh?-

-Sure is - responds, lifting his eyebrows sarcastically.

We don't exchange any more words until after the security talk the flight attendants give us. I can't believe I shat my chance at hitting on this beautiful man just because I wanted my stupid coffee, so I start the conversation again.

- Hey, I'm truly sorry for what happened- i say, trying to express my guilt - I see you managed to change your clothes!-

He softens his gaze a notch this time and thanks me.

- I'm sorry too, I shouldn't have reacted like that -

- It's understantable, I would have done the same thing- I smile at him - All good?-

He flashes me a flirty grin. - Everything's good.-

- Good! - I feel relieved - So, London? -

- Yes, work -he answers - I'm staying for a few weeks and then I'm travelling to Birmingham-

-Oh, that's nice - I say- Do you have family there?-

-I do, actually. What about you?-

-I live in London, I'm coming back from my parents house-

-Great - we stare at each other awkwardly - So, what do you do?-

-Oh, I'm a writer - I tell him - You?-

-I'm an actor!- he cheerfully says

-You do look familiar- I laugh - Sorry, what's your name?-

-Oh, right. My name's Tom. Tom Blyth.-

-You played Billy the Kid?- I ask, surprised by his words

-Yes, I did- he smiles appreciative.

-I loved that series! That's why I thought I'd seen you before. Oh, I'm Y/N, by the way. Y/L/N.-

- I haven't heard of you yet, Ms. Y/L/N - he observs

-It's because I'm in the middle of publishing my debut book, actually- I admit.

-When's it gonna come out?- a different accent slios out. Brooklyn, I think.

-Probably in October-

-I'll be waiting for it- he smiles.

The chemistry between us sparked like fireworks. It was so easy to talk to him. We spent all of the flight talking and discussing over things we loved. I didn't want this moment to end.

————————------• ♡ •------————————

The eight hours flew by very quickly, in my opinion, and it was time to say goodbye to my seat-mate.

-I had so much fun today - he tells me - I'm glad you spilled that coffee over me-

-You're funny. But I'm glad, too.-

We grin sweetly at each other, and I was about to part from him when he started talking once more.

-When can I see you again? - he asked, and I'm sure I fell for him right there.

-Anytime you'd like-

————————------• ♡ •------————————

Almost a year went by and we're in very difficult circumstances. Tom has become the interent boyfriend after starring in the new hunger games prequel. And I have sold over 5 million copies of my book in 2 weeks, making my way into a New York Times' bestseller. Life couldn't get any better.

[clarisse0o]

Camp Wiegman-Part 18

Lucy Bronze x Ona Batlle

Alternative Universe : Military School

Words : 5k

Masterlist

———————————————————————

Sunday, November 15; 1:00 PM - Park.

This morning, I woke up in the arms of Joan, who was still fast asleep. My head hurt so much that I was glad I hadn't been woken up by his cries. I quickly realized I had a hangover. I had to text Mapi to understand how I ended up in my bed without her. Usually, we go home together. She replied an hour later, telling me about my exploits from the previous night with Bronze. I felt guilty immediately. She's going to give me hell when I return to Manchester. I'm already mentally preparing myself, knowing she won't go easy on me. To change my mind, I suggested going to the park with Joan before I left. He jumped for joy. I told my mom, who didn’t even react. We're even more at odds than before. This atmosphere made me eat and leave for the park right after. Here I am, sitting on a bench watching Joan play with kids hIS age in the playground. I'm happy to give him one last good moment. He often looks at me to wave, and I happily wave back. I jump when I feel two hands rather roughly placed on my shoulders.

- BOO!

- Oh damn, Maria !

She bursts out laughing as she sits down next to me. I immediately relax, letting out a sigh of relief.

- You're crazy!

- I can't help it if you still get scared so easily, she giggles. I love scaring you every time!

I roll my eyes in amusement. And they call me a child. Bronze would change her mind if she knew Mapi.

- How are you feeling since yesterday? she asks seriously. Is your headache gone?

- Yeah, after three pills and a good cold shower, I say, making her laugh.

She may be my best friend, but she's the first to make fun of me. She's the type who would laugh before asking if I'm okay if I fell. She calms down, and I smile when she waves to Joan in the distance.

- Your flight is at three, right?

- Yeah, I sighed.

- Joan's going to miss you, you know.

- I know... He asked me if she could fit in my suitcase this morning. I laughed a lot.

- I bet, she chuckles. He could probably fit, too, I'm sure.

- Probably, yes.

I smile, watching my brother. I'm going to miss him so much if he only knew. If I could, I’d take him with me. I sincerely hope he'll stop misbehaving while I'm gone.

- Excited to go back?

- Not really, given what's waiting for me...

- That bad? she laughs.

- Bronze is really mad at me. She texted me this morning, telling me not to message her all day and that we'll talk face-to-face tonight.

- Ouch. She seemed nice when I talked to her yesterday.

She's not laughing this time. She must have understood that I'm not at my best. Bronze trusted me, and now I've let her down again. I always mess up. What was I thinking, calling her in the middle of a party? Even drunk, I should have known better.

- You like your supervisor a lot, huh?

- What makes you say that? I asked, intrigued.

- It's obvious. You're practically biting your nails with guilt, she smiles in amusement. You're singing a different tune than your first days when you called me crying, saying you hated her.

- Well, I was being rebellious in the beginning, I chuckled. We’ve moved past that. I realized she just wanted to help me.

- Yeah, but I don't know, I feel there's something more. Isn't there?

- You're probably right... Things have been different between us since my detox... I admitted.

- Different how?

- I don't know, I sighed, leaning back against the bench. It's just... different. She was nice, even though she didn't pity me.

- What aren’t you telling me? she raises an eyebrow.

She noticed I'm hesitating to continue. I look at her for a moment, biting my lip.

- I-I don't know... I had a low point after my detox, I finally confided. She was there, having spent a week taking care of me... I don't know what came over me, but I just broke down. I needed to tell her how I felt about everything that happened.

- And did you?

I nodded timidly. I feel guilty knowing it took me three months to confide in Mapi. It took me barely half that time to do it with Bronze, whom I barely know. In the end, I don't really know her. I don't know anything about her or her life. I still wonder why I feel the need to confide in her.

- Hey, I don't blame you if that's what's worrying you, she said, placing her hand on my knee. Maybe she's the one you need. Well, she corrected herself seeing my expression. I mean, if you feel comfortable with her, go for it. She only wants what's best for you; it's obvious. Just look at how she reacted last night and the blackmail she makes with you.

- They're deals, I corrected her. Deals that I agree to after negotiation... I know they're for my own good and effective. The thing is, she’s never judged me, never pitied me. Even when I was weak... She always treated me as if I were the same, and I feel heard.

- Can I ask you a question?

- Of course.

- Do you have a relationship with her?

- What? I exclaimed. Of course not! What makes you think that?

- Maybe the fact that you called her "baby" last night.

- I did what? I screamed.

Oh my God. I'm in even deeper trouble than I thought. Mapi can't help but burst out laughing at my distraught face. I start to wonder if she's playing a cruel joke on me. That idea quickly fades when she speaks again.

- OK, I guess you're not lying given your reaction. You're not dating her then, you promise? I wouldn't mind, you know!

- No! Are you crazy?! Never in a million years! I'd never even think of it! She'd probably punish me just for thinking that! Oh damn... I say, sinking into the bench. She's going to kill me...

- Why? It's not that dramatic. But if she does, I'd like to see it! It's not every day you see Ona Batlle being put in her place!

- Believe me, she's the first to manage it, I sighed. I'm in big trouble. I should never have gone to that party, I groaned, running my hand over my face. I told you it was a bad idea!

- Hey, don't blame me! It was just a party where you had fun, that's all. You didn’t mess up. I didn’t even have to refuse drugs; you did it yourself! Plus, you got at least three numbers.

- Hmm... It was a good party, but it's not worth it. You don't know my supervisor!

- Relax! I'm sure you'll handle the situation. She doesn't seem that bad. She was worried about you. Besides, she wasn't here to keep an eye on you. Maybe it made her anxious?

- That's exactly why she's going to yell at me! I promised her I wouldn’t do anything wrong.

- You didn't do anything wrong, she rolled her eyes. Well, how about we change the subject, huh? I can see this is killing you, she chuckled.

She's probably right. She doesn't give me a choice and starts talking about stories from last night and her girlfriend. As for me, I talk a lot about my new friends and the camp. Joan interrupts us, reminding me of the time. Saying goodbye to Mapi is painful. I miss her more than she lets on. It's going to be hard to hold on until the next holiday. I especially feel that Bronze will make it harder for me to go out. I'm already depressed just thinking about it. I have only myself to blame. I ponder all this on the way back. I barely have time to stop by the house before heading to the airport. Joan insisted on coming with me. I didn’t see any reason to refuse since Hector would be there. I know he'll take good care of him. When we're there, he enjoys helping me check in my bags. It's only when we head to the boarding gate that he starts to realize what's happening. Especially when the intercom announces the imminent departure of my flight.

- I don't want you to leave, he cries, tears streaming down his face. It was way too short.

- I'll be back soon, don’t worry.

- Next weekend?

- We'll see... I can't promise anything, I grimaced. Oh, I almost forgot.

He looks at me intently while I rummage through my backpack. I pull out a big brown teddy bear. His eyes light up. When I saw it in a shop window in Manchester, I immediately thought of him. I had to get it for him. I silently thank Bronze for making me go out last week. Without him, I wouldn't have been able to bring him anything.

- Is this for me?

- Of course, I handed it to him. So you can sleep with it and think of me every time you see it. It will remind you that I’m thinking of you and that I'm never far away.

- Thank youuu!

I barely have time to crouch to her level before his little arms wrap tightly around me. I smile, feeling the teddy bear between us. He clings tightly to it when we part.

- It smells like you!

- That's normal. It’s been in my stuff for a week, I chuckled.

The intercom brings me back to reality. I sigh in annoyance. The silver lining is that Joan's tears have stopped, replaced by a big smile.

- I'll be waiting patiently for you.

- You better! No more mischief, you promised me.

We pinky swear, and I kiss his forehead. I ruffle his hair while saying goodbye to Hector. I walk towards the flight attendants to hand them my ticket. I’m one of the last to board, so there isn't much of a line. I barely have time to settle in before the plane takes off a few minutes later. I put my headphones on and close my eyes, thinking about everything that happened this weekend. I’m dreading this return. I really don't feel good about it. I reach the point where I can hardly fall asleep.

Sunday, November 15; 6:10 PM - Manchester Airport.

The plane just landed. The flight attendant had to wake me up when it was time to fasten my seatbelt. I managed to sleep a little, thanks to my calming music. She joked that she might become my personal flight attendant if I keep flying like this. I get the feeling she likes me, and it's mutual. After all, we’re both young. She’s also very beautiful, exactly my type. Her blue eyes stand out perfectly with her dark hair. I smile at her and say we’ll see each other next time, which seems to please her. I grab my bag from under my seat and exit the plane. I take the initiative to turn off and put away my headphones. Bronze is picking me up, and I know she doesn't like seeing me with those things on my head. I hope she hasn't changed her mind. The last thing I need is for her to send a taxi because of what I did. If not, I'll have to face her right away, but at least it will be over. I'm relieved when I see her in the arrivals hall. It's the second time I’ve seen her in regular clothes. She’s wearing jeans, a sweater, and a jacket over it. I cringe when I see her arms crossed. It looks like she's not hiding her anger this time. I take a deep breath before walking over. I hold back a smile because I’m still happy to see her again.

- Hi, Bronze... I say timidly.

She only gives me a nod in response. I think I'm getting off easy. She could have completely ignored me. We collect my suitcase without saying a word. I don't dare force a conversation, so I wait patiently for her to speak. Maybe I would have preferred a taxi after all. We reach her car, and she opens the trunk for me. I put my suitcase in, and then we sit in the front. I said I would wait for her to start, but this silence is unbearable. I'd rather she let out her anger than ignore me.

- Bronze... I'm sorry for what I did.

- You're such a damn fool! she snaps.

I lower my head, staying silent. At least it’s clear. She's mad. Without warning, she suddenly swerves to the side of the road. Luckily, my seatbelt holds me back, or I would have gone through the windshield. She stops the car and turns sharply towards me.

- You're such an idiot, Ona, she yells without giving me a chance to respond. You just came out of detox, and here you are starting again! Was the first time not enough for you?! What will it take for you to understand how serious this is?!

- I'm fine! I shout back. Why are you overreacting so much?! You're not my mom, my girlfriend, or even just a friend as far as I know! Even my mom doesn't care where I spent my evening, so why do you care so much?!

- Do you even think? she scolds, raising her voice even more. You called me at three in the morning from Barcelona, completely wasted. Damn it, Ona! Can’t you imagine how worried I was for a single second?! You called me in a terrible state while I was stuck across the country, unable to do anything! I asked you one thing. Just one thing! Not to go to places like that, and you did it!

- No, I retort. You asked me not to touch illegal substances, which I didn't! Even while drunk, I refused everything!

- And you feel proud of that?! Just for what you told me, I should ban you from leaving the camp for a month! I was so wrong about you, she finishes, lowering her voice. I thought you were more responsible and mature, but I guess not.

I close my eyes to absorb those last words that sting. I've been called immature twice in two days. I jump when she vents her anger by hitting the steering wheel violently. I didn't think it would affect her so much. She's right. I'm just a reckless kid. I never should have worried her like that. Nothing would have happened if I hadn't had her number.

- I'm really sorry, Bronze... You're right, it was immature of me. Mapi convinced me to go to meet her girlfriend... I just had a few drinks, I promise. I never intended to worry you. I shouldn't have called you while partying. I found out this morning what I did from Mapi and immediately regretted it. I didn't want to disappoint you. Not you.

I don't dare look at her. I needed to get that off my chest. I nervously play with my fingers, waiting for her response. I'm afraid she'll hold this against me for a long time. I’d hate myself if I lose her trust. She sighs heavily, running a hand through her hair.

- Yes, you were immature, she agrees. I never thought you’d do something like this after the last time ended so badly. However, I also need to apologize. I shouldn't have overreacted like that. You're right; we're not that close, but I'm still your supervisor, and that doesn’t stop me from worrying about you.

- No, you don't have to apologize. It's my fault, and it’s your job to correct me... I appreciate you worrying about me like this. You're not mad at me anymore? I bite my lip.

- Oh, I'm still mad. If it were up to me, I'd keep you grounded all Monday to teach you a lesson. You're lucky I don’t have a valid reason to report to the administration.

I suppress a smile. I wasn't entirely wrong when I told Mapi I’d probably have to do extra laps. I finally dare to look at her for the first time since we got in the car. She's looking at me too. I’m sure she hasn't taken her eyes off me since the beginning.

- What can I do to make it up to you?

- What can you do? she repeats, raising an eyebrow. Stay away from parties for a start. As for the rest, we'll see, I'm thinking.

- You can't be serious? You're not really going to stop me from going out, are you?! I've never been grounded in my life!

- Well, there's a first time for everything.

- I'm twenty, Bronze! Parties are what people my age do! What do you think your other students do on weekends, huh?

- You're not like the other students, Ona. You’re my student, under my responsibility. Besides, you just came out of detox, and I'm sure you were around drugs all night.

Take that. I bite my lip to stop myself from confirming her suspicion. I deserve this. I think I’m getting off easy. I'm sure she was a hair’s breadth away from restricting my outings. The only thing holding her back is our deal.

- Am I wrong?

- Excuse me?

- Am I wrong? she repeats sternly.

- No, I whisper. But I didn't touch anything, I promise.

- I wonder how you managed to hold out in just two weeks. I want you to promise me something.

- Promise what?

- No more parties... Please.

- Fine, no more parties, I roll my eyes. You explain that to my best friend.

- No problem, I’ll tell her myself if I have to.

I raise an eyebrow. She really will do anything to get her way. Now I'm banned from partying. Even when she's thousands of miles away, she'll have an influence on me. Just thinking about it frustrates me, but I know she's doing it for my sake.

- Are you hungry?

- Are you asking me if I'm hungry?

- Let's go eat.

She doesn't have to ask me twice! She changes direction once we’re back on the road. She doesn't ask my opinion on where to go, but I trust her. In the end, I’m not doing too badly after this confrontation. She could have forbidden me from leaving Manchester if she wanted. The meal goes smoothly. We talk about our weekends without going into details. She just confirmed that she saw her ex to return her things and spent both evenings with friends. She asked me to detail mine, so I told her about my afternoons with Joan and my night out. I avoided talking about my mother, not wanting to go into details. Our little evening ends around nine o'clock. She dropped me off at the street corner near the camp so I could walk back alone, to avoid being seen arriving together. I wished her good night then.

I hurry back to the school, feeling the cold. I forgot how much warmer it was in Barcelona. I'm relieved when I reach the dormitory. The place is far from warm, yet I feel more at home here than in my own house. I must be abnormal. I take my time climbing the stairs now that I'm warm. I struggle a bit to carry my suitcase. It's always a hassle to get it up the stairs. I stop at the entrance of my room, thinking about what's about to happen, and it doesn't take long. As soon as I step inside, Alexia literally jumps on me. I lose my balance, unintentionally taking both of us down, narrowly avoiding my suitcase.

- You're crazy, I laugh.

- I missed you so much! I thought you’d never come back.

I giggle when she helps me get up. She helps me bring my things into the room. She is already in her pajamas. Then again, I didn't come back early tonight. I ask her how she is while I start putting my things away in the closet. If I don’t do it now, I never will, knowing myself.

“Did you have a good weekend?” she asks me.

“Great! Joan didn't want to let me go at the airport; it was almost painful... And you?”

“Yeah, awesome! I finally got to see my girlfriend”

I stop dead in my tracks. Girlfriend ? She’s never mentioned a girlfriend. I furrow my brows and slowly turn to face her. She bites her lip to stifle a smile.

“Your what? Since when do you have a girlfriend?”

“Uh... yeah, girlfriend.”

“Wait, wait... You talk to me all day long and you've never mentioned this?!”

“Sorry,” she chuckles, “but it’s a bit complicated...”

“Complicated?”

I furrow my brows again. She seems very nervous, but I don't see why she would be. It’s normal to have a girlfriend, right?

“I think you have the right to know now... First, I want to apologize for not telling you sooner, but I couldn’t... not until I knew if I could trust you.”

“Why? It’s not a state secret as far as I know.”

“Yes, it’s true. Sorry, but you'll understand if you let me talk.”

Just when I thought I was going to have a quiet evening after Bronze, I was wrong. I sigh as I put the sweater I had in my hands away. Since it seems to be an important subject, I prefer to sit comfortably on my bed to talk.

“Alright, go ahead. I’m all ears.”

“You’re not mad?”

“Why would I be? You have the right to keep things from me. You don't have to tell me now if you don’t want to.”

“No, I want to. I trust you.”

I smile. It's a pleasure when someone tells you that. After all, we’ve known each other for a month and a half, and I've never betrayed any of her secrets so far.

“Go ahead then. I'm listening.”

“Well... First, it’s been two years since Alba and I have been here,” she begins, to which I nod. “I’m dating someone from the school... or rather someone who used to be here, but probably not in the way you think.”

“What do you mean?”

“Do you remember the story you heard about an instructor and a student? The one you mentioned one night with Leah after your punishments?”

She already has my attention. I nod to show I remember.

“Both were expelled, right?”

“Not exactly...”

“What do you mean? Wait, don't tell me it was you?!”

Her silence says it all. I'm stunned. Alexia broke such a serious rule? What’s going on! This is impossible. She’s such a model student... Yet the fact that she bites her lip in front of me makes it clear that it might be true.

“Okay, assuming it was you... why are you still here then?”

“It’s quite simple,” she sighs. “They knew who the instructor was... but not the student. They just knew it was someone from this room, since... since she came here a lot during our breaks.”

“I don't even want to know what you did here.”

I grimace in disgust, making her laugh. Now I’m imagining her with a complete stranger whose face I don’t even know. I’m still waiting for more explanations.

“I had another roommate before you, Luna. A reckless one like you. She absolutely wanted to leave to live her life with her boyfriend, unlike me who had my sister and best friends here... So Luna got blamed instead to be able to leave. My girlfriend, on the other hand, couldn’t escape being expelled.”

“Wow... I didn’t expect that!”

“You’re not upset?”

“Why would I be upset? You do what you want,” I say with a smile. “Are you still with her then?”

“Well, I don't know. You never know, and yes, of course, we’re still together!”

“Didn’t Alba take it badly, the whole thing?”

“She doesn’t know... If she did, I’d be in big trouble,” she giggles.

I've noticed that Alba is very overprotective of her. I don’t even know how she puts up with it. I would have set her straight by now if I were in her place. I think she loves her too much to do that. She’s her sister, and she’s always taken care of her, after all.

“But how did you manage to see her if Alba doesn’t know?”

“I pretended to visit a friend to come back here.”

“I see. Well, tell me everything now while I finish putting my things away. What's her name?”

She smiles broadly. Her stress has subsided. She probably didn’t expect me to be this interested. I really like Alexia. I told her I was her friend, and now is the time to show it. I get up and continue to unpack my suitcase while she starts her monologue. I learn a few things, like her name. Her name is Jennifer. She’s tall, muscular, and tattooed. According to her, she’s the perfect girl. I almost want to call her Aphrodite given the way she describes and compliments her. I thought she was exaggerating until she showed me a photo of them. I realize she’s really handsome for her type, and the nickname I was thinking of giving her fits perfectly. She tells me about their beginnings, explaining that she was the one who made the first move by trying to get her attention in any way she could. She even flirted with her. She resisted for a long time before giving in to temptation. When she finishes, and so do I, I rush to take a shower quickly before curfew. Luckily for me, I manage to turn off the light a few minutes before ten.

“Thanks for not judging me, Ona.”

“I will never judge you Ale. Goodnight, Alexia.”

I turn over in bed to face away from her. I try to fall asleep, but my mind is too occupied with what she just told me. Luckily for me, fatigue gets the better of me.

[pablitosgf]

𝐆𝐈𝐅𝐓 ! — jb05

𝐏𝐀𝐈𝐑𝐈𝐍𝐆 ! — jude bellingham x fem!reader

𝐈𝐍𝐅𝐎 ! — in which you surprise jude with a special vacation.

𝐖𝐀𝐑𝐍𝐈𝐍𝐆𝐒 ! — nothing!!

𝐀𝐔𝐓𝐇𝐎𝐑𝐒 𝐍𝐎𝐓𝐄 ! — this has been sitting in my drafts for MONTHS! even before i posted on this blog. so i hope y'all love it. btw i wrote this before he turned to the big 20 thats why it says 19. <3

𝐅𝐎𝐑𝐌𝐀𝐓 ! — writing

As you sat in your office chair, you couldn't help but smile as you thought about your anniversary with Jude. You had met him back in grade 11, and now he was a professional football player while you were studying to become a pediatrician one day. You had always wanted to have children, but of course, not at the moment. You and Jude were only 19 and had graduated high school a year ago. However, you had it all planned out – from engagement to marriage, pregnancy, and kids – for the future.

But for now, you needed to focus on finding the perfect anniversary gift for your beloved boyfriend of four years. You didn't want to give him something too basic, but you knew that he had always wanted to visit the Bahamas. Unfortunately, with his hectic schedule, there had never been a good time to make the trip. As you brainstormed ideas, you couldn't help but feel grateful for the time you had spent with Jude so far and excited for all the adventures that lay ahead for the two of you.

"That's it!" you exclaimed, a grin spreading across your face. "I'll surprise him with plane tickets for a week in the Bahamas. He has the whole next week off, so it's perfect timing." You couldn't wait to see the look on Jude's face when you told him.

With the apartment to yourself for a few hours due to his training, you quickly went to your laptop and booked a flight from Dortmund to the Bahamas. As you clicked "confirm" on the booking page, your heart raced with excitement. You knew that this trip would be a lifetime experience for the both of you, and you couldn't wait to share it with Jude.

After printing out the tickets, you headed to the store to pick up a fancy box and some accessories to go with it. As you were putting the finishing touches on your surprise, you heard the doorbell ring. Your heart racing with excitement, you ran to the door to greet Jude.

"Baby, you're finally here!" you exclaimed, barely containing your excitement. "I know we were supposed to exchange presents after our date, but I just can't wait any longer."

Jude raised his eyebrows, intrigued by your eagerness. "I can't wait to see what you've got for me," he said, leaning in to give you a light kiss.

You took his hand and led him to the box you had prepared, a huge grin on your face. Jude looked at you with a mix of confusion and anticipation as you urged him to open it. "Just open it," you said, barely able to contain your excitement.

Jude eagerly unlatched the box to reveal the tickets inside. At first, he looked confused, but as he examined them more closely, his eyes widened in disbelief. "What is this?" he asked, his voice filled with astonishment.

"You're joking, right?" he exclaimed, unable to believe his luck. But as he looked at you and saw the excitement written all over your face, he knew that this was real.

“You've always talked about how much you wanted to go," you said, smiling at him. "So I thought, why not make it happen?"

Jude's response was immediate - he wrapped his arms around you and began showering you with kisses all over your face, murmuring countless "thank yous" in your ear.

“You're welcome, my love," you said, feeling your heart swell with happiness.

You woke up to an enthusiastic and energetic Jude. "Come on, babe, get up!" Jude exclaimed, pulling your arm. You groaned and tried to resist, but Jude's excitement was contagious.

"Ugh, I'm too tired. Let me sleep," you complained, sinking back into the bed.

"No way! We have to get ready," Jude insisted.

"I just wanna sleep…" you muttered groggily.

"What did you say?" Jude asked, looking confused.

"Nothing," you replied, shaking your head and trying to shake off your sleepiness.

You posted a story on your Instagram and now you were sitting at the gate, waiting for the plane. You let out a sigh of boredom, and Jude noticed. "Hey, do you want to play chopsticks?" he asked.

You looked at him quizzically, "What's chopsticks?"

Jude was taken aback, "What?! How do you not know what chopsticks is?"

You just shrugged, which earned a loud puff from Jude.

"Fine, I'll teach you," he said, shaking his head in disbelief. He explained the rules and how to play, but you made snarky remarks here and there, calling it "boring" and "not fun." Jude being Jude, responded with a sassy retort.

As Jude turned his head to you, he exclaimed, "We're actually here!" His lips barely missed yours as he spoke, and you couldn't help but smile at his excitement.

"Of course, my love," you replied, returning the almost-kiss with a soft one of your own. "I'm so happy we're finally here in the Bahamas together." You intertwined your fingers with his, feeling the warmth of his hand as you headed towards the exit, eager to start your week-long adventure in paradise.

[cloudlessly-light]

The darkest parts of me (5/5)

A/N: Thanks to everyone who’s encouraged and read this little story of mine! I’ll be back to posting pure filth soon!

Title: The darkest parts of me (5/5) Summary: They find each other in a dark world where they do twisted things. The only way things could have become more dangerous, is if they were together. Funny how life turns out.

Unsub!Hotchniss AU.   Word count: 2,2k Rating: Explicit Warnings (for most or all chapters): smut, descriptions of violence, descriptions of murder, gore (nothing too explicit), mentions of weapons

David Rossi stands in a parking lot looking at the ground where only hours before a man’s body had been lying. A body that knew was a from the murders he’s spent the better part of a year hunting. They had gotten the call early, a quick description of the scene, but witnesses in the diner had described a couple, and he knew they had to go to California to see it for themselves. They had never been so close to catching them.

His phone rings, sounding loud even though there’s people everywhere and he looks down to see Jason’s name flash on the screen.

“Hey.”

“I’m leaving the ME’s now. It looks like a snapped neck, the man was an ex-marine.” Jason speaks as he walks to the car. “Wife and kids at home.”

“This wasn’t premeditated.” Dave says as he looks around and realizes that in the dead of night there was no way no one would be able to see the murder take place. “He had recognized the unsubs from the news and went to confront the woman while the man was in the bathroom. He was on with 911 when it happened.”

“So they’re close by.” Jason concluded for him.

“They have to be.” Dave walks around the crime scene as he holds the phone to his ear. “The roadblocks are up, every cop in the state knows to be on the lookout. They won’t get away. Not this time.”

There’s a beat of silence and Dave waits for Jason to say what they both were thinking.

“Let’s hope so.”

*

“We can’t stay here.” Aaron told her, surprisingly calm considering the circumstances.

“I know.” She says, her bag already packed, her gun cold against the small of her back where it rests in the lining of her jeans. “I think we need to get out of the country. It’s time”

“Where do you want to go?” He cups the back of her neck, the hand that only a couple of hours before had snapped a guy’s neck, was now so gentle as he brushed his thumb over her cheekbone.

“Anywhere we want.” She smiles when she hands him the passports that Clyde had made for them. “As long as we go fast.”

He nods, because they had planned for this, had planned for what they would do if something went wrong. He just hadn’t expected it to happen so soon. But they had a plan, actually had multiple ways to leave and somewhere in the back of his mind he thanks whatever lucky star for Emily’s funds.

She watches as he carries their bags to the car with a small smile. She knew she should be worried, that she should be scared because at any moment they could be found. But she isn’t, she’s excited, a familiar rush running through her at the thought of a chase. It’s a new kind of adrenaline, and she wonders if she’s found another way to get the high she’s always chasing.

They drive on backroads, not caring that the drive would take much longer, because they knew that any highway was a road to getting caught. His hand rests on her thighs as they drive, her smaller one on top of his and when she squeezes it he looks at her.

“Do you feel bad?” She asks and he knows what she means without her having to elaborate.

“We don’t know if that man deserved to die, but he put us in danger. It was worth it.” He offers her a small smile and she squeezes his hand again, a smirk on her face.

“It was sexy.” She says, dark eyes gleaming and he chuckles.

“My dirty girl.” He always loved how much his killing turned her on and it took every ounce of willpower not to put the car in park to have his way with her. But they needed to get to Arizona, from there they’d be able to get on a flight. It was a long drive, hours on the road, and they didn’t have time to stop.

“Once we’re safe, I’ll show you just how dirty I can be.” She feels his fingers dig into her thigh and she grins.

“You think you haven’t shown me exactly how filthy you can be yet, sweetheart?” He chuckles, but there’s an uncomfortable ache in the pit of his stomach, want quickly settling between his legs.

“I still have a few tricks up my sleeve.” She leans over the center console and licks his neck, her teeth grazing the skin there slowly before he urges her back into her seat.

 “You’re sure we can trust Clyde with this right?” He asks, needing to think about something else, anything else, than how much he wanted her.

“Yes. He’s already made arrangements, we’re flying early tomorrow morning.” She knew that Aaron didn’t fully trust Clyde, but he had been the only one to help her when she decided to get away from her old life, had helped her again after she killed Ian. If there was anybody she trusted except for Aaron, it was him.

“How did you meet him?” He realized he had never asked her.

“His dad worked for my dad, and when he got older, he just like me, wanted another life. When I decided to leave, when I decided to become someone else, I reached out to him and he lived in the Netherlands, I went there and he helped me become Lauren Reynolds. We didn’t speak again until Ian, but he has connections everywhere, can make anyone disappear and he helped me again.” She didn’t talk much about life with Ian, much less about her time with her parents and she knew Aaron was hanging onto every word.

“Do you think it’s a good idea to still be in contact with him? If he has ties to your parents and your old life?” He knew that Emily was intelligent, that she wouldn’t take unnecessary risks with her life.

“He, just like me, changed everything about himself, he technically doesn’t exist. He made it look like he died in a plane crash years ago.” She took his hand again. “Trust me, we don’t have to worry about him.”

“Okay sweetheart.” He pulls her into a kiss, a quick thing stamped onto her lips that she smiles into. “We better hope we don’t get caught before we get to the plane.” He winks at her, and she knows that he’s finding this just as thrilling as she did.

*

They had been looking for hours, had every cop in the city out patrolling the streets. But still, the unsubs were gone.

“It’s like catching smoke.” Dave grunts as he sits in the precinct with Jason, a cup of bad coffee in front of him on the table.

“No killer is unstoppable, but maybe we simply got here  too late.” He says, his own cup untouched in front of him. “They know we’re after them, they had a head start.”

“What are you thinking Jason?” He looks at the look of sadness on his friend’s face.

“We know that they have money, that they’ve travelled the country for a long time, the woman seems like a ghost, she doesn’t exist anywhere. They’re getting ready to leave the country. And we might not be able to stop them.”

“I’m calling the airports.” The detective that’s seated with them says and Jason nods, but as he looks at Dave he knows that he’s thinking the same thing he is. The unsubs had an escape plan, and now they’re stuck playing catchup.

*

Emily yawns as she drives on the deserted roads, it was late, they had been driving for most of the day and night. She looks over to Aaron who’s sleeping beside her, his usually intense face as relaxed as it’ll ever be and she smiles. They were getting close to the private airport, they were close to escaping. She wondered what their new life was going to be like.

As she sits there, lost in her own thoughts her phone rings and Aaron grunts beside her as he wakes up.

“Yeah?” She already knew who it was, he was the only one who had her number.

“One of my men saw you passing him about a minute ago. Ditch the car, I’ll have him pick you up.” Clyde’s low voice sounds through the phone.

“Why?” She asks but still pulls off to the side of the road while keeping him on speakerphone so Aaron can hear.

“Because your rental is more noticeable than one of my cars.” She can hear his smirk through the phone. “Leave it where you are, about a mile down there’s a gas station, we’re waiting for you there.”

“What about the car we’re driving now?” She puts the car in park while Aaron rubs his eyes and stretches.

“We’ll make it disappear, it won’t be traced back to either of you. Come on darlin’, no need to be difficult about this.”

She looks to Aaron who nods, seemingly agreeing to the plan and they both get out of the car.

“Okay, see you soon.” She throws the phone to the ground and smashed it. She wouldn’t be needing it anymore.

*

It was almost 3AM when a young cop comes running into the small conference room they’re sitting in.

“They’re in Arizona! We got a call from a detective, they saw the suspects getting into a car at a gas station.”

“They have help.” Jason stands up at the same time as Dave.

“But they won’t be able to board a plane. Everyone knows to be on the lookout.” The cops says, his voice hopeful.

“They have money, connections. They’re probably flying out from a smaller airport, one that won’t be stopping them if given enough money.” Dave explains as they start to walk through the precinct, they didn’t have a lot of time.

“Like a bribe? But that’s illegal.”

Dave smiles at the other man’s innocence and squeezes his shoulder.

“Money will get you anywhere, kid.”

“Come on, we need to get there, we’re calling the team in Arizona on the way.” Jason is already holding the phone to his ear as he urges Dave to follow him. “We’ve got them.”

*

“The cops are coming, the whole fucking cavaliere.” Clyde says with a grin on his face, clearly enjoying the situation.

“How do you know?” Aaron asks as he sits on the small private plane next to Emily who’s leaning into his side, his arm around her shoulders.

“I have men everywhere, and I’ve gotten three calls already.” The British man looks at them with something close to glee. “You did always know how to make things interesting, darlin’”

Emily rolls her eyes but still smiles at his words. She feels Aaron’s hand tightening on her upper arm and she looks at him in amusement. She found his jealousy sexy, she always had, and he always wanted to put his claim on her, always wanted her to feel like his.

“Thank you for helping us out.” She says to the man across from her.

“I’ll always like helping an old friend out. For a fee that is.” He winks at her and she shakes her head at the way all Clyde always wanted was money. She takes the suitcase beside her and slides it over the table, her eyebrow arched as she waits for him to open it.

“That should be more than enough.” She swears she sees his eyes light up at the sight of the bills in neat stacks in the suitcase. “Now, get us out of here.” Her gun rests on the table and she picks it up casually and she feels Aaron tense against her side, always ready to back her up if needed.

“No need to get violent Em. You’ll be in the air in less than thirty.”

“We’ll have to be quicker than that.” Aaron says as he looks out the window where he sees blue lights in the distance. “We have to go now.”

*

Dave doesn’t think the devastation of making it only minutes too late would be something he’ll ever get over. He will never forget seeing the small plane take off, a shadow of a man looking back at him from the air.

He wouldn’t give up on finding them, but realistically he knew that he might never do. There was no trail where they had gone, no transactions to look into, no bank accounts, not even the people helping their unsubs had their real identeties. It wouldn’t have mattered if they did though, they were gone. All of them.

*

Aaron smiles his thanks at the bartender as he grabs their drinks. The sun was hot on his skin, the sand soft as he walked in his flipflops towards the sunbeds where Emily was laying. She looks up at him from behind her glasses, her skin shining from the lotion and sweat and he licks his lips at the sight.

When he hands her the colorful drink she had asked for, she sits up in her chair. She clinks her glass with his, a smile on her face. “We made it.”

[missmarveledsblog]

Not so solo after all ( fanboy x fan girl ( reader) )

summary : when our fanboy thinks he spending halloween without his girl she surprises him in more ways then one

warnings : it a day late soz but here is a halloween themed fic sort of goes with the fan girl fic i wrote but can be read alone , smutty but not smtty 18+

Fan girl

Halloween was a night of no judgment all nerd could dress as whatever they want and no one bats a lid only this was even better she was surprising her boyfriend given the two thought she was coming days later .  the flights overbook and misbooking of her own tickets til she was able to get last minute she spent the three hour flight perfecting her hair and makeup . she  had costume or costumes since she had a special one underneath , she was excited more excited than she’d been in a good long while . it was like a nerd like fairytale meeting mickey garcia , the fact the two had such similar  mindsets, both  so emersed in the nerd culture it was refreshing plus also exciting in more ways than one .  now she was sitting  in the car as nat was talking her ear off , a promise to do the female aviators makeup  before they headed to the hard deck .  she put her bags in as two enjoyed the emptiness of the house pulling the make up out  getting to work making nat the sexiest and scariest black cat ironic to bob saying he was going to be golden retriever suiting both personalities to a tea . 

“ so does fanboy know your dressing as his literal dream come through ?” the brunette smirked. 

“ nope he doesn’t even know i’m in san diego  , plus i send him like a million other costumes so” she giggled . 

“ but you know he’s gonna be han solo , i love it i can’t wait for him to short circuit it’s gonna be amazing” she rubbed her gloved hands together. 

“ i mean it’s skimpy leia costume but the real one is underneath”

“You didn’t … the bikini thing even hangman knows that one “ nat snorted . 

“ hey i mean it’s an iconic moment “ she shrugged . 

“ you might actually kill the poor guy you do know that?” 

“ i’m hoping he kills me or leaves me legless either is good  “ she winked . 

“ too much information but also get it “ nat smirked texting the guys she would be there soon just bringing a friend only for her phone to blow up from jake and rooster asking if she’s hot and a dibs wars soon spammed in the groupchat .  “ i didn’t even say if it was a girl or not “ she shook her head looking down at the phone . 

“ well pretty kitty lets blow them away shall we” y/n beamed . 

He tried honestly he did , it was hard not to be a downer when the one person who could fully appreciate the effort and accuracy of the costume wasn’t there or mainly he was just missing his girl and hadn’t  heard anything from in hours .  bob did tell him she helped with haunted house back when she was home so he understood she would be busy giving kids and teens the joys of the halloween spirit  but then again should he be listening to a man who looked like a golden retriever hybrid . 

“ hey come on lets have a good night “ rooster who was by far laziest of costume telling people he was tom selleck in magnum pi although it was his normal clothes. 

“ he’s all pouty missing his girl “ payback rolled his eyes dressed as blade   patted fanboy back rolling his eyes . 

“ i would too if my girl was hot as his .. what it’s truth “ hangman rolled his eyes dressed as cowboy ken doll  ascot and cowboy hat  suited him perfectly. 

“ we just need to distract him is all “ javy shrugged dressed as tarzan if tarzan was GQ model that was .  the boys tried their best cheering him up all banter and fun as he started to loosen up a little although he did check his phone and embarrassing amount of times or ignored rooster and hangman's dibs on phoenix mystery friend not that he cared much for it til the cheers and whistles erupted when the door or the hard deck opened  he didn’t bother looking up not once he was smiling at the screensaver selfie of them chilling and cozy wrapped up together. 

“ holy shit fanboy your gonna lose your little mind “ was all he heard jake saying as he looked up going to look at the man quick glance at the approaching figure before looking back and his jaw hitting that ground so fast he was sure it would fall off .  looking up he had to of die and went to a galaxy far far away when he took in the sight of the woman he fell hard and fast for .  he knew who she was a mile away although hers was more form fitting and short but she was the leia to his han solo . a quick and barely there hello  as he ran past nat on to grab his girl in his arms lifting her up  in his arms as she giggled . 

“ how .. what .. wow “ he beamed placing her down taking her in the white gown and her hair all scream both leia and sex appeal all in one . the white gown hitting tops of her thighs  and although it was still turtle neck ( hiding the collar ) , the chest of had a cut out section  show casing her cleavage and still concealing everything at same time ,  the belt was attaching to a corset , she made sure it was fitted to show enough and not ruin the surprise underneath . 

“ my mom’s friend gave me her ticket  since she wasn’t able to fly so i thought i would surprise you “ she  laughed as he kissed every part of her face. 

“Well darling ain’t you looking good to beam me up and take me away in the tardis “ jake winked as she looked personally offended  so did fanboy . 

“ the tardis is doctor who “ 

“ beam me up is star trek “ 

“ same thing right ?” he asked . 

“ even i know it’s not “ rooster snorted . 

“ let me get you a drink  princess “ fanboy turned his cheek hurting from the smiling taking her hand leading her to the bar to see both mav and penny behind the bar dress as sunny and cher . 

 The night actually truly starting  , he still couldn’t get over how lucky he was or the way he stood taller when he noticed people giving him a thumbs up when they saw her on his arm .  the fact she was dress as the first woman he’s ever had one an awakening to or been his major celebrity crush since he was little boy only made it hundred times better.  He couldn’t keep his hands off of her whether the touches were innocent or not so innocent .  Kisses turning more sloppy , more heated   signaling it was definitely time to leave .  a quick goodbye to her brother and there friends the two headed out into the night air  the whole time hands and lips not separated to lost in each other . 

The journey home was pretty much the same only the touches on her skin teasingly as he talk to the uber driver  purpose torturing his girl knowing it was driving her crazy , hand on  her thigh gliding up and squeezing the plus soft skin as he could see her side glance  biting her lip suppressing any sound that might come from those heavenly lips . sometimes  moment like this it was hard to believe she was his , this incredible goddess like woman that was his to have.  She was fighting it , fighting the desperate neediness that was dying to come out . when they finally arrived back at his place it was like she could thank whoever for finally cutting the torture . a quick goodbye to the driver and the two were gone almost running to the house.  Kissing his cheek , his neck suddenly the man didn’t know how to use a key so focused on  her touch he stood hover over the lock til she took them in her hands unlocking the door. 

“ i can’t wait anymore and been dying to show you my surprise” she winked heading off to his room dropping and pulling off her costume as he followed behind at this rate he was sure he was under some spell floating in the direction of his bedroom ready to be the solo to her leia .  then it all stopped  his breathing , thinking , shit he really died  and went to nerd central heaven .   it was perfect every part almost spot on accurate as he took in the browns , golds and blue of the lack of clothing .  like it couldn’t get better she took her bag clipping the chain to  the collar . 

“ the hair isn’t leia anymore but i think it still works “ she laughed as her hair fell from the buns sitting  messy and wild shit it really did . 

“ fucking  hell baby .. this was what was under your dress the whole time ?” he groaned coming toward one part of him didn’t wanna touch her , like she was mint condition couldn’t take it out of the box and another part of him wanted to tear the box to shreds and enjoy his present .  the soft nod  confirmed the answer to his question. Then it was like he came back to reality  and a fire breaking through pulling the chain pulling her to him kissing ever  part of her skin soft moans and whimpers falling from her lips pulling back looking into her almost black eyes , the rise and fall of her chest    and the curl of her lip  when she slowly fell to her knees  and  he swore his love was out to kill him tonight if it was it was working. That doe eyed looking up at him , hand going to his pant as he yanked the chain making her jolt forward ,  looking back up to see him smirking , coming to to his sense in a dangerous grin .

“ ready to see the galaxies baby “ he smirked leaning down  making her breathe hitch knowing she was done for but fuck was she  excited for it 

[lanassgirlll]

Old Faces

Elijah Mikaelson x Fem!Reader

Summary: The last time you saw the Mikaelson family, you got left heartbroken. Now, you meet a certain member of the family again after centuries.

Warnings: kidnapping (kinda?) tiniest bit of angst, mentions of paranoia, use of y/n!

Words: 1,7k

AN: First of all, it's been a while since I have posted something, but I am back! So, I'm thinking about making this story into two or three parts. Also, I haven't decided which the love interest will be, so I will make a poll and I ask of anyone who reads this, to vote and choose!! Anyway, enjoy my new story and I hope you like it! (side note: please excuse any grammar and spelling mistakes, lol)

Getting out of the taxi, Y/N took in a deep breath whilst looking around the fascinating streets of New Orleans. She had only been here a few times, long before the city was founded. So, saying the place had changed would be underestimating.

It was almost dark outside, and she couldn't wait to have a shower and get some sleep. The flight she had booked was early in the morning, so she had spent many hours in the air just to get here.

Taking her bags out of the car, Y/N slowly made her way inside the hotel she had booked a room in. The hotel itself wasn't anything special and it wasn't one of the best places to stay in the city. But she liked the simple, rather than the extravagant places, so this would be just perfect for her.

It was now early in the morning when Y/N was getting ready for her day. She had decided that she'd spend the few days she was staying in the city, exploring, and collecting little souvenirs for her home in Europe, instead of sulking and rotting in the bed of her hotel room. Y/N didn't like traveling so far away from home much, as she loved the comfort of it, but whenever she did, collecting things that would catch her eye was like a tradition for her. Her house was full of colorful toys, rugs, all kinds of weird cutlery and even furniture, all of which she had gotten from her travels.

Putting on her coat and grabbing her bag, she made her way out of the room, and outside into the streets of New Orleans.

After strolling around the more modern part of the city, Y/N decided to go to the famous French Quarter, as she had heard many good things about it. At least more good than bad, as the place was known for the wicked vampires and witches who somehow never could make peace between their communities.

The place was truly beautiful, she had to admit. The buildings, the people, the jazz music, which she didn't like much, but it was still charming in a way.

But as she was walking around the streets, simply just admiring the place like a kid would admire a toy store, Y/N couldn't get of the feeling that someone was following her.

Sure, she was known for being a little too paranoid at times, but this time she really couldn't find out why. A thousand questions were running in her mind: Was it because of the stories she had heard about this place? Were the witches trying to get her for being in their territory? The fear was slowly building up as the paranoia was taking over her mind.

Taking a deep breath, she slowly made her way into an alleyway and looked around, just to make sure she was alone.

Just as she was about to open her bag, a man appeared in front of her. And as she was about to speak, the unfamiliar man broke her neck, and her world went dark.

Slowly waking up, a quiet groan escaped Y/N's lips. She figured it had to be from getting her neck broken. As the realisation kicked in, she opened her eyes and looked around.

She was in a big room, big windows letting the bright sun lighten the space. The room itself didn't have much furniture nor people in it. She looked down at herself and saw that she was tied down to a chair, and from the burning that she felt, it was obvious that the ropes were soaked with vervain. Great.

Swallowing the lump in her throat, she managed to speak up.

''Hello? Is- is there anyone?''

She had to admit, she was scared to death right now. She had never really been in any situations like this up until now. She had never gotten attacked by anyone and it's been a few good centuries since anyone has broken her neck. The worst feeling was the anxiety she was feeling at that very moment.

How could she be this stupid? She was such an old vampire and she always let her fears get the worst out of her at the worst moments. Like this one. Y/N thought that this would be the day she'd die.

She was so lost in her thought, she didn't even notice the man that was now standing behind her.

''What do we have here?''

Hearing the deep voice behind her out of nowhere, made her squeak and close her eyes tightly, trying to control her breathing. She was a scaredy cat and at that moment she felt more embarrassed than afraid.

''Who are you? What do you want with me?''

The question started flying out of her mouth as she tried to get a better look at the man behind her.

''The more important question is, who are you? And what are you doing here?''

Just as Y/N was about to answer his questions out of fear for her life, she heard another man walking into the room. Of course, she couldn't see him either and the only thing she could hear now, was the quiet mumbling between the two of them.

Y/N swore that the voice of the man who had just walked in was one she had heard before. She just couldn't place where.

She looked down at her hands, trying to pull them out of the ropes, even though she knew it was of no use. She hissed at the burning feeling and clenched her jaw. Y/N was getting angry now. She had done nothing wrong to deserve this.

''Hello? If you won't tell me what you want, just let me go! I have done nothing to you!''

As she looked up, with the corner of her eye saw one of the men making his way over to her. He stood in front of her and looked her up and down, and Y/N swore she could feel the judgment in his eyes.

''Quick change of attitude, I see?''

The man was tall, with dark skin and sharp face. His expression wasn't giving anything out, and she couldn't read him.

''Look, I only-''

She stopped mid-sentence as the other man now stood in front of her, too. Memories started flooding her mind as she stared up at him. It had been centuries since she last saw him.

The one and only, Elijah Mikaelson.

He was looking at her, like he had just seen a ghost. His brows were furrowed, and his lips were parted, as he was sucking in a breath.

Before either of them could make a sound, the dark-haired man that stood next to Elijah, spoke up first.

''I'm guessing the two of you know each other. Care to explain, Elijah?''

Y/N clenched her jaw tightly, looking away from them without a saying a word. She was getting overwhelmed with all the memories that were coming back. She had been keeping them locked at the back of her mind, as they were too painful. It had taken her decades to get over what had happened. In all honesty, she never truly got over it, but at least she managed to control the thoughts.

''Marcel, would you be so kind and leave us.''

She heard the man, whose name apparently was Marcel, sigh with a hint of annoyance before slowly making his way out of the room.

Y/N reluctantly looked up at Elijah again, her jaw still clenched tight. He looked so different since the way time she saw him, yet still the same in a way. The only obvious changes were, of course, his clothes and his hair style.

''Y/N, this is- a really unexpected surprise.''

She scoffed as she heard his words. Using the word 'unexpected' was a funny way to describe it.

''Then let me go, and we can all continue with our day, peacefully.''

''I'm afraid I can't do that. Just yet.''

''You cannot be serious, Elijah.''

She was so angry at this point, her blood was boiling. What did he want with her? She knew that he didn't know she was here until he saw her with his own eyes. The shocked face he had made told her everything she needed to know.

''Just let me go. I don't know why your friend had to snap my neck and bring me here, but I assure you, I have done no wrong to him!''

Elijah had a small smile dancing on his lips as she chuckled at her words lightly.

''What's so funny?''

''I'm just- I am at loss of words. You've changed so much since the last time we saw each other.''

''I will not sit here and suffer, just because you want to chit chat.''

As she was looking at him, she saw as an emotion flashed in his eyes, but it was gone before she had the chance to figure out what it meant.

Suddenly, he ripped the ropes off her hands and threw them down on the ground.

Y/N quickly stood up and took a few steps backwards, needing space from him.

''Don't expect a 'thank you'.''

''Why are you here, Y/N?''

Her brows furrowed as she heard his question.

''Excuse me? Suddenly you own the world? I was here on a holiday, and now you have ruined it!''

His face was like a rock. She couldn't figure him out and it was slowly starting to annoy her, along with the other hundred things that were already annoying her.

''No, of course not.''

''Listen, Elijah. I don't want to be around you. So, I will get my things and go back home, and you won't hear or see me ever again. Sounds good? Great!''

Just as she started walking towards the door Marcel had walked out of earlier, figuring that had to be the way out of the building, Elijah appeared in front of her, startling her.

''Jesus-''

''Don't go. Just not yet at least.''

''I don't owe you anything Elijah. And you don't deserve a second of my time. Now get out of my way.''

''Y/N, please, let's talk. Or let me talk. I believe we have much to go through.''

She was looking at him, thinking about his plea. Was she really about to agree with him? She had tried so hard to keep the memories out of her mind, because of how painful they were.

But just like in the past, she really could never say no to him.

Knowing she'd regret it later, she took a deep breath and crossed her arms over her chest, before speaking up.

''Fine, let's talk.''

[3mcwriting]

Any Fan's Dream, Part 5

Any Fan's Dream Masterlist

Synopsis:

When you look around and see Avengers Tower in front of you and Peter Parker beside you, you wonder how the hell you managed to get into the MCU.

Taglist: @secretly-sirens, @zeeader, @imdoingathingmom, @x-theolivia, @ainsley-official, @huntress-artemiss

"You look weirdly tired and excited," Tony commented as you entered the workroom. "Interesting combination."

You had bags around your eyes, and you were walking slowly and stiffly. However, your eyes were alight with excitement and you had a large grin on your face. You had pulled an all-nighter with Peter, well, you weren't actually with him. "Your" mom had told you that you had been away from home a lot and she wouldn't let you leave the house or let you have him over. So, instead you had spent the night sprawled on "your" bed, phone plugged to the charger while you talked to Peter over the phone.

Your body was berating you for that, but you couldn't bring yourself to regret your choices. Even with the way all your limbs were both stiff and sore and you looked like a zombie, you weren't sorry for the night.

"You look fabulous," you retorted, "and- oh shit I forgot all of my insults. Sorry, I'm a little drowsy right now."

"You're lucky that Capsicle is busy training Rhodey and the rest of them, otherwise, he would've had something to say about that language of yours." Tony looked at you, an unimpressed expression on his face. "And, kid, you don't look 'a little drowsy', you look like you're about to fall asleep standing up. There is no way we're working on your suit-"

You protested, "but-"

"Uh uh, no 'buts'. You're either gonna end up drilling through the table or your hand, or you're gonna eventually wear the suit and mid-flight something fails and you plummet to your death. Neither is ideal, so no suit today."

"Fine," you agreed. You were sad that you were slowing down the finish of your very own Iron Man suit(holy shit your very own Iron Man suit!!) but you didn't want your stay in the MCU to ever end. Although, ngl dying in an Iron Man suit would be so cool. Wait a- wtf I'm tired. 

"What are we going to do then?" you asked.

"Whatever you wanna do, I guess."

"Can we hack Area 51?"

Tony teared up, "yes, yes we can."

Two hours later and the two of you had discovered some of the nation's biggest secrets. And you had to say, there was some crazy ass shit going down.

"-holy alienfucking shit! So they knew!!"

"I fucking knew it." Tony said, "I knew they knew it."

"The government has been lying to us for decades," you stated.

"Kid, they're the government. Of course they lied. You've met Fury."

"I met Fury?" 

Tony looked at you. "Yeah, remember on the first week of your internship he was here?"

"Uh huh." You nodded. "Now I remember."

Dammit I met Fury except not really! I wanna meet Fury. Hmph.

"(y/n)! Where you at, babe? Time to train!"

You felt the blood drain from your face, you pleaded with Tony. "Help me." 

He shook his head grimly. "No one can save you now. She's already here."

"Found you!" 

You screeched.

~~

"I hope you know that when I pull every muscle in my body, you and Steve are paying for my hospital bill."

"We would never push you that hard." Natasha told you. "We would never give you the satisfaction of going to the hospital and relaxing in a bed for days doing nothing. We'll just push you as hard as you can go before the hospital is warranted."

"You fucking sadist."

"Tch, I don't think Steve would approve of that language."

"Who said I give a single flying fuck about what Steve approves of?"

Natasha laughed. "You know that all this training is for your own good, right?"

You scoffed, massaging your tired legs. 

"Really," she reaffirmed, "everybody was worried when you didn't come for your internship. Especially when that 5-year-old burst through the lobby yelling about you being taken. We worry about you."

You looked down, "I didn't know I had scared everyone so much."

You really didn't. Which may have been stupid considering how serious Peter was about you getting kidnapped. You knew that in a normal situation being kidnapped was horrible, but you had been far too star-struck to be rational. Plus, you were new to people being concerned about you. You never had the invested parents, the protective ones, not even the strict ones. You had the cold, emotionally-distant parents that you rarely ever saw. The ones that weren't mean, or abusive, they just weren't there. 

As pathetic as it sounded, you had gotten used to people not giving a shit about you.

You forgot that people cared about you here. 

"Yeah," Natasha spoke, "so me and Steve are helping you learn how to protect yourself."

You weren't sure what you should say, did you thank them? That was probably what you should do. "Um, thank you- I mean, you guys are really busy and you make the time to train me. Like- I- you don't have to do this, but you choose to so thank you."

You fidgeted with your hands, not sure where to look. Here you were with your heroes, people who had saved the world multiple times. And they cared about you, they worried about you, and you were complaining.

Natasha's eyes softened as she saw how guilty you felt. "Of course we have to, we care about you. So, no thanks required."

"I'm sorry."

Natasha looked surprised. "For what?"

"I'm being ungrateful."

You hated this feeling. The feeling of being a burden.

You remembered when you were younger, probably 9. 

You had aced your spelling test, you were so proud of yourself. When you got home, you couldn't help the grin on your face. You were so excited to tell your parents about how you had done, you stayed waiting up past your bedtime for hours, hoping to see your parents. 

You fell asleep, but you had left your graded spelling test with the 100% on it on the kitchen table. You had fallen asleep at some point, and when you woke up, you went to go find your mother and father. It was a Saturday, they were asleep in their bed. You dragged them out of bed to show them the paper. 

Your dad had looked at the paper on the table. "What have we told you about leaving trash everywhere?"

Your mom crumpled up the paper and threw it in the trash. "You have to clean up after yourself, we're not always going to be here to pick up after you."

A burden. 

That's what you had felt like your entire life.

And here you were being nothing but a bother to your heroes. You were complaining and whining, being ungrateful about what they were doing.

"You have nothing to be sorry about-" Natasha was perplexed, "-you didn't do anything."

You nodded, still feeling guilty. "I won't complain anymore."

"What?" Natasha shook her head. "What are you talking about?"

"When you train me, I'll stop whining."

Natasha put a hand on your shoulder. "What are you- you know it's okay to have complaints? It's a hard training regimen, nobody expects you to take it like a vacation. It's hard, and you're sticking with it. A couple grumbles and jokes are normal. You know that, right?"

You were unconvinced, too used to the feeling of being a burden. But, you had managed to hide it most of your life, you could hide it now. "I know, I think I'm just a little tired. I stayed up all night so I'm just a little sleep deprived."

Natasha's expression showed that she believed you about the same amount you believed yourself, so not a lot. She figured you could use a bit of relaxation. "You should go take a shower, and after you get out I'll give you a massage. Your muscles are unused to this exercise so we have to make sure they don't get really tight and you end up pulling something."

"Massage?" 

Your thoughts stopped. A massage from Natasha fucking Romanoff? Just so that you wouldn't get injured? Why was she so awesome? Your simp-heart couldn't handle such amazingness.

Unfortunately, that sentence only distracted you from your thoughts, and once you were in the shower, they all came flooding back. Standing in the bathroom, alone, you looked at yourself. You weren't sure what you were looking for, but whatever it was, you didn't find it because you stopped with a sense of defeat.

You stepped out of the bathroom, seeing Natasha seated on her bed. Her hair was wet and she was in new clothes, indicative of her also taking a shower whilst you were. 

She was scrolling through her phone but looked up when you opened the door. You were wearing loose shorts that fell halfway down your thighs, and another one of her worn t-shirts.

"Ok, come sit down." Natasha said, patting the spot on the bed next to her. 

You did so, looking at her curiously. "Where are you going to massage me?"

"Your legs." She gestured to your mostly bare legs. "That's why I got you shorts this time instead of sweats."

"Oh," you were having trouble finding words, "um, how do you want me to sit?"

"Just lay down on your stomach," she answered, "I'll massage your calves, not your thighs. You're probably unused to massages so if I start massaging further up your legs, it'll make you tense because of how unused you are to it and the whole point of this is to relax your muscles.

You nodded and laid down on your stomach, the feeling of her kneading your calf muscles was slightly painful at first but it felt good after a while. 

"You feel how I'm pressing with the heel of my palm?" she asked.

You nodded, her comments asking about how it felt and the technique popping up throughout the massage.

When she was done, you sat up and looked at her. "Thank you, it felt good."

She smiled, winking at you. "My pleasure, babe."

You grabbed your phone, turning it on and seeing the time.

Your eyes went wide. "Oh shit! I have to go, I was supposed to leave half an hour ago."

"Calm down, you don't have to leave."

"No, I- Peter's waiting for me, shit!"

You grabbed your stuff. "Thank you, Nat! See ya!"

You ran out of the room, unlocking your phone as you ran. You pulled up your contact list and right when you were about to call him-

You got pulled into a closet.

Your phone was snatched out of your hand by someone. You had a suspicion of who it was before you saw the person.

Your suspicions were confirmed when you hit the light switch beside the closed door and Loki stood in front of you.

"Can't have you calling anybody," Loki pocketed your phone, he looked at you. "You don't seem that surprised to see me."

"Well, you did break into my apartment two days ago and kidnap me the day before that," you commented dryly, "I figured it was coming sooner or later."

He smiled. "You are an interesting human."

"Thanks, Hotstuff. What am I doing in the closet? I came out of it years ago."

"I just came to bid you goodbye, I have business to attend to. Although, with your knowledge-" he smirked, "-I'm sure you already knew that."

No way, there is no way he knows. He can't know.

You smiled humorously, trying to hide your nerves. "I'm pretty awesome but I'm not a fortune teller."

"Is that so? You obviously know more than you should."

You remembered something, an idea sparking in you. 

Maybe you could change something.

"You're right about that, and I have some advice. One day, there's going to be a big, purple, man with a nut-sack chin. When he approaches your spaceship, you need to get the Asgardians out of there. Otherwise, a lot of people are going to die." You included. Please listen, Loki. 

He looked at you, uneasy at your sincerity but not being fully convinced either. "Alright, I'll remember that when the time comes. For somebody who claims not to be a fortune teller, you seem to have a significant awareness of future events. Care to explain, darling?"

"I've already given you enough information, why would I give you more?"

"Hmm, you're right about that. Knowledge is valuable." He fixed you with a piercing stare, "I suppose I should thank you."

His words made you all too aware of the small amount of space in the closet, of how close he was to you. His face moved closer to you, hovering mere inches from yours. 

"Tell me, darling," he whispered in your ear, "do I have permission to thank you?"

"I-" you couldn't think. He was so close and he smelled really good and holy shit his voice was sexy-

"Well?" he murmured, "do I?"

You could only nod, wondering where the hell your voice had gone.

His face moved closer, the inches disappearing as his lips brushed against your cheek gently, tenderly. He pulled away, smirking at your flustered state. 

You didn't enjoy his amusement, and resolved to make him the more flustered person there.

You moved forward, caging Loki between you and the wall behind him. He couldn't quite hide the shock at your boldness, simultaneously surprised and attracted to the change.

"Are you alright with me this close?" 

As much as you wanted to appear suave and confident, the most important thing was that both of you were comfortable with the situation.

Loki had absolutely no problem with the situation. "Darling, I am more than alright."

You looked at him, admiring his beauty. His eyes were intense, piercing, and mischievous, looking at you in a way that was unbelievably tempting. His hair fell a little above his shoulders, dark and alluring.

Damn send the haircare routine-

You tucked a strand of his hair behind his ear, fingertips grazing his cheekbone when you moved it. You smirked when you heard the way his breath caught. If you were honest, you really, really, really, wanted to one-up him. There was a short strand of hair falling over his forehead, your eyes locked on it. You pressed your lips gently over it, then moved backwards and brushed the strand to the side.

He stared at you, strangely silent. His expression was one of shock, but not for the reason you thought. He was surprised that you had expressed affection so kindly and softly as if you worried your adoration would bruise.

The two of you stared at each other, neither willing to break the moment.

But your phone buzzed somewhere in Loki's outfit and the two of you snapped back to reality.

"Ah shit! I need my phone, Loki."

He handed it to you, that odd silence still with him. 

You hesitated for a moment, wondering if you should say something but your phone buzzed again and you ran out of the closet. You answered your phone as you ran. "Gah, I'm so sorry, Peter. I'll be down right now."

[strangeshoepatrolbandit]

Really excited for how your brotherly love series will go. And I just love how you included Tim and Jason because they’re my faves.

Can’t wait to read about some bonding between Jason and the reader

Sorry this is gonna be a long ass ask because there’s just a lot of things I want to comment on and ask.

There’s so many avenues you can explore. I’m kind of surprised only Damian is the only one who decides to take up crime fighting while the twin is fine with staying behind and exploring the mansion. One question I have is does the reader ever feel as if they’re living in Damian’s shadow? Like especially since Bruce bonds with Damian since Damian has taken up the mantle of Robin, then I’m gonna assume that Dick and Tim also spend time training their successor. Between training, vigilante duties, and time running Wayne Enterprises, that doesn’t leave a lot of free time. Does the reader ever feel left out/ignored or that Damian is the favorite? Or in other words, since the reader hasn’t thrown a tantrum that they’re stuck at the manor and they mainly seem to keep to themselves, do Bruce, Dick, and Tim seem to think Damian is a higher flight risk/the twin that is more reckless and needs more attention?

Poor reader. It hit a little close to home on the insecurities of being irritating/a nuisance to those your love.

Two, I think it’s so sweet that the reader was able to open up to Alfred that Damian yelled at them. I love how at least one of the Wayne’s is able to be open and express their emotions in a healthy way.

Three, you know how DCAU’s Batman vs Robin, Damian has a hard time getting past the security system. Idk but especially since Damian is the one who took up the mantle of Robin and it seems as if his primary focus is on training, I think it’d be such a funny thing to see him frustrated that his twin can bypass the security system with ease when the last time they picked up a sword or did any kind of conditioning was months ago before they lived with Bruce. And even Bruce, Dick, and Tim are scratching their heads since they thought you were the more well behaved and quiet one they didn’t have to worry about.

Damian: *fuming* I trained 18 hours every day for the past two months and couldn’t bypass the electric fence. How were you able to get pass the security system and then travel all the way to another country without any one detecting you until you got back?

Reader: *shrugs* don’t know. Maybe you’re rusty.

Next point, I mean especially since you mentioned that Jason’s eyes were an unnatural shade of green and he has that white streak in his hair, you can have the reader get inspired after hearing Jason’s story. They sneak away from the manor and try to (or successfully??) revive Ra’s by digging up their grandparents corpse and dunking it in the Lazarus pit.

That would be such an interesting parenting moment between Bruce and the reader. Poor Bruce can’t catch a break. He has to sit one kid down to explain why murder is not justice and then talk to the other kid that death is a natural part of life and it is not normal and somewhat questionably unethical to sneak out of the house to dig up your grandfather’s corpse and dip them in a magical lake to bring them back to life

Bruce: *sitting across from the reader rubbing his temples* so hypothetically if your hamster died, would you dunk it in a Lazarus pit because you missed them

Reader: I don’t know. I’ve never had a hamster.

But judging by your tone, I assume you want me to answer no..? You told Damian it was wrong to kill Deathstroke to take revenge for killing grandfather. Hypothetically, if if a very very very bad parakeet killed your hamster—

Bruce: dear god you’ve spent way too much with Jason

Anyways sorry to bug you with the long ass ramble. Hope some of it made sense. Bottom line, I’m looking forward to what comes next and if you ever need a beta reader or just want to spitball/brainstorm with anyone I’m all ears

You were not bugging me at all, I'm so glad that you enjoyed my story!!<333.

(I hope I make sense in this I have issues explaining things so bear with me)

To go over some of your topics, I feel that Damian is more career driven and felt comfortable being Robin because his life was spent being trained to be an assassin. I feel as if the reader is taking a break from the life they were forced to have by trying to live a "normal" life at the Manor. I will now go more into the topics of reader's insecurities, as we know they feel like they are annoying the people they are around, after a while they start to see how everyone is treating Damian like a normal person, whilst they are being treated like a child(even though they are), and they start to think that since Damian has been proving himself they just like him more. Everyone in the Manor does love them though, it's just Damian has hobbies in common with them so they feel that they have more to talk about(Wayne enterprises/Vigilante work), plus reader just stopped hanging out with everyone so how can people get to know them?

Yes, I wanted the reader to be able to have a healthy coping mechanism such as talking, literally all of the batfam has bad issues with talking except for Jason because homeboy goes to therapy(he too is an ex emotionally constipated person). Also yes reader does just have that magic touch, they are an Al-Ghul/Wayne, everyone knows reader was trained the exact same as Damian so it's a little bizarre that they are so good at something after being away from their training.

The reader is much aware of Ra's dips in the Lazarus pit and how it's kept him alive all these years, but I think that they understand that there is no help for Ra's, just like Talia said "the pit can't help a body that far gone"(or something), the reader is a little upset that after Jason had been beaten and put in a building with a bomb that the Lazarus pit still had a way to revive him(Reader and Damian both love animals and have definitely been in trouble for reviving random animals with dips in the pit LMAO). Reader, Damian, and Talia all share the same hatred for Deathstroke and all want him gone, whilst Damian and Talia are attempting to find and kill Deathstroke, reader just sits back because they know Talia has it handled. After spending time with Jason and sympathizing with him about his death, Bruce realizes that reader is all for getting revenge on people, they never did anything about Deathstroke but fully agree and understand Jason's reasoning behind wanting the Joker dead.

This actually meant so much, I'm sososososo glad you enjoyed Pt.1 of Brotherly Love!!! I have had a terrible night and this made it better!!!<33

( I definitely projected in this story, does anyone else have sibling issues?)

....Much love, Strangeshoepatrolbandit....

[evilwickedme]

"you're worth it." and/or "you need sleep for jayroy maybe?

(i can't remember if you actually like that ship so if you don't feel free to pick your own)

I absolutely LOVE JayRoy and have written multiple fics for them anyway it's one am let's see what comes out

on ao3

unglued, thanks to you

It's been a long couple of days.

Everyone Roy knows is out of the state right now, for so many different and yet equally good reasons, so he hasn't had anyone available to babysit in days. Then Lian caught this bug that's been going around, and she's spent the last three days throwing up anything she's eaten, while Roy desperately tries to keep her hydrated, staying up all night with her as she shivers. His heart aches for his little girl, but he can't do anything about it except wait for it to pass. As if that stress wasn't enough, he hasn't had a steady job in a couple of months, and last he checked he was almost out of money for rent, let alone groceries or medicine or a paid sitter. And he can't even take any job offers he's getting, because he can't just leave Lian behind while half his family is MIA, some of them literally. Hell, he'd have joined them in the search if it weren't for... Everything else.

He's worried about his family, and he's worried about Lian, and he's just tired. He's so, so tired. Still, he can't help it - when Jason calls, he picks up.

"Hey," he says.

Jason must pick up on the exhaustion in his voice, because instead of hello he opens with, "Jesus Christ, when's the last time you slept?"

Roy takes offense to that. Considering the circumstances, he's been getting plenty of sleep. "I'll have you know I got to take a two hour nap just this afternoon," he says indignantly.

"Uh-huh," Jason says, "and last night?"

"Why are you calling, Jason?" Roy says tiredly.

"I'm in Star right now," Jason answers, letting the matter drop. "Connecting flight got canceled so I pivoted. Can I crash at yours?"

Roy hesitates. "It's not that you're not welcome," Roy says, searching for the right words. "I just - " it's just awful right now, and Roy's a mess, and the apartment's a mess, and Jason probably doesn't want to deal with a sick first grader anyway. "Listen, the place is kind of a mess right now, you'd probably be better off just finding a hotel to stay at. Use Bruce's money to stay at somewhere fancy. You'd sleep better, trust me."

Jason hums to himself, like he does sometimes when he's thinking. "How's Lian, Roy?"

Roy closes his eyes. "She's down for a nap right now," he says, then admits, "but she's been sick all week."

"And hasn't Oliver been able to help? Or any of your goddamn brood?"

Like Jason has any room to talk, with all these Bats flying around nowadays. When Roy was a kid, it was just Bruce and Dick, and eventually Babs. Now every time Roy blinks, there's a new kid wearing the bat on their chest. "They're all out of town at the moment."

Jason just sighs. "I'll be there in fifteen minutes," he says, then hangs up.

Motherfucker.

Well, Jason knows what he's getting himself into.

~~~

True to his word, a quarter of an hour later Roy hears Jason's spare keys unlock his front door. "In here," he calls out from the kitchen, where he's washing some long overdue dishes. Once it was clear that Jason would be staying with them no matter what, Roy did the minor service of taking all the disgusting shit off the couch.

"Hey," Jason says, dropping his bag, which clattered conspicuously. "I thought you said Lian was napping?"

"She's out like a light, actually," Roy says. "I'm hoping she'll actually sleep through the night tonight. Would make for a nice change."

Jason stays silent for a while, and the back of Roy's head prickles, but he keeps washing the dishes until, suddenly, Jason's hand is on his arm, startling him into stillness.

"C'mon," Jason says. "I can do this."

"They're my dishes," Roy objects.

"You need sleep," Jason says. "Your kid's sick, I get it. But I can keep an eye on her for a few hours. Go, get some rest. If only so I don't have to look at those fucking bags under your eyes. You look terrible."

"Jay," Roy sighs.

"I'll fucking carry you to bed if I have to," Jason threatens mildly.

Roy looks at him, then looks back at the running water, then shoots a longing look at the door to his bedroom. He really does want - need, desperately need - some rest. And Lian likes Jason. And Roy really, really doesn't want to be doing the dishes right now.

"Okay," he says. Then, after a pause, "Thank you, Jaybird."

"Anytime," Jason says gruffly. He hipchecks Roy, who relents, raising his hands in surrender and walking to his bedroom. "Seeya in six hours."

"Four," Roy counters.

"Eight," Jason corrects.

Roy rolls his eyes before closing his door. He sets his alarm for three hours, and falls asleep as soon as he closes his eyes.

~~~

Roy opens his eyes suddenly, momentarily disoriented. There's sunlight coming through the window - he's still in his jeans - he crashed last night - Jason came over last night - didn't he set an alarm?

Honestly, Roy wouldn't put it past Jay to sneak into his room and turn the alarm off, but maybe he just slept through it. Either way, it's too late now.

He feels so heavy, but still he forces himself to get up. He needs to check up on Lian, maybe clean up a little if she's still out, make some food out of whatever's still left in the pantry.

He's going over his to-do list in his mind as he steps out into the living room, and he does a double take.

The place is spotless. All the dishes are gone, the dirty clothes are in the laundry hamper by the laundry machine that stands close to the kitchen because there's no room for it in this tiny apartment else, and assorted electronics are piled up on the now clear surface of the little table they sometimes use to eat. The floor has been swept, too, with the dust bunnies Roy has become resigned to live with all cleared out.

There's no sign of Lian, but Jason is humming in the kitchen, so Roy joins him, leaning against the wall as he watches Jay slice vegetables that were definitely not in Roy's kitchen last night.

"You let me sleep in," Roy accuses.

Jason snorts. "Yeah, obviously. You needed the sleep, man. You probably haven't looked in the mirror in four days, but you looked miserable, trust me." He glances up at Roy, then back down to the cucumber under his knife. "You look, uh, much better now. Could probably use a shower."

"Fuck you," Roy says amicably. "Where's this come from?"

"I had some groceries delivered this morning," Jason answers casually. "I put the order in after I finished the dishes, then started cleaning up while I stayed up. Lian woke up eventually, so I made sure she got some fluids and gave her the meds on the counter - I'm assuming those were her meds, she was a little out of it and couldn't confirm it for me, but she seemed better after, so I figured, yeah."

"Yeah, those were the right meds," Roy says. "Thanks, again."

"Anytime," Jason says. He's now slicing a large red tomato. The juices spurt a little onto Jason's hand, who grimaces for a second before continuing.

"No, seriously," Roy says earnestly. "You were just looking for a place to crash. You didn't need to do any of this. I just - cleaning this place up must have taken you all night."

"Well," Jason says. "Consider it payback for all the times you saved my ass. And for letting me crash here."

Roy's heart pounds in his chest, and he looks around the kitchen. "Can I help?"

Jason waves at him dismissively. "I'm almost done here anyway," he says. "Go, wash up, or check on your daughter, or just sit down for five goddamn minutes."

Roy huffed, unable to stop himself from laughing. And then he did just that. Took a brisk shower, then checked up on Lian - sleeping again, and her bucket was empty, which was good - and then he rejoined Jason, just in time for him to hand him a plate, full to the brim with a cheese omelette, buttered toast, and a chopped salad.

"This looks amazing, Jaybird," Roy says honestly, and he could swear he sees Jason's ears turn a little red.

"Eat your damn breakfast," is all he says.

Roy puts the plate down on the table and takes Jason's hand. His eyes snap up to his face, and he looks - confused.

Roy rubs a thumb over Jason's palm. The texture is complicated, scarred and calloused, but he likes it. It's not unlike his own. "Thanks," Roy says again.

"You don't need to keep saying it," Jason says.

"Yeah, I do," Roy says. "And I'll keep saying it til you take me seriously."

"Yeah, well," Jason says. "You're worth it."

[celestie0]

You know how when you’re a kid and you meet another kid and they’re cool you’d be able to just say “okay cool we’re friends now :D” ? (Idk about yall introverts but this is my favorite thing to do)

I feel like Kickoff!Gojo never grew out of this phase? Especially considering that he was oh so hurt that reader didn’t consider him a friend 😔

Also how DARE you make me think of Kickoff while I’m supposed to be working 🫵🏽🤨 (this is all my fault, I re-read the first couple chapters yesterday)

omg i am introverted so i simply have never. i was usually the kid that all the extroverted kids adopted (now that i think ab it a lot of my current adult friendships also began like that LOL)

yes you're so right, it is extremely canon that everyone in kickoff universe just loves gojo and he makes friends very easily. he's not great at maintaining those friendships haha but he's just always down to talk to people n get to know them (the type to get invited to a stranger's wedding just cuz he spent two hours talking to them while he sat next to them on a flight)

YES HIM BEING HURT THAT READER DIDN'T CONSIDER HIM A FRIEND RIGHT AWAY was one of my fave little moments between them bc i think kickoff reader is the opposite. it takes her a LONG time to trust someone n to consider them a close friend, sometimes even years. tbh i'd like to think he was actually made really sad by her response because he's like :( wait wym you're not already totally insanely in love w me,,, what's up w that

HAHAH i'm sorry. pls forgive me (it's literally ur fault)

[nerdzzone]

A Ghost of Christmas Past

Summary: After being kept apart by their busy schedules, Madeline and Chris reunite for the holidays.

Part of the Back To You series

18+

-----

December 24th 2012

“Merry Christmas!”

There are things in life - songs, smells, certain tastes - that trigger a feeling and take you right back to another moment in time. For Madeline, Lisa’s welcoming greeting as she swung open the door of her house with the sounds of Christmas music blasting out somewhere in the background was one of those things. She was immediately filled with the same comfort and contentment that she’d been lucky enough to experience every holiday season for as long as she could remember. No one had to work, the kids were done with school, there were no commitments weighing on anyone’s mind and for the next few days no one had anything to do but enjoy one of the rare times that everyone got to be together.

It was without a doubt her favourite time of year and she could already feel her cheeks starting to hurt from smiling as she returned the greeting, chorusing with her parents as Lisa ushered them all inside.

“I’m glad that you made it,” she commented as they slipped out of their coats and left their wet boots by the door. “As soon as the forecast changed last night and they said we’d be getting all this snow, I was worried you’d get stuck in New York. Chris even started looking at flights just in case the roads were too bad, but I think the airport is already getting pretty backed up too.”

Even just the mention of his name had Madeline’s heart fluttering with excitement and while she was looking forward to catching up with Lisa as well, she couldn’t hold back the question that had been burning in her mind since they’d been walking up the path to the door.

“Is he here? Is he home?”

They’d been texting all day as she updated him on their ETA, but he had mentioned earlier that he had a few errands to run so she wasn’t sure if the fact that he hadn’t appeared with Lisa to greet them was because he wasn’t there. However, before Lisa had a chance to answer, her dad jumped in.

“Wow,” he chuckled, glancing at his watch. “She made it almost one whole minute before she wanted to ditch us for Chris.”

“I just spent five hours in a car with you, Dad,” Madeline pointed out with a roll of her eyes. “I think we’ve had enough quality time together.”

“It’s fine, Chris has been the same. He’s been counting down the minutes until your arrival since he got here. We’re just not important anymore,” Lisa teased, continuing before Madeline could argue that claim. “He’s in the kitchen, he’s been helping me bake.”

Unable to wait even a moment longer, Madeline quickly excused herself and hurried off towards the kitchen. 

Once again, it had been far too long since she’d seen Chris. Their original plan was for him to join her parents at the closing night of her recent show and drive back to Massachusetts with them after a few days of last minute Christmas shopping in the city - as was their tradition almost every year - but he’d been held up in L.A. with some press and meetings that he had no way of getting out of and he’d had to cancel their plans. They’d both been disappointed, but over the year and a half that they’d been together they’d gotten somewhat used to the stretches of time they were forced to spend apart. 

However, that didn’t mean they were any less relieved and excited when they were finally reunited and as Madeline walked into Lisa’s kitchen - greeted by the sight of a very flustered Chris stirring a bowl of ingredients together - she had to admit that the feeling of complete joy that she got every time they finally reconnected was almost worth the pain of any distance between them.

“Oh, man,” Madeline giggled, catching Chris’ attention as a grin slid onto his face. “I wish I had my phone on me, the internet would love this.”

“I dunno about that,” he argued. “Photographic evidence of me ruining Ma’s cookies might shatter some illusions about me.”

“You ruined them? How?”

Madeline crossed the kitchen to look at the tray on the oven as Chris shrugged.

“I dunno, I followed her instructions and did everything she said, but they don’t look like hers.”

He gestured to the plate on the counter where the successful batches sat and Madeline immediately knew the issue.

“You used too much sugar,” she informed him. “That’s why they’re darker, but they’ll probably taste fine - especially after they’re decorated.”

“How do you know?” He asked as he leaned on the counter beside her. “I used exactly how much she told me too.”

“Sometimes even just a little bit too much can make a difference,” Madeline shrugged before a smirk slid onto her face. “But I know because I’m a woman of many talents.”

She flipped her hair for dramatic affect and the imperfect cookies were suddenly gone from Chris’ mind.

“I’m familiar with many of them,” Chris matched her smirk, reaching out to pull her gently towards him until she was pressed against his body. “I’ve missed you.”

The words fell from his lips as a sigh and Madeline smiled as she let her hands slide up to rest behind his neck.

“I missed you too. I hate it when we’re both so busy.”

“It’s the worst,” Chris agreed. “And I’m really sorry about missing your show…”

“I don’t think I’ll be able to forgive you,” Madeline sarcastically informed him. “You’ve only seen me in the Nutcracker every year since I was twelve.”

“But still,” Chris smiled. “Every time is an absolute pleasure.”

If he hadn’t sounded so sincere, Madeline would have rolled her eyes, but she knew that he really did mean it. Ever since she’d started dancing, Chris had been her number one fan. Most teenage boys would probably consider going to ballet recitals to be a cruel form of torture, but Chris not only went to every recital that Madeline had, but he did it enthusiastically. He listened when she ranted about things she was struggling with, he celebrated with her when she had success and he genuinely took an interest in her life in the dance world that not many of her friends did. She knew that it could be hard to relate to, but he made an effort to understand and support her right from the start and she was incredibly grateful to him for that.

“You’re sweet,” she told him as her smile shifted into a smirk. “It’s a shame that your baking isn’t as good as your charm.”

Her teasing remark earned a dramatic gasp from Chris, but before he could voice his protests, she stretched up to silence him with a kiss. It was another feeling that truly felt like home to her. Every moment she was with Chris filled her with a contentment that was hard to find when he wasn’t nearby, but any moments of soft physical touch that they were able to sneak in amongst the chaos of their lives always had her feeling more love than she ever thought was possible.

Unfortunately, having their parents in the house was somewhat of a hindrance to their alone time and they pulled apart as they heard the sounds of them walking into the kitchen.

“Are you distracting him?” Lisa teased. “I left him with an important job to do.”

“He’s doing it wrong anyway,” Madeline smirked. “He used too much sugar.”

She moved back towards the tray to hold up a cookie as evidence of her claim despite the many protests coming from Chris, but it was her mother’s voice that got her attention.

“Oh, Madeline,” she laughed, shaking her head. “Clean yourself up!”

Her eyebrows furrowed in confusion, but the snickers of laughter from Chris had her immediately suspicious.

“What? What are you talking about?”

She craned her neck to try and see what had drawn everyone’s attention, but Chris smirked and told her to hold still as he pulled out his phone. She scoffed as he honed his camera in close to her bum and when he showed her the picture - with two floury hand prints clear on her leggings, one either side of her ass - she snorted out a laugh as she rolled her eyes.

“Chris!” She groaned as she quickly wiped away the mess he’d left. “You’re such a child.”

“I didn’t mean to!” He insisted despite his chuckles of amusement as he discreetly saved the photo that he’d taken. “Baking is just a messy job, but you should know that since you’re such an expert.”

“I’m not an expert just because I can tell how someone ruined a batch of cookies.”

“You said they weren’t ruined, you said they’d taste fine!”

“I was just trying to spare your feelings.”

Her inability to keep the grin off her face gave away her lie, but Chris shook his head in mock disbelief.

“This is unbelievable. I slave away all day and this is the thanks I get?”

“Sorry, kid,” Greg chimed in. “There’s no Hollywood yes-men here. If you mess up, we’re gonna call you out on it and hold you to the same standard as everyone else.”

A giggle slipped from Madeline’s lips at the indignation on Chris’ face, earning her a gentle swat on the arm from her disgruntled boyfriend and prompting his mother to step in.

“Alright, alright, leave poor Chris alone,” Lisa demanded as she rolled up her sleeves. “His cookies will be fine once they get a little icing on them, but if we don’t keep going then they won’t all be ready in time for the kids to decorate when they get here.”

“Are the rest of the decorations out yet?” Madeline’s mom, Connie, asked, waiting for Lisa to shake her head before she continued. “Then why don’t you three leave the baking to us and get the decorations ready for later?”

Madeline, Chris and Greg all nodded in agreement and Chris slipped an arm around Madeline’s waist as they followed Greg out of the kitchen.

It was another comfort-bringing Christmas tradition for the Evans and Daniels families. Every year for as long as any of them could remember, they’d spent Christmas together and before the big day they’d always gathered together to decorate the Evans family tree. Once everyone grew up and moved away, it became harder to coordinate a time when everyone was home to join in so they’d settled on making it a Christmas Eve tradition when it was guaranteed that everyone would be home.

So, that was how they spent their evening. 

Scott, Shanna, and Carly and her family all arrived back at Lisa’s house just before dinner after spending the day enjoying the unexpected snowfall and the group settled in to eat their festive cookies - with Chris smugly noting that his cookies did taste just fine once the kids had smothered them in icing - and cover the tree in ornaments, reminiscing about all the years they’d spent together. It was refreshing for both Chris and Madeline to have those grounding moments - those moments that remained unchanged despite how busy their lives were - and they both soaked up as much family time as they possibly could.

However, they were also very much looking forward to getting time to have a moment alone. They’d stayed close together all evening - exchanging soft touches and gentle kisses whenever they possibly could, earning them plenty of teasing from Scott - but after the time they’d spent apart, they both craved the chance to be by themselves to really catch up. Which was why, when Connie yawned and suggested they wind down the activities for the night and reconvene in the morning, Chris and Madeline happily agreed.

Because of the unpredictable weather they’d been having, it had been unanimously agreed that everyone would stay the night in case the snow piled up and made driving difficult in the morning, but - after a brief discussion about sleeping arrangements - it was eventually decided that Madeline and Chris would spend the night at her parent’s house. It was only a couple of blocks away and well within walking distance and that freed up Chris’ old bedroom for his nephews to use. Chris dashed upstairs to grab what he’d need for the night and once he returned, they said their goodbyes and headed out into the snow. 

It was calm outside as it always seemed to be after a heavy snowfall with the messy state of the roads keeping everyone home and the thick padding of snow on the ground seemingly absorbing all the sounds except for the crunching of their footsteps. Chris linked his arm with Madeline’s and pulled her shivering body close against his and they walked in silence until Greg spoke up.

“So, Chris, are you home for a while or do you have to race back to work right after the holidays?”

“Nah, I think I’ve got most of January to relax before I have to start thinking about work again,” Chris smiled. “Which means I get at least a month of being allowed to drink and eat things that actually taste good before I’m back on the superhero diet again.”

“It must be exhausting staying in shape like that,” Connie mused. “Especially once you start filming and work such long days.”

“Yeah, there isn’t much time to hit the gym once we start shooting,” Chris admitted. “That’s why I try to get in the best shape possible before so I have some wiggle room if I lose it a little as we go.”

“That’s a good plan,” Greg nodded. “And you know, I’ve actually been going to the gym lately too.”

That admission pulled a snort of laughter from Madeline, but Chris seemed genuinely intrigued.

“Oh, yeah?”

“Yep,” Greg nodded. “I’ve been trying to go at least four times a week so if you need any advice on getting swole, you just let me know.”

Chris bit back a laugh at the offer as Connie let out a groan and shook her head while Madeline giggled unashamedly and gave her dad a very skeptical look.

“Getting swole?” She questioned. “What does that even mean?”

“It’s slang, honey,” Greg informed her with a playful roll of his eyes. “It’s used in the gym rat community to describe someone with lots of muscles. Many people would probably use it to talk about your boyfriend, or at least they would when he’s in Captain America condition.”

“Hey now,” Chris smirked, lifting his free arm to flex his muscles in an attempt to demonstrate despite the thick winter coat that covered his arm. “I think I’m still pretty swole for an off-season.”

His use of her dad’s new slang had Madeline cringing, but her mother cringed for a different reason.

“Chris, please don’t encourage him,” she pleaded. “He got out of breath putting up our Christmas lights the other day, he has no idea what he’s talking about.”

“Because climbing up and down that ladder was hard work, that’s nothing to do with lifting weights!”

“Well, what about last week when you came home with a sore shoulder from getting too ambitious?”

“You have to push yourself, Connie,” he argued. “Or you’ll never improve.”

“But I think you’re supposed to make sure you do it safely,” Madeline pointed out. “You’re not supposed to push yourself so hard that you get injured.”

“It was one time!” Greg protested. “Most of the time I’m doing pretty good!”

His insistence earned a laugh from Madeline, an eye roll from his wife, and a smirk from Chris as he reached out to pat his back in a reassuring - but somewhat condescending - way.

“It’s okay, Greg, it’s a process. We can hit the gym together while I’m here and we’ll have you in superhero shape in no time!”

“Gee, thanks.”

Greg’s tone was flat as he was clearly unimpressed by the direction the conversation had taken, but - as was his nature - all was forgiven by the time they made it home. Considering what a long day they’d had - driving home from New York and all the celebrations that had happened that evening - everyone was happy to head straight to bed once they’d shed their wet coats and boots.

Madeline let Chris use the bathroom first, but when she finally came back to her childhood bedroom and saw Chris lounging on her bed in nothing but a pair of boxer briefs with a blissful smile on his face, she could barely hold back a grin of her own.

“I was hoping this outfit would earn me a smile,” Madeline admitted, referring to the short, red, and lacey nightgown she was wearing as she crawled onto the bed next to him. “But it seems like you’re pretty happy already.”

Chris chuckled and rolled onto his side, sliding a hand up and down the smooth material as he pulled her close towards him.

“I am happy,” he informed her, nestling his hips against hers and embracing the comfort of having her in his arms again. “I’m happier than I’ve been in a long time.”

The sincerity in his voice has Madeline’s heart swelling in her chest as she lifted a hand to stroke his stubbly cheek and hooked her leg over his hip.

“Yeah?”

“Absolutely. Being here - at home - it always makes me feel good. Being around people who really know me, knowing I don’t have anyone to impress, it’s always the best feeling in the world,” he explained. “And now, getting to share that with you as my girl, not just a friend, it’s made a good thing even better. I feel like I need to pinch myself sometimes because I just can’t believe it’s real.”

“Awe, Chris,” Madeline murmured, feeling her emotions rising at his sweet words. “I feel the same way. I’ve always loved Christmas, but I have to admit that this year and last year have felt extra special.”

Chris nodded in agreement as best he could with his head leaning on the pillow beneath them before stretching up to press a soft kiss against her lips.

“I love you, Maddie.”

“I love you too.”

The sound of those words had the smile on Chris’ face reaching even wider before he captured her lips once again. His movements were still soft, his lips barely pressing against hers and the hunger that had built over their time apart had Madeline leaning in to deepen the kiss. Chris, however, had other plans and dipped his head, nudging her chin up with his nose as he trailed kisses down her throat. His hand that had settled on her thigh began to slowly creep up, pulling her temptingly smooth nightgown with it until the material bunched at her waist leaving Madeline exposed as he explored her soft skin.

He let his hands wander as he tried to savour the moment, but his need was quickly growing and his impatience had him quickly shifting her onto her back as he moved lower on her body and pushed the dress even higher until Madeline was eagerly pulling it over her head. He chuckled at the enthusiastic glint in her eye as he slid the rest of the way down her body until he was settled between her legs and when he parted her thighs, he let out a groan of pleasure at the sight.

“So pretty, baby,” he murmured. “I’ve been dyin’ to taste you all day.”

A smirk slid onto his face as he noticed the way his words made her quiver with anticipation, but he never could resist an opportunity to tease her as he slowly kissed his way up her thigh and pulled away when he reached the top. With her legs settled over his shoulders, he could feel her stroking his back with her feet as if she was urging him closer, trying to silently coax him into doing what he knew she wanted, but Chris was undeterred as he kept his movements slow and measured. Using a hand to spread her open to him even more, he gently blew on the damp skin he’d exposed and reveled in the soft whimper of pleasure his actions earned before moving away again to press his lips against her other thigh.

“Chris…”

His name fell from her lips in a whine as he toyed with her, taking his time as he trailed his lips and tongue all over her skin, everywhere except the spot she wanted him the most. He could see the effect he was having on her as the wetness gathered quickly between her legs and he felt a familiar sense of pride as seeing just how wet he could get her was one of his favourite challenges. However, while the time apart aided him in his task of working her up, it left her with much less patience then she usually had for his games and as he rested his face between her legs, letting the warmth of his breath wash over her, Madeline couldn’t resist the urge to press her hips up towards him.

Her eager actions earned a chuckle from Chris, but the tightening of his grip on her hips was a clear warning for her to behave so Madeline tried a different tactic as she let out a stream of mumbled pleading. Chris let her go on for a moment or two - enjoying the sound of her desperation - before giving in to her request and finally sliding his tongue between her folds.

The relief hit Madeline almost as much as the instant pleasure as his well-practiced tongue knew exactly what she needed. He traced over every inch of her, using expert precision to know just where to ease up and where to keep the pressure high, but as the sounds of her encouraging pants and moans of approval filled his ears, he reluctantly pulled away.

“Maddie, you know I love to hear you,” he assured her, feeling almost pained to have to finish his sentence. “But I don’t want anyone else to so you gotta keep quiet. Okay, baby?”

Madeline’s cheeks flooded with embarrassment as she knew who he was trying to prevent from hearing them and she eagerly nodded her head. He knew that in that moment, she would have agreed to almost anything to get him to return to what he’d been doing, but he trusted that she would do as he’d requested and settled back into the task at hand. Immediately, Madeline felt a rush of pleasure, her head falling back against the pillows as she bit her lip so hard that in her attempts to stifle herself she almost broke the skin.

Now that Chris had felt she’d been sufficiently teased, he was relentless and the sensation was almost too much for Madeline to handle. He focused his tongue on the little bundle of nerves that had been straining so desperately for his attention and he expertly lapped at it until he had Madeline writhing beneath him as her hands gripped the sheets. She whimpered out a warning of her impending release with another pleading request for him to keep going and as Chris tightened his grip on her hip once again to show he understood, he felt her fall apart beneath him.

Her hips instinctively pulled away from his touch as the muscles in her body tensed with pleasure, but he pressed forward and kept the pressure steady until she relaxed against the bed, panting from the strain of keeping herself quiet. He gave her a moment to catch her breath, returning his lips to soothingly kiss the inside of her shaking thighs, before moving back up the bed to soak in the sight of Madeline’s flushed cheeks and heaving chest.

“Chris…” She smiled, fighting to slow her racing heart. “That was amazing...”

“See?” Chris smirked. “The anticipation makes it worth the wait.”

Madeline knew he was right. She’d never admit it, but she loved when he teased her. She loved feeling so at his mercy and feeling like she wouldn’t be able to stand it for a moment longer when he finally gave her what she craved. She loved the slow mounting pressure and the smug look on his face as he teased her until she begged him to stop. It was a game she was more than happy to play, but that didn’t stop a smirk of her own from sliding onto her face as she slid a hand down to stroke him through the briefs he was wearing.

“You’re right,” she agreed as his eyes slid shut and he shuddered under her touch. “I was planning on pushing you straight onto your back to repay you for what you just did, but maybe it would be cruel to deprive you of a little anticipation too.”

Chris’ eyes immediately snapped back open with a warning look in them that had a shiver running down Madeline’s spine.

“I’ve had enough anticipation,” he assured her, moving his hand down to his underwear and shifting slightly as he pushed it down his legs and discarded it. “I’m hard as a rock. You know what going down on you does to me. Your smell, your taste, seeing you lose control, it drives me fuckin’ wild.”

She’d moved her hand back to stroke him once his last piece of clothing was out of the way and the feeling of him just slightly leaking confirmed his statement. Knowing that he was so worked up from pleasuring her, Madeline felt a fresh pang of arousal despite her recent release and she stretched up to press her lips against his as she hesitantly let him fall out of her hand before using her hips to maneuver him onto his back. 

He let her take the lead as he rolled over and watched her straddling his hips, but once she’d lined him up with her entrance he couldn’t resist taking back some control as he thrust his hips up and slid himself inside her. 

Despite the almost blinding pleasure he felt from finally feeling her tightly around him, he was immediately distracted by the sight of the blissful look on her face as a gasp fell from her lips. He settled his hips back on the bed and groaned as Madeline followed, but as he watched her shifting slightly as she tried to adjust to how deep the position allowed him to be, he found himself struck by an overwhelming feeling of gratitude. The desperate need for relief that he’d been feeling moments before was suddenly pushed from his mind as he wondered how on earth he got lucky enough to end up where he was in that moment. To be with someone so passionate, so loving, so thoughtful and so fucking gorgeous had him feeling thankful for whatever he’d done in his life to deserve a chance with someone like Madeline and he was so unbelievably happy that she was his.

“Hey,” Madeline’s soft voice pulled him out of his thoughts as she noticed his eyes growing glassy. “You okay?”

“Yeah,” Chris croaked out, letting his hands run up and down her thighs as he fought to rein in his rising emotions. “Just can’t believe you’re really mine.”

It was an unexpected admission given the situation they were currently in and Madeline found herself quite caught off guard by it. It warmed her heart, but left her momentarily speechless and she leaned down to press her lips against his until she recovered enough to speak.

“I’ve always been yours,” she murmured, resting her forehead against his. “And I always will be.”

Chris nodded, not trusting his voice if he’d tried to speak, and took advantage of her new position to press his hips up towards her. The motion pulled another gasp from Madeline’s lips as her eyes drifted shut and Chris felt his emotions begin to simmer as a smile slid onto his face. 

He knew her body and he knew her tells and he knew from her reaction that the angle of their bodies was letting him hit all the right places. After the time apart and the build up of watching her earlier pleasure, Chris was fighting to find some restraint, but he kept his pace slow and steady as he soaked in her stifled sounds and whimpers and focused on providing her as much pleasure as he could with every drag of his cock.

It didn’t take long for him to notice that she was getting close to another peak and he could see the strain on her face as she struggled to keep herself quiet. Chris felt a wave of pride that it was so easy for him to have her falling apart, but the genuine struggle he could see her fighting through had him taking pity on her. Using his hands that had settled on her ass, he tilted her hips just enough to increase the friction on the bundle of nerves he’d been teasing earlier and the change - along with some grunted words of encouragement - was all it took to have Madeline falling over the edge again.

The feel of her clenching around him as her lips parted in a silent cry of pleasure had Chris letting out a soft groan of his own, but he waited for her body to relax against his chest before he changed his rhythm. His thrusts grew quicker and more sloppy as he chased the release he’d been craving and it took barely a few more moments before he dug his fingers into her skin as he choked back moans of his own and came undone beneath her.

Madeline stayed where she was, smiling against his chest until she felt his heartbeat return to normal as she fought with a similar feeling of adoration that had overcome Chris. She’d spent her entire life thinking that Chris was just an unattainable dream and now - even despite the logistical challenges they often faced in their relationship with their need to often be thousands of miles apart - she was determined to make the most of every moment she got to spend with him.

Rolling off of him and curling against his side, Madeline struggled for the words to convey what she was feeling, but as Chris leaned down to place a kiss on the top of her head, she knew that there was nothing that needed to be said.

That is, until Chris stretched out a hand to check his phone and a grin slowly slid onto his face.

“It’s after midnight,” he informed her. “Merry Christmas, Maddie.”

The greeting once again filled Madeline’s heart with a warmth and comfort that almost brought tears to her eyes and she pressed a kiss against his chest before she replied.

“Merry Christmas.”

-

Next

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[emulation-0]

ty @cursedvibes for tagging :)

Rules: Post your favourite line or passage from as many of your published works as you’d like. Let yourself feel proud of your creations! Tag as many people as you post snippets, so your fellow fic friends can be proud, too.

After-Hours (Reigen & Mob):

“Whatever you want, Mob. You did a great job today,” Reigen says. Shigeo thinks about it for a moment, and then, “Can we get korokke?”

“Yeah,” Reigen smiles and flips open his phone, likely searching up an open stand. It’s a warm smile, filled with things like care and exhaustion and maybe a little hesitation. Shigeo knows it’s not exactly a filling meal. But it’s warm outside, and maybe some apartments have lights strung on their window sills. It’s a korokke kind of night.

“Yeah,” Reigen says again, snapping his phone closed and sighing, not offensively. Shigeo thinks he’s not just going to get korokke, but that’s alright. His master is a nice guy.

“Thank you, Reigen-shishou…” he starts once more and hears a confused hum in response. “I appreciate you a lot.”

He feels a coarse hand on his head ruffling his hair and hears rather than sees the shaky grin on Reigen’s face, the warmth in his voice as he replies, “I appreciate you too, kid.”

The train click-clacks on the rails.

It slows to a halt.

They get off at their stop.

Above their heads, a city bird in flight.

before-the-storm-bloom (Uroyuki):

Really, she could walk away. She can. She chose this life to go against every ideology she was forced to follow a thousand years ago. Rebellion. Refusal. Glory. Life. These are her desires, and she has no intention of letting go. It doesn’t seem, though, that Yuki cares. There isn’t any indication the other wants to seize those opportunities from her rather than a transaction of aid. An alliance. Not servitude. Living for herself. The taste of the rosewater sky is sweet on her tongue. “Alright,” she concedes, and the waves in her ribs calm to lapping waters as Yuki hollers in excitement. She turns and Yuki follows, chattering a mile a minute. “Hey, aren’t you cold? Take my jacket, I don’t need it. Aw, hey, it looks really good on you! What’s your favorite food? We should go eat something. I’m sure there are some shops out here that haven’t been obliterated…” Takako rolls her eyes. The jacket is warm.

oh, ashes, ashes, dust to dust (Nobamaki):

Her pocket buzzes over and over again, the uncomfortable sensation tickling her thigh. She knows the day as November 27, a kind of Friday she might've waited for eagerly a month ago, an afternoon spent doing stupid shit. The chill seeps through her shirt, relenting its force to her; it’s getting colder by the day and she doesn’t flinch. She doesn’t pick up her phone, hardly registers it over the crackle of flames and the crash of waves in her mind. Maki's bones are made of iron and her muscles of steel. They are constantly destroying and remaking themselves with every curse she exorcises, her sword heavy in her hand. She's made painfully aware of it when she feels the thrumming of blood and hears her silent breaths. It's all a reminder of the spirit resting inside her, the spirit she couldn't save. It's all a reminder of the love that she lost and things that burn.

light of a new morning (Tsumiki-centric):

But it's a nice feeling to be honest, for once. And rain would feel nice against the strange burning sensation in her hands. It would clear her disjointed thoughts as all she can seem to do is cry and cry and cry, and it would hurt after and it would hurt all the while but she's been hurting all this time, too, anyway. She was a normal person then and a sorcerer now, bearing witness to all the atrocities anyone would never hope to see. She's lost her sibling to boot. What kind of life is this? Nothing makes sense anymore. But the sun rises higher into the sky and the frost melts into gradually burning grass. Nobody can wish for something out of their control and the sun will continue to bear down on them, dispelling the clouds until nature decides to take up its cycle; evaporating, condensing, and raining down on the earth. The icy droplets will moisten the dirt and soothe the burning flora, and they will spill a slow-sinking river into the many gravestones at Jujutsu High as everything dies into the winter and comes alive again in the spring, the rain and sun and sky smiling all the while. "I'm glad you're here, Tsumiki nee-chan," the other boy whispers. "I'm glad you were born. And I think I can be glad I was born, too, if it means that we can be friends in this world. Maki-san would love to be your cousin, and Kurusu would love to meet you." In a quieter, softer voice, like Yuuji is trying to convince himself, too, "I don't think we all have to exist for a reason. I think we were all born by chance and we happened to be here at the same time, even if it was the wrong time... but if we were able to smile and laugh in this life, then maybe... maybe... it wasn't so bad."

this tired old machine is a-rumbling (Higuruma & Nanami):

The blond offered half of his casse-croûte, which Higuruma refused politely. Despite his plans for the afternoon, he trailed after the man when he turned to walk away, like a stolen habit of someone else. It almost felt natural for him to do so. "I used to frequent another bakery," the salaryman shared as he tore off a piece of his lunch. "I haven't been there in quite some time, but this one is almost as good." "I assume it is. You don't look nearly as tired as you did before." The salaryman chuckled dryly at the comment, shaking his head. "Is that so?" "Isn't it?" The younger man exhaled hard and stared at the bread between his hands. Higuruma couldn't help but notice the man hunching over slightly, his posture just one angle less than perfect. "It's like you described, Higuruma-san. We work in an endless, rotating machine that only makes us suffer to serve those at the top. I abandoned my previous job and chose the lesser of two evils. This time, though, it's a certainty I'll die in the process." "Why would you make that decision?" He smiled, a near-invisible curl of his lip. "For the same reason you chose public defense. There is a child in my care, now, and I won't allow him to suffer at the hands of the higher-ups." "That's pretty respectable, ex-salaryman." "Please don't call me that." "You never gave me a name." He paused, as if contemplating, before revealing, "My name is Nanami."

keep running for the sink but the well is dry (Maki & Mai):

And Maki wanted to apologise, in this split second stretched into time forever. She wanted to say sorry for everything, step into that ocean and wallow in its sadness, for everything she missed when Mai was alive and everything she lost. But this was a promise she would keep, no matter what. So the spirits are exorcised. So her father's skull is split in two. So Maki doesn't cry… … and sets fire to everything else.

tagging: anyone who wants to !! :))

[slickshoesareyoucrazy]

I Heard Your Laugh in London

This post is a cross between a bad poem and bad stream of consciousness studded with bad photos (which in my opinion is all bad, but here I am doing it anyway).

Before the plane over the ocean took off, at the gate we waited at, these quotes were over our heads in the seats. Then we were up for about 30 hours. No one could sleep on the plane. We were pretty exhausted and punchy when we arrived in Dublin, but check in times don't align well with flight landings. So we were off to wander the Dublin streets until our room was ready. We overpaid a lot for a mediocre breakfast-still the most money we've spent on a meal in 10 days...many others much better for less money. And we slept and we slept and we slept when we got inside a room. The next day we went to a library with an ancient text we weren't allowed to photograph. J said we had an extra ticket because 4 cost the same as 3. I know the extra ticket was meant for you. Over the special book we were there to see was another quote from Jorge Luis Borges "I have always imagined that Paradise will be a kind of library." And then outside the pub we ate inside for lunch we saw this

As if I doubted your presence with me without it. In Belfast, there was a mural of words on the wall I didn't get pictures of, nor did I memorize it, but it went something like 'Yeah you're here and so am I-it's all real-and so I say Hello Hello Hello' right outside the doors of our converted apartment hotel. In Scotland we saw at least one piper on the street every day. Bagpipe music has always made me emotional. And then we passed this pub

Outside the pub we actually ate inside (my son ate haggis-my son-the kid who had to be bribed to eat pizza when he was 6) was this planter

L spent the past week back home from Colorado while we were here. I picked her up from the airport so I could see her for a couple of hours before we left. One of the few texts to come through since we've left home was a photo of her with D and B getting ice cream. I love the picture. And so many people, including L, including new acquaintances and my closest friends, have said how excited they are for me to be on this trip. But when I saw that photo, I missed L, I missed D and B, I missed having ice cream with them. I miss my dog. I miss my own bed and my own shower and soap. I miss alone time with J. I miss my goofy high school kid job at the library. I miss you. Traveling now mostly just makes me miss things.

We rode the train to London 2 days ago and this was scribbled (or maybe pasted?) on the sign installation directly in front of the bench we sat on

J started not feeling well on the train ride. We got off and lugged our bags to a taxi and as he drove us through the streets from Kings Cross to the next hotel room with weird soap and weird showers, windows down, I heard your laugh. I didn't see whose face it erupted from, don't know what country they were from (maybe another American over here) or what they thought was so funny, but it was yours. The same booming, bawdy guffaw I used to hear at least a few times every time I'd see you in person. I heard it here. I heard your laugh in London. I know it wasn't you. But it also was.

J still feels badly. We've seen all the sights anyway. But he won't kiss me goodnight. We won't share food at restaurants. He doesn't even hold my hand down the city streets, and I can tell he kind of wishes he could sleep in another room than me and our son, be sure he doesn't want to make us sick too. No one will see that in our photos.

Another day and we'll be headed to Paris. Which I know is supposed to thrill and delight me. Ah, Paris. The City of Lights. Romance. Art. All of that. Yeah yeah. Oui oui. I'll go and I'll try to wring the joy out of the moments I can, even if J is still under the weather (or if more or all of us are). I'll try to appreciate the privilege travel is- that I get to see all this art and culture and splendor in person, when so many people never get to leave their home town. I'll try. But I kinda just want to go home. I don't like air travel. I don't like hotel rooms. I don't like being away from my dog or being away when J feels lousy.

We'll be away for 9 more days. (Christ it already feels like we've been gone a whole lifetime and that's another one to go). I'm counting them. And I'll keep alert for more signals that you're here with me. Because I heard your laugh in London.

[kidelune]

TW: Mature themes, death, violence, blood, all that jazz. Read at your own discretion.

one | two | three | four | five | six | seven | eight | nine (1/2)

I'm writing this down now while it's still fresh on my mind, so in the case I'm ever found and arrested for it, I'll have this log as some sort of proof. Or even a confession.

[October 29, 2023, Somewhere between Yongsan and Incheon]

On the 29th of October of this year, four days ago, I was supposed to land safely on Japanese soil by 6 in the evening. My dad had agreed to pick me up from the airport and together we planned to grab a meal and some beer on the way back to Kyoto, where we live. It cuts me deeply now to remember how happy I'd been that day. After such a fun weekend spent with my boyfriend and friends, and of course, getting back to pops, which always excited me to all ends. I spent all morning holding my precious partner before he went to work, then gave him my afternoon, too. We had some lunch together right before my flight, though eating had been a challenge as parting for us was nothing short of bittersweet. We already knew we'd be apart for four days; he had work. And yet it had never occurred to me then that on top of that, I'd disappear entirely.

In hindsight, my joy had been a red herring of sorts.

Something strange happened around eleven, same day. The other gangs have been more aggressive lately, especially the Greens who've recently suffered a few greater losses than they've had to deal with in a while. The general goal had shifted from yielding for peace to blood for blood. They wanted Gun-pyo's head and would not stop until the hit is finally made on the right man. So around eleven that morning, I heard the burner phone I'd stolen a while back ringing for the first time since I found it. At first I had no clue what the sound was, until I realized during the second time it went off from somewhere in my closet. I found it but waited for the call to go dead prematurely, then waited until the very last ring to pick up. Up to my ear, while standing within the darkness asleep among my jackets I heard someone on the other end murmur, "I know it was you."

And for a horrifying moment the voice sounded like it came from the other side of my closet door. It didn't, but remembering now how I felt back then, how I held my breath and flushed with ire, I'm sure, despite everything, that I would've killed him on the way out.

Instead I quietly shrugged it off, drowned and then smashed the phone, blackmail material be damned. Because according to my logic and possibly greed, yeah it was me, so fucking what? Everything has already gone to shit and I was not about to be in Korea at all after the three following hours anyway.

At least I thought I shouldn't have been, but life wouldn't be life if it didn't have other plans in store for me, of fucking course. Halfway to the airport I'd asked my hyung to drop me off somewhere quiet so I could get a taxi instead, right after I noticed we were being followed. He has a kid so I didn't want him to get in trouble along with me if it came to it, although he'd stubbornly refused to abandon me at first. I hope to tell him soon that although my insistence got me kidnapped almost immediately after, I don't regret it. I could've died like he said, but I lived, after all.

As I expected though, my kidnappers were an odd mix of Greens, Reds and Blues, all guys we did business with. And I'm under the impression, still, that they'd followed me from home or somewhere too close to home for my comfort. I tried to fight them off and run, but I had nothing to protect myself. Next thing I knew I was somewhere in an abandoned building, disoriented as all hell. I didn't know in the beginning where exactly I was, though it couldn't have been too far from where they'd first apprehended me as I likely was not out of it for long. Alas, in that short amount of time they'd moved my unconscious body on location, stripped me of my clothes and belongings entirely, and was bound by the wrists and ankles on my knees.

I braced myself for a beatdown as soon as I was conscious again and rightfully so, as a beatdown I received after every question and threat of theirs I refused to answer (Tell us where your boss is. Do you know what will happen to you if you keep secrets? If you just talked, we wouldn't have to kill you). So their priority hardly was to keep me alive and that's the thing, I didn't mind it. I never could mind a split lip, some deep and tender bruises and black eyes, not even a stab. Even if they broke my bones and spit in my swollen eye and open wounds, I wouldn't snitch, though not for loyalty—not even fucking close. I have people to protect and if I had to die to guarantee their safety, I would.

Realizing this, the bastards started to burn my shit. Threw my suitcase and handbag into one of the braziers in the area. I lost my phone in that fire, alongside a lot of precious memories, messages and some of my skin. Which they burnt with a rod that's been cooking in the flames, dragging the thing down my back with a slowness so infinitesimal the space momentarily became hell itself. I saw red, I saw white, and then I couldn't see at all but just squirm there with the smell of my burning skin. While I tried to hold in my tears I imagined: this is what it must feel like to an angel having its wings ripped off.

That was the first night I disappeared.

[October 30, 2023, Somewhere between Kyoto, Japan and Seoul, South Korea]

The following section will be literal word of mouth, though as verbatim as I can help it. I trust my pops wouldn't lie to me.

He said and I scribe: he knew something was up within the first hour after I was supposed to land in Japan. I've warned him in the past before that while apart, if I ever went for more than 24 hours without replying to his messages or calls, assume I'm missing or dead. So he was more than prepared for situations like this though he also thought about waiting a while—maybe my phone had ran out of battery and I somehow forgot to charge it, while simultaneously forgetting he was picking me up. He went home, he said, and waited precisely another two hours before finally booking himself a flight to Korea for the morning. Nothing could get in the way of him finding me at that point, dead or alive, he said.

Much to my dismay, that's how he met Byungwoo for the first time. Instead of how I'd planned to introduce them in Japan, they were forced to meet prematurely at the expense of my safety. In front of my apartment proper, both of them desperate for some kind of sign of life from me. Maybe one of them might've even hoped it was all a bad dream and that they'd wake up in the next minute to me back in their realities. I would've hoped the same, yet that was our reality: his immediate suspicion upon seeing my boyfriend—who at the time to him was just another stranger, possibly some unsavoury figure from another gang waiting by the door for me to show up or come out. But pops' ability to read people is really impressive. Always has been. He could tell right away after getting closer that Byungwoo meant no harm, that they were both vulnerable flies approaching the same trap.

He told Byungwoo straight up about my position: his guess on point, being that I'd been taken somewhere and my phone had been shattered to limit contact. I don't really want to repeat what he'd said about Byungwoo's reaction to this, though. It truly breaks my heart to disastrous degrees to think about his face, the horror overtaking the beauty he'll always possess. The instantaneous panic, then a worry so raw and harrowing that it'd probably kept him up at night, waiting for who would not return so soon, nor as whole as he'd left. Who might've never returned. All I ever wanted was to do better for him. To not leave him behind to sleep and eat alone again, or have him worry to the point of tears and anger he hardly knew. All I wanted and will want, breathing or six feet under, is for him to be happy. Yet I've failed him again, to the point where my father had to warn him about getting near my apartment, lest he wanted to get hurt.

But in scenarios like this, I'd noticed, he becomes as determined as he is afraid, my partner. Last time I returned home hurt, he swore that he'd kill the people that wanted to hurt me. The hatred in his eyes at the time shocked me more than anything ever has before. It was real. Have you ever loved someone so much that you'd risk in a heartbeat something so incredibly horrendous for their sake? That'd make the two of us, at least. They ended up tracking my phone together. Two months or so ago Byungwoo and I decided to install a tracker app on our phones so he could track me in the case of an emergency. This was life or death, pops'd said, after they finally came across a distinct crosshair on the map that would serve as the first clue to my location.

Desperate but hopeful, my father rushed to Incheon with his eyes wide open, diving headfirst and alone into a full blown brawl between too many gangs to count. Kim Junseo, a legend of his own time, returned and purposely falling within the same trap his son did.

In the name of love. In the name of blood.