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samuel-de-champagne-problems · 4 years ago

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I’ll Take X-pecting for 200, Alex

Summary: Dr. Spencer Reid plays a trivia game at the request of his wife, Y/N, but he’s in for more than some heaving hitting questions.

Pairing: Spencer Reid x Wife Reader

Word Count: 1.5k

Author’s Note: I really don’t think that this summary does this justice

I’ll Take X-pecting for 200, Alex

Shuffling the cards with a shake in her hand, Y/N tells herself to just breathe. This is something that Spencer and her have been looking forward to, dreamed about, and constantly discussed. Regardless of how much she knows Spencer loves her, there’s a lingering seed of doubt that only grows with the sound of Spencer walking into their house.

“Y/N!, I’m home, darlin’,” Spencer calls from the hallway, dropping the “g” because he knows that Y/N finds it endearing.

“Baby,” Y/N yells from the table. “I’m in the dining room. I made us a trivia game! Come play with me, I need your brains,” she finishes, smiling at her husband, who has been away for nearly two weeks.

“You know do I love trivia, Y/N,” Spencer says. He takes a seat next to his wife, but before he can kiss her, she pushes him out of his chair and motions for him to take the seat opposite of her.

“Before we start, how was the case? Everyone make it home in one piece?” Y/N asks concerned over the wellbeing of some of her closest friends.

“Everyone’s fine, Y/N. The unsub ended up being a team. Two women hellbent on getting revenge for their children’s murders. One of them got away,” Spencer explains, solemnly.

“Oof,” Y/N says, letting out a sigh. “It’s at times like these that I’m glad I don’t have your job. I’m kinda glad she got away, between you and me.”

“It’s hard, sometimes we don’t really know who we’re bringing justice too. But, I’d do anything to protect my future children, and you. Anything I needed to do to keep you safe,” Spencer tells her, leaning across the table and kissing Y/N’s hand. She gives him a sheepish smile, but inside her mind is eager to get this trivia game started.

“You’re a charmer, Dr. Reid,” Y/N flirts.

“Just for you, Y/N. Now you mentioned something about trivia,” Spencer says, clapping his hands together excitedly.

“I just thought you’d like to rest your brain after a case but shifting though all those facts you got stored up there. And I always said you should try out for Jeopardy,” Y/N says as she collects the cards with the clues.

She spreads out the categories, Child Psychology, Children’s Books, Labor & Delivery, Nursery Rhymes, X-Epecting, on the table. They were all handwritten on different colorful pieces of cardstock and decorated with baby animals and block letters. Y/N read the categories aloud to her husband, allowing herself to steal a glance at his face while he concentrated on the categories, as if he already could answer the questions.

“All right, Spencer, you pick first,” Y/N says, in her best Alex Trebek impression.

“I’ll take Child Psychology for $200,” Spencer chooses, looking up to smile at Y/N.

“This is the substitute mother that baby monkeys formed an attachment to in Harlow’s psychological experiment,” Y/N asks.

“Terry-Cloth,” Spencer interjects.

“Not uh, Spence, you need to answer correctly,” Y/N teases. She looks up at him expectantly to choose the next clue. He rolls his eyes at her, but secretly he enjoys the playful banter they still share even after all these years.

“Um, Children’s Books $200,”

“This is the story of the clever spider that can weave words in her web,”

“What is Charlotte’s Web?”

“Correct, pick again please,” Y/N says, as she tries to maintain a stoic composure.

“This is the average of days that newborns keep up their sleepless parents,” Y/N asks, sure that this question would stump her genius husband. But to no avail, Spencer answers the question correctly.

“Okay! Next time try-outs are around, I’m forcing you to take the test,” Y/N says running over to kiss Spencer on the cheek.

“You know judges are supposed to remain impartial, Y/N” Spencer tells her, putting his arm around her waist as if he’s signally her to sit in his lap.

“I can’t help it, how about you win kisses every time you get a question right, Spence,” Y/N proposes.

“I guess it’s worth more than fake money,” Spencer teases.

“You offend me, baby!” Y/N pretends to be hurt by Spencer’s words, but urges him to continue the game.

“You only got a couple more left, Spence,”

“Okay, how about X-Expecting for $200,” Spencer chooses.

“This chromosome is linked to the baby’s mother,” Y/N quizzes, finding it difficult to keep her smiles and secrets at bay when Spencer’s arm tugs around her waist tightly and his fingers draw patterns under her shirt.

“What is X-Chromosome,” Spencer answers before Y/N can even finish the clue.

“You know that you’re supposed to wait until the clue is read, Spence. I should redact kisses,” Y/N fake threats.

“No! Y/N I’ll die without your kisses, please!” Spencer cries out in pretend disain. Much to his amusement his goofy behavior leads Y/N to plant small pecks on his forehead.

“There, that should hold you over,”

“I doubt it, Y/N. I miss you already,” Spencer mutters into her shoulder, as if he’s trying to get closer to his wife more than he could already be with her sitting on his lap.

“Two more clues till Final Jeopardy,” Y/N announces, ignoring the fact that she’s bypassing the rest of the clues and totally disregarding Double Jeopardy.

“Hmm, let’s go to Nursery Rhymes for kissing for the rest of my life,” Spencer picks, peppering Y/N’s shoulder with kisses.

“Huh! Look at that, Spencer, you got the Daily Double, so whatcha going to wager?” Y/N asks, knowing she’s pulling this Daily Double straight out of the air, but Spencer’s affection for only one lifetime is not nearly enough for her.

“I’ll make a true Daily Double, darling. That means double the amount of kisses,” Spencer tells her, ticking the sides of Y/N waist.

“Here’s your clue, Jack is urged to be nimble & quick, helping him do this,” Y/N reads from the card.

“What is to jump over the candlestick?” Spencer guesses, closing his eyes to be assaulted by Y/N’s eager lips.

“Yay! Double kisses!” Y/N yells happily as she pecks Spencer’s eyelids and nose, causing him to laugh at her light affection.

“Next question, it’s the last one so you don’t get a choice, but I have so much confidence in you, my genius husband. These are the names of the 3 stages of labor?” Y/N questions, looking over her shoulder to get a glimpse of Spencer’s mind at work.

“What are dilation, expulsion, and afterbirth,” Spencer answers, once again perfectly.

“Okay, Dr. Reid you’ve accumulated a total of double kisses for the rest of our lives. Your Final Jeopardy category is, Ready For It…” Y/N announces.

“Last one,” Spencer says, and Y/N wonders if Spencer’s figured it out by now. She hands Spencer the small cardboard box. He looks at it curiously and Y/N can feel her heart in her stomach. He must know by now, she thinks. He’s brilliant, but sometimes he can be a little clueless when it comes to things like that. Y/N thinks back to how they danced around each other for years before Derek practically had to force them out on a date. He must know.

“You’re clue is inside the box, Spence,” Y/N tells him, her voice shaky and unsure.

Spencer carefully opens the cardboard box and reaches in to pull out the small pregnancy test that lay hidden inside. He looks it over, reading the test twice, three times, maybe even four times. He honestly can’t remember taking longer to read something. Spencer looks up at a terrified Y/N.

“You’re pregnant? We’re going to have a baby?” Spencer asks, desperately wanting to believe what he holds in his hand.

“You’re gonna be a daddy, Spence,” Y/N tells him, her smile struggling to conceal itself in between the bouts of happiness and joy that courses through her veins.

“A baby! Oh Y/N. A baby!” Spencer shouts rushing over to where his wife stands in between the entrance from their kitchen to their dining room.

“You’re happy, right Spence. You want this with me-” Y/N starts, a sudden rush of fear lodging itself in her heart.

“Of course I’m happy, Y/N. I’m so happy to be a dad. You’re going to be a mom! You’ll be the best mom, Y/N. I love you, Y/N,” Spencer says, crouching down to rub his hands on Y/N’s belly.

“Hi sweet baby,” Y/N says softly, looking down at her belly and covering her hand over Spencer’s. “I want you to meet your daddy. He’s going to take care of you so well, he might talk a lot but you get used to it”

“Hey, baby. It’s your dad,” Spencer murmurs quietly into Y/N’s belly. “I’m so glad that mommy told me about you. You gotta do some growing in there before you can meet us, but we love you so much, baby,”

“I really love you so much Y/N,” Spencer says as he sits up to kiss his wife.

All his life Spencer’s loved science. He loves discovering the undiscovered. Memorizing all those theories and facts and methods could never prepare him for the awe that sat before him. He realizes that he’s looked at science all wrong. There's a beauty in science- a natural, unadulterated beauty that’s so rare to find. But he’s found it and he’s never letting go.

Thank You for Reading!

Taglist: @calm-and-doctor

If anyone wants to be tagged in new posts, feel free to comment and I’ll be thrilled to tag you <3

#spencer reid x reader #spencer reid x reader fluff #spencer reid #spencer reid x y/n #dr spencer reid x reader #criminal minds #criminal minds x reader #criminal minds fic #criminal minds fanfic #criminal minds fics #spencer reid x fem!reader #spencer reid smut #spencer reid x you #spencer reid deserved a happy ending

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imagining-in-the-margins · 3 years ago

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hi! not a request, but what are your thoughts on autistic!spencer? as a canon character or as a fic writer (like would you consider writing autistic!spencer / do you think the show writers unintentionally coded him as autistic, ur general thoughts)

[Disclaimer: I am Autistic and have been diagnosed since childhood. I am just one person giving their opinion, but other Autistic people may very well disagree. Also, please note that I am not interested in Allistic (non-Autistic) people’s unsolicited opinions on Autism. Thank you!]

I’m honestly having a hard time formulating a response because as far as I’m concerned, Spencer Reid is canonically Autistic.

Starting in S1E5 (“Broken Mirror”), there are multiple references to Spencer being Autistic. In S8E3 (“Through the Looking Glass”), Alex straight up calls him Autistic, and while he doesn’t initially understand her implication, he doesn’t deny it when she explains it to him. In fact, he tells her that he doesn’t consider being perceived as Autistic to be insulting (which I’ve never heard an Allistic person say, ever).

Spencer Reid is a walking stereotype of an Autistic savant. The only thing that’s missing is a reference about how much he loves trains. Otherwise, he is exactly what people think of when they think of an Autistic man with low support needs.

As far as I can tell, the only argument people have that he isn’t canonically Autistic is because he says “they” when referring to Autistic children, in S6E16 (“Coda”), which… yeah, he’s an adult 😅 (something many people in this fandom seem to forget).

Slightly related: I’ve also discussed a few times how I am unpersuaded by arguments that he is “less” Autistic in the later seasons because he behaves differently from the beginning of the show. I think it’s a weird and unavailing argument considering Autistic people grow up like everyone else, so of course he wouldn’t be the same after 15 years. I am made even more uncomfortable by the fact they always seem to take issue with the fact he is less prone to being infantilized, which… Hm.

So, to answer your question, I think Spencer Reid is Autistic because the show told me he is! As such, every fic I write is Autistic Spencer, because that’s part of his character ☺️

This is also why I’ve never made a “Reasons I Think He’s Autistic” post for him or Gideon like I did Hotch and Garcia - I’ve always thought it was obvious! But of course, we are all different, so it really shouldn’t be a surprise to me.

#spencer reid #autistic!spencer Reid #actuallyautistic #criminal minds

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therenlover · 4 years ago

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Therenlover’s Official Fanfic Glossary!

Hey hey hey! This is the place where you can find all my up-to-date fanfics linked nicely, read about what projects I have upcoming, and learn what requests I’m taking at the moment! Cheers!

This post is massive so, for the sake of your dash, everything is under the cut

A NOTE ABOUT REQUESTS!

I will do my best to fulfill any requests I get while my ask box/requests are open! That being said, I cannot promise every request will get done, and that if they do, they’ll be done in a timely manner. I’m currently working on a long-form project that needs a lot of time and energy to come out consistently, so unless I’m doing a writing event most of my writing juice will be focused on that. That being said, if you want something ask! The worst I can possibly do is direct you towards someone else who might be able to write what you want if I cant.

If I choose not to do your request based on personal preference (it makes me uncomfy/I don’t write for the character at that time/I don’t feel I can write what you want/etc.) I will do my best to contact you and let you know! That being said, if you think your ask got buried/forgotten, feel free to message me again and let me know, but please tell me when you message me if I should be looking for a prior request.

Characters/Fandoms I will write for currently

💙 = I’m Currently Super Inspired To Write For This Character

Marvel/X-Men

Bucky Barnes

Loki

Peter Maximoff 💙

Pietro Maximoff

Helmut Zemo 💙

Hank McCoy

Ralph Bohner 💙

Vision

American Horror Story

Tate Langdon

Kit Walker 💙

Kyle Spencer (Pre- and Post- Death)

Jimmy Darling 💙

James Patrick March 💙

Kai Anderson

Fallout 4

Nick Valentine

Hancock

Star Wars

Poe Dameron

Armitage Hux 💙

Kylo Ren/Ben Solo

Finn

Han Solo

Assorted/Random

Diarmuid Ua Duibhne - FGO

Cu Chulainn/Cu Alter - FGO

Warren Lipka - American Animals 💙

Enjolras - Les Miserables

Grantaire - Les Miserables

Gabriel - Supernatural

Imagines - REQUESTS CLOSED

Songs From Musicals Y/N Would Sing To The Evans

Characters: Tate Langdon, Kit Walker, Kyle Spencer, Jimmy Darling, James Patrick March, Kai Anderson, Peter Maximoff

Rating: T

How The Evans (+ Quicksilver) Would React To Yoplait’s New Gushers Yogurt

Characters: Tate Langdon, Kit Walker, Kyle Spencer, Jimmy Darling, James Patrick March, Rory Monahan, Kai Anderson, Peter Maximoff

Rating: T

Would The Danny Bunch Survive A Holiday With My Family?

Characters: Laszlo Kreizler, Alex Kerner, Niki Lauda, Andrea Marowski, Ernst Schmidt, Helmut Zemo

Rating: T

Headcanons - REQUESTS CLOSED

Modern! AU Armitage Hux Boyfriend Headcanons

Zemo With A Well Dress S/O Headcanons

Zemo Getting Jealous Headcanons

Oneshots - REQUESTS CLOSED

Marvel/X-Men

Helmut Zemo

One Last Night In Madripoor

Synopsis: Baron Helmut Zemo is a lonely, wanted man looking for some fun, you’re a piss-poor bounty hunter in search of a connection before leaving your life of crime behind, and fate has brought you together at a party the likes of which has never been seen before. You only have one night left in Madripoor, so why not take a chance?

Rating: 18+

Word Count: 4200~

Still Some Catching Up To Do

Synopsis: As a member of the criminal underworld, people walk out of your life all the time. Some are killed, others kill themselves, most get caught and only a couple get out of the life unscathed, disappearing into the world never to be seen again. Very few walk back in. So when your supposedly incarcerated ex-lover, the Winter Soldier, and the Falcon waltzed through your door and made you murder your boss, needless to say, you were surprised and more than a little bit pissed.

Rating: 16+

Word Count: 6800~

Nine Years Starved

Synopsis: It had been a little over nine years since Helmut Zemo lost his family, his country, and his sanity. Nine years since his last kiss. Nine years since he felt like a human man. Finally, he was ready to start over again, but first, he had to pay his penance back where it all began; Novi Grad. That’s when, by the grace of the fates, he met you.

Rating: G

Word Count: 7000~

Daddy Dearest

Synopsis: Not everyone gets lucky enough to go from being a broke college student in New York to being the sugar baby to literal royalty, but not everyone is you. Most people would be worried about messing things up or losing him to someone else, but you knew he would never find another baby just like you. Besides, you knew exactly what to do to keep him wrapped around your little finger. He may have been the daddy, but you pulled the reins.

Rating: 18+

Word Count: 8000~

In Fleeting Touches & Airy Sighs

Part One Part Two Part Three Part Four

Synopsis: As a wanted man, Helmut Zemo spends most of his time jumping from place to place in the hopes of avoiding a trip back to prison. Unfortunately, that means he can’t always be home in your arms. When he is, though, in the rare moments of calm, you’re reminded of just how worth it it’s been to wait, even if that wait was only shortened by the arrival of your enemies.

Rating: 18+

Word Count: 35,700~

Two Bodies In The Rain

Synopsis: It was raining the day you finally had to admit your feelings to Helmut. You hated to tell him the way you did, under the grey skies as your blood pooled below you, but at least you knew, in the end, he had seen the real you, even just once. That was enough.

Rating: T

Word Count: 5600~

Rest

Synopsis: Living life on the lam with your escaped super-villain lover means things rarely slow down enough for a real rest. When the exhaustion starts to take its toll on you, though, he knows exactly what to do to ease the pain. He may not be a good man, but he’s a good husband when it counts.

Rating: T

Word Count: 3200~

American Horror Story

Jimmy Darling

Red Nights In Jupiter

Synopsis: At the end of another long day, you fall into bed with Jimmy Darling. The men you served throughout the day don’t matter then, nor do the coins in the mason jar by the door, or the women scheduled to attend Jimmy’s next Tupperware party. No, in that quiet darkness it’s just you and the man you love, bone-tired and happy to be home. Who could ask for more?

Rating: 16+

Word Count: 3000~

James Patrick March

Heartsick

Synopsis: When you fall ill, James is given a forceful awakening about how he’s been neglecting your needs and what he must do to prevent harm from befalling you again.

Rating: 16+

Word Count: 3700~

In Sickness And In Health

Synopsis: Normally people don’t have their wedding and funeral on the same day, but you and James don’t quite have a normal relationship, do you? Besides, you wouldn’t wanna go any other way.

Rating: 18+

Word Count: 5500~

Fallout 4

Currently Empty

Star Wars

Currently Empty

Assorted/Random

Currently Empty

Long Form Works/Series

Young Artist!Zemo AU

Chapter One: The Boy With The Easel

Synopsis: About a month into your first semester at Novi Grad’s top university, you finally meet the strange young man that you’ve taken to calling “easel boy” in the back of a bookshop. From a distance, he always seemed cold and aloof. As you get to know him, though, you realize things aren’t always what they seem.

Rating: T

Word Count: 7000~

Till Forever Falls Apart (A Peter Maximoff/Reader Series)

Chapter One: Welcome Home

Synopsis: As if getting thrown through the multiverse, trapped in an attic (albeit a cool one), mind-controlled to manipulate his grieving sister, and subsequently dragged out of Westview “for his own safety” by the FBI wasn’t enough, Peter Maximoff has now been shipped off to New York to live with a glorified baby sitter like some tragic orphan in a comic book until they find a way to get him back home. Things are not always as they seem, though, and this change might just be for the better.

Rating: T

Word Count: 2400~

Chapter Two: The Doctor Is In

Synopsis: Peter’s first few days in his new home are mostly uneventful, so he decides it’s the perfect time to dust off his running goggles and steal some shit. The building with the massive circular stained glass window seems like a great place to start! People with buildings that lavish are usually rich and weak, so what could possibly go wrong?

Rating: T

Word Count: 2800~

Chapter Three: It’s Always Been You

Synopsis: After a month of adapting to his new universe, Peter Maximoff can confidently say that he likes his new life more than his old one. Sure, he misses home sometimes, but he’s been far too busy flirting with his new roommate to spend time crying over the things he’s lost. Everything is smooth sailing until a strange journal in his roommate’s study leaves him with more questions than he knows what to do with. Now he’s on a mission to discover who he’s really living with before she has the chance to turn against him.

Rating: T

Word Count: 8600~

Chapter Four: Before You Go

Synopsis: Peter, after days of contemplation, has realized that part of him loves Y/N no matter what she is or what she’s been through. Unfortunately, he can’t find her anywhere. When she finally returns home with the intention of leaving again, Peter realizes it’s his last chance to tell her how he really feels. Will he succeed, or will he fail to be fast enough once again?

Rating: T

Word Count: 4000~

Chapter Four And A Half: Gimme Swayze

Synopsis: Now that the issue of Y/N leaving is out of the way, and Peter has finally kissed her, he falls into the motions of learning how to love someone for the first time. It’s easier than he thought it would be.

Rating: T

Word Count; 2600~

Cakes For The Evans: A Blogging And Baking Adventure!

Kai Anderson’s Disaster Cake

Hey you! If you’ve made it this far down the list, thanks for supporting me as an author! I’ll be linking my AO3 here. I post everything there shortly before I post it here, and there are some older fics there you might enjoy along the way! It’s also easier to drop comments over there and I keep them open for non-members, so give me a shout if you liked what I wrote!

I love you all, you make me so happy, and without you support I would never be motivated to write! Cheers!

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sylverstorms · 3 years ago

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Miranda x Abigail ----The Song of the Crow Ch. 12

[Miranda]

Wesker. The name echoes on repeat in the back of her head since the moment she heard it.

And she should have known. The signs were all there, the dots right in front of her eyes if she ever took a moment to connect them. But she didn't.

So the shock is all hers to deal with, now.

“You never told me.” she says once they are at the privacy of her stronghold, her tone harsh, a spear, an accusation.

“I didn't hide it from you, either.” Abigail huffs, as though this conversation is the last thing she wants to be involved in, right now.

“I thought your full name was Abigail Ayers?” Miranda narrows her eyes, the look not as effective against the brunette as it is on the rest of the world.

“It is.”

“Do not mess with me.”

Abigail blatantly ignores the warning. “Poetic justice, isn’t it? To find out the person closest to you isn’t exactly who you thought them to be for years.”

Well, insistent on adding gasoline to the fire, isn’t she. Miranda takes a deep, calming breath before she erupts and brings the whole structure down on their heads with a thought. For a few precious seconds, there is soothing silence.

“Look.” Abigail sighs again. Her shoulders lose some of their tension. “I know how highly you value control, but I don’t know what you expect me to have said. Wesker or Ayers, it doesn’t really change anything.” she says.

There is a sliver of truth to her words, that it shouldn’t change anything. But it does –it does— and it’s not as simple as she makes it seem. Because Miranda and Oswell Spencer used to be close, once, a lifetime ago. He had been a bright man with a mind sharp enough to challenge her own, he was her protege and partner and perhaps even a friend, despite their less-than-ideal parting.

There is not much in the world that can remotely affect Miranda anymore, a fact she takes pride in. However... even for a superhuman immortal like herself, there's no easy way around the thought that she’s intimate with her former friend's daughter.

“And besides…” Abigail adds quietly. “If you cared to know, you would have.”

Loathe as Miranda is to admit it… she’s right.

If she looked a little closer, she would have noticed certain incriminating details. The way Abigail came to the village that few in the outside world should know about, her thirst for revenge against the Redfields, the name Alex on top of it all. If she cared to ask, even.

And if she hadn’t been so self-absorbed in general, maybe…

“Is that why?” Miranda asks after a while. “Why you disliked me so much when you came here?” Thinking back, that was more than just Abigail thinking ill of her ways. It was personal.

“I guess it’s part of the reason.” comes the honest reply.

The brunette lets her weight gently fall against the arm of the sofa behind her. The distance between them is barely a few meters, but it feels longer than that. Miranda’s jaw works as she debates asking everything that’s on her mind. On one hand, the questions hint at something she doesn’t want to acknowledge herself, about Abigail and her. On the other…

To hell with it. Let’s see what you really think about me.

“Do you think I’m responsible for what your step-father did? For the viruses he developed?”

Abigail looks up, meeting her eyes. “Aren’t you?” A little shrug. “He used to talk about you all the time, you know? His ‘guiding light’. His ‘mentor’. Umbrella was built as a tribute to you. All his ideas about ‘transcending human limitations’, who else did he get them from?”

Back to the age-old question then; is the one who makes the bomb as much to blame as the one who uses it to kill?

Oswell absorbed all the information he needed and one day ran away with their research to pursue his dreams. Granted, she did not care enough to stop his use of it…

“Do I blame you for the suffering of thousands at his madness, though? No.” Abigail shakes her head. “At first I may have wanted to, but. He was a maniac and a monster all on his own, with or without your aid.”

Miranda does not miss the way her fingers dig into her biceps as she crosses them.

“Sounds strange, then, that you would work for someone so very similar to him.” So much worse. Miranda states, omitting the part where they do more than simply work together.

She harbors no illusions about what she has made herself, in order to bring her daughter back. In any and all ways, the nightmare seeped in sin and blood that she is –past the platinum hair and stark blue eyes that paint a very misleading picture— renders Spencer a pleasant dream in comparison.

Indeed, Miranda knows well of her thoroughly corrupt nature… yet at the same time, part of her recoils at the thought Abigail’s eyes have, all along, seen that same truth upon peering at her.

The seconds it takes the brunette to reply feel too long.

“To me, you are nothing like Spencer.” Abigail says it so simply. “He did not care about a single thing other than himself. He did not have the capacity to love anything.”

Several arguments to that can be made about herself, Miranda muses, but she doesn’t care for them, only what Abigail thinks.

“You, on the other hand… the love you have for your daughter tramples everything. All that money and power and influence, eternity itself, you wouldn’t think twice about giving it all up for one minute of having Eva with you again.” Abigail states. “It is… important, especially for someone like me, seeing that kind of love.”

“…someone like you?”

“Yes. A Wesker child. Knowing exactly what I was worth to my own mother;” Abigail pauses. “Five million dollars.”

Miranda is stunned into silence and into inaction.

Miranda is surprised at how it stings to know that she's been through so much, only to end up with her, seeped in lies and plots, used for power and pleasure. It cuts like a damn blade, that she didn’t learn of this sooner due to her being much too busy—

It’s one of the scarce times that she’s completely lost on what to say because nothing seems adequate for this.

Sold, experimented on and running straight into war to escape the abuse, only to end up a fugitive in her village… Staring at the wreckage that has been Abigail's life cracks something in her, something she doesn’t have a name for, didn't know she even had.

Mistreating her.

“Bottom line is, new information or not, don’t doubt my loyalty now.” Abigail speaks. “I stand with you, until the end, whatever end that may be for either of us. And if everyone else should turn against you, I will shield you from them, as promised.”

Those are the lastwords Miranda should be hearing from her.

“I… want to see you happy.” is added afterwards, in a quiet little confession.

There is the sensation of something crumbling in Miranda’s chest, akin to a dam breaking. Pressure builds in her chest and behind her closed eyelids—

She has flashed forward and pulled her girl into a tight hug –tight enough that nothing in the world could wrench her away if it was hell-bent on it— before the first trail makes its way down her cheek. The sensation is off, unsettling, a burn against the coolness of her cheek that she ponders on, until she realizes…

Tears…?

It is too human a reaction; certainly not one befitting of her status, yet it is also strangely cleansing, in a way. It’s fine as long as Abigail cannot see it, cannot hear it in her voice when she whispers by her ear;

“I have put you through too much, my darling.”

Long, clawed fingers lovingly comb through silken strands of brown hair, while her other hand remains flat on Abigail’s back, keeping her pressed against her. The woman gradually relaxes in her hold, until her head is completely nestled in the crook of Miranda’s neck.

“I promise you, should we both survive the ceremony, all of that will change. Eva, you and I will travel the world, enjoying the finest of things, as you both deserve. I will never allow anything to hurt either of you again.”

Eva will love Abigail, Miranda knows that she will. Noble, protective and dependent as she is, there is nobody else she would want co-raising her daughter. Closing her eyes, that is all she sees, the three of them together in a beautiful place –a beach house, perhaps— happy and unburdened by the past.

She is so close to the vision, she can almost taste it.

So very close…

Just one final step is left. One measly, tiny step and the whole world will be theirs.

The ceremony.

All they have to do is get through the ceremony.

#mother miranda x oc #resident evil village #resident evil 8 #fanfiction #creative writing #mother miranda x abigail #lady dimitrescu #karl heisenberg #donna beneviento #and that one fishdude #in which villains care and it's debatable whether they deserve to be happy #also...'my darling'

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goldentournesol · 4 years ago

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The Receptionist and the Profiler (Epilogue)

Chapter Eight: Epilogue

(Spencer Reid x f!Reader)

Series Masterlist

General Masterlist

A/N: Welcome to the final chapter of the series. this is just a summary of what Spencer and Reader’s life is like in the future. thank you so much for joining me on this journey. I’ve enjoyed it so much more than I thought I would. So without further ado, enjoy.

Working for the FBI made for a pretty wild life. Even though Y/N wasn’t an agent, her life had been caught up with work just like all the other agents’. It also didn’t help that her boyfriend was endangered practically every minute of every day. It was hard, but Spencer and Y/N made it work. Among the darkness, they created light for each other. Spencer was no longer dreading coming home to a quiet life of reading and rereading his favorite books. He had a partner, he had a lover, someone to depend on. She was there for him as he grieved the loss of his friend and coworker deeply and she was there when he struggled with his excruciating migraines. They walked through life together, facing the challenges head on.

Emily’s death had taken a toll on the both of them, but they were nothing short of relieved when they found out that she was alive and well. Many changes took place after that.

JJ had worked long and hard to turn into a profiler, the liaison had years upon years of experience before switching jobs which meant Hotch had to find a new communications liaison, but he didn’t have to look far at all. He had offered Y/N the job without a second thought. A lot of her job as receptionist covered a liaison’s job. She would often get numerous calls a day from nosy reporters and she’d have to shut them down. However, with the added responsibilities, she’d had to take classes and had undergone copious amounts of training with JJ and Hotch, but she found that she flourished in this new job, despite the hardships that came with it.

This meant that she had her own office now. Whenever Spencer wasn’t at his desk, he was in her office, and whenever she wasn’t in her office, she was at his desk. She often found that she missed her old job as receptionist, but nothing could replace the newfound feeling of making a difference in the world. She used to admire JJ’s ability to stand before nosy reporters and judgmental cops, and here she was, blowing herself (and the team) away with these hidden abilities.

Before, she was aware of the general gist of the job, she knew it wasn’t easy, but the team often kept the gory details to themselves around her. Now, she had to pick and choose the gore which constantly left her with the question of whether she’d made the right choice or not. The intensity of the job had slightly damaged her spirits, but thankfully she had an amazing support system. She couldn’t have done it without Spencer’s unending support, or Hotch’s for that matter. Before allowing Y/N to accept the job, Hotch had made sure to warn her about the horrors first. She assured him she was ready, even though sometimes she felt like she wasn’t.

On the somewhat bright side, this also meant that she was around during most, if not all cases. This had Spencer jumping for joy, but it also terrified him to his bones. All his emotions were always on overdrive when it came to her. He was glad that he didn’t have to spend so much time away from her, but it simultaneously meant that he was constantly worried for her safety. He never wanted her to go into the field, ever. No matter the amount of combat training she did with Morgan. She found that she preferred interviewing victims’ families and controlling the press to facing serial killers head on anyway.

Sometimes it was easier for her to control the press from Quantico, so it wasn’t uncommon for her to stay back during cases. One particular case had dragged on for much longer than any of them had expected. The whole team was gone in Wisconsin and Hotch had asked her to stay back and hold down the fort at Quantico. The team ended up staying there for two weeks. It was the longest she’d ever been away from Spencer. Nightly calls weren’t enough for them and Spencer truly hadn’t experienced such an emptiness without her before.

As he scooped her into his awaiting arms right outside the elevator when they finally made it back to the office, he breathlessly declared to her, “Marry me.”

She pulled back from the tight embrace to examine his features, “What?” She said, voice thick with confusion.

“I don’t want to be away from you for that long ever again. I don’t want to wait anymore. Marry. Me.” He enunciated firmly. She broke out into a grin.

“Okay, I will.” She laughed and he squeezed her once more, savoring her warmth.

“This isn’t the official proposal by the way, you deserve something far nicer than all this, but I just want you to know that I’m ready if you are.” Spencer clarified and she threw her head back with laughter. Spencer’s heart soared at the sound.

Spencer took that statement and ran with it. He teased her every chance he got. At one dinner date they had planned, he had the nerve to begin his sentence with her full name, her heart dropping to her gut.

“Y/N Y/L/N, would you do me the honor of...sharing this fine wine with me?” Spencer said smugly, resulting in a shocked, but somehow relieved scoff coming from her.

A different time, he decided to give her a false alarm during one of their daily lunch walks in the park nearest to Quantico. He knelt down to one of his knees in the middle of their promenade.

“Y/N Y/L/N, will you...wait for me while I tie my shoe?” Spencer asked with a face-splitting grin. This time, she didn’t hesitate to shove his shoulder slightly, causing him to lose balance and almost faceplant into the pavement.

At this point, she truly had no idea when he was going to pop the big question. Knowing him, it could literally be at any point in time. She had to admit, though, he kept her on her toes. A month later, she was sure he’d pop the question during JJ’s wedding reception because of the way he was staring at her all night. He’d looked dreamy in his tux to say the least. Y/N was almost too shy to dance with him because of how magnificent he looked. What she didn’t know was that he was thinking the same exact thing about her. She looked exquisite in the evening gown she adorned and Spencer was absolutely enraptured by her.

Being so surrounded by love and admiration, Spencer finally asked her to marry him the second they made it through her front door. They stood in the small hallway between the kitchen and the living room. She had just turned around from taking her heels off and was met with Spencer down on one knee, holding the most beautiful ring out to her in a navy blue velvet box.

“I had this elaborate speech planned, Y/N, I really did. I was going to talk about the stars, about the first conversation we had when I told you about the origins of yogurt, about how stupid we were for not realizing our love for each other earlier, but I realized that none of that matters right now. All I know is that this feels right, you make everything feel right. Will you marry me?” Spencer asked, his face incapable of hiding even a sliver of the adoration he felt for her.

“Yes, I’ll marry you in every lifetime and every universe.” She said, tears falling freely from her eyes. He sprang to his feet and wrapped her up in a long awaited embrace. He felt her body shake with wet laughter against his. He placed the ring on her finger and quickly kissed her passionately. Their giddy giggles flew through and around them.

Spencer knew she didn’t want a long engagement. Her previous engagement was hard enough of the both of them. Their jobs were just so demanding, it was hard to set a date and keep from pushing it back. Their wedding planner was beyond frustrated with them, but what can they do? They’re literally out there saving lives. And before they knew it, two years had passed them by and they were due to be married in two months.

But, alas, Spencer Reid seemed to have a knack for getting shot by unsubs right before weddings. While they were investigating a difficult case in Texas, Spencer was shot in the neck. Y/N was at the police station when she’d heard. She wasn’t sure who took her to the hospital to see him, everything was a blur since she got the call. She was plagued by the fear of losing him.

She’d overheard Alex Blake and JJ discuss how he’d always wanted children when she arrived at the hospital. In the back of her mind, she screamed that she’d give him all the kids he wanted, if the universe just let them breathe.

All too quickly, she was a sobbing mess in JJ’s arms. He’d gotten hurt before, he’d been in danger before, but she’d never been as close to it as she was then, it terrified her. Garcia had arrived and guided her to Spencer’s room. In another flash of events, there was a loud bang and Y/N had barely registered that a gun was shot inside the room.

The ringing of her ears subsided just enough to hear Spencer tell Garcia, “You saved my life, do you hear me?”

That was the second time his life was endangered in the span of two hours. Y/N looked her fiancé square in the face.

“I don’t want to wait anymore. As soon as you’re up and well, we’re getting married.”

Exactly one week later, they’d rushed through whatever they could rush through. Thankfully her dress was ready and altered, the cake was made to order, but sadly, they’d given up their gorgeous, gorgeous venue. Rossi was more than happy to offer up his backyard and the couple found it more than fitting to commemorate their love in the very location where Spencer had first confessed his feelings to her and where she’d returned them later.

Life truly came full circle as Spencer stood in the same exact spot where he’d confessed his undying love for her the very first time. Spencer did everything he could to keep from sobbing like a child as he saw the owner of his heart stand before him, just like she did that day, but this time adorning her white dress.

Being the romantic sap that he was, he recounted almost every milestone in perfect detail during his vows. Through the unrelenting tears, of course. Y/N’s words came out wobbly and wet, but she managed to get her vows out. There really was not a single dry eye in the small, intimate crowd. The entire team had watched them fall in love oh-so-gracelessly over the years.

Their ceremony was beautiful. It was different than JJ’s had been, it was more special to the two of them. Spencer was in nothing short of awe as he watched his wife sway with Henry wrapped up in her embrace on the dance floor. Henry’s little arms and legs were wound tightly around her, the bottoms of his shoes surely smearing dirt all over the back of her dress, but she didn’t care. Not when Spencer was looking at her like that. His throat clogged itself up as she caught his eye and smiled sweetly. The same thing was on both their minds, it was like an unspoken agreement had been made through some kind of special, invisible bond between them.

He couldn’t wait to have a family with that woman.

And they’d wasted absolutely no time. Three months after the wedding, Y/N announced that she was carrying a baby Reid. Tears and cheers erupted for them all. They had found the perfect little house with the help of Morgan. It was perfect for their growing family.

Pregnancy wasn’t easy on Y/N at all. Flying all around the country and helping catch serial killers was not an activity that pregnant Y/N wanted to engage in. The team had been more than forgiving as they dealt with her mood swings and crazy cravings. It also turns out that soon-to-be mama Y/N was especially helpful in chewing out unsubs in the interrogation room, but as useful as she proved to be, she couldn’t wait to pop the little peanut out.

Spencer and the team were rushing off the jet to the hospital as they’d heard Y/N had gone into labor. Spencer had only missed the very beginning and was by her side the entire time after that.

They welcomed baby Emelia Reid into this world on a chilly September night. Spencer was over the moon, he was borderline obsessed with looking at the baby and keeping a hand on her at all times whenever she was in the room with them.

He waited for his mother to fly out a few days later just to meet baby Emelia. He wept as he watched his mother kiss the top of his baby girl’s head. No other feeling could ever compete with the one he experienced at that moment in time.

Emelia had grown into such a radiant little girl. She was a miniature hurricane of chocolatey brown curls and rosy red cheeks. She’d already blown her parents away as her intelligence only seemed to increase with time. The similarities she had to her father were astonishing. She was a daddy’s girl through and through, but Y/N didn’t seem to mind sharing him. Not when the sight of them together instantly melted her heart every single time.

Diana tried to be as active in the baby’s life as she could possibly be, however her condition began to worsen over time. Eventually, Diana had had to move in with Y/N, Spencer, and Emelia. Thankfully, their house was large enough, but taking care of a toddler and Diana while being 6 months pregnant was inarguably too much to handle for Y/N. She’d found out that she was pregnant again, and they were expecting another baby girl. Y/N had also taken time off from work to focus on the dilemmas at home.

The at-home nurse was doing the best she could since Spencer was always either at work or off finding Diana some kind of new treatment. He’d told Y/N that he’d been going to Mexico to get her some special medication and so she didn’t mind as long as she’d been kept in the loop of where and how he was. Spencer Reid never kept anything from his wife. They were always transparent with each other. Y/N was glad that he’d told her about his trips down to Mexico, or else she’d be out of her mind looking for him.

But suddenly, during one trip, he’d stopped answering her calls. Complete silence on his end. It had driven her absolutely mad. It was only until JJ visited her the next morning informing her that Spencer had been arrested in Mexico for the illegal possession of drugs and possibly murder. If JJ hadn’t been around to catch Y/N before passing out, she or the baby would have been in extreme danger.

But Spencer Reid never kept anything from his wife. She’d been adamant that she would have known if he was struggling with drugs again. The last time she’d seen Spencer was during the trial. He’d looked so terrified as they pronounced him guilty and shoved him away from her. From his family. He’d spared Y/N one last broken glance, his gaze drifting down to her swollen belly. Their second child was on the way and he won’t be there to meet them. He mouthed a heartfelt apology before they took him away. Y/N wept and wept until everyone but the team left the courtroom.

“How am I gonna do this, Pen? How am I gonna do this without him?” She spoke between breathy sobs. The baby, Emelia, Diana. She couldn’t do it on her own. It would break her.

“You won’t be alone, Y/N. We’re all going to help you.” Penelope reassured her, but the only thing that was capable of reassuring her was currently in handcuffs behind closed doors.

She’d had to keep Spencer’s whereabouts from Diana and Emelia. She’d told him that he was consulting a case somewhere in California, where he also had access to the beach. Up until that lie wasn’t viable enough. Emelia’s questions about her daddy absolutely tore through what remained of her heart.

Diana’s caretaker had apparently quit and a new one came by. Y/N thought something was off, but she pushed that thought aside as she worried over her husband and the baby that they were due to meet any day now. Two months had passed and Spencer was still incarcerated, he hadn’t allowed Y/N or Emelia anywhere near the prison, but she’d broken down at the possibility of him being locked away for 25 years.

She’d visited him once, right after the birth of their second baby. They’d had another beautiful baby girl, whose name had been decided long ago by the two parents. Baby Adaline. The delivery was immensely difficult without him, but she pushed through. Y/N had almost begged Emily to pull any, any strings she could to get them to meet since Spencer said he’d only agree to see them if he could ensure their privacy and safety. They’d managed to get them in with Spencer’s lawyer, Fiona. Y/N cooed to Adaline as she cradled her in her arms, wrapped in her little blanket. The cooing served as a distraction as she waited anxiously for Spencer to meet them in the small little room.

Suddenly the doors emitted a loud buzzing noise, prompting a loud cry from Adaline. A sound that was strange to echo off the walls of this place. Y/N shushed her gently until she caught sight of her husband walking through the door. Tears gathered in her eyes as she took in his disheveled state. His eyes found hers and quickly flitted to the squirming bundle of joy in her arms. Spencer’s lip wobbled as he entered the room. Y/N shifted Adaline to rest upon her shoulder as she wrapped one arm tightly around Spencer. No touching was allowed, but the guards pretended to look the other way, courtesy of whatever strings Emily had pulled.

The three of them bawled against each other in an unceremonious reunion. Spencer at last pulled away from his wife and stared at the baby in the bundle. He hesitated to carry her. His hands were clean, but they still felt so dirty. How could his hands hold this beautiful gift of life while they’d been committing such heinous acts within these very walls? But one utterance from his wife made that all vanish.

“It’s okay, Spence.” She smiled slightly, angling Adaline towards him.

He gazed at Y/N closely, as if checking to see if she was sure. Y/N carefully handed her over to him and he instantly turned into less of a shell of himself and had begun to resemble the man that Y/N could recognize. He cooed to her softly, kissing her face repeatedly. Adaline instantly quieted down at her father’s touch.

The small interaction had fueled the pair for weeks. Spencer found a source of hope and was determined to see through to the other side. He would not rot away in his cell forever. The team continued to try and crack the case from the outside. Y/N was instructed to be more careful than ever. She often brought Emelie and Adaline to work with her. She had not been flying out with the team, preferring to stay close to her girls until Spencer was back.

On one of the days Y/N brought her girls to work, she’d found out that Diana had been missing. Her caretaker was accompanying her to visit Spencer in prison and then neither of them had been seen afterwards. They quickly identified the caretaker as Lindsey Vaughn. If Y/N had been on the case with them ten years ago, she would have identified her, but she was just another face to her. Y/N was livid, Vaughn had been around her children, she’d been inside her home. If Spencer didn’t get to catch the bitch, they better believe Y/N will.

Spencer was released quickly after the BAU proved his innocence. He was on his way to the office now. Y/N had been peering into Adaline’s carriage when she’d heard the high pitched voice of Emelia.

“Daddy!” Emelia exclaimed, racing across the bullpen to jump into her father’s arms.

“Hi baby. Daddy missed you so much.” Spencer said, hiding his tears in his daughter's hair. He held her tightly to his chest as he crossed the bullpen and made it to Y/N’s office. He put Emelia down gently and scooped his wife into his arms.

“You’re back.” She said softly through tears.

He hooked his chin over her shoulder and sniffled strongly. He might not be the same man he was before, but he still loved her unconditionally. He still loved all three of them unconditionally.

“I’m here.” He repeated the phrase out loud like a mantra.

And he was here, but he also wasn’t. His wife could tell that the man who stood before her had endured hell, but when he cradled their baby girl so tightly to his chest, it was hard to imagine him as anything other than a loving, gentle father, and a compassionate partner. She knew she’d hold onto that thought forever. Once they retrieved Diana, they knew they could face anything.

As long as they were together.

And they knew they would be, for as long as the universe would allow in this life, and then the one after that.

~THE END~

previous chapter/ bonus chapter

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#spencer reid #dr spencer reid #spencer reid fanfic #spencer reid x reader #spencer reid fanfiction #Spencer Reid fic #spencer reid series #spencer reid angst #spencer reid masterlist #the receptionist and the profiler #Criminal Minds #criminal minds fanfic #Criminal Minds Fanfiction #criminal minds fic #cm #spencer reid fluff

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storyofmychoices · 3 years ago

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Impromptu Vacation

[Ethan Ramsey x Ellie Shepherd Masterlist]

Pairing: Ethan Ramsey x Ellie Shepherd (F!MC) Other Characters: Alex Spencer(F!OC), Thomas Hunt, Prince Liam (mentioned) Book: Open Heart (Book Two) -- after chapter 11

Word Count: <1,800 (sorry I know this is longer than my usual posts!) Warnings: Teen; a character with PTSD/survivor’s guilt *comfort/care* Prompts: @choicesmonthlychallenge: misunderstandings ; @wackydrabbles “It’s definitely … interesting.” (in bold) ; @choicesbookclub OPH2 Replay: (post) Ch11

Summary: Ellie and Ethan take a trip to a secluded beach as a way to help Ellie continue to process her emotions away from the triggers of Boston and the hospital.

A/N: Alex is my OC who is marrying Thomas Hunt (Hollywood U AU), an old friend of Ethan's. Due to her mental state, Ellie has been harsh with Alex, and Ethan's relationship with her recently. Despite it all, Alex is a huge shipper of Ethan and Ellie.

This takes place after the events of “In Between” and "One Day at a Time" (both of which deal with Ellie's PTSD.

This is a companion piece to my series Love & Scotch (an Open Heart/Hollywood U crossover).

Ellie drummed her fingers against the back of her phone as it rested on the bed in front of her. She chewed her lip, slowly lifting the device to unlock it. Little red circles with numbers that made her anxious stared back at her; missed calls, voicemails, as well as unread texts, emails, and various social media notifications awaited her. She ran her fingers through her chestnut hair, tossing it over her shoulder. She had been dreading this moment. Talking with Ethan about everything was hard enough; facing her friends and family still seemed impossible.

"Start with one," she whispered to herself. That was the plan she and Ethan had made. It was easier just avoiding them because then she could pretend there wasn't anything wrong, but they were past that now. Taking a week's leave was bound to get people talking.

She scrolled through well wishes and questions from Sienna, Ines, Naveen, and many more, finally finding what she was looking for—the thread of unanswered texts from Alex Spencer.

"Hi, Alex. Sorry for going MIA. Things have been, well, I'm sure you can imagine. I never properly thanked you and Hunt for all your help at the hospital. Ethan told me how valuable you both were. I was still kind of out of it when you were there. Not really how I wanted our first meeting to go...I know I've been appalling ever since. I'm sorry about how I acted and any misunderstandings it's caused. (I'm sure Ethan's filled you in. I know you two still talk.) I would love to go to your Bachelorette party if you'll still have me."

"Of course, I still want you!" Alex replied almost immediately.

"You're completely in your right to rescind my invitation," Ellie answered.

"You're not getting out that easy! You're coming. End of story. I won't hear any more about it. I'll have my maid of honor, Addison, text you the deets!"

The corner of Ellie's lip turned up slightly. "Thanks!"

"Can I ask how you are? If you don't want to tell me, I respect that."

Her mouth turned down once more, a sigh slipping out. She let her screen time out as she contemplated her reply. It would be so easy to reply 'getting better' or doing 'fine', but that wouldn't be a step forward. "I'm trying."

"Trying is all you can do. I'm here if you ever want to talk (about what happen or gossip about our men 😉)."

"Thanks, Alex. I'll keep that in mind. Right now, I'm just trying to keep busy during my leave and avoid triggers."

"OMG, Ellie! I just had the most amazing idea! We have friends with a vacation house and a private beach on the cape. It's gorgeous! Why don't you and Ethan stay for a few days! Get away from Boston! You deserve a vacation! And so does Ethan. Please, tell me you'll go? I can send you the address and get the code for the lockbox with the key!"

Ellie's eyes widened as she read the message. Before she could reply, there was another message with an address and a code, along with the name of someone to call if they should have trouble. "I don't know what to say."

"Say you're going to go pack?" Alex responded instantly.

“It’s definitely…interesting.” She fidgeted with her phone, unsure what to do. Her gaze shifted around the room, her eyes lighting up at the possibility. Could they really be so spontaneous?

Ethan scanned the caller ID before answering his phone. He was taking his leave well by avoiding anyone who he might find irritating, which was almost everyone. "Hello, Hunt."

"My apologies, Ethan," Hunt greeted him.

Ethan could hear Alex in the background; with her, this could be anything. "Do I want to know what for?" He asked a slight air of amusement in his tone.

"Alex had this idea—"

"You're welcome," she interrupted cheerfully.

"We have friends with a beach house near you—they're not currently using it—Alex is trying to convince Ellie that the two of you need a vacation."

"The ocean is very soothing," Alex added.

"Would you like to talk to him?" Hunt questioned quietly, but not quite quiet enough.

Ethan stifled his chuckle as he listened to them.

"No, you're doing fine, my Love." Ethan could hear her press a kiss to her fiancé. "Oo, Ellie replied."

"Sorry," Hunt stated. "I tried to explain you might be busy. I hope it doesn't interfere with your plans. She means well."

"I know she does. Honestly, I'm at a loss," Ethan paused. "I just want to prove to Ellie that I can be there for her. I know my track record isn't the greatest."

"All you can do is keep showing up. Don't let her push you away."

"I'm trying."

"It'll work out, Ethan," Hunt offered confidently.

"I hope you're right."

"Me too," he laughed. "Or we'll both have Alex to deal with."

Ethan joined in his laughter, knowing that he wasn't wrong. "I guess I should get packing?"

"Good luck."

A couple of hours later...

"This is it." Ethan pulled into the long driveway in the secluded area.

"Wow!" Ellie's eyes widened as she took in the stunning beach house they were approaching—picturesque didn't do it justice.

Ethan craned his head taking, in the view of the ocean and beach surrounding them. "Whose house did Alex say this was?"

"She didn't."

Ethan grabbed their suitcases and the groceries they had picked up along the way as Ellie punched the code in the lockbox and retrieved the key. Her jaw dropped as she moved inside. "It's even more beautiful inside. How is that possible?"

Ethan set their bags down and looked for the lights.

"We are clearly doing something wrong," she decided. "Any other rich or famous friends I should know about?"

Ethan smirked. He wrapped his arms around her waist, guiding her into him. "Should I be jealous?"

"No." She shook her head softly.

He leaned down, brushing a delicate kiss across her lips. "Then, perhaps I should tell you about the Prince sometime."

"Funny!" Ellie laughed lightly. "You're cute."

His face flushed warm at the compliment. He cleared his throat, trying to keep a straight face.

"Wait! You're serious?"

"Yes." Ethan pressed a kiss to her forehead, then retrieved the groceries and went in search of the kitchen.

"You can't leave me like this!"

"Unfortunately, I must. If I don't start the chicken soon, we won't be eating dinner."

Ellie's smile faded as he left, the large house seemingly dimming around her. She traipsed through the grandiose but empty rooms, the novelty already wearing off.

"Can I help?" She asked when she turned into the kitchen, finding Ethan already at work.

"Let me do this for you." He took her hands, noticing her darkened gaze. He knew better than to ask if she was okay. "Why don't you relax on the beach? I know the clouds are moving in, but it's still quite beautiful."

Ellie nodded. "Okay."

"Ellie?" His thumb brushed across her cheek, "I love you."

She offered him a half-hearted smile. Drawing in a deep breath, she leaned into his touch. "I love you, too."

"If you need me, I'll be right here." He watched her through the sliding glass doors as she meandered out to the private beach.

Ellie kicked off her flip-flops, letting her toes dip in the sand. It was still warm, despite the disappearing sun. She continued closer toward the water, turning back to the house every so often.

A gentle breeze rolled off the water, wrapping her in its salty scent. Seagulls squawking somewhat down the shore were her only companions.

Ellie plopped down in the sand, letting its warmth soothe her. She closed her eyes, focusing on the steady rhythm of the lapping waves.

Every time a lingering memory of that day tried to replay in her mind, she shook her head and told herself 'no'; she wasn't going back there. Each time she would refocus on the predictable melody of the sea's ebb and flow, letting it ground her, just as Ethan had suggested at the park. Her body rocked in time with the waves as she let herself rest and let go.

A gust of cool wind kissed her face, blowing her hair haphazardly with it. The sky darkened on the horizon. A low rumble of thunder rippled across the ocean, pulling her from the serene state that had overtaken her.

Ellie jumped up just as the rain began to pour down. She grumbled, turning her face toward the sky as if to ask 'why?'.

Her hands clasped across her lips as she bit back a smile. A light laugh crept out, growing louder with the storm. She stood, letting the refreshing rain cascade over her face, washing away the pain.

"Ellie?" Ethan called a few minutes later. "Ellie? Ellie!"

She didn't move. She just focused on the rain and the sound of his voice drawing nearer.

"Ellie!" He breathed a sigh of relief, wrapping his arms around her. "I was worried when you didn't come back."

She sniffled back the tears hidden by the storm, whispering softly, "I can feel the rain."

"Yes, it's pouring!" He rubbed her back supportively. "Let's get you inside."

"No, Ethan—" She brushed her thumb across his jaw, the coarse hairs causing a pleasing tickle. "I can feel the rain." She smiled, nodding to him. She had been numb for so long; she had forgotten how to feel. Even the warmth of the sun had been lost on her.

His lips crashed on hers at the realization of what she was saying, his smile stretching to match hers. The scent of the sea and the salt from her tears tangled with the rain on his lips. He kissed her over and over, not wanting to let her go. When their kiss broke, he rested his forehead against hers.

"Stay with me."

"I'm not going anywhere," he agreed. "Never again."

Ellie nestled into his chest, turning her face once more toward the storm. She listened to the hum of the crashing waves behind them and the distant rumble of the heart of the storm still out on the horizon. She shivered in his arms as the soaking rain reached her core, but she didn't move.

Ethan stroked her wet hair, holding her safely in his arms. He watched her silently, letting her enjoy the storm. It wasn't a cure by any means, but for the moment, the subtle smile on her lips and the glimmer of light in her eyes were more than he could have asked for. His Ellie was still in there, and he would do whatever it took to make her whole again.

Tags in a reblog, please let me know if you would like to be added or removed from the list. Thank you for reading!

#ethan ramsey #ethan ramsey x mc #open heart #thomas hunt #thomas hunt x mc #thomas hunt x oc #hollywood u #alex hunt #alex spencer #ellie shepherd #ethan x ellie #hunt x alex #fan fiction

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spencers-renaissance · 4 years ago

Text

dry me off and hold me close

Summary: Derek has finally relented and is bringing his boyfriend Spencer to meet the rest of the team. That means, though, he has to finally tell them about his boyfriend's disability. Terrified that they'll react badly, he puts it off until he can't anymore. Turns out he was worried for nothing.

Tags: so much fluff, protective derek, disabled spencer, caretaker derek, au: spencer is not in the bau, team as family, hurt/comfort, light angst, est. rel, day to day disabled life, physical disability/chronic illness

Pairing: Derek Morgan x Spencer Reid

Word Count: 5.7k

Masterlist // Read on AO3

Hello! I am nervous to share this one, I won't lie. It's incredibly personal. It was a pain in the arse to write but I love how it turned out and I hope you do, too. Just a note: this may be triggering for some people - there is description of nausea and severe chronic pain, as well as frequent references to ableism towards wheelchair users.

As soon as Rossi brings up the prospect of a fully-catered family dinner at his ‘mansion’ this weekend, Derek’s heart sinks. They’re on their way home from a pretty gruelling case and it’s well-deserved of course, but he knows what comes next, knows what question will be asked of him, and he’s dreading it. There’s only so long he can go on avoiding answering.

“Please tell me you’ll finally let us meet Spencer, Derek,” JJ asks, levelling him with a look to rival one of Penelope’s. “At this point I’m starting to think you’ve made him up.”

Spencer is very real. He’s a very real, very sexy, very intelligent man who Derek has no doubt would get on brilliantly with the team. But Spencer also happens to be disabled. And while his boyfriend has had decades to get to terms with broaching such a sensitive, taboo topic, Derek has not. He’s far from ashamed of Spencer — that’s not it at all — he’s just so protective of him, and the idea of others being touchy or patronising or outright rude around him is an idea he’s never been able to get used to, no matter how many times he’s witnessed it.

Derek’s laugh is strained as he rubs his face awkwardly, trying to find the words to politely decline, but the others are pouncing on him before he can speak.

“You’ve put it off enough times now, Morgan,” Emily says, siding with JJ. “If he’s even half of what you say he is then we’ll love him. Just bring him along. Rossi doesn’t mind.”

“Oh no, I’m dying to meet the man who could finally tie Derek Morgan, ladies man extraordinaire, down,” Rossi chimes in.

“He definitely sounds like my kind of guy,” Alex agrees. “I’m impressed you managed to land such an educated man, Derek.”

He looks sort of desperately towards Hotch who raises his hands guiltily. “I would actually like to meet him, too, Morgan,” he says reluctantly, a rare smile playing across his face.

Derek groans and throws his head back against his plane seat. He can only be glad Penelope isn’t on the flight because she’d be absolutely relentless in such a conversation.

As hesitant as he is to let his team in, maybe it is time to finally get over himself and bring Spencer to meet them. After all, none of them have ever given him actual cause to be so nervous, and he knows they’d all inevitably fall in love with him almost as quickly as Derek did, so really it’s his own fears and fierce protective instincts keeping Spencer away from his second family.

“Fine,” he relents, anxious butterflies not easing. “He’s home this weekend, and apart from planning lectures I think he’s free, so I’ll ask him. But I can only promise to ask, I won’t promise he’ll agree.” It’s a pointless caveat; Spencer’s been bugging him to meet the team almost as long as they’ve been bugging him to meet Spencer, he’ll jump at the chance to go to dinner with them.

“Finally,” JJ groans, pretending to collapse against Emily in relief, who giggles fondly at her antics.

“I’m sure we’ll love him, Derek,” Rossi says reassuringly, a proud fatherly look on his face that has his chest clenching painfully.

As everyone settles down, his stomach churns anxiously as he stares back out of the jet window. He knows everyone will love Spencer; he just doesn’t know how to tell them what to expect. What if Spencer has a fainting episode or gets nauseous at dinner time? What if he can’t keep his energy up or is too photosensitive to have the lights on? What if meeting that many people at once overwhelms him? Spencer always tells him he worries too much, but he can’t help it — not when the love of his life is involved.

He’s brought out of his nervous stewing by Hotch. “You know, Morgan, if you really don’t want to bring Spencer, you don’t have to,” he says softly, making him look up to see everyone staring at him guiltily.

“We didn’t mean to pressure you,” JJ says hesitantly, and the others agree, all clearly having noticed his pensive expression.

He forces himself to take a calming breath and bite the damn bullet already. Spencer would be rolling his eyes at him. “Okay. There’s something I haven’t told you,” he starts carefully. He hasn’t had to introduce the concept of Spencer’s disability to anybody since he told his family. “Spencer is disabled. He has a chronic condition that impairs his mobility along with bringing a whole host of other symptoms, and while he’s had it for most of his adult life, I’m still not used to broaching the topic and I didn’t know how you would react. He already experienced enough difficulties in life, he doesn’t need my co-workers, hypothetically, being patronising or weird about it. So, I put it off.”

It feels like a weight off his chest once it’s out in the air, but the surprised looks on his team’s face make him briefly wonder whether telling them was a mistake after all. “Spencer will really look forward to coming though,” he rushes to continue. “He’s on his own a lot of the time and struggles to make it out of the house except for work if I’m not there, so he can feel quite isolated. It will be nice for him to spend time with other people, and finally meet you guys.”

By the time he’s finished speaking, everyone seems to have mostly recovered from their immediate shock, and look relaxed and intrigued again — far more appreciated expressions on Derek’s end.

“Well,” Rossi starts, and he feels like holding his breath in anticipation, “will he need any accommodations?” Relief spreads warm and thick across Derek’s chest as he feels himself physically relax. Of course immediate support would be the response from his team; he was stupid to think otherwise.

“His mobility fluctuates daily. Sometimes he can walk small distances okay, other times — and more frequently — he needs aids like forearm crutches or his wheelchair. Can I text you on the day and let you know?”

“Of course,” Rossi promises, a warm smile on his face, “whatever you and Spencer need.”

“There is one more thing, if Spencer’s coming it will need to be earlier in the evening… think more six rather than eight. He’ll be too exhausted later in the evening and he needs to be home early to get the amount of sleep he needs.”

“That’s fine,” Rossi agrees immediately, “six it is.”

“Sorry for pressuring you, Derek,” JJ says, tilting her head as she looks across the table at him. “But we’ll love Spencer, this won’t change anything.”

“Yeah, fuck you for thinking we’d be assholes about it,” Emily chuckles, punching him softly in the arm.

Derek grins at her before shaking his head. “I’m just too protective of him,” he explains a little guiltily. “He thinks it’s ridiculous but I can’t help it. We’ve been together nearly five years now and I’ve seen the things he has to go through, professionally and in his day to day life. I just saw an area for potential harm, no matter how slim the chances, and immediately bricked it up in my mind. It’s hard to tear walls down like that.”

“Well, I’m glad you did,” Alex says in her signature gentle tone, smiling at him.

“I can’t wait to meet him,” Hotch agrees and Derek gives them all another quick smile before they settle in for the rest of the flight.

It’s late by the time Derek unlocks the door to his and Spencer’s home and he knows his boyfriend will already be in bed. It had been a weird adjustment when they’d first started dating, Spencer having to be home by 10pm so Spencer could get at least nine hours of sleep, topped up by regular naps during the day. Now though, he’s completely used to operating around Spencer’s sleep schedule; it’s just routine.

He makes his way through the house quietly, toeing his shoes off and shedding his coat before dumping his bag in the living room and padding up the stairs. The house is dark but their room is dimly lit by Spencer’s night lamps, there to ease him off to sleep and keep him company when bouts of painful insomnia torment him. There was a time Derek used to mind, but those days seem so long ago now. He climbs carefully onto the mattress, taking off his trousers and socks but not bothering to change into anything new.

As gentle as he is with his movement, Spencer still stirs beside him. “Derek?” He blinks sleepily over at him in the soft light of the bedroom and Derek immediately scoots over and wraps him in a hug. It might be gone midnight but he misses Spencer like crazy when he’s away and physical contact is very much essential business right now.

“Yeah, baby,” he whispers as he relishes the feeling of Spencer’s small frame against his own. “Sorry I woke you.”

“It’s okay. Just glad you’re home. Missed you.”

“I promise I missed you more,” Derek murmurs as the warmth of the room and comforting presence of his boyfriend wrapped around him finally break down the walls he’s been holding back the sleepiness working a 5 day case inevitably brings.

“Make me pancakes in the morning?”

Spencer doesn’t need to ask, it’s a tradition for Derek to make pancakes for breakfast the day he gets back from the case, but it makes him smile anyway. “Anything for you, baby boy,” he yawns. “Go back to sleep. I’ll see you in the morning.”

⭐️

Derek waits until dinner the next evening to bring up the subject of the dinner party. It’s just a simple takeaway on the sofa of the house Derek had renovated for them, but even five years into their relationship, every moment shared with Spencer feels like a date.

“How would you feel about going to a dinner party with the team?” Derek asks when there’s a lull in their conversation. Spencer’s just finished explaining a complicated debate he’s having with one of his colleagues about kinetic particle theory and Derek has no idea how to respond. Moments like these used to make him feel stupid and inadequete when they first got together, but now he just stares fondly at his genius boyfriend and wonders how on earth he got so lucky.

Spencer lowers his fork. They’re eating chinese but he still hasn’t mastered chopsticks, and it never fails to make Derek smile. “Are you serious?” he says, an excited grin spreading across his face.

“I am.” He quirks an amused eyebrow as he takes in Spencer’s eager expression. God, he’s so fucking in love.

“Well obviously I want to go,” he giggles, “you know that. When is it?”

“Saturday.”

Spencer just launches himself into Derek’s lap in lieu of response, not that he has far to move on their cosy sofa, slotting himself against his body as they melt into one another. “Thank you for finally getting over yourself,” he says with his face buried in Derek’s neck.

Derek’s responding laugh jostles both of them as he wraps his arms around Spencer’s small frame, loving the way he fits in the palms of his hands. “I’m sorry it took me so long, baby,” he says, tone transitioning into sincerity. “But they can’t wait to meet you, and you’re going to love them.”

“I know,” Spencer says drily, pulling back to look him in his eyes. “Why do you think I’ve been pushing to meet them for the last five years?”

Derek answers with a squeeze to Spencer’s waist and a kiss to his shoulder. “Go on,” he says, lifting him off his lap to sit on the sofa next to him. “Finish your dinner.”

“Mm, I think I’ve had enough,” Spencer hums nonchalantly, busying himself with putting the carton on the coffee table as if Derek doesn’t know him like the back of his hands.

“This is your favourite dish from your favourite Chinese and you’re expecting me to believe you’ve just had enough,” he says, raising an eyebrow. “What’s wrong, pretty boy?”

“Nothing,” Spencer says, but he sounds winded and Derek isn’t stupid. He levels him with a look. “Okay… I just feel a bit sick is all.”

“Floor, sofa, or bed?” He’s aware of the nausea protocol, and he moves his own dinner aside as he springs into action.

“Floor.” He’d been surprised the first time his boyfriend had crawled onto the floor and lay curled up until the nausea passed, but it was second-nature now. Apparently, the flat, firm surface was the most comfortable when such intense sickness consumed him.

“Okay, baby, let’s go.” He gently lifts Spencer off the sofa and down onto the floor, taking care not to jostle him too much. His eyes stay closed, face screwed up as he tries to weather the waves of nausea crashing over him. It never fails to make Derek’s heart twist in pain. “Are you actually going to be sick?” The majority of nausea spells usually pass on their own with no vomit to speak of, and Spencer’s usually very good at telling which kind it is.

“No,” he whispers, reaching his hand slowly towards Derek’s and gripping it tightly. He gets the message and lays down next to him, stroking his hair softly as they wait in silence for Spencer’s body to right itself. It only takes about twenty minutes to pass, and when it does, Derek carries him to bed, bringing him his toothbrush and a flannel as they follow another of their set routines that have been established over so many years of being together.

“I love you so much, Spencer Reid,” Derek murmurs as they lay in bed together that night, the soft light of their bedroom catching on Spencer’s cheekbones.

“I love you more, Derek Morgan,” Spencer whispers back, voice slurred as he cuddles further into the arms of his boyfriend.

“Not possible,” Derek insists, but Spencer’s already dropping off to sleep.

⭐️

Spencer wakes up on the day of the dinner party in what Derek can clearly see is nothing short of agony. He doesn’t try to hide it, they’re mostly past that now — although he still sometimes convinces himself he can handle smaller symptoms by himself, no matter how many times Derek insists they’re a team — but he doesn’t say much either. The morning is spent on the sofa, using numerous heated blankets and painkiller combinations until he can at least think straight.

“How do you feel about this evening?” Derek asks as lunchtime approaches, rubbing Spencer’s good arm gently as he leans against him, legs outstretched on the chaise.

Spencer hums. “I’m gonna take a nap after lunch,” he decides after a moment of deliberation, “and then decide. I think with meds and the wheelchair, I’ll be okay.” He pauses for a moment as he nibbles nervously on his bottom lip. “Do you think they’ll be weird about the chair?”

“No, baby,” Derek says decisively. Really, he can’t believe he ever thought anything different, but he was scared and fear easily spirals into irrationality. “They won’t even blink. Especially since I warned them about the mobility aids. I think they’d be more surprised if you walked into the Rossi mansion.”

“You sure?”

It hurts Derek’s heart to hear him so anxious and uncertain, and it’s only more painful because he knows it's rooted in experience. He’s had to fight for most of his life to be seen as a competent adult, equal to his peers despite his disability, and people can be cruel. “I’m sure. And even if for some reason they were dicks about it, I’m there, okay? Nobody’s gonna get away with being anything other than an angel towards you when I’m around.”

Spencer giggles at that, turning his head into Derek’s chest. “You turn into the hulk when you’re protecting me.”

“I do,” he agrees, chuckling at the sound of Spencer’s adorable laugh, “and for good reason. No-one hurts my baby. You know that, and everyone else knows it, too. We’re gonna be just fine, pretty boy.”

Spencer sighs, reassured by Derek’s words. “Love you,” he whispers, twisting a bit to press a kiss to the side of Derek’s neck.

“I love you more,” Derek promises, lifting a hand to rest on Spencer’s cheek.

“Not possible.”

The rest of the day passes slowly as Spencer takes it easy, deciding that he’s definitely up to it after a decent nap curled up against a reading Derek. They get ready together, Derek helping him shower when his arms hurt too much to wash his hair and getting him dressed in his favourite outfit before dressing himself.

By the time six thirty rolls around, Spencer’s feeling a little bit better, his meds are hitting the spot and they’ve mastered all the wheelchair adaptations to make his life as easy as possible over the years. His cushions and heated seats connected to the wheelchair’s motor, which he uses to help self-propell at work, ease the pain as much as they can and the built in phone charger always makes him popular whenever they go out with friends. Plus, his cane and crutches connect neatly to the back of the chair, giving him more options, which is especially helpful on nights like this.

“Comfy?” Derek asks as he pushes him out of the apartment and into the hallway, locking the door behind them.

Spencer hums in affirmation, wiggling a little as he settles into the warm support of the chair. They have a ground floor apartment for safety reasons: Spencer needs to be able to exit the building if the lifts stop working, but it’s also convenient. They get down to the garage quickly and Derek helps him into the passenger seat before packing the wheelchair in the boot.

He spends the journey in contemplative silence and Derek can’t keep himself from shooting worried looks his way. His hand makes its way onto Spencer’s knee and he rubs his thumb gently against the skin, before stilling the digit, all too conscious of how painful repetitive stimulus can be, especially on days like these.

“Stop worrying, baby,” he says, ten minutes into the drive when Spencer still hasn’t said a word. His bottom lip is chapped from the worried chewing it has endured for most of the day. “They’re going to love you, I promise.”

“You really think so?”

Derek’s about to answer quickly but he looks over and sees how absolutely dead serious Spencer is. He sighs. “Let me tell you exactly why. Alex is a fellow academic with the softest streak of anyone in the BAU field team. Emily and JJ have the ability to befriend literally anyone, and Penelope already is in love with you, just from what I’ve said about you. She’s told me so multiple times. Rossi immediately accommodated you and wasn’t at all fazed when I mentioned your disability. Hotch is a gentle fatherly type when he’s talking to good people and the rest of the team, so he’ll just be interested in you as a person. There’s no-one I’m worried about, okay?”

“Okay,” Spencer whispers eventually, finally sounding like he actually believes him.

“Besides, you’ve already got one member of this team whipped,” Derek smirks, glancing over at him again.

He considers it a win when Spencer rolls his eyes, and his grin couldn’t be wider when he hears him mumble, “arrogant asshole” under his breath.

Derek’s grateful Rossi doesn’t have a gravel driveway as he gets Spencer out of the car and into his wheelchair, before pushing him the short way to the front door. They’d battled some tough terrain over the years, and gravel was absolutely his least favourite. As they approach the house, though, he notices that Spencer’s grip on his armrest is tight enough that his knuckles are white, and it hurts Derek’s heart that he’s only this nervous because real people and real experiences have given him genuine reason to be.

Before he gets to knock, though, the door is thrown open by an uncontainably excited Penelope. “You’re here!” she shouts, and completely bypasses Derek to shake Spencer’s hand. He’s glad she doesn’t crouch, just leans down a little so he doesn't have to reach up so far. “You must be Spencer. I’m Penelope. It is a crime that Derek has kept us apart for so long, but none of that matters now. Would you like me to push you in through to meet the others?”

“Um, it’s nice to finally meet you, Penelope,” he says, smiling at her genuinely. “Would you mind if Derek keeps pushing me, though?”

“Oh, no, that’s fine!” Her smile doesn’t drop a bit. “Come through, everyone’s already in the living room. Oh, and hi Chocolate Thunder.” She sends him a quick wink.

“Hi, Mama,” he says, rolling his eyes. He’s grinning, though. So far, so good.

They follow Penelope further into the house after Derek closes the door behind them, and the girls get up first. “Spencer, oh it’s so good to meet you,” Emily says, coming up and shaking his hand. “I’m Emily, this is JJ.”

“Hi,” JJ says, shaking his hand too, giving him a conspiratorial look. “I’m glad we finally bullied Derek into bringing his oh-so-secret beau to meet us.”

Derek just grins. “What can I say? I’m protective of my baby.” He reaches down and placed a hand on his shoulder, squeezing it gently.

“Ignore this caveman,” Spencer laughs, and Derek is sure he rolls his eyes again. “I’ve been dying to meet you all, too.”

“Well, it’s our pleasure,” Alex says, coming up for her turn. “I’m Alex. Your paper ‘How Thinking Makes Us Write’ you published a couple of years ago is incredible; I used it in my Psychology of Writing class last year and only just realised it was written by Derek’s top-secret boyfriend! I’d love to talk to you more about that later.”

“That’s so cool, wow, yeah I’d love that.” He smiles at her, clearly feeling a little flattered by the immediate praise of his work. Derek thinks it’s the least he deserves.

“I’m Aaron, but everyone calls me Hotch,” Hotch says as he and Rossi step forward, a warm smile on his face. “Sorry to overwhelm you with all these introductions, but it’s lovely to meet you. It really is a shame Derek’s been so secretive.”

Spencer smiles up at him. “Are we all going to dunk on Derek all night? Because if that’s the case, I’m glad I came,” he laughs, twisting around slightly to look at Derek.

“Yeah, yeah, keep talking, pretty boy,” he says, raising a brow. “Two can play at that game.”

“You’re too whipped, I’m not worried,” Spencer dismisses him, before touching his hand lovingly, letting him know that he’s only teasing.

“I don’t doubt it,” Rossi says. “I’m Dave, or Rossi, whichever you prefer. I actually own this house, despite being the last in line for a formal introduction. I’m sorry I didn’t greet you at the door, Penelope had been waiting on the stairs for half an hour so she could be the first to greet you.”

“That true, baby girl?” Derek chuckles, looking over at her.

She doesn’t even have the decency to look embarrassed, but then Derek doesn’t know what else he expected. “This is on you,” she defends herself, “if you hadn��t waited so long to introduce me to baby genius here, I wouldn’t have been so desperate to meet him.”

Spencer laughs at their interaction, turning his attention back to Rossi. “It’s nice to meet you,” he says. “Derek told me you were really accommodating, so thank you for that.”

He waves the thanks aside with a dismissive hand. “It’s nothing. Speaking of which, though, would you rather eat in your wheelchair or transfer to one of the dining chairs.”

Derek knows what’s about to happen even before he sees Spencer tense up. “Give us one second,” he says, wheeling him out into the hallway. Decisions are really hard for Spencer to make on bad days, especially those that pertain to his health or needs, and being under the eyes of so many people was not about to make that an easy interaction.

“Derek…” Spencer says anxiously, looking at him for help as he feels his mind spiral into fogginess at the question.

“Okay, it’s okay, baby,” he says soothingly, crouching down in front of him to be at eye level. He takes his hand and kisses it gently. “Do your hips need a break from the chair or would it be more painful to transfer?”

Phrasing questions like Rossi’s as directly applicable choices is always more digestible for Spencer and he sees him visibly relax at his words. “Hips need a break.”

“Great,” Derek says. “Do you want to go back in or do you need a minute to yourself?”

“No, I’m fine,” Spencer says, and he believes him. He instantly relaxed at having made a decision. “Let’s go back in.”

“As you wish, sweetheart.”

They walk back into a room full of vibrant conversation and laughter. “Oh, Spencer, Spencer,” Emily says, immediately roping him back into the conversation without making a big deal of him having to leave the room, “we’re debating whether Derek’s really the slob Alex insists he is. You need to help us settle it.”

“I shared a room with him once, okay,” she says, “it was a state!”

“I don’t doubt it,” Spencer agrees. “At home, he’s so anal about ‘everything in it’s place’ and won’t even let a mug sit on the counter without being washed up. But whenever we go away, he can’t keep the place clean, it’s the weirdest thing. It’s like his suitcase vomits its contents all over the room.”

“Hey, I didn’t know this dinner was gonna be all about airing my dirty laundry,” Derek laughs.

“Literally,” JJ points out.

“Right,” Rossi says, interrupting the laughter filling the room. “Dinner is ready, so we should eat. Did you come to a decision about seating, Spencer?” Derek’s impressed at how much he knows about accommodating disabilities. He probably has someone close to him who’s been through something similar to Spencer.

“I’ll transfer,” he confirms.

“Great, we can just move your wheelchair to the hall once you’re settled so it’s not in the way, if that’s okay?”

At Spencer’s nod, they all file into the kitchen/dining area and choose their places. Penelope bags the seat to Spencer’s left, Derek sitting to his right, as the other girls sit opposite them. Hotch and Rossi sit at Derek's end of the table. He holds hands with Spencer under the table all through the delicious pasta primavera, helping to ground him, reminding him he’s right there.

Conversation and laughter flows with the wine Rossi serves, and Derek doesn’t even mind his embarrassing stories being shared with the team, because it’s Spencer, and he’s so far gone for this man that he could slice him open and with his dying breath, Derek would thank him.

“I love you, really,” Spencer grins up at him, after he’s just revealed his Nina Simone shower concerts to everyone sitting around the table, everyone cracking up as the tough exterior Derek’s built up at work over the years slowly disintegrates, his own boyfriend fuelling the fire.

“And I love you, baby,” he says, leaning over to kiss him briefly, before pulling back. “Even when you spill my deepest darkest secrets.”

“Well, aren’t you two just the cutest,” Alex says fondly. “You’re a lucky man, Derek.”

“No, I’m the lucky one,” Spencer insists. “Do you know what he said when we first met? We were at the supermarket, and I was reaching for some baby carrots. He said ‘whoa, pretty boy, don’t get those ones. They go off far too quickly. Someone as beautiful as you deserves better than that’. No mention of the wheelchair or bags under my eyes. He didn’t see Disabled Spencer, he just saw Spencer. Asked for my number then and there.”

“You were irresistible,” Derek says fondly, brushing a thumb against his cheek. “I knew right at that moment I would spend the rest of my life with you.”

“Stop,” Penelope begs, “my heart is literally a puddle on the floor. This world needs more Derek Morgans.”

“I’ll toast to that,” JJ says, her face just as soft as Penelope’s.

“A real toast,” Hotch says, raising his glass with a happy smile on his face. Derek very rarely sees such a relaxed expression on his face, and as much as they have their disagreements, it’s a nice thing to see. “A toast to Derek and Spencer. May your happiness live long and be as contagious as it is tonight.”

Everyone toasts to his words, and Spencer buries his face in Derek’s shoulder, a little embarrassed at the attention. They sit around the table a little longer, but Spencer slowly sags against his body, finding it painful to keep himself upright.

Noticing this, Penelope claps her hands. “Shall we move back to the living room? I bought chocolate and Rossi has wine.”

“This is true,” Rossi says as they all get up. He grabs Spencer’s wheelchair from the hall and Derek helps him back into it as they head back to the sofas.

“It’s weird using my chair inside,” Spencer laughs as Derek pulls him into his chest so he doesn’t have to keep himself steady upright, everyone else settling themselves around the room.

“Do you not need it often?” Hotch asks.

“No, I need it quite a lot. I just don’t usually have to. Derek’s usually fairly insistent on carrying me around our apartment.”

“We’ll never live in a big house,” Derek says, chuckling along with anyone else. “I couldn’t haul this big lug around a Rossi mansion, now could I?”

“Hey!” Spencer smacks his side lightly.

“You’re 6 foot tall, baby,” Derek defends himself. “You might be tiny but there’s still a lot of you.”

“Fair enough,” Spencer acquiesces, laying his head just under Derek’s chin.

“Right,” Rossi says, coming back into the room, “I have more of your non-alcoholic wine, Spencer, and more of the real stuff for everyone else. Hand out the chocolates, Penelope, and we’ll have ourselves some satisfied guests.”

“I don’t live here, old man,” Penelope says, raising an eyebrow but getting up from her seat cuddled against Emily and JJ anyway.

“Hey, you answered the door to pretty much everyone today; you’re co-hosting.”

“Can’t argue with that, Penelope,” Emily says drily, looking on amusedly as she huffs but hands out the chocolates anyway.

Derek discreetly pops two painkillers out in his pocket and hands it to Spencer, who swallows them down with a sip of his non-alcoholic wine, relaxing as they start to take effect. They all chat leisurely for a while, enjoying each other’s company in a non-pressured environment where they’re not surrounded by high profile cases and serial killers.

Eventually, though, Spencer starts to fall asleep on his chest, clearly feeling relaxed enough in the warm room, pressed up against his boyfriend and surrounded by the reassuring conversation of people he trusts. As soon as Derek notices, though, he knows it’s time to get him home and into bed before any true crisis of pain or fatigue takes place.

“I think we’ll need to get going, guys,” he says quietly, drawing everyone’s attention to Spencer’s dozing form. He watches as their faces soften and conversation quietens, everyone clearly enamoured with his boyfriend. It occurs to him that he feels no jealousy, only pride that he gets to call this wonderful man his, that he’ll be going home with him tonight, tucking him into bed and cuddling him until he falls asleep.

He shakes Spencer gently, and the others start to get up, tidying or just moving through to the kitchen so as not to embarrass him when he opens his eyes. “Sorry,” he murmurs sleepily, as he looks up at Derek. “I’m tired.”

“I know, baby,” he says softly, feeling so fond his heart could burst. “Let’s get you home, yeah?”

Everyone’s sad to see him go, gathering at the front door to say their goodbyes.

“You are invited to every BAU event from hereon in,” Penelope asserts confidently as she leans down for a gentle hug. She whispers, “you’re better company than Derek, anyway.”

“I heard that, Mama,” he says, poking her in the side.

“You were meant to,” she says, sending him a pointed look, before dropping the act and wrapping him in a hug as the others say goodbye to Spencer.

“It was so nice to finally meet you, Spencer,” Hotch says warmly. “Derek had better not keep us from seeing anymore of you.”

“I’m not sure I could possibly get away with that anymore,” he sighs. “Guess I’ll have to share my baby with you assholes.”

Spencer rolls his eyes at that, stifling a yawn. “Come on, caveman,” he says, rolling his eyes again. “I need to get home.”

“Anything for you, my highness,” he chuckles, before lifting his chin with his knuckle and bending down to kiss him briefly.

“Bye, lovebirds,” Emily calls as they make their way to their car.

“Drive safely,” JJ shouts, which makes Derek laugh fondly. He does love his team.

“See you on Monday,” he calls back as he helps Spencer into the passenger seat. They drive home in the comforting darkness of night, illuminated by the car and street lights of the city, and satisfaction pools in his stomach as he reflects on such a perfect evening as Spencer falls asleep against the passenger window. It really couldn’t have gone any better, and the relief he feels is staggering: the two most important facets of his life finally integrated after far too long.

While his whole life feels like it’s finally falling into place, all that really matters is that the man who is his entire world is happy, a small smile on his sleeping face as the shadows of the city brush their way over his cheekbones. He has to force his eyes back to the road, but he can’t resist the hand he slips into Spencer’s, or the smile that lights up his face as even in his sleep, Spencer’s fingers curl themselves around his.

Spencer's symptoms in this fic could fit any number of neurological conditions, but his unnamed condition was modelled on my own experience with fibromyalgia. I have a rather severe case, as would Spencer if he was diagnosed with this illness. The symptoms could also fit these conditions in one way or another: Myalgic Encephalomyelitis (M.E.), Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome (EDS), Lupus, Rheumatoid Arthritis or Axial Spondyloarthritis, as well as others I'm sure I'm forgetting.

Everything about Spencer’s disability is true to the chronically ill/disabled experience as I know it, and to learn more please visit the end notes on AO3 where I explain in a little more detail some of the features of Spencer’s symptoms and condition.

<333

taglist: @criminalmindsvibez @hotchgans @suburban--gothic @strippersenseii @takeyourleap-of-faith

#my writing #criminal minds #criminal minds fic #criminal minds writing #moreid #derek morgan/spencer reid #derek morgan x spencer reid #moreid fic #moreid fluff #moreid au #criminal minds au #disabled spencer reid

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theartoflovingthomashunt · 3 years ago

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For the Love of Coffee

[All Thomas Hunt x Alex Spencer Masterlists] [Red Carpet Diaries]

Characters: Thomas Hunt x Alex Spencer (F!OC) ; Addison Sinclaire, Chris Winters Book: Red Carpet Diaries; Book 2 Word Count/Rating: ~1,500 ; Fluff Prompts: @choicesjanuarychallenge2022 : chocolate

Synopsis: Alex runs into Thomas at a Caffe before their set call time while filming The Last Duchess in Cordonia.

"Did we miss it?" Addison questioned, looking back down the quiet Cordonian street.

"I don't think so," Chris answered with a shrug, continuing forward. "I know Hunt said it'd be easy to miss, but between the three of us, I gotta hope one of us would have noticed."

"We definitely didn't miss it," Alex decided. "I would have noticed. I mean, it's me, and it's coffee!"

We could have just gotten coffee at the cafe by our hotel. It would've been faster, and we don't have a lot of time before we need to be back on set," Addison fretted. "Plus, I'm starting to think we're on a wild goose chase."

"No, it's here," Alex pressed on down the cobblestone street. "Thomas said it's the best cafe in Cordonia. I will not be missing out on the best!"

"There!" Chris exclaimed, spotting the little shop.

It was a small venue marked by a red door and a simple wooden sign with the word, Caffe.

"This is it?" Addison's brow pulled in as her lip twisted. "It's not much. Definitely not what I expected from Hunt."

"Looks can be deceiving," Alex decided, pulling the door open. "Besides, I'm only here for the coffee. It could be a shack in the woods with chainsaws hanging from the ceiling, but if it had the best coffee, I'd still go in."

"You worry me sometimes." Addison patted her back, following her into the cafe.

Alex inhaled deeply, letting the tantalizing scent of freshly roasted coffee beans mix with the sweet, buttery aroma of the decadent baked goods on display. "If this isn't what heaven smells like—"

Heading straight for the counter, Alex wasted no time ordering the house special and a chocolate scone.

The three chattered away as they awaited their orders at the counter, Alex's eyes never leaving the barista's careful movements and the brewing espresso falling artfully into her cup. She licked her lips, eager for the first sip.

"I guess he really does leave set every once and a while." Addison nudged her.

"Hmm?" Alex followed her gaze, finding Thomas tucked in a dark corner, his nose in his work, deep in thought. "Oh!"

"Here you are ma'am," the barista offered, handing Alex her order.

"Thanks." Without a second thought, she took her coffee and headed in his direction before she had a moment to question herself.

"Should we?" Chris questioned, turning to follow.

Addison rested her hand on his arm, stopping him. Her head shook softly to the sides, deterring him further. "Don't."

His brow furrowed in confusion before giving way to an understanding smile as he continued watching the pair.

"Hey," Alex greeted cheerfully, stepping into his light.

"If you please," he signed deeply and reluctantly looked away from his works. His stiff and stoic demeanor lightened as his eyes found hers. "It's you."

"Sorry." She tucked a strand of loose hair behind her ear. "I didn't mean to interrupt."

His gaze shifted to the work he wanted to finish. "Not at all." He pushed the papers to the side. He stood, gesturing to the other seat at the table. "Please."

As Alex neared the seat, Thomas pulled it out for her.

"Oh—Thank you!" Her cheeks warmed. She wasn't sure when the last time anyone had pulled out a seat for her, and at a little cafe, no less. "We—uh—we took your suggestion." She lifted her coffee cup.

"Is it satisfactory?" He steepled his fingers beneath his chin.

With the added distraction of his presence, she realized she had yet to even try it. She brought the cup to her lips, letting the warm liquid linger on her tongue. Her eyes closed, and her lips turned up as she hummed her approval of the perfect bittersweet blend of the nutty roast and hints of cinnamon and cocoa. "It's amazing," she marveled, quickly taking another sip.

"I'm delighted you're enjoying it." He let his hand linger on the table between them as he watched her savor the beverage. "Perhaps we might utilize less coffee on set today?"

"Oh, this? No. This is just to get me to set." She chewed the corner of her lip. "This will not hinder the amount of coffee I will need to consume during the rest of the day."

"Is that so?"

"You know what they say; good ideas start with brainstorming. Great ideas start with coffee!" She winked playfully, cringing momentarily after realizing what she had done.

His brow rose challengingly. "And who may I ask is supposed to have made such a declaration?"

"You know, they. The all-important "they" that says stuff."

"Have you considered the possibility that you may have an addiction to coffee?"

She considered his words, taking another sip. "Have you considered that it is coffee that is addicted to me?"

"That is implausible," he countered matter-of-factly.

A shy smile drew across her face at his steady gaze. He made her forget the Royal city around them, her friends waiting nearby, and the work waiting for her. It was just them. "Hmm," she continued pondering the thought. "Would you accept that coffee and I are in a committed relationship?"

He stifled the chuckle growing at her words. "Shall I alert the tabloids?"

She couldn't help but laugh. "Did the great Thomas Hunt make a joke? I wasn't aware that was allowed." She raised her cup. "We should mark this momentous occasion, cheers."

He lifted his mug to hers as they shared a smile, the moment seeming to stop as the pair paused in the presence of the other.

"Is he—is Hunt smiling?" Addison clapped her hands over her mouth, her voice having risen louder than she meant.

"It appears so," Chris agreed. "Did you know he could do that?"

"It appears to be a selective but increasing gesture he's capable of."

"Good for him," He nodded his approval.

"Like he's going to do anything about it." Addison sighed in resignation.

His phone illuminated as a new text came in. "Good things take time." A smile spread on his face as a photo of his wife and daughter appeared on his lock screen. "And I have a feeling that could be a very good thing."

"For both of them." Addison's gaze caught the time on his phone. "Is that the time?"

"Unfortunately."

"Alex," Addison called reluctantly, breaking the spell that seemed to have settled over the pair.

The joy on her face fell as she turned back to her friends.

"We need to do a final fitting for today's shoot." Addison mouthed, "sorry!"

Alex nodded but didn't move. She held her finger up to her friends, her focus returning to Thomas. "I have to go."

"It appears so." He nodded his agreement.

"It's just—" She chewed her lip, averting her gaze and looking down at her coffee for a moment. She picked at the cardboard cozy surrounding it. "I have this director who insists on punctuality and, he gets rather grumpy when I'm late."

"Which I suspect is often," he teased with a raise of his brow.

Alex reached across the table, resting her hand on his. "I'll see you in a bit?"

His hand twitched as he fought the urge to pull it back, but the warmth of her touch kept him there. "I look forward to it."

She let her fingers linger on him a moment longer. "Bye... for now."

She glanced back to him as she walked away, raising her hand and offering a slight wave.

The skin in the corner of his eyes wrinkled as his gaze followed her. Despite her absence, he could still feel her warmth. He shook the thought away. How many times would he need to remind himself that he couldn't pursue her? After what happened with her last film, he had to protect her, even if from himself. He sipped his coffee, pulling his papers back out. Perhaps love and coffee taste the same—both bittersweet.

Addison linked her arm with Alex's, immediately pulling her in. "Were you flirting with Hunt?!"

"No!" Her face flushed as she stole one last look back as they departed the cafe.

"I didn't know he could flirt anymore," Addison taunted. "I guess that makes you special."

"I was just being polite," she lied. "Anyone would have done the same."

"And yet, neither Chris nor I ran over to him."

"I didn't run!" She protested.

"Forgive me. I should have said skipped gleefully or floated like a cartoon character." Addison handed her the bag with her scone. "I guess all those little hearts in your eyes made you forget this."

"Shut up!" Alex's eyes widened as she glanced over at Chris.

"He's a good one," he reassured her. "Just be patient with him. It'll be worth it."

"Does everyone know?" She hid her face in her hand.

"I mean—" Addison laughed. "You two just spent like fifteen minutes talking about coffee like it is the most interesting thing on the planet."

"Maybe it is!" Alex defended.

"It's really not."

"It is to me!"

"Exactly!" Addison agreed. "And now, it is to him, too."

Alex couldn't stop the smile stretching across her face any more than she could stop the pleasant shiver that ran down her spine as she touched his hand. As much as she wished she could deny it, she knew she couldn't. Coffee had some competition in being the thing she loved most in the world.

Thank you for reading! Likes, reblogs, and comments are always appreciated.

I hope you enjoyed this little glimpse into some early moments in their relationship that PB denied us.

Tags in a reblog, please let me know if you'd like to be added or removed.

#thomas hunt #thomas hunt rcd #thomas orson hunt #hunt x mc #thomas hunt x mc #red carpet diaries #red carpet diaries 2 #playchoices #choices #choices game #fan fiction #thomas x alex #alex hunt #alex spencer #halex #addison sinclaire #chris winters #hollywood u

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clarkgriffon · 3 years ago

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So, the PLL Series Finale was as bad as I remember.

The Minor Offenses:

The Callbacks - These are inevitable in a series finale for any show that’s as long as PLL is, and I thought some of them worked cute and worked (Spoby Scrabble Game, Hanna handing Em a tissue at the Ezria wedding and saying “Today you do,” just like she did with the flask in the Pilot). But most of them felt forced and just... out of place.

The minor antagonist revivals. Throwing characters like Jenna, Lucas, and Melissa on our screens one last time just for them to be there. Lucas was in a dream sequence, Melissa was teased as an antagonist for it to be another “hyper-realistic” mask. Jenna was arguably the most useful as she LITERALLY IDENTIFIED THAT SPENCER WAS NOT SPENCER. Who decided Jenna was gonna be the one to figure it out???

Ending the series on the Ezria wedding as our last major touchstone with the girls (at least, prior to their little rendezvous in the park). It’s just for a show that became so Spencer-focused in the final seasons, and I have stuff to write about that in a separate post, the fact we go back to our first 2 seasons main character of Aria for the fade out is just questionable? It feels like if we were going to end on a major life moment of one of the girls, it should have been... Spencer? They’d written her as the main character since literal Season 3 onward.

The “happy endings” - I think the writers genuinely forgot these girls are supposed to be 23. Why were Haleb trying for a baby! They’re 23! Same for Ezria, though I guess Ezra is older but Aria is ALSO 23. Emison ALSO have babies and are 23. Why do all these children have to have children.

The Major Offenses:

(Note: I’m ignoring the reveal in itself as an offense. Commentary on who “AD” is would take way too long and has been hashed out by everyone before already)

The fact it takes 45 minutes to get our reveal; everything in the episode before Alex is inconsequential drivel

The relationship drama- The only drama I can excuse is the Ezria “I can’t have kids” squabble because it has plot relevance in making the girls think Ezra skipped out on the wedding rather than that he was kidnapped. But honestly, why the fuck were Haleb squabbling throughout the episode about Mona and their potential kids- why was that necessary in the finale?

The Addison Thing. Just.. no. It was bad. All of S7 it was bad, but the final scene was particularly egregious. Why was Maya’s cousin one of the girls in the posse? WHY does Addison go missing exactly like Alison with identical dialogue? It’s uh... dumb.

So, was any of it good? Sure:

I genuinely enjoyed the Alex flashbacks, them showing when exactly Alex was acting as Spencer and especially the Alex/Wren backstory. Wren is a diamond is one of my favorite things from the series in its entirety.

Controversial, but I love the Mona ending. In my opinion, rather than the extra Addison scene, that’s where the series should have ended. Is it fucked up? Absolutely, but that’s kind of been the point of PLL all along. Mona has never been able to get better, the writers will never let her, despite her attempts again and again, but she is shown to have real love for the girls (especially Hanna), and the audience ROOTS for her. I think the Mary & Alex dolls are her happy ending, and obviously, as intended, she’s finally “won the game.” I think it’s a fantastic ending note overall to have the original fan favorite “A” finally win the game.

#pll

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juniorgman187 · 4 years ago

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Never Enough (Spencer Reid Drabble)

Summary: Ever wondered what Garcia wrote on that sticky note in the series finale? Read here to find out. When Reader, the new technical analyst, feels out of place at a party, Penelope’s sticky note and Reid’s kind words do just the trick.

A/N: This is a comfort piece for me, someone very introverted who never seems to do well in social gatherings. So this is dedicated to anyone who’s ever felt like they didn’t belong. You are loved. Couple: Fem!Reader x Spencer Reid Category: Fluff, Drabble Content Warning: Fear of exclusion, loneliness Word Count: 2.4k

✧･ﾟ: *✧･ﾟ:*

All my life, all I’d ever wanted was to be a social butterfly. Their lives seemed so easy. People would naturally flock to them, what with their charisma, their confidence, their natural gift of being conversational.

I envied them for the sole reason that I was nothing like them, not in the slightest.

It wasn’t easy for me to keep a conversation going, even if I was trying my very hardest, which was often the case. I could never seem to commandeer the room in the way that someone extroverted could, and it was especially hard sometimes to feel a part of everyone.

It would be too easy to say I was invisible. Instead, I felt painfully visible, and entirely ignored.

Everyone could see my shyness peeking through, everyone could see how alienated I’d become, everyone could see my despondence, and yet no one bothered to change it.

No one cared.

My excruciating awkwardness had reached an all-time high at Krystall’s birthday party.

Agent Rossi was so keen on inviting me, and I was honored to go since it’d be my first bonding experience with the team outside of work. I couldn’t turn down the opportunity to grow closer to them, otherwise, I’d run the risk of isolating myself even more. As if being brought in as the BAU’s new technical analyst to replace Penelope Garcia wasn’t enough of a reason for them to doubt, despise, and disrespect me, I was the introvert who had a hard time making friends - unlike my predecessor, who’ve I heard could make friends like nobody’s business. I knew I could never fill her shoes, much less fill the glaring void she created when she left, but still, I maintained my bright-eyes in hopes that I’d be enough for them, anyway. I was all too eager to get to know everyone as more than just my coworkers, with one exception.

Dr. Reid maintained an arm’s length distance from me at all times, and at first, I understood. I even empathized with him.

Besides SSA Morgan and SSA Hotchner, the only other person that he’d work the longest with was Penelope, and now she was gone, too, but the longer his rejection of me lasted, the more I was curious what he truly had against me, and the more I was less interested in changing that. Why would I work tirelessly at mending this broken friendship, if he wasn’t willing to meet me halfway?

I was more shocked that he, of all people, would be the most displeased with my arrival. When Agent Rossi replaced Agent Gideon, from what I heard, the transition wasn’t as rocky as mine. Dr. Reid was overjoyed to be working with him and to discuss all his books. When Jordan Todd, and eventually Ashley Seaver, took Agent Jareau’s place momentarily, he was happy to be working with them. When Alex Blake and Kate Callahan came in after Emily Prentiss, he welcomed them with open arms. So what was it about me that was so abhorrent to him?

I never outright asked, mainly because I feared confrontation and I also had no way of knowing if my curiosity would make the situation worse or better. But I should’ve. I should’ve marched right up to him and asked, “What’s your problem?”

Somehow, though, I finally got up the courage to do so tonight.

I watched as the team laughed at one of Rossi’s anecdotes, meanwhile, the inside jokes flew over my head, hindering that bonding experience I was so sure I’d get by coming here. So I stepped inside the house, wandering into a spare room, knowing I wouldn’t be missed.

I thought I’d only be there for a moment to get some “fresh air” even though I’d actually migrated from the outside to the inside, where there’d arguably be less fresh air, but that’d be my excuse if anyone came in. But I was forced to stay longer in the office when it finally happened.

I finally reached my breaking point.

It was building up all night. It started when I first stepped into the house. My confidence faltered almost immediately when I accidentally stepped on Rossi’s Italian leather dress shoe as I went to greet him. He told me not to worry, but of course, I did just the opposite. It was a minor bump in the road, something so minute, but still, it weighed on me thinking about how embarrassing it was that I dirtied something of his that everyone recognized as valuable.

My shame didn’t stop there. As I was talking with Krystall, there were many periods of awkward silence that I couldn’t manage to fill with words, so we each sipped at our wine until one of us would try to pick up the conversation. What’s worse was that we each knew the silence was suffocating, and I could tell we were both thinking of things to say to keep the conversation going, and yet, nothing worth saying came to mind.

And worst of all was when Penelope Garcia finally arrived at the party. Don’t misunderstand me - it wasn’t the worst part of all because she was bad - no, she was lovely. She gave me a welcome present - a Beanie Baby to put on my desk, evocative of her own style of decor, and I loved her for it, which made me hate her all the more.

Rossi’s house livened up when she came. Everyone flocked to greet her, laughter erupted and ricocheted off Rossi’s high ceilings. They were positively elated by her presence, truly happy. Which was the first time I’d ever seen them that way because frankly, they were never that happy with me.

It was a painful reminder that I could never bring what she brought to the team, and I could never be as good as her. And the general consensus I reached, sitting in Rossi’s office all alone with my glass of wine, was the same one I’d known for years now - I’m not enough.

And I will never be enough.

I hadn’t realized I was crying until a tear cascaded down my cheek, dripping right under my nose, forcing me to audibly sniffle it away. Using the sleeve of my cardigan, I desperately tried to wipe away the tears faster than they were spilling out, but it just wasn’t possible. In fact, the coarse fabric of my cardigan rubbing against my cheeks only made them redder, making the fact that I was unwell that much more obvious.

The sound of the doorknob turning sent me into overdrive, automatically engaging me into turning around and facing the wall so that whoever was coming in wouldn’t find me in the state that I was in. I sniffled a great big sniffle and fanned my face to dry it of any moisture that my silent sobs could’ve left.

“Sorry, Rossi, I was just getting some fresh air and I thought I’d check out your book collectio-”

When I turned around, Rossi wasn’t standing there as I’d assumed.

In fact, the person standing there was the last person I thought it’d be.

“Dr. Reid?”

He was lingering in the doorway, studying my face, to which I instantly preventing from continuing on any further by cowering my head and looking away.

“What are you doing here?” My voice had taken a tone of anger that I didn’t anticipate to be there originally.

“Are you okay?”

To my surprise, his question seemed sincere, but I couldn’t truly believe it was.

“Yeah, I’m fine. Just allergies from being outside for so long. The pollen and stuff, you know?” I rambled nervously.

“Oh, really? Are you allergic to the grass?” He asked in a joking manner, knowing I was lying but still asking so that he’d have the satisfaction of getting to see me try and work my way out of the situation.

“Yes, I am actually. The most common outdoor allergy triggers are trees, grass, weed pollen, mold spores, dust mites, cockroaches, and cat, dog, and rodent dander. Don’t you know this? After all, you’re the one with the IQ of 187 here, not me.” I tried to joke to lighten up the room’s heaviness, but clearly, it didn’t work.

By this time, I’d already turned back to face the wall, so Reid surely couldn’t see me, but I heard the door click shut behind me, and a wave of anxiety permeated my soul.

“What’s wrong, Y/N?”

I scoffed at his question, almost hitting him back with an “As if you care.” But I decided against it in an effort to preserve what little repose we had left between us.

“Will you please tell me what’s wrong?” He sounded like he was begging - like he was practically willing to go on his hands and knees to get me to answer, but all I could focus on was the feeling of his hot breath ghosting over my neck.

Goosebumps rose on my skins once he put his warm hand on my cold shoulder, which was bare from the absence of my cardigan and where it had slipped down to my elbow.

I flinched at the sensation, causing him to recoil.

“I’m sorry, I shouldn’t have done that.” He quickly apologized, regret filling his eyes. “Um, you look nice by the way. I like the way you did your hair. A-and your dress. It looks nice.”

Not even giving a chance to respond to his compliment, I asked again, “Why are you here?” Pressing him to get the point faster before I had a chance to react at another one of his physical advances.

“I saw you leave the backyard and I thought I should check on you.”

“Well, you’ve checked on me, so you can go back now.” I didn’t miss a beat when responding, fooling him into thinking that I didn’t catch his words and their intentions.

“I just want to talk.” He replied, finally answering my question from before.

“Okay. Let’s talk.”

He took a seat on a chaise lounge sofa while I stayed standing by the bookcase in preparation for a quick escape if need be.

“I’m sorry I’ve been pushing you away. That wasn’t fair of me.”

Although I hadn’t expected him to apologize, I wasn’t going to be misled and naively accept his apology with no reservations.

“Why did you do it? And for so long?”

“I was angry. I didn’t want another person in my life that I cared about to walk away, so I thought maybe if I made you feel unwelcome, you wouldn’t want to stay. And she’d come back.”

It hurt to say, but at least I knew he was being honest.

“I accept your apology, but it’s not okay.”

“I know that.”

“Okay, are we good now? We’ve talked, so,” My hand gestured toward the door, suggesting he should leave, but he didn’t comply.

“I’m not leaving.”

“And why not?” The wine glass in my hand nearly shattered at the way my hand wrapped around it since its presence hindered me from being able to actually clench my fists.

“I didn’t come here to apologize, even though I should’ve sooner. But I came here because I wanted to make sure you were okay.”

“Like you care.” I chuckled mirthlessly.

“I do care.”

I gave in, not wanting to fight him any longer, otherwise, I might cry some more from the altercation.

“I’m fine.”

“No, you’re not,” He shook his head. “I know you’re not fine. What’s really wrong, Y/N?”

I looked away immediately from his gaze, trying to hide the sheen that was inevitably coating my eyes from the presence of tears, but he would’ve known I was crying the minute I used the cuff of my cardigan to wipe under my nose again.

“I just . . . I feel so unconnected,” I whispered, the pain of my words stealing my volume. “I don’t fit in. And I’ve never fit in before, but I actually thought this might be my chance.”

“It still is. Just come back outside.”

“You don’t get it!”

“What don’t I get?”

“I just needed to take a moment to compose myself so I wouldn’t ruin the energy of the room. And I’d really like to do that alone, okay?”

“I know you don’t want me to go.”

“What?”

“You’re testing me to see if I’ll stay.”

“No, I’m not.”

“So you’re saying that if I left right now, you wouldn’t regret letting me walk away?”

“Yeah, that’s right.”

“I know you’re lying to me.”

“I’m not lying.”

“Yes, you are. I know what it looks like when you lie. Wanna know how I know?”

I entertained his question out of pure frustration “How?”

“Because I pay attention to you. I see your mannerisms. I notice everything. Do you think I haven’t picked up on how you crack your knuckles when you’re nervous? Or how your stutter goes away when you talk about technology? Or how your fists clench, like how you’re doing right now?”

My eyes flickered to my fist that was wrapped so tightly around the glass, my knuckles were white. Out of shame, I loosened my grip.

“I pay attention because I care. And I’m sorry that I made you ever believe that I didn’t. What you do, and say, and think - it’s important. So no, I’m not leaving. I’m staying right here to give you the attention you deserve.” He sighed with a breath of relief. “I care more about you than whatever’s happening out there.”

And slowly, then all at once, that barrier between us broke down.

“I care about you. We all do. And when you’re ready, we can walk back out there together so that you can see for yourself just how much we care.”

. . . That night, I made nine more friends.

And the day we came back to work, with my Beanie Baby in hand, I rearranged my desk.

A folded up sticky note fell out from between two tables. I picked it up, recognizing the handwriting instantly.

Penelope Garcia.

Even when the laughter always seems to come from the other room and the world seems busy as it carries on without you, may you know this to be true. No matter who or what made you feel invisible, unworthy, unloved, or unseen, in this ever-moving world, there is still a place for you. And you are exactly in the place where you are meant to be.

✧･ﾟ: *✧･ﾟ:*

quote by morgan harper nichols

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reidswritings · 4 years ago

Text

the second time they were just too cute

word count; 1.6k

warning; nothing but fluff and my obvious love for miss alex blake (god i miss her)

authors note; hello here is PART TWO of times they were just too cute. this is related to the first part but you don't have to read to understand! hope you enjoy!!! :)

two; reading to each other on a rainy day

It doesn’t rain a lot. Well, actually, it does rain every once and awhile, but it usually never coincides with the days that Y/N and Spencer had off. Usually, it rained when they were off saving the world from the murderous species that they so often hunted. It usually happened when they were so far off the beaten path that they couldn’t even take a second to even smell the rain— let alone get ten, fifteen minutes to enjoy it.

Once in a blue moon, it seemed— which was less than adequate, seeing as how they loved the rain.

The adorable couple had a routine. Every time it rained they would go out onto the fire escape (that was conveniently covered by the roof of their building. it protected them from the rain and that was absolutely perfect. they could enjoy the weather without the added component of getting soaked), usually with a blanket and at least one or two books. If Spencer had a choice, it would be closer to double digits.

He had even tried once, to bring too many books, but with one look from his Lovely Girl he was quickly putting majority of the paperbacks back on to the old, withering table. He would just put down the less read ones and tuck his most favorites under his arm and pull his Pretty Lady out onto the makeshift terrace.

Spencer would sit on a higher step, stretching his long legs out and Y/N would pull the blanket on top of them and lean against the Lanky Boy, sitting on the stair below. His arms would come around her, pulling her close, book open in front of the two.

He loved that. He loved reading to his Pretty Girl— when she first asked him to do so, he thought he would hate it, having to read so slow. But he loved it— he loved reading to someone who never interrupted, never told him he was annoying, told him that the topic was boring.

He was never so happy to be proven wrong.

At first he welcomed the idea as a way to get her to relax and get a moment of peace from the hell that was their job, but then as the book dates (that’s what Spencer liked to call it. Once, Morgan had over heard Spencer asking Y/N if they were still on for their book date and he had never let him live it down. Just yet another reason for the dark-skinned hunk to tease Spencer for his nerdiness) began to become more frequent, he found himself relaxing and letting his own stress melt away with every word he read.

Usually, on those days— on the bad days, Spencer would read until he was blue in the face and Y/N was sound asleep against his chest.

And even then, even when his audience was no longer listening, he’d keep on— arms still wrapped around his girl and heart still beating wildly in his chest.

Those were Spencer and Y/N’s favorite days— a part of them both wished that those days came around more often than they did, but they also learned to appreciate the days when they did come around.

Like the current day— the love birds sat, side by side, as Spencer slowly read her one of his many, many books. Her head was leaning back on her Lovely Boy, his voice deeper than normal and raspy from the day’s talking. She loved it, she could listen to him all day.

Luckily, this was one of the days that it was raining. Y/N had one of Spencer’s cardigans wrapped around her frail body, the sleeves coming way past the tips of her finger. She had to fold it up just to be able to hold the book in front of her. Spencer added that to the list of things he loved about her— it was getting longer than he cared to admit.

Her eyes roamed the city beneath them— she watched as the rain forced many people indoors, and how cars, filled with eager people to get home, rushed through the wet streets. She watched as the clouds moved and morphed into shapes that could be pointed out. She watched as the sun began to lay itself to rest and the moon took its place.

She listened to her Pretty Boy speak in his hushed voice, and felt his hand comb through her tangled hair, the other coming around to rest on her stomach— butterflies still erupting, even after all these years.

She held the book in her hands, flipping the page at the appropriate times. She knew that it was redundant— she knew that he had already memorized the book. And he knew that she knew that too, but it gave her something to do with her hands.

And that was enough for the both of them.

The current chapter was coming to a close, the last words slipping from the boy’s lips, and she closed the book— fingers stuck inside, holding the spot (another redundancy, thanks to the eidetic memory of the genius behind her).

The boy’s brows furrowed and he asked, “What’s wrong?”

“Nothing,” Y/N pushed herself from her man and turned to look at him. “I’m starting to fall asleep. I need—”

“We can stop—”

“No—! No, I was just gonna get us some coffee.” She smiled at the boy. “I don’t want to stop yet.”

She stood up, wrapping his cardigan tighter around her waist. The lovesick look returned to Spencer’s eyes as he watched his girl. His girl, god, he’d never get used to that— even after all the years they’d spent together.

She was standing in the apartment now, head peaking out the window, a dopey smile on her lips, “Comin’?”

He stood too, taking her outstretched hand, “Yeah. Yeah, I’m coming.”

Before long, the pair stood in front of the coffee pot, watching it brew The Good Stuff. Wrapped in each other’s arms, Spencer continued to recite the book, lowly. Her arms were now around his waist, head still on his chest only this time her ear was conveniently placed over his heart. She listened to each and every beat, committing it to memory. For just a moment, she wished she had Spencer’s gift— the one that lets him replay each and every moment they’ve ever had. She envied that— to Y/N, having the power to recall everything that had ever happened was a blessing.

The boy’s large hands were splayed on her back, fingers drumming in rhythm to the words he spoke— he paused and placed a kiss on her head.

She felt him smile against her head and she pulled away, as did he. She took him in— the soft look in his eyes, the one he only got when he looked at her, the way his lips ever so slightly curled up in the smallest smile she had ever seen, the blush that just barely dusted his cheeks and nose, highlighting the baby freckles he had there. She took in the beauty that was Spencer Reid. She took in all the love he had for her.

“Do you know what Morgan told me today?” She asked even know she already knew the answer. He had been across the room, talking to JJ and Penelope when the Handsome Man had approached her. There was no way he had heard her.

And like Y/N had predicted, Spencer shook his head slightly, humming in question, “Hmm?”

She smiled and pushed herself up on her tip toes, kissing the boy, pulling away and sharing the lovesick look with him. The blush that was once barely detectable was now as bright as a firetruck. “He said that he’d never seen you happier. Said that he was glad you had someone that loved you unconditionally.”

His blush deepened, if that was even possible. His arms loosened around her body and his small smile lessened. He thought about it— he was happy and maybe his dark-skinned friend was right. Maybe this was the happiest he’d ever been.

A beat passed. Then he was pulling her back in, “He’s right, you know. I am happy.”

“Good. It looks good on you.” It was her turn to pull away now, coffee ready for consumption. Spencer watched as she pulled two funky colored mugs down from the shelf, placing them in front of the beat up coffee pot. They needed a new one, this was was seconds away from crapping out. It was on the list of things the pair needed to get done, but with their hectic schedule it was almost impossible to get it done.

Well, that and it just happened to be a housewarming gift from an old friend. And it seemed impossible to part with the old thing, it was apart of them now— no matter how cliché it sounded.

Thank you, Alex Blake, for many wonderfully brewed cups of coffee.

She poured two cups, dumping too much sugar into one of them before turning back around to the love of her life. He was leaning against the counter opposite her, watching with that same lovely smile plastered on his face.

Mugs in her hands, she laughed, “What?”

“I just love you. A lot.”

“Yeah? Well, I love you, too. Now, take your coffee.” Now, it was the Pretty Girl’s time to blush. She expertly thrusted the mug at him, none of the hot liquid escaping. She brushed past him, moving towards the fire escape again, cup pressed to her lips and book tucked under her arm. “You comin’, Spence?”

“Always, my love.”

#spencer reid #spencer reid fluff #spencer reid angst #spencer reid x reader #spencer x reader #matthew gray gubler #mgg

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misslilli · 3 years ago

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Thank you guys, for your encouragement 😌 and thank you so much @today-in-fic for getting this wee fic out there :)

Felix Felicis

MSR. AU. PG-13. | tagging @today-in-fic | read on AO3

Chapter 19 - Enjoy The Good Times While They Last

[ DS ]

On the morning after the party, I’m awoken by the tickle of sunlight on my face and a chilly ocean breeze through the partly open doors. I keep my eyes closed and stretch languidly, the memories from last night putting a smile on my face. What a night! This morning, I feel lighter than air, high on endorphins and him. The one whose touch lights my skin on fire. The one whose presence makes me stumble over my words. The one whose smile has a blush creeping up my cheeks. The one whose voice sends a tingle up my spine right into my brain, the neurons misfiring. The one in whose arms I felt so safe, so protected. The one who makes cleaning up a dirty kitchen seem like the most enjoyable activity on the planet.

I’ll keep my eyes closed for only a minute longer, blocking out the reality I know will come rushing back in when I open them. The past. The hurt. The scary. But for now, for a few moments, none of it matters and I let myself fall for him, in the darkness behind my closed eyes and the cozy confines of my bedsheets.

----------

[ In the kitchen of the beach house ]

“Operation: Bullwinkle is going really well, don’t you think?” Sarah looks immensely pleased with herself, stretching out her arms over her head.

“Who would’ve guessed that it would be the little Moose who’s our very best wingman, getting her out on the dancefloor where she could be whisked away by his dad! And then gets her to stay way past the duration of the party. The look on Moose’s face when he saw them, I wish I could’ve snapped a picture!” Holly sighs at the memory.

“Okay next up, Halloween. What are we goi-“ Alex is interrupted by a sharp “Shh, Squirrel!” from Sarah and they turn their heads in unison towards their friend coming downstairs to join them for breakfast.

“Wow, look who’s walking on sunshine!”

They haven’t seen a smile so big on their friend’s face for far too long now and once she sits down, Sarah starts the questioning.

“So Smiley Miley, care to tell us what happened last night?” Dana only smirks around a bite of her bagel.

“No.”

“Oh come on, D, don’t make me beg! I’m dying to know what happened between you waking up alone with the handsome stranger and sneaking into the house in the middle of the night!”

“It was a good night, that’s all I’m going to say.”

Sarah gasps. “Did you sleep with him??”

“What? No!”

“Then why in the world are you being so secretive about it?”

Their friend rests her chin in her hand with a dreamy smile on her face. “I love you guys but I don’t want you to dissect it to what it all means and taint my memory. I just want to remember how it was. I want to remember how it all was!”

----------

[ FM ]

The morning after the party, Sam and I gather around the kitchen table for breakfast. Felix is still fast asleep so it gives my sister and I some alone time to recap the events of the previous evening. Sam never beats around the bush and gets right to the point.

“Bro, I really like that girl of yours.” I smile wistfully at that and touch my hand to my cheek; I really do too. “The way you guys looked on the dance floor was breathtaking, let me tell you. It’s a pretty perfect match, don’t you think?”

“Sam, I feel like I’ve looked for someone like her for all my life. She makes me so nervous, I stumble over my words and say and do stupid shit, I called her Snoozy for crying out loud.” Sam laughs at my pained expression and pats my arm.

“You really don’t know your head from your ass when you’re in love, do you?. So, what happened afterwards? Did you talk to her again? Did you ask her out like I told you to?” She looks at me imploringly on her last statement.

“Yes and no. Yes we did talk, she fell asleep with Felix on the couch reading about butterflies and when she woke up, we cleaned up the kitchen together.” A reproachful look from my sister.

“You made her clean up the kitchen with you? Are you insane?”

“Hey, she insisted! And I didn’t want her to go just yet. We had such a good time, laughing and bantering back and forth, flirty stuff. And then, there was a moment…” Sam gasps.

“There was a moment?”

“Yeah… the perfect moment where we just stared at each other and I wanted to kiss her so bad, Sam, but…”

“Oh God there’s a but…”

“But then Felix came downstairs for a glass of water and the moment was gone.” She groans in frustration.

“I love that kid but damn he’s got bad timing!”

“I’ll say. So then I walked her to the door and I was so dazed from that almost-kiss, I couldn’t think of anything to say to make her stay. So no, I didn’t ask her out. She kissed my cheek before she left and that almost made me keel over…”

“I gotta say, bro, I’ve never seen you talk about anyone like that before and I’m really happy for you! Now, ask her out damn it!”

“If I can string two coherent words together the next time I see her, I’ll try!”

My sister nods and at that moment, Felix comes padding down the stairs in his dinosaur pajamas, rubbing his eyes. He crawls into Sam’s lap, stealing a piece of her waffle.

“Good morning, handsome! Did you have a good time yesterday?”

“Yeah auntie Sam, I did, it was awesome! Did you see how I danced?”

“I did, you did pretty well!” At that, he grins widely. “Too bad your dad cut in, huh? Did you watch them dance, too? It was pretty amazing, I think”

“Meh… it was okay, at least you didn’t step on her toes, dad! Did you see all the gifts people got us? Can we go open them now?”

“Breakfast first, gifts later, son!”

We clear the table before heading to the living room where we put the gifts yesterday, opening them one after another, Felix beside himself with glee.

One of the last gift bags is the one from the four teachers and I’ve been wondering all night what they got us. Felix pulls out both presents, handing the one with a neatly written “Fox” over to me. There’s a card for both of us as well and in a loopy handwriting, it reads:

Felix,

We know how much you enjoy reading, so we hope you’ll enjoy your gift and we’re looking forward to all the interesting thing’s you’ll be able to tell us at recess soon!

A big hug and a very happy birthday

Miss Scully, Miss Anderson, Miss Spencer and Miss Carter

“I know what’s in there!,” Felix exclaims and rips the paper off to reveal the very heavy “Oxford History of Ancient Egypt”. He gasps excitedly, gripping the book tight. “Oh my God, I love it! I’m gonna go read it right now so I know all the facts on Monday!”

I open my own card with shaky hands, very aware of Sam’s eyes on me. In the same loopy script, this one says:

Mr. Mulder,

As a fellow magician’s son, it is absolutely essential for Felix to hear the amazing stories of the greatest wizard of our times. It makes a wonderful good-night story and we hope you and your son will enjoy it as much as we did!

Happiest of birthdays

Dana, Sarah, Holly and Alexandra

My finger traces the twists and turns of the D in her signature thoughtfully and with a smile I imagine her sitting at her desk, writing our cards, a scowl of concentration on her face. Sam interrupts my daydreaming: “So? What is it? Open it!”

I oblige and pull out an elaborately designed copy of “Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone”. It’s the collector’s edition with beautiful pictures almost on every page.

It’s the perfect gift. Because it’s from her. For me.

#xf #the x files #xf fanfic #msr #felix felicis

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