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let-them-read-fics · 4 years

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Yours Truly (Pt. 1)

Requested By: Some of you!

Pairing: Jisoo x Fem!Reader

AU: College

Word Count: ~ Part 1 -> 9,786 // Part 2 -> 7,433

Warnings / Misc. -- Pining, Angst, Fluff

Disclaimer: This writing is a work of fiction, and no disrespect is meant for those mentioned herein.

A/N: Hey everyone! I finally have a few days off, so we're back to our (semi) regularly scheduled programming with this fic! I really hope you enjoy it; lmk what you think :)

PS ~ Once again, I had to split it into two parts to appease the Tumblr Overlords.

♡ Happy Reading ♡

Part 2 -- Click Here

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1.) A Day In Class

Where does true beauty come from?

Is it strictly based in someone's DNA, rooted entirely in the attractiveness of their features? Or is deeper than that; does it extend from their soul? The very essence of stardust and personality that makes them them? Is it in how they interact with others? How they carry themselves?

You, being the wannabe philosopher that you are, love hearing people's answers to those questions. Every response is unique in its own way, altered depending on the person asked, and you find that to be one of humanity's most wonderful qualities. Like snowflakes, we're all different; as such is our definition of beauty. It lies in the eye of the beholder, subjective in its nature, and you find that comforting. Just think: if 99% of the world's population found you unattractive, 78,000,000 would beg to differ.

Though, for one person, you're sure those rules don't apply. She's objectively beautiful, and no one even attempts to pretend otherwise.

Who, you may ask? Kim Jisoo, of course -- head of your school's student council, resident girl next door, and keeper of your heart. She's poised in every way, and refined to the point that you question if you're even deserving of knowing her. Humor and kindness radiate from her no matter where she goes, so it's really no surprise that so many people love her.

A tap on your shoulder pulls you from your thoughts, and you turn to look at your best friend. "Yo, Y/N. What did you get for number 32?" Jeong asks from his seat in the row directly behind you, trying to be as inconspicuous as possible. Your history professor likely wouldn't take kindly to being interrupted during his lecture, so you choose to show him your answer instead of responding out loud.

Jeong thanks you and continues to work on the activity you finished nearly 15 minutes ago, leaving you to half-heartedly listen to your professor. You're a good student, but even you have a limit to how much monotonous speaking you can handle in one sitting. As his words drone on, you roll your neck -- intending for the action to relieve some of the tension in your aching muscles; you're in for a surprise, however, when you lock eyes with none other than Jisoo herself. She offers a warm smile and wave, and the innocent actions send swarms of butterflies to take flight in your stomach. After sitting there for a moment, dumbstruck by her beauty, you snap to and return the gesture, making her giggle quietly.

Huh. So that's what angels sound like, then.

She turns back to her work after a minute, flipping the page every so often as she follows along with the lesson. You take note of how her eyes dart across the materials laid out on her desk, how her fingers mindlessly flirt with the edge of her sleeve in contemplation when she gets to a question that stumps her.

Never have you ever found yourself in such inner turmoil before. The sight before you begs to be seen -- to be admired -- but class continues on. As much as you try to fight it, your resolve eventually crumbles; foreign concepts now falling on fully deaf ears, you allow yourself to be entranced.

2.) Out In The Square

A Few Hours Later

Throngs of people stretch out before you, everyone making their way to various parts of campus as the blazingly hot sun beats down on them. Some run like their lives depend on it -- likely having overslept or missed campus transit -- while others take their time, catching up with friends and gossiping all the while. The soft pfft of sprinklers set up across the sections of lawn around you can be heard, going off every so often, and occasionally they're followed by the shouts of some unfortunate people getting soaked.

"You're so lucky, Y/N," Jeong groans from behind you. A grimace sits on his face as he flips through the pages of his Trigonometry book, looking for the reference graphs again. "No more classes for the rest of the week and you don't have any more assignments to finish? Remind me again how to become a teacher's pet, please." You roll your eyes with an amused smile, leaning back on your elbows to talk to him.

"I'm not a teacher's pet, Jeong. I just do my work on time instead of partying every night." He picks up a leftover piece of bread from the picnic basket that sits to his right and tosses it at you in retaliation to your little remark.

"I don't care what you say, those parties are always epic. One of these days I'll convince you to come along."

You shake your head, knowing there's no way you'd willingly attend one of them. From his stories, all those "epic" nights consist of is ridiculously drunken beer pong, sweaty people doing jello shots, and regrets.

"Not in a million years, loser." You say adamantly, not letting him trick himself into believing he's capable of swaying you.

With one last muttered phrase of, "we'll see about that," he returns to his studies, and you turn your attention elsewhere.

Scattered light filters in through the leaves of the tree you're sitting under, wrapping you in a blanket of warmth as your eyes scan across the crowd again. The sight brings to mind an idea that always fascinates you: everyone you meet is busy creating their own stories, writing and rewriting new possibilities and endings for themselves with each new choice they make. You can hear snippets of their conversations -- see instances of some having their best days while others are living through their worst -- and it really puts things into perspective. Although we may appear as side characters in those books of life that others are writing for themselves, we have no idea what they're going through at any given moment. So, you believe, that makes it all the more important to leave a positive impact on them; whether it be a kind smile, holding the door, or even a simple compliment, you're determined to have your legacy be one rooted in kindness.

Speaking of kindness in human form…

There she is, you think to yourself, feeling that all too familiar pitter patter of your heart pick up. Jisoo exits Building C, where her latest lecture just ended, and rushes down the stairs with her books in her arms. She's studying to become an actress, as far as you know, and you can't help but smile at the thought; she'll make an amazing star someday.

You watch as she meets up with 3 other girls, whom you immediately recognize as Lisa, Rosé, and Jennie, and they eagerly bounce their way over to the refreshment truck that one of your school's clubs had been so considerate to hire. It's the perfect day for a cold treat, after all.

Jisoo's dark hair flows in the gentle breeze that rolls in, looking like silk as it rides the currents. She's gorgeous in every way, and you can't help but be smitten; besides, it's not like you're not alone in your pining. She practically has the entire student body wrapped around her finger.

"Y/N, don't forget to blink. You're staring pretty hard," Yuqi says, raising up onto her elbow beside Jeong. He laughs with her, but his eyes remain glued to the notebook paper he's scribbling his work onto.

Your eyes dart away following her statement, and you know you've been caught. "I thought you were asleep," you bite back, attempting to hide the blush of embarrassment that's quickly flooding to your cheeks.

"I was, but I guess my intuition as your best friend woke me up. It's my mission in life to tease you."

"So I've gathered," you sarcastically smile at each other, making stupid faces like always.

"You love me," she flips her hair over her shoulder, appearing self-assured with the smirk that tugs at her lips.

"Do I though? I don't know sometimes..." she socks you in the arm, making you chuckle.

"All jokes, babe. Don't pout," you pinch her cheek until she grins, and then she begins telling you all about the dream she just had.

----

Jisoo leads her gang over to one of the nearby tables, making sure to choose her seat strategically. A special someone caught her attention earlier, as they have from the moment she first laid eyes on them months ago, and she hasn't been able to fight the urge to admire them. She watches as they laugh along with something their friend said, tilting their head back as the cheerful noise rings out. She finds herself smiling along, imagining what it would be like to make them laugh like that; it's a uniquely wonderful sound, and she can't help but adore it.

They lean across the blanket they're sitting on and dig through a picnic basket, retrieving what seems to be a sandwich packaged up in plastic wrap. One of their friends exaggeratedly thanks them, tackling them to the ground in a messy hug with a shout of gratitude that even Jisoo can hear from across the square.

"Earth to Jisoo!" Jennie says, raising her voice slightly as she snaps her fingers in front of the unnie. The former jolts back to attention with a little jump, clearing her throat to gather her thoughts.

"You know, you could always go talk to him. I've heard he's sweet." She tells the other girl, noticing the look of longing that's befallen her features.

"Yeah, Joy has Art with him on Thursdays. I think his name's Jeong or something like that." Lisa butts in before taking another lick of her ice cream.

Despite being so smart, the girls are really oblivious sometimes; Jisoo wasn't looking at him at all. She was looking at you.

She doesn't know if now is the right time to tell them that, though. She hasn't officially come out to them, but she isn't afraid that they won't accept her -- she just wants that moment to be special, and sweating in the middle of the campus square doesn't seem like the golden opportunity that she's been hoping for.

"Just eat your treats, knuckleheads." She concludes, taking a spoonful of the shaved ice she opted for instead of ice cream. The truck had multiple types of treats, with all kinds of different toppings and flavorings lining the walls.

"Okay…" Rosé trails off before adding, "but don't say we didn't try to help when you start wishing you had said something later." Jisoo uses her spoon to lower the one that Rosie had raised accusingly at her, reassuring the girl that she'd be fine.

She knows it's a lie, though; as the 4 of them later toss their trash in the bins and make their way to the student council room, Jisoo sneaks a last wistful glance at you, wishing she would've had the courage to start a conversation.

3.) One Step Closer

Friday, 1:34 PM -- A Few Days Later

"Hey, Minji. How many do we have today?" You wave at what kids have already been dropped off, your presence making their little faces light up with joy.

Your coworker responds from across the room, tossing a couple stray toys into their labeled baskets to keep the space tidy. "10 or so, I think. The last ones should be arriving soon." You nod and take off your coat, setting your things in one of the small cubbies against the wall just beyond the entrance.

"Y/N!" A small voice shouts from behind the counter, hidden from view. You smile deeply when you realize who it is, and you quickly dart around the corner to say hello. His chubby hands cover his mouth, but they do little in hiding his adorable grin. "Seungbum! How's my little munchkin?!" He squeals and runs into your arms, giggling loudly when you pick him up and spin him around. His dark hair sways from side to side with the movement, the slight waves sticking out in random places. A few seconds later, he wraps his arms around your neck and pulls back to look at you, settling into your secure hold.

"Can we play when Jia gets here? I promised her I'd show her the new trick I learned, but I wanna show you, too."

You smile at the sweet sentiment. "Of course, buddy. As long as you eat well at snack time, we can play however much you want." You raise an eyebrow at him, showing your authority, before saying, "I saw you put your veggies in your pocket last time and skip to dessert, so it'd better not happen again." He lowers his head after realizing he had been caught, and a hint of redness flushes his cheeks in embarrassment.

"Okay Y/N-yah."

You tickle him to make sure he knows you aren't mad at him, and soon he's laughing again. "Now, go wash your hands and get settled at the table, please."

"Yes ma'am." His tiny sneakers squeak against the floor as he races off towards one of the lowered sinks that borders the kitchen wall, and you shake your head with a smile.

Not even a second later, you feel a soft tug at your pant leg, and you turn around to find the source.

A head of brilliantly auburn hair is the first thing you see, and its shade compliments the child's outfit perfectly. "Hi sweetheart. Are you new?" You squat down to the young girl's level, noting how she shyly toys with her fingers as they rest in front of her. She nods, the movement so subtle that you almost don't notice it.

"My name's Y/N, and that awesome lady over there," you lean closer to her and point towards your coworker, "...is Minji. You can stay with us today, or you can play with the others, okay?" She nods again, her mannerisms letting you know just how shy she really is. Gently taking one of her hands, you hold it and look at her with a reassuring smile, asking, "Will you tell me your name?"

"I'm Aera." She meekly says, only maintaining eye contact for a second or two.

"That's a beautiful name," you compliment, seeing progress as she lightly smiles at your words. "And I love your bow," you add, touching the delicate material that rests near her ear, nestled into her straight locks. It has cherry blossoms and butterflies on it, all vibrant and neatly colored.

"Thank you, I picked it out myself." She perks up a bit now, raising her head to look at you with a proud smile. "Wow, really?" You put on an impressed expression, wanting to boost her confidence even more. "You'll have to help me choose one the next time I go shopping, then. You're great at it." The praise makes her chuckle, and her eyes squint into soft crescents in the process.

After stealing a glance at the table where everyone else has already gathered, you realize that they're waiting on you to start. "Alright, Aera, it's time to grab a bite to eat. Do you want to sit with me, or are you ready to be with the others?" You tilt your head to the side, asking the question softly so she doesn't feel overwhelmed. Having had this job for a while, you've gotten the hang of adjusting your behavior to put them at ease.

"With you," she says, growing a little timid again at the idea of mingling with them yet. "That's perfectly fine." You reassure her, smiling one more time before standing and leading her to the room. Her hand remains clutched in yours, wiggling around slightly from the height difference as she looks around.

"Who's ready for some snacks?" Minji asks the group, laughing when they all raise their hands and get excited. Their high pitched voices carry around the room as they discuss what foods they want to trade with each other, and soon everyone is happily munching away. You rub Aera's back sweetly as she eats some cucumber sticks, swinging her feet through the air beneath the short chair you retrieved from the table for her. She looks up into your eyes with a smile, melting your heart with the cuteness of her full cheeks. You squish them before turning away, feeling your 6th sense kick in as you scan your eyes across the rest of the group.

"Seungbum…" you warn, catching the way he's mischievously eyeing the carrots laid out before him on the table. He pokes at one of them and sighs, eventually giving in as he takes a hesitant bite of it. With some more convincing, he finishes the rest of the pack and gets started on his dessert.

----

Honestly, you feel sorry for the birds outside.

They must have had hundreds of mini heart attacks upon hearing the somehow earth-shattering roar of the 10 young kids, all blasting out the side door towards the playground. Some of them automatically race towards the swings or slides, while others approach the basket of toys and sports equipment. Aera, however, hangs back, her entire hand wrapped around just a few of your fingers. "What do you wanna do?" She shrugs, looking around at the different activities that the others are already starting.

"I can push you on the swings, or we could race. There're some monkey bars and a merry-go-round, too, that nobody's using right now." You suggest, hoping to catch her interest with one of them. Her attention snaps up to you at that last option, and she dramatically drops her jaw. "Did you say merry-go-round?" You nod with an amused grin, laughing when she lets out a cute noise of joy. After pointing her in the direction of it, she dashes off ahead of you and makes her way to it, only stopping to make sure you're still coming with her once she gets there.

"Hold on tight, little one." You advise, cheering when she giggles in anticipation. Her chuckles fill the airwaves as you spin the bar around, making sure not to pull too hard and make her too dizzy. You were once a kid, too, though, so you make it a point to add some serious speed every now and then to keep her entertained and happy. You remember playing on these all day when you were her age.

---

"Auntie!" Aera shrieks, excitedly thundering towards the fence that borders the playground. You finish cheering Seungbum on after watching his trick, grinning as he tries to flirt with Jia; she looks impressed. You turn around at Aera's commotion, feeling your eyes practically pop out of your head at who you see standing on the other side.

"How was your day, my love?" Jisoo asks sweetly, leaning over the metal divider to run a hand through her niece's hair lovingly. She still hasn't noticed your presence, and for that you don't know if you're relieved or saddened. Watching her interact with the young girl is quite adorable, though, and you're distracted from your personal gay panic for the time being.

"I've had so much fun. And Y/N-yah said she likes my hair clip! I told you this one was prettier than the one with just trees on it!" Aera says smugly, happy to have her decision pay off and prove her aunt wrong. Jisoo tenses up, not expecting to hear your name right now. Seeing that this is her first time picking Aera up, she had no idea you work at the daycare; though she'd be lying to say that it comes as a surprise -- you're a very warm person, so it's no wonder that you're good with kids.

As per Aera's request, you walk across the playground and join her in front of Jisoo. Now it's your turn to be shy; you sneak a glance at the student council president and immediately feel your cheeks heat up, so you busy yourself by patting Aera on the head. She hugs your leg and settles against your side, causing Jisoo to raise her eyebrows. "I'm impressed, Y/N. She usually doesn't open up to new people very easily."

"Ah, I'm surprised that such a cool girl like her wanted to hang out with me." You tease, tickling her side lightly when she hides behind the material of your shirt. "Do you want to come in and see what she drew today? She's definitely skilled." You suggest, trying not to sound too hopeful as you muster up the courage to look at Jisoo again. She's already smiling at you, a soft sort of adoration shining in her eyes as they rake over your features. She accepts your offer, and you walk over to the gate to let her in. Aera demands that you carry her, so you scoop her up into your arms as you make your way back into the daycare center. Her head sits on your shoulder, and you can feel her playfully making faces at Jisoo the entire way; her tiny frame jolts with each loud giggle she lets out, and the sound makes you smile.

---

"Yeah, she was my sidekick for the day." You respond to Jisoo, continuing your conversation as you watch Aera remove her drawing from the cork board that she taped it to earlier. Displaying the kids' artwork is something that you advocated for when you first began working here, and you're so glad you did; they always get excited to share their works.

"She's a lucky girl, then." She says, doing her best to ignore the feeling of your eyes on her. Focusing on anything other than you is already hard enough for her, but she knows there'd be no hope left if she gives in now.

"Y/N helped me draw this. She doodled Dalgom in the corner," Aera cheerily says, breaking the slight tension in the air as she approaches the table. Most of the other kids have already been picked up, and Minji's watching the handful that haven't.

"It's not very good," you cringe, scratching the back of your neck. You've seen him a few times since the beginning of the year, whether it be on walks across campus with Jisoo, or perched on her desk during "bring your pet to class" day.

"It's adorable; Dalgomie will be honored when I show it to him." Jisoo says with a nod, shutting down your insecurities within a second. You fail to contain the laugh that slips past your lips, disbelief present in your voice as you ask, "You're going to show him?" She looks at you like you have 3 heads. "It would be a disgrace not to."

With a breathy chuckle, you say, "You're so strange. I like it, though."

Jisoo smiles at that, and the three of you discuss all of the fun things you did that day. Jisoo tells you about the classes she had to sit through, and even how she stepped in gum and had to borrow a pair of Rosé's shoes.

---

All good things must come to an end, though, and after about half an hour of talking, it was time to say goodbye.

You lead them out the door and down the sidewalk as per Aera's request, yet again (that child is basically a mini dictator at this point, but she's cute so she gets a free pass). As she rustles around her bag in search of her keys, Jisoo accidentally knocks her earbud case out, sending it tumbling to the ground. "Oh! Here, I'll grab it for you." You kindly offer, stepping past her to retrieve it from the grass. She takes it from you with a word of gratitude uttered in that angelic voice of hers, and you begin your goodbyes upon hearing Minji call your name.

"I'll see you around, Jisoo. And Aera, I expect to see you next week." You wiggle a finger at the little girl, donning a shocked expression when she pretends to bite it. "Can't you tell we're related?" Jisoo asks with a smile, ruffling her niece's hair. "The resemblance is uncanny," you laugh, watching as both of them join in with you.

"Y/N, come on!" Minji whines, sounding like a toddler herself. You initially go to brush off her request in order to spend a few more seconds with the two of them, but when she stands in the doorway, entering your line of sight, you see why she's so desperate for your help -- two of the children still waiting on their parents are climbing on her, about to knock her over at any second. Her face is beet red from the effort she's exerting, and her hair is mussed wildly.

"Oh shhh---" you start, catching yourself when Jisoo widens her eyes at you and goes to cover Aera's ears, "--shiitake mushrooms!" You finish with a nervous smile, gaining a stunned laugh from your crush. "Bye girls; gotta go. I'm on my way, Minji!" You call out like a superhero, running to her aid as fast as your legs will carry you.

Jisoo watches you wrangle one of the squirmy kids off of her and initiate a tickle fight to distract him and give Minji time to deal with the other one. She smiles like a dork at your actions, realizing she would be content with watching you all day. You're a natural with them, and seeing you in action is something she wishes she had the chance to do more often. With that, she turns around and picks Aera up; the youngster nuzzles into her embrace, lazily slumping onto her after having such a tiring day. As Jisoo goes to take a step forward, she notices something on the ground: a piece of paper. It's been folded neatly many times, and it reminds her of the notes she would always pass to her friends back in elementary school. Her curiosity gets the better of her, and she can't resist the urge to pick it up.

"To The Girl Who'll Never Know I Love Her"

Her eyes scan across the words and she unfolds the note, making sure to keep a steady grip on Aera with her other arm. An almost unnoticeable signature is scribbled in the bottom corner, and she nearly scares Aera by squealing in pleasant surprise.

It's your name, curled into the letters that are so uniquely yours; the paper must've fallen out of your pocket when you bent down to get her case earlier.

After buckling her niece into her car seat and climbing into the driver's seat, Jisoo unfolds the note again and begins reading. She's like a giddy kid all over again, and part of her feels bad for giving into temptation. She reasons with herself by promising to give it back to you the next time she sees you, and that manages to rid her conscience of some of the guilt she feels. For now, though, she's eager to see what it contains.

The first thing to catch her eye is a poem written neatly underneath a doodle of a rabbit, likely serving as some sort of label. Everyone on campus knows of her nickname and resemblance to rabbits, and she can't help but hope that your drawing wasn't simply a coincidence.

Poison, is what you are

A bittersweet mix, intoxicatingly beautiful

For one glance from you

Steals every breath I had so foolishly believed was mine to take

For one smile from you

Sends me reeling, falling all over again

She nearly swoons at the words, rereading them multiple times over and imagining you saying them to her. She wonders how the syllables would fall from your lips, which ones you'd stress to alter the meaning into whatever you imagined when you wrote them. Whether or not they're written for her, she may never know; all she's aware of right now is how they make her feel, and how that feeling is one that she never wants to stop experiencing.

4.) Practice Makes Perfect

2 Weeks, 3 Exams, and 1 Mental Breakdown Later

"Coming!" You call out, using all of your strength to push your rolling chair away from your desk and across the room towards the door.

"Y/N L/N, at your service," you say, doing a little bow in your seat. Upon looking up to see who's in front of you, your eyes lock with the same girl who's been living in your mind rent free ever since you met her.

"Jisoo!" You announce a little louder than intended, scrambling up into a standing position before kicking the chair backwards. You wince when it collides with something behind you, filling the room with noise as a few of your knick knacks clatter to the floor. Jisoo has to fight to contain the smile on her lips, pursing them as she looks towards the ground so as to not embarrass you.

It's too late though -- you've already made a fool of yourself, and right in front of your crush, no less.

"What can I do for you?" You ask, finally relaxing your face from its previously scrunched up position.

"Are you busy right now? I have a favor to ask and you might be the only person who can help me out." Her eyebrows raise inquisitively at you, quirking up in that special way they always do when she's focusing in class.

She could ask you to do just about anything, and you'd be agreeing without hesitation; no questions asked.

"N-no, just doing a little studying is all. How can I help?" You'd normally curse yourself for sounding so shy, but she looks especially gorgeous tonight and you can't even blame yourself for it. The fluorescent bulbs of the dorm's hallway fail to even put a dent in the glow she's radiating, and that's no small feat -- those horrible little things are usually capable of making anyone look bad, and yet, once again, Jisoo manages to break the mold.

"Mrs. Choi assigned a rehearsal for me tonight, and I need a peer to score how well I do. I trust you to do it." She says, having no idea how much her words are affecting you.

Review portions of the semester are crucial to every major's success, but arguably none so much as those studying to be actors. The peer and admin reviews that they receive account for a large chunk of their grade, so you can imagine how nerve-racking it would be to put that kind of power in someone else's hands. You're touched that she trusts you with it.

"I'd love to help, Jisoo. Just curious, though: why don't you have one of the girls help? They probably know more about it than me, after all." Everyone knows how close JenChuLiChaeng are, so her decision to choose you is genuinely intriguing.

Shit. For some reason, Jisoo hadn't anticipated that you'd ask that question. The thought had never crossed her mind earlier, when she was preoccupied with convincing herself to come in the first place, so she has to think something up on the fly.

"They're all busy with work. Couldn't afford to lose any precious cramming time, you know?" She says, a hint of nervousness behind the small laugh she lets out. It's uncharacteristic for her, considering she's usually so confident all the time, but you think it's adorable.

"Ryujin's the same way," you tease, turning your head to look at your roommate. She's across the room on her bed, reading through her book as she holds her middle finger up to let you know she heard your comment. "What a sweetie," you coo, blowing a kiss at her that makes her roll her eyes and smile despite herself. She pretends to be hardcore, but after spending the past few months with her you've discovered that she's actually the human embodiment of a cinnamon roll.

"Well," you say, turning back to Jisoo, "when do you have to start?"

She pulls her sleeve back to glance at her watch before returning her gaze to you. "Gotta be back at the dorm in 10 minutes."

Your eyebrows shoot up in surprise, the inner honor student in you already panicking. "10 minutes?! It's all the way across campus, Jisoo!"

She laughs at you now, bringing a hand up to cover her mouth. "I'm kidding; we still have a couple hours. You should've seen your face, though. Priceless."

"That's no way to treat someone who practically has your grade resting in their hands." You say smugly, a little smirk playing on your lips when her jaw drops dramatically.

"You wouldn't dare," she narrows her eyes, referencing the notion that you might give her bad marks because of that little prank.

"Maybe, or maybe not. Perhaps I'll be merciful if you take me to get something to eat first."

"Food as a peace offering? Alright, I can do that."

You smile, doing a dorky little cheer at that. "Okay, I'll be right out; just give me a second to make myself look presentable."

Jisoo accepts your words with a curt nod, but she wants to tell you that you already look more than presentable. When you first opened the door earlier and she saw you in your study glasses, she couldn't help but smile like a fool; you're adorable, especially to her, and she wishes you could see that.

A couple minutes later you exit your dorm and find her leaned up against the hallway wall, her hands fidgeting in front of her. Is she nervous?

"So, where would you like to go?" You ask, pulling the thin material of your jacket over your shoulders. It's lightweight -- seeing as how the weather doesn't call for a large one -- and it feels soft against your skin.

As the two of you fall into step with each other, she responds, "It's up to you, princess. Since I'm at your mercy and all." Her smirk is visible in your peripheral.

The nickname causes your heart to flutter in your chest, thudding around even harder than it had before. "U-uh, how about the noodle place?" You suggest, trying not to cringe at the stutter in your voice. You've heard that she likes chicken and ramen, and that shop is known as the best restaurant on campus for it.

"110%. You know me so well," she says dreamily, batting her eyelashes at you with a silly smile.

"Called it," you retort, brushing your shoulder off nonchalantly. "Now come on, I'm hungry and ready to spend all of your money." Her hand slips into yours when you reach down for it, almost instinctively, feeling like it was meant to be there all along, and you tug her down the hallway towards the elevator.

----

"I know! If Mr. Johnson assigns another project like that then I'll politely be jumping out a window."

Jisoo laughs at how animated you are, even having to stop chewing her mouthful of food momentarily to make sure she doesn't choke. She really loves hanging out with you; you make everything fun, and all of the stress she feels on a daily basis seems to vanish into thin air.

"I did pretty bad on that last one," Jisoo adds, grimacing as she remembers her score.

"You literally got a 93 out of 100, shut up." You shake your head with an amused smile, reaching across the table to snatch a piece of gimbap from her plate.

"Hey--" she goes to yell at you, but her phone vibrates against the table, successfully stopping her.

"Hello?" She answers, silently starting a chopstick war with you when you reach for another piece. When the person on the other end begins talking, she stops playing in order to concentrate on what they're saying.

"Did she cancel?" She asks, furrowing her brow as her lips form into a natural pout. She sighs, rubbing her temple gently as the conversation continues. "Okay, I'm out with a friend right now, but you can go ahead and head that way. We'll meet you there. Alright, love you, too. Bye."

You raise an eyebrow, wordlessly requesting info about what new plan you're being involved in. "That was my brother; the babysitter cancelled on them last minute, so we have to watch Aera for a few hours." Jisoo loves her niece dearly, but she can't deny that she wanted to spend the evening alone with you. She's afraid the little girl will steal all of your attention away, as childish as that may seem.

"You're such a good person," you compliment, only to frown when she brushes off your words. "I mean it, Jisoo. You always take care of everybody around you; it's admirable. Now take the compliment or I'll team up with Aera later and tease you."

She rolls her eyes with a smile, saying, "You're gonna do that regardless."

"That's not the point," you pout, stomping your foot on the ground lightly.

"Fine; tis I, Jisoo, the greatest person in all of existence. Happy now?"

"Ecstatic." You beam at her, returning back to your cheery self. "I'll go grab some boxes for us, okay?" She nods, and you scurry off on your mission.

----

Back At Jisoo's Dorm

Images flash across the large, flatscreen TV mounted to the wall across from you, displaying scenes of whatever cartoon the network decided to air right now. Aera isn't being picky; she's content with sitting in your lap, mindlessly fidgeting with the necklace that loosely dangles from your neck as she remains entranced by the screen. Your arms are around her to make her feel secure, and her small frame racks against you with every sweet giggle she lets out anytime a new joke is told by one of her favorite characters.

Jisoo observes from the kitchen, leaning back against the countertop to settle in while she waits for Aera's favorite snack to heat up. She watches as you point to various things on the TV, having her name the ones she knows and teaching her others that she doesn't.

She loves seeing you like this. You're beaming in that special way that sets her heart on fire, and the flames are only fanned when you turn to look at her. Somehow, the sight reminds her of the first time she met you:

It was orientation week -- the beginning of the school year -- and you were taking a tour around campus with some of your friends. You were lucky to have them; you'd only kept in contact with a handful of people from high school, knowing full well that most of those relationships were only rooted in superficiality, never meant to last. But this motley crew was different; they saw you for you, and all of you genuinely enjoyed each other's company. It didn't have the same air of awkward tension as the fake friendships had -- this was real and honest, and you thanked your lucky stars for them on the daily.

All of you had managed to get into your dream schools, and the reality was bittersweet; you'd all be moving away from each other and beginning your own lives, having less and less time for each other in the process. You were beyond proud of them, and yourself, for that matter, but it still hurt to think that they wouldn't be just a few blocks away anymore. That you couldn't just swing by their house to go on a late night drive through the city like you used to. As exciting as your new experiences were bound to be, part of you was terrified; your life up until now had been fairly safe, creating a little security blanket to protect you from all that life had in store, but now you were on your own and the idea was a bit daunting. The memories you made together comforted you, though, and kept the sadness at bay.

"Dude, this place is sick. How did you manage to make it in again?"

"Because she's smart, dumbass. We should be asking you that question."

"Ouch, (Friend's Name), that hurt."

"Do you still have those chips from earlier? I'm starving over here."

"Yeah, here, they're in my bag."

Pockets of separate conversations can be heard from behind you, all of your friends chatting away while you walk ahead of them, map and schedule in hand. The campus is fairly large, and with so many buildings and classrooms it's easy to get confused. You continue walking, running a finger along the map to trace the path you intend to take towards the Help Center.

In your preoccupied state, you don't even realize that you're headed straight for a trash can that sits on the sidewalk, mere seconds away from colliding with it.

A passerby notices just in the nick of time, reaching an arm out in front of you to prevent the accident with a noise of warning. You tense up, not expecting the sudden interruption, and look up into the eyes of your savior. Her dark orbs peer back at you, an innocent gleam in them when she sees your lips slowly tug into a smile.

She mirrors your actions, neither of you saying anything yet. You couldn't utter a word even if you wanted to; her beauty leaves you speechless.

"That was close," she says quietly, only to you. Your friends have almost caught up with you now, still busy with their own conversations, though they'll tease you once they see a gorgeous stranger's arm wrapped around you.

"Thank you," you breathe out, clearing your throat as you take a step away from her.

"Ooh, who's this, Y/N?" One of your friends coos, garnering a chorus of childish "oohs" and kissy noises from the others. Why are they so obnoxious?

You apologetically glance at the girl one more time before turning around to respond to them, but she speaks up before you can.

"Kim Jisoo." She introduces, facing them with a wide smile. It's easy to see that she's done this before; her tone is pleasant and light, not even a hint of hesitancy in it. She's used to being the center of attention; you can tell by the way she carries herself and commands the space.

"I see you guys are taking a tour, right?" She looks between all of you, though her eyes linger on you for a second too long to be brushed off as 'just friendly'.

You nod, saying, "I can't find my last class. It's a Gen Ed one; World History, room 435. The map says it's in Complex D, but the room was vacant when we went by."

She listens intently, paying attention to your every word. "They must've handed out the old maps by accident, then. Mr. Johnson had to move rooms to accommodate larger class sizes. When do you have him?"

You unfold your schedule again, gazing down at the slightly crumpled sheet until your eyes find their target. "Tuesdays and Thursdays, 1PM."

Upon registering what you said, Jisoo does her best to contain the grin that threatens to spread across her face. "Ah, same as me! I can take you to the room, if you'd like. That way you can find it next week." She offers, pleased by the fact that she'll be seeing you more often. Your cute mannerisms have already thrown her for a loop, and she wants to get to know you better.

"That would be great." You let out a relieved laugh, releasing the worry you felt; tours are meant to end within 20 minutes or so, and before Jisoo came you were afraid you'd never find your last class. She's saving the day again, it seems.

"Great, follow me," she smiles warmly, placing a gentle hand on the small of your back to turn you in the right direction. When you give your friends one last glance over your shoulder, you find them giving you thumbs up with smirks on their faces. One of them puckers their lips at you, and you stick your tongue out in return.

You're not sure what they'll end up doing while you finish your tour, though it'll likely involve either skating or eating fast food. They have each other to keep themselves entertained, so you're not worried about them in the slightest. You make a mental note to text them when you're done to meet up again.

Jisoo smiles like an idiot when she realizes what's happening behind her, failing miserably to hide it when you spin back around and give your full attention to her.

"What?" You ask, leaning in closer to her to nudge her shoulder when she looks away, blushing.

"Nothing," she shakes her head, only to be prompted by you again. "You're just cute, is all."

You have to use all your power to hold back the squeal you want to let out at hearing that. Kim Jisoo, as you now know her to be, thinks you're cute? You must be dreaming.

"That's funny, I don't remember turning into a mirror."

"Yah, babo!" She chuckles, not expecting that as she smacks the back of your head with no real force. The two of you share a laugh and continue talking while you make your way to the room.

Beeping sounds from the microwave bring Jisoo back down to Earth, causing the pleasant memory to fade more and more with every incessant signal that cuts through the air. She grabs a couple heat guards and approaches the machine, carefully opening the steaming package and pouring its contents into a big, shareable bowl. Though it may be Aera's favorite food, she'd be damned to not make enough for the two of you as well. After all, keeping her entertained will take plenty of energy.

"Did this princess order one heaping bowl of popcorn or am I at the wrong castle?" Jisoo plays, padding into the room with a bright smile on her face as she looks over at her niece. The smell of her snack snaps Aera back to reality, making her eyes light up with pure joy as she leaps off of your lap and runs to Jisoo. She wraps her arms around her legs, thanking her in that sweet little voice of hers as she gazes up at her aunt with stars in her eyes.

"Thank you, thank you, thank you!" She chants, wiggling her body around in excitement. She lets go when Jisoo goes to walk to the couch, following close behind her like an eager puppy.

She approaches you again, making grabby hands for you to lift her onto your lap even though she's more than capable of getting up there by herself. Nevertheless, you pull her up with a humored grin, watching as she puts her hands in her lap and patiently waits for the two of you to get a bite first. Her ability to follow manners is commendable, though the slight twitch of her lip when she gets a whiff of the food is pretty adorable.

"Dig in," you say around your mouthful of food, locking eyes with Jisoo when Aera jumps at the opportunity to follow your instructions. You never have to tell her twice when it comes to food.

"Yep, definitely related."

Jisoo laughs at your comment, reaching over top of Aera to flick you in the forehead. She shrugs at your pained exclamation, uttering a nonchalant "Sorry, not sorry," as the two of you crack up together.

----

"Y/N, how the hell did you manage to do that?" Jisoo whispers, not bothering to censor herself when she sees Aera fast asleep in your arms. It's not like she could hear her anyway.

"She was already kinda tired when she got here; I just made sure to get that last little bit of energy out with the games. Have you forgotten that I know a thing or two about kids?" You tease, turning to her with a smile when you finish walking up the short staircase.

"You don't understand: usually it takes us hours to settle her down. She's just a totally different person around you."

"Must be my awesomeness."

"Hmm, must be," Jisoo hums, quietly opening her bedroom door for you and watching as you carefully lay Aera down. You tuck her under the blankets with care, making sure to brush the hair out of her face and adjust her pillow a bit. Jisoo leans against the doorframe, adding the scene before her to her list of reasons for loving you. Seeing you in such a domestic situation gives her baby fever, and she has to push the persistent feeling away.

"Ready?" You whisper with one last look over your shoulder, giving Jisoo your undivided attention once you confirm that Aera's alright.

"Let's do it," she says, pulling the door to but not latching it. The two of you will be in the living room, just down the hall, and you want to be able to hear her in case she needs something. So responsible.

You take in the dorm as Jisoo leads you towards your destination, amazed at how much bigger it is than yours and Ryujin's. This one has separate rooms equipped with their own personal bathrooms, a decent kitchen, and, of course, a living area. Clearly, having ties to the school and being president of the student council come with some major perks. Your socked feet pad against the hardwood floor, and you close what little distance is left between Jisoo and yourself to press your body against her back, wrapping your arms around her. She lets out a little noise of surprise, but doesn't protest; she tucks one of her hands into your clasped ones and uses the other to rub your forearm.

A few moments later you plop down onto the couch and get comfortable on the cushions. Jisoo digs around in her bag that leans against the tv stand, searching for the script of her upcoming production. Her shirt rides up slightly, giving you a perfect view of her beautifully sculpted stomach, and her skin looks ethereal as it glows in the soft lamplight of the room. Embarrassed for admiring her in such a way, you avert your gaze, failing to notice how she subtly bites her lip as she approaches you; she planned that little show, and it worked.

"Okay, so here's the scoring sheet," she hands you a semi-formal looking paper, along with a pencil and clipboard to use as a stabilizer. "I'll be reading from the first few pages on my own, but I was wondering if you'd fill in for the male lead for some of the other parts? It's a lot easier to get into character if I have someone's energy to feed off of."

You smile at how cute she sounded with her little rambled request, and nod. "Of course, Jisoo. I doubt I'll be any good, though." She releases a sigh at that, happy to have you agree; her plan is coming along nicely, but there's always room for things to go wrong.

"I'm sure you're better than you think."

"Stop sucking up, Chu. Flattery won't make me raise your grade," you warn, pointing the pencil at her sternly. Your tone sends a shiver down her spine, though it goes unnoticed by you.

"Let's just get started." She concludes, doing her best to keep from getting too flustered under your already watchful eye.

----

Her show is well underway, caught somewhere towards the end of act two, and you're enthralled by the performance she's giving. The paper that once rested in your lap is marked up with comments of praise and proud annotations to accompany your high scoring, though now it lays forgotten about on the coffee table, serving no purpose any longer. You finished all of the required sections necessary for your peer review, and now you're just enjoying the journey that Jisoo is continuing to take you on.

You look back up into her eyes after reading off the lines of the character you're filling in for, looking completely unskilled next to the pure talent that she's exuding. She stands from the couch, looking down at you with an exasperated expression as she remains in character.

"You don't get it!" She raises her voice slightly, though not loud enough to wake Aera. Even while in the intense mindset she has to be in for her character, she keeps one foot in the reality of this world, making sure to behave appropriately.

"Enlighten me, then." You stand and retort, shifting a bit closer to her after reciting your line.

"Only when I'm with you do I feel true happiness. Your kind eyes bring me comfort like no other; I'm safe in your arms. For you, my love," she pauses, her eyes brimming with tears from the emotional words she's spent so much time rehearsing. "...there isn't a thing in this world that I wouldn't do." Your breath is held tightly in your throat, and your hands subconsciously grip onto the material of your jeans.

Only now do you realize how close the two of you have migrated to one another; she's merely a breath away, so close you can feel the warmth radiating from her. You swallow thickly, feeling your nerves come alive with every second that passes in heated silence, neither of you knowing what to do now. You've lost the desire to read your next line, and she doesn't seem too upset by that fact. Her eyes slowly scan over your features, and the lovesick look in them makes you question if she's still in character or slipping out of it.

After her gaze darts down to your lips and she licks her own without even realizing it, you seriously begin hoping for the latter of the two options.

She searches your face for any sign of refusal as she leans in closer, now bringing her arms up to wrap around your waist and lightly ball the material of your shirt up into her fists. Your hands rest on her shoulders, and you glide your fingertips over her jawline. A singular nod is the last form of consent that you give her before she pulls you closer.

Her lips ghost over yours, receiving some of the vanilla balm you applied earlier; her breath hitches when you tug at the collar of her university sweater, teasingly taking her bottom lip between your teeth. She wants to savor this moment, so she fights against her urge to dive right in and get lost in you.

Within seconds, she's kicking herself for that decision.

"Auntie? Y/N?" Aera calls sleepily from just around the corner, making the two of you spring away from each other. When she appears less than a second later, you realize how close you had been to getting caught. Jisoo refuses to meet your gaze when you look towards her, and that simple action disheartens you a bit.

"Hey, sweetheart. Bad dream?" You ask, using your inference skills after noticing the way that she's clutching her stuffed bunny close to her chest. Her lip trembles as she nods, and the sight breaks your heart. Quickly, you pick her up again, assuring her that she's safe and that you'd slay any monster that dared to hurt her, even in her dreams. A small smile tugs at her lips, and she brings a fist up to rub her eye. "How about this: I'll do a quadruple check of the room for you, and stay with you until you fall asleep. Sound good?"

She utters a tired, "Yes, Y/N-yah", before laying her head on your shoulder and waving a goodbye towards Jisoo as you take her back to the room.

Four sweeps of the room and one fight with a ghost later, you tuck her in again and lay a sweet kiss to her forehead. "Love you," she mumbles lazily, making your heart melt. Kids say that phrase quickly, without even realizing the weight that it has, but you're always glad to accept whatever they imagine it to be. Whether she loves you for playing with her, tucking her in, or defending her honor against imaginary monsters, you don't really care all that much -- she loves you in the ways that she knows how, and that's all that matters.

"I love you, too, Aera. Sleep well." You tuck a piece of hair behind her ear and settle against the wall, prepared to come through on your promise.

----

"Hey," you start, albeit a bit awkwardly.

"Hey," Jisoo returns, pushing her leftovers from the restaurant around her plate half-heartedly. You approach the marble countertop that she sits behind, silently begging for her to look up at you.

"Should we talk about earlier?" You quietly ask, picking at imaginary imperfections on the surface of the countertop.

"What about it?"

"We practically kissed--"

"It was in the script to do so, Y/N." She says, finally looking up at you. She sounds a bit hostile now, like she's getting defensive for some unknown reason.

"Oh," the simple utterance is all you can manage, seeing as how your brain is running a mile a minute. You want to ask if it meant anything else to her -- if she would've taken it farther, had Aera not walked in -- but you don't. Her tone serves as enough of an answer, and you're not sure you could stand to hear her verbalize your fears anyway.

"Well I guess I should go, then." You retract your hand and put it in your pocket, realizing how stupid you were for thinking she could like you back. She doesn't; she was just in need of a helping hand tonight, and you offered that. You shouldn't have tried to turn it into anything that it wasn't.

Hearing the disappointment in your voice makes her want to confess right then and there, but something still holds her back -- some force is yelling at her to keep her feelings hidden for fear of rejection. "I can drive you."

You shake your head. "Nah, it's okay. I'll have Ryujin come get me. You can't leave Aera here and I wouldn't want to have to wake her up just for you to drive me across campus." Jisoo agrees, realizing that she didn't even think about that at first.

"Goodnight, Jisoo." You say, heading off towards the front door. She returns the gesture, reminding you to be safe as she locks it behind you and watches you dial up your roommate's number. Before long, she pulls into one of the parking spaces in front of the dorm, and the two of you drive away.

Click Here For Part 2

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fighterkimburgess · 3 years

Text

Family, Really

Summary: When Stella has her first shift at her new firehouse, she's immediately impressed by her new Candidate. But it's her roommate and fiancé's reactions that make her learn so much more about both of them. A spec fic for s10.

Words: 2.5k

Warnings: Chicago Fire typical fires and stuff.

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Stella looked at herself in the mirror one last time before leaving the bathroom. She could do this. She was Lieutenant Stella Kidd, taking over as Truck Lieutenant at 90. She could do it. She’d passed the exam, she’d met Chief Nichols who’d held her in high regard and offered her the job immediately. She was ready.

As she came out of the bathroom there was the scent of bacon in the air, and coffee already made. She grinned at Sylvie, watching her best friend finish cooking them breakfast. She’d been spending more time at the loft ever since she and Matt had gotten together, and it made things feel even better for Stella. She got to come home to her fiancé - which she still barely believed, even with the ring on her finger - her best friend and the guy who’d become like a big brother to her. It was home.

“There’s a latte there for you, according to Kelly that’s what Officers drink, so I just made it. Bacon sandwiches coming up too, who knows what the food at 90 will be like.” Sylvie spoke as she lifted bacon off the pan onto paper towels, pouring the grease into a little container that was promptly put in the fridge.

“I’ve got a brand new candidate starting today too, which should be interesting. Looking forward to it though.” Stella grabbed an apple while she waited for Sylvie, sipping the coffee. She’d stood to get a plate, but with a warning swipe from the tongs in the blonde’s hand she sat back down.

“You’ve done that before. You helped train Gallo up, you’ll be fine. Know anything about them?” Matt asked, pressing a kiss to Sylvie’s head and stealing a piece of bacon from the plate, not afraid of the tongs. “Severide will be out in a minute, he said someone spent too long in the bathroom.”

“Yeah, blame me.” She rolled her eyes at that, nodding as Sylvie passed over the plate.

Her fiancé emerged shortly after, his arm around her shoulders as they ate before Stella had to leave. It took longer to get to 90 than 51, and she wanted to be early for her first official day. When she went to put everything away Sylvie waved the tongs again, Stella just shaking her head.

“You are a menace, Brett. Molly’s tomorrow night? Or are the two of you doing a date night?”

“I’ll be there! I want the gossip about how it went. Good luck!”

As she walked to the door Kelly squeezed her hand, an easy smile on his face.

“I’m not going to say good luck, because you don’t need luck. I love you, and you’ve got this, Stella Kidd.” He leaned down slightly to kiss her, a smile on both their faces. “I’m at the end of a phone, you’re going to be amazing.”

“What would I do without you?” She asked, leaning against him for a last second. “I love you too.”

The drive in settled her nerves, Stella watching the cars go past, her bag filled to the brim of everything she wanted in her locker - hair ties, deodorant, the photo of she, Sylvie, and Emily the day they brought Sylvie back from Fowlerton, one of her and Kelly’s engagement photos the week after he’d nearly drowned, wide eyed grins and pure delight on their faces. The things that made Stella Kidd who she was.

As she arrived into the common room it was quiet, faces she semi recognised looking her up and down, spotting the bugles in her collar. There were quick nods, and she went to Nichols’ office to get up to speed. Five minutes later she was in the locker room, one of the paramedics throwing her the roll of painter’s tape and sharpie.

“Alison Rafferty, PIC. Nice to meet you, it’s good to have another woman on the shift. Diggins is my partner, have you met him?” Stella rolled her eyes, making Rafferty laugh. “What did he do?”

“I came from 51, Sylvie Brett’s my best friend. He landed a violent cat on her, if Brett wasn’t such a softie I don’t think the cat would have lasted more than a day. Instead she rehomed it, but Veronicat was evil.”

“Brett ended up with Veronicat?! I saw the scratches.”

The two women walked out to the briefing room, where Nichols started it up.

“And I want to welcome Lieutenant Kidd to 90, she was previously at 51 under Captain Casey before she passed the exam a few months ago. We’re lucky to have her, Wallace wanted to keep her but they had a full complement of officers there. And also Griffin Darden, our new candidate. Darden finished at the academy last month, he was top of his class. A couple of houses wanted him but we’re glad to have you here. You’ll have Lieutenant Kidd training you in.”

The rest of the briefing went as planned, and once it finished Stella introduced herself to her crew. There was five of them in total including Darden and herself, most of them fairly new to CFD.

The shift went by quickly, Stella learning the strengths and weaknesses of the team. Everyone wanted to be in the thick of the action, and she was calling them back. Darden was good at his job, better than she’d been as a candidate. They were at a house fire when he pulled back, grabbing his halligan and smashing windows.

“Darden! What was that for?” She called, but in a second her question was answered as dark smoke began billowing out the now shattered glass.

“It was gonna flashover and they’re inside. Venting gave it a chance to escape.”

“Excellent work, Candidate. Stick with me.”

That night she was at the desk in her quarters, filling out paperwork and doing notes on the crew. They had the bones of a good crew, but they were green and needed training. She wanted to get them fully trained on one particular area, give each of them their expertise. But Darden…firefighting came naturally to him, he was going to be fantastic.

A knock on her door startled her, and she called them in. It was Griffin, a plate in his hand.

“You didn’t come out for dinner, I saved you a plate. Thanks for everything at the house today.” He went to leave, but Stella called him back.

“How did you know about the flashover? There were no external signs, the smoke hadn’t started leaving the house yet. What made you think?”

He shifted in place for a moment, Stella waiting out his anxiety. “My dad was a firefighter. He died in a flashover. And when we were in the academy, they used the fire he died in as an example of how things can go wrong without clear communication. I lost my dad, soon after my mom had trouble, and when she was sorted out we moved out of Chicago. I stopped talking to two of my uncles because of his death, Mom just couldn’t stay here. I always wanted to be a firefighter, so I moved back for the academy. But with the guys inside, I couldn’t let it happen like it did to Dad.” Stella nodded, memories of losing Otis clear in her head.

“We all lose people. It’s part of this job. But you probably saved two people today, plus those victims. Be proud of yourself. I’m glad to get to teach you.”

“Thanks, Lieutenant.”

Their night was blessedly quiet, and Stella ducked into Nichols office before going to get her bag and head home.

“Lieutenant, how was your first shift?”

“Good. I think I’m going to like it here. Thanks for the vote of confidence, Chief.”

“Just be as good as people say you are. I had Matt Casey, Wallace Boden and DC Hill sing your praises. Hill said something about the tire on your rig going and you stopping it hitting young girls?”

“Yes Sir, I managed to get control after a blowout.” Stella smiled with pride at the memory, the realisation she was doing this for the right reasons.

“You’ll be a great Lieutenant here, Kidd. See you next shift.”

When she was in the locker room she grabbed her crew. “Look, I tend bar at Molly’s on West Wolcott, it’s owned by Chris Herrmann. If you want to come around tonight, hang out, we can get to know each other outside of work? I want to know you as people outside of shift. I’m used to spending time on and off shift with my house, I want to bring that here too. We spend enough time together to do it.”

They all agreed, Stella saying she’d meet them at nine. But finally she was on her way home, both exhausted and excited. Her first shift was over, and it had gone well. She arrived into her parking spot at nearly the same time as Kelly, the two holding hands on the way up the elevator, Sylvie and Matt in ahead of them.

“How was it? Nichols is a good guy,” Matt said as he put the coffee pot on, Kelly pulling out frozen hash browns for them to eat something before they all went to sleep.

“It was good. My candidate is impressive, he caught a potential flashover I hadn’t seen. Plus he’s a good cook, Darden brought me a plate when I missed dinner.” She nearly missed the two men freeze, but the bag of frozen potato fell out of Kelly’s hands, thudding against the wood floor.

“Darden?” Kelly’s voice was choked, staring at Stella.

“Yeah, Griffin Darden. He said his dad was CFD, he died a few years back. The kid moved back to Chicago to come to the academy. Said he wanted to—“

“Follow in his dad’s footsteps after his dad died in a flashover?” Matt finished, Stella’s eyebrows furrowing.

“Yeah, how did you know that?” Matt left the room, Stella and Sylvie looking at him. He returned a few minutes later, a framed photo that Stella had seen hundreds of times in his hands, there was one in her room. Matt, Kelly, and Kelly’s childhood friend in their early twenties, grinning at the camera.

“Because this is Andy Darden, who died ten years ago in a flashover, and he had two kids, Griffin and Ben.” Sylvie moved beside Matt, holding onto him.

“He said when his dad died his mom got in trouble. Then when she came back she moved him and his brother, he lost touch with his uncles. He’s coming to Molly’s tonight.”

“Christ, Case. Griffin Darden’s old enough to drink.” The two men huffed a laugh, hands running through hair.

“Jesus, I raised those boys for six months. You thought I was sleeping with Heather, but I raised them when she was in jail. They were as good as my sons. They never replied to any of my birthday cards, I stopped sending them.”

“Same. I got one back with not at this address.”

They ate, nervous energy around the room until the two couples decided to nap for a few hours. Stella undid her braids, Kelly taking over when she had the elastics out and carefully separating the strands.

“I never thought I’d see those kids again. I’m Griffin’s godfather. After Andy died…Matt and I blamed each other. He blamed me for not venting, I blamed him because I thought Squad shouldn’t vent. It was stupid and we were both hurting so much over it. Andy put him in his will, if anything happened to him and Heather the boys were to go to Matt.”

“Casey as a dad, I see it.”

“He was amazing with them. Cindy Herrmann helped out when we were on shift, but Matt was there for every parent teacher conference, homework, all of it. Him having the boys made us grow closer, but when Heather got out of jail she took them to Florida to her parents. And that was it.”

Stella let him tell her the whole story - of growing up with Andy, of the two of them going to 40 with Benny and wanting to be firefighters. Kelly getting into the academy immediately, Andy and Matt joining the same class and graduating together. And his death, Heather’s spiral and DUI, everything that had happened.

“From all of that, I think Andy would be really glad to know that your fiancée’s training his son. I’m going to do everything to keep him safe in this job, you know that, right?”

“I know you would anyway.”

That night when Kelly walked into Molly’s with Matt and Sylvie, Stella was nervous. They’d agreed she’d just introduce him to Kelly as her fiancé and Matt as her roommate, and let Griffin decide where to bring it from there. So the two men sat at the bar, Sylvie at a table with Violet, Ritter and Gallo watching them all. Stella got hugs from everyone at 51 and insistences they’d missed her, and she smiled back as she served up.

Griffin was the first one from 90 to arrive, coming up to her at the bar.

“Lieutenant,” he said with a smile, and Stella shook her head.

“Nuh-uh, in here it’s Stella or Kidd. Unless you’re Kelly. Griffin, meet my fiancé Kelly, he’s a Squad Lieutenant at 51. This is our roommate, Matt, he’s my old Captain from Truck 81 at 51 too.” She watched her Candidate’s face change as the two men turned, a grin on his face.

“Uncle Matt? Uncle Kelly? I went looking but you’d moved, and I didn’t know where you were or if you’d changed houses or anything.” Her candidate suddenly looked so much younger than he had for the 36 hours Stella had known him, his grin receding as he spoke. “Or maybe you don’t remember me, that’s cool, it’s—“

“It’s been way too long and I can’t forget the boy who broke my lamp and ate my food for six months. Hey, Griffin. We hoped it was you when Stella said, but we didn’t want to push you.” Matt took the leap, opening his arms and letting the younger man walk into them.

“I missed you both,” Griffin said as he hugged them, a smile on his face when they separated.

“There’s been a lot of change at 51 since your dad was there, but there’s still folks who remember him,” Kelly said, looking around the room. “Hey guys! Darden’s son’s Stella’s new Candidate!”

The swell of well-wishers surrounded them, firefighters who’d remembered Griffin as a grieving boy who’d temporarily lost both parents in the space of a few months. Stella smiled at them all, handing out drinks as they were ordered and welcoming the rest of her crew to meet everyone at 51, and learn just whose son Griffin was.

It was the start of next shift when Nichols called her into his office that surprised her.

“Griffin Darden’s dad was a firefighter?”

“Yeah, at 51. He died in a flashover a decade ago. I invited Truck to Molly’s so they could hang out and get to know each other. Turns out Andy Darden was Kelly’s best friend growing up, it was a family reunion. Should have known, CFD is just a big family really.”

Taglist: @aruzlover @amazingbutterflyes @amandarrollins @morganupstead @brookerz122493 @redpoodlern @everythingaddictxx @write4life13 @tuxieboy101-blog @planecrazylex @stellarideofhouse51 @sophiatellerrhodes @dissociation-writes @eternal-olicity @xxxjocexxx @thestarrynightslover @etamne @torreshalstead @itsnotpersonalbut @leymr @kellykidd @angelsjedi @multicouple-lover @resanoona

#kelly severide x stella kidd #stella kidd x kelly severide #stella x kelly #kelly x stella #stellaride #chicago fire fic #griffin darden #cíara writes

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refinedbuffoonery · 3 years

Text

Looking Through A Window (3)

macriley married undercover au

masterlist.

Fun fact: the final scene of this chapter is part of my original brainstorm for this fic. The rest of the scenes I initially dreamt up won’t come until much later, so I’m thrilled to have at least one of them come early on in the story.

To Carrie and Anna, the lights of my life: I named the neighbor after you two. She’s annoying as shit and nothing like either of you, but I needed a name and decided if anyone deserves to have their name as an Easter egg, it’s the two of you.

*****

Despite the storm, Matty has the shipment of borrowed guns delivered to the Port of Houston in the middle of the night. While they eat breakfast, Mac and Riley study Matty’s excruciatingly detailed directions for navigating the port and finding their shipping crate. She certainly didn’t make it easy on them.

Riley leans back in her chair, looking around until her eyes land on Harley. “Time for you to earn your keep,” she says between mouthfuls of toast.

Supposedly, this is what Harley specializes in—sniffing out weapons. The dog should be able to confirm which shipping container the guns are stashed in without Mac or Riley having to check themselves. Theoretically.

Mac finishes his own plate of eggs and toast in a few ravenous bites. “Thanks for making breakfast.” He gets up to clear the plates and start rinsing dishes. After living with her for more than a year, Riley making breakfast is routine, but Mac still thanks her for it every day.

Living in the apartment together, they fall right back into their old habits. Mac wakes up early and goes for a run. By the time he returns, Riley is awake and making breakfast. After they eat, Mac showers while Riley goes on her own run. And so on and so forth.

While Mac was out this morning, he wove through the whole neighborhood, making sure it’s safe for Riley to go out alone. She can handle herself, but Mac has no delusions about the overall quality of men on the streets, and even though he can’t fix that, at least he can help minimize her chances of encountering creepy dudes.

Before they leave for the Port, Mac and Riley scour their car for a bug or any other surveillance equipment the organization might’ve hidden while they were inside the warehouse talking to Conrad yesterday. They find none. Thankfully.

Once again, they’re going in armed, and the weight of Mac’s gun feels just as foreign and unwelcome as it did yesterday. He tries not to fidget with it while Riley drives, but she notices his discomfort anyway. “You’ve got to relax,” she says. “All your squirming is stressing me out.”

“Sorry.” Mac stills, even though his whole body screams to put the gun somewhere else.

Anywhere else.

Once they arrive at the Port, Mac guides Riley through the maze of cranes and crates and warehouses until they find the one Matty had the guns stashed in—dark green and otherwise nondescript.

Unfortunately, there are multiple shipping containers that fit that description at the location Matty provided. As they get out of the SUV, Riley glances between the boxes nervously. “Uhh, which one is it?”

Mac doesn’t have a clue. “I guess that’s for Harley to tell us.” He looks down at the dog standing obediently beside him. “Find it.”

He releases the leash as Harley takes off like a rocket, sniffing each container and the surrounding area. She inspects more than half of them before sitting and looking back at Mac. He waits for her to bark, but she doesn’t. Whoever trained her clearly did so with stealth in mind.

“Do we open it to double check?” Riley asks.

Mac opens his mouth to say yes, but he doesn’t get a chance to answer before a muddy, dark-blue diesel truck parks beside their SUV. Conrad jumps out of the driver’s seat, accompanied by two younger men, wearing matching scowls and Carhartt jackets. He walks with that same entitled swagger, and a cheap smile spreads across his face.

“Mr. Turner!” Conrad exclaims, shaking Mac’s hand. His grip is too firm to be friendly. Stepping back, he sneers at Riley, acknowledging her just long enough to impatiently say, “Genevieve.” Mac doesn’t miss the way Conrad’s eyes drop to Riley’s chest, nor the way Riley bristles beside him, wrapping her jacket more tightly around her and crossing her arms to hold it in place. Mac clears his throat. “Sorry,” Conrad says, not sounding sorry at all, “but your wife is very attractive.”

Riley rolls her eyes so hard they nearly fall out of her head.

“Your order is this way,” Mac says, cutting off Conrad before he could make another gross statement, “Follow me.” Mac puts a hand on Conrad’s shoulder, squeezing hard as he steers the man toward the shipping container. Harley is still sitting beside it, waiting patiently, and Mac scratches her head with his free hand.

Riley whistles, a single sharp note that sends Harley running back to her side. Mac buries his relief that she’s not alone, although he’d still much rather the hulking bodyguards were closer to him than Riley.

Focus, Mac reminds himself. Riley can hold her own. Just get this over with.

Mac opens the container, revealing two nondescript wooden crates. Still sneering—at this point, Mac’s starting to think that’s the only expression Conrad is capable of—Conrad waves over his bodyguards, gesturing for them to open the crates.

For just a second, Conrad’s sneer edges toward a smile. Inside the crates lie exactly what he ordered: military-grade, semi-automatic rifles and enough ammo to kickstart the apocalypse. Mac’s gut churns. He hates this. He hates everything about this. He hates that he’s arming terrorists. He hates how these men look at Riley like dogs drooling over a steak. He hates that he can’t do anything about any of it, that he has no choice but to play along.

Mac wishes he could bury his feelings the way Riley does, locking them behind a carefully controlled mask. Instead, his linger just beneath the surface, waiting to make themselves known at the first available opportunity.

Counting backward from five, he steels himself to finish the game. Just as Conrad brushes a reverent finger down the barrel of a rifle, Mac chides, “We followed through on our end of the bargain. Did you?”

“Of course.”

One of the bodyguards pulls out his phone. In a deeper voice than Mac expects, he says, “We can wire the payment to your bank account right now.”

“Good. My wife will help you set that up.” Mac gestures to Riley, and the bodyguard walks over to her.

Conrad extends his hand, and Mac takes it, trying not to wince when his arm brushes his concealed gun. “Pleasure doing business with you, James,” Conrad says.

“I hope this is the beginning of a long and prosperous partnership.” Long and prosper? Who was he, Spock?

“Indeed. Welcome to the Patriots.” Conrad gestures for his men to start loading the guns into their truck. “Expect another order within the week.”

Mac doesn’t know how to respond to that. Thankfully he doesn’t have to, because Riley waves him over, apparently having finished her conversation with Conrad’s lackey. “I’ll leave you to it,” Mac says, then turns his back on the terrorists and rejoins Riley. On instinct, he reaches for her arm as he murmurs, “Are you okay?”

Riley tenses under his touch, but doesn’t pull away. “Yeah, I’m fine.”

“Good.” He said the same thing to Conrad just a minute ago. Good. But the word is light years different from before—soft and caring, not curt and vaguely challenging. Bozer pointed it out to him once, how he talks to Riley differently than he does anyone else.

Mac shakes off the thought. He can’t get distracted, no matter how much his mind only wants to think about Riley. Releasing her arm, he says, “Let’s get out of here.”

*****

Back at the apartment, Riley settles in on the couch to dig into the Patriots' bank records. By wire-transferring the money instead of paying them in cash, Conrad practically offered up the organization's entire digital footprint on a silver platter, at least to someone like Riley. She doesn't speak as she works, so Mac listens to the melody of keyboard clicks while he makes them each a grilled cheese.

Contrary to popular belief, he's not completely incompetent, although Bozer has nearly everyone convinced otherwise. Mac will never be able to cook something fancy, but he does make a mean sandwich.

He even spreads mayo on the bread, the way Bozer does, because Riley prefers it that way.

The sizzle of the sandwiches hitting the hot pan joins the keyboard clicks right as Riley announces, "I hacked into their bank records."

"What've you got?"

"From the look of it, the shell corp they used to pay us has only been around for four months. Before that, they must've either paid in cash or used personal accounts."

"That makes sense though, since the Patriots haven't been around all that long."

"That's what I thought at first, but come look." Mac does, leaning over the back of the couch so his head is right beside hers. Riley points at the screen. "The first three transactions were all big deposits, each one two weeks apart."

Frowning, Mac squints at the tiny numbers on the screen. "One hundred thousand dollars?"

"Times three deposits," Riley adds.

"Where the hell did they get that kind of money?"

"I don't know. The deposits were cash."

“Damn. Did you at least figure out who their previous arms dealer was?”

“Yeah.” Riley shifts, causing her hair to tickle Mac’s nose, and he brushes her hair to the opposite side of her neck without another thought. “Turns out their previous dealer has Mexican cartel connections, which explains why the Patriots only paid them twice. I’m guessing they found out about the cartel part and broke it off before they made a long-term deal.”

“At least they’re not complete idiots,” Mac mumbles. Tired of squinting, he leans closer to better see the screen.

Except now they’re cheek to cheek, and Mac suddenly can’t focus on the screen at all.

Riley twists to look at him, and it takes every ounce of Mac’s willpower not to glance at her lips. "Are you burning my grilled cheese?"

"No." He straightens, simultaneously disappointed and relieved by the space now between them. Mac shakes off the thought. He can’t keep getting distracted like this.

"Uh huh. Sure."

Retreating to the kitchen, Mac calls, "That was one time!"

*****

As expected, they don’t hear anything from Conrad or the Patriots the following day. Mac doesn’t know what to do with all the downtime on this op. There are plenty of books in the apartment, but he’s too restless to sit and read. He opens the fridge, more out of boredom than actual hunger.

They’re on day five of the undercover op, and it’s starting to feel an awful lot like quarantine. With nothing to do but hurry up and wait, hanging out in the apartment and doing nothing is starting to make Mac go a little stir crazy.

When Riley emerges from the bedroom wearing workout clothes, it’s clear she feels the same way. “I’m going for a run,” she announces.

“Want company?” He hopes she says yes. Anything to get out of the apartment for a while.

Riley unplugs her phone from the charger and slides it into her pocket. “No offense, but no.”

Dammit. Mac shoves down his disappointment. “None taken.” He closes the fridge. Nothing in there looks good.

“Tell you what,” she says. “After I get back we can go to the space museum, okay?”

His heart skips a beat at her offer. “Is it that obvious I’m bored?”

“Yes.” Riley gives him a pitying smile. “So do you want to go?”

Mac smiles. It feels like she just asked him out on a date. It’s not, but it feels like one anyway. Be cool. “What kind of question is that? Of course I do.”

“Okay then.” Popping in her earbuds, she walks out the door.

“Enjoy your run, muffin!” Mac calls, stealing Bozer’s go-to pet name for when he’s undercover with Riley. She reaches back inside to flip him off before slamming the door shut, and Mac chuckles. Riley really hates that nickname.

Now it’s just him, Harley, and this tiny apartment.

Resuming his search for food he’s not even hungry for, Mac opens the pantry, and Harley comes running into the kitchen. She must’ve learned the sound of the door opening since they keep the dog food in there. Harley looks up at Mac expectantly.

“Don’t look at me like that.” She whines, and her pleading expression reminds Mac of the wide-eyed look Bozer mastered as a kid while begging his parents for something. Neither are very effective. “You just had breakfast an hour ago,” he insists.

Harley glances at the open pantry, then back at him.

Mac doesn’t give in, but he does kneel to pet her instead, scratching Harley’s neck and ending up with a handful of hair. Frowning, Mac digs through every drawer in the kitchen in search of a dog brush. No luck. He checks the bedroom and bathroom, coming up empty once again. Who even organized this house? It makes no sense. His gaze lands on the laundry room door.

Ah.

Sure enough, there’s a dog brush on the shelf above the washing machine.

Leash and brush in-hand, Mac calls out, “Alright, girl. Let’s go de-floof you.”

Harley takes one look at the brush and sprints in the other direction.

Well this is going to be harder than Mac anticipated.

He ends up chasing Harley throughout the apartment, zig-zagging from one room to the next. Every time Mac gets close, Harley slips by, just out of reach. After the fourth time she sends Mac stumbling into the furniture after lunging for her and missing, he realizes what she’s doing.

Harley is playing him. This is a game to her. And, so far, she’s winning.

Mac stares the dog down, and she seems to narrow her eyes in response. “Challenge accepted,” he tells her.

This time, he knows exactly where to find what he’s looking for—peanut butter. He smears an unnecessarily large glob into Harley’s dog bowl, making sure she sees exactly what he’s doing. Harley’s stubborn, and does a good job of appearing not to care, but Mac has a hard time believing any dog would turn down peanut butter.

Harley, it turns out, is no exception.

She follows him to the door, and Mac rewards her with a few licks of peanut butter while he clips on the leash, careful not to let her eat so much that there’s not enough to last while brushing her. Despite Harley’s obvious enjoyment of the peanut butter, Mac is no fool. She let him win this round, no doubt about it.

He leads Harley down the stairs to the small lawn in front of the apartment building, where it wouldn’t matter if he left dog hair everywhere. The brush pulls away thick chunks of her undercoat with each pass, and it doesn’t take long for the lawn to look like something died there.

The peanut butter, unfortunately, doesn’t last nearly as long as Mac hopes.

Mac figures out pretty quickly that Harley does not like her tail being brushed; she turns away and tucks her tail and generally makes it impossible for Mac to reach it. He sits back on his heels, formulating a new strategy. “If I don’t brush your tail,” he says, “you’re going to look like a squirrel, and neither of us wants that.”

Harley’s ears prick at the word squirrel.

Mac tries again, and this time Harley lets him…sort of. It’s not perfect, but at least she won’t be leaving hair all over the apartment anymore—hair that he needs to vacuum, because Riley asked him to last night and he’d completely forgotten until now. Tucking the brush into his back pocket, Mac scratches Harley’s ears the way he learned she likes, and when she leans into his touch, Mac’s heart swells.

“Good girl.” He kisses her head, and Harley licks his chin in return. “See? We’re not so bad.” Mac sighs. “I know we’re not who you wanted, but we’re going to take good care of you.”

Riley made the same promise in the war room. Even if she doesn’t stay with them after the op, Mac will make sure Harley ends up with people who will love her for the rest of her life.

“I promise,” he murmurs into her fur, kissing her head again.

Mac startles when a feminine voice calls, “You could make a whole other dog from all that hair.” A middle-aged woman stands in the walkway, oversized blue purse on her shoulder and car keys in hand. She smiles at Mac. “I haven’t seen you before. Did you just move in?”

“Yeah,” Mac says, standing up. “My wife and I moved in this week.”

“Well, welcome. My name is Carrie Ann, and my husband and I live in apartment 317. Feel free to stop by anytime. I think you’ll like living here, though I must warn you that it gets pretty loud during football season.”

Mac nods. “Nice to meet you. I’m James.” He expects Carrie Ann to keep walking—presumably to her car—but she doesn’t, and Mac suddenly gets the feeling this conversation is about to be much longer than he wants.

“And who is this cutie?” she asks, directing her attention to the dog.

“This is Harley.”

Carrie Ann sounds like a squeaker toy, greeting Harley in a voice so high-pitched it’s almost inhuman and petting her without bothering to ask for permission. Harley eyes the woman warily but surprisingly sits still. “I love dogs,” she says at a mercifully normal decibel. “Sadly my husband is allergic.”

“That is unfortunate.” Mac shifts from foot to foot, eager to escape the small talk. He’s never really had the patience for it.

Carrie Ann, it seems, is completely oblivious to his discomfort. She prattles on, asking asinine questions about what he does for work, if he’s been to the coffee place down the street, and when she can meet his wife.

Mac doesn’t know if it’s a blessing or a curse when Riley appears in his peripheral vision, as if on cue. “Actually,” he says to Carrie Ann, “you can meet her right now.” Mac flashes Riley a wide, bright smile that she returns half-heartedly, chest still heaving after her run. Sweat glistens on her body, and a few wispy curls that escaped her ponytail are now plastered to her face. “This is my wife, Genevieve.”

Giving Harley a quick scratch, Riley stands beside him, close enough that Mac can feel the heat radiating off her body. Instinctively, he starts to put a hand on her back, but he quickly pulls away. She’s not wearing a shirt—only a sports bra and those stupidly tight leggings—and the intimacy of putting his hand on her bare skin is too much to handle. “Hi,” she says, completely oblivious to Mac’s internal panic.

Carrie Ann introduces herself again, and Mac is only half-listening while she and Riley chat. Riley’s so much better at small talk anyway.

He’s much too focused on how Riley grabs his shoulder to use him for balance while she stretches. She’s so casual about it, like she’s done it a million times before. His skin burns under her touch.

Mac wants to feel more of her, wants his whole body to feel like that.

Stop it, he chastises himself. Stop thinking about her like that.

He can’t.

Even after Riley lets go, the feeling lingers, and Mac can’t stop thinking about that too. She’s standing slightly in front of him now, almost as if she’s protecting him from their nosey neighbor.

“When are you having kids?” Carrie Ann coos. “An attractive couple such as yourselves would make such beautiful children.”

Shit. He and Riley never talked about that.

Before Mac can come up with an answer, Riley pulls his arms around her, a smile blooming on her face. She guides his hands to rest low on her abdomen. “We’re actually trying right now.”

Mac’s brain short-circuits.

He blushes, both at the casual intimacy of Riley wrapping herself in him and at the implications of what she just said. Pressing her body fully into Mac’s, Riley looks up at him, smiling like he’s her whole world, and Mac’s heart stops. He’s not breathing.

His whole body burns, and the feeling is so much more intense than he imagined just seconds ago.

Alight with mischief, Riley’s dark brown eyes draw him in, and suddenly Mac is picturing Riley with that exact same expression while wearing far less clothing.

Mac thinks he might die from spontaneous combustion.

You are so beautiful, he barely stops himself from saying. His blush deepens as he’s snared in the mental image of him and Riley doing said “trying.”

Their neighbor has the audacity to laugh. “Well, I’ll let you get back to it, Genevieve. Your husband looks like he’s ready for another round.”

That makes it worse. So much worse. If he doesn’t spontaneously combust, then he’ll definitely die of embarrassment. It’s not how he wants to die, but it’s better than explaining his reaction to Riley. Because she’s going to ask him about it. Mac knows this—knows this like he knows grass is green and gravity is what keeps his feet on the ground.

As soon as Carrie Ann leaves, Riley does exactly that. She extricates herself from his grasp, putting her hands on her hips and furrowing her brow the way she always does when she knows something’s up. “Are you okay?” she asks.

Mac’s voice is strained as he replies, “Yeah. I’m good.”

He is not good. He is definitely not good.

And Riley knows it.

This op feels like all Mac’s worst nightmares coming to fruition. Simultaneously.

Riley can’t know. Her knowing would ruin everything—their friendship, their work, their trust. Mac can hardly look her in the eye. How is Riley supposed to trust him when he’s secretly thinking about her like that? He’s her friend; he’s supposed to protect her from guys who want her like that, not become one of them.

But god does Mac want to be one of them. Not one of them, he corrects himself. The only one.

He’s screwed.

~ Tag List ~ Want to be added? Send me an ask.

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#beth writes #macgyver #macriley #macgyver fanfiction #angus macgyver #riley davis #mac x riley #looking through a window au

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fandom-imagines-stories · 4 years

Text

If I Stay

Charlie St. Cloud x Reader

Words: 4004

Requested by anon: I love that you’re willing to write for Charlie St. Cloud. Any chance you could do one where the reader is in a coma from some kind of accident, but she kind of wanders around like Tess did? Maybe Charlie had a huge crush on her in high school and tries everything in his power to get her t wake up when he realizes that the girl he’s been spending time with isn’t actually there but in the coma?

Notes: I actually had a similar idea for this so I’m so glad you requested it! I love Charlie St. Cloud and If I Stay, so I thought they would make an interesting combination. Let me know what you think!

The wailing siren startled him as the white flash of the ambulance zipped by. Charlie stopped walking, watching the vehicle vanish into the distance. His memories came faster than he could stop them; the sirens getting closer and closer to the car, the crunching sound of glass, the blinding white light. He shook them out of his head.

It had been over a year since he stopped seeing Sam. He had come to terms with it, knowing that his little brother was finally at peace in that place beyond the light. And Charlie, in turn, had found his own peace with that.

He continued his walk.

“H-Hello?” A quiet voice made him pause again. The voice got louder. “Somebody help me!”

Charlie searched frantically for the source until he spotted the woman stumbling towards him, limping heavily. He rushed to her aid, eyes scanning her body for other injuries. She nearly collapsed in his arms when he reached her.

“It’s okay, I’ve got you. You’re going to be okay.” He assured her. Finally getting a good look at her face, he gasped. “Y/N?”

“C-Charlie?” You blinked rapidly, your head pounding as you tried to talk. “Charlie St. Cloud?” You clung to him, your body shaking with shock. “Oh thank god. I don’t… I don’t know what happened. Something’s wrong. I can’t find my family. We were driving just a second ago and now… you have to help me find them.”

“Hey, slow down.” He knew that your panicking would only make matters worse. “We’ll find them, okay? I promise we’re going to find them.” His eyes scanned the snowy landscape. Trailing above the trees was a line of black smoke. “Come on.” He took your hand and led you around the bend, bright flashing lights making his heart drop.

The road was covered in skid marks and debris. It only took a moment to spot the car. The silver minivan was sandwiched in between two trees, laying on its side with the front of the car nearly entirely smashed in. A semi truck with a large dent on the front sat pulled over on the other side of the road. In the middle of it all was the ambulance.

“Oh my god.” You gasped, covering your mouth with your hand. Two black bags were being loaded into the ambulance as another arrived. “W-what’s going on? Mom! Dad!” Your screaming broke Charlie’s heart. He grabbed onto you, taking you in his arms and cradling the back of your head with his hand so that you wouldn't have to look.

“Please no.” Charlie silently begged as two more bodies were brought up on gurneys. Even from this distance, he could tell that one of them was you.

You had grown up together. Charlie was the star of your grade and you were one of his closest friends. You, Green, Charlie, and Sully were inseparable. Until Sam died. After the crash, Charlie vanished into himself. With Green and Sully away at war, you were forced to figure things out on your own. You went to college in Seattle and never heard from your high-school crush again.

Now were you curled up on the windowsill of the hospital, Charlie sitting nervously across from you. Your whole body was shaking. Your leg didn’t hurt as much now and you weren’t as cold as you were before, but you were trembling at what Charlie was implying.

“You’re the only one who can see me.” You said, pulling your legs up to your chest. A sob escaped your lips. “Am I… am I dead?” He shook his head, taking your hands in his.

“I don’t think so. They won’t let me in, of course, but I think that you’re just… asleep.” He chose his words carefully so it wouldn’t upset you more.

“I’m in a coma.” You said blankly. You stood suddenly. “I have to find Teddy.”

“I don’t know if that’s a good-”

“She came in with me, right, which means that she’s still alive. She’s in her somewhere. I have to find her.” You were past the doors before he could stop you. Receiving a strange look from one of the nurses at the desk, he stayed put.

“So much to put on someone’s shoulders.” A voice said, a woman suddenly having appeared beside him.

“I’m sorry?”

“To put on both of you.” She shook her head. “But it’s up to her, Charlie. Stay or go, it’s her choice. And it’s up to you to help her whichever way she goes.” The woman gave him a small smile before heading towards the elevator.

Charlie stood there, stunned. What just happened?

“Hey! Wait!” He called out, running towards the elevator just as the doors slid closed. The woman’s message ran through his head over and over again. Stay or go, it’s her choice. And it’s up to you to help her…

“Charlie!” You came running back into the lobby with a smile. “Teddy’s unconscious, but from what I heard the doctor’s saying, she’s going to be okay. She looks better than I do.” You wrapped your arms around him in relief, feeling the tension in his body. When you looked at him, he was staring at you, tears welling up in his eyes. “What? What is it?”

“I, um, I think I understand why I’m here now.” He gulped.

“What do you mean?”

He was quiet for a long time. How was he supposed to explain this? How do you tell someone that it’s their choice to live or die? Your hands gripped his arms, urging him to continue. Charlie noticed that a couple of the people in the lobby were staring at him, so he grabbed your hand and led you to a supply closet. Checking to make sure no one was watching, he opened the door and pulled you inside.

“Charlie what’s going on?” You squeaked.

“You choose.” He said suddenly, watching and waiting for your reaction.

“What does that mean?”

“It means that you have to decide whether you want to stay,” He took a deep breath, “or go.”

“What?” Your eyes widened as you tried to process this. “That can’t- how am I supposed to- why me?” You had so many questions that you knew he wouldn’t be able to answer. “Where does that put you?”

“I’m here to help you, whatever you decide.” He sighed. He wanted to scream. The choice was obvious. You had to stay. He wanted you to stay. But this wasn’t about what he wanted.

“I could be with my parents again.” You whispered. You wanted more than anything to hide in one of your father’s bear hugs again, or to have your mother kiss your forehead and tell you everything was going to be okay.

“What about Teddy?” Charlie pointed out. Your 15 year old sister was fighting just like you were. Would she have to choose too?

“How the hell am I supposed to do this, Charlie?” You cried, covering your face in your hands. You could feel the panic setting in like a slow darkness filling your chest. You started to hyperventilate.

“Hey,” Charlie pulled your hands away to find your face stained with tears. “We’re going to figure this out, okay? I’m not going anywhere.” You nodded and laid your head against his chest as he wrapped his arms around you. “I’m not going anywhere this time.”

You laughed as Sully and Green played around with Sam, the younger boy pretending to be tough and annoyed with the two Marine bound graduates. You, however, were looking for one fellow grad in particular.

“We did it!” Charlie shouted, picking you up from behind and spinning you around.

“Put me down, St. Cloud!” You shrieked, whirling around so you could pull your best friend into a hug. “I can’t believe we did it.”

“We all knew you would make it.” Green noted. “Miss I’d-Rather-Study-Than-Party.”

“Seriously, Y/N, you earned this.” Charlie grinned, sending those butterflies in your stomach fluttering. “Hell, I don’t know if I would be here without all those late night study calls.”

“Of course you would.” You blushed.

“Speaking of parties, you’re both coming to the one tonight, right?” Sully asked. You shrugged. “Come on, we leave for bootcamp in a week. You guys have to come.” Charlie cast you a quizzical look.

“I’ll go if you go.” With those sky blue eyes staring at you, you just couldn’t say no.

“Alright, I’ll be there.” You conceded. “It’s not like we have any more tests to study for.” Sully pulled you into a victory hug before him and Green ran off to meet with their families. Which left you and Charlie.

“So…” He blew out a long breath.

“So.” The awkward silence was actually killing you. If there ever was a time to tell Charlie how you felt, now might be one of your last chances. He spoke before you had the chance.

“There, um, there’s been something I’ve been meaning to talk to you about.” He said nervously. It wasn’t often that you saw Charlie nervous, so you listened intently. “I really… for a long time… God, I don’t really know how to say it.” He rubbed the back of his neck, floundering for words.

“Charlie!” Sam shouted, motioning for his big brother to leave.

“One second!”

“Mom’s already in the car!” Sam crossed the room, pulling on Charlie’s arm.

“Sam, just give me a minute-”

“It’s okay.” You gave him a small smile. “Why don’t you just tell me tonight?” As much as it was eating at you not knowing, you didn’t want him to get in trouble. Instead, you placed a gentle kiss on his cheek. “I’ll see you later, Charlie.”

Sam started to pull him away, but Charlie turned to give you one more grin.

“I’ll see you tonight.”

Charlie was terrified. Things he had pushed away for six years were suffocating him. Six years where he could have reached out to you. And now that you were finally back to him… you could leave him just as quickly.

You were in the back keeping an eye on Teddy when your grandparents arrived. Charlie remembered them from your birthday parties over the years and they must have recognized him because your grandmother pulled him into a tight hug.

“Charlie, I didn’t know you would be here.” She said tearfully, putting a hand on his cheek. He knew that look in her eye. It was the look of a mother who had just lost her son.

“I was walking and I saw the wreck.” He started, taking a deep breath. “When I saw that it was Y/N… I don't know. I had to come here.”

“We're glad you did, son.” Your grandfather put a hand on his shoulder. He left to check in with the doctors to see if they could go back to see you and Teddy.

“How long has it been since I saw the two of you together?” Your grandmother wondered. “Five years?”

“Six.” Charlie sighed, his tone full of regret and guilt.

“After everything you went through, she never blamed you, sweetie. None of us could.” She gave him a sympathetic smile. “Never stopped talking about you, though.”

“Hmm?”

“Y/N was always asking about you when she went off to school. She was even thinking about dropping by your house for Christmas…” Her voice trailed off. Christmas would never be the same for those girls again.

“I’m really sorry for your loss, Mrs. Y/L/N.” Charlie said sadly. She had lost her son and her daughter-in-law and both of her granddaughters were lying in hospital beds.

“Grandma?” You gasped, coming back into the lobby. You ran over to her, but she made no acknowledgement of your presence. Charlie gave you a sorrowful glance and shook his head just enough that you would notice.

“We just have to be here for our girls now.” She covered her mouth with her hand to hold back a sob. Your face fell, wanting more than anything to tell her that you were there. You were right there.

“I think I’m going to go walk around and stretch my legs.” Charlie looked pointedly at you, but long enough for your grandmother to notice. “If you need absolutely anything or if something happens, I won’t be far.” She gave him a pat on the hand as thanks and joined her husband.

The two of you strolled up and down the stairs in silence for a while before going out onto the roof. Charlie was trying to figure out how to say what he wanted, but just like six years ago, he just couldn’t get the words past his lips.

“I’m sorry for not being there these last couple years.” He finally sighed, leaning on the wall and looking out over the town. “I shouldn’t have shut you out the way that I did. Even when Green and Sully died…”

“Charlie…” You put your hand on top of his. “As much as I missed you, I never held any of that against you.” You thought for a second, debating if telling him would be a good idea. But hey, what could you lose? “I kinda blamed myself for a really long time.” He jerked his head around to look at you.

“It was a car accident. How could it have been your fault?”

You shrugged, letting your mind travel back to that night. It didn’t so long ago anymore.

“I don’t know. For that entire first year, all I could think about was that you only were coming to the party because I went. You said that, remember? If I hadn’t gone, maybe you would have stayed home that night…” You tried not to let your growing emotions get in the way of your words. “It sounds stupid, but I guess when something like that happens, we all find someway to blame ourselves.”

Charlie let your words sink in. How long had been blaming himself for losing Sam? He was the one sneaking out. He was the one behind the wheel. He was the one that lived. Then he thought what it meant for you.

“You don’t blame yourself for this, do you?” You didn’t answer. “Y/N, you can’t do that to yourself.”

“I was picking the music. I’m the reason my dad didn’t see the other car swerve into our lane.” You pushed away from the ledge and started to pace back and forth. “And now mom and dad are- but I can’t leave Teddy- but what the hell am I supposed to do?”

“Y/N slow down.” Charlie grabbed your hand to stop your pacing. “What happened today isn’t your fault, alright? If you get that in your head, it’s going to-”

“What, Charlie? Kill me?” You snapped. “Kinda hard since I’m already dying.” His face fell and you sighed. “I’m sorry, that wasn’t called for.”

There was a long pause where neither of you really knew what to say, even with so many words running through your heads. So many feelings that you thought were gone. Why now? Why bring the two of you together now when you were lying in a hospital bed fighting to stay alive. Or were you trying to let go?

“Hey…” Charlie covered your hand with his, holding it against his heart. “You are still here. You’re here and you’re fighting and I… I want you to keep fighting. I want you to stay.” There were so many other things he wanted to tell you. What he was going to tell you that night. Slowly, he tried his best to show what his words couldn’t say, closing the space between you.

The kiss was slow and hesitant, but soft and sweet, too. It was a kiss you’d both been dreaming of since the first grade. You felt everything clearly, from the beat of his heart under your palm to his hand fall to the small of your back, pulling you closer.

“I always knew you too would figure it out eventually.” A voice made Charlie pull away suddenly. Standing at the other side of the roof was your sister. She wasn’t wearing a hospital gown anymore. Instead, she was standing in her favorite yellow dress, smiling like she was saying goodbye.

“Teddy?” Charlie gasped, still holding you in his arms. You whirled around to see what he was looking at, but there was no one there.

“Charlie what are you-” Then it hit you. If he could see Teddy…

You took off in a sprint before Charlie could stop you. Charlie’s heart sank as Teddy spoke.

“She’s going to give up, Charlie.” She sighed. “You have to get her to stay. She has a choice. She isn’t ready to go yet, she just thinks she is.”

“And you are?” He cried. Teddy was 15. Last time he saw her, she was just nine years old. She still had so much life to live.

“I’ll be okay.” She said, resigned. “Go to her. She needs you to make her stay, Charlie. Please save my sister.” Teddy stood there and watched Charlie run after you before walking off into the sky.

“Y/N!” Charlie called out, desperately trying to catch up with you. “Y/N stop!” While you could hear his footsteps thundering down the stairs behind you, you didn’t listen. All you could think about was reaching your baby sister in time.

“Teddy!” You rushed to find her room. Standing outside were your grandparents and the doctor.

“We did everything we could.” The doctor informed them grimly. “I’m so sorry for your loss.” Your grandmother broke out in sobs.

“No!” You screamed. “Teddy!” Unable to look in the now empty hospital room, you kept running. You ran and ran through the halls until your legs gave out.

She’d barely finished the first semester of her freshman year. You were supposed to go shopping for her winter royalty dress this weekend. It was her first dance that someone had asked her to. She was so excited.

“I can’t do this!” You screamed at whatever was out there that was listening. “I can’t do this anymore! I’m done!” You slammed your fist against the tiles of the floor, but you couldn’t feel anything anymore. You just watched the bright white light at the end of the hallway get closer and closer until-

“Y/N!” Charlie’s hands grabbed you by the shoulders and he fell to his knees in front of you.

“Let go of me Charlie.” You sobbed, trying to break away from him- to surrender to the light.

“I can’t.” He tried to get you to look at him. “Y/N, I won’t let you go. You can’t give up. You can’t go-”

“Wouldn’t you?” You tore yourself away, your words catching with every sob. Charlie winced. “If you had the choice, if you could have gone with Sam, you would have.”

“I did die in that crash, Y/N.” He said sharply. “But I came back. You have to come back.”

“I want this to be over, Charlie.” You crumpled up against the wall, laying your head on the floor. “I just want it to be over.”

Charlie moved so that your head was in his lap and he gently ran his fingers through your hair. Eventually, your crying turned into steady breaths and, overcome with the exhaustion of the day, Charlie allowed himself to sleep.

He woke up with empty arms in a dark hallway. His tired mind took a moment to process everything that had happened and as soon as he realized what was going on, he jumped to his feet.

“Y/N?” He called out, hearing only his echo in return. Your words rang in his head. I just want this to be over. “Shit.” He took off down the hall, checking around every corner and empty room. He ran to the lobby where your grandparents were speaking with the doctor.

“All we can do is wait.” The doctor put a hand on your grandmother’s shoulder. “You can go talk to her. Maybe some words of encouragement can help her through it.” Charlie knew what he really meant. It’s time to say goodbyes.

He was frozen in place. He had to do something. He had to change your mind and get you to come back. He couldn’t lose you again.

“Charlie?” You grandmother said softly. “Why don’t you come back with us? She’d want you to.” He still couldn’t move. She put a hand on his shoulder and snapped him out of it.

“I’ll be there in a second.” He finally said. He watched the two of them head back into the ICU. It was like his feet weren’t his anymore. He just stood there, head reeling and hands shaking. Why couldn’t he see you anymore? Of course, his head could only draw one conclusion, but it was one that his heart couldn’t accept. You couldn’t give up.

After giving your grandparents some time alone, he entered your room for the first time. At first, he felt sick. You were hooked up to machines and your leg was in a cast. Most of all, you looked defeated. Somehow, even unconscious, your expression gave away your sorrow. Like you didn��t have anything to live for.

As if sensing his unease, your grandparents allowed him to speak with you in private. He sat beside you, gently placing a hand on top of yours.

“You’ve got me pretty freaked out here, Y/N.” He laughed humorously, feeling a tear roll down his cheek. He took a deep breath. “I know it hurts. Believe me, I do. When I lost Sam all I wanted to do was give up. But you can’t go, Y/N. Teddy wants you to stay. I-” His words were cut off by a sharp breath, trying to hold back a sob. “I need you to stay.”

Charlie brought your hand to his chest and held it against his heart like he had on the roof. Maybe if you could feel him there, if you knew that there were people here for you, you would wake up. If you knew how he felt- how he’d felt for years. If you knew what he was going to say that night.

“I guess now might be the only time to tell you…” He sighed, his grip on your hand tightening desperately. “I should have told you so many times through high school, but I was so scared of ruining our friendship and breaking up the group. But the truth is, Y/N…” Even now, he wasn’t sure if he could say it. What if you couldn’t hear him? What if you were already gone? “Y/N, I’m in love with you. I’ve been in love with you since the sixth grade and being with you again after all this time… I never stopped loving you.”

He thought about all those weekends on his boat, your laughter ringing out over the sound of the waves. He thought of the sun making your wet skin glisten and making your bright eyes sparkle. Six years and the images of you were still clear in his mind. All of those times that he wanted to tell you- times he should have told you how he felt.

“Maybe I’m selfish for wanting you to stay,” He stood, holding your again against his tear stained cheek. “Maybe I’m supposed to let you go like- like Sam.” It was hard to speak now, but he had to try. “But dammit Y/N, I don’t want you to go. I want to give us a chance. Please, Y/N. Please stay.”

He leaned over and pressed a kiss to your forehead and lingered there for a moment. Maybe this was it. Letting go of another person and helping them move on. He pulled back slowly and felt your fingers lace through his. When he looked down, your eyes were open.

“Charlie?”

General Tag: @rae-gar-targaryen; @takemepedropascal; @childhood-imagination; @mylovegoesto; @yellowbadgergirl; @itmejado; @suckmyapplejacks

#zac efron imagine #charlie st. cloud #charlie st. cloud x reader #zac efron #movie imagines #if i stay

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madamewriterofwrongs · 4 years

Note

oooh for the i love you prompts can you do buddie + 12 ?

So sorry this is late, love <3 This was...well, I hope you like it.

I Love You Prompt List

12. Brings an extra coat/scarf because they know you never check the temperature before going out

When We’re Old and Grey

Admittedly, their morning routine had already been a little disrupted when it came time to kiss his boyfriend goodbye. A power outage had killed their alarm, and Christopher had to wake them up with his most innocent ‘If we sleep past the first bell, do I have to go to school today?’; which had both of them bolting out of bed with the speed that came from years of emergency responses.

There was no time for breakfast – thank god for the ability to preorder drive thru (one day of egg sandwiches and apple juice eaten in the car, would not be the end of the world. Probably) – let alone double check that Christopher had actually packed his bag last night like he promised.

“It’s your fault we didn’t get to bed until 3am.” Eddie grumbled, shoving off the pants around his ankles so he could toss them to their rightful owner.

“I think it’s the apartment fire’s fault.” Buck caught the offending cotton, and pulled Eddie’s shirt from the pile on the floor to throw in his face. “We can go back to sleep once Christopher’s at school” he promised.

Eddie rolled his eyes. “You wanted to go for a run today. So we’re going for a run after we drop him off.”

If Buck’s grumble made him smile, it was a testament to their years of familiarity – not because he thought his boyfriend was cute when he was grumpy and bedraggled. Not that they were given much of an opportunity to comment further, as the object of their affection was calling down the hallway that he would be late for school.

Eddie pulled the nearest pants over his hips (definitely still Buck’s, but now was not the time for caring about things like property) pushing his sock-less partner out the door.

“You don’t need socks to sit in the passenger seat” he informed him, poking his head into his son’s room to do one final check before they headed towards the door.

“Alright everyone, did we pack our homework?” Eddie clapped his hands while Christopher pulled on his shoes.

“Yes, dad.”

“Did we brush our teeth?”

“Yes, dad.”

“No.” Buck swiped his tongue with a grumble, but a look from Eddie had him ducking his head.

“Did we remember our free reading book on the night stand?”

Christopher bolted up in a panic, steadied by an instinctual hand from Buck. Eddie shook his head at the pair, producing the book from behind his back for the boy to put into his bag.

“Did we pack a sweater for going to Abuela’s tonight?”

“Yes, dad.”

With Christopher packed and ready to go, Eddie shot one last look at his boyfriend as he slipped on his sandals.

“Did we remember our wallet and phone on the dresser?”

“Yes, dad.”

Buck froze. The only way his eyes could grow wider would be if they fell out of their sockets – and they nearly did, for the panic that settled on his face. Though Christopher was still preoccupied with zipping his bag, he clearly heard Buck’s misstep because he giggled wildly while opening the front door. Eddie still hadn’t said anything (which, even Eddie knew, was a bad sign).

His initial reaction at Buck’s words was to tangle the squeezing hand around his heart that reminded him that he was old, and demeaning his boyfriend and eventually, Buck would get sick of him. His second reaction was to laugh at the man’s exhausted mind that had just parroted whatever Christopher was saying. His third reaction, was the startling realization that none of this mattered at the moment.

With a long sigh, Eddie shooed his two favourite people out the door and unlocked the truck for them while he closed up.

He could deal with their little slipup later – when he actually had the mental capacity to process what had happened and how he felt about it.

See, Eddie knew he was older than Buck (some would say more mature – including Eddie), though five years wasn’t a significant difference. They’d learned quickly to intensely avoid talking about significant moments in their childhood, but other than that, age didn’t matter to them. Considering Buck’s last serious relationship... well, Eddie had never put much thought into their slight difference in age.

Until Buck had decided to call him ‘dad’. And then a few thoughts swirled around his mind as they made their way towards the school. He knew that the moment Christopher was out the door, Buck would bring it up – trying to apologize profusely – and Eddie would have to decide how to react to it.

He had a big decision to make.

True to form, Buck waved the kid goodbye and as soon as they’d pulled out of the parking lot, he turned to his boyfriend with nervous panic.

“Eddie, about this morning: I am so sorry.”

His boyfriend looked so genuinely apologetic, he almost felt bad.

“What was that, sonny?” He croaked, leaning his ear closer to the man. “I didn’t hear yo-” Eddie dissolved into laughter before he could even finish his sentence, doubling over the steering wheel in amusement.

Buck joined in a moment later, though decidedly less enthusiastically. “Okay, okay, I get it. I called you old.” He slid his had over Eddie’s, resting on the gearshift. “I am sorry though.”

“It’s fine, Buck.” He smiled at him once they reached the stoplight. “I know I kind of went into ‘dad mode’ this morning. It was a slip of the tongue.”

“I’ll show you a slip of the tongue” Buck muttered – though loud enough for Eddie to hear (as was always his way when he was flirting), prompting a flush to cover his chest even as he rolled his eyes.

“I am driving young man,” he scolded, a twinkle in his eye. “Just wait until I get you home.”

Buck finally relaxed against his seat, never looking away from his adoring boyfriend. “I thought we were going for a run.”

“Oh, I’ll get your heart racing alright.”

What? Eddie loved a little obviously flirting as much as the next man – especially when they were both still in that giddy phase of their relationship after living together for seven months. Besides, it would be an excellent opportunity to show Buck just how young and enthusiastic he still was.

And that should have been the end of it. The two of them would go home for a little mid-morning romp (‘romp, Eddie? Now you’re just begging me to mock you’) before heading out on their run and continuing on in semi-domestic bliss – one of them was bound to propose sooner or later, they just hadn’t decided who. Buck’s little one-off remark would be totally forgotten.

Until Eddie lay in bed a few nights later, and he got a horrible, ridiculous, completely juvenile idea. Buck would be so proud of him.

It started out innocently enough.

Buck ran out of toothpaste – he really should have been paying attention more – but he definitely had a spare bottle underneath the sink. Probably. He squatted down to inspect the shared storage space and did, indeed, find a small travel tube of toothpaste.

That didn’t matter, however, because he found something much more interesting.

“Eddie, why is there a box of grey coverup hair dye under the sink?” He had a sneaking suspicion, but he also had no recollection of Eddie mentioning or buying it.

There was his boyfriend – his lovely, oblivious boyfriend – sitting on the couch, reading the latest science fiction novel that Buck had finally convinced him to read, all wide-eyed and curious.

“I have no idea why anyone in this house would need to cover up their grey hairs, Buck.”

Really? So he was just going to pretend as if he didn’t know anything? Fine.

“Is it Christopher’s, then? I knew that kid’s colour wasn’t natural.” He shook his head when he caught sight of the smallest hint of a smile. But then, he paused to watch Eddie refocus on the book in his hands. Maybe he was starting to go a little grey on top; his life hadn’t exactly been stress-free. It could be that he just wasn’t ready to talk about it, though. That was fine. He’d love Eddie if his hair fell out overnight. It would be a huge adjustment, considering how much he liked to run his fingers through those delicious locks, but he’d figure it out. If his boyfriend was feeling insecure about something, there really was only one solution.

Eddie lifted the book when Buck plopped into his lap but didn’t take his eyes off the page, letting him scratch his nails through Eddie’s scalp. He really was so giving; anything Buck wanted to do to him (cuddle, or talk for hours about his latest interest, or just sit in his lap in the middle of the day), Eddie would accept within reason. Just as Buck did the same (holding Eddie in the middle of the night, listening to him rant about one of the PTA moms harassing him, or carrying him across the room when Eddie decided he wanted to cling to him like a koala bear instead of walk his tired-ass to the bedroom). It was a mutual bothering, which worked for both of them.

Which is why Eddie let Buck sit in his lap and massage his scalp for a minute or two before Buck mutter soft and low: “I kind of like the bits of grey, it makes you look distinguished.”

“What bits of grey?” Eddie shot up so fast, Buck nearly toppled off the couch but he caught himself on the back cushion. Just as quickly, Eddie settled back into his place, taking a deep breath. “Oh, right. Yeah. Thanks.” When he blushed, Buck had no choice but to kiss it away. It was mandatory.

Buck was ashamed to admit that he didn’t notice it at first. He spent so long memorizing ever feature on Eddie’s face and it took him nearly an hour to realize that something was different. And then when he realized, he couldn’t stop realizing and frankly, it was kind of hot.

He only wore them when they were in the bedroom – likely a little hesitant to admit that he needed them, but Buck liked to think of it as a secret he chose to share with Buck because of how much he trusted him. It was nice.

And did he mention hot?

It took him less than a week to finally break (what? He was only human).

Buck stopped in the doorway, glass of water gripped tightly in his hand lest he drop it at the mere sight of his boyfriend. Eddie never looked up from his book – and why should he? Tonight was just like any other night.

Except this was the fifth night in a row that Buck had walked into their bedroom and found Eddie, shirtless in bed with a pair of black-rimmed glasses perched on his nose.

How was he not supposed to pounce on that?

Pounce wasn’t the right word, exactly, more of a slither. Buck was about as graceful as Bambi on Ice, but when it came to slowly crossing a room to climb on top of his boyfriend, he was Johnny Weir (yes, he knew about figure skating – Bobby’s reveal had prompted a little research spiral).

“Hello.” Eddie smiled in surprise, dropping the book to his chest so his arms were free to stroke up Buck’s arms. “Is there something I can help you with?”

Without losing eye contact, Buck gently tucked the bookmark into the appropriate page and placed the book on the nightstand, out of harm’s way. No matter what, there was a great respect for books in their house (plus, if Buck tossed the thing across the room like he wanted to, Eddie’s mind wouldn’t be focused on the task at hand).

“I think you can help me” he whispered without a hint of suspense. Eddie knew exactly what he wanted.

He reached for the glasses, no doubt thinking they would get in the way, but Buck grabbed his wrist before he could even get close.

“Leave the glasses on.”

Eddie mumbled in surprise but didn’t deny his request, reaching for the lamp as Buck dove in for a kiss.

Okay, even if it was a little strange, it was still a really thoughtful gift.

Buck hated admitting when he was in pain. Yes, he’d learned his lesson after the whole ‘pulmonary embolism’ fiasco and was starting to speak up whenever things got too bad (especially with his leg); that didn’t mean he enjoyed it.

So, taking Bobby aside to tell him that his leg was cramping so badly, he thought it best to be ‘man behind’ for the rest of the shift, made him nearly cry with frustration. But he did it; and he spent the rest of the shift doing choirs, and icing his leg and generally doing what was best for his overall health.

The problem was, his leg almost always hurt just a little. Yes, he was back to full strength – and fitter than ever, thank you very much – but sometimes, he’d wake up in the middle of the night and need to walk a few laps around the living room before he could settle back into bed. Or, Eddie would catch him limping a little and a tub of Tiger Balm would suspiciously find its way into his work bag.

One day, he came home and found a cane next to the door. It was simple, brown with a curled handle, but it was the perfect height to help him walk around the house. Even if every iota of his being was screaming that using a cane was a sign of weakness, he saw the gift from Eddie as a show of love and concern, and so used it as an aide while he moved around the kitchen, waiting for Eddie to come home with Christopher.

That little boy was the most adorable mix of excited and concerned when he walked through the door and saw what Buck was doing.

“You remember when my leg got hurt? Well sometimes, it hurts again and it’s hard to move around without a little help. My cane is not nearly as cool as your crutches, though; it doesn’t even have an arm holder.”

The discussion had been a little longer, but the explanation seemed to satisfy him enough to drop the subject while he started on his homework.

Eddie had been suspiciously silent. Not suspicious, per se, but he hadn’t looked Buck in the eye through his entire interaction with Christopher.

As soon as the boy was seated at the dinner table, Buck pulled him in for a gentle kiss.

“Thank you” he pressed into his mouth again, gratefully. “I didn’t realize I needed this until you gave it to me. I appreciate you taking care of me.”

Eddie still hadn’t said a word, his eyes darting to the cane every few seconds as if deciding whether or not it actually existed. When he spoke, his voice was far away.

“I didn’t” he cleared his throat. “You’re welcome.”

Satisfied, Buck turned away in time to hear Eddie mutter “unbelievable” under his breath.

“Eddie, and I don’t want to offend you, but” Buck carefully entered the bedroom at the end of their nighttime routine. “Are your teeth real?”

Eddie should have looked more offended (Eddie, with his sexy librarian glasses and no shirt because ‘it’s too damn hot for clothing’) but instead, he tried to brush it off.

“Why would you ask me that?”

“Because I found denture cream in place of toothpaste.” He held up the small yellow tube as evidence. “Did you misread the label or something?”

Again, Eddie simply shrugged rather than engage in their conversation. “Nope.”

What did that mean? He’d meant to buy denture cream? Buck rolled the bottle in his hands, standing lost in the middle of the room – another thing for which Eddie usually teased him, but still nothing. Something had been going on with him lately. First the hair dye, and then the reading glasses, and now the denture cream…it was like he was preparing for old age or something.

Oh.

Maybe Eddie had taken to heart the little joke Buck had made about him getting old. He hadn’t even called him old, he’d called him ‘dad’ – he was a dad – but then Eddie had followed up with his little ‘old geezer’ routine. Could it be, that Buck had actually hurt his feels or sent him down some spiral? It wouldn’t be the first time (they still had the small collection of Beanie Babies in the hall closet from the time Eddie got drunkenly nostalgic), but this time he wondered if he could do something to help (instead of drunkenly encouraging him to get same-day shipping).

“Eddie” Buck cautiously approached the bed, tube still in hand. “Are you okay?”

The man looked up at him through his glasses as Buck took a seat beside him, staring at him with genuine confusion – not the façade he’d been putting on lately. “I’m fine, Buck” he promised. “What’s up?”

“Did I mess up when I called you ‘dad’ the other day?”

Even when he was taking his glasses off slowly, with concern and love in his eyes, Buck had a hard time not feeling attracted to his boyfriend. The way he cared…it was a lot.

“You didn’t mess up; I thought it as funny. What’s this about?”

Reluctantly, Buck revealed the tube still clutched in his fist as if that would explain everything. The way Eddie threw his head back in laughter, eventually flopping onto his pillow, told him that it must have.

“You ruin all my fun, you know that?”

Well that was…not what he was expecting Eddie to say.

“All I wanted was a little laugh at your expense and you have been nothing but sweet and supportive” he grumbled against the pillow. “It’s been very annoying, you know that?”

Ignoring the bit of hurt that rose in his chest, Buck pulled apart Eddie’s words, trying to decipher some semblance of meaning from them. The more he stared in confusion and horror, the more Eddie seemed to laugh in his face.

Before he could think to pout and beg for an explanation, Eddie reached out to grab his face and pull him down to his level. Buck just barely caught himself on the edge of the bed as Eddie muttered fondly “you are a good man, Evan Buckley, but you can be so…” don’t say dumb, please don’t say dumb “innocent, sometimes.”

It was Buck’s turn to fall forward with the force of his incredulous laughter, trapping Eddie between himself and the bunched up pillows, leaving the tube of denture cream lost to the chaos of their floor. Even as the laughter subsided, Buck rested his chin against his boyfriend’s chest as he spoke.

“What the hell are you talking about?”

Eddie rolled his eyes, arms resting under his head like he had nowhere he’d rather be in that moment. “I thought I was being so clever hiding everything around the house. First the hair dye – I thought it might be a little subtle but you were so nice about reassuring me. And then the reading glasses…” he smirked at the memory of the last time he’d worn them. “That was an unexpected bonus. And then the cane”

“What about the cane?”

His expression softened. “It was meant as a joke but you seemed to really need it so I wasn’t about to take it away from you.”

Buck recoiled but didn’t leave his favourite position, curled on top of his – very perplexing – boyfriend. “You were making fun of me by giving me that cane?” It had never occurred to him that it would be anything more than a well-meaning gift; but Eddie had been mocking him? That didn’t make any sense.

“No!” Eddie sighed. “The cane was for me.”

He was up and straddling Eddie’s knees before he’d even finished his sentence, carefully inspecting every inch of the man he loved for signs of trauma. “What? Why? What happened? Why didn’t you tell me?”

“See, this is what I mean; you’re so nice, I can’t pull a prank on you” Eddie exclaimed, rising to his elbows.

Wait, what?

Buck slowly turned to meet Eddie’s eyes – playful and patient. “A prank?”

“A prank” he confirmed with a smile.

“What was the prank?”

Eddie snorted, eyes falling to the floor. “Grey hair remover, reading glasses, a cane, and denture cream – plus I got, like, four other things.”

He left Buck to connect the dots, which produced a groan from the man, falling back over top. “You weren’t mad about me calling you old, you were being a dick about it” he concluded.

“Not a dick” Eddie protested, “a well-crafted prank that apparently flew over your head.”

“Well what now? Do you want the cane back?” He’d been an idiot, just picking up the thing and assuming it was for him. It seemed like something Eddie would do – and maybe he would have if his mind weren’t on other matters – but Buck should have asked. Idiot.

“I meant it: if it helps you, it’s yours to keep. The rest of it, though…” Eddie’s eyes wandered back to the tube on the floor. “I have no idea what to do with it all now that the prank is sufficiently ruined.”

“It’s not my fault that you were too subtle.” Buck squawked when Eddie threw him to his own side of the bed.

Standing, the man looked over his shoulder on his way to the bedroom closet. “Not all of us can be as subtle as ‘Eddie, if someone you were friends with wanted to ask you out, what would you say?’”

Admittedly, not his most sophisticated moment. “It worked, didn’t?” Over a year later and they were happier than ever.

“True.” Eddie retrieved a plastic grocery bag from the back of the closet, returning to sit on the bed. “But that might be more an indictment on my weakness for puppies.”

In response, Buck licked up the side of his jaw, planting a kiss behind his ear as he snuggled in close for show and tell.

“Gross” Eddie half-heartedly batted him away. “Want to see what I had planned next?”

“Yes please.” Buck bounced beside him, surreptitiously peaking over his shoulder to look into the bag. The very first item had him snorting and ducking under Eddie’s shoulder blade.

“Aren’t Medical Alert Buttons, super expensive?”

Eddie showed off the bright red plastic attached to a black string, hanging it off his finger. “Not the discount one from Wal-Mart. It’s not registered or anything – I wouldn’t go that far. Probably.”

Buck caught the object when Eddie tossed it to him, shaking his head. “I probably would have taken it as a joke about how many times I get injured.”

“It can have multiple uses” he conceded, already looking into the bag for the next gift. “We can keep that one if you want.”

“I’ll think about it.” Buck had no intention of using it, but it might be a cute little thing to hang on his jeep mirror as a reminder of the man he loved. He really did love Eddie. Who else would go through all this for a stupid prank and kiss him when he missed the joke? He imagined smiling fondly at the red button on his way to work during those rare shifts they wouldn’t spend together. He tucked it under his pillow for safe keeping.

“This one was kind of a two-fold.”

Buck stared down at the square packaging in his hands. “A deck of cards isn’t exactly an ‘elderly’ thing.”

“But Bridge with my Abuela and her card shark friends is definitely a thing. I was going to drag you out on a Saturday to hang out with friends and make you sit and watch us play.”

He rolled his eyes. “Jokes on you, then, because I love playing Bridge.”

Eddie raised a dubious eyebrow. “Since when?”

“Since my grandmother taught me to play when I was eight.” He didn’t add that the only reason she had time to teach him was because he spent every weeknight at her house from age 6-15 while his parents worked or otherwise went out. The second he got his license, he got out of that routine; but there were still some fond memories attached to Nana’s house. “I would have kicked your ass.”

“Now we may never know.” Eddie grabbed the deck out of his hand and shoved it in the bedside drawer. “The last one would hopefully have been obvious.”

Buck nearly woke Christopher with his laughter – silenced quickly by Eddie throwing a pillow in his face – as he held the bag of adult diapers.

He loved Eddie so damn much, it hurt to breathe (although the wheezing laughter couldn’t have been helping his cause much). Once he was confident enough to remove the pillow, he examined the product with tears in his eyes.

“You got the overnight protection, that’s very astute. I might have eventually clued in that something was wrong.” He tossed the bag back to Eddie who was smiling at him with an odd look of pride. “This is a lot of effort for a one-off comment, Eddie.”

The man shrugged, reaching down to put the denture cream and diapers back into the bag to take to the donation bin later. “I don’t think it was.”

“What was the last one?” he asked, a lightness filling his voice from the sheer giddiness of being together.

In lieu of an answer, Eddie blushed and looked away. “Nothing.” That definitely meant it was something, Buck decided. There really was only one way to get Eddie to talk when he didn’t want to. Long, calloused fingers found his ribs and danced over his skin, leaving him curled over top of Buck, squirming and laughing. The day he’d discovered that Eddie was ticklish was probably one of the best days of his entire life. It meant he now how a surefire way to get his boyfriend to laugh whenever he wanted. It was a power he used sparingly, but he loved having a switch to turn on his favourite sound at will.

“Alright, stop, stop, I’ll tell you.”

Even as Buck released him, Eddie didn’t move from his place against Buck’s stomach, both breathing heavily and smiling at each other, wide and bright. The air grew still between them as Eddie regained his senses, the grin falling from his face – though his eyes were still warm and loving.

“I booked us a tour” he whispered his confession.

“A tour for where?” As funny as it would have been, they couldn’t exactly try to take advantage of a senior’s discount anywhere.

Eddie licked his lips, his earnest heart pulling the last of the humor away. “At a retirement village.”

The realization came a moment later. “You wanted to look at a retirement home together?” Saying the words out loud felt strange on his tongue. Stringing those syllables together in that order was not a possibility he ever thought to consider for himself.

Suddenly it was all he wanted.

“It was for the prank” Eddie gave a half-hearted shrug, still not releasing his breath entirely. “But I figured we could put our name on the waiting list if we liked it anyways.”

Buck joined him in his breathlessness, unable to think beyond the buzzing in his ears screaming ‘I love you, I love you, I love you.’ The world around him seemed fuzzy but Eddie’s face was crystal clear in his eyes.

“You’re planning your retirement with me?” Knowing them, that time wouldn’t come for another forty or fifty years, and yet Eddie wanted to put their names on a waiting list together. Like they were a sure thing.

“I did it as a joke” Eddie mumbled his concession, breath warming his skin. Buck watched his muscles dance underneath him, shivering with hope and excitement. “but it felt right to write down Mr. and Mr. Diaz.”

“I love you.” Those were the only words Buck could think to express every emotion in his being. There was too much at once to process and it swirled through his body, igniting every nerve ending on its way down to his toes. His mouth opened of its own accord and completely ran away from him. “I’ll love you when we’re old a grey, and you need all of those things you spent too much money on.” Eddie opened his mouth to protest but he continued. “I’ll love you when we fight – and when we think it’s the end for us, I’ll keep loving you. I want to hold your hand and die peacefully in our sleep in a retirement home we picked out when we were in our thirties. I want all of that, Eddie.”

He hadn’t thought seriously about marriage but the second it left his mouth…Eddie was right.

It just felt right.

The scariest request he’d ever made, didn’t seem so terrifying when he was staring down at the man he wanted to spend his life with, who kissed his stomach and smiled up at him with shining eyes.

“Our appointment is next Sunday.”

It was as close to an acceptance as they could muster in the moment, but the least he could do was pull Eddie up to kiss him properly. Buck released him for just a moment, smiling up at his fiancé to whisper:

“Good prank.”

Before diving in for another kiss.

#cj writes things #cj answers things #love allie #maysgrant #prompt fill #buddie #buddie fic #911 fox #911 fic #evan buckley #eddie diaz #soft eddie diaz #soft evan buckley #proposal #prank #fluff #nonsense #chaos #idiots in love

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cpd5021 · 4 years

Text

Unexpected Chapter 2

Part Two coming at ya! Let me know what you think!

Hailey made it through the rest of her shift without incident, it really must have been something she ate because it came on so suddenly and went away just as fast. Still though, at the end of the day, Hailey felt exhausted so she passed on the invite to join everyone at Molly’s. Jay offered to cancel his plans with Will and take her home, but Hailey declined knowing she would be fine. Vanessa was going to have an early morning at work so she also passed on Molly’s and the two rode home together. Hailey sent Jay a text, letting him know they were home and that she was going to shower and pass out, ignoring the smirk on her room mates face when she noticed who she was texting.

“Jay checking up on you? Doesn’t trust me to watch over his precious cargo?” Vanessa waggled her eyebrows mischievously.

“Shut up.” Hailey told the younger woman, but couldn’t help the smile that spread across her face. They hadn’t told anyone about their new relationship, but Vanessa lived with Hailey and it didn’t take a genius to put two and two together. Hailey and Jay spent most of their time off together and it was usually at Hailey’s place. Vanessa had come home to them multiple times, drunk and laughing hysterically in the kitchen or curled up on the couch together having fallen asleep watching one of their shows. To her credit, Vanessa didn’t push Hailey on the subject and kept her mouth shut at work. Although the occasional teasing did occur.

“I’m gonna shower and head to bed.” Hailey announced after setting all her stuff down on the counter.

“Still not feeling so hot?” Vanessa asked, giving her a sympathetic look.

“I feel fine, just tired. I think I had some funky Thai food the night before and that must have done it this morning.” Hailey grimaced at the memory of not only being sick, but doing so in front of all her colleagues.

“Okay, good night.” Vanessa gave her a smile before bouncing into the living room to enjoy complete control over the TV. Hailey chuckled to herself at the sight. Vanessa had lived with her for a while now but still seemed to tip toe around the house when Hailey was here, despite the multiple times Hailey had told her it was just as much her home.

Hailey made her way upstairs, enjoying a long hot shower before climbing into bed. She scrolled through her phone for a few minutes to wind down, smiling when Jay sent her a good night message. She replied quickly and then turned to curl into her pillow, falling fast asleep.

*****

Morning came and with it Hailey found herself clinging to her toilet bowl, once again forcefully emptying the contents of her stomach. Once the waves of nausea passed, Hailey slumped back to lean against her tub, the cool surface feeling amazing on her sweaty skin. She groaned, reaching up to flush the toilet and pulling herself into a standing position. She went to the sink, rinsing her mouth out and taking a good look at herself in the mirror. She didn’t look sick. And just as yesterday’s sudden illness, it was gone as fast as it had come on. Hailey wanted to jump in the shower, figuring she might as well get ready for the day, but her towel and clothes were still in her bedroom. Rubbing her still watery eyes, she padded to the bathroom door, pulling it open and jumping when she ran smack into Vanessa.

“Hey!” Hailey exclaimed, voice scratchy.

“Hey, you okay?” Vanessa's face covered in concern.

“I’m great...” Hailey tried to be convincing but knew her hoarse voice and red eyes were a dead give away.

“Were you sick again?” Vanessa peaked around her as if she would find evidence to support her question.

“No...I just..uh...yea.” Hailey faltered, knowing she had been busted. She gave the other woman a sheepish smile and searched for a way to escape this awkward situation.

“Two mornings in a row huh?” Vanessa’s voice came out oddly bubbly, considering the situation. And her question, coupled with the way she wiggled her eyebrows had Hailey feeling totally thrown off.

“Um...yea?” Hailey wasn’t sure where her room mate was going with this and she wasn’t sure she wanted to find out. “I’ll let you shower, I’m going to go get ready...in my room.” Hailey nodded her head towards her bedroom door before sidestepping Vanessa and heading down the hall. Once in her room, Hailey shut her door and then leaned back against it, still feeling very puzzled by Vanessa’s sudden change in demeanor and the look as if she had figured something out that Hailey hadn’t yet. Deciding it was best to let whatever it was go, Hailey made her bed and pulled her clothes out for the day. Once she heard the water shut off, she gave it a few minutes for Vanessa to be back in her room before she went and took her own shower. The two met downstairs, grabbed some coffee and headed out the door to work.

*******

Hailey couldn’t help but feel thrown off by the awkward encounter with Vanessa this morning and the other girls constant looks all afternoon weren’t helping. It was an unusually slow day in Intelligence, so everyone was littered around the bullpen, each working on catching up their own files. Jay had met Hailey in the break room at one point, wondering how she was feeling after yesterday and just stealing a quick moment to themselves. Hailey decided it was best to leave out her being sick again this morning, she was sure it was nothing. Maybe a stomach bug. A few hours later, Jay asked her if she wanted to grab lunch and Hailey jumped at the opportunity to get away from Vanessa’s watchful eye. Settling into Jay’s truck, she watched as he climbed into his seat, glancing around the lot before giving her a quick kiss.

“I’ve wanted to do that all morning.” He told her with a grin.

“I know the feeling.” She returned his smile and watched as he pulled them out of the lot.

“What are you feeling?” Jay’s voice broke through her apparent daydreaming.

“Huh?” She asked, shaking the daze away.

““Food? What sounds good?” Jay gave her a quizzical look but didn’t push it.

“Oh, um...whatever?” She was starving but also not hungry at the same time. And was confused as to how that could be.

“How about Lou’s?” Hailey nodded at his suggestion for their favorite diner, ignoring the slight twist she felt her stomach do.

They made their way to the tiny restaurant, sandwiched between to office buildings and braved the now rainy weather to hurry inside. Jay waived the offer for a menu away, already knowing he was going to get his usual. Hailey wasn’t sure her usual order of two Greek Gyros was going to be the best option but went ahead with her order anyway. When the food arrived, the strong smell of grease and garlic assaulted her nose, causing her to swallow hard. She played with the straw sitting in her glass of water as she tried to fight away the nauseous feeling quickly overwhelming her.

“You okay?” Jay asked, sounding concerned. She glanced over at him and the sight of him taking a huge bite of his burger nearly drove her over the edge.

“Yep.” She said, emphasizing the ‘p’ with a pop.

“Are you sure?” Jay pressed, setting his sandwich down and wiping his hands with a napkin, his eyes never leaving hers.

All Hailey could do was give him a nod in response, afraid if she opened her mouth it would all go downhill rapidly. She knew Jay didn’t believe her, she could only imagine what she looked like right now as she could feel the color draining from her face. Her stomached churned again and she knew she couldn’t ignore it any longer. Quickly standing from their booth, Hailey all but sprinted to the bathroom, hearing Jay call out behind her. When she exited the bathroom a few minutes later, Jay was standing outside the door, feigning off the odd looks from the other women coming and going from the rest room. She tried to give him a smile, hoping that would be enough to convince him she was fine, but naturally it didn’t work.

“Hailey?” Jay gently grabbed her arm, stopping her in her tracks.

“I’m fine Jay...” Hailey placed her hand over his, giving it a light squeeze before sliding it off her arm.

She made her way back to their booth, Jay right behind her, and avoided his face as she devoured the food in front of her. Once they were both done with the meal, they sat in a semi uncomfortable silence.

“You’re sick.” Jay stated after a few moments.

“I’m fine. Probably just a stomach bug or lingering food poisoning.” Hailey’s smile faltered when Jay just continued to stare at her.

“Take the rest of the day off, I’ll tell Voight.” Jay said, reaching for his phone.

“No Jay, I’m fine.” Hailey reached across the table, her hands finding his and stopping his movement. They didn’t normally get close in public, afraid someone might spot them and rat them out before they were ready, but Hailey let her hands linger on his for a moment, enjoying his warmth. Jay gave her another look, trying to decide if he should push her or not. The waitress brought the bill then, interrupting their stare down. Hailey seized the moment and stood from the booth, tossing some bills down for a tip before heading out to the truck. Jay was right behind her, quickly climbing in but clearly in no hurry to start the vehicle.

“You’d tell me if something was wrong, right?” His voice was quiet, unsure.

“Yes Jay, promise. I’m fine.” Hailey leaned over, planting a kiss on his cheek. It was enough to content him for now. Jay started the truck and they headed back to the precinct.

*******

The end of their shift had finally come and Hailey was sitting perched on the bench in the locker room, working at a knot that had somehow formed in her sneaker laces. She glanced up when she heard laughter fill the room and watched as Kim and Vanessa stumbled in, still giggling over something.

“Hey!” Kim exclaimed, moving to stand in front of her locker and quickly undoing her button up. “You meeting us at Molly’s tonight?”

“Nah, I’m pretty tired tonight. Sorry.” She gave Kim a pout as the other woman pulled a more comfortable shirt over her head. Hailey finally got the knot undone and that small task had drained her. She let her feet fall on either side of her, straddling the bench. Vanessa sat in front of her on, sliding her own boots off.

“Okay, no worries.” Kim gave them both a smile and headed for the door. Once they heard it shut, Vanessa turned to look at Hailey.

“You’re still sick?” She asked, glancing her up and down.

“No. I’m just tired.” Hailey gave a small smile.

“Mmhmm.” Vanessa nodded with a grin on her face, looking at Hailey in a side ways glance.

“What?” Hailey asked, her voice coming out a little harsher than intended.

“Hailey,” Vanessa tread lightly, not wanting to push her friend. “You and Jay...” She trailed off, looking around to make sure the room was empty. Hailey raised her eyebrows in question.

“Well you’re...together?” Her words were almost a whisper.

“Um...” Hailey balked slightly at the directness of the younger officer.

“Look, I’m not stupid.” Vanessa grinned at her. “Something has definitely changed with you two. You’re both way happier, plus....you had a hickey on your neck a few weeks ago after you spent the night at his house.”

Hailey’s face burned red with embarrassment. She clearly remembered the mark, having only noticed it after she got to work and being busted by Vanessa when she was trying to cover it up. The other woman hadn’t pushed for details then but obviously it wasn’t something she had forgotten.

“So you’re together...together?” Vanessa emphasized the word, letting Hailey know exactly what kind of together she meant.

“We um.....once...twice?” Hailey trailed off, they still couldn’t recall whether they had made love the night before or if their morning romp was the first time. “We’re taking it slow...figuring things out.” And that wasn’t a lie. They had only had sex the one time, deciding to move slowly and cautiously while they learned how to make this work from all aspects.

“And that was a month ago? With the hickey?” Vanessa pushed, sending her a wink as she finished the question.

“Yea?” Hailey’s own response came out as a question, confused where this was going.

“And now....” Vanessa spoke slowly as if she was talking to a child. “You’ve been sick in the morning...and exhausted at night?”

“What does this have to do with Jay and I?” Hailey gave her a puzzled look, trying to catch up to wherever the other girl was at.

“Hailey,” Vanessa laughed quietly. “Sickness? In the morning? Like morning sickness?”

“Well and the afternoon, today when Jay and I got lunch....” Hailey shuddered at the thought. “I’m still lost here Ness.”

“Hails,” Vanessa laughed again before turning her body to straddle the bench like Hailey, their knees touching. “Could you be pregnant?”

The words hit Hailey like a bucket of ice, her body freezing while her brain caught up. No way, there was absolutely no way she could be. They had only been together the one time, okay maybe twice...but she wasn’t even late. Was she? Hailey admittedly wasn’t the best when it came to keeping track of her cycle. “No...” She shook her head, eyes glazing over as she continued to work through the shock.

“Just a thought..” Vanessa shrugged her shoulders, sending her a smirk before standing and grabbing her coat from her locker.

Hailey didn’t get the chance to respond or recover, before the locker room door swung open and Adam and Jay walked in. Immediately Jay’s eyes found hers, his face transforming into panic as her took in her current state. He was able to mask the look right as she was able to shake off her gaze, they both recouped enough to not draw attention from Adam. Vanessa turned to give the boys a smile, twisting to give Hailey a reassuring look, before exiting the locker room. Adam, in all his oblivious glory, carried on loudly about something and laughing at his own joke, paid no attention to the fact the other two people in the room were somewhere else entirely. He repeated his question of whether they were headed to Molly’s twice before he got a response from Jay. Hailey, in a panic, stood and excused herself from the room, not wanting to be left alone to face Jay before she could process the possibility of what Vanessa had suggested. She told him she would text him later, glancing quickly over her shoulder before bailing from the room.

#chicago pd #chicago pd fanfiction #halstead and upton #jay halstead #hailey upton #halstead #jay x hailey #upstead #upton

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myaekingheart · 4 years

Text

some highlights from the last two weeks

waking up with a super heavy sinking feeling in your stomach knowing your fiance is going to say he thinks his lung has collapsed again.

“you’re going to give yourself the covid test” ... “you may have stuck that a little too far up your nose.” “at least it’s well saturated with my snot.”

a full doctor’s appointment...in the fucking parking lot.

“how is school going?” “oh no i graduated” “oh, what college are you going to?” “no, i graduated college. i’m 23. i have a bachelor’s degree” “oh...well, you’ll certainly be carded for a long time!”

hearing a man talk about his toe fungus in the next triage room over at the er

hospital blankets fresh out of the blanket oven

“i know it’s a little cold in here!” it is 95 degrees outside the AC blasted feels fucking heavenly wtf are you talking about

the “nacho problem” t-shirt

“*holds up piece of pasta to my fiance* Lady and the Tramp?” “I can’t believe you just called me a tramp!” “what??? No!! I meant like the movie!!”

“Can’t believe you called me a tramp” “Maybe you’re the lady” “Did you just call your daughter a tramp?!” “Well you’ve gotta be one or the other!” “STOP” “I didn’t say anything”

the fluff harvest is very bountiful this year

october swimming

“he’s trying to save you. he thinks you’re drowning” “he just likes the taste of the pool water” as the dog licked the entirety of my father’s head in the pool

window dancing

“my god they line dance to fucking everything”

“HANDS TOUCHING HANDS REACHING OUT TOUCHING ME TOUCHING YOU” “*rubs nipples in the middle of a crowded bar*”

“we don’t go out a lot” “so what do you guys do then?” “we breathe. sometimes in, sometimes out.” “are you breathing back and forth at each other right now?”

“occasionally we nap.”

another table at the bar running a bet that i was, in fact, there with my mother in law and all of them thinking i was 16, only to find out from my mother in law when they flagged her down to ask about it that i am in fact engaged, 23, and have a bachelor’s degree.

“YOU HAVE A BACHELOR’S DEGREE?!? WHAT THE FUCK?!”

the look on their faces was priceless

headbanging in the middle of a bar to zombie by the cranberries

very strong rum and cokes

“are you going to dye your hair like that? i can take you someplace to get it done if you want to dye your hair like that”

having no useable water whatsoever at my apartment

the grocery store fucking us over on bottled water

the chinese takeout place forgetting an entire order

nearly getting shoved off the highway by a semi truck

my mom getting her stuff thrown into the hallway and then nearly kicked out for “trespassing” because she got exiled from her hotel room

“please just let me in there to get the rest of my stuff” “you’re not on the reservation, you’re trespassing” “then call the local sheriff’s department because i’d like to report a theft” “what room number was that again?”

picking her up, not getting home until 4am, my dad having to leave for a 12hr shift at 5am

nearly punching a hole in the wall

“at least i have a job!” “i have a job!” “no you don’t you’re a kardashian bitch”

“yeah she has a job she’s a whore” “that was too savage” “i thought i was being kind”

“drunk whore-ass cuntwagon slut”

“you didn’t know i knew that word, did you?” “well, you are an adult now” “does that make you uncomfortable, hearing me talk like that?” “no. it makes me want to curse, too. FUCK.”

“are you a first-time voter?” “NOOOOOONONONONONONONONO absolutely not”

“i know this isn’t the music you normally listen to, i hope that’s okay” “oh no don’t worry it’s fine, there’s no way in hell i’d make you listen to my music” *five minutes later: phone rings, they have no reflections by bmth starts blaring* “WHAT THE HELL--” “...whoops.”

paint party

“ahhh there’s the alligator!” “HOLY SHIT ARE YOU SERIOUS?” “no i’m just fucking with you x’D” “...don’t do that.”

charlie brown

“GET IN BETWEEN THE TOES!”

calling my mother at work because i can’t find the chocolate

my dog convincing me to take him on a 45 minute walk around the neighborhood. twice. in high heat + humidity.

not being able to get ahold of my father all day

thinking my father was dead

my father coming home from work at 10am with surprise! a broken rib!

the party uber

*very slowly eating my sandwich* “slow down, you’re eating too fast!”

*taking very small bites of my sandwich* “you’re eating like a little bird! do you want me to chew that up for you? like how birds feed their young?” “...no thank you”

my uncle in law stealing all of my french fries

finally beating lvl 1 of ms pac-man

almost hurling in a bar trash can

scrapple

my mom accidentally answering the door for the fedex guy in nothing but an old bath towel

“NUDIST!!!”

coming home to surprise hardcore spooky decorating in my living room

slipping on a wet floor and landing on my ass

restaurant never receiving our dinner order so we had to wait an extra hour

hellfire sky

spending a total of 20 hours in a car in under two weeks

10 of those being less than 24 hours apart

constant sleep deprivation, anxiety, and chronic illness flare-ups

#i need a nap lmfao #ramblings

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waywardnerd67 · 5 years

Text

Fangirl Dreams: The Family Business

Summary: A year after going public with their relationship (Y/N) comes out with a tell all book about it. While she had been working on that, her and Jensen were also working on something big for Zac. Characters: Jensen Ackles, Zac Levi, Reader Pairing: Jensen x Reader x Zac Warnings: Fluff/Smut/Preganacy Word Count: 2589 A/N: As always this is unbeta so all mistakes are mine. Likes, comments and reblogs are splendid and I will love you doubly for them! Enjoy!

Check out: Fangirl Dreams Masterlist

One Year Later

“Jensen did you call Jared back?” (Y/N) yelled from the kitchen.

“Yes I did. He, Gen and the kids will all be there tomorrow. Whoa…” he said as she turned around her round stomach sticking out.

She looked down at herself seeing a streak of icing from the cake she was making, “Son of a bitch!” she said as Jensen chuckled.

“You’re Dean is showing.” He mocked as she stuck her tongue out him.

“I think our doctor is wrong and there is two of them in there. No way this is all one child.” She said sitting down on one of the stools as Jensen took over icing the cake.

He laughed shaking his head, “What did you think was going to happen when you got pregnant? I’m six-foot-one and Zac is nearly Jared size. Face it pretty girl, our kiddo is coming out Texas size.”

(Y/N) groaned as the little one kicked her again, “Hey calm down in there or no more pickles for you.” She said pointing at her stomach.

Her phone started ringing and she smiled widely seeing Zac’s face on the screen, “Hey handsome! Where are you now?” she asked as he pointed the camera towards a sleeping Asher Angel, his Shazam co-star, sleeping on his shoulder.

“Airport heading back to the good US of A. How’s little one?” he asked as she panned down to her beach ball stomach.

“Feisty and large. I can’t see my feet and half the time I can feel them either. Jensen has to tell me if they are still there.” She said as Zac laughed waking Asher up.

“Hey (Y/N).” he said sleepily yawning.

She waved, “Hi Asher, go back to sleep buddy.” She said as Zac brought the camera back to his handsome face.

“I can’t wait to be home for a few weeks. I’ve missed you guys a lot.” He said the weariness all over his face.

(Y/N) smiled softly at him, “We’ve missed you too. Be safe coming home and don’t forget we have plans tomorrow afternoon.”

Zac groaned nodding, “I know, I know. Then I get to sleep?”

She nodded, “Yep then you can sleep unless this baby comes and then there no more sleep ever.”

(Y/N) grinned at him as he gave her a hesitant smiled, “Alright, I will see you guys soon. Love you.”

“Love you too handsome.” (Y/N) ended the call looking to Jensen worried, “Do you think he will be okay with our surprise?”

Jensen walked over to her kissing her temple, “For the millionth time, yes. This is something he has been working on for years. You and Shekinah have been working non-stop on it as well. Everything will be fine.”

(Y/N) nodded licking the icing off the knife Jensen handed her. She rubbed her stomach affectionately, “Alright little one if you can just promise to stay in there for the next forty-eight hours I would appreciate it.”

In the middle of the night, (Y/N) felt the bed dipped next to her stirring her awake. Looking over, she saw Zac trying to get into the bed without waking her. “Nice try handsome.” She whispered as his shoulders fell.

“Sorry gorgeous.” He said climbing into bed immediately snuggling against her, “Hey kiddo.”

She felt him press his lips against her belly making her smile. “What am I? Chop liver?” she asked as he pressed his lips against hers.

She sighed against them missing him the last two weeks he was traveling to start promoting the sequel to Shazam that they were still filming in Toronto. She suddenly was hit with a desperate need for him and she grabbed his hand slipping it between her legs.

“(Y/N)… damn gorgeous.” His fingers ran down her soaked panties, “Your pregnancy hormones have one good thing going for them.”

She pulled his lips to hers roughly while Zac pushed two fingers deep inside of her, “Oh Zac…” she moaned.

(Y/N) reached over gently touching Jensen as he turned towards her still sleeping. She looked up to Zac biting her lip, “How should I wake up? I need you both…” she whimpered as he pulled his fingers from her.

“Jensen. Jay, wake up buddy.” Zac said as Jensen stirred awake.

“What?” he sounded grumpy making (Y/N) bite back a giggle.

Zac chuckles, “Your wife is horny.” He said earning a smack from her.

Jensen sighed peeking his eyes open, “Again?” this time she smacked him.

“Fine. If neither one of you will get me off, then I’ll have to do it myself.” She said trying to reach down over her belly unsuccessfully.

Both men chuckled before sandwiching her between their firm bodies. “Top.” Jensen called as Zac nodded.

Before they began touching her she said, “Wait… boxers off.”

They looked down her shrugging as they quickly took their boxers off tossing them to the floor. Both men were semi hard as wrap her hands around each other them. They groaned collectively as her hands stroked them. Zac once again pushed two fingers into her while Jensen pulled her t-shirt off of her. Each man latching their mouths onto her nipples that were extra sensitive in the last trimester.

“Oh shit…” she moaned picking up the pace pumping her hands over their now hard lengths.

“God gorgeous keep going just like that.” Zac grunted into her ear as she sucked on the crook of her neck.

Jensen slipped his hand between her legs his fingers rubbing slow circles over her clit. He was pushing his cock into her hand still sucking on her nipple flicking his tongue over it.

“Oh Jensen, just like that. God… I’m so close…” nowadays it did not take much to get her come and the guys knew it.

Soon she was crying out their names as pleasure washed over her body. They went to lay back as she was still pumping her hands over their cocks. Their hands taking over to get them to come quicker when she stopped them.

They both groaned painfully close, “(Y/N) we’ve talked this over. It’s fine that we jack off there is nothing wrong with it.” Jensen said through gritted teeth.

(Y/N) felt guilty she could not do anything to help them get off whenever she needed too. Tonight, she thought of something as she sat up slightly. Jensen and Zac sat up their cock hard in their hands as she opened her mouth slight nodding towards them.

“Is she suggesting what I think she is?” Zac asked as he and Jensen knelt on either side of her.

“I’m sure and you both know I like it so get on with it.” She said opening her mouth turning toward Jensen.

He hesitantly moved closer to her breathing heavily as he held his cock right at her mouth. (Y/N) licked up his shaft feeling him shiver, “Oh fucking hell.” He groaned as he pushed into her mouth.

He was thrusting slowly into her as her tongue ran along the underside of his cock. He was heavy and thick making her body clench missing the feeling of him and Zac deep inside of her. She gently reached her hand over his sack caressing it just the way she knew would get him to come.

“Fuck (Y/N)! Oh god I’m coming!” he called out coming on her tongue.

Jensen laid beside her panting as she turned to Zac who was jerking himself already having watched her with Jensen, “Fuck gorgeous!” he grunted as she wrapped her lips around him just in time to taste him coming. “Holy shit (Y/N)!”

She had done the same thing to Zac’s sack as she had done with Jensen and his body trembled instinctively pumping himself into her mouth. He pulled out of her laying down panting.

(Y/N) smiled proudly caressing both of their cheeks, “I missed you guys so much.” They chuckled wrapping themselves around her. Just before she fell back asleep she felt both their hands resting on her stomach.

The next day was a whirl wind as they loaded up Jensen’s pick-up truck and Zac’s SUV with stuff for the party they were throwing at the brewery. It was a publicized baby shower that Entertainment Weekly was covering and something special that no one knew about except for (Y/N), Jensen and Shekinah.

Samantha Highfill interviewed them briefly before they went outside to take some pictures of the three of them. (Y/N) trusted her one hundred percent with anything after she had covered them coming out publicly about their relationship. She was open minded and supportive which meant the world to them. Once the interview and pictures were over, she heard Samantha chuckling with her new photographer.

“Hey (Y/N), my new guy has a question for you.” She said giving her a knowing look of what was to come.

She took a deep breath as he asked the same question everyone else had been asking her for nine months, “Do you know which one is the father?”

Samantha was trying to keep her laughter contained as Jensen and Zac walked up behind her curious as to what was going on. “They both are.” She answered simply looking at the other three who were now coughing to cover their laughter.

“Yeah, but biologically?” he pushed ceasing all laughter as Samantha went to step in.

(Y/N) shook her head stopping her before smiling at the guy answering, “I don’t know, and I don’t care because it does matter which one of their little swimmers pushed through to make me the size of a planet. It doesn’t matter because they are BOTH the fathers of this little one. They will equally love and adore this one whenever he or she decides to make their grand entrance. Okay?”

The poor guy nodded mumbling an apology as Jensen and Zac smiled down at her proudly, “You handled that better than the last person.” Jensen said as they walked back up to the brewery.

“That dude had it coming for reaching out to touch my stomach. Nobody touches me unless I say so. He’s lucky I could only graze his nuts. If I had full range of my leg, he would have been female.” She groaned as they walked inside.

Shekinah came up to her, “We’re ready.” She whispered smiling.

“Fantastic.” She nodded to Jensen who nodded back walking away from them for a moment.

He stood up in front of the bar tapping an empty glass to gather everyone’s attention. All of their family and friends were there along with cast, crew and various other members of their large family. Jensen brought a chair up for (Y/N) to sit on while Shekinah brought Zac up standing next to them.

“What the hell is going?” he asked as his sister shushed him.

“I wanted to take a moment to thank everyone for coming here today. Not only for the celebration of bring a new family member into this world,” he looked down at (Y/N) lovingly, “but also for supporting and accepting the three of us as we are. That means more to use than anything and we love you all for that.”

Everyone began clapping. “We have also gathered her to celebrate something that has been in the works for the last four years or so. For that I’m going to hand it over to my lovely wife, (Y/N).”

She cleared her throat as she looked up to Zac who was curiously looking down at her. “Zac, for the last year, Shekinah and I have been working non-stop on turning Nerd Machine into a full fledged non-for-profit. I can say as of a week ago, The Nerd Machine is officially an official non-for-profit organization.”

The shock on Zac’s face was priceless as his hazel eyes darted from his sister to (Y/N), “Are you serious?” he asked.

She nodded, “Deadly serious. Thanks to the wonderful owners of The Family Business Beer Company we are in the first stages of building an add on building here where we can host conventions, panels and anything else to benefit the charities that are important to us and the world.”

“I… I don’t know what to say.” He stammered tears rolling down his cheeks.

He hugged his sister as Jensen pulled out a special gift with the help of a few of the guys from the brewery. Zac looked over as (Y/N) pulled away the sheet covering the large wooden sign they had made for the new building.

He knelt down next to (Y/N), kissing her deeply taking her breath away. “Thank you.” He whispered against her lips before kissing her again.

“You deserve this and more handsome.” She said then suddenly everything felt wet beneath her. “Oh crap.”

Everyone looked to her as she looked down to the puddle below her then a sharp pain ripped through her as she groaned grabbing a hold of Zac’s arm. Jensen rushed over to her panic flooding his eyes, “(Y/N) what’s wrong?”

She took a few deep breaths, “My. Water. Broke.” She grunted through the pain.

Everyone started helping her towards Zac’s SUV as Shekinah and Jensen climbed in the back with her while Zac drove. (Y/N) was breathing through the contraction glaring at her stomach, “Kid I thought we had a deal to wait a couple of days. Stealing your daddy’s thunder.”

Everyone chuckled nervously as Zac quickly drove to the hospital. Both of them in the delivery room with her standing behind her as she pushed. Several hours later, the three of them were staring down at their son all of them with tears of happiness streaming down their faces.

A couple of days later she was sitting in the hospital room getting ready to leave as Zac walked in with the nurse and a wheel chair. “Ready to pick up your little one?” she asked nodding.

Jensen was holding him looking at all the other babies that had been delivered. “Come on dad, time to bust out of this place.” Zac said looking down at the nurse, “No offense.”

She smiled laughing, “None taken.” Jensen gave him to (Y/N) as they all walked out of the hospital.

Once at home, (Y/N) was sitting in her rocking chair in the nursery watching as their son suckled on her breast for milk. “Ow! Watch it little man. You must get that from your daddy.”

Zac walked in scoffing, “I don’t bite… hard.” (Y/N) rolled her eyes at him as Jensen walked as well sitting on the footstool in front of her.

“How are you feeling?” he asked.

“Like my nipple is being sucked off.” She answered grinning sarcastically.

Jensen gave her a pointed look, “Really?” he asked worried filling his olive eyes.

She sighed reaching over for his hand, “I’m good. The doctor put me on medicine that will help the depression and if it gets too bad I will say something.”

A big worry of (Y/N)’s was her depression spiraling after giving birth. Jensen and Zac were committed annoyingly so, to making sure that did not happen. She looked around seeing that Shekinah had finished the nursery while she was in the hospital.

Looking up seeing his name painted over his crib she smiled remember Jensen coming up with the suggestion after hours of battling over names. “You know, you really did pick the perfect name for him.” She said looking up at both men.

“Levi Ackles. He’ll be a world changer one day.” Jensen said touching his head softly.

(Y/N) smiled up at them, “Just like his dads.”

If you enjoyed this story then check out my Masterlist!

My Nerd Herd: @waywardbaby @ladywinchester1967 @akshi8278 @ericaprice2008 @deans-baby-momma @spnbaby-67 @dean-winchesters-bacon @carryonmywaywardcaptain @-lovepeacenhope- @destiel745 @carribear31 @srsllydunnodoncare @whimsicalrobots @thisismysecrethappyplace @starstruckzonkoperatorbat @adoptdontshoppets @mrswhozeewhatsis @bella-ca @drakelover78 @imascio08 @pisces-cutie @dwgrl1903 @mannls @the-salty-asian @winchesterprincessbride @xostephanie @superromijn @witch-of-letters @time-travel-bouqet @screechingartisancashbailiff @myinconnelly1 @sister-winchesters99 @thekatherinewinchester @babykalika2001 @maddiepants @tumbler-tidbits @sandlee44 @destielhoneybee @jerkbitchidjitassbutt @thefaithfulwriter @stoneyggirl @supernaturalginger @superheroforrent @steph-goldandblood @unrealistic-nerd

#fangirl dreams series #fangirl dreams: the family business #jensen ackles fanfiction #zachary levi fanfiction #jensen ackles x reader x zachary levi #jensen ackles fluff #zachary levi fluff #jensen ackles smut #zachary levi smut

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damonsbitchx · 7 years

Text

Redeem Me - Part 1

Pairings/Characters: Reader, Sam Winchester, Dean Winchester, brief mention of Bobby

Warnings: Angst, mentions of blood and violence

Word count: 1583

Part 1/?

A/N: This is a request by @karlilarki - (I thought of a supernatural fanfic that would be interesting, but I don't write spn... Any chance you would want to? The premise is simple, Sam & Dean exorcise a demon from a woman like they did Meg, but the woman lives. To make up for the wrongs she committed, she joins them as hunters...? Maybe eventually pair her with one of the brothers? Please? 😂 😘) - This will be a series, I’m not sure how long. I guess it will stop when I feel satisfied with the story. Enjoy!

Part 2

If you would like to be added to my Forever Tag list, a list for a specific character tag list, or have a request please send me an ask!

The last thing I remember was a glimpse of two very tall, broad men and black smoke. Everything after that is blank aside from some spotty images of my hands cutting into innocent strangers. It was spotty like that for a long time, until I found myself tied to a chair in the middle of a cluttered room in an unfamiliar house.

The shorter Winchester, whom I now know as Dean, was pacing a few feet in front of me. Sam was stalking around my possessed body with a book in hand that he started chanting words in Latin from. The demon inside of me shrieked, but it came out of my lips and my body was involuntarily thrashing around. I could hear the demon’s screams growing louder and louder in my head, but I was becoming less fuzzy. While my self-awareness began to return, I realized there was excruciating pain shooting up every nerve of my body. Suddenly, the shrieking wasn’t only the demon struggling to hang onto me and I think Dean could tell because he winced and turned away.

“Audi nos!” Sam shouted and I felt the demon being ripped from my body in the form of black smoke by an invisible force.

Then the smoke went up in flames at my feet, my screams were replaced by a peaceful silence for a brief moment.

My head lolled and my vision began fading as the pain throughout my body grew stronger. I could faintly hear the boys talking to me while I think they worked to untie me before the pain consumed my consciousness.

I woke up lying on the floor near the chair I was just tied up in, groaning weakly. Sam was leaning over me telling me it would be okay over and over again while I could see Dean and an older, angry looking man frantically yelling about something on the phone. It was hard to focus on anything while my vision became fuzzier and fuzzier. I’m bleeding, I think. I tried to move my arm to wipe the warm blood from my cheek, but it wouldn’t obey and I cried out in pain, startling Sam.

“Don’t move,” he said gently. I couldn’t hear him that well anymore as consciousness slipped away with each passing second.

The last thing I saw before I cut out again was Dean struggling to pull Sam away as paramedics rushed to my side.

And that was it.

I came to, very disoriented and groggy. My entire body hurt like I had been sandwiched between two semi-trucks and my head was pounding. I winced both at the bright light shining through the window and the pain that even the small task of swallowing caused. Then, I noticed Sam, asleep in a small chair next to the bed. I wonder how long he’d been there… or how long I’d been out.

I sighed quietly, inspecting all the wires and tubes connected to different parts of my body and Sam’s eyes fluttered open. I watched him rub the sleep from them and they grew wide as they caught mine and I conjured a weak smile. Relief washed his face with a smile as he instinctively reached for me, but he consciously stopped himself.

“Hi,” he breathed.

“Hey,” I croaked softly.

“Oh, uh I'll-I’ll go get a nurse.”

I watched him rush off to find a nurse and bring her back to check on me.

Apparently, I’d been out for almost three weeks. All the nurses and doctors were surprised that I even pulled through. They said I had suffered a lot of major injuries and that it would take months to recover, maybe even years, but it was a miracle I had even survived them, not to mention that I woke up.

The nurse gave me a once over to assess my condition and dose me up some painkillers, which I was very grateful for. It only took about 20 minutes, then she left saying she’d be back in a while to check on me again. The entire time, Sam had stood in a corner out of the way with a concerned, focused expression and crossed arms, hanging on every word the nurse said, but for completely different reasons than one would think. The moment she left, everything about Sam changed. His features became softer and he cautiously approached his chair again.

“You should ask for a more comfortable chair if you’re gonna live by my side,” I mumbled, my eyes fluttering. It was only 20 minutes, but I was tired out nonetheless.

“Oh, I uh..” he mindlessly ran his fingers through his hair,” I haven’t been here the whole time.”

“He’s right,” another voice interrupted, deeper and gruffer than Sam’s. It was Dean. “He’s left to go to the bathroom at least once a day,” he mocked.

Sam cleared his throat loudly, clearly irritated by his brother’s joking, but it made me chuckle weakly.

“Sam, you should go home and get some rest. I’m okay, neither of you boys really need to stay here.”

“C’mon Y/N, we can’t just leave you here after what we did to you,” Sam said, sitting back down in his chair.

“No, really, I’m okay. As soon as they release me, I’m going back home and we can pretend none of this ever happened. We’ll never have to see each other again, I want you both to go.”

Dean shrugged at Sam and Sam clenched his jaw at Dean, it was almost like they were having a conversation consisting solely of facial expressions.

“I’ll wait in the car,” Dean spoke softly, turning to me,“take care of yourself, Y/N.”

I shot him a small smile, glancing at Sam after Dean disappeared.

“Call us if you ever need anything,” Sam tried to smile, pressing a piece of folded paper to my palm and squeezing my hand gently.

Then, they were gone, and it was better this way.

I was kept in the hospital about a month after I woke up that day, just to make sure everything was healing correctly and no surprise issues showed up. After I was released, I found my way back to my small hometown of Reno, Nevada. All I wanted was to get back to my family, but it never occurred to me that I might not have anything to come back to. My house was no longer my house and my family was no longer a family.

After the injuries I suffered, and the new hair-do that demon bitch gave me, I was barely recognizable. Not to mention, I had been gone for a year and a half, no one would expect to see me, I was deemed dead. So, I asked around and what I found was exactly what I was afraid I would find. After I disappeared, my sister killed herself which caused my parents to divorce. My mother had moved to Washington to start a new family, my father turned into a drunk, and I was left with nothing. It seemed like I found less than I started with and I had no idea what to do, so I got in my car and started driving.

I drove at night and slept the through the day, whether it was at a shady motel I found along the way or just parking my car somewhere and sleeping the daylight away. I went on like this for nearly two months. Being possessed had come with a few perks, like picking up on credit card fraud and hustling pool. So, I always had more than enough money, but something about this new life I was living felt cold and empty. I would hop through town after town, meeting and leaving people each time. It was all fine and dandy, or at least it seemed that way from the outside.

Starting out, I didn’t use to sleep through the day and burn rubber while it was dark. I’m not sure if it was the darkness itself or just the mindset I lived in at night that brought on the unbearable nightmares. Sleeping during the daytime didn’t ward them away, but they became easier to handle. At least when I was jolted awake by the images of my bloodied hands strangling an innocent stranger in the darkness of his own home, I would open my eyes to light and that was the only comfort I’d ever known from the dreams that now haunted me.

I decided after almost seven weeks that I couldn’t do it anymore. I had seen everything that was worth seeing and had had more time to think, process, and grieve than I’d ever wanted. I was going crazy and I couldn’t shake these nightmares. I had tried and tried to figure out why, but each time I tried, I came to only one conclusion.

Guilt.

Every time I closed my eyes, all I could see was my hands committing horrifying murders and I needed to find a way to redeem myself, but what do you prescribe to someone who’s seen what I’d seen and done what I’d done? There is nothing, except for dedicating your life to ridding the world of as many of those horrors as you could.

So, I picked up my phone, fished through my bag for the folded piece of paper, and dialed the number.

“Hello?” a gruff voice came through the line.

“Dean?” I breathed.

There was a short silence.

“Y/N?”

Forever Tags: @assbutt-still-in-hell, @shotgunintheimpala, @wishedworld, @aquabrie, @pie-not-cake-you-assbutt

Redeem Me Tags: @karlilarki

#series #reader insert #fan fiction #fanfiction #spn fanfic #spn #Supernatural #Sam winchester #Dean Winchester #Sam fic #Dean fic #Redeem Me #Kat writes

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rrrawrf-writes · 7 years

Text

stuff i wrote at work 11.1

titled: How Long Will It Take Until Eli Punches Winn?

continued from pt. 1 | pt. 2

"No one told me we were looking for a person."

Eli glanced over his shoulder at Winn's comment, then frowned. The younger man had his nose buried in MI's copy of the case file, the one Winn wasn't supposed to look at. Eli hadn't enough noticed it leaving his messenger bag.

He reached over and plucked it out of Winn's hands.

"I thought you already knew. You told me you read the files."

"Just the DSA's," Winn said. He had tendency to fidget, Eli noticed, playing with the edge of his hoodie sleeves. "Why are we looking for a person, too?"

Eli sighed. He'd decided to take Winn through the back door, since going out the front would probably just result in Kawai ambushing them both.

"Secondary client," he explained. “We were originally hired to find Dr. Maddock. Our contract intersected with the DSA’s case, so we took that as well.”

Winn arched his eyebrows. “They just handed you a DSA case.”

“Well, no.” Eli turned a corner, coming up to the door to the back parking lot. A security badge scanner was mounted on the wall next to it, and he started patting his pockets for his ID card. “They gave the case to the Liberty Guard. And the Liberty Guard gave you to us.”

He checked his jacket pocket for the third time, wondering if he had left his security badge in the interview room, when Eli heard a beep. He looked up at Winn, who held Eli’s ID badge up to the door scanner.

It flashed a green light at them and unlocked. Eli frowned as Winn handed back his badge, with a bland, “You dropped this.”

Eli seriously doubted that. Sighing inwardly, he tucked the ID card in the inside pocket of his jacket. Winn slipped out ahead of him, glancing around the parking lot. On second thought, Eli checked for his car keys as the door swung shut behind him, then sighed.

“Hey, I need my keys back.”

“Whose motorbikes are those?” Winn asked, looking off to the side of the parking lot. Eli had to think for a moment, because first of all, none of his coworkers owned a motorcycle, and second of all, he couldn’t even see the bikes. They were hidden by a white-painted moving truck.

“Company’s,” he said, catching up to Winn before the ex-convict could skulk his way over to the motorcycles he really shouldn’t have known about. Eli hoped he could ‘find’ more than just bikes. He reached out to grab Winn’s sleeve, but the other man sidled just out of reach. “My keys.”

“Can I drive one?” Winn glanced over his shoulder at Eli, and shifted once more out of range. Eli started to think that this was going to become a thing.

“No,” he said firmly. Eli took a quick step forward, and this time, managed to snag Winn by his sleeve. The ex-convict tensed up instantly, and tried to pull away.

Eli wrapped his hand around the entirety of Winn’s bicep. “Keys.”

Winn glared at him sidelong from underneath his hat. “That little blue car?” he guessed. “I can’t work in a car. Let me ride a bike.”

Eli let out a puff of air. “I can’t let you you, you gotta stay in sight while we’re working. Kaplan said.”

Winn looked up at Eli, rolled his eyes, then pointedly lifted up the hem of his ragged jeans. A smooth black tracking anklet blinked green up at them with every second.

“Jackie gave you lot the code?” he asked in a dull voice. “You can watch every bloody step I take.”

Eli almost felt bad for him. He shrugged. “Sorry, Vinn. That’s what Kaplan told me.”

“It’s Winn. With a ‘w.’ Look,” Winn complained, “I get carsick. And I can’t work in a car, they’re too slow and I don’t have a license, anyway.”

Eli snorted. “What made you think you were driving?”

Winn shrugged, or at least, as best as he could with Eli hanging onto his arm.

“You just find things, right?” Eli decided that since Winn still wasn’t giving up his car keys, he would just take the ex-con over to their assigned vehicle. It was pathetically easy to haul Winn along. “Why can’t you do that in the passenger seat?”

“Let go,” Winn said, trying to dig in his heels. Eli did not heed his complaints until they reached the dark blue four-door.

“Tell you what,” Eli said. “If you can act like an adult today, I’ll let you ride one of the motorcycles tomorrow. Now, where are my keys?”

Winn tipped his head back towards the building. “You dropped them back there while you were manhandling me.”

Eli stared at Winn, then looked back. The sun glinted off a pair of keys at the far end of the parking lot.

Sighing, Eli let go and started the trek back. He was just stooping to pick the keys up when he heard running footsteps.

Eli watched as Winn ran across the asphalt, hopped up onto the hood and then the roof of Javed’s car, and vaulted right over the high chainlink fence that surrounded the parking lot.

He was pretty sure Winn threw in that extra flip just to show off.

Eli caught up to him outside a small cafe. Winn tracked the blue car as it circled the block, looking for a place to park, and then kept mental tabs on Eli himself as he walked back down the sidewalk.

The big man was on the phone as he walked; Winn waved his remaining half of a sandwich once Eli spotted him.

“All right. Thanks, Mickey,” Eli said to thin air, and then pulled a bluetooth device off his ear and frowned at Winn. “Did you steal that?”

‘That’ was the green motorcycle Winn currently straddled, propping his elbows on the handlebars.

“You barely know me, and you’re already accusing me of theft,” Winn said with a pout. Eli scoffed.

“Where’d you get it, then?”

“I rented it.” Winn straightened up, cramming the last few bites of his sandwich into his mouth all at once. Crumbs sprayed from his mouth as he added, “Like a law-abiding citizen.”

“You’re not a citizen, and you obviously have issues with following the law,” Eli pointed out. He eyed Winn critically. “Can you even afford that?”

It was a valid question. The motorcycle was a newer model, pristine, and only made Winn look even shabbier than usual by comparison. It couldn’t hold up to his own bike, of course, but it was green and the fastest model available.

Winn shifted forward to pull a credit card and the accompanying paperwork out of his pocket. He handed it all to Eli. “You dropped that.”

“I don’t think I did.” Eli, for the first time so far, sounded annoyed. He took the credit card first, flipping it over, and pursed his lips. “This is my company card.”

“Yeah. For on-the-job expenses, right?” Winn shrugged. He could have taken Eli’s personal card, but his black eye still hurt from getting punched by two of Mercury Independent’s personnel, and that probably would send him back to prison. Eli seemed better than the others - maybe he’d let this slide.

Even with that assumption about Eli’s character, Winn couldn’t stop himself from planning an escape. He watched as Eli flipped through the crinkled and stapled packet of papers, detailing the rental agreement, Winn could start the bike in a second, but Eli stood directly in front of him, and it was a busy street. As the silence stretched on, Winn shifted his weight, started to ease his weight onto his left leg in case he needed to run after all.

Eli sighed and stuffed the paperwork into his pocket. “You really need the bike?”

“You really need me to work?” Winn retorted. Eli hesitated, then sighed again.

“Fine,” he said. Winn dragged his mind away from marking out the nearest alley that he could escape down. “But if you run off like that again, I’m shipping you back to Boston.”

Winn sat back on his bike, grinned, and kickstarted the engine. “Let’s get to work.”

But before he could go anywhere, Eli leaned his elbow on the handlebars and matched Winn’s grin with one of his own.

“One condition,” he said. “I ride with you.”

Eli regretted his decision.

Winn drove like a maniac. The bike could, legally, carry two people - but there definitely was not room enough for the both of them. Nevertheless, Eli tried to minimize contact between them; he’d noticed Winn’s tendency to maintain person space (except, of course, when he was picking their pockets), and he tensed up whenever someone touched him. Right now, Winn was stiff as a board, and trying to kill them both.

They should have crashed at least eight times, and ran a number of spotlights - but even when Winn squeezed them in the narrowest spaces possible between two cars, not even the sleeve of Eli’s jacket brushed against them.

Winn never even said where they were going, and as they idled at a red light after nearly an hour of aimless meandering, Eli grew increasingly certain that the ex-con was just screwing around. He was about to say so, when Winn stiffened.

He looked to the right-hand turned, as focused as a dog who had spotted his prey. Alarm bells went off in Eli’s mind as he saw Eli ease his thumb over the switch for the right-hand turn signal. “Vinn, we’re in the wrong lane -”

The second the cross-traffic stoplight turned red, Winn punched the accelerator. Eli wrapped his arms around the smaller man as they cut in front of an entire lane of traffic, narrowly missing a head-on collision with a semi-truck still in the act of turning.

“What are you doing!” Eli shouted, though he could barely hear himself over the cacophony of car horns blaring at them. He felt, more than heard, Winn laughing.

“Lean left, you fat bastard,” Winn shouted gleefully over his shoulder. Eli started to think that he deserved another black eye.

Winn committed several more traffic felonies before they finally escaped downtown traffic, zooming down a street leading into a quieter part of the city. At last, they rolled to a stop in an empty parking lot, facing lines of rundown storage units.

“All right,” Winn said, “get off.”

Eli couldn’t move for a few more seconds, because he still wasn’t convinced they hadn’t been run over by a semi-truck after all. He shook a little even when he finally slid off the motorcycle. Winn relaxed, dropping his shoulders with a long exhalation.

He then shook himself like a dog with fleas. “I can’t do that again,” he warned Eli leaning against the handlebars. The motorcycle engine still hummed.

Eli let out a hoarse laugh. “You can’t? I had a panic attack.”

“Why?” Winn scoffed. “We weren’t going very fast, you’re too fat to get up to any real speed.”

He stretched his arms above his head, arching his spine. Eli’s gaze fixed on the back of Winn’s sweater as it rode up with the motion. Eli thought he’d felt something during the insane bike ride, but now he could see the imprint of a gun, where the hoodie pressed against the small of Winn’s back.

“Anyway,” Winn said, “I’ve done my part. Ring me when you’re done, and I’ll come get you.”

“Wait,” Eli said, as Winn revved the bike engine. Eli wedged his foot - now fully titanium - just in front of the rear tire, and grabbed the back of the seat. Winn shot him a dirty look. “Why are we here?”

Winn groaned loudly. “You told me to find the weapon,” he said, “so I found it. Go get it.”

“Where is it?”

Winn threw an exasperated gesture towards the rows of storage units, each with an identical blue roll-up door, and surrounded by a high chain-link fence.

The two men glared at each other. In a flat voice, Eli said, “You want me to go search through a million locked boxes while you go dick around?”

Winn shrugged. “No one said I had to help you get the thing -”

He cut off with a yelp as Eli grabbed the front of Winn’s sweater and dragged him bodily off the bike.

“Where is it,” Eli said. Winn gave him a bad-tempered shrug.

With a slight growl, Eli asked, “You expect me to believe you can track down a little girl from Boston to Charleston, but you can’t tell which storage unit here has a WMD in it?”

Winn wriggled out his grip, lip curled with disgust, and turned towards the bike. Eli reached over and yanked the keys out of the motorcycle’s ignition, pointedly sticking them in his pocket.

“Yeah, I can,” Winn said, “but I’m not about to fight off a couple thugs for it.”

Eli arched his eyebrows. “Thugs?” he repeated. “When were you going to mention that?”

Winn rapped the back of his hand against Eli’s chest, flashing him a crooked smirk. “You’re a big, strong, tough-lookin’’ bloke,” he said, “you would’ve been all right.”

Eli caught Winn’s hand before he could pull it away. He held it to his chest and gave Winn a tender smile. “That’s so nice of you to notice...and super gay.”

The smug look dropped right off Winn’s face; he turned beet red and looked somewhat panicked. “What - I didn’t mean it like that -”

“Too late, no take backs.” Eli cheerfully dragged Winn towards the gate. “Who’s in there?”

Winn tried to escape Eli’s grip, setting his heels against the asphalt, but let out a squeak of pain when Eli squeezed his wrist.

“I don’t - I don’t know,” he said. “Let go of me, you -”

“Tell me what you can.” There was a smaller, foot entrance to the side of the larger vehicle gate into the storage area. Eli absently jingled the chain and padlock keeping it shut, while Winn fruitlessly tried to twist and pull his hand out of Eli’s.

“There’s two - three,” Winn corrected himself sourly. “One just stopped to talk to the other one. What’s wrong with you bloody country? They all have guns.”

Eli gave him a flat look. Winn stared back at him, as if he wasn’t packing a handgun at the small of his back right at that very moment. Eli rolled his eyes.

Winn added, “Two people unloading a car at the far end. They probably aren’t with the others.

“We’ll wait a moment for them to leave,” Eli decided.

“Why?”

“Collateral damage.” Eli looked down at his phone, shooting off a quick text to Mickey and Javed: At hector’s storage on 5th, W says its here. “Don’t want to involve anyone that we don’t have to, especially if those guys really do have guns.”

“I said they do,” Winn grunted. After a second, he added, “If you can stop holding my hand for a minute, I can get us inside.”

“Does it involve double-flipping over the fence?” Eli cast the flimsy chain-link barrier a critical look. “Because I don’t think it would hold my weight.”

“Maybe you should try this little thing called ‘exercising’,” Winn muttered. “I can pick the lock.”

Eli could also pick the lock, but he just nodded and let go. Winn made a show of shaking out his hand, nose crinkled in disgust, before pulling a couple of wires out of his pocket.

He had the padlock open before Eli could even blink. They rewound the chain around the gate after slipping through, and then Winn jerked his head to the side. “This way.”

Eli had them wait a few minutes in the corner made by two perpendicular rows of storage units, until they could hear the rattle of the vehicle gate open, and a car rumble through it. Winn announced, “Those other people are gone.”

They prowled down another row, until they were only one corner away from the two people lounging in front of the storage unit in question. the third, acxording to Winn, was inside the unit itself.

“So, what’s your plan?” Winn asked in a low voice.

“I’d like to apologize in advance,” Eli said.

“What?”

“Distract them for me.” Eli reached up under Winn’s sweater, grabbing his pistol. In the same motion, he pulled the gun out of Winn’s holster, and then shoved the man around corner. Winn stumbled into full view of the storage unit guards.

#stuff i wrote at work #winn #eli #mi #mercury independent #superpowerverse #iwrite #i realize that there is a lot of manhandling in my stories that wouldn't actually go over very well in real life #oh well~~~#i stayed up an hour past bedtime to type this up so y'all better APPRECIATE THIS

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diddlesanddoodles · 8 years

Text

BITTER LEMONS MAKE (GT/Fantasy)

Prologue to Salted Lemonade.

This monstrosity is a bit shy of 16,000 words. Holy biscuits. I decided to upload the prologue as one big story rather than into short chapters as I originally intended for the sake of simplicity and because I don’t have the patience to upload another story via separate chapters. Also, I am a person who appreciates a good long read, especially GT stories since many tend o be short. And I hope the people who do read my stories appreciate it as well. Thank you for reading and I hope you enjoy it.

The changing of the leaves brought the first frost of the coming season as well as excited talk of costumes and candy and parties. Recess was spent ogling over the newly released Party City costume insert from last Sunday’s newspaper and fervent discussions on who would go as what or as who. Most of the girls in her class were all fawning over the newest Disney Princess costume. The deluxe one that came with the nicer wig and accessories with a price tag to match. Astrid wanted to be a zombie. Not a princess or something girly like that. A proper and true zombie with blood and guts and lots of cool make up.

But her Mother did not like her daughter’s idea and had been not so subtly suggesting she pick something with more frills and skirts and sequins. To which Astrid had cheekily suggested that she could go as Mrs. Lovette. Her mother shot down the idea after doing a google search on the character.

So as the number 24 bus drove down W. Gulliver Blvd, Astrid was in deep thought about her costume choices. She did not want to go door to door dressed as a floofy cupcake like every other girl in town. Every Halloween since she could rightly remember, Astrid had gone with whatever costume idea her mother had. She never had anything against them because they were always funny or unique. But this year, her mother seemed determined to see her daughter in a puffy pink dress parading around like the Princess of Prussia. All Astrid wanted to be was an undead brain eating monster. Maybe they could compromise and she could be a Zombie princess.

She was jarred from her thoughts when the bus slowed and stopped. Looking up, she saw Rosita’s diner and the shell gas station, a full three blocks from the next bus stop. Her bus stop. A crack of static from the loud speaker drew the attention of the bus passengers and the driver’s voice spoke out.

“Attention all Jessup Road passengers. We got construction on Herald Circle and a wreck blocking Main street, so I’m afraid I’ll be having to drop you off here. Come see me up to the front when disembarking and I shall issue you a refund receipt.”

With a sigh, Astrid pulled on her jacket and slipped her yellow backpack onto her shoulders before slipping off the hard plastic seat, standing aside as a young man in a high school jersey nudged passed her. Following the young man, an elderly woman with a two wheeled hand cart filled with groceries, and a businessman with a cell phone pressed to his ear, Astrid collected her refund receipt.

His bored and lazy expression sharpened into something resembling mild concern s as Astrid waited, hand outstretched for her receipt.

“You live close by, kid?” he asked.

“Yeah. Off of Comly.”

“Oh, okay. Well, tell your folks to go to that URL on the back and sign into your account. Follow the prompts and put in that code, it’ll refund your buss pass,” said the driver, handing her a small slip of paper. She muttered a quiet thank you and stepped off the warm bus into the chilly air. She could cut through the strip mall and walk down Forrest St and walk straight into her backyard. She would be home in five minutes.

The young man in the high school jersey and matching jacket seemed to have had the same idea and was heading towards the strip mall. He had paused by the window to the Hibbett’s Sports and by the time he had moved on, Astrid had caught up, passing him by. After the Michael’s craft store, there was the large expansive overflow parking lot. There was a few semi trucks parked off to the side and a few employee cars, but it was mostly empty. The high school boy’s legs were much longer than her own and by the time they were almost half way across the asphalt, he had passed her again. He flashed her a smarmy lopsided grin. Astrid scrunched her nose and stuck her tongue out at the back of his head.

Under her sneakers, the ground shivered. Stopping, Astrid looked around her and hearing something jingle, she looked up at the light post. She could see it sway slightly. The young man had stopped too and was glancing around curiously.

“Oh man,” he said with an excited grin. “That was an earthquake!”

The ground shivered again. And bucked. And swayed. Astrid cried out as she fell to her knees, unable to keep on her feet as everything that should not be moving was moving.

“Ah, cool!” yelled the older boy, his excitement was nearly palpable. “This is awesome!”

Astrid was no where near as excited as he was at experiencing her first earthquake. There was nothing as sturdy and as present and solid as the ground a person walked on and to feel it move and buck like a horse was terrifying. And she would very much like for it to stop.

However, instead of complying to the wishes of a fourth grader, it got worse. There was a crack like the sound of a whip somewhere nearby, and the wind started to kick up. Astrid watched the dirt and small rocks fly about in the wind as it began to turn and twist and there came a sudden shift in the strength of the wind’s spin. She felt herself sliding as the twisting air pulled at her. Her bare hands batted feebly at the ground, trying to find purchase. She heard the older boy scream as he lost his balance and fell hard on the ground and too began to slid towards the eye of the cyclone. Their fear filled eyes met for the briefest of moments before the surface below them dropped away and the pair fell into the nothingness.

…………….

The nothingness gave way to sound and air and an uncomfortable tightness in her chest. She gasped for breath and tumbled into the dirt. She heard the sound of someone gasping loudly and suspected it to be the older boy.

“Uuugh,” he muttered. “Augh, my chest.”

She whined in feeble agreement, rubbing her sternum as she pushed up from the ground. It felt as though someone had punched her. There was a pungent smell of pine that greeted her next inhale of air and she raised her head, curious. Her stomach clenched. All around were trees taller than any she had ever seen. The seemed to stretch high above them like hands reaching up to block the sky. Their sharp needled branches, looking like tiny clawed fingers against the orange light of the dying sun.

Wait. Sunset? Astrid glanced at her cell phone. 3:22 PM. And no signal. The strip mall was no where in sight. In fact, the only thing she could see were the huge trees. Trees and dirt and rocks.

“Where the hell...?” asked the boy aloud, sitting up from where he had been laying. “Crap...these trees are freakin’ huge!”

Carefully pulling herself up from the dirt, Astrid rose to her feet and winced against several new aches. Her backpack was a familiar and comforting weight against her back and shoulders.

“Hey. Do you have a cell phone, kid?” The boy asked. In his hands, he held a thin white iphone.

“Yeah,” she replied, flashing him a small black brick that was her prepaid Nokia. “But no bars.”

“Me neither. Damn,” he replied, glaring at the useless piece of metal in his hands. “Well. This day has been very weird.”

Astrid nodded numbly, still starring at the trees and wondering how such giant things could exist. And a though struck her.

“I think I know where we are!” She exclaimed, excited at her genius.

“Where?” asked the boy, a hopeful glint in his brown eyes.

“California!”

The hopeful glint was replaced with an incredulous raising of an eyebrow. “California.”

“Yeah.”

“Suuuure. We just magically popped across the country. California is like...500 miles away!”

“But the trees,” she replied with a huff. “They’re big.”

“I noticed that.”

“And they have big trees in California.”

A spark of recognition hit him. “Oh! The redwoods!”

“Yeah!”

“Hey, you might not be wrong,” he replied. “But still. How the hell did we get to California?”

………………………………..

If she thought the weirdest thing that had ever happened to her was being magically being tossed across the country, Astrid was in for a troubling development. In the form of a thirty foot fence.

After several moments of standing around uselessly with plenty of indecisive grumbling as to what to do, they ultimately decided to pick a direction and start walking for as long as the light held out. Despite conventional wisdom telling them that it would have been better to stay where they were. They reasoned that no one would be searching for them in the Redwood nation forest when they would be reported missing several states away. So best go find a park ranger or something. Before it got dark.

So when their path was abruptly blocked by what appeared to them as a wall of chicken wire, they were confused.

“Who builds such a huge fence out of chicken wire?” the boy, Tommy, mused bitterly. Astrid ran two fingers along the metal. The wire itself was thick. Thicker that the power cord to her Grandpa’s shop vac and though the weave of the metal did resemble chicken wire, it was much sturdier and did not have near the give and sway that she normally associated it. “Damn, this thing’s tall too.”

“What do we do?” Astrid asked, starting to feel sweaty and dirty. A hot bath sounded good. And a sandwich. She was getting hungry.

“I say we follow it,” Tommy shrugged. “I mean, it’s gotta lead somewhere right?”

It was starting to get dark and the temperature was dropping fast. Her plush red flannel jacket was keeping her warm enough, but her face was chilled and she was rubbing feeling back into her nose and cheeks. The denim of her jeans was stiffening in the cold. She followed after Tommy as he continued on down the fence line. After about an hour, she noticed to her other side more fencing. They seemed to be coming to a point where the fences met.

“Hey, look!” Tommy exclaimed, pointing ahead. “There’s a gap there.”

Sure enough, just where one would expect the two fences to meet was a generous sized gap. A gate perhaps? Tommy jogged ahead, leaving Astrid to toddle along behind. The boy’s long legs brought him quickly over to the gap, kicking up forest debris as he went. Astrid saw the faint orange light of the setting sun bounce off a reflective surface, hidden under pine needles and dirt. Curious, she walked over to it and as she got close enough to see that it was indeed metal, there was a faint clink from under her sneaker and there came a horrendous crashing of metal and screaming hinges. She screamed as walls rose from from every direction and snapped shut, tossing Astrid backwards. Her shoulders slammed into metal bars.

“What the crap was that?!” Tommy yelled, whirling around. His eyed widened. “Holy-! Oh god, are you okay?!”

Astrid’s entire field of vision was framed by bars. Metal bars. Cage bars. It was a cage. She was in a cage. It took several long moments for this fact to sink in and Tommy was already at the cage, pulling on what he assumed to be a door. There was a huge bolt keeping it closed. Four feet long and several inches thick. It looked as though it could weigh an easy 100 lbs. No matter how hard Tommy yanked on it, it would not move.

Astrid was on her feet, pulling and pushing every piece that looked like it might move. But nothing did. Suddenly, there was a bright flash of blue light, startling both of them. Atop the cage was a blue light that blinked and fluttered like a police car light.

“Please, get me out!” Astrid pleaded. The belated sense of panic was taking root in her mind now. It had been easy to be enthralled by the bizarre circumstances, let the novelty and wonder take precedent. But now accumulating evidence was beginning to leave her terrified. The trees were huge. The fence was huge. This cage was huge. She felt small and helpless. She wanted out. She wanted to go home.

“I don’t want to be here anymore! I want to go home!” Astrid cried.

Tommy bent down to her level, looking at her through the bars. He looked almost as terrified as she felt. “Look, just...uh, calm down. Okay? You’re gonna be fine. I’m gonna...” he trialed off, looking around hopelessly and then up at the blinking light. “I’m gonna try and find someone...I’ll...”

He stepped back, starring at the sky. His own sense of wonder and awe was gone as well. Replaced by panic and fear.

“HELP!” He screamed up at the sky. “SOMEBODY! PLEASE!”

“Help!” Astrid added, though she could not manage near the volume.

“ANYBODY OUT THERE?” Tommy yelled.

They carried on for a good while, screaming at empty air for help. But then, from the near silent forest came a familiar sound. A welcomed sound. Foot steps. The wave of relief was acutely palpable and Astrid almost sobbed in relief.

“Hello!” Tommy yelled, walking towards the sound. “Is somebody there?”

“Aye. That’d be me,” replied a calm voice. It echoed oddly, but both Tommy and Astrid were so relieved to have finally been found to notice. The prospect of going home filled Astrid and her face broke out into a wide happy grin. She would go home and tell her mother that she would gladly wear the gaudiest, fluffiest, pinkest princess dress she could find and go trick or treating with a skip in her step.

Tommy was almost laughing with relief. “Mind giving us a hand? Some freaking nutcase set these giant traps and my friend’s stuck inside.”

There was a laugh, a low chuckle, and the foot steps got closer and closer. And louder and louder. A dark shape amongst the trees drew their focus. It was large. Tall. Impossibly tall. The footfalls were much louder now and tremors shook the ground.

The joy of being found was starting to fade and uncertainty took hold. Fear bubbled back.

The dark shape stepped up to the gap in the fence and the dying light cast them in a deep orange light. It was man like in body, but in size it was monstrous. As she starred, everything seemed to suddenly click in Astrid’s mind. The impossibly tall trees. The thirty foot fence. This absurd cage she was trapped in. And now, a mere 100 meters away, stood a giant.

An honest to goodness giant.

He was slightly shorter than the fence, but not by much. Easily twenty something feet. Appearing middle aged with brown hair and dull gray eyes. His ears were large and laughably shaped with shared similarities to those of an elf. He was dressed in a long dark coat with something strung across his back and at his side was what appeared to be a dog. An eight foot tall dog. Lithe and thin snouted with long shaggy black fur and piercingly blue eyes. It sat on its haunches, calmly watching. “Sorry to put a damper on things, little fella...”

Both Tommy and Astrid froze and their eyes widened as their brains struggled to process what they were seeing.

“But, y’see,” continued the giant with a smirk, flashing a set of wickedly sharp canines. “I’d be that freakin’ nutcase who set them traps.”

An alarming sense of nausea took over everything. Astrid felt like her insides were being pulled down to the bottom of her feet. Adrenaline sparked through her limbs, making her hands tingle. The giant was watching them, taking in their much smaller forms and smiling enigmatically all the while. The large dog at his side did not move, but its blue eyes never left their trained focus. On Tommy.

“Gotta say, you two are mighty lucky I happened by this section,” said the giant brightly as he stepped closer. Tommy visibly recoiled and took several cautious steps back. Astrid shrank back to the furthest end of the cage. The giant took little to no notice. “Don’t come down this way much anymore. Haven’t seen anything pop through here for almost a year. Figured the partition healed or something. But here you are. Heh. And two of you as well! Must’ve been quite a collapse to suck two of you lil’ snippets up in one go.”

“Look, uh...sir. We don’t want any trouble,” Tommy said, voice cracking.

“And I ain’t here to bring any to you,” replied the giant simply, his shoulders rising and falling in a lazy shrug. “So long as you cooperate, that is.”

“Please,” Tommy continued, a desperate lilt coloring his words. Worried eyes flickered over to Astrid and back to the giant, one shaky hand gesturing to the trapped girl. “Just...let her out. We’re just trying to get home, sir. We just want to go home. Please.”

The giant’s overall pleased demeanor faltered and his eyebrow narrowed every so slightly. The curl of his smile withered. “Ain’t no goin’ home for you two now. Best come to terms with that. Make it easy for yourselves.”

“W-what do you...” Tommy muttered with a narrowing of his brow and taking a deliberate step back. “ You can’t keep us here. Of course we’re going home!”

The giant regarded the pair for a moment and his expression changed to amusement. He stifled a laugh. “Not unless you figured out how to rip space and time apart, navigate the inbetween, and rearrange your own atoms back together in the proper order and in the correct location.”

Both humans were struck dumb.

“It’d be a mighty neat party trick,” added the giant. “Pay good money to see that.”

Astrid felt decidedly sick and her breathing was becoming erratic as she began to panic. Tommy did not seem much better.

“So, how about we wrap this up, hm? It’s gettin’ mighty late,” the giant said, striding purposefully towards them now. “And it’s nearly dinner time.”

Images of every monster movie she had ever seen flashed in Astrid’s head. Gnashing teeth and buckets of blood, glass shattering screams, and the long pained death throws of the doomed victims. All of it was wrapped in the form a twenty something foot man who making his way straight for them.

She turned to Tommy and yelled. “RUN!”

The older boy did not even spare her a glance before he turned and bolted away, his long legs and adrenaline filled veins carrying him far and fast in a manner of mere moments. Astrid heard the giant release a long frustrated sigh. “Silly boy.”

“Knew it,” quipped a new voice from behind the giant. But all Astrid saw was the dog.

“Tippan,” the giant said, glancing over his shoulder at the dog. “Fetch.”

“He looked like a runner,” replied the dog. Astrid had only the briefest moment to marvel, or tremble, at the prospect of a talking dog – a talking eight foot tall dog – before she watched in horror as the large hound bolted off after Tommy.

“Now then,” came the giant’s voice much closer than Astrid remembered and she turned and found him kneeling over the cage and peering down at her. “Let’s get you settled away, sweetheart.”

Astrid pressed herself into the far back corner, staring up at the enormous figure. She felt hot tears streaming down her face and her breath was caught in her throat. He dipped his shoulder and slipped off a large square pack from his back. In the dim light it was hard to really tell, but it looked like it was made of boiled red leather. On the side facing Astrid, she could see a small window cut out. It looked like something a person would carry a pet in. Or something a giant would keep captured humans in. He studied her for a moment and his eyes narrowed in concentration.

“Well I’ll be damned. A kit!” said the giant in astonishment and he leaned down closer. He smiled. “Never had one fall through before. Huh. You’re just a little smidgen of a thing, aren’t you?”

“Please don’t eat me!” she begged, starring up at him with wide terrified eyes.

His grin widened and he huffed a laugh. “Eat you? Oh, sweetie. As scrumptious as you look, that’s not why I’m here.”

The large bolt that she and Tommy had struggled to move earlier was easily and effortlessly pulled out and the door popped open. A hand crept inside. Astrid curled into herself, covering her head with her arms and whimpered in sheer terror, waiting for the hand to grab her, for fingers to tear her limbs from her body, and for teeth to crush her bones.

“Aw, now. Don’t be like that, little darlin’,” said the giant. “You’re breakin’ my heart here.”

She felt something brush her side and she cried out and tried to scramble away, but large fingers easily wrapped around her and drew her out of the metal trap. Her arms were pinned to her sides, but her legs were free and she kicked uselessly at open air. The giant chortled in amusement.

“Lively one you are,” he muttered. She watched his other hand travel over to the red leather pack and peel back the flap. The inside was divided into two sections with enough room in each one for a person – a human – to stand. He then lowered Astrid into one of the compartments, closing the flap after her and sealing her in. She immediately dropped to floor and curled up. Her heart was beating so fast and it didn’t feel like she could get enough air into her lungs. From the outside, she heard a noise and the giant speak.

“Good work, Tippan.”

She could hear Tommy grunting and swearing. Astrid struggled back to her feet and pressed her face against the window cut out in the leather. There was a kind of black mesh covering the gap and the weave was large enough for her to see out.

The hound had Tommy in it’s mouth, the poor boy’s torso and legs dangling off either side while the jaws of the enormous animal were firmly clenched around his middle. Astrid wanted to scream, but she was relieved that there was no blood and Tommy did not appear to be in any pain. Mostly angry.

The giant held his hands out and the dog leaned forward and allowed the unhappy human to tumble from his mouth and into the waiting hands. Unlike Astrid, Tommy did not freeze up at the sight of the giant. He struggled and kicked and tried valiantly to pull himself from between fingers thick as man’s thigh.

“Let me go you fucking-!”

“Hey now. What happened to all them please’s and sir’s?”

“They fucked off!”

“Now, now. Calm yourself. No need to get all -OW!”

Tommy dropped to the dirt with an ‘oof!’ and was on his feet and running again, but he did not get very far, only a few feet, before the dog – Tippan - pounced on him and pinned him to the dirt. The dog gave a low growl, a warning, before lifting its head back towards its master.

“Okay there, Faro?” asked Tippan. “Did he get you good?”

“Nah. Didn’t even draw blood,” the giant, Faro, remarked and winced. “Still smarts a bit, though.”

Tippan huffed what might have been a laugh. “Serves you right for not having your gloves.”

The giant scowled at the dog while rummaging through a side pocket on the pack. He pulled out what looked like lengths of leather and something else that Astrid could not see.

“Just keep him still for me,” Faro replied as he brought the object in his hands over to the trapped human. The giant’s bulk blocked most of what he was doing, but Astrid could hear Tommy cursing and struggling. Faro seemed to be having a little trouble doing whatever it was he was doing, because he kept muttering for Tommy to calm down or to stop wiggling.

“There!” The giant exclaimed finally. Tippan stepped back and the giant turned towards the pack, granting Astrid a look a Tommy. His arms were crossed over his chest and pinned there with leather straps and the way he squirmed, Astrid assumed that they were a bit snug. But the most startling thing was not him being tied up. No. It was that contraption around his face. A small metal cage around his mouth secured with more leather straps and other bindings.

The giant had muzzled him.

“Really hate to use this thing on you, little fella,” Faro said as he lifted the forcibly pacified human. “But I can’t have you nibbling on my fingers like that.”

Tommy did not answer. He did not even swear. He looked broken. His eyes were wide and they glistened with frustrated tears. The flap above Astrid was pulled aside and she looked up to see the giant bringing Tommy over and lowering him gently down into one of the other compartments. Before the giant closed it up again, his eyes drifted over to her and settled on her for a moment. And then he closed the flap, snapping it closed. They were left in almost absolute darkness with the only light coming in from the mesh window. But by now the sun had all but set completely and whatever light was left did not make it through the mesh much at all. Astrid slid back down to the floor of the pack just as the entire thing rose into the air, tilting alarmingly to the side as the giant strung it across his back.

She hugged herself and tried to hold back a sob.

……………………………

“What is that noise?” asked an irritated Tippan.

“It’s the kit,” said Faro. “Little thing’s scared is all.”

“Well, can you get it to stop?”

“Have a heart, Tippan. She’s probably just callin’ for her Mum.”

“Well, her Mum ain’t gonna be answering.”

“The kit doesn’t know that. She’ll stop soon. Just be patient.”

Astrid ignored the two larger voices and continued sobbing into her kneecaps. The swaying and bouncing of the pack did not help and was a continued reminder of everything that had happened. She knew just on the other side of the pack was Tommy. The high school boy who had been pulled into this mess along with her. She couldn’t understand how he wasn’t audibly crying as well. The giant had sicced his hell hound after him and even muzzled him! She wanted to call out to him, ask him if he was alright, but she was afraid the giant or his hound would hear her. And in any case, Astrid was not sure she could muster coherent words at the moment.

They continued on for a good while in this manner, but as the giant had foretold to his hound, Astrid went quiet after a time. She felt everything and numb all at once. She idly wondered if this was what it felt like for your brain to break. Every physical sensation felt magnified. The sway of her cage. The texture of the pack’s lining, the smell of the air inside it, and pressure of gravity pressing down on her into the cushioned bottom. But inside, her head was alarmingly silent. No emotions were felt. No thoughts heard. Tears were drying on her face and she starred unblinking out the mesh lines window. It was too dark to see anything, but the chilled air from outside would push through ever so often and chill her face with a breezy kiss. She smelled pine and dirt and leather. Foreign and disturbing.

The trees she watched through the window were suddenly illuminated with faint yellow light that brightened the further the giant walked, approaching the source of the light.

“And here we are,” said Faro with warmth in his voice. “Home sweet home.”

“Finally,” said Tippan. “Food and sleep!”

“First thing’s first,” said Faro as Astrid heard more than saw him climb a short set of stairs. “Gotta settle the humans away.”

Tippan moaned. “Can’t we do that tomorrow? I’m tired. And hungry. Just toss ‘em in the kennel and feed me!”

The giant laughed.

“You haven’t done anything today!” There was the sound of metal clinking together that Astrid recognized as keys. She could hear him push one into what she assumed was the lock on a door. Sure enough after there came the sound of a key turning and a lock clanking and then there was the distinct sound of a door opening. She felt the back of her mind tingle as the numbness gave way to a torrent of emotions. There was fear and dread, but down below all that was a faint curiosity for which she almost felt ashamed.

“I chased down the runner,” argued Tippan, sounding hurt. “And just so you know, that one’s pretty fast. Might not have caught him so easily if he hadn’t tripped.”

“In any case, we’ll still need to settle them away first. Gotta follow protocol,” Faro replied. “I’m not gonna leave the little fella muzzled and hog-tied all night.”

“You could.”

“I’m not, though.”

“Might teach the twerp not to bite,” Tippan sighed dramatically. “Alright, boss. Have it your way.”

Astrid watched through the window as the giant walked into the house and was reminded of the time she and her family went camping in Montana. They stayed in a log cabin with walls that looked very similar to the walls of the giant’s home. Even the smell was similar. For the most part. There was an oddly sour scent to the air mixed with the smells of the natural wood that she could not place. The walls were sparsely decorated with small shelves covered in odd nick knacks. A painting of a waterfall. An elaborately made clock carved from wood and brightly painted. The numbers were replaced with strange symbols.

The pack swung sideways as the giant slipped if off and setting it down onto a table, made from the same wood as the walls. She heard the clasp on the outside snap and the flap was pulled away. Her dark corner of the pack lit up. There was a scuffling noise from the other side of the pack and she heard Tommy curse. In response, she looked up in time to see the giant pulling Tommy out. He closed the flap back down, but did not lock it.

She peered out of the window to see Faro holding Tommy in one hand so his legs dangled off the edge of the palm and supporting the human’s back with the other. The giant was looking at him sternly.

“You’re gonna behave now, aren’t you?”

She saw Tommy nod fervently.

“Good. Because I’m gonna take this off you. But believe me, if you get snippy again, I won’t hesitate to put it back on. And it won’t be coming off for a good while. Understand me?”

Again, Tommy nodded.

Faro sat Tommy down on his feet and undid the leather bindings, sliding the muzzle off. Tommy’s face was pale and his hands were shaking. The giant sat down in a chair facing Tommy, dropping the leather and muzzle into a heap off to the side. Wordlessly, he reached into his coat and pulled out a pad of paper and a pen. He popped the pen’s top off, set the tip to the paper, and gazed at the trembling human.

“What’s your name, little fella?”

“T-thomas Contini, sir.”

The giant took a note, the edges of his mouth twinges in a small grin.

“How old are you, Thomas?”

“I’m seventeen, sir.”

Another note.

“Know your blood type by chance?”

“My blood…? Uh. Yeah. O negative.”

“Good,” replied the giant. “Not many of you tend to know.”

More notes.

“Any allergies?”

“N-no.”

“Illnesses?”

“No. Not really.”

“Yes or no, Thomas.”

“No. No illnesses.”

The giant was silent as he wrote several more notes, glancing up at the human ever so often as though he was not completely confident that he would not bolt at any moment.

“C-can I ask...why you want to know...all that?” Tommy stammered.

“It’s not so much as wanting to know than needing to know. For your records.”

“My...records?”

“Oh just spell it out for him,” Tippan snapped. “Sooner you’re done, the sooner I eat!”

Faro sighed as he sat the pen down and pinned the boy with a look. “Answer me this, Thomas,” he said. “Do you know where you are?”

Tommy fidgeted, looking around warily. “Uh...in your house?”

The giant grinned. “In a larger sense than that.”

“...C-california?”

The giant rolled his eyes. “No. You’re not in Kali Fonia. So many of you humans say that. I’m tempted to start keeping a count. No. You’re no longer on you’re original plane.”

“Original plane? I...I don’t understand.”

The giant leaned back in his chair, crossing his arms. “What’s the last thing you remember before waking up in the woods?”

“There was...an earthquake and it got really windy and...”

The giant nodded. “What you experienced, Thomas, is what we here call a Partitional Rip. Or a collapse. Happens when the membranes of our mutual planes come in contact with one another repeatedly and over time the area becomes weakened and imbalanced. With all things needing to be equal, the energies must correct themselves and that is what causes a Partitional Rip. A portal opens up on your side of the plane and more often than not, one or more of you little buggers are sucked in, passed through the inbetween, and dropped down into our plane.”

Tommy looked ill as he absorbed the information. “So...when you said we weren’t going home…?”

“I meant that there’s no possible way to get you home. You’re here because cosmic energy needed to balance themselves and used you, and you’re little friend there, as counter weights.”

“So...if we’re not...on Earth, where are we?”

“Still called Earth. We never had a word for the actual world, it was just the world to us. But about, oh, three hundred years ago or so we adopted the Anglish word for it. But beyond that, in a more literal sense, you’re in Audenvier. North Audenvier, Caidence Valley. On my ranch. In my house and on my table.”

There was a pause and Tommy squinted up at Faro.

“...Anglish?”

“That’d be you. You’re Anglish.”

“Uh...I’m Italian…?”

Faro huffed a laugh. “Anglish just means you’re light skinned. As apposed to being Berunti, Piq, or Savoh.”

Tommy ran a hand through his hair and looked all around him, everywhere but the giant. Almost as though he were searching for an alternative to the piece of knowledge that Faro had just unladen upon him, his breathing became deep and near panic when none presented itself. Finally he looked to Faro, his eyes watering.

“So,” he choked. “...what happens now?”

“For you?” Faro asked, the humor gone from his eyes. “A change of clothes, something to eat, and then sleep. Actually, when we’re done here I’ll be doing those same things myself.”

“A change of clothes? W-why?”

“Part of my job is to collect anything wild humans bring in with them. Folks with long titles and expensive degrees wanna study them.”

The human was gaping incredulously at the large man across from him. “Wild?”

“Any human that comes here due to a Partitional Rip is considered wild,” he explained. “Meaning you were not born in captivity or hand raised.”

“Captivity? Like...like animals and shit?”

The giant looked exasperated for a moment and seemed to consider something. He leaned forward, resting his arms on the table. “Allow me to explain the greater idea here: on my ranch, there are seven weaken areas where collapses occur. I set up traps around those areas so when a human does pops through, I get to them before any predators do.”

“Predators? Like what-”

The giant frowned. “Don’t interrupt me, Thomas.”

“S-sorry...”

“As I was saying: I’m a human trapper. That’s what I do for a living. I bring any humans I catch back here to my house, take their basic information down like I just have with you, and get them ready to be sent to the closest clinic for further evaluation. If everything goes well there, you’ll be put up for adoption by the end of next week.”

“A-adoption?” Tommy asked, the word seemed to tumble clumsily from his lips. “You don’t mean like...a pet, do you?”

“Exactly.”

“Humans are pets here?!” Tommy looked ready to bolt again and the giant seemed to sense it too. He brought his arms to rest on either side of the distraught human. Tommy flinched at Faro’s movements and was still, standing rigid and scared as he stared into the giant’s face.

“That’s right,” he told the boy simply. “Highly prized too. The waiting lists in some counties can be astronomical to speak nothing of the vetting process. There’s an expression along the lines of it’s easier to be elected to office than to adopt a human. Hardly true, but the paperwork to be approved it quite extensive.”

“I...I...ah...I’m...” Tommy rubbed his face, struggling hard with the idea.

“It’s alright. Normal to feel oddly about it.”

“Normal to feel odd?” Tommy yelled. “That’s the most underrated statement of the year!”

“Perhaps to you at this moment. But I give this speech a few times a month. For the last fifteen years.”

“W-why though? Why pets?!”

“Long time ago, we mostly left you humans alone to do whatever you did out in the woods like any other living creature. But then your numbers started to drop and at one point there were almost no humans left at all. Disease, predators, low birth rates. It all ran a hard number on the population. Governments stepped in to try and rescue your species and over time, it evolved into a pet trade. If you get adopted by a historian, he’d be able to explain the minutia of it all. But even now human populations are still vastly smaller than they were even a hundred years ago. You’re a heavily protected species here.”

“What if I don’t want to. Be a pet, I mean. Do I get any say in this?”

“You wanna go try and live out in the woods on your own?” The giant seemed very amused a this idea. “You don’t strike me as very outdoorsy. Ever meet a Rhwren? Or a Mountain Roc? Because they’d be very happy to meet you. And the feeling won’t be mutual.”

“I guess they’re those predators you mentioned earlier?”

“Yup. They’d swallow a little thing like you up without a second thought.”

“I just...really do not like the idea of being someone’s pet.”

“I will never understand you wild humans aversion to the idea,” Tipppan added from somewhere below the table. “Being a pet’s great. Free food, warm bed, and belly rubs! What is to hate about that?”

“It’s a perfectly normal response, Tippan. Most wild humans hate the idea, at first at least. A certain portion of you fail the evaluation to be adopted in any case.”

The human boy looked ready to faint. “What happens when you fail an evaluation?”

The giant chuckled and raised a hand slowly up towards Tommy and lightly petted him on the head. Tommy, for his part, looked utterly lost as to how to respond and ended up merely allowing the contact, but went absolutely rigid under the giant finger’s ministrations.

“Oh, don’t look so forlorn,” said the giant. “Nothing bad. Typically, they’re sent to a zoo or a sanctuary. And getting back to the changing clothes, we do this for two reasons. The first being what I said about folks wanting to study it. Second, is to help with your transition. Make the break a little easier.”

“I...I don’t understand. I’m sorry, but I...” The giant’s hand was still at his head, lightly petting the messy mop of dark hair. Faro’s dull gray eyes stared at the boy, looking sympathetic, but there was something in his expression that made it seem like he was very accustomed to consoling overwrought humans.

“The kindest thing I can do for you right now, Thomas, is to get you prepared for the next step. The life you knew when you woke up this morning is gone. Forever. And you can think me cruel for saying so. Plenty of humans have and do. After all, I am paid to catch and sell you lot. No use mincing words or dancing around the truth of it. You’re not the first human to take a nip at me. Or even the worst, not by a long shot.” The giant used the crook of one finger to gently brush back Tommy’s hair. “But you’re still young. Young ones bounce back easier. You have a good chance to to get into a good home with a good family and find some peace in all this. Just try and keep that in mind as you go through all these steps.”

Tommy’s shoulder shook as he began to sob. “So...it’s real. This is really happening. I’m never gonna see my family again, am I? Ever?”

“No,” was the simple response. “I’m afraid not.”

…………………..

Tommy was near inconsolable for several moments. While the boy broke down on the table top, the giant got up and disappeared for a few minutes before returning with some items. He sat them down in front of Tommy.

“I know you’re feeling poorly right now,” said the giant. “And truth be told, you’ll feel like this for a good while. No one thinks this is an easy process for you. Certainly not me. But the sooner we get on, the sooner you get something to eat and then its off to bed. Might not sleep much, but you’ll have a quiet moment to sort out yourself. I’ll need you to remove your clothes, though. Got something here for you to change into. It gets cold here and this’ll keep you warm.”

Tommy looked like he wanted to protest, a bubble of indignation rising up, but it was quickly swarmed by utter despair. With slow, reluctant movements, he began to shed his jacket, his jersey, and then his jeans before putting them into a small bag the giant held open for him. His cell phone went in as well his wallet and a pack of unopened gum. Soon he was standing there in only a pair of blue boxers, looking up at the giant expectantly.

Faro shook his head. “All of it, Thomas.”

The boy blanched and began to stammer. “I-I can’t even keep my damn underwear?!”

“Afraid not.”

For a moment, indignation won out over fear and he was angrily muttering to himself, looking all around and back at the giant, his face red. “W-well, can you at least turn around? Let me keep some shred of my dignity? Or does that go in the bag too?”

“That much I can do,” replied the giant, grinning. He reached over to the pile of items and pulled out a single garment, dyed black. “Put this on when you’re done.”

Tommy was beet red in the face as he quickly ripped off his boxers and kicked them off before hurriedly scampering into the new clothes. It took his a moment to figure out the zipper as it was not where he expected it to be. Instead of down the front or up the back, it ran the length of the inside of one leg, across the groin, and down the other. After he finished zipping it up, he rolled his boxers into a ball and angrily shoved them into the bag with the rest of his belongings. He starred at the contents of the bag, looking torn. He sighed heavily.

“Done,” he said lowly.

The giant turned around and spared the boy a smile. He grabbed up the bag and pulled a white adhesive strip from the side before folding the top over and sealing it, quickly writing something on the outside of the bag before dropping it somewhere out of sight. Bending down closer to Tommy’s level, he regarded the freshly dressed boy. “Just remember what I told you and you’ll be fine. Might seem bad now. But trust me. It’ll get better.”

“Doesn’t look like I got much choice,” Tommy replied dejectedly.

The giant just sighed and stood back up to his full height, hands reaching out for the human once more. Tommy looked nervous at the giant hands, but did not struggle when they carefully gathered him up.

The giant strode away from the table and disappeared beyond Astrid’s range of sight.

……………….

Astrid remained silent and still at the bottom of the pack compartment. There was an unpleasant tightness in her chest and every breath she took seemed to send shivers down her body. Faro’s words echoed hauntingly in her head.

Fifteen or so minutes later, the giant returned. He was balancing two white plates in one arm while the other held onto a bundle of white fabric. With careful movements, he set the plates down first and then the bundle. One plate was piled high with a mysterious goopy meat mixture and the other was a slice of dark bread, two oily fish, and the biggest lemon Astrid had ever laid eyes on, three times the size of a large watermelon easily. The giant picked the plate with the goopy meat mixture and sat it on the floor.

“Finally!” Tippan said happily and there came the sound of joyous gluttony from below the table. “Food, food, food! Oh glorious food!”

Faro chuckled as he turned his attention to the red leather pack.

“Now it’s your turn, little one,” said the giant and he pulled the flap open and peered inside. Astrid did not meet his gaze, but sniffed miserably as she fought back more tears. She felt the heat of his hands first and then the meaty flesh as it curved around her and lifted her up with a careful and deliberate slowness. He sat her down on the table just as he had with Tommy and Astrid got her first proper view of the cabin. It was not a large space compared to the giant that lived there, but there was an unmistakably homey feeling about it. Off in one corner there was a stone fireplace and a large squishy chair. A shelf with a modest collection of books and assorted chachkies. A short hallway lead further into the house.

She heard him sit down and it was only then that she looked up. Now that she got a proper look at him in adequate light, she noted that his brown hair had streaks of gray in it and his chin was scratchy with stubble. His gray eyes were trained on her and she noted the minute movements of the irises as he studied her. Releasing a sigh through his nose, the giant tilted his head at her. “You heard all I told Thomas?”

She nodded meekly.

“Have any questions?”

She sucked in a breath, preparing to answer, but thought better of it and released it as a resigned sigh. Questions. She had millions. And none at the same time. Astrid shook her head. Faro nodded knowingly and reached for the pen and paper once more.

“Well, I’m gonna be askin’ you the same questions, alright? So, let’s start with the easiest one: What’s you’re name?”

“...Astrid,” she replied, her voice barely a squeak.

“Need your full name, sweetie.”

“Astrid Malloy.”

“And how old are you, Astrid?”

“Ten and a quarter.”

The giant paused to look at her and for the first time, seemed surprised and genuinely sad.

“Younger than I thought. Hm.” He made an extra line of notes, reaching over to his plate and grabbing the lemon. Astrid watched in confusion as he took a large bite out of it, flashing his sharp teeth for a moment before they sunk into the yellow flesh of the fruit. His face did not pucker in the slightest. He chewed for several moments, gazing at his notes, deep in thought, before swallowing and asking, “Do you know what blood type you are?”

She shook her head, still watching in bizarre fascination. The giant nodded, setting the fruit down. “Alright. Well, I will need to know. So for us to find out, we’re gonna use this here.”

He pulled out a small egg shaped device from the pile of items he had brought in before. It was the size of a basketball with a small hole on one end and a digital read out on the other. He held it out in front of Astrid. “See that little hole there? Just put your index finger inside and the machine will do the rest.”

Astrid looked at the device and carefully raised her hand towards it and stuck her finger in the aforementioned hole. Something sharp abruptly stabbed the soft pad of her finger and she yelped and pull her hand away. The tip of her finger was bleeding from a pin prick sized hole. She immediately stuck the wounded digit into her mouth and glared up at the giant, but his attention was drawn to the small read out on the device. It beeped twice.

“Type A positive,” he remarked aloud. “A good thing for you to know off the top of your head. That way if someone needs to know, they won’t have to prick your finger again.”

He added another line of notes and taking another bite of the lemon. Astrid wondered if maybe the fruit only looked like a lemon. Because who in their right mind would eat a lemon by itself, peel and all?

“Alright, next one: any allergies?”

“Um. Pollen, but only sometimes. I don’t take any medicine for it.”

“Illnesses?”

“No.” A pause. She had to ask. “Why are you eating a lemon?”

The giant’s eyebrows shot up, surprised at the question. He smile and shrugged as he jotted down his notes. “Because I like lemons. Don’t you?”

“Not by themselves. They’re too sour.”

“I like sour things,” the giant replied in amusement. “Most Feirgians do. Sour, salty, bitter, and pickled things. Like these pickled fish here. We love’em.”

Astrid was now certain that the oddly sour smell she had detected earlier had been pickled fish. Being within such close proximity to the plate of the oily, wrinkly skinned fish, the smell was much more acute. It bordered on being unpleasant, but it was mostly just odd. She looked at Faro curiously. “W-what’s a fair-shen?”

“Feirgian,” he corrected patiently. “And that’d be me. I’m a Feirgian.”

“Oh.” It was an answer that did not seem to answer anything at all.

Faro put his pen down and propped his head in one hand, regarding the young human with amusement. “What did you think I was?”

“A giant,” she replied simply. “But you’re ears are pointed.”

“You’re quite the sharp one, Astrid,” he replied. He turned his head and ran a finger along the top ridge of his ear. “Feirgians all have ears like this. Helps us hear really good. That’s how I was able to hear your hollering from so far away.”

Astrid nodded absently. “And you don’t eat people...right?”

Faro laughed. “No, Feirgians most certainly do not eat humans. Me included.”

“Oh. Good. I was worried.”

“And why’s that? Because I’m big?”

“...and you have really sharp teeth.”

“Need them to eat lemons.”

“I...guess?”

Faro laughed again.

“Okay. So, I’ve got your basic info,” the giant said, picking up the pen and finishing the last few notes. “All done with that. Now, Astrid, do you remember what I said about not being able to keep your things?”

Astrid gripped the straps of her backpack in response, feeling her gut tighten. “Yeah, but...can’t I just-”

“No,” said the giant flatly. Astrid looked up, biting her lip. Faro narrowed his eyes. “Now, don’t go giving me that long face. You’re cute, kichtein, I’ll give you that. But I’ve got rules I have to follow. I’d lose my license if I broke them.”

“Not even my books?”

“Not even your books.”

She pulled off her backpack and unzipped it, peering inside. The smell of school wafted up from inside it. Pencil shavings, pages of her text books, and the lingering smell of the banana that she had brought in her lunch bag. She pulled out her homework folder and opened it. Her math homework was half done. There was a science worksheet that she had gotten a B plus on. A flier for the school Halloween party. Putting away the folder, she reached inside again and pulled out her Hello Kitty pencil case, her history text book, her grammar work book and a library book she had been meaning to return. It was already a day over due. Crumbled at the bottom of her bag was the Party City costume circular, a zombie outfit circled in sharpie. She looked at it for only a moment before shoving it and everything else back inside and zipping it closed. She shoved it forward, tears dripping off her chin, and watched as large fingers plucked it up from the table and slipped it into the plastic bag just as he had with Thomas’s things.

There was a heavy moment when no one said anything. And then finally...

“My Mom wanted me to be a princess,” she said, staring at nothing in particular. “For Halloween. But I didn’t want to because all the other girls in my class were going to be princesses. I wanted to be something scary like a zombie. Because Princesses never win the costume contests. And I really wanted to win this year. I never win anything.”

The giant listened, watching the small human as she seemingly rambled about nonsense.

“This morning,” she continued. “I got mad at my Mom because she hated my costume ideas. I called her a mean name and went to school. I didn’t tell her goodbye like I always do or that I love her...”

Fat droplets fell from her chin and she hiccuped as her words unraveled into outright sobs. “I wish I could tell her I was sorry. I don’t care about the costumes anymore. I just want to say I’m sorry...”

Covering her face with her hands, she cried. For her Mom. Her Dad. Her grandparents and uncle and aunts. The nice neighbor lady who would give them vegetables from her garden and who had taught Astrid how to prune roses. Her room, her bed. The toys in the toy chest, the clothes in her closet. The lumpy sofa in the living room that still smelled like dog pee, even years after the death of their elderly Labrador. Her house. Her town. Her world. She was being told she had to leave it all. Shed it from her body, peel it all away, and drop it into a plastic bag. Like it was a dead thing.

“I hope you believe me,” Faro said gently. “When I say that if there was any possible way to get you home, I’d get you there. It’s always a sad thing to see young humans fall through. Even worse that you’re only a kichtein.”

She felt his finger brush the top of her head and she lifted her gaze to met his eyes. “But you can certainly believe me in this, little one: you’re going to be just fine. I know you’re mighty scared and you miss your folks. It’s natural to feel that way and I’m sure they’re gonna miss you to pieces, worrying about where you went and if you’re safe. And you are. Because it’s not just my job, but my moral responsibility to make sure you stay safe and sound. For as long as you’re in my custody. You and Thomas both. Even if it’s only for tonight.”

“W-what’s gonna happen to us?” she asked thickly, brushing tears from her cheeks and chin. “Y-you said that humans are pets and...”

“Tomorrow, I’ll be taking you both to the local clinic. There’s some nice folks there who are gonna make sure you’re healthy. Get you ready to go to new homes.

“But sometimes people aren’t nice to their pets,” she mumbled. “What if..?”

“Gonna stop you right there, sweetie,” Faro said. He used the crook of a finger and lifted her chin up and giving her a warm smile. “Moral responsibility, remember that? Not just me, but all folks who work with humans. Lots of the folks at the clinic are volunteers who are there to make sure that if you’re adopted, that you go to a good home. With good people. Because they care. And with you being a kit, they’re gonna make darn sure whoever might adopt you is a good person. So in that, you don’t have to be afraid. Okay?”

She took in a shuddering breath. “Mm-hm.”

Faro brought out another of the same clothing that Thomas had changed into. It resembled footie pajamas to her, with the zipper around the inside of the legs. It was made of black flannel and the inside was lined with soft fleece.

“This is the smallest one I got,” Faro was saying. “I’ve never had a kichtein come through my ranch before. My neighbor’s caught a few over the years, but none as young as you, I don’t think. So this might be a tad loose on you.”

He handed it to her and she took it tentatively. She met his gaze. “What’s that word mean? The weird one you keep calling me?”

“Kichtein?” he asked. “It’s the Feirgish word for a young human.”

“The literal translation is ‘little squeaker’,” came Tippan’s voice, once more from below the table. “Because you’re little and you squeak.”

Astrid mad a face. “I don’t squeak.”

“My ears say otherwise. Kichtein.”

“Alright,” Faro said sternly, though he wore a small grin. “Enough, Tippan.”

“What? She asked.”

Faro gave her a small nod of encouragement. “Go on, Astrid.”

As soon as he turned his back to grant her some privacy, Astrid slipped out of her clothes.

“Remember, Astrid. All of it.”

“...I remember.”

She added her underwear to the pile of clothes and pulled the black pajamas over her head, pushed her head and arms through the appropriate holes, and zipped up the bottom. “It’s a little big,” she said.

Faro turned back around and snickered. “Aye,” he agreed. “Just a tad.”

It was several sized too large for her. It might have fit someone a good foot taller than her and the excess fabric pooled around her hips and legs. Before she could do it herself, Faro plucked up her discarded clothing and added it to the bag that held her backpack. She watched it disappear as it was sealed up and put away. There was a palpable sense of loss. Her skin felt odd in the new clothes, knowing they weren’t really her own. She felt scared that all that she had fallen into this strange new world with, she was not permitted to keep. Oddly enough, she really missed her underwear. It felt weird to not be wearing underwear. It was rude to not wear underwear.

She felt herself tear up again. She sniffed.

Faro picked up the white fabric, a blanket, and wrapped it around her gently. His large face dominated her view of the world.

“Something to eat,” he said. “And then it’s bedtime for you, kichtein. You got a long day ahead of you.”

…………………………………..

Faro gave her a sweet tasting biscuit and some water before carrying her to the back of the cabin where there was a small room off to the side of the kitchen. Inside were cages, set into the walls and lined with plush fabric. Tommy was inside one, curled up with a blanket and appearing to be asleep. At the sight of them, Astrid felt like crying again and pressed her face into the fabric of Faro’s shirt.

“I don’t want to be in a cage!” She whimpered. She felt fingers at her back, rubbing softly. “Please don’t make me...”

“Shhh, little one. It’s just for tonight,” he told her. “You won’t be in there for long. Got to keep you both secured until tomorrow.”

He sat her down in the only open cage, beside Tommy’s. She huddled into the blanket she was wrapped in, whimpering in fear. Faro rubbed his hands along her sides, trying to calm her. When the tactile approach failed, he sighed in disappointment.

“Don’t be scared,” he whispered. “It’s just a place to keep you. You won’t be here forever.”

Astrid wouldn’t meet his gaze and buried her head under the blankets, giving off a single whine in response.

“Hm,” Faro said contemplatively before turning away and walking out of the small side room. He reappeared mere moments later with something in his hand. “Do you know what a Rhwren is, Astrid?”

She shook her head.

“I believe the Anglish word is bear,” he said and raised his hand for her to see what he held. It was a small stuffed bear. “Rhwren’s are seen as guardians to Feirgians. They guard the forest, the rivers, the mountains. And people. This one here, Astrid, is for you.”

Astrid pushed her head from the blankets, looking at the bear curiously. “It is?”

“He’s gonna be your guardian,” Faro told her and placing the bear in front of her. She reached out and pulled it close. It was half her height and very fuzzy. Its eyes were solid black and it’s mouth was nothing but a black thread stitched in a line with two points to make it appear that the toy had teeth. “When you’re feeling scared or nervous, just give this little guy a squeeze. He’ll keep the bad things away. He’ll protect you.”

Astrid wrapped her arms around the bear’s neck and buried her face in the plush fur. He smelled like pickled fish and pine, but there was a palpable feeling of security in the soft touch of something vaguely familiar. She could almost pretend that she was back in her own room, snuggling one of her own stuffed animals.

“Thank you,” she said, raising her head.

“Try and get some sleep, little one,” he told her quietly. “It won’t be so scary for much longer.”

…………………….

The next morning was a flurry of confusing activity. Faro woke her and Tommy up, gave them both another sweet biscuit and water, before shuffling off to do something and leaving both humans on the table. Astrid clung to the stuffed bear with one arm while she munched on the food.

It was crumbly and did not have a real flavor other than being lightly sweet. It was not the most appetizing thing she had ever eaten, but she was hungry enough not to care. For his part, Tommy looked horrible. There were dark circled under his eyes which were red and raw. Like he had been crying all night. He absently plucked small pieces of biscuit and slipped them between his lips, but didn’t really chew.

“Are you scared?” he asked her quietly.

“Yeah,” she replied.

A pause.

“I’m sorry, Astrid.”

“Why?”

He sighed. “I...don’t know. I just am.”

She regarded the other human for a moment and nodded. “Yeah. Me too.”

“You really have nothing to be so scared over,” said Tippan as he leaped onto a chair and laid his long head on the table top, eyeing the pair. “Humans are treated pretty well here.”

“Sorry if I find the concept of loosing my freedom terrifying,” Tommy hissed and bit into the biscuit vindictively.

“Loosing your freedom? Ha!” Tippan said, his black lips pulling back into a grin. “You’re gonna be adopted. Not enslaved.”

“What’s the difference?” growled Tommy.

“Well, for starters, one involved manual labor and servitude,” replied the dog. “While the other involves belly rubs and food.”

“You’re really hung on on belly rubs, dude.”

“They’re the best part. After food. Food is the best part. What I’m saying is that you’re idea of being a pet is all screwey. Some nice, and most likely rich, Feirgian is gonna take you home, make you apart of their family, and then spoil you rotten for the rest of your life. How is any of that a bad thing?”

“Have you always been Faro’s pet?”

“Since I was a pup.”

“So you’ve never lived with other...dogs, like you? In a pack or a community? Independent and self reliant?”

“Nope. Sounds tedious.”

“So you’ve never been the one to steer the direction of your own life? To make the choices that decide how and where your life goes?”

Tippan seemed to weigh those words carefully. “Nope. And I have no interest in it either.”

“Well, that’s a choice. And for us, Astrid and I, well, we’re being told that we’re not able to make them anymore. I mean, jeez! I literally had to hand over my underwear. My godddamn underwear. For what? Really? Because it might remind me of home? Of being my own person? Of being free?”

Tippan regarded the angry boy for a moment. “Hm. Well. You may have some point there, but it’s all irrelevant now. You’re gonna go be evaluated and they’re going to decided for you if you’re suitable for adoption. And from what I know of the other alternatives, kid, you wanna be adopted. Do yourself a big favor and do what you can to get adopted. Because if you’re worried about having any sense of freedom, you don’t want to go to a zoo. Sanctuaries, from what I hear, aren’t much better.” Tippan’s eyes drifted over to Astrid. “That goes for you too, squeaker. Though I doubt you’ll have a hard time getting adopted. Kit’s are always the first to go.”

Astrid was hugging her bear tightly, nuzzling the soft fur of its neck and peering at Tippan over edge of one of its ears.

“I’m not so scared about...about being adopted. I’m scared that...” she paused. “I’m scared that I won’t see my family again. What if I forget what they look like?”

Tippan shifted so his head lay closer to Astrid, close enough she could feel his breath on her knees.

“I still remember my Mum’s face,” he said. “Haven’t seen her since the day Faro took me home as a pup. But I will always remember her face. Her smell. You won’t forget. Even if you wanted to. Even though she’s not here with you, she’s still apart of you. She’s half of you, after all.”

Astrid lowered the bear a little and nodded sadly. She never considered that before. That her mother was half of her. Literally half of her. The other, her father. There was a great sense of comfort in that idea. Tippan lifted his snout and pushed his wet nose to Astrid face. She giggled, pulling back with a squeak when he stuck out the tip of his tongue and gave her a gentle lick. He sat his head back down on the table with half lidded eyes and a small smile playing on his lips.

“See? You do squeak.”

Faro returned a short time later, carrying the red leather case as before. He sat it down on the table before turning his attention to the two humans. “I called ahead to let the clinic staff know I’ll be dropping the two of you off. Apparently yesterday was quite the event, several collapses all over the county. Three other trappers are bringing in catches. So you’ll have some company.”

“Such joy,” muttered Tommy sarcastically. “I cannot contain it.”

“Just try and keep your spirits up,” Faro suggested, lifted the pack’s flap. “And remember what I told you, Thomas.”

The boy’s gazed dejectedly off to the side. “Yeah. I remember.”

Faro then carefully lifted the human up and lowered him down into the pack. He turned to Astrid.

“And you, kichtein,” the Feirgian said, reaching out and tapping the head of the stuffed bear. “If you get scared, you know what to do, right?”

Astrid tightened her grip on the bear as an answer. Smiling, Faro nodded and gently stroked the top of her head, his fingers trailing down her back before retreating. He then picked her up, studying her for a brief moment. “You’re going to be fine.” He glanced down at Tommy inside the pack. “Both of you.”

He then slipped Astrid, bear and all, down into the other compartment before closing the lip and snapping it shut.

…………………

“We’re here.”

The sound of Faro’s noisy little pick up was all Astrid could heard for what seemed like hours and when it abruptly cut off, it left a definitive ringing in her ears. She rubbed them lightly as new sounds became more prominent. The squeal of the seat as Faro slipped out of the truck, the slamming of the door. The muffled crunch of his boots on gravel as he walked around to the passenger side door and the sudden unadulterated sounds of the outside as he opened the door. She could hear other voices, but what struck her odd was that the words that were being spoken, at least those she heard, were not English. Truthfully, it did not sound like any language Astrid have ever heard. Before she could contemplate any further, Faro lifted the pack from the passenger seat, and shut the door behind him.

“Stay here, Tippan. I won’t be long.”

“Will do.”

Astrid pressed her face to the mesh window and peered around. Settled in a clearing, surrounded by towering pines, was an innocuous little white brick building. The front door was painted bright green with something written in gold letters, but Astrid did not recognize the letters. It looks utterly foreign to her. Faro stepped through and into the clinic…

...and into chaos.

The receiving room was being accosted with noise. Several Feirgians stood about the small space with what looked to Astrid like luggage. However, one of the pieces of luggage had a window and through it peeked the face of a human woman. The cases contained other humans. Even from where she was, Astrid could tell a lot of the noise was coming from the encased people. Someone was screaming every bad word Astrid knew and several she didn’t. Someone else was talking loudly in what sounded like...spanish? And there was also the unmistakable sound of helpless sobbing.

When Faro entered, the gathered giants all turned and greeted him with wide grins and a chorus of “Faro!”

And then a string of gibberish that Astrid did not understand. Faro replied in kind, in the same odd language, and waved at the cases containing the humans. Words were exchanged between the Feirgians and one of them pulled his sleeve up, to reveal a bandage. He gestured to one of the cases next to him. It was smaller than the other, big enough to only hold a single grown human. It seemed to be the source of the angry cursing.

Faro laughed at whatever the injured Feirgian said and then patted the top of the pack holding Astrid and Tommy. She heard the word Anglish and kichtein and several of the giants made sounds of surprise.

“You don’t say!” one of the giants replied, switching to flawless English. An unfamiliar face ducked down close to Astrid’s window and smiled when his large eyes caught sight of her. “Oh, aye. She’s a little sprigget of a thing alright. Gonna walk away with a healthy commission there, Faro. Lucky bastard. Twice the money, half the work.”

“Hardly,” Faro replied.

Astrid squeezed her bear and buried her face in his fur. Despite what she had told Tippan that morning, she was scared. The sounds of the other humans, the other giants, and the displeasing scent of a sterile, bleach scrubbed room. It reminded her of a hospital and the last time she had gone to a hospital was when she was seven had broken her arm riding her bike. She had been terrified the entire time just as she was now. But her parents weren’t there to soothe her. Or to reassure her. She would not go home afterwards or get an ice cream cone on the way for being so brave.

A depression settled over her like a blanket.

…………………………

“Are they all English speakers?” someone was asking. “All Anglish this time?”

“Got a Savoh yabbering away in spanish,” said someone else. “But he understands English fine. And two Berunti, same deal.”

“Alright, good. That makes this easier. So I’m going to be speaking in English for the remainder of our business and suggest you all do the same.”

“Why’s that? Never been a rule before.”

“It’s not a rule, just something we’re trying out. Our sister clinic in Barbos tried this out and saw some encouraging adoptions numbers. The thinking being, if the humans understand what we’re trying to accomplish here, their more likely to behave and pass their evaluations. Which means higher commissions for you gentlemen.”

“Well, I’m all for a higher paycheck.”

“Sounds good to me.”

“I’ve been saying this for years,” Faro added with a laugh. “Talk to them in their own language and they won’t panic and freak out as much. Lot less likely to bite too. That Berunti girl wouldn’t have gouged you like that, Calvin, if she knew you weren’t trying to kill her.”

“I’ve been doing this for eight years,” grumbled a giant. “I know how to handle wild humans.”

“And I’ve been doing for fifteen. A little compassion goes a long way, Calvin. Trust me.”

“You try being compassionate when one of them little buggers is trying to carve out an artery. How does a knife that small hurt that much?”

Someone cleared their throat. “If we could continue on, gentlemen? Calvin, an intern will be by to collect your feral human. You said you had her secured?”

“Boxed and muzzled,” came the gruff reply. “I kept the knife in another bag. Wasn’t sure if you needed it or not.”

“No, that’s alright. It’ll go to Kluedachsen when the rep comes by tomorrow with all their other personal effects. Just make you the incident report is attached to the carrier, if you please.” A pause. “Faro, you mentioned that you had a kichtein?”

“That’s right.”

“How old?”

“Ten.”

“Okay, you first, then. We like to get the younger ones processed first.”

The pack shifted and Astrid flopped over as it rose into the air. Through the window, she watched the receiving area drift farther and farther away before the bulk of a white door cut it off from view.

“This will be the first kit I think we’ve gotten from you,” said the unknown giant as they walked down a blindingly white hallway.

“She is. Never had one come through,” Faro replied. “Not in all my years of trapping.”

“It’s not very common,” agreed the other giant. “When it does happen, they’re almost always with another older humans.”

“Oh? Why is that?”

“Well, the prevailing theory is that whatever triggers a collapse is initiated on the human’s plane and whatever the catalyst actually is, kichteins can’t trigger it by themselves.”

“So they’re collateral?”

“That’s the current theory at least.”

Faro sighed. “Sad.”

“It is. Which is why we take great care with them. So many folks who adopt humans all want kits, because they’re all high energy and always happy and want to play. But a wild kit and a domestic one are worlds apart. Which you probably figured out quickly.”

“She’s actually one of the more well behaved humans I’ve caught.”

“Well, that bodes well for her. How about the other one?”

“Anglish male. Seventeen. Skiddish. A little mouthy, but no more than usual.”

“We can hear you,” snapped Tommy, his mildly irritated voice slughtly muffled by the wall between him and Astrid. “Just so you know.”

Faro chuckled. “See what I mean?”

“A good week for you then, huh?”

“Pretty good.”

The slightly swaying of the pack stilled for the briefest of moments as there came the sound of another door opening before Faro followed the other giant into a new room. Astrid’s stomach dropped to the floor as a wave of vertigo swept through her and the pack was lifted and set carefully on what appeared to be an examination table.

“Alright, Faro,” said the unnamed giant, appearing on the other side of the window, a clipboard in hand. “If you would.”

“The kit first, right?”

“If you please.”

The darkened interior of the leather carrying case was illuminated and Astrid lifted her head to see Faro reaching inside. As he lifted her out with the same care and gentleness as he had previously, she got a proper view of the room. Wholly unremarkable was the relatively small space as it was almost completely identical to a normal examination room. Stark white walls, a counter running along one wall, various tools and applicators in jars, drawers, and cabinets overhead. There was a device to one end of the counter that looked like a scale fitted with a tray. Along the back-splash were items of a more nefarious nature. Various muzzles, bindings, and straps were hung on hooks for easy access. In case a human got bitey, Astrid imagined. She thought back to the receiving room the one human who had been boxed up apart from the others. It must be a common occurrence.

Almost as soon as Faro released her onto the table, another, unfamiliar, set of hands were beset upon her. She flinched at the sudden fingers pressing on her arms and side, holding her still, as a large face of the other giant lowered down close to her. He was bald, but had thick gray eyebrows and brown eyes that peeped out from behind thin wire framed glasses. She met his eyes, watching him warily, as she waiting for something to happen.

“Oh yes, she is a young one,” the Feirgian murmured. He was dressed in brown trousers and a sweater made of various bands of green, all under a long white lab coat. Brown eyes looked her up and down and whatever it was he was searching for, he seemed to have found it as he then stepped back, opened a drawer, and drew out a black plastic square. He then pulled a sheet of paper from the clip board and sat it down near her. “Alright...” his words trailed off as he gazed down at the papers briefly before looking back to the small human, “...Astrid. My name is Dr. Weis and I’ll be taking some measurements and get your records done. We’re gonna make sure you’re good and healthy, okay?”

Astrid nodded, wishing she had grabbed her bear when Faro pulled her from the pack.

“Ever have your prints done?” Dr. Weis asked her as he pulled on purple latex gloves.

“...when I was born at the hospital,” she replied, her voice quiet.

“Well, we’re gonna do the same right here,” he said patiently, setting the black square down and removing the clear plastic cover. His brown eyes watched her as though to gauge her reaction. “This is just regular old black ink. Nothing special. We’ll do your feet first, alright?”

She nodded. He instructed her to unzip the bottom of her suit, releasing her feet from the black fabric and he hummed in approval when she followed through with his directions under her own volition. When she had finished and her feet were touching the cold metal of the table top, he carefully plucked her up, again seeming to study her reactions, before lowering her down so her feet were pressed to the ink pad. It was startlingly cold and wet, but the contact was very brief and soon her blackened toes were being pressed down onto the paper, inside a pre-marked square.

“Brilliant,” said the doctor in an overly chipper tone and then producing a moist towelette from somewhere and quickly wiping off the ink from her feet. She wiggled in his hand, unable to suppress a giggle at the ticklish ministrations. He flashed her a smile. “Sorry. Tickles a bit, does it?”

“Yeah.”

“Alright, now let us get your hands,” said the doctor. He then held her over the ink pad. Suspended in the air like superman, she instinctively understanding what he expected of her and Astrid pressed her hands onto it. The pad effectively marked her fingers and palms in austere black. Then as she hovered over the large sheet of paper, she planted her inked hands into a second box, pressing down firmly as instructed. “Perfect. You’re doing wonderfully, Astrid.”

The same towelette was used to wipe away the ink from her hands and as soon as they were clean, Astrid slipped her feet back inside her warm suit and zipped it back up. Then she was weighed by being place upon the tray set above the scale. Her height was noted. A sample of her saliva was taken and placed in a tube, shaken, and the liquid poured into a tray separated into five sections. Each one turned a brilliant blue.

“All negative,” Dr. Weis said aloud. “Good, good. Very good. That means no shots for you, Astrid.”

“Oh good,” she said. “’Cause I don’t like needles.”

“You’d be hard pressed to find anyone who does,” Dr. Weis replied with a smirk. Though his amiable nature and overt attempts to reassure her were appreciated, Astrid could not truly relax. The records Faro took the night before were transferred over and all forms of various papers were clipped, stapled, and assembled before all being tucked into plain brown folder upon which her name was written in fat black marker. Dr. Weis removed his gloves and slid the clip board over to Faro. “If you could sign there, next to her name. Sonya will have the release forms for you after the boy’s evaluation.”

Astrid blinked. That was the evaluation? That was it? Somehow she expected there to be more to it. More questions, more poking. Something like the way cops interrogated bad guys on television. But it felt more like she had just had a normal check up. Was there something she missed?

Or more to the point: Did she pass?

As Faro was signing the paper, Dr. Weis walked over to the door, opened it, and leaned out. “Sonya. Advest yeir Jarden mon heist? Ver kichtein.”

“Suden rikt.” replied a female voice.

When the doctor turned back, his eyes fell to Astrid. “So now that your evaluation is done, Astrid, Sonya will be bringing you to my associate, Jarden. He’s going to get you ready for quarantine.”

Her heart rate spiked and she blanched. Quarantine? Was that bad? It sounded bad. Wasn’t quarantine the thing that happened when people were really sick? Was she sick? Oh god…

Her panic must have been showing because the doctor bent down and ran his thumb across the top of her head in a gesture of gentle reassurance. “I know it’s a big scary word, but do not let it upset you. All humans who are approved for adoption have to be quarantined for three days. The only thing that happens is you sit in a big comfy room all day, getting ready to go to a new home.”

“O-oh...um, how come?” she asked.

“Well, the humans who are born here don’t have the antibodies to a lot of the illnesses you do and can get really sick from them. So we are very careful not to introduce dangerous illnesses. Even though you’re not sick, you still might carry them in your body. In your saliva, your blood, and other bodily fluids and materials.”

“Oh, okay. That...makes sense, I think,” she replied. She looked back at the pack, thinking of her bear, and turned back to the doctor with a hopeful lilt of her eyebrows. “Can I keep my bear?”

“Bear?” Dr. Weis asked.

“Oh, right!” Faro said, reaching into the pack and bringing out the small stuffed toy. “I gave her a Rhwren. I didn’t think to ask if she could bring it with her.”

“It’s not a problem,” Dr. Weis replied, smiling down at the little human girl. “I’ll make a note on your chart. Just in case.”

Astrid grinned in relief when Faro presented her with the bear. It might have been a small gesture to the two Feirgians, but for Astrid, after having to give up all her possessions, having something that was wholly her own was an enormous comfort. She had fallen asleep the night before, stroking the soft fur, feeling the hard plastic of its eyes, the stiff threads of its mouth, and the rounded ends of its paws. The tactile activity had brought a desperately craved sense of calm. And he made for a fantastic pillow.

She hugged the toy happily and then the door opened. A Feirgian woman with short curly brown hair, bright green eyes, and dressed in pink scrubs entered. “Jarden frare heist totkurt danem. Des Kichtein ver korcumt knut swarzen.”

“Ah, vank saden, Sonya,” Dr. Weirs said to the woman. Astrid met his mildly apologetic expression curiously. “Unfortunately, some of our volunteers do not remember much of their English lessons. Most Feirgians in Audenvier know at least some English, but a great many are fluent, so you’ll hear it a lot. More than other human language. Mandarin is a close second, but it’s more common in Lerdachest. Audenvier sees mostly Anglish and Berunti.”

“We have no idea where that is...” Tommy’s voice quipped from the pack.

“Part of the quarantine involves an assimilation period,” Dr. Weis replied. “Jarden will answer any questions you have. Including geography.”

“I’ve got a long list at this point, doc.”

“I’m sure you do. However, we must press on,” Dr. Weis then reached out for Astrid and she could not keep from gripping her bear just a tad more securely to her as his large fingers gripped around her body and lifted her from the table. Turning towards Sonya, Dr. Weis held out the small human child. “We have a lot of humans to process today. Hopefully most of them will be joining you in quarantine.”

Sonya’s hands were cold compared to Dr. Weis and even though she apparently had no idea what was being said, she still gave Astrid a pleasant smile. As she turned to leave, Astrid caught the slimmest look of Faro pulling Tommy from the pack. She waved anyway, unsure if Tommy saw her. As the door closed behind them, Astrid hoped that she would be seeing Tommy in quarantine soon.

She hugged her bear a little closer.

…………………………

Without any windows, the quarantine room’s only light came from strong florescent ceiling panels that cast the room in a blindingly white light strong enough to force Astrid clench her eyes shut as Sonya entered. Blinking blearily through the painfully sharp brightness, the space began to materialize before her. Modestly sized and rather cookie cutter in appearance, the main feature seemed to be the center of the room where large square plastic bins had been tipped onto their sides, creating a sort of open ended shelter. Placed in a loose circle, there was enough room between each of them for a Feirgian to easily walk around and indeed sit in the center of. Inside each bin there looked to be blankets of some kind, arranged in a way so as to turn them into a kind of makeshift nest. Off in one corner, almost as an afterthought, was a door. Painted the same blinding shade of white as the rest of the room, the door’s fit was so flush with the rest of the wall that it would be almost invisible if not for the copper colored hinges and knob.

“Jarden?” Sonya called out into the empty room.“Bentkeir von shaurser. Kichtein wier kervos dan?”

“Kervos heist don ver,” replied a voice muffled from behind the door. “Vank suden.”

Sonya walked to the circle of bins and lowered herself down, carefully placing Astrid next to one of the bins. The giant woman looked to her with an oddly hopeful look as she reached into the bin and patted the nest of blanket as though inviting her to come sit. Astrid just starred, acting as though she did not understand. With a mildly disappointed look, Sonya rose back up to her feet and left the room.

Astrid watched her go, peeking out from behind the bulk of the bin. The door shut firmly with a soft click and she found herself alone in the sterile, all too bright room. Spinning slowly, she took in what little there was to see of the room, but there was a growing discomfort in her guts. Her insides clenched and there was a tightness deep in her chest. It was akin to the feeling one got when they held their breath too long. The craving for air. But no matter how many deep breaths she took, the tightness did not lessen.

A curious and rather ironic sense of being trapped filled her bones despite the enormous proportions of the room. She was a mouse in a great space, but it suddenly felt too small for her. The whole of it all was unraveling too fast and her mind was having terrible difficulty gaining purchase.

Yesterday morning, she had awoken in her own bed: warm, safe, and familiar. She spent the day at school: safe, familiar, and secure. Got sucked into a worm hole: fantastical, unknown, and unnerving. Caught by a giant: impossible, uncertain, and scary.

Whatever form of shock had been buffering her consciousness from the reality of it all was beginning to crumble. And she was afraid. Well and truly afraid.

Not the kind of afraid when you got bad grades or did something naughty. No, this kind of afraid was different. An all encompassing, primal, sort of fear. Like when you first started to learn to swim and you reach for the edge of the pool or a floaty and it wasn’t there. And you panic. And flail. The ground it gone and you’re reaching, but there is nothing to hold onto and you begin to sink and you can’t breathe.

The ground is gone...

There came a sound akin to the jingling of a utensil drawer mere moments before the smaller door opened and a giant unlike any of the others stepped through. Long legs delivered him across the room in moments and large blue eyes fell to Astrid, who starred back with wide eyes. He was taller than either Faro or Dr. Weis, a full head taller than Sonya, and though he had the same pointy ears and sharp canines, as evidence from the brilliant smile he wore, his skin was a creamy mocha rather than the peachy pink of all the other Feirgians. With short black curls and a thick build, he was like a living wall dressed in baby blue scrubs.

Gripping onto her bear for dear life, Astrid made a dash for one of the bins and dived into the nest of blankets. The footfalls of the large man followed her, pausing just outside the bin’s entrance. He was crouched down outside of the bin, one hand on its top edge, and he peered inside. His smile was was smaller than before and a delicate curve of his brow added the slightest hint of concern.

“Feeling a little shy are we?” he asked her, voice low. “Not to worry none, you’re fine to settle in where you want. Still have a good bit before Dr. Weis gets through all the evaluations.”

She made no motion or sound to answer of even acknowledge him as she huddled miserably in the piles of soft fabric, clutching her bear. He caught on quickly to her discomfort.

“No need to be scared, kiddo. I know I look all big and scary, but trust me...” He poked at his chest and middle with a finger. Looking up, his smirked at her. “... most of this is fluff.”

Astrid managed a small smile.

“My names Jarden,” said the giant. “What do I call you?”

“Astrid,” she replied quietly. “My name is Astrid.”

#Bitter lemons #gt #g/t story #fantasy #giant #tiny #universe hopping #human pets #sad smols #Astrid #Tommy #Faro #Tippan #prologue #salty lemonade

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