#Best Wellness Coaching in Morgan Hill
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Explore the Best Wellness Coaching in Morgan Hill
The importance of overall well-being cannot be overstated, and Morgan Hill recognizes the significance of holistic healthcare. For those seeking guidance on leading a healthier lifestyle, the city offers the services of the Best Wellness Coaching in Morgan Hill. These coaches empower individuals to make positive choices, fostering a balanced and healthier life.
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tell.
Aaron Hotchner x Gender Neutral Reader
a/n:Â i cannot tell yall how long i have been working on this one, so i'll save it. thanks to @ssaic-jareau for hanging in there with me as i pulled late nights to make this happen over the weekend!! i love you!! i know it's broad daylight for you while im being irresponsible, but i appreciate it nevertheless. let me know what you think, my lovelies! i cherish your thoughts!
words:Â 7.4k warnings:Â language, discussion of sex, canon-typical case events
summary: âwe are not people who touch each other carelessly; every point of contact between us feels important, a rush of energy and relief.â veronica roth, allegiant. au!may 2012
masterlist | a joyful future masterlist | ajf faq | requests closed!
Itâs always tough to spend time away from home when you arenât on a case, but a conference kept you from your boys the last couple of days, on Straussâs request. Aaron was none too happy about it, but as the junior-most agent in the unit (even with five years under your belt), the shitty seminars and professional development events fell on your shoulders.Â
Even though you landed early in the morning, flying coach all the way back from California, there was a whole day with Jack waiting for you and Aaron upon your return. A rare Saturday - no case, no paperwork, just family.
You knock on the door with a knuckle, unable to reach your keys around your bags and breakfast.Â
Aaron opens the door with a âHey!â coated in laughter, kissing your cheek. Heâs still in his pajamas.Â
You squint at him. âAm I early?â
He snorts. âNever. Weâre running late.â He takes the takeout bags and coffee from your hands. âThank you for breakfast.âÂ
âOf course. I wanted -âÂ
Jack runs across the apartment and slams into you full force. âYouâre home!âÂ
You curl around him, your hands on his head and shoulder as he cuddles into you. âI am! I missed you.â
âI missed you, too.â
His voice is muffled by your shirt and it makes you smile. You glance at Aaron over Jackâs head to find a smile.Â
âCome look at our fort!â Jack, wearing a blanket cape, takes you by the hand and brings you into the dining room, where the dining room table has been turned into a massive fort fit for a king.Â
Or, rather, two kings.Â
âOh my goodness, Jack. This is incredible, little bug. Your architectural prowess knows no bounds.â You look up at Aaron from your place on the floor. âWhereâs your cape?âÂ
His deadpan, as usual, never fails to make you laugh. âUh, Iâm wearing it.âÂ
Jack continues to drag you all the way under the table until youâre laying on your bellies in the little slap-dash shelter.
Aaron flops down on the floor on the other side of Jack. âWe slept in here all night.âÂ
âReally? That sounds like so much fun.âÂ
What you mean is, What, with your bad back?Â
âMmhmm,â he replies, only to really say -Â
Yep. I feel like shit.Â
âCan we sleep in here again tonight, Dad?â Jack asks, turning to Aaron. âAll together?âÂ
You exchange a glance with Aaron, who laughs.Â
So much for grown-up plans...
+++
Youâre both scrambling to get ready for the bike ride across the mall and day at the Smithsonian when the phone call comes in.Â
âHotchner,â Aaron says, still at the counter, tucking his phone under his chin as he finishes packing the rest of the picnic basket.Â
He freezes, hastily bagging some carrots and putting them in the basket before holding the phone in his hand and leaning heavily against the counter. âYouâre kidding.âÂ
Thatâs not a good tone.Â
Jack looks up at you, and you rest your hands on his chest over his shoulders, backing him into you as you watch Aaron with your lip between your teeth.Â
âDid they raise the terror alert?â
Shit.Â
âOkay. Thatâs for the best. UmâŠâ He checks his watch. âIâll get down there now. YeahâŠ.Do you need the rest -âÂ
With a huff, he meets your eyes and nods.Â
You let out a sigh and kiss Jackâs head. He knows the drill and runs off for your phone, still charging in the bedroom.Â
âUnderstood, maâam. Iâll be there first. We gotta get Jack squared away but Iâll get going while -â He pauses, probably interrupted by Strauss again. âThank you...Yes...Iâll be there as soon as I can and the rest of the team will meet at the scene.âÂ
You know that also means you. You also canât ignore the prick of anxiety that shoots through your belly, knowing heâll likely be in danger without you for at least a half-hour.Â
Jack returns with your phone, Jessica already on the line.Â
+++
Aaron, of course, leaves right away while you wait for Jess.Â
You sit on the couch with Jack. âIâm so sorry, buddy. Weâll have to do a big day, just the three of us, another time.âÂ
Jack shrugs. âItâs okay. Sometimes you just gotta catch the bad guys.âÂ
The offhand nature of his understanding strikes you as instantly hilarious, and he laughs with you when you double over, wiping tears from your eyes.Â
âYeah. Sometimes you just do, kiddo.âÂ
+++
When you finally arrive at the scene, Daveâs already set up hostage negotiation. You cross the street, finding Will and JJ huddled with Emily and Derek.Â
âYou okay?â You ask, placing your hand on Willâs shoulder. Heâs not just JJâs not-husband. Heâs your friend, too, all on his own.Â
âYeah, jusâ fine.â He shakes his head. âJusâ a little rattled, is all.âÂ
âUnderstandable.âÂ
His mouth presses into a thin line as he exhales. âThanks.â He checks his watch. âYâall should get on back. I think Strauss just showed up.â
JJ kisses his cheek and trots off to meet the rest of the unit. After another hug for Will, you follow suit.Â
+++
âThe media's calling them the Face Cards. Seven bank robberies in seven months. They've killed one person at each robbery.â Aaron leads the rest of you to the trailer, where the monitors are all set up.Â
Dave furrows his brow. âM. O.?âÂ
âSingle gunshot wound. Each of the victims has bled out.âÂ
That doesnât make much sense.Â
You jump in. âSerial killers with a 30-day cooling-off period and we're only just hearing about this now?âÂ
âWell, headquarters has always characterized them robbers first and killers second,â Aaron replies, glancing back at you. You roll your eyes.Â
Of course they did.Â
âNo one kills seven people without serious psychopathic tendencies,â Spencer notes. Heâs more than right, and you thought the same thing - itâs almost like he took the words out of your mouth.Â
âI disagreed with the original assessment. I was overruled.â Aaronâs bland version of frustration is clear in his tone, but he knows, just as you do, that ship has sailed. All you can do now is handle whatâs in front of you.Â
âSo why are we here now?â Dave asks.Â
âBecause crisis negotiation is overseas.âÂ
Aaron starts to walk again as JJ asks after more information. Aaron usually rattles it off pretty quickly, but with the quick start this morning, you know he trusts the rest of you to ask the questions you need. âWhat more do we know about them?Â
âThey're organized, they're efficient. Each strike lasts about two minutes.âÂ
Derek, walking beside you, finally joins the conversation. âThey gotta be scouting the banks in advance. Why haven't we been able to identify them off of surveillance footage?âÂ
âThey hack the security feed and turn off the cameras, both during the initial canvass and during the robbery, until the masks come back on, and then we're allowed to watch.â Aaron leads you all into the tactical staging truck, watching the security feeds.Â
+++
As you continue to watch, the scene becomes clearer, the power dynamics more tangible.Â
Dave sees it, too. âThey're using the hostages as human shields.âÂ
JJ, with Will beside her, studies the footage, watching the Queen run around while the King finds himself preoccupied with the Jackâs wound. âThis is the first time they've been interrupted. What went wrong?â
âIt's a big bank,â Emily says. âIt's possible they weren't about to round everybody up before someone triggered an alarm.âÂ
Thatâs a fair point, but you ask your question anyway. âWhy haven't they cut the feed now that they've been cornered?â
Derek, still beside you, answers. âLetting us see inside gives up a tactical advantage. They gotta know that.âÂ
They don't seem to care,â Aaron says, from your other side.Â
Youâre all silent for another minute, watching to see what happens next. Even though their plans went awry, the team still looks fairly calm and collected, all things considered.Â
JJâs frown only deepens. âThey're overconfident. Arrogant, even.âÂ
âThe face card masks add to their narcissism.â Spencerâs voice comes from the end of the line. âTheir personas are the royalty of poker.âÂ
You nod - itâs a great point - while Aaron starts making assignments. Â
âJJ, Reid, and Prentiss, look at past robberies. That's gonna be our victimology. Pull another analyst if you need to.â He turns to you, then Dave, on his other side. âI want you two to handle negotiations. And, Morgan, strategize tactical options with MPD.âÂ
You shuffle, gathering your radio and earpiece from the charger next to Penelopeâs computer.Â
When the rest of the team leaves, you hang back with Dave, keying into the radio channels and standing by for further instruction - you know thereâs more for you in the trailer at the moment.Â
Further instruction, though, may have to wait. Strauss climbs the steps into the rig and Aaron greets her. âChief Strauss.âÂ
âThe Director ordered me to supervise your operation.âÂ
Of course he did.Â
âPuts you right in the spotlight,â Dave says, not unkindly. Itâs almost fond.Â
You canât help but hold back a little bit of a smile. If the situation were reversed and it was Aaron at the helm, youâd be proud of him, too.Â
âWell, you've got gunmen with hostages in the Capital. The Hill's concerned.âÂ
Aaron nods, gesturing to you and Dave. âWe're about to open lines of communication.â
âWhat about a tactical assault?â
The three of you shake your heads as Aaron responds. âI don't think it's a good idea. There are hostages in front of the doors and windows.âÂ
Erin, finally onboard, turns to Dave. âWhat's your negotiation strategy?âÂ
âThe Jack's bleeding out. They'll ask for medical attention.âÂ
You hum, a little skeptical, and look back at the feed. âThe female unsub might have something to say about that. Look at her body language.âÂ
Dave follows your gaze. âShe is cold and detached. The King seems genuinely concerned about his partner's welfare. But she couldn't give a damn.âÂ
Your eyebrows raise. âThe men probably know each other.âÂ
Aaron, picking up on your train of thought, flags Penelope, âGarcia?âÂ
She turns in her chair, already typing. âShuffling my techno-fabulous deck of databases, sir.âÂ
And so it begins.Â
+++
âIâll do the talking - Iâll need to establish some rapport with them, but Iâll need you keeping the team updated and coordinating any allowances or personnel as things come up, okay?âÂ
You nod, a little smile pulling at the side of your mouth. âYou got it.âÂ
Dave claps your shoulder. âYouâll be in this chair one day, so pay attention.âÂ
âYes, sir.âÂ
He dials in and the phone starts ringing through the speaker. Youâll be able to hear everything.Â
âWho the hell's this?â You check the monitor. The King picked up the phone.Â
Obviously, the Jack canât pick up the phone, stupid, heâs bleeding out!
âMy name is David Rossi. I'm with the FBI. To whom am I speaking?âÂ
The King doesnât address the question, but rather looks back toward his fallen compatriot. âAll right, I want a doctor sent in, and then I want out of here.âÂ
Dave checks his watch. âWell, we certainly can discuss that. Let the hostages go and we'll give you all the medical help you need.âÂ
You take a mental note. Your memories from Daveâs lectures at the academy are fuzzy at best, and you havenât had very much time handling these things in the field. The last time a major hostage crisis was at hand, you were a hostage yourself.Â
A shot hostage, if the chronic nerve pain in your shoulder is any reminder.Â
âI can't do that. I need the leverage.âÂ
âHow about a sign of good faith? Send out the women and children and I'll see what I can do.âÂ
You watch as the King takes the phone away from his mouth. You can vaguely hear him update the Queen, but sheâs not having it. She pulls a child from the lineup and your lower lip disappears between your teeth.Â
A man, you presume the girlâs father, speaks to the Queen before she shoots him in the abdomen. The King gets back on the line.Â
âYou better send in some more help or more people are gonna die.â He hangs up.Â
Shit.Â
+++
âYouâre not seriously considering sending an agent in there?â You turn on Hotch and he sighs, pressing his fingers to the bridge of his nose.Â
âWe donât have much of a choice. Iâm not the authority on-site and with the director pressing Strauss, thereâs not much I can do.âÂ
The two of you are alone for the time being, so youâre able to rib him for a second to lighten the tension.Â
âWhatâs the point of being unit chief if you canât lord it over everyone all the time?âÂ
You're rewarded with a shadow of a smile and a snort. âDonât be ridiculous. I lord it over you plenty.âÂ
âNot enough.â Your tone is childish, the words murmured under your breath.Â
When he walks away, he taps the side of your ass with the back of his hand. If you werenât in a professional setting, you could mistake it for a promise.Â
But, Aaron, that would be unprofessional!
You turn to look at him and just catch his wink as he hops up the steps behind Strauss.Â
+++
With Garciaâs magic and Aaronâs genius, you figure out that the men are related.Â
While Rossi hops on the next phone call, you help Derek outfit the medic with a bug and a weapon.Â
âWe're sending in the medic now, Chris. Tell Oliver help is on the way.âÂ
Derek nods at the medic and he hops off, heading into the bank. You jog over to the trailer only to find a humorously horrified look on Straussâs face.Â
âIs sheâŠâÂ
You get closer, looking up at the monitor.Â
â...putting on lipstick?âÂ
You scoff. âSheâs vain. Only contributes to a profile of vanity and narcissism. She likes to be seen - this is a game for her.âÂ
You jog back out before Strauss can respond, taking your place between Aaron and Derek.Â
âGreen. You gotta go. Green. Go,â Derek says into his mic.Â
The agent-turned-medic makes a move and immediately gets a shot between the eyes for his trouble. Your hand files over your mouth and Derek ducks away, taking a second.Â
Well, that couldnât have been any worse.Â
You look at Aaron, still staring at the screen, beside you. Heâs thinking the same thing.Â
+++
Derek walks up to you, kevlar and sunglasses firmly in place. âTactical's been deployed, snipers are moving into position.âÂ
At your questioning look, Strauss clarifies. âThe Director's ordered a full tactical assault.âÂ
The look doesnât leave your face. âHis last orders cost us an agent.âÂ
Radio transmissions fly one ear and out the other, not to mention the flurry of activity around the negotiation tent. Before Strauss can reply, Willâs call shoots past you to Aaron.
âSWAT's getting itchy fingers.âÂ
Aaron turns, covering his comm mic at his chest. âYou remind SWAT that bank robberies are federal jurisdiction. No one fires until they're ordered to.âÂ
âRight.âÂ
Will disappears and you suppress a little pleased shudder. Aaronâs very much in control now and it is doing things to your body that are better suited for, well, anywhere else. You tighten the velcro across your chest as if to compress another rush of⊠nothing useful.Â
Aaron turns back to you, Dave, Derek, and Strauss. âAll right, when the crossfire starts, what's gonna happen to the hostages caught in the middle?âÂ
The question is a trap, and Dave doubles down. âThat's the wrong call, Erin, and you know it.âÂ
Strauss falters for a minute, leveling with the rest of you. âIt's not my call.âÂ
Aaron doesnât let up. âYou're here and you're in charge.â His tone is sharper than yours would be in the same situation, but youâre nearly fifteen years younger and a whole four steps down on the totem pole.Â
Not for the first time, a rush of affection and gratitude for him crests over your in a wave and you have to look away, taking a deep breath to collect yourself. When you look back, heâs watching you.Â
Iâm okay.Â
He nods as Erin speaks again.Â
âSo you want me to disobey the Director?â Erin sounds dubious, at best.Â
Dave responds quickly. âYes.âÂ
Aaron amends, and if the situation wasnât so tense his correction would almost be funny. âNo. I just want you to buy us a little time.â He pauses, wavering for a second as he rephrases. âDon't be quite so efficient.âÂ
Youâre never surprised by Aaronâs political savvy, but it is a nice reminder that he can run circles around every bureaucrat in the district if given the chance.Â
âWhatever you're gonna do, do it fast.â
+++
âItâs an impossible ask, Dave. You know JJ will never go for it.âÂ
âItâs not up to JJ.â Aaronâs voice approaches from behind you. âItâs the directorâs call, but mine first.âÂ
He comes to rest beside you as Dave leaves the two of you alone.Â
âWhat are you gonna do?â You look at Aaron, finding his eyes trained on the monitor, arms crossed over his chest.
He sighs. âIf it was you he asked for...âÂ
You bump his shoulder. âWhat, not interested in feeding me to serial killers today?âÂ
Itâs a loaded joke, especially for the two of you, but after Emily, youâre past such things. If the situation were reversed, Haley would never stop giving you hell for getting serial-killed the way she did. Itâs only fair to return the favor.Â
âOver my dead body, baby.â He reaches down to squeeze your hand for a second before letting you go. âDo me a favor?âÂ
âAnything.âÂ
âStay here.âÂ
+++
You can hear JJâs anguished shouts from here, beside Dave and the phone.Â
Derek has a good enough hold on her, Emily and Aaron protecting him from JJâs wild elbows. Sheâs beside herself but eventually breaks free and sprints back toward the trailer. You turn to follow her, just in time to hear a gunshot.Â
Will.
+++
Youâre all gathered in the trailer as JJ asks the same questions over and over again. Garcia, just like the first time, doesnât have any answers.Â
The static on the monitors is nearly deafening in its silence.Â
JJ looks at you for a moment and takes a shaky breath before looking at Hotch. Her eyes are red-rimmed and her voice is broken when she speaks. âAaron.â
You know heâs never been able to deny her anything. In the entire time youâve known him, itâs one of the few things that hasnât changed.Â
His eyes donât budge from hers. âWeâre going in.â
+++
You press the heels of your hands to your eyes, trying to stem the stinging from the heat and debris. Your ears ring and youâve got a scrape on your chin from where you face-planted into the asphalt.Â
Eventually, you remove your hands and open your eyes to the early summer sunshine. Your bias is clear enough - Aaronâs the first one you look for and the first one you find.
Heâs looking a little dazed and more than a little ruffled, but alive.Â
Ignoring the whine in your ears and swiping some blood off your face, you jog over to him, taking stock of him from head to toe. âYou alright?â
He doesnât answer right away, and you realize he probably canât hear you. An image of Kate reaching for you and the smell of blood flashes into your head, but you push it away.Â
His earâŠ
âAaron?â You lay a hand on his shoulder and he startles a little, meeting your eyes and coming back to himself all at once.Â
He puts his hands on your shoulders, tipping your jaw up with one finger to examine your chin. âYouâre hurt.â
âHoney, Iâm fine. Your earâŠâ You follow a small trickle of blood up the side of his neck, rounding him to get a better look. Just as youâd feared, his bad ear is bleeding again.Â
He waves off your concern and taps his comm mic, calling for support in quick, clear soundbites. You snag the back of his vest before he can get too far away from you.Â
âAs soon as youâre done with that, please get it looked at.â
With a sigh, he nods and gestures to your chin. âI will if you do.â
You roll your eyes.Â
âWhereâs Emily?â You hear Morgan ask JJ as they get their bearings around you.Â
With a start, you follow them into the building, attached to a couple of SWAT agents. You know Aaron will get after you for going in before everythingâs cleared by bomb squad, but you canât keep still.Â
The heartache you feel for JJ supersedes anything else going on in your head. Itâs something that plagues you all the time - the both of you doing this job. Losing Aaron in the field is a stark reality you can hardly consider at any point, especially when evidence of its reality is right in front of you.Â
+++
Aaron canât help himself - he pulls you close after youâre both released by the paramedics, pressing a kiss to your head. Itâs almost desperate as he leans back and pulls your collar from your vest, his hands smoothing over your shoulders.Â
âI need to debrief SWAT and first responders - can you stay with Dave and help with the media?âÂ
âOkay. Let me know if you need any extra hands - Iâll send âem right over.âÂ
He smiles at you, soft, small, and affectionate. âThank you.âÂ
+++
You pull your phone from your pocket.Â
She picks up on the second ring. âYeah?â
âHey, Jess.âÂ
âHey.â She pauses. âYou okay?â
With a shaky sigh, you reply. âYeah. Iâm fine. Aaronâs fine.âÂ
âI heard about the explosion. Is there anything I can do?âÂ
âNo, weâre fine. Just...Just stay out of the city.â After another breath. âIs Jack okay?âÂ
She laughs a little. âYeah. Heâs fine. Heâs a little anxious but I turned off the TV and weâre headed out to the park for a little while.âÂ
âGood.â You look over at Aaron, who holds your eyes for a second before returning to his EMS strategy huddle.Â
âBe safe and come home to us soon, okay?âÂ
âYeah. We will. We love you. Tell Jack we -â
â - Of course.âÂ
+++
You follow Spencer through the debris once youâre done handling the media storm with Dave. Picking through the rubble, searching for something - anything - but not finding much.Â
Derekâs voice echoes through the ruined, cavernous space that used to be the main lobby. âEverything they've said and done was for a reason. But what doesn't make any sense is she switched the negotiation demand. Chris wanted to go to Switzerland. She changed it to Chad.âÂ
âThey also requested a private plane,â you note, âbut no mention of a pilot.âÂ
Spencer stops, and you almost run into him. Emily stops as well, looking back at the pair of you as Spencer organizes his thoughts. When heâs ready to speak, he says, âGuys, if you think about it, even the dates mean something. In 2004, while she was wreaking havoc abroad, he was dishonorably discharged. Then in 2008, they likely met in Chad. And now this in 2012.âÂ
Good thought. But then again, when is one of Spencerâs thoughts bad?Â
Itâs a decent enough question, and you run the gamut of all the surprising and absurd things Spencerâs said in your presence over the years. One in particular comes to mind.Â
Evil twin, eviler twin.Â
You hold back a little laugh, despite the harrowing circumstances.Â
Yeah, that one was pretty bad.Â
âOkay.â Derek grabs your attention again. âSo, is it a coincidence that those are all election years and they attacked D.C.? Maybe this is a political statement.âÂ
Emilyâs eyes are stuck on something on the ground, but youâre not sure if itâs what sheâs really looking at. âNo. It's more personal than that. It's their story.âÂ
Derekâs brow pinches. âWhat?âÂ
âAll of the details are a part of their story.âÂ
She starts to leave through one of the shattered windows and you follow her back to the trailer, Spencer and Derek not far behind. She hops up the steps and you take your place beside Aaron once youâre all inside. Itâs much cozier in here, with eight of you.Â
Spencer fills the rest of the team in on your conversation inside. Unsurprisingly, itâs rote - read like a cold script.Â
Emily picks up when heâs done. âTheir timeline suggests they were both destructive before they met.âÂ
âSo we're talking about ex-military turning on their country.â Strauss looks and sounds skeptical, but you canât blame her. In American culture, itâs rather incongruous.Â
Now who sounds like Spencer?
âIt's rare, but soldiers become disenfranchised no matter what the nationality. And if he met someone like-minded at that time, there'd be no stopping them.â
âSo you're thinking they met during the civil unrest in Chad in '08.â Aaronâs voice isnât skeptical - more probing. You can see the wheels turning behind his eyes.Â
âYeah,â Spencer says. âAnd one or both of them are pilots.â
âSo if Garcia concentrates on that region,â Emily points to an area on a map, lit up on the monitor, âspecifically weapons running in and out of Libya, there's a good chance we'll find their paths crossed.â
Penelope types furiously for a moment, her fingers flying over the keys. âOkay, multiple entries into Libya for a private pilot named Matthew Downs in '08, but I don't have her name.âÂ
âWell, because she had aliases. It's the only way to stay a ghost.âÂ
Looks like Emilyâs Interpol knowledge is coming in handy.Â
She continues. âHere's the thing - they are a couple. Regardless of what we believe of them, they will celebrate themselves and their connection.â She turns to Penelope, a thought sparking behind her eyes. âIs there anything that happened on this date in Chad?â
âOh, you are good, Emily Prentiss.â Penelope types for a moment and you lean forward, watching her work. âBut this news is not. Yes, there were multiple explosions on this date in '08.âÂ
Aaron speaks from beside you. Heâs a little closer than you thought, and it startles you a little.Â
In fairness, youâre still jumpy from the explosion.Â
âWhere were the most casualties?âÂ
âAt a church-- no, no, a train. Yep.âÂ
Morgan squints at the photos of the hulled-out building. âSemtex and C-4?â
Penelope nods while Aaron turns toward Strauss. âAre trains still arriving at Union Station?â
âYes, but only the authorities are allowed in.â Thereâs a moment where she almost looks panicked, but collects herself as the rest of you gear up to leave.Â
Emily exhales down her nose. âThatâs why they needed Will.âÂ
+++
Aaron drives impossibly fast through the district. You sit in the back seat with Emily, holding onto the handles above the door for dear life.Â
Youâve never flashed your badge so many times in such a short period. Aaron tucked his badge into a strap of his vest, just to save time, but still has his credentials locked between his fingers as he drives. If you didnât trust him so much, it would freak you out a little. Â
+++
The comm in your ear crackles as Emily speaks. âI found Will.âÂ
âIs he mobile?â Aaronâs voice comes both from beside you and your comm - itâs a little disorienting, but you push through.Â
âNegative. He's got 6 transmitters on him and this whole place is gonna blow.â
Thereâs hardly a hesitation in Aaronâs steps as he processes the information. âAll right, where are you? I'm on my way.âÂ
Heâd like to think heâs made of steel.Â
Sometimes he is.Â
âNo,â Emily asserts. âYou gotta get everyone out. Is the bomb squad here yet?âÂ
âThey're 3 minutes away.âÂ
âCopy.â She sounds a little disappointed, or maybe frustrated, but doesnât say anything else.
He turns back to you, holding you by the shoulders. âI want you leading evacuation. Get out of here.âÂ
Tears prick at your eyes and honestly, this is the first moment youâve really been afraid. Existentially afraid. Afraid of walking out of this train station and leaving Aaron and Emily and Will to blow up. âIâll see you later?âÂ
âYep. Go.â He tries to push you away, but you resist.Â
âPromise?âÂ
His brown eyes soften as his mouth presses into a thin line. âCanât. I love you. Get outta here.âÂ
You bounce on your toes for a second, acutely aware youâre wasting valuable time, before yanking him forward to kiss his cheek before you sprint away from him, shouting instructions to the panicked crowd as you go.Â
+++
You catch up with Derek, racing to catch your suspect. He corners him in an alley but canât quite overpower him. You reach for your sidearm, but by the time you take aim, Downs is already on the ground, a gunshot ringing through the air.Â
Startled, you turn over your shoulder to find Aaron still staring down the sight of his Glock.Â
Could take an eye out, with that thing.
You sigh and holster your weapon. Derek looks plenty dazed and you donât blame him. Itâs not often heâs on the receiving end of a near-miss in close combat. He looks over your shoulder and you can see something pass between him and Aaron.Â
Maybe one day, Derek will know how much Aaron loves and respects him.Â
You watch Derek shake it off and stumble as he attempts to rise to his feet.Â
Today is not that day.Â
Coming to your senses, you trot forward and help him to his feet, brushing wayward asphalt off of him. You turn back to Aaron. âEverything alright?âÂ
He ignores you, pressing the mic at his chest as he begins to run back toward the station. âPrentiss, whatâs your status?â
+++
Seeing Will and Emily leave the building in one piece is a relief. You meet Aaronâs gaze and his eyes are exhausted. The gears in his head still whir. Heâs still in game-mode, and itâs a good thing.Â
With the logistical nightmare of two bomb threats in one day, thereâs a lot of work ahead of you.Â
+++
You swing back and forth in your desk chair, brain completely numb from the paperwork. Itâs been a long day, and youâve been up since three this morning, what with your flight back from California. Youâre certain youâve had longer days than this one, but youâre approaching twenty-one hours without sleep and it feels worse than you remember.Â
What were we planning to do today?
A bike ride and museum day with Jack seems impossibly long ago. Last week, maybe.
Derek and Emily sit on their desks, attempting to keep a conversation going without much luck.Â
They were house-hunting this morning.Â
Penelope slowly descends the stairs as Spencer turns in his seat. âThe conventionâs still happening tomorrow if you want to go.âÂ
They were at a convention this morning.Â
Everyone had lives this morning. Weird.
She makes an uncertain noise. âThat whole city-on-the-brink-of-destruction thing kinda took the wind out of my sails, you know?âÂ
You look up at her as she takes her place beside Spencer. âItâll get you every time.âÂ
âYou gotta watch out for that,â Emily adds. It makes you smile a little.Â
Derek looks a little less amused, reminding Emily theyâll have to finish the inspection another time. Between Spencer and Penelope, Emily cops to a crack in the foundation of her almost-home.Â
âThat does not sound good,â Penelope says. You canât help but agree.Â
Thereâs a weird look on Derekâs face, but you ignore it in favor of Straussâs descent on the stairs.Â
âOur unsub,â she says, âis Izzy Rogers. She'll be charged with multiple counts domestically, and our international counterparts will have their turn with her. She will never see the light of day.â A little smile graces her lips.Â
You realize with the tiniest of laughs (really - itâs a one on the Aaron Hotchner scale of laugher, which means itâs hardly noticeable to the naked eye) that you donât hate her or even dislike her as much as you used to. Maybe, you even want her around.Â
Donât push it. Â
âI just thought you'd like to know that.âÂ
The five of you murmur something that sounds like, âThank you, maâam.âÂ
She pulls Derek, probably to kick his ass for something or another and send herself back on your shit list.Â
Thatâs a problem for another time.Â
You take Izzy Rogersâs file from Emily, looking over an impressive rap sheet. Youâre happy for a few things.Â
The first - that Aaronâs not a federal prosecutor anymore. Thisâll be a case for the ages.Â
The second - youâll never have to think about her again.Â
The third - youâre not sure. Youâre sleep-deprived. Itâll come to you.Â
She cost me my precious eight hours and Iâll never forgive her.Â
Out of the corner of your eye, you see Aaron leave his office. You set the file down and look up at him, halfway-hoping for once heâll tell you to go home without him.Â
âDave wants to know if everyone is free tomorrow night.âÂ
Without any inflection at all, you reply. âWe better not be doing anything tomorrow night.âÂ
âWell,â Derek says, interrupting Emilyâs snort. âIf heâs buying, then Iâm definitely in.âÂ
Emily, Spencer, and Penelope jump onto Derekâs conditional acceptance and a rare smile pulls at Aaronâs face, his dimples on full display.Â
âHear that? Weâre in.âÂ
+++
When you get home, Aaron all-but carries you to bed. With the tenderest of hands, he removes your shoes and socks, unbuttons your pants, slides them down your legs, and throws them in the laundry basket.Â
Youâre practically wilting where you sit, feeling more and more like a sleepy toddler by the minute.Â
Aaron unbuttons your shirt and slips it off your shoulders, kissing each cheek in turn. âIâll start a shower.âÂ
You move to protest, but he strips and that mostly shuts you up. He starts the water before he returns to your side.
âI just want to sleep, Aar. Please.âÂ
âBaby,â he says, a fond little pleading note in his tone. âWe just changed the sheets. Do you really want to get semtex all over them?âÂ
With a huff - âNo.âÂ
He smiles and helps you to your feet. âDidnât think so.âÂ
Youâre so tired, it doesn't even cross your mind to take advantage of the shared shower or his lack of clothes. By the time he dries you off, tucks you in, and locks the bedroom door to ward off the over-eager six-year-old down the hall, youâre asleep.Â
His own exhaustion pulling at him, he doesnât have the time or energy to cherish how peaceful, safe, and warm you look. He just draws you close to him until he can feel your heartbeat.Â
Sleep takes him rapidly after that.Â
+++
As Will and JJ exchange their vows, you tuck further into Aaronâs arms. His whisper floats past your ear, barely audible. âWanna do that sometime?â
âWhat? Get married?â Your voice is just as quiet.Â
âMhmm.â
âOnly if itâs you.â
Thereâs a kiss pressed to your temple with a smile behind it. âI think I can make that happen.â
You turn your head to the side to keep your snark from carrying. âPlease donât propose to me right now. This weekendâs been long enough.â
Derek kicks the side of your foot from where he stands beside you, unable to hear the conversation but knowing you both well enough to keep you from tumbling down the rabbit hole of distraction.Â
Aaron presses another kiss to your temple. âI love you.â You feel it rather than hear it.
You pick up one of his hands and kiss the back of it. You donât need to say anything.Â
+++
Aaron holds you close as you dance together, surrounded by your family. JJ and Will sway back and forth nearby, wrapped entirely in each other. Erin and Dave have been surprisingly brave, dancing and laughing quietly together throughout the evening.Â
As nice as it was to just have something for the two of you, sharing your love with your family has its own set of perks. You donât have to hide anymore or justify your pigheaded protection of the other.Â
You can just⊠be.Â
+++
Eventually, Dave calls all the â...fortunately unmarried individuals to the dance floor,â and refuses to let anyone slip through the cracks.Â
When Aaron hangs back, drink in-hand and a little smile on his face, Dave calls him out. âDivorcĂ©s and widowers, too, câmon.â He pauses, finding another tactic when Aaron doesnât move. âIf youâre both, you get extra points!âÂ
Aaron rolls his eyes and you look around, finding an inappropriate amount of humor in JJâs confused relatives. You canât help but bark a loud laugh when you see how hard Derekâs trying to keep his mirth at bay.
Too soon for the dead wife jokes? He seems to ask. Can I laugh?Â
Something in your eyes gives him tacit permission and he nearly blinds you with his smile.Â
When Daveâs tricks fall short, you do your best to pull Aaron from the sideline with your best set of bedroom eyes. He courageously resists, so you give up and settle next to Anderson. âWhat do you think Daveâs come up with, this time?âÂ
âGod only knows.âÂ
Anderson, like the rest of you, knows that Daveâs hosting abilities know no bounds.Â
âBecause so many of you are joyfully unmarried, the newlyweds wanted to make sure there was someone else to suffer the slings and arrows of matrimony with them in the near future. Thus,â he opens his arm to JJ, who appears with her bouquet and a smile, âthe bouquet toss will be an equal-opportunity event.âÂ
With a laugh and a shake of your head, you prepare to duck out of the way.Â
You look over at Aaron. This is ridiculous.Â
He only shakes his head, hiding his smile behind his drink. And yetâŠ
He leaves the rest of the implication unsaid, but you flip him off for good measure. Your exchange must have taken longer than you thought because before you know it, you have a face full of white roses. Itâs over.Â
You pull the flowers from your face and level JJ with a glare across the dance floor. âReally?âÂ
She raises her eyebrows and shrugs. âI turned my back and everything.âÂ
There are whoops and hollers from your team and you can only roll your eyes. Derek and Will strong-arm Aaron onto the dance floor (you know he let them - if he really wanted to avoid you, they wouldnât be able to move him an inch), where youâre both cajoled into a kiss and a photo. Penelopeâs on the other side of the camera, grinning from ear to ear.Â
She waves at Aaron over the camera. âSmile for real, damn you!âÂ
She amends, adding, âSir,â for good measure. It has its intended effect and sheâs rewarded with a rare, bright laugh from her unit chief.Â
Absurd traditions aside, youâd be lying if said you stopped smiling even once.Â
+++
As the party settles, some couples stay out on the dance floor, sedately twirling and swaying to the music that continues to play across the yard.Â
You and Aaron have relaxed significantly since the Great Bouquet Debacle, his sleeves rolled up to his elbows, the top two buttons of his shirt undone. Youâre sitting across his lap, playing with the hair at the nape of his neck, with one of his arms wrapped around your middle and the other draped over your knees - the picture of relaxation.Â
Penelope, Derek, Emily, and Will have taken up residence on the other side of the dance floor, their heads close together and voices low.
Aaronâs eyes slide over them as he watches the room, scanning out of habit. âWhat do you think theyâre talking about?â
You lean further into him as four pairs of eyes flicker over to you before returning to their huddle. âUs, probably.âÂ
He hums, understanding and pensive. âProbably our sex life, right?âÂ
âProbably,â you sigh, playing at boredom. He covers your hand with one of his and you play with his fingers - lacing, unlacing, kissing his knuckles.Â
Itâs nice to feel safe, comfortable enough to love each other where curious eyes can see you.Â
You can feel his smile against your forehead as he presses a kiss between your brows. Â
âI mean,â you continue, âthere is a lot to talk about.â
He shrugs, adjusting his arm where it lays across your legs to keep you both comfortable in the seat you share. âThatâs true enough. Though, I canât imagine any of their projections being right.â
+++
âI bet theyâre into likeâŠtantric sex. Like hours and hours and hours you know?â Penelope says, conspiracy the top note in her tone.Â
Derek looks at her and she backtracks, only a little on the defensive.Â
âWhat? Spencerâs talked to me about it before and I...read.âÂ
He rolls his eyes, but Emily spares Penelope from any further interrogation.Â
âI could see that.â She watches the way your fingers wander over Aaronâs bare forearm, playing with the ridges of his watch, the way his thumb absent-mindedly draws small circles on your outer thigh. âYeah, actually I think thatâs exactly what happens.â
+++
âWhat do you think theyâve got so far?âÂ
He plays at boredom. âTheyâre probably trying to take a guess at anything they can reach - with both of our profiles in Derekâs pocket, heâs going to have the most luck, I think.âÂ
âReally?â You ask. âNot Emily?âÂ
He snorts. âNo. She has her mind on other things.âÂ
That holds you up for a second, and youâre not sure if heâs still playing into the bit. âWait, what do you mean?âÂ
He shakes his head. âIâll tell you later.âÂ
âSheâs resigning, isnât she?â You give up the fun and lay your head in the crook between his neck and shoulder.Â
Without thinking, his hand rises to your cheek, affectionately brushing over your cheekbone before dropping back down. âShe might be.âÂ
âDid she do that thing where she sighs really big and then looks off to the upper right middle distance?âÂ
âYeah.âÂ
âShit.âÂ
Youâre both quiet for a moment, just enjoying the low lull of the music and the lights and the sights and smiles of your family.Â
âHey.âÂ
You lean back a little and meet Aaronâs eyes. âYeah?âÂ
âWhatâs my tell?âÂ
The concern drops out of your face all at once. âYou think Iâm gonna spill just like that so you can go and change it on me? Not a chance.âÂ
He sighs and his chin tips up in defeat. âSo I have one?âÂ
âOf course you do, stupid.â You flick his chest and a laugh rumbles through him. âEveryone does. You know mine, I know yours. Youâre gonna have to get over it.âÂ
âSo youâve caught me in lies before?â He asks, not without humor.Â
âDuh. Iâm pretty sure Iâve caught every lie youâve ever told, but you seemed so proud of yourself that I just let you have it.âÂ
You can almost feel the eye roll. âReally?â He sounds skeptical. âName one lie youâve caught me in.âÂ
âAlright.â You count off on your fingers. âYou dinged my car door a couple of weeks ago, you definitely didnât drop the bags at Goodwill, you do know it wasnât Jack who finished the ice cream in the freezer, you -âÂ
âOkay.â He covers your hands with his and kisses your fingers. âThatâs enough. I get it.âÂ
You kiss his cheek. âIâm sure youâve caught me in every single lie Iâve ever told, too, huh?âÂ
âOnly every once since the day we met. Yours is obvious.âÂ
Itâs a trap. You donât take it. âHmm. Thatâs convenient.âÂ
âIsnât it?âÂ
You lean back to look at him. âYouâre a shit, you know that?âÂ
He nods and raises his eyebrows, a cheeky, close-mouthed smile slowly creeping across his face.Â
You playfully smack his chest with the back of your hand. âFucker.âÂ
He says something under his breath and you level him with a look that has him repeating himself.Â
âI said, you wish.âÂ
You roll your eyes and tuck back into his neck, kissing the skin above his collar. You can feel him shiver and you know youâve got him. âNot just wish, honey. Know.âÂ
+++
tagging: @writefasttalkevenfaster @arganfics @quillvine @stxrryspencer @hurricanejjareau @ughitsbaby @rousethemouse @criminalsmarts @genevievedarcygranger @ssaic-jareau @davidrossi-ismydad @angelsbabey @hotchsflower @hotchslatte @risenfox @mrs-dr-reid @captain-christopher-pike @dwellingsofrosie @pan-pride-12 @sunshine-em @word-scribbless @jdougl-love @dreila03 @forgottenword @aaronhotchnerr @ssa-morgan @sana-li @tegggeeee @abschaffer2 @ssacandice-ray @ellyhotchner @lotties-journey-abroad @mrs-joel-pimentel-23-25 @mooneylupinblack @ssareidbby @bwbatta @wakatoshislover @capricorngf @missdowntonabbey @averyhotchner @mandylove1000 @qvid-pro-qvo @jeor @spencers-hoodrat @popped-weasels @evee87 @nuvoleincielo @this-broken-band-girl @reidtomestyles @hotch-meeeeeuppppp @winqhster @arthurmorrgans @the-falling-in-the-danger @iconicc @mangoberry43 @andreasworlsboring101 @mac99martin @itsalwaysb33nyou @baumarvel @kerrswriting @messyhairday-me @ssworldofsw  @deagibs @crazyshannonigans @moonshinerbynight @jhiddles03 @teamhappyme @mendesmelodies @starsandasteroids @unicorn-bitch @ambicaos @bispences @thebivirgin
#aaron hotchner x reader#hotch x reader#aaron hotchner imagine#criminal minds imagine#criminal minds x reader#criminal minds fanfiction#aaron hotchner#criminal minds#hotch#tali writes fanfiction#tali talks cm#a joyful future#a joyful future fanfic
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Toepick!
Bucky Barnes x female reader AU
Summary: Buckyâs a hockey player turned pairs figure skater partner for reader whoâs kind of a pain in the ass. (aka this is a Cutting Edge AU if anyoneâs seen the movie)
Chapter warnings: Cursing, mentions of hockey violence, reader is a brat, Bucky is a sarcastic asshole (just like in the show!)
Author note: Unbetaed chapter, I donât have a taglist for Bucky fics but send me a DM or ask if you want to be added to it Iâll make a taglist for my Bucky fics! Please reblog this and tell me what you think in my askbox!Â
Also thanks to @pisss-offf-ghosttâ for her hockey insight b/c I donât know shit about hockey.
Chapter One
Bucky Barnes sat in a doctorâs office, two weeks after taking a puck to the face in a Winter Olympic game. It had hit him way too close to his eye and Coach Pierce had benched him the rest of the Games.Â
Whatâs worse is that it was his own fucking teammate whoâd given him the injury. Brock Rumlow, their Enforcer, had always had it out for Bucky. God knows why, but maybe Rumlow had never forgiven his NHL team for beating theirs in the playoffs the year before. Or that Bucky had scored the winning goal of that same game.Â
Steve and Sam had always said Rumlow was a bad apple in the NHL and his Olympic spirit sucked too it seemed. So now, he was waiting on news from the doctor, telling him when he could start training for the next NHL season.
The doctor entered the room with Buckyâs file. âWell, doc? When can I get back on the ice?â He asked.Â
The doctor frowned at him and put his x-ray up on the lighted board to show him. âSon, Iâm afraid you wonât be able to play hockey anymore.â He told him frankly. âYou took quite a hit to your occipital bone and it hindered 80% of your peripheral vision in your right eye.âÂ
âWhat?â He asked, unsure if he heard him right.Â
âIâm afraid youâll have to go into retirement from hockey.â He told him, looking at the man with sympathetic eyes. He was a great player, had a lot of years left in him. He had watched that game, this wasnât his fault.
Bucky sat there, shell shocked for several moments before slowly rising and putting his coat on. âThanks doc.â He muttered before finally leaving the office and building. Fucking Brock Rumlow. He had seen the smirk on his lips after heâd opened his eyes from taking the hit to his face.Â
He pulled out his phone and dialed Steveâs number. âHey, meet me at the usual place?âÂ
âEverything okay Buck?â Heâd asked his childhood best friend and now teammate.
âJust⊠Iâll tell you at the bar.â He growled out and then made his way to their favorite haunt. âCall Sam. I have news.âÂ
Thirty minutes later, Bucky was nursing a beer at their favorite New York bar. Sam and Steve stared at him, shocked. âSo what, now you have to retire? Thatâs bullshit man.â Sam shook his head.Â
âYou think I donât know that?â Bucky growled at his teammate. âMy publicist wants to make an announcement soon.â He told them. âBut I told her to hold off. I want some time to just⊠Absorb this.â He ran his hand through his hair frustratingly.Â
Bucky loved skating, how could he give it up? And Brock Rumlow gets to just keep playing? What a load of bullshit.Â
âRumlow should be fined for that shit he pulled on you at the Games.â Steve shook his head.Â
âYou really think being fined is what he deserves? Everyone knows it was a dirty move but Pierce is his coach in the NHL, heâs not gonna do shit about it.â Sam reminded Steve.Â
It was true, even the announcers had called it a dirty shot, and everyone who followed the NHL knew that Brock Rumlow had it out for Bucky Barnes. But Rumlow was Pierceâs guy and he wasnât going to do anything to his player to jeopardize the next season of the NHL.Â
âSpeak of the devil.â Sam whistled out and Bucky looked over his shoulder to see Rumlow entering the bar with his flavor of the month on his arm. Some up and coming model or something. Not that any of them kept track anymore of them.Â
âHey boys! Howâs the post-Olympics life treating you? As good as me?â He winked at his newest companion. âSheâs a model.âÂ
âShocking.â Sam snorted from behind his beer. Smirking when Rumlow shot him a dirty look.Â
âSo Barnes, howâs the eye?â Rumlow asked him casually, as if he hadnât given him the very injury that now forced Bucky into early retirement.
Buckyâs grip tightened on his bottle. âItâs fine.â He ground out and gave him a hardened stare. It was true, physically he felt fine. But, he was about two seconds away from beating Rumlow to a pulp though. Hell, Steve and Sam would probably help him if he asked. But he also didnât want any added press than the impending âearly retirementâ announcement in the coming days.Â
âLook man, sorry about that. Guess the puck just got away from my stick, you know?â He said easily.Â
Holy shit, he was really just going to pretend it wasnât his fault? Guess he shouldnât be surprised.Â
âYeah, you seemed real torn up about it.â Steve snapped at him. âThe whole hockey world knows you have it out for Buck.â All four men, stood. All imposing figures as hockey players. âAnd everyone knows that was a dirty shot you took. The Olympics are supposed to be about coming together but you just used it for your own personal gain. Youâre a disgrace.â Steve told him.Â
âYou letting your pals stand up for you Barnes? Whatâs the matter? Too chicken shit to say anything yourself?â Rumlow taunted him.Â
Bucky stepped closer to him, almost chest to chest with the Enforcer. âNope, I just know youâre not worth my time. You never have been, not even on the ice.â After several tense moments, Bucky finally stepped back. âI gotta go. I have a call to make. Iâll talk to you two later.â He looked at Sam and Steve before leaving some bills on the table for his beers and he purposely bumped into Rumlow before leaving the bar.Â
Once he was safely in his Brooklyn apartment, he called his publicist. âMel? Hey, letâs justâŠ. Make an announcement. Tomorrow. Just get it over with.â He told her. âThereâs no point in delaying it.âÂ
âSure thing, weâll just say youâre mulling over your post-hockey playing options. Maybe take a year off and figure out what you want. Book deals, coaching job, hell even a sports commentator.âÂ
âYeah. Iâll think about it, Mel. Thanks.â He hung up and tossed his phone on the counter and sighed.Â
Fucking Brock Rumlow.Â
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
âWhat part of locked arms donât you fucking get?â You snapped at your latest partner âauditionâ as you got up off your ass from being dropped again. âWhere in the hell are you finding these idiots Maria?â You snapped at your coach as you skated away from the latest guy. âYouâd think none of them knew a simple lift.âÂ
Maria Hill, your coach for several years now was at the end of her rope. Youâd rejected partner after partner for the past month and a half after youâd parted ways with your Olympic partner, from a disastrous showing at the Winter Olympics.Â
âProbably doesnât help that you berate them before they even get their skates on.â She called from the side of the rink as Tony Stark, your guardian since you were fifteen years old (although you were in your twenties now and didnât need a guardian anymore) and practically your big brother, entered with his five year old daughter Morgan in his arms.Â
âHowâs it going?â He asked.Â
âYouâre insane.â Your latest pairs auditioner told you as he hastily removed his skates and shoved his feet in his sneakers and grabbed his bag. âGood luck finding someone willing to put up with the ice princess.â He snorted and left.Â
âThat good huh?â Tony asked with a sigh and watched you skate around the private ice rink on their property.Â
âI canât help that theyâre all idiots.â You told him and Maria sighed, rubbing her temples as Morgan giggled at your comment.Â
âYou know, unless you work with any of these guys and Maria. Youâre going to have to go to singles skating.â Tony warned you, knowing you hated singles skating. It always felt too lonely for you out on the ice alone. You had trust issues since you were a kid. Which was a double edged sword because you also had trouble trusting partners to not let you down.Â
âAlright, letâs just call it for the day. I have some calls to make for some more options.â Maria told you as you continued to skate. She turned to Tony. âTalk some sense into her. I donât have many options left.â She muttered and then left.Â
Morgan sat at the edge of the rink putting her skates on to get ready for her private lesson. âIce Princess, come on⊠Work with me.â Tony called to you.Â
You shot him a glare at the nickname but skated over to him, stopping promptly and showering his legs with ice. âYes?â You asked him innocently.Â
âDonât give me that shit. Whatâs your deal? Youâve rejected nearly eight perfectly good skaters in the past almost two months. And always over stupid shit.â He told you. âTheyâre either not strong enough, not fast enough, not graceful enough. None of which have been true.âÂ
You wanted to curse back at him but knew Morgan was beginning to repeat everything and Tony was being hushed and you really didnât want to hear Pepper ask why Morgan learned a new curse word from you. âIâm just particular, thatâs all.â You defended yourself.Â
âIs that the word weâre using?â He snorted at you. âI know you have trust issues because of what happened. But you canât keep using that excuse for skating. Not all those men are going to let you down. But they will if they pick up on your attitude and tension. You need to start giving some of them an actual chance.â He glanced over at Morgan who was starting to warm up on the ice before her lesson. âJust⊠Think about it, okay? And youâll bring Morgan to the house after her lesson?â
You sighed and nodded at him. âYeah okay, fine. Iâll think about it. And yes, Iâll stay here during her lesson.â You promised as you got off the ice and changed shoes while Morgan started her lesson.Â
âThank you. Dinnerâs at six.â He reminded you and kissed Morgan goodbye before leaving for a meeting.Â
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Maria Hill was looking over all the options she had on her desk. None of them would be able to take any of the shit that you were dishing out. She needed someone who could dish it right back to you and who could skate. âJesus this is a nightmare.â She muttered to herself.Â
âMight have a suggestion for you if youâre interested in hearing it and going to meet with him.â Nick Furyâs voice came from her office door. Nick was the trainer for you. Responsible for keeping you in shape and healthy.Â
âYeah?â She asked him curiously and leaned back in her chair.Â
Nick walked over to the television and turned it on, turning it to the sports network talking about Bucky Barnesâ retirement and what his options were now. The news had been out for a week now and everyone was speculating what he was going to do now.Â
âBarnes? You expect me to get a hockey player to be her new partner and not have her throw another fit?â She asked incredulously.Â
âHear me out Hill.â Fury told her and sat across from her. âHeâs strong, a phenomenal skater. Actually graceful even in hockey. And, he wonât take any of her shit lying down. Everything else, you can teach him.â He mused with a shrug. âBesides, rumor has it that he wants to keep skating. Sure, this ainât hockey but itâs better than nothing.âÂ
Nick had made several good points. He was a great skater. And he was disciplined. It meant that he would stick to any regime of training and skating they threw at him.Â
âShe wonât like this.â She told him bluntly.Â
âDoes she like anything anyway?â He countered with a snort.
He had a point. You hadnât liked any of the partners theyâd brought you till now. So throwing Barnes into the mix wasnât going to make it much worse.Â
âFine. Letâs go talk to him.â She relented.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
âYou want me to what?â Bucky asked Maria and Nick. The two of them sat across from him in his Brooklyn apartment. Staring at them incredulously.Â
âWe heard you wanted to keep skating. And while this isnât hockey, weâre training someone who wants Olympic gold just as much as you do.â Maria told him. âIâve seen you skate. Youâre talented as hell and strong.âÂ
Bucky looked back and forth between the two of them, expecting this to be some kind of joke. âWhatâs the catch?âÂ
âNo catch. Youâll be paid, thereâs a guest house at the Stark estate for you if the audition goes well. So you can live and train and not have to commute. Youâll be well paid.â Nick told him as he casually leaned back in his seat.Â
Bucky snorted. âIâve been doing this long enough to know that thereâs always a catch.âÂ
Maria and Nick exchanged looks before looking back at him. âShe can be⊠Difficult to get along with.â She told him carefully.Â
âSo sheâs a pain in the ass.â He clarified flatly and snorted again. âWouldnât be the first time Iâve had a pain in the ass on my team.â He muttered to himself.Â
âSo youâll come try out?â Maria asked him curiously. âLook, I know you donât take any shit from anyone. So you and her might work because you can dish it out. You wonât put up with her attitude.â She explained.Â
Bucky considered his options. He didnât want to stop skating. And itâs not like there were any open coaching positions currently. And he sure as shit didnât want to write a memoir or work for ESPN while all his buddies were still skating. This was something for him. Plus heâd get to work with some hot girl instead of staring at Rumlowâs ugly face everywhere he went.Â
âWhenâs the tryout?â He finally asked.
Bucky Barnesâ fic taglist: @pisss-offf-ghosttâÂ
#Bucky Barnes x reader#Bucky Barnes#My writing#Marvel fic#MCU#I'm not tagging all the characters in this fic b/c that's so annoying#anyway#Please reblog this and tell me if you like it#xoxo
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round up // JULY 21
âTis the season to beat the heat at the always-cold theatres and next to fans set at turbo speed. While my movie watching slowed a bit with the launch of the Summer Olympics on July 23rd, Iâve still got plenty of popcorn-ready and artsy recommendations for you. A few themes in the new-to-me pop culture Iâm recommending this month:
Casts oozing with embarrassing levels of talent (sometimes overqualified for the movies theyâre in)
Pop culture that is responding or reinterpreting past pop culture
Stories that get weEeEeird
Keep on-a-scrollinâ to see which is which!
July Crowd-Pleasers
1. Double Feature â â90s Rom-Coms feat. Lots of Lies: Mystery Date (1991) + The Pallbearer (1996)
In Mystery Date (Crowd: 7.5/10 // Critic: 6/10), Ethan Hawke and Teri Polo get set up on a blind date that gets so bizarre and crime-y Iâm not sure how this didnât come out in the â80s. In The Pallbearer (Crowd: 8/10 // Critic: 7/10), David Schwimmer and Gwyneth Paltrow try to combine The Graduate with Four Weddings and a Funeral in a story about lost twentysomethings. If you donât like rom-coms in which circumstances depend on lots of lies and misunderstandings, these wonât be your jam, but if youâre like me and donât mind these somewhat-clichĂ© devices, youâll be hooked by likeable casts and plenty of rom and com.
2. The Tomorrow War (2021)
I thought of no fewer movies than this list while watching: Alien, Aliens, Angel Has Fallen, Cloverfield, Interstellar, Kong: Skull Island, Prometheus, A Quiet Place: Part II, Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back, Star Wars: The Revenge of the Sith, The Silence of the Lambs, The Terminator, Terminator 2: Judgment Day, and World War Z. And you know what? I like all those movies! (Okay, maybe I just have a healthy respect/fear of The Silence of the Lambs.) The Tomorrow War may not be original, but it borrows some of the best tropes and beats from the sci-fi and action genres, so much so I wish I couldâve seen Chris Pratt and Co. fight those gross monsters on a big screen. Crowd: 9/10 // Critic: 6/10
3. Dream a Little Dream (1989)
My July pick for the Dumb Rom-Com I Nevertheless Enjoyed! I CANNOT explain the mechanics of this body switch comedy to youânor can the back of the DVD case aboveâbut, boy, what an â80s MOOD. I did not know I needed to see a choreographed dance routine starring Jason Robards and Corey Feldman, but I DID. All I know is some movies are made for me and that Iâm now a card-carrying member of the Two Coreys fan club. Crowd: 8/10 // Critic: 6.5/10
4. Black Widow (2021)
The braids! The Pugh! Black Widow worked for me both as an exciting action adventure and as a respite from the Marvel adventures dependent on a long memory of the franchise. (Well, mostlyâkeep reading for a second MCU rec much more dependent on the gobs of previous releases.) Crowd: 9/10 // Critic: 7.5/10
5. Liar Liar (1997)
Guys, Jim Carrey is hilarious. Thatâs itâthatâs the review. Crowd: 9/10 // Critic: 7/10
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6. Sob Rock by John Mayer (2021)
Itâs very possible Iâve already listened to this record more than all other John Mayer records. It doesnât surpass the capital-G Greatness of Continuum, but itâs a little bit of old school Mayer, a little bit â80s soft rock/pop, and Iâve had it on repeat most of the two weeks since itâs been out. Featuring the boppiest bop that ever bopped, at least one lyrical gem in every track, and an ad campaign focused on Walkmans, this record skirts the line between Crowd faves and Critic-worthy musicianship.
7. Double Feature â â00s Ben Affleck Political Thrillers: The Sum of All Fears (2002) + State of Play (2009)
In The Sum of All Fears (Crowd: 8.5/10 // Critic: 7.5/10), Ben Affleck is Jack Ryan caught up in yet another international incident. In State of Play (Crowd: 8/10 // Critic: 7/10), heâs a hotshot Congressman caught up in a scandal. Both are full of plot twists and unexpected turns, and in both, Affleck is accompanied by actors youâre always happy to see, like Jason Bateman, James Cromwell, Russell Crowe, Jeff Daniels, Viola Davis, Morgan Freeman, Philip Baker Hall, David Harbour, Rachel McAdams, Helen Mirren, Liev Schreiber, and Robin Wrightâyes, I swear all of those people are in just those two movies.
8. Loki (2021-)
Unlike Black Widow, you canât go into Loki with no MCU experience. The show finds clever ways to nudge us with reminders (and did better at it than Falcon and the Winter Soldier), but be forewarned that at some point, youâre just going to have to let go and accept wherever this timeline-hopper is taking you. An ever-charismatic cast keeps us grounded (Owen Wilson, Jonathan Majors, and an alligator almost steal the show from Tom Hiddleston in some eps), but while Falcon lasted an episode or two too long, Loki couldâve used a few more to flesh out its complicated plot and develop its characters. Thankfully, the jokes matter almost as much as the sci-fi, so you can still have fun even if you have no idea whatâs going on.
9. Double Feature â Bruce Willis: Die Hard With a Vengeance (1995) + The Whole Nine Yards (2000)
Before Bruce Willis began starring in many random direct-to-DVD movies I only ever hear about in my Redbox emails, he was a Movie Star smirking his way up the box office charts. In the third Die Hard (Crowd: 10/10 // Critic: 7.5/10), he teams up with Samuel L. Jackson to decipher the riddles of a terrorist madman (Jeremy Irons), and itâs a thrill ride. In The Whole Nine Yards (Crowd: 9/10 // Critic: 8/10), heâs hitman that screws up dentist Matthew Perryâs boring life in Canada, andâaside from one frustrating scene of letâs-objectify-women-style nudityâitâs hilarious.
10. This Is the End (2013)
On paper, this is not a movie for me. An irreverent stoner comedy about a bunch of bros partying it up before the end of the world? None of things are for Taylors. But with a little help of a TV edit to pare down the raunchy and crude bits, I laughed my way through and spent the next several days thinking through its exploration of what makes a good person. While little of the plot is accurate to Christian Gospel and theology, some of its big ideas are consistent enough with the themes of the book of Revelation I found myself thinking about it again in church this morning. (Would love to know if Seth Rogen ever expected that.) Plus, I love a good self-aware celebrity spoofâcanât tell you how many times Iâve just laughed remembering the line, âItâs me, Jonah Hill, from Moneyballââand an homage to horror classics. Crowd: 8/10 // Critic: 7/10
July Critic Picks
1. Summer of Soul (âŠor, When the Television Could Not Be Televised) (2021)
Even director Questlove didnât know about the Harlem Cultural Festival, but now heâs compiled the footage so we can all enjoy one of the coolest music fest lineups ever, including The 5th Dimension, B.B. King, Gladys Knight and the Pips, Nina Simone, Sly and the Family Stone, and Stevie Wonder, who made my friendâs baby dance more than once in the womb. See it on the big screen for top-notch audio. Crowd: 8/10 // Critic: 9/10
2. Good Morning, Vietnam (1987)
Robin Williams takes on the bureaucracy, disillusionment, and malaise of the Vietnam War with comedy. Williams was a one-of-a-kind talent, and here itâs on display at a level on par with Aladdin. Crowd: 8/10 // Critic: 9/10
3. Against the Rules Season 2 (2020-21)
Michael Lewis (author of Moneyball, adapted into a film starring Jonah Hill), is interested in how we talk about fairness. This season he looks at how coaches impact fairness in areas like college admissions, credit cards, and youth sports.Â
4. Bugsy Malone (1976)
A gangster musical starring only children? Itâs a little like someone just picked ideas out of a hat, but somehow it works. You can hear why in the Bugsy Malone episode Kyla and I released this month on SO ITâS A SHOW?, plus how this weird artifact of a film connects with Gilmore Girls.
5. The Queen (2006)
Before The Crown, Peter Morgan wrote The Queen, focusing on Queen Elizabeth II (Helen Mirren) in the days following the death of Princess Diana. Itâs a complex and compassionate drama, both for the Queen and for Prime Minister Tony Blair (Michael Sheen, who has snuck up on me to become a favorite character actor). Maybe Iâve got a problem, but Iâll never tire of the analysis of this famous family. Crowd: 8.5/10 // Critic: 9.5/10
6. The Life and Times of Judge Roy Bean (1972)
This month at ZekeFilm, we took a closer look at Revisionist Westerns weâve missed. I fell hard for Roy Bean, and I think you will, too, if for no other reason than you might like a story starring Jacqueline Bisset, Ava Gardner, John Huston, Paul Newman, and Anthony Perkins. Oh, and a bear! Crowd: 8.5/10 // Critic: 10/10
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7. New Trailer Round Up
Naked Singularity (Aug. 6) â John Boyega in a crime thriller!
Queenpins (Aug. 10) â A crime comedy about extreme coupon-ing!
Dune (Oct. 1) â Iâve been cooler on the anticipation for this film, but this new look has me cautiously intrigued thanks to the Bardem + Bautista + Brolin + Chalamet + Ferguson + Isaac + Momoa + Zendaya of it all.
The Last Duel (Oct. 15) â Affleck! Damon! Driver!
Ghostbusters: Afterlife (Nov. 11) - Iâm not sure why we need this, but Iâm down for the Paul Rudd + Finn Wolfhard combo
King Richard (Nov. 19) - Will Smith as Venus and Serenaâs father!
Encanto (Nov. 24) â Disney and Lin-Manuel Miranda making more magic together!
House of Gucci (Nov. 24) - Gaga! Pacino! Driver!Â
Also in JulyâŠ
Kyla and I took a look at the classic supernatural soap Dark Shadows and why Sookie might be obsessed with it on Gilmore Girls.
I revisited a so-bad-itâs-good masterpiece thatâs a surrealist dream even Fellini couldnât have cooked up. Yes, for ZekeFilm I wrote about the Vanilla Ice movie, Cool as Ice, which is now a part of my Blu-ray collection.
Photo credits: Against the Rules. All others IMDb.com.
#Round Up#Mystery Date#The Pallbearer#The Tomorrow War#Dream a Little Dream#Black Widow#Liar Liar#Bugsy Malone#Sob Rock#John Mayer#Sob Rock John Mayer#The Sum of All Fears#State of Play#Loki#The Whole Nine Yards#Summer of Soul#Good Morning Vietnam#Against the Rules#The Life and Time of Judge Roy Bean#Die Hard With a Vengeance#This Is the End#The Queen
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Legendary 4.5 Morgan!Reader.
Being up at night is kinda your thing. It was like that even before everything.
Still, things became worse after the accident. Sometimes you lay awake in bed, feeling lost and unable to breathe. You donât really cry, but the pain consumes you like a fire until your lungs burn. Itâs then you wish with everything you are to wake up, to be in a world where sheâs still there. It hasnât happened yet.
Sometimes you wake up gasping, the remnants of a nightmare mixing with the real world in a blurry mess. The pain turns into rage, endless anger against the world. Those nights you need to walk or work out in order to avoid the downward spiral. Many times youâve stared into the abyss, fully conscious that a bad decision can take away whatever is left from you.
Finally, there are nights like tonight. You wake up and the world is too quiet while your mind is too loud. Your phone says itâs barely past two am. You only managed a couple hours of sleep and exhaustion is still very much present. Nor a surprise really, but you wonât be able to sleep again. Thereâs practice in the morning so unless you find a way to rest, things donât look particularly exciting.
âScoot over.â
âWhat?â
Your head snaps up towards the voice of your best friend. You can only see her silhouette in the darkness of the room. Thereâs no need to see her face to know sheâs rolling her eyes at you with your lack of understanding.
âMove, Morgan. Iâm not gonna stand here all night.â
Apparently, your body complies before your mind can process exactly what Janice wants. You move and she slips under the covers, pulling you close to her before you can try to complain. This is something you havenât done in a long time; a hand on your waist is enough for your shoulders to relax a bit and you sigh in contentment.
âIâm sorry,â you whisper after a second, âdidnât mean to wake you up.â
A scoff is the thing you get as an answer. Janice knows you donât do it to bother her. There are some things you canât control, and she has always been there to make it better one way or another. Her slight annoyance is at your need to apologize, to take the blame for things you canât be blamed for.
Still, she holds you tighter.
Your bad sleeping habits arenât something new, but they havenât been this bad in a long time. So, she worries. She does so because Janice is your best friend; youâve been attached by the hip since you were born and itâs no wonder she knows you better than anyone else.
âWhatâs going on, Y/n?â She asks quietly.
Right then and there itâs the two of you with no one else to judge you. Youâre safe and comfortable enough to open up to her, to share whatâs in your mind and the things that make your heart heavy.
âIâm trying to let go.â
At some point everything youâve been bottling up was bound to come crashing down on you. Crying on Sonnettâs shoulder canât fix everything, youâre aware of that. But itâs a breaking point, the realization that you canât keep going as you were without it taking a toll on you.
You built walls to protect yourself, to not feel the pain even when you were choking on it. And instead of keeping the sorrow out, you were drowning on it.
Your team came knocking on the door then. They threw you a lifesaver and opened a window to let all of that pour out. Taking care of the aftermath is on you, to put the broken things back in place and get rid of those that simply canât be fixed.
Itâs not easy, but itâs necessary.
Trying to process your emotions during the World Cup is perhaps the worst timing. It messes up your already screwed sleeping schedule, but well, itâs not always too bad. Youâre learning things about yourself you didnât know before, and rediscover those you forgot.
Youâre becoming a better you instead of the shell you were so adamant on being.
You werenât alone after Alex died, but the place you had considered your home was nothing more than a house. Suddenly, soccer was the sport Alex loved and little more. Sure, it was an escape, but also a prison; leaving you stuck between a rock and a hard place.
You want the world to see you as more than just her daughter. At the same time, you donât want them to forget her. Not when she did so much to inspire a revolution for equal pay, respect and overall appreciation for the sport. Not when her name is associated with the highest honors; world cups and Olympic medals, golden balls and boots and MVPâs.
Not when she means everything to you.
âYou donât have to let it all go.â
Some things might not be perfect now or ever, but theyâre still worth holding onto.
âThatâs what Iâm trying to figure out.â
âI know itâll take some time still, but...youâre alright, Y/n. I promise.â
You mean to keep the conversation going, instead you yawn and rest your head on Janiceâs shoulder. If her arm gets numb, sheâs gonna have to shut it, or unceremoniously shove you off at seven am as you realize when you wake up abruptly.
You only open your eyes long enough to glare at her.
âJerk,â you mutter lovingly.
âGo back to sleep, Morgan,â she retorts with a good natured laugh.
Itâs a very, very, tempting offer, but you fight it off for another second.
âThank you.â
Your words are almost silent, but you know she heard you when she pats your head. Youâre already half asleep when you hear her answer.
âGot you.â
*****
âOh my God! Is this how a fully rested Y/n is like?â Janice pants while trying to keep up.
âYup.â
After practice ended, you stayed behind with one of the coaches for some extra work. Then Janice decided to join along with Press, Long and Krash. Before you knew it, the whole team had additional training. However, all but Janice yielded at the forty-five minute mark; too tired to keep going.
âIâm so not sleeping with you again then.â
âYou couldâve left with the others,â you taunt.
âAs if. Someone has to keep you in check here. Otherwise youâll work out till tomorrow.â
âI wouldnât go that far.â
You doubt anyone can last that long, but youâre one of those that would probably try. Itâs not the hill you wanna die on so you smile sheepishly at Janice when she makes another remark.
âLast five minutes?â You ask.
âYes! Thank God!â
You canât help but laugh at Janiceâs antics. Sheâs still her usual self, and you wouldnât have it any other way.
You slow down in those last minutes, to get your breathing and heartbeat slowed down gradually before stopping.
âWe should visit the zoo.â
âPretty sure Iâll only be visiting my bed after this.â
âNot today, you moron.â You say rolling your eyes. âBut you know, next day off?â
âYeah, Iâd like that.â
Finally getting off the stationary bike, you stretch before downing the rest of your water battle.
âCome on. Itâs time for the ice bath.â
âHasnât this been torture enough?â Janice asks dramatically.
âHurry up, OâHara. Youâll thank me in the morning.â
âIf I donât kill you first.â
âOh, shut up. You love me.â
âSadly.â
*****
âThis is the most challenging match this team will face in the group stage. Germany was a tough challenge, but going against the host of this World Cup will tell us the chances to advance through the next round. Australia has grown while the USA went to less, and theyâre the contenders for the title. If the USWNT wants to win it all, they have to go through this team first.â
âWe must also consider the player rotation the USWNT will have on this game. That will certainly add to an already complicated game.â
Your heart beats along with the music in your earphones. Itâs a way to keep your nerves at bay before you can finally make it out of the locker room. Youâre on the bench for the day, but that doesnât dwell your excitement of the game.
âListen, guys!â Sonnet calls as you group around her and Pinoe. âWe know the Aussies are good but so was Germany. So was Brazil, but we got the results we wanted. This wonât be different. Weâre part of the group of death, and weâre conquering.â
All of you nod and cheer in agreement while Pinoe takes the lead.
Itâs wild to say but youâre the underdog of this competition. However, this position allows you to be the dark horse.
No one expected you to win the first two games.
No one expects you to win against Australia.
No one really believes that you can win the World Cup. Not yet.
But youâre here, ready to fight to the last minute and the last breath.
âYou already know what you gotta do on the field, now itâs time to do it.â
Five minutes later the team has elected Krash as the captain once again. With one last cheer, the starting lineup make their way to the tunnel while the rest of you head to the bench.
   âThe final fixture of the group phase is here! And what a match it is. I think we can all agree that not having Morgan in the line-up is a surprise. Even with the much needed rotation on a tournament this important, youâd expect to see their best scorer on the field.â
âIf thereâs nothing stopping Y/n from playing, she should be in the game. Australia is far from an easy match, and maybe this is a sign of overconfidence from the USWNT. Their group is the group of death and even when theyâre practically through with a tie here, they canât get complacent now.â
âThereâs only one way to find out. Ladies and gentlemen, itâs time for some soccer!â
The pace of the game is fast, so fast that some players can barely keep up.
Australia is the home team, they have all the advantages here, but even when they press high and seem to have the USWNT team cornered, they canât get anything past Harris.
The goalie proves time and time again why sheâs the captain. She brings security to the back of the field, and itâs there where everything begins. The defense get their heads on the game, stand tall to every onslaught and soon enough just a few balls make it through; none of them dangerous.
Then, the midfield does the same, pressing and recovering before launching forward. The game generation starts in a momentâs notice, guided by Sonnett giving instructions from the sideline. Everyone follows the plan, and soon enough theyâre playing at top level.
Australia canât get close enough, but neither can the USA.
At some point, Megan calls you to sit next to her. You do so without a word and for a long moment neither of you say anything. You watch the game in content silence.
âYou remind me a lot of her,â she suddenly says.
The unexpectedness of her words forms a knot on your throat and you have to swallow harshly. Pinoe pretends not to notice, giving you a moment to compose yourself. She rarely talks about Alex; this is hard on her too. You can see it in the way her jaw clenches.
âItâs not just how you look or how you play. I know Harris is the captain, but youâre the heart. You help your team when they need it most, and they listen to you. More than that, they believe what you say.â
You listen silently, suddenly overwhelmed by emotion, but itâs the good kind of emotion.
âAlex had this fierceness in her, not a bad bitch like Kelley,â she adds, making you chuckle. âBut she had a fire about her. Sure, we all wanted to win every game. But not like her. I was there in her first World Cup and I knew, I just knew, she would be something special. And Iâm sure she would have been so, so proud of you. You have that same fire, Y/n. And just like I was in her first, I am in yours. Youâre also meant to do great things, something special.â
âCoach, I...â
But you have no words. You struggle not to break down in the middle of the match, but you manage. Barely.
âDonât care about what the fucking world tells you, kid. You are every bit her daughter. But youâre also every bit yourself.â
Those two concepts are not exclusive, you can be both. You are her legacy, but that doesnât stop you from creating your own. It starts here, with this World Cup. You have to prove, not to others, but yourself, that this is where you want to be.
No, this is where you belong.
âWhatever happens, youâll enter at the sixtieth. After half time, youâre up to warm up right away, understood?â
âYes, maâam.â
âGood. Now, letâs keep pushing.â
*****
âThatâs the end of the first half! Itâs been a rocky game so far. Australia is a very competitive team. They have speed, agility, and a lot of talent on their ranks. But I think weâre seeing a USWNT that knows how to play each match. Even without Y/n on the field, they were able to keep the game even. I see potential on this team, but will it be enough to win it all?â
âWell, letâs not get ahead of ourselves. Theyâre not losing, but theyâre not winning either. Thereâs still forty-five minutes to go, and several matches on this World Cup if they want to do something really meaningful. Thereâs a long road ahead if they wanna be anything like the Golden Team.â
You take a deep breath once itâs your time to warm up.
The rest of the world fades away as you crack your neck and Janice soon joins you to start. Youâll be the first two substitutions. You wanna strengthen the midfield and push forward with absolutely everything you have.
Maybe Alex isnât physically there, but sheâs in everything that ultimately makes you, you.
You warm up and remember when you joined your first little league team, with Alex holding your hand as you jumped around in excitement. You remember your first cleats with the same colors you wear now; a Christmas gift that made your eyes shine with awe.
You remember training with her when you had an important match in highschool and going out for dinner no matter the result.
Alex always had your back and now itâs not different; her number is now yours. As yours is the responsibility to continue what she started more than two decades ago.
She gives you strength and when you finally wait by the sideline to enter the game, you let go of the fear. You let go of the anger and even most of the pain.
It becomes a dull ache that you doubt will ever go away completely. But itâs better than the overwhelming grief youâve carried on your shoulders all this time. You let go of the doubts and accept that theyâre looking at you hoping to see a bit of the magic she had.
Youâre not completely sure if itâs the same even after Rapinoe words. But you have magic, not just as individual players but as a team, and youâre here to prove it.
You look at Australia and donât see them as the host anymore.
This is the World Cup. This turf is your home. You came here to stay until the end. And it wouldnât matter if the World Cup was in Russia, South Africa, Japan or Argentina. The World Cup is your place. Soccer is your language, and lucky for you, is universal.
âMorgan has entered the game. What can she do with limited time?â
Australiaâs defense is solid like a wall.
YouâŠyou are a wrecking ball.
A fistbump is exchanged with Janice and you take your place waiting for action to resume with a corner kick in their favor.
The whistle blows and the ball soars straight into Krash hands. You exchange a look and a nod with her before rushing up.
You enjoy the rush of adrenaline, pat one of your teammateâs shoulders on your way to the midfield and they understand to follow as you run past them. Itâs something simple, quick and effective that draws the entire team into action.
The best way to wreck their defense is to use their offense against them. A high speed counter attack and they have no time to react. You see Long with the ball on the far right, she sees you on the left and you know exactly whatâs going to happen.
Her pass is flawless as you enter the box from the left into your motherâs favorite definition zone. You see the last defender get lost in the play while the goalkeeper tries to close the angle. And she closes it, if you were to shoot with the right foot.
However, your mother had a saying.
Practice the left.
The goalkeeper has zero chance to stop the ball as it finds its way into the net.
  âThatâs a goal! And what a goal it was. A magnificent shot from Morgan that could simply not be stopped.â
âShe had created the space, and she didnât waste it. It was a fantastic play from end to end that gave Australia no time to react. And I think we all saw a goal in true Morgan fashion with the first ball Y/n touches after being subbed in. With only fifteen minutes to play, I feel that this team is close to being group leaders.â
âWhat will this mean for them?â
âIn the big picture? Little. But itâs a better chance facing the next round. They have some big names, and they got some big results. However, for a team with so much story as the USWNT, nothing but the title of Champions can be considered a Victory.â
âDo you think they have what itâs needed?â
â...Maybe.â
The team is all around you in a matter of seconds and you jump into Harryâs arms. Her assist was just sublime and you wouldnât have had a chance otherwise. So you hug her tightly while everyone else cheers.
Itâs just one goal, but in a game that has been so close and with little opportunities, it can very much mean securing the last three points.
But you keep pushing. You keep trying. Thereâs no way youâll leave victory to chance when youâre close enough to grab it with both hands.
In the end, one goal is enough. The game ends and you get the win to go into the next round as group leaders. More than that, you feel like titans in a world of heroes. Youâre ready for the glory, and thereâs absolutely nothing and no one that can get in your way.
#legendary#angst route#next generation#morgan!reader#babymorgan!reader#uswnt imagine#uswnt imagines#alex morgan imagine#alex morgan imagines
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Defenseless Ch. 3
synopsis:Â CJ Jackson, looks like she has it all. Fancy car, fancy house, name brand clothing. Her parents, top boosters to Beverly, with money to make all sorts of situations go away. As well as the Jackson family looks put together, past secrets haunt them. With the new transfer student catching the eye of CJ Jackson, can old friendships be fixed. Or are somethings just meant to stay broken.
âI told you, as long as I live, no one would know."
ââââââââââââââââââââââââââ
pairing: Jordan Baker x OC (CJ Jackson)Â
word count:Â 3.1k
warning: language, talk of a teen being arrested, talk about a car accident, mentions of death, panic attackÂ
tag list: @thevelvetseries
Tears ran down CJ's face as she held the picture frame in her hands. She had dug through the box, something she hadn't done since she packed everything up about 3 months ago. The smiling boy looked up at her, and CJ's heart was broken all over again. It was like she was reliving that day all over again, and she hated it. ------------------------------------------------------------
"Where is he? Where is he at?" CJ said, shooting up from the bed she was in. The nurses quickly walked over to her and tried to calm her down, "No! Don't touch me! Where is he?! Where is Kordell!? Someone tell me where Kordell is at!?"
"Hun, you need to calm down." A female nurse said.
"BP rising." Another nurse said.
"No! No! What happened!? Where the hell am I?!" CJ screamed.
"You were in an accident, your parents on the way. Christine, did you take anything? Are you on anything currently?" The female nurse asked again.
"No, no! I need to see Kordell!" CJ asked again, as she pulled the oxygen canula at of her nose and caught a glimpse of a familiar person, "Jordan?" The lightskin boy turned and looked at his friend in a hospital bed, cuts and bruises all over her face, and a cast on her left arm, "Where is Kordell!?"
"CJ. . . Kordell, he-" Jordan spoke, but a police officer came into CJ's room, and blocked the view of Jordan Baker.
"Christine Jackson? You are under arrest for the vehicular murder of Kordell Morgan, and driving under the influence of illegal narcotics." The officer said and placed a pair of handcuffs to CJ's free wrist
ââââââââââââââââââââââââââ
It was like a nightmare. CJ stood in front of her mirror in her dance uniform, ready for her first game. The navy blue uniform looked good against her tan skin, and her mother had done her hair. CJ took a deep breath and grabbed her bag, before heading downstairs. Carver and Roman were both waiting for her, so she could ride with them together. After the accident, CJ had her license suspended for a whole year. It sucked being a high schooler with out a car, but she understood why she didn't have the car.
"You ready for this? First game, in front of a big crowd." Roman asked the Jackson girl.
"Ready as I'll ever be. As long as Emily doesn't try to make me look like a fool." CJ answered. ------------------------------------------------------------
The field was lights were bright, as CJ stepped on to the track for the first time in almost a year. The Beverly football team wore their navy blue jerseys and were already starting to warm up for tonight's battle on the gridiron. The dancers were on one side of the track, while the cheerleaders were on another. CJ could feel the glares of fellow students in the stands as she made her way towards her team.
"Hey! First game! You ready!?" Hadley asked her with a bright smile on her painted red lips.
"As ready as I can be standing in front of a whole school who hates me." CJ said sitting down her bag. Hadley just smiled and sighed.
"Coach put you in the middle, just thought you should know. She wants you calling shots. She knows Emily can't do it."
"I'm not even on the team yet, and they're making me shot caller?" CJ asked as she slipped on her white high top Nike Air Force One's.
"It's cause we want your mom back, Miss Dallas Cowboy Cheerleader Pauline Jackson." Hadley laughed and CJ rolled her eyes.
"She hates Beverly, only reason we are still here is because they kiss our ass and get on their knees to suck our cocks when we try to pull money out of the school." CJ said frankly.
Before Hadley could respond, their coach called all the girls together, to get ready for the boys to run out. CJ was instructed to tumble across the field as the boys were getting announced, something she used to do at every game. The girls stood on the field and danced along to the hype song before the boys ran out. CJ did as told and did what she could and flipped her way across the field. ------------------------------------------------------------
It was a terrible game. Beverly looked terrible, and the other team was running circles around them. CJ did her best to keep her spirit high as the team would dance along to the music over the loud speaker, or what the band would play. She also did her best to ignore the glares of various students and parents in the crowd. Pauline and Anthony had sat right in front of her, to give her some positivity to look at.
"She looks just like her mama." Anthony said smiling at his wife.
"Of course she does, she got her talent from me." Pauline sassed back. Anthony faked hurt and held his hand to his heart. Pauline laughed and gently shoved her husband, "Oh shush, Carver is just like you. Out there being a tank."
Beverly had turned it around, trying their hardest to match up to the opponent. Spencer was working as hard as he could to make his name. They were all working hard, CJ could smell the sweat rolling all off of them as they walked to the sideline.
Spencer was running back on the field, which confused CJ, knowing that he was a defensive player. The boys broke their huddle and got on the line of scrimmage. Jordan hung in the shotgun for as long as he could, as his teammates scattered around the field. Spencer ran wide to the right, getting in the line way of number 54. As the player was running towards Jordan, Spencer dropped his shoulder into the player. Jordan held on to the ball and ran down the sideline, his teammates protecting him as he made a clear drive to the end zone.
CJ let out a loud scream as Beverly won the game. The crowd was cheering loud, and the whole football team ran out on the field. Carver took his helmet off and pointed to his parents and then to his sister. CJ blew her brother a kiss, and waved to him. Jordan took his helmet off and looked over to where his mother and sister were, but also to where CJ stood cheering on the boys victory. CJ caught his glance and smiled brightly at him. Jordan nodded and then turned to greet his dad, who just ignored him and hugged Spencer.
"Hey, man, can I talk to you for a second?" Jordan asked number 40 for the other team.
Spencer took a deep breath as he was walking off the field. He stood in front of CJ and smiled at her. She was about to congratulate him, when Leila jumped in. CJ just nodded to Spencer and walked over to where her bag was. She changed out of her shoes, and zipped up her blue dance team jacket, before going over to where her parents were talking to Carver and Roman.
"CJ," Her dance team coach said stopping her in her tracks, "I want to officially welcome you back to the dance team. We are looking for you to be a co-captain."
"Thank you, coach." CJ smiled.
The ride home for the Jacksons' was an exciting one. Talk of the game filled the car as the siblings all rode with Carver and Roman. CJ sat in the back of the SUV and watched the cars as they passed by. She wasn't surprised when they pulled up to Hadley's house for the after game party.
"Hey, we don't have to stay, Carv said I can take the car home if you don't want to stay." Colton said to his twin sister. CJ took a deep breath and looked at her brother.
"I know how bad you want to be here, but I just. . .it's been enough high school interaction for one day." CJ said honestly.
"That's okay C, let's head home ight?" -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
CJ couldn't sleep that night. She sat on the roof outside her window and held a picture in her hand, and had a bottle of pills sitting next to her. She just wanted to swallow them and forget the images replaying in her mind, but she knew she couldn't. His bright smile looked up at her, and she felt guilt drown her. She quietly climbed back into her room, and headed down the stairs. She knew she her ass was grass if she got caught, but she couldn't sleep.
CJ prayed that her parents or brothers hadn't heard her start her car. It had sat idle in the garage for months since she was sent to juvie. The streets of Beverly Hills were almost abandoned at 3 in the morning. CJ drove effortlessly, her mind on autopilot as she navigated through the down town streets, on to winding side streets until she saw the big black gate. She wasn't surprised not to see a car in sight, who else visited a cemetery at 3 am?
Tears flooded down her face, as she parked her car, her head lights beaming on the grey stone in front of her. The name seemed to jump off and stab her in the heart. More memories of that tragic night in her mind. The screaming sounds, the breaking glass, the bending of metal, and the metallic smell of blood in the air.
"I'm sorry! I'm so sorry! I told you not to! I told you, I told you!" CJ screamed as she pounded her fists against her steering wheel. "It wasn't my fucking fault! I told you! It wasn't my fault!"
CJ could feel her lungs feeling tighter and tighter, as it seemed the car was caving in on itself. She put her hands on the glass and the roof, as she was trying to keep it from coming in on her. Before she realized what she was doing, she pushed her door open and ran out of the car. She ran to the grey stone and fell to her knees in front of it.
"You did this! It was all you! You told me to get in that car! You knew what would happen to me!" She screamed as sobs racked her body. CJ hadn't cried like this, she hadn't allowed herself a moment to break. She was thrown around from place to place, to treatment centers and juvenile detention center, and now back in the same school that her beloved boyfriend walked the halls of.
CJ looked up, and saw the same smiling picture of the boy she loved. She gently ran her fingers over the picture and closed her eyes. She picked herself up off the ground and staggered back to the car. She grabbed her phone and called the one person who wouldn't judge her. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Olivia Baker wrapped her jacket around her, as she walked over to CJ sat in her car. Jordan watched as her sister bravely faced the one person she hated more than herself.
"Hey. . ." Olivia said quietly. She looked at CJ, who's cheeks were red with tear stains, "I had the same reaction, my first time out here. It just felt. . . too real being here, and seeing. . .that" She said pointing to the headstone. CJ didn't say anything, but stare straight a head, "Listen, if you're fucking high right now, I can't be here-"
"He was driving that night." CJ answered, "Everyone thought it was me, thanks to your brother, Aiyden, Asher, and Leila. Kordell, he would've told the truth, taken the blame, but he wasn't there."
"That doesn't make any sense. If he was driving he would've been... he was thrown from the car." Olivia said in realization, "Why didn't you tell anyone!?"
"Everyone already saw me as the trouble maker sense that night at Asher's party. I was so overcome by guilt for making Kordell drive me home after..." CJ paused as her voice cracked and Olivia hugged the broke girl. CJ cried into Olivias shoulder, as the Baker girl tried to comfort her.
"You could've plead not guilty, could've explained what actually happened." Olivia said, "Your truth deserves to be heard."
"How do you explain what the most popular guy in school did to you? I am nobody, but the girl who deserves to be locked in a prison cell for the rest of her life."
Olivia sighed and looked around the quiet cemetery, "At least let us take you to our house. You can spend the night-"
"Your mother sees me as the girl who killed someone and almost killed her daughter and son within a 12 hour time period. It doesn't take a genius to know I'm not welcome at your house anymore."
"Then let Jordan take you home. Please CJ, you're in no shape to drive home." Olivia pleaded. CJ reluctantly agreed and Olivia nodded. She walked back to her car and opened the door to tell her brother the new change of plans, "Hey, can you drive her home?"
"What? No." Jordan said looking at the white mustang in front of him.
"Jordan, she's a mess. She can't drive home." Olivia pleaded with her twin. Jordan shook his head, and got out of the car.
"You owe me." He grumbled as he walked up to CJ's car. The Jackson girl was already sitting in the passenger seat, when Jordan climbed in the driver's seat. He didn't even look at her, but started up the car, and began to leave the cemetery.
"There a reason for this mess?" Jordan asked her. CJ didn't say anything, but let the silent tears run down her face. Jordan sighed, realizing how harsh his words were, "Listen, I'm sorry."
"It's okay." CJ whispered. The rest of the drive to CJ's house was quiet. When they arrived at the Beverly Hills mansion, her parents ran out into the driveway, still in their pajamas. Her mother had pulled on her pink silk robe, and still had her silk wrap over her hair.
CJ had barely gotten out of the car, when Pauline wrapped her daughter in a tight hug. Anthony sighed and looked over at Jordan Baker who climbed out of the Mustang. The Jackson brothers, and Roman were standing in the front doorway, watching their parents dote over CJ.
"Thank god," Pauline sighed, and released her daughter from the hug, "You're grounded, so fucking grounded."
CJ looked at her orange Nike Jordan 1's. Pauline was pissed, and they all could tell. She never cursed in front of her children.
"Inside. Please." Pauline said to her daughter and CJ nodded. She quietly moved past her mother and into the house. Colton pulled his sister into a hug, when she walked through the door.
"Are you okay? Under anything?" Cobe asked CJ.
"No. I promise you guys, I'm not on anything. I just want a bath, and go to bed." CJ said and all the boys backed off, letting her walk up to her room.
"Why is Baker here?" Carver commented, seeing his mom and dad talking to Jordan.
"Who even knows. Let's go." Roman said, grabbing his boyfriend's hand and leading him away from the window.
Cobe and Colton stood still, watching Jordan talk to their parents. They didn't trust Jordan, not after all their sister had gone through. Cobe and Colton were basically security for CJ, they were not going to let Jordan Baker waltz back into their lives so easily.
Pauline watched her daughter walk into the house, and then turned around to talk to Jordan. The young man stood with his hands in his pockets, nervous to be back in the presence of the Jackson family.
"Thank you, Jordan, for driving my daughter home." Pauline said, folding her arms across her chest, "Where was she?"
"Cemetery. She actually called Olivia, and Olivia wanted me to come, for back up. She was worried CJ was high. . ."
"Was she? Did you see anything?" Anthony asked, pressing the young man.
"No, sir, I didn't. Olivia said she didn't see anything either." Jordan responded.
Anthony sighed and looked around, "It's pretty late. Why don't you stay here tonight? The boys wouldn't mind having you here."
"Thank you Mr. Jackson." Jordan said and walked behind Anthony and Pauline into the house.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
When Cobe and Colton saw their parents and Jordan walk towards the house, they took off running into the living room, to seem like they weren't spying. Cobe turned the TV on and Colton pulled a blanket over his head. Pauline looked at her boys and crossed her arms over her chest, she did not believe for a second that those boys weren't spying.
"Uhem!" Pauline cleared her throat, and both boys looked up at her, "Jordan is staying the night, and I don't want to hear any grief from you two. He's staying in the guest house, Colton, you'll show him the-"
"No! Mom, I can't, abosuletly can't!" Colton said standing up and arguing with his mother. He couldn't be around Jordan, He hated Jordan Baker. Pauline gave him a glare and Colton stood down, "Fine. But no promises the Baker's won't put a target on me next."
Jordan stood awkwardly in the kitchen, hearing every word that came out of Colton's mouth. Chris instructed Colton to walk Jordan over to the guest house, and show him around. Colton didn't say a word but turned towards the door. Jordan thanked the Jacksons before following the twin boy. Colton opened the white barn-style cottage house and flipped the light on. A bright chandelier lit the living room.
"You've been here, and don't act like you haven't. I know the shit you and my sister used to do here. I'm too disgusted to take a black light and look around." Colton sneered and set the keys to the cottage on the marble counter top. "Whatever room you use, just tell me and I'll fix it."
"Hey, thanks Colton, I know you don't like me-"
"No, I fucking hate you. If it was up to me, I'd kick your ass to the curb and not think twice. You, Jordan Baker, are scum on the bottom of my shoe, you can fool a lot of people but you can't fool me." Colton said and pushed past Jordan towards the door, "Hope you sleep well."
#all american#all american cw#all american imagine#jordan baker#jordan baker imagine#jordan baker x reader#spencer james#asher adams#olivia baker
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RTARLâs 2020 NFL Season Week 14 Extravapalooza
The Week 14 slate of games is straight doo-doo until the AFC North rescues us in primetime. As a result of this, I found it pretty difficult to get up for this weekïżœïżœïżœs Extravapalooza. I know what youâre thinking: Iâm a professional being paid ludicrous sums of money to show up on the weekend and give it everything Iâve got. But, Iâm only human. My assistant puts my pants on me one leg at a time, just like everyone else. Frankly, I think this lackluster effort falls more on the coaching staff than it does on me.Â
My picks are in BOLD, and the lines come to us courtesy of our friends at Vegas Insider. I use the âVI Consensusâ line, which is the line that occurs most frequently across Vegas Insiderâs list of sportsbooks. Your sportsbook of choice may offer a different number, and if youâd like my opinion on said number A) you are insane, and B) leave a comment below and Iâll try to answer at some point before things kickoff today.
EARLY GAMES
Houston Texans (-1.5) at Chicago Bears
Hey, did you know that the Bears traded up in the draft to take Mitchell Trubisky over DeShaun Watson? Itâs true! Today, itâll look like it was the right move. LOL, not really. But, Iâm putting my faith in the ability of the Bears defense to bottle Watson up just enough to allow Mitchell a brief afternoon of sweet, sweet glory.
Dallas Cowboys (-3) at Cincinnati Bengals
OH BOY, ANDY DALTON REVENGE GAME!! This game couldâve been a fun time with Dak Prescott and Joe Burrow calling the signals for their respective squads, but sadly what we have in reality is a hideous slopfest that only the most degenerate among us would dare gaze upon.
Kansas City Chiefs (-7.5) at Miami Dolphins
I think the Dolphins defense can do a reasonably good job holding K.C. down, relatively speaking. The problem is that Iâm not sure their Tua-led offense can keep pace. Theyâre still adjusting to life with Tua as their triggerman, and losing their best RB, Myles Gaskin, to the COVID list is a tough blow.
Arizona Cardinals (-2.5) at New York Giants
The Giants have won 4 in a row, while the Cards have dropped 3 in a row and 4 of their last 5. These twin developments are most unexpected. I just canât bring myself to pick against my beloved Kyler Murray in this one, even though heâs been scuffling and the Giants made Russell Damn Wilson look like crud just last week. Daniel Jones is expected to be back in the saddle for the Giants, which provides another reason to pick New York that Iâm choosing to ignore.
Minnesota Vikings at Tampa Bay Buccaneers (-7)
The Vikings are agents of pure chaos capable of both thrashing anyone and being thrashed by anyone, while the Bucs havenât strung together two good halves in over a month. I truly have no idea what to expect from this game*.Â
*Judging by my picks record, I have no idea what to expect from any game
Denver Broncos at Carolina Panthers (-3.5)
Here we have an incredibly resistible force meeting an exceptionally moveable object. The Broncos will be without their top 3 CBs, which is less than ideal. Carolina wonât have RB Christian McCaffery or WR DJ Moore, but I still like their odds of hitting a big play on offense and/or capitalizing on a Drew Lock mistake enough to pick them to win by more than a field goal.
Tennessee Titans (-7.5) at Jacksonville Jaguars
Derrick Henry is the jewel of my fantasy team, and since my playoffs begin this week Iâm putting the idea of him cranking out a hilarious yardage total while grinding out the clock out into the universe.Â
LATE GAMESÂ
Indianapolis Colts (-3) at Las Vegas Raiders
The most non-descript game imaginable.
New York Jets at Seattle Seahawks (-15)
The Seahawks need a get-right game after losing to the Giants last week, and lo and behold the Jets are coming to town. The only thing giving me pause here is the non-zero chance that Pete Carroll got sidetracked during the week and the team spent their preparation time learning the TRUTH about a totally different New York jet situation.
Green Bay Packers (-8) at Detroit Lions
Somebody on Twitter (possibly Jim Harbaugh Scramble?) pointed out how much the FOX cartoon graphic for Packers TE Robert Tonyan looks like White Michael Vick from the infamous âWhat If Michael Vick Were White?â story from a few years ago, and it cracked me up for a solid 10 minutes.
LOL
New Orleans Saints (-8) at Philadelphia Eagles
Iâm morbidly fascinated by this game. Saints QB Taysom Hill has looked shockingly competent...when playing against the Atlanta Falcons. How will he do against a different, larger species of bird? I donât know what to expect out of Eagles QB Jalen Hurts in his first start, but at the very least I think heâll take off running to try and gain SOME yards if his first couple of reads are covered, as opposed to holding the ball and waiting to get creamed a la Carson Wentz. The Saints defense is a brutal first matchup for him, though.
Atlanta Falcons at Los Angeles Chargers (PK)
Iâm following my âDonât Pick the Falcons If Julio Jones Is Outâ rule here. I have no idea if that rule has actually served me well whatsoever.Â
Washington Football Team at San Francisco 49ers (-3)
As of this writing, I canât find any solid info as to whether or not Football Team O-linemen Brandon Scherff, Morgan Moses, and David Sharpe are going to play. Even if they manage to get out there, theyâre pretty banged up. The o-line injuries combined with the loss of studly RB Antonio Gibson has tamped my enthusiasm for Washington down considerably.Â
SNF: Pittsburgh Steelers at Buffalo Bills (-2.5)
FIRE TOMLIN! Seriously though, this is Pittsburghâs third game in 11 days, which is ridiculous. Theyâll also be without CB Joe Haden, which will only tempt Josh Allen to chuck it up even more. Whether or not this is beneficial for the Bills depends on how you feel about Josh Allen, I suppose.
MNF: Baltimore Ravens (-3) at Cleveland Browns
The Browns and their fans are riding too high right now. The laws of the universe require them to be knocked down a peg or two, possibly due in large part to former Ohio State Buckeye JK Dobbins returning to Ohio and running roughshod over the home team.
Last Weekâs Record: 8-6
Season Record: 82-91-6
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Dirty Boy
Morston because it is adorable and I like the fanfiction. Fight me.
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Arthur is 19, John is 18. (Not accurate to the game but thatâs what fanfiction is about sometimes.) The most that happens is kissing making out.
Arthur Morgan, one of the younger members of Dutch VanDerLinde's small group of outcasts. He had been 13 or 14 when Dutch and Hosea found him, none of them could remember exactly how old he was. He looked up to them, more so Hosea, as his fathers. Hosea was the one who mainly raised him, Dutch was the one who put him to work, utilizing him for what he was best at. Charming, robbing, showing some muscle. No one dared to cross the large young man. He was young, but he was also one of their best guns. His shots rarely missed their target, taking the lives of countless enemies. He was a playful boy, not yet cynical of the world. He did as he was told, not thinking about whether it was the right or wrong thing to do.Â
John Marston, the favorite. The golden boy. He was undeniably Dutch's favorite amongst the boys. John was resourceful, scrappy, not to mention lucky. Arthur was almost always around to get him out of any trouble he could cause. John was practically Arthur's shadow. He never left his side. They were always sitting beside one another, eating together, even sharing a tent. They were inseparable. Their father figures were proud of them, getting along so well. It was as if they were born brothers, not brothers under Dutch. But, unbeknownst to the older men, they viewed themselves as more than brothers and more like that of lovers.Â
"John! Let's go!" Arthur yelled harshly.Â
"I'm comin', I'm comin'!" John yelled back.Â
"Boys, boys! Go down to the river to cool down instead," Hosea mitigated in an attempt to get the boys' attention.Â
They had been planning to go hunting, but they had been fighting all day, over who knows what. Maybe it wasn't wise to send them alone. But they needed to work this out. They had a job today, a big one. There was going to be a coach traveling through the area, filled with a local oil tycoons daughters. They were sure to have lots of money for the small group in gems, gold or silver, and wealth. But it would be no small task, they were sure to be overlooked by plenty of guns.Â
The pair made their way towards their horses. John was riding a young Bay Mustang. It was his first mount, he had been a gift from Arthur. He didn't know where he had gotten him, but he was a fine animal. Arthur didn't tell John, but he had picked the mustang for him fresh from the corrals. It reminded him of the smaller boy. Hard-headed, fearless almost to the point of stupidity, compact but strong. He had saved all of his money from every job they worked for months to buy the young stallion for him. He was a birthday present for the younger boy, even though they didn't know the actual date.Â
 Arthur was on an older mare, a Blue Roan Nakota. Hosea had picked her for Arthur as a surprise. Before the mare, he had been riding one of the Drafts that they used to pull the wagon. It was inconvenient for everyone involved, so he had stolen her from a homestead they had stolen from. She was a little old, but she still had a few good years left in her. Under Arthur's care, she would be just fine.Â
The boys mounted their horses, deciding to go without their saddles. They were just going to be down the hill. It would be okay to leave them this once. Just to be safe, Arthur grabbed his pistol. The dirty blonde-headed boy tucked it into the holster that rests on his belt. You could never be too careful. He didn't want to risk the pair getting caught up in something with no way to get out of it.
They made their way down to the small stream that was just down the hill from their temporary home. They kept a fair distance between their horses, trying to keep away from one another. It was a quick ride. Once they had arrived, the boys dismounted. They tied their horses to the sparse trees that hid the bank from view. When they had their horses secured, they came together. Arthur grabbed John's hand, John responded by squeezing his hand gently.
"Do ya think they know?" the small teenager asked.Â
"Nah, don't worry so much" the older responded, shaking his free hand in the air as if to clear it of the subject.Â
Their "fight" had been an excuse for Hosea to send them off together. He wouldn't have thought twice about the boys going off on their own anyway, but they just wanted to be sure. They never got much time alone. A little time to "make up" was just what they needed. Some time to themselves, able to be open about what they were.
Arthur pulled his lover into his arms, resting his chin on his shoulder. He let out a grunt of happiness. He was a brute by nature, but he could enjoy the little things. John rested his head against the slightly older boy. He loved these moments. He wished they could last forever sometimes. But given their lifestyle choices, they knew it wasn't possible. These fleeting moments would have to suffice. That would be okay, they still had each other. Suddenly Arthur's nose screwed up.
"Whew Marston, you smell like horse shit," he exclaimed.Â
"I was shoveling some before we left," the raven-headed boy laughed.Â
"Go get in that river boy, you need a bath" the dirty blonde haired teen commanded.
"Hell no, it's cold in there," John argued.
"Alright then," Arthur said in a defeated tone.Â
John smirked, having won. But he felt himself being lifted from the ground. He looked confusedly at his boyfriend, noticing the mischievous look in his eyes. He wouldn't. But that look in his eyes said otherwise. He was really going to do it. The scrappy young man struggled against the more muscular boy.Â
"Hey! Let me go!" he shrieked.
"Nope, bath time dirty boy" Arthur laughed, running towards the river with his partner in his arms.Â
The blue-green eyed young man launched his lover into the river. He stayed near the bank, knowing that John couldn't swim. He was ready to jump in at a moment's notice if he needed to. He watched as John's head bobbed up out of the water, an expression filled with that of shock and anger on his face. He stood in the frigid waters, plotting his next move. Arthur could only laugh at the smaller male.Â
"What a sorry sight you make" he chuckled.Â
"C'mere Pretty Boy," his voice dripped with venom as he started taking steps towards the bank.Â
"Pretty boy? You're kiddin' me.." he shook his head with a snort.Â
Before he had even lifted his head, he felt cold arms wrap around his neck. The arms pulled him down into the freezing river. He forced himself up, his body stiffened from the sudden cold. He shot a look at his lover, who was laughing in retaliation. He advanced towards the other boy, getting in his face. He reached for the younger man's shirt, pulling him against his chest.Â
"What's so funny?"
"You, Pretty Boy" John smiled, sensing Arthur's growing irritation.Â
"Oh shut up"
Arthur forced his lips against the other teenager. John melted into the kiss, pressing himself against the taller male. The older of the pair released his junior's shit and instead wrapped his arms around his waist. He licked John's bottom lip, asking for entrance. He happily obliged, parting his lips enough for Arthur to slip his tongue into his mouth. The older boy took advantage of his eagerness by sliding his tongue into the younger's mouth. He explored every little part as if this as the first time. His actions earned a soft moan from the other boy. Arthur tore away from the kiss with a smirk on his face. John stood there, breathing heavily, wordless. The smaller boy's face tinted with a deep blush.Â
"Good boy," Arthur whispered into his ear huskily.Â
Those words earned a shiver from the younger male. Sure he was cold. But those words brought a certain excitement to him. One that he had yet to experience. Once again, Arthur picked him up. Carrying him in full bridal style, they returned to the bank.Â
The taller of the pair sat down on the grass beside the river, putting the smaller of them between his legs. He held him tightly. He laid his chin down to rest on his shoulder once more. It was peaceful out. Sunny, tranquil, no one but the pair to be seen. It was almost nice enough to take a nap. But they would need to head back soon. He didn't want to. But if they didn't, Hosea was sure to come in search of the boys.
"Say, Marston, how's about we go fishin'?" Arthur suggested.
"Sure" he replied.Â
Hosea looked around the camp. The boys weren't back yet. They should have been back by now. He was a worrywart sometimes, but he meant well. With the boys having been fighting earlier, he wanted to make sure they hadn't killed each other yet. He made his way over to his horse, a Silver Dapple American Paint stallion. He mounted up.
"I'll be back! I'm gonna go check on our boys," Hosea yelled to Dutch as he rode out of camp.
He began his descent down the small hill that they were temporarily living on. He rode slowly, in no real rush. He just wanted to take a peek in on the boys to make sure they were getting along. They hadn't been gone very long. Maybe an hour. Even as he had ridden slowly, he arrived in minutes.Â
The older man dismounted his stallion. He tied his horse to the same trees in which the boys had tied theirs. He peeked out from the tree, scanning the area for the boys. He spotted them in the river. Arthur was gripping John's shirt tightly, getting in his face. He was about to step out of his cover before he noticed their lips crashing together. He was confused, but nevertheless, a smile graced his face. His boys were getting on just fine.Â
He stood there, keeping an eye on them. He watched as they pulled away from one another and Arthur lifted the smaller boy into his arms. The older boy carried them both to the bank before sitting down and gently setting the other boy down between his legs, wrapping himself around the smaller. Hosea was satisfied to know that they were okay. More than okay actually, but he didn't want to stick around much longer.Â
The older man untied his mount before remounting. He quietly rode away and back into camp. He went unnoticed until Dutch poked his head out of his tent.Â
"How are they?" Dutch asked.Â
"Fine, our boys are doing just fine," Hosea replied, in an amused mood.Â
"What has tickled your fancy, Old Friend?" Dutch bemused.
"Oh, I'm just having one of my good days, Dutch," He chuckled.Â
"We didn't catch much. 2 small perch an' a crappy" Arthur reflected.Â
"It's better 'an nothin'," John remarked. Â
"Sure," Arthur responded, sounding more like 'shore' due to his deep accent.Â
"We should get back to camp 'fore they come lookin' for us," John worried.Â
"Yeah, let's git up there" the older agreed.Â
The pair returned to their tied mounts, untying them from the trunks of the small trees. Arthur held the pitiful string of fish, carrying it. The pair mounted their steeds before riding back in the direction of the camp. The fish flopped against the older boy's leg, but he ignored it.Â
"We brought fish!" He yelled out.Â
"Good job boys. Did you enjoy your little swimming session?" Hosea teased.Â
John turned beet red, looking away. Arthur realized that Hosea had seen them. He couldn't think of much to say. He had never been in this situation before. He just looked towards the older man.Â
"Are ya' gonna tell Dutch?" Arthur asked, not even trying to lie about what had happened.Â
"Nah, your secret's safe with me," Hosea responded after a second.Â
"Thank ya," Arthur said gratefully.Â
Hosea waved them away, shooing them from that spot. He had a huge grin on his face. He was glad that they had each other, they would be fine if anything happened to either him or Dutch in the job they had planned. They could look out for each other, they would both be okay. With that, Hosea went to Dutch's tent to work on some more preparations. Life was just a little more interesting now.Â
#arthur morgan x john marston#arthur morgan#john marston#arthur x john#john x arthur#morston#rdr2 fanfic#reddeadredemption2#younger arthur#younger john
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Anne has some nice boiled milk and lots of rhubarb tart and then, like all road-trippers with convertibles, she and Aunt Anne enjoy the Lake District by putting the top down on the carriage.
1824
August Thursday 5
6 55/60
11 1/2
Comfortable bed â slept well â at breakfast at 8 ÂŒ â I had boiled milk as usual â ate nearly the whole of a large rhubarb tart â off from Settle, in the rain, at 9 10/60 â soon fair and had the top put down â Stopt at the Black horse, M. Cayley, Hellifield, 6 miles from Settle, at 10 25/60 to give the horses oat meal and water â a smartish thunder-shower about 3 miles from Skipton â had the top up till the shower was over â Stopt at the Devonshire Hotel Skipton at 12 53/60 Slept above an hour â Then watching the set off of the Leeds and Kendal coaches which had come during my sleep â Off from Skipton (having given the horses as at Ingleton yesterday, oat meal and water before their hay and corn) and stopt at the Cavendish arms, S. Morgan, at 4 53/60 Ordered beds and dinner at 6 â walked to the church and all round it, and got the sexton to show us into it, to see the old inscription of the 12th century to the memory of â de Keighley of Utley and Margaret his wife â the foot of the stair is now a good deal worn away â it was in the choir of the old church but is in the chancel of the new one built about 90 years ago â good modern church but very low â the old tower or lower part of it standing â We had to return in a heavy shower of rain at 5 1/2, which continued more or less a couple of hours â great deal of rain till last night and very early this morning â the roads rather heavy now and then in consequence of so much wet â fine sweet pasture ground all about Skipton â liked the drive from Skipton here (Keighley) good road â rather hilly at last, but they are making a new road (almost finished) that will avoid all the hills and be most capital â They are making an excellent diversion for the same purpose near Ingleton â it leaves Ingleton on the right (beginning at about 5 miles from Kirkby Lonsdale) and joins the Settle road again at Clapham â Keighley seems a poor town all ins and outs, and corners, and black smoke from steam-engine chimnies â Dinner at 6 1/4 â cold roast chicken and cold ham â potatoes  and peas and currant tarts â good bread and very good butter the best we have had anywhere â In the evening wrote all the above of today and settled the accounts â Coolish day â vide lines 2 and 12 of today â wrote the rough draft of the index omitted before, of from 19 to 24 July last. Came to my bedroom at 10 1/4.
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âAttempts For Attentionâ Arthur Morgan x Reader
A request from @notursdutch!
Arthur is trying to throw hints your way that he has feelings for you, but heâs a little shy and youâre a lot oblivious.Â
âWhatcha drawinâ?â You were pulled from your concentration and looked up to find Arthur standing over you. You handed him the journal as sat down in the grass beside you.Â
You were sat under a shady oak tree overlooking camp; it had the perfect view, you could see everything from up there, plus the shade was welcome on the hot summer day.Â
Arthur smiled as he looked down at the drawing. The sketch took up two pages. It was Clemenâs Point, complete with undetailed little drawings of the inhabitants and the horses at the edge of camp. âThis looks great, Y/N.â Arthurâs finger pointed down at the small figure with the horses. âKieran?â
You nodded and smiled as you pointed out all the people. Lenny was just below Kieran, brushing his own horse. Tilly, Karen, and Mary-Beth were by the laundry bucket, and you had captured Charles mid swing of his axe. Arthur smiled down at his own figure, leaned against the back end of his caravan, his own journal in hand. Arthur loved your art style, your lines were softer and your shading was a little more defined. âI donât know how you do it.â He said, eyes still focused on your drawing.Â
You laughed, âSure you do, you could put me to shame with your drawing skills any day!â
He shook his head, âNah, Iâm too heavy handed, I canât quite get my shading just right.âÂ
You smiled. âWhat were you workinâ on down there?â You asked as you pointed to the small Arthur you had drawn.Â
âJust doinâ some writinâ. Its been a few days since I had enough time to actually open my journal.â He flipped the page and frowned. âLooks like those were your last pages.â
You sighed. âYeah, I know. Iâve been checkinâ every town weâve hit since we left Blackwater tryinâ to find somethinâ new but I guess the folks this far east ainât as refined as we thought.â
Arthur laughed. âIâll see what I can do next time Iâm out.âÂ
You beamed up at him, âYou would do that for me?â
He smiled down at you. âCourse I will.â
You wrapped your arms around him tightly. âOh thank you Arthur, youâre the best friend a girl a can have!âÂ
This took his by surprise, but he slowly wrapped his arms around you, returning your hug. You felt so warm and soft in his arms he felt his heart lurch when you pulled away. Your face was towards the ground, but Arthur caught the slight shade of pink in your cheeks. âI should probably go before Grimshaw finds me.â You stood and looked down at Arthur, âIf you ever want to practice with me, I can show you some techniques to keep your wrist loose, that should help you with your shading.âÂ
Arthurâs eyes followed you as you went down the hill and joined the other girls at the laundry station. Your smile was contagious as you reached the other girls they greeted you happily. You seemed to have that effect on everyone, but Arthur seemed to fall prey to your charm worse than anyone else around camp, the trouble was you had no idea.Â
He had been crazy for you since you first arrived, it took him damn near a month and a half to even say hello to you, every time your eyes shifted his way and you gave him a smile he would turn redder than a tomato. Hosea eventually had to be the one to introduce the two of you, and he still gives Arthur hell to this day for turning to a nervous blundering mess when you first stuck out your hand and said, âNice to meet you Arthur, my name is Y/N.â
Arthur was lucky you were just as outgoing as you were oblivious because he never had the nerve to talk to you, but you had no problem with joining him beside the fire or barging into his tent for conversation, but you never noticed how flustered you made him. At first it was a relief, but now Arthur wasnât quite sure. He wanted to tell you how he felt, he wanted to grab you by the waist and sweep you off your feet, but that required a level of confidence he just didnât have. He looked down and noticed you had left your journal beside him. He grabbed it and headed down towards you.Â
âSo,â Tilly began mischievously. âWhat were you and Arthur talkinâ about up on that hill?â
You rolled your eyes. âNothinâ, Tilly. He just wanted to see what I was drawinâ thatâs all.â
âAnd you showed him?â Karen asked with a raised brow. âWhy is it Arthur is the only one allowed to see inside that journal of yours?â
You tried to hide the blush forming in your cheeks. âHeâs an artist, so I like his opinion, okay?â You tried to sound assertive, but your voice came out meeker than a barn mouse.Â
âMhmm, Iâm sure thatâs what it is.â Mary-Beth said sarcastically.Â
âIt is!â You shot back, a little more defensively than you meant.
âOh please,â Snorted Karen. âYouâve had eyes for him since you got here, you canât deny that.â
You looked down into the suddy water. âYeah so?â
âYeah so, heâs definitely had eyes for you too!â Karen rolled her eyes. âI mean itâs so obvious!â
âHe gets all fidgety when he talks to you,â Said Tilly.
âAnd he turns bright red.â Added Mary-Beth.
âThatâs not true.â You pouted into your laundry bucket. âHe just-â
You looked up to see Arthur coming down the hill towards you. âShut up the lot of you.â You hissed quickly.
âWha-âÂ
You cut off Karen. âHey Arthur!â
The women looked in the direction you were facing and each one shot you a look, and you tried to ignore it.Â
âHey Y/N, you forgot this.â He handed you your journal. âThought Iâd bring it back to ya.â He rubbed his neck and wouldnât meet your gaze.Â
âThank you, Arthur. Youâre too kind.â You tried not to look at the women around you.
He tipped his hat to you and turned towards his tent. âNo problem.â
You turned back towards your water bucket, âNot a goddamn word.â You said as Karen opened her mouth.Â
The four of you finished the laundry in silence.
Arthurâs eyes scanned the camp and they landed on just the man he was looking for. Hosea was sitting at the small table in the middle of camp. Arthur took the seat across from him. âHosea.â
He looked up at Arthur, âAh, hello my boy. How are ya today?â
âIâm fine, I got a question for ya. You know this area pretty well right?â Arthur fiddled nervously with his thumbs.
Hosea raised an eyebrow towards him. âGuess you could say that, I spent a good bit a time down here with Bessie years ago.â
Arthur nodded. âYou know anywhere I could get a new journal?â
Hosea tilted his head, confused. âYou already filled that journal you got in Blackwater?â
Hosea was sharp as a tack, âNo, I...its for someone else.â
A sly smile curled on Hoseaâs lips. âI see. It wouldnât happen to be for a certain young lady would it?âÂ
Arthurâs eyes shot up to meet Hoseaâs and his face went hot. âMaybe it is, maybe it isnât.â
âDonât play coy with me Arthur.â Hosea said flatly as he crossed his arms. He lowered his voice. âYou think I donât see how you look at her?â
Arthur huffed, he knew there was no point in lying to Hosea. âOkay yeah itâs for her. I ainât tryinâ to pull a move on her or anything, she just used up the last page in hers and I offered to pick her up a new one if I found one.âÂ
Hosea leaned back in his chair. âI see. But why arenât ya makinâ a move then?â
This caught Arthur off guard. He sputtered and tripped over his words. âI-I canât...I donât know.â He let out a heavy sigh. âI donât think sheâd have me. Sheâs too good for me anyways.â
Hosea stood. âDonât be so hard on yourself. When ya think like that youâll be alone forever.â He turned to leave but threw a final glance at Arthur over his shoulder. âSaint Denis. Itâs a big city not far from here. If I remember correctly they have an art supply store down there. Itâs been years since Iâve been, but itâs worth takinâ a look into.â
Arthur nodded. âThanks Hosea.â
Hosea threw up his hand in a wave and wandered off. Arthur took one final glance at you, your face was straight and focused as you did your work quietly. Even with Hoseaâs words replaying in his mind, he still couldnât seem to find himself worthy of you. You were breathtaking, and the kindest soul he had ever met. No one made him want to be good, not even Eliza or Isaac. Not even Mary made him want to be better, but when your kind eyes meet his, he wanted to feel like he deserved the genuine kindness behind your eyes. He nodded to himself and headed towards his horse.Â
You wiped the sweat from your brow as you stood. You waved to the other women as you left, finished with your work for the day. As your eyes searched the camp, you felt a little disappointment as you noticed both Arthur and his horse were gone. You sighed and joined Abigail beside the fire. âYou see where Arthur went?â You asked, trying to seen as nonchalant as possible.Â
âI didnât,â She responded, she took a sip of her coffee. âHe rode out not too long ago after talking to Hosea. Probably got a tip off or somethinâ.â
You nodded, âYeah, that sounds about right.â
âWhy ya ask?â You could tell by the look in her eye she knew exactly why you were asking.
âNo reason,â You said quickly.
âMhmm.â Abigail had a sarcastic tone.Â
before you could respond, Micah and Dutch approached you. âGood afternoon, ladies.â Dutch said smoothly. âEither of you in the mood for some good olâ fashioned stage coach robbinâ?â
âSure!â You responded quickly and stood. âWho allâs goinâ?â
âMicah and Lenny.âÂ
You nodded and followed behind the two men. âIâve been itchinâ to get outta here.â
âI thought you would be up for the job.â Dutch smiled down at you. âGo grab your pistol and meet the boys at the hitching post.â
âYes sir.â
It was early evening when Arthur got back to camp. He hitched his horse quickly and pulled his satchel from his horse. His eyes searched the camp for you, he didnât even see Dutch until he walked right into him.Â
âOof! Watch where youâre goinâ, son.âÂ
âSorry Dutch, have you seen Y/N? She asked me to pick somethinâ up for her in town.â His eyes were still searching as he spoke.Â
Dutch had to stop himself from picking on Arthur, just like everyone else in camp, he knew Arthur had it bad for you. âI sent her with Micah and Lenny on a stagecoach job.â He said easily.Â
Arthurâs eye shot up to Dutch. âMicah? Why the hell did you send her with Micah?â
Dutch raised an eyebrow. âSheâs the one who wanted to go, I didnât make her go. Besides, itâs not like theyâre alone. Lenny will keep him in line.âÂ
Arthur huffed in frustration. âYa know, I coulda gone instead of Micah.â
Dutch barked a short laugh. âI know.â He turned and walked back to his tent.
Arthur tried to push away the jealousy creeping into his stomach. He saw the way Micah looked at you and it made his stomach churn. He wouldnât trust Micah with a wet sock, let alone you. But Dutch was right, Lenny would keep him in line from touching you and in turn your company would keep Micah from harassing Lenny over the color of his skin. It was a good trade off, but it still made Arthur uneasy. He pulled the journal he bought for you from his satchel and headed towards your tent. It was simple just like your old one, but it was a little bigger and the paper was a better quality. He spent a pretty penny on it, but it was worth it. You were worth more than all the money in the world to him, and he wanted to let you know. He gently laid the journal down on your neatly made bed. He also pulled out the candies he grabbed on his way out of Saint Denis. He remembered you telling him they were your favorite one day when he shared a bag with you.Â
When he exited your tent, Abigail was standing there waiting for him with her arms crossed, looking suspicious. âWhatcha doinâ there Arthur?â
âN-nothinâ. Nothinâ at all to concern yourself with.â He stuttered.Â
âSo, I shouldnât be concerned that yer just sneakinâ around in some girlâs tent, huh?â She raised an eyebrow at him.
He groaned. âCome on Abigail, you know it ainât like that.â âDo I?â She challenged.  She peeked behind his shoulder before he could move to block her vision. A knowing smile crossed her lips. âWhatâs that?âÂ
âWhatâs what?â Arthur responded, moving his body with hers as she tried to peek behind him again.Â
âWhatâs that layinâ on Y/Nâs bed?â
âItâs nothinâ!â Arthur groaned.Â
Abigail turned away. âFine then, keep your secrets.â
Arthur sighed in relief and just as he took a step away from your tent, Abigail turned back around quickly and made a beeline for the tent. Arthur couldnât react fast enough to stop her.Â
âOh Arthur, this is beautiful!â She said as she picked up the journal.Â
âYeah, I know.â He said sheepishly as he rubbed his neck. âDonât go tellinâ her about it when she gets back, I want it to be a surprise.â
Abigail gave him a look when she walked out of the tent. âWhen are you gonna make a move Arthur?â His whole face turned beet red. âI donât know what yer talkinâ about.â
She rolled her eyes. âWhatever you say.â She responded sarcastically as she walked away.Â
Arthur yawned as he made his way back to his own tent. He laid down on his cot and began doodling in his journal. His eyes grew heavy and he didnât even feel himself fall asleep.Â
You pulled into camp riding between Lenny and Micah, the lot of you were still excited from the rush of adrenaline of a successful job. As you unmounted your horse, you turned to the two men you were with. âYou boys did great today, let me know next time you wanna do this again and Iâll gladly ride with you.â
Micah turned and headed off towards Dutchâs tent, but not before you caught the rose color blooming on his cheeks. Lenny gave you his classic smile. âAnytime, Y/N. You did good today too.â
You smiled, âI appreciate the compliment, but stoppinâ a wagon and playinâ the damsel in distress donât take much effort.â
Lenny looked at the ground, âYeah, well it sure does help when you gotta a pretty lady playinâ the damsel.â
You laughed and patted Lenny on the back as you passed him, âThanks Lenny.â
You spied Arthur asleep on his cot, journal still in his loose hands. It made you giggle, he looked so cute. You decided not to wake him as you headed towards your tent. When you looked down at your cot, you noticed the brown leather journal and the bag of candies laying there. Your heart skipped a beat as you picked up the journal and opened it. On the first page there was a message in Arthurâs hand writing.Â
To: Y/N
I hope you like it, I thought of you when I saw it and had to grab it.Â
Yours, Arthur
Your fingers lightly brushed the scrolling words on the page and you could feel your cheeks getting warm. Your fingers traced the words, âYours, Arthur.â It made you feel warm inside and your stomach fluttered. You grabbed the journal and the candy and headed out of the tent quickly.Â
When Arthur woke, the day had fully transitioned into night. He stretched as he stood and noticed a folded piece of paper and a small pile of candies on his night stand. He smiled as he unfolded it. The paper was from the journal he had bought you and on it was a beautiful sketch of him, sleeping peacefully on his cot with his journal slack in his hands. He pinned the drawing up with the pictures above his bed. He grabbed the hand full of candies and headed towards your tent. When he looked inside, you were already curled up asleep, the new journal on the nightstand beside your bed. He found himself with a pang of disappointment, he was hoping he would get to see your reaction when you saw the journal, but he could ask you about it tomorrow, and he turned back to his tent.Â
You woke early the next morning and made your way to the coffee kettle. You looked around confused when Arthur wasnât there preparing the morning coffee. You looked over to his tent and he was still fast asleep. You rolled your eyes and headed his direction. As you entered his tent, you noticed the sketch you made him yesterday pinned up with his photos. You couldnât help but smile. You gently put your hand down on his and shook him gently. âArthur, itâs time to get up.â You cooed to him softly. âCome on Arthur, Iâm ready for some coffee.â
His breathing hitched as he slowly opened his eyes. âAlright, alright Iâm up.â He said groggily.Â
You squeezed his hand and turned to leave. âGood, now come get the coffee goinâ.â
He yawned as he pulled on his boots. âDonât you know how to make coffee?â
You stood just outside his tent with your arms crossed, âYeah, but I like the way you make it better.âÂ
As he stepped out of the tent, he put a hand on your lower back. âYer right, you never make it strong enough.â
You rolled your eyes and leaned into his hand. âI know.â You looked up at him, âThank you, for the journal by the way. Itâs so pretty! How much was it? Iâll pay you back.â
Arthur scoffed. âIt was a gift, I donât want yer money.âÂ
You pouted, Arthur found it devastatingly cute. âAre you sure? I feel bad, you spendinâ yer hard earned money on me.â
He smiled down at you sweetly. âI tell ya what, you can just pay me back with those drawinâs like the one ya left me last night.â
You beamed at him, âItâs a deal.â
Arthur began buying you more gifts over time, it started small as candies and pencils and other little things he found on his journeys. In return, he would find a folded piece of paper on his night stand, always a lovely drawing usually of him or his horse. His caravan was slowly becoming covered in your sketches and he admired them often. His favorite was payment for the explosive ammo he crafted for your pistol. It was one of the most detailed one you had done. It was a picture of him, brushing his horse. You had caught the expression of his face perfectly, and the detail stunned him. It was one of your best works, he wondered how long you had been working on it.Â
With time, Arthur gained the courage to give you the softest of touches. A hand on the small of your back here, an arm around your shoulders there, he even began complimenting you more, determined to show you how he felt, but to his disappointment, it seemed as if you were oblivious to his advances.Â
He huffed in frustration as he watched you walk away from him. He had handed you a bag of your favorite candies and a new brush for your horse. His heart jumped in excitement when you hugged him tightly, but the excitement was short lived when you said, âHow sweet! How did I get so lucky to have such a great friend?â And with that you turned and walked away. Friend? He was tired of being just friends. He thought he was being obvious about that and you werenât picking it up. He sat down at the table in front of Hosea. âWhatâs eatinâ ya boy?â
Arthur rested his chin in his hands as he watched you walk up to your drawing spot under the oak tree. âIâve tried everything, Hosea. What am I doinâ wrong?â
Hosea looked in the direction Arthur was gazing and he turned back. âAh, I see. So have you told her how you feel?â
âGod no,â Arthur grunted.Â
âWell then how have you tried everything?â Hosea raised an eyebrow at him.Â
âIâve given her gifts, I compliment her just about every time I see her, I donât know what else to do.â He said in a gloomy tone.
Hosea scoffed, âListen, you ainât gonna get anywhere beatinâ around the bush, just tell her how you feel.â
Arthur sighed. âYeah what if I do? What if I tell her and she laughs in my face. I donât think I could live with the rejection. Plus I donât want to ruin what we have now.ââ
Hosea stood. âWell youâre never gonna know until you try. And between you and me, I think you got a pretty good chance with that one.â He winked and walked away, leaving Arthur alone with his thoughts. He looked up at you again, your nose was buried in your journal and your head tilted up, you squinted, and then it went back down.With a gulp, Arthur steeled his nerves and stood.Â
You were so focused on your picture that you didnât hear Arthur approach. You about jumped out of your skin when he cleared his throat. âJesus!â Your hand came up to your chest. âDamn it Arthur, you know better than to sneak up on me like that.â
He laughed as he took a seat beside you. âWhat are you workinâ on today?âÂ
You pointed down to Dutch, sitting on a crate puffing a cigar. He couldnât help but feel a tinge of jealousy. He looked down at the drawing, âWow, this may be your best one yet.âÂ
You had captured Dutchâs likeness perfectly. The way he slumped on the crate looked so natural, but the puff of smoke coming from his mouth was what really impressed him. âThis looks so realistic, how did you get this talented?âÂ
You smiled, âMy ma really enjoyed painting. I guess I got my base talent from her, but I guess itâs just practice.â You looked up at him. âGive yourself some credit though, youâre just as good as me, if not better.â
He pulled out his journal and flipped through his various sketches. âI donât know about that.âÂ
âWait, what was that?â Your finger caught the page before he could flip passed it. He turned blood red as you opened the journal to the page your finger had caught. âOh Arthur,â You whispered as your looked down at the drawing in awe. It was a drawing of you, slumped against the tree asleep.âThis is beautiful.â
He gulped, âWell, it helps when the subject matter is beautiful.âÂ
You looked up at him and he quickly averted his gaze. He cleared his throat, âCan you show me how you do your shading?â
âSure.â You whispered as you handed his journal back to him. You scooted close to him, your shoulders were touching. You explained your process as you sketched Cain, moving your pencil slowly so he could see every move you made. When you finished you looked up at him, âThink you can do that?âÂ
He smiled as he flipped to an empty page. âThink so. Didnât look too hard.â
As he begun, you leaned your head against his shoulder. This sent chills down his spine. He didnât look at you, but he did lean his head down against yours. He held his wrist like you taught him, and as his own sketch of Cain came to life, his markings were lighter, allowing his shading to look more realistic. He held it out to you when he finished. âWhatya think?âÂ
You lifted your head and smiled. âWonderful!â Your eyes met his and it seemed like time stood still. Your face was inches from his, and he felt your thumb gently graze his hand. This was it, this was his chance. You, looking up at him in awe, the golden rays of sunlight poking through the trees made you look angelic. He found himself beginning to lean into you, but then a voice came from the back of his head, she doesnât want you like that. The voice whispered. Go on, kiss her. After you do sheâll go running and sheâll never come back. A girl like her could never love a degenerate like you.
Arthur sighed and stood. He put his hand out towards you, âPearson should be done with supper soon. Letâs head back.â
Your eyes had a strange glint to them, something Arthur had never seen in them before. You looked back down into your journal. âYou go ahead, Iâll meet you down there.â
Arthur kicked himself as he went down the hill. He chickened out, and found himself hating himself. Hating himself for not having the guts to tell you how he feels, hating himself because he knew you deserved better than him, hating himself for letting himself fall so hard for you.Â
You watched Arthur as he left, was it just your imagination, or was he about to kiss you? You shook the thought, Arthur was your friend, as much as you wish he did, you knew he didnât have feelings for you. You were a plain girl, not a single special thing about you, and he was...well he was Arthur. The most handsome man you had ever seen, and by far the most interesting man you had ever met. He had such a tough exterior, a badass gunslinging hunk of a man, but he also had a more sensitive side. The side that loves to draw and write, the side that sings silly songs when heâs drunk and always makes time for you. He made your heart throb and most days it seemed like he was all you could think about. You sighed as you immersed yourself back into your journal.Â
You had become so focused on your journal, you didnât realize night had began to fall until you were squinting down at your journal. You looked up, and the next thing you noticed was the rowdy amount of noise coming from the camp. As you walked down the hill, Ms. Grimshaw greeted you and handed you a bottle of moonshine. âCourtesy of the Braithwaites, drink up, my dear!âÂ
You nodded and smiled as she walked away, you brought the bottle to your lips as you walked to the campfire. Most of the men were already quite drunk. even Arthur to your amusement. You could hear him loudly singing as you approached the campfire. When he looked up to you, he gave you the biggest grin you had ever seen. âY/N!â He called drunkenly. He stumbled from his spot over to you and you laughed as he tripped over his own feet. You caught him before he could fall. âMy hero!â He slurred.Â
You laughed as you wrapped an arm around him. His arm looped around your waist and it felt so natural to hold him like this as he led you to the fire. âFound ma lady!â He announced as you joined the group at the fire. He sat back down and before you could move to sit on the ground beside you, he pulled you down on his lap. Your face was bright red and you hoped the fire wasnât bright enough for anyone to see. âThis okay?â He whispered.Â
All you could do was nod your head yes and he wrapped his big arms around you tightly. Your head was swimming at his touch and as more liquor entered both of your systems, the nervousness melted from your bodies. By the end of the night, the pair of you were drunk as skunks. Arthur got a bit more handsier, his big palms slowly moved down your waist and by the end of the night his hand was cupping your ass. You were so drunk you didnât care. You had one arm looped around his neck, playing with his hair. After awhile, it was just the two of you, Javier, and Charles at the fire. Javier strummed his guitar as Charles played the harmonica. Arthur took your hand and stood. Neither of you noticed Javier and Charles exchange glances as you walked away together holding hands.Â
You swung the arm that had his hand, as you laughed and stumbled through camp. You found yourself on the hill under the shady oak tree.Â
Arthurâs vision was blurry, but he could still see the look of desire in your eye as you looked up at him. âI gotta tell ya somethinâ but you canât get mad.â He blurted.Â
You laughed, giddy with alcohol. âNo promises.â
Arthur let out a shaky breath and took your other hand in his. Before you could process what was happening, Arthurâs lips came down on yours. His lips were soft and he tasted like alcohol. As he pulled back, you loooped your arms around his neck and brought his lips back down to yours. You could feel his smile against your lips as you kissed him hard. He wrapped his arms around your waist and pulled you against him tightly. When you broke the kiss, he rested his forehead against yours and let out a breathy laugh.Â
âWhat?â You asked self consciously. âAm I a bad kisser or somethinâ?â
He put a hand on your cheek, âNot at all, just laughinâ at myself for how long it took me to do that.â
You smiled up at him, âDo it again.â
âOkayâ He whispered, and his lips came back down on yours.Â
#arthur morgan x reader#arthur morgan#arthur x reader#red dead redemption 2#rdr2#reader insert#Van Der Linde Gang#rdr fanfiction
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Comic Con @ Home panel and exhibitor list (so far)
Source: Comic-Con@Home
Source: SDCC unofficial blog
TV & Movies
American Dad: Ever wanted to learn how to draw one of your favorite AD! characters? Now is your chance, join show Supervising Director, Brent Woods, as he teaches the cast and executive producers how to draw Roger! Grab a sketchbook & pens and learn to draw everyoneâs favorite alien alongside Rachael MacFarlane (Hayley), Wendy Schaal (Francine), Scott Grimes (Steve), Dee Bradley Baker (Klaus) and EPs Nic Wegener and Joe Chandler as they chat about the current season and look toward the seriesâ 300th episode airing on TBS this fall.
[NEW] Archer (July 24 at 5PM PT): with Aisha Tyler, Chris Parnell, Judy Greer, Lucky Yates, Amber Nash, and moderated by Casey Willis.
The Blacklist
Bill & Ted Face the Music: with stars Alex Winter and Keanu Reeves, as well as Wyld Stallyns, Samara Weaving, Brigette Lundy-Paine, William Sadler, and director Dean Parisot and writers Ed Solomon and Chris Matheson. Moderated by Kevin Smith.
[NEW] Blast Off with Disney+âs The Right Stuff (July 25 at 1PM PT).
Bless the Harts: Join the Harts, in quarantine of course, for a Paint & Sip! Watch Kristen Wiig (Jenny Hart), Maya Rudolph (Betty Hart), Ike Barinholtz (Wayne Edwards), Jillian Bell (Violet Hart) and Fortune Feimster (Brenda) with executive producers Phil Lord, Chris Miller and Andy Bobrow try to recreate Bless The Harts characters while chatting about their favorite moments from season one, what theyâre looking forward to in season two on FOX this Fall and how theyâve kept busy during quarantine while drinking the showâs favorite drink â boxed wine!
Bobâs Burgers: The Emmy Award-winning animated FOX series âBobâs Burgersâ invites fans into their homes for a virtual panel with all of the laughs and surprises they generally bring to the Indigo Ballroom. Creator and executive producer Loren Bouchard will break news about the upcoming season, and the always entertaining cast including H. Jon Benjamin, John Roberts, Kristen Schaal, Eugene Mirman, Dan Mintz and Larry Murphy will have you howling with laughter with never-before-seen footage, followed by a lively panel discussion and fan Q&A.
Constantine: 15th Anniversary Reunion: with Keanu Reeves, director Francis Lawrence, and Akiva Goldsman.
Crossing Swords: Hulu Original Crossing Swordsfollows Patrick, a good hearted peasant who lands a coveted squire position at the royal castle. His dream job quickly turns into a nightmare when he learns his beloved kingdom is run by a hornetâs nest of horny monarchs, crooks and charlatans. Even worse, Patrickâs valor made him the black sheep in his family, and now his criminal siblings have returned to make his life hell. War, murder, full frontal nudityâwho knew brightly colored peg people led such exciting lives? With Scott Mantz, Seth Green, Alanna Ubach, Tara Strong, Yvette Nicole Brown, Adam Pally, Tom Root, John Harvatine IV, and Adam Ray.
A Conversation with Nathan Fillion: Showrunner Alexi Hawley (âThe Rookieâ) talks with Nathan Fillion (âFirefly,â âCastle,â âThe Rookieâ) about his career in film and television. With special appearances by Joss Whedon, Alan Tudyk, Gina Torres, Mekia Cox, Molly Quinn, Seamus Dever and Jon Huertas.
Directorâs on Directing: with Robert Rodriguez, Colin Trevorrow, and Joseph Kosinski.
The Dragon Prince: with creators Aaron Ehasz and Justin Richmond, as well as voice cast Jack Desena, Paula Burrows, Sasha Rojen, Erik Todd Dellums, Jason Simpson, Jesse Inocalla, and Racquel Belmonte
Duncanville: Join executive producers Mike & Julie Scully, executive producer and star, Amy Poehler, along with stars Ty Burrell, Riki Lindhome, Joy Osmanski, Yassir Lester, Betsy Sodaro and guest stars Rashida Jones and Wiz Khalifa for an exclusive first look at the upcoming second season; returning next Spring on FOX.
Emily the Strange: with creator Rob Reger and illustrator Buzz Parker
Family Guy: Join cast Seth MacFarlane, Alex Borstein, Mila Kunis, Seth Green and executive producers Rich Appel, Alec Sulkin and Kara Vallow from FOXâs hit animated comedy âFamily Guyâ as we celebrate 350 episodes with a virtual table read! After, weâll take a look back at some of our favorite moments from the last 18 seasons, plus a special sneak peek at the hilarity and hi-jinx coming up in our 19th season premiering this fall on FOX!
Fear the Walking Dead: Fear the Walking Dead will present a panel for the seriesâ upcoming sixth season, premiering later this year. Moderated by Hardwick, the panel will feature Gimple, Showrunners and Executive Producers Andrew Chambliss and Ian Goldberg and cast members Lennie James, Alycia Debnam-Carey, Colman Domingo, Danay Garcia, Karen David, Jenna Elfman and RubĂ©n Blades.
G-Loc: with director Tom Paton, and stars Stephen Moyer, Tala Gouveia, Casper Van Dien, and John Rhys-Davies. Moderated by Jacob Oller.
The Goldbergs: with cast members Wendi McLendon-Covey, Sean Giambrone, Troy Gentile, George Segal, Hayley Orrantia, and Sam Lerner
Helstrom: As the son and daughter of a mysterious and powerful serial killer, Hulu Original Helstrom follows Daimon (Tom Austen) and Ana Helstrom (Sydney Lemmon), and their complicated dynamic, as they track down the worst of humanity â each with their own attitude and skills.
HOOPS: The star-studded voice cast of âHoops,â a new adult animated series for Netflix launching this summer from 20th Century Fox Television (âThe Simpsons,â âFamily Guy,â âBobâs Burgersâ), gathered for an irreverent-in-the-best-way conversation about coming together to make this show that follows a foul-mouthed high school basketball coach who is sure heâll hit the big leagues if he can only turn his terrible team around. Voice stars Jake Johnson, Rob Riggle, Ron Funches, Natasha Leggero, Cleo King and A.D. Miles join creator and executive producer Ben Hoffman and moderator/ guest voice star Max Greenfield (Johnsonâs former âNew Girlâ co-star) for a truly wild and hilarious Q&A. Fans will be treated to an exclusive first look at footage from the premiere episode. âHoopsâ comes from writer-comedian Ben Hoffman (âThe Late Late Show with James Corden,â âArcherâ), Phil Lord and Chris Miller (âThe Lego Movieâ), with animation produced by Bento Box (âBobâs Burgersâ).
Kevin Smith: You know what this is.
LGBTQ Representation on TV: with Jamie Chung (Once Upon A Time), Jamie Clayton (Roswell: New Mexico), Wilson Cruz (Star Trek: Discovery), Tatiana Maslany (Perry Mason, Orphan Black), Anthony Rapp (Star Trek: Discovery), J. August Richards (Council of Dads, Angel, Marvelâs Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.), Harry Shum, Jr. (Shadowhunters) and Brian Michael Smith (9-1-1: Lone Star). The panel will be moderated by TV Guide Magazine West Coast Bureau Chief Jim Halterman.
[NEW]Â A Look Inside Marvelâs 616 on Disney+Â (July 23 at 1PM PT).
Motherland: Fort Salen: TBA
NEXT: Coming to FOX in Fall 2020, âNEXTâ arrives at Comic-Con@Home with a sneak peek of the thrilling opening scene of the propulsive, fact-based thriller about the emergence of a deadly, rogue artificial intelligence that combines pulse-pounding action with an examination of how technology is invading our lives and transforming us in ways we donât yet understand. âNEXTâ stars John Slattery (âMad Menâ) as a Silicon Valley pioneer, who teams with cybercrime agent Fernanda Andrade (âThe Firstâ), to fight a villain unlike anything weâve ever seen. Panelists will include creator and executive producer Manny Coto (â24â), John Slattery, Fernanda Andrade, Michael Mosley (âOzarkâ), Jason Butler Harner (âOzarkâ) and Eve Harlow (âAgents of S.H.I.E.L.D.â) for a fascinating conversation about the new series and how AI and technology infiltrates all of our lives, moderated by Thrillistâs Esther Zuckerman.
NOS4A2: Moderated by Entertainment Weeklyâs Clark Collis, the panel will feature Showrunner and Executive Producer Jami OâBrien, Executive Producer Joe Hill and cast member Zachary Quinto.
[NEW] Phineas and Ferb The Movie: Candace Against the Universe (12PM PT).
Rooster Teeth: Yssa Badiola, Torrian Crawford, Barbara Dunkelman, Fiona Nova, Kerry Shawcross, and special guest F.J. DeSanto are going to virtually smack you in the face with exclusive reveals and new information about Recorded by Arizal, Red vs. Blue Zero, RWBY Volume 8, and Transformers War For Cybertron: Siege.
The Simpsons: Theyâll never stop The Simpsons!âŠfrom appearing at Comic-Con; this time on zoom. Join Al Jean, Matt Selman, David Silverman, Carolyn Omine, Mike B. Anderson and moderator Yeardley Smith. Find out how the show has surmounted social distancing and turbulent times en route to season 32!
Solar Opposites: Your favorite Shlorpians are getting together for Comic-Con at Home! As Huluâs most-watched original comedy premiere to date, âSolar Oppositesâ centers around a team of four aliens who escape their exploding home world only to crash land into a move-in ready home in suburban America. They are evenly split on whether Earth is awful or awesome, while protecting the Pupa, a living super computer that will one day evolve into its true form, consume them and terraform the Earth⊠Join Justin Roiland (âKorvoâ), Thomas Middleditch (âTerryâ), Sean Giambrone (âYumyulackâ), Mary Mack (âJesseâ) and executive producers Mike McMahan and Josh Bycel for all things âSolar Oppositesâ including an exclusive clip from the upcoming second season!
Stumptown: with cast members Jake Johnson, Cobie Smulders, and Michael Ealy
TV Guide Magazineâs Fan Favorites: Hale Appleman (The Magicians), Chris Chalk (Gotham, Perry Mason), Robbie Amell (Upload), Kennedy McMann (Nancy Drew), Jeri Ryan (Star Trek: Picard), Richard Harmon (The 100), Lindsey Morgan (The 100), Harvey Guillen (What We Do in the Shadows), and Alex Newell (Zoeyâs Extraordinary Playlist)
The Walking Dead:Â The Walking Dead will make its 11th San Diego Comic-Con appearance with a panel spotlighting the Season 10 Finale episode, âA Certain Doom,â which will air as a standalone episode later this year. Moderated by Hardwick, the panel will feature Gimple, Showrunner and Executive Producer Angela Kang, Executive Producer Greg Nicotero, who directed the season finale, and cast members Norman Reedus, Melissa McBride, Jeffrey Dean Morgan, Lauren Cohan, Josh McDermitt and Paola Lazaro, among others.
The Walking Dead: World Beyond: The Walking Dead: World Beyond makes its Comic-Con International debut as the third series in wildly successful The Walking Dead Universe. Moderated by Hardwick, the seriesâ panel will feature Gimple, Showrunner and Executive Producer Matt Negrete and cast members Aliyah Royale, Alexa Mansour, Hal Cumpston, Nicholas Cantu, Nico Tortorella, Julia Ormond and Joe Holt.
[NEW] What We Do in the Shadows (July 25 at 5PM PT): with Kayvan Novak, Matt Berry, Natasia Demetriou, Mark Proksch, Harvey Guillen, Paul Simms, Stefani Robinson, and moderated by Haley Joel Osment.
Wynonna Earp.
COMICS
Celebrating 80 Years of The Spirit: Moderated by Danny Fingeroth.
Decoding the Kirby/Lee Relationship: with Danny Fingeroth.
[NEW]Â Howard Cruse: The Godfather of Queer Comics.
In Conversation with Robert Kirkman: Creator Robert Kirkman answers fan questions on his titles including THE WALKING DEAD, INVINCIBLE, FIRE POWER, OBLIVION SONG, and more!
[NEW]Â LGBTQ Comics and Popular Media for Young People.
[NEW]Â Out in Comics 33: Virtually Yours.
[NEW] Marvel Comics: Next Big Thing: Friday, July 24, 11:00 AM PST
[NEW] MARVEL HQ: Thursday, July 23, 4:00 PM PST
Skybound Presents: Comics & Creators:Â A panel of Skyboundâs comic book creators including Robert Kirkman, the team behind EXCELLENCE, and more come together to discuss their latest projects.
Tribute to Dennis OâNeil: with Danny Fingeroth.
The Wonderful, Horrible History of E.C. Comics: Moderated by Danny Fingeroth.
OTHER
The Art of Collaboration: Duos Behind Top Films, TV Shows, & Video Games.
California Browncoats.
Creative Renaissance: How to Thrive When itâs Hard to Survive. The continued need for social distancing has brought about a creative renaissance in the digital space. Join the conversation with Joe Barrette (Creators, Assemble!), Phil Jimenez (Creators4Comics), Alonso Nunez (Little Fish Comic Book Studio), and Kit Steinaway (Book Industry Charitable Fund) to hear how nonprofit organizations are working with comics creators to support each other and their communities during these challenging times. You will hear about new learning opportunities, collaborations, how to forge new creative friendships in a time of global disconnect and what it means to find your tribe through fandom and shared passion. Moderated by Dan Wood (Comics librarian, EPL).
From Script to Screen: Behind-the-Scenes of Your Favorite Film & TV Shows.
The Future of Entertainment.
GirlsDrawinGirls Presents Industry Professional Women Artists in Quarantine: Balancing Work, Art, Homeschooling, and Life: With Melody Severns, Debbie Mahan, Sherry Delorme, Rehana Khan-Tarin, Aisling Harbert-Phillips, and Christine Chang.
The Legal Geeks.
Making a Living Being Creative: with Lee Kohse, Brendan Hay, Lex Cassar, and Johnny Kolasinski.
Masters of the Illustrated Film Poster.
Music for Animation.
#comic con @ home#comic con international#marvel#marvel comics#helstrom#american dad#archer#the blacklist#bill and ted face the music#disney +#bob's burgers#John Constantine#dc#dc comics#dark horse comics#lego#lucasfilm#the walking dead#image comics#kevin smith#the simpsons#the spirit#the dragon prince#duncanville#the goldbergs#marvel 616#wandavision#black widow#the falcon#Winter Soldier
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My Brotherâs Keeper: Chapter 12
Negan x Reader
Featuring: Laura, Morgan Jones
Summary: Your brother runs away from the Sanctuary and you pay the price. This Chapter: You start your journey to the Kingdom to keep the rest of your family safe.
Word Count: 2009
Authorâs Note: Iâm taking some creative license with Morgan in assuming (for this story) that Carol stayed with Rick in Alexandria.
Warnings: Graphic Depictions of Violence, Zombies, Grief, Mirages, Self-Doubt, A Reference to Glenn, Lying
Read the rest of the story HERE!
The road ahead was long, heat rising off the pavement in waves before disappearing into a lush green border of trees that stood on each side. It went on like that forever, dipping down into rolling hills as the translucent waves turned into mirages of puddles in each valley that disappeared as soon as you reached them. The sudden image of water reminded you of just how thirsty you were, the summer sun sucking all the moisture from your body into tiny droplets of sweat on your forehead.
You wiped your brow with the back of your hand, running it through hair that Laura had cut short for you earlier this morning. Sheâd told you that you needed to be unrecognizable from before, just in case anyone at the Kingdom remembered who you were.
She took the clothes off your back and replaced them with bigger ones, giving you the look of someone who had been starving on the road for a considerable amount of time. She took the polish off your toes, the earrings from your ears and the metal Rolex off your wrist. Instead she replaced them with a worn-down watch, a knife, a lighter, and a canteen full of water. She did all this before going over your backstory and fake name, making sure you remembered what Negan told you to do.
âThe Kingdomâs six miles down that road,â sheâd said before slowing the car to a complete stop. âTake a right at Glenn Avenue and youâll see the ghost town a few yards in.â She paused, squinting as the sunlight blurred her vision through the windshield. âLook, I know this sucks, but Iâll keep an eye on your dad and sis for you, make sure they stay out of trouble.â She kept her eyes forward as you visibly saw her cut ties with you emotionally.
You wondered for a second what she did before all this, regretting not asking her when tensions werenât so high. You could see her as someone like a prison guard or maybe even a soldier in one of the military branches, but you decided it was better not to know. If she was distancing herself from you, well, then, you could do the same thing back.
âYeah,â you answered, leaning down in the passenger seat to grab your backpack. âI appreciate that.â You tried not to show how disappointed you were that Negan couldnât drive you all the way out here himself. If it had to be anyone else, though, you guessed Laura was the next best choice.
You came back to the present and let your hand fall down to your canteen, unlatching it from its container on your belt. You kept walking forward as you slowly unscrewed the top, keeping your eyes peeled for a street sign named Glenn. Even though you were pissed at Negan, it didnât change the fact that he still had your family at his disposal, or that you secretly still wanted to please him.
When Laura dropped you off, you felt like a wounded animal being brought out to pasture, a useless creature sent away before your master shopped around for a newer better version of you. That dark feeling started to take root in your chest, but you didnât let it take hold. You kept your head up and refused to be that gimpy dog kicked out on the side of the road. This journey was going to make you stronger, sharpen your fighting skills and survival tactics while your master was away. You had to reach your destination no matter what; if not for him, then you definitely had to do it for your family.
You brought the canteen up to your mouth, taking the first swig in an hour since youâd hit the road. It was still cool as it hit your coffee-stained lips, washing over your teeth and tongue as you swished it around and swallowed it down. You never regretted taking the running water in the Sanctuary for granted until now; all those times you used the toilet, washed your hands, took a shower or even drank several glasses of water without even thinking about it⊠what a selfish bitch you used to be.
The sticky Virginia heat brushed past you in a long-awaited breeze, moving the leaves on their branches to the left in a calm and soothing wave, almost as if the sky itself were an ocean full of currents and undertows. You took another sip to cool yourself down, closing your eyes as the breeze brought fresh air around you. Ahh, you thought, spreading your arms out wide like a scarecrow, this is the good stuff.
The sound of the leaves rustling up above was interrupted by hoarse wheezes down below, forcing your eyes to open. You saw what you hadnât seen in years, what Negan had âsavedâ you from all those years ago when he brought your family to the Sanctuary. Half-dead bodies crept out of the green forest, their limbs dangling by sinews and tendons as they attempted to climb up the small hill onto the road. Their wheezes got louder as they saw you, mouths opening wide in anticipation of a fresh meal that they hadnât had since God knows when.
âOh, shit,â you whispered, putting your canteen back in its container. You hadnât killed a deadbeat in gosh, three years⊠had it really been that long? You remembered celebrating three Christmases with your family behind concrete walls, so, yeah, it had to have been that long.
You pulled the knife that Laura gave you out of its holster, the handle a little different than the one you had before, and tightened your grip. âGo for the head,â you coached yourself, âGo for the head.â
You spread your legs to broaden your center of gravity as the first one approached you. Its guts were spilling out of its abdomen, dangling down below its knees as it came toward you with a hungry yawn. Arms outstretched in a coarse and desperate scream, it tried to grab hold of you, but you dodged its grasp. You ducked to the right and rammed your blade into the side of its skull, destroying what little brain it had left. You heard the last of its screams as it stopped moving and finally fell to the ground. Phew! So thatâs what that felt like; youâd almost forgotten!
You felt your heart begin to race as you took out the next one, feeling good as you ended the âlivesâ of the undead. One, two, three fell down on the pavement as you got quicker with your technique, getting used to the weight and feel of your new knife. You wasted a few more as you pushed through them on your path to the Kingdom, stopping as you saw one in particular that looked familiar.
This deadbeat happened to be a woman of middle age, her eyes gray and blue as the veins surrounding them burned jet black. She was slower than the rest, waddling toward you with caution as she wore the face of your mother. Her hands grasped at the air in front of her; your motherâs wedding band glistening in the sunlight on her finger. Oh no, no, no, no. No, it couldnât be. Your brother would have⊠wouldnât he? Alex had to have taken her down when she turned, he couldnât risk her turning and then⊠Wait a minute, did he just leave her here to die by herself? Was she all alone in her final moments?
The sound of hissing screams tore you out of your hypothetical list of âwhat ifâs. Your mother, or what was left of her anyways, had a giant staff lanced through her head. You blinked dumbly as her blood splattered across your face, those blue eyes closing forever before the staff caused her body to slump onto the floor.
You stared at the blank space in front of you, where she stood before any questions of your motherâs fate were left unanswered. You wanted to say thank you like a normal person, but felt yourself unable to speak. You turned to find that the man who saved your life was just around your fatherâs age, pulling his staff up and out of your mother as he brought it to his side.
âYou know her?â He pulled a rag out of his pocket and began wiping off his weapon.
âShe was m...mmm...mmmy...mmmmy,â you stammered, looking back down at her. âShe was my mom.â A tear fell down your cheek, and for the first time in your life you werenât afraid to show such emotion.
âIâm sorry.â The man spun his stick in a skillful circle and planted it firmly between his feet. âI know how hard it can be to put down a loved one.â He placed both hands on top of the staff and leaned slightly forward.
You forced a smile and bent down next to your motherâs corpse, looking at her one last time. You noted the bedazzled shirt she had on, the loosely sewn-in sequins shining a colorful rainbow onto your skin as you leaned in closer. She always loved to be flashy, even when the deadbeats were chasing her down the road.
You laughed to yourself and took the ring off her finger, necrotic flesh and blood coming off the bone. The smell of her rotting body finally got to you once the adrenaline of the kill had worn off; gastric contents and mucus mixing together in a sickening stench that only worsened in the rising heat. You swallowed down your breakfast as it threatened to travel up your throat and into your mouth, wiping the remnants of your motherâs jewelry onto your shoe before placing it in your pocket.
âIâm Morgan, by the way.â He offered, waiting patiently as you took your time to stand up.
âIâm Maria,â you muttered, the first of many lies youâd have to tell on this journey. The name sounded extremely foreign coming out of your mouth. Maria, Maria, Maria, you chanted in your head. My name is Maria.
âWhere you headed, Maria?â His squinted eyes widened as he turned to you, the scalding afternoon sun beating down on his nearly bald head.
âNowhere in particular,â you lied again. âYou?â
Morgan laughed under his breath, picking his staff up off the ground before stepping forward. âNowhere in particular. You part of a group?â He cocked an eyebrow upward, his suspicions rising with it.
âI was⊠well, she was and my brother wasâŠwe were...â The fear that this man may have been planted by Negan overruled your innate desire to trust him.
âJust them?â he prodded.
âJust them.â You looked at your boots as you continued to walk, each stride getting wider with each step. âHow about you? You part of a group?â
âI was.â He stared off into the distance. âDidnât work out.â
The two of you walked alone together in respective silence after that. You kept your hands on your weapons, offering each other food and water every hour or so until you finally reached Glenn Avenue. You stared at the placard as it drew closer, white letters on green looming over you like a warning sign as you thought of a reasonable excuse to turn right.
Morgan signaled to you as the sound of hooves interrupted your paranoid thoughts. He twirled his staff around himself in a protective barrier, readying himself for action as the sound grew louder. Luckily for you and your lying quota for the day, the sound was coming from down Glenn Avenue. You let out a sigh of relief and took out your weapon, feigning surprise and readiness as the sound of screams quickly accompanied the sound of hooves on the road.
âYou hear that?â He whispered, glancing at you. âSomeoneâs in trouble.â Without a second thought Morgan sprinted off down the road, approaching two men on horses as a small group of deadbeats started to attack.
-------------------------
Tags: @irrelevantwriter @genevievedarcygranger @chamberofsloths @letsby @negans-network @annablack1102 @negansdirtygirl22 @rasa1945 @bodhi-black @flames-bring-a-ton-of-ash @namelesslosers @collette04 @mblaqgi @bishsposts @haleyea @ptite-shit @jamiekingofmen @ibelongtonegan @marriedtonegan @chloejanedecker1 @divadinag @dxloverpunk @tylersblurrylittleface
#negan x reader#the walking dead#negan fan fiction#the walking dead fan fiction#morgan jones#morgan jones x reader#negan#twd#twd fan fiction
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New from Jeff York on The Establishing Shot: âTHE FURNACEâ IS A FIERCE AND INSPIRING TALE ABOUT KEEPING THE FAITH
Original caricature by Jeff York of Jamie Bernadette in THE FURNACE. (copyright 2019)
There is a surprising sunniness evident throughout THE FURNACE, the new movie about a handicapped long-distance runner facing the toughest race of her life. It permeates writer/director Darrell Roodtâs film in everything from the golden glow of its cinematography to the narratorâs warm, reassuring voice-over. Itâs a shrewd maneuver, cloaking a story about death and physical suffering in earnest optimism. And yet, it works, Â spectacularly, making for one of the most inspiring motion pictures this year.
THE FURNACE is the nickname for a grueling, week-long foot race across the wilds of the African bush in this fictional story, inspired by true events, and it becomes the main focus of central character Mary Harris (Jamie Bernadette). Sheâs not only an avid runner, itching for such a challenge, but the race might be the only way for her to rise out of her deep depression. Sheâs been demoralized since her new husband Matt perished in a freak car accident at Christmas, one that gravely injured her as well, leaving her with just one lung. Mary now struggles to breathe, using a respirator and oxygen tank to aid her intake. She also has eschewed God, blaming him for taking her husband from her. Â
The race is a way to honor Matt too, as the young couple planned to run it together. Mary even clings to the special running shoe he bought for her as the last vestige of her connection to her husband. Ultimately, the race is more than just a symbol of her marriage like that shoe; itâs a journey back to her better, healthier self.Â
THE FURNACE is a salvation story, as well as an underdog tale, but thereâs artistry here seldom seen in such material. For starters, the film is gorgeous, particularly its outdoor locations. Cinematographer Justus de Jager has created some of the most stunning tableaus in any film of 2019. The editing, score, and sound design are superior attributes here too. Â
Still, as good as all those production values are here, this type of film sinks or swims depending on how well the underdog role is pulled off. In Jamie Bernadette, Roodt has hit pay dirt. She makes Mary a winner long before she participates in that challenging race. Bernadette creates a complex protagonist, one thatâs developed much deeper than most such characters. Her Mary is wry, honest, sexy, soulful, and scarily steely when she has to be. Those dark, glaring eyes come in particularly handy when she needs to face down some wild animals along the race path, and stare them down she does.Â
Bernadette has gained a stellar reputation in Hollywood as the go-to-girl in the horror genre. Sheâs done excellent work in many a frightener, including I SPIT ON YOUR GRAVE: DEJA VU this past spring. Bernadette always gives 100% to such material, making audiences believe every second of sheer hell sheâs going through. Here, her Mary goes through hell and more, and Bernadette does a masterful job conveying all the physical demands her character faces. Yet, just as compelling is how the actress conveys her characterâs growing confidence, as well as the pluck and wit she employs to confront adversity. Sheâs a fascinating woman; no wonder the cemetery gravedigger (Luthuli Dlamini) canât help but be drawn to her when he happens upon her visiting her husbandâs grave.Â
Coffin, as he cleverly asks Mary to call him, has his own tragic story as well. The African transplant lost his entire family to a civil war back in his country, but the wise sage remains an optimist nonetheless. Coffin even accepts that his MD license doesnât translate in America, leaving him stuck in the menial labor job at the cemetery. His upbeat attitude inspires Mary all the more to run the Furnace, and soon, sheâs employing him as her coach and muse. Â
The film couldâve spent a lot of time showing Coffin guide Mary in building up her strength and stamina, but Roodt wisely truncates such scenes. Even after Mary lands in the hospital, exhausted from a small race in her hometown, Roodt doesnât spend much time milking the pathos. Instead, he moves the narrative along briskly, getting Mary and Coffin together in Africa and ready to run by the 30-minute mark.
Here is where Roodt spends the rest of the film and pulls out all the stops with his creative team. Everything is shot on location, there are no recognizable green-screen effects, and thatâs really Bernadette running over hill and dale, doing all of her own stunt work. Indeed, she interacts with the wildlife along the way in one scene after another that will leave audiences, dare I say, breathless. Â Â
The landscapes are lush, lit naturally, and Roodt smartly highlights Maryâs appreciation of her surroundings as she runs too. (The giddy expression on Bernadetteâs face as Mary gawks in awe at a cluster of zebras is adorable.) Meanwhile, Coffin follows her journey, tagging along with track officials, to meet her at the markers along the lengthy race.Â
Dlamini is the warm narrator that starts off the film, and he continues to provide a sort of play-by-play for us of the highlights of Maryâs journey. His baritone has a Morgan Freeman type of gravitas to it, and he works wonders with a line, even when they tend towards being on-the-nose. (âSorrow looks back. Worry looks around. And faith looks up.â) But more often than not, Roodt relies on the actions of his actors, not their words, to tell the story. One of Bernadetteâs best physical bits is when Mary is stung by a scorpion and starts to hallucinate. Bernadette frets and stumbles around, discombobulated, yet trying to gain back control over her mind and body. She even ends up carrying on a conversation with herself, just this side of delusional, as if sheâs confiding with a girlfriend at a bar. It couldâve played as silly. Instead, the accomplished actress makes it all incredibly touching.
Because this is a salvation story, thereâs a lot of discussion of God and faith throughout, particularly with a true believer Mary meets at the race, played by an insinuating Laura Linn. This fellow runner will help Mary realize, along with the spiritually driven Coffin, that such a journey requires faith in God as well as herself. Sometimes the moralizing can get a little heavy-handed here, but by and large, it lands. Still, an over-the-top visual towards the end probably goes a Tony Kushner too far, but damn if it didnât give me goosebumps anyway. Â Â
THE FURNACE inspires, not only with its message about faith but in how impressively this modest feature delivers the goods. This film, opening October 15th in select theaters and on VOD, is shot with verve and performed with passion, its heart unabashedly on its sleeve. I canât think of a better place for it to be worn.
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BAU Prep School AU: 2018
Welcome to the Frederick Buchanan Institute located in scenic Quantico, Virginia, a senior high academy that shapes the best and brightest minds. Its motto is âBehavior, Analysis, Unity,â the mascot the Submariners, colloquially âthe Unsubsâ. The small school supports the most accomplished faculty from across the country. 2016-2017 school year  Class of 18
(Image link)
Uphill
September 11, 2017 6:58am
Grant Anderson had barely slept the night before in worry over remembering to cast the school flags at half-mast. It had been an annual tradition since before he took over from the old groundskeeper, an indeterminate amount of years ago. He arrived at the school in the peaceful, yet creeping silence of the pre-student hours. He quickly parked in his usual spot and rounded the school in nearly a circumferential path, the American and Virginia State flags were listless on the solitary hill before the student parking lot. He said a simple prayer of remembrance as he steadily lowered the cords.
He sighed as he walked into the building, the heavy front doors creaking in the quiet. Grant Anderson turned to open his office and begin his day but something in his periphery stopped him. He paused and spun back to the large entrance hall that broke out into twin curving stone stairwells. There in the middle of the space was a stone table, where a tiny, antique, single-person submarine was held inside a glass display case. It was held, because in that moment Grant Anderson found it missing. In its place was a very underwhelming plastic model and a notecard. In stunned silence he approached the case, which was meticulously wiped down after the switch. The note read: âGood luck without Old Unity guiding your way.- New Canaan International School.â
Grant hunched over to read the note under his breath, âOh shit.â
7:19am
Kate didnât appreciate the incessant media reminders of the day that tore her family apart. She leaned against their kitchen island while Kit was talking to his toys instead of eating his cereal. She remained in her flannel pants and thermal long sleeve pajama top; this was not a day she chose to deal with people, especially not teenagers who couldnât completely grasp the meaning of the anniversary. Someone of them werenât even born, like Meg. It had been sixteen years since her mother, Kateâs sister went to work in Manhattan and the entire world changed.
Still, Meg was her silver-lining. The most impossible outcome of that day and the trauma it caused. Two years after losing contact, Kateâs sister Liz showed up on her doorstep, homeless, pregnant and desperate. And today that silver-lining was taking her time in the shower.
âMeg!â Kate called up the stairs, the water audibly gushing through the thin door.
Meanwhile Meg was sitting on the closed toilet lid, texting Maya as she walked into school. She was dressed and avoiding the awkwardness of the day as long as possible. She loved her aunt and uncle, but somedays she wondered what it would have been like if her mom were around. If maybe, just maybe she got her shit together. The brunette girl sighed and locked her phone. Time to start their yearly ritual and try not to make Kate cry, more.
Sept. 12 4:02pm
Coach Morgan wasnât holding a standard practice today, instead he was in full Under Armor running outfit; his ripped body hugged thoroughly. He stood stone faced waiting for the team to exit the locker rooms in their running gear. Eventually his forty players were lined up before him, three uneven rows of bulky teenagers.
âSubmariners!â The Coachâs deep voice barked in to the afternoon heat. âThe New Canaan Cougars disrespected us this weekend. Those fools stepped foot in our house and took our mascot. Now!â He began pacing in front of his team. âAre you going to put up with that?â
âNo!â A few players answered in various ways.
âIâm sorry? Are you going to LET them disrespect this school?!â He cocked his head to the side in exaggerated listening.
âNO, SIR!â Forty voices proclaimed.
Coach Morgan grinned, âThatâs right. We wonât be able to put the pain to those guys until playoffs, but, for now, we run laps. Together. As a team. Because we donât lose focus and we donât back down.â
Derek grabbed his whistle off his chest, âLine up by jersey number, we stick together.â The whistle blast got the kids scrambling to fall into line. He waited a minute before giving another shrill alarm, sending Iggy Cruz, the kicker, off to lead the team down the hill. Derek knew the pace would quickly dwindle as they fought to keep their spacing even to his attentive glare. He followed behind his number 93 for the first lap as soon as he crossed their starting point he sprinted to the front of the pack, taking over the lead. It was going to be a long practice, for coach and players alike. In the middle of all the sweat and swearing and straining bodies, May Howard was formulating a plan.
Sept. 14 12:57pm
Jordan Kyle and Alex Blake were making quiet conversation across the staff table as Spencer was munching on his perfectly edged sandwich while reading over some worksheets. The lunch Chef Rossi prepared smelled amazing, yet still he dutifully ate his prepared sack lunch. The women were whispering about more personal details of their summers and Spencer was dutifully playing ignorant. What Stan Kyle had removed from where, was really none of his business, nor how long it took to get him back to, uh, normal in any arena.
The wizened Chef had been avoiding the sixth period lunch hour in the staff room because he was avoiding his ex-wife, though not belligerently; more like a puppy that had to lick his wounds after a round of play that was more than he bargained for. Today, he had outdone himself and needed the extra time for preparations; he quietly made his way towards the half-occupied table with his own tray of food.
âDavid! This is amazing quiche!â Jordan covered her full mouth with her hand as she spoke. Her bright eyes sparkling with delight. He shrugged, smugly.
âWait until you get to the cannoli.â Alex murmured conspiratorially.
âHowâs everyone? I fell like I havenât heard much from you lot.â Dave tried making small talk.
âGood!â Spencer perked up. âHotch gave me a prep period this year and you wouldnât believe how much time I have now.â
âThatâs great kid.â Rossi nodded, inspecting his slice of cheesy egg bake. It was a little moist, he took a mental note.
âHow was Turkey?â Jordan asked him, Alex unsubtly rolling her eyes at her friend and colleague.
âIt was great, Jordan, thanks for asking.â He grinned, the amusement at Alexâs uncomfortableness equal parts reassuring and instigating. âCyprus was my favorite though.â
âCyprus third largest and third most populated island in the Mediterranean?â Spencer added after a few eye daggers and a swift kick from Alex beneath the table.
âRight from the brochure, look at that.â Dave deadpanned. âThe people were great, really welcoming. Itâs amazing, the ones who have the least in this world are willing to share the most.â
âThe constructs of community vary from culture to culture, but the village mentality leaves personal possessions nearly impossible. It is innate generosity.â Spencer built on the complexities of Daveâs experiences.
âWell said.â Alex finally spoke up, after the bell rang, freeing her from Daveâs retelling of the vacation that could have been hers.
Sept. 15 11:38am
As a new student in the middle of her high school career, Lena Curtis was less concerned with fitting in and more focused on keeping up with the rigors of the new academic environment. She had been eating alone, earbuds in while reading over assignments or syllabi. Lucas and Jake had been watching her on and off the first week of school, both innately empathetic and seated in the cafeteria two tables away. Now, they just had to acknowledge that they had been staring and perhaps they could talk to her. Fortunately for all them, May Howard wasnât one for beating around the bush.
âYou guys going to invite her to eat with us or do I have to?â She huffed as she sat down between Jake and her more socially acceptable twin, Cissy.
âBe our guest, Howard.â Lucas took a massive bite of his panini as he waited for her to own up to her bluff. She looked to Jake and back to the smug lineman. She slid back off the bench seat, shoving her hands in the pockets of her pressed khakis. She didnât want to scare the new girl, Azalene, she remembered from last period Physics.
âHey.â Mayâs voice was gruff because she was trying to remain calm. âSo, a few of us have Physics with you and were wondering if you want to sit with us. Itâs cool if youâd rather study, I know there is a lot of homework and I donât want to pressure you into a forced social inââ
âNo, thatâs fine. Nice, I mean. Thanks.â The girlâs twin French braids bobbed with her enthusiasm. âIâm Lena, by the way.â
âMay, I meanâI am May.â She stepped back as Lena grabbed her stuff, giving her lunch group a double thumbsâ up behind the acquired newbieâs back. Jakeâs face broke into his signature grin while Lucas waved obviously. âThe big one is Turner, Lucas, then thereâs Jake and Cissy.â
âSheâs your sister, right?â Lena looked down, either because she was trying to hear May or because she didnât like looking people in the eye, it was hard to tell.
âYeah, stuck with her since birth, but its fine. She grows on you.â May shrugged as a half smirk quirked up her usually hidden dimple.
âHi!â Lena smiled shyly as she say down with her backpack and tray.
âAtta-girl, Howard,â Coach Morgan muttered his approval of his player reaching out to one of the new kids.
âWhatâs up?â Luke Alvez leaned in, following Derekâs line of sight.
âOne of my kids reached out to the Curtis girl. Glad she had the balls, so to speak.â
âRight, Lena. Itâs about time, theyâre in my next hour together.â Luke shrugged. âCafeteria duty is pretty chill, huh?â
âAs long as nobody crosses Turner over there,â Tara Lewis nodded back to the group theyâd been watching.
âOh, come on now, thatâs not fair.â Derek laughed. âTurner is good. Honestly I canât think of anyone in here we really have to worry about.â
âWhy are so many of us on this hour?â Tara asked confused.
âI think itâs a ratio thing, fifth hour has more students having lunch, so there are more of us. Hotch knows what heâs doing.â Derek shrugged, not mentioning that Lewis and Alvez were still new to the school and Hotch wouldnât leave them to the wolves alone. Derek wasnât complaining, having back to back lunch breaks were the dream. Meanwhile, Tara shifted from foot to foot. She hated losing her momentum in the middle of the day, she felt like cafeteria duty was a fairly menial task. Luke was quizzing himself on studentâs names and learning who were friends outside of class.
Sept. 25 6:37pm
Derek walked behind Penelope as she strutted into the library, taking a deep breath to prepare herself for the coming meeting. The first Booster Club gathering of the new school year, which meant new students, new ideas and old standbys making the upcoming calendar filled with possibilities. She carefully placed the schoolâs tablet and her phone on the central table. Grant had rearranged the hefty study desks into a semicircle complete by a collection of chairs in arching rows for the parents and additional student participants.
âOkay, thanks for coming to the Fall meeting again. I know youâve got your hands full this season and it means a lot that youâre here tonight.â She made sure to give her boyfriend her appreciation, who had yet to be home from school for the day.
âHey, this is important to me too. Donât worry about me, Iâm good.â Derek held her hand against his chest. âYou ready?â
âFor another record-breaking year? Hell yeah. Letâs just hope everyone else is.â She grinned before sneaking a quick kiss. They were still alone anyhow.
The meeting went effortlessly, or Penelope Garcia and Michel Foyet were so prepared that it felt more like a conversation than an agenda-riddled requirement. Derek sat calmly to Pennyâs right as Mrs. Jordan Kyle was to her left, nodding and smiling in encouragement. The parents were enthusiastic and those that usually overreached were pleasantly absent. Midway through a mother and son made their way to the back of the meager crowd, Penelope smiled as they sat down nervously. The meeting wrapped up before the hour was up, leaving the attendees to break into their own bubbles of conversation. Jordan thanked Penelope for a job well done and went home without much fuss.
Derek and Mr. Howard were talking football as Penelope approached the late arrivals.
âHi! Iâm Ms. Garcia, welcome to the Boosters Club.â She held out her violet manicured hand to the mother and then the anxiously quiet boy.
âThanks, Iâm Rebecca Garner, this is Regi, heâs a freshman this year.â The brunette woman confided in a slight accent.
âRegi is short for Reginald, right? How royal.â Penelope grinned, letting the student roll his eyes at her observation. âIf you are looking for service to the school hours, check with Michel, they have the sign-up lists for the semester.â
Regi nodded, shoving his hands in his pockets. Rebecca looked impatient with the gesture but smiled sympathetically to Ms. Garcia anyhow. âThanks, nice meeting you.â
âOf course, thanks for coming.â
Derek called for Chinese pick up as Penelope cleaned up the library from the meeting. She hated leaving it less than she had found it, Grant was anal, but he worked himself too hard as well.
âReady, Baby Girl?â Derek sighed as she gave the room a tertiary glance. âPenelope.â He was tired and needed some cuddle time.
âYes, I guess. So? My place or yours tonight, Lover?â She asked as he held the door for her.
Sept. 26 4:08pm
Hotch had driven the same route home for the past five years, a scenic and unrushed ritual. He mentally left his day behind him, focusing on the yardwork and dinner awaiting him. There was an oddly satisfying feeling that he was able to come home to his family at a reasonable hour each and every day. His few years practicing law proved how treasured this possibility was. The leaves lined the neighborhood thoroughfare as he made the turns methodically. He passed a teenager mowing the lawn on one corner and a family walking home from school down another block. It was the American Dream and Aaron Hotchner sighed contentedly as he acknowledged his reality with gratitude.
Though it was breezy, their front door was open for him and Aaron quickly found Jack and Haley in the living room which doubled as Jackâs play spot, an octagonal area fenced off in the middle of the room since he had begun crawling at the beginning of summer. The plastic sides had been folded inwards, leaving Jackâs mat and toys strewn across the room.
âHey!â He smiled as he set his briefcase in the foyer.
âWait, Aaron, stay there.â Haley called hurriedly.
âOkay? Any particular reason why?â He chuckled, but listened, hovering in the archway between the hall and the room which held his family. âHey, buddy!â He called to his son who had been thumping a block against another toy with a satisfying and repeated thwack. Jackâs face burst into a drooling grin and he began crawling to his dad.
âWait for itâŠâ Haley warned quietly. When Jack reached the recliner, he pulled himself up and continued toward him determinedly. His tentative feet taking him away from the grounding of the furniture, but he managed a good four or five steps before falling back into a crawl. Haley clapped excitedly, the joy upon her husbandâs face unparalleled.
âAlright, Jack-Attack!â Aaron bent down and snatched up his giggling son. âHas he been walking all day?!
âJust since lunch. I almost called three times, but I figured seeing it firsthand would be more impactful.â
âWell, thatâs the best welcome home Iâve ever had. Good job, buddy!â Aaron kissed the babyâs head and brought him back across the room to his toys. The little family spent the next half hour getting Jackâs consecutive step total up to nine before breaking up the fun for dinner preparations and yardwork. Aaron expertly strapped Jack into his carrier, complete with noise dampening earmuffs so the Hotchner men could clear the yard with the leaf blower before settling in for the night.
Next Chapter: Messy
@mentallydatingspencerreid @dontshootmespence @ultrarebelheart @lyrasilverroseelizabethamanti @cynbx @rikersgirl22 @pllfrommars @wheresthewater  @darknesstoglowing @adropintheocean1234567 @tleighstone12 @unitchiefwives @sam-carter-in-training @prettyboysjello @ddreammcatcher @thegirlinflames  @nightâhawk @t25luver @onlyalittleteenwolfobsessed @thismiss02 @literallyprentissstwin
#Criminal Minds#BAU Prep School AU#Criminal Minds AU#Hotch#Derek Morgan#Penelope Garcia#Kate Callahan#Luke Alvez#Tara Lewis#David Rossi#Jennifer Jareau#Alex Blake#emily prentiss#Grant Anderson#Elle Greenaway#Stephen Walker#CM#Criminal Minds Fanfiction#Criminal Minds fanfiction Series#CM fanfic#Spencer Reid#CM AU#CM AU Series
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Breakout Candidates: Pacific
Anaheim: a young team with many applicable potentialities, the most prominent of which are their last 3 first round picks. Zegras and Drysdale both played a handful of games in the NHL last season, and have clear paths to both prominent 5v5 roles and PP1 minutes. Personally, I would be tempted to exercise more caution with inserting the younger Drysdale in too soon, but Zegras is at a point where there is not really a reason to delay his arrival. Recent 3rd overall pick Mason McTavish plays a physical and pro style game, but as with every other pick in the 2021 entry draft, the pandemic year that it is, McTavish is best served with at least another year before having a serious shot at making the NHL. Beyond that the Ducks have a large amount of young players who should have more to give, as reflected by Anaheimâs recent results in draft lottery contention. Forwards such as Steel, Comtois, Lundestrom are complimentary pieces that will look much stronger as the teamâs performance improves, so it would be hard for them to garner as much attention or credit if say, Comtois has a strong 20-goal season playing on Zegrasâ wing. On defence there are similar complimentary options. I have been a fan of Mahuraâs game but his time might be now or never to break into the league. Larsson is a bit younger but hopes of him being an impact defender lay farther into the future. In net the Ducks are set with the underappreciated Gibson, but prospect Dostal has been building his resume nicely. In general the Ducks, under GM Murray, have done a really good job at drafting and developing.
Calgary: a new coach represents a power vacuum, a chance for all players to drastically change their position on the depth chart. We saw the beginnings of that during their disappointing season in the North division, and this uncertainty is spilling into this offseason. Rumours surrounding Monahan, Gaudreau, and Tkachuk. Giordano gone already, but not much change has actually occurred. Perhaps the best chance of a breakout lies with defenders Kylington and Valimaki, who have both already played well for the Flames. Valimaki was probably a strong candidate for such a title 2 seasons ago, before tearing a knee ligament that sidelined him for quite some time. Especially with Giordano gone, and a decently strong defence group around them, these 2 might be the biggest x-factors for the Flames success this season. Up front there are some prospects looking to make the jump, first rounders Peltier and Zary both present skilled players who bring a certain tenacity that could endear them to coach Suter. Matthew Philips has some fans and provides some play making ability that could compliment this group nicely should he get the chance, personally Iâd say this is less likely than some of the younger forwards Iâve highlighted here.
Edmonton: Holland did a lot this offseason, and I wasnât a huge fan of a lot of his moves. That being said the Oilers are in a good spot, perhaps their best in several year heading into 21/22. A huge part of it is a potential youth movement dawning underneath the RNH-McDavid lottery crew. The first prospect to point to would be forward Dylan Holloway, who posted a really strong sophomore season at Wisconsin. Holloway is big and strong, plays centre or wing, gets to dirty areas, wins battles, is a great forechecker, and might even find his way into fitting very nicely alongside either McDavid or Drasaitl. Heâs not exactly Zach Hyman, but adding those two to this forward group should work out really well. McLeod and Benson have done enough in the AHL to have every chance to make this roster as well. Itâs not out of the question that we see Puljujarvi reach another level of play this year, whether itâs somewhere in this lineup, but honestly now that heâs bounced back and adjusted to the NHL (recouped value) it might not be with the Oilers. I do hope that he gets a shot at a big role, but as weâve mentioned the forward group is getting crowded. On defence Bouchard is the point of intrigue, especially with the likes of Jones and Bear shipped out. I donât think heâll be as good as Dougie Hamilton, but itâs not unreasonable to hope he eclipses fellow offensive defenceman Tyson Barrie in the next 2-3 years. Hollandâs track record of slow development from Detroit, as well as the acquisitions of Keith and Ceci tell us all we need to know about Broberg or Samorukov having a chance at cracking this years roster.
Los Angeles: poised to be one of the most exciting, or at least surprising, teams LA has a plethora of candidates for this breakout player discussion. Primarily is the eventuality of Quinton Byfield, who had a strong underage rookie AHL campaign. Itâs not too much to think that he could lead this team in points this season, especially with fellow centres Kopitar and Danault taking on the heavy lifting defensively. Outside of that predicting what this lineup might look like is near impossible, and the reason the Kings are often atop any prospect ranking. Kupari, Thomas, Kaliyev, and Turcotte could each make a strong case for making the opening night roster, but based on how crowded the forward group is to start will most likely continue their work in the AHL. On defence there are at least 2 candidates for breakout player, depending on your definition. Mikey Anderson was one of the Kingsâ best defenders last season, so the only breakout would be in recognition. Bjornfot played well for the 20-odd games he was in the lineup and will look to continue impressing. Clague is the oldest and has played the least NHL games of these 3 defenders, but with strong skating skill, a large frame, and some offensive abilities might catch a lot of peopleâs eyes. In a division where the 3 seed is anyoneâs game, LA will be a young, fun team that many will be paying attention to and rooting for.
San Jose: The Sharks could really use some breakout players, as some new skill and energy would go a long way towards reinvigorating this franchise. Itâs probably at least another year until some offensive options in Gushchin or Wiesblatt are pushing for a spot. There are some forwards like Chmelevski, Blichfeld, and Gregor who could be NHL regulars, but probably not enough to get national attention. The most critical spot will be in net, an area of great concern for the past few seasons. Aiden Hill and James Reimer isnât exactly a world beating tandem, but could easily give the Sharks their best performance in years. They have Ben Gaudreau (many years away), but much closer are a pit of 23 year olds in Melnichuk and Sawchenko. Neither have played a large volume of games in a season to this point, but specifically Sawchenko has posted really promising results, leading the AHL Barracuda in save percentage the last 2 seasons, yet still splitting time in the ECHL.
Seattle: the Kraken donât have years of development to fall back on here, but nonetheless found a way to acquire some options for breakouts thru the expansion draft. On defence the most likely is Cale Fleury, as Dunn probably shouldnât qualify for such a distinction, even after a tough 2021. Up front lies perhaps the biggest x-factor for the team in Morgan Geekie. Heâs scored at every level, including his limited amount of games in the NHL despite being used sparingly. That, and the Krakenâs scarcity of young players, centres, and goal scorers make a Geekie breakout a potentially franchise altering development. Alex True might also benefit from a change in scenery under similar criteria, although less likely.
Vancouver: outside of Demko, the biggest reason for a strong Canucksâ season is their top 9 forward group, among which depends on the strong play of a young trio. Dickinson is less of a breakout candidate and more so continuing his good play in a Canadian market, after a few years of playing a role with Dallas that saw him move throughout the lineup. Hoglander was quite good last season, but we should expect his growing influence on play and higher offensive numbers. Podkolzin is similarly well insulated and should have a chance to find a synergous role with good linemates. On defence we will see if Rafferty delivers on promising hype and if Chatfield can continue improving. Although heâs not as young or skilled as many in this conversation Tucker Poolman has an interesting possibility of fitting into this lineup partnered with Quinn Hughes. Personally Iâve liked his play, a good defender with smart enough support pass abilities, and itâs not out of the question he beats out Travis Hamonic for the high leverage opportunity.
Vegas: clearly in a different competitive level than the rest of their division, Vegasâ breakouts will mostly be concerning existing NHLers. Because of their centre group and his draft pedigree Nolan Patrick is a good place to start. Heâs missed a lot of time due to injuries, so naturally staying healthy is a big part of it. Heâs been effective so far, perhaps lacking in the dynamic qualities youâd expect from a potential 1st overall pick. The Knights have been famously effective at getting the most from their centres, and itâs not rare that a change in scenery can push a players play in a positive direction. Another highly drafted centre will have similar opportunities, as Peyton Krebs tries to make the roster. He has been practicing with Vegas as far back as the 2020 bubble, and posted really promising results in 24 WHL games and 5 AHL games before a 4 game preview in the NHL. Keegan Kolesar played really well last season, and with Tuch out to start the year he might have a good chance to run with an even greater role this season. On defence Hague and Whitecloud have already been performing at a high level, but the longer they stick around the more people will understand that. Brossoit will be in net more often than he was in Winnipeg, and I agree he has a good chance to deliver on those hopes as Vegas gave him a contract the going rate NHL backup, but thereâs no reason to think he wonât continue improving and might be in line for a raise at the end of his current deal.
#nhl#pacific division#anaheim ducks#calgary flames#edmonton oilers#los angeles kings#san jose sharks#seattle kraken#vancouver canucks#vegas golden knights
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