#I haven’t added anything to that series in ages thanks for finding it and loving it anyway 🥲💗☺️

[livesincerely]

somehow ive ended up at newsies fanfic in 2024 and im not quite sure how but. so far you're the only active author ive found! I really enjoyed you're domestic javey au :)

Thanks for swinging by! I feel like the newsies fandom has its ebbs and flows but we never quite die lol.

The domestic au is one of my all-time favorite things I’ve written, so I’m glad you enjoyed it too!

If you’re looking for some other authors that are active on here, might I point you in the direction of @agentsnickers @piedoesnotequalpi @we-are-inevitable @jack-kellys (there are countless others but these are the first few I thought of off the top of my head)

All really cool peeps that write really good fics!

[shiftingparadise]

i just wanted to say that i love the soft spot series!! it’s something i look forward to and thank you for writing it!! always patiently waiting for the next 🤩♥️🥰

Thank you for your kind words! I hope you enjoy this part just as much 🤍✨

It really means a lot to me when you guys like my work, so thank you for your support even though I haven’t been as active lately.

Warnings: none

Word count: 2894

Chrollo watched as the two of you left. His heartfelt apologies were deflected by Fei’s icy demeanour. “Darling?”, his voice hoarse, “I’m sorry-“. “Shut it”, Feitan carried you in his arms, “One more word and I swear-“. A glimpse of anger shot through Chrollo’s heart, but he knew it was misplaced. “I respected you”, Feitan softly added before he left with you in his arms. “Her stuff-“, Chrollo’s words died out as he caught a hint of Feitan’s anger. “She said she doesn’t want anything that reminds her of you”, he held you close to his chest. “Where are you going?”. “As far away from you as possible”. “I’ll look for her”. “And you won’t find her”, Feitan gritted his teeth; trying to keep his voice steady.

“I’ll kill them”, Chrollo’s eyes went dark.

He didn’t want to be like this; to make you hate him even more but what choice did he have? He didn’t want you to leave. Was he selfish? Yes. But on top of that, more than everything, he felt worried. He couldn’t leave you in Feitan’s hands. What if he couldn’t protect you? What if something happened to you? No. You were safe here.

“Who?”, Feitan froze as his grip around your frail body tightened. “Her family”.

Your heart dropped to your stomach. It didn’t matter that you hadn’t seen them in ages; that they treated you badly. None of it mattered. You weren’t going to face that mountain of guilt.

“You’re bluffing”, Feitan gritted his teeth. “Am I?”. “Fei?”, your eyes darted upwards.

You both knew that you weren’t going to leave. It didn’t matter how badly Feitan wanted to get you out of there; how badly he wanted to see you happy.

“You sure?”, Feitan looked down at your lifeless eyes. “Yeah”. Feitan’s shoulders slumped unwillingly as he now turned back to Chrollo. “Don’t think I’ll leave her alone. Not even for one second”. Chrollo held his hands next to his head before heading upstairs. “I don’t care what you do as long as she stays here”.

The two men didn’t even care to ask for your opinion. At least not out loud. They knew what you were thinking, what you were feeling, but it didn’t matter. They understood that you weren’t going to take any chances. Not when it came down to the safety of your relatives.

—-

“Not again”, your digits glided over the rough curtains. “What?”, Feitan lazily lifted his head from his pillow. “Chrollo… He’s arriving with even more flowers than yesterday”. “Hm”, Feitan hummed. “Wait”, you squeezed your eyes, “He can’t be serious”. “What?”. Now Feitan’s interest was also piqued. “T-there are people with him-“. “Who?”, he practically jumped out of bed. “T-they’re all carrying flowers”. Feitan narrowed his eyes as he tried to read the situation. “What the hell is he doing?”. There was this unexpected sharpness in his voice. Your brows unwillingly drooped along your eyes. It has been three weeks now, and everyday Chrollo had this entire charade of flowers ready in the morning. It started with the door to your room, then it expanded through the entire hallway…. Yesterday, he even had the entire staircase laced with lilies and roses. “What? You’re not going to forgive him, right?”, Feitan narrowed his eyes. “No, of course not”. However, the slight hesitation in your voice didn’t go unnoticed. “If you just agreed to let me take care of things, we’d be out of here already”. “You can’t keep my entire family safe-“. “Who cares about them? They didn’t treat you right”. “That doesn’t mean they have to die because of me”. “Tsk, you know they never even cared to look for you, right?”. “I’m not going to let them die, Fei”, you tore your eyes away from the window. His crescent-shaped eyes seemed cold and unbothered as usual. “You want to stay here, don’t you?”.

His question felt as if someone punched you in the gut. You didn’t want to stay here. Why would you? No. You’d never forgive Chrollo for being so cruel to you. Never.

You looked at Feitan with disappointment in your eyes. “Don’t look at me like that”, his voice softened as he pulled you close, “Come here”.

—-

“Y/N?”, Chrollo’s voice softly called out from the other side of your door. Feitan lazily looked at you; not even caring to put down the book he was reading.

Feitan hadn’t left your side. Not once. He noticed all the efforts and unheard apologies Chrollo had thrown at you, and by now, he knew perfectly well you were going to ignore him.

“Yes?”, your voice fragile as porcelaine. “What?!”, Feitan’s eyes widened as you walked to the door. Your steps featherlight.

Silence.

“I’ve got you something”. Chrollo tried his best to speak up. He hadn’t heard your voice in so long. To him, it felt as if an angel was talking. “Flowers?”. There was no hostility in your voice whatsoever. Feitan wanted to bang your head to a wall. How could you be this stupid? Nonetheless, he didn’t intervene. “Something else”, his words died out. “J-just leave it in front of the door”. “I can’t”, his voice had never been so gently. Your hands hovered over the doorknob. Your mind twisted. “Don’t”, Feitan suddenly towered over you; his grip on your wrist tight. “I-i want to know-“. “Don’t”, his tone stern. Your brows pulled together as you broke free from his grip. “Tsk”, Feitan’s eyes went round in anger, “Little brat-“. You ignored his anger as you slowly opened the door. Chrollo’s eyes, on the contrary, went round in awe. It had been weeks since he saw you up close. You were no longer a ghost to him that appeared every so often in the corner of his eyes. No. You were standing in front of him; as beautiful and graceful as ever. His hand wanted to draw to his chest as his heart skipped a beat. “I-is-“. “O-oh yes”, he carefully handed a kitten to you. It was as white as snow with big, blue eyes. “It reminded me of you”.

You studied the tiny creature as you carefully pulled it close to your chest. It was wearing a pink collar with a beautiful, golden heart in the middle.

“Please, treat it right”, his voice horse as his eyes studied your expression. “I’ve already bought everything it needs. Fei can get it on the table in the kitchen. Y-you can choose where you put everything. Its food is underneath the sink-“. “Thanks”, Feitan coldly intervened as he pulled you back by your nightgown and smashed the door shut.

“What the hell, Fei?!”, you looked up at him. “Give that to me”, his hands reached for the kitten. “N-no!”, you turned away as you held it close. “I wasn’t asking”, Feitan angrily grabbed your shoulder. “I want to keep it!”, you raised your voice. He tried his best to bite his tongue. After all, as long as you were happy… “Fine”, he shortly answered, “Whatever you want”.

—-

“Tsk”. “What?”, your smile just as wide. “You’re going to forgive him”. “W-what, no!”. “I can see it”, his eyes glided to the kitten. It had been a couple of days since Chrollo gave it to you. Since then, the conversations between you and Chrollo grew longer by the day. “If he hurts you again-“. “You won’t be here, yeah yeah”, you sighed as you finished his sentence. “I’m not going to forgive him, okay?”. Feitan watched as you picked up the kitten and held its nose to yours. It was an endearing sight, but the fact that Chrollo was winning you over wasn’t.

“Y/N?’, his voice rang through the door again. “Yes?”, you practically ran to the door earning a cold ‘tsk’ from Feitan. “Would you like to join me for dinner today? And Feitan too, of course”. Feitan knew he was only an afterthought; a pawn for you to agree. “No”, he immediately intervened. “W-wait”, your heart softened as you noticed Chrollo’s tired eyes. What if he really changed? What if he wasn’t as cruel anymore?

“I said no”. Feitan’s tone didn’t change. Your heart was torn. You knew Feitan was right. You shouldn’t join him for dinner after what he did to you, but you cared about him. Even after everything. It’s not like this was the first time he had acted cruel. Besides, Feitan hurt you in the past too. Both of them had treated you equally bad. Sure, they’d changed a lot but still…

“We’ll join you”, you looked at the white ball of fur in your arms. “What the-“, Feitan’s eyes grew wide. “No, we’re not”, he now walked towards you. “Fine”, your defiance grew by the second, “I’ll join you then”. “Are you sure?”, a small fire of victory grew inside Chrollo’s chest. Feitan noticed the smug look Chrollo tried so hard to hide. “I won’t let her”, his eyes locked on his former friend. “She’s a grown woman, you know?”. That smile. You recognised that smile. Chrollo was enjoying this. “You want to join him?”.

It was a simple question but you knew what Feitan was really asking. The confusion and disappointment in his eyes was obvious. He wasn’t asking if you want to join him. He wanted to understand you; to understand how you could hurt him after everything.

“Yes”, you softly answered; avoiding his gaze at all costs. “Fine”, his shoulder lightly brushed against yours, “Enjoy”.

You didn’t dare to ask where he was going or if he was coming back. Besides, for some reason your heart had grown too stubborn, even though your mind was fully aware you were being unreasonable.

Chrollo patiently waited until he heard the front door being slammed shut. It was only then that he cleared his throat. “I’ll be waiting for you. It’s fine if you change your mind”. “N-no, I’ll come”, you hastily replied. The corners of his mouth curled upwards. He had you right where he wanted you. After all, Chrollo knew you like the back of his hand. There wasn’t an ounce of hesitation left in your heart. You missed him, despite everything he’d put you through.

The atmosphere felt tense. Chrollo was sitting in front of you; slowing cutting his steak.

“What’s wrong? Did I overcook it?”. “Wait”, your eyes went round, “You cooked this? Are you serious? You never cook”. “I wanted to surprise you”, a hint of mischief in his eyes.

It was true. He loved you now more than he’d ever done, but that didn’t mean his character had changed.

“Have you named it?”, he broke through the silence. “W-what?”, your eyes still wide in awe. “The kitten”. You watched as his digit stroked over the edge of his wineglass. He was up to something. You’d grown too smart for his tricks but… “K-kitty, just Kitty”. “Hm”, his eyes darted you yours. “What?”, you frowned. “Nothing it’s just… It’s a boring name”.

Your mind darted back to Fei. You initially wanted to name the kitten Stella, but Feitan didn’t like it. He didn’t like the name one bit.

“I wanted to name it Stella but Fei didn’t like it”, your eyes fixed on your food you had yet to touch. “Stella? I like that name”, Chrollo kindly smiled, “Besides, I gave it to you, didn’t I? You can name it whatever you want”. “I-i know, you pulled back, “But Fei is important to me. I value his opinion”. “Right”. Chrollo tried his best to hide the defiance in his eyes; to mask it as best as he could. “Then why did you agree to have dinner with me? He didn’t seem to like-“. “I shouldn’t have agreed”, you interrupted coldly, “I should’ve left with him that day”. “But you didn’t”, Chrollo smirked, “You know why?”. “Because I’m an idiot”, you replied with venom. “Because you know you’d miss me, this house, your room… You’ve grown to like it here”. “I had to! You didn’t gave me a choice!”. “Have I said anything over the past couple of months? You left this house whenever you desired to, with whomever you liked. You could’ve gone back to your family. You could’ve even decided to run, but no. You decided to fuck Phinks because the two of us weren’t enough. Out of all the things you could’ve done, you decided to break my… our trust”. “Y-you-“. “Darling”, he gently waved his finger in the air, “Don’t you try to deny it. You’ve hurt my feelings. Fei could only get over it because he was so angry with me”. “T-that’s not… I didn’t agree to this dinner to get scolded at”, you shoved your chair back.

“Scolding you?”, Chrollo tilted his head. He knew his manipulation was starting to pay off. Yes, he did love you now but he was still Chrollo, head of the Spiders and a born manipulator.

“Y-you’re blaming me-“. “Yes, I’m blaming you”, his eyes followed your every move. “Because haven’t we given you everything you could ever dream off? Clothes? Jewellery? Bags? You even had the love of two men, but it still wasn’t enough for our little minx. No, she had to fuck another member of the Spiders. Tell me, darling. Should we organise a meeting where you can spread your legs to every other male member of the troop? Will you be satisfied then?”.

His words were harsh. Just as he intended to. He’d been so kind to you over the past few weeks; so patient. He knew you wouldn’t dare to disagree with him.

As expected, you stayed quiet. Not even daring to look up from the ground. “Don’t worry, darling. I’m not mad at you but…”, he gently pushed his chair back. You could hear his footsteps draw nearer until his soft hands gently brushed over your shoulders from behind. “I expect you to be kind to me tonight”. “Yes”, you almost whispered. You knew what he was implying; what he asked of you. “Good”, he gently took in the scent of your hair and his heart was ready to burst. He missed you. More than he could take.

You noticed the unexpected kindness in his voice. The sudden shift in his aura.

“Let’s watch a movie together, cuddle on the couch… I’ll even give you a foot massage just… Just sleep with me tonight. I hate to fall asleep without you. Without your soft touch, your sweet scent, your cute sleepy noises… I miss you, darling. Please don’t leave me alone again”, his arms wrapped around your waist and pulling you close. “H-huh-“. “I was mad at you but I get it now. I really do”, his voice soft. “W-what do you mean?”, you slowly turned around. “You didn’t have the love of two men. You only had Feitan’s love. I didn’t love you, not really but I do now. I promise you. I love you. I love you more than my Spiders”.

You stared at him. Scanning the soft features of his face for any hidden lies; any hidden agenda that might be to your disadvantage.

“Please, Y/N. I’ll change. I’ll be whatever you want me to be”.

Chrollo had planned to take advantage of you again. That’s why he wanted to manipulate you into feeling bad; to do whatever he wanted but this feeling of love. This idiotic and overwhelming feeling to give you what you wanted; to make you happy… It stood in the way of everything. It made him soft.

“Come here”, you gently cupped his cheeks, “You’re everything you need to be. You always were but you can be so incredibly cruel. I-I’m scared of you, Chrollo. You realise that, right?”. “N-no, don’t be scared, I won’t ever do something like that-“. “You promised so many things-“. “A-and I gave you everything I promised!”, his eyes full of desperation. “And you broke it every single time”, you lowered your eyes as you took a step back. “Please, Y/N. Let’s just forget about this. J-just hold me like you used to-“. “I can’t”, your voice cracked, “I don’t trust you anymore”. “Y-you can trust me”, he took a step forward. “Y-you have to gain my trust back again”, you took a step back in response. Chrollo’s heart dropped to his stomach but he couldn’t argue back. This sickening feeling of love made him understand you more than he ever did.

“Fine”, he forced a smile, “I’ll make you trust me again”. “I-I”m going to call, Fei. I want to know where he is”. “Right”, Chrollo nodded as he turned away, “I’ll be in my study if you need anything. And don’t worry. Fei never left the house”.

“W-what?”, your heart raced. “You can be so foolish sometimes”, Chrollo chuckled, “You really think he’d leave you alone with me? He only pretended to leave even though he knew I’d easily see through his little game. He just wanted to know if you were going to forgive me”.

“And have you?”, Feitan suddenly appeared behind you. His aura a lot less patient than Chrollo’s.

“N-no”, you looked at the ground. You had grown tired of the games the two of them kept on playing. “I’m going to bed”. Feitan followed behind you like a magnet. “Alone”, you looked over your shoulder, “I want to be alone”.

[mapofyourstars]

✏️ ♻️ 🤡 🤔 🛠️❤️ for the ask game

🖍Post Any sentence from your wip

I don't have anything new written for my crossover fic again, so I'll post something from the next chapter/one-shot of my soulmate au collection: "Sleep slowly overtook him; and the monster residing inside Erik, created by the death of his mother and the torture from Shaw and the lives he took and the people he couldn’t save, grew quiet as Charles’ words repeated in Erik’s head: There’s good, too; I’ve felt it."

♻️A scrapped idea for your current WIP

Fun fact: For my crossover fic, I was going to have Charles and Erik age down prior to meeting the Avengers and never have Tony and Co. not know older Charles and Erik. However, the only reason I didn't take it that route was because I wanted a tender moment with Raven and older Erik to see their relationship dynamic; so I needed to postpone the de-aging until I had that scene. And also, if you look at my layout for that fic, you'll find that a LOT of things were scrapped or reorganized. I'm operating by general vibes at this point to get the rest of the fic written.

🤡How many Wips are you actively working on?

I have three which are posted on my ao3, but I added a few more in my 'to do' folder today - I have five fic ideas in total there as well as a possible continuation for this series.

🤔What’s a story you’d love to write but haven’t even started yet?

Probably those wips I mentioned in my 'to do' folder, but I'm tied between the continuation for this series and another fic, which would be a modern abo fic full of angst and pain but with a lovely, happy, wonderful ending. (I really want to stretch the boundaries of the abo world and explore the bad parts of omegaverse and how those things would affect the characters.)

🛠Is there a scene or anything in the WIP you are struggling with right now?

Not so much struggling, but there's still a lot to write for the crossover fic that I'm getting overwhelmed even though there's only like three chapters left. (I want to put some sexy times in the next chapter, and I always stall at writing that.)

❤️Not a question, just a second kudos to send.

I appreciate you very much; thank you for the kind ask!

ask me questions about my wip to help me procrastinate from working on my wips (:

[deanwanddamons]

Undercover - Prologue

Summary: Homicide Detective Dean Winchester and Agent Y/F/N Y/L/N go undercover to solve a spate of murders. 

Universe: Detective AU

Pairing: None yet. 

Word Count: 1.8K

Chapter Warnings: Description of nightmares and sleep paralysis. Dark subject matter. 

A/N 1: As always thank you to my beta @winchest09, who helped me with the idea for this story. You are my cheerleader, my bestie and my constant support. I love you. A/N 2: As you may or may not know, I haven’t written anything in an absolute age. I have been struggling with writer's block and life has simply got in the way. But…I started this series a long time ago and a few chapters were just sitting in my docs. So I thought I would post this prologue in the hope that you guys enjoy, want to read more and it may give me the inspiration to continue with it. Please let me know what you think - comment and reblog if possible ❤️ Tag list is open if you wish to be added.

Dean had woken with a start. A sheen of sweat covered his body, his limbs tangled in the sheets. His breath came in short gasps as he tried to calm himself down from the recurring nightmare that plagued him.

It wasn’t the first time he has had this particular dream. In fact, it was the third time this week. He could never quite remember the exact details, had even resorted to keeping a notebook and pen by the side of the bed in an attempt to make sense of it, but so far, the pages were still blank. All he knew when he woke was that he was scared. No, not scared. 

Petrified. 

His body would refuse to move, sleep paralysis pinning him down. He could move his eyes, but that was all. As they flickered around the room, every shadow seemed like a threat, every creak an intruder. A scream would build in his chest, his lips desperate to open to allow the sound to escape, but they remained sealed shut. The fear would build as the shades loomed over him, their darkness and weight pressing down on him like a boulder, the oppressive atmosphere suffocating. 

Then the paralysis would break. Finally, the scream would fly from his lungs as his body jerked up, hands fisting the sheets, his knuckles white from his vice-like grip. 

As he relaxed, he sank back down into the mattress, chest heaving as tears spilled down his cheeks. His clutch gradually loosened on the covers, releasing the material. 

He sat back up and leaned over. With trembling hands, he switched on the bedside lamp. The welcoming glow spilled into the room, the monstrous shadows rushing away, back into the corners to cower there until they decided to taunt him some more. Picking up the glass of water that he always kept on the chest of drawers, he brought it to his parched lips, the liquid rippling on the surface as his hands continued to shake. Taking a large gulp, he swallowed hard, the water slightly tepid, but a welcome relief to his dry mouth. 

Placing the glass back down, he scanned the room. As usual, he was alone. He had no one there to soothe him. No one there to wake him before the nightmare took hold. No one there to offer comfort, to reassure him everything was okay and he was only dreaming, which seemed to be getting worse each time. In the dream, he was running through a dark, unfamiliar forest, his heart pounding as if it would burst from his chest. He could hear the sound of something chasing him, but whenever he turned around, there was nothing there. 

The feeling of being pursued was terrifying, and it seemed like he was running for hours. Eventually, he would stumble and fall, and when he tried to get up, he found that he couldn't move. It was like his limbs were made of lead, and no matter how hard he tried, he couldn't seem to get them to work. That was when he would wake up, drenched in sweat and panting for breath.

Dean knew that he had to find a way to stop these dreams. They were taking a toll on his mental and physical health. He had tried everything from meditation to sleeping pills, but nothing seemed to work. He couldn't shake the feeling that this dream was trying to tell him something, and until he figured out what that was, he wouldn't be able to rest easy.

Knowing the answer before he even looked, his eyes landed on the digital clock, the glowing red numbers telling him it was 3.40am. When he awoke from a nightmare, it was always at the same time, and tonight was no different. 

He knew sleep would evade him for the rest of the night. His alarm was set for 5am, so even if he did manage to doze back off, he would only get an hour or so. Accepting that he would not be getting any more rest, he swung his legs out of bed, and padded across the room, deciding to take a shower. 

As Dean entered the bathroom, he stripped off his t-shirt and boxer shorts that were damp with sweat. Throwing them into the laundry basket, he switched on the shower and waited for the water to heat up, moving to the toilet to empty his bladder as it did. Turning to the sink, he cleaned his teeth and swilled mouthwash around his mouth. The liquid spilled from his mouth into the sink, circling down into the void. The troubled man glanced up and stared at his reflection in the mirror in horror. He looked exhausted. The shadows under his fatigued forest green eyes were dark and large, his pallor pale, causing the smattering of freckles that adorned his usually handsome face to stand out like a child’s dot to dot colouring book. His light brown hair was sticking up in messy angles, flecks of grey obvious in the harsh luminous light coming from the bulb that was too bright for the small dimensions of the room. He sighed and rubbed his face, the stubble there emitting a scratchy sound as he brought his palm down his neck. 

Stepping into the warm flow of the shower, Dean leaned against the cool, tiled wall, letting the water cascade down his body. His muscles were aching, as they always did after suffering from sleep paralysis. He supposed it was from clenching them in his sleep, holding them in one position against his will. He kneaded his shoulder, digging his fingers into the skin, trying to release the tension. It helped slightly, but the pain was still there. Squeezing some shampoo into his hand, he massaged it into his hair, his eyes following the stream of suds as they ran into the drain. His mind went blank and he placed the palms of his hands against the wall, allowing the pent-up tears to fall, no longer able to keep them inside. They mingled with the remnants of the shampoo as they slipped down his cheeks. 

He wasn’t sure how much longer he could do this. Ever since ‘the incident’ - as he put it to himself - he hadn’t got any more than three or four hours of sleep a night, and it was catching up with him. But Dean couldn’t let it show, couldn’t let anyone else see that he was weak - not in his line of work. He had to deal with it alone, deal with it inwardly, even though it ate him up inside, piece by piece, bit by bit, until there would be nothing left. The only place he could get any kind of reprieve from it was when he was in the shower. That way, not even he could distinguish the water from the tears. He had never been one to show his feelings.

His mother had passed away when he was four. His younger brother, Sam, had only been six months old at the time. A house fire had ripped her away from them. Their father, John Winchester, had struggled to deal with his grief and took a job which required traveling around the country, forcing the broken family to stay in bleak motel rooms all around the US. His father would often work overnight, leaving Dean to practically bring up his sibling alone. Dean had become Sam’s protector, his provider and his best and only friend. The older brother's relationship with John was extremely fractured, their arguments legendary. 

When Dean told him he wanted to become a detective, his old man had laughed, telling him that there was no way he would ever be able to, that he would amount to nothing. This made him even more determined, so at nineteen he moved to Lawrence, Kansas and joined the police force. He had become a detective by the time he was twenty-five. Dean was now forty, living in Los Angeles, having had to leave Lawrence after ‘the incident’  and was one of the most senior and respected officers in his precinct. Of course, his career had always come first, and even though he had had a few brief relationships, he had never met ‘the one’. It was common knowledge that if detectives did settle down, many of the marriages ended in divorce, due to the pressures of the job, so Dean decided long ago that he was better off alone. A conclusion he rarely regretted, except on the nights where he woke from night terrors, scared and needing some human contact. 

When Dean was in his twenties, his father had passed away. He hadn’t cried in public, shedding only a single tear at the funeral, which the younger Winchester had witnessed. When Sam had placed his hand on his shoulder - his eyes dry -  Dean swiped the tear away, and vowed never to show any weakness to anyone again.

His little brother had applied for college, aced his exams and was accepted into Stanford University to study law. Now thirty-six, he was running his own law firm in Lawrence, having joined Dean in the small city. When Dean had moved to L.A., Sam had stayed. He was married to a lovely girl called Jess, a high school teacher. Even though he was distraught at his brother moving to the other side of the country, he couldn’t go with him as there was too much for him to leave behind, but he knew that Dean had to go due to his particular circumstances. They spoke regularly over the phone and via Skype, and Dean was extremely proud of the man Sam had grown up to become. 

Taking a deep breath, he stepped out from under the water and turned off the tap. Wrapping a towel around his waist, he walked from the room, his damp feet leaving footprints on the wooden floor of his apartment as he made his way into his bedroom and looked at the clock. It was still only 4.10am, and so he dried himself off, pulled on a pair of sweatpants, and padded into the open plan kitchen.

The exhausted man was desperate for caffeine, so he switched on the machine, preparing his cup while the coffee bubbled. After pouring the beverage into his mug, he sat down, rubbing at his tired eyes that felt like sand had been thrown in them, and unplugged his cell from the wall. 

Scanning through his email, the phone suddenly started to ring in his hand. 

“Hello,” Dean said as he brought it to his ear.  “Detective Elliott? It’s Detective Hanscum.” a woman said, urgency evident in her voice. “There’s been another one.”

Chapter One

Tags (and adding those who may be interested) - @salt-n-burn-em-all / @littlelonewolfgirl / @krazykelly / @deans-spinster-witch / @lastcallatrockysbar / @ssimelttilgniht / @123passwort / @winchester-girl67 / @winchestergirl2 / @americasass81 / @jessjad / @akshi8278 / @dean-winchester-is-a-warrior / @waywardbaby / @deanwinchesterswitch / @440mxs-wife

[middleearthpixie]

Better Days ~ Chapter Eighteen

Dunraven Pub Series- Modern AU

A/N: It's been a long time since I last updated this - I hope some people still remember it... Anyway, school is winding down for the semester and so most of my fics should be updated on a more regular basis as a result. Thank you for your patience! 💜

Summary: Frerin Durin had the perfect life, until he found out his wife was cheating on him. Now, he’s navigating uncharted territory as an about-to-be divorced single dad. Dating is a mess, he’s dealing with the fallout where his kids are concerned, and really, he would just love a vacation away from all of it. 

Elena Madison is new to Sidleburg, and also navigating life as a newly single parent. The last thing she needed was for her daughter to come down sick, when she hasn’t even had time to unpack the moving boxes, never mind find a pediatrician. And the last thing she ever expected was to meet a man like Dr. Frerin Durin…

Neither Elena nor Frerin were looking for anything, but fate has a way of messing up even the best laid plans. However, both have been hurt and both aren't at all sure they trust themselves, never mind trusting someone else...

Pairings:  Modern!Frerin x ofc Elena Madison

Warnings: None

Rating: T 

Word Count: 4.5k

Tag List: @mrsdurin @i-did-not-mean-to @lathalea @linasofia @fizzyxcustard @legolasbadass @kibleedibleedoo @xxbyimm @arrthurpendragon @exhausted-humxn-being @rachel1959 @laurfilijames @sketch-mer-6195 @sherala007 @enchantzz @knittastically @notlostgnome @myselfandfantasy @medusas-hairband @guardianofrivendell @jotink78 @sorisooyaa @ruthoakenshield @frosticenow @quiall321 @dianakc @buckybarnes-thorin @glassgulls @evenstaredits @heilith @asgardianhobbit98 @albionscastle @absentmindeduniverse @way-too-addicted-to-fandoms @sazzlep @court-jobi @masterofhounds @genius2050

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Previous chapters can be found here. 

Frerin groaned as he let his head thunk against his desk. “Again?”

“Sorry, Frerin, we’ve got three docs out with the flu.”

“Yeah, a likely story.” He picked his head up once more. “This is ridiculous, Jay, I spend more time in the ER than I do up here and I have to cancel plans with someone again.”

Jay Reese, Sidleburg’s chief of staff, nodded. “I know. I’m not happy about it, either, but we need docs down there.”

“I’m a pediatrician, Jay.”

“You still went to med school, didn't you? Look, it sucks and I know it sucks, but until the hiring freeze is lifted and we get actual warm bodies who know what they’re doing, we have to pick up the slack. I had plans, too, and I’ll be seeing patients down there as well.”

“Mine involved a gorgeous brunette I was planning to be naked with,” Frerin grumbled. “And now, I’ve got to cancel those plans—again, I’ll remind you—to work a double shift—again as well—in a department I’m only barely qualified to work in.”

“You’ve got an MD after your name. That’s more than barely qualified and kids come into the ER as well.”

“So, then let me get back to working on the pediatric ER. At least then it will make sense for me to be down there.”

Reese sighed, closing Frerin’s office door behind him. “Look, I’ll be honest with you, I don't see that getting off the ground any time soon. There just isn’t money in the budget for it. We’re trying to keep the doors open as it is and going to the board with an idea that will help the smallest of fractions of the population isn’t what they’re looking to okay right now.”

Frerin sat back in his chair, staring at Reese. “What if I can find the funds? I haven’t written a grant proposal since the dark ages, but I’ll do it if it means I have a decent reason to be down there. You should see the looks I get when a guy who comes in because he’s nearly taken a thumb off trying to change the cord on a weedwhacker realizes he’s got a pediatrician taking care of him. Unlike you, they don’t seem to realize I also went to med school.”

“They don't care what specialty you are, long as you’re a doc and you know it.” Reese skirted one of the two chars in front of Frerin’s desk to sink into it. “And honestly, you’re good down there, Frerin. Patients like you. The nurses like you. The students like you.”

“I’m not an ER doc and I have no desire to be one.”

“But you’re willing to open and run a pediatric ER.”

“That’s different. Look, Fritock is a jackass and I’m not answering to her. As long as I’m covering the ER, I don't have a choice. I run the pedes ER and I do have a choice. I’ll answer to you, but not her.”

“Yeah, no one likes her, but she’s competent and keeps that place running.” Reese rubbed his forehead and let out a low sigh. “So, can you cover Riley’s shift?”

“I don't have a choice, do I?”

“Sure you do. But say yes and I’ll see what else I can do about funding for the pedes ER.”

“That’s extortion, Jay.”

“I know. But we need you to cover the ER tonight. Your girlfriend just has to understand.”

“She already does, but damn… I was looking forward to tonight.”

“Just think of this as foreplay,” Reese said, rising from the chair. “The longer you make each other wait, the sweeter the payoff.”

“Get out of my office.”

“I owe you, you know.”

“Yes, you absolutely do!” 

Reese chuckled as he pulled the door closed behind him and Frerin swore softly beneath his breath as he overheard Reese flirting with Katie, as he did every time he came through the department.

“God damn it,” Frerin muttered, staring at his phone, lying face down on the corner of his desk blotter. The last thing he wanted to do was cancel on Elena again. 

With a low sigh, he reached for the phone and turned it over to toggle to his contacts, scrolling down until he reached her number, then tapped it. 

“Hey, I was just thinking about you.”

Elena’s purr sent a shiver along his spine even as his gut kinked. “What were you thinking, or do I not want to know?”

“Well, I was thinking about tonight. But,” a slight hesitation crept into her voice, “I have a bad feeling that tonight is in jeopardy.”

He leaned his head back, his eyes closing as he silently cursed out the irresponsible docs who thought nothing of calling out and left everyone else to pick up their slack for them. Christ, he was tired of it. “I’m sorry, honey, but—”

“You have to cover for someone in the ER again, don't you?”

Her voice was flat, which made his gut kink harder. Toni used to complain about the same thing. It was one of the constant sticking points in their relationship and the one that he couldn't fault her for having. “I’ll make it up to you, I promise. But three docs called out and I’m here, so…”

“I understand,” she replied flatly. “Another time, then. It’ll keep.”

“I don’t like it any more than you do, but—”

“No, I get it, Frerin. You don't have to explain it.”

“I know you get it, and that’s what pisses me off,” he replied, drumming his fingertips against his desk. “Reese has me because he knows how important the pedes ER is to me and he uses it as leverage. And there isn’t a damn thing I can do about it. But, I swear to you—”

“I know, and it’s okay. Like I said, it’ll keep for another time.”

“I’m sorry, Lena.”

“Don’t be. It comes with the territory.” She sighed softly. “Just give me a call when you do have a free day, I guess.”

His fingers went still. “Elena, you know I’d rather be seeing you tonight.”

“I know, but I also know that it’s silly to try to make any sort of plans because this seems to happen a lot. And I know it’s because you’re shorthanded and I know you don't have a lot of say in the matter, but it’s still aggravating as hell. So, before this devolves into a fight, just call me when you’re home and can actually get together, okay?”

“Yeah. Okay. I’ll talk to you soon, then.”

“I hope so. Bye.”

She clicked off and he tossed his phone back onto the desk with a muttered, “Fuck,” and sank back in his chair again, staring up at the ceiling. 

“It’s always the same thing, Frerin! We make plans and you cancel because someone else decides they don't feel like coming in to work and I’m tired of it. Work always comes before me. Before me. Before the kids. Before everything. Always!”

Those words, or some variation of them, were all too familiar, as Toni lobbed them in his direction more than once. And there was definitely truth to them. He’d missed school plays, school field days, sporting events, dance or band recitals—you named it, he’d missed it because he’d gotten stuck at the hospital. 

 Toni begged him for years to go into private practice. He’d make twice the money and work half the hours. No weekends. No overnights. He’d have time for family. He’d have time for her.

Maybe if he had gone into private practice, neither one of them would have fucked around on the other one. Maybe if he made the change now, he could keep his relationship with Elena from falling apart. 

Maybe.

In his top desk drawer, he found the business card a colleague had given him last summer, at a conference on Maui. A private practice not far from Sidleburg had been looking for docs and maybe—just maybe—they still were.

He stretched for his phone again and dialed.

“Good morning, Hunterdon Pediatrics.”

“Good morning. Is Dr. Mendham in?”

“Oh, I’m afraid she’s out of the office today. Can I take a message or put you into her voicemail?”

“Voicemail, please.”

“One moment.”

He waited for the automated greeting to wind down, then said, “Hi, Emilia, it’s Frerin Durin over at Sidleburg Memorial. I was wondering if you were still in the market for another pediatrician. Just give me a call back at your earliest convenience and maybe we can work something out. My number is…”

Elena sighed as she stood in the doorway of her bedroom, scowling at the overnight bag sitting, all ready to go, on her bed. In it, were the makings of a romantic night that would hopefully knock Frerin’s socks off (along with whatever else he happened to be wearing at the time) as per the Book of Heather. Brand new lingerie that would be relegated to the back of her closet because somehow, she had the feeling she was not going to hear from Frerin any time soon.

Work. 

Work was always the excuse. Work was why Dan was always late or had to travel. Then she realized work meant fucking a coworker. 

But Frerin was different.

Wasn’t he?

She sighed, leaning her head against the doorjamb. Maybe he was. Maybe he wasn’t. She was just such a poor judge of character when it came to men. She saw what she wanted to see as opposed to who the guy in question actually was.

She wanted to see Frerin as a decent guy, interested in more than just getting off.

She wanted to see him as relationship material—faithful and upfront with her. And interested in more than just getting off.

But at the same time, he had a very convenient reason ready-made and always believable. And he was a guy, so maybe he wasn't interested in more than just getting off.

How depressing.

How infuriating.

Another sigh and she moved to swipe the bag up from her bed and all but threw it into the closet, then slammed the door. It made her feel better, but only for a minute. When the initial sense of satisfaction faded, she realized she felt rather empty. She’d been looking forward to seeing him again, especially to seeing if Heather’s prediction would come true. 

But it wasn't meant to be. 

****

The ER was a madhouse. For the better part of twelve hours, Frerin did nothing but run from one exam room to another. A three car pileup on Route Nine. A Christmas tree fire that brought a family of five in with various degrees of burns and smoke inhalation. Two emergency deliveries—one a C-section to boot—and seven merry makers not quite ready to let go of the season who  drank bad egg nog and were now currently hunched over emesis basins puking their guts out.

By seven o’clock, Frerin wasn’t certain he’d remember his own name if anyone asked. He sank onto the sofa in the doctor’s lounge, head back, a coffee mug in one hand, and as his eyes closed, he muttered, “I’m getting too old for this shit.”

“Dr. Durin?”

“He’s not here.”

“You’re needed in Curtain Three.”

He lifted his head and opened his eyes to stare at Carol. “Are you kidding me? I just sat down. First time since four o’clock. Christmas is over, why are they all still coming through here full of egg nog and candy canes?”

“Because some people don’t want the season to end, Dr. Scrooge.” She moved to the counter where the Keurig was and opened the cabinet to take out a Krispy Kreme pod. “But, I promise you, this one isn’t throwing up. At least, not yet.”

He swallowed a mouthful of coffee. “Is it at least someone under eighteen?”

She nodded. “Twelve year old. Possibly appendicitis. A real, live pedes case for you.”

“Wonderful.” He pushed up from the sofa with a crinkle of what had to be thirty year old naugahyde, and bowed his back with a low groan before setting his cup on the table. “Curtain Three?”

“Yeah. Holly is waiting for you.”

“Thanks.” He tugged open the lounge door and maneuvered his way through the sea of bodies toward Curtain Three. 

He paused outside the closed drapes that acted as privacy walls. “Jessica Mauro?”

“Come in.”

He stepped around the curtains to find a pale and tired-looking preteen girl in the narrow bed, and an equally tired looking older blonde woman sitting next to it. He looked over at Holly. “This my rule-out appy?”

Holly nodded. “She has lower right quadrant pain and a temp of one-oh-one. No vomiting but she’s tender to the touch.”

“Okay. Let’s take a look.” He took the chart and perused it briefly, then set it on the tray table. “Hi, Jessica. I’m Dr. Durin. You’re not feeling so well?”

She shook her head. “I feel like crap, to be honest.”

“Jessie!” 

“Sorry, Mom.” 

Frerin smiled, reaching for the box of gloves on the shelf near the bed. “It’s all right, Mrs….?”

“Mauro also.”

“It’s not the worst thing I’ve heard today, Mrs. Mauro. Tell me, when did the pain start?”

Jessica pursed her lips. “It’s been bugging me all day, but I thought it was just,” she case a side eye glance at her mother, “really bad cramps.”

A hint of color came to her cheeks as she said it and he moved closer to her bedside. “No worries. Do you mind if I take a look?”

She shook her head. “No.”

“Good.” He tugged the hospital gown up and carefully pressed about the general area, freezing when she gasped and cried out at the same time. “Sorry about that, Jessica. There’s no other way to do that.”

“So, it’s her appendix?” Mrs. Mauro asked.

“It could be, but we need to rule out a few more things first.” He looked up at her. “Why don’t you go and get a cup of coffee while I chat with Jessica for a few minutes.”

Mrs. Mauro sat up straighter. “Is there something else it could be? Something I should worry about?”

“I didn't say that.” He glanced over at Holly. “Nurse DeLuca, could you show Mrs. Mauro where the coffee machine is?”

“Sure. Come with me, Mrs. Mauro. Dr. Durin only needs a few minutes.”

She looked over at her daughter, who said, “It’s okay, Mom. I’ll be fine.”

“If you’re sure.”

“I am.”

“Five minutes, Mrs. Mauro,” he said, holding up one hand, fingers splayed out. 

He waited for Holly and Mrs. Mauro to leave, and then turned back to Jessica. “How old are you, Jessica?”

“Thirteen… well, I’ll be thirteen in two weeks.”

“My daughter’s thirteen. It can be a tough age.” He drew over the low stool and sank onto it. “So, you’re in sixth grade?”

“Seventh.”

“Seventh grade. I remember seventh grade.” He smiled. “Do you have a boyfriend, Jessica?”

She shrugged. “Kind of.”

“Kind of. Kind of how?”

“I don’t know. Just… kind of…” She twisted the blanket’s binding as she added, “Why?”

“Well, I just need a bit of history, to rule out anything else. And I can get another nurse to come in here if you’re uncomfortable with me. Or we can wait until your mom comes back, if you’d be more comfortable that way.”

“No, this is okay.”

“Good. I’m going to ask you a couple of questions that might be uncomfortable, but it’s really important that you’re honest with me, Jessica. Okay?”

 She nodded. “Okay.”

“When was your last period?”

“I told the nurse it was right around Thanksgiving.”

“Before or after?”

“Uh.. before, I think.”

“Okay, now when you say you have a boyfriend, are you doing anything with him?”

“Why?”

“Because there are certain conditions that present like appendicitis, but aren’t. And I need to rule them all out.” He pulled off his gloves to toss into the trash can. “So, are you doing anything with him?”

She nodded. “Yeah.”

“Kissing or more?”

“More.”

He drew in a deep breath. “Are you and this boy having sex?”

She didn't answer at first, but a deep blush swept up along her cheekbones and she nodded. “Yeah.”

“Okay. Are you using anything?”

“We used a condom.”

“Good. That’s good. Protect yourself. That’s the most important thing.”

“But it slipped off.”

“It slipped off?”

She nodded slowly. “Yeah. He said he found it, though. You cannot tell my mom any of this. She will absolutely kill me if she finds out.”

“I’m not going to tell your mother, Jessica. Not without your permission.”

“Wait, you mean, you aren’t going tell me that my mom won’t kill me? That I should tell her?”

“Well, in a perfect world, yeah, you should tell her. But it’s your decision, not mine. You know your mother.”

Her dark eyes narrowed slightly. “Do you think I should?”

“Well, let’s wait and see what the problem is first, okay?”

“What do you think it is?”

“I want to run a couple of tests and it won’t take long.” He looked up as Holly and Mrs. Mauro came back. “Ah, perfect timing. Holly,” he rose from the stool and moved over to her, “let’s get a CBC, and urine dip and check the icon.”

Mrs. Mauro looked from Holly to him. “What are those?”

“Routine bloodwork. I’ll need your consent for them, though.” He took the chart from the tray and held it out. 

“Is one of them a pregnancy test?”

“It’s routine, Mrs. Mauro. All female patients of child bearing age are tested.” He held out a pen as well. 

“Why would you test a twelve year old girl?”

“Because twelve year olds who have already gotten their periods can get pregnant.”

“But my daughter is not—”

“It’s okay, Mom,” Jessica broke in quietly, the blush gone from her cheeks. “Just sign it, okay?”

“Jessie…” Mrs. Mauro turned to her, her eyes wide. “Are you telling me…?”

“Just sign. Please?”

“Oh, shit…” Mrs. Mauro muttered even as she scrawled her signature across the sheet. “You’re only twelve, Jess…”

Frerin looked over at Holly, whose eyebrows rose as Jessica said, “We were bored.”

“Jess!”

Jessica must’ve decided her mother wouldn’t kill her after all. Biting back a smile, Frerin turned to Mrs. Mauro. “I’ll be back as soon as those test results come in, okay, Jessica? If you start to feel any worse, just let Nurse DeLuca know and she’ll come find me.”

“Okay.”

Holly followed him to the edge of the curtain. “What are you thinking?”

Peering in at Jessica, he said, “I want to rule out an ectopic, just to be safe. So, put a rush on the bloodwork.”

“I’ll see what I can do. The lab is just as shorthanded as we are.”

“Well, tell them this is a Code Red and needs to be done before anything else. Tell them it’s a kid if you have to.”

“I’ll see what I can do.”

“Thanks.” 

They parted ways then and he wove his way back to the desk and the still-overflowing rack of charts. “Who’s next?”

Ashley looked up from the forms she thumbed through. “Take your pick, Dr. D. The waiting room is overflowing.”

“Any kids?”

She gave him a look. “I don’t memorize the charts. I just rack them.”

“Okay, okay. Yeesh…” He moved down to thumb through them. “Aha! Two year old with the croup. If anyone needs me, I’ll be in Exam One. I’m waiting on some lab results for Curtain Three, so can someone let me know the minute they land in my inbox?”

“I’m on it, Dr. D.”

“Thank you!”

“Dr. Durin? Lab results on your ectopic are in.”

Frerin looked up from the chart he was reviewing as Ashley held out the lab slip. “Thanks, Ashley.”

As he looked down, a heavy sigh came to his lips. Carol came around the corner of the desk. “Bad news?”

He looked up. “Twelve year old with an ectopic. Ashley, get OB on the phone for me?”

“Sure thing, Dr. D.” Ashely dialed the number and a moment later, held out the phone. “Dr. Miller’s covering.”

“Good.” He took the phone. “Randi, it’s Frerin Durin in the ER. I’ve got a twelve year old down here with an ectopic pregnancy that we need to take care of ASAP.”

“Damn, twelve…” Randi Miller let out a whistle. “Give me a few minutes to secure an OR and I’ll meet you up on Six once you get consent.”

“Great. I’ll have her there ASAP.”

“Sounds good.”

Frerin handed the receiver back to Ashley. “Do you know where Holly is?”

“I think she’s in Exam One.” Carol gestured toward the exam rooms down the hallway. 

“Okay.” He picked up Jessica Mauro’s chart and tucked the lab slip in with it, then made his way down to the exam rooms and poked his head in. “Excuse me, Holly, do you have a moment?”

She looked away from the elderly woman she was with and nodded. “I’ll be finished here in just a few minutes.”

“Okay. Meet me in Curtain Three?”

“Sure.”

“Thanks. Sorry to interrupt.”

The elderly woman smiled. “It’s no trouble. Feel free to interrupt again, if you like.”

Holly burst out laughing. “Mrs. Zwicker!”

“What? He’s cute.”

Frerin chuckled as he ducked back out of the exam room and wound his way back toward the Curtain areas. At Curtain Three, he said, “Jessica?”

“Yeah?”

He came around the curtain to find both Jessica and her mother looking even more exhausted now. “Your labs came back. Mrs. Mauro, would you mind giving us—”

“It’s okay,” Jessica said slowly, reaching for her mother’s hand. “You can say whatever it is.”

“Are you sure?”

She nodded. “It’s okay. I already told her.”

He looked from mother to daughter. Mrs. Mauro certainly didn't look as if she was about to kill her daughter, so he took that as a good sign. “I’m afraid you have what’s called an ectopic pregnancy.”

She stared at him. “I’m pregnant?”

“Holy crap,” Mrs. Mauro whispered.

“Mom!”

“Okay, hold on,” he broke in softly. “You are, but instead if implanting in the uterus, the fertilized egg is in your fallopian tube.”

“So, do you need to operate to move it?” Jessica asked, her fingers visibly tightening about her mother’s.

“We do need to operate,” he said, “and I’ve already spoken with the OB on call and when we finish here, we’ll take you up to surgery, but I’m afraid we can’t move it, Jessica. It isn’t a viable pregnancy.”

“So, I’m having an abortion?”

“Is that really necessary?” Mrs. Mauro asked. 

“I’m afraid so, Mrs. Mauro. And it has to be taken care of as soon as possible to avoid any complications. So, I have a consent form I’ll need you to sign and—”

Mrs. Mauro stared at him. “And if I refuse to give it?”

“Mom!”

“Mrs. Mauro, under law, pregnancy emancipates Jessica, so she technically doesn’t need parental consent. However, it would make things easier for you both if you would.”

 Mrs. Mauro bit her bottom lip as Jessica broke in with, “But, I don't want an abortion, Mom. I—I want to keep the baby.” 

“It’s all right, baby,” she replied, smoothing Jessica’s sleep-matted dark hair away from her face. “This is different, okay. You’ll be fine.”

“Mommy… no…”

“Jessica, listen to me,” Frerin set the chart down and with his free hand, caught the stool to bring it to her bedside, “I know it’s kind of scary, but it really does need to be done. If we don’t operate quickly, your life could be in danger. Like I said, this isn’t a matter of choice. This has to be done.”

She shook her head. “I don't want to.”

“Jessie…” Mrs. Mauro cleared her throat. “Dr. Durin, could I speak with you outside?”

“Sure.” He rose and followed her from the exam area. “What is it?”

“Her father came into this hospital three months ago. He’d had a heart attack and his doctor told him he needed to have a stent put in, so he agreed and he died from complications of having it done.”

“I understand and I’m sorry for your loss, but this really is not something that can wait. It truly is a matter of time. If we don’t terminate, the fallopian tube can rupture and Jessica could hemorrhage to death if that happens.”

“No, I understand and I’m not fighting you on it. I just wanted you to understand why she is.”

“I do understand. And I don't blame her at all.”

“So, where is the consent form?”

“Inside.” He moved the curtain to allow her to pass by and once they were at Jessica’s bedside, he said, “I’ll go up with you, Jessica. Trust me, you’ll be in the best hands in the hospital. I promise.”

She didn't look entirely convinced. “Will you stay with me?”

Holly came into the room along with someone from Transport. “Dr. Durin, do you need me to go up with Jessica?”

“No,” he said, shaking his head, “I’ll go up with her. Why don't we and Mrs. Mauro, I can answer any questions you might have on the way.”

“Sure.”

Mrs. Mauro signed the consent and passed it back to him. “Will I be able to see her before she goes in? That’s really the only question I have.”

“You’ll be able to be with her until she does.” He took the form, tucked it in with Jessica’s chart and looked down at her. “Are you ready?”

Jessica didn't look ready at all, even as she nodded. “Okay.”

“You’re going to be just fine,” he told her, moving as the guy from Transport came around to unlock the wheels of Jessica’s bed.

“You ready, Miss Jessica? I’m Tony and I promise you, I won’t hit the bumps too hard.”

“I’m ready.”

He rolled her out and Mrs. Mauro turned to Frerin. “She looks so much younger than twelve.”

“They always do.”

“Do you have any children?”

“I have three. My daughter is just a little older than Jessica.”

“You can’t keep them safe, you know? You try and try and try, but… they are going to do what they’re going to do.”

“The important thing is communication, Mrs. Mauro. You keep those lines open, and you’ll be amazed at what happens.”

“Dr. Durin?” Jessica called over the top of her bed.

He fell into step alongside her. “What is it, Jessica?”

“Are you going to be doing my operation?”

“No. I’m not. Dr. Miller is and she’s really good. You’re in the best hands. I promise.”

“You never answered me about staying with me. Would you?”

“Dr. Durin?” Ashley poked her head around the corner. “You’ve got a drunk slip and fall waiting in Exam Four.”

“Get Zander to take it. I’m going up with my twelve year old.”

“Are you sure?”

“Yeah, I’m sure. I’ll be back down when she’s in Recovery.”

“Okay.”

He glanced down at Jessica. “I’ll stay until you go into surgery.”

“Thank you, Dr. Durin.”

He reached down to ruffle her hair as they all got onto the elevator and the doors slid shut. Reese would be pissed, but he’d get over it. And even if he didn’t, Frerin didn't care. 

[gosiksmallspace]

Wanna do the a03 wrapped thing? Because you should be! Here are some BTS things with the writer I would personally love to know (doesn't have to be for 2023): 

- favorite title (for a work or chap) 

- what relationship are you excited to explore next year? 

- what do you listen to while writing 

- fav line written this year, whether it's published or not 

- biggest surprise while writing this year?

 and anything bts with the writer you want to add!

I would love to! Thank you for asking!!! I’m always happy to share my stuff 😊😊😊

I will try to keep it to 2023!

favorite title (for a work or chapter)

I’m terrible with titles, so I usually choose something simple or just something that reminds me of something else. Like a song lyrics. This year my favorite title from my works was “An Offer From A Gangster”. I wanted to read the Bridgerton book series (still didn’t do it), and the book 3 title, “An Offer From A Gentleman” kind of stuck in my head? And in that fic, Jaeho makes Hyunsoo an offer so I thought it was a brilliant idea for the title 🤣

what relationship are you excited to explore next year?

I would love to write more Kill Boksoon! I have an idea for a Mantis and Minkyu continuation!

Also, I have some ideas for D.P. fics, about Hoyeol and Junho after they met again after the military.

There are some other ships I like and I thought about exploring, like Sieun x Suho from Weak Hero or Hyunsoo x Eunhyuk from Sweet Home (still haven’t watched season 2 yet, didn’t have time 😭).

And of course, I have to finish The Merciless fics. I have a lot of WIPs with them. Thinking of Jaeho and Hyunsoo still breaks my heart. I need them in love and happy (and a bit smutty).

what do you listen to while writing

Usually to some playlists on Spotify, that I accidentally found. I just searched ‘writing music’. Here are the ones I listened recently:

fav line written this year, whether it's published or not

Okay there are few and it’s hard to choose (the unpublished are not checked gramatically, sorry 😅):

From “An Offer From A Gangster”, Han Jaeho x Jo Hyunsoo from The Merciless: Jaeho didn't move, and instead, the younger man felt him again resting his face in Hyunsoo's hair and inhaling "You know you smell like my shampoo?" he chuckled. "Don't sniff me," scolded Hyunsoo, mostly because he was a mess of sweat, tears, and few other fluids, while Jaeho looked much more composed, "You said I can use what I find when showering." "I'm not accusing you of anything. Stating a fact," laughed Jaeho, breathing in, "I like it a lot. Almost like you're mine.

From “Mantis”, Cha Minkyu x Mantis from Kill Boksoon "I can be whoever you want me to be," he whispered, leaning down to his boss' neck, "I can be Mantis," he said nipping at the skin in front of him, "I can be Minhee," he added and he just knew that the man rolled his eyes at that, "Or," he said leaning to Minkyu's ear, letting a warm puff of breath into it, "I can even be Boksoon."

From unpublished “Untitled 1”, Han Jaeho x Jo Hyunsoo from The Merciless And there he was, Jaeho, like a king and ruler, sitting in the middle of the big, white sofa illuminated by the club's colorful lights. But he was not alone. Hyunsoo paused in his tracks. There was some brat with him. Maybe ‘brat’ would be going a bit over the top because he could be around Hyunsoo’s age. Even if he looked younger. It could be because of his platinum, blonde hair and the glittery loose shirt that fell off his shoulder. He was also rather slim and delicate looking. Hyunsoo couldn’t see his face because the shithead was busy sitting on Jaeho’s lap and sucking on the skin under the older man’s jaw. And his fucking hand was on Jaeho’s belt. Hyunsoo saw red.

From unpublished “Untitled 2”, Han Jaeho x Jo Hyunsoo from The Merciless He was about to close the bar and go to the tiny apartament he bought not so far away from the bar. He had a few cans of beer and there was probably some replay of a baseball game on TV. All that was left was to lock everything and he was off. However, there was a loud thud on the doors before they opened and somebody stumbled inside. And Jaeho’s breath got caught in his throat. Because he would recognize that someone anywhere. His thoughts went back to him at random moments during the day and he dreamt of him during the night. Of all the bars in all the towns in all the world, he had to walk into Jaeho’s.

From unpublished "Late Night Talks", An Junho x Han Hoyeol from D.P. “Don’t worry, I don’t kick,” hummed Corporal Han finally after turning his back to Junho, “I may steal the sheets though. I get cold easily.”

From unpublished "Untitled 3", An Junho x Han Hoyeol from D.P. Hoyeol lay a bit further away respecting the boundaries. His dog had none of his subtlety because he had his head in Junho's lap. Hoyeol would be jealous if that didn't create such a cute picture.

biggest surprise while writing this year?

This year I discovered that I actually get more inspired when write outside? Like in the malls or coffee shops. Also writing to people “I’m going to write” usually helps me to motivate myself. Mostly @daxianme and @yardmargs have to listen to it. I’m thankful that they're so supportive.

bts with the writer I want to add

Fic I had the most fun writing was probably "Counting Down The Days". I really wanted to write Hyunsoo perspective that reflects Jaeho. Glad it worked out 😁

In December I want to publish one more fic. I started writing it in December 2022, inspired by the Christmas spirit. Unfortunately, I forgot about it during summer. Now I found it again and I'm working on finishing it. It's about Jaeho and Hyunsoo spending Christmas together.

Hmmm. Maybe also a bit of statistics? I like statistics.

This year I wrote only 4 fics but all together they had more words (25,616 words) then all the ones I published in 2022 (23,342 words). I noticed that I actually plan more plot and write longer things. I’m happy about it :D

Time to finish, thank you for the ask! It was fun getting to remind myself all my 2023 work :)

If you want to know more feel free to ask. You can use the list here or think of something! I love talking about my writing, I feel it motivates me

[vanemando15]

She’s Got The Ticket - Chapter 5

Pairing: Pairing: Javier Peña x fem!reader (reader has a latina name but no physical descriptions)

Word Count: 4500+

Rating: M for mature - 18+ only! NSFW

Warnings: Just like ao3, “creator chooses not to use warnings.” If you click Keep Reading, that means you agree that you’re the age to handle mature themes. Also by clicking Keep Reading, you understand warnings may not be complete in order to avoid spoilers for the story.

A/N:  Thank you everyone for the response and positive vibes from the intro of this series. Comments and reblogs are always appreciated! Here we go :)

To my helpers thank you all @musings-of-a-rose @icanbeyourjedi @mypascalito975

**If you want to be added to the taglist, join here or let me know!

CHAPTER 5

Over the next couple of weeks, you and Javi got closer, but nothing went beyond that; it was just straight work oriented. Your partnership was spectacular. You complimented each other. Not having anyone to go home to, late nights for both of you was becoming the new norm. Every night a different take out place for dinner. Javi and you would eat in his office and have late conversations whether it was work related or personal. Each one of you is fighting through your feelings towards each other. Lust filled glances exchanged throughout the day at each other, but that path was never crossed between the both of you.. Since that night at your apartment ,the almost kiss was never mentioned or even tried again. It was as if nothing happened. You were starting to like him more, but you didn't know if he felt the same about you.

Thursday night

“Come on Val! You need to come to my wedding! I haven’t seen you since you left.” She yelled across the phone.

Lea, a family friend from back home, was the only person that knew almost everything that was going on in your life, especially about your new crush. Finding out that she was engaged made you feel excited and happy for her. Finding out that she was having her wedding in Cali, her fiance's hometown made you unsure that you wanted to go. After the struggles of this past year going to a wedding was something that you didn’t want to be part of. 

“I don't know Lea. I’m swamped at work.” As much as you wanted to see Lea you weren’t in the mood to celebrate love especially having to go alone. 

“Oh with that hot agent of yours?”

Flustered by her response, you quickly shut it down. “What?! No! Nothing has happened between us since that night. He hasn’t mentioned or said anything about it since then”. It had been weeks since that night. Even though your work relationship with him did become better, it just stayed that way “professional”. The commissioner noticed a difference in your partnership. The both of you complimented each other.

“Wait a minute. You are going to tell me since that night nothing has happened between you two? Don’t you both work late every single day? He hasn’t made a move?? What’s wrong with him?” Lea was persistent in wanting answers from you. 

“We are trying to be professional Lea. Plus, I was the one that didn’t want it to go further.” You lean against the wall, hand to your face in defeat. You did want it to go further, but did Javi even feel the same?

“Come on, woman!. From what you have told me that man has a reputation for fucking every woman he sees walk right by him. You need to unwind from the craziness that is happening, and my wedding is the perfect excuse. Ask him to come with you. I’m sure he'll say yes.”

You started fidgeting the phone cord and questioning if you should ask him.  “I don’t know, I'll think about it and let you know.” 

“Just do it, Estrellita! Where is the confident, resilient woman that I grew up with. What’s the worst he can say? No!” Lea was giving you the courage that you needed. Maybe it was worth a shot at asking him.

The next day

Words couldn’t describe how nervous you were coming into work. You were extremely nervous to ask Javi to go with you. Since it was Friday you had the perfect game-plan. You were going to leave early to go dress shopping and before leaving you were going to ask him. If he said no to save the embarrassment you had two days without having to see him and if he said yes…. well you weren’t sure how to react to that because you were sure that he was going to say no. 

Grabbing your items and heading out, you walk into Javi’s office, he looks up at you and checks his watch for the time.

“Wow, is it dinner time already? What are we eating today?”

You started to fidget with your blouse feeling so nervous to ask him.

“Javi?”

Looking puzzled at you Javi reacts. “Estrellita, what's wrong? You seem nervous. Is everything ok?”

“Um.. yes I’m fine. I need to ask you something.”

Javi took out the food menus from his drawer and started looking over them “Ok? Do you not want Chinese again? I’m not in the mood for that.”

Speaking in a low tone “Javi..”

Continuing to look through the menus “What about Cuban food? I’m kinda in the mood for a good Cuban sandwich.”

Your tone got a little louder. “Javi! I need to ask you something.”

Giving up on looking at the menus he put them down on his desk and looks back at you with a frustrated face “What’s going on?” 

This was your shot, all or nothing at this point. “Are you doing anything this weekend Javi?”

“Not really why do you ask?”

“Remember my friend Lea who I had mentioned?” 

Confused by your comment he started passing his fingers through his mustache trying to understand what was going on with you “Isn’t that your friend from back home?”

“Right!  Yeah well she is getting married here in Cali this weekend. She invited me to come but I have no one to go with and I wanted to see if you would like to come with me.” Finally asking him you felt a huge relief but yet you were still a little nervous with his response to your question. Your nerves cause you to start rambling. 

“I mean, I know it's last minute. It’s ok if you don’t want to go. I know with everything going on I'm sure you wouldn't want to go. I would completely understand. I just figured …….”

Javi gets up from his chair and puts both of his hands on your arms. His hands felt soft, bringing you a sense of calm, even though you knew he was about to turn you down.

“Estrellita, relax. Of course I will go with you. Why wouldn’t I go? We're friends.”

You suddenly felt deflated hearing him say “friends”. This was not the reaction you were expecting. Having the interpretation that there was something between the both of you made you believe that the wedding was the opportunity to explore that but you were completely wrong. 

“Right! Friends! Of course we are. That’s what friends are for.” Tears slowly began to pool in your eyes and you needed to get out of there quickly before Javi noticed. Backing away slowly towards the door, Javi's hands fell from your arms. 

“Estrellita, are you ok?” He asks. 

“Yes I am. I gotta go, it's getting late.”

Thump..

The door was closed and now you just smacked yourself into it as you were heading out. As embarrassed as you were already, this just made matters worse. 

Javi quickly came to you to see if you were ok. “Shit Estrellita are you ok? Did you hurt yourself”

“Javi, I'm fine. Clumsy me! By the way It’s tomorrow. Dress formally. Pick me up at 7 pm. Have a good night, see you tomorrow.” You opened the door and left his office more embarrassed than when you initially walked in. Javi leaned against the door as he saw you quickly leave his office. He wasn’t sure if he said the right things to you. I mean the both of you are friends but is it possible that it can be more? 

Turning into the nearest hallway you slammed yourself against the wall and slowly fell to the ground and started to cry from the embarrassment. Is he rejecting you for not kissing him the other night? What were you going to do? You can’t back away now. You can’t uninvite him. You now have to take the heat and go to this wedding with your “Friend” Javi. You sat on the floor for a couple of minutes trying to compose everything that just happened in Javi’s office. Hearing the words ,“That’s what friends are for '' felt like your heart was ripped open and broken into pieces. Seeing how he was with you  these past couple of weeks, you  truly thought that there was a connection between the both of you, but after what you just experienced maybe it's best to just leave it as “Friends”. After a couple of minutes, you finally composed yourself, got up and headed toward the door. With a smile on your face, you were determined to get pretty and have a good time at this wedding with Javi, even though nothing was going to happen between you. 

The next day… 

Javi’s apartment

Figuring out a suit for Javi to wear was pretty easy for him to find because his whole closet was full of suits. With his new position in Cali the tight fitted jeans and casual shirts went out the window. You had told him it was formal wear so Javi had to level up his wardrobe for the occasion. He wanted to look somewhat different from how he looked at the office. Looking through his closet he was able to find a navy blue fitted suit. The suit fit him well. He knew that you had not seen him in this suit. He matched it with a dark blue silk shirt underneath. He didn’t feel like wearing a tie; he wore that plenty every single day. He added some black dress shoes that were just collecting dust in the back of his closet. The whole outfit seems to form to him, hugging him in all the right places. He was contemplating on shaving but he remembered that you had complimented his dark shadow and the little goatee so he decided not to shave it off. 

As he was getting ready thoughts started brewing in his mind. He wasn’t good with relationships. His type of relationship was just one night stands and nothing further. Accepting your invitation to this wedding was a nice thing to do. It would be a good distraction for him. He hadn’t had a free weekend in months and yet he was quite excited to go out and not have to think about work and everything going on with the cartel. 

Your apartment

It was 6:45pm and you were putting the finishing touches to your makeup. You had told Javi at 7 so time was limited. 

You wanted to look your best not just to impress Javi, but you also wanted to feel beautiful for once. In your past relationship with Rey you always tried to look on point for Rey and he never gave you a compliment, which was one of the things that you hated about him, but yet you still wanted to marry him. After you had humiliated yourself in front of Javi you left the office and went dress shopping at a local shop that was near to your apartments. You were able to find a blue silk dress that hugged your body in all the right places. Even though you were still hurt by his “friends'' comment you knew you had to put a smile on and have fun tonight. Panic started to creep in as you noticed that 7 was nearing.

Whiskey! I need that. Maybe that will loosen me up.

Javi had gifted you his favorite bottle after completing your first mission together with a note that said:

“Thank you for everything you did. To many more. When in doubt, have a glass.”

Doubt is what you had and liquid courage is what you needed. You weren't a  whiskey drinker, wine was more your thing. The whiskey went down smoothly and didn’t have a wacky after taste. Javi was right, when in doubt have a glass. After taking your last sip you look at your kitchen clock.

Shit! 6:55pm Javi will be here any minute! I better hurry. 

You headed towards the bathroom to put on final touches on your hair. Nerves were getting the best of you. You  take a couple of deep breaths to relax. Visions of how dapper Javi will look in a suit were coming to your mind. You were hopeful that he wouldn’t wear one of his everyday suits. Thinking of how good looking he can look sends ecstasy down your body. You force yourself to remember that a decision was made not to go any further and this was a friend's date. This was what was best for both of you.

Back at Javi’s

Javi looked at his watch and noticed it was 7pm. He quickly put on his favorite cologne, looked one last time at the mirror made sure everything looked good and headed out the door. He slowly took the stairs down to your apartment. Making sure he didn’t show any sweat he didn’t rush down the stairs. Arriving at your door thoughts started passing through his mind: 

There can’t be anything between us. 

I like her and I think she likes me back but we can’t be anything. 

We have to be very professional. 

You are here accompanying her to this party.

Nerves start kicking in. He starts fixing his suit and finally knocks on your door.  

We are friends.

We are going to have fun tonight.

What could go wrong?

You open the door and he couldn't believe his eyes. 

“Hi Javi! You look very handsome.” 

I’m fucked. 

At your apartment

Javi was speechless when you opened the door. He couldn’t believe what he was seeing you looked like a goddess. He couldn’t believe his eyes as the blue dress hugged all your curves. The dress was a little risky because it had a high slit which was going to immediately make all eyes go on you. To complete your look, you were wearing a matching necklace with a pair of silver heels. Thinking of you as a friend was slowly going out the window in Javi’s mind. 

“Wow! ” as he was standing at the doorway. “You look….” 

He pauses as he sees a different version of you that he hadn’t seen since he met you.

“Breathtaking”

You blushed and smiled at his comment. 

“You look amazing yourself. It’s very nice to see you in a suit other than that khaki suit you wear.”

Javi chuckled at her joke. 

“Holy shit you look like a goddess.”  Javi starts to ramble and quickly corrects himself. 

“I mean, I’m sorry. You look beautiful.”

You smiled because you didn't want to laugh as you noticed that it seemed Javi was nervous. 

“Thank you Javi.” 

He extended his hand towards you “Umm, yeah. Ready to go?”

“Yes, let's go” as you intertwined his fingers with his and headed towards Javi’s truck. 

Later on that night

The wedding was beautiful. Lea did a great job designing everything from flowers to the party favors on the table. The ceremony itself was stunning. The ballroom was decorated with multiple chandeliers across the dance floor with a string quartet playing in the corner. It's what you had hoped for if you had gotten married to Rey. Watching two people that loved each other made you think what could have been. As the night went on the music started going. At any other party you were always the first person on the dance floor but tonight you weren’t in the mood to dance. You were noticing from the corner of your eye Javi staring at you. You had a contagious smile that Javi couldn’t shake off and everything that he was thinking of not doing with you now was the complete opposite. 

He needed a drink to settle down. “Do you want something from the bar?”

“No, but thank you Javi.” 

While waiting for his drink at the bar, he was approached by a very good looking blonde woman. 

“Hi there.” 

He cracks a small smile. 

“Are you here for the bride or groom?”

“I’m here for the bride.” 

The blonde really seemed like she had more than too many drinks because she was slurring her words a little. 

“Are you here alone, hot stuff?” 

Javi looks back to see you and for the first time, he realizes that you were more than his work partner. He really wanted something with you. All the thoughts that he had of not pursuing anything with you went out as soon as you  opened your apartment door. As the blonde woman approached him he started to feel uncomfortable but quickly answered her question.

He turns to her while grabbing his drink and with a firm answer replies “Yes, I am with someone. Have a good night.” He slowly walked away from the bar leaving the woman behind. He casually sits back down next to you and the mood changes as Purple Rain comes out through the speakers and couples start approaching the dance floor. Javi needed the perfect time to make his move; this was his shot.  He stood up from his chair and turned to you.

“What are you doing Javi?” 

“Dance with me.”

He stretched his hand towards you and stared into your eyes. He looked genuine and truthful. You gave him a small smile while presenting your hand. Your fingers intertwined together as both of you moved towards the dance floor. He pulled you close to his chest and laid his other hand on your hip. You gently place your cheek on his as you close your eyes to make sure you savor the moment. The sensation didn’t bother you at all - Javi didn’t seem to mind it either. This was the moment that the both of you were waiting for.

The song felt like it was being played just for them. Every lyric matched what Javi was feeling. It was in that moment that Javi realized he was falling for you and hard. He never felt these emotions for anyone, not even Lorainne. It was starting to become romantic but the both of you were hesitant still having that thought that this would interfere with your work relationship. Javi looking at you the way he did in this moment made all those thoughts go away. Something inside of him burned and he started to feel a strong sense of happiness. 

As the song was slowly coming to an end you both separated from each other and looked into each other's eyes. There was a surge of emotions that were passing through you. The look that Javi had on you was not the look you had seen from him. He didn’t seem like Agent Javier Peña - he looked like Javi the man that almost kissed you that night. Could this be the moment that you were waiting for? Was this the moment that Javi needed to really take things forward with you? Lost in transition, you look at Javi.

“Javi, are you ok? Do I have something in my face?”

Javi lets out a small smile and locks his eyes on your lips. He pulls you closer to his chest and whispers in your ears.

“You just look extremely beautiful.”

You clear your throat not knowing what to say. 

“Thank you, Javi. You look extremely dapper tonight. I am really glad that you came with me.”

“I am glad you invited me. This has been an amazing night.”

Both sets of eyes were locked to each other. A rush was going through each of your bones. You made Javi weak and tender. Being here with you made him forget everything that was going on. The whole drug war didn’t matter to him at the moment. He felt at peace with you. All his rules just went out the window the moment he realized what he was about to do. 

“Javi?”

He really wanted to kiss you. He didn’t want the moment to be fast. He really wanted to savor every inch of you. He was hesitant to do it but he did it anyway - this was his chance. He leans into you with his hand on your waist, he dips down to you and places his lips on yours. He retreated back a couple of inches as you both looked at each other. Without hesitation you couldn’t resist and grabbed the back of his head and pulled him back into another kiss. You slid your tongue over the seam of his mouth and whimpered as the kiss became more passionate. He tasted amazing. The mix of cigarettes and whiskey aroused you in places that you had never felt before from anyone.  Not caring that the song had finished and everyone was dancing around them, you broke the kiss and smiled at Javi. It took everything from Javi not to go back for more; to keep from pressing his tongue into your mouth. What was coming next was something that the both of them would never regret doing.   

“You want to get out of here?” He asked you.

“I would love to.”

You grabbed your purse and while holding each other's hands you headed out to Javi’s truck.  

Javi raced back to your apartment and the both of you were excited for what was about to happen. As you arrive at your place he hops off and runs to your side and opens your door and reaches his hand for you to get out of the truck. He was acting like a true gentleman. Both of your hands were locked on each other as you head towards the main door of the building. Smiling back and forth, not looking away from each other.

“Would you like to come in Javi?” you ask biting your bottom lip, hoping that the line was going to be crossed.

"I would love to." He responded in return. 

Upon arriving at your door you were nervous as you looked for your keys to your apartment. He hasn't kissed you since you left the party. You really didn’t know what to expect from him as you found your key and opened the door. As the both of you entered and you placed your purse and keys on the counter and without hesitation he turned to you quickly and his lips were on yours. This kiss was different from the kiss before. The first one was soft, this kiss was a hungry kiss. He pulled you back and looked at you. You had never ever been so lost on someone before.

He kissed you again and you relaxed wondering if you were dreaming. He parted his lips from you as he spoke to you. 

"Are you sure about this? If it’s not okay please let me know."

At that moment he felt honest and worried at the same time. This didn’t seem like the playboy womanizer that you had heard of from the office. You felt that Javi was a caring man who was falling for you. 

“Yes” you responded to him. Without speaking another word he pulled you in and kissed you deeply. His hands felt so warm as he slid them up and down your hips. He slowly turned you around to undo your dress. He would kiss every inch of your neck. As you picked up your hair he slowly grabbed the zipper and started pulling it down. He caressed every single body part as he pulled it down your body. The dress fell to the ground and you carefully made your way towards him while wearing nothing but black laced panties. You raised your arms to wrap them around his neck and Javi nuzzled his nose on the back of your neck. His eyes couldn’t get away from you. You felt like something was going to explode from your chest. Your lips parted as you grabbed his hand and led him towards your bedroom. When you arrived you gently kissed him one more time as he was taking off his belt and pants you started to unbutton his shirt and you slowly placed your hands on his chest and pushed his shirt off. He cursed under his breath as the both of you slowly moved towards the bed. Javi pressed up against you,  

His warm breath was driving you crazy as he would kiss you around your neck and slowly head his way down to your sternum. You slowly rolled your hips against him and you both gripped each other tighter. You grab his face in your hands and angled it upwards so you can kiss him again. With every press you let out a low moan. He wanted you badly as he slipped his hands and started rubbing over your panties. You were soaked with your arousal. He would tease you and he hoped that he wouldn’t come right there and then by just touching you. He pushed your panties down and slid a finger inside you. You cried out as his digit began to slide inside you and the bottom of his palm rubs on your clit. 

You were on cloud nine, floating through the air as  he gently pressed your clit hitting spots that no one has ever touched. His touch was firm but gentle. As he pushed his two fingers into you he would kiss your neck, pressing his lips and tongue against your soft skin just below your jaw and down to your shoulders. 

“Javi…” you moaned softly.

You lost full control of your body and you were to the point of passing out as you were slowly reaching your peak. He brought his hand to cradle your face. He then began to pepper kisses down your throat, chest, your breast, sucking on your nipple. Javi then moves to your other nipple to give it a gentle tug with his lips and kisses you down to your belly button. He stops below it and looks up at you with parted lips as if to seek permission to keep going. You slightly run your fingers in his hair giving his head a gentle tug down. The corner of his lips lift in a small grin. Javi slides two fingers into you thrusting them in and out while he would work his tongue on your clit.  Javi couldn’t get enough of you. You were losing yourself and there was no turning back. He moved his tongue repeatedly over your clit. He wanted to taste more so he buried his face in your pussy. You gasped as you were trying to keep up with everything Javi was doing to you. You wanted more from him as you  grabbed a handful of his thick brown hair. The more he sucked and licked you, the harder it was for you to not move your pelvis to the rhythm of his tongue. 

“Fuccck Javi, I’m g-going shit I'm  going to c-come”. 

It’s pure ecstasy and adrenaline courses through your whole body and you’re sure your surroundings go dark. Javi cleans you out with his tongue and brings his body up onto yours. He kissed you, tasting your arousal on his lips. He pressed his forehead on yours and both of your breaths were in unison. Javi slowly slides his cock into you and begins to thrust. Javi was a mess, overwhelmed with pleasure as he nestled deep in your body. Everything that the both of you were feeling towards each other was finally being exposed. 

Javi felt his walls closing around him as an orgasm was slowly approaching. He captured your lips again and swallowed down on your moans. The angle that he was thrusting you in was hitting your clit perfectly and sensually. Your body was trembling as your arms gripped him tighter around his shoulder. You were almost on the edge again.

“Fuck, baby,” he rasped.  “You are amazing, I just can’t stop.”

“Javi kiss me now” you demanded from him.

He kissed you, slow and deep as he kept pushing into you. Javi was feeling that you were about to come and it took everything for him to not unload on you yet. He wanted to be in this moment forever with you. He gripped your thighs and then held onto your hips to pull you closer for a harder thrust. He slowly started picking speed and you braced yourself for what was about to come. At this moment you were so wet that Javi kept slipping out. You placed both of your hands on your headboard as the both of you moaned from extreme pleasure as Javi places the last couple of thrusts before they both come undone. Javi collapsed on you with a heavy sigh and you kissed the top of his head sliding your fingers through his hair. He laid down next to you as you. You both laid quiet with only each other’s breaths for a few minutes as the both of you were exhausted. You wrapped your arms around his neck, gave him a small kiss on his forehand and fell asleep.

The sun was rising as hours had passed and you were still cuddled next to him asleep. Javi was wide awake. As he stares back at you still sleeping, thinking about the amazing night that the both of you experienced. He didn't want to leave but he felt guilty here. He knew that having a relationship and working together was not part of your function and this was going to be a one time thing but at the same time he couldn’t resist how beautiful you looked last night. Staying here, staying here with you was what he really wanted and that scared him. Could he actually have true feelings for you? He didn’t want to let his walls down so easily. He placed a kiss on you and slowly pulled out of bed and put his clothes back on. As he headed towards the door he took a look at you as you were sound asleep and hoped that you wouldn’t get mad at him for leaving but also hoped that this could happen again.    

——-

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Series Summary: After being arrested, Spencer Reid desperately tries to get back home to his daughter, Camellia, who was placed into foster care in your home.

Pairing: Single!Dad!Spencer x Foster!Mom!Reader

Content/Warnings: swearing, mentions of mother abandonment

Word Count: 1.5k

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Chapter 4

“You have a call from an inmate at the Washington D.C. Correctional Facility. To accept these charges, please press 1. To decline-,” you punched in the 1.

“Hey Spencer,” you greeted him.

“How did you know it was me?” he grinned.

“There’s not too many prisoners calling me, believe it or not,” you teased.

“I was calling to see if you could do me a big favor,” he spoke.

“What’s up?”

“My lawyer has told me that JJ told her my mom isn’t doing so well. She’s in a facility for her schizophrenia and Alzheimer’s,” he informed you.

“How can I help?” you asked.

“Could you bring Callie to go see her? I really think a familiar face could do a lot of good for her.”

“Of course, I’m 5 minutes away from her school. We can head right over,” you stated.

“Thank you so so much. Also, she doesn’t know I’m in prison so tell Callie just to tell her I’m away on a case. She’s in a fragile condition so it’s best to just say yes to everything she asks,” Spencer explained.

“Will do. If you are able to stay on the line for a few more minutes, you can say hi to Callie,” you told him.

“I was the last in line so I should be able to. I’ve got 6 minutes left,” Spencer said.

A bit of an awkward silence filled your car.

“So…are there any more injuries I need to attend to before work tomorrow?” you asked.

“No, I’ve got some help,” Spencer spoke vaguely.

“Okay, that’s good, I guess,” you pulled the car to a stop as Callie hopped in the passenger seat, “Your dad is on the phone, Callie.”

“Hi Dad!” she greeted.

“Hey sweetheart. How’s it going?” he asked.

“Really good. At soccer practice today, Coach told me I’m going to be a starter next game,” she beamed.

“That’s amazing! I wish I could be there to see it,” Spencer frowned slightly.

“Which is why I bought a camcorder so I can record the whole game for you to watch later as well as other things you may be sad to miss,” you said.

“Y/N, as much as I appreciate all you do for us, you need to stop spending so much money. I feel bad, I’ll reimburse you as soon as I’m out.”

“Spencer, I’m a doctor who rarely goes out and my closest friend is a cat. I have some money to spare,” you assured him.

“Why are you going left here?” Callie asked as you made a turn that wasn’t on your usual route home.

“Your dad wants you to visit your Grandma,” you replied.

“Callie, she just needs a familiar face so talk to her about your new school, soccer, anything but me going to jail,” Spencer explained, “Okay, I have 30 seconds left. Bye, love you, sweetheart!”

“Bye, Dad! Love you too!”

“Stay safe!” you added.

-

You walked up to the receptionist's desk with Callie, “Hi, she’s here to see Diana Reid.”

“Hi Callie, long time no see! No Dr. Reid today?” she asked.

“No, he’s away on a case,” you smiled politely.

“Callie, she’s in her room, dear,” the receptionist directed you down the hall.

Once you were outside the door, you stopped, “I’ll wait out here. Remember, your dad is on a long case. You are staying with the LaMontagne’s. And just agree with the stuff she says to not upset her,” you reminded Callie, “I’ll be right out here when you’re done.”

Before you had a chance to sit down in the waiting room, the door swung open.

“Grandma!” Callie exclaimed.

“My dear Callie,” she hugged her.

She looked up at you, “Is this who I think it is?”

You thought back to Spencer’s words.

She’s in a fragile condition so it’s best to just say yes to everything she asks.

“Um yes?” you answered.

“Callie’s mom! Oh my! I haven’t seen you in ages. I forgot what you even looked like, I remembered you differently. Forgive me, dear, could you remind me of your name?” she asked.

You looked to Callie for help but she looked just as confused as you and shrugged. She must not know either.

“Y/N,” you extended your hand for her to shake.

“What a beautiful name,” she smiled, “Come in! Come in!”

“So Callie, how has my favorite granddaughter been?” she asked.

“I’m your only grandchild, Grandma,” Callie playfully rolled her eyes, “I’ve been really well! Y/N-I mean Mom actually got me into a better school and I’ve been keeping busy with soccer and clubs and hanging out with friends.”

“That’s wonderful to hear! Y/N, how are you doing?” she turned to you.

Shit. What the fuck were you supposed to say?

“I’ve been well,” you simply stated with a nervous smile.

“Are you and Spencer dating again?”

I suppose you had to agree to this too.

“Yes, we are,” you nodded.

“Well, I hope you are back for good this time,” she stated.

That seemed kind of back-handed but maybe deserved, you didn’t know Callie’s mom’s backstory. You just continued to nervously smile through the rest of the visit as Callie caught up with her grandma.

-

“Well that was awkward,” you sighed as you got back into the car after the visit, “I need a milkshake.”

Callie was silent all the way to the drive-thru and as you ordered two large chocolate milkshakes and fries.

Finally, she spoke as you parked the car in the parking lot to eat, “I mean you’re more of a mom to me than my own mom. Dad never really told me much about her. She must have left when I was a baby because I don’t remember her at all.”

“I’m sure your dad has his reasons for not telling you but you must know that her leaving wasn’t your fault at all,” you told her.

“Who would leave a baby and my dad?” she teared up.

“I don’t know, honey,” you pulled her in for a hug, “It was her loss though whoever she is because she didn’t get to see what an amazing girl you have become.”

-

“Reid, visitor,” the guard called out.

Please let it be Callie and or Y/N, Spencer prayed.

He needed a ray of sunshine in his otherwise completely dark week. He didn’t want it to be the team or his lawyer asking if he remembered anything else because he didn’t. He couldn’t.

He slumped out of bed and let the guard cuff him on the way to the visitor room. His pace quickened when he saw you waiting there for him, just as beautiful as always.

You smiled at first when you saw him but it morphed into a frown when you saw fresh bruises forming.

“Spencer, I thought you said you had help,” you whispered.

“Apparently not all of the time,” he mumbled.

You bit your bottom lip worriedly, “Well, I brought my med kit.”

You got up and started to inspect his face.

“How did the visit with my mom go?” he asked.

“Good, I guess,” you replied.

“You guess?”

“She saw me before I went to the waiting room. I said yes to everything she said but that included her thinking that I was Callie’s mom and that we were dating,” you grimaced.

Spencer sighed, “Oh god.”

“I’m sorry! I didn’t know what to do,” you apologized.

“No, no, it’s not your fault. You were just doing what was told. Did Callie have questions?”

You nodded.

Spencer ran his hands through his hair, “I knew this day would come but I’m still not prepared. I just avoid thinking about it at all costs.”

“Do you want to talk to me about it and maybe I can help you put the right words together,” you offered.

“Um okay, her name was Austin. I met her on a case. She was a bartender. We were long distance for a bit. She got pregnant early on in the relationship. We decided to try to make it work. She moved in with me in D.C. and had Callie. When Callie was about 4 months old, she got overwhelmed and just left…just like that. I went to the park with Callie and came back to find all of her things gone and a note that just said ‘sorry’. I haven’t heard from her since. We were trying to force a happy ending that wasn’t there,” Spencer finished.

“Well lucky for Callie, she has one amazing dad and that is more than enough,” you reassured him.

“And a pretty kick ass foster mom,” Spencer smiled.

“I try my best,” you grinned.

A/N: i have a smut one-shot (not related to this series) coming out tomorrow and i’m very excited about it

main taglist (just ask to be added/removed): @samuel-de-champagne-problems @g0lden-cth @spencerreid9 @averyhotchner @coldlilheart @k-k0129 @ickleronniekinsemotionalrange @harrystylesandthegoobs @cmily @jswessie187 @rem-ariiana-deactivated20210709 @hoodpankow @mochionly @spencerreid-187 @babymetaldoll @fics4arainyday @ssavanessa22 @all-tings-diego @idonotexiste @beepbooptoop @tvandfanfic @mggsprettygirl @big-galaxy-chaos @navs-bhat @spencerreidsmommy @this-is-doctor-and-its-calm

series taglist: @ilovespencerreidmarryme @nani-2305 @obsessivelysearching @fantasynerd09 @bvttercupbby @britishspidey @ladyravenclaw @belledawnidk @annesauriol @smokey102 @lady-himbo @kaitieskidmore1 @westanspencerreid @manuosorioh @haylaansmi @unhea1thy0bsessions @meganskane @lovergirl24 @queenariesofnarnia @asexual-booknerd @spideyyypeter @yeehawbitchs @emma-is-a-nerd @lellsinthesky @itsdars @aliahemmings97 @xdsage @cutekashi @theodore-likes-frogs @girlgotattitude448 @royalestrellas @co0chiegrip1

[darlingwhump]

Stem the Tide ✧ 1: Sink or Swim

Masterlist ● Prequel Drabble ● Next 

This is the first chapter of my first ever whump series! Thank you to @sorry-not-sorry-whump and @alastairs-hell for beta reading chapter this for me!! I really wanted to start off this series on the right foot and y’all were very helpful :) Immediately follows my drabble “The Raid,” which serves as a prequel of sorts. I linked it above in case you want to read it first to gain some extra context. But this chapter still makes sense even if you haven’t read it, so don’t worry!

Word Count: ~2100

CW: long-term captivity, language barrier, just angst for now, mermaid whumpee, lady whumpee, rescue, not rly drowning but I'm gonna put it here just in case

This wouldn’t be the first time Kharis had taken prisoners on a raid. Not that the terrified mermaid in their arms really counted as one. By the looks of it, she had already been a prisoner for some time before they found her chained up in that tiny wooden tub in the Captain’s quarters.

The mermaid has clearly been abused to some degree, her pupils shrinking in fear as an unfamiliar stranger enters her prison. She’s completely out of it, trembling and covered in bruises, her pale blue skin spotted with green and purple fingerprints. Her unbound hands curl around her stomach, and Kharis can make out the faint red tinge of rope burns.

Kharis was expecting to find platinum doubloons, Tolescan jewelry, or even just some extra supplies. But all of their excitement dissipates upon seeing the mermaid’s helpless position.

They have no idea who this mermaid is or why she has been locked away, but some instinct within them wanted to help, to somehow relieve her of that weary, tear-filled expression. Kharis wonders if she’s even had a decent meal lately, or how far away from home she must be. She definitely couldn’t walk (duh, Kharis scoffs to themself), and something about the swelling on her fins tells them that she probably shouldn’t be swimming right now.

So, she’d have to come with them.

See, The Marauders have a policy, quick and effective. Board the ship, get rid of the crew, filch as much loot as possible, and dispose of the evidence. Sometimes they skip to that last part, cheering as the raided ship goes down in flames, singing shanties and toasting with freshly stolen ale. Kharis loved the constant hustle, the joy brought by each sinking vessel, and the resulting weight added to their coffers. It almost kept up with their fast-paced time in the War, before they felt the restlessness of peacetime and plunged headfirst into the dawning age of piracy.

But when Kharis or their crewmates took anyone, it was always a prisoner of battle. Some asshole who refused to step in line or had some kind of price on their head. Never had they encountered someone who was already the prisoner of another crew.

They could only be grateful that they actually took their time to look around, or else the mermaid may have gone down in flames with the ship.

When Kharis asks for her name, she lets out a weak, “Name…name is Nereia.” Her voice is laced with a thick Aquan accent, pausing as she tries to remember what to say. Nereia’s eyes dart towards the lifeless Captain behind them, then back towards the ground, so hesitant to make eye contact.

Kharis looks back towards the pirate he just killed, laying face down with a rapier through his chest. A puddle of blood seeps into the expensive-looking rug; it would have been a good find if it wasn’t stained. Kharis moves to block the mermaid’s view.

“Did…did he hurt you?”

She responds with a tearful nod, and Kharis’s heart shatters. Sure, they were pirates, but there was an unspoken code, implicit rules that every pirate followed out of respect. One of them was to not harm an innocent person, and the half-elf highly doubted that Nereia had done anything wrong. Kharis knew that they couldn’t leave her here.

The mermaid accepted their promise of healing back on their ship with a glazed over nod. And after a brief rendezvous with the rest of their crew on the top deck of the raided ship, Kharis returns to the mermaid. Wordlessly peels the single rusted shackle from her tail, where rows of scales had been rubbed raw from chafing metal, and slowly lifts her out of saltwater turned brown with what looks like mostly blood and dirt.

“I don’t think you’re in any shape to go back into the water right now…is your tail sprained? Or infected?” Not like she would know; that would be a question for a proper doctor. After a moment, the mermaid’s brows furrow, head tilting towards the side. Kharis begins to make his way above deck, the mermaid draped over his arms. “Do you speak Alman?”

“Not much,” she says simply, then seems to think for a moment. “Understand some. Sorry, I talk mostly Aquan.”

Their Captain, known amongst pirates as Three-legged-Sibyl, would be able to help her, then. She was a Hybrid, half mer-half human, so she was the only one of the crew who spoke Aquan. Kharis thinks on how to frame their words. “Alright, tell me if you don’t understand what I say, okay?”

She seems to understand that, at least. A nod, but her eyes are wide with uncertainty.

“I’m gonna get you some help for your tail…” he pauses, reading the mermaid’s expression to see if she’s following, “But we’re going to have to ride across to my ship. I know a person who speaks Aquan too. She can help.”

Her eyes light up and her fin twitches. “Speaks Aquan?”

Kharis realizes the implication; she probably hasn’t been able to speak her language in however long she’s been here. “Yes, she speaks Aquan.”

They make their way up to the top deck, and Nereia immediately hides her face into Kharis’s shoulder. “Too bright?” they ask, and feel the mermaid nod against their neck. They pull her closer, trying to shield her as best as they can from the bright, sunny day. “It’s okay, your eyes will adjust.”

The mermaid seems to be a bit better once they sit down in the lifeboat. She looks longingly at the ocean around them, like a starved prisoner who has finally been given a proper meal. Wordlessly, their crewmates begin to row back towards The Marauder; an uncomfortable silence looming as they refuse to address the elephant in the room. Kharis stays next to the mermaid, to both keep an eye on her and ensure that she stays on the lifeboat.

When they see her longing eyes, Kharis offers, “Go ahead, you can put your fin in the water. If it makes you feel better.” They gesture towards the water. She shifts, holding his arm for balance as her fin touches the surface. Soft waves lap around the boat, and Nereia flaps her fins a few times, splashing salt water onto herself.

The look in her eyes, the immediate relief, makes Kharis smile. They may not speak the mermaid’s language, but at least they did something to make her feel a little bit better.

- 🐚 -

This is Nereia’s first chance at escape in months. And maybe…maybe this time nobody else would be punished for it. The Captain was dead after all…he couldn’t punish her or the person who gestured towards the water, encouraging her to put her tail overboard. But what if these raiders…this new Captain did? What if The Captain survived and came to take her back? Could she bear another however-long in captivity?

She weighs her options. Nereia has no idea how far away from home she is, or if it still exists. The attack had been years ago, and most of her circle went missing afterwards. Even if the kelp forests of her home were still there…she didn’t know which direction, or how far away she had traveled. For all she knew, she could end up stuck near the ports of Tolesca, far from any Aquatic civilization.

But if she stays here, she’s staying with more pirates. More pirates who see her as nothing more than a pretty token to put on display, to hang on the mast like a pretty ornament for all their crew-mates to gawk at. The half-elven raider who unlocked her chain claimed that their Captain spoke Aquan, but could she take the risk? What if their captain is cruel, even crueler than the last one, and this is the last time she’ll ever get to see the ocean? That thought is even more terrifying than getting lost at sea.

So, when the half-elf isn’t looking, she pushes herself over the edge of the boat. And with a splash, she’s home.

Her heart flutters as water envelops her form, tears of joy mixing in with the salty ocean. She breathes clean water through her gills, a shaky sigh of relief forming bubbles above the surface.

Then, she freezes. Literally. Nereia hasn’t swam in years, and her muscle memory has definitely gotten weaker over the years. Her tail cramps up and pain shoots up her side. She pedals her frail arms in an attempt to maintain traction, but it isn’t enough. Her tail moves unnaturally from side to side and she’s not getting anywhere. Who would have thought that a mermaid could forget how to swim?

Nereia is sinking. Which is fine, she guesses, as she inhales deeply through her gills and closes her eyes. At least she’s finally in the ocean. She floats straight down, stiff as a board and unmoving, and revels in the feeling of water against her skin--of being fully submerged underwater. Without chains holding her under the bottom of The Captain’s ship and without the shallowness of the muddy tub.

If she can’t swim, how is she supposed to get back home? Her eyes widen and she begins pedaling once more, but unless her tail starts working again, it’s fruitless. The mermaid’s arms tire once more and she keeps sinking, deeper and deeper.

Nereia hears a splash from above the surface and makes no attempt to swim away. Her escape attempt failed. She can’t move her tail, and the diving person, the same half-elf who gestured for her to put her tail in the water, seems to notice. They swim towards her and gently wrap an arm around her torso. The half-elf begins swimming back up to the surface.

She was going to be in so much trouble.

- 🐚 -

“Are you okay?!” Kharis asks as soon as they resurface, breathing heavily as the mermaid appears unaffected. Their crewmates had stopped rowing the moment the mermaid fell overboard, and began to help the two back onto the boat.

“S-sorry, sorry,” The mermaid mutters Alman apologies as she is guided back to her previous seat. Her tail is resting on the bench in front of her, as far away from the water as possible. “Sorry--”

Why was she apologizing? Kharis shakes their head, “Hey, Nereia, it’s alright. You’re fine, you’re safe. Looks like your tail cramped up, that’s all.”

Kharis knew that the mermaid had been trying to get away, and felt a pang of guilt upon bringing her back to the boat. But her tail had definitely frozen, like she had altogether forgotten how to swim. Was that even possible for mermaids? They thought it was some natural biological ability, like how half-elves are born with darkvision and some gnomes have natural magic. He soothes, “There’s no need to be sorry. You just need a bit of rest and we’ll get you swimming again in no time.”

The mermaid shook her head and raised her arms weakly in defense, “Sorry, should not have tried escape. Please…please don’t hurt.”

Kharis was about to explain that they didn’t get hurt, but the expression on the mermaid’s face made it clear that they had misunderstood. “I promise…I promise I won’t ever hurt you.”

Nereia seems unsure if he’s telling the truth. “You’re free. I swear, as soon as we get you healed up, we can take you home.” Her eyes seem to droop at the thought of home, and Kharis is afraid they’re making it worse. “No more hurt.”

It looks like you’ve already experienced far too much hurt, they wanted to say, but it would likely come off the wrong way, especially from a stranger. Instead, they sit there in silence as Nereia calms down, her arms wrapped around her torso and staring back at the ocean again. This time, at least, she makes no move to jump in.

The mermaid sniffles, not quite trusting yet, but at least she isn’t apologizing anymore. Nereia takes a moment to formulate the right words, “Y-your name, please?”

“You can call me Kharis.”

“Kharis?” she tests the words on her tongue, still avoiding eye contact. Tears well up in her eyes and she quickly rubs them away. “Thank you, Kharis.”

Kharis squeezes her hand gently, a soft nonverbal “you’re welcome” that they hope she can understand. She has a thousand-yard-stare, but they suppose that’s natural in situations like this. For now, they’ll leave her to her thoughts.

For the first time since diving after Nereia, Kharis turns back to their crew-mates. They all greet him with the same bewildered expression.

Do you realize what you have just gotten yourself into?

Let me know if you would like to be added to the taglist!

[watchmegetobsessed]

Never Have I Ever - Harry Styles (part 2)

i quite liked this story and thought it totally had potential for more, so i’ve cooked up a part 2, continuing the idea. i have no clear plan with this, just enjoyed taking the story further, but i might turn it into a proper series if you guys are enjoying the concept!

pairing:  Harry x actress!reader

word count: ~3.2k

SERIES MASTERPOST

masterlist

The car comes to a halt and you look up from your phone after being so occupied with texts you’ve been ignoring all afternoon.

“We’ve arrived, Miss,” The driver, Lawrence informs you in his usual, polite manner, looking at you through the mirror.

“Oh, thank you so much,” you breathe out grabbing your purse from the seat next to you. “I don’t think I’ll take too long, I’m not really in the mood to party,” you let him know, quickly running your hand through your hair before getting out, already knowing paparazzi is waiting for all guests at the entrance probably.

“Had a long day?” he asks with a soft smile.

“Kind of,” you sigh nodding. “I’ll text you when I’ll feel like heading home soon, alright?”

“Perfect. Have a great night, Miss,” Lawrence nods.

“Thank you,” you nod at him before opening the door and getting out of the car. Strategically, Lawrence stopped just a few buildings away from the club, so you wouldn’t be attacked right away, emerging from the car. This gives you enough time to fix your dress and avoid your private parts to end up on the tabloids. Not something you want to include in your career, if you’re being honest.

Shutting the door closed you head towards the club that has quite a long line of people waiting outside, though you have no idea why. If they are not on the list, there’s no way they’ll get inside, it’s a private party.

As you approach the entrance, people start to recognize you quite quickly and you hear your name coming from all direction, but you just flash a smile in their way, continuing to walk with the intention of getting inside as fast as possible.

Just as you expected, paparazzi are already waiting at the entrance and they start flashing their cameras in your way right away, throwing all kinds of questions at you that are left completely ignored.

The bouncer checks your name on the list and lets you inside without a fuss and you’re happy to leave the madness behind and mingle in the crowd of familiar faces.

Tonight is the celebration of the birthday of a good friend, a quite old friend of yours. Florence and you met quite some years ago, when both of you were only trying your luck in the industry, working hard to make yourselves a name. Now you are both are in the inner circle of Hollywood, piling iconic roles on your resumes together. So much has changed, people keep coming and going in your life, but the two of you managed to stay close and keep each other grounded when it was needed.

You keep saying hello to the people you know as you make your way through the guests, hugging a few guests, asking if they have seen Florence and they all point towards the bar. Unsurprisingly, you find the birthday girl right there, with a group of people circling around her as the bartender places a row of shots to the counter and her eyes light up at the sight of all the alcohol.

“Not even surprised you are already plastered,” you grin at her and she squeals upon seeing you join the little circle. Throwing her arms around you she jumps at you mumbling her greeting.

“I’m so happy you’re here!” she breathes out, clearly over a few drinks at this point. “I feel like we haven’t seen each other in ages!”

“It happens when we are both working on a movie at the same time, in different cities,” you chuckle giving her a look.

This past month has been rather busy, you were in Atlanta finishing up filming your latest movie while Florence was in Palm Springs, working on Don’t Worry Darling, she barely made it back to the city to her own birthday party, apparently they wrapped filming just two days ago so it was a close call.

“You have to take a shot with me!” she urges, already grabbing two shots from the bar and handing you one of them, not even waiting for your answer.

“Cheers to the birthday girl!” you hold your glass up after everyone else grabbed a shot, everyone around wishes her a happy birthday again before sending down the alcohol.

You can’t help the grimace that pulls on your face as the liquor burns down your throat. It’s been a while since the last time you had anything other than a few glasses of wine, it’ll take some time to get used to the stomach churning taste.

As the host of the party and the birthday girl, Florence’s presence is in high demand, so you don’t get to spend too much time with her, but you don’t blame her. Ordering a longer drink for you, sticking with some tequila based cocktail as you mingle in the crowd of guests.

Luckily, there are quite a lot familiar faces and you don’t have to linger around the club on your own. You move to a booth at the side with Sydney, a producer you and Florence both worked together previously. She is pretty new in the world of films, but she surely is a talent and you can’t wait for everyone to realize what a blessing she and her art is. You’re joined by her girlfriend, Emma and the three of you are deep in conversation, sharing the funniest stories that happened to you lately and surprisingly, you are genuinely having a good time. You really weren’t in the mood for a party after such a long and frustrating day, having scrunched in three auditions to one day because your manager messed the dates up. When you finished with the third ones, you wanted nothing else than to just sink into a nice bath, have a glass of wine and go to bed early, making your friends’ point of you being a grandma quite valid. However you didn’t have the heart to cancel on Florence, but now that you’ve had some alcohol buzzing in your system and some good company, you don’t regret coming at all.

Once you get to the end of your drink you head back to the bar to have another one, not feeling like leaving just yet. Pushing your way through the people, some keep saying hi to you and you greet everyone back with an instinct, even if you don’t know them. Something you’ve grown to do over your years being in the spotlight.

Standing in line, just like everyone else, you patiently wait to get to the front, when you feel someone bump against you from behind.

“Excuse me—Oh! If it isn’t my favorite Never Have I Ever game partner!”

Your eyes are met with a pair of green ones and a dimpled smile, you can’t help but chuckle as you turn to greet Harry.

“Hi there! Long time no see!” you smile as he pulls you into a side-hug and stands with you in the line.

“You know, maybe you would’ve seen me earlier if you actually gave me your number,” he comments with a sly smile and you have nothing to defend yourself with, he is completely right.

That day the two of you met on The Ellen Show you were actually planning to give him your number, but once your part of the filming ended your manager called you about something urgent and you couldn’t wait for him to finish as well, leaving the studio without ever giving him the chance to even ask for your number. You felt guilty and a little disappointed, but thought your paths would sooner or later cross somehow and it seems like you were right.

“I’m sorry about that. I had some papers to sign before the office closed, I had to leave,” you apologize truthfully and he nods understanding.

“S’alright. I was a little bummed, but I get it.”

“So what are you doing here?” you ask, moving forward in the line, getting closer to the front. Harry gives you a quick look that you can’t quite read before answering.

“I uhh—Florence and I filmed together last month.”

That’s when it clicks. She told you and you read about it, but you tend to forget these kind of things, not having enough capacity to keep everything in mind, only restricting it to the most important stuff.

“Oh, right! Yeah, sorry. Totally slipped my mind. Sorry, I sounded like I live under a rock,” you awkwardly chuckle, feeling a little ashamed that you didn’t remember, when Florence even mentioned it herself before she travelled to Palm Springs, but you were running on caffeine and protein bars between takes, it’s a luck you didn’t even forget your own name after those busy weeks.

“No, s’alright. Nice to know not everyone is drowning in the content that’s been put out of me lately,” he chuckles lowly. “You look lovely, by the way,” he nods at you, eyes running down your body quickly, before they return to your gaze.

“Oh, thank you,” you breathe out looking down at yourself, as if you forgot what you were wearing. It’s a little, black Gucci dress, quite vintage with some embroidered floral patterns along the slightly daring neckline. “It’s Gucci,” you tell him with a knowing smirk.

“Oh!”

“Know you are obsessed with it,” you add with a chuckle, seemingly surprising him with your knowledge about him.

“Someone did some research about me then?”

“I’ll admit, I might have searched your name one of those nights after I had a nice glass of wine.”

“And what else did you find out about me?” he arches an eyebrow at you, making your cheeks heating up. You shouldn’t have admitted that you searched him, he’ll think you’re some kind of stalker, which you are not, you just like to catch up on things sometimes. Though you are clearly a fan of his music and you know about his career vaguely, you haven’t been keeping an eye on him that closely lately, only because you didn’t have the time. However after meeting him at the taping, he was stuck on your mind for days before you gave in and checked out what he’s been up to lately and went through some in-depth articles about him from the past years, closing the line with his latest Vogue issue.

“Nothing shocking,” you simply answer and luckily, you are next up at the bar. You ask for another cocktail and Harry chimes in, adding a beer to the order.

“I hope you know I won’t let you leave until you give me your number this time,” he smirks at you cheekily, making you chuckle.

“I never said I would give it to you.” Wanting to play a little you shrug innocently, earning a stunned look.

“Making me work for it? Alright,” he nods, trying his best to hold his grin back.

The bartender comes back with the drinks and Harry is quick to whip his card out and pay for yours as well. You’re not surprised when he follows you back to the booth to Sydney and Emma. They both greet you with bright smiles upon arriving with Harry.

“This is Sydney and Emma. Syd and I worked together a while ago. Ladies, this is—“ You start the introduction, but Sydney cuts you off quickly.

“Harry Styles. You don’t have to introduce him to us,” she chuckles shaking hand with the fourth guest at the table. “I was a big One Direction fan,” she adds with a chuckle and that’s a new information. As a former fan girl, she is holding herself quite alright in the presence of her idol.

“Oh, nice!” Harry beams, genuinely looking delighted at the information.

“Her playlists have at least one One Direction song on them still this day,” Emma laughs shaking her head, while Syd just shrugs innocently.

The four of you are quick to engage in a conversation about music, mostly about what you listened to when you were teenagers and you are having some laughs at the odd taste you all used to have.

“I think my most played song was Crazy by Britney Spears. I was obsessed with that song,” you admit and Emma groans throwing her hands in the air.

“I loved that song! Even learned the choreography!” she shares, making everyone laugh around the table.

“I bet you did too,” Harry grins in your way over his half empty beer.

“Totally did not,” you scoff with a pretentious grimace that makes it clear that you in fact did.

“I would give an arm to see you dance to that song,” he sighs with an amused grin and you just chuckle, taking another sip from your drink.

At one point Florence joins the booth, buzzing from all the birthday shots she’s been constantly taking, but making sure you all are having a good time.

“I see you guys met again!” she beams looking at you and Harry sitting next to each other. “Y/N, wanna hear something funny?” she smirks at you with glistening eyes.

“Always,” you chuckle softly.

“Once on set, I caught Harry stalking your Instagram.” The man in talk almost chokes on his beer as Florence starts laughing, clearly enjoying how she just busted her co-star, but you are having a blast at how nervous her comment got him and you find the story quite flattering.

“Flo, I think you had enough to drink,” Harry tells her, urging her to leave the booth, but she is way too caught up in getting him into trouble.

“Are you ashamed she now knows you were checking out her sexy photos for that perfume campaign she did last year?” she continues, giving away even more details. Your eyebrows run up as you look at Harry, who is desperately trying to avoid your burning gaze.

“Oh, so you’re a fond of my pictures?” you tease him, his cheeks turning redder with each passing moment.

“I mean… You looked really good.”

“And quite half naked, only covering myself with a huge perfume bottle,” you add chuckling, enjoying it probably a little too much than you should, but Harry has been so confident, flirting with you, it’s funny to see him so flustered all of a sudden.

Harry lets out a nervous chuckle, scratching the back of his neck while Florence taps his shoulder, saying something that sounded like ‘good luck, man’ before she moves over to the next group of people.

“I wasn’t stalking, your profile just popped up and—“

“Harry,” you stop him with a chuckle. “It’s fine, I was just messing with you.”

“Way to make me a wreck, Y/N,” he shoots you a narrow-eyed look, but you can see the smirk pulling on his lips.

“If it makes you feel better I checked your profile a few times too,” you admit and once again, he seems surprised.

“It does make me feel better,” he nods, his sly smirk growing wider with each passing moment he spends staring at you.

Though you’ve been enjoying the night so far you are running low on energy, so when you see it’s already past midnight you send a text to Lawrence letting him know you are planning to leave soon.

Luckily, Florence is at one of the booths near yours, so you excuse yourself from your table, walking over to her to say your goodbye.

“Leaving already?” she pouts, returning your hug.

“I’ve had a long day, I wouldn’t want to be the grumpy guest to ruin others’ night,” you tell her with an apologetic smile and she nods understanding.

“I’m happy I saw you. We need to do something sometime soon!”

“Sure thing. I’ll have a looser schedule in the upcoming months. Call me whenever you are around and free,” you tell her kissing her cheek and giving her hand a soft squeeze. “Happy birthday once more.” “Thank you babe!” she cheers as you let go of each other.

Walking back to your booth you say goodbye to Sydney and Emma, making the same promise to meet up with them sometime soon. When you turn to Harry he is already up on his feet and offers to walk you out.

“Just to the exit. There are a shit ton of paparazzi outside,” you tell him and he nods, placing a hand to your lower back, ushering you through the crowd. The two of you stop near the exit since Lawrence hasn’t replied to you that he has arrived and you definitely don’t want to wait outside.

“So, are you gonna leave without giving me your number this time as well?” he asks tilting his head to the side as he hides his hands in his pockets lazily.

“Maybe I’m just trying to see if fate is gonna throw you in my way again,” you tease him, but reach for your phone in your purse. “Send yourself a text,” you tell him handing him the device.

He doesn’t try to hide the satisfied grin as he types his number in and sends a quick text to himself so he has your number. Handing it back you just take it and check if Lawrence has texted you. Right at that moment the screen lights up with a short ‘I’ve arrived, Miss’ text and you slide the phone back into your purse.

“Well, it��s been nice seeing you again, Harry,” you say your goodbye and stepping closer you engage in a short, but tight hug.

“You too, Y/N,” he smiles down at you. “Never have I ever had the number of an Emmy nominated actress’ number,” he smirks making you laugh.

“Drink up, Styles,” you tell him cheekily before you walk away, out of the club.

Lawrence is parked right in front of the building and you try to shield your vision from all the flashes as you get into the back seat as fast as possible.

“Hello, Lawrence!” you greet the man in a very delighted mood and he senses the change in you.

“Had a great evening, Miss?” he asks as he leaves from the club and heads to your apartment’s building.

“I did,” you nod biting into your bottom lip. Reaching into your purse you pull your phone out to check the text Harry sent himself.

You can’t help the chuckle that leaves your mouth when you see the short message he sent to his contact that he just saved under Harry S.

“I promise I won’t ghost you.” That’s what the text reads and as you are looking at the conversation you see the bubble popping up that signals that he is typing right now.

“So nice of you. Please keep that promise!” His text appears on the screen and you chuckle under your breath.

“Cheeky.” You write back.

“Maybe, but now I have evidence. Don’t even try to put me on your ghosted list!”

“Will think about it…” you write back with a sly smile before you lock the phone and put it away, letting your head rest against the back of the seat, eyes closing as you can’t wipe the smile off your face.

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[fandom-imagines-stories]

Run to You Part One

Derek Morgan x Reader

Words: 2474

Summary: Having been dating for a while, you finally feel comfortable enough to introduce your boyfriend to your daughter, Angelica. Derek takes on the role better than you could have imagined and you start to feel like a family. Then one day, Angelica disappears from a friend’s house and your ex husband starts making demands. 

Notes: Hey look it’s another one shot that got turned into a mini series. Whoops. Anyway, Derek Morgan, like Reid, holds a very special place in my heart and I hope you guys enjoy. Let me know what you think!

More Criminal Minds: HERE

-

You swirled the wine around in your glass, blowing out a long sigh before checking your watch. You’d been sitting there for about twenty minutes, deflecting glances from the waiter and reading the menu over and over again. You were about to call when you felt a pair of hands on your shoulders, the contact nearly making you jump out of your chair. You whirled around, heart pounding and breathing heavy. You sighed with relief when a familiar charming smile greeted you. 

“Jesus, Derek, you’re lucky I didn’t pepper-spray you.” You groused, feeling your body gradually calm down. He pressed a quick kiss to your lips. 

“Sorry, baby, I got caught up at work.” 

“Uhuh.” You coyly turned your head away, pretending to ignore him. He ran his hands up and down your arms, giving you goosebumps. 

“I’ll make it up to you…” He coaxed, his breath hot against the skin of your neck. Damn, he was impossible to be mad at. 

“You’d better.” You surrendered to another kiss before he sat down across from you. 

While you kept up your usual cool and collected appearance, on the inside you were sweating like a pig. Tonight was the night. Usually, on nights like tonight, you would get either dumped or ghosted. Most of the time it was both. But you had a feeling, a desperate hope, that Derek was different. 

“Earth to Y/N.” Derek laughed. You hadn’t realized that you had spaced off. He reached across the table and put his hand on yours. “Where’s your head at, sweetheart?” 

“I, uh,” You laughed nervously, “I was thinking we could go back to my place after this.” The biggest smirk spread across his face. 

“That’s what you’re getting antsy about?” He chuckled, shaking his head. The waiter came back with the check and, though he offered, you took this one. 

“You paid for the last date.” You reasoned, though you also didn’t want him to shell out for dinner if he was going to run off later. 

“Independent woman, I get it.” He teased. He knew that something was off about tonight. You kept looking at your watch, fingers tapping on the table anxiously, and now your eyes kept darting from the check to his face. 

Once the check was taken care of, you both headed back out to the parking lot. Derek took your hand and stopped suddenly, pulling you into his arms. He lifted your chin so that you were looking into his eyes. You looked pretty freaked out about something and it was worrying him. 

“Okay, sweetheart, what’s going on?” 

“What do you mean? Everything’s fine.” You couldn’t even convince yourself, let alone a behavioral profiler. You took a breath and let the tension built up in your shoulders fall. “Okay, there’s something I haven’t been telling you about me and when we go back to my place, you’re going to understand.” His eyes widened. 

“Don’t tell me you're married.” 

“No!” You exclaimed. “Well, not anymore. My ex and I split a long time ago.” 

“I’m confused. You were married?” You nodded, looking down shamefully. Derek put a hand on your cheek. “Baby, you could have told me that.” You let out a frustrated sigh. 

“That’s not the problem, Derek. That’s not the part that sends every other guy I’ve dated running for the hills.” 

“You’re really freaking me out here, Y/N. What is it?” Did you really think he was that kind of guy? You bit your lip nervously. 

“My roommate.” 

-

Your apartment should have been dark, but the living room lamp lit up the room, revealing the little bundle of blankets curled up on the sofa and the fast-asleep teen in the chair. You sighed, putting your keys in the little bowl on the table and walked over to the couch. You knelt in front of it, searching for a little nose and a pair of eyes. 

“I know you’re awake, Jellybean.” You tapped her nose lightly and earned a chorus of giggles. Her eyes popped open and her arms latched around your neck. 

“I missed you.” She pouted, making you laugh. 

“Baby, it’s only been a couple of hours. Besides, you had Amy to keep you company.” You motioned to the teen who was snoring in the seat across from you. Angelica made a face. 

“Who’s that?” She pointed over your shoulder to an awestruck looking Derek. You picked her up, blankets and all, and walked her over to him. 

“This is Derek. He’s a friend of mommy’s.” You tried to read his expression, but he was just looking at her. 

“Hi Derek, I’m Angelica.” She beamed. He smiled. 

“Hi sweetheart. That’s a really pretty necklace.” He motioned to the chain around her neck. It had a little locket on the end with a picture of the two of you inside. 

“Thanks! It was my mom’s, but she gave it to me for my birthday this year.” 

“Alright, munchkin, why don’t you go brush your teeth and get into bed?” You put her down on the floor, ignoring her pouting lips. “Go.” She scampered off to her room and you slowly looked back up at Derek. “So…”

“So.” 

“I’m going to send Amy home and then can I get you something to drink?” You asked, but you were really waiting for him to run. He nodded. 

“A drink would be great.” 

After Amy was gone and you finally got Angelica to stay in bed, Derek was patiently waiting on the couch, glass of wine in hand, awaiting the explanation that sent most guys out the door. You nervously sat down beside him and took a long drink from your own glass. 

“Your roommate?” Derek chuckled, quirking a brow. You laughed anxiously. 

“Yeah… I was afraid if I came right out and said ‘daughter’ you wouldn’t have even left the parking lot.” You curled your legs up underneath you, trying to get comfortable despite the situation. “That’s also why I didn’t tell you about her sooner. It seems every time I like a guy, he bolts as soon as he finds out I’ve got a kid.” Derek nodded in understanding. 

“How old is she?” 

“She’ll be eight in two months.” You couldn’t help but laugh to yourself. “They aren’t kidding when they say they grow up fast.” 

“Yeah, well if she’s anything like her mother, I’m sure she’s a piece of work.” Derek chuckled, teasingly poking your side. He seemed pretty laid back. He wasn’t gunning for the door or itching to leave as soon as your back was turned. His face turned serious, but he still didn’t seem angry. “You know you could have told me, right?” 

“It’s not you, Derek.” You stared at the wine in your glass, watching it swirl around like a crimson whirlpool. “I just have a hard time trusting people, especially when it comes to her. But I’m sure your profiler brain figured that out the day we met.” You cast him a knowing look. He shrugged. 

“I knew that you weren’t telling me something, but I always figured you’d tell me when you were ready to tell me.” He moved closer to you, setting his glass on the coffee table. “And now you have.” 

“I know that this isn’t exactly what you signed up for, and I’m not asking for you to step in and become her dad or anything like that, but I really want to keep seeing you and-” You took a breath. “Sorry, I’m rambling, aren’t I?” 

“Just a little, but it’s okay.” He wrapped an arm around your shoulders and you both sank further into the couch. “She seems like a good kid.”

“Oh, she is.” You beamed. “She’s smart and way more creative than I ever was at her age. And after everything that’s happened…” You stopped. You didn’t want to get into that now. One big reveal is enough for one night. “She’s a great kid.” 

Derek didn’t miss your hesitation, but he decided not to push it. You would tell him when you were ready. 

-

Three weeks later

When you stepped into the kitchen, you couldn’t help but laugh. Derek was standing over the stove, eggs cooking in the pan and music playing from your speaker. 

“Alright, show me your moves. Dance with me, Angel.” He laughed, Angelica jumping and spinning around him. Derek was beaming, picking her up in his arms and twirling around, spotting you out of the corner of his eye. “Morning.” 

“Morning momma!” Angelica exclaimed. You smiled and kissed her cheek. 

“Good morning Jellybean.” You kissed Derek, smiling against his lips. “Good morning Derek.” 

“We’re making you breakfast.” Angel grinned. “We’ve got eggs and bacon and french toast.” 

“Don’t forget the coffee.” Derek added. You laughed. 

“No, never forget the coffee.” You poured yourself a cup and watched as Derek continued his playful dancing with your daughter. It was hard to believe that he didn’t know she existed a month ago. In just a few weeks, Derek had become a fixture in her life. He was sweet and funny and, most importantly, he really cared about her. “Oh, Derek, I almost forgot. Could you pick Angel up after school today? I have a bunch of meetings today that are supposed to go late. Obviously if you have to leave for a case, I can figure something else out, but I figured if you were here you might be available?” 

“I’ll let you know if we have to take off, but I should be able to otherwise.” 

“Yay!” Angel cheered, placing a big kiss on his cheek. Derek chuckled. 

“Alright, Angel, you’d better go get ready.” He put her back down. “And if you’re quick, I’ll make you an extra piece of french toast, okay?”

“Okay, Derek!” She grinned and sprinted to her room. You watched him in awe. 

“I can’t believe how good you are with her.” You mused. Derek smirked. 

“What can I say? Chicks love me.” He teased. You rolled your eyes. Dereke snaked an arm around your waist and kissed your cheek. 

“I have two sisters.” He chuckled, shrugging slightly. “Besides, Angel is a sweet girl.”

“She’s crazy about you, that’s for sure.” You laughed lightly, taking another sip of coffee. Everything felt exactly the way it was supposed to. Derek made you feel safer than you had in a long time and, even more, he made you happier than you had been in years. 

Derek gave you a quick kiss goodbye before jetting off to the BAU. You watched his car pull away as he blew a kiss to Angelica with a grin on his face. 

When he got to work, an eagerly curious face was awaiting him. Penelope had been trying to figure out who Derek’s new girl was for a while. He hadn’t told her your name, partially because it was fun to watch her squirm with not knowing, but also because he knew her too well. She’d find out everything she could about you and he wanted to find it out for himself. He didn’t want you getting profiled by anybody else on the team. 

“You can stop grinning like that, babygirl, I’m still not going to tell you.” He smirked. Garcia pouted. 

“I can’t believe you torture me like this.” She huffed. “I am your best friend and therefore am privy to any and all relationship details. Hiding them is like breaching our deepest form of trust.” 

“I have given you details, Penelope.” He chuckled. “I’ve told you I’m seeing someone, it’s more serious than a usual fling, and that you would approve of her.” 

“How do you know I would approve?” Garcia challenged, punching his shoulder. “She’s got to be one hell of a woman to be good enough for my Derek Morgan.” 

“She is, babygirl. Believe me, she is.” He put an arm around her as they walked in together. Prentiss gave the pair a smile. 

“Did he finally tell you who she is?” 

“No and it is killing me!” 

“I still think he made her up to torture us.” Reid laughed as he walked by. Derek thwacked the back of his head and everyone laughed as they went to their piles of dreaded paperwork. Derek stopped by J.J.’s office. 

“Hey, J.J. what does today look like so far? Any cases?” 

“None that aren’t going to take me all day to prepare, why?” She smirked. “Got a hot date with your mystery woman tonight?” Morgan chuckled. 

“Something like that.” 

“Seriously, we are all dying to meet the woman that finally caged our resident playboy.” J.J. whined. 

“You’ll all meet her soon enough, I promise. I just don’t want all of you scaring Y/N off yet.” He wiggled his eyebrows, content with giving her just enough of a clue to appease the beasts for a while. 

Walking back to his desk, he had to shake his head, laughing as J.J. rushed to Garcia’s office to tell her the ‘mystery woman’s’ name. 

The day passed just as J.J. had said. Without a case, it was all catching up on paperwork and studying different cases. Of course, Garcia would be looking up every Y/N in Virginia and Morgan couldn’t help but revel in her vain efforts. 

He was pouring himself another cup of coffee when Prentiss tapped his shoulder. 

“Hey, your phone’s been ringing. I was half tempted to answer just to get it to stop. Can’t you hear it?” 

“I guess my mind was somewhere else.” He shrugged. He finished pouring his coffee and went back to his desk. “SSA Morgan.” 

“Derek…” You tried to calm down enough so you could speak clearly. 

“Y/N? Baby, what is it? Are you okay?” The entire office shifted with him. They saw his body tense and his voice change with concern. 

“It’s Angelica. S-she disappeared from school. They said she was there before recess and when they came back in, she was gone. Derek, he took her. I know he did. If we don’t find her he’s going to-”

“Woah, slow down, baby. I’m coming to you, okay. Where are you, the school?”

“Yeah, but Derek I-”

“I’ll be right there. Don’t go anywhere until I get there.” He hung up and grabbed his jacket. Prentiss looked at him with a worried expression. 

“Morgan, is everything okay?”

“Tell Hotch I had to leave.” 

“Why? What happened?” Reid asked. Derek looked around at all of their concerned faces and sighed. 

“I don’t have time to explain right now and it might be nothing, but if it isn’t…” He hated to admit it, but this wasn’t about his ego. This was about you and Angel. “I might need your help.” 

With that, he was gone, running to the elevator to get to you as fast as he could.

-

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

[darkficsyouneveraskedfor]

Looking for a Place to Happen 4

Warnings: non-consent sex and rape, age gap, general stupidity, some violence and threats, coercion, manipulation, hand job, loss of virginity

This is dark!biker!Sam Wilson x reader and explicit. 18+ only.  Your media consumption is your own responsibility. Warnings have been given. DO NOT PROCEED if these matters upset you.

Series Synopsis: There’s lots happening in Birch and you find it all too amusing.

Sister series to Smalltown Bringdown, When the Weight Comes Down, Little Bones, and Fully Completely

Note: Sorry it took so long to get this out. Hopefully I can work on part 5 now that I have this posted.

Thanks to everyone for their patience and feedback. :)

I really hope you enjoy. 💋

<3 Let me know what you think with a like or reblog or reply or an ask! Love ya!

Chapter 4:  With its gallery gods and its garbage-bag trees

💀💀💀

Sam left you in the same daze that fogged the entire day. The night was restless as you tossed and turned, replaying the scene over and over. Every time you closed your eyes, you saw the lens staring back at you, imagined yourself on a screen, your hand moving between your legs, your pathetic mewls as you came for this man and who knew how many others. 

Well, he did say it was up to you how big the audience was.

You woke early and only checked in with your nan to fill a mug with coffee and start your day ahead of time. You needed to keep yourself busy after a night bombarded by your own thoughts and yet, you couldn’t focus enough to do more than stare at the blinking cursor.

You put on a Twitch stream to keep your mind from wandering too far but it did little to help your focus. You fidgeted, still without your phone, and again thought of the previous day and what you’d done. You’d never done that in front of anyone. You only ever joked about it online, that persona was everything you weren’t irl.

All your stupid online jokes and exaggerations got you into this. You fucked up because the line between virtual and reality was too blurred in your head. You got carried away and now you just had to deal. Well, you guessed it was a lesson no one learned the easy way.

You didn’t realise how much time passed until your stomach growled loudly and squeezed. You felt like throwing up but only had the slice of toast you scarfed down that morning to coat your stomach. You rubbed your eyes and headed downstairs to sneak some of your nan’s sugarless jelly cookies. She hated your snacking but she rarely finished a box on her own.

As you entered through the kitchen, you came to a sudden halt. You tilted your head and frowned as you heard your nan’s voice and the one that answered had you knocking your hip against a chair as you rushed into the living room.

“Just over there,” she directed as the leg of the couch scraped on the floor, “slide it against the wall.”

Sam stood straight dusted off his hands on his jeans. He stepped back and looked over the old floral sofa. 

“Definitely looks better over here,” he remarked.

“What the hell?” you blurted out.

“There you are!” your grandmother tutted, “I called up to you but you do what you always do and tune me out.”

“I didn’t-- I was working, I--” you cleared your throat and looked at Sam, “what are you doing here?”

“He’s being very helpful,” your nan praised, “how many times did I ask you to help me with this thing?”

“Sorry, I…” you swallowed and glanced between them.

“And smell that,” your nan inhaled deeply, “he’s making us dinner.”

“And I brought sugar-free dessert,” he added, “anything else I can do?”

“You’re so sweet,” she squeezed his thick arm.

“So are you… once you get past the frying pan,” he chuckled.

“I see a man in leather, I’m swinging,” she scowled, “you’re lucky you came bearing gifts.”

“Hey, look, we’re not all bad,” he smiled as she sat and he handed her the book from the small table that held the lamp and her ashtray, “I’m not like those guys who threatened your granddaughter.”

“And more honest than her,” she shook her head, “you didn’t tell me you were down at that bar. I warned you-- you really are lucky he was there.”

“Uh, sure, yeah,” you squinted at them, “didn’t you just tell me the other day I should grab any biker by--”

“I’m old, I say things,” she laughed but her eyes had a glimmer of ‘be quiet’.

“Would you like some more tea, Millie?” he asked as he took her empty mug and neared you, stopping in the broad archway that opened up into the living room.

“One more, if you don’t mind,” she smiled sweetly. She never smiled.

You hid a scowl and turned to follow Sam into the kitchen. He moved the kettle onto a burner and turned the knob. He stopped and opened the door of the stove and peeked inside as a blaze of savoury hot air blasted out at him. You felt it just before he let it snap shut and turned to lean on the counter, crossing one foot over the other.

“What are you doing?” you uttered.

“I told you I’d be back,” he shrugged.

“I didn’t think you’d--” you lowered your voice and glanced at the doorway, “what have you been telling her?”

“Everything she wants to hear,” he ran his fingertips along the precise line of hair of his goatee, “and nothing she shouldn’t… but that can change.”

“I did what you wanted. End of punishment,” you put your hands on your hips.

“End? Hmmm, I don’t think I said that,” his forehead wrinkled, “we’re far from finished… and come on, we both know you had as much fun as me.”

Your nostrils flared and you sucked in your cheeks. He was entirely too hard to figure out. He was that sort of man you hated and feared all at once. You just couldn’t predict him.

“I don’t… I don’t care what happens to me, just don’t hurt her,” you said quietly.

“Hurt her? Now why would I do that?” he taunted, “I mean, right now I have no reason to do anything like that.”

You squirmed and let out a breath, “please, alright?”

“Settle down, honey, you’ve been good… so far,” he said, “you just gotta keep it up.”

“Yeah,” you grumbled as the kettle began to shake and he turned his back to you, “any chance I can have my phone back?”

He chuckled as he searched the cupboard for the tea and plucked out a bag, “you’re funny… I like that but you gotta stop acting like everything’s a joke. It doesn’t hold up.”

💀

You found it hard not to wear a look of unamused confusion as Sam served dinner at the table and your grandmother sang his praises as he poured her wine she could actually drink. Just one glass but it was enough to loosen her up. You hadn’t eaten in the dining room since you were a kid, more used to eating at the counter, sitting on the wobbly stools or in front of the television.

Sam offered for you to clean up and do the dishes. Your nan was overjoyed at that, almost mocking. When you finished, you found them in the living room, some old Robert DeNiro movie on the television. You sat on the couch, as far from Sam as you as your grandmother yawned into her hand.

“Well,” she stubbed out her cigarette, “I should really be getting to bed. That wine is kicking in.”

“It’s early…” you argued weakly.

“You kids don’t get into too much trouble,” she warned as she stood with a groan and gripped her hip, “these ears still work.”

“Trouble? Me?” Sam kidded, “you don’t have to worry about me. I haven’t been a kid in a very long time.”

She smiled and nodded but for a moment she hesitated. She looked at you and pushed her tongue to her denture.

“Good night, girlie,” she said.

“Night, nan,” you forced out as normally as you could. 

You knew if she sensed your fear, she’d act out. She was always too brave for her own good and while you admired that, you didn’t need to get hurt because you were dumb as a brick.

She left slowly and you heard her television begin to crackle and the voices of the Law and Order actors were muffled behind her door. You hunched your shoulders and rubbed your hands together as you stared at Deniro’s wrinkled forehead and that characteristic squint. 

The lamp went out as Sam pulled the cord and the screen glowed in the dark. You felt the cushion dip as he shifted closer without subtlety. He slung his arm over your shoulder and you smelled his earthy cologne as he turned the TV up a few ticks. He pulled you to him as his hand came up to cradle your cheek.

“Shouldn’t we go… somewhere else?”

“She won’t hear us honey,” he cooed, “you just gotta be good. Be quiet.”

“Let’s go upstairs. Please,” you grabbed his hand as you pleaded.

“You keep arguing and I’ll make sure to wake her up,” he warned, “now,” he twisted so that he had your wrist in his grasp and forced it down to his lap, “put your hand down my pants.”

You gulped loudly and your hand trembled. You read enough fanfic to know what to do but your lack of actual experience had you nervous. Much like many things in your life. All talk, no skill.

You turned awkwardly on the cushion, your body uncomfortably contorted as his legs stayed pressed to yours. You struggled to unhook the button of his fly and the zipper was slow to descend. You felt the bulge as your hands moved against the denim and you hesitated as your fingers pressed to the elastic of his briefs.

“Mmm,” he purred as he hugged you closer, “that’s it, honey.”

Your eyes widened and you were happy the room was dark enough to hide your face. You pulled the elastic back with two fingers and shoved your other hand blindly beneath the fabric. You brushed against his hard dick and angled your hand so that you could grip him, his smooth length felt peculiar against your palm. Was he big? He felt big but didn’t have anyone to compare him to.

“Tighter,” he groaned at the friction as you moved your hand.

You squeezed and his hot breath grazed over your hair and he pushed his head back over the couch. He twitched as you kept a steady motion, trapped in the limbo of mortification and cluelessness. Were you doing it right? What were you even doing?

“Ah, honey, you’re so good,” he said as he rubbed the back of your neck, “goddamn.”

You said nothing as you focused on your hand. He snaked his arm under yours suddenly and pulled you over as he lifted his ass. Your hand was caught in his under as he laid you down beneath him. He reached down and fixed your grip on him as he held hovered atop you, his knees pressed into the cushion between your legs.

His arm crossed under yours as he poked along your jeans and shoved his hand beneath the denim and cotton. His palm was flush to your pelvis as he slid two fingers along your folds, held snug to you by the fabric. He swirled his fingertips over your bud and you gasped as your other hand gripped his arm in surprise.

“Honey, you’re wet already,” he whispered, “you sure you haven’t been waiting for this?”

You moaned as he pushed back along your entrance and dragged his fingers back, spreading your wetness over your clit. You quivered as you struggled to keep your own hand moving. He inhaled and groaned as played with you and pressed his lips to your cheek. He trailed up to your lips and kissed you, forcing his tongue inside as he shuddered.

He drew away with a sloppy noise and withdrew his hand from your pants. He sat up on his knees and pulled your legs to rest against his torso. He gripped the back of your jeans and yanked them down along with your panties. You smothered your cry as you were shocked by the force of it and the air of the room on your bare ass and legs.

He let your jeans dangle from one ankle as he bent over you again. Your leg fell over the edge of the couch as he held himself over you with a hand just above your head, fingers tight on the cushioned arm. He wiggled as he shimmied his jeans and briefs down with his other hand and you pressed on his chest.

“Wait, wait,” you hissed, “you… please, just… slow down… I never--”

“Shh, honey, you’re making too much noise,” he muttered, “it’s okay.”

“No, no, please, can’t we--” your voice caught as he lined his tips up along your cunt and rubbed it along your clit, “I’ll… I’ll use my mouth.”

“Later,” he whispered as his tip slipped down along your entrance, “honey, I need to feel you.”

“Pl--” your voice evaporated as the head of his dick stretched you.

You whimpered as he brought his arm down and nestled it under your head. He pushed further in and you gritted your teeth as you whined at the pressure of his intrusion. With each inch, the strain grew worse as a deep pain flooded your body. He shushed you as he forced past your resistance.

He covered your mouth as you cried out and barely kept your voice under control. He kept your head on his arm as his other hand cupped your lips and smothered out your agony. He forced himself in as deep as he could and your body tensed as your walls squeezed him. Your eyes rolled back as tears welled and spilled over the corners.

“Honey, it’s okay, we’ll go slow,” he coaxed, “just like that.”

He rocked his hips carefully but it still felt terrible. He pulled back and slid back in, each time it felt like he got even deeper than the last. His breath hitched and your own grew laboured as you huffed through your nostrils. 

He growled and sped up, just a little at a time, your cunt slickening his intrusion as his pelvis brushed against your clit and sent tendrils down your thighs. Even so, the pleasure was not enough to mute the pain.

“That’s it,” he uttered, “that’s it.”

He fucked you faster and the couch shook beneath you. His flesh slapped and the noise seemed to be monstrous, so much sure that you were sure your grandmother would come out and catch you. 

You grasped his wrist as you felt your climax rising. You squeezed and arched your foot as you were overcome and crashed down harshly as the pain tore through the ecstasy once more. He turned his hand and framed your chin as he kissed you again, swallowing your murmurs as he thrust into you over and over.

He lifted his head and dipped his thumb into your mouth as he held in his voice. He quaked and his motion stuttered but kept on. You felt his release, hot and wet, inside of you, a strange sensation that made you both sickened and aroused you.

He eased up and stilled at last. He brushed his nose against yours and chuckled under his breath as he wiggled his hips and you swore at the way it made your walls squeeze him. You blinked as your vision cleared of tears and the darkness. His features were blue with the light of the television, sinister and shadowy.

You went limp under him and breathed out slowly. You shook as he ran his thumb along your bottom lip and left a line of spit down your jaw.

“We’ll have to get that on tape next time,” he said, “but I doubt you’ll forget that, honey.”

[bakujho]

Another rant about some Shady Eels

So, back again to talk about the shady eels though this time focusing on how with the information we’ve been given we can pretty well confirm the Leech family are mafia. We’ve gotten a few solid gems of information the last little while, pretty well confirming what we always figured. Octavinelle has got that mafia theme, so everyone expected some shadiness, but the info we’ve been fed about the Leech parents really brings home that it’s not just the dorm theme, and that the twins and Azul aren’t just “cosplaying as mafia baddies for aesthetic”. 

So what exactly do we KNOW? 

The twins were taught self defense by their parents from a young age. (Jade voice lines)

When they were children their parents ‘associates’ would buy them luxury or rare  birthday gifts...then were made to sign waivers saying that the gift had no ulterior motives and wouldn’t constitute a favour in return.  (Jade birthday)

Their father has told them that appearances on land are important, and to pay close attention to the little details. (When Idia asks for further clarification, he cuts Floyd off before he goes further saying that any further and he feels like he’d be “ensnared by darkness”) (Floyd dance and wishes wish)

There were many parties back in the Leech household, but they were more formal in nature. (floyd birthday)

Eels have a “tough guy” image in the sea, and them being carnivores doesn’t help. (floyd birthday)

Mama leech worries about her babies and contacts them often (jade birthday)

That they have a family run business, that has contacts with a LOT of kinds of different people. Jade tells us it’s VERY normal. (jade birthday)

Leech parents have spoiled their kids before, so they’re likely fairly well off. (floyd birthday)

Floyd seems to have a bit of a sore spot regarding humans (floyd robes) 

So obviously, without 100% confirmation, it’s impossible to say MAFIA LEECH ARE CANON, but with everything we’ve been given I’m pretty confident in saying it’s damn likely. That’s not even the fun part, cause it’s so surface level obvious considering Octavinelles theme, I decided to jump into it more. @chillableu​ had posted a comment in a shared discord that really got my brain whirring about WHY the mafia fam is maybe a bigger thing than just aesthetic, and I haven’t been able to stop thinking about it since. Headcanon accepted, chilla. I thank you. (I took out your name in case you didn’t want anyone on discord to find you by it)

  I’ll put the rest of this under a cut since it’s really just me theorizing and head canoning a whole ton of shit about the Leech fam based on humans treating fish as lesser beings incapable of the same level of emotions and intelligence as themselves, adding in bits from other media that has mermaids, mythology, and a touch of the history of the mafia.

Not even really sure where to start with this, but here we go. So, What if the Leech fam (be it great grandpa/grandma leech or current Leeches) started the mafia as a way to protect themselves due to the mistreatment of merfolk that were more “monster” like than the regular human kind mermaids we’ve only seen up until now. Its reported that the original Sicilian mafia started as a way for certain families that were facing persecution from the rest of the towns that eventually spiraled into the crime syndicates we all know from various media today. Outside of the twins and Azul, all the other merfolk that have been shown in game have been the “fully human on top, fish bottom” type, and with Azul being bullied because we was a rare 8 legged mermaid, and the magicamonsters from the Halloween event seeing merfloyd and remarking how RARE it was to see one, so I’m thinking that maybe the Leech fam started as a way to protect themselves, since if carnivorous merfolk are seen as more brutish, they may have seen a lot of discrimination from other merfolk and humans alike. 

It’s no secret that Toboso has been covering a lot of heavy topics dressed up in Disney clothes, and has already addressed discrimination and fetishization with the scarabia, savanaclaw, and more recently Diasomnia boys (well, mostly Malleus in the halloween event being treated like an object). So what I’m thinking is that there’s an underlying problem in the twstverse, where non-humans are treated badly, and non-humans with monster features even more so. So the leech fam bands together with whatever other monster like merfolk families there are and create their own little area in the coral sea, and eventually expand out into other types of business until they’re in a comfortable enough position to not really worry about any backlash anymore. Floyd has shown some distaste before about being ordered around by humans, which could be an ingrained quality from his parents, or he himself may have experienced some form of mistreatment at the hands of humans before. If the leech fam has a lot of ‘associates’ I think it’s safe to say that they weren’t the only ones feeling abandoned by the normal merfolk and humans .

In Japanese folklore there are creatures called Ningyo (basically human fish), which were both feared as creatures that would bring calamity and misfortune, and prized as their flesh was supposed to be sweet tasting and grant near immortality if eaten. Mermaids in a lot of more modern media are also more nuanced than the “beautiful fish that sailors fall in love with”. Even in One Piece, there’s the mermaids that are captured and sold off to the rich as prize objects to collect and display, and the Fishmen, which are the strong brutes that are ostracised by nearly everyone in series for them simply being fish. If Toboso wanted to touch on the mythology in TWST it would make sense that the more monster-like mermaids have created their own sub-society separate from the regular merfolk. During the Halloween event, the children seem to be pretty scared by Floyd because he’s huge, so what if that’s nothing new for him and why he’s so good with kids? Cause as a mermaid they’re used to people being openly scared of them without any good reason outside of their appearance. I also suspect that Floyd and Jade have a few more siblings, since in one of Floyds home screen lines he says that he’s not the youngest nor the oldest, and tbh, eels lay thousands of eggs, so it wouldn’t be surprising that he knew how to deal with the kid without any struggle. 

What if, when the eels are first hatched they’re a lot smaller than they were and like in the original article that started all of this, humans were needlessly cruel to them and many of them died out of sheer neglect, or that humans just didn’t think merfolk as capable as having acute emotions and saw them as lowly fish rather than sentient beings. We saw with the Magicamonsters that there’s a complete disregard for the feelings of Malleus when they made it a challenge to touch his horns and get a picture, so I imagine that has to extend to merfolk as well when they’re actually seen. That same mindset could have extended to the regular mermaids as well, which is why mermaids like Azul were so tormented for being different, even though they’re all fucking mermaids at the end of the day. So bringing this back to the Leech fam, they decided that they weren’t going to stand for the same level of discrimination from humans and other merfolk alike and began building their own empire. They have contacts in the sea that extend to those on land (otherwise how would the twins get the rare land items for their birthdays), and have an extensive network of associates, with the added bonus of brilliant mermaid twins, one of which is incredibly cunning, the other quick to violence and both of them raised to defend themselves should the need arise. 

So basically, I’m fully on the “Mafia Leech Fam is canon for real” train and at this point it’s going to be very hard to change my mind. I feel like there were a few more things I wanted to touch on with this but they’ve poofed themselves into the depths of my mind somewhere, so I may have to come back to them later. If you have anything to add, please let me know cause brain rotting about the Leech fam is honestly one of my favourite past times right now.

[justthehiddleswrites]

Accidently Married | Tom Hiddleston x OFC | Chapter 3 | And Miss Out on Mum Meeting the Girl You Married Without Telling Her? Not a Chance

A/N:  Tom makes certain comments about an ex (who is unnamed).  It is a fictional girlfriend, take from it what you will.  Keep your hate to yourself.  

SERIES MASTERLIST HERE

Pairing: Tom Hiddleston x OFC (Molly Bishop)

Summary: Tom is stuck in a news cycle from hell; Molly is stuck in the dead end job of bartending with a pile of student and credit debt.  Tom has an idea to solve all their problems.  Get married, get the paparazzi off his back, divorce after a year and Tom pays off Molly’s debts.  Tom has everything figured out, that is until he sees Molly as more than a just a friend and so does someone else.  In this vying for affections who will win, the handsome Brit or the boy from Boston?

This Chapter: Molly finally gets to meet Luke and they try to convince him that this marriage is not some elaborate plot to manipulate the press.  And Tom makes a critical error.  We learn more about Molly and her past. 

Warnings: fake marriage, smut (vaginal sex), mentions of:  child abuse/neglect, foster care, substance abuse, cheating.

TAGLIST IS OPEN! PLEASE LET ME KNOW IF YOU WANT TO BE TAGGED!  THANK YOU FOR READING!

–

Tom regretted drinking two cups of espresso the next morning before heading to Luke’s. He definitely regretted not eating anything more than a piece of toast with butter and marmalade. Even after Molly offered to make something for him.

“Are you sure you don’t want me to make you eggs, an omelette? I could probably manage some French toast before we have to leave.” Molly sipped her tea as she ate some oatmeal. 

French toast sounded divine at the moment as Tom’s stomach did somersaults. Molly’s knee bounced in the passenger seat on the way to the Prosper office. 

“Do you think Luke will yell at me?” Molly asked. “I don’t do well when people yell at me.”

Tom’s head snapped over at her. She sighed. 

“Foster parents are not always kind. Bio parents can be worse.” She wrung her hands. 

He reached over and squeezed Molly’s knee. “I promise I won’t let him yell at you.” 

“Thank you, Tom. Are we telling him the truth?” 

“Only if necessary.” 

“Then what are we telling him?” 

“That I went to Vegas, and I fell madly in love with you and on a whim we got married.”

“A fanciful tale.” Her head dropped to her chest. 

“Oh, I don’t know, darling. You sell yourself short. You’re bright, funny, caring and dare I even say easy on the eyes.”

Molly blushed. “Thank you. You are not so bad yourself. Although I seriously question your dietary habits.”

Tom chuckled. “I’ll work on it. And I hope after all of this we will be good friends.”

“Me too.” 

“Looks like we are here.” Tom parked the car on the street. He hustled around to open Molly’s door and help her out. “Time to face the firing squad.” Her eyes widened. “Kidding!”

By the time the meeting was done, Molly wished it had been a firing squad. 

-

“Luke, this is Molly Bishop, now Hiddleston.” Tom wrapped his arm around her waist. “My wife.” 

“My condolences.” Luke shook Molly’s hand. 

Molly’s brow furrowed. “I…” 

“Of all the stupid shit you have ever fucking done—” Luke started in on Tom. 

“Luke, watch your tone.” Tom jabbed a finger in his publicist’s face. “You are not to yell at Molly.” His bright blue eyes flashed and his fists clenched. 

Luke took a step back. “Right. Take a seat and let’s see if we can straighten this out.” 

They sat next to each other. Molly reached for Tom’s hand and he took it. Luke sat down behind his desk, staring at the two of them. Luke pinched his nose hard and took several deep breaths. Before speaking, he poured a glass of water and dropped two Alka-Seltzer into the water. Molly stared at the whole thing. Tom leaned over. 

“For later. Luke says I give him indigestion.” he whispered.

“And headaches.” Luke added.

“I can understand the feeling.” Molly muttered under her breath.

“I beg your pardon!” Tom twisted around to face Molly. “Et tu. Is this about the vegetables?”

“It wouldn’t kill you to eat one every so often. You’re not 21 anymore.”

Tom gritted his teeth. “I said I would work on it. Can we not talk about this right now?”

“You’re the one who brought it up. I was just making a comment.”

Luke’s head bounced back and forth like watching a tennis match, a smirk growing on his face.

“You two are good. Really good. Damn Tom, the lengths you will go to… hiring an actress to pretend to be your wife, that’s—”

“We got married, Luke. In Vegas.” Tom retorted. “Darling, do you have the copy of the license?”

Molly grumbled. “I do, but we are not done with the whole diet thing.” She rummaged through her purse and produced the folded piece of paper. “Show him the photos.” She whispered to Tom as she handed over the license. 

“I’m not showing him the photos unless I have to.” Tom hissed.

“Show me the photos, Tom.” Luke beckoned him. 

Tom side eyed Molly and handed over the license and his phone. Luke glanced at the license and then scrolled through the photos, eyes growing wider. He zoomed in on one and squinted. 

“Is that a spider ring?” he asked.

“His name is Clive.” Tom deadpanned.

Luke cuts his eyes at Tom. “Of course, you named it. You wouldn’t happen to have the ring, would you?” He turned to Molly.

She let loose a breath, exasperated. “Honestly,” she jabbed a finger at Tom and then Luke. “I was not expecting the Spanish Inquisition.” She dug through her purse again. “You are both lucky that I planned ahead.” Molly slammed the two Tiffany boxes on the desk. “There, here is your pound of flesh.”

Luke opened the boxes and found the spider ring and plastic gem ring. His eyes went to their proper rings and then ran his hands through his hair. 

“Holy shit, you got married.”

Tom rolled his eyes. “I have been saying that for the last 24 hours, mate. Can we move on?”

Molly giggled. 

“I… I… apologize. Sorry.” He sputtered, he turned to Molly. “I’m sorry, Molly. You have no idea the things this man has put me through.”

“I can imagine.”

“Hey! I—”

“Not talking to you, Tom.” Luke held up a hand. “I am talking to your bride. Clearly the reasonable one. Although she did marry you, so…”

Tom slumped in the chair. “Two of you. I thought you were on my side.”

Molly reached over and rubbed his arm. “I’m always on your side, honey.”

Tom smiled and leaned over and kissed her cheek. “Thank you, darling. Do you believe me now, Luke?”

“I can’t believe I’m saying this, but yes, I do.” He slammed his hand on his desk, rattling his water. “Now let’s talk about these.” He held up several newspapers.

Forty-five minutes later, they finally ended the meeting. Tom was starving. Luke grilled Molly about her background. By the end of everything, Tom now knew that Molly spent the ages of 12-18 in foster care, went to college where she worked two jobs to make ends meet, and has no contact with her younger brother who was adopted. Tom felt a twinge of guilt listening to Molly tell her life story. He never really bothered to ask. 

Luke led them to the door but stopped short. 

“How did your mom take the news, Tom?” Luke asked. Tom froze and paled. Luke leaned in. “You did tell her?”

Molly glanced between them. “I thought you called her when we got home.”

Tom ran his hands through his hair. Little bits stuck up. His mouth fell open and his eyes widened. “I forgot. I was distracted by someone yelling at me.”

“You haven’t told your mother about us?!” Molly screeched. 

Luke chuckled, which soon turned into a full belly laugh. “You are so dead, Tom.” Molly gasped. “You will be fine, Molly, but pray for your husband. There is nothing scarier in this world than Diana Hiddleston mad at her only son.” 

Molly gulped. “I will keep that in mind. Now if you excuse us, we have some calls to make.” 

Tom nodded, still reeling from the fact he didn’t tell his mum, or his sisters, that he got married. Fake or not. He hoped she hadn’t seen any of the photos yet. But knowing Emma and Sarah, they sent her the links. “Right, calls.” 

Molly pushed Tom out of the office and towards the elevator. She waved bye to Luke as the doors closed. 

“That went better than expected.” Molly shifted her weight from side to side.

“Yeah, yeah!” Tom blinked and came back to reality. “You were brilliant. What made you think to bring the rings?”

“People have the tendency to believe you when you can present physical evidence. That, coupled with the photos, lends credibility. I mean, who gets married with a plastic spider ring?” She laughed and Tom joined in. 

“Genius, really. Luke would have never—” Tom’s stomach rumbled. He blushed. “You were right I should have eaten something.” 

Molly stretched to reach his cheek and gave him a quick peck. “You will soon learn I am always right. Let’s find you some food and then you call your mother.”

“Fine.”

-

They found a place for Tom to grab a sandwich since it was too late for breakfast and not quite time for lunch. Molly stared on as Tom inhaled the sandwich, a bag of potato chips, and a bottle of water. 

“Did you taste any of that?”

Tom glanced up at her as he poked the last bit of the sandwich into his mouth. “Yes.” 

She shoved a napkin towards him. “You have crumbs on your face.”

Tom swallowed. “Thanks.”

“Call your mother.” 

Tom slouched. “Can’t we wait until we get home?” 

“No.” She stared him down. “If you don’t do it, I will.” Molly lunged for his phone, but Tom was too fast and grabbed it first.

“I’m calling her right now.” He held the phone to his ear, praying it would go to voicemail.

“Tom!” Diana’s warm voice filled his ear. “How are you doing, love?”

“Doing good. A bit of jet lag, I was in Vegas over the weekend.”

Diana hummed. “And how is Luke?”

Tom chuckled. “Angry at me as always.”

“If you would just listen to him…”

“I like her.” Molly popped in.

Tom waved her off. 

“I know, Mother. Listen,” He fidgeted with his hair again. Molly realized it was an absolute tell when Tom was nervous. “I was wondering if you might like to grab some lunch this week. We can catch up. So much as happened since I last saw you.”

“I would be delighted, Thomas. Why don’t you come up to the house? Does Wednesday work for you?”

Tom mouthed “Wednesday” to Molly, who shrugged her shoulders.

“Like I’m doing anything? You and Luke are the only people I know here.”

“Right.” He returned to the call. “Wednesday is perfect, mum. Noon?”

“It’s a date. Don’t forget to bring that wife of yours, Thomas. I am quite keen on meeting her.”

All the blood drained from Tom’s face. “I… I… can explain—”

“I’m sure you can. On Wednesday. I have to go, love. It was good to chat.” The line went dead.

Tom stared at the phone. “I’m so dead. She knows about you.”

“Oh, she knows. You are her son. And didn’t you mention having sisters? They totally ratted you out.” Molly smiled at him.

-

Tom had some appointments on Tuesday which kept his mind occupied from seeing his mother the next day. Molly took some time to figure out how to change her name, get a new passport, and figure out how to maneuver life in a foreign country. Tom took her to get a phone that would work. 

“Here you go.” 

The first thing she did was snap Tom to add to his contact list. He was laughing in the photo.

“Don’t use that one!” Tom pouted. “Let me pose.”

“But I like this one. It captures your essence.”

But now it is Wednesday morning. Tom woke up early to go for a run. Molly was already up, sipping tea in the living room.

“Can I join you?” she asked upon seeing Tom in workout gear.

“I run about three miles…”

“Sounds perfect. Give me two minutes.” She bounded off the couch towards her bedroom. 

Tom fiddled with his headphones until Molly emerged in sneakers and workout leggings. Over the ear headphones around her neck. 

“Ready to go.” She tucked her phone into a pocket. “I will just follow you.”

“Let me know if you need to turn around.” Tom winked as they set off.

They returned home about thirty minutes later.

“Sure you don’t want to go another mile?” Molly bounced on her feet. 

Tom breathed hard. “Maybe another time. I’m a bit out of shape. You run?”

Molly nodded. “Most days I run. If I get up in time. I miss the gym.”

Tom chuckled. “We need to get you a membership. And I need to ..get into shape myself. Can’t let my wife show me up in paparazzi photos.” he half-joked. 

Molly coughed. “They take photos of you running?!”

“Sometimes.” He took a sip of water, his heart rate going back to normal. “Definitely now with you in the picture.”

Molly raised an eyebrow, stepping towards him, grabbing the water bottle from him. “Think they are out there right now?” 

Tom glanced around and sure enough, he spied a few cameras with zoom lenses down the street.

“Yup.” 

Molly wrapped her arms around his neck. “Maybe we should give them a more scandalous photo.” 

Tom leaned down. “What did you have in mind?” he smirked as Molly tugged his head towards her and her lips crashed against his. She sighed and Tom slipped his tongue into her mouth. Molly did the same. As he fisted the back of her shirt, Tom noticed one of Molly’s arms moving. 

“AH!!” He screamed as the cold water poured down on his head and Molly jumped back laughing.

“I thought you needed a little cooling off.” she laughed.

Tom lunged for her with a smile on his face, droplets of water falling from his hair. 

“You’ll pay for that!” Tom gave chase, while Molly dashed into the house, screaming and laughing.

She made it as far as the living room before Tom’s long legs caught up with her.

“Got you!” 

Tom grabbed her by the waist to pull her towards him, but their feet slipped and they ended up on the couch. Tom on top of her. Their eyes locked for a moment before Tom scrambled to his feet. 

“I’ll get you all wet.” he commented nervously. “I should…”

“Right.” Molly nodded, sitting up. “I’ll make some breakfast. Eggs and toast. I don’t know what your mother is planning on for lunch.”

“A light breakfast would be best.” Tom shook out his now soaked t-shirt and Molly caught a glimpse of his abs. 

“No problem.” She smiled. 

They both headed off in different directions. When it was time to leave for Diana’s house, Molly fidgeted with her casual dress and knee-high boots.

“Do I look okay?” she glanced at Tom in jeans and a sweater. “I’m overdressed. Look at you, casually gorgeous. I’m going to change. I have nothing to wear. Nothing to wear…” Molly’s face broke down.

Tom wrapped his arms around her. “What’s going on, darling?” She buried her head in his sweater. “You didn’t freak out like this when we went to go see Luke.”

“That was business. This is your mother. I don’t do well with families, particularly mothers. What if she hates me?” 

He kissed the top of her head. “First off, you look beautiful. Second, if my mum hates anyone between the two of us, it will be me. She is going to love you, darling.” 

Molly sniffled and dabbed her eyes with the back of her fingers. “Really?”

“I am 100% certain. Now let’s get on the road.”

Molly smiled and nodded. The fear wasn’t gone, but she felt better knowing Tom would be there with her. That fear came rushing back as they stood on the front step of the house of Diana Hiddleston. Tom reached for Molly first. 

“I’ve got you, darling.” He leaned over and kissed her cheek right as the door opened.

“Gross, Tom. And at Mum’s house no less.” Emma gagged.

Tom’s cheeks turned a bright pink. “Emma! I didn’t expect you to be here.” He leaned in and kissed her cheek. “What a surprise.”

Emma rolled her eyes. “And miss out on Mum meeting the girl you married without telling her, not a chance.” Emma turned to Molly. “Emma.”

“Molly B… Hiddleston.” She smiled and extended her hand. Emma shook it with a firm grip.

“The papers didn’t give a name. She seems nice, Tom. Clearly she doesn’t know the real you.”

Tom continued to blush. “Thanks for the vote of confidence, Em. Can we come in or are we eating on the front step?”

Emma held the door open wide and stepped aside. They stepped inside. “Mum’s in the kitchen.”

As if on cue, Diana’s voice rang out. “Is that them, Emma?” 

“They just got here!” she yelled before turning back to them. “She’s been cooking all day.” 

Molly gulped. Tom squeezed her hand. An older woman with grey white shoulder length hair. She came up to Tom's shoulder, if that.

“You were supposed to tell me when they got here.” she scolded Emma.

“I was on my way to tell you.” 

“Go take the food out of the oven.”

“But…” Emma protested.

“Go, child. You’ll have the entire meal to listen to me yell. Right now I need a word with your brother.”

Emma pursed her lips as she walked into the kitchen but made a slashing throat gesture, mouthing the words “you’re so dead” at Tom before disappearing. 

Diana wiped her hands on her apron. “Now where is my new daughter-in-law?” 

Molly raised her hand. “That would be me. Molly, ma’am.”

Diana held open her arms and wrapped them around Molly tight. She realized where Tom got his hugging skills. 

“You are just a doll. Is my son treating you well?”

Molly nodded. “Yes, ma’am.” 

“So polite and much shorter than the last one. Right at eye height for me.”

“Mother…”

Diana waved Tom off. “And please call me Diana or Mum or Mom. I promise I don’t bite.”

Molly giggled. “Yes, ma.. Diana.”

Diana hugged her again before spinning to face her son.

“Tom.” She crossed her arms.

“Mum.” Tom grew very interested in the rug on the floor. 

“Do I get a hug?” Diana smiled. 

Tom looked up and grinned. “Always.” The two of them hugged tight, Tom bending at the knees to wrap his arms around her. “I’ve missed you.”

“I’ve missed you too.” Diana pulled back.

Her hand reached out and smacked Tom right upside the head. Tom cowered, covering his head.

“Mum!” he howled.

“You got married and didn’t tell me!”

“I was getting around to it. Luke distracted me!” Tom explained. 

Diana smacked his arm. “Do not blame Luke for this, he is a saint! You were keeping this lovely girl away from me.”

Molly beamed as Diana smacked Tom one more time. 

“You think I’m lovely?” she asked.

Diana turned to Molly. “Oh dear. You are perfectly charming. Unlike my wretch of a son.” Another smack to the chest.

“Really, Mum? In front of our guest?” Tom flinched.

“Molly is family.” Diana stopped, took a deep breath, and smiled. “Now with that sorted, let’s go eat.” She spun on her heel and headed back to the kitchen. 

Tom hooked his arm with Molly’s. “My mother.”

“I like her.” 

-

Emma and Diane pumped the two of them for every detail about this abbreviated courtship.

“A chapel in Vegas, Tom? Romantic.” Emma sneered.

“I thought so.” Molly added.

“Thank you, darling.” Tom leaned against her. 

“Awww.” Emma commented.

Diana stood to clear the dishes as Emma examined Molly’s ring.

“Let me help you.” Tom rose to help, taking the rest of the dishes. Diana grabbed his arm when they reached the sink.

“I really like her, Thomas. You did well.”

“Thank you. She is something.” Tom smiled.

“Much better than the last girl you brought home.”

Tom frowned. “Mum, I…”

Diana held up her hand. “I know. Don’t mention her. But I will say this. There was something about her that didn’t sit right with me.” 

“You never said anything to me.”

Diana smiled softly and cupped Tom’s cheek. “You seemed so in love and happy. And all I have ever wanted for all my kids is to be happy.”

“Oh.”

“But none of that matters. You have Molly now and the two of you have years of happiness ahead.” 

Tom glanced over to where Emma and Molly hunched over Emma’s phone. Tom’s heart twinged with guilt. 

“Right. Of course.” He smiled.

Molly burst out in laughter.

“What is so funny over there?” Tom called out, heading over to the table.

Emma giggled. “Just some old pictures.”

Tom’s face fell. “No, you didn’t…”

Molly giggled. “You were so skinny and that hair!” 

The two girls fell into a fit of giggles as Diane placed a hand on Tom’s shoulder.

“Yes, I like her very much.” she whispered. “Why don’t we pull out the old picture albums?”

Tom groaned. 

[banditnoo]

My Castle of Ships {1/2} - Merlin One Shot

Summary |  {A strange phenomenon had occurred when Arthur had been born by magic. He now had the ability to read minds. Nobody knew of his gifts. Arthur knew from a young age that sorcery was not welcomed in Camelot. With fears that his own father would banish or harm him, he kept his piece of magic to himself. A piece of magic that had become much less of a burden after he had been crowned king, and for moments like these; While he was bored and Merlin daydreamed.}

Tags | {Merthur, Magic Arthur AU, mind reader AU, Major Character Death}

Warnings | {Like one swear word? Angsty, but not as gut wrenching as 5x13}

a/n | {I’ve finally worked up the courage to post some of my writing on Tumblr! This has been cross posted to AO3 (Legendary_Julia) and Wattpad (GreaserGal19). Maybe one day I’ll get my usernames in order, but today is not that day. Part 2 will come out... at some point. This was suppose to be a stand alone story, but our boys deserve better. Thanks for checking me out, happy reading!} 

~~~

{A strange phenomenon had occurred when Arthur had been born by magic. He now had the ability to read minds. Nobody knew of his gifts. Arthur knew from a young age that sorcery was not welcomed in Camelot. With fears that his own father would banish or harm him, he kept his piece of magic to himself. A piece of magic that had become much less of a burden after he had been crowned king, and for moments like these; While he was bored and Merlin daydreamed.}

~~~

Merlin was a daydreamer, he always had been. He'd often find himself thinking of Ealdor while he puttered about Arthur's chambers. Sometimes he would imagine what it would be like to rule his own kingdom, to make his own rules. While he scrubbed away at Arthur's hunting boots, he built his own castle. The citadel would be magnificent. The walls would stand tall, glittering with a hint of magic. Beautiful tapestries would hang from every wall, depicting anything the passerby's wished. A series of tunnels would wind throughout and underneath the stone walls, eventually connecting to water. Yes, the castle would have to be by the ocean. Merlin smiled to himself as he pictured it. The birds, the sound of waves crashing against the rocky shores, and the ships. Merlin loved the idea of having ships. With a boat like that he could sail anywhere, do anything. That's what it could be, his castle of ships.

Arthur had to smile at the name. He too pictured the castle from his spot at his desk. He could only imagine the beauty of a kingdom Merlin could build with his magic. The Castle of Ships.

"Has a nice ring to it," Arthur muttered to himself, to caught up in the image to realize he had said anything aloud.

"What was that?"

"Hmm?"

"You said something."

"No, I did not."

"Yes, yo-"

"You're hearing things Merlin, go back to whatever it is you where doing. Maybe scrub a different spot before you muck up my good boots."

Arthur stood up abruptly, leaving a confused Merlin watch him briskly walk out of his chambers.

"He really has gone mad." Merlin muttered as he began to clean the other boot.

~~~

Merlin knew someone was listening. He's felt the presence in the castle for a long time, but could never quite pinpoint it. He had tried to call out many times. Perhaps there was a Druid somewhere within Camelot trying to communicate, or an evil doer with a presence too strong to ignore. But there was never an answer. He was always left alone with his thoughts, which he was slowing getting scared to think.

When the presence felt strong, Merlin would busy his mind with his daydreams. He would think of home, or add details to his imaginary kingdom.

He did his best daydreaming during round table meetings. The presence would always be strong in the throne room, the magic almost danced through the air. It was here that he added the finer details of his castle.

He constructed a grand portrait hall as Leon droned on about the months finances. The long room would have the most brilliant red carpet, lined with an intricate gold and black pattern. He could almost feel himself walking through the grand hallway as he leaned against the cold stone of the throne room walls. As he imagined himself walking along, he thought about whos portraits he would put on display. He would have his mother, of course, and Gwen, his first friend in Camelot. He could picture the cocky smirk on Gwaine's portrait and the valiant yet understanding look on Lancelot's. His eyes scanned around the round table, imagining all of his friends in their best Camelot red, striking wild poses for the artist. They eventually landed on Arthur, whose head was resting lazily against his hand, trying his best to listen to Leon. Merlin hummed to himself, placing Arthur's portrait at the end of the hallway. It would be the only place fit for his king.

He had heard once of a spell that made the portraits move within their frames, adopting the personality of its subject. He studied Arthur's face as he thought, committing every detail to memory. The way his golden hair fell across his forehead in soft wisps, and how his nose came to a gentle point, complimenting the rest of his face. His favourite feature of Arthur's has always been his eyes. A piercing blue that found him in any room they were in.

They were the same blue eyes that were staring at him now, Merlin realized, staring back, not daring to look away now. Their shared a million words with just a look, a conversation no one else would hear.

Are you as bored as I am?

When is dinner?

When will Leon stop talking?

How's the castle of ships coming?

Merlin's heart dropped. He was imagining things, right? He had to be. They weren't really talking to each other, after all. It was all in his head, somewhere Arthur most definitely was not. He was quickly becoming aware of the overwhelming sense of magic flowing through the room.

I know you're in my head. Make yourself known. I don't know what you want, but you won't be getting it.

Arthur was taken aback by the threatening tone in Merlin's voice. He hadn't realized that Merlin could sense the presence of his magic, or that he was so threatened by it. His eyes dropped quickly, looking at everything but Merlin in the corner of the room.

"Is everything alright, Sire? You looked concerned." Leon's address took Arthur by surprise. Sitting up as fast and as straight as possible, he voided his face of any emotion as he shook his head.

"Yes, yes. Everything is fine. We must ensure that patrol around the citadel continues. I've caught wind of a potential threat. A sorcerer."

"Are you sure, sire? I haven't heard of such a thing."

"Certain. I trust my sources," with a final glance at Merlin, he nodded at Leon, urging him to continue with the meeting.  

~~~

Arthur's eyes followed Merlin around his chambers. He could hear his thoughts going a mile a minute as he absentmindedly straightened the pillows on the bed.

"There is something on your mind," Arthur said, not moving his head from where it rested in the crook of his elbow, all but laying on the table.

"What makes you say that?"

"I can see it in your eyes." Their eyes connected from across the room, but Merlin looked away quickly, shifting uncomfortably on his feet. There was a moment of silence before he spoke again,

"Something is troubling you, and I want you to tell me. Please, Merlin, there is no need to lie."

Merlin was fighting with himself, and Arthur didn't need to be a mind reader to see it. They stayed like this, Arthur looking at Merlin and Merlin looking at the floor. They both felt the heavy magic in the room, but neither acknowledged it.

"Have you ever missed a place you've never been? A place that never really was?"

"I never took you for a philosopher, Merlin," Arthur couldn't help the smile that crept onto his face, or the fondness in his eyes, "if this is about your mother, I've told you. She is more than welcome here. I know how much you think of her."

"No, it's- that's not quite it."

'Not thinking of running away, are we?" Arthur's smile grew bigger as he spoke. He knew that's what it was, Merlin had been thinking about it for weeks. He wasn't worried, though. He knew Merlin would never leave without a goodbye, and a chance to convince him to stay. The guilty look in Merlin's eyes confirmed what Arthur already knew.

"I would never! Who would deal with your royal ass everyday if I left?"

"It's a simple fix, really. I would just have to come with you. Make sure you don't get yourself killed."

"Arthur Pendragon on the road? I don't believe it for a minute." Merlin smiled as he spoke. He imagined the two of them running away, into the castle of ships.

Many sleepless nights had allowed Merlin countless hours to add onto the castle. In the late hours of the night, he added gardens and ballrooms, imagined the wind on his face as he held tightly to the mast of a massive wooden ship. Those same nights, Arthur would lay awake in his own chambers, halfway across the castle, and imagine the beauty for himself as he listened to Merlin describe his castle grounds in a way that a child listens to his mother read a bedtime story.

"I am perfectly capable, thank you," Arthur rose form his spot at the table, making his way over to the bed and trying his best not to sound too amused, " and put some wood on the fire, would you? We've got an early morning tomorrow. We're travelling to Annis' land. She wishes to discuss the safety of both our borders villages."

"Is there a reason I was not told of this sooner?"

"It's simply business, Merlin. There's no need to worry. Get some sleep, you'll need it for the journey."

"I have a bad feeling about this," Merlin muttered as he left, shutting the door tightly.

"I heard that!"

"Go to sleep!"

~~~

The knights laughed loudly as their horses carried them down the well-beaten trail. An agreement was reached between Arthur and Annis about the protection of the border villages, making it much safer for villagers in each kingdom to travel through the border forests.

"Smile, Merlin! We're celebrating!" Gwaine gave Merlin's should a rough pat as his horse rode up alongside Merlin's. He held out a water skin, no doubt filled with ale, and gestured it towards Merlin.

"You're always celebrating, Gwaine." He took a long sip before handing back to Gwaine, nodding his thanks. He would need a drink if he was going to deal with the knights for the ride back to Camelot.

Merlin turned to his daydreams as their journey back continued. He was picturing a beautiful courtyard, lush with apple trees and all kinds of flowers, when his magic started to tingle. He hardly noticed it at first, brushing it off as the change in the wind, but the feeling kept growing stronger.

Someone was watching them.

They were just leaving Caerleon's borders through a valley, the perfect place for an ambush. Merlin looked around, uneasy. His body tensed at every little sound as the forest came into view. He was fighting with himself. If he told Arthur, would he believe him? What if it really was nothing? No, his magic wouldn't deceive him like that. He looked at Arthur, who was riding a short distance in front of him.

Merlin didn't even have to call his name for Arthur to turn around. As soon as their eyes met, a look of concern filled his face. His hand came up, signaling the group to stop. He looked toward the tree line, signaling for his men to do the same. Much to Arthur's horror, it was deathly quiet. The birds stopped chirping and the wind seemed to stop howling. The air around them was still as the group looked around.

"Did you hear something, sire?"

"No. That's exactly the issue."

"If we are quick, we can make it to the trees. Find safety in the forest."

Despite Leon's suggestion, nobody moved a muscle.

They continued looking towards the trees, before Merlin gave Arthur a hard nudge. Getting ready to tell him off, Arthur turned quickly on his horse before following his line of sight. Standing atop the rocky hills on either side of the valley were dozens of men wearing loose black and brown clothing, swords and bows drawn, pointed at the much smaller group of knights.

"AMBUSH!"

The horses started going crazy, whinnying and thrashing in an attempt to throw off the knights. Swords were drawn as the bandits began to yell, running down the hills at all angles. They were outnumbered, far too outnumbered to stand a chance against even the weakest opponents. Arthur unsheathed his sword, trying to regain control of his horse.

"Head for the trees!"

Picking off only the first attackers, it was a race between time, the bandits, and making it to the cover of the woods. Taking a sword from one of the bandits bodies, Merlin was quick to follow Arthur. With his heart pounding in his ears, he could no longer hear the commotion of the fight. He could only hope he was losing them.

~~~

Merlin's head was spinning as he stumbled through the thick underbrush of the forest. He had lost his horse when he lost sight of Arthur. He dragged his stolen sword loosely behind him as he tried to ignore the searing pain in his shoulder. The bandits had been quicker than he thought, and had much better aim than what he'd like to give them credit for. He had barely cleared the trees when the arrow struck his shoulder, no doubt coated in a poison that his mind was too foggy to identify.

Things had gone downhill very quickly after that. The sun had set what Merlin could only guess was hours ago. The forest was so dark he could hardly tell which way was up. He was ready to give up finding the others. He had wandered for hours, they could've been halfway back to Camelot by now.

Merlin had stopped for a moment, leaving heavily against a tree to try to catch his breath, weighing his options as he grimaced at the pain shooting through his arm. He stayed there for a few minutes, waiting, listening to the forest. He heard the magic in the forest as it flowed through every tree, every leaf. There were owls in the distance, and the sound of insects flying by. And footsteps? Although the sword was in his good hand, Merlin was weak as he swung blindly behind him. Hearing the dull thud of metal on metal, and a familiar grunt, Merlin dared to turn around.

"It's a good thing you've got sticks for arms," Arthur huffed out a weak laugh as he took the sword from Merlin.

When Arthur pulled him into a hug, Merlin was ready to defend himself, but he was to tired too do anything but lean into the cool metal of Arthur's chainmail. A gentle 'hmff' was all he could manage.

Arthur took Merlin by the shoulders and held him at arms length, giving him a once over. It was hard to see in the dark, but he could see the blood that coated Merlin left shoulder and arm, and now his own hand.

"I would never leave you behind! How could you think that?" Arthur sounded heartbroken as he gripped onto Merlin's good arm tightly.

"I didn't- how-"

"You didn't need to say it out loud for me to hear you."

Confusion was evident in Merlin's eyes as he scanned Arthur's face, looking for any trace of a joke, but he found nothing.

"It's you, isn't it? That presence, that magic... It's you?"

"It always has been."

The magic danced between them, like it had a thousand times before, but there was no fear behind it, not this time.

"You're hurt."

"I noticed."

Merlin leaned into Arthur's arm, trying to stay steady.

"Can you walk? Let me take you to the others. We've set up a camp, we'll be safer there."

"Only if you carry me. Like a damsel in distress."

"Absolutely not," Arthur scoffed as he picked Merlin up bridal style, slinging his good arm around the back of his neck, making sure not to move him too much.

"Hey! I was kidding, you prat! Put me down!"

"Would you rather I drag you? Quit your complaining. If your swing at me was any indication of your strength, you wouldn't have made it another step." Arthur tried to hide the growing concern in his voice. He looked down at Merlin's face, which was now rested against his shoulder, and he could tell it wasn't good. He only now got a good look at what had happened, and his heart sunk. He had had knights that couldn't recover from a wound like that, where the arrow was haphazardly ripped out in an attempt to get rid of the poison it was laced with.

"Merlin?"

"Hmm?"

"Tell me about the castle. The castle of ships. I'm sure there's parts that I've missed. I can't be in your head all the time."

Merlin smiled, closing his eyes as he shook his head against Arthur's shoulder,

"It's a stupid idea."

"It can't be that stupid, you put a lot of thought into it. Have you ever thought of becoming a storyteller?"

The laugh that came out of Merlin was short and hoarse, but Arthur needed him to keep talking. They were still a long walk away from the camp, and Arthur was willing to do anything to get Merlin there alive.

"I didn't realize I had such a way with words."

"Please?"

"What would you like to hear about, my lord."

"I won't hesitate to drop you."

Merlin let out another laugh, much rougher than the last one, that quickly turned into a fit of heavy, wet coughing. Arthur continued to walk, the only sound being his boots hitting the ground for a long time before Merlin began to speak.

"The grand hall, it would stand alone from the rest of the castle. It would have a long, stone pathway for guests to walk along as they gathered for feasts and balls. It would be lined with rose bushed and allium flowers, the dark purple ones."

There was another coughing fit before he continued, "the double doors, they would be engraved. With dragons, fairies, things of magic. Did you know your shoulder isn't very comfortable?"

"I wouldn't imagine, with it being covered in armor and all. Tell me about the boats. They are my favourite part."

"What about them? I've never seen a ship, only the pictures in Gaius' books. They're fascinating, aren't they?"

He could hardly finish his sentence before he started coughing again. It shook through his whole body, making him ache.

"Come on, Merlin. Keep talking. Give me something, a thought, anything. It's not long until we'll be back with the knights. Elyan will fix you right up. Good as new, right?"

Merlin gave a weak smile, "good 's new..."

"Why do you find ships so interesting? They are just big, fancy boats."

Arthur could hear Merlin's thoughts, still going a mile a minute despite him thinking almost nothing at all.

" 's exactly it. They're big, they're fancy."

"Is there a spell for that? Could you create one?"

"A spell for what?"

"Building things. Constructing this castle, making ships."

"I'm sure I could figure it out."

Merlin shifted in Arthurs arms, trying to make himself more comfortable before hissing out in pain and trying to reach for his shoulder.

"Are you trying  to bleed out? Quit moving!"

Arthur's words came out harsher that he intended, though there was sadness in his voice. Merlin continued to wiggle until Arthur dropped his legs. Keeping one hand around Merlin's waist, he used his other hand to keep a firm pressure on his shoulder. Against Merlin's protest and Arthur's better judgment, they continued walking through the dark.

"We're not going to make it in time." Merlin was leaning heavily into Arthur's side, barely keeping his footing at he stumbled over another tree root.

"We're going to make it. You're not going dying on me now Merlin. That's an order."

"When have I ever listened to those?"

Merlin stopped walking, forcing Arthur to stop next to him. Letting himself fall to his knees, he landed with a small 'thump' on the cold ground, the blanket of pine needles and leaves welcomed him. Arthur lowered himself after him, keeping one hand at Merlin's side, his other hand reached out to rest against Merlin's cheek, keeping his head steady as he closed his eyes.

"Keep your eyes open Merlin. Come on, looks at me. Say something."

"Remember my story, won't you? You've heard me tell it a thousand times. Built that castle of ships. For me?"

"I won't build it unless your there to see it. Open your eyes, Merlin, please." Arthur felt hot tears roll down his face as he looked at Merlin. His friend, his best friend, his only friend, was going to die.

Merlin opened his eyes slowly, only getting them halfway opened before they became to heavy to move. Arthur moved the hand on Merlin's waist to his back, gently pulling him into another hug. They sat like this, in silence for a long time, Arthur not daring to pull away.

Arthur started to hum a gentle tune in a last ditch effort to break the silence, not trusting his own voice to not break if he spoke. It was a tune he had caught Merlin humming hundreds of times. It reminded him of the warmth of the castle, how comfortable he was when he watched Merlin go about his duties from his spot at his desk, listening to the story of a magnificent castle being built and the mighty ships that gave it it's name. It reminded him of all the times he had to stop himself from revealing his piece of magic to Merlin, to tell him that he wasn't alone, that he wasn't hated.

The quiet song came to an end and Arthur stopped, listening to the sounds of the forest and hoping to hear a voice amongst the gentle rustle of trees, but he heard nothing. There wasn't a cough, nor a cry or a snarky remark, not even a thought. It was quiet, deafeningly so as Arthur began to cry. Long, ugly sobs were the only sound as he pulled Merlin closer to him, begging, pleading for him to move, get up, say something, kick him, yell at him, anything.

But alas, there was nothing. Only silence as Arthur continued to cry. He cried for the loss of his friend, his dearest friend. He cried for the loss of the kingdom they never got to create with each other.

He cried, sobbed, begged, and bargained. But that too, only ended in silence.

[comfortwriting]

A Summer Secret Final Part - F.W

Fred Weasley x Fem Reader

Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, Part 4

Masterlist, Writing Prompt Masterlist, Requesting Rules

A/N: First of all, I want to say THANK YOU  for the love and excitement you have shown this mini-series - I have LOVED every single moment writing it!

Secondly, I would like to apologise for my absence, my health has been a struggle and because the NHS is already stressed out here in the UK, I'm struggling to pay for the private health care I desperately need; but I am back!

Prompt 47: "I love you, why can’t you just accept it?” You cried.

Warnings: Swearing, 18+, mention of eating and food, mention of alcohol.

Swallowing down the Christmas turkey coated in gravy, you refused to look up from your plate, unless a member of the family - when anyone other than Fred - started to tell a story, express thanks, or comment on the Christmas dinner.

You weren't in the mood to eat, you felt sick, you didn't even want to be sat here knowing that Fred couldn't be with you; looking back, you wished you ripped up his letter and avoided the joke shop altogether.

"I've got to say, Y/N," Percy called out, catching your attention "your hard work at the ministry isn't going unnoticed!"

Looking up bravely from your plate, you smiled at Percy, quickly taking a sip from your cup of mulled wine - everyone's eyes - especially Fred's - glued on you.

"Thank you," you smiled, setting down your cup "I'm starting to get the hang of it, really."

Percy smiled, "I'm happy to hear that, it's a pleasure working with you."

Fred shot Percy a look, almost as if he was telling him to back off and Molly didn't let it go unnoticed, it added to her list of worries after seeing you and her son argue outside, your tears, him letting you storm off; what the hell is going on?

Sitting in the large front room, you, Gideon, and Fabian sat together, opening your presents with everyone else. Tearing the shiny red wrapping paper, your eyes widened at the burnt amber jumper with your large initial in the middle.

"It's about time you got one!" Gideon smiled.

Fabian nodded "Looks like Grandma Weasley approves of you!"

You searched the front room from Molly but you couldn't find her sitting next to her husband, laughing with her sons, or hugging her daughter inlaws.

"How could you be so bloody stupid!" Molly hissed under her breath.

Fred opened his mouth to speak, but Molly shut him down.

"She's eighteen! Same age as your nephews! What were you thinking?!"

Fred's guilt started to boil inside of him, his heart weeping - pleading for understanding and forgiveness - his head screaming at him and telling him off.

"I was thinking that I might be in love with her," Fred answered quietly, the memories you shared flooding back to him.

Molly swallowed hard "And are you in love with her?"

Fred took your hand in his, the other resting on your waist, your eyes swimming in each other’s, your steps slow and gentle mirroring his.

Climbing into bed with Fred, he pulled you into his warm, strong arms, making you feel safe and protected.

“Goodnight, sweetheart,” he said, falling asleep, pecking a small kiss on your head.

“Goodnight, Freddie,” you replied, closing your eyes, engulfing in his warmth.

"Yeah, I am." Fred answered, "But she isn't in love with me, and I ended it before it could get serious." He lied.

Fred walked out of the kitchen, his mother following behind, the two of them finally joining you all by the fire, wrapping paper covering the carpet.

Molly's eyes widened and sparkled at the sight of you in the jumper, she pulled you into a warm, motherly embrace.

"I'm so glad you like it, dear."

"I love it, Molly." You smiled, your eyes locking with Fred's.

Now boxing day, everyone was tired out and hungover, sleeping in until the leftovers from Christmas dinner brought them to the kitchen.

You woke up early, well, you had been awake all night, hurting, and you wanted some time alone to enjoy a cup of coffee to wake you up.

"Y/N!" Molly chirped, "you're up early!" she smiled.

Molly walked into the kitchen and poured herself a cup, sitting down at the table.

"Yeah," you laughed lightly "I haven't really slept."

Molly stayed quiet for a moment, a concerned look splashed across her face, her eyes drowning in the coffee.

"What happened between you and Freddie?" she asked, finally looking at you "You've not been the same."

You sighed, brushing your hair from your face and started to explain.

Molly learnt that it was much more than a simple rejection, the forbidden romance had been going on for a long time, her son pulling you close and then pushing you away when you needed him most.

"I'm in love with him," you cried "and I want to be with him-"

Before you could continue, Molly's face dropped, her mouth opened and her eyes fixed upon someone standing behind you.

Turning around in your seat, Fred stood tall, staring at you, shaking his head before storming out of the house.

"I'm sorry-" you left the table and followed him.

Now was your chance.

"I can't believe you!" Fred shouted angrily, "Making me out to be the villain!

You scoffed, catching up to him, "I'm not! I told the truth, Freddie!"

"To my own mum!"

"She asked me what happened!"

"And you couldn't lie about it?!"

"I love you, why can’t you just accept it?” You cried, standing still, choking on your tears.

Fred stopped in his tracks, finally turning to face you, his face hard like stone.

"Because it's wrong!" He shouted again, "You know it is!"

"What makes it wrong?" you challenged him "I'm an adult now, it isn't against the law!"

Fred shook his head, looking frustrated and tired, he too had been up all night, hurting.

"But it's still wrong!" Fred shot you down "you are still too young!"

"Fred-"

"We can break up and it won't be too late for you to start over, I don't want you to waste the best years of your life with me!" His voice now cracking.

You shook your head "You're not even considering the flip side! We could be happy together, please Fred, take a chance on me!"

Fred didn't say anything, his eyes searching yours for a life where you would be happy without him - then remembering that in another life you would be married to Draco's son, against your will; unhappy and lost.

"And if these are the best years of my life, please let me waste them with you." You croaked.

Fred slowly inches closer towards you, his stone face crumbling away, his eyes glassy and his face pale.

"What if I don't want you to waste it on me?" Fred asks softly, his hand now resting against your tear-stained face.

"It doesn't matter," you replied, "if I can't love you from up close, I'll be loving you from afar, wasting these years on you anyway."

Fred shook his head, a smile creeping upon his face.

"Do you want to waste my time, Freddie?"

Fred nods his head, "I do, Y/N," and his soft lips slowly and gently brush upon yours.

Angelina freaked at the sight of you both kissing through the window.

"George, what the bloody hell-"

George shushed his wife, a huge smile forming on his face - Molly smiling too.

"That's why it never happened," George muttered "She was the one had been waiting for all along."

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