#(read: my mom and my ex-fiancee)

[gleppy]

i wish people misunderstanding and misinterpreting my words wasnt as bad of a stress trigger for me as it is but holy fuck there are few things that make me fly off the rails more lmao

[rumplereids]

Stop bc I’ve had a little brainworm lately. Hotch’s really young ex wife bringing the kid(s) to Aaron bc he was late for a drop off or something and Spencer absolutely falling for her ⁉️⁉️ it’s been eating me alive (love your work mwah mwah)

part two tags: spencer reid x fem!reader. not really infidelity. p in v smut. a/n: anon, you are crazy. i love that for us. (thank u for reading my work ilysm) i hope u like this, even if it's just short :) requests are open!

He feels like he’s going insane. Scratch that. He’s actually insane.

He’s sequestered himself in the men’s restroom, tugging on his cock, biting the sleeves of his sweater so that he won’t make a noise, all because you smiled at him.

His boss’ wife. His boss’ young ex-wife.

Distinction is important in his line of business.

Spencer would love to blame you for putting him into this predicament, but that would be pointless.

It’s been a week since he last saw you. Since you last dropped Jack off at the BAU. Ever since your divorce with Aaron (the team didn’t even know he was married), you would show up to the office on their slower days to drop Jack off for the weekend.

Spencer doesn’t know much about you, only that you were once Jack’s nanny. You’ve been working for Aaron since Haley, Aaron’s ex-fiancee and Jack’s birth mom, decided that she wasn’t ready to be a mother yet.

Aaron once confided in him. You married Hotch when Jack was barely 3. You’ve always been ‘mom’ to the little boy. Aaron regrets marrying you so hastily.

You were around Spencer’s age. The fights leading up to your divorce started and ended with Aaron’s guilt for holding you back. Spencer couldn’t bring himself to care about your marital disputes since it led to him knowing you.

“Fuck,” he whimpers. White cum making his fingers sticky. Tucking himself back into his pants, he unlocks the bathroom stall with a cough, as if to hide the depravity that just took place. He quickly washes his hands, thrice. And then he leaves the men’s room, nearly running into a body in his haste.

Strong hands steady exposed shoulders. The skin under his warm hands, soft and smooth. It was you. He had just finished touching himself to the thought of you, and here you are now. Served to him on a golden platter.

“Hi, Spencer. I was just on my way out.”

“Did you talk to Hotch?”

You look up at him with a quizzical brow. He gulps down the thoughts looking into your eyes brought to his brain.

“Not really, no. I’m just here to drop Jack off for the weekend.”

He nods, and then you start to leave. He hesitates for a while, begging for the words to leave his tongue on their own. You beat him to the punch.

“Spencer?”

“Yeah?”

“Are you free this weekend?”

You fill his hands so perfectly. Your hips, your thighs, your breasts. Everywhere he cups and squeezes, as his hips smack thunderously against the flesh of your arse. You have your cheek pressed onto the mattress, taking everything that Spencer gave you. His cum, his sighs, his praise. The way he moans and mumbles your name like a prayer.

He’s your ex-husband’s co-worker. You swear you’ve read a cheesy erotica of this plot somewhere.

But that didn’t stop you from pulling him into your bedroom. Practiced hands undoing his dark blue tie. His longer fingers lifting the skirt of your sundress.

“You’re so good. You fuck me so good,” you can’t help but moan.

Spencer’s hand runs up and down your back, taking your hair and tightening a fist against your nape.

“You take me so well,” his following praise gets cut off by your phone ringing. Spencer slows his thrusts, hips moving until you’ve taken him to the base, and he continues his ministrations in tiny grinds of his pelvic bone against your clit. Your mind goes hazy at each tantalizing grind of his hips.

Your phone continues to ring. You blindly stretch out an arm to grab for it. Without looking at the caller ID, you answer the call. “Hello?”

Spencer watches from above you, watches you move your cheek and tilt your head so that you can make eye contact.

“Aaron?” you say with an almost whimper.

Spencer continues the grind of his hips against your wet and throbbing clit.

“Yeah, I can get Jack. Twenty minutes?”

Spencer almost hisses at the thought of the inevitable.

“Okay, see you in a bit.”

You hang up the call. Before the phone lands on your pillow, Spencer grabs you by the hips and maneuvers you to lay on your back, all while keeping his cock firmly inside you.

“We have to stop,” you say. “I think you have a new case.”

And then, his phone rings.

He puts two fingers into your mouth while he picks up the call with his other hand.

“This is Reid.”

“Reid? We have a case. A string of homicides in Atlanta.”

He hums, watching you slobber over his fingers.

“Reid?”

“Yeah?”

“Is Y/N with you?”

Spencer feels the way your pussy clenches around him.

“Yeah,” he admits.

Hotch is quiet on the other side of the line.

“Don’t be late. We leave in an hour.”

[lgbt-cishet-movie-tournament]

The biggest victims AND perpetuators of homophobia...

How is it cishet media?

The Exorcist: A movie (sort-of) beloved by the Catholic Church that promotes traditional family values. Has a lot of homophobic language, and it was released around Christmas. Only one gay character and they only tell you through a flamboyant gesture. Screen writer and book author was homophobic enough to make petitions to "un-catholic" the catholic school featured in this film (they were reaching out to gay students and having pride so he wrote an angry letter to the bishop) and it shows. The Vatican once invited the director to come over specifically because of the exorcist :(((

The Haunting: In the movie adaptation, Eleanor calls Theo "nature’s mistake" for being a big lesbian. She’s also in love with the scientist and looks at him like this 👁👄👁, instead of her being desperately and hopelessly in love with Theo in the book. Thanks to the tv series, people even think they're het and bisexual blood-related sisters. She was very much a stranger in the closet and gay for her. For the love of god read the book!!!

The Servant: 🤔🤔🤔 Is it homophobic for a butler to ruin a man and a woman's marriage, then systematically create a platonic co-dependent relationship with the ex-groom-to-be and turn him into a sexed-up alcoholic? (it's worse in the book. the butler tries to make up evidence that his master is a gay pedophile to blackmaile him).

How is it lgbt?

The Servant: Tony cries pathetically next to pictures of sexy athletic men in their underwear on his bed and it’s never explained. The conflict is largely pushed by the scene where Tony and his fiancee Susan see his butler Barrett naked in Tony's room after having sex. Also?? The way Barrett yanks up Tony's tie like he's about to dominate him??? They didn't have sex, but they did have sex with the same girl in the same time frame when she was in on it. I consider this toxic yaoi and a psychosexual class war. I'll put photos.

Haunting: Oh my goddddd is Eleanor still so repressed and dealing with internalized homophobia in the movie. She and Theodora have a love-hate-attraction-repulsion thing going on. Theo is lesbian-coded and was even supposed to have a female lover in the movie (her "roommate" in the book) but then came censorship. Eleanor calling Theo "unnatural" in the movie... that is a vintage code word for lesbian (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QF2FKI7Fe-U). Before that, she was totally smitten even if the scientist distracts from that. The book is more lesbian, but at least the movie sneaks it in. And it sucks that Eleanor is so angry and lashing out but I get it. Her family hates or at least doesn't care about her feelings. n it's about how unsafe the traditional family structure really is even when you try to do found family but no one likes you for being gay and uptight. Oh and Theo, who is lesbian, survives at the end in all versions.

Exorcist: Regan is sooo off-putting and a bad daughter. This is just what being queer and having several diseases is like minus the exorcism. Her voice gets deep while she acts rebellious and her mom rejects her. Damien Karras (the younger priest) also reads as so repressedly gay and in the closet in the original book, but the movie squeezes in a bit of that with a scene where Fr. Dyer lays Karras to bed, and they hold hands until Karras eventually recoils with so much pathetic pain. I KNOW what you are. (https://afieldinengland.tumblr.com/post/657429236105248768/they-were-in-love-here) Karras and Dyer are even closer in the book, and Dyer is his stereotypically effeminate "ride or die" gay best friend. He told him to leave the priesthood with him since the gays are doing it, meanwhile all the other local priests were panicking about gay priests. The movie is extremely quotable too and I find that camp. Also found "Mother what's wrong with me?" and "That thing upstairs is not my daughter" to be sooo personal. I know it's homophobic but it helped me come out more somehow because I don't want to DIE like that. Saw some fun Regan MacNeil dragqueens, trans posts and non-binary comics (with regan and karras) awhile ago as well. In the 90s, a reviewer said that the movie was actually a priest's homoerotic wet dream (and that's why they wanted to kill pazuzu the "female element") and it so threw off the director to the point that his biography, an analytical book on the exorcist by kermode, AND some articles will bring it up as a bizarre theory or serious analysis. Well I say the reviewer had a point, but with the wrong priest. Dyer is the only confirmed gay character who gets censored a lot, but I know what those two had. Big closeted catholic energy. That's why Regan was so homophobic. She read Karras' mind.

Haunting Propaganda

The Exorcist Propaganda

The Servant propaganda:

[rosyfacedlovebird]

ouugh. bad day

[conscious-love]

Why Holding On To Past Relationships Is The Worst Thing You Can Do For Yourself, Period

by Daniel Dowling via MindBodyGreen

Three years ago I was a 24-year-old failure-to-launch who lived on his mom’s couch and shared a bathroom with two teenage sisters. My friends had their own houses, degrees, and independence. And there I was, broke and depressed, totally reliant on my parents. It hadn't ever not been that way.

But in 2014 I made one small decision, which led to results I still sometimes can’t believe.

Today, I’m leading writers in a national campaign to rebrand my hometown, and I write for the best entrepreneurial and self-improvement sites in the world (mbg being my favorite; no lie). I make a great living coaching others to become the happiest and most successful versions of themselves. That’s a lot of change in just three years, from any perspective. And I can trace the transformation of my life back to one single thing: letting go of my exes—completely.

Breaking free from serial monogamy.

For most of my adult life I’d been a serial monogamist. I thought I just really loved love, but it turns out I was just really, really afraid of responsibility. So, for my personal dissatisfaction and unhappiness, self-improvement wasn’t the cure—it was a new girlfriend! And when that one didn’t work out, I'd find another. Yay for love!

Except it wasn’t love because I wasn’t becoming the best version of myself through these relationships. So after the last one ended ignominiously, I quit the love game—just not quite all the way.

I still kept in contact with my exes. And Jen—my former fiancee—was a particular crutch. We still visited each other even though we lived in different states. We kept in regular contact through texts and phone calls, especially during crises. I was still depending on her to make me happy.

Every time we talked, I renewed the connection to my former ways of thinking and behaving. It strengthened the conviction that, deep down, I could only be happy with Jen. She was my way out. If things got too tough, I could always come to her, and she could come to me. We even promised that if we weren’t married by 30, we’d get hitched. Talk about a safety net… (and, yes, also the plot of My Best Friend's Wedding).

Unfortunately, that safety net was keeping me from being the bold, successful, independent man I wanted to become. I just couldn’t seem to cut the cord on my own.

Flying without a net.

Then one day I was listening to an audio course from my favorite self-improvement mentor, Zig Ziglar. He was talking about how to right our wrongs and forgive ourselves. He advised writing apologies down and sending them to the appropriate people. But he had a special step for exes.

"When it comes to the forgiveness you want from your exes [Zig has a drawling Southern accent], I want you to follow all the steps I just gave you. But instead of sending off the letter, I want you to fold it up, light a fire, and burn the damn thing. Cuz there’s no point in renewing emotional connections with people who aren’t good for you. That’s why they're your exes! It’s time to move on from them and fully embrace your own life."

When one is slapped by truth, one’s jaw has a tendency of dropping, and the eyes have a tendency to glaze over, lost in a thousand-yard stare. That was the picture of my face. Might’ve even drooled a little.

I thought about Jen, and Em, and Katie. I thought about how important they’d been for me and how much security they’d brought me. And I knew I had to let them go for good. For good.

No more texts or calls. No more being Facebook friends. No email updates. No nothing.

I had anxiety about the decision, naturally—severing ties with my past and obliterating a huge comfort zone. But I had a future to step into. I had to do that on my own.

Dealing with the emptiness.

I missed my former girlfriends like crazy. But instead of feeling sorry for myself and longing for them, I prayed for them. I asked God for the same things I was asking for my own self-improvement journey—courage, faith, hope, positivity, inspiration, grace, and so on. I prayed for them to meet amazing and inspiring friends who could help them become their best selves. I prayed for my future wife. And I prayed that I would become the fully independent man capable of supporting her.

In all this praying, I completely changed my focus. Instead of relying on my girlfriends for faith and reassurance, I relied on God and my own ability to handle my problems. I took back the misplaced faith in my girlfriends and put it squarely in my own hands.

That’s when I finally launched.

Do you believe in life after love?

Just like Cher, I found my power only after letting go of my past relationships.

Without my exes as safety nets, it was just me. Nobody else was going to make me happy. So I did what I needed to do to make me successful—all the writing, studying, practicing, pitching, researching, and self-improvement. I actually become part of a community and made new friends. I fully embraced my own damn life.

Three months passed and I still missed my exes. But I was making money through my writing and making new connections.

Six months passed and I still missed my exes. But I’d started earning a full-time living through my writing. And I was growing more confident by the day, especially in my community.

A year passed and I still missed my exes. But I was fully independent through my passion. And I’d outgrown the anxiety and depression that had haunted me since I was a teenager—a by-product of my newfound faith in me.

It’s been three full years since I cut out my exes. I’m 100 percent over each one, but I’m human—I still miss them! Who wouldn’t? They were brilliant and beautiful women who were insanely fun to be with. I made thousands of joyful memories with each one.

Sometimes I’m reminded of them by hearing a certain song or watching a movie. But that’s just another opportunity for me to thank God for them and to pray for them. It’s another opportunity for me to be the independent and faithful man I know I can be for myself, for my wife, for my clients, and for my audience. It’s another opportunity to find security in myself and in a higher power. And through these opportunities, I’ve found the happiness and fulfillment I always wanted.

I advise all of my clients to go on a yearlong relationship fast, which most of them do. But the real growth comes when they fully let go of their exes and stop using them as crutches. It’s hard, hard, hard to do but absolutely essential if you want to grow.

Here are five tips to help you let go of your exes for good:

1. Start a self-improvement routine, complete with daily, weekly, and monthly goal setting.

Read this article as a primer.

2. Meet with someone weekly to discuss your personal growth and your journey.

This person will help keep you accountable to your goals and lifestyle choices. Can be a friend or an amazing coach.

3. Stay single for a year—totally single.

If you can’t be happy with you, you won’t be happy—truly happy—with anyone else. Love that you! Commit to being successfully single for a year. That means happy, connected in your community, fulfilled in your work, and in a state of continuous personal growth. (Your daily routines and long-term goals will be critical to this step.)

4. Surround yourself with positive, uplifting people.

Join a faith community where people strive to live out the values you identify with. This is where you’ll find the deep connections that you can grow with—and that will prevent you from leaning on your exes as crutches.

5. Pray or meditate often.

Use your emotions as mindfulness cues. When you miss someone, pray for them. When you’re lonely, pray for the courage, positivity, and fortitude to make good decisions. When you think you can’t go on—that happens to everyone—pray for what you need. This will help you grow faith in a higher power and yourself, which is an absolute must if you want to be happy alone.

And being happy alone? That’s an absolute must for loving someone unconditionally in a relationship that can last a lifetime.

Link to article on Mind Body Green

Author: Daniel Dowling

[ash-and-books]

Rating: 3.5/5

Book Blurb: Cheerfully irreverent, bitingly funny, and filled with romantic charm, Cara Tanamachi's The Second You're Single is all about navigating the most romantic month of the year, and how love always seems to arrive when you least expect it.

Freelance writer Sora Reid believes in inertia. She’s the odd one out in a close-knit family of go-getters, including her Japanese-American mom, who hints about her need to lose weight, and her soon-to-be married, overachieving younger sister, who needs her to have a date for the wedding, since a wedding party couples' dance with their Scottish great uncle Bob simply won't do. For Sora, minimal input, minimal expectations is the way to go. She’d rather stay at home with her insufferable neighbor and her adorable pitbull.

The one thing that disrupts her inertia: an intense dislike for Valentine’s Day. What is it with the commercial love machine? Why do we pin our hopes on one romantic day, when staying home with a package of bacon and a bottle of tequila would be way better? Sora’s been betrayed and disappointed more than once and her heart is starting to feel like her Grandma Mitsuye’s antique Japanese ceramic bowl, with its many gold-filled cracks.

When her pledge to stay single in February inspires readers to #gosolo, Sora has a responsibility to empower her readers. But relationships aren’t built to last, so it shouldn’t be that hard. Right?

Enter Jack Mann. A muscle-bound baker who looks like he lifts logs on the weekends, Sora hasn’t thought of Jack since they were in elementary school together. When they see each other at the local grocery store and the attraction hits hard, Sora knows she has to shut it down, quick. She can’t #gosolo AND get the guy. She can’t let down her readers. And relationships always end, so why should Jack be any different–even though he’s confounding all her long-held expectations of love?

Review:

After a series of bad exes and a hatred for Valentine’s Day, Sora Reid, a freelance writer has decided to pitch an idea to her job for the month of February....  she’ll go solo for the entire month. No more dates, no more guys, just time to focus on herself. Yet she then runs into an old elementary school friend Jack Mann, a gorgeous and sweet talented baker who is everything she could ever want. Jack is temptation personified for her, yet she has to resist because her article is making headway and #goingsolo is trending. Sora is gaining an audience from her entries and articles cataloging her month of going solo and she can’t betray her readers or risk her job.... Jack Mann has always had a crush on Sora ever since they were kids. So to his surprise when he runs into her again the butterflies are all there again. After a horrible Valentine’s day of his own he has broken up with his rich fiancee and is determined to work on starting up his own bakery.... but then he meets Sora and he can’t stay away. Both Sora and Jack are perfect for each other but with Sora having to be single and maintain her singledom for the entire month of February it’s getting difficult keeping him a secret and it also doesn’t help that Jack’s ex-fiancee is determined to get him back and meddle in the relationship. Is Sora willing risk everything for the perfect guy and can Jack convince her he is the one for her? This was a pretty cute story and I found Jack to be a sweet love interest, my one gripe with the book that dropped my rating was the fatphobia and the way Sora was so judgemental about people’s bodies and eating habits, like come on please. Like I understand what the author was trying to do with showing how Sora herself was dealing with issues and perception of bodyweight but gosh it just didn’t come off that great. Other than that, the actual story was pretty cute and the romance was sweet. Overall a cute read for Valentines day~!

*Thanks Netgalley and St. Martin's Press, St. Martin's Griffin for sending me an arc in exchange for an honest review*

[amphxtrite]

spencer reid x reader

chapter 2 • coffee or tea?

series summary: a new case brings the BAU to New York, investigating a string of murders involving girls who appear very similar. The unsub is relentless, desperate to fill the needs of his fantasy. In the midst of it, spencer meets the girl he been writing with, but had yet to see, prompting a love to blossom in the midst of the storm. Is disaster inevitable? Or will the duplicator’s rein fall?

warnings: mentions of kidnapping, murder, mainly fluff this chapter

chapter summary: the investigation continues, but the team is in dire need of rest after a late night of work. Spencer makes a call to the reader and a plan is put in place to meet, the only question Spencer will have to answer today is a simple one, coffee or tea?

taglist: @le-weasley-simp @thatsonezesty13 @paperandplasma @padsfirewhisky @clubfairy @kiramdd @peach-cliquee @goldeng1rl8​ (message/comment to be added)

word count: 5.7k

“Hotch here.” The unit chief’s voice states, raising his cell to his ear.

“Hey Hotch, this guy’s a romantic, he’s leaving roses and quotes from books at the scenes, we’ve found two already.” Rossi’s voice sounds through the phone.

“Roses? You don’t think-” 

“Yeah I do, he’s keeping them to try and make them fall in love with him.” Rossi sighs.

“But he’s angry, can’t handle the rejection for long.” Hotch finishes, nodding to himself. “Thanks Rossi, if you find anything else let me know.” He chimes, hanging up the phone and going to find JJ.

“Agent Hotchner!” A voice calls to the profiler, prompting him to turn.

“Yes that’s me.” He responds.

“Sorry, I’m Detective Dakota Trent, I’m also working on the case with Detective Kimathi, she’s just at the crime scene.” A brunette with close cropped hair greets the agent, shaking his hand.

“Good, have we come up with anything new yet?” Hotch asks, following Detective Trent to the interrogation rooms.

“Well we’ve talked to both Olivia’s fiancee and Georgia’s boyfriend. They’ve both got solid alibis and people to back up their claims, it’s not them.” Detective Trent shrugs.

“Have you heard about the roses yet?” Hotch questions, examining each of every person’s movements behind the glass.

“Yeah, Kimathi called me just before I found you, we’ve got a romantic serial killer?” They ask.

“What he’s experiencing probably isn’t love, it’d be impossible for him to feel it. My guess is this is an obsession over someone he’s lost or been rejected by.” Hotch explains. Detective Tent nods and points to another direction.

“Agent Jareau just finished interviewing Georgia’s family, you can find her through there.” They smile, Hotch thanks them and steps through.

The unit chief walks down a hallway and peers past each door until he finds the blonde sitting in an empty room; going over the case file again. 

“How are the families?” Hotch asks, stepping in.

“Torn apart.” JJ sighs, closing the file and leaning against the wall behind her. “Olivia’s mom just had enough in her to clear Alice, then she broke down into tears. Isabelle’s parents had it worse though; she was an only child, a miracle one too, her mother had troubles conceiving.” She continues. 

“And Georgia’s parents.” Hotch questions.

“Tried to be strong, but-” JJ pauses. “They could barely look at each other, let alone me.” She concludes sadly.

“Have any of them given any possible suspects?”

“Lots, mainly ‘strange’ ex boyfriends, but I had Garcia check them out and they’re clean.” The blonde shrugs, standing and following Hotch back out.

“They’ve given us a room to set up in, When Spencer gets back I want you to help him come up with a geographic profile.” Hotch nods, opening a door to a room filled with whiteboards and a large table.

“You got it, and maybe ask them to bring a coffee machine in, we’re gonna be up for a while.” JJ giggles, opening the case file again and placing the pictures of each scene up on the whiteboard.

“Hey we’re back from the ME, toxicology found ketamine in both victim one and two.” Prentiss states, opening the door to the board room with Spencer in tow.

“But not victim number three, does that mean he’s devolving?” JJ questions.

“Or she was a victim of opportunity, he couldn’t pass up the chance so he took her.” Spencer includes, shrugging his shoulders, and taking a seat next to JJ after seeing the map in front of her.

“Again it’s hard to know, but Morgan and Rossi found flowers at two of the dump sites so far.” Hotch tells Prentiss and Reid.

“Flowers?” Emily asks.

“A note too, some quotes about finding true love, we’re hoping you could help us with them kid.” Rossi suddenly chimes from behind the group, seeming disgusted at the thought of it. “We found the third one by the way, hidden in some bushes by the bridge.” 

“What did the cards say, Rossi?” Spencer questions, removing his gaze from the map.

“The first one said ‘I’ve never had a moment’s doubt. I love you. I believe in you completely. You are my dearest one. My reason for life.’ Second one said ‘He stepped down, trying not to look long at her, as if she were the sun, yet he saw her, like the sun, even without looking.’ Third one said ‘Do I love you? My god, if your love were a grain of sand, mine would be a universe of beaches.” Rossi lists reading off his tablet.

“All of those have to do with love alright, this unsub is absolutely infatuated with the idea of finding his true love.” JJ notes, looking at her own tablet.

“Maybe this unsub has some form of erotomania? Thinking all these girls love him, so he kidnaps them only for them to ruin his fantasy?” Derek suggests, fiddling with a pen in his hands.

“It would make sense why he’s keeping the girls only to kill them, and why they’re fed while he’s holding them.” Prentiss adds, looking to Spencer who looks deep in thought..

“Well now that we know more let’s get to work, we’ll deliver the profile in the morning so every officer can hear.” Hotch states, glancing out the window at the sky which had faded to an eerie black.

“I’ve got it!” Spencer suddenly exclaims. The team looks to him curiously.

“The first quote was from Atonement by Ian McEwan, the second quote was from Anna Karenina by Leo Tolstoy, and the last one was from The Princess Bride by William Goldman!” He explains, standing from his seat and writing each quote on the whiteboard.

“These are all famous quotes about love, some of my favourite books too. This unsub is educated, definitely enough to read classic literature-”

“Wait Spence, the other two I can get, but you’ve read The Princess Bride?” JJ asks, excitement lacing her tone.

“Um yes, I saw it at the library so I decided I’d read it.” Spencer murmurs, turning to the whiteboard again to hide the hitch in his voice. The truth was it was another book you had practically begged him to read, he couldn’t say no. Spencer would have never guessed it would have aided him in a case.

“Oh Spence, I love that book too, you should come over and watch the movie with me and Henry, I’ve been meaning to show him.” JJ continues.

Spencer sighs in relief. “Yeah that sounds good JJ.”

---

“You’ve got to be joking.” A tired voice chimes from outside the door.

Hotch glances up at the voice, JJ inhales deeply as she wakes up, Prentiss and Spencer both take long sips from their coffee cups and Derek snores in his seat.

“Can we help you Detective Trent?” Hotch asks, turning to face them. Dakota doesn’t miss the dark bags under the unit chief’s eyes.

“Yes as a matter of fact, go to sleep!” Dakota smiles in a sickly sweet manner.

“I don’t think-”

“They’re right Hotch, you know we aren’t much help dead tired.” Rossi practically pleads.

“I could use some solid food too.” Emily adds, swirling around what remained of her fourth cup of coffee that night.

“You guys have a hotel for a reason, pretty much every other officer is either patrolling or at home, get some rest and we’ll see you in the morning.” Dakota smirks, waving the team off and heading towards the exit.

Hotch sighs and rubs his eyelids, feeling the relief of closing them before opening them again.

“Derek, Derek wake up!” JJ mutters, tapping on Morgan’s shoulder until he finally slumps forward, awake.

“Is it morning yet?” He grumbles.

“No, but we’re heading to the hotel now, and getting food.” JJ smiles, watching Derek perk up at the mention of something to eat. “What’s everyone in the mood for?” She asks, turning to everyone.

“M’ good with anything.” Rossi yawns, leaning against the door frame.

“There’s a shawarma place close to the hotel?” Spencer proposes, jabbing his thumb in the direction of the joint.

The team nods in agreement, shaking the tiredness off to walk back to the hotel.

Spencer enjoyed moments like this, when his team didn’t have to focus on a case for just a few moments, where he could let his mind rest for a minute.

“Hey player, meet any lovely New York ladies yet?” Derek chuckles throwing his arm over Spencer’s shoulder.

Scratch that, this is not what he had in mind.

“Nope.” He responds plainly.

“Right, right… What about that lady you’ve been writing too?” Derek teases, watching Spencer avert his gaze to the sky.

“I don’t know what you’re talking about.” He murmurs. Derek’s smile grows.

“A mystery woman, Spencer I didn’t think you had it in you? Is she older? Rich maybe?” Derek lists playfully as Spencer rolls his eyes.

“Sorry Derek, maybe you’re just thinking too much.” Spencer shrugs, digging his hands into his pockets and sighing.

“Alright, I’ll back off.” Derek sighs, lifting his hands in mock surrender, only half telling the truth.

“Take a left here.” Spencer nods, pointing to a dimly lit building. “The shop is down there.” Spencer nods.

“I’ll go with the genius, you guys head back to the hotel.” Derek says, waving off the tired agents as he pushes Spencer forward towards the store. 

“Hey Morgan, do you mind if I call Garcia, I’ll meet you inside.” Spencer smiles as they reach their destination. 

Derek thinks nothing of it and nods, turning to swing open the door and order.

Spencer sighs and glances to both sides before turning and walking in the direction of the payphone. He had chosen this spot not only for convenience sake, but because there was a payphone right outside. It had been a while since Spencer had heard from you, and he felt bad not being able to read your letters.

Taking a deep breath he steps into the phone booth and dials your number.

“Thank you for subscribing to Lynn’s cat shop. Would you like to hear a fact about cat paws?” Your distinct voice chimes from the other end of the line.

“Well I do already know quite a bit, but hit me.” Spencer jokes back, smiling when he hears your audible gasp.

“Dr. Reid!” You laugh, sitting up straight from your lying position in bed.

“Hey what happened to cat facts?” Spencer teases gently, leaning against the side of the booth.

“I thought it was a spam call!” You justify, looking at the number again. “Hey Doc, this is a New York number-” You say slowly, putting two and two together. “You’re here! Are you on a case?”

“Yes actually.” Spencer replies with a soft smile. 

“Is it about that ‘duplicator’ guy I’m seeing on the news?”

“Yes, but don’t worry we’re doing well with the profile, and he’s only killing people that fit his victimology.” Spencer reassures you.

You remain quiet for a moment.

“Y/n? Are you still there?” Spencer asks, eyebrows drawing together at your sudden silence.

“Oh yeah, s-sorry Doc. Hey if you’re up for it, we could- meet up?” You ask, turning the conversation and popping the ‘p.’

“O-Oh.” Spencer stammers, caught off guard by your sudden proposition. “I-I mean I do have to work on the case…” Spencer sighs.

“But?” You plead, leaning into your phone.

“I can meet you earlier? Six am maybe?” Spencer offers quietly, feeling his voice break.

“Ooh you’re pushing it Doctor Reid, but I’ll manage.” You tease.

“Great! Great, um where do you want to meet?” Spencer asks, relief showing through his voice.

“There’s a park beside campus, my favourite spot is the field beside the cafe.” You smirk, dropping a not-so subtle hint.

“I-I’ll be there! Yeah See you then!” Spencer mutters in an excited tone.

“Sounds like a plan. Bye Spence!” You say in a sing-song voice before hanging up.

There it was again, Spence. No matter how many times he’s heard his name before, there was something special about you saying his name. Something that made him feel good.

“Spence…” He murmurs to himself, hanging the phone up and walking into the shawarma shop.

“Bout time pretty boy, what were you even calling about.” Derek asks, as he takes a bite from his wrap.

“Just checking if forensic found anything on the flowers yet.” Reid lies coolly.

“Anything?” Derek says in a muffled voice, throwing a wrap to the brunette.

“Not yet.” Spencer says in a slight yelp, just catching it before it falls.

“Oh well, it’ll probably be there in the morning.” Derek shrugs, picking up the bagged wraps. “Thanks again.” Derek waves to the owner before exiting the store.

“Did you know the origin of the word shawarma comes from the Turkish word çevirme, which means ‘turning’ which makes sense because of the-”

“Just enjoy the food pretty boy, just enjoy it.” Derek sighs, pushing the Shawarma up against Spencer’s mouth.

“Mm-” The younger agent protests, pushing his face back and snatching his shawarma back.

“Hurry up genius, the team is waiting.” Derek laughs.

The brunette rolls his eyes and shakes his head, but speeds up his walk beside his friend anyways.

---

Spencer wakes up to the sound of an alarm in his ear and without skipping a beat he sits up and throws his covers off, careful not to wake Derek sleeping in the bed next to him.

Slowly, he picks up his bag and tip toes to the bathroom, glancing at his watch, the time reads 5:00 am, still dark out. Spencer nods to himself.

Pulling on a white collared shirt and a black- no, black was too formal. Maybe red instead? No, this isn’t a date… “Blue.” Spencer murmurs, placing the tie around his neck and tying it slowly, being sure not to mess up. “Hi I’m Doc- no wait, hi I’m Spencer.” The brunette murmurs to himself as he ties his shoes. Spencer curses himself for only bringing converses and striped socks, but his jeans covered most of it to his relief.

“Hi I’m Spencer-”

“Spence, who are you talking to this early in the morning?” Derek’s drowsy voice groans from his spot in bed.

“I’m heading out early, I’ll see you later Morgan!” Spencer calls, pulling on his jacket to fend off the cool November air and swinging his bag over his shoulder so he could head back to the police department afterwards.

Stepping off the elevator, the hotel was practically empty, Spencer sighs in relief, he must have looked like a psycho constantly fixing his hair and tie. 

He exits the front door into the windy New York outdoors, suddenly regretting not wearing his scarf, but regardless, pushing on.

tousled brown hair swaying in the wind, Spencer checks himself in the glass of a building beside him, licking his chapped lips and swiveling his head back to the pavement ahead of him, careful not to bump into anyone.

Taking another turn, Spencer sees the sign for your university campus and feels his heart begin to race.

All of his thoughts began to jumble. What was his name again? Where was he going? A sudden squawk from a crow brings him back to himself, but his hot face and racing heart were impossible to shake.

As he grows closer to the coffee shop you mentioned to him, he begins to stumble, his feet beginning to fail him. He’s able to play it off as a funny walk, but when he spots the coffee shop, and beside it, the field. He completely stops.

A man grunts behind him, cursing at Spencer before turning and walking around him.

“Sorry.” Spencer murmurs, walking to the side of the pavement before crossing the street quickly.

Glancing down at his wrist again, his watch reads 5:45. Great, now he just had to sit and wait-

“What?”

Spencer’s thoughts are cut short when his vision is cut off by something...warm. Hands.

“Love is our true destiny. We do not find the meaning of life by ourselves alone-” A sweet voice whispers in his ear.

The melodic voice from across the phone, it was you!

“W-We find it with another.” He stammers out, smiling as he hears your laughter.

“Doctor Spencer Reid, finally we meet.” You sigh, removing your hands from his face and dropping them at your sides.

“Y-Y/n-” Spencer says, turning to face you. 

He freezes for a moment as his eyes adjust to the light again. Then his jaw drops.

“Y-You’re…” Spencer’s eyes follow your y/h/c hair, jawline, eye shape and height. 

“No, no, no, no.” Spencer murmurs, glancing from side to side, overanalyzing every single person in your vicinity.

This was impossible. So, so impossible, yet there you were. Your description matched those girls perfectly, yet here you were out in the open talking to him. You weren’t safe.

“I-I know Doc, but it’s okay, I’ve got my pepper spray and everything!” You reassure Spencer, squeezing his hand gently.

“Y/n, y-you fit this unsub’s type, you can’t just be out here like this it’s not safe!” Spencer snaps, pulling his jacket off by the sleeves and swinging it over your head to hide you.

Your eyes widen and Spencer’s stomach fills with dread.

“I-I’m sorry, I shouldn’t have yelled. I just want you to be safe.” Spencer explains, lowering his voice and leaning closer to you.

“It’s alright Spence. I knew the risk, but I just wanted to see you.” You mutter, crossing your arms and sighing.

“Hey, you- you finished Love and Living.” Spencer smiles softly, remembering the quote you whispered to him when you covered his eyes.

“Yeah, it just kind of stuck with me. Thomas Merton can really write.” You smirk, nodding your head a little.

“Well I certainly prefer him over J.C?” Spencer asks, sarcastically tilting his chin.

“J.K, but you already knew that.” You laugh, rolling your eyes.

“I did?” Spencer jokes, eyes widening when he finally realizes how close the two of you are to each other, his eyes shyly draw downwards.

“Ahem?” You smirk. “Eyes up here Doc.” 

“O-Oh it’s not like that, I swear.” Spencer rushes, quickly looking back up in panic.

“Hey Spence! I’m just teasing, it’s alright.” You stammer in a hushed tone, gently moving your hands to cup Spencer’s face as reassurance.

The hits just kept coming today. Spencer internally trembles, but nods, darting his tongue out again to hide his quivering lip.

“Hey, since we’re both just standing here, do you want to grab something to eat?” You shrug, awkwardly retreating your hands to your chest.

There it was again, the sound of his name on your voice.

“C-Coffee?” Spencer sputters. “How about coffee?” Spencer repeats, clearing his voice and moving his hands from your shoulders to his sides.

“Yeah, coffee sounds great Doc.” You nod, taking Spencer’s hand and pulling him forwards.

“I’ve been going to this place since my first year here, amazing coffee, tea, and even seasonal sodas.” You gush, squeezing his hand and opening the door to the local shop.

“Any idea of what you want to order?” You ask, turning to face the brunette and shifting his jacket from your head to your arms.

“Uh, regular coffee is fine?” Spencer’s voice comes out almost as a question, he feels himself growing timid at the size of the menu.

“I’ll tell Choi ssi to surprise you.” 

Spencer nods, his lips pulling up into a line.

“Ah if it isn’t my favourite little boba pearl, what can I get for you today?” A man in his late forties calls to you with a smile. “And who might this be?” Mr. Choi motions to Spencer.

“Choi ssi, I’d like you to meet my Doc.” You smile. Spencer feels his face heat up at ‘my’

“I-I’m Dr. Spencer Reid.” He explains, nodding to the man behind the counter.

“I’m Viktor Choi, and Doctor? Wow, how old are you kid?” Mr. Choi questions in slight awe.

“Twenty five.” Spencer answers plainly, shrugging his shoulders.

Viktor’s jaw drops.

“Yeah I get that a lot, are we gonna order now?” Spencer blurts, turning back to you.

“Yeah of course. I’ll have my boba, and Doc-” You pause, tapping Spencer on the chest. “Would like to be surprised.” You smirk.

“Oh adventurous.” Choi smirks back to you, raising his eyebrows. You nod.

Spencer’s eyebrows furrow, feeling something strange was awaiting him.

“Oh you’ll love it!” You smile, placing a paper bill on the counter and pulling Spencer towards a table.

From the shake of Mr. Choi’s head and your small smirk, Spencer made an educated guess you gave him more than what was expected.

“Here.” You point to an empty table beside one of the large windows that wrapped around the shop.

“A window seat.” Spencer smirks, sitting in the chair across from you.

“What, you have a profiler fact for me?” You tease.

“Well, people who prefer window seats are more selfish and easily irritable.” Spencer shrugs feeling his smile widen. 

“Hey I just like to feel the sun.” You protest, looking out into the busy traffic not too far from you.

“I see.” Spencer smirks, glancing over to see you gazing into the sunlight.

Spencer is caught off guard at first, beauty isn’t usually a thing he notices, but it would be impossible for him not to admire you.

Your e/c eyes seemed to glow in the sunrise, your hair shined and your smile grew and seemed to shine brighter than the sun could ever be, figuratively though, obviously. 

Strange, Spencer felt his hands clam up and heart began to race again.

“Order for miss boba and her doc!” Mr. Choi calls, drawing both yours and Spencer’s attention.

“You seemed like a coffee kind of guy.” He shrugs as you bring the two drinks back to your table.

Spencer smiles in acknowledgement before looking down at what looked to be a simple coffee with a rim of milk foam and- Spencer furrows his eyebrows, chocolate shavings.

“Don’t be deceived, his coffee packs a punch.” You smirk, stirring your drink with the straw poking out of it.

“Good.” Spencer nods, drawing a laugh from you, as he lifts the mug to his lips and blows on the hot liquid, finally getting a taste.

The first thing that hits Spencer is the sweetness, just the right amount that made him smile as he drank it. The next was how rich it is, practically gliding over his tongue like melted chocolate, of course just not as viscous. 

You must have noticed a change in his demeanor because you begin to giggle to yourself.

You couldn’t help it, the look on Spencer’s face was too good not to notice.

His eyes widened, brows raised to his hairline and he tilted the cup higher in an instant to get more.

“Adorable.” You sigh to yourself, not realizing you had said it out loud until Spencer suddenly chokes on his drink.

“Oh my god, Spence are you alright?” You worry, holding a napkin to his chin as drops of coffee spill past his lips. 

The brunette nods, bringing the drink back down onto the table to see he had already drunken half of it.

“It’s good right?” You grin, pulling the napkin away but not moving back just yet.

Spencer nods, already feeling a buzz, but unsure if it was from the coffee or your sudden proximity, or you calling him adorable.

His ears felt as though they were burning, and this time he couldn’t blame the coffee.

Timidly glancing up, it seemed as though you could say the same for your cheeks.

Spencer lifts his mug up again to take another sip of his beverage, clearing his throat a bit before speaking again.

“I-If it makes you feel any better, I find you rather endearing, myself.” Spencer says just above a whisper, too nervous to look you back in the eye.

“Thank you Spencer.” You smile, feeling a rush of warmth in your chest and in your face.

Without thinking you look up and tilt Spencer’s chin back up to face you. His eyes read amazement and sheepishness, prompting a giggle from you.

Usually Spencer would have pushed the hand touching him away, ready to list facts about germs to make sure no one in the general vicinity would try that again. But there was something about his racing heart and your gentle hands that smelt of lavender, that made it impossible for any words to come out at all, he barely wanted to move.

“Hey Doc, do you feel like going for a walk?” You ask, stroking your thumb down Spencer’s cheek to catch his attention again. 

“Yeah, yeah a walk.” Spencer glances down at his watch, 6:24.

“I have to be back at the station for seven, but I can walk you back to your dorm?” Spencer offers, half suggesting it just to make sure you got back safely.

“What a gentleman.” You smirk standing and prompting Spencer to follow you. “You can drop the cup off at the counter over there.” You say, Spencer nods, standing and placing the mug at the counter for an employee to sweep it away in seconds.

“Now come on, we’ve still got time for me to give you a little tour.” You grin, putting a bit too much emphasis on little.

To the profiler’s surprise, you take his hand into yours as you wave goodbye to Mr. Choi.

“Bye my little boba pearl and Dr. Boyfriend!” He shouts out to you and Spencer as you exit the door. Spencer doesn’t even have time to sputter out a correction before you’re pulling him towards your campus. 

“Isn’t he the best! He and his husband have been running that place for years, the best coffee in the city if you ask me.” You chuckle, slowing your speed to a steady walk beside Spencer.

“Yeah, we should go again sometimes.” Spencer shrugs, finally closing his hands around yours, growing accustomed to the feeling.

“D-Did you know that multiple studies, including one conducted at the University of California Los Angeles, show that human touch triggers the release of oxytocin, in our brain. Oxytocin is-” 

“A neurotransmitter that increases feelings of trust, generosity and compassion, and decreases feelings of fear and anxiety, aka the love hormone.” You finish, smiling up at him reassuringly.

You knew Spencer began listing off random facts when he felt he’d made an atmosphere awkward. You’d started noticing these cues once the two of you began talking on the phone, so you made sure to ensure everything was fine to him. 

“Yeah, t-that’s the one.” Spencer mutters.

The brunette was always cut off while he tried to explain a statistic or fact. He knew it was never to hurt him in any way, but it still got frustrating for him when he was talked over.

When you cut him off on the other hand,  it is to finish his sentence and complete the fact. He was starting to see why so many people found this gesture romantic.

Your smile grows as you notice Spencer’s eyes downcast on your hands.

Rounding the corner deeper into your campus, you stop at a couple spots to tell Spencer more about your school life and how your studies were going.

“I can’t believe I’m really graduating this year.” You sigh dreamily, looking up into the sky.

“Do you have any ideas where you may want to work?” Spencer asks as you lead him to a fountain in the centre of a field.

“Well, not exactly, but I’ve still got time to decide.” You grin, digging into your pocket for something Spencer couldn’t see.

“You know the BAU will always be an option.” Spencer shrugs, watching you pull out a shiny quarter.

“I dunno doc. All that stuff might not be for me.” You sigh, closing your eyes for a moment before flipping the coin into the water of the fountain.

“Yeah I guess serial killers and psychopaths aren’t everyone's cup of tea.” Spencer says seriously, causing you to break out in a fit of giggles.

“Do you believe in wishes coming true Spence?” You continue laughing, pulling Spencer in the direction of your dorm.

Spencer’s head snaps up at his name, but his eyebrows furrow.

“Well the act of throwing valuables into water hasn’t always been for wishing, it used to be for worshipping gods and other deities, but as the years went by it became popularized to wish for things by throwing something of value into the basic fundamental of human life.” Spencer pauses looking to you apologetically.

“It’s okay Spence, I’m listening.” You smile.

“Oh okay- First used to honour gods, people began asking for favours such as a good harvest or for a loved one to get well from a sickness which is where wishing wells came from.” Spencer nods, squeezing your hand as a silent ‘thank you.’

“So to answer my question-” You draw on, looking curiously into Spencer’s hazel eyes.

“While there’s no sound science to prove anything, I don’t see why people can’t have something to believe in, as long as they understand if it doesn’t come true.” Spencer shrugs, stopping when you do, outside a large building.

“So I’ll take that as a yes, but.” You smirk.

“I suppose, besides sometimes the wishes do come true out of pure coincidence, but you can never say that.” Spencer shrugs.

“It sounds like you speak from experience.” You laugh, nudging him in the side.

“My friend Penelope wished I’d get my haircut, but didn’t tell me until I did, three months later.” Spencer chuckles.

Both of you knew you were supposed to say goodbye now, if you remained just standing there any longer you’d become a problem for sleep-deprived students. Not a good mix.

But neither of you could find the will to move, your hands stayed interlocked and your smiles remained as Spencer began talking more about a couple books and some more facts about wishing wells.

“Y/n?” A loud voice calls to you from afar. “I’ve been looking everywhere for you!” The voice chimes again, slowly getting closer.

“Oh I’m sorry Adira, I was meaning to tell you.” You apologize, letting go of Spencer’s hand to turn around and speak to the person calling you.

For a minute Spencer forgot how to function his hand, he just sort of hovered it in the air for a second, before regaining his train of thought and dropping his hand back to his side and turning.

“I’ve been worried sick y/n, you haven’t been answering your phone and with that ‘duplicator’ guy running around-” Adira begins, cutting off to wrap her arms around you. “Don’t do that again, please.”

“Alright, I’m sorry Adira, but I had a friend with me, see.” You smile, turning her to face Spencer.

“Hello.” Spencer greets awkwardly, placing his hands into his pockets and nodding.

“Wait he sounds just like-” Adira pauses. “That’s Doc?” They pause, jaw dropping as she begins tugging on your sleeve.

“Yes- that’s him.” You smile, tapping on her hand to try and get her to stop before your face overheats.

“Okay okay!” Adira laughs, rolling her eyes as she fixes her headscarf and extends her hand.

“Nice to finally meet you, y/n has not stopped talking about you since you started writing to each other-”

“Adira!” You intervene, bringing your hand to your face to hide your blush.

“Wow you’re even cuter than the photo-”

“Okay, we still have that project to work on right, let’s go.” You laugh nervously, pushing Adira towards the door of your dorm room as she remembers something.

“Oh right, I’ve been meaning to ask you about that.”

“Perfect, we’ll finish it up when we get inside.” You smile.

“Nice jacket by the way, where’d you get it?” Adira comments, poking the black suit jacket on your arm, and then back again at Spencer standing in a collared shirt and tie.

“Y/n!” She laughs teasingly, turning around and grabbing a hold of your shoulders.

“I’ll head in on my own, now have fun, but not too much fun.” She smirks, pushing you back towards Spencer before walking into the building and throwing you a wink.

“I-I’m-”

“There’s no need to apologize, I’m rather flattered you talk about me.” Spencer shrugs, looking down at the ground subtly.

“Well of course I do, you’ve become a big part of my life y’know.” You smile, taking Spencer’s large hands into yours.

Spencer smiles fondly, hiding the internal regret he held, the profiler had yet to tell any of his friends about you, wanting to have this one thing for himself in his twisted world.

Squeezing your hands, Spencer nods and glances down at his watch.

“I should get back to the station.” The brunette murmurs.

“You should get back to the station.” You reply, loosening your grip only for Spencer to pull you back.

“I-I’m happy I got to meet you by the way, please call me if you need anything, or just to talk.” Spencer pushes his lips back in a forced smile, he was reluctant to leave you alone.

“I will Spence. Catch that guy for me alright?” You smirk, wrapping Spencer in a short hug before shrugging off his jacket, placing it over Spencer’s shoulders and turning to finally walk into the building.

Spencer barely had time to react to your gesture, but while he processed it, he simply stood there. It was as though you had left an imprint of yourself on him, a reminder you were real, and really held him. He was truly awestruck.

His suit jacket held the faintest scent of your perfume, the feeling of your arms lingered on his torso and his hands still reached for yours though you were long gone.

This feeling was foreign to the brunette, but not rejected. Spencer quite enjoyed it after all.

After a few moments of not moving the brunette finally picks up his feet and turns to leave, not noticing the figure not too far away clenching his fists so hard, blood begins to trickle slowly out.

[meinkampfortzone]

Who Was Hans-Joachim Marseille’s Fiancee?: An Opinion-Based Commentary, Part 2

(cont. from Part 1): 

HJM’s Family’s Attitude Toward Hanne-Lies

So one of the things I noticed when I first started getting curious about finding out who HJM’s fiancee was was the fact that she seemed so comfortable around his mom. That was, in fact, one of the first indicators to me that she was a bit older than him, other than her face. Had she been around his age, most of their interactions would have taken place outside of the house, away from his parents, so that they could make the most of their time alone together. That was, in fact, the norm among young people in the 40s, especially with the growing availability of cars which made getting around a lot easier and faster. When in the presence of each others’ parents, both parties had to act very reserved toward each other, and refrain from things such as holding hands or kissing, etc. (their parents would have been from the generation born in the 1800s, where doing things like that in public was inappropriate and prospective couples were meant to act with restraint when together). Therefore, the fact that 85% of the interactions between Hanne-Lies and HJM (except for the outing in Bad Saarow and their trip to Rome) took place at his parents’ apartment in Berlin was something that stood out to me. I took this to mean that Hanne-Lies was either a friend of the family or mature enough to want to spend time with and build a relationship with her future mother-in-law. As my research later proved, the latter ended up being true. 

After Hans-Joachim Marseille’s death, Hanne-Lies was allowed to live in Bad Saarow in Charlotte Marseille’s summer house that she owned there. I found this strange because Hanne-Lies had only known HJM and subsequently his family for approximately 7 months (they met in March 1942; he died in September 1942), which was hardly a long enough time for Charlotte Marseille to get to trust her enough to give her her house and allow her to live in it. Hanne-Lies remained in that house, keeping it as her main residence, until she got married in 1944 to former LSSAH member Martin Stephani. This led me to think that perhaps, like her son, Charlotte Marseille saw something in Hanne-Lies that reminded her of her dead daughter Inge, and due to the fact that she had lost her daughter so recently, she built a good relationship with Hanne-Lies. After HJM died, I believe that Charlotte Marseille sort of saw Hanne-Lies as the last thing she had left of her deceased son, and decided to let her have the house and stay there for as long as she needed as a sort of gesture of goodwill.

This is a picture of HJM at a bar in Berlin called the Regina Bar (between the two girls) and Hanne-Lies (at the other end of the table). This was taken during his leave in 1942, during which he met Hanne-Lies and became engaged to her. Notice that even in the presence of his fiancee HJM has no issue cozying up to other women. Judging by the look on her face, she doesn’t seem too pleased about it either. 

HJM’s Comrades/Contemporaries’ Attitudes/Opinions Concerning His Engagement

Another thing that I find sort of striking is the complete lack of commentary on the part of HJM’s comrades and friends concerning his engagement, or rather, his lack of commitment to his fiancee. According to Colin Heaton, the news of HJM’s engagement “shocked” those who knew him, only because of his playboy nature. However, once that shock subsided, and everyone saw HJM going back to his old ways and sleeping with various women, not one of his comrades thought to mention how they found it strange that he was engaged and yet having all of these publicized affairs. Although sex outside of marriage, etc. was common in the 1940s, it wasn’t until the 1980s that it became the norm. Up until then, infidelity and sexual promiscuity was kept carefully under wraps, more so for women than men. However, back in those days engagement was essentially a binding contract--the couple was considered married for all intents and purposes until they actually went and legally tied the knot. I found it strange that Marseille’s comrades and those who knew him, when interviewed about him, had no problem talking about his various sexual escapades but didn’t mention how he still did these things while he was engaged. I would have expected at least one of them to mention how it was strange that he continued to do this even after he was committed to one woman. It was almost as if the existence of Hanne-Lies in HJM’s life was unknown to them. This led me to believe that maybe HJM never bothered to tell anyone he was engaged or probably only mentioned it in passing and never really made a big deal about it, or perhaps his comrades knew that this was just part of his nature and that it was foolish to think that he could ever be faithful to one person. 

When asked to describe the nature of HJM and Hanne-Lies’ relationship, Hans-Rudolf Marseille (HJM’s half-brother) proceeded to talk about how he convinced her to go to Rome. 

Of all the things he could have said that would demonstrate that they really loved each other and that there was something between them, he chose this anecdote, which really doesn’t demonstrate anything between them. 

Even the members of the Nazi high command who had interacted with Marseille, when interviewed by Colin Heaton, had no issue talking about how, when receiving a complaint from an Italian officer who stated that Marseille had “violated the family honor”, they all had a good laugh about it, and one of them even said, “Damn it, Marseille, have some shame, man.” However, none of them bothered to point out that this was going on while he was engaged, which was something he had even mentioned to Hermann Goering. Overall, none of the members of the high-ranking Nazi hierarchy seemed surprised at his behavior in the slightest.

Some Miscellaneous Points 

1- All of the people who were close to HJM gave interviews about him or attended events commemorating him and gave speeches/contributed to the event in some way, shape, or form. Many of the primary sources used in Colin Heaton’s book come from interviews conducted with many of Marseille’s comrades, such as Eduard Neumann, Ludwig Franzisket, and Emil Clade. Marseille’s mother, Charlotte, attended the premier of the 1957 film “Stern von Afrika”, and an article appeared in Der Spiegel featuring her and the actor who played her son, Joachim Hansen. In the article, she thanks Hansen for his stellar portrayal of her son. 

Hans-Rudolf Marseille assisted authors and historians writing and researching about HJM, such as Franz Kurowski and Walter Wubbe, and also gave interviews, snippets of which were included in a 1999 documentary about HJM’s life. It was because of the efforts of Eduard Neumann and other airmen who had flown with Marseille that a set of Luftwaffe barracks in Appen were renamed the “Marseille Barracks” (Marseille-Kaserne in German). Even Marseille’s batman, Mathew “Matthias” Letulu, gave an eulogy for Marseille in Germany during a ceremony held at the monument for Marseille in the Egyptian desert. 

The only person who had been closer to him than most of the people mentioned above, his ex-fiancee, was strangely absent from all of these efforts. Other than making an appearance at the 1967 Fighter Pilots’ Reunion event at Furstenfeldbruck, where she attended as a guest of honor with Charlotte Marseille (and this appearance isn’t even documented, as there are no photos of her at the event), she never gave any interviews about her ex-fiance, nor did she contribute to the efforts being made by those who knew him to keep his memory alive. 

2- During his interview, Hans-Rudolf Marseille showed a plethora of letters he had collected that had been sent by HJM to various members of his family--his mother, his sister, even his father. Some of these letters were reproduced and included in Walter Wubbe’s book “Hauptmann Marseille”. But with regards to any written correspondence between Hanne-Lies and HJM, there are absolutely no letters or anything whatsoever between them. Given the fact that they got engaged during one of HJM’s leaves, and they only saw each other once more after that when he was on vacation, it would make sense that they would be constantly writing to each other. Yet there doesn’t seem to be any sort of correspondence between them, at least as far as Hans-Rudolf Marseille’s cache of letters is concerned. The only testament to their relationship is the scarf that Hanne-Lies gave to HJM, and the photo she gave him of herself with “Ich habe dich sehr liebe!!” written on the back. 

3- When I read that Hanne-Lies had given HJM a picture of herself with “Ich habe dich sehr liebe” written on the back, I was curious because “Ich liebe dich” is “I love you” in German. Thus, I set out to find the difference in meaning between “Ich habe dich liebe” and “Ich liebe dich.” I found an answer to this on a German language learning forum that I’ll include below. 

In Closing...

When I think of what Hans-Joachim Marseille’s love life should have looked like, I immediately think of the relationship between Alain Delon and Romy Schneider (not how it ended, Alain cheated on her with another woman and she refused to get back together with him, but just how aesthetically pleasing they were and how big of a power couple they were in the years they were together.)

 I believe that he only got engaged to Hanne-Lies because of the emotional turmoil he was going through at the time. I think that even if they had gotten married, their marriage would have never lasted long. After all, grief isn’t forever, and eventually he would have realized that with that therapist aspect gone, there isn’t actually anything that binds him to Hanne-Lies at all. Hanne-Lies, too, would have had a hard time putting up with his infidelity and flighty personality, especially since she would have been reaching that age when she wants to have children and start a family and settle down (she was almost 30 when she got engaged to HJM). I honestly just wish that Inge Marseille wouldn’t have died so that HJM could have actually gone and found someone who had the personality and temperament to be his other half. I feel like, had he met someone like that, they would literally have been the power couple of the Third Reich. 

I’d love to hear your guys’ comments/opinions regarding this in the comments. Thanks for reading!

[storiesforallfandoms]

glorified groupie ~ tommy lee;the dirt

word count: 2181

request?: no

description: tommy’s fiancé makes sure you know exactly how she feels about your friendship with tommy, and tommy isn’t exactly a fan of that

pairing: tommy lee x female!reader

warnings: swearing

masterlist

You had been friends with Tommy long before the days of Mötley Crüe. In fact, you had been friends with him for so long that when the band was formed and started to get big, he insisted you come on tours with him and the boys.

“Come on, it’s only for a couple of weeks,” he’d say. “You can take a couple of weeks off work, right?”

“I can’t just up and leave work out of nowhere, Tommy,” you told him. “I don’t have that many vacation days saved up, if I leave for that long I’ll get fired.”

“Then quit! I’ll find a spot for you on tour, you can be like our roadie or something!”

Eventually, he managed to convince you to go. Deep down, you knew he’d eventually get the yes. You were so proud for him, you knew you couldn’t turn down the opportunity to watch your best friend achieve his dreams.

Of course, “just a few weeks” turned into a few months, and then about a year, and before you knew it, you were touring with Mötley Crüe basically every night. As he promised, Tommy did get you a job on tour as a sort of roadie, but their manager liked you enough that he didn’t put you to work constantly.

As to be expected, with touring came groupies and girls who wanted to get with the band members just because they were Mötley Crüe, and Tommy, the poor hopeless romantic he was, always fell for these girls. He could never see past the facade of the dazzling smiles and the meaningless words and only saw what he wanted to see, a new potential girlfriend in his eyes.

This resulted in an engagement to a very obvious groupie, Roxie.

Being the only other girl on tour with the guys, you could see right through Roxie’s loving facade. You saw the way she looked at other guys, especially members of other bands at clubs. This, unfortunately, was not limited to Tommy’s own band mate, Nikki, whom you caught sharing looks with Roxie every now and then.

You knew you had to tell Tommy, but you didn’t want to break the poor guy’s heart. He was so in love with Roxie, and he genuinely believed she loved him, too. He was constantly talking about his upcoming marriage, and his dreams for the wedding.

“Okay, check this out,” he said to you one day, falling into the chair next to you on the tour bus. He laid out a piece of paper in front of the two of you and began to draw. “The dream is an outdoor wedding. Somewhere nature-y. Have the chairs set up here, like this, and have some sort of archway here that Roxie and I will stand under. And you and the boys here - ”

“Wait,” you cut him off, “me? With the boys?”

“Yeah, I want you to be my Best Man, or I guess Best Woman.”

This was the first time Tommy had mentioned this to you. You figured he was so excited for the wedding that he forgot the part about actually telling the Groom’s Men what role they were going to play. Of course, you didn’t expect Roxie to ask you to be in her Bridal Party, not with your differences and her knowing that you saw right through her bullshit, but you were shocked that Tommy wanted to choose you over one of the guys to be his Best Man.

“I’m honored, Tommy,” you told him. “And I love your idea for the wedding, but shouldn’t you be discussing this with your bride to be?”

“She’s asleep, I’ll show her when she wakes up.”

You two sat for some time, discussing the wedding. You were making some suggestions for the reception and Tommy was crudely drawing it the best he could. Neither one of you heard Roxie walking in until she spoke.

“Well, don’t the two of you look cozy.”

You realized then that you had your head on Tommy’s shoulder and the two of you were basically cuddling. You pulled away from Tommy, trying to seem nonchalant but realizing the speed in which you pulled away made it look a little more suspicious.

“Hey baby!” Tommy said, with that goofy smile on his face. “(Y/N) was helping me place everything for our wedding! Come look.”

“Yes, for our wedding,” Roxie said, sneering the word in your direction as she sat on Tommy’s lap. You suppressed an eye roll as she kissed Tommy deeply before kissing his neck in the spot that you had become all too familiar with as being his sweet spot. “Looks great baby, I can’t wait.”

She hadn’t even looked at the paper.

Before Tommy could say anything else, one of the boys called him over to discuss the stage show. He placed Roxie on the seat next to you and left the two of you. You smiled briefly at her before going back to the book you had been reading before Tommy interrupted you.

“Don’t think I don’t know what you’re doing,” Roxie sneered in your ear.

You looked at her in confusion. “I...don’t know what you mean?”

“You and Tommy, you’re trying to make a move on him.”

You scoffed. “Please! Tommy’s been my best friend basically my whole life. He’s in love with you and no one could take that from you. I was helping him with the wedding, that’s it.”

“My wedding,” Roxie hissed. “Please bitch, I can see right through you. I know you don’t like me because I’m on his dick and you’re not, and you’re just waiting to ruin our relationship.”

You looked over to see if Tommy was paying attention to the situation before you leaned in to whisper to Roxie, “If I wanted to ruin your relationship, I’d bring him to Nikki’s dressing room when you and him are ‘visiting’. Tommy is a good man, Roxie, and he genuinely loves you. If you don’t feel the same, I think you should end the engagement.”

Roxie scoffed this time. “There you go again! Trying to ruin my relationship!”

“Roxie, we’re friends!”

“Please, you’re a glorified groupie.”

Her words rendered you speechless. She seemed proud of that. She sat back in her seat and smirked at you as you struggled with a comeback. You were trying to hold back the lump that was growing in your throat, but it was nearly impossible. Tears were welling in your eyes, but you didn’t want to admit defeat. You had nowhere to go, though. Roxie was blocking your path.

“What did you just say?”

Neither one of you had noticed Tommy standing over you. He was looking between you and Roxie with a shocked look on his face. Roxie’s smirk didn’t go away as she openly repeated her insult.

“She’s a glorified groupie! She’s just hanging around because she wants to try and fuck you. Why else would she uproot her entire life and follow you during your entire career? She’s desperate!”

The whole bus was silent. The boys were looking at you and Roxie in shock as well. If there was one thing everyone knew about Tommy, it was that you did not insult his best friend.

“Fuck you,” Tommy hissed, which shocked everyone even more. “Jesus Christ, Roxie, how can someone be such a bitch to absolutely everyone? (Y/N) has never done anything to you, why would you say that shit about her?”

Roxie tried to stutter something out but Tommy cut her off by calling to the bus driver, “Stop the bus!”

He took a hold of Roxie’s arms and roughly pulled her out of her chair. You stood, although you weren’t sure why. You didn’t mind seeing Roxie getting what she deserved. “Tommy, what are you doing?”

“I’m done with this, Roxie,” he said, ignoring your question. “I’m done with hearing you bad mouth (Y/N), as if you’re not the one fucking Nikki. Oh yeah, I know. I’ve known for a long time, I had just hoped that if I married you, maybe you’d leave all that behind. How fucking naive was I?”

“So you’re just gonna end our engagement and kick me off the bus for that skank?” Roxie shrieked in anger.

“The only skank here is you, Roxie,” Tommy retorted. “Now get the fuck out!”

Roxie huffed in anger and exited the bus. She slammed the door so hard behind her that the entire bus shook, and as we left her, we watched her flip us off while she called out muffled insults and profanities.

Tommy was seething in anger. He went to the back room in the bus and shut the door without another word. The guys and I looked at one another, unsure as what to do.

“One of us needs to talk to him,” Vince decided.

“Not Nikki,” Mick said. “If Nikki goes in here, the kid might cut his dick off.”

“Listen, it’s not my fault, I didn’t know he was that serious about her,” Nikki tried to defend.

“Not the time, Nikki,” you cut the bassist off. “I’ll go talk to him, I technically caused all of this after all.”

You went to the back room and slowly slid the door open. You expected Tommy to yell in anger for whoever was just barging in to leave, but you were shocked to see he was looking up at you, almost expecting you to have followed him.

As if reading your mind, he explained, “You always came to check on me when I was upset.”

“That’s what friends are for,” you told him. “Are you okay, Tommy?”

“I can’t believe I tried to convince myself I was in love with her,” he sighed. “I mean, she was hot and she was an excellent fuck, but she was a fucking bitch to absolutely everyone. Do you know I haven’t brought her to meet mom and dad yet? All the times they’ve come to the sets of music videos or have seen us on tour and I made sure they wouldn’t meet Roxie cause I knew they wouldn’t approve. Roxie is not the type of girl you marry, she’s the type that...”

“You sleep with,” you finished. “A groupie.”

Tommy scoffed. “I can’t believe she called you a glorified groupie, as if you’re the one who has been sleeping with my band mate.”

You chuckled. “Yeah, like that’ll ever happen. I wouldn’t touch those boys with a ten foot pole. Nikki and Vince surely have some sort of STD, if not several, and Mick is too grumpy to want to fuck anyone.”

You and Tommy laughed together. With the threat of his awful ex-fiancee gone, you felt comfortable enough to rest your head on his shoulder. “If you didn’t really love her, why were you so excited about the wedding and planning it earlier?”

“You know me, I’m a hopeless romantic. I want to find the right girl and settle down and get married. Even if I knew Roxie wasn’t the right girl, she was the girl I was marrying. I wanted it to be a good wedding, even if I was sure the marriage wouldn’t even last.”

“You shouldn’t have to settle for whichever girl says yes to your proposal, Tom,” you told him. “You deserve a girl who will give you as much love as you give her. A girl who will give you her heart and soul, the way you give yours. A girl who loves you, and only you.”

“What if I’ve already found her?”

You lifted your head to look at him, raising an eyebrow. “Well, if you have I’d hope you’d tell your best friend.”

Tommy smiled. “I think you know her pretty well.”

You couldn’t understand for a moment, but it clicked in when you saw the look in Tommy’s eyes. You had seen that look many times before; when he was looking at one of his girlfriends. It was a look of love, as if you were the only girl on the planet. Receiving that look, you really felt like you were.

“You like me?” you asked in disbelief.

“Took you long enough to figure out,” Tommy laughed. “I mean, I’ve only been trying to make a move our entire friendship. At first I thought you just weren’t interested, and then I realized that you just didn’t know how I felt.”

“You should’ve come out and said it!”

“But what if you said no?”

“Well, I’m not saying no, am I?”

Tommy perked up at this. “Wait..so...are you saying?”

You giggled and pulled Tommy forward to give him a small kiss. It took him by surprise and, by the time he realized and went to kiss back, you were pulling away.

“Next break you get, take me on a proper date drummer boy,” you told him.

Tommy nodded quickly. “Yeah, yeah. I mean...okay, I will.”

You giggled and kissed Tommy again, relaxing into his arms as you both decided to utilize the privacy of the back room for yourselves.

[luverofralts]

Arkhelios University

One of Ulyssa’s favourite parts of living in Twikkii Island was being so close to her godson, Theo. She and Maura were waiting for a while after their wedding to start having kids, so for now she enjoyed spending time with her godson as practice. It was nice to be able to hand him back to Roman after a tiring day at the park, and not have to worry about feeding or bathing or tucking in a feisty toddler.

Maura also enjoyed spending that time with her cousin Adrian, who she had never been that close to prior to him marrying her fiancee’s ex/friend. Being the heir to the throne often meant that she didn’t get to see much of her extended family, and when she did, it was often in a group setting. From what she knew of her cousin, Adrian did seem to honestly be excited to be married and expecting a child with someone as strange as Roman. If they were happy, then she was happy for them. She didn’t really see what exactly Adrian saw in Roman, as he was odd, usually in trouble, and came with a kid and an unhealthy attachment to his ex-boyfriend, but that was who he had chosen.

One of Roman’s favourite parts of leaving Arkhelios was the beach. The desert he grew up in was surrounded by deep, cold water that was too dangerous to swim in, but in Twikkii Island, the water was warm and clear and perfect for swimming. If Elaine and Lucy had been amazed at the difference a pool made in their lives, they would absolutely lose their minds swimming in the warm ocean waves. There were even local shipwrecks that people often scuba dived to. When he had a spare moment, Roman planned to take scuba lessons to dive out there himself. The ocean was amazing, and nothing in Arkhelios could match it for beauty.

When Roman had dried off from his swim, he and Ulyssa sat down to discuss their ongoing research into his dreams. Roman had nothing to report on his end, other than the dreams were still occurring regularly. Ulyssa had made a few inquiries for a dream specialist, or a demonic specialist, but there weren’t too many of those on their small series of islands. There were probably resources in Pleasantview or Strangetown where there were larger populations of demons and witches, but it would take time Ulyssa didn’t have to sort through their options. If things got worse, Ulyssa would make it a priority to assign one of her assistants to the task, but Roman had wanted to keep this search as private as possible.

“Are you still working on the Ginny problem?” she asked, pulling a seat across from Roman. He shook his head, and placed another card on the table.

“No, I’m just practicing,” he said. “I think I’m getting better at this, my readings are way more accurate than when I was a teen.” He looked around them for eavesdroppers, and leaned towards Ulyssa. “Last week, I was trying to read Adrian’s future as practice, and I saw two girls in his future. I predicted that we were having twin girls, and just last week, we went for the check up with the doctor and sure enough, it’s twins! They couldn’t get the gender from the scan, but it has to be twin girls. I’m actually finally doing this right.”

Ulyssa couldn’t tell if he was prouder to be having twins, or for successfully predicting them.

“Wow, that’s a lot to process,” she said, looking surprised. “Are you ready for twins? Twins and Theo on top of that? That’s more than I can imagine handling.”

Roman shrugged.

“We’re excited for them,” he answered. “I mean it’s not like I’m a teen dad begging Abe’s mom to let me stay with her family anymore. We have the money to hire extra help if it’s too much. I just have to come up with another girl’s name besides Romana.”

“I will punch you as hard as I can if you actually name one of them Romana, you narcissist,” she laughed. “I’m glad you two are excited though. You don’t always look excited when you and Adrian are together.”

Roman chose to ignore her comment, and laid down another card.

“Are you sure that you’re not pregnant?” he asked, pushing a card towards her. “I always see three girls when you’re around. It’s strange. I think the third one is yours.”

Ulyssa glared daggers at him.

“If you’re actually thinking that I’m having a daughter with you, we’re going to have to have a serious conversation about boundaries,” she said. “There is never going to be a repeat of our past relationship, just so you’re clear.”

Roman looked just as disgusted as Ulyssa at the thought of them sharing a child together.

“Ew, why would you even say that? I never said that it was our daughter, just that one shows up when you’re around. Maybe it’s your and Maura’s kid in the future, who knows. Forget I even mentioned it if you’re going to be like this.”

Fortunately, Roman had to start with dinner, so he gladly made his escape from the awkward conversation. Tonight they were having locally sourced lobster in honour of their important guests, and Roman had to get a start on it if they were going to eat anywhere near on time.

“How’s dinner going?” Adrian asked, appearing from the hall like he was waiting for his husband.

Roman rolled his eyes and continued chopping the food on the counter.

“What do you want?” he sighed. “You always loiter around here when you want something, so just ask and get it over with.”

“You told Ulyssa about the twins,” Adrian stated, obviously setting up his next question. Roman already knew from experience what was coming next.

“Yes, I told her about seeing a third child, and she claims it’s not hers,” he replied coldly. “They’re not pregnant, it was probably just an error I made. A misjudgement. I’m not as skilled as my grandmother, I’m going to make mistakes from time to time.”

“But you were right about the twins,” Adrian insisted. “How can you be wrong about a third child? It’s got to be just as easy as reading the twins.”

Roman stopped chopping and breathed a frustrated sigh, borne from having this same argument so many times.

“I’m not pregnant,” he hissed quietly. “I told you I’m not. I even took that test you forced me to buy to make absolutely sure. I’m doing my absolute best to remove Abe out of my life, you know that. We’re looking for help about the matter, and I’m staying away from him. This completely imagined third child you’re so hung up on isn’t Abe’s and it isn’t mine. I’m not having Abe’s baby, so you can just-”

Ulyssa chased after a giggling Theo in the hall, and Roman dropped what he’d been about to say, and resumed chopping, a little more aggressively this time.

“You just go back there all the time,” Adrian continued, pressing the issue once again. “You see him all the time-”

“To drop Theo off.”

“You were gone just last week again,” Adrian insisted.

“You know that Wanda is forcing me to help with her holiday party. I had to discuss that with her. Would you like me to give you signed transcriptions of all of my conversations in Arkhelios?” Roman threw the lobster dish into the stove and slammed it shut.

“Don’t make me sound like that, I’m not imagining how you act around Abe. I see how you two look at each other, and how you wake up every single night screaming his name.”

Roman glared at his husband and crossed his arms.

“You don’t really give me any reasons lately to be shouting yours. Maybe in the future I should sleep in the guest room until Ulyssa and I sort this out,” he stated icily. “Then Abe and I can just abscond together privately in our dreams.”

“Maybe you should start sleeping there,” Adrian agreed. “It’s a bit too crowded in our bed with all three of us.”

Black smoke began billowing from the oven and Roman swore.

“You’ve ruined dinner with your insane jealousy,” Roman spat, trying to salvage what he could of the meal. “We invite the future queen to dinner and because you keep piecing together absurd conspiracies, and forcing me to refute them, everything is burnt. She’s not really going to want to push through a restaurant license for the guy who can’t even cook a lobster.”

“Dinner looks great,” Ulyssa said politely.

The lobster was barely edible, and they all knew it. It sat on their plates looking charred enough to have escaped a house fire, but the women diplomatically smiled.

“It’s ruined, I’m so sorry,” Roman apologized, resentment heavy in his voice. “Adrian felt the need to watch over my shoulder the entire time just to make sure that I wasn’t hiding Abe in a cupboard.”

“We can just order something if you want,” Ulyssa suggested, hoping to break the tension at the table even a little. “Or some of this lobster might still be good. Maura? We could order something pretty quick. Do you feel like anything in particular?”

Maura shook her head, amazed at the drama that came with their meal. She had met Roman in school, and knew all about his deep feelings for Abe, and his tendency to fail out of things spectacularly, but she had honestly thought that he and Adrian were happy. Well, happyish from all of Ulyssa’s stories.

“I think some takeout might be fun,” she suggested, holding Ulyssa’s hand, grateful that she had found the one person from Arkhelios that didn’t seem to be drowning in personal drama. “We can order whatever you guys feel like; I’m not picky.”

Her suggestion came too late, as Adrian and Roman had already removed themselves from the table to loudly continue their argument.

“Just order something, and I’ll go throw Roman in the ocean to calm down,” Ulyssa sighed, getting up from the table.

Behind her, Theo was painting his high chair with toddler food and laughing. Ulyssa scooped the messy toddler up in her arms and snapped her fingers, enveloping Roman in a bright, magical light that immediately deposited him in the ocean outside. Maura gave her cousin a withering glare and once he realized that Roman was gone and how inappropriate he had been acting in front of his guests, his face turned red.

“I’m going to order dinner, and you are going to fish your husband out of the water, and sort your problems out so we can eat in peace,” she commanded, and Adrian immediately nodded. “I will make a call personally to Pleasantview tomorrow, and we’ll see about fixing this dream business. I want you to be happy Adrian, and it sounds like fixing this problem will be a good start towards fixing your marriage. You’ve been married for less than a year, and you’ll be adding two more kids to care for shortly. You need to sort this out before they’re born. They need you two to be a team.”

She hugged her cousin with a hopeful smile.

“He did choose you, Adrian. Maybe he’s still hung up on his ex, but he still chose you.”

[just2bubbly]

Masterlist

Harry Potter Universe Fic: 1 2

Shatter Me Fandom: 1 2

Fic List: 

Long one-shot:

Nightmare- “She had been foolish to think that he-The Emperor Kaito of Eastern Commonwealth would love her.”  (fluff, angst and major plot twist)

When rebellions don’t end in happiness but with the ever-lasting and drowning feeling of emotions, what-ifs and memories, will there be someone to put Cinder back together when she falls apart! 

__

One-shot:

Utter Bliss: “ It was their moment, their utter bliss. “ (fluff, snuggles and cuddling)

Imagine Kai and Cinder going to sleep after a busy day, feeling giddy? (me too) Read to know how our favorite pair is so tired that they can’t wait to hit the bed!

Celebrity Crush:  “Did Mom have a celebrity crush on Dad?“ (fluff, ship  reflection)

Peony (gen 2) coming up with a very strange question regarding her parents to Torin!

Longings and Comm: "I swear if I could come, I would have been near you in a heartbeat.” (fluff, comfort, long distance)

Absence always seems to make the heart grow fonder and Cinder and Kai are no different in this vast expanse. After a busy day at work with Lunars, Cinder relies on Kai to make her smile but what happens when unexpected inquiries are made and feelings are slipped off.

Disclosing a Secret:   "And will they accept me?"  (fluff, comfort)

When insecurity makes Cinder question her role in Kai's life, will Kai be able to convince her that she is the one for him, the only one? 

Kidnapped?: "It's your palace. You live here, not to mention you have a computer in your brain to figure out. Any more reasons?" (fluff, long distance)     

What happens when you get kidnapped in your own palace? Bizarre! More bizarre if you happen to know the kidnapper.

Sometimes Love Stays: "Wish you happiness? Yeah, Kai, I do- with all my heart." "I wish you were happiness!"

Sometimes love becomes stronger overcoming the obstacles thrown along your path, but when the obstacles never end and you become tired enough to want to stop, will 'Love' help overcome the new problem or would it be succumbed to obstacle?  Reading an article, Cinder is thrown back into the past, trying to figure out if the choices she made were right.

Perfect Now:  "Now you, My Queen are perfectly ready!"

Last minute panicked thoughts can make a person desperate for escape, a mildly insecure Cinder looks for comfort in her boyfriend- one who is having a trip down his memory lane.

To Us: "I'm thinking." "A coin for your thought?"

The night before their second anniversary is quite extra-ordinary as both of them reflect back on their past. The present that they are living seems unbelievable to the two royals- just the two of them, together. What more can they ask for?

Cursed Souls: "Thorne, Do you think I'm cursed?""What?"

Grief can make your mind think distressed thoughts, Kai with a haywire mind turns to Thorne for help- feeling overwhelmed just moments after the rebellion as he waits to hear news of Cinder. A snippet of Kai alone with his thoughts as he waits outside the OT following the brutal injury of Cinder in Winter.

Love Hurts, Love Heals:  "Are you waiting for a bullet to call off your wedding then?!"

Prejudices never unite people- however it seemed to have united the Commonwealth citizens to protest against the Emperor's marriage. Having tolerated enough of the hate and shame thrown along her way for being a cyborg and Lunar her entire life, Cinder wonders if she has reached her breaking point? Will she tolerate more for both her and her fiancee happiness or will she flee from the bindings of her future?

An Alternate Ending: "What's better than you, Cinder?"

When Kai fails to convince the people of the Eastern Commonwealth that Cinder is worth more than a ex-Lunar Queen, he is forced to cease their courting and marry off another. The turmoil of emotions he has to face as he comes across different situations everyday wish him think that he was braver to follow the one who has his heart.

*A mini-series made out of this: 1 2 3 4

Happy Fussings: "Well you are going to be there, you are going to be wife. I refuse to not take my wife everywhere with me."

Cinder getting anxious over meeting Torin and his family over a lunch date, Kai being the unhelping but cute partner like always.

Clandestine Visits “Dark lines, not scattered at all. You would not take many lovers in this life. No heartbreaks for you.”

In moments of busy schedules, Cinder and Kai take out time to visit the marketplace. Their evening takes a turn when they meet a mystic lady, some felicities are better kept uncovered.

Old Roses on a Summer Breeze: "I have never seen them. Why don't you invite them for New Year like we invite Mum's friends?"

Kai has lost multiple things in his short life but he has also gained more things than he could have imagined. A older Kai remebering his love for Cinder after he has moved on in life.

Romantic Diversions :"Nothing that a small 'I love my wife' can't suffice." 

A small encounter between the Emperor Kaito and the press where he is forced to take up his wife's favourite celeb to flee the media- this public encounter doesn't go unnoticed by Cinder as she decides to bring it up

Naptimes: “Do you want to join us, Boo?”

Much like it's name,Cinder indulges herself in a bit of nap after finding her husband asleep during work hours.

It's All Kismet: "You never know if it's an engagement ring," he reacted, trying to find a way out of the mishap he orchestrated. 

Kai is caught in a mishap, as Cinder finds the engagement ring he had been hiding and forces him to propose- his prolonged reaction makes her take matters in her own hands to be betrothed.

Mariages are Fragile: "I know, Cinder. I'm not trying to hide them from you. I just can't bear to tell it to you."

Kai is stressed about the always happening riots over his marriage to Cinder. Having found Kai in a state of dilemma, Cinder coerces Kai into expressing his concerns.

Distant Memories: "He invited me and Cress, well, to the New Year's Dinner. He says 'It's for the old time's sake'.

Thorne and Cinder talk about an invitation that has come along after a long time, discussing and remembering of lifetime they had shared with a certain Emperor.

Where Family Begins: “This isn’t really about having kids, is it?“ They might have said how you would be encouraged to remarry.“

Sometimes Cinder wonders what will Kai be asked to do if she fails to be a mother. On those days, she need someone to tell her that it's going to be ok.

Love Me Like a Dog: "Don't tell me you got distracted again," he sighs, throwing away the burnt veggies, "-I just told them you are the loml."

Cinder has a knack for getting distracted, somewhere between cooking and eating dinner, the two get a baby.

loml: "You loved Kai and so did he," Iko whispers, and Cinder ponders on the word loved, past tense. No one loves each other anymore.

When news of Kai's engagement reaches Kai, she wonders where it all went wrong.

are we gonna be alright?: "I don't think lovers come in the middle of the night for an argument. Neither do they come for an explanation-" "Then why do they come?"

Let Me Let You Go: "If we weren't meant to be together, why did we have to meet and fall in love?"

we have grown (but still haven't changed): "Don't torture a man with forsaken hope." "What if it's the truth, Kai?"

Kai and Cinder meet under the guise of international event, years after their break-up. This time when their paths are crossed, Cinder tries all she can to keep Kai in her life.

Multi-chapter:

Rumors- “Why was Torin looking at her as if he was questioning her sanity?!“

While conducting a meeting, Cinder says something that makes the matters worse for the royal couple. What did she say that brought immense amount of trouble to Kai and Cinder ? Will they solve the problem or Will that be the end for our favorite couple? 

Chapter List:

What was she thinking?!

Breaking the news..

The Dinner!

The Father She Never Had

The Brootp that accidentally became the OTP!

Sorry to Let you Down

Awkward Silence and Conflicts

The After-Effects- 

On Roads to Recovery

Now or Never

Hope you like it! :)

__

Dialogue Prompts

Sibling Prompts

Angst Prompts

Sad Friendship Prompts

[ofmymuses]

tw for mentions of animal neglect  &  animal abuse. please read with caution as it may be upsetting to read

to begin, my dad and his fiancee are not very nice people. they’re toxic and play it off as if they’re just joking. they don’t see what they’ve done / are doing as wrong and ignore / avoid confrontations about their actions and then act like the victims

so quite a few years ago now, my dad adopted a puppy named ozzy. he’s the sweetest bean ever. i love him so, so much. my brother has told me some really awful things in the past about what my dad done to him  -  (TW)  shouting at him for no reason, kicking him, purposefully hurting him (ex: pulling on his ear) and then saying he was just playing around when he yelps. not to mention they have rarely taken him to the vet  -  once or twice, maybe 3 times, in all the years he’s been alive. they also rarely properly bathe him  /  take him to a groomer

recently, they’ve adopted a new puppy named frank; my brother, my mom and i are very confused as to why they thought it would be a good idea to get a puppy when 1) they barely care for the dog they already have and 2) they’re getting older and might not be able to properly care for him within the next 5 - 10 years due to their age / health problems

frank is a typical puppy who’s hyper and playful. he’s always trying to play with ozzy; frank will get in his face and try to steal his toys, etc etc. but as you can imagine ozzy, who is an old boy now, doesn’t vibe well with the hyper energy of a puppy. he constantly growls and nips at him (which is very rare for ozzy to begin with) and my dad tells myself and my brother that they’re “just playing”  . .  but my brother has sent me videos of what it sounds like and ozzy does not sound happy in the slightest. i’ve seen two dogs play fighting and to me, it isn’t the same

(MAJOR TW)  i’m writing this up because my brother just said something to me that has caused major anxiety and idk what to do. he said that he, my mom and his friend all think they aren’t breaking up the dogs fighting because they want frank to give ozzy a heart attack so they don’t have to pay to put him down. and hearing that has broken my heart more than words can explain because ozzy is my baby and i would take him home with me in a heartbeat but i simply don’t have enough room in my home for him to live comfortably

i want so badly to confront my dad about this but i don’t know what to say or how to go about it. do i just outright say that that was said and ask whether or not it’s true? do i call a third party? do i start slow and ask why they got frank?  -  knowing my dad, he would lie and avoid his way out of the truth if what was said above is actually the truth but i can’t just not say something to that. ozzy (and frank) deserve so much better

i really need advice on what to do from here

(also a side note:  my brother and i have tried countless times over the years to talk to my dad about the way he and his fiancee treat ozzy but it has always been brushed aside, ignored or he said he’d be better and then doesn’t change his actions)

[smallestchances]

Almost Royal (2)

Long overdue?? Absolutely. Please forgive me? <3 Hope this was worth it!

Summary: (Y/N) is struggling more than she’d like to admit, and with the eve of her daughter’s birthday looming, she decided to give her daughter an unusual gift.

Pairing: Royal!Dean Winchester x Reader

Word Count: 2.4k

Warnings: Douchebag boss, small amount of angst, mention of death, etc.

Masterlist

Taglist: @that-one-gay-girl @fanfictionjunkie1112 @flamencodiva @hoboal87 @cutestdolans @anaissomnia @kbl1313 @fuzzycloudsz @hollymac79 @vicmc624 @roxytheimmortal @lunaticgurly @coffeebooksandfandom @A-dorky-book-keeper @nihilismworld​

“Order up for table sixteen!”

The constant murmur of the diner around you only gets louder, and you skirt around the tables and patrons as fast as you could. Sweat collects on your top lip and your brow, the too small uniform chafing in almost every crease.

“(Y/N)! I told you, order up for table sixteen!” Sal yells from the kitchen, his baritone voice causing you to grit your teeth. You drop off the most recent order you had in your hands, giving them a quick smile before rushing to pick up the food.

You try to avoid the greasy cook, but Sal gives you a cunning smile that only makes your skin crawl as you pick up the four plates, balancing them perfectly. As you reach for the last one, Sal pushes it too far off the counter with his spatula, and it falls helplessly to the floor with a crash. 

“What the fuck!” Is all that passes through your mouth, and before you know it the whole diner has gone silent. Your fellow coworkers only look on with sympathy in your eyes, and it doesn’t take long before the usual white noise falls back into place.

“That’s quite an unprofessional mouth you’ve got there,” Sal reprimands, and you have to clench your jaw to prevent yourself from spitting in his direction. “I think I’m going to need you to open up tomorrow in order to amend that.”

“Sal--” you choke out. “You, you can’t do that. I’ve requested tomorrow off for the past three years--I’m already closing, I can’t do an fourteen hour shift tomorrow--”

“Then I can just take it out of your next paycheck,” he shrugs, starting to redo the food he destroyed.

All you can do is swallow. “No, I...I’ll come in at 6.”

“And?”

“And I’ll close at 8,” you mumble. 

“Good girl.”

It takes everything in you to go to table sixteen with the food in your hand, apologizing furiously on the delay for the last patron’s food. They seem understanding enough, and it almost makes the tears you were holding back fall from your eyes.

You thank God that you get to leave after the lunch rush, and you try to avoid as many people as you could. Driving quickly to the store and then home, you allow yourself to let out all frustrations as you blast your music.

When you finally get home, you’re about ready to collapse onto your couch and sleep when a piece of paper taped onto the grate in front of your door stops you. All you have to read is the big bold words Eviction Notice before you rip it off and storm into your apartment.

As you descend into your basement apartment, it’s just as cold and dark as you remember. A candle flickers on the center table in your makeshift living room, slightly illuminating the backpack and shoes that were thrown haphazardly. It’s the sight of these that make you smile, and as you put down the bags, you sprint into an adjoining room.

“Happy birthday eve!!” You scream at the top of your lungs, jumping excitedly onto the bed covered in purple comforters, avoiding the body of your daughter as you smile brightly. She only groans, beneath you, shaking herself awake from her after school nap. You strategically flop onto her, still in your Sal’s uniform.

You lock eyes with a shade of green you know too well, and you snuggle into her. “How does it feel Opal? Have you grown three inches? Have you grown a shoe size?” You gasp. “A BOOB size??”

“Mom!” She laughs, pulling away from you to bring a pillow over her head. “I’m not even sixteen yet. I feel the exact same way I did yesterday.”

“You’re going to be sixteen,” you mumble to yourself, staring up at your ceiling. Opal uncovers her head to plop it onto your shoulder. “My baby is going to be sixteen! It feels like just yesterday I was making you mac & cheese while we watched cartoons on the sofa.”

“That was yesterday Mom.”

“Oh how the time flies!”

You both laugh together, and silence falls over you briefly. You watch the sun go down from the limited rays of light from the “windows”. Your heart tightens. “I’m sorry baby bear,” you mumble rushing on before she could interrupt. “You deserve more than this, more than I’ve given you--”

“This is more than enough Mama--”

“No, it’s not. And I know that.” You sigh. “The moment you were born, I promised to always provide you things to the best of my ability. I promised to  protect you--and through it’s come in the form of a wild basement with 90% thrifted clothes--”

“I love my wild basement and thrifted clothes--”

“My point is,” you pause. “I am going to try so much more. Harder than I ever thought was possible, starting today.” You reach into your pocket book on the floor for a bulky parchment held together by brown paper and twine. 

“How much money did you fit into there?”

You roll your eyes, nudging her softly. “Don’t be a little shithead”--she smiles brightly--”I can’t celebrate your actual birthday with you tomorrow.  I have the opening shift at Sal’s before going over to Rick’s to clean up. So, I have three presents for you.”

You and Opal shift into a sitting position. “Present number one: I have ice cream cake waiting for you in the freezer.”

“Friendlys?!”

“You know it. Present number two: I got Rick to let us use his place to bake some apple pies. We’d have to make him some, but as soon as you feel ready--”

“Let’s go now.”

“Geez Opal,” you giggle. “As soon as you’re ready, not tonight, we can go. Present number three,” you breathe in deeply. “You know your father is a sore subject for me.”

Opal immediately sits up more, her eyes searching yours. “Mom?”

You nod in confirmation, tracing your fingers lightly over the parchment. “In here...are memories of what we had.” You swallow hard. “Now, I’ll give this to you, and you will have fourteen questions you can ask me with full disclosure.”

“Full honesty?”

“Full honesty. After that, I will fulfill two requests of yours that are in my jurisdiction. All to get you to your sweet sixteen.”

Opal doesn’t say anything for a few moments. Then, she surges forward to embrace you tightly. “Mama,” she says through tears.

“Baby bear,” you respond, your voice thick as well When you pull back, you wipe away her fallen tears while you both smile. You place the package in her lap and she excitedly tears through it.

What she finds is photos. Piles of photos and letters and more letters and photos that illustrate the three years you had with the love of your life. There’s even hints of Sam in there, and you  watch carefully as she picks up a photo of Dean where he’s smiling brightly at the camera while on a boat--a smile that mirrors the one your daughter frequently wears.

“Mama,” she breathes. “This...this is a photo of King Dean. Why do you have a photo of King Dean?”

“Is that one of your questions?”

“No!” She amends, rewinding. “My father...is King Dean.”

“That’s wild.”

She flicks your arm. “Mom! I mean this is--I’m a--how?!”

“Excuse me,” you scoff. “Your mother’s a catch. And for that, you have 13 questions left.”

“Ah!” She exclaims, searching for words. “How did you two meet?”

“I worked all over the palace. I was a floater, I went where I was needed and coincidentally he was always there. He kept talking to me, we became friends, and eventually...one thing led to another.”

“Did you love each other?”

You swallow thickly. “With everything in us. Or at least for me. I’d always look for ways to see him, and he’s forgo royal duties just for me. We even got married, but I think it’s some sort of treason so I don’t bring it up.”

Opal’s jaw drops briefly. “What was he like?”

“Your father…” You pause. “Your father was one of the most selfless, bravest, stubbornest assholes I’d ever met. He was fiercely protective of his family, and he would sell his whole being if it meant the people he cared about were safe.”

“So when you say all men…”

“I only partially include Dean. 10 questions.”

“Who’s this?” She points to a group photo of you, Dean, Sam & Jess.

“That is your Uncle Sam.” You shift slightly. “He was my best friend. We were as thick as thieves within the palace, always getting into trouble. You wouldn’t believe the situations we got into.”

“And her?” She points to Jess.

“That’s Jess. His ex-fiancee.” Your heart lurches into your throat. “She was also my best friend, but things...Things went wrong when she went on a charity visit to a Rehabilitation Center. A patient got ahold of a gun, and she was shot.” A tear escapes your eye. “By the time anyone got to her, it was too late. She died instantly.”

Opal reaches for your hand, intertwining your fingers before squeezing tightly. You give her a close lipped smile. “Did Sam or Jess know about me?”

“Sam yes--we found out together actually. Jess passed away a year before it all happened.”

“Does my father know?”

Your heart beats incessantly against your ribcage, drowning in your ears. You’d prepared for this question, you could answer it. But even as you did, each word felt like liquid tar in your mouth. “The day I left, no.  I was too hurt to even seek him out…But when I had you, I thought he had a right to know just how much of a true gem had stemmed from our love. Every year, a week after your birthday, I sent him memories of us from the past year. Photos of you mostly. I never got a reply.”

Opal deflates, and your chest clenches. “Do you...do you see any of him in me?”

A smile flits to your mouth, “So much it hurts,” you let out a chuckle. “From your smile to your eyes to your goddamn apple pie, there’s no way I could forget him when he lives so much in you.”

“So why’d you leave?”

You can only stare at her, mouth paused in shock. You debate whether you should tell her the truth. 

“You said full honesty Mama.”

You close your eyes tightly, trying to catch even your faintest breath. “He um,” you clear your throat to dislodge the block forming. “He was too invested in running the country, and getting married to someone who wasn’t me--”

Opal leans into you, trying to offer some comfort. “Aww, Mama.

“The worst part is...is he didn’t tell me. I’d heard it from his m--from someone who was more than pleased to see us separated. I hadn’t heard from him for days, I’d just found out about you, and now here they were, threatening our lives if we didn’t get on our first plane out of there.”

“So you left without another word.”

You don’t answer.

“But--but maybe if you’d stayed, if he’d known about me we’d be together right now! You should’ve fought for him--”

“Fought for him?” You interrupted. “Opal, I had done nothing but fight for him. I would never leave his side and then--then he wasn’t the only person I had to fight for.”

“So who was it?”

“What?”

“Who made you leave? Who threatened us?”

“Opal--”

“Mom--”

“Don’t make me answer this.”

“You said full. Honesty.”

It takes everything in you to answer. “Your Grandmother.”

Opal lets out a breath and sits back heavily. “Well fuck.”

“I know,” you chuckle. 

You both don’t speak for a while. 

“Do you miss him?” She asks. 

“Everyday. Every time I think I’m over it, it comes back tenfold.”

“Does that mean you’d go back if you could?”

You but your lip. “I...I don’t know. That’s something I’d have to reevaluate if it ever came down to it.”

She nods thoughtfully.

“One more question baby bear.”

“...Which palace do they spend their most time in?”

You tilt your head, surprised at her last question. “That’s what you’re going to ask.”

“What can I say? I’m curious and a little bit of a daydreamer.”

Her last words break you a little more, so you tell her. She nods gratefully, and you lean forward to give her forehead a kiss. “Alright, do you want a slice of cake before we clonk out?”

Once again, to your surprise she shakes her head. “I’ll have some with you tomorrow, I think I might hit the bed now.”

“Okay.” You surrender, lifting yourself from the bed. “Good choice. Goodnight baby bear.”

“Goodnight Mama.”

You walk out of the room, and immediately Opal pulls out her phone to look up the palace. After some extensive digging and some slight dead ends, she finds a Redditt thread that swears by a palace address that’ll get her immediately to the inner circle. She quickly writes it down, and she finds a piece of paper and a few pencils.

With a deep breath, she starts to write.

It’s been about a week since your conversation with Opal, and work has been shitty. Nothing new, really, is all you can think as you wait patiently for Opal to meet you outside her school in your beat up car. Your vows to make things better seem to have fallen flat. Bills have started to drown you more than before, and you’ve recently been fired from Sal’s--you honestly don’t know how much longer you can keep your head above water.

Opal bounds to the car, humming and you give her an incredulous look. “Someone’s awfully chipper.”

“Well someone’s awfully a grouch,” she retorts.

“Well, we do live in a trash can,” you mumble, pulling away from the curb. “Baby bear, I gotta tell you something--”

“You got laid off.”

“I got--wait, how’d you know?”

“I heard you grumbling Wednesday night about Sal being a sleazeball who couldn’t keep his hands to himself.”

“Well--”

“And I found our eviction notice Mom.”

Blood rushes to your ears and you groan. “Look, I know this sounds bad, but we’ll be back on our feet before we know it, and this’ll all be behind us.”

“I know.”

You smile. “Thank you for your optimism baby bear.”

“Next time, I’ll charge you $25 for each optimistic phrase.”

You laugh heartily. “I’ll let you know when I can afford that.”

Pulling onto the side of your street, things are awfully quiet, though neither you nor Opal notice. Unlocking your apartment, you go down the steps only to freeze at the sight of apple green eyes you never thought you’d see again. 

“Dean?”

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

Look out for Part Three coming soon!

[tabloidtoc]

Us, January 11

You can buy a copy of this issue for your very own at my eBay store: https://www.ebay.com/str/bradentonbooks

Cover: Diets That Work -- Julianne Hough

Page 2: Red Carpet -- Stars flex their right to bare leg in high-slit dresses -- Dua Lipa, Cynthia Erivo, Kristin Cavallari, Bebe Rexha, Sydney Sweeney 

Page 3: Nicole Kidman, Jennifer Lopez, Ariel Winter, Hailey Bieber, Shay Mitchell 

Page 4: Who Wore It Best? Olivia Wilde vs. Natalie Portman, Ashley Greene vs. Rachel Zoe 

Page 6: Loose Talk -- Barack Obama joking about quarantining with his daughter Malia’s boyfriend, Pink revealing she broke her ankle and had a staph infection in addition to testing positive for coronavirus, Amal Clooney joking to husband George Clooney about the time and effort she put into her new 1000-page legal book, Miley Cyrus on feeling like she really made it after Cher slammed her 2013 VMAs performance, Anderson Cooper on being a dad to 8-month-old Wyatt 

Page 8: Contents 

Page 10: Hot Pics -- Blake Shelton and Gwen Stefani stopped at the music studio together in Pasadena 

Page 11: Tiger Woods and son Charlie teamed up for the PNC Championship in Orlando, Vivica A. Fox during a tropical getaway in Tulum in Mexico, Joe Jonas and Sophie Turner took a stroll around the village and did some shopping in Mammoth Lakes, California 

Page 12: Paris Hilton and Carter Reum in Sherman Oaks, Niecy Nash showed support for Regina King at a drive-in event for her film One Night in Miami in Malibu, Candice Swanepoel in a white bathing suit in Miami 

Page 13: Duchess Camilla held a virtual royal engagement in London, Dancing With the Stars couple Sasha Farber and Emma Slater were in a great mood while out and about just days after becoming American citizens in L.A. 

Page 14: Stars They’re Just Like Us -- Matt James hit the golf course in Jupiter in Florida, Renee Zellweger with an armload of packages in L.A., pregnant Emily Ratajkowski sipped on a beverage during a beach day in L.A. 

Page 15: Molly Shannon hopped on her bike after withdrawing cash from the ATM in L.A., Sandra Lee taking out the trash at her new place just days after moving out of the N.Y. home she shared with her ex Gov. Andrew Cuomo in Malibu

Page 16: Seeing Double -- mom match with their mini-me’s -- Serena Williams and daughter Alexis Olympia Jr., Sutton Foster and daughter Emily, Gabrielle Union and daughter Kaavia, Kylie Jenner and daughter Stormi, Cardi B and daughter Kulture 

Page 17: Kourtney Kardashian and daughter Penelope, Tamera Mowry-Housley and daughter Ariah, Eva Longoria and son Santiago, pregnant Kelly Rowland and son Titan 

Page 18: Lady Gaga’s hair looks great in all hues 

Page 20: Love Lives -- Lauren Burnham and Arie Luyendyk Jr. welcoming twins 

Page 21: Kevin Jonas commemorated his 11th wedding anniversary with wife Danielle by sharing a photo of the two posing at the very spot they met, Chrishell Stause is defending her new romance with Keo Motsepe against all of the conspiracy theories, Jamie Lee Curtis and Christopher Guest’s love was built to last 

Page 22: Just days after Shia LaBeouf was sued by his ex FKA Twigs for sexual battery and assault and emotional distress Shia was spotted making out with Margaret Qualley at LAX airport -- they’re very much in the honeymoon phase and Margaret’s totally smitten and she trusts he’s not the bad guy people say he is but Margaret’s loved ones are concerned about her new beau especially her mother Andie MacDowell who’s keeping an extremely close watch on the situation and if Shia so much puts a foot out of line she’ll come down on him like a ton of bricks -- Shia insists he’s a changed man and that he’ll never go back to those dark days ever again 

Page 23: Life behind bars hasn’t been easy for Mossimo Giannulli and he’s having a rough time -- he’s in Covid-19-related protective custody and spending almost all of his time in his cell has been very mentally taxing but he’s doing his best to stay positive by reading, writing letters to his family and planning future business ventures and turning to prayer when he feels weak 

* After relapsing in December John Mulaney is hoping to make 2021 a better year and he’s committed to a total change of lifestyle -- John who has been vocal about his decades-long substance abuse struggles and he had been on a really long run of bad habits that had turned his life upside down but his family and friends are standing by his side and they’re proud that he’s finally getting the help he so desperately needed for quite some time 

* Keeping Up With Us -- Maren Morris has officially cancelled her upcoming tour due to the ongoing coronavirus pandemic and is in the midst of working on her third album, Rachel Zoe was scarred for life after her 9-year-old son Skyler fell 40 feet from a ski lift, TikTok star Charli D’Amerlio and her family are getting their own reality series, Wilmer Valderrama and his fiancee Amanda Pacheco are expecting their first child, six months after The Weeknd put his Hidden Hills mansion on the market for $25 million his asking price has been slashed to just under under $22 million 

Page 24: A Day in Our Life -- Sistine and Sophia Stallone 

Page 25: Ariana Grande and Dalton Gomez are engaged -- she’s beyond excited and they are so in love and committed to spend the rest of their lives together and her loved ones approve of the real estate agent

Page 26: What Leah Remini Knows -- actress and Scientology critic Leah is calling out Tom Cruise for his on-set freak-out 

Page 28: Reality Bites -- these stars got their first moments in the spotlight appearing on unscripted TV shows -- Lady Gaga, Cardi B, Laverne Cox, Kesha 

Page 29: Aaron Paul, Josh Henderson, Emma Stone, Jamie Chung 

Page 31: Cover Story -- Survival of the Fittest -- how the hottest stars get and stay in shape -- Halle Berry 

Page 32: Julianne Hough, Jessica Simpson, Carrie Underwood 

Page 33: Weight Loss Winners -- Rebel Wilson, Tiffany Haddish, Adele 

Page 34: Jennifer Aniston, Gal Gadot 

Page 36: Kaley Cuoco, Jennifer Lopez 

Page 37: Power Couples -- Thom Evans and Nicole Scherzinger, Gabrielle Union and Dwyane Wade, Mark Consuelos and Kelly Ripa, Camila Cabello and Shawn Mendes 

Page 38: My Healthy Routine -- Kristin Cavallari, Miranda Kerr 

Page 39: Reese Witherspoon, Vanessa Hudgens 

Page 40: Style -- shades of glory -- Pantone’s Color of the Year for 2021 is actually two defining hues -- wear Illuminating Yellow and Ultimate Gray in myriad ways 

Page 42: Entertainment -- Gina Torres on her role on 9-1-1: Lone Star 

Page 43: 2021 movie preview 

Page 46: Fashion Police -- Gwen Stefani, Ashley Roberts, Lily Collins 

Page 47: Saweetie, Gavin Rossdale, Bella Thorne 

Page 48: 25 Things You Don’t Know About Me -- Brian Austin Green 

[sebabestianstan101]

Suit and Tie - 002

Pairing: Ceo!Bucky Barnes x Reader

Synopsis: You’re good at your job as the Secretary in The White Wolf Enterprise for years now, with a great set of friends and co-workers and a really hot boss, James Buchanan Barnes. You have a pretty decent work-relationship with him, even if you have to use all of your strength and self-control to not jump on him at every chance you get. Nothing exciting is really going on with your life, until your boss himself decides to spice things up a bit.

Themes throughout the series: Smut, angst, fluff, slight dom!bucky x sub!reader (nothing too crazy..), swearing, there’s probably going to be more as the story progresses

SERIES MASTERLIST  Teaser 001 

“Thank you, Tony. It’s always a pleasure to work with you.” 

Both men stand as they shake their hands after discussing the partnership. As expected, it went well between the two. They knew each other since college and were great friends, and now, they’re good business partners. 

“Likewise, Barnes,” Tony says smiling before giving him a pointed look, “I’m expecting your attendance at my wedding. You better fly your ass there, or I’m withdrawing from this contract we just signed.” 

He actually can’t, but knowing Tony he’d probably do his magic and make it possible. Bucky chuckles and feigns nervousness as he pretends to wipe off his sweat. 

“Well, I guess I have no choice but to fly to Barbados!” He exclaims before laughing. You discreetly smile in your laptop at their friendship. You have noticed that Bucky is very relaxed around Tony and not tense like he was in the last meeting with Alexander Pierce. That meeting did not go well and that stupid proposal from Pierce went down the drain along Bucky’s approval. You carefully watch Bucky nod as Tony updates him with his fiancee, Pepper Potts, with a happy look on his face. However, you also notice a hint of longing in his eyes as Tony talks about the love of his life. 

That is the only thing Bucky is missing. A billionaire and a CEO of one of the top manufacturing tech companies all over the world is not as fulfilling as it sounds when he’s got no one to share it with. Sure, he’s sexually active and still finds time to get on with women;  women who only care for his body and his money. He doesn’t even remember half their names. 

He longs for a partner – a life-long companion that he can fall in love and start a family with. At 38 years old, he’s way past the idea of only living to work. He wants to continue working while settling down. As he thinks of this, his gaze inadvertently drops at you, smirking when he caught you already staring at him. 

Your heart skips a beat, eyes slightly widening before looking back at the screen. Shit, he saw you. Your cheeks heat up, fully aware that he’s still looking at you, and you start to type random letters to busy yourself. You hear Tony bid his goodbye signaling that he’s leaving. You look back up and give the other CEO  a smile which he returns. 

Bucky clears his throat, grabbing your attention which makes you look back at him. You unconsciously start chewing your bottom lip and hope that he doesn’t mention your staring because you will definitely die of embarrassment.

“So,” he clasps his hands together, walking towards you, “I’m sure you heard my conversation with Tony. His wedding is in a week which means that I’ll be flying to Barbados and will be gone for 4 days,” he pauses before looking at your lips that you’re still chewing on to which he internally groans at. His eyes snap back up before continuing, “So, uh, work still continues, yeah? It won’t be much of a vacation since 4 days is a lot.” 

You nod in acknowledgement while preparing to start jotting down his reminders which he usually gives when he’s leaving for a trip. Your fingers position along the keyboards before humming, urging him to continue. 

“Since I have another board meeting to discuss, I’m going to be needing assistance all throughout as well as immediate communication. Normally, I’d have Wanda course everything, but she just took her Maternity leave, as you know, so I’ll have direct contact with you instead.”

You nod once again and smile, as you think about your friend with her firstborn. It’s crazy how you're the same age, but are living very different lives. You, being much lonelier and single. 

“Alright, Mr. Barnes. I’ll make sure to keep my line on so there will not be any delays. You can count on me on that,” 

He gives you a look for a brief moment before letting out a laugh and shaking his head. You look up at him in confusion, trying to figure out what was funny. Is he messing with you or..?

“I’m sorry, Y/N, I –– I think you misunderstood me,” he paused giving you a softer look, “You’re coming with me.” 

You blink. Once. Twice. 

If your heart kept skipping beats earlier, now it completely stopped. Did you hear him right? Coming with him? To Barbados? What? 

“What?” You voiced out your thoughts staring at him, dumbly, “I mean –– what? Are you serious?” 

Bucky smiles at your stunned expression, noticing how he gets you to lose your composed, professional state in seconds. He finds your disbelief adorable  as if he suggested something crazy. Technically, he did, but being a CEO means that his normal is far different from others. 

“Maybe I should have led with that but,” he takes a seat on his desk across you, “you don’t have to worry about anything. I’ll have you covered. We leave on Sunday so you should already start packing if you must.” 

You blink at him once again, a bit overwhelmed with the surge of information. Sure, you’ve travelled before, but it wasn’t as spontaneous as this. Who the hell casually asks someone to fly to an island with him – to his friend’s wedding,  at 11am in the morning?

 Oh, right. Rich people. 

“For the wedding…” You trailed off realizing that this was a personal event and you wouldn’t want to intrude.  You see the corner of his lips subtly turn upwards and  how amused he is at how you’re taking in all this. It was sudden, yes, but he almost wants to tell you to start getting used to it. 

“You’re coming with me, if that’s alright. Tony doesn’t really mind, and he already knows you. As usual, he really goes all out with everything and his wedding has a bunch of… pre-celebration events, if you would call it. So, yes, you’re coming with.” 

You slowly nod, and your heart warms at the thought of attending one of his best pal’s wedding with him. There’s something so personal with it, and you want to pinch yourself for having these thoughts. Clearly, it’s a work thing. 

“Is that alright? I do apologize for overwhelming you, but I figured it would be better to tell you as soon as possible.” He cuts your thoughts off. 

You smile at him and nod. Of course it’s alright. First, he’s your boss so technically, you have to do as he says. Next, you’re going on a trip with him. To an island. At his friend’s wedding. What more could you ask for? 

“Absolutely. Thank you, Sir.” 

-

“To Barbados, Nat. Barbados!” You frantically rummage through your summer/tropical clothing right when you got home to see if there’s anything you may possibly need while your cousin casually rests on your bed. “Uh,” you glare, “a  little help, maybe?” 

Natasha rolls her eyes at your flustered state. As she is  naturally a laid back person, your whole life together has consisted of you panicking and her telling you to chill. She suspects that it has something to do with your upbringing, as your mom constantly pressured you even as a child. She also thinks about your ex who treated you like absolute shit for 3 years, but you didn’t have the courage to break up with him until you finally did. 

She wants to thank your boss for bringing excitement into your life. You’re a very fun person to be around, but she also knows how little you give credit yourself, let alone, have fun. Natasha cares for you so much that she’ll kill anyone who’ll hurt you. She would’ve killed your ex if you didn’t stop her. 

“Y/N. Take a breath. You really won’t find what you need if you keep throwing your clothes across your room.” She says as she glances at the mess you made. 

“You’re right,” you sighed, “the lack of planning and the spontaneity of this whole situation is making my mind go crazy.” You make your way to your cousin and lie down beside her as she gives you a hug. Nat is really like your big sister. You wouldn’t have learned how to suck it up if it weren’t for her. 

She rubs your back comfortingly before giving you a tight squeeze, “Everything’s gonna be fine, Y/N/N. We can make a list of the things you need and start from there. Think of it this way,” she smirks and wiggles her eyebrows, “you’re going to Barbados with your extremely hot boss that you’ve been crushing on for the longest time. You might actually get it on with him.”

You hit her with a pillow before groaning as you bury your face into one. Your stress came from the sudden trip, and another was really cause you were very excited for it. The thought of spending time with Bucky made your whole body tingle of excitement. 

“Shut up! If only..” 

“It’s true!” She exclaims smiling at you. She can feel you relax, probably realizing that it’s not as bad as you visioned. 

Then suddenly, you tense up when your phone rings and tense up even more (if possible) reading the Caller ID. 

“Oh my god, it’s Bucky.” Shit. You clear your throat and take a deep breath before answering, “Hello?” 

Natasha is impressed with the way you were able to compose yourself so quickly, when you were literally dying on your bed earlier. She thinks it’s because of how many times you’ve done it in the past.

“Y/N, hello! I just wanted to give you a heads up so you don’t get surprised, but I felt a little bad for overwhelming you earlier. I will have something delivered to you in awhile, so just expect that.” 

“Delivered..? Like.. I mean, is it like –” you were cut off by the buzzing of your doorbell which Bucky must have heard. 

“It’s just a little something to make up for the short notice. Bring it as you pack.” You can hear him smile through the phone making you smile as well even if you were a little confused. 

“Oh, okay. Thank you, sir, you really didn’t have to.” 

Through the phone, Bucky smiles at how sincere and polite you sound. Suddenly, he just feels the need to spoil you with gifts, but he’ll have to wait. 

“Please, I wanted to. Now go, I think my chauffeur is at your place with my gift. Before you wonder why I know where you live, I have the files of my employees so don’t worry.” He chuckles to which you laugh at. 

“I figured,” you smile widely, “I’ll go grab the package, Sir. Thank you again.” 

“It’s my pleasure.” He says before ending the call. 

You and Nat stare at each other in anticipation before she tells you not to keep his chauffeur waiting and get the package. You open the door and you are greeted by Bucky’s chauffeur, Thor.

“Hello, Ms. Y/N. I believe Mr. Barnes has already informed you of this package he has intended for you to receive.” He smiles warmly with two boxes on his hands. 

“Oh, wow, there are two?” Your eyes widen at the expensive looking boxes resting on his hands. He was a big guy, so the one of the boxes didn’t look as large but as it was being handed over to you, you have come to realize that it was massive. “Thank you, Thor.” 

He nods and smiles in acknowledgement and you see him give you a knowing smile before leaving. Natasha excitedly runs towards you pulling you to your living room. 

“Holy shit! Oh my god, wait, open it now.” 

You let out a nervous breathy laugh before unboxing them. You open the first and gasp as you lift up a muted ocean-colored dress with intricate detailing of sheer lace. 

“Holy shit.” You repeat as you gawk at the beautiful dress. It feels expensive (and obviously is) and you almost didn’t want to accept it. You open the other and are met with a pair of simple dangling earrings with a matching dainty necklace. You read the card along with it, in his handwriting, 

For the wedding. 

                                James 

You stare at Nat and she stares back, both of you astounded at what just transpired. You think that because he’s a billionaire, he probably doesn’t think that this is a lot to give to someone –– his employee, but it really is a lot for you. You’re in shock as you stare at his gifts. On cue, your phone gets a notification indicating that you received a text message from the person consuming your thoughts. 

1 New Message –– Mr. James Barnes: 

I hope you like it.

You stare at your phone before typing,

 Mr. Barnes, I truly appreciate your gifts, but I don’t think I can accept these..

You chew on your nails, anxiously looking at Nat who was anticipating his reply as well. In a matter of seconds you receive a message from him.

It’s really just a simple something, and they will look perfect on you. I expect to see you wear them – that’s an order from your boss. :) 

Your heart swells and your face breaks into a smile. Simple something my ass. 

003

A/N: Please send an as if you want to be tagged! As usual, feedback, comments, likes and reblogs are deeply appreciated!  ++ requests open if anyone is interested. Keep safe, loves!

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[shadowhuntertrash]

*Slowly raises hand*

I would like to hear this story. 👀

Okay so my parents love story. (This gets long so imma add a read more)

My mom was raised by a single mother and three older brothers. Her dad was physically abusive and he left when she was seven.

She wasn't very big in school since her mom worked all the time to support the family, there was no one there to make sure she didn't skip or anything.

My dad had three half brothers (two from his mom's previous marriage and one from his dad's) so he was younger and his dad was the pastor at their church so they were very religious which made him rebel obviously.

So my parents met when my mom was in 7th grade and my dad was in 6th (they're 22 days apart but in separate grades because their birthdays are in August.)

So they got really close and were like best friends and flirted a lot. They started dating when my mom was in 9th grade and my dads mom HATED my mom because it was a small town and her brothers were all rebellious and were very notorious for being bad.

So yeah my grandma hated my mom because she thought she was a bad influence on my dad (he liked to drink and smoke from a very young age but that had nothing to do with my mom)

So they dated for a while (my mom was drill team captain and my dad was football captain as well as a baseball and soccer player)

Eventually they got in this big fight and broke up and then a few months later my dad wrecked his motorcycle and ended up in the hospital.

So my mom shows up cause his friend called her BUT my grandma called this other girl that she wanted my dad to date so they showed up at the same time and my mom was like REALLY?

And my dad was like I didn't want her i wanted you so anyway the other girl left and my mom stayed begrudgingly. They got back together the next month.

So my dad decides to go to college while my mom doesn't because she doesn't have the money. So he leaves and they break up because they don't want to do long distance.

So eventually my dad's rebellious side won out and he was kicked out of school which led him moving back home where he finds my mom engaged to someone else.

So he's not about to mess up her happiness but like obviously he still loves her so they get close again and they're best friends again and so my mom and her fiancee get in this big fight because he thinks she's cheating with my dad and she's like if you dont believe me when I say I'm not then maybe we shouldn't get married

So they call the wedding off and my dad finds out about the fight and comforts my mom before going and bEATING THE SHIT OUT OF HER EX FIANCEE

So yeah over the next few months they get closer and eventually get back together. Now my dad is about to go join the army and the only way my mom can stay with him is if they're married. So they get married at 19 and then things fall through and he doesn't leave.

So they're married and get the news a year later (right when they turn 20) that if they don't have kids now my moms body won't be able to have any biologically

So now they're parents at 21 and my dad is working at a hardware store and my moms a photographer at Macy's (I think) and it takes a while and there were hard days but anyway

They've been together for 22 years now and they're still sickeningly in love. They've fought cancer, surgeries, and accepting lgbtq+ kids